New Beginnings

"Every day have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, "Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?" 

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

It was pretty dark when I woke up just before six this morning. There was a gentle patter of rain on the tin roof over the stoep. I love that soft rain which sometimes falls in the summer time, as if it is coming to wash the heat and dust away. Now it is raining quite hard, big fat drops coming down as if there's a lot of cleansing to be done before we can start a new cycle. 

It has been quite a stormy year on many levels: hurricanes and elections in the US, violence all over Africa and the Middle East, protests in Russia and Greece, a landslide victory for Jacob Zuma, and the economies of many countries in Europe still reeling in the aftermath of the crises of a year ago. 

On a personal level, we and everyone we know, seem to have had an unusually busy year with little time to socialise or connect. Everything seems to have had a good shake up, and by time too. When things get shifted around, energy gets moving in places it might not have reached. 

Perhaps that's why I've done some shaking up of my own. After almost 30 years I am going back to university...I'm looking forward to the new year with a lot of excitement and just a tiny bit of trepidation... new beginnings bring hope and growth. I'm ready for some of that. 

Walking for Happiness

On Friday morning I crept out of the house at 06h20, so as not to wake the sleeping bodies who are on holiday. Apart from getting an early start to the day (in case it was the end of the world) I was off to the last session of Run/Walk for Life. At least I would be doing something that was making me feel good, if it all did come crashing around us!

I think that I may have become just the tiniest bit addicted to the walking. Recently, on the R/WFL program, I have been doing it more regularly and in a more structured way. Over the last three months or so it's become a firm habit and I find myself looking forward to it. I feel good, have more energy and am sleeping and eater better. 

It has been proven that exercise makes you feel good because it decreases the levels of stress hormones and increases the endorphins. Endorphins can be described as the body's feel-good chemicals, or I like to call it "happy juice". They block transmission of pain, and produce a feeling of euphoria, in the same way that a drug like morphine would.  Exercise and the effect of endorphins leaves you with a joyful feeling, elated and content. In other words, when you commit to exercise you are committing to feeling good. 

I can think of worse things that you could become addicted to.

Click here for the Top 10 Health Benefits of Walking. 

Traffic like Christmas...

Last week I had to meet a friend in town. I made sure to arrive early as she is so punctual you could set your watch by her. Five minutes before our scheduled meeting I got a text - "running late...traffic like xmas..." 

I always feel that we should be approaching the end of the year slowly, winding down and taking stock. Instead we usually hurtle towards the end, trying to fit in all the things we meant to do earlier in the year. And then visitors start appearing and the entertaining begins and so you are either feeling guilty about having fun when you should be finishing something off, or frustrated about wanting to be having fun while you rush around completing tasks. 

It doesn't help that businesses start closing their books at the end of November for any new orders and schools close in the first week of December. Yoga classes ended more than a week ago. At least Run/Walk for Life is carrying on until the 21st ... before all the eating begins!

I am quite excited that we are going to be here for the holidays. I plan to be a tourist in my own town and have been collecting snippets from the newspapers of what's hot (or cool!). 

So far I am definitely checking out Bree Street for its restaurants and local designs. There is a coffee shop on Bree called  Escape Caffe which is owned by a Nobel Prize winner, which deserves a visit. Woodstock seems to be getting trendier and more arty by the week.

An old favourite which I share with my daughter is to trawl Kalk Bay. A really great day out is to drive to Muizenberg, have breakfast at Knead and then walk all along the boardwalk to Kalk Bay, stopping for coffee and shopping. There's a great independent bookshop, Kalk Bay Books, worth a visit.  

But today, I am going to enjoy the jazz as played by the Delft Big Band at the Helderberg Nature Reserve. Will keep you posted!

Pruning Roses - destructively constructive!

One of our lecturers once made a fellow-student sit and think about an activity that was both destructive and constructive. She could come up with a few, like weeding the garden, for instance. But the one that Ms P (cue bottle-green-polyester-clad Amazon, hair tightly swept back into a severe bun, specs on the edge of her nose) specifically wanted, was pruning roses.

In her opinion, it perfectly summed up the idea of something bad needing to happen so that good could come of it all in the name of therapy.  In other words, she was being cruel to be kind, which is another way of being destructive and constructive at the same time!

I recently spent the afternoon doing exactly that in the garden. Yes, I know it is rather late in the season to be pruning the roses but I got a little fooled by the outrageous flirting of the Spring which still will not come...  The new growth was already sprouting forth and I had to force myself to ruthlessly cut it away, while visualising the beautiful roses it would bear come summer time.

It was a deeply satisfying activity, even though there is a real danger that I may not be quite as green-thumbed as I should be...! Anyway, I hope that Ms P will be proud of my efforts and that much good will come of my destructive hours...

Big Words

I treated myself to a set of BIG WORDS flashcards today. Yes, I know I may be getting a bit on in years for flash cards, but it seemed like such fun to sample the smorgasbord of seldom used words. I was tickled pink by the phrase which caught my eye: “I may be Lilliputian but I am still remarkably strong!” It stayed with me as I walked out of the shop at the Old Biscuit Mill this morning and I had to go back for more!

It was asking to be read in an English accent. In fact, the last time I heard someone use discombobulate (one of the other words in the pack), it was indeed an Englishman – no less than HRH Prince Charles who was bemoaning the "discombobulating around the climate change issues" just before COP17 was to take place in Durban in December last year.

So be prepared to be dazzled by some splendiferous words! The pack includes instructions for three fun games and is recommended for ages 6 and up...ssh! And, yes they are all in the Oxford dictionary, even splendiferous – I checked! I promise not to start acting all hoity-toity now that I know some big words.

BIG WORD Flashcards is distributed by Knock Knock, a registered trademark of Who’s There Inc. 

Want to live longer? Just walk! - IOL Lifestyle | IOL.co.za

Want to live longer? Just walk! - IOL Lifestyle | IOL.co.za

Running shoes, Mattresses and Husbands

So I am into my third month of Run/Walk for Life and have been clocking up the kilometres. I am feeling quite proud of myself - I am going faster and further and am now well into a routine. As I told my husband, this is not for sissies. Being part of a structured program has definite rewards, not least of which is the encouragement to turn up regularly. 

We were having a chat about sports shoes the other day. It is so difficult to get the right pair especially when you are a certain age and aches and pains start to make themselves felt. You really only find out if they are right for you after you have walked a distance in them and then it's too late to return them. 

The variety of shoes available can be quite confusing and you need to accommodate for personal quirks like pronation and supination, heel strike and width of foot. If you are not careful the ill-fitting shoe may have caused a chain reaction all the way up to your back...the ankle bone is connected to the knee bone, the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone and so on! As a fellow-walker observed, there are many expensive things that you actually need to try out  before you buy...like running shoes, mattresses and husbands!

I came across an article on choosing the right sports shoe on the Health24 website which may be helpful.

Philanthropy Heroes Honoured at Inyathelo Awards | NGO Pulse

Philanthropy Heroes Honoured at Inyathelo Awards | NGO Pulse:

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My South Africa

A friend reminded me about this piece by Professor Jonathan Jansen in response to my last blog.  

Professor Jonathan Jansen

My South Africa is the working-class man who called from the airport to return my wallet without a cent missing. It is the white woman who put all three of her domestic worker's children through the same school that her own child attended. It is the politician in one of our rural provinces, Mpumalanga, who returned his salary to the government as a statement that standing with the poor had to be more than just a few words. It is the teacher who worked after school hours every day during the public sector strike to ensure her children did not miss out on learning. 

My South Africa is the first-year university student in Bloemfontein who took all the gifts she received for her birthday and donated them - with the permission of the givers - to a home for children in an Aids village. It is the people hurt by racist acts who find it in their hearts to publicly forgive the perpetrators. It is the group of farmers in Paarl who started a top school for the children of farm workers to ensure they got the best education possible while their parents toiled in the vineyards. It is the farmer's wife in Viljoenskroon who created an education and training centre for the wives of farm labourers so that they could gain the advanced skills required to operate accredited early-learning centers for their own and other children. 

My South Africa is that little white boy at a decent school in the Eastern Cape who decided to teach the black boys in the community to play cricket, and to fit them all out with the togs required to play the gentleman's game. It is the two black street children in Durban, caught on camera, who put their spare change in the condensed milk tin of a white beggar. It is the Johannesburg pastor who opened up his church as a place of shelter for illegal immigrants. It is the Afrikaner woman from Boksburg who nailed the white guy who shot and killed one of South Africa's greatest freedom fighters outside his home. 

My South Africa is the man who went to prison for 27 years and came out embracing his captors, thereby releasing them from their impending misery. It is the activist priest who dived into a crowd of angry people to rescue a woman from a sure necklacing. It is the former police chief who fell to his knees to wash the feet of Mamelodi women whose sons disappeared on his watch; it is the women who forgave him in his act of contrition. It is the Cape Town university psychologist who interviewed the 'Prime Evil' in Pretoria Centre and came away with emotional attachment, even empathy, for the human being who did such terrible things under apartheid. 

My South Africa is the quiet, dignified, determined township mother from Langa who straightened her back during the years of oppression and decided that her struggle was to raise decent children, insist that they learn, and ensure that they not succumb to bitterness or defeat in the face of overwhelming odds. It is the two young girls who walked 20kms to school everyday, even through their matric years, and passed well enough to be accepted into university studies. It is the student who takes on three jobs, during the evenings and on weekends, to find ways of paying for his university studies. 

My South Africa is the teenager in a wheelchair who works in townships serving the poor. It is the pastor of a Kenilworth church whose parishioners were slaughtered, who visits the killers and asks them for forgiveness because he was a beneficiary of apartheid. It is the politician who resigns on conscientious grounds, giving up status and salary because of an objection in principle to a social policy of her political party. It is the young lawman who decides to dedicate his life to representing those who cannot afford to pay for legal services. 

My South Africa is not the angry, corrupt, violent country those deeds fill the front pages of newspapers and the lead-in items on the seven-o'-clock news. It is the South Africa often unseen, yet powered by the remarkable lives of ordinary people. It is the citizens who keep the country together through millions of acts of daily kindness. 

I copied the article and photograph from the South Africa The Good News website.

Professor Jonathan Jansen is the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State.

Crime like a Cancer

This morning I still feel shattered by the bad news I had yesterday. A friend’s husband has been murdered. I feel completely helpless. There should be something I can do. 

It took a while to sink in and I hung onto the possibility that the person who was telling it to me may have got it wrong somehow ... maybe they didn't hear it properly; did they actually see it happen?  Or were they just passing on a message which they didn't understand? It’s as if my brain refused to process it.

There’s a cancer that’s eating away at our society. It is threatening to undo all the hard work that has gone into building the hope which was generated by the hardships we endured in the past. Cancer needs to be fought with everything you have in order to survive. And with a lot more if you want to carry on living a quality life.

That’s what we have to do with the terrible violent crime that is spreading day by day, touching everyone’s life. You cope by convincing yourself that it cannot happen to you. And then, it is in your circle and hits you in the chest. We have to stand up and fight this, before there is no one left to fight for us.

You’re only beat when you think you are and when you give up the fight. Today I am hanging onto that and feeling sad. Tomorrow I hope that I will remember something that helps me pick up the fight. 

My Life So Far Trailer (1999) - YouTube

Being the early bird in the family has it's advantages, like having a  quiet house to myself on a Sunday morning. While the rest of the family hugs the duvet, I potter downstairs to make a cup of tea and get first pick on the Sunday newspapers. 

Some mornings I have still felt like curling up with a blanket although not sleeping and have been rewarded with the most delicious old movies on TV. Like My Life So Far about a ten year old boy growing up in the Scottish Highlands, post-World War I.  

The characters include his eccentric inventor father, his older sister who is of marriageable age and Gamma, the matriarch of the family, played by Rosemary Harris. It is an endearing coming-of-age story taking place in a time when the world was grappling with the changes brought about by the devastation of the war. It reminded me of my new favourite TV series, Downton Abbey. 

Here is a little preview courtesy of You Tube. I am sure that you could rent the movie from the DVD store. 

For the Love of Reading

http://interioralchemy.tumblr.com/page/10#

On the cover of a recent Oprah magazine, she is reclining against a wall, mauve and green foliage in the background evoking lazy summer days, on her lap an open book. I tried to imagine the book replaced with a Kindle or some version of an e-book. Not quite the same.

At a recent gathering of fellow writers, we bemoaned the demise of the book. One person in the group mentioned that a friend had recently moved and given away all her books since she was now into electronic reading. We were horrified...giving away all your books?! Sacrilegious! I cannot imagine not having bookshelves laden with books in my home.

But it seems we are the cross-over generation - the ones who can embrace the change brought about by technology but still appreciate the benefits and delights of holding a book, turning the pages. You can’t miss something you never had, or you never knew.

On all our travels around the world we have always come back dragging heavy suitcases filled with books which we simply had to have...On our recent trip to Italy I knew that my daughter had finally relaxed when I saw her curling up on the bed with a book she had been meaning to read for probably a year.

I remember my son for all of his prep school life walking around book tucked under his arm, ready to whip it out if he had a free moment. His school had encouraged this love of reading we had instilled   into both of them from a young age. Sadly, I don’t see him reading much recently. He seems to be spending more and more time on the computer. However, he still has a bookshelf of favourite books which he won’t pass on and I think that it won't be long before he is inspired to pick up a book again.

On the other hand, I don’t mind what they read as long as they read...

Maya Angelou's Autobiography - all six volumes

 I first read Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings many years ago. I clearly remember the hardships of growing up as a black child in the American South of the 1930s that she described - the discrimination and poverty as a background to the trauma of her parents' divorce and her rape by one of her mother's boyfriends.

Recently, I came across the reprint of all six volumes at the local bookstore and decided to tackle them all. I loved reading the first volume again and it remains my favourite. I didn't find the last two as interesting, even though it dealt with the civil rights movement and the deaths of her friends, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. It seemed to lack a certain depth - like she had left something out on purpose.

Perhaps I missed the beautiful descriptive passages which were so abundant in the earlier volumes and which made me feel like I was looking through a window to her past.

Below are some of the gems from her first book...

...barbers sat their customers in the shade on the porch of the Store, and troubadors on their ceaseless crawlings through the South leaned across benches and sang their sad songs...

...the pickers would step out of the backs of trucks and fold down, dirt-disappointed, to the ground.

...the old ladies took up the hymn and shared it in tight harmony...the humming crowd...like tired bees, restless and anxious to get home...

The summer picnic gave ladies a chance to show off their baking hands...chickens and spareribs sputtered in their own fat and a sauce whose recipe guarded in the family like a scandalous affair...

Maya Angelou has lived a rich and varied life as waitress, singer, actress, dancer, activist, writer and poet, in the US as well as in different countries in Africa. Her books celebrate her life.

The other volumes in the autobiography are:

• A Song Flung up to Heaven
• Singing and Swinging and Getting Merry like Christmas
• All God's Children Need Travelling Shoes
• The Heart of a Woman
• Gather Together in My Name

Making a Difference - Project Playground

Frida and Sofia with the PP soccer team

I first met Frida Vesterberg and Sofia Hellqvist during the 2010 soccer World Cup when they were about to embark on setting up Project Playground in Langa, one of  the oldest townships in Cape Town. I was impressed by the enthusiasm and vision of these two young Swedish women. Now two years later, Project Playground is flourishing with 239 children and 25 employees (all local).

What does the project do? 

They are an NPO which runs after-school and holiday programs for disabled and able children. The disabled children attend in the mornings and have individual therapy and participate in programs designed by their OT, Aimee Jansen. The rest of the children come after school and participate in sport activities such as soccer and BMX extreme biking; art and cultural activities like dance, marimba & djembe, vocal sessions, photography, as well as debating and homework support. 

Project Playground is based on the conviction that everyone has a right to a childhood (as stated in the UNCRC: article 31). They believe that self esteem is partly built on sport and recreational activities, and that strong individuals contribute to a society with decreased crime, teenage pregnancies, violence and poverty. 

Frida says that providing children with a safe place where they have a sense of belonging, where they can be kids and develop through sports and play, contributes to their self esteem and self image. She continues, “…the more you believe in yourself and your abilities, the harder you will work in school, and the more you'll invest in your life.”

PP also links with various outreach programs aimed at strengthening and educating the surrounding community. All the activities, transport and food is free of charge. They are not bound to any political or religious groups. 

Why do you do it?

“Since we were little girls, Sofia and I dreamt about doing this. I am unbelievably blessed to do what I do. Furthermore, I believe it is my duty to contribute in the areas I can. Imagine if we all just put a little bit more effort into being the change we want to see! 

I do what I do because I believe that every selfless and caring act contributes to peace; I believe by doing good where you can, in speech, thought and action, you will send out ripples of hope - and that those energy ripples create currents which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and evil.”

Frida likes the saying by Michael Beckwith:

“We are unlimited beings. We have no ceiling. The capability, the talents and the power that is within every single individual on this planet, is unlimited.”

You may also like Making a Difference - Leanne Keet

Socialising in the 21st Century

The modern version of having friends around...

The school holidays have whizzed by. My daughter is still at university, so for the first time it has hardly felt like a holiday -  everyone has carried on doing what they normally do, except for my son.

Well, I say hardly felt like a holiday except for the "men" lounging around in our living room, playing games, pretending to be socialising with each other!  They looked up only when they needed to refuel and then actually spoke to each other.

It is an ongoing challenge trying to instil a balance - there is so much interfacing with technology. Granted, they did spend hours playing hockey or soccer followed by hours on the couch...so I guess it does sort of balance out. Plenty of time to think about creative ways of engaging before the bumper end of year holidays...any ideas?

Making a Difference: Leanne Keet

Leanne Keet

It was my friend, Leanne Keet who got me thinking about the people who are out there getting on with making a difference. When she heard about my team-building day with the Delft Big Band she commented: "...there is no lack of opportunity in this country to make a difference. You just need to find the one that feeds your soul!" 

She should know, she is the founding director of Masikhule Childcare, an organisation which aims to provide practical and accessible training to unemployed women in aspects of early childhood development, with a view to finding employment.

So, what does she  do?

Concern for conditions in the creches and preschools in the townships and the lack of trained staff, led Leanne to start Masikhule Childcare. Its goal is to help ensure that underprivileged children living in the Helderberg and surrounding winelands regions of the Western Cape attend Early Childhood Development (ECD) facilities that provide a holistic child development and stimulation programme. ECD centres in the poorest communities are upgraded and mentored. Masikhule Childcare trains staff, volunteers and young mothers in the importance of early childhood development and stimulation. At the same time Masikhule Childcare is making a positive contribution to the eradication of poverty through its job creation and job placement programmes. 

The name Masikhule means ‘Let us Grow’ in isiXhosa. The first group of women who were trained pointed out that it was not only the children who would be growing and developing, but the women too. Recently, In honour of Women's Day on 9 August, Leanne was chosen as the winner of the PPS/Personal Finance Professional Woman of the Year (PWOTY) award, with the theme of the award being ‘Phakamisa’ meaning “to uplift” in Zulu. 

And, why does she do what she does?

"Because I can...I have the expertise and knowledge; there is a community who can benefit from this knowledge and as a South African I have an obligation to make a positive contribution. Everyone deserves the best start in life – and Masikhule Childcare is committed to providing just that to the most vulnerable of children."

Leanne's favourite quote, by Winston Churchill,  aptly sums up her approach:

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." 

Making a Difference, Building a Country

There will always be those who focus on the negative and try to drag others down with them. I am so tired of people who are convinced that the country is going down the drain. After being on the receiving end of just such a person's negativity recently, and bemoaning the fact that there is so much negative news around me, I have decided to dig up some positive news myself. 

Every week or so, I will write a short blog on the people around me who are just getting on with it and building a more positive SA - the ordinary people who are quietly making a difference without any fanfare. The plan is to have a short blog that answers two questions:

What do you do?

Why do you do it?

So, if you know of anyone out there who fits the profile, let me know and I will include them. Look out for Project Playground and Masikhule in my next blogs...

Exploring the Suburbs

So it's been three weeks since I started "walking for life" and I am certainly getting to know my suburb while getting fit and healthy. We are so fortunate to live in a city where nature abounds. So always the mountain is right there to keep me going...                   

 

There have been lots of people out for a walk now that the weather is warming up. I spotted this family out for a stroll...

 

...and the Vodacom man with a direct link...

 ...and walked up tree-lined hills...(see the mountain right there...). 

Yesterday a homeless couple were having a very loud fight, standing on opposite sides of the road, unperturbed by passing cars or people...the issues? He was demanding to know where his money was, and she was urging him to go to "the other woman". Seems the more you explore, the more things are just the same...

I cannot believe how much you miss out on when you drive rather than walk. 

Delft Big Band-Brass Machine - YouTube

Delft Big Band-Brass Machine - YouTube: "http://youtu.be/5dM-rCB6114"

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Making a Difference - Meditation and Pizza

A community project which is very close to my heart is the Delft Big Band. I have previously written about the Magic in the Music and the group which went to Sweden last year to play at the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child awards ceremony. Since then I have become more involved and we are in the process of formalising the band as a Public Benefit Organisation.

The view from the guest house far away from Delft

For a while I have been planning a team-building day. Most of the interaction that they engage in is during practice or when they are playing gigs. And so Project Me came into being, since the overall aim was for them to get to know themselves – their worries, fears and hopes - and in turn, for us to get to know each other a bit better. On Saturday we had the use of a guesthouse right on the beach – far away from the daily grind of Delft.

They arrived at the guest house eyes popping at “the mansion” and ready to explore. But first, work to be done...They started off a little hesitantly, all shy and giggly but soon warmed up and were sharing hopes and fears, what made them angry, and worries about their futures. We explored using art collages, trust exercises and played games. The poem Lost Generation, had them shaking their heads in agreement and in awe of how effective a mind shift could be.

Lunch was simple pizzas (we were having a braai later) then some more work. We ended the day with a meditation. I had distinct feeling that they were wondering what strange activities I would next be expecting from them as they lay down on the floor but soon everyone was passed out, mouths open, some snoring. Then it was time to chill - the beach beckoned, fires were made, there were marshmallows to toast, music to listen to...

On the evaluation form I got them to fill in, the best things about the day were meditation and pizza...Sometimes you have those days when life just makes sense and the simple things you do make such a difference to someone’s life that you are humbled. 

You may also like Magic in the Music 2 and Magic in  the Music for sure!

Staying in Touch

Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam

So there I was pouring my heart out to my husband over Skype, when next thing I am talking to the corner of the ceiling in his hotel room in Shanghai, while he adjusted the volume. It kind of broke the moment. Sometimes modern technology is not all it's cracked up to be...or maybe it's the powers that be who complicate matters so? You'd swear we were trying to get through to heaven. 

My husband has been in China for ten days now and we have had a fair amount of contact via email, Blackberry Messenger and the occasional good old-fashioned telephone call. Skype has been a bit irritating as the connection is not always very clear. And then he also keeps fiddling with it so that I find myself talking to his left ear or chin, just when I have something rather important to share. 

He's not doing very well with the jet lag and so we are having chats at 21h00 South African time when it's 03h00 in China! I am not sure how he is functioning in meetings during the day. I am not complaining as it's good to know that there's someone on the other side of the world to talk to at any time. 

Usually, he likes to catch up with my blog when he is away - he is one of my silent followers who never leaves comments - but this time, horror of horrors (!) he has discovered that the blogger site has been blocked. I certainly don't have anything that needs to be censored in my blog, or so I believe, but I think that it's the whole site and more, which he cannot access. It's a reminder to not take free speech for granted and to keep fighting for it when we do have it. 

Meanwhile I await his return when he can read my blogs at home...and not comment. 

Lost Generation?

I came across this brilliant poem a little while ago. It was written by Jonathan Reed for a video competition where entrants had to describe their vision for their future. At first reading it is rather depressing:

Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed

I am part of a lost generation

and I refuse to believe that

I can change the world

I realize this may be a shock but

“Happiness comes from within.”

is a lie, and

“Money will make me happy.”

So in 30 years I will tell my children

they are not the most important thing in my life

My employer will know that

I have my priorities straight because

work

is more important than

family

I tell you this

Once upon a time

Families stayed together

but this will not be true in my era

This is a quick fix society

Experts tell me

30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce

I do not concede that

I will live in a country of my own making

In the future

Environmental destruction will be the norm

No longer can it be said that

My peers and I care about this earth

It will be evident that

My generation is apathetic and lethargic

It is foolish to presume that

There is hope.

Now read it from the bottom up...and, voila!...a completely different perspective. Sometimes we just need to step out of the box and look at the situation from another angle. Tomorrow I am going to be running a workshop for a community youth project and I am going to read it to them. More of that later...

Stop and Smell the Roses

When I went outside this morning (to see if Spring had returned after the rain over the weekend!) I was met by this glorious red rose still wet with rain drops. And with a heavenly smell to match. I am very pleased with this picture I took with my Blackberry phone. They say the best  camera is the one that you have.

There is a certain mystery about roses which dates back thousands of years. Roses have been found in Egyptian tombs where there is evidence of its use in religious ceremonies. The Romans started the custom of scattering rose petals on the bridal bed to ensure a happy marriage, and hung roses from the ceilings during banquets to protect themselves from drunkenness.

Sometime around the 10th century, a Persian called Avicenna, first distilled essential oil from the rose. Only a small amount of oil can be extracted from the petals which have to be hand-picked during a very short period when the plant blooms, leading to the high cost of pure rose oil.  Four kilograms of petals are needed for just one gram of oil!

In Aromatherapy, rose oil is traditionally recommended during childbirth, to balance the hormones during menopause, as a skin tonic (for eczema or aging skin) and can also be used for stress and anxiety. It can be nurturing and balancing and deeply relaxing. 

Bulgaria and Turkey produce the best quality oil which has a geranium-like scent whereas the oil from Egypt and Morocco smells more like the flower itself, but has a different chemical composition. Rose essence is also widely used in the perfume and cosmetic industry as well as in food flavouring. And what can be more elegant than a simple chocolate cake decorated with rose petals? 

Take time to stop and smell the roses...

Making Mountains Metaphors

Kai at the summit of Mt Kenya

I am constantly amazed at the calibre of youth the new South Africa is producing - environmentally aware, socially responsible and enthusiastic and motivated. Like our young friend, Kai Fitchen who at just 18 years of age has recently returned from a five-month trip from Cape Town to Kenya, ending with the summit of Mount Kenya.

Kai in conversation with local kids

The aims of the trip were to travel sustainably, raise awareness of environmental issues among school children, and to climb Mt Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa. 

Sustainable travel involved using public transport as far as possible - buses, taxis, trains and at times bicycles. Although he had some hair-raising experiences (drunk bus drivers, fights breaking out on trains) he found the public transport at least 90% reliable and was able to get there and back in one piece. 

washing hands - water sanitation program
in Malawi

In the various villages where he stopped he visited schools, engaging with children creatively, spending time outdoors and discussing the way environmental issues were personally affecting their lives. Living in a town like Livingstone with Victoria Falls as a background makes it easy to engage with nature. Deforestation is a very real problem for them and Kai had Greenpop (a social enterprise involved in urban greening and reforestation) as a support.  In Malawi, sanitation was the burning issue.

Mt Kenya, although not quite as high as the very popular Kilimanjaro, is technically a much more difficult climb. Added to that was the sleet, rock falls and cold winds to contend with while living on a diet of peanuts and bananas. But Kai describes the experience as "humbling, the best experience I have ever had...to see the potential in Southern Africa...". He is already talking about the next trip...what an inspiration!

For more about his trip, visit:

 KAPE 2 KENYA 2012

http://www.kape2kenya.com

http://greensparks-kai.blogspot.com/

Pictures are courtesy of Kai Fitchen

Michelangelo's David - Withstanding Time

On this day in 1504 the statue of David by Michelangelo was unveiled outside the Palazzo della Signoria in Firenze. The statue was originally supposed to be one of many which would adorn buttresses of the Duomo. However, it was not deemed fit for the original commission and it stood outside the Palazzo for hundreds of years, withstanding time and the elements before being moved into the Galleria Accademia.

The David is splendid, as we experienced on a recent trip to Italy.  It's an unusual statue, because the boy is depicted in the moments before he attacked Goliath.  Most statues at the time showed the moments after David had cut off Goliath’s head. Of course we have to remember that any art is merely the artist’s impression. The David of the Bible was a young boy and could not have been quite so god-like in physique. Michelangelo was certainly showing off his knowledge of anatomy.

It was rather disconcerting to discover that the statue is slowly leaning over as a result of the erosion. Movement detectors have been employed to monitor any shift in the statue and plans are afoot to counter any damage. All those years standing outside have taken their toll, but isn't it amazing that something which was created hundreds of years ago is now being rescued by modern technology?

No photographs are allowed inside. “But if you want, you can take a picture of the pink David in the courtyard,” our guide informed us. There was a concurrent exhibition of modern art at the gallery and the garish pink David with yellow hair (including his pubic hair) and blue eyes must be making Michelangelo roll over in his grave. I couldn't bring myself to take a picture.  This photo of Statue of David is courtesy of TripAdvisor.

You can read more about this in today’s edition of the Writers’ Almanac:

http://www.elabs7.com/ct.html?ufl=1&rtr=on&s=fj6,xlbe,dv,5zj0,89j,2jvk,18ki

Run/Walk for Life

If this little flower can hold on for the spring , so can I!

Ah! Dare I say it? Spring is here at last! It is no longer pitch dark when I get up in the morning and today the temperature hovered around 20 degrees for most of the day. The bright sunshine made me feel like a dance around a Maypole or some such northern hemisphere practice.

A combination of winter, travelling, being sick, no yoga, and no walking, has left me feeling sluggish, fed up and unhealthy. So I have cut my hair (a woman always means business when she cuts her hair) and I have just been checking out Run/Walk for Life. I really need to up my cardio-vascular exercise, for my health and weight. I hate the gym, I have tried boot camp and walking by myself is not getting the desired result. So drastic situations call for drastic measures…

Actually, it looks more than manageable and not quite so drastic…the program is well-monitored and formulated to progress gradually.  So far, the people I have met seem pleasant and supportive. After two sessions I have learned to walk using my arms (felt those muscles the next day!) and have managed to get the pulse racing. I enjoy walking and being outside; I feel like I am in training for long forest walks...

Run/Walk for Life is Proudly South African and is endorsed by the Heart Foundation of South Africa. What’s more, the program is run right here in the neighbourhood. So come on summer! I am ready to go!

You may also like: Spring has Sprung and To Carbo-load or Not  and Couch Potatoes and Olympic Glory 

Harvesting Medals at the Paralympics

We are off to a good start at the 2012 Paralympics being hosted in London at the moment – ten medals at my last count. Expectations are high: at the 2008 Paralympics South Africa brought home no less than 30 medals.

The opening ceremony last Wednesday evening was a colourful and joyous affair with athletes from countries which had me scratching my head to remember where on earth they were! Many of the countries - Samoa, Madagascar and Rwanda - had not had any athletes at the Olympics. Some of the countries, like China, have sent teams of 100s of athletes while others have only 5 or 6.  The South African team consists of 65 athletes - so if we keep to our pattern from the last games, we should do an average of almost every second athlete a medal...not bad.

It was interesting watching the opening parade and seeing the variety of disabilities - I wonder what the statistics are regarding the types of injuries, the causes and severity. Countries like Rwanda and Iran or Palestine would have injuries as a result of war and civil unrest whereas other countries may have disabilities more as a result of motor vehicle accidents, crime or birth abnormalities.

In order to ensure fairness, the athletes are classified into different categories, which can be a little confusing. Sometimes you might see someone breaking a world or Olympic record but not winning the race. This is because they might be classified differently to others in the race, e.g. single or double amputees.

The Paralympics which are presently the second largest sporting event after the Olympics has its origins in the 1948 Wheelchair Games, the brainchild of Dr Ludwig Guttmann who worked at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England. As an occupational therapy student, I remember that this hospital was held up as an example of excellence when it came to the rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injuries.

The first Paralympics was held in 1960 in Italy with only athletes in wheelchairs competing. Now the range of disabilities has extended to include with people with cerebral palsy, hearing and visual handicaps, amputations and more. Take a look if you want to be inspired by how the human spirit can overcome adversity and excel.

The Paralympics are live on DSTV’s SuperSport 6 Channel with coverage on SABC 3. The Games run until 8 September, with the closing ceremony on the 9th.

Mammograms and other Instruments of Torture

When I woke up this morning and saw the storm still raging outside, my first thought was “Darn! Bad day for a mammogram.”  But who was I kidding? When is a good day to have your breasts squashed in a modern day instrument of torture?

I had been putting off this routine exam but the appointment had been made and I couldn’t phone and say that I wasn’t able to come because it was raining, now could I? This was not my first time, so I knew what to expect, not that that made it any more of a pleasant prospect. Judging from the cartoons and articles stuck to the wall in the exam room, my feelings are universal – at least with the female half of the universe.

One article recommends preparing for your mammogram by doing the following three exercises:

·         opening the fridge door, inserting your breast and then getting someone to slam the door closed;
·         going to the garage at 3 am, lying down on the floor while a friend backs up the car so that the             rear wheel compresses your breast;
·         freezing two metal bookends and then getting a stranger to squash them either side of your breast.

Remember you have to repeat on the other side.

For all the advances in medical science, you would have thought that someone had found a less primitive diagnostic measure. For sure, this must have been designed by a man, and his offspring are probably in the support undergarment business. If breastfeeding hasn’t changed your breasts beyond recognition, a mammogram surely will.

The young woman who was attending to me was as nice as she could possibly be - she even tried to warm the machine by placing a hot water bottle on it just before she attempted to flatten my breast. First I had to stand facing the machine while I coyly turned my head and had the first picture taken – we didn’t know each well enough yet...

Then I had to contort myself, sidling sideways up to the machine and draping my arm over it while the other arm was bent, hand on hip, looking for all the world like I was trying to proposition the darn machine...as if that would have helped. Then I had to turn my feet towards the machine and my face in the opposite direction, feigning disinterest.  

While my body was thus contorted my breast was manhandled (or rather woman-handled in this case, and mercifully so) into the machine.  When I was told to breathe in and hold my breath I realised why I go to yoga three times a week. I knew there was a higher purpose for my weekly discipline.

Jokes aside though...breast cancer is on the increase - a mammogram is a screening test for someone without any symptoms so that problems may be detected early. 

Do check your breasts regularly and have annual gynae checkups!

Couch Potatoes and Olympic Glory

I braved the cold for a brisk walk around the neighbourhood yesterday afternoon.  Usually I comfort myself with the thought that those extra kilos are winter padding and that they’ll be gone come summer. But, has it been cold this winter, or what? I haven’t quite worked out if it is because of age that I have been feeling it so much, or if it actually has been much colder this year. It did snow in all nine provinces last week, so maybe it’s not quite time to phone the retirement homes. I think the Olympics have to take some of the blame for the weight gain this time around.

I have surpassed my quota of TV viewing over the last ten days of Olympic glory. Besides the athletics and swimming, I have watched events that I would never ordinarily watch – synchronised swimming, beach volleyball, even judo. It has certainly been an emotional time – wet cheeks, quivering bottom lips and joyful smiles have kept me watching the victory ceremonies.

My nerves were completely jangled by Caster Semenya’s race on Saturday – I wanted her to win that gold so much; to say “Take that!” to all her detractors... I was puzzled by how she ran the race and a little disappointed at the outcome. However, it’s no mean feat to win Olympic silver. We have bagged six medals – our greatest haul since 1992, and Rio 2016 beckons. Onwards and upwards!

The last race has been run, the last anthem has been sung...and we can get off the couch now.  In desperation I have been thinking about a gym membership. I hate the gym ordinarily but watching all those toned bodies slice into the water, lope over finishing lines and leap into the air has ignited a spark – I will have to see if I can fan it into a flame...