Having it all but missing out on so much…
A thought provoking gem from Emma Alberici…
this is only a snippet so be sure to read on
…Contrary to popular opinion, when a mother works she does have it all … all the burdens of home that is. This includes the burden of guilt about the lack of time she has to devote to her children. This is made worse by the constant research papers that must surely be designed to exacerbate that guilt. Recently there have been a spate of studies showing that the children of working mothers are overweight, unhealthy, unhappy, watch too much television etc. Where are the fathers in all this?…
…Many women are enablers. Equality must start at home if it’s to be achieved in the workplace. If men aren’t demanding flexibility at the office, the women who work alongside them won’t get it either and it shouldn’t then be a surprise that women will continue to feel frustrated by a society that expects so much of them and so much less of their spouse…continue
Authentic Communication…YES please
The Best Communicator in the World
by Jon Wortmann for ChangeThis.com
If you feel shy, nervous, or afraid, you’re not crazy, you’re not alone, and today is the day you stop letting ugly communication damage your relationships. Authentic communication can become as natural as breathing – when you pay attention to a few essential aspects of what connects people.
read on…
Lead by Example – Note to SELF
In bathrooms, boardrooms, buses, bagel shops, and everywhere else, we all need to imagine a little girl following us around, repeating everything we say and everything we do. Think about all the things you want for yourself and your daughters, granddaughters, and girls everywhere – and teach them by living it yourself.
Nell Merlino in
“Stepping Out of Line: Lessons for Women Who Want It Their Way in Life, in Love and at Work (Broadway)
What a quote.
What a reminder.
What a fact, worthy of that constant consideration
Are you living it?
Frugality is the new Black…
I really like where Bernard Salt for The Australian is going with this article.
And I suspect, so will most mothers as it resonates around the values stuff that we would like our children, and in turn all those around us quite frankly, to not only understand but to demonstrate…
Especially when sometimes we feel like we’re the only ones trying to live and breathe such a message. As we have all come to realise at some point or other, sometimes consistent role-modelling can be tough!
THE media has gone into a frenzy in recent months tracking the minutiae of recession trends evident in consumer spending.
“Lipstick sales are up” because women are spending on small indulgences rather than on complete outfits. “Hemlines are down” because women are more conservative during a downturn. And my favourite, “Men are reverting to beards” because they don’t have to buy razors.
Others (well, me) are talking of a new morality that is underpinning consumer behaviour: green is not just good for the environment, it is good for the soul. All of a sudden, conspicuous consumption is shameful and frugality is honourable… read on
and whilst on the subject of what is good for the soul… so to is travelling. I’ve often thought of putting a hit list like this together myself, but hey when someone beats you to it (namely Ben Groundwater from The Age), and their list is very similar to yours… then I only need supply the link!
Australia’s been built on a tradition of pinching the best stuff from other countries and claiming it as our own (Russel Crowe aside). We’ve stolen other people’s food, we’ve stolen their drinks, we’ve mastered their sports and claimed their bands.
So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with knocking off a few more gems.
When you travel, you tend to notice certain things and think to yourself, “Why don’t we do that in Australia?” Here’s a list of some of those things. I say we give them a shot.
1. Siesta (love this one)
2. Self-service bike hire (we really like the fold-up bikes, and the many SMART cars on the road)
3. No ties
4. Sharing food
5. Autobahns
6. Drinking laws
7. Beachside bars
8. Singing
9. Philandering world leaders (not sure about this one!)
10. Island time
for more details, and/or to make comment…read on
Alton Towers – fun and frivolity for all the family!
indeed!
www.altontowers.com
the UK’s version of the theme park…and what a hoot.
Daughter was well chuffed spending the two days upside down, round about, squealing, shrieking, and stopping for a breather occasionally.
Not only that, we were staying in the “chocolate express” room, which lived up to its name; decked out like a railway train carriage, with chocolate stasked in many places, waiting to be found.
And then of course, there were the rides. The big kahuna thrill rides had names like:
* Air
* Nemesis
* Oblivion
* Rita
* Ripsaw
* Spinball Wizard
with a couple slightly more delicate ones thrown in for good measure.
As you’ve no doubt guessed, a fab time was had by all. Daughter was very sad leaving, not only the park, but all her new found buddies as well. She has all these mates in England now. Good luck to her I say!
The reason we had this adventures “finale” at Alton Towers was because it was our friend Geraldine’s 50th birthday, and she obviously wanted to spend it as child-like as possible. Can’t be too serious @ 50 surely? As a result, we all got a chance for our inner child to come out for a mighty romp!
Excitedly enough, we’ve received an invitation to another 50th, this time to be held in Bali in May 2010. If this keeps up, we’ll get to continue to swan around the world just doing birthday parties… excellent! Aren’t we lucky we have such creative birthday thinkers/planners friends…
Leaving Alton Towers began our 6-leg journey back to Melbourne…
London and the 6 H’s….
Hyde Park
Hop On, Hop Off bus
Hamleys
High St shopping
Harrods and Harvey Nichols
Hard Rock café….
this list of “H’s” pretty much sums up our London campaign, this time around. To explain…
Hyde Park…
We are staying @ the Mitre House Hotel in Sussex Gardens, spitting distance to Hyde Park; which is also where we have spent much of day 2. Dawdling with intent, together with the horses. What a nice part of the world it is.
Hop On, Hop Off bus…
We sat in the glorious sunshine, up top, front and centre, of the infamous double decker bus, listening to one of the local geysers deliver some home truths (and some made up ones) in a rather entertaining fashion for most of the morning. Until we hit a traffic jam…
Hamleys…
Eventually we got off the bus at the earliest convenience, and walked Regent St. Low and behold, Hamleys toy shop presented itself, with raining bubbles. Famous in London for 249 years (allegedly), and certainly now more famous for one 11 year old daughter. After a few doll house purchases (because we had already bought the fashion plate threads for Barbie in Paris! as you do) and much sweet talking, I/we finally made our escape.
High St shopping…
Then it was my turn! Into all the shops along Oxford St. My usual favourites featured ie Zara, Desigual and Banana Republic. Must say though the summer fashion, which will feature soon enough in Australia, doesn’t push my buttons at all (except for the first floor of both the following two emporiums of course!). blah blah really. So much for the “London Look”. One good thing about not being tempted though… saved using the cash.
Harrods and Harvey Nichols…
Don’t we love these stores! Difficult to extract both of us from either one, so we just took our time and savoured the moment anyway. No hurry.
Hard Rock café…
The original and the best, since 1971. Had to go there as it was one of the first specific Hard Rock café shot glasses I had collected (I collect them you see). Had a bite to eat there also. Hasn’t taken us long to get straight back into greasy finger licking scoffing. Spent time in the vault also. Many priceless memorabilia pieces in there.
All in all, a heavenly, hassle free, heavily trafficked few days. Not to be missed!
We finish off this adventure shortly, at “Alton Towers” in Birmingham, the UK’s version of Disneyland. Daughter can’t wait…
Choco-Late in Bruges Belgium
We feel sick…
We’ve just been scoffing sample after sample of the real deal Belgian chocolate at the annual chocolate festival…and didn’t we enjoy that! I wish I could say we had so much that we’d never do it again… as if!! If only it was on tomorrow too.
We left Paris, and grandma, this morning. Daughter was very upset leaving both, however I think the choc-fest took her mind off it for the time being! There’s already been plans made re daughter returning to study at the Sorbonne University, and that grandma will visit for an extended period. I guess time and talent will tell…
We must have been in Paris on one of the busiest weekends ever. Not only was it May Day, it was a long weekend. All Parisians out, all weekenders came in, blimey! We must also confess we had nothing to do with the riots either; no, nothing (didn’t even see evidence of them). Still a great 3 days had by all. We love Paris too.
A day spent swanning around Bruges tomorrow will be a very pleasant way to spend a Monday. And then London, here we come!
Bonjour from Paris!
The train travellers have arrived.
After a rather long, uncomfortable 24 hour train ride, we made it. Actually not all was tough; just the sleeping leg… fabulous!
Well worth getting here though, especially given we get to catch up with grammy {my mum}, daughter is very excited also.
The rest of today will be about resting the weary bones, in readiness for the marathon of walking commencing start tomorrow. Oh La La!
Not sure how much shopping will be done; and that`s OK as we already have more than enough luggage. You should see us struggling on and off the trains… it`s hilarious really.
Au revoir…
Loitering with Intent in Lisbon…
…well, with no credit card and minimal access to cash at present, window shopping is becoming our favourite pasttime.
Lisbon is a fab old place. Lots of uphill and down dale – all good for the thigh muscles! It runs at a slower pass than what we’d previously set so its been good to catch our breath…
The night train was as lacklustre as you can imagine. Cold one hour (thank goodness for sleeping bag), hot the next (where’s the water?). We had been spoilt on the initial leg as it was “first class”, but not the sleeping legs. We go through it again Lisbon to the border – Hendaye. Oh Joy!
We’re finally adjusting to travelling on our own. We do miss the Hornes though. Their help on that final day was so much appreciated. Funny thing about life; let your vulnerability show through and it allows others to shine! Certainly another good reminder for me.
Paris – next stop
GOAL! @ FC Barcelona & Sevilla FC
We arrived in Barcelona yesterday after two fabulous weeks in Morocco. Spent a fortune; and definitely intend to return.
Barcelona is also a fab spot. Last night climaxed with the FC Barcelona vs Sevilla game, @ Estadi Camp Nou Barcelona.. The two teams are #1 and #3 in their league, and FCB feature the #1 player in the world – Messi. Mind you, he didn’t come on. The team had managed to goal 4 times to nil, so extra flair wasn’t really required. The atmosphere was a hoot, sitting up in the gods with 80,000 of our closest friends!
Today is the Horne’s last day. Very sad to be saying goodbye to them too. It’s been an absolute pleasure, and look forward to our next adventure already! (with Peru and Bolivia on the agenda for 2010-11).
It’s more Barcelona, here we come!
Then we take on Lisbon Portugal…
Adios
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