LAUNDRESS

How's this for a laundry? Now that the torrent, from the fierce storm the night before, has eased up, the work is begun, first clearing away the rocks so as to make a sandy patch in which to stand and start pounding the clothes.

CLOTHING

This does not do justice to the sheer fabrics and the delicate beading. How does one learn to tolerate synthetic fabrics and long sleeves in hot weather?

SEEN IN PASSING

I have learned about two lone males. Into the Wild is a film with all the right ingredients and says all the right things and is reasonably good about a young wanderer. Then, Iceman, the story of Otzi, is an exhibition on the archaeological sensation frozen for 5000 years. Otzi, from an arrow's blade, also died alone in the wilds.

OIL PALM

Despite the very bad name that palm oil is getting I like this snap of these men with their harvest from the palm trees of an established plantation near their village. Trucks, with high wooden sides, seem to collect the crop from the roadside to take it for processing which involves heating and steamy, noisy, pungent work.

Palm oil is an ingredient in many items on all our supermarket shelves. Demand for it has increased.

Tropical jungle is cleared so that more plantations can be established. The jungle is an essential and unique yet diminishing habitat.

The UN Climate Change Conference is underway in Bali where 180 countries seek agreements on enhanced global action to fight climate change with focus on the post-2012 period. All land clearing and illegal logging should be high on the agenda. Information is on http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/

WORK HORSE

Lawn mower resting beside the Lemon Grass (both with long blades). Grass gets out of hand at this time of the year and it thrives in humid stormy weather but this very basic model Victa mower is easy to use and is powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine which is such a well-known 'work horse' and is possibly one of the few well know products that we have originally from the USA.

GIRLS CLIMB TO THE TOP AND A MORTON BAY FIG TREE

BUILDING BRIDGES RATHER THAN BURNING BRIDGES

Indonesian teachers with school children in uniform or in traditional outfits.