What a week it’s been! I’ve been enjoying the pleasure of
international road cycling here in my own country – and I’ve spent the last
week track side of the Tour Down Under celebrating the fantastic cycling talent
we’ve got here in Aus. Now before I loose all my non-cycling friends, this week
has also involved some ‘simple living’ challenges that I’ll mention, and for my
bookish friends – I’ve got some updates on reading.
My cycling hero, Cadel Evans, came in second place, only one
second behind the younger Aussie and Aussie sponsored Simon Gerrans. The
competition was tough all week, and the final decision was only made on the
very last day!
To attend the Tour Down Under I take a week off work, and
travel with my partner to our home town, Adelaide, and stay with friends and
family. I’ve had a blast staying with my friend and her beautiful 8yr daughter,
who came with me each day to the race. This made for a fun time as we waited
for the gooosh of the passing peloton. We watched hill climbs, race starts,
race finishes, and Circuits. Here’s just
some of my favourite shots.
Reading Updates
Holidays are a great time to set some big reading
goals, however this holiday was so busy that I didn’t get to first base on some
of my goals. However, I have started preparing my end of Japanese Literature
Challenge 7 post and reviews of
- the golden temple,
- mistress oriku stories from a Tokyo teahouse by matsutaro kawaguchi
My reading list for the holiday included the the izu dancer yasunari Kawabata and other stories by yasushi inoue. I am hoping to finish these before the end of January and to get the post published next weekend.
Simple living challenge Updates
My challenge this year is to
remain focused, intentional and purposeful about how to live simply so that
others may simply live. So during my weeklong break, I tried really hard to be
conscious, considered and intentional about my daily choices. I want to post
soon on my reflections recently, but for now I will simply share that this week
was a good time to start with stakeholder engagement. For me to make different
decisions about my impact on the world, I need my partners engagement. We had
some great chats this week about what this will mean for us.
Hemp and bamboo clothing sparked an intense discussion for
us when we found a shop in Handorf (South Aus) devoted to quality designer
brands of ethically made clothing. We were immediately drawn to the products
knowing that clothing made from these fabrics last longer, the materials are
mostly ethically grown and developed, and the companies that use these fabrics
make environmentally conscious decisions. So why not purchase something? Throw
in an amazing sale, so there were items at 50% normal cost – why wouldn’t you
want something? I came to the conclusion that I liked the stuff, that I wanted
something, but I didn’t need anything. My partner, on the other hand, decided
that he did need some items, and purchased long pants and long sleeve shirts
that would protect his fragile skin while he enjoys his kayaking. We agreed
that our final decisions were considered, ethical, intentional and purposeful.
Stay tuned for more updates soon...
Stay tuned for more updates soon...
4 comments:
Hi Tamara,
I was just reading that you were in Hahndorf where you talked about the hemp clothing.
My ancestors founded Hahndorf. Their names are carved on a monument in the village.
They were Germans who fled religious persecution in Prussia ( now part of Germany) and they sailed on a ship with Captain Hahn. They were so grateful to him for helping them, they named the land that they bought "Hahndorf".
Heather, that's amazing. I love those serindipitous connections. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Tamara -- first of all, I just want to thank you for your comments on my past two posts. I've been a little slow responding but they have meant a great deal.
Now -- about THIS post! Oh, how I wish I could have joined you for the Tour. Part of my bucket list is to someday see a major tour -- I've seen bike races here but all in smaller cities like mine, with local or state riders. I loved your photos -- I'm a Cadel fan, too. What a great thing to introduce a kid to, as well!
And congratulations on working toward your goals so well. I was particularly interested in your trip to the clothing store and your restraint. That must have been a little tough so four stars for that! It's good to have your partner on your side, too.
Sounds like your year if off to a great start! Hooray!
Jeanie, may be one day we'll see each other one day by the side of a race.... Tour down under is easy for us, but one day I'd like to see the Giro... it's a dream. There was a kids event at the tour down under, so our little friends got a chance to ride their bikes on the same track as their heros. it was a real buzz seeing them have so much fun - being physically active and happy.
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