Alice Springs July 2009 II

The Austrian backbacker sitting outside the kitchen at the hostel with the yellow pages on his lap and a look of dispair. His backpack was lost somewhere in Melbourne at the airport. All he had was the clothes he wore. His nickname: Arnold. A fully qualified plumber and looking for a job. He got one two days later. His backpack must have arrived by then, he was wearing a grotty fluoro shirt. He told me how the swearing was profuse at work and how the didn't always get the instructions and or jokes from his collegues. Some days he jackhammered concrete for eight hours straight without food in the hottish winter sun. He loved it though. Plumbers get paid a fair bit. It amazed me how many jobs there are available in town. How many brand new Landcruisers-with-the-works there are. Many brand new buildings. Roads that look well maintained. An enormous amount of tourist operators, offices and shops that carry names having something to do with Art, Research, Community, Film, Council, Travel an More Art.

The semi-retired builder who told me how he cries over his son every day since he killed himself over a lost love more than 40 years ago. The builder still builds. Helps out at communities far away. Has had many apprentices. Many of those, he said, were better at destruction than construction. His work and being out here keeps him going though, he loves it.

A little office with the words Bible and Languages intrigued me. Inside were stands with books and cassette-tapes, slightly discoloured cd and dvd covers. A man in there, perhaps not used to many people saw me, probably wondering what I was up to. In this building, he said, they translate and publish the Bible in many aboriginal languages. On the side they make audio-books in indigenous languages with many different subjects on request, even non religious ones. I asked him how they were funded. Stupid question of mine, I should have learned by now... "donations..."

Just in the week I was there, Town Council had launched an Initiative called The Beeramid Scheme. It consists out of collection points for empty aluminium cans and glass bottles, in exchange for which you get 5 c per can or bottle. Maximum per person per day: 500 items. (= 25 Dollar). I spoke to the Mayor who mentioned this initiative in a conversation about something else and already called it a huge succes. He said after 5 days, FIVE days, 150.000 cans were deposited. His eyes were glowing...

There are ten bottleshops in town. One bottle shop, a drive thru, is open seven days per week. The beer of choice seems to be VB. After a query about the rough amount of cans sold per week, I was told six pallets with 90 30-packs and five or six pallets with 120 24-packs. That's around 33.500 cans of VB... From one outlet... With 27.500 people living in Alice, tourists and visitors not counted. I'll have to compare with other areas ofcourse but this amount is, well, it seems like a lot.

And yes. The town camps. I have learned more about why they are there, how it all came about, and what the considerations are for the future. Everyone in and around town wants a change, soon. But then again, they've been saying that for the last thirty years. And it got worse. About that, next blog.