Global Poverty Project

There was a lecture run at Uni the other evening. It was outside my work time, but it interested me greatly so I stayed back. It was presented by Simon Moss, one of the co-founders of the Global Poverty Project and he spoke using a version of their 1.4 Billion Reasons talk (a trailer can be seen here).

It really moved me. We often hear about poverty and those living in it. Did you know how much helping and empowering girls and women in these countries can bring about social change? Hearing individual stories is moving and then you realise you can do small (and big) things to help.

Things like buying Fair Trade products and how that really can impact individuals in developing countries and how that in turn increases education and health care for those who need it.

Some sites and resouces that can help you find out more:
www.10thousandgirl.com - the fun finance program I am involved in that aims to get 10,000 Australian women more financially literate and that ultimately helps others through microfinancing via Opportunity International
www.girleffect.org - bringing awareness to how a single girl can make a drastic change in her community
www.Kiva.org - loans that change lives
www.globalpovertyproject.com - commit to take action to eradicate poverty
www.fta.org.au - more info on Fair Trade

What small thing can you do to help?

Julie & Julia

I finally got to watch the amazing movie Julie & Julia today. I can't describe how much it spoke to me. The women, their personalities, their lives, their newly discovered passions.

As Julie Powell describes it herself in the last post of the famous blog:

'Who knows how it happens, how you come upon your essential gift? For
this was hers. Not the cooking itself so much – lots of people cook
better than Julia. Not even the recipes – others can write recipes.
What was Julia’s true gift, then? She certainly had enormous energy,
and that was a sort of gift, if a genetic one – perhaps the one thing
about her you can pin down on the luck of the draw. She was a great
teacher, certainly – funny, and generous, and enthusiastic, with so
much overbrimming confidence that she had nothing to do with the
surplus but start doling it out to others. But she also had a great
gift for learning. Perhaps that was the talent she discovered in
herself at the age of 37, at the Cordon Bleu School in Paris – the
thirst to keep finding out, the openness to experience that makes life
worth living.'

What got me was these normal women finding their drive and purpose in life. Wanting to break out of something and channelling their energy into something they found meaty. This is right up my alley and makes my heart sing and my heart pump a little faster!

Julie's character and situation really spoke to me because I am in a similar place right now: Working in a job that I don't mind, but is not what I want to do; wanting to do more in my passion projects, but finding it hard to find the energy at the end of the day to get stuck into my meaty things. Perhaps setting a deadline, like she did, will keep me more focussed and help me build momentum. So, I'm going to blog at least every three days!

The other thing that touched me is the negativity that can come from others, even from those that we idolise or highly respect. I've been there before - getting disappointed after meeting someone you 've thought was amazing for a while, and the encounter was nothing like you had envisaged. Or showing some work to someone whos opinion you respect and you get shot down. It's like being let down by someone you idolise. Julie Powell received a lot of flak after the movie for a variety of reasons. Julia Child experienced book rejection. But what I'm learning is that you have to deal with that disappointment and continue to move forwards if you truly believe in what you are doing, because someone else will love it, someone else will benefit, someone else will see its worth, someone else's life will change because of it.

I don't proclaim to be someone who knows everything about creating an amazing life (I am still at the bottom of the mountain, dreaming about the climb - wanting to set up amazing strategies - wanting to become a better person). But I want to have the experience, I am on that journey. I have 'the thirst to keep finding out, the openness to experience that makes life
worth living.'.

Do you have it my SSS's?

The people that mean the world to you...near or far

When life gets busy, it is amazing how the important things can fall by the wayside while you feel like you are putting out fires. Things that are absolutely the most important things in the world. Friends and family. Especially those special people who live far away from where you do. I love them, they are in my mind, I think of them often, but there can be times of little contact. It has really been on my mind for the last few months.

So I called my Dad today (he lives in Switzerland and yes, it is as beautiful as you imagine), because I haven't spoken to him in a month or so. I wanted to tell him how much I love him and how I've missed him and have a good gander about life etc. Then...he didn't answer! Great...

Well, at least I called and left a message and he knows I've tried, but it is nowhere near the same as actually speaking to him. I sometimes feel like he may not know how much I care about him because I allow everyday life to take over rather than creating the time to make a call. With the time differences and long days at work and not really having a home phone, on top of the social activities, the time I need to rest, the time I try to put aside for my passion projects, it sometimes feels too hard, or the time flys by and all of a sudden a week has passed. But that is pathetic! That is horrible! He is one of the most important people in my life and I CANNOT continue like this. My admin job is not as important as my father.

So what can I do? What can I do to ensure I have the important time to speak to him, and the other important people in my life, especially when life feels so busy and out of control. These are the times it is even more important to connect. I want to involve them in my life, find out what is going on in theirs - laugh together, commiserate together, find out the little and big things going on in their everyday.

Well, I can put aside the time. Cement it in my diary that at least once a fortnight I call him. Write it in my diary that at least once a week I write an email to him (and my mum in Perth, Tatiane my sister, Yvette in the US one of my best friends). Then once a quarter write it in my diary to communicate with my more distant relations - my aunt in Germany, my lovely family in Singapore.

So Daddy, while I couldn't speak to you today - I'm shouting out a message through the World Wide Web :) I love you!!!!! and call me ;)

Blog from anywhere?!

So this is a test blog sitting on the front steps of my house using the phone. Oh technology... You can bring us so much conveniece at times!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Red Red Wine!

Red, red wine...
What do you do when you have guests and feel like having some wine but you haven't got any?
You raid the flatmate's stash, looking for the most inexpensive bottle you can replace. Then, before you open the bottle, you are attacked by the fear it could be a really expensive Wolf Blass, so you google the cost of the replacement...
$8.99? Bargain!
'POP'! (well...unscrew)
And then...
Q: what if they see you drinking their wine?!
A: pour it into one of your previously emptied bottles, get rid of the evidence and sip innocently and contentedly on the verandah

True story! Happened to... a friend of mine.
And a replacement is it's way! SSS do not steal nor deceive maliciously!