Well, I think it's wonderful that the Australians set aside one day every year on Anzac Day to honour and commemorate the fallen and thank those servicemen who are currently deployed to various nations around the world. It is the day when the country commemorates the ANZACs (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey in World War I. This day of remembrance (ANZAC Day) then evolved to include all those who've been involved in other wars and military operations Australia has engaged in since the Great War.
So...apart from chewing on their iconic Anzac biscuits,
Aussies have memorial services in designated places.. Shops, offices, schools and major shopping centres are closed in honor of the day. When K-mart tried to apply for permit to stay open for the day this year, it was lambasted for not being tasteful and insensitive to Australian culture.
None of the wars that Aussies have fought in history have been caused by Australia. But they have always sent troops in aid for the fight of freedom in other countries and sacrificed many in the process.
The Australian Defence Force's commitment to the security of Malaysia is longstanding and we owe them a debt for peace-keeping. It began with Malayan Campaign in World War II, followed shortly after by the Malayan Emergency and Confrontation. Alongside with the British who fought for Malaysia when the Japanese invaded, the Aussies were allies to Malaysia during this time and many perished during the war. Australia's defence relationship with Malaysia dates back to well before Malaysia's independence in 1957, and reflects a common commitment to the security and stability of the region. The relationship is based on practical cooperation including the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Program plus an ongoing Australian presence at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base at Butterworth. Today, Australia is the only country with forces permanently based in Malaysia and also its major source of external military training.
For a country of small population, I think oz's guard their heritage rather fiercely and proudly. What they have given out and continued to give is wonderful.
In fact, I think it is a blessed nation not just in terms of resources but also holding up well in economy not merely because of physical advantages but by the fact that they have also been good custodians of certain values and systems, the environment, senior citizens, wildlife and animals..and reaping what is sown. Of course, I am speaking rhetorically and in general and it does not by any means represent the entire population and culture here, but still..overall, it is a country that does take care of its own people + land pretty well.
Okay, I know taxes are high here, but they do give back in other ways unlike certain places.... I have an 82-year old friend who thinks her peers complain way too much about the government for not doing its job well, because she has been overseas and seen the poverty and lack that people suffer because of an unjust and corrupted government. "You people have it good here and don't even know it.." she often scolds them in her stern motherly way.
But back to Anzac Day, we had a time of tribute and prayer for the soldiers deployed to other nations at church today. It may not be fireworks or huge parades going on, but at the end of the day, it goes back to the basics of appreciation for the value of human life, sacrifices and comradeship.
So yes, this is a nation which is far from perfect, but definitely with its heart in the right place.
Well, I think it's wonderful that the Australians set aside one day every year on Anzac Day to honour and commemorate the fallen and thank those servicemen who are currently deployed to various nations around the world. It is the day when the country commemorates the ANZACs (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey in World War I. This day of remembrance (ANZAC Day) then evolved to include all those who've been involved in other wars and military operations Australia has engaged in since the Great War.
So...apart from chewing on their iconic Anzac biscuits,
Aussies have memorial services in designated places.. Shops, offices, schools and major shopping centres are closed in honor of the day. When K-mart tried to apply for permit to stay open for the day this year, it was lambasted for not being tasteful and insensitive to Australian culture.
None of the wars that Aussies have fought in history have been caused by Australia. But they have always sent troops in aid for the fight of freedom in other countries and sacrificed many in the process.
The Australian Defence Force's commitment to the security of Malaysia is longstanding and we owe them a debt for peace-keeping. It began with Malayan Campaign in World War II, followed shortly after by the Malayan Emergency and Confrontation. Alongside with the British who fought for Malaysia when the Japanese invaded, the Aussies were allies to Malaysia during this time and many perished during the war. Australia's defence relationship with Malaysia dates back to well before Malaysia's independence in 1957, and reflects a common commitment to the security and stability of the region. The relationship is based on practical cooperation including the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Program plus an ongoing Australian presence at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base at Butterworth. Today, Australia is the only country with forces permanently based in Malaysia and also its major source of external military training.
For a country of small population, I think oz's guard their heritage rather fiercely and proudly. What they have given out and continued to give is wonderful.
In fact, I think it is a blessed nation not just in terms of resources but also holding up well in economy not merely because of physical advantages but by the fact that they have also been good custodians of certain values and systems, the environment, senior citizens, wildlife and animals..and reaping what is sown. Of course, I am speaking rhetorically and in general and it does not by any means represent the entire population and culture here, but still..overall, it is a country that does take care of its own people + land pretty well.
Okay, I know taxes are high here, but they do give back in other ways unlike certain places.... I have an 82-year old friend who thinks her peers complain way too much about the government for not doing its job well, because she has been overseas and seen the poverty and lack that people suffer because of an unjust and corrupted government. "You people have it good here and don't even know it.." she often scolds them in her stern motherly way.
But back to Anzac Day, we had a time of tribute and prayer for the soldiers deployed to other nations at church today. It may not be fireworks or huge parades going on, but at the end of the day, it goes back to the basics of appreciation for the value of human life, sacrifices and comradeship.
So yes, this is a nation which is far from perfect, but definitely with its heart in the right place.
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