Current engrossing book is Bill Bryson's In A Sunburned Country, which is his record of traveling about Australia. As Bryson is wont to do, a fair amount of history is slathered into the account. Dates, names, places – he does his homework, and presents it in such a way that taking in these facts is a joy that makes places I've never been seem alive. Granted, I was already somewhat intrigued by Australia after meeting/talking to/becoming friends with Australians, but Bryson's rhapsodizing moves the country up a few notches on my "Go Here" travel list.
I have heard muttering of all stripes about Australia's prime minister, John Howard. Not knowing too much about Australian politics, I can't really weigh in one way or another, but I can give you a bit about what Bryson thinks. This is from the bit where Bryson is in Canberra, the capital city, and just before he gives it the new tourist slogan, "Canberra – Why Wait For Death?"
In 1996, the prime minister, John Howard, caused a stir after his election by declining to live in Canberra. He would, he announced, continue to reside in Sydney and commute to Canberra as duties required. As you can imagine, this caused an uproar among Canberra's citizens, presumably because they hadn't thought of that themselves. What made this particularly interesting is that John Howard is by far the dullest man in Australia. Imagine a very committed funeral home director – someone whose burning ambition from the age of eleven was to be a funeral home director, whose proudest achievement in adulthood was to be elected president of the Queanbeyan and District Funeral Home Directors Association – then halve his personality and halve it again, and you have pretty well got John Howard. When a man as outstandingly colorless as John Howard turns his nose up at a place, you know it must be worth a look. I couldn't wait to see it.
Dan
