TAKING the TRAIN

THIS IS A NON-PHOTO POST

(I promise it will be an easy read)

So I left Baffle Creek on the 6th of June and again traveled by train.

This train ride started in Miriam Vale on the Sunlander. I was on board for 24 hours and my destination was Cairns. A word of advice to all you Yanks(like me)...Cairns is pronounced "Cans". Luckily I was able to hear it spoken before attempting to speak it myself. I would have made a fool of myself for sure. Trust me I have learned to not speak the obvious Down Under for fear of mis-pronouncing many words. Having said that, I have made a fool of myself anyway. I am glad most people are gracious enough to correct me politely. Even if it becomes a standard dig later. I love Ozzy's, they don't mind dishing it out and expect you to dish it back and respect you for doing it well. No Worries , Mate! You just gotta love that.

Every long Distance train ride I have taken has been in excess of 24 hours per ride. This allows for a great opportunity to watch all types of people. If you leave your seat and go into the dining car or bar car you will have an opportunity to actually meet some of them. I chose to do exactly that on this train. I went to the dining car and order the "Barramundi " dinner. Barramundi is a good eating sport fish from the rivers and seas in the more tropical regions of Australia, Asia, and New Guinea. Apparently people pay thousands of dollars to hunt this valuable fighting fish. Even though the local kids in Port Douglass land some good sizers fishing from the bank at the local golf course. I sat next to two women. I don't remember both of their names but Joan was the name of the lady that would become my travel partner for the next 18 hours or so. We had a lot of interesting conversations about life, family, spirituality, and the plight of indigenous people of Australia. The latter is what sparked the following events. The conversation started innocently enough. Joan had asked about racial divides in the United States. I told her that there are still some places in the US and some people in the US who practice bigotry. This practice is not exclusive to White on Black. It exists in all Races, Religions, Orientations, and Classes. I would like to think that in today's culture, that at the very minimum, the practice should be "Tolerance." In the United States I believe that is even the Law. I would love to say "Acceptance;" but I fear that it just isn't realistic. Hell, I have witnessed with my own eyes, in today's American Culture its unrealistic to even label it as "Tolerant."

So Joan started telling me about the Indigenous People of Australia. She explained that the traditional aboriginal tribes were hunters and gatherers. They used the land for what they could and if it could not sustain the community they would then move on. For centuries this is how they have lived. In the years more recently they have been exposed to the industrial world. Rounded up into communities built by the white man for them on there own traditional land. I told Joan that the comparison would be more accurate to the United States and the Tribes of the American Indians. Not to the racial division between white and black. The key word I believe being indigenous. Now keep in mind I am no expert and this blog is not meant to inflame any ill will. I began to explain however horrible the past has been, the wrongs have occurred. It is my observation, that in the United States, the different tribes of American Indians have begun to prosper under their tribal laws. The United States Government doesn't have jurisdiction on tribal lands. Thus allowing the different Tribal Councils to lease their property back to the government or develop it as they choose under Tribal Laws. A perfect example are the numerous casinos in the Phoenix metropolitan area and many other parts of the US. It is not a perfect system and poverty still exists. Honestly poverty exists in every corner of the United States. It is not racially specific.

Joan began to explain to me that the Australian Government has thrown millions of millions of dollars at the aboriginal people. They have built them homes and communities. They have not developed an educational program that teaches them about managing money. Traditionally aboriginals prefer to live an aboriginal life, not in homes. She told it to me like this, "The indigenous people of Australia use wood to burn in a fire. If you build a house out of wood, furnish it with wood furniture and put wood on the floors...The first traditional indigenous person you give this house to will pull up the floor first to burn it in the fire.Then the furniture, then the walls, and so on." This is a narrative of the misunderstanding of one culture trying to "help" another culture to be more like them and less like themselves. Now keep in mind it doesn't necessarily happen like that today. Imagine a similar scenario but utilizing millions of dollars? You can't. Money is concept, not actually a substance that can be eaten , burned , or woven. Sure the paper its printed on can be burned or woven, hell, it can even be eaten for that matter. But come on folks, I can guarantee no Australian government Official has been traveling the continent with briefcases full of cash handing it out to each person in each community. So the complexity of the situation is very difficult to wrap your mind around, at least it is for me. As you can see the conversation was very interesting. Between two open minded individuals, trying to discuss a major issue that crosses so many different divides. It was at about that time when we where interrupted by ...

"THE THREE FINGERED CANADIAN!"

Now when I say interrupted I don't mean, "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but could you please pass the salt?" No! This woman plops her card on our table and says, " Hi, I was listening to your conversation and I just thought I should force my self upon you!!!!" Ok, well she didn't exactly say that, but essentially, that is what she did. Being the polite and intelligent people that Joan and myself are, we quietly sat and listened to her view of our conversation. She began to tell us of the injustice that has occurred and that she was studying to be a lawyer. Sixteen years she has been working on the side of Australia's indigenous People. She referred to Canada's approach towards land rights and how the world should model after them. Not being from this area and learning as I go, I must say she almost had me. I was five minutes away from getting off the train where ever she was getting off . Ready to go fight the fight. Apparently there has been some mis-appropriation of funds and it all is centered around a single lighter skinned aboriginal who s taking advantage of his own people and the Australian government.For lack of a better analogy it reminds me somewhat of TV evangelists living the high life while the money (admittedly not government money) doesn't go to help those in the community that need it and deserve it. Like I said not the best analogy, but I hope you get the point. At least that was the point that I was getting. So through out this conversation I noticed our Canadian kept making a fist. Then I realized she only had a thumb, an index finger, and a pinky finger.

"The Three Fingered CANADIAN!"

OK, all is seemingly going well. Joan has challenged her on a couple of things and she has answered Joan accurately enough. Until...She makes the comment, "I am unable to complete my course study because the Australian Government is fearful of the information I have. They fear I will make it public. I can't get any of my professors to grade my work. I have been blacklisted." I asked her, "What type of college refuses a student an education? What type of information do you have that is so powerful?" Then the Three Fingered Canadian said,"Well the government has been doing human testing on the Aboriginal People." WHAT!?, Did I hear her correctly? I asked her , "Really? Where? When?" At this point Joan has backed out of the conversation and she is looking at me as if the Canadian just grew two new heads to match her hand. The CRAZY Three Fingered Canadian then replied," Yeah, in Western Australia, within the past five years." What!? Are you kidding me? Now correct me if I am wrong but has anyone heard about any human testing going on anywhere in the past 5 years?My voice started to rise, my face started to turn red. I tried to gain my composure and asked her, "What type of testing?" Suddenly fearing she could possibly be speaking the truth, I waited with baited breathe. The thought, in this day and age, in a democratic country, that these outrageous accusations could possibly be true ,had changed my mind...I am going to head West! Her reply was,"Reproductive testing." "Are you sure?" I asked again.She paused ,as if searching her head for proof. It was becoming painfully clear she was blowing smoke. Lying to get her point across. Misrepresenting facts to heighten my emotions. Well she succeeded in that for sure. But she lost me as a possible advocate in her cause, whatever that cause truly is. I couldn't stand it much longer. I started angrily tapping my finger on the table as I said, " What the hell are you doing on a train headed North on the Eastern coast of Australia? To fight a financial battle with a bad aboriginal? When the government is doing human testing in Western Australia? Shouldn't you be on a train headed West!!!!!!!?She then made the comment,"Well it was more like 15 or 20 years ago that it was occurring." I stood up. I slapped my hand down on the table. I said Firmly...,"I have had enough! I will not sit here and have you waste my time if you can't even present accurate facts. You have lost all credibility, Good Day!"

I then leaned over to Joan and apologized to her for losing my temper; but this had reach the point of ridiculous.

The WHACKED Crazy Three Fingered CANADIAN

then began to say something derogatory about Americans as I left the dining car. I chose not to even engage her any longer. It wasn't worth spoiling my train ride.

An hour or so later Joan came looking for me. I immediately apologized again for leaving her with the crazy women. She told me not to worry about it. Joan said it didn't take to long until she knew the woman was missing her medication. We both laughed about the experience after that.

My spin on Taking the Train...Do It! Just beware of

"The Three Fingered CANADIAN!"