Lessons Learnt Pre Departure

There are a few things I have learnt in the past few weeks leading up to going away.
1 – Organise any live vaccinations earlier than 10 days prior to departure, just in case your eyes strangely swell up.
2 – Make sure you take a few days off work to give you time to do the necessary things for your trip, the things I will now have to frantically squeeze in the day before I fly out.
3 – There are going to be some people that either won't support what you are doing, don't understand what you are doing or just don't believe in you. If these people are your friends – try to ignore them.
4 – I have learnt just how many people think I am a weak, young, naïve blonde girl that won't be able to 'handle' the things I will be doing – Give me some credit, because I assure you, I can deal with a lot more than you think I can.
5 – Making friends with some of the people I will be going away with is the best decision I have made. Thank god for social networking and its ability to ease pre-departure nerves.
6 – You can do anything you put your mind to. Even if it means working 2 jobs, whilst paying rent and studying full time, just to go out and do something you are truly passionate about.
7 - I'm going to miss my puppy, so much.

Most of all, I have realised how many amazing people I have in my life who have fully supported my decisions and have gone above and beyond to help me prepare.
My dear friends who have:
Lent me money for vaccinations, bought me a backpack, put up with my confused unorganised shopping trips, helped me sell chocolates and given me endless amounts of advise and encouragement. Thank you UWS for kindly sponsoring me with $500 towards my trip, and thank you Mum for not freaking out too much.

While I am in Ecuador I will try to blog at least once a week on what I am up to. Thanks for the UWS media crew for getting a write up about my trip in the local (yes, I looked like a complete nerd.) But they have said they will help spread my blog around while I am away, so thank you!

These are just a couple of things planned after what is bound to be a tiring 30+ hour transit to Quito.
First night/day spent at an amazing hostel called The Secret Garden, that grows all of the herbs and vegetables that go into their meals. They have a roaring fire and musical performances every night out on the terrace balcony that overlooks the historic part of Quito. Not bad for about $8 a night!
Living amongst the monkeys in Misahualli for around 6 days, brushing up on Spanish and learning how to Salsa Dance.
Staying nearby a small indigenous village deep in the Amazon, where we will be working daily on several different projects and surely making life-long friends.
Doing some exciting things in the rainforest like white water rafting and being shown just a portion of the thousands of species of flora and fauna by a local guide and biologist.
Celebrating the birthday of a new found friend from Manchester by exploring the Ecuadorian night life, and sampling some of the national foods like Cuy (guinea pig) and Bulls penis soup.
Hiking the Andes Mountains where we will bungee jump, go horse riding, shop in the local markets and soak in the volcanic hot springs of Banos. As I said... only a couple of many things.

Again, thank you so much to my friends. You have kept me sane through all of my budgeting, fears, freakouts and are the reason I am now all set to fly out on Sunday (well, kind of all set)

I can't wait to share some of the unique stories and brilliant photos that will come from this amazing part of the world with all of you.

Claire xox

The Lungs of the Planet

I sat down tonight with a cup of tea, planning on writing a list of things I wanted to do or achieve before the age of 30.

The first thing on my list... Don't die in Ecuador.
The second thing on my list... Spot the following animals in the Amazon: A SLOTH (which I'm most excited about), an anaconda, a manatee, a pink river dolphin, different kinds of macaws, toucans, giant anteaters and a fully grown goliath bird eating spider (yes, only ONE)!
From there, naturally, I got a little sidetracked.
I was SO excited for my upcoming trip so begun to look up what other animals dwelled in the beautiful Amazonian tree tops and river banks. I then stumbled across the 'Pirarucu fish', a giant 10ft long, 440 pound fish dating back to the Jurassic period 200 million years ago, How AMAZING!

I kept reading...

The pink river dolphins – on the verge of extinction!?? Hyacinth Macaws – threatened species due to illegal bird trade and deforestation.
The Three-toed Sloth – endangered due to rapid deforestation (my heart sunk)
Jaguars – Endangered because of deforestation and being hunted for fur.
Golden Lion Tamarin Monkeys - These tiny little monkeys are endangered too!!

By this stage I was getting a little upset, but don't get me wrong, I am not totally naive to deforestation. I know it exists, I know to what extent it exists, but I have never looked into it on this level. I begun to think – when I am trecking through the Amazon, it might be the ONLY opportunity I will ever get to see these amazing animals. Or even worse, if I ever have the pleasure of returning, will it be unrecognisable?

The Amazon currently stands as the worlds largest remaining natural resource, yet the World Wildlife Fund states that if deforestation continues, it will only be 15 to 25 years until the state of the Amazon will reach a point of no return and recovery will be impossible.

It is commonly known as the “Lungs of the Planet” due to it providing a massive 20% of the worlds oxygen, there is something so spectacular about knowing every 5^th breath we take is a gift from the Amazon. It is because of this that we must take greater measures to protect this amazing source of life.

In 2007, Greenpeace in conjunction with other non-profit organisations released a plan to stop the deforestation of the rainforest completely by the year 2015. This proposal was put forth and partially agreed to by the Brazilian government, as Brazil are the main contributors this would substantially decrease deforestation of the Amazon. Although deforestation dramatically dropped by 42% in 2009, in 2010 there was still 6,451 square kms of deforestation in Brazil alone. (Data taken from INPE) However, Brazil is on course to cut deforestation by 80% in 2020...

....We can only hope.

The Amazon Rainforest is a wonderland of biodiversity and the thought of it makes me heart flutter. Many people love to holiday by the sea or see the sights of a foreign city, but I have always been magnetised to the beauty of the rainforest. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm not a dreamer, or that I know a decent amount about the topic, because all I TRULY know is that this is one part of the world that we MUST respect and treasure. From the unbelievable amount of stunning flora and fauna, to the untouched Amazonian tribes. This spiritual, pure place, alive with the sights and sounds of nature in it's most condense form needs to be protected.

Just have a think about where your beautiful mahogany furniture is coming from, and at what cost. Or where your meat is raised.
Just think.

So.... my list of things to do before I'm 30 turned into this, a tree-hugging hippy rant amount the Amazon. Although it added one more thing to my list.

30 things to do before I'm 30
1. Don't die in Ecuador
2. See said animals in the Amazon
3. Do everything in my power to save the Amazon Rainforest, one tree at a time.
...List to be continued.

A tiny tree hopper in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest has lived there for millions of years. To the tree hopper, who can only see as far as the next tree, is blissfully unaware of the threat of man closing in around him.

Food for thought.

It is such a long time since I have blogged, BUT I'm sure nobody at all noticed (seeming as though I'm probably the only one that reads my blog). I will commence my second attempt at being a blogger, and vow to write AT LEAST one blog every fortnight.

Today, I would like to showcase four of my favorite places to eat in Penrith, they might not be Michelin star worthy, but they are places that I absolutely adore, each for a different and unique reason.

If you want to dine out Penrith, maybe try one of these before heading to a mediocre steakhouse or KFC.

-Claire

Mamre Homestead Tea Rooms
Lot 1 Mamre Road, St Marys 2760

Mamre Homestead, built in the 1820's on land owned by Rev. Samuel Marsden, is now known for its beautiful rose gardens, historic setting, spiritual feel and home style restaurant.

Sister Mary-Louise Petro who works at Mamre Homestead, taught my Mum in 1979. She is also the founder of The Mamre Project, a Sudanese refugee program which includes teaching English literacy, vocational training, driver safety and helping Sudanese families with the difficult task of adapting to life in Australia. There is a large number of Sudanese refugees currently residing in St Marys, so it is extremely comforting to know that such a wonderful program in place.

As well as the fantastic work that these wonderful people do for the community, it is by far my favorite place to chill out when I need some quiet time. There is nothing better than having somewhere to have a cup of devonshire tea and scones with jam and cream as good as my Nanny makes them. In the winter you can sit by a log fire and read a book, and in summer sit on the balcony which overlooks the stunning gardens and watch horses gallop past.

This place has delicious food, amazing tea and coffee, friendly staff, beautiful landscape and most importantly, it has a lot of soul. Best of all, this little treasure is only a 5 minute drive away.

Taj of the Valley
419 High Street, Penrith 2750

Taj of the Valley is one of many Indian restaurants located on the main street in Penrith. What sets them apart? As soon as you step foot in the beautifully decorated, deliciously aromatic doors of Taj of the Valley, you are greeted by some of the most well mannered waitresses I have ever had the pleasure of being served by. This family run restaurant has a modern authentic feel which forces me to dine in, instead of taking away and saving 20%.

The sad thing is that this little gem is virtually deserted, even on a Saturday night, I have rarely seen more than 3 tables of 4 sat at a time. Regardless of their lack of business, their ingredients are always fresh and of good quality, and their vindaloo is as spicy as hell – just the way I like it.

Bai Bua
20 Woodriff Street, Penrith 2750

I am a frequent diner of Bai Bua, and have never had bad service or a below par meal. Physically, it has everything that you could possibly want from a fantastic Thai restaurant, tacky over the top décor including strings of coloured lights framing the windows, and an over sized Buddha sitting in the middle of a fountain surrounded by plastic palm leaves. I'm not going to even bother trying to name my favorite dish, everything I have eaten, from curry's to stir fry's, soups to deserts, I have fallen head over heals in love with.

Luciano's Italian Restaurant
3 Tindale Street, Penrith 2750

I often get HUGE boscaiola cravings, and it was this that drove me to Penrith on a public holiday, in the pouring rain, in search of some good pasta. That is how I stumbled off a street in Penrith, and walked right into a quaint and rustic restaurant in Italy. So, I have never been to Italy, but when I was greeted by the owners huge grin and an enthusiastic “salve” (which I could only assume meant hello) I felt a million miles away from Penrith. Maybe I got just a little bit too excited about this place, but everything about it plastered a huge smile on my face.
Then, I sat down and savored every last bite of my fettuccine boscaiola as the rain poured outside. It was absolutely delicious. Bellissimo!

The Motivations of Donations.

I work in the heart of Penrith, and like all jobs, it has its ups and downs. One of the many ups is being involved in the projects run by my place of employment, which aim to improve the lives of the underprivilaged. Our company has its own foundation, which supports a small village in Uganda called Manya. Manya was deemed 'mission impossible', striken with poverty and HIV. But now, thanks to the Foundation which raises money through the proceeds of its $2 charity bags and bottles of water, it is able to fund health, education, infrastructure and sustainability within the village.

Working in Penrith has allowed me to conduct an inadvertent participant observation of sorts, of people's responses and attitudes towards charitable donations. Although these attitudes vastly differ, patterns emerged through the observation of thousands of customers over many months, and through this, I was able to identify the motivations behind why they chose to donate. Such motivations became apparent when observing the difference between the responses elicited from customers when they are told that their donations would be going to a New Zealand Earthquake relief fund, and when they are told that their donations would be going to an underprivileged African village. Another interesting observation is how many people were more willing to purchase one of our charity items when with a group of people than those who went shopping on their own. This may not be typical of just “Penrith-ites”, yet this is definitely the 'subculture' I will be speaking of from extensive first hand experience. I am aware that the following may mirror attitudes of certain people from any part of Sydney, or any part of Australia for that matter. Yet this is simply an observation of many individuals I come into contact with on a regular basis.

I have heard everything there is to hear in response to the question “would you like to pop your clothes into a reusable bag or grab a cold bottle of water, they're only $2 and all proceeds go to helping the African village of Manya.” Some days are more discouraging than others. Some days I feel as though I should stop asking due to the high percentage of customers who repond with one of the following statements:

“Nah I've got plenty of bags.”
“Not really thirsty hey, I'll pass.”
“If I start doing that I'll go broke.”
“Don't you have any free bags?”
“I AM a charity.”
“I'll just pop it in my handbag.”
“I'll just carry my stuff, the cars not far away.”
Or most frustrating of all, is when all I receive is a blank, unresponsive glare.

Most recently, I had a customer ask me the specific details of where the proceeds would be going. I told her “the village of Manya which is in Uganda,” to which she reponded, “I haven't heard of that place, you sure you's aren't just making it up,” and finished with a snide giggle. I took a deep breath, packed her 7 items into a plastic bag, handed them to her, and through clenched teeth told her to have a lovely day. This exemplifies the unwillingness of some people to donate to a charity if they are blissfully unaware of the state of the world outside of their own sphere of ignorance.

In saying this, there are many people who enthusiastically agree, whether it is because they wish to support the charity, or just think the bag is nice. I concluded that most of the time when there was a direct verbal response to the charity such as, “that's a great cause to support,” or, “anything for the children”, the buyer was either with a friend or in a group. This may be due to the buyer's need to publicly broadcast their 'good deed', or through clear exhibitionism, portray themselves as having acute social awareness.

When an earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, on 3 September 2010, my employer decided that for an entire week, all of the proceeds from the sale of charity items would go towards a New Zealand earthquake relief fund. In that one week, I saw the attitudes of the customers change dramatically. They would pick the bags or bottles of water up with a smile and say:

“Oh that's great I'll definitely help out.”
“We have to take care of our neighbours.”
“I've been following this on the news, isn't it terrible!”
Yet, of course, we still had the occasional “No.”

What changed? I can only conclude that because the proceeds were going towards a cause that people were being exposed to via media sources and the victims were much like themselves, people were more inclined to help. Media coverage showed dramatic scenes of a natural disaster in a neighbouring country not to disimiliar to our own, therefore it instantly warrents more attention than the anonymous child that dies in Africa every 3 seconds. Whether that is due to the 'Australian ideals' of 'mateship' and the 'Anzac Spirit' which seemingly shapes our national identity, or merely the shocking images of Christchurch in ruins, people were much more motivated by this cause.

It is unfair to say that the negative interactions that I have had are symptomatic of a wider attitude that exists in the Western Sydney community, yet there is a clear disinterest for charity from certain members of this community towards less news worthy and less photogenic causes. One merely has to drive through many new housing developments across the region to see the selfishness of many people embedded in their oversized houses and oversized cars, as they sit back and consume our resources with little regard for anything outside of themselves. Yet I stress to all who are reading this, this is not the face of Western Sydney, just that of those who give it a bad name. I have been heartened by the generocity of many and their genuine concern for the same causes that I myself are passionate about. Afterall, if it wasn't for such people, the Foundation that works towards the funding of health, education, infrastructure and sustainability within Manya, would not be the success that it is today.

Unexpected Colour

Today I went for a 5 minute walk around the neighborhood with my camera in hand, in search of something that grabbed my attention enough to write about. What I did find, however, was a new outlook. Definitely not what I was looking for.

Despite its appearance, this is not a blog post aiming to showcase the common decrepit sights of the streets. It is to emphasise the adaptability of nature, seen scattered throughout the suburbs yet rarely noticed. It is commonly out of focus, surrounding man-made clutter, entangled with dangling power lines, growing beneath concealed graffiti and attempting to hide useless junk left beside the road for council pick-up. Proving, that one can find the beauty and complexity of nature absolutely anywhere, even if it seems somewhat overshadowed. So next time something ghastly makes its way into view, search for something beautiful, it is there waiting to be discovered.

Claire.

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises."
Pedro Calderon de la Barca

To Whom It May Concern.

Welcome to ‘West of Centre’, a blog that encapsulates the essence of life in the Western Suburbs of Sydney.

I have called the Penrith area ‘home’ for the entire 21 years of my life. Anybody who shares such a pleasure/misery/indifference, would understand that during such time, we have become desensitised to an enormous range of miscellaneous sights, sounds, tastes and smells. From the typical ‘lad’ hanging out in the Plaza, to the ‘mysterious’ stench that resided in St Marys long enough to make the news. From the many shady Kebab shops scattered along High Street, to some of my most treasured cafes and restaurants hidden amongst the rough. The one thing that many ‘outsiders’ don’t understand, is Penrith is definitely not without its charm. The one thing it is not, is pretentious.

Every week I will touch on one of the many ‘unique’ everyday elements typical of the Western Suburbs, whether it be something I did, heard, saw, ate or photographed. One thing that you can be sure of, I will address the typical ‘riff’ stereotypes, either to support or contest them… or maybe even just show them in an interesting new light.

Claire