Travellin' Penguin

LIFE

Has been a busy couple of weeks. Went on the photographic workshop in the northwest of Tasmania for 6 days. There were only four of us , so a nice number. The Tarkine region is full of beautiful rainforest and we hunted fungi and photographed waterfalls also. We got drenched a few times with rain coming in from the west. We just covered up and kept clicking those cameras. I’ll share these photos a few at a time over the coming weeks.

BOOK

Have not read much but did finish Orbital.

Orbital is a 2023 novel by British author Samantha Harvey that won the 2024 Booker Prize. Set aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the novel unfolds over a single 24-hour period, chronicling the experiences of six astronauts from different nations as they orbit Earth 16 times.

Overview

The narrative centers on the astronauts’ daily routines—conducting experiments, maintaining the station, and observing Earth. However, the novel delves deeper, exploring their introspections on humanity, existence, and the planet’s fragility. Each chapter corresponds to one 90-minute orbit, providing a rhythmic structure that mirrors the station’s journey around Earth.

Themes and Style

Harvey’s prose is noted for its lyrical and meditative quality, blending scientific precision with philosophical inquiry. The novel contemplates themes such as the interconnectedness of life, the impact of human activity on Earth, and the search for meaning in the vastness of space. It draws inspiration from Carl Sagan’s “Cosmic Calendar,” situating human history within a broader cosmic context. (Wikipedia)

Thoughts on Orbital

I appreciated all of the technical aspects, cleverness and creativity but I must say I was bored by it. Another Booker prize winner that has a lot of interesting structures and techniques but I never felt anything for the characters. It jumps around over the 16 chapters. Sleep, eat, do experiments, no interesting conversations very often, inner thoughts, past experiences. What I did enjoy was the mentioning of the countries below as the ISS passed over them. They observed a hurricane near the Phillipines and discussed the colours of the continents as they passed over them so often in 24 hrs. But I’m glad it was short. Will be interesting to see what others think at our next book club.

Then again I have been busy with photography, walks, gym, etc. Our weather has not been bad lately, unlike the horrible floods on the mainland in northern New South Wales.

BOUGHT SOMETHING FUN

We have had only one car for quite awhile as we are both retired. But Mr P goes out to the gym almost five times a week and I’m either on the bus or stuck at home. His arthritis is very bad so he needs to keep moving as much as possible. I wanted to get out much more with the dogs and camera so we agreed to get a second car. I got a little 2022 hybrid, candy red Toyota Corolla and I just love it. It gets over 800 kms per tank of petrol, has all the safety stuff and driving assistance and talks to me regularly. Mostly about upcoming speed cameras, school zones and even warned me of a high accident intersection. In the last week I took it to a big dog park and a beach with Ollie and Peanny. I did a photography afternoon locally at a reserve and into town a few times. I will get to travel a bit more as winter photography is good. It will be nice to get out more with the dogs in other places too.

EXTRA ACTIVITIES

I went to a play one night. A good political comedy with friends. Then Irish author Marion Keyes was also here in conversation with local author Danielle Wood at the Theatre Royal hosted by Fullers book store. That was an hour of hilarious conversation. Her book of the Irish family she writes about is going to be filmed and streamed on STAN next year. The Walsh family. It was a very Irish night and the event sold out in a couple of days. We love getting well known International authors here.

That about sums it up. I have another photography workshop next month on Bruny Island for three days. Then we have some photo events coming up in the near future.

So- I’ll leave you with some autumn fungi photos and I hope you enjoy them.

I hope you all get out this week and do something that is fun and be kind.

Ha! I am sitting here catching up on reading blog posts I have missed over the last few days. It is hard to keep up with some of you. (You know who you are!)

Mishaps this week😉😉😉

I bought a little Ninja blender, looks like a water bottle but has a swirling blade at the bottom. I like a smoothie with my protein powder and oat milk in the morning but wanted to branch out a bit with different fruit or veg.

I filled it up with frozen blueberries this morning, added the powder and the oat milk. Fully charged, I turned it on and BLUEY! I had blueberries congealing into a frozen hard ball and oozing out the sides. Blueberries everywhere. I think I used too many. Made me laugh. Don’t you love learning new appliances. After tamping them down and adding more liquid I got to a sorbet consistency. I don’t think I’ll be drinking it but eating it with a spoon… all day. Nothing like frozen blueberries all over the counter. My day is starting out well, lol. 😆

Book 😃 ☕️

I have finished another blockbuster of a book this week. Am I on a roll or what? I have spent the week with women spies in Germany, just after WWII. There are different groups of us swanning around Berlin, mucking our way through snow and drinking a lot of martinis in our cocktail dresses. Everyone eyeing everyone else.

There are two groups of people. One group looking to remove Nazi war criminals and send them to South America or other places they can hide from their dastardly pasts. Another group trying to get the evidence gathered so these monsters can be prosecuted for their war crimes. Throw in the ongoing Nuremberg trials and it is almost a free for all.

But, who is on what side? Suspicious behaviour, double agents, car chases, brake cables being cut in cars, raised eyebrows and is that woman really your best friend or has she been leading us all on a merry chase. What a wild ride. However the atrocities the author writes about are , of course, extremely disturbing and I have had my fill of another war book.

You’re by now wondering what book I’m talking about. Miss Graham’s War by Celia Rees.

What is fun about this story is the secret code these women use. One pretends she can’t cook. Well, she really can’t, the other loves cooking and collecting various recipes. They develop a code through the recipes they share. Numbers, methods, temperatures and food all relate to certain messages. One Nazi does become interested in their high exchange of recipes as all mail is read but can he figure it out? These women are clever.

I have enjoyed reading about this side of the war but am now ready to move on. I won’t ever look at recipes the same way. The food is really interesting. As you would expect, there is a lot of cabbage.

Life includes photography

On Tuesday I am being picked up by a professional photographer who is very good, Luke. We will have a few others on this mini bus but not many. Our camera bags are packed. Where are we going? The northwest of Tasmania to the Tarkine rainforest. The weather is predicting rain. It will be cold. We have been told to bring our thermals. I went out and bought Merino thermals. I have my pants with all the pockets. Need a place to carry batteries and camera cards. Have my camera bag packed, tripod hanging on its side. The Tarkine is a beautiful ancient rainforest. It is one of Tassie’s crown jewels. We will always spend time traipsing to a couple of waterfalls. We spend one morning on our bellies photographing fungi. We get muddy, we get cold. Fingerless gloves are the thing. We do a couple of river trips where we might see the beautiful white sea eagles. We spend 6 wonderful days receiving Luke’s instruction and suggestions.

I am looking forward to seeing how I hold up. We have sunrises and sunsets. Night skies, fungi, seascapes, rocks, waves, rivers, tall trees. We’re going to get gritty.

I won’t be on line for a few days as there is no reception. No phones or iPads Just one landline used for emergencies in the small area we spend nights in. Corinna is the tiny place we visit. Three nights. No camping, we do have meals and accommodation.

Then on to Smithton on the coast- 2 nights. So no post next week.

I’ll devote one future post to this trip, maybe two for those who are interested. After all this blog is called Travellin’ Penguin. So we’re travellin’. This is a real trip, not from the pages of a book. So stay tuned. Here’s to learning new skills and meeting new friends.

Do something fun this week, no matter how big or how small.

The fall colours this year have been beautiful with cold nights. Great weather for reading books. I have finished two books this week. I’ll mention them here:

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.

Pachinko is a novel by Min Jin Lee, published in 2017. It’s a sweeping historical saga that follows four generations of a Korean family living in Japan, starting in the early 20th century.

The story begins in a small fishing village in Korea with a young woman named Sunja, who becomes pregnant by a wealthy married man. To save her honor, she marries a gentle minister who offers to take her to Japan. Once there, Sunja and her descendants struggle with poverty, discrimination, and questions of identity, as Koreans were (and often still are) treated as second-class citizens in Japan.

The title Pachinko refers to a type of Japanese pinball game — many Koreans in Japan ended up working in pachinko parlors because they were barred from other kinds of employment. The game also symbolizes chance, survival, and the unpredictability of life, all major themes in the novel.

Thoughts- I really enjoyed the first half of this book but by the second half I thought it became a bit repetitious and waffly. Everything was then nicely tied up at the end. What I did enjoy was learning about more history of Koreans escaping into Japan during the 40s and 50s. I don’t know much Korean History and this was just enough to put events into perspective. I also was interested in the Pachinko business of which I had no idea about.

Would I recommend it? I think so. If one wanted a quick, easy history of Korea and Japan during the mid 20th century without blood and gore of wars it is an interesting read. The stories within of the Pachinko business and the ways the Korean refugees in Japan survived was interesting too.

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The second book I finished was much lighter. No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy by Mark Hodkinson.

It is a memoir of a working class family. It is a deeply personal and reflective story that explores the author’s journey from a bookless childhood in Rochdale, England, to becoming a passionate reader, journalist, and publisher. Published in February 2022, the book delves into themes of class, culture, and the transformative power of literature.

Growing up in a working-class household during the 1970s and 1980s, Hodkinson’s family owned just one book: Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain, which was kept atop a wardrobe alongside other prized possessions. Despite this limited exposure, Hodkinson developed an insatiable appetite for reading, eventually amassing a personal library of over 3,500 books. His memoir recounts this evolution, highlighting how literature became both a refuge and a means of understanding the world around him. 

Thoughts- I liked the personal aspects of this book especially as to his relationship with his bi-polar grandfather who has dementia. Their conversations were fun. I also felt how much he covets books and his desire to be a writer.

There are parts of the book that go on for too long. I think tighter editing would have made me happy but overall I enjoyed it.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you enjoy books about books and bookish people. There is a lot to enjoy and when it gets over waffly you can skim a bit.

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Photography event

Members of our photo club went into the Derwent valley for autumn photos one day. Only an hour or so southwest of Hobart had us trolling the fields for colours of fall. Here are three of my favourite photos. We then went to a small town, more like a village of Westerway to my favourite little restaurant, The Possum Shed for hot coffee and toasted sandwiches. It is situated on the river and the staff are very lovely.

We are going again to Mr Field National Park this coming week which is also in this area about 90 minutes away. Stay tuned.