29 September 2009

Canberra on the web

| johnboy
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[First filed: Sep 27, 2009 @ 11:47]

Two interesting Canberra references have come under the gaze of our all seeing eye.

1) The Grauniad’s review of Fay Weldon’s new book “Chalcot Crescent” notes that Fay’s character based on herself is “banished” here on page 34. One can only assume Fay feels some affinity for our fair city on this basis.

2) The Financial Times is comparing the planned cities of the world. Apparently we’re really just a suburb of Sydney and Brasilia is the real deal.

Discuss!

UPDATE: Ms Weldon has chosen to clarify her feelings and obviously has a great deal of affection for the finer things in Canberra:

#2writafay
(Newbie)
05:38, 29 Sep 09

I always wanted to live in Canberra. It was no punishment to send myself there to be a cookery writer.(see Grauniad, Chalcot Crescent) I always wanted to marry one of those difficult, neurotic, brilliant ANU academics and live in a house down some leafy suburban street lined with English trees, and write cookbooks. It seemed the perfect life. It was not to be.

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No comparison to Naypyidaw? I’m dissapointed.

Gungahlin Al11:08 am 29 Sep 09

Brasilia was covered recently on the show Dan Cruikshank’s Adventures in Architecture.

He deemed it a failure. The gulf between the government staff and those working in the supporting services is immense. Similarities anyone?

Reading the FT, it doesn’t say we’re a suburb of Sydney, it says we are an easy mornings drive from Sydney. There would be very few Canberrans who hasn’t done a day trip to Sydney. (I’ve done two this year). Infact Sydney was a popular choice of day trip which that my high school would take students on.

Whilst yes we’re an easy target for the media to bash, I don’t think that was the articles true intent. Most Canberra bashing articles I have seen don’t actually speak with someone local (ok so their a diplomat, they still live here), they usually don’t get their fact straight at all (if they even give facts)

I always wanted to live in Canberra. It was no punishment to send myself there to be a cookery writer.(see Grauniad, Chalcot Crescent) I always wanted to marry one of those difficult, neurotic, brilliant ANU academics and live in a house down some leafy suburban street lined with English trees, and write cookbooks. It seemed the perfect life. It was not to be.

Regarding the Grauniad: I was banished here.

Regarding the FT: Brazilia turned out alright because they didn’t have the NCA telling them they had to stay a planned city.

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