NEW CITY NOV 2010
F r e e m on t h ly m ag a z i n e
A student’s
guide to
increasing your income
2010
Motor Show
Interview
with fashion designer Mandy Heng
NEW CITY MAGAZINE . 1
NEW
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NEW CITY NOV 2010
Free monthly magazine
travel
Contents 04
profile
08
event
10
home
12
finance
18
event
20
family
26
local news
24
family
30
food review
28
AirAsia’s Desperate Cry to End the Monopoly
motor show 2010
A student’s guide to increasing your income:
Fatherlessness: The Most Harmful Trend of This Generation A student’s
guide to increasing your income
2010
“Men can’t multitask, only women can!”
Interview with Fashion Designer Mandy Heng
“DISCUSSING DRAINS”
new city magazine launch 10.10.10
KidzRock: A Super Fun Place to Learn Great Values!
euro bay rise
motor show
Interview
with fashion designer Mandy Heng
Letter from the Editor
NEW CITY Magazine NOVember 2010 edition Editor: Ben Irawan Account Executive: Joshua Yanto Art Director: Herlina Widjaja Local Writer: Miguel Ribeiro Office Manager: Yvonne Widjaja Contributors: Clare Heath Cisca Irawan Riani Rattray Warwick Marsh Samuel Yanto Paul Rattray Dea Gunning Michella Kesumo Sonny Susilo
Wow, one month has gone by just like that! Here it is... the November 2010 edition of NEW CITY magazine! Boy, am I happy to get lots and lots of comments and feedback from our readers. Please keep those emails coming guys and post some comments on our website or on our NEW CITY magazine’s Facebook page. We will try to make our relationship as interactive as possible.
Contact Details: NEW CITY MEDIA PTY LTD ABN: 47 145 474 362
Well, enjoy reading this edition and let me know what you think. Oh yeah, since NEW CITY is a FREE magazine, we survive through advertising sales. So if you like NEW CITY Magazine, please support us by advertising your business with us or tell friends who might be interested in doing so. GREAT! Thanks guys... Luv Ya! Muach.
PO Box 1, Arncliffe NSW 2205 Australia Email: contact@newcitymagazine.com Website: www.newcitymagazine.com
Cheers,
For advertising: Call Josh on 041 339 1100 or contact@newcitymagazine.com For editorials: editor@newcitymagazine.com DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in NEW CITY Magazine and its website, do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers or their agents. All images and photos are copyright of NEW CITY unless specified in credits. Unauthorised use of any images and photos published in this magazine and its website is strictly prohibited. Printed by: mpd – printing the news everyday Unit E1, 46-62 Maddox Street Alexandria NSW 2015 2010
INSIDERS’ TIP: There will be lots of competitions and giveaways happening ONLINE! So make sure you ‘LIKE’ our Facebook page and subscribe to the online version of NEW CITY Magazine. We had a blast at our NEW CITY Magazine launch on the 10th of the 10th of 2010. We even had the honour of the Mayor of Rockdale making an appearance at the event. We included lots of photos, so enjoy looking at the beautiful pictures of the beautiful faces. Not forgetting this month’s Faces & Places... so always be ready when you step out on the streets. You never know when you’ll get snapped by one of NEW CITY Magazine photographer spies!
Ben Irawan Editor of NEW CITY Magazine editor@newcitymagazine.com
WALL POSTS ON NEW CITY MAGAZINE FACEBOOK PAGE
www.facebook.com/newcitymagazine
Honey: Congratulations! Ronnie: Congratulations Ben. I look forward to the release. I’ve also suggested a number of friends. Sentosa: Congratulations Ben, wish you big success. Benny: Congratulations, Ben. Nelson: Congratulations Ben Irawan Andri: Congrats! :D Agnes: Congratulations, Ben! We rejoice with you and pray for divine favour on this project. Thoriq: Amazing, can I get involved? :) Brian: Hey Ben congratulations on your magazine launch. Sharp and full of life for a generation to take refuge in! In a time when most magazines for this target market are revolved around “celebrity-ism” Shirley: Congratulations! Christina: Great. Congratulations Ben... and success to you!! Susan: May the words in your new magazines be a blessing.
Jerry: Congratulations brother, greetings and warm regards from Royal Priesthood in Medan, Indonesia. Esther: Congratulations bro. All the best! Genji: Congratz... I believe u can do it. Giantono: All the best, Ben. Lyna: Congratulations, success to you! Mohit: Congratulations Ben :) Teresa: Thanks for inviting me. Frida: I just downloaded the pdf version on my iPhone. The mag is now sitting on the shelf of my iBooks app. I can now reach for my iPhone wherever I am and read it on the go. Cool idea! Congratz to you all! Giantono: BRILLIANT IDEA!!! WELL DONE. Marilyn: WOW!!! This is so AMAZING!!!! Super excited to read the premier edition! Kudos! :D Well done Ben and the team! Rezel: I subscribed already! So excited too!
EMAILS TO EDITOR OF NEW CITY MAGAZINE
editor@newcitymagazine.com
Dear Ben, the first thing that I read from the magazine is the article about exploring the outside world. There is a massive highlight of mothers and fathers bringing up a healthy child. I didn’t like what I was reading at all, I felt that this is such a misconception about raising children. I read further on the next article, about the father doing everything and resting and talking. These two articles are highlighting a family is mother, father and kids. I love the article about Sam Crawford and it brings inspiration. Carrying my wife, is very sad, again family is first; the mum, dad and kid. Loved the wasted waste.
reader to editor
I was upset reading most of your articles, I wasn’t getting your magazine then I saw the big Jesus advertisement. Then I got it, this magazine is Christian based. I have nothing against Christian views, I was baptised a Catholic then I went into Anglican as I grew up, I want my child to go to Sunday school and learn about God and Jesus. I was concerned because your magazine did not Editor: Hi Trish, thanks for your email! Actually, I read it at 3am in the morning on my iPhone when my state this in the beginning, your letter says 5 year old son woke up and came inside my bedroom. I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I checked some that this is for the community, the different emails and read yours! I loved reading your email since it gave me lots of ideas and you’re a strongly views, attitudes, but it clearly shows that opinionated person... like me! Hahaha... We may have different opinions but I believe that the best opthe Christian belief is coming through with tion of raising a child is in a happy and healthy family where both the mother and father are present. Of mother, father and a healthy child. My child course we know that is not always the case in the real world, but where it is possible, that option would would not have been healthy if I stayed in be the best for the child. This concept is not a matter of one’s faith, even though I am a Christian, but my abusive relationship. it is actually a proven fact that has been established through numerous studies and research with real statistics all over the world. So, the big “Jesus advertising” is because we are a FREE Magazine and the This is an amazing thing that you are doing way we survive is through advertising sales. They paid to advertise in our magazine just like the dental but I felt I was tricked into reading someads, jewellery ads, skincare ads and hopefully many more ads because so many people are falling in thing. A better place in my opinion for “us, love with NEW CITY Magazine! ☺ But I hear your heart... and I understand and empathise with you or children and their children” is to get rid regarding your situation. I also agree with you that your child would not have been healthy if you stayed of the in justice, misconception, taking in your abusive relationship. Hopefully, in future editions we can have articles about “how to handle abuaway the stigma, clearing the air on what sive relationships” and maybe also about “single parent parenting”. Yes, it’s not easy living in the real the mainstream newspapers are providing. world, but we want to offer some hope, encouragement and positivity to our readers. Thanks again for (Trish) your email Trish, I really appreciate you writing to me.
Hi Ben, I would like to congratulate you and your team on a top magazine. I expected to leaf through it in 5 mins, but found myself reading about 80% of the content. Looking forward to next month’s issue. (James) Editor: Hi James, thank you so much for the encouragement! We definitely try to make NEW CITY Magazine very interesting and very easy to read. So help us spread the word James, thanks. ☺
Just to let you know that I’ve been getting positive feedback from my work colleagues about New City Magazine. People kept on mentioning about the “Carrying Your Wife” article - most say it brings tears to their eyes. They are asking when the next Editor: Hi Cisca, WOW I am issue will be out... :) Great job guys, you all very happy to hear that peoshould be proud of yourselves! (Cisca) ple have been giving positive feedback about the Premier Edition of NEW CITY Magazine. Would love to hear more comments and feedback from more people! So, feel free to write to me and I will write back to you... ☺
COMMENTS FROM OUR WEBSITE
www.newcitymagazine.com
Congratulations for the perfect timing and well presented city builder magazine. Keep on bringing on new fresh creativity. (Jonathan) It is very, very good!!! I can even read and enjoy it from Germany. Please continue the creativity! Keep improving also. (Yuli)
NEW CITY MAGAZINE . 3
AirAsia has performed a pub-
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lic protest by painting the words “Liberate Sydney – End the Monopoly” on the side of one of its A330 aircraft. This is a very different approach the airline has taken, I guess they don’t know what else to do but start their own advertising campaign to be allowed to fly into Sydney.
AirAsia’s Desperate
Cry to End the Monopoly Russell Balding, the CEO of Sydney Airport said that he is supporting AirAsia’s campaign. He said that AirAsia’s case is very strong and hope that they will be flying to Sydney soon. Mr Balding also said, “Flights by AirAsia X would benefit passengers in both Malaysia and Australia and build tourism, cultural and commercial links in the two countries. Fundamentally, airlines should be able to fly where passengers want them to go. This is an important principle that Sydney Airport supports. Consumer preference should guide the development of the international aviation market and airlines should be able to operate services in line with passenger demand. AirAsia X services from Sydney to Malaysia will provide another choice for passengers to consider and evaluate on price and service.” AirAsia has yet to get approval from its own Malaysian Government to fly into Sydney. But I think it’s going to make it more exciting for us budget travellers. This will really make sure the airfares between the different airlines remain competitive. I believe it’s not a matter of if but when they will fly into Sydney... and I hope it is soon! (BI)
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NEW CITY MAGAZINE . 5
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Help! I’m drowning in debt. Do you have loads of debt and feel stressed, like you are losing the battle to bring that debt down and pay it off?
The good news is that someone took the time to help me create a budget so that I could reduce my debt (and my stress levels), so that I would no longer have to live from pay to pay, but that I would have money in the bank ready to pay each bill as it came in.
You are not alone. Did you know that the fundamental reason why people find themselves in financial difficulty is because people spend more money than they earn? It’s true. We all need to learn to live below our means –to live below what money comes into our household budget. For us to live from pay to pay means that we are living in crisis management with our funds; that we are no longer in control and are living from one financial crisis to the next. This used to be me…I lived from pay to pay and there was never enough to pay the bills as they came in, so they just kept piling up or I would pay them with my credit card and run up even more debt I had no idea how I was ever going to repay it.
For each one of us, like me, being willing to be trained in personal financial management is one of the primary steps forwards because many people simply do not understand finances well enough to be able to pull themselves out of a hole. It is empowering and encouraging to receive the right help. At the end of the day the only person who can control our financial management is us. So I took control of my finances rather than letting them take control of me. My only debt now is a small mortgage. Once I got free from drowning in debt I began to teach my children and all three paid cash for their cars when they bought them at 18 years of age – no debt!
“Some of the practical things that worked for me...” 6. Always have an emergency fund - for me this is $500 that I worked to
save over the course of about six months. Don’t touch this money for any reason except an emergency such as if the hot water service blows up, or the washing machine breaks down, or the car needs urgent repairs. Once we use it, we need to minimize all other strategies for debt recovery to the barest minimum until the emergency fund is replenished.
1. Reduce and avoid retail and consumer debt - this is any debt where we have borrowed to buy something that reduces in value. With Christmas just around the corner, we can be sure that many people will be running up even more consumer debt. So we need to be realistic about expenditure over the Christmas season and avoid, where possible, the use of credit cards and in-store credit. Try to spend money on purpose – this is simply being in agreement about the needs and prioritising them. 2. Reduce your exposure to extreme debt – one way of doing this would be to sell a large expensive property and downsize to a smaller, cheaper property that will still serve your needs.
3. Take the time to shop around and compare prices - dare I say, even
with grocery items. I make good use of all those supermarket catalogues that come in my mail box to compare prices and to look for those items that are really on special, not just said to be in the catalogue. Never be in a hurry to commit yourself to debt until you are sure it is within your means to pay for it.
4.
Beware and avoid inspirational and impulse buying – I always ask myself how much I really need something before I buy it. In fact, I think I’ve got so good at it now that I will often talk myself out of buying things on the spur of the moment. I go away and think about it and often discover that I don’t really need it after it all.
5. A great strategy to reduce multiple consumer debt – is to work to pay
off the smallest debt first whilst paying only the barest minimum allowed on the others. Once this smallest debt is paid off, start working on the next smallest one. Continue the process until all are paid off. Paying off the smallest one first will encourage you to keep going as you see how quickly it is finished and out of the way.
7. Use cash rather than credit cards if you already have large credit card debts - get rid of your credit cards or reduce the use of them as much as possible. Use cash for any necessary purchases and put whatever cash you can towards paying off the credit card debts.
8. Get assistance to list regular annual financial commitments and to create a budget of your annual income spread over the areas of expense listed. – This will help to identify areas of overspending practices.
9. Never increase the maximum limit of your credit card – even if the bank offers it to you. An important question to ask yourself is, ‘Who is making money out of these credit cards…me the consumer, or the bank?’ When the banks are making money from our credit cards we are playing into the hands of the bank.
10. Have a go at this exercise – list every expense for a fortnight or a
month and compare that commitment to the incoming finances. This will also help to identify overspending practices. (DG)
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Mandy Interview with Fashion Designer Heng
W
hat a beautiful day! Sunny skies, Bondi Beach in sight, hardly a cloud in the sky and a calming breeze. I’m just about to meet an Award-Winning Fashion Designer, Mandy Heng. Now that’s SUPER! Not to give away any spoilers here but Mandy is somewhat super herself in more ways than one I might add! From the moment I saw the Fashion Avenue where Mandy is based I could see that it was an upmarket style setup within the warehouse itself. The decor from the red carpet that weaved its way around the store was reminiscent of the yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz. There were individual stall-style fashion outlets within and some funky retro scooters that welcomed you as you entered as well. I also noticed a great variety of fashion, popular band posters and general pop art around too. The atmosphere and vibe had a real 80’s feel to it. Mandy then arrived on the scene... So read on and find out more from her interview with Ben Irawan, Editor of NEW CITY Magazine.
Ben Irawan: Thank you for having us, I just stumbled upon your Facebook page and I thought WOW this is really good. So tell me about yourself? Let me guess, you are from Singapore or Malaysia? Mandy Heng: Malaysia, that’s good because I get Thai, I get so many other things... very rare to get it right. Ben: Which city in Malaysia? Mandy: I was born in Penang but I grew up in Wollongong and then Singapore then back to Sydney again. I’ve travelled around the world with my dad and you could say my work is reflected on all my travels. Ben: So what got you into fashion designing? Mandy: I used to be a comic book geek and still am, I used to draw dresses and clothes for comic book characters like superheroes. Dad said, ”You can’t
be a comic book artist but you can be a fashion designer.” So I said I’ll be a fashion designer but I’ll still read comic books. Ben: So from comic stuff into fashion stuff... which one do you love more comics or fashion? Mandy: I would say comics is great but fashion allows me to actually bring out what I want, my vision so I can actually see it physically. Ben: So where did you study and how did you get started? Mandy: I started out at the Whitehouse Institute of Design and it was only in my second year at Macquarie University that my lecturer Leanne Carter encouraged me to go out... do my own thing. So I did and registered my own business in my second year in 2008. By the time I graduated I knew what my mistakes were, what the pitfalls were, so I kinda had a little head start in doing all these.
Ben: What is your goal for your career in Australia and how about internationally as well?
Ben: So what was your big break? Mandy: I was invited to Singapore in July and I was actually paid to fly to Singapore to showcase my work. In May this year I dressed Erin McNaught who was Miss Australia 2006 and I was also commissioned by Aids Foundation of Australia to do a red dress for an auction. When I was in Singapore I met actress Vanessa Lopez and we have a little collaboration going on, we worked together and she has her own range in Singapore.”
Mandy: I think Collette Dinnigan and Alex Perry are really, really great, but they’ve been around for too long and we need new blood in the fashion industry and I want to be better than them! WOW!!! Has this up and coming fashion designer got talent! It simply oozes out of her and with the list of awards, degrees, credentials and collaborations growing even as we speak, Mandy Heng is set to be not just a national designer but an all-out international superstar! Look out for her in the very near future, who knows that a new superhero movie may just have her credits there as the lead costume designer and possibly the next academy awards may even feature some of her collection too. (MR)
Ben: So who’s your inspiration for fashion? Mandy: Probably you don’t know this one... Bruce Timm, he’s the creator of a lot of characters for the DC Universe which is in comics as well. Like Batman, Superman all that sort of stuff and Stan Lee... Spiderman, Ironman. So yeah, like those guys are really creative and they come up with stories, characters and major movies about these people. The costumes... all that sort of stuff are all fantasy. I like to create something like that and put it into real life. Something that you can wear everyday that’s not ridiculous like what you get to see on screen... but it’s still really amazing! Ben: That’s cool... I’d love to see how you incorporate comic style into a normal everyday thing. Mandy: I’m working with my colleague at the moment with a dress that involves about fifty metres of feathers... so I’ll probably keep you posted on that. It will have to be finished by mid-December for the Miss Lebanon Pageant in Sydney, but if it all goes well I can travel with the finalist to Beirut in August where she’ll compete with the Miss Lebanon International. Ben: Wow, keep us posted with that! That’ll be great because in the St. George area where the magazine circulates, there are many Arabic communities... so please keep us up to date with that! So what do you see for your future? Would you like to maybe design costumes for films? Mandy: I would love to work with Tim Burton but he’s known to always work with the same costume designer so it might be a bit hard for me to get in on that. I love costumes so it would be fun to get into film one day; it’s very different to everyday clothes. Most of the time you go and look at a costume that was made for a movie and you can’t actually wear it in real-life because it’s not practical. But for now I love making made-to-order dresses for customers. It doesn’t matter what age they are... I had a customer who was nearly 60 the other week and it was really great to see her try on her dress... see her look in front of the mirror, smiling and twirling around. It’s really great when you make someone happy because they fell good in what they’re wearing.
Mandy Heng will choose one winner and custom make your ideal dress worth up to $300!!! For all NEW CITY Magazine readers, find out how you can get a 20% in-store voucher from Mandy Heng. To enter the Online Competition and Giveaways simply go to www.newcitymagazine.com/giveaways and fill in the form and if you’re in Facebook, make sure you join our Facebook Page as well. We will tell you HOW TO WIN this competition and giveaways through email and NEW CITY Magazine Facebook Page!
www.mandyheng.com
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Mandy: That was at Miss Earth Australia, if I’m not wrong on the 7th of October. They had the finals then and I was there to dress the Top 10. I actually ended up dressing the top ten with Amy Taylor who’s next to me at Fashion Avenue... and yeah I was quite surprised to win an award for Best Designer.
ONLINE COMPETITION and GIVEAWAYS:
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Ben: You told me just a few weeks ago that you received some awards, what awards were they? Tell us about it.
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Call Joshua 041 339 1100 or email contact@newcitymagazine.com
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MOTOR SHOW FEATURE Germans are known for their sense of humour as much as Kim Jong Il is known for world peace.
Mercedes C63 AMG jaffa
Mercedes C63 AMG
(codename JAFFA) But instead of giving us the usual suspects at the Australian International Motor Show, Mercedes decided to do something exciting for a change, something that would stand out from the crowd. Instead of painting them the usual safe silvers, they painted their C63 a metallic orange, bright enough to look like it belongs in the Auto Salon rather than the Motor Show, with no bling chrome, just black on orange akin to a Jaffa, hence the name. Even though they played around with the colour
scheme on the outside, it’s all serious German business on the inside. The C63 Jaffa is showing off their new Performance Package Plus, which, if you’re power hungry, will give you 22kw gain over the standard C63, which equates to 358kw. Huge amounts of power and a large emphasis on reducing weight on the body and engine components make this a very quick car, 4.4seconds to 100km, and I’m sure they will go out of the show rooms just as fast. (JY)
Aston Martin Cygnet Evil Audi RS5 Peugeot RCZ
Aston Martin Cygnet
When you think James Bond, you think of Martini’s, Bikini’s, Omega watches, tailored suites and of course Aston Martin.
It’s no wonder why the brand Aston Martin made it to No.1 of the CoolBrands list of 2010. You could say it’s the mystique of its heritage, it’s the James Bond association, it’s the attention to hand-crafted detail and leathery goodness perhaps. Even their slogan is “Power-Beauty-Soul”, how cool is that? Why then is such an iconic brand buying Toyota IQ’s and rebranding them? You don’t see Nike buying Aussie Volleys and rebranding them Nike OZ. You don’t see Louis Vuitton buying Kmart bags and renaming it Louis Vuitton Summer Collection. Yet some marketing genius that gets paid much more than me, thinks Aston Martin should. I can understand trying to create a new segment for the brand to venture into,
with the likes of Porsche creating their first FWD and Sedan, BMW creating the Mini range and so on… but they actually created those cars. Aston Martin bought Toyota IQ’s and is trying to vend these off as luxury vehicles. You’re thinking, “It’s got to be cheap then?” I was hoping the same thing, but its not. It’s estimated to be over $50,000AUD. With that money, you have a choice of millions of colour palettes to choose from and heaps of trim to individualize the car. But with that money you also have millions of different cars to choose from! You’re maybe thinking,
“It’s got to have a crazy powerful engine in it, maybe that’s the upside?” Unfortunately it’s a no again. It’s retained the Toyota 1ltr engine with no options in the horizon for any turbo akin to maybe the Fiat 500 Abarth. I’m afraid this review is not getting better and I can’t find a good reason why this car even exists. You see, I want Aston to succeed, I really do, and I want millions to buy into the concept, because I love the brand and what it stands for. But I just don’t see Bond, James Bond driving one to pick up his lovely lady friend anytime soon… Neither would I to be honest, my fiancé would think I’m having a quarter-life crisis. (JY)
Evil Audi RS5 Audi is busy designing as many niche models as possible, filling in all the marketing survey gaps that consumers think they want. And they are on a roll, creating beautiful machines with some soul.
I have friends who are twins, and though they are genetically identical and conceived at the same time, they are totally and utterly opposites. I’m not sure if it’s the fact they purposely do so in resentment to nature to be individuals, but whatever it is they seem to have different characters. One is softly spoken and is a total bookworm; the other is a brash, fasttalking, party animal that is as buff as a Calvin Klein underwear model. Where am I going with this? Well, the RS5 is the evil twin if the A5 is the softy. Your
common sense tells you an A5 is already a very capable car, and you’re right; you’ll never really use all that power. Moreover, your wife tells you that you can only drive 60km/h when you buy the milk and bread after work. If you are not familiar with Audi’s labeling, ‘R’ means racing, I think ‘ripsnorter’ is more appropriate. It is the evil twin of the beautiful, yet benign A5. The RS5 is in a class of its own with a new, improved four-
wheel drive system, a quick 7 speed S-tronic gearbox, and a whopping 4.2 ltr engine propelling the car to 100km in 4.6 seconds with 331kw at hand. Somehow, if you had extra cash to burn, your heart…your very selfish, dark heart tells you forking out $190,000 for a full spec RS5 over the regular A5 is worth it even if you did promise your wife that trip to Europe. (JY)
Peugeot RCZ
When I walked toward the Peugeot stand, there was only one car I wanted to see - The RCZ. It’s the most anticipated Peugeot since I was born. No one gets excited about Peugeot’s and I think they know it. This car is supposed to change all that and make you fancy one.
The first thing you’ll notice is the gaping mouth and the very kitty-cat like stance. The design of this car is not like anything else on the market today. The car looks like Salvador Dali sketched the roof, but it works somehow. See, most car companies want us to be impressed with their cars 0-100km times and its power and new trick techno whizz-bang gearbox, but not the French. They seem to be trying to make a move on us like we were at a bar not a Motor Show. To them it’s all about the car’s face and its pouty lips. It’s all about the curves on the side, its flashy bling
jewellery-like headlamps that wink at you and cool roofline that looks like car cleavage. Yeah I said it car cleavage. It does make you look twice. It is gorgeous. The car has the underpinnings of a Peugeot 308 and carries the same 1.6 ltr turbo engine from a John Cooper works Mini! What this car reminds me of is the old Audi TT, beautiful to look at, but a little bit of a poser’s car. Nothing wrong with that - I like
the car. It’s something you’d be happy to see in your garage. But I can’t help but think that Peugeot could have done so much more with less; less weight perhaps to take advantage of the engine’s performance and the car’s eager steering. Either way at $55,000, this is going to be a hot ticket item for Peugeot. (JY)
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“DISCUSSING DRAINS”
Over time, most houses and yards have drainage problems. It
is mainly due to the build-up of leaf and soil sediment. I am not talking about gutters here - although they need to be cleaned out too. Neither am I talking about flood water - you can’t do much about that. No, I am talking about ground level drainage problems when sediment backs up against cement slabs, block drains or seeps through brick work. The hillier your property or surrounding properties, the greater risk you face from drainage problems. No matter what property you have, when the rain comes down, buckets down--and eventually it will--runoff water has to flow somewhere and it can flow into the most inconvenient of places, damaging and destroying valuables. Common problem areas are low lying places like garages and laundries. To solve the problem people often cement, tile or brick over problem areas, pat themselves on the back for a job well done then want to kick themselves, or others want to kick them--or worse!--because a few years later the problem returns with a vengeance.
If you tile, brick or cement over a problem, like many of life’s choices, they work for a time, then bite back harder than before. Why? Because these socalled solutions were band-aid solutions, so did not deal with the source of the problem. Am I sounding philosophical? I hope not, because this is practical stuff. Water needs to dissipate and be absorbed into the ground. Otherwise, it will find its way into your yard or house, or that of your neighbour. Not good! I remember a house we bought and the neighbour’s house too, having problems with water seeping into downstairs areas.
Our neighbours have spent a fortune on trying to cement their way out of the problem, yet last downpour their tenants suffered severe flood damage, losing thousands of dollars in furniture. They were angry! We, on the other hand did okay. What was the difference? The difference was that rather than trying to drain the water away, I used an absorption technique. Two common absorption techniques are mound gardens and agriculture or “agie” drains. Having mound gardens around your house and slab absorbs runoff water before it gets to your slab and having an agie drain around your slab where water may build further up helps the situation. When used together these two techniques can be effective deterrents to storm water. More importantly, using mound gardens is much more environmentally friendly and ascetically pleasing, because you can plant all sorts of great plants in your mound garden that help absorb the water and allows you to create your own little patch of paradise. Mound gardens are commonly used in parts of Asia to channel away and absorb water in high rainfall areas. Agie drains, a particularly Australian term and invention are essentially ditches that are dug then filled
in with rocks or stones covering a pipe or pipes with small holes in it that allows water to drain out slowly into the subsoil, rather than rush away. Agie drains are often used along highway traffic islands and in areas where water cannot be allowed to rush or be channelled away but must be absorbed slowly into the soil. That is why agie drains are so good around the house and yard as well. Your only cost is digging the ditch, with the excess soil being used for your mound garden, and rocks and agie pipe. Some drains are also filled with a blanketing material and there are different types of agie pipes, some covered with a ‘sock’ material that stops small particles of dirt from blocking up the agie pipe. You mound garden can be planted with a variety of plants, the main criteria being that they are shallow rooted. Gingers or rhizomes are great for water absorption as are ferns and shrubs. Native plants are a must, as they attract birds. We have found that birds love our mound garden and it gives us great privacy, almost like a small rainforest right at our door, keeping us cool during the hot summer, but especially beneficial is knowing that next time it pours, we are not going to have to worry about getting our feet wet. Before you try your own mound garden and agie drain system, check that you are not contravening any local government regulations and make sure you draw a diagram of what you plan to do to make sure that you are not going to dig through any electrical cables or water pipes. Then enjoy the work and the results. (PR)
LIFE WRITING What are we but our stories?
Life Writing is a dying art form – too many people die without ever having told their life stories, let alone writing them down so that generations coming after them can read them and learn so much from this legacy. History is being lost. Life Writing is like a patchwork quilt – all the pieces of a fragmented memory and stories are sorted and shaped and then joined together to make up a whole unique life. We can do much to preserve a rich legacy for future generations by making time each day, each week, or each month to write down something of our lives. Grab a notebook and pen (or your computer) and start to write. For those who find it hard to know where to start, start with an important milestone in your life - then go from there. Just start – gather the pieces like that of a puzzle and fit them together later. It could be the loss of a sibling, the birth of your children, a lesson learnt, leaving home for the first time, an accident, your marriage…The library can be a great resource of books that will give information and pictures on a particular time frame that can help to jog your memory of what life was like for you during that time. Other resources include old diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, letters, and newspapers.
You can also jot down in point form the events and things you remember and then order them in numerical order and go through them bit by bit and expand each one. When we write anything, it is important that we try not to just tell people what happened, but that we show them. We allow the reader to ‘see’ through our words the events as they unfold. Life Writing is not just a bunch of facts, but also contains details surrounding the subject you are writing about – geographical area, background, other factors or other people involved. Just write – don’t worry about spelling, paragraphing or grammar – these things can be fixed later. It will flow better if you just keep going and get it written down. Life Writing can take many forms and can be as varied as the stories. You can write them in verse, as letters, articles, memoirs, and diary entries. As you begin your Life Writing experience, be prepared for some wonderful surprises because you will learn so much about yourself as you go. It can help to heal emotions and hurts that have been buried deeply for years and can help us to see things clearly from a mature perspective of an adult rather than through the eyes of a child when the event may have occurred. It can provide new meaning to an experience that you may not have understood at the time of happening and allows us to let go of the hurt and old mistakes and move to on. It’s important for us and for future generations that we remember everything has purpose and meaning – even at the toughest times of our lives we can find the ‘jewel’ if we are but willing to look for it. As you work on your Life Writing you will become ever more conscious of the ‘jewel.’ Sometimes it takes great thought and contemplation to really know and understand what you have learnt through a situation or circumstance, but it is more a matter of what we have become because of those same situations and circumstances that truly matters. (DG)
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BACK “BRING THE HUNTER “
How values change.
As a boy I lived amongst Dayak tribes of Indonesian West Borneo or Kalimantan. Here the hunter was esteemed. Being able to track down and kill a large wild animal for food could feed the whole village for a week. Indigenous Australian Aborigines also had similar values. European pioneers in Australia learned from Aboriginals where and what to hunt. Now it is not so politically correct to be a hunter or kill animals. Australia is one of the largest and least populated continents and countries in the world, with hundreds of thousands--possibly millions--of feral, originally domesticated pigs, goats, deer, donkeys, horses, dogs, cats and camels now running wild across the land. Ironically, with all this game, Australia has some of the most restrictive hunting laws in the world. Most states forbid or tightly restrict hunting on public lands. Game meat from wild animals is also tightly restricted, so much so that few Australians have the opportunity to eat venison and other exotic meats, except at a few expensive restaurants and specialist butchers. Unlike fishing, which is regularly presented in the media, hunting is a hidden subculture, almost going unmentioned. When I proudly tell people that I am an
avid hunter providing my family and friends with fresh game meat and admire the hunting skills of old, most acquaintances find it at the very least strange or unusual, or may assume me to be some sort of redneck weirdo. Yet hunting and gathering is in our blood--literally! My forefathers and yours hunted. We have a long history of matching our wits with animals to take them as meat. The patience required of the hunter in search of prey, respecting the vanquished animal, recognising subtle changes in animal behaviour and the weather are all skills applicable to more than hunting. I use these hunting principles in my everyday family and business life. Hunting sayings like “beat around the bush”, “straight shooting”, “on track” are all anecdotes about life. Forgetting the true meanings of these hunting sayings and that of hunting itself because of political correctness, being uninformed or disinterested in what cannot be grabbed from a supermarket shelf makes us all the poorer. Losing an enjoyable pastime and honourable tradition is bad enough. Even worse is allowing hundreds of thousands of feral animals to become millions and destroy the environment so many opposed to hunting claim an interest in protecting. Bring back the art of hunting and the hunter, I say! The environment and you will be the better for it. (PR)
A BEAUTIFUL SURPRISE... While reading the boys some bedtime stories on my bed last night, little Ezekiel (2) suddenly jumped up and grabbed the handheld massager on my bedside and started massaging my back. His older brother Immanuel (4) then jumped up too and started to massage my arms, legs and feet. They were both doing it so enthusiastically over quite a few minutes, giggling through the whole process. I thought I was in heaven! :) It was the first time they did it together, and it came as such a surprise to me, when I really needed it.
Lesson of the day: “Surprise someone you love today.” (CI)
GIVE ONLY THE BEST TO THE ONE YOU LOVE
HEART ATTITUDE
The other day while playing on his scooter in the backyard, my 2 year old son Ezekiel noticed there were some yellow dandelions growing on the grass. He put his scooter down and started to pick one dandelion and gave it to me. I smiled and said “thank you”, and thought that he would just continue playing with his scooter. Instead, he turned around and picked another dandelion for me. One by one he started to pick more and more dandelions. I told him “that’s enough Ezekiel, thank you..” when he picked the 8th flower, but he continued on and on, each time giving me the dandelion with a big smile on his face. At times, I would catch him picking a flower that had some dirt on it, then he murmured “No..” and threw it to the ground. He carefully chose the ones with no dirt on it before he gave them to me. In the end, when he finished with it, I started counting all the dandelions in my hand. There were 43 of them altogether. Though picking flowers may be a rather mindless activity for some of us, yet Ezekiel did that with care, and as a mum I was touched by the sincerity of this expression of love from such a young toddler. So the lesson of the day is: Give only the best to the one you love. (CI)
Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company, a relationship... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes. - Charles Swindoll (CI)
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A student’s
Try punching “Paid Online Surveys” into Google and see what comes up. Look for the reputable ones and read the privacy agreement first. This is actually a great way for young parents or shift-workers to get earning because it can be quite flexible.
guide to
5. Mystery shopping.
increasing your income: Some things about University stick in your mind like superglue.
No, I am not talking about the thrilling equations in Business Statistics lectures or the mystifying reason why that Maslow dude never included coffee in a class of its own in his hierarchy of needs. I am talking about the financial pressures that fall on many University students. We are studying and working to build our futures. We don’t have full time jobs yet. But gosh, we seem to have full time bills.
I remember the choice I grappled with every second Tuesday (the eve of payday). Do I eat well today or pay for a train fare into town for lectures? It seems that the cost of living sometimes rises faster than wages do. But life is to be lived and not just endured, right? How can you make a few extra dollars? Here are a few simple tips I have found to be helpful.
1. Don’t get a credit card.
“But they are so shiny and nice!” I hear you say. I totally know what you mean. I too find the idea of ‘live now, pay later’ quite seductive. But it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In January of this year, Aussies had racked up something like $1.2 Trillion in personal debt. That is a staggering increase of 71% over the last five years. And I am just going to be blunt about it: the only person who should have a credit card is the person who doesn’t actually need it. When I first got a credit card, it was all about the financial room to breathe. I could enjoy the weekend, buy those shoes and scrape together the ‘prepayday’ train fare. But after the honeymoon period is over, credit cards aren’t about the convenience but the compound interest you pay back. At the moment, the average credit card will whack you 19 – 20%. Ouch! I will take the 85 cent chicken noodles and take the bike instead of the train thanks.
2. Try running a budget.
Living within your means isn’t something that comes naturally to all of us. It takes a bit of planning. The point of a budget is to separate wants from needs, to predict your expenses before they come up and to help you figure out how much money you actually need. My fiscally conservative father was always saying “It is easier to save an extra dollar than earn an extra dollar.” I have spent the last five years conducting my own experiments and what do you know, it turns out he is right. Spending $3.50 on your morning coffee will cost you $17.50 a week. That’s $910 dollars a year. Just saying…
3. Part time employment.
I got through university with part time employment. It was actually a nice way to disengage from academic stress for a few hours and take home a decent pay packet to cover the rent, grocery, phone and travel bills. Not bad hey? For those looking for work, remember this: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. A friend of mine worked commission only at various stalls in shopping centres. The commission was great and if he had a good day, that was awesome. But the promise of great commission did nothing to calm the soul during the weeks when he made no sales at all. A part time job in retail or hospitality with an upfront pay rate can go a long way to pay the bills. I also found that, if I could work my timetable so that lectures were all close together, it gave me the option to work a couple of full days and study for a couple of full days instead of doing three hour shifts at annoying times of the day. Job searchers hint: Presentation is everything. Dress yourself up and speak confidently. Your first job interview actually happens when you hand in the resume to a potential employer.
4.Participate
research.
in online market
Some companies will actually pay for your opinion. Market research is big business and can involve online surveys or even paid focus groups. There are heaps of them out there. It is your diligence in checking for new jobs that will get you the money.
As a retail worker, this was the bane of my existence: not knowing whether the customer you were serving was really shopping or actually assessing whether or not you were following company sales processes. But you can actually become the mystery shopper and get paid to shop! It’s quite enjoyable actually. I felt like a spy of sorts. If you were to sign up as a mystery shopper, you would most likely be dealing with an online company and will probably not actually meet anyone from your agency. Also, you only get the jobs that you put your name in for. So check often and book yourself in for plenty of jobs in order to make money.
6
. Work for yourself or turn hobbies into opportunities.
Grass is a fact of life. As a female homeowner, I can think of a million better ways to spend my time than lugging a lawnmower around my yard. Hence, I happily fork over the cash when my lawnmower guy comes around. If he offered to deal with the weeds as well, I would just about throw money at him! Other home-based opportunities include the old fashioned babysitting or family day-care job. You will need to check local rules for this but if you are over 18, a clear police check is a good way to impress potential clients. As for advertising, a great place to start is word of mouth or social networking. Get your friends to tell their friends. If you are an amateur artist, keep an eye out for café’s that have artwork adorning the walls. Take in a sample and ask if you could display it with a price tag. If you are handy with websites, place an ad offering your services and see what comes up. Depending on the quality of your work, you could be taking home premium prices for this. If you like sport, have you considered entering paid tournaments or refereeing others? Think about your hobbies. Can they make you money? Even if you are good at hair and makeup, don’t assume everyone is. This could turn out to be an enjoyable way to boost your income. The only limitation is your own initiative. I have often heard it said that if you enjoy what you do to earn money, (you’ll never work another day in your life) work will never be a drag. If it is good enough for the rich, young things, then it is good enough for me.
I read an anonymous quote recently that said “Success is 3% talent and 97% not being distracted by the internet.” That is my final piece of advice. I know it’s hard, but put down the phone. Log off the computer. The world is out there waiting for you! (CH)
Magazine
Launch 10.10.10
One of the first things I noticed was the wonderful atmosphere and vibe - the moment you walked through the double glass doors you were whisked away to a different place. It was refreshing, ambient and colourful. from the wonderful lighting, haze from the smoke machines to the resident DJ Troy Spears who had a great mix of chill out lounge music playing in the background. You really felt welcome and a part of the community celebration that is NEW CITY MAGAZINE!
After taking this all in, I was then warmly greeted by one of three excellent photographers, Michella Kesumo who collectively took over 2000 photos of the launch. The other two photographers were Herlina Widjaja and Sonny Susilo. Herlina, by the way is the Art Director of NEW CITY MAGAZINE. I was then asked to sign the NEW CITY MAGAZINE poster and was delightfully impressed to see many signatures and wonderful comments already displayed. It was a great poster and I enjoyed having my photo taken with friends in front of the poster! Immediately after this, I noticed waitresses serving succulent canapes such as: fresh and juicy Salmon Sashimi with soya sauce, Salmon Rillettes and tasty Steamed Dumplings. Also available was crackers with guacamole, Prawn Toast, Bruschetta and Chilli Garlic Prawns... YUM! I am salivating just thinking about it ☺. All of these beautiful treats made by Master Chef Samuel Yanto and team whose culinary skill and attention to detail is nothing short of amazing. Samuel is a professional chef who has worked in some of Australia’s best restaurants such as the famous Tetsuya’s Restaurant at Kent Street, Sydney. He is also the Food Review writer for the NEW CITY magazine. I also enjoyed some sparkling white wine that made the overall experience exquisite and grand. My attention was then turned to the MC Andrew Harper from Bay City Church who also serves the local community in his role as Chaplain for the Rockdale City Council and heads Bay City Care, a non-profit organisation serving the community’s needs. Andrew has a great MC voice and the ability to draw you into what he shares with his great humour, clear explanations and a down to earth nature. Another visual treat was seeing NEW CITY magazine displayed on a large projector screen which gave everyone present (over 100 people) the feel of the online version that is currently available.
You can also access NEW CITY magazine through its Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ newcitymagazine) or the NEW CITY magazine’s official website (http://www.newcitymagazine.com) where you can subscribe to receive your monthly edition FOR FREE. Joshua Yanto the Account Executive said of NEW CITY magazine, “A better design and content than any free magazine available, price competitive to other free magazines and strategic integration for advertising.”
Next were some really great prize giveaways for those who could answer questions that were taken directly from the magazines content... very creative and great FUN! There were magazines displayed on each table to peruse and I was frantically searching for the answers to the questions as so many others were too! Talk about generous - the prizes included $2000 worth of FREE advertising In NEW CITY magazine for the next 2 months. There were people from all walks of life present including people from local businesses, community organisations, media outlets and also the Government with the presence of Bill Saravinovski, Mayor of Rockdale.
uselessfacts
NEW CITY
Eating a full bag of Lay’s Original Potato Chips will give you your daily dose of Vitamin C.
White chocolate contains no chocolate at all.
Ben Irawan Editor-in-chief of NEW CITY Magazine said, “I’m just tired of the same old news that is being written and broadcasted by the media. We have been exposed to so much negativity, bad news, crime and tragedy happening around us. But most of the things being reported are bad news and no one is really doing anything, reporting anything or suggesting something that we can do to make our community and city a better place for us, our children and their children!..... This is the thought that
Eating chocolate will stimulate the same reaction in the body as the feeling of falling in love
triggered the concept behind NEW CITY magazine. We have a message, we have an agenda and that is to be a voice of hope, encouragement and positivity in our community. We want to create a NEW CITY through media!” Overall the NEW CITY magazine launch was a HUGE success. Great atmosphere, wonderful crew and a surprising turnout. It was truly an excellent start to a very promising future of a great magazine... NEW CITY magazine. (MR)
Honey will never ever go bad, some has been found inside Egyptian Pharaoh’s tomb and was still edible.
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Cyberbullying: A new problem or an old one renamed?
One of my favourite book moments ever was when Gilbert Blythe called Anne of Green Gables “Carrots” and she retaliated by smashing her slate over his head. You see, her stunning red hair was a sensitive issue for her and she was the new girl in town, feeling like she didn’t quite fit in yet. If this scene were to play out in 2010 it might look a bit different. Gilbert would log on to Facebook and write “Ranga” and various other insults on Anne’s wall. She would still be indignant but this time she might defend herself by writing back a fiery comment and then ‘unfriending’ him. The flow-on effects would take place next time they were in a group situation, like a party, at work or at their place of study. It is a mild example of how the face of bullying has changed over the years. We used to think that bullying was confined to the school yard but recently we have seen a rise in work-place bullying and even claims of business leaders being harassed into agreement with government policies (a claim our Prime Minister vehemently refuted). Perhaps the most invasive and harmful type of bullying is the one that happens online. I was saddened to read of a number of suicides by University students whose personal activities were streamed online. Perhaps you too have observed that the words ‘depression’,’ suicide’ and ‘bullying’ occur in the same sentence far too often, especially in the context of online bullying. But social media is everywhere and it brings with it so many positive opportunities. This leads us to an important question: How can we protect ourselves from the dark side of cyberspace? Fear not, dear citizens. It is not impossible. We are dealing with a bogeyman of sorts. His name is ‘cyberbullying.’ If you look closely at him, you may see an incredible resemblance to another foe: one that wears the generic tag of ‘bullying.’ In workplaces, universities and social clubs across the country, cyberbullying features high on the list of concerns. Violent bouts or embarrassing moments get uploaded to Youtube where they are laughed about until the authorities take it down. Online forums and groups form around positive causes as well as hateful ones. Email tousles happen. Threats are made. Cyberspace can be a scary place if we allow it to be so. However, I do not believe the problem is that we are interacting online. This is now a major part of our lives and is here to stay. The problem is that we are seeing a rise of violence. Sadly, this is often directed at our most vulnerable people and often happens online. Yet I firmly believe that the same skills of safety and citizenship that can help us deal with the old foe of bullying are the ones that can help us deal with this new antagonist called cyberbullying.
What do I mean? What skills of safety and citizenship? Let me explain…
You can choose your friends: In the beginning, when Mark Zuckerberg (and co.) created Facebook and it was still new, we all wanted to boost our ‘friends’ list. You know; keep up with the Joneses. Have as many friends as the next person. But here is the thing. In real life we don’t tell everyone everything that we are doing. We don’t give everyone our phone number and address. It is naïve and problematic to do so online. Not everyone online is friendly even if they are smiling in their profile picture. Often the information we put up can be used against us. Privacy controls are there for us to use. Use them! The platform is not unsafe. It is the user that renders it so. It is also okay to be economical with the information that you share online. Save the real stuff for the real-time interactions with real friends. It is also okay to remove people off your friends list. It doesn’t diminish you as a person. You can choose your friends: Online as well as in person. Limit your source material: If you are going to a wild party on the weekend, you can’t be shocked when photos of you at said party arrive online the next day. And you can be sure that if you give an inch, the rumour mill will take a mile. It’s the unfortunate nature of gossip. Responsibility in your social life is the only way to limit both the gossip chain and the social-paparazzi. Take it with a grain of salt though. Enjoy life. But you are the guardian of your reputation, both online and otherwise. Build your resilience: Ever remember the old chant in primary school? “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” Funny that. Names can hurt. When the name-calling or threats start, it helps to have enough self-confidence and resilience to ignore it and walk away. To fire back often inflames the situation. The cyber-platforms have only changed the arena in which the name-calling occurs. Do you know what though? You can hit the ‘delete’ button. You are allowed to. If anyone complains, you can just tell them I told you that you could! On the other hand you can hit print, put it in a folder and you have a legitimate paper trail if this bullying gets serious. It all depends. But in any case, self-esteem cannot come from what people say about you online. Self-worth must not come from the size of your social network. Happiness comes from within. Know when to call for help: Happiness comes from within.
Resilience is needed to deal with bullying and to downsize its horrible effects on our self-esteem. But what happens when it gets a bit much? A young person I know faced some serious online bullying a while back. I was so impressed with her reaction. When these vicious comments started to hit, she handled it herself for a while. Then she sat back and said “I can’t do this alone. This hurts.” She told a trusted friend who helped her look at the situation rationally, without all the angst. He asked about what could possibly be motivating this person to target her in such a cruel, public manner. They discussed the fact that bullies are often people who have a need to be noticed or a need to feel powerful and in control. The ideal way to react is not to hurl back insults and defend yourself but to disarm the bully. My friend wrote a response back in the same public arena in which she was being attacked. She said “I realise you might not be handling the death of our friend very well. We are both grieving. But if you feel you have no one to talk to and think this is the best way to deal with your feelings, I hope you to consider going to see a counsellor. As a friend, I will go with you if you want. I care about you.” Her calm and caring response disarmed the bully who turned out to be just an individual who was in pain. There are two lessons here. One is that we need to call in our support systems when things get too hard. This is as much a real life survival skill as an online survival skill. The second lesson is that sometimes the best thing to do is have a good think about what is motivating the bully in the first place.
Finally, know the law: Your workplace, school or university will
have a bullying policy. If what is happening online is affecting your sense of safety or even the quality of your work, the powers that be will want to know. If bullying gets serious or involves threats, you may need to call the police. Let them know what is happening. There are laws about this and they are there to protect you. Cyberbullying is not fun. It can be downright awful. But here is the thought I will leave you with. We may actually have an advantage online. Why? We can control our part of that environment a little bit more. We have things like privacy controls, delete buttons, ‘unfriend’ buttons and the option to not put ‘that photo’ online. What we also have is time to sit back, think and take a deep breath before we respond to online bullying. It is a luxury that real life rarely affords us. Use it well. (CH)
Cyber-proofing your kids: As a parent, you might not be an online participant, but your kids most likely are. Here are a few tips on keeping them safe: Keep your computers in living areas, not in bedrooms. This allows a walk past every now and then. If you see something that concerns you, ask about it. Keep the conversation going. If you can talk about how you don’t like some of the friends they are hanging out with on the weekend or at school, you should be able to talk about who they are hanging out with online. Monitor mobile phone usage: Part of adolescence is learning to cultivate healthy relationships. Mobile phones are a major part of how teenagers interact now. A parent will rarely see the contents of a child’s mobile phone. However, this is often where a lot of bullying takes place, making it highly personal and isolating. Am I suggesting that you read every text message? Most certainly not. But if your child seems distressed or tense after reading a message, it might be worth a conversation. Talk! Talk about bullying, school, friends and life in general. Make sure they know that you are on their side, even though you may have to tell them what you think they did wrong on odd occasion. These conversations can form your child’s sense of self-worth, making them less likely to look for that validation in the peer group. Make sure they know that it is always okay to ask for help. Bully victims are nearly always those who are perceived to be more vulnerable than the bully. If you can succeed in making your child feel secure, you have gone a long way to bully-proof them.
uselessfacts
Talk about common sense ways to stay safe, like walking with a couple of friends instead of walking alone. It is also a good idea to talk about how to handle a bully if confronted. Be firm, fair and don’t react irrationally or out of fear. This can only inflame a tedious situation. There are so many resources out there on how to handle bullying. This list is certainly not comprehensive but sometimes the little things make big differences. When faced with adversarial situations, just knowing that there is someone on your side can make the world of difference. (CH)
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A normal person uses around 57 pieces of toile t paper every day.
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Call Joshua 041 339 1100 or email contact@newcitymagazine.com NEW CITY MAGAZINE . 23
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KidzRock: A Super Fun Place to Learn Great Values!
funky
cool WOW!!!
...hold on everyone because you’re in for one exciting ride... every Thursday night from 7pm-8:30pm KidzRock is on. What is KidzRock you ask? Well let me tell you - there are great games, fantastic prize giveaways, MAD stories and very FUNKY & COOL leaders. It’s super FUN and a safe place where you can learn the values of family, friendship, responsibility, leadership and so much more. You’ll also have the opportunity to discover your gifts and talents too! ☺
Laura 10 years old: Q) How long have you been coming to KidzRock? A) 4 Years.
Alanzo 5 years old: Q) What do you like best about Kidzrock? A) Dodgeball, getting lollies and chocolate.
Mariam 11 years old: Q) What do you like about KidzRock? A) When the leaders tell stories and share power verses. I like KidzRock Idol, it’s a competition where you get to perform and show your talent. I once came third place in KidzRock Idol!
Jasmine 4 years old: Q) What do you like best about KidzRock? A) Colouring in animals.
Leonie 7 years old: Q) Why do you like KidzRock? A) It’s fun and we learn to be nice to everyone.
Layal 9 years old: Q) What do you like best about KidzRock and how long have you been coming for? A) It’s fun, we play games, I love Dodgeball and the teachers are not mean. I’ve been coming since I was 7 years old.
From the moment you enter the KidzRock room you will be enthusiastically greeted by Miguel and his wonderful TEAM. Yes they are definitely the KTEAM.. The team consists of Cree, Lili and Estera. They are very passionate and excited about seeing kids impacted with a positive message of hope. They have a real heart to see kids grow into mature leaders who will impact their own communities and families too. KidzRock just gets better every week. There’s always something new and fresh happening; from messy games nights, movie nights, arts and crafts, dance lessons with Jet Valencia (contestant on “So You Think You Can Dance 2009”), “KidzRock Idol” (annual singing competition), drama nights and games tables to decorating muffins and gingerbread men. There’s no end to the creativity and surprises that each new week brings! This is one EXCITING place to be and judging from the kids’ beaming smiles, laughter, creative displays, interaction with one another and teamwork, they are learning fantastic lessons. (already established) Dodgeball is one of the kids’ favourite games and the leaders also join in on the fun. This way the kids and leaders can really relate. KidzRock nurtures a really strong sense of FAMILY and all who attend leave with that in their hearts. They are stronger, encouraged and confident to be a blessing to others throughout the week. ☺ KidzRock started in April 2006 with just 7 kids attending the first night... Now it has grown to about 25-30 kids that come every Thursday night and continues to grow with new kids regularly coming. The ages range from 4-11 yrs and there are 2 specific age groups KidzRock Juniors (4-7 yrs) and KidzRock Seniors (8-11yrs). There are also combined nights where all the kids play games and do activities together so the family feel is maintained. Fatima Moussa, the winner of KidzRock Idol last year was invited to perform at The 2009 Spring Festival hosted by Arncliffe Community Life Centre, through which KidzRock is run. The festival attracted over 800 people. She sang a song and was greatly received by those in attendance. What a fantastic performance it was too! Her parents were so proud of her and she was a wonderful representative of KidzRock. The Arncliffe Community Life Centre Spring Festival is an annual event and this year, attracted over 1000 people! KidzRock is a place where fun meets friendship with hope for a brighter tomorrow! (MR)
Jahrome 9 years old: Q) What do like about KidzRock and what do you learn there? A) It’s fun, I love playing hockey and Dodgeball. I learnt to help my mum at home.
Carlos 6 years old: Q) What have you learnt at KidzRock and what do you like about it? A) To be kind and listen. I like playing tips and Dodgeball., it’s fun!
Linda 11 years old: Q) What do you learn at KidzRock? A) To be kind and treat people nice.
Immanuel 5 years old: Q) What is your favourite game? A) Dodgeball.
Fatima. M 10 years old: Q) Why do you like KidzRock? A) It’s very fun, I like the teachers and kids, Dodgeball is my favourite game
Amani 12 years old: Q) How did you hear about KidzRock? A) A long time ago we received a basket of fruit to my house with an invitation to come to a festival at Arncliffe Community Life Centre. So I came to the festival and I got a free show bag. In the show bag was a card about KidzRock , so I came and visited and liked it. It should run for longer like 6pm-9:30pm!
Harmony 9 years old: Q) What do you like about KidzRock? A) I like the activities and games. My favourite is Dodgeball and messy games.
Stephanie 9 years old: Q) Why do you like KidzRock? A) I have made new friends and I love Dodgeball.
Tenesha 11 years old: Q) What do you like about KidzRock and what have you learnt there? A) Its’ fun, better than school. I love the hockey game and minute to win it. I learnt to listen to other people and to be kind. Zahra 13 years old: Q) How did you hear about KidzRock? A) Through my cousin Amani.
Phoebe 12 years old: Q) How long have you been going to KidzRock and what do you like about it? A) Since I was 8... since the beginning and it’s fun, I like the stories and interesting games. I love Dodgeball.
MOVIE MEGAMIND
review
WONDERFUL, SPECTACULAR AND OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! What else could you expect from the minds behind the hugely popular and highly entertaining Shrek movies! When I first saw the trailer at the movies recently, I was instantly hooked and hungry for more. The story centres on “Megamind” (Will Ferrell) who is the most dastardly, villainous and brilliant super-villain the world has ever known, except for the fact that he’s also the least successful (Kudos to him for trying though). Over many years he has tried to conquer Metro City but sadly fails because of the local champion and& Superhero “Metro Man” (Brad Pitt) foiling his despicable plans every time..... One day, Megamind (Ferrell) accidentally kills Metroman (Pitt) through one of his bungled evil plans. Now without a Superhero to compete with, Megamind feels he has no purpose and so he goes off on a quest to create a new Superhero aptly named, “TITAN!” Something or someone worthy to challenge his MEGAN-ESS!!! ☺ But the tables are quickly turned as “Titan” the BIGGER, BETTER AND STRONGER version of “Metro Man” turns on his creator and the COLOSSAL battle then rages on! Can the most brilliant mind in the world defeat his greatest creation and finally be successful? You’ll have to watch and see for yourself. Yes - it’s in gorgeous 3D too. (MR)
For Colored Girls
ELECTRICALLY CHARGED AND EMOTIONALLY GRIPPING from start to finish. This movie is without a doubt a modern masterpiece that draws you into the world of African-American women and their deep true-life struggles! It’s based on the award-winning Play: “For Colored Girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf!” None other than masterful director Tyler Perry (Madea Goes to Jail, Why Did I Get married? and Why Did I Get Married too?) could have pulled this off, who also by the way produced this film and wrote the screenplay. Some great actors have been enlisted to star in this eagerly awaited movie, such as: Tyler Perry himself (Director), Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Mariah Carey and Omari Hardwick (The A-Team). The tension and drama in this movie will have you holding onto the edge of your seat with wonder and heart-pounding anticipation at what is coming up next! This was originally a collection of twenty poems that revealed different issues faced by women in general and coloured women in particular. Issues such as: love, abandonment and domestic violence to name a few. When interviewed by HipHollywood.com, Omari Hardwick said, “It’s phenomenal and it’s been brought to the screen for the first time...of course in the Broadway play the guys were on stage so we have this daunting task of bringing them into life and none of us really are the greatest men... or men that mums would want their daughters to bring home but hopefully we’ll do our part in terms of celebrating the women of this story!” You’ll be crying, laughing and applauding this celebration of the highs and lows of life and the power of true love to see us through the darkest of times! (MR)
The King’s Speech
As you all should know by now, I love true stories... so much so that I’m reviewing 3 this month! There are many great actors in this movie and it’s directed by award-winning filmmaker Tom Hooper. If you’re after quality this movie is sure to deliver! Some great names include Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham-Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Guy Pearce and Derek Jacobi. This is the remarkable true story of King George VI (Colin Firth) and his speech impediment (stuttering) that caused many to lose faith in his ability to lead a nation and be the “VOICE” they needed in time of war! After His brother abdicates, Bertie George VI (Firth) the father of the current Queen, Elizabeth II, reluctantly takes the throne and is a nervous wreck at every speaking engagement. That’s where an unorthodox speech therapist comes in by the name of Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). It’s absolutely hilarious seeing the King make what seems to be gurgling animal sounds with the aid of his wife and Lionel in an attempt to break his stuttering problem. Lionel also comes up with many more ingenious and entertaining ways of helping Bertie to hopefully breakthrough his own personal problems, in order to lead a Nation that needs a “VOICE” to rally them together in the face of great trials. To be who he was destined to be; BOLD as a Lion, courageous in the face of great opposition and unflinching in his stance for what is RIGHT! An incredible story of personal struggle, friendship & breakthrough. We were all born to be leaders and a “VOICE” of truth to our cities, nations and the world! (MR)
Unstoppable
Unstoppable holds nothing back in terms of production value, cinematography and raw star power. It features the likes of Denzel Washington (The Book of Eli, Man on Fire), Chris Pine (Star Trek ,The Princes Diaries 2), Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds, Eagle Eye) and a superb action director Tony Scott well known for movies such as “Spy Game”, “Enemy of the State” and “Top Gun” who also worked with Denzel Washington on four previous movies. The standard has already been set and boy, let me tell you it was high, but as with great directors, actors and scripts they have raised the bar in this movie and then some!!! A massive unmanned train with highly toxic cargo is out of control and is vaporising anything in its path. It will take the ingenuity and creativity of veteran engineer (Washington) and a young conductor (Pine) who are aboard another train on the runaway train’s path, to come up with an incredible plan to try and stop it, hopefully preventing colossal damage in a highly populated area. Based on a true story and a great movie with a lot of heart, you’ll fall in love with this and want to revisit it again. What can I say? A THRILLLING RIDE from start to finish!!! “Unstoppable” will have you on the edge of your seats in wondrous awe as your heart pounds, palms get sweaty and the tension mounts like a rocket about to BLAST OFF! The layers of drama, excitement, passion and tension is nothing short of amazing and if you’re into BIG Explosions and Denzel Washington... this movie is sure to deliver. (MR)
NEW CITY MAGAZINE . 25
NEW
Men’s city 26
stories are powerful. I remember speaking to a man in Toowoomba, Queensland at a men’s breakfast on the topic of the importance of fathers. He came up to me hesitantly to tell me a story of when he was a young boy playing baseball. He had asked his dad to come and watch him play for his school team in the competition on Saturdays as his dad hadn’t come all year. His dad said yes, so when the game started the young boy was watching the grandstand closely, in between fielding, for a sign of his dad in the crowd. About halfway through the game, he saw his dad take a seat with a friend at the top of the grand stand. He could see that his dad would occasionally glance down at the game, but most of the time he was occupied in a conversation with his friend instead of watching his son play ball. When his turn came to bat, he thought things would change. He stepped up to the plate and hammered a home run. While he ran around the bases, he looked up over his shoulder for a sight of his dad. Imagine his disappointment when he realised his dad had left the game early and he was on his own in more ways than one. I can still remember the sad and wistful look on that man’s face as he recounted this story. What struck me as strange at the time was that this mature man, over fifty years of age, with a grown up family, was still feeling the effects of his father’s indifference to his baseball game some 40 years later. Fathers are important and the pain of their indifference or absence can haunt a man for
I can always remember the 17 year old young man I spoke to at a father and son’s event we did at a school. “You know Warwick,” the young man said, “My dad goes to church every Sunday. He has read all the parenting books, but he still doesn’t spend any time with me and I don’t understand.” I didn’t have an answer for him either. Fatherlessness is no respecter of persons. Statistics from the social sciences have quantified the results of fatherlessness. They are not good: • 60% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes; • 90% of all homeless and runaway children and youths are from fatherless homes; • 85% of children who exhibit behavioural disorders are from fatherless homes; • 71% of high school dropouts are from fatherless homes; • 70% of youths in State institutions are from father less homes; • 70% of adolescent patients in substance abuse centres are from fatherless homes; • 85% of rapists motivated by displaced anger are from fatherless homes.
Fatherlessness The Most Harmful Trend of This Generation
a lifetime. The pain from the ‘father wound’ can be passed on unresolved to the next generation. As I have talked to men and listened to them, these stories keep coming up time and time again. Each story is different but the themes are always the same: the painful effect of fatherlessness in its many shapes and forms. Whether it is the story of a father who ran off with another woman, a Family Law Court injustice or a more subtle story like the one I have just recounted of a boy who just wanted his dad to see him hit a home run, the pain and the question remain the same, “Where was dad when I needed him?”
I am not alone in my observations on the pain brought about by fatherlessness in our culture. Robert Bly in his best-selling book ‘Iron John’ says, “As I have participated in men’s gatherings since the early 1980’s I’ve heard one statement over and over from American males, which has been phrased in a hundred different ways ‘There is not enough father’”. Author David Blankenhorn, speaking as a social scientist, said, “Fatherlessness is the most harmful demographic trend of this generation”. Conversely the opposite is true - when fathers are involved, committed loving and caring, children do better in school, have better socialisation skills, are healthier, less likely to be overweight, less likely to engage in risky behaviour, have less risk of teen pregnancy and are less likely to use drugs or get involved with crime. These same children who have higher father involvement are more popular with their peers, have a higher self-esteem, have better self-control, treat girls better, are more empathetic and are happier as well. Men’s stories are powerful. agree that fathers Tzu said, by someone while, lovgives you courfather, be a coulove your children help your children hit a only in their sport but in as well. (WM) www.fatherhood.org.au
The social sciences are important. Lao “Being deeply loved gives you strength ing someone deeply age.” So if you’re a rageous father and deeply. You will home run not their life
Paramore: Brand New Eyes
If you like your Rock Music loud, strong and vocally charged, then look no further... This Album has been eagerly anticipated since the phenomenal success of their 2007 Gold-selling second album, “RIOT”. This time ‘round they have Grammy Award - winning producer Rob Cavallo (My Chemical Romance, Green Day and Kid Rock) backing them up and they also coproduced the album. The Tennessee Quintet shot to stardom back in 2005 and have been soaring high ever since... Front woman Hayley Williams, is in a league of her own with bucketloads of charisma and raw talent. The band has sold over 4 million albums worldwide within 5 years... WOW! With great lyrics that are both edgy and catchy... this rock-fuelled pop/punk band has churned out hits like, “Misery Business”, “Hallelujah” and “crushcrushcrush” to name a few. They have even featured on movie soundtracks and are well known among the who’s who of the music industry! They have a wide audience and appeal to both young and old. When interviewed by MTV Hayley said, “Our record came out in September and we’ve been promoting it non-stop so I’ve been so busy and so excited about that...you can’t really regret anything...we’re doing fine.” This 11-track album is undoubtedly Paramore’s best and most colourful album to date. Bursting with energy, exquisite melodies and hardcore hooks this amazing Nashville band is one of the best and most popular rock groups of recent times. (MR)
Brooke Fraser: Flags
I just love her voice and what she portrays and stands for too... Brooke is a breath of fresh air in an industry so devoted to glitz and glamour. She is humble, beautiful and super talented and it really comes through in her music which is a fusion of Pop and Folk. Never having a singing lesson in her life, she is true raw talent and one of the most naturally gifted artists I have ever heard! After the huge success of her first album, “What to do with daylight” back in 2004 that went 7 times platinum in New Zealand, thisward-winning singer/songwriter has shown a maturity that is beyond her years and she keeps going from strength to strength with each new album released. “Albertine”, her Gold-selling second album has so much heart and was inspired by her trip to Rwanda where she met a boy by the same name that survived a great tragedy... his life apparently changed Brooke’s permanently! “Flags” is Fraser’s third album and can I tell you, between me and you... this album is the best by far. The song “Something in the water” has already been used by a very popular Australian TV series “Home and Away” and I can see that she has really put all her heart into this project. I am so excited about this album and can foresee it will be a chart-topper having a positive message that there is always hope regardless of circumstance or situations. Of her album “Flags” Brooke said, “It’s crazy to me that 8 months ago I only had three finished songs & now I’m sitting here with a finished album that I’m about to give to you all... It’s an amazing feeling & it’s been a crazy journey.... I feel so grateful & so humbled & yeah it feels amazing...I’ve tried my very best to make something really special for you & I’ve put my whole heart & soul into it...” (MR)
CD review
music Thirsty Merc: Mousetrap Heart
This Album is OFF THE HOOK!!! So fresh & downright funky... It’s such a great blend of Rock, Pop and Soul that delights the ears, tickles the heart and grooves the soul. This Sydney- (Australia) based band were nominated for 4 ARIA awards in 2005 and they were also nominated for an APRA award in 2008 for their song, “20 Good Reasons”.... I know I’ve got you singing that song in your head right now... LOL. Their song “In the Summertime” is the theme song for the reality TV show “Bondi Rescue” and has continued to be for 7 consecutive seasons! Mousetrap Heart is their third album and features great songs like “DNA” which is very reminiscent of Jamiroquai, whereas “Mousetrap Heart” has a Robbie Williams feel to it... as you can see there is such a wide variation of music contained in this album. This ROPS (Rock, Pop and Soul..., I think I just coined a new phrase... cool!) band has taken a new direction with their music, which is risky as they already have so many fans from their previous albums. Still I believe Thirsty Merc will continue to be fan favourites and should gain many more, now that they have branched out and been courageous to be more versatile too. Two thumbs WAY UP from me! (MR)
Bruno Mars: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
I would go as far to say that Bruno’s song “Just the way you are” is one of the best love songs of the decade if not love songs period!!! I agree! ☺ I have been listening to it non-stop over the last few days and it just continues to grow on you as time goes by... Its infectious lyrics, soulful chords and sublime sounds is nothing short of a musical masterpiece and the 1 person that’s on my mind whenever I hear the song is my wonderful and beautiful wife. This song is really that good. It’s sooo catchy and has the ability to keep that special someone in mind throughout the day! The album has many great tracks such as “Grenade”, “Just the way you are” and “Count on me”. A fantastic mix of Pop, Hip Hop, Soul, Rock and R&B... also featuring collaborations with some well known artists such as Cee Lo Green (The Other Side) and Damian Marley (Liquor Store Blues). Overall this is a polished album and has a wonderful blend of styles that will have you singing along to its cool beats, wild hooks and phenomenal lyrics. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called him “One of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop, with a light, soul-influenced voice that’s an easy fit in a range of styles, a universal donor.” (MR)
NEW CITY MAGAZINE . 27
NEW
city 28
food review EUROBAY
RISE
S
So it seems that this year is the year of Tapas/Mezes - whatever you want to call it! Everybody is doing it and its not limited to just a few dishes from Spain or Greece, any dish you can down size and input maximum flavour into and placed on small dishes will be classified as Tapas. So the other day, a few of my friends and I decided to try out EUROBAY which is situated on 86 The Grand Parade, Brighton-Le-Sands. We purposely came for the Tapas and upon arrival we got greeted right away and as it was a very busy lunch on a not-so-sunny day we got seated within 5 min which was pretty quick for a busy restaurant and no booking (I’d suggest you book). After we sat down, we had to wait a further 5 minutes for the menus - a lifetime in many places. Most people say first impressions last and most people would be right but once we ordered our food it came out fairly quick and I was quite pleased at how fast it came out especially with an almost-full restaurant., We ordered the grilled haloumi cheese, Eurobay fries, marinated octopus and the grilled chorizo sausage. I could not fault any of the dishes we received besides the fries (not that they weren’t good, it’s just not Tapas). The octopus was the highlight of the three because, if not cooked right, octopus can get chewy and tough to eat. The haloumi cheese dish was one of the better ones I’ve had this year and well, you can’t really go wrong with chorizo which was full of flavour.The ambience and decor in the place was pretty cool as they had random pictures and trinkets from what I can gather are from people’s trips to Europe... not only that, it also felt cosy and relaxed. All in all we had a decent experience at EUROBAY. The portion sizes on the Tapas/Mezes could’ve been slightly larger for the price and at times it seemed like we were waiting for service. That is why it was tough trying to write up this review, but the food was that good and I think it saved the day! Would love to come back and try the rest of the menu in the near future. (SY)
O
k guys, pay attention... and girls, strategically place this where your man can see it!Before we go any further, if you’re not into Japanese food, give this article to someone who is LOL. Do you ever wish you could take your partner to a lavish dinner at a Japanese Restaurant without the price tag? We’re talking about spending no more than $50-$65 per person for a 7 course omakase (degustation). Where and how you ask? Well there is a place called RISE just up and around from Kings Cross, away from all the hustle and bustle that is Kings Cross on 23 Craigend St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010. RISE is an awesome place to take your partner to celebrate his/ her birthday or an anniversary. It’s a quiet little place with limited seats and all the waiters are there waiting on you hand and foot. The decor in the restaurant is simple and elegant with tea light candles on each table to set the mood. Now the way it works is on (Tues-Wed-Sun) the omakase is priced at $48 and on (Thur-Fri-Sat) $65. Predominantly Asian-based, the RISE chefs also have a western influence in their food to cater for the Australian palette. The food is absolutely amazing... everything you would expect from a decent Japanese restaurant with crisp and clean food that doesn’t make you feel greasy or bloated and all without forking out $100+ just on food. There’s not much more I can say ‘cause I don’t want to give it all away and spoil it or even over-sell it, so make sure it is one of the restaurants you visit in the near future and impress that special someone in your life, just don’t tell them how much the bill was! (SY)
uselessfacts
Sushi was first created in China not in Japan as a means to preserve fish.
Chocolate can help you stop coughing because it contains an ingredient that suppresses the nerve that causes you to cough.
Smelling cinnamon will make you think better and remember things longer.
Johnson & Johnson’s Band-Aid brand was first introduced more than 80 years ago.
eco baby expo The first Eco Baby Expo organised by Bonjour Baby will be held at Crystal Palace in Sydney’s Luna Park on November 6-7, 2010. The Expo will showcase organic, natural and sustainable products and services designed for babies and their parents. Bonjour Baby introduces parents to natural and ecologically sound products and services, designed to help provide them and their children with the most natural and wholesome way to live as possible. Eco Baby Expo will feature organic and natural baby food and baby clothing, eco nappies, chemical-free baby care, Fair Trade toys, and ideas to help enjoy sustainable lifestyles for baby, mum, dad and our planet. Each Eco Baby visitor will receive the signature and unique Bonjour Baby Box, a highly crafted and stylish box filled with baby products, samples, and special offers, designed to help new parents make a sustainable start to their children’s lives.
Be ONE out of 10 people to win 2 Adult Tickets to Australia’s first ECO BABY EXPO. TO ENTER NEW CITY MAGAZINE’S GIVEAWAY COMPETITION http://www.newcitymagazine.com and click the GIVEAWAYS tab or if your reading this online, click here
http://newcitymagazine.com/giveaways
Entries must be submitted at the latest by Thursday, 4th November 2010 at 9pm.
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www.newcitymagazine.com NEW CITY MAGAZINE . 29
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city 30
“Men can’t multitask, only women can!”
“Stop
trying to multitask!” I tell my friend. “Men can’t multitask, only women can!” His response: “I agree! Men can’t multitask, but at least we admit it. Women can’t either but won’t admit it!” I reply with a very mature, “Pffftt!!!” Not long ago, in a moment I can only justify as temporary insanity, I decided to take my three children (ages 6, 3 and 14 months) into the CBD, ride the monorail, see the sights and have a grand ol’ time in the heart of Sydney. To make this a truly genuine “Sydney” experience, I thought – public transport all the way! So the plan was to take my nifty, 3-wheeler, double-decker pram on a bus from the Eastern Suburbs into the city. I was on a mission! Operation: CBD was in action. For those of you with kids, you know that leaving the house for any amount of time with children is a military operation: snacks, drinks, jackets, spare clothes, nappies, wipes etc etc… the list goes on! As I’m putting my supplies into the boot, I notice the pram has a flat tyre. No worries! There’s a bike shop near the bus stop, we’ll take a quick detour and get it fixed. So as I’m driving to the bike shop, I put my multitasking skills into gear: indicator on, change lanes, did I bring the nappy rash cream, is Amali warm enough, Joshie looks hot, forgot to tie up Dian’s hair, I’ll do it when we get there, nanananaaa – I really like this song, I wish I knew the words, what number bus do we catch, *ring ring* hi, great to hear from you, no, just driving, sure I can talk, blah blah blah, what number was that shop again, here it is, pull over, arrived. I unbuckle all the kids, get them out one by one, get the pram out, wheel it into the shop. “Don’t touch that!”, “Stay where I can see you!”, “Stop running around!” After what seemed like hours (but was in fact only minutes) the tyre is fixed and we are on our way once again! I pile the kids back into the car, buckle them all in, drive to a side street not too far away, park legally for the day, get all the kids out of the car, grab my supplies, pop the boot and… no pram!
Panic. I hadn’t put it in the boot! I had left it on a very busy main road for anyone to claim. This was a rather hefty investment as far as prams go (thank you Baby Bonus!) and a pram worth “claiming” if you were so fortunate as to find one lying around. I could hear my husband’s disappointed tone when he tells me, “Oh well, can’t be helped” (which is his standard response for when things go wrong). So, I do the drill again: shove the kids back into the car, buckle them in and zoom (under the speed limit of course!) back to the bike shop. I pass on the wrong side of the road and my heart sinks – the pram is gone! Still, with the little faith I have left, I pull up at the bike shop, get the kids out and think; I’ll just ask the bike guy if he saw who took it. You never know, some kind passerby may have taken it ‘somewhere’ (not sure where exactly, but I was hopeful!). Soon as he saw me, he went out the back and wheeled the pram out. He saw it on the road and brought it in. He figured I’d notice soon enough.
Relief. So, when I was asked to write about Multitasking, I cringed. After my little “pram incident”, any credibility I did have, has come to naught. You see, I have always been a hardcore, “Women can. Men can’t” supporter, but now I’m not so sure. Who am I to say, “This is how it’s done”? Just because I can cook dinner, change a nappy, put make up on, find a missing shoe, pour some juice – no, the other one and help with homework all while on the phone to my mother-in-law doesn’t make me an expert in multitasking! (read: oh yes it does!) My point is this: the “experts” say that generally speaking (don’t hate me, men!) women are better at multitasking than men. I didn’t decide this; “they” did! [Something about our brains and wiring and other bio-medical stuff.] But even the best multitaskers have bad days. We all have moments where the things we’re SO good at doing, the things that are second nature to us, seem like impossible tasks. Life has a way of letting us know when it’s time to slow down, so when it happens to you, stop and listen. Take a break, have some time off and shelve your “multitasking abilities” for a while. And as far as my “incident” goes – on this multitaskers’ bad day, I forgot my pram. If it was my husband trying to accomplish the same task, he may well have forgotten the baby instead! ☺ (RR)
Moisturise, moisturise and...
MOISTURISE! 1. Olay moisturizing cream $13.00 - $16.00
This is my current face cream. I love it! Does exactly what the jar says; moisturises sensitive skin!
A light, non-greasy, budget-friendly cream. Great for young/normal skin.
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2. Nivea Light $5.00 - $7.00
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4. Johnson’s Baby Soothing Naturals Intense Moisture Cream $6.00 - $9.00 I carry this in my bag at all times. Great on-the-go moisturiser and smells divine!
& Johnson’s 24-hour w 3. Johnson moisture rich $12.00 - $16.00 This is a great all-over moisturiser. Moisturises well without being too heavy.
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5. Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Cream $7.00 - $11.00
Another baby one, but worth a mention. This is a good one if you’ve got extra dry, itchy skin, particularly over-dry hands after lots of washing up or nappy changes. Not too greasy, but a real relief for unhappy hands.
O
k, so I am an average-looking, under-average height, slightly over-average weight and rather average-income-ed mother of three. I am strongly opposed to surgical procedures for purely aesthetic purposes or any other kind of “physical transformation” unless you were once a caterpillar and are now coming out of a cocoon. I have no way of changing what God has given me, so all I can do is try and keep it in the best condition possible. We’re not talking about turning a VW beetle into a Ferrari. What we are talking about is how to keep a Toyota station wagon running well. On that basis, I have come up with 3 of the best things you can do in “maintenance” mode and they are: moisturise, moisturise and MOISTURISE! Make it the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do before you go to bed. Moisturise in your lunch break and moisturise during Glee (I know you watch it!) Why? Your skin is the largest organ in your body (or should we say “on” your body). Unlike hair and nails, you only get one chance with skin. If you damage it, it takes a looooong time to repair, so it’s important you look after it. Dry skin is not the cause of wrinkles or age spots, but dry skin does make it more susceptible to irritations and infections that can cause all sorts of nasty things. As we age, our skin becomes drier and it becomes even more important for us to moisturise and keep our skin healthy. Using creams and lotions is the obvious way
to moisturise, but moisturising your skin from the inside is just as important. There is no end to the benefits of drinking plenty of water and rehydrating your skin is just one. Now onto those creams: during the day it is an absolute must that your moisturiser, particularly your facial cream, contains sunscreen. In fact, all creams that don’t should be made illegal or at least taxed very highly! There have been far too many cases of preventable melanoma – slip, slop, slap everyone!
O
n the bits of you that are covered up, of course you don’t need to be as diligent, but you can never be too careful, can you! When the sun’s gone down, there are many night creams out there that offer “deeper” nourishment. They are usually gooier and slimier but these are the ones that specialise in rehydration to the extreme. Wearing a day cream at night isn’t harmful, but while your skin is in “repair” mode, it’s best to use something designed specifically for this purpose. So, now that you’re convinced, which moisturiser to choose? There’s tinted, anti-aging, extra sensitive, acne-killing and illuminating! Well, that’s almost as individual as the shade of lip gloss or brand of toilet paper you prefer, there are lots of good ones out there, but to help you sort through it all, here are some of my faves in no particular order. (RR)
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