Sydney

I don't really feel the 'inspired wandering' vibe at the moment. Maybe it is because I have become a bit sedentary in a familiar world, while there are challenges, they just dont seem all that news worthy.

I am doing some 'work' in Sydney ( ie hanging around the library at the Sydney Uni), which is great. I think that I will feel more inspired to write when I am doing things that are unusual and out of the way- like working in Ngukurr or travelling overseas. I will be doing both these things in the next six months or so, so when the inspiration returns, I will be sure to write about it....

On the other hand I have been thinking alot, most lately about how people 'know' things and how they talk about information to each other, 'epistemic modality' ( i think ;) , like the word maitbi in Kriol which turns up all through the discourse but seems hard to pin down how to predict when it might be used and to use it successfully myself.... any ideas ? Why do people say in English 'I think I will go now' ( when they know they will), why do people speaking Kriol often say maitbi when they clearly know the answer to your question.....any ideas? references? (Catalin I feel sure you have something up your sleeve about this).....

Wan olmen en wan olgaman

Dubala ol pipul bin pasawey la ropa. Two of the elders from Ngukurr have died recently. One of them, an old Lady was the subject of my first or second blog, RM, she liked to tell me stories and she got grumpy with me too. The Old Man passing away is more of a shock because he was healthy, he travelled to Garma with us and is remembered as a powerful man and someone who spoke Rittharrngu 'right through'.
May they Rest In Peace.