james o'brien

Fall Of The Berlin Wall

It’s the twentieth anniversary today of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

I doubt there’ll be television specials except perhaps on the ABC or SBS, but I note there is a Beck’s Beer advertising campaign appearing on bus shelters around Sydney.

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always felt a bit of an affinity with Germany. I guess it has something to do with those childhood memories and learning German in high school.

As I recalled about twelve months ago on this blog…

Twenty-six years ago, aged seventeen, I travelled to Germany (well, West Germany as it was then), with a group of school-mates and our teacher. I was in Year 12 and I’d been learning German for a number of years. Sometime a couple of years early, one of us had the idea of fund-raising for a trip to Germany, and so that’s just what we did. As well as the fund-raising, I also had a part-time job, and after two or three years, we had enough money to actually do it in May 1983. The memories of that trip remain incredibly vivid for most of my adult life. But particularly today, as I’ve walked around Berlin, many of those memories have come flooding back.

I remember the incredibly long overnight train trip from Frankfurt, being woken in the middle of the night for passport check (I couldn’t find mine for a moment), and then arriving in Berlin itself. I remember our day trip to East Berlin, and in particular, I remember going through one of the border points in Berlin (I remember it WASN’T Checkpoint Charlie), and going on a brief tour of East Berlin with an emphasis on galleries, museums and things like that. The East German tour guide was very proper, as I recall.

Later during our time in Berlin, I have an incredibly vivid memory of standing in the Tiergarten near Brandenberg Gate, where there were two guards goose-stepping their way around. Along with my two school-mates, Louise and Amanda, we waved at them, hoping for some response. Nothing. Nothing. And then finally, a very brief raised hand in response.

Travelling back to West Germany in the daylight hours, I also have a very vivid memory of seeing a school outside the train window, which declared with a huge sign that “The sun always shines in East Germany”.

Visiting the Berlin Wall...

Last year, I returned to Berlin and made the following observations…

A lot has changed in twenty five years, obviously. For a start, I’m staying in what was East Berlin. And so far, I’ve yet to wander over the border into what was West Berlin. From my perspective, it’s like visiting a whole new city, because in some ways it is. However, there are a few buildings I’ve recognised from that brief day-trip to East Germany. There’s been a wonderful sense of dejavu.

For a while the memories were a little overwhelming and I found myself a little overcome. “This is a total mindfuck”, I thought to myself at one point, reflecting on how different was the experience now. Not only because Berlin has changed dramatically, but also because I’m now seeing it through the eyes of a forty-two year old.

Interestingly enough, November 9 is an important day in German history. There’s a terrific article which discusses the significance of November 9 in German history, which I’d recommend’

I went to the Boyer Lecture today.

This year’s lecture was given by Peter Cosgrove, former head of the defence forces.

In today’s lecture he reflected on how many times Australia has gone to war without facing any direct threat, but for reasons of “national interest”.

In the case of the First World war, he argued, it was about sureing up our position with the UK.

In the Vietnam War, it was about sureing up our position with the US.

In between, he noted, we did actually face a threat from Japan, but ended up fighting for more important reasons against Nazism.

He also reflected on the many reasons why a country goes to war, and the many issues that need to be considered, including the cost and the possibility of success. In doing so, he reflected on some comments he made a few years ago about how he felt Vietnam was a mistake.

It was an interesting speech, and a nice way to spend a bit of Sunday afternoon.

Aside from that, I haven’t done much else today.

Aside from pottering around the house and watching a bit of tv, it was a do-nothing day for me.

Andrew Olle Media Lecture

It was another of those regular “big nights” for me.

The “Andrew Olle Media Lecture” is one of my favourite nights of the year, professionally-speaking. I get to dress up (in the same tux I’ve been wearing for several years), I get to do a bit of schmoozing, and I get to hear someone interesting talk about the state of the Australian media.

According to this year’s lecturer, Julian Morrow from “The Chaser”, this was memorable as a year of comedy gaffes. He cited not only the “Make A Realistic Wish” sketch, but also the controversy around Kyle Sandilands, “Hey Hey, It’s Saturday” and a few others.

In tonight’s lecture, Julian apologised unreservedly to those people who had been hurt by the sketch, in particular those who had lived through childhood cancer, or have lost a child in such circumstances.

They are the people that I’m sorry about. I know that they have, arbitrarily, been afflicted with grief caused by one of life’s cruellest realities. You’ve got tears enough in your life if that happens. A comedy show shouldn’t add to those pools of grief. Lest there is any misunderstanding, if you are one of those people, I want to reiterate my sincerest apology to you for the unwarranted pain that sketch caused when you have already have too much suffering in your life.

He added he also understood why many people were offended by the sketch, defining these people as a second group who were usually motivated by compassionate, well-intentioned feelings.

But there’s a third group, he argued, that weren’t hurt by it, didn’t see it when it was first broadcast, and to an extent were expressing feelings of mock outrage. This was the group, he argued, who heard about the sketch through re-broadcast, re-transmission and so on.

The essence of his argument was the overall audience mostly likes and enjoys challenging material. There’s a danger, he argued however, that thanks to replay, discussion elsewhere, mock indignation and so on, that media companies will begin to under-estimate the audience and not be willing to take risks for their primary audiences.

It’s a nuanced argument, and I probably haven’t done it justice here, so I’d suggest you read the speech yourself.

As always it was a very entertaining evening, and it was great, once again, to get dressed up, to be wined and dined, and to discuss some interesting parts of my work.

As someone wrote to me in an email, ” the lecture caused a great deal of subsequent talk – for all the right reasons”. Couldn’t agree more.

First day in the new job.

Dinner party followed at Colin’s place. Highlights were excellent conversation, and a highly delicious chocolate bread and butter pudding.

Glenelg Memorial Wharf

I’m back in Sydney after what has been an excellent holiday.

Aside from the sunburn, I feel really great.

As I had a flight to catch at four, we spent much of today in the area around Glenelg and Brighton.

“I don’t remember all of this development from the last time I was here”, Sue commented at one point, noting how much high-rise is now in the area.

“It’s kinda like Fremantle, St Kilda, Manly and The Gold Coast combined”, I responded.

We had lunch at a great little bakery, looked in shop windows for nothing in particular, wandered out onto the piers at both locations, and generally relaxed in the sun.

We also paid a visit to the Bay Museum which focusses a lot on beach and surf culture, as you might expect.

And before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport, and return home to Sydney.

It was such a great way to spend a week, with such a great friend in Sue. Here’s to more holidays!

Tomorrow I start a new job which I’m sure is going to be both interesting and lots of fun.