http://www.ellie.madteckhead.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/brisbane__clean_coal_cheerleaders.mp3

The story so far…

Many of you will know that Nathan and I left Australia’s beautiful
shores about this time last year to head off on a journey across half
the world overland from Singapore to Germany. (see
http://triptracker.net/trip/1420/ for our travel journal) After a
successful semester together in Tübingen, in the south of Germany,
Nathan and I parted ways for second semester. Nathan flew back to
Brisbane to continue the academic year while I caught the train laden
with bags to Osnabrück in the north west of Germany for a four Month
internship at the German Federal Environment Foundation (see www.dbu.de
<http://www.dbu.de> and click the British flag for an English
translation, or my blog for sporadic posts from my time there
www.ellie.madteckhead.com <http://www.ellie.madteckhead.com>)

Both Nathan and I benefited greatly from the time spent in our
respective corners of the globe. We made some great new friends and both
had very successful semesters.

The very romantic end to our time apart came jut two days ago when
Nathan arrived in Delhi, India after an epic 3 day trip stopping over in
Darwin, Singapore, and Chennai (the cheapest connection we could find
though certainly not the best for the climate!). I had a relatively
peaceful and stress free trip in comparison (direct flight Frankfurt –
Delhi), leaving a day after Nathan and arriving a day before him. I had
the pleasure of a 4AM arrival at the dilapidated concrete box that is
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi and made my way to the hotel
and started sussing things out.

So long story short, we’ve met in the middle (India) to spend yet
another summer holiday checking out a corner of this bizarre and
beautiful planet. Nathan has already gotten right to work snapping
photos like a madman. You can see them as soon as we can edit and upload
them, along with our journal entries on out travel journal
http://triptracker.net/trip/2721/ . If any of the photo’s really jump
out at you let us know! When we get back we’ll be selling them printed
beautifully on canvas at the markets :)

We have an Indian mobile number for your sms-ing pleasure +919958460163.
Otherwise our web presence is ever growing (thanks to Nathan’s handy
work which he also gladly sells):

Travel Blog: http://triptracker.net/trip/2721/
Nathan’s blog: http://www.madteckhead.com <http://www.madteckhead.com>
Ellie’s Blog http://www.ellie.madteckhead.com
<http://www.ellie.madteckhead.com>

Occasionally you’ll catch us on Skype. Our skype names: ellie.anne and
madteckhead Or we’re on facebook :)

Please checkout our trip and email or make comments. We’re always
thrilled when we hear from people. Especially when they have travel tips
for us.

I’d better be off for now. We have a train to catch tonight (our first
Indian train!!) but we’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Much love
Ellie

lately I’ve been thinking about government prompted by a doco called “the trap“, a comment in the facebook discussion board of the group “Forum for a 1000 year plan” which (said to be quoting gandhi) talked about government spending heaps of time devising plans to make things easy for people so that we don’t have to be good, and a conversation with Jaree about the inefficiency of govenment, oh and of course my constant existential internal dialogue about how I will best make change in the world (ie what the hell I’m going to do when I graduate). hmmm. that as a preface.

the discussions today were a disappointment. it was a gathering of people from govenment, research institutes, foundations and some of the most respected leaders of civil movements from across the world (4 alternative nobel prize winners). I was (naively) expecting to be told the answers. this wasn’t some open forum. it was supposed to be experts getting together and nutting out the details. and yet here I stand, confused.

Issue 1. indigenous knowledge and culture vs technology.
if saving the world (energy, resources, peace…. that just about sums it up) could be done though innovation the DBU has got the shit. one speaker was the director of the worlds largest wind turbine producer, given his start by the DBU. and there were many other speakers talking about a technocratic solution. then Dr raul Montenegro from argentina pipes up telling us we’re crazy if we think we’re going to save the world with more machines. we need to learn from indigenous people! I really liked that! the experts didn’t so much… damn pragmatists. and denis Goldberg from south africa really didn’t like it. he wants his country to have the right to development that we have been afforded and fuck the climate(!) (my words) we made the mess and we should clean it up! I can’t agree more.

what kind of world forces development on those that don’t want it (the argentinien case) and denies it those that do (s. Africa). and we sit around talking about technology that will “solve the problem” without voters having to lift a finger. becasue that is what it’s all about governments sit around their whole term thinking about how they’re going to be re-elected thinking about how they can look like they’re doing something about, for example, climate change without having to tell their constituents that they are just going to have to change their way of life, and drastically. I must admit sitting in that hall today I questioned the legitimacy of democracy… any comments, or direction from out there (that’s you!) on alternatives, critics, that sort of thing would be appreciated. direct democracy, participatory democracy, anarchy as examples. what does a flexible, transparent, strong “government” or let’s say “system of governance” look like? oh man I could get into so much here (eg bioregionalism - but I love cities!)

hmmm. there was more but I think that branch of the complex tree in my mind was the most dominant for now. and I feel like I’ve let off some steam. thanks for reading. I’d love your comments.

love

Ellie

what I wanted to mention here is something really bizzar that’s going down in Germany at the moment in the area of Energy. Germany has committed to discontinue their Nuclear industry. at the moment they have some 17 nuclear power plants which will gradually be decommissioned by 2021. Great news!

Earlier this year I was at an Environment conference in Berlin and one of the major issues was the fact that these nuclear power plants are to be replaced with over 26 new coal fired power plants. It seems unbelievable to me that one of the most environmentally progressive countries in the world is continuing to build new coal powered infrastructure. The good news is that it won’t happen without a fight. well organised and well networked community groups are galvanising at the proposed sites and apparently even the EU is against the proposed developments.

I’m excited to hear what the experts have to say at tomorrows conference. but for now I’d better sign off.

peace

e

check out this vid!

ellie

The Leftovers… on youtube

love

El

watchout Osnabrück! I have arrived!

acctually I’ve almost been here for a week but what with being sick for the first 3 days and moving in and starting a new job I haven’t really felt like sitting back and reflecting. also because mostly I’ve felt lonely and overwhelmed… not the greatest time to reflect on. but as I slowly get used to these surroundings and the strangely timed chat’s and emails with Nathan my good spirits are returning. what helps is that at the Foundation the people are friendly, the work is interesting, and I’m not justtagging along but I’ve acctually got jobs to do always more than enough to keep me going for the day.

The Foundation (DBU) has a centre for environmental communication which acts as a event centre for all sorts of exhibitions, speakers and conferences. I’m invited to attend a whole range of things there which will make this a really informative time for me.

I’m here at just the right time bacause the scholarship program is just about to recieve all the applications and I’ll be part of a team that sorts and assesses the entrants before they are finally selected by a panel of experts. this process runs exactly during the time that I am here. and in my last week we’ll finally find out who is chosen for the scholarships.

the German Environmental Prise (organised by the DBU)will also be given out during my time here which entails a weekend in Aachen for the fancy award ceremony.

In the afternoons after work I’ve been walking the 2km though the old town home. on the weekend there’s going to be a street music festival where busker musicians from all over Europe apparently come to play on the streets of Osnabrück. :)

so that’s about life from me. My housemate just fixed my (on loan) bike so osnabrück had really better watch out… I’m coming to a street near you! and riding on the wrong side of the road!

lol

looking forward to hearing from YOU soon!

xxx

Ellie

I’ve had two complaints about the blog today and people have started to email me directly for info so here I am again.

Sitting in my room in Tübingen with Nath at the moment. I’ve had a pretty cruisy day. I don’t have classes on Wednesdays (or Fridays or Mondays for that matter) but I hung out with a woman organising a tour for schoolteachers to Brisbane. I’m going to do a question answer session for the group at the orientation weekend in a couple of weeks. Apart from that I went on the biggest shopping spree of my life. I seriously can’t remember the last item of clothes that I bought and today I finally snapped and bought soo much stuff. Reason: I got accepted for work experience at the German Environment Foundation and the prospect of fronting up to work 5 days a week for 4 months in my current wardrobe didn’t really appeal. I was so proud of myself… I even bought socks!

So enough of the banal. we went to France on the weekend! Visited the wonderful Steven and Lisa in their apartment in Lyon. Case of coveted german beer in tow we made the 12 hour trek with bus-train-car-boat-car-train-bus. We had such a great time. Traipsing around the city checking out the enormous farmers market and gorging on our finds. Lyon is a pretty impressive city, with a great skyline full of churches, a world heritage old town and a really cool café where you can order toast (6 Euro!) or cake or coffee and get lollies on the side. Did I mention we had a great time.

We got back home on Monday night and sat up to crazy hours to finish our Tuesday homework but it was totally worth it. Thanks Steve and Lisa! Looking forward to your visit!

We’ll that’s all the excitement for now. Hope you’re all well.
Love ELlie

In other news I’m starting my work experience at the German Federal Environment Foundation in just three week’s. which entails a relocation to North Germany. I’ll be working on the Environmental scholarship programme that they run for student’s from eastern Europe. what I’ll be doing exactly is to be seen. but I’m not doubting it’ll be good experience.

the first place I called for a room in osnabrück accepted me without even meeting me… not sure weather to be happy or worried ;) but I think I’ll choose happy cause from the photo’s the place looks great, 3 German housemates and they’re really excited to have me. the guy who’s room I’ll be living in is heading off around the world… first stop Brisbane Australia! I’m trying to organise places for him to stay so let me know if you’ve got a couch spare in August :)

Nath’s heading home on Wednesday. It’ll be so strange to see him go. we’ve been in each others pockets for at least the last 7 months. But it’s only 4 months until we’ll be on the road together again… watch out India!

well enough of the procrastinating… back to the staring.

lot’s of love

Ellie

The next day we sadly had to leave Miriam to her formidable law study and head home. the two days of uni slipped as if with a life of their own and suddenly I was in a car headed to Berlin. I guess there’s two things to talk about here 1. mitfahrgelegenheit.de rocks my world, it’s a website to get in touch with people driving to where you want to go. we have similar sites in Australia (needaride is one off the top of my head) but they’re not nearly as functional as this. I was doing a desperate last minute ring around on Thursday night and found a lift for the next day to Berlin. The train fairs have gone though the roof since I was here in 2003. you can barely get anywhere for under 100 Euros. meanwhile I could have flown to Berlin for that return. There’s some screwed up stuff going on in Europe in the aviation industry maybe the topic of a later post but for now I’ll leave you with plane stupid.

Why the heck was I on my way to Berlin? ….stay tuned!

Mwaah

Ellie