FORMAL LETTER - CAE

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I saw your recent editorial about the Uluru National Park and I am writing to say I cannot agree with your criticisms of the Anangu policy of restricting tourism. Uluru is a sacred site for the Anangu, who have been there for over 20,000 years, and while 400,000 tourists a year may not be huge numbers in national terms, it is still a lot.

I agree that tourism is important to the Anangu, but it needs to be managed so that its sacred sites are respected. For example, the Anangu themselves never climb the rock, and in my view, tourists should be prevented from doing so out of respect for the Anangu's traditions.

I also think the Anangu should have a much greater role in how the site is promoted and in tour organisation. At the moment, most Anangu are only able to get low-paid seasonal employment, and the profits from tourism go to outsiders. However, they are trying, through the Culture Centre, to encourage a greater understanding of all aspects of their culture, not just the rock.

If the Government wants to increase tourism to Uluru, which seems to be its aim, it must do so with the Anangu and implement measures to reduce environmental damage.

CHARACTER REFERENCES - CAE

Anna Kurtz

I have known Anna Kurtz for six years, both as a colleague and a friend. We first met at secondary school when we did two weeks' work experience together in a local kindergarten. Since then, I have got to know her very well and have come to appreciate her many talents. At present, we are both at the same teaching training college, learning to become primary-level teachers.

Whatever she does, Anna brings two outstanding qualities to her work_ a sense of responsibility and her ability to handle new and unexpected situations calmly and sensibly. She has always proved herself to be honest and hard-working in whatever professional situation she finds herself in, and gives the impression that she is acting in the best interest of others.

With children, Anna inspires confidence. She has a strong sense of discipline, yet children find her fun. In schools where we work, she is much liked and respected.

I regret having to say anything negative about Anna, but in the classroom she is not always very tidy. As a colleague this can sometimes be irritating, and it is all the more surprising because her bedroom in college is meticulously neat and clean. Nevertheless, it is not a major problem and doesn't really interfere with Anna's ability to do a good job.

For the reasons I have given, I have no hesitation in supporting Anna's application as an au pair. I believe she would care for your two young children very well.

ARTICLES - CAE

TOPIC: CELEBRITIES
TYPE: ARTICLES

The popular press describe him as a suave, sophisticated, demi-god with charm, personality and intelligence. When I met him, however, I began to wonder whether any of these journalists had actually met him, or were just playing a joke on their reading public. What struck me the most was his complete lack of any of these qualities, with social skills coming right at the bottom of the list.
Although he is in his late twenties, I felt like I was interviewing an adolescent schoolboy. He couldn't sit still, couldn't concentrate for more than two minutes at a time, answered my questions in monosyllabic grunts, and not once made eye contact with me.
There was also an air of barely suppressed anger about him, and it seemed that, at the slightest inconvenience or provocation, he would blow his top like a volcano.
I guess a more sympathetic person would feel sorry for him, but I couldn't see beyond the spoilt child that he really is, and although I have looked hard for his "appeal factor", I am still thouroughly perplexed at the blind devotion he receives from his fans.