For TSTO friends. 2004 December. Sweden

First Christmas in Australia. Suzanne and her RED mom

Suzanne invited us to her place on the Christmas Day. Her mom too had come. We enjoyed their hospitality a lot. Ken joined us over the phone. Suzanne brands her mom as RED. Daughter of a left wing father, mom is still in the same spirit she must have been in some decades ago. She is extremely worried about the current system which lays off employees at every turn and affirmed "I never swipe my card at self service checkouts (registers) at supermarket because someone else looses job".

Milith, Ruchinda, Calum and Amanda x 2

Sydney Aquarium. 650 Australian aquatic species. 6000 individual fish

Sydney Aquarium (a public aquarium) is located on the eastern (city) side of Darling Harbour to the north of the Pyrmont Bridge. It showcases a large variety of the Australian aquatic life, displaying more than 650 species. It comprises of more than 6,000 individual fish and other sea and water creatures from most of Australia's water habitats. Acrylic tunnels through which visitors could see fascinating creatures such as sea cows, sharks, sea turtles, giant ray fish swimming gently over them are definitely one of key highlights. The Great Barrier Reef live coral environments give the visitor a glimpse of one of the most precious world nature heritage. Opened in 1988 during Australia's bicentenary celebrations of colonization, the aquarium is one of the largest of its kind in the world and is regarded as one of Sydney's premier tourist attractions with over 55% of its visitors each year coming from overseas. (Though I have serious reservations about keeping animals in captivity I must say) the Sydney Aquarium gives both adults and children a vast knowledge of the Australia's aquatic life.

Ruchi. First match. Campbelltown City Junior Cricket Club

Ruchi played his first match for the Campbelltown City Junior Cricket Club against the Cobbitty Narellan Cricket Club today. Match was held at the Liquidamber Grounds in Narelan Vale. He enjoyed it immensely and owes a big thank you to Fred, Rob the coach, team mates and parents who helped him fit into the team smoothly.

Mount Annan Botanic Garden. Dharawal people. Native plant garden. Place of peace between peoples

The indigenous aboriginal people or the first Australians called Mount Annan "Yandel’ora". The land belonged the indigenous Dharawal people. The highest point in the vicinity (290 m) was used as a meeting place for the indigenous peoples for a ‘once in a generation’ law-making corroboree. The name means ‘place of peace between peoples’. Today Mount Annan which covers 416 hectares, is one of the largest botanic gardens in the southern hemisphere. Mount Annan is a native plant garden and it hosts 4000 species of Australian native flora.

"Great Collections" in Campbelltown. From Thursday 11 December to Sunday 18 January

A fabulous exhibition which would not only interest art lovers but also who are keen in natural history is now open at the Campbelltown Art Gallery which was recently adjudged the Most Innovative Art Gallery in New South Wales. The exhibition brings together colonial, classical, neoclassical, modern, post-modern artworks along with historical artifacts and maps and natural history related specimens and drawings. The most that are on display are sourced from major museums and galleries of the state of New South Wales.

The hardbound exhibition catalogues which is priced for $ 20 is an absolute value for money for those who collect literature of art and natural history (following images were photographed from the catalogue).

A hot summer weekend

Last day at St Peter's Primary by Amanda Dheerasekara

Amanda and Ruchi were settled well in the St Peter's Anglican Primary School. They soon began to love the school very much - teachers and mates equally. That took a huge burden off from us as parents. Today was Amanda's last day at the Primary School as she moves on to St Patrick's College. I persuaded Amanda to take their camera to the school to capture some moments of the last day.

Young photographers - "I, me and myself" by Amanda

These photographs are from Amanda's self portrait series she commenced in Australia

Welcome Boy to the wonderful world. Congratulations Thushara and Ruvani

I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are also on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin.. how do you do
Theyre really sayin......i love you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
Theyll learn much more.....than Ill never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are there on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin.. how do you do
Theyre really sayin... I ....love....you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
you know their gonna learn
A whole lot more than Ill never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself .......what a wonderful world.