From Melbourne
9.8.85
Dear Alan and family,
We
are certainly hearing about South Africa now. If anything I think most people
are tired of all the talk although it does divide people. Most people have very
passionate views about what should be done even if they know almost nothing
about it. There has been a lot in the paper and on the radio and TV. I have cut
out just a few examples so you can have an idea of what is being said here. I
have tried to give examples of all the different points of view which cover a
very wide range.
Today
in the news we heard for the first time of trouble near Durban and blacks and
Indians fighting which is a little nearer to you than the previous trouble.
Are many
of the workers in the hospital that you work in black? Do they ever let you
know what they feel about the present trouble or do they keep their thoughts to
themselves. Do you a have a black lady at your place as you did in
Pietermaritzburg. The lady who lived at the back of the house there said so
little that you really wouldn’t know what was going on in her mind.
Are
there any black areas on the edges of the town you live in? It does seem a pity
that years ago as some blacks earnt more money and became more educated they
were not allowed to live in the towns if they wanted too then at least there
would be some mixing if they wanted it. Most of them would have still wanted to
live together but at least it was their own choice.
We have
just been having a very wet and cold winter.
The children have been inside for about three weeks now and some of them
are a bit hard to handle. I will be glad when the sun comes out. We
haven’t been up to Trentham for about a
month because it has been so cold and wet and also to give the man making the
alterations time to finish. He is rather slow he started before the May
holidays and he hasn’t asked for more money so he can’t be finished yet.
I have
bought three different types of raspberries which I am going to try up there. I
just got 2 of each kind. We will watch then and see if one is better than the
others. That is if we can keep the birds from eating the berries.
I even
found a kind of guava that is resistant to frost. It has a smaller fruit that
the South African one but a similar flavour. We got to like the juice when we
were over there and then when we went to Tonga they grow them too. They market
a local fruit juice and jam. We bought home a jar of guava jam. Haven’t tried
it yet.
Lois is
going to see Pamela in the Sept holidays. Pamela has sent a long list of things
she wants. Mostly for the library and food for Pamela to eat. She doesn’t eat
much of the purely Tongan food. It’s too different except for the tropical
fruits which are very nice.
Sunday,
this weekend the papers were full of South Africa. Don’t try and read
everything at once or you will get “indigestion”.
I have
tried to put all the news of the papers from left to right just so you can see
the sort of news we are getting here.
Just at
the moment South Africa is the scapegoat for everyone who wants to protest.
There are some who can’t say one good word but not everyone agrees with them.
About 60 or 70% say that the cricketers can go to SA if they wanted too.
I have
put a bit about the football too Footscray is doing very well.
Love
from mum
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