Author: Amanda Viviers

Place: Milkd

Poison: Long Mac

Favourite Things: my copy of tuk to the road

I have just finished reading a great book called ‘Tuk to the road’. It was a christmas present from a friend and it is a book from a blog, that followed two strong and capable women who drove from Bangkok, Thailand to Brighton, UK in a bright pink tuk tuk.

Here is the blog.

http://www.tuktotheroad.co.uk/

A tuk tuk is a motorised rickshaw and these two adventurists, did it to raise 50,000 pound for an organistaion called ‘Mind’.

Mind is an organisation that supports people who battle with mental illness and depression and something that is close to my heart the current epedemic of self harm.

Fresh from thailand, coupled with my love of random travel stories, blogs, women, my heart for those who battle with sickness of the mind…this book was just made for this travel junkie.

For those wanting some inspiration from a very random, organic source, grab a copy of this book and a coffee, find a quiet space and you wont want to put it down.

It has made me start thinking of some very random fund raising options myself.

Any suggestions I’m up for it. My 12 weeks long service leave is available as of 2009, and am now starting to plan for some options.

Happy New Year!

Amps

Place: My Office

Poison: Gingerbread biscuits

Favourite Things: our christmas production

I have recieved so many presents already for Christmas, and really honestly feel so spoilt.

The contrast of what I have seen so recently to what I am experiencing in Australia is just too great.

I am remembering the story around this photo and it truly makes me grateful for the family and life I have lived.

My little friend ‘Got’ stood at the end of their annual Christmas festival in Petchabun, middle of Thailand, sobbing as one of his carers, told me why. ‘Got’s mum was here today, he hadn’t seen her for three years, she is dying from Aids and she left the festival without saying goodbye to her son.’ I picked Got up, and walked away with him, trying to distract him, and hide the tears that rolled down my face. Just minutes later some of my friends came over, and one of them ‘BD’ picked Got up and walked him back to his villiage.

It was later that night as we sat resting after dinner that Got showed me cheekily, 20 baht that someone had given him. (to me it is less than a dollar, not even worth a cheeky grin, to a child who lives at a orphanage with many other children, it was a special treat.) So what any eight year old would do, Got screamed over to the canteen and spent his treasure on the best icecream he could find. Waltzing back over too me, and sitting on my knee, with his ‘double chocolate cornetto’, he licked his newly purchased icecream with delight.

It was only what happened next, contrasted with the backdrop of this boys day, that rendered me speechless. He went on to share his icecream with all the children around, eventually giving it over to another child. He was more excited about watching his friends, eat and share with him, than he was at getting this 20 baht note.

In reflection of my christmas’ past, I am not sure I showed as much character at 28, net alone 8 years of age.

Got, you have truly silenced me.

Cant wait to see you again. 

 

A

Place: My Office

Poison: Water

Favourite Things: 2007, thinking about the year.

My beautiful friend Rose, wrote this song for our latest Hertime Event ‘Bridget Jones- guide to ageing!’

It is so inspiring…watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua0r9lXDdwE

Rose you inspire me.

A

Place: My Office

Poison: Water (from the tap!! smile)

Favourite Things: tea cup candle from hayls

Well, Im back on the ground running and writing has not been the easiest lately, with lack of comprehensive keyboards, crashing servers and random computers in the slums of Thailand.

Back in my office with my broadband beaming, cords running out of my computer, downloading images, songs and video’s my mind and heart is in overdrive.

The words of the song written by the fray ‘I’m in over my head, she’s on my mind!’ is obviously written about love, but for me it is an anthem of what is happening in my heart and head about the people I encountered in Thailand.

The joy, the expression of life, contrasted with nothing renders me speechless.

I come home to a CHrisco emergency where families are completely freaking out because their 10 christco hampers have not arrived, and NO WAY, they received a refund! (How dare they not deliver, on all the consumeristic crap!!)

I remember the thousands of people who were so grateful to receive a bar of soap at a festival celebrating the birth of Christ.

My heart of Justice is at breaking point, as the contrast between our worlds and theirs is so vast.

I will be blogging over the next few days, so for whoever is actually left due to my inconcistency over the last few months. I will try to unpackage what is going on….

(waiting on the world to change…John Mayer)

humbled

A

 

Place: akha safehouse

Poison: water

favourite things: the beautiful akha safe house girls

today has been such a big one but so amazing in all one chaotic breath. The plans changed so often, I wasn’t sure if we were onto plan 75 or 80, however its the thailand way.

We are staying in a hotel (aptly named The S-house Hotel) right on the street which backs onto the bridge that takes you into Burma. The situation in Burma right now, makes the air feel quite tense, and safety is needed to be forthright in ours minds, but the thrill is exhilirating!!

We spent the day in traditional Akha villiages, when I get somewhere I can post photos then I will show you these amazing people. Old women dressed still in national hilltribe costumes, drying chilli’s, weaving bags, sorting out thatching for their rooves.

Life here is so much slower than at home, but so much time wasted also. But for a time nazi like me, it is so good for me, to walk up a long hill, dust covering my feet, to walk over a bridge that takes me to a waterfall and a place where I feel so removed from any form of technology and western life.

Until I see a coke van in the distance and hear the roar of a motorbike, villiage life to me is one that inspires me to break life down a little and remember how fragile it is.

Stilled

A