Stop Kony

I first witnessed the horrors of African rebel militia in the movie Blood Diamond released in 2006 where Dia was captured and trained by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to become part of the child army. Hence it is valid when others do query, “Why him, Why Now?” in criticising the efforts of the Not-for-Profit(NFP) group Invisible Children that are using social media to raise awareness of the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the evil Joseph Kony. I do not agree with military intervention if it causes the death of many more innocent children, but I believe that the Invisible Children have made a noble mission theirs in making their films and promoting their cause.

From http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/post/18890947431/we-got-trouble, the author says, “Invisible Children has been condemned time and time again. As a registered not-for-profit, its finances are public. Last year, the organization spent $8,676,614. Only 32% went to direct services (page 6), with much of the rest going to staff salaries, travel and transport, and film production. This is far from ideal for an issue which arguably needs action and aid, not awareness, and Charity Navigator rates their accountability 2/4 stars because they lack an external audit committee. But it goes way deeper than that.”

And as an accountant that has been supportive of PwC’s Transparency awards in its effort to encourage NFPs in reporting transparently on how they spend donors’ monies and how their activities support their mission, I can only say that it is up to Invisible Children to be more diligent with their annual reporting and to use it to tell their story too, and then for those who wish to support them to read through their annual reports and make sure they agree with the group’s cause. I do personally laud their commitment to this cause for international justice.

I feel that we each need to do our part to change the world and make it a better place for our children. I personally know a spirited woman who is working very hard towards her belief that the corporate world can work hand in hand with the NFP world in the future. Watch the video that had by now gone viral on social media channels, know the facts, and make up your own mind.

http://vimeo.com/37119711




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Two weddings and a Hangover

S and I attended two really wonderful wedding receptions over the weekend. I will say I absolutely love Indian weddings! There is so much glitter and dancing and good food and drink. I woke up with Sari glitter on my face still somehow and S is till today still recovering from the weekend.

I learnt to tie my own sari and may I offer my personal opinion, this video shows the best clips on how to tie the sari and where to apply pins.

In the interest of full disclosure, I also watched How to be a good Indian girl and Martha Stewart's Living Style and do not dispute I might have gotten a fuller picture between all three videos.

This is my attempt. S really enjoyed not being in a suit and tie for once at a function.

But nothing compares to what the Bride and Groom wore. I was mostly in awe with her modern style sari which tapered along her silhouette and comes out with a mermaid tulle skirt. When she danced, the bling reflecting off her tunic was mesmerising to watch. Truly breathtakingly beautiful.

 

The other reception was held aboard The Island at Sunset and no expense was spared here either. This was the tropical do I had been preparing for and the theme flowed through the function with the endless of orchids and frangipanis as garnish and decorations



Canapes





Fresh Coconuts





Tropical Passionfruit Martinis



Lovely four poster beds draped with brightly coloured gauze and adorned with matching orchids (below)




The couple arrived in a grand entrance after all the guests did on a jet boat



The hottest Flamenco dancers started off the dance floor



A happy hangover, a broken sandal, and many drink-induced, conveniently forgotten antics to boot, marks the sad end of a beautiful weekend that joined two separate families and friends together to witness the union of one stunning couple on the start of their journey of a lifetime. Was really glad I was part of it in some way.

Out on a school night

Checking out the March into Merivale fest this year, we organized our girly outing at the French bistro- Felix. It was a place we all wanted to try out but hadn't had the right excuse for before.


Sitting in a booth behind the well lit bar we studied the price gougingly extensive wine list of mainly French wines before picking an Alsace glass of sparkling to sip on. Bread and butter was brought to the table promptly and we could not help ourselves whilst we await our companions and studied the menu of the night.






When ordering, we all beelined for the salmon choice as we were seafood lovers and were not disappointed.




Melt in your mouth king salmon with just the right amount of texture in its pan fried crispy skin. The best discovery of the night was the Italian vegetable Cavalo Nero which is a lovely bittersweet taste that complemented the fish very well.

We mostly polished off our plates. But I wanted more. I had spotted the bombe Alaska on the dessert menu before and had set my heart on trying it. Thank goodness the cinched waist of my dress was elastic.

Our bombe Alaska was cute in its presentation, but did not live up to Masterchef/ MKR expectations as they did not flambé the dessert. Nevertheless they gave the meringue a good dousing of Grand Marnier and it was a nice dish not being overpoweringly sweet and the layer of ice cream delightfully cold






I think we would not hesitate to come back the next time we visited the Ash St laneway. The place exuded charm with its little red shaded table lamps, the artdeco bar and leather seats.

It was also bustling enough for a Tuesday night meetup to not feel like it was a school night. Friday nights here might be a tad more hectic though. We almost never disbanded, so lost in the fun and laughter we were, but such an escape is exactly why we venture to the Merivales time and again.

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Love Never Dies

'twas a week ago since I watched this sequel to the Phantom with Mr. HEA. And I still have the songs in my head which is always the signs of a good musical. If you intend to watch it, then do not read on as I want to discuss elements that might ruin it for you.

But if you do not take heed or have watched it... Here goes. I liken this sequel to Superman returns and a little more. The film, like the play has it's audience divided in opinions. It takes the heroes to another dimension (no more smoke and mirrors) and gives them more mature undertones than the initial story. And the alchemy of the first one is stripped away to leave the characters with no where to hide behind, which, I must say, isn't necessarily bad.
I for one hadn't thought Christine was in Love. I thought she was enchanted and in awe of the Phantom, but that they could not be together because what they had wasn't love. And in this one, you see that they share something very raw and pure. It was fundamentally what Making Love was meant to be. No pretenses, no unnatural prettiness to hide behind, but a pouring of yourself into each other and being just essentially yourself. The Phantom was able to share his pure passion (his music) with Christine and knew she would respect it and be the instrument for showing the beauty of the Phantom to the world.

For Meg saw this from afar and wanted it so bad, sacrificed so much to want to be his voice and yet, he didn't love her and so would always hide behind his mask and never show her his true genius. She never became his muse because he didn't inspire her. Which is really a very sad part of the story.

The story is uglier (more realistic?) than the first. Perhaps because they all fell away from their glory days, and no one led a life to be proud of in the last ten years. And I think I know why. In this story, you see them slowly redeeming themselves in the second act. Each of them remembering their drive from ten years ago and finding their feet again. I realized that they all needed each other in order to become their best. Without the Phantom's competition, Raoul couldn't have an outlet for his strength. Without Christine's beauty and song, Meg would keep continuing her futile quest of grandeur. Without the Phantom's music, Christine couldn't be the Diva or perform her best. And I already said, he needed her to be his voice and inspiration for his genius.

It is a story about a love's journey beyond the passion but about the responsibilities of life and the "what happens after this?" I did find it engaging because I eagerly wonder what marriage should be like from here onwards. Of course we do not propose that our lives be as interesting or as full of drama. Yet, the responsibility of having a child that is all you but better is an alluring mystique that I am moving closer towards and would want to explore more of in future days. In this way, I am slowly understanding the concept of why Love Never Dies. How so many women in stories have one great love and then are able to find the strength to continue life without the man in their lives, just tending to their offspring.

I ramble. All you need to know is to look with your heart when watching this play. Not with your eyes and you shall find the beauty within.



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Miserable weather in Sydney

If you need a reminder that Summer was officially over, someone above has been kind enough to shower us with muggy pissy rain.

You know what would make this all better? The Manicare sale at Priceline helps a little, allowing me to splurge on a kabuki brush, and stock up on Taylor eyelashes and GlamNail foils for these two receptions I am attending this weekend.

But what I really really want *cue Spice Girls music*













Am sure these wellies from http://www.wellies.com.au/ will really brighten up the days around here.


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