Monday, April 23, 2007

Lest we forget


It's been a grey and rainy day. Next Wednesday, 25th of April, will be a public holiday. It's Anzac Day, a day of remembrance for the men and women of New Zealand and Australia who gave their lives for their countries. There will be flowers, marches and moving speeches. But today is still an ordinary day on Martin Place, and people walk by...
I usually spare a thought for world peace when I pass here. World Peace?

nnn
Mercredi prochain, 25 avril, sera férié en Australie et en Nouvelle-Zélande : ce sera Anzac Day, jour du souvenir des morts pour la patrie. On déposera des gerbes, il y aura des défilés et des discours, mais aujourd'hui est un jour ordinaire devant le monument aux morts de Martin Place et les passants passent leur chemin...
J'ai souvent une petite pensée pour la paix dans le monde quand je passe ici. "Plus jamais ça" qu'ils disaient... ah oui ? Tiens, des bandes molletières, j'en avais oublié jusqu'au nom, et je n'ai aucune idée comment ça se dit en anglais. Mais j'ai découvert ici comment les enrouler correctement à la manière des poilus de la Marne...

27 comments:

Nathalie H.D. said...

For those of you wondering if I was up at 5 am to watch the results of the French elections, the answer is yes, thanks for asking. If you want to Meet the French, there will be another chance in two weeks' time for the second round, Sunday 6th of May.

Did my candidate win, m.benaut? Well I couldn't see an 'ideal' candidate in any of the twelve, unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

There's little use having ideal candidates, Nathalie, without ideal electorates. Anyone who spoke out in a non-tokenistic manner about the problems facing his nation, not to mention the planet, would be annhialated by the voters.

Even Anzac Day has succumbed to Theatre.

edwin s said...

It's a world stage, my dear. theatrical always.

Kate said...

You will show us the complete statue, won't you?

Anonymous said...

Someone lost a son, a husband, a father and we have a statue as a reminder.

Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo

Mandi said...

Wonderful photo. My post today is also about rememberance as today is Rememberance Day here in Israel.

Dsole said...

oh and in every war there is no victory... and we don't learn it after all this time...
That's human behaviour I guess.

Btw, a beautiful picture, I like it! the statue is really huge or it was an effect of your photo?

Olivier said...

voila une bonne question, comment enrouler les celebre bandes molletieres ? merci de nous donner le lien, car sincerement j'en avais aucune idee.pour la paix dans le monde, j'ai bien peur que l'on doive attendre encore pas mal de temps ;o(

Cergie said...

Magnifique photo
C'est sidérant le contraste entre les jambes de bronze du poilu et les frêles silouhettes des passants
Ces hommes qui ont traîné dans la boue... Des hommes de boue.
C'est un très beau message. Il est bien de se souvenir. Cela va faire remonter plein de larmes dans les yeux de tes visiteurs. A commencer par les miens. J'avais parlé de mon grand'père qui était décédé 10 ans après des suites de cette guerre si longue, si dure
J'ai découvert que cela été le cas des grands pères de deux de mes visiteurs
Génération sacrifiée
Il reste deux poilus et tous deux refusent les honneurs que la France réserve au dernier... Au nom de tous les autres qui ont été oubliés si longtemps

Sally said...

Gosh, another trip to The Smoke!

I said thanks on yesterday's for your extremely lucid explanation of the voting system. Ta!

Oh, and thought that run-off elections are sort of like our preferential ballots except you get 2 weeks to think about your "two party preferred" candidate, not moments!

I suppose the campaigning gets even more intense too to try to swing all those votes your way.

Do as many people usually turn out for the seocnd round? or more?

Coy Hill said...

If only people could learn to get along, but alas they never have and never will so war will always be a the necessary evil that each generation must face. How sad!!

Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog, I'm sure I'll return to your blog from "down under"

Chuckeroon said...

Fine photo of a strong statue to those excellent Australians. Thanks for featuring it.

Unknown said...

I like the photo, Nathalie. It's funny, it made me think, wow, we are so small compared to this statute. And then I thought, we are all so small compared to the causes and costs of wars and freedoms, aren't we? Thank you for allowing us to think about this.

Cheltenhamdailyphoto said...

I really like this shot with the stationary, huge figure of a war hero presiding over today's live figures going about their free lives.

Anonymous said...

I don't feel like commenting on war themes these days, but I like the photo - interesting kind of trompe l'oeil effect.

Anonymous said...

Si le 25 avril chez vous, les gens se remémorent les jours de guerre, et pensent à la paix, c'est déjà un jour sur les 364 qui restent pendant lequel on pense que tout est encore possible.

Nathalie H.D. said...

The statue is actually not that big at all, almost real-life human size, or slightly smaller.

Maxime said...

Un bien beau cadrage, qui rend bien la disproportion de l'échelle de la statue.
Je n'aimerais pas qu'il repose sa crosse sur mon pied !

Janet said...

Makes the passersby look really little! Interesting angle.

Pod said...

what a great shot! i walked by here yesterday and contemplated taking a pic too (i work in the building facing down martin place). i am sure we have passed in the street. will email you shortly for tea arrangements

bon chance pour les elections
:o/

Sarah G said...

Great photo!

There were 80+ of us at the ANZAC Memorial Service here in Boston yesterday!

Anonymous said...

Good shot miss, I love the effect.

DeepBlueSea said...

Congratulations on a super site! I love the mix of images and text - both very well done.

-M

Anonymous said...

I like the photo and your take on Anzac Day. Well done!

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

beautiful photo.
Now.. you do know take the "puttees". :)
Piou-Patrick
Poilu de la Marne

Anonymous said...

Piou-Patrick
Site poilu de la Marne: http://lepoiludelamarne.free.fr/index2.htm

Daneck said...

Bonjour à vous, merci pour le petit hommage aux Poilus de la Marne.
Daneck