I came across this guide from Mike Sowden on Fevered Mutterings about Story Telling Everything. I really enjoyed it and thought others might find it useful. Mike’s free guide is here
His humour is great, with just the right mix of vulnerability and self-disclosure. Let’s hope he is not suffering from too much hillside exposure right now. His storytelling resources are great, find them at this page.
My own travel image, a street that I used to know, in Durban, South Africa.
Bonus (optional): show us your itinerary by embedding a Google Map into your post!
I have a short term plan to move to Cape Town from Durban and engage in a three-year study period. None of this is final yet and I am still in the early stages of planning a radical life-shift. I am hoping that I will be able to add to the body of knowledge in South Africa around the lived experience of people who have known trauma and how they can benefit from coaching in mindfulness and making meaning or unfolding meaning. The study would take three years. I have not yet been accepted to the universities I have applied to, so right now there is a wait. I would also need funding and that is also up in the air. So in many real senses I am in a corridor phase of my life. Looking for a way to actualise my own purpose and meaning, by helping others.
In order to get there with money being no object, I would go on the thirteen day Durban to Cape Town trip via Lesotho. The map below shows the direct route so that you can get an idea of the distance. However, the tour would follow a rather different route. This tour would be through African Budget Safaris. An overview of the journey is included below and you could visit African Safaris at the link above to get an idea of the trip details.
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Knysna Waterfront
Cango Caves
Cape Town Montage
Image
What do you find more unbearable: watching a video of yourself, or listening to a recording of your voice? Why?
I have overcome any reticence about viewing or talking. Having developed online training courses and viewed video of myself during social science research, I overcame the feelings of discomfort. If I were to choose one, it would be video. I would probably need in the future to develop videos for training. I think this will take a lot of practice to get it right, since there will be many challenges, including my body language, confidence and the technicalities of setting up video inexpensively. I still need to do a lot of research in this area.
Here is an intro video I created without talking/voice:
See my website here for more information around mindfulness and Stress Reduction: Meaning and Mindfulness
You can create a powerpoint and save it as a video, then add music/sound and manage the speed of the slide transitions. You can use Windows Movie Maker to do this.
Since many are marking their country’s “birthday” in the US today, we wanted to ask: How do you celebrate yours? Are you all for a big bash, or more of a low-key birthday boy/girl?
I keep my birthdays low key. I seldom feel like celebrating them. It is more important for me to spend time with my daughters if I can. They are now spread around the country. My last birthday was spent having tea and scones at the Botanic Gardens, they offer the best scones in Durban. I visited the Orchid House, which I love. I also include pictures of the hanging gardens, which elicits bitter sweet memories, sitting beneath the vines.
On my last birthday my daughter and I had an argument. I wanted to take a photograph of us together at the Orchid House. She didn’t want a photo to be taken.
That’s how it goes. Life in not perfect. I include the pictures I took, on a cool overcast day. Keeping it simple is best for me. Images courtesy of Carol Knox.
I like this quote:
“The older I get, the better I understand that every day is a gift.” ~ Joel Osteen.
Orchid House 2
Hanging Garden 2
Hanging Garden
S’mores, salty ocean breezes, veggie burgers on the grill, sweaty people on the bus — what’s the smell you associate the most with summer?
The first flowers in Spring are the Jasmine. My favourite scents of Summer would have to be Roses, Lavender, and Magnolia.
Best of all is petrichor, the scent of rain, or the scent in the air of an oncoming storm. I so love the dulcet tones of the Summer frogs and crickets. Researchers have shown that those who are sensitive to smell, can actually smell a storm coming:
“Before the rain begins, one of the first odors you may notice as winds pick up and clouds roll in is a sweet, pungent zing in your nostrils. That’s the sharp, fresh aroma of ozone—a form of oxygen whose name comes from the Greek word ozein (to smell).” From Scientific American – Storm Scents, It”s True, You Can Smell Oncoming Summer Rain.
For the rest, Summers in Durban, South Africa, are actually too hot for me, so my best Seasons are Autumn and Spring.
“Petrichor is the scent of rain on dry earth, or the scent of dust after rain. The word is constructed from Greek, petros, meaning ‘stone’ + ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology. It is defined as “the distinctive scent which accompanies the first rain after a long warm dry spell.”
In an article written by Samora Chapman today, he records with photographs, a crisis in the streets of Durban, South Africa.
“We’re in the midst of a crisis. Last night I witnessed a mob nearly murder a man in the street. I then wandered across the city in the half darkness and found that the same mob had swept across town in a fit of rage… beating scores of people with knobkerries, bricks and hockey sticks. The source of the madness? Whoonga Park. And it’s burning to the ground. Here’s how…”
To read more go to Mahala
