Oz Cloggie

Retired school teacher. Born in Gouda. In Sydney, since 1956. * Thoroughly enjoyed annual stint assessing beaches for the Keep Australia Beautiful Clean Beach Challenge (2002-2007). * Exhibition: 6-12 October, 2008. celebrated my 65th birthday. Tap Gallery, Darlinghurst. * Dec. '09/Jan. '10 had a "full-on" fifth trip back to the Netherlands (e.g., Gouda). * (1969-1972: Attended an "Art Teachers Conversion Course, through the NSW Department of Education, at the ( then called: ) East Sydney Technical College, now National Art School. The course involved attendance 4 nights a week and 4 weeks during the school holidays. Was enjoying teaching primary too much. Did not complete the 4-year course. Went for promotion, instead.) * Celebrated my 65th birthday with an art exhibition. Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Wgh0xRLqM * Just to be clear - 1981 and 1983 were particularly special years. * Also: I perfectly understand why a colleague at the primary school where I was teaching before retiring claimed that when you visit Ireland, you feel that "you've come home". I was born in Gouda, the Netherlands but, believe me, I LOVED my few days just exploring Ireland, while on a coach-tour there, when we were given the opportunity to go for a walk and a "photo opportunity". I kept wondering whether perhaps ancestors, LONG ago, had crossed the North Sea to the Netherlands to make ME feel SO at home in Ireland.