Author: Amanda Viviers

Place: My Office

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: New floor rug

 

 

 

Place: Qantas Club

Poison: Verdhelo

Favourite Things: My boarding pass that says Perth, very soon.

A story to start off…

Over the last few days I have been at an amazing young adults conference in Sydney called ‘awakening’. Its been gold. However yesterday something hilarious happened to me, of all things, in the toilet. SMILE ALREADY. I was innocently depositing all the water I had been drinking like a good girl, and the arm band you get as a guest of the conference, fell into the toilet bowl. RIGHT in the middle of my, lets say it nicely number 1’s. So I had to fish it out, or else the big bouncers would have carried me out of the auditorium, so I thought, I’ll wash it with soap and then go ask for a new one. But smiling, didn’t help, no new band for this groupie. So today I left it on the wipers of my friends car with a note that said…’here is a wee little present for you!’ She knew the story. She hasn’t text me back.

I am so a crazy cat when it comes to stuff like that, crumbs around my mouth when I meet someone knew, dropping plates on tiled floors in VIP lounges, words that come out of my mouth at inopportune times…

A couple of days ago, a few of my closest friends, went out to a farm and went four wheel motorbiking. We all had one each, in the theme of today’s blog, I looked like an old lady on her little shopping mobile, and my friends looked like they had walked in from the set of Mad MAX. Hilarious.

As I flew around the bush, (okay crawled…I was scared of the accelerator button!) I had this moment of pure joy. Covered in mud, as we launched through big puddles, screaming as my friends came right up behind me in a bid that I would go over 20 kms per hour, I had this revelation of the crazieness of life. Within days I have been to my friends memorial, I have soaked in a thermal pool watching thermal activity bubble to the surface, helped a friend with a music festival of 30,000, hung out with my closest friends, met a friend from Queensland, gone to a radical conference engaging young adults with their dreams, eaten amazing lebanese food and hanging at a lebanese crib, walked into a Maori marae and eaten an hungi…then  I find myself flying through the bush in Sydney hills on a four wheel drive motor bike.

The privlege of life to the fullest, is so easy to forget. Heath Leger’s death really shook me. Close to my age, went to school in my state.

Life is so short. The canvas is so much bigger than we see. Enjoy every single moment. Don’t take the privelege of our worlds for granted.

I truly am grateful for the little things. Motor bike riding in the outback, covered in mud, screaming, laughing, scared witless.

Yehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

A

Place:Production Shed Parachute

Poison: Water

Favourite Things: ear plugs

So sidestage at a festival of 30,000 am in need of earplugs. The festival is abuzz with punters who are hangin for their fav bands to fire up.

The soundchecks are happening right now, and I need earplugs already.

Spent the arvo working with the MC’s on their stunts, watching the crazy mad men get ready to rev the crowd and liased with artist support on their soundchecks and times.

Lovin it.

You need to come.

A

Place: production shed

Poison: Water

Favourite Things: bryce on skype

Its hot here during the day, even enough for me to wear shorts (oh yeah), then freezing at night begging me to find my hoodie.

This is my ode to hoodies, I have a smokey blue one. Made by abercrombie and fitch. I brought it in America in a random shopping centre, but I love it.

When it finds me, I take a deep breath and chill out under its covers. Its like a portable doona.

Who’s hearing me? who loves a hoodie in times of tiredness, stress, or chillaxin?

Grab a hoodie today, even if its 40degrees in Perth. It makes you feel good.

Smile

A

Place: the bathroom

Poison: nothing

Favourite Things: hotel rooms and trying not to wake people up…

Today I watched the state funeral of sr edmund hilary and I was completely spellbound. Maybe its because I am in kiwiland and it was the national anthem that drew me to my hotel television set, or maybe it was this hunger for purpose in my life that stopped me in my tracks to recieve from someone great.

His funeral from start to finish was breathtaking. The way people spoke of him, particuraly the Shirpa’s from Nepal who spoke about the public grief that was being expressed in Nepal right now challenged me to the core.

What will people say about me at my funeral? What truly is the essence and greatness of my lifes work? What challenge am I overcoming today, that will make someone elses tomorrow brighter.

These were the questions that were so easily answered about Sr Edmunds life.

The way he lived his life as a father, friend, adventurer, lover, philanthropist, humble kiwi. Who lived his life in the same shack he built decades ago, despite the honour, awards, books, films, knighthood and the public honour he was bestowed throughout his life.

Inspiration for me is something that captures and holds my attention…Today my attention was more than captured, it was enthralled by the life of an ordinary individual, that lived an extraordinary life.

Breathtaking

A