Chaos, Birthdays & Liptember

If you're wondering where I have been, the answer is working. Although you probably guessed!

 

I worked on my first 'hostile' takeover which meant 2 weeks of little sleep, very long days and having literally no weekends (I'd consider being in the office from 7am until midnight all weekend worse than your average weekday, so definitely not 'weekend' within the normal meaning of that word!)

 

In the midst of these chaotic times, I had a birthday. It would have gone uncelebrated (I had to cancel both my birthday lunch with girlfriends and my birthday dinner with the boy) but for an amazing and unexpected office delivery from my friends in Canberra:

 

 First I saw these fantastic balloons. Did I mention that I LOVE helium balloons!? They remind me of carefree childhood days...

 

 Then came a big box with lovely ribbons... which contained:

 

 A delicious chocolate mud cake!

 

Last but not least, I got this fabulous card. You can't tell from the photo but it's holographic and moves. All very exciting...

 

It made a dark day so much brighter!

 

I have just now gotten back from a whirlwind weekend trip to Canberra which was exhausting but so enjoyable. We had the 1920's ball and I caught up with all my friends, which brought back such lovely memories.

Photos of the ball will be coming soon (you will be able to see the dress I ended up wearing). In the meantime, if you haven't already please check out Project Girl's blog and sponsor her for Liptember. Liptember is all about raising funds for women's mental health, and encouraging open communication about and familiarisation with gender specific mental health issues.

In blogging about her life, Project Girl shares her personal struggles with mental illness (which is much braver than I could ever be, I am not a personal sharer!). I just sponsored her and I hope you will too.

Liptember, Frocktober, Movember....

I donate quite a bit of money to charity, and I admire the work that most charities do. But is it just me, or are charities getting so creative and proactive in their marketing, that it’s getting a bit overwhelming?

This year to date, I have donated to friends who participated in the following, or participated myself:

• Live Below the Line (donated to a group of colleagues who participated)
• 40 Hour Famine (colleagues again)
• RSPCA Paws walk (another colleague)
• City to Surf, Sydney (donated to a big group of friends)
• Canberra Fun Run (for the Heart Foundation) (a smaller group of friends)
• Jump rope for heart (colleagues’ children)
• Cupcake day for RSPCA (workplace initiative, these were yummy)
• Daffodil Day (I must admit I love this one, there’s nothing like buying a bunch of pretty daffodils to brighten ones day - a friend did the selling)
• Girls night in for cancer, in the form of a potluck dinner & donation (attended, friend organised)
• Perth stair climb (donated to friend who participated)
• Relay for Life (donated to friends)
• Red Cross Collection (donated to friend who was collecting)
• St Vincent De Paul CEO Sleep out (workplace initiative which I donated to)
• The Great Shave (a friend shaved her head, of course I supported her)
• Various charity quiz nights, a charity lunch (for Unicef I think it was) and probably more that I’m forgetting.

Then I got asked to join Frocktober. While I like frocks very much, and this idea is particularly cute, I feel like I am being asked for donations from every side, and it’s getting a bit much. I don’t want to be the person who is bugging others to sponsor me, when they are no doubt in a similar situation… 

 In September, you can do Liptember- wear lipstick for women's mental health. In October, it’s Frocktober. In November, it’s Movember. A few of the boys at work have organised to do this (and it IS pretty cool, it’s always amusing to see people growing a mo!). Then there’s the telemarketers (I am on the do not call list, but they still call) and the door knockers, who I just cannot say no to. 

I feel terrible about feeling overwhelmed, and I very rarely refuse to donate… but goodness me, the pressure is intense! I think that instead of donating, if I had the time (which I do not at the moment), I would prefer to volunteer. I have always loved the Starlight Foundation kids’ room at Princess Margaret Children’s Hospital in Perth, where you can brighten the lives of very sick children and their families. One day I hope to be able to make a long term commitment to volunteering there. I have also in the past volunteered for the cerebral palsy association, which is another worthwhile cause – disability services are so underfunded and these hospices or schools can really make a difference to the children who attend them, and definitely their families.

I have also done quite a bit of volunteer work overseas. In Costa Rica it was a ‘paid’ volunteering trip (through ISV), where we paid ISV to organise for us to go and work with endangered turtles. I don’t think I got much out of the experience, it seemed that the volunteers were more of a hindrance than a help to the scientists doing the conservation work... the only contribution we were really making was in the form of payment to our host families (for board and lodging), a supplement to their meagre incomes which reduces the risk they will resort to poaching turtle eggs.

Then there was the school in India for underprivileged children that I taught at. The students were slum children who would not have gotten an education otherwise. They were not the poorest of the poor (these children have to scavenge, work or beg and can’t take any time out for schooling), but many of the children’s families were making a sacrifice to allow their kids to attend the school. Although the families incurred no costs (the children lived at the school and were given full board, donated clothes etc.), they were losing a source of labour. I’m not talking about child labour in sweatshops necessarily, but children working with their parents (selling newspapers or flowers on the street, farming) or doing childcare or domestic duties so that their parents can be out and working.

Very few of the children who attended to school would stay long enough to graduate, because eventually they would be called home to help out there. It made me wonder whether the few years of schooling that the children were getting would really improve or make any difference to their lives in the long term.

Working at the school was a worthwhile experience, although when you see the extent of the social disadvantage in India, and the tiny impact that a disproportionately large amount of resources are making at one organisation, it’s tempting to just let economic progress take its course. This sense of disillusionment explains why I prefer to donate to Australian based charities, especially those that engage in medical research and could really make a difference (to people all over the world) in the long run.

Do you support any specific charities? Or have any strong views on the work that charities do?

Cupcakes for RSPCA

Monday was cupcake day for the RSPCA. I didn't bake but lots of others at work did. I had to take some photos of the gorgeous contributions. Of course I bought some! Lots of fun for a good cause:

I went to the ballet last night, to see Don Quixote at Canberra Theatre. It was a show by the Dancers Company, the region touring group of the Australian Ballet. Ballet is my favourite type of dance. It's so graceful and beautiful...

This morning is not going well. (1) I have a headache (2) the fire at our fireplace went out this morning and I am the only one who will be home this evening/tonight, so I have to get it started again (which I'm useless at) (3) Bub was being difficult, wouldn't get dressed and then on the way to daycare she (a) jumped in a muddy puddle and splashed my stockings and dry clean only skirt and (b) wiped her nose on the sleeve of my coat. Let's hope things get better, I need a coffee!!!