From Hobart : 30.11.1992

ALAN CARLTON

PO BOX 1078

GPO HOBART

7001

30/11/92

Dear Bev,

How is life in Turkey?  We may have a turkey for Christmas dinner but I would be quite happy to have something else.  Perhaps a BBQ.  We are staying in Hobart this Christmas.  Lorna's parents may visit us in February.  I don't know when my parents are coming down here but I'm sure it will be some time in the next six months. 

Today has been a very lazy day.  There is a Test Match being played at the Gabba.  Don't you like the sound of that?  The First Test is being played at the Gabba and all is right with the world.  Apparently more Australians visit Art Galleries and Museums than spectate at sporting events.  Perhaps we should be comparing the number of people who participate in sport relative to the number who paint or sculpt etc.

Personally sport is a much greater source of inspiration in my daily life than art or organized religion.  This could be because I am an Australian.  You would be in a much better position to judge.  I did go for a swim today so I have very recent experience of participating in sport.  I am training to defend my medal which I won earlier this year.  You were a witness to that great historic sporting event.   Actually I probably spend more time gardening which is not strictly either sport or art. 

The school year is nearly finished. To be replaced by the silly season.  That will be followed by the boredom season.  I can feel a couple of concerts and speech nights coming on.  At the school they had elections for prefects and next year Melissa will be a prefect in her final year at that school.  She is happy and I am ambivalent.  She says she is tough enough to handle it.  Last week Stacey's school had a fair.  There was a prize and Stacey said they were going to raffle-tickle it. 

Last week we saw a new Australian film.  It was called Romper Stomper and was set in and around Footscray in the Western suburbs.  It is about a group of neo-Nazi skin-heads who directed a lot of emotional energy and physical violence at the local Vietnamese community.  The violence in the film was much more sickening and frightening than any Rambo film.  I also saw the film called Strictly Ballroom a few weeks ago.  I don't know if this film has reached the outer reaches of Turkey but if it does then go and see it.  Recently I have been seeing a lot of films and I definitely prefer Australian films.  I can't help it.  Perhaps this is what Robert Hughes calls the cultural strut which follows the cultural cringe.  Robert Hughes thinks that your gait should be reasonably normal, neither cringing nor strutting.  In that way you can appreciate something that is good or bad irrespective of its origin.

Merry Christmas 

Love Alan