Tag: Survival

Eclectic Corner: Edge

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The scariest edge I have been on is in the Taihang Mountains in Central China. We were visiting the Guoliang Tunnel—hand made over  5 years by 13 men to connect the village of Guoliang to the outside world. Prior to this they were living on the edge with only a sky ladder to physically take every thing up.  The tunnel itself is described as one of the scariest roads in the world and the video shows why. You can see the edge at every twist and turn.

 

 

China 1-9-13 G Tunnel 210

http://eclecticoddsnsods.com/2015/04/07/eclectic-corner-9-edge/

 

 

I – Inukshuk #A – Z Challenge

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An inukshuk is a human-shaped man-made stone landmark built by the Inuit people of the Artic region. Traditionally they are built to assure the newcomer to the area that they are on the right path and point to good local hunting places or other food sources.

Inukshuks are made by using whatever rocks or stones are around and balancing them on top of each other in the traditional shape of a human with one arm longer and pointing in the direction  needed.

All inukshuks are unique.

Last month my husband and I were surprised to find an inukshuk made in the creek at Minyon Falls. He was special and brought a smile to our faces as we remembered our recent trip to Canada.

IMG_2432

#A-Z Challenge

 

Mistakes

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Write an entire post without using three-letter words.

Everyone makes mistakes. These mistakes teach us lessons about ourselves that allow us to grow.  Think of these lessons as gifts from life. Some people find keeping a list of lessons learnt helpful. They’re a visible reminder that helps keep us focused on moving forward to reach goals.

Edison failed 10,000 times before he invented a light globe. He doesn’t describe these attempts as failures however as 10,000 ways they don’t work.

By re-framing your words, it is possible to change your thinking. Life is full of lessons—we choose at what speed we acknowledge them. Remember they help us to develop personally as well as professionally.

Do not be afraid to take a risk. Take on challenges, learn by your mistakes adding to your repertoire of things known.

***

I found this challenge tricky. I noticed that it changed my voice considerably because my style is made up of small words—mainly with three letters. It certainly made me think which took me from my comfort zone—teaching me some lessons as I went.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/three-letter-words/

Life Changing

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Write about anything you’d like, but make sure the post includes this sentence:

“I thought we’d never come back from that one.”

It was 10.27 am on 28th December, 1989. Suddenly I was woken from my night duty slumber by my house shaking violently. I didn’t know what was happening, although the realisation quickly hit—Newcastle had been hit by an 5.6 magnitude earthquake—I thought we’d never come back from that one.

But Newcastle and I both have. See more detail in my earlier post here.

The following week changed my life forever. Not only did my beloved city look like a war zone but, I got engaged—it definitely was a new decade and new life for me. On one hand there was the destruction including my house and on the other hand their was the excitement of what a new life had to offer.

The lessons I learnt working in mental health in Newcastle during this tragic time have never left me—13 people died and most of the city was effected. I learnt anything can happen to anyone at anytime. It’s how you handle it that makes the long-term difference. I know with support I can and will get through anything and when I need to I follow St Francis of Assis’s advice.

St Francis of Assisi quote

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/use-it-or-lose-it/

Survival Foods

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You’ve being exiled to a private island, and your captors will only supply you with five foods. What do you pick?

As I am on a private island, I am assuming it is worth buying otherwise it wouldn’t be private. So my island is supplemented with tropical fruit and other items I can use at my leisure. I am also assuming that my captures are delivering me raw foods that I need to cook for myself or possibly them as well.

After serious consideration my five foods are:

  1. Flour – This I could cook over an open fire and turn it into damper, pizza base, pancakes, tortillas or a cake.
  2. Eggs – They too are versatile and can be used in various forms.
  3. Cheese – I love cheese in all its forms—especially vintage cheddar and feta.
  4. Greek yoghurt – I use this in many ways. Both as a sweet and savoury additive for meals and to cook in.
  5. Vegemite – Being an Australian I couldn’t be without this Aussie favourite. Full of vitamin B, it would help keep me well while awaiting my rescue. It may also save my food from being stolen, as anyone who isn’t Australian struggles to eat it.

Vegemite

 

While I am waiting for rescue, I will write a recipe book on the ways I find to use my 5 foods in combination with the foods I find on and around the island. The exciting thing is cooking will turn into a pleasure again as I have nothing but time to think about what i will make for each meal.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/five-a-day/

Lessons From My Teachers

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Tell us about a teacher who had a real impact on your life, either for the better or the worse. How is your life different today because of him or her?

Teachers are about education. And from my experience good and bad teachers teach you skills, even if it wasn’t what they set out to teach you. My school years were the late sixties and seventies—a different era. Most of my teachers taught me well and used skills that I consider imperative today when interacting with or teaching my patients.

  • Caring
  • Confidence
  • Consistency
  • Good Communication
  • Honesty
  • Individuality
  • Kindness
  • Listening Skills
  • Non-judgmental
  • Patience
  • Respect
  • Self-Belief
  • Transparency

In 5th class however, my teacher was the opposite. He made my life so difficult. He picked on me, made me the laughing stock of the class and criticised everything I did. This lead to poorer marks that meant my grading in high school was lower than it should have been. Despite this I worked my way back up and the gifts I gained from him are RESILIENCE and a never say never attitude. All of these skills and qualities combine to make me the person I am today. It is all part of the patchwork quilt of my life.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/teachers-pet/

Fire Beware

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Your home is on fire. Grab five items (assume all people and animals are safe). What did you grab?

In the Sydney bush fires of 1994 I had to do consider this in real life. All main highways into Sydney were cut off by bush fires and we lived on the northern end of the city. We overlooked a major bush gully that hadn’t had a bush fire through in 30 years so officials were very worried about what would happen if it caught alight.

My life has changed greatly since 1994 so what I would pack today is different to what I packed them although core items are the same. In 2015 my choices are:

  1. Formal documents that are difficult/unable to be replaced including passports, insurances, special awards, medical information.
  2. Camera bag which includes the USB’s of digital photos.
  3. My handbag which contains mobile phone, wallet, keys and other everyday essentials.
  4. My prepacked overnight bag containing a change of clothes, toiletries and sleeping device to make a difficult situation easier.
  5. My laptop and associated hard drives which hopefully will give me access to everything I want.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/burning-down-the-house/

Working The Soil

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Write down the first words that comes to mind when we say . . .

. . . home.

. . . soil.

. . . rain.

Use those words in the title of your post.

I have lived in many homes with poor to medium quality soil. And while rain makes things grow it is not the only element required. Without care and nutrients, the soil is not fertilised and plants don’t grow. When we have live in  the property long enough, we are usually able to work the soil adding mulch, worms, fertiliser, nutrients and better quality soil, to make the original soil grow plants.

The other option with poor soil is to change the type of plants required. When we lived in country New South Wales, the soil held a lot of salt, so we needed to plant salt-resistant plants—Australian natives—there was no choice. Everything else would die. They also don’t need a lot of rain, which is another problem out west. However, as there are many Australian natives to choose from, outsiders never knew there was a problem with the soil. All the gardens looked beautiful, despite the problems.

When we aren’t happy with the soil of our life or home—we have options.

  • Adapt
  • Change
  • Work

Whatever we choose—nothing will improve, if we choose to do nothing.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/free-association/

Halifax Explosion

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As it’s been a while since our last free-write… set a timer for ten minutes. Write without pause (and no edits!) until you’re out of time.

On 6th December, 1917, the Norwegian ship IMO collided with the French monitions ship Mont Blanc starting a fire on the Mont Blanc. At 9.05 am the 2,653,115 kg of explosives detonated, setting off a tsunami and killing 1900 people. It also injured or left thousands more homeless.  It was the most powerful, non-atomic, man-made blast in history. The damage covered a massive area and affected 80% of the population.

In acknowledgment of the 97th anniversary of the explosion last Saturday, the Halifax ran memorial ceremonies throughout the city. We attended the one on the harbour. At 9.05 a canyon sounded from the Citadel signalling all the boats on the harbour to begin ringing their bells and blowing their horns. It was inspiring. We were at the Acadia, the only ship still on the harbour that was on the harbour back in 1917.

I was humbled to be a part of remembering an important part of Halifax’s history.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/ready-set-done-7/

Following Your Gut

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When’s the last time you followed your instinct despite not being sure it was the right thing to do? Did it end up being the right call?

I cannot tell you when I started relying on my gut. It is what I do. I am naturally intuitive and regularly just know things before they happen. My family has learnt to go with it, even though it often seems strange.

Over the years, I have chosen to hone this skill. I can’t tell you how I started but if you are interested,begin by learning to listen to your thoughts and instincts. Don’t judge. Some gut instincts will seem far-fetched at first. The more you trust yourself however, the more you can go with them.

I use my gut instinct in my counselling. It is surprising how often even the most outrageous statement is exactly on point and what the person needs to hear. Although I may not have known all the facts when, by following my gut, I have been able to respond in the right way.

Listen and its amazing what you can hear.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/gut-feeling/