All Star Babs

There he is, my little son. This photo is the All-star Dream Team from the basketball camp recently held in Echuca, which had over 50 kids in it. The all-star team was chosen partially for excellence and performance as a player, but also for attitude, teamwork and a willingness to give it your all.

In the photo are the three coaches and the five members of the all-star team. The smallest member, on the right, is my five year old son Alex. He is so small compared to the fellow standing next to him that he could run between his legs! I know Alex can't throw the ball any more than halfway to the hoop, he's only just learning how to catch, and is not quite coordinated enough yet to dribble. But he has a great attitude, is not at all shy, and even though he didn't really want to do this camp all by himself, he not only made the best of it, he did it so well that he impressed the coaches enough to put him in the all-star team.

I'm so proud of you Alex. Yeah, sometimes you can be a real knucklehead, but then, so can we all. You do everything at 100 miles an hour, rush most things, and leave a mess generally. But you give most things your best shot, and you have a positive attitude to life. Knowing what I know now, if you keep that up, you'll put yourself in the best possible position to succeed in life, and be happy with whatever you choose to do. 

Well done son, you're a star!

Three Years

Wow. So it has been three years to the day (20th March 2018) since we flew into Kupang to begin what was then the latest chapter in our lives (my collective family that is). Three years. It's funny, it many ways it seems like only a few months ago yet in others, almost like a lifetime ago. Yeah, just a couple of weeks beyond that three years and there I was, flipping burgers, selling lotto tickets and making coffee for the denizens of Barooga. I look back on that time somewhat confused I have to say. Things in the local economy had changed in the few years before that, looking back at the shop records, resulting in a decline from ~$6k per day to about $3.5k per day when we sold. Few businesses could survive such a reduction in turnover. Yet, despite the myriad mathematical analysis skills I have, I didn't do anything about it. I guess I never really felt like it was mine, nor did I have the confidence (or desire to clash with anyone) to take charge of it all, at least financially. I probably should have got more involved. It might have made some difference, but it is worth looking again at those turnover numbers and realising that there was nothing I could do to alleviate the impact of close to a 50% reduction in income. 

So yeah, that's what I think about when I look back at that time anyway, apart from enjoying the time with my mother and sister, and giving my kids time to be close to them too. At the beginning, and after the second false start with ASN, I had hopes that perhaps my professional career might be over, and we might make this work. Again, looking back, I don't think I was ever out of love with my career, but I was sure sick of not having secure employment, and working for unreliable people. Now I am where I am, whilst I don't always have the energy I used to, I am enjoying using my brain and leading a team of people working in this industry (in many ways I consider mining and quarrying to be one and the same, although I do miss not having the geological and metallurgical connections I used to have). I am also once again slowly getting used to being in one place for a while. After the tumultuous last decade before Mawsons, a bit of stability is just what the doctor ordered. Actually, what the doctor ordered is less alcohol and more exercise, but one thing at a time ok?

Crikey, I really have fit in a lot since March 20 2018 then haven't I? Considering the amount that happened in Kupang, including two overseas holidays, another in Bali, numerous work trips for me, not to mention all the work and goings-on with GMG, thinking that this amounts to less time than I have now spent here is extraordinary. Here is a summary of that time:

Start	End	Location	Duration	% of Total
March 2018	June 2019	Kupang, Indonesia	16 months	43%
July 2019	October 2019	KL, Malaysia	4 months	11%
November 2019	March 2021	Echuca, Australia	17 months	46%

So soon, even Kupang + KL will pass into a minority component of my recent life. Haha, I wonder if anyone who reads this finds it odd that I like to break down my life into statistical component parts? That's how I work I guess, and it is one of the things that I am enjoying bringing to my current job. I really need to give myself an upper-cut sometimes. A while ago I found myself looking at job ads again, especially when something interesting came up in Malaysia. The time for that may yet come again, but not now. We have committed to at least another two years here, following the end of this year. That will see Sophie at the end of primary school, and would mean I have clocked up four years in this role. Four is not a bad number, and I guess we'll see where the world is at then, whether it makes sense to look for something anew, or if I should buckle down and do what I said I always wanted to, and stick with this job and company until I retire. Both appeal. If only I can convince John to open a KL office, haha! Anyway, I am content, and learning to be stable. I feel I am better controlling my temper now, and whilst my health still isn't perfect, it's ok, and manageable. Bring on the rest of 2021 I say!