Thought provoking Ideas from Venice Biennale a few years ago.

From the Edge - Ideas Aplenty

The theme of the Biennale is FROM THE EDGE.  Countries have more or less permanent exhibition buildings, where they interpreted this theme. Scandanavian countries banded together to a certain extent. The brand new Australian building is remarkable.  It was funded entirely by private money, no government went into this building. There is also a grand paladio-styled USA pavillion, France, Czech Republic, slovenia, Hungary, Netherlands, Egypt and a consortium of designers and architects housed in the Biennale building itself.

Look closely

This is from the architural Biennale. 2016

The Israel  Pavillion

I was drawn to this display under the Israel Pavillion because I thought it looked like the bamboo entrance at the Woodford folk festival, shown below.

Woodford Folk Festival 

However, this material is made by bacteria then extruded and made into poles. This means, unlike cement or wood, it is cheap, renewable and so sustainable. Good thinking from a country with few natural resources. I'm excited.

Reflections of Venice from a few years ago

Beautiful Venice, La Serenissima is in big trouble right now.  Acqua Alta


Venice Biennale-Architecture 2  - Australia

So we're peering into the architectural drawings, the footprints, the photos, the models and the tiny, tiny font to read the information from each country's interpretation of From The Edge. Brilliant stuff, Europe is concerned with housing millions of refugees, there are some brilliant, intelligent solutions , short medium and long term.  This is earnest stuff.

Then we walked into the new Australian Pavillion, it's a dark, plain even severe building.  I read somewhere that the architects wanted the art to speak, more than the building. It was a hot day. So what's in the building.......  the Australian Pavillion has a swimming pool.  Nothing to read, no drawings, no photos no tiny, tiny font to read. I flopped into one of the cool deck chairs on pool deck and listened to the voices. recognized the voices. We've been away a while so that was nice. I chuckled to myself thinking how lightweight Australia was..

I watched the reflections of the water.  Then the voice of Anna Funder talked about how important the pool was to all Australians finding a cool spot on a hot day,such fun for kids.  It means summer and freedom to kids. Yeah
Tim Flannery talked about what a waste a pool was, effectively, poisoning water with chlorine, just so we could swim in it.  Yeah.
Hetti Perkins talked about her dad, Charlie and the freedom rides in NSW in the late '60s. She said how pools outwest didnt allow indigenous people in.  Now the pools outwest, not only welcome all children, but the pool access has resulted in fewer ear infections, - This means better attention in schools, actually better hearing in schools, so children learn better.
They had a cute sign "AQUA PROFUNDA" up on the back wall.  Tbis was a nod to the Fitzroy pool, where there was a big Italian migrant population. The pool manager was so sick of fishing people out of the deep end that he put up sign in "Italian" aqua profunda, (spelt incorrectly in Italian hehe)

Public pools ARE big for Australians a serious cultural icon, a slice of our former lives, and really delicious on a hot day.

Clem Jones Class Morning Tea

Morning Tea 10th December at 11.00am 

Attention those happy folk and fellow athletes who attend Clem Jones Healthy Active class on Tuesdays -

A picnic table has been booked in the pool precinct for Tuesday 10th December, at 11.00am

I will bring Tea, Coffee Milk Sugar, Spoons.

Could you bring:-
A small plate to share
Your own mug.

Meanwhile see you in class

Class Details and dates

Ann Lear  Ph: 0431 223 190 

Email: annlear1@gmail.com

Blog:  annlearfitness.blogspot.com.au

NUNDAH
Mondays 8.00am               
 Nundah Activity Centre, Jenner Street, Nundah  4012

Lots of men are coming to the Nundah Class. There is always some H.I.I.T which is the fountain of youth for our mitochondria.

Aspley
Mondays 9.40am                 
Strong Bones Fusion, Aerobic Exercise, Yoga Strength, Weights, Pilates, Stretching, Balance            
Aspley Uniting Church, 748 Robinson Rd, Aspley. Qld  4034

Sandgate
Tuesdays 9.30am                Sandgate Town Hall

STRONG BONES, Fusion of Aerobic Exercise, Yoga Strength, Weights, Pilates, Stretching, Balance
Sandgate Town Hall, Brighton Road, Sandgate.  Qld. 4017  

Carina
Tuesdays 12 noon                         Clem Jones Centre,

STRONG BONES Light paced exercise, strength training in the gym, pilates, Yoga Stretching Clem Jones Centre, Zahel Street, Carina.  Qld.  4152  

Broccoli Leaves... Who knew?

My sister, Mary,  lives in San Diego.  She went to dinner to a Thai restaurant for her birthday.  She talked about a"roll up" dish which had broccoli  leaves as the outer wrap.  She said it was crunchy and delicious.   She referred me to this link- https://www.plantsmartliving.com/blog/top-10-reasons-why-you-should-eat-broccoli-leaves

There's a video clip of farmer Fred and some text listing the 10 reasons to eat broccoli leaves. The surprise for me was they are good for eye health.
It's well worth a look -

thanks Mary.

It's also thanks to Mary that I am growing pansies to eat.  At her daughter's wedding they served Vietnamese rice paper rolls that were wrapped to show the pansy flower inside..   talk about wow factor.

where is your head?

The Guardian , 25th November 2014 had a great article Homa Khaleeli:- " Tech Neck,  How smart phones are damaging our spines".

Here's the graphic from the article that I  have been talking about.