In New Zealand there are 270,000 children living in poverty. Photo: from Panel No. 7 of Brett Whiteley’s ‘The American Dream’.
By Juliet Bonnay, on June 3rd, 2013
Compassion is our source of nonviolent social transformation.~ James W. Douglass
The impact on mental health of living for years in war-torn homes of domestic violence, and/or being subjected to sexual abuse, physical abuse, or neglect, can be just as damaging, if not more so, than engaging in combat or being a prisoner of war. The ignorance and lack of understanding of this, both in governments and the general population, not only further negatively impacts the mental and physical health and well-being of those caught in the trap of such violence, but continues to exacerbate our most pressing social problems, including but not limited to, substance abuse, teenage pregnancies, teenage suicides, juvenile delinquency, criminal violence, welfare dependency, and child poverty.
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Ramsay Flies into Paradise for a First Class Meal
May 6th, 2013
When Gordon Ramsay recently surprised staff at Te Whau Vineyard Restaurant on Waiheke Island with a request for a late lunch for his party of five, everyone went into a panic. Restaurant owner Tony Forsyth didn’t believe his wife, Moira, when she interrupted his day off with the news.
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Cooking for Ramsay was Chef’s Dream Come True
May 04, 2013
When Sophie Cannon, acting head-chef at Te Whau Vineyard Restaurant, was told that she would be cooking for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, a dream collided with reality. She shook with great excitement until tears came to her eyes. To cook for Ramsay had been Sophie’s dream for years. In fact, it was on her bucket list.
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Update on Richard Bach’s Recovery
March 28, 2013
It looks like Richard has cleared many hurdles with flying colors and I am sure so many people’s good wishes have also helped him to rebuild himself as-good-as-new. Richard’s son, Rob, has let me know that he has “found new ways to operate the old Self: what Nature took away, she replaced with new tools for him to look at the world.”
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Headland Sculptures for 2013
February 17, 2013
Gregor Kregar’s Pavilion Structure, winning entry in this year’s Waiheke Headland Sculpture Exhibition, would be a fitting permanent fixture on the Matiatia headland. I could visualise walking with children to admire the stunning views over Matiatia Bay and the Hauraki Gulf, and having a picnic lunch and sitting and watching the boats go by…
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Waiheke Headland Sculpture Walk
January 24, 2013
The 2013 Headland Sculpture Walk celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. “A home grown art scene beckons” was the sub-heading alongside Waiheke’s rating at 35 in the “New York Times” article “The 46 Places to Go in 2013.” And the coastal scenery and views across the Hauraki Gulf encourage you to feel happy to be alive on this slow-paced island where there are no traffic lights.
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Waiheke Twilight Rambles
January 06, 2013
Explore and discover Waiheke Island’s beauty and get fit in the process. Join the annual Waiheke Forest & Bird’s twilight rambles each Tuesday during January, 2013, beginning on Tuesday 8th. Each ramble begins at 6 p.m. and ends around 8 p.m. with a sausage sizzle. The free rambles are generously funded by the Waiheke Local Board and are open to everyone.
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Love is the Missing Foundation of Education
December 14, 2012
As the tail of non-achievement in education steadily grows in New Zealand despite all the theories put forward about what we need to do about it, one thing has been consistently overlooked: Education needs to have a foundation of love.
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Living On Molesworth Station
August 09, 2011 (Updated on December 22, 2012 with new photos)
Molesworth Station is New Zealand’s largest farm (180,476 hectares). It’s startling moonscape-like landscape lies west of the Inland Kaikoura Ranges and offers a striking contrast to the lush green landscape normally associated with New Zealand. Experience the awe-inspiring scenery and vast emptiness of Molesworth while it is open to the public from December 28, 2012 until April 13, 2013.
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Make Mistakes. Lots of Them! And Learn.
December 14, 2012
Perhaps I will mostly be remembered by my students as that ‘crazy’ teacher who used to say, “I want you to make lots of mistakes.” I could always feel myself grinning inside each time I saw their astonished faces.
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Don’t Let the ‘Wool be Pulled’ Over Your Eyes in This Election
November 06, 2012
Lies, prejudice, ignorance, insipid reporting, and an overly dominant focus on the economy are the hallmarks of this American presidential election. The desperate nature of this contest tells me that much more is as stake than meets the eye.
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Misogyny: Hatred, Entrenched Prejudice, Or Both?
October 29, 2012
Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, made a riveting speech in parliament about sexism and misogyny and double standards. It was a riveting speech because it came from a fire in her belly that finally said, on behalf of all women, “We have had enough of this demeaning behavior.”
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Waiheke Walking Festival
October 25, 2012
The Waiheke Walking Festival, now going into its third season as a nine-day event, this month won the Event category in the Outdoors Awards, hosted by Outdoors New Zealand. This year the festival includes 40 walks to cater for about 2,500 walkers and runs from October 27 – November 4. Waiheke Island is just 40 minutes by ferry from Auckland city…
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A Tribute to Richard Bach
September 14, 2012
Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, is recovering in hospital from a serious head injury after his small amphibian plane he affectionately calls Puff, crashed when its landing gear clipped wires while attempting to land on a grass runway at San Juan Island. See Update on Richard Bach’s Recovery: March 28, 2013
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Staying Young
August 15, 2012
I’m staying young at heart, of mind, and body. No facelift or dyed hair for me. Instead there is an image in my mind of an 82-year-old woman riding a horse.
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Are Free Contraceptives Really the Answer?
May 13, 2012
As New Zealand’s welfare bashing continues over the Government’s proposal to offer free contraception to female welfare beneficiaries, political hopeful Colin Craig has stuck his boots into New Zealand’s ‘promiscuous’ women by opposing such a move.
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Depression Has A Safety Net
February 07, 2012
Whenever negative thoughts send me spiralling down towards depression, I ask myself, “What can I appreciate about this day in my life?”
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