Girl Rising: The value of education.

Last Saturday, I had a major case of the crankypants. I think for the most part, it was because of a stinking hot day (for Autumn) - it was nudging 40 degrees Celsius and windy. Hot and windy sometimes makes me cranky.

I tried to tackle the cranks first of all in the kitchen. I channelled Nigella and made these ricotta hotcakes, with fresh eggs from the chooks and cooked in coconut oil. And - of course - accompanied a strong coffee. I served the hotcakes with strawberries and natural yoghurt - very yum!

But - I still had the grumps. I knew there were a couple of hours study looming so I bunked down in my little study nook, chugged the air con into gear and knocked over a couple of hours, catching up on my first two weeks of Criminal Law.

Then, in the early evening, I jumped on my shiny red bike and pedalled across the river to watch a film that well and truly elevated my mood and blew the cotton socks off the crankypants.

Girl Rising was the film and it was screened to commemorate International Women's Day. The film is about something that I am very passionate about - education. More specifically, the education of girls.

Educating girls can help to break the cycle of poverty. When girls are educated, they are more likely to marry and have children later, and when they do have children, they are more likely to send them to school. Educated women have more economic opportunities. Education improves health outcomes and overall gender equity where more women are empowered to become involved in decision and policy making processes.

From the Girl Rising website is this description:

From Academy Award-nominated director Richard E. Robbins, Girl Rising journeys around the globe to witness the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change the world. Viewers get to know nine unforgettable girls living in the developing world: ordinary girls who confront tremendous challenges and overcome nearly impossible odds to pursue their dreams. Prize-winning authors put the girls’ remarkable stories into words, and renowned actors give them voice.

And for me, simply sitting in the open air, surrounded by (mostly) women, watching dark clouds gathering in the sky above the outdoor cinema screen was enough to lift me out of the grumps. The film went a step further, elevating me to hope and believe that we will one day live in a world where girls and women have the same opportunities for education - and life - as men and boys.


The UN Women website is a valuable resource in the work being undertaken in developing countries around the world in gender equity and empowerment of women.

The Girl Rising film screening was held at Olive Pink Botanic Garden in Alice Springs through the efforts of the Central Australian Women's Legal Service (CAWLS) and the NT Working Women's Centre. Thanks!


EDIT: I feel like I've left this post a bit like one of those 'click to show you hate cancer' Facebook posts, i.e. a touch of slacktivism and a little self indulgence on the matter of my grumpiness. So, in the spirit of putting my money where my mouth is, here are some ways that I thought I could contribute towards creating more opportunities through education. I have committed to monthly donations to the two organisations listed below. I would encourage you to do the same, if you can - even if it's a one-off donation - or support another organisation that is working towards the goal of empowerment through education.

Indigenous Literacy Foundation 
The ILF aims to raise literacy levels and improve the lives and opportunities of Indigenous children living in remote and isolated regions. This is done by through the delivery of books and literacy resources, publishing and visits out to remote communities.  In addition, the Foundation advocates to raise community awareness of Indigenous literacy issues. Set up in 2011, the Foundation is a not-for-profit charity, without any government or major corporate funding.  It works with the support of the Australian Publishers Association, the Australian Booksellers Association and the Australian Society of Authors along with a team of ambassadors, volunteers and three full-time staff. 
www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au

UN Women Australia
The Australian National Committee for UN Women is one of 18 National Committees globally. The Australian National Committee for UN Women is an active participant in UN activities relating to gender and development and sends an annual delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women including supporting a youth delegate to attend each year. Their role is to raise funds to support programs which achieve gender equality and empower women; challenge attitudes which perpetuate gender inequality in Australia and globally; and engage the support of Government in achieving gender equality in partnership with UN Women.
www.unwomen.org.au   |  www.givenow.com.au/auscommitteeUNwomenv 

One year of here.

Today marks one year since I began blogging in this space, picking up my haphazard blogging habit of times past. I've posted just over 100 or so times this year, tweaked the layout a bit, joined some link-ups (like this one and this one - some more regular than others), received lovely, uplifting comments (and the odd troll), and most of all have been inspired by the creativity of the blogging community.*

Blogging throughout 2013 gave me an outlet for sharing words, photographs, thoughts and ideas. It was a place of reflection through some pretty shitty moments, and a place to express joy in the shiny times. I have always endeavoured to see the beauty in the everyday and the mundane and this blog provides me a place to indulge myself and share them with the world - or, at least, a small handful of family, friends and other bloggers. (Hello!)

2013 saw my family of origin expand, with the birth of my darling, adorable, delightful character of a niece, named after our beloved great-grandmother.

We began the year in Alice Springs, and ended with the long-distance thing (which continues, and will do so for a while) as my partner now lives and works 1500 km away.

I had some difficult times in a turbulent workplace, where I made the hard decision to speak up about workplace bullying. (Have you been in this situation before? Speaking up about it is one of the hardest things I've done, but it comes back to the point that if I don't, who will? If I am assertive and self-confident enough to do this, I should speak up for others who might not have the strength and confidence to do so. I also figure that if I've encountered bullying behaviour, then it's hardly likely to be a one-off incident affecting only me - particularly when the people doing the bullying are in positions of power.)

But - unexpectedly - out of this trying time came a new opportunity in a new workplace, where I am learning more and more and expanding my skills in a supportive environment.

We spent time exploring Central Australia, including a four-day hike with friends along sections of the Larapinta Trail. I had little breaks away from the desert here and there, mainly visiting my sister and niece as she grow-grow-grows.

I spent varying amounts of time studying as I work towards my goal of completing a Bachelor of Laws (Graduate) by the time I'm 40. And, having had a birthday one month ago to the day, this is now (just) seven years away. I surprised myself with a trio of Distinctions and letters of commendation from the university which made me feel a little bit pleased with myself. My undergrad studies were creative and unstructured (B. Creative Arts - Visual Arts and Design, and B. Arts - yep!) so it's a different kettle of fish this time around.

There were friends to say goodbye to as they left Alice Springs and headed to other places for new adventures. In almost two years of living here, I've learnt that this is a part of the lifecycle of this place.

It's lovely to be able to look back on a year and remember the little moments. Thanks for sharing them with me!


*The blogging community, it's a 'thing'! I've really enjoyed delving into blogs, experiencing glimpses into the lives of others. Some blogs resonate with me, others not so much. Discovering a new blog is like devouring a new book or magazine - once you start reading, you have to go back to the first post and read it all the way through. There are the mummy bloggers (all about the childrens), the for-profit bloggers (sponsored posts, ugh!) and the 'look at me' bloggers. Then, behold: there are the whimsical, delightful corners of the internets where you feel like you're sitting down for a cuppa with an old friend.

Here are my favourites from this year. Have a read and share the love.

Meet Me At Mikes
This lady is talented, funny, crafty, smart and thinks about things. An old hat at blogging. I might even do one of her e-courses one of these days.

The Beetle Shack
Sometimes about the kids, sometimes sponsored posts, but mostly I like the sense of warmth, a real person tapping away on the keys and taking lovely photographs and wearing creative outfits. Also does the weekly 'Stills' link up that I often participate in.

Little Wolff
I'm so glad I discovered this corner of the internet. Lila lives in regional Australia, which I can relate to (and it's often very hot there, which I can also relate to!). Her 'little opinionated' posts are articulate, thoughtful and brave. She's clever and creative and cooks yummy vegan food.

Prudence Claire
Here is a witty woman with a funny cat and delightful way of sharing her life. Prue makes me laugh and writes in an understatedly eloquent way. Her proofreading is second to none - this is kind of a big deal (to me) in blogland.

Girl in the Pjs
A fellow Alice Springs blogger with a lovely sense of the aesthetic. Alli is an inspiringly diligent blogger!

Love love, lady
Such a beautiful soul encapsulated in a lovely blog. Sarah shares her raw moments alongside the everyday and you can really feel the creativity and love she exudes for her wife and fur kids.



And, as an aside, remember this post I wrote about life in Alice Springs? I was recently approached by ABC Radio NT who asked whether they could include it in a series called 'Wordsmith' where they feature works by Territory writers. I said yes - of course - and went along to the local ABC studio to record myself reading it. They edited it up and got rid of the stumbling and mumbling and whacked in some ambient sounds and played it in two parts on Territory-wide airwaves! I heard the second part yesterday afternoon and it was a strange feeling to hear myself on the radio like that. I'll share the link, when it's up.

Hello, 2014.

And hello to you!

Thank you so much for joining me at girlplusbike in 2013. I've really appreciated your kind words, comments, encouragement and inspiration. In particular, many thanks to all who took the time to read and comment (either via here, or on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn) on my last post, which was also published on Alice Online.

I've really enjoyed a year of (semi)regular blogging in 2013 and am looking forward to writing, photographing and sharing more in 2014!

And I look forward to visiting your little corner of the blogosphere.

Here's to the good times!



Printed card by Naomi Murrell.
Hand painted frosted milk bottle vase by PolkaLove.

An exam, those chickens and other stuff.

Hello! Here we are again. It's been a little while. There's lots going on and I've neglected this space just a little. Right now it's a beautifully breezy day in Alice Springs and after a week of stinking hot days, it's nice to have the windows and doors open and the air circulating.

The Exam.
I had an end of semester exam this week and whilst it's good to have the feeling of completion, the last couple of weeks I've also had that feeling of 'should-be-studying-but-brain-too-full'. The exam was horrid but it still would have been that way had I more motivation to put in more of an effort to study more. It was open book, as most (all?) law exams are but the questions were a bit unexpected in comparison to the last semester of course material and learning. I guess that's the nature of these things. I stuck to the time plan and answered each question (terribly!) so hopefully I pass. I'm undecided as to what subject I take over the summer semester (if any) but one option might be Indonesian law, which could be interesting.

Speckles, who should be on the other side of the fence.

The Chickens.
As you might remember, two of our three little hand-raised chooks ended up being hens that crowed. This was problematic for two reasons: 1. Roosters and suburbia don't really mix; and 2. Roosters don't lay eggs. The decision for action was made on a Sunday morning at 5.30am when old mate was trying really hard to perfect his crowing. "Those roosters have got to go!" were the exact words, as I recall. So we put them in a big cardboard box and drove them back to the poultry guy we got them from. He very generously agreed to swap them, either for two more (correctly sexed!) day olds, or two laying hens. We chose the latter and returned home with a white hen and a brown speckled hen. Back at home, our little red hen was fretting for her brothers but now, a couple of weeks down the track, she is happy to follow her new big sisters around. The new gals are laying an egg a day each and have been since the first day they've been here. They are also more adventurous than little red hen, and jump the fence into the veggie garden on a daily basis. This hasn't been such a good thing for our newly planted corn or flourishing silverbeet. One day they even ended up in the main section of the yard, much to the curiosity of the two kelpies, who ended up helping Peter herd them back into the yard.

Toby, always eager to help.

Other stuff.
I was following a debate on Twitter following this article being published on Mamamia (groan). The article went along the lines that for girls (women?), being drunk puts you at greater risk of being sexually assaulted. Um, no. The non-absence of a perpetrator puts you at greater risk of sexual assault, whether you are sober and in your own home, or a little tipsy in a nightclub. The debate needs to shift from placing the responsibility on the victim to protect themselves to placing the onus on the perpetrator not to assault. I realise this is a much bigger topic than this short paragraph explores but, yes. It got me a little riled and MF's advice is not something I will be taking. Another perspective to this issue can be read here. Did you read these articles and follow the conversation on Twitter that followed? What are your thoughts on this?

Speaking of Twitter, what are your top accounts to follow? I always enjoy reading perspectives from these accounts, in no particular order:

:: @CJaustory
:: @IndigenousX
:: @clementine_ford
:: @utopiana
:: @croakeyblog
:: @WomensAgenda


And, oh! Almost forgot the linky. Joining with Em.

This week in Alice Springs.

One of the great things about living in Alice Springs is that there is always something interesting going on. This week it's the Alice Desert Festival, and we happened - accidentally! - to catch the opening Street Carnival. Parading down the Todd Street Mall was a cacophony of sound, from the town crier (yes! we still have one of those!) to an Afro-Cuban-style marching band, a troupe of drummers from a local Aboriginal school (the Drum Atweme team) and an enormous, slow-moving musical caterpillar. The group of colourfully decorated bicycles in the picture above formed part of the parade.

We also attended a community forum this week that looked at the devastating issue of violence in Central Australia. The statistics are sobering: if you are an Aboriginal woman in Alice Springs, you are 24 times more likely to experience violence than non-Aboriginal women. The majority of this is family violence inflicted by an intimate partner. Alcohol plays a big part. It's a political hot potato and of grave concern for the wider community - the 250-strong audience can attest to that. I tweeted throughout the forum (have a look at @girlplusbike and #walkinmyshoes) and whilst there was a lot of interesting discussion, I came away wondering, what are the outcomes? Where do we go from here? Read more about the forum here.

And in a funny little moment of observation this week, I witnessed this interaction between our two species of pets. One of our dogs, Missy, was lying down, quietly, on one side of the chicken wire, whilst our three chooks were pecking around on the other, each watching the other with a gentle curiosity. 

Not really a 'Stills' post but linking with The Beetle Shack nonetheless!

Re-energising and restoring the balance.

New rhythms bring with them a new intensity and I'm feeling the need to weigh and balance how I'm spending my energy. This period of intensity will pass, but for now it means that there are the things I need to do, the things I should be doing and the things that will revitalise.

I need to stay on top of my uni work, as last weekend's deadline mishap demonstrates; this means preparing for tutorials, reading the endless chapters (which are actually really interesting!), and listening to the week's lecture.

I should be exercising more; time pressures make my morning and afternoon cycle to and from work feel even better, and taking the dogs for their evening lap around the neighbourhood is more satisfying, even if I'm not working up a huge sweat.

The things that revitalise are both hard and easy. Being disciplined with my bedtime routine is part of that; making sure to catch up with friends and getting out and about a little bit are important as well. Equally important, but harder to make time for, is resting. Really resting. Having a nap, staying away from a digital screen, just sitting in stillness.

Today I have revitalised by slowing right down. I lay down for only a short time, but it was enough to make me feel completely re-energised. A cool shower and a face mask (to try and combat this painful nose pimple!). Coffee with a friend and bumping into four other friends in the process (Alice Springs is wonderful for easy socialising!). Peter is making pizza for dinner and we'll wash it down with a gin and tonic.

And tomorrow, let's see if this slowing down will bring with it the energy to do some of the things that need to be done.

As for next week, I think I'll revisit my mini-detox. And I will finally get around to a couple of posts that I've had in the pipelines: my Liebster Award post, and an interview I did a couple of weeks back with a lady who is so passionate about cycling that she turned it into a fantastic business, teaching children and adults to ride.

Stills: Sunsets & deadlines.

A big week was this week just passed. My first ever visit to Darwin saw hazy Top End sunrises and ocean sunsets, and some surprise 'dry season' rain. Blow drying my hair in the humidity was like wrestling with an octopus and I'm not sure why I thought make up would be practical - I think it just slid right off. Seeing the ocean was lovely...imagining all the scary and deadly creatures within was not so lovely. Not that I really had the time to ponder this.

Oh, and I completely miscalculated my calendar and it turns out that assignment I was working on for submission next Sunday night is actually due tonight. So - that's me for this week!


Linking with Em at The Beetleshack for a lovely dose of real (and the most gorgeous bunch of flowers!).

A little bit of detox (but nothing too wanky).

This week I decided to do a little bit of detoxing. For no other reason than to focus my eating on fresh, non-processed, non-refined foods for three days. Not that I eat terribly, but lately some little bad habits have crept in. Probably exacerbated by a bit of (a lot of!) stress and not feeling 100%. I've been making small changes to get back on top of being energised, such as the sleep hygiene improvements I mentioned a couple of weeks back.

So, the detox was nice and simple. Nothing fancy, no superfoods, no acai berries or chia seeds or whatnot. Yes, I ate mostly raw foods but I'm refusing to call it 'clean eating' (a là this article!). So, what did I eat? And more importantly, what didn't I eat?

Did eat/drink:

• Vegetable juices (celery, carrot, beetroot, ginger etc)
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Celery
• Raw almonds
• Sushi for lunches (+ felafel salad for lunch today)
• Cucumber
• Snow peas
• Mandarin
• Vegetable soup for dinners
• Herbal tea
• Lots of water (which is usual for me)

Did not eat/drink:

• Bread
• Meat
• Cheese
• Anything processed
• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Pasta
• Milk/dairy
• Alcohol

So that's that. I am feeling good, quite bright and perky, but I'm not really sure how much of that I can attribute to these three days. 

I am going to try and do this (or similar) regularly.   

Needless to say I am looking forward to a coffee tomorrow!

So, the photo on the left is me two weeks ago when I was not feeling well. It's pretty obvious from the yukky greyness of my face. And on the right is me today, after three days of detox and lots of good sleep. A bit perkier, don't ya think?

Finding the Happy.

 

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.
- Omar Khayyám




top: yarnbombed bicycle art in Rundle Street, Adelaide, January 2012
bottom: Naomi Murrell 'Freewheelin' screenprint; framed mandalas by me

Going cold turkey (for the sake of good sleep).

I've made the decision. I've gone cold turkey. It's for my own good, of course, but it always is. It won't be the end of the world, I'm sure. (Although the end of the world may actually take place and I won't read about it on Twitter until I get up and go to the kitchen.)

Yep, I'm talking about the iPhone next to the bed at night. And I hereby announce: No Longer Happening!

I'm an avid devourer of information (ranging from extremely useful to completely useless) and the iPhone was surely invented for someone like me. I can consume breaking news, current affairs, opinions, politics, gossip, lovely blogs and cute baby photos all by a single swipe or tap. I'm sure I'm not the only one to collapse into bed and check my Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Pinterest / news feed before nodding off to sleep. And then proceed to do the same as soon as my eyes peel open in the morning.

[You're nodding, I can see you.]

Well. Lately I've had some trouble sleeping and whilst the iPhone is a great device to occupy an insomniatic mind (is that even a word?? And - sudoko app, hello!), it actually perpetuates the sleeplessness, rather than foster sleepiness. This, I know. I have the bags under my eyes to prove it. It's that thing that happens with the light emitted from said device disrupting the melatonin secretion thing, or something like that. I read it on my iPhone while I was trying to get to sleep one night.

So. I've made some changes. I'm on a quest for good sleep and this is one thing that is easy to change.

Yesterday I picked up a clock radio with a very small, very dim-able display. In a twist of irony it also acts as an iPhone docking station, however to address this temptation I've set up my old iPhone as an iPod with music only (no apps! no wifi! no nothin' 'cept the tunes!) and so I can play soothing music for drifting off to sleep, and then wake up to the ABC news.

Other stuff I'm going to try to do is go to bed when I start to feel sleepy (instead of pushing through the tiredness to read more of something or watch something on TV), wake up at the same time every day and drink something warm and milky before bedtime. I've also got a 'cosy sleep' essential oil blend with lavender, patchouli and sweet orange, and a face towel with couple of drops of lavender oil that I slip under my pillow.

So - with all that in mind, it's time I trotted off to bed - without my iPhone.

Night night.

About the prickly bits.

All in all my life is wonderful and I am extremely blessed with what I've got, and the opportunities I have been offered by no choosing of my own, simply by being born when/where I was born. That's not to say there haven't been difficult bits, times where things haven't gone according to plan, or where people have let me down, or where I've made mistakes that are hard to repair.

In a couple of recent posts I've alluded to a 'bad surprise' and having the blues and whilst I won't elaborate here, those who know us here in Alice Springs might be aware of what's going on. In short, it was a decision made that has indirectly had a massive impact on me and really shook me to the core. Not the actual decision itself, but the way it was carried out and the processes that weren't adhered to.

I tend to struggle a bit with sinus trouble over winter, and having a cold a little while back left me with a residual sinus 'thing'. My old naturopath in Adelaide said that sinus trouble has a lot to do with sadness that's being bottled up and not allowed a release. My new naturopath here is working on boosting my immune system; whilst, overall, it's fantastically strong, this sinus thing is a bit of a vulnerability.

So whilst I'm partly holding things together overly well, I'm also struggling quite a bit and trying really hard to be kind to myself - some very timely advice offered to me last week. I have super high expectations of myself and feel like I'm letting people/myself down if I'm not giving 110% all the time. Hence my copious amount of extracurricular activities etc etc. Anyway - I'm cutting myself a wee bit of slack and allowing my head to collect itself.

And I'm stocking my body with the good stuff: a vitamin C/echinacaea/garlic/zinc supplement, a chronic sinus chinese herb supplement, probiotics, immuni-tea, green leafy veg and lots of water etc. I'm also using essential oils such as tea tree, lavender and a bed-time blend. My friend suggested rubbing a small dot of sandalwood oil on the back of my neck, which I'm going to try.

So yes, there will be prickly times but that's not to say that on the whole, life is good and I really can't complain about much at all.


Oh, and there's a lovely post about embracing winter here at Che and Fidel.