Floating Market

Floating Market: "It’s worth the experience to go. It provides great photo opportunities. It’s also a unique vibe as you experience the scramble of energy with locals and tourists bidding for hot snacks being cooked off the gondolas, ice-cream vendors offering variations of a cold delicious treat (highly recommended) to stave off the humid tropical heat and negoti"

The Global Butterfly

It's been so long since using this blog..

The last 4 months have been full with creating a new life design.

You can now follow my adventures forward at:

www.TheGlobalButterfly.com

Raised Bed Vegetable Garden

I've been back in my home town of Perth, Western Australia for less than three weeks and my usual 'dizzy spin' after traveling struck me again.

To get me 'grounded' and feeling focused, I decided to set up my own raised bed vegetable garden to grow my own organic vegetables.

I also set up two pots just for herbs... and getting a little carried away with my intention I also set up additional pots for tomatoes, peas, beans and eggplant!

There is something very therapeutic and even spiritual about spending that time in nature, focused on Mother Earth and handling so much 'greenery' and soil. It's very grounding, literally.

I was also lost in my world of metaphors while enjoying my time in the sunshine building the raised bed vegetable garden (which took me almost 6 hours!)... it reminded me of the power of FOCUS and COMPLETION.... and along with that the satisfaction of achievement and empowering the soul of what is possible. 

I'm not naturally a 'green thumb'. And I had very little previous experience to know what to do. 

So I spent the better part of almost three days planning my goal, and setting out to task it - step-by-step. I also sought out advice from the garden staff at my local Bunning's (who were very helpful! Thank You!)

I'm a 'late bloomer' when it comes to exercising my 'green thumb' which my mother is delighted and proud of. She's got the 'green gene' in the family, but has it temporarily suppressed as both her and my father are on the road traveling Australia in their caravan on a great Aussie Adventure! 

(Which, as a side note - they have their current Jayco Heritage 2004 caravan for sale because they have ordered a new (smaller and lighter) one to suit their next phase of their "Leyland Brothers" style adventure!)

The first day I spent the better part of my afternoon putting together the raised bed for the vegetable garden. It was a challenge doing it on my own. I found myself being flexible, using my feet to hold the bolts so I could stretch, bend (and contort!) myself over the sharp tin (it wasn't yet finished with the plastic seal) to screw the panels together.

Each segment was a milestone, which I celebrated with a smile.... and a cup of coffee every few hours!

Once the panels were up and joined together, I started filling it with the bags of soil. The guy at the garden centre told me it would be the right amount to fill the garden bed. As I looked at the 8 (x 30L) bags of soil laying on the ground I thought "there is NO WAY that those eight bags will be enough!"

Sure enough, they barely filled the bottom.

Four treks back to Bunnings and a total of 340L of soil, I had my raised bed vegetable garden patch ready to plant the seedlings. 

(Learner's note: It would have been much more cost effective to have had a few trailer loads of soil delivered!)

The next two days was dedicated to planting the vegetables and the herbs (in pots). By the time I was done, I needed a Radox bath to sooth my aching back and legs from bending and squatting.

As I sank deep into the hot water and the bubbles tickling my nose, I sighed with an even deeper satisfaction of what I created this 'long weekend' and happy to be settled in at home ...for a while!

If you have any advise or suggestions for maintaining the vegetable garden at it's optimum and growing the biggest and best organic vegetables and herbs possible, I'd LOVE to read your comments below. :)

Tiger Zoo Pattaya, Thailand

This has been fun creating... this short video is a fun time celebrating my 35th birthday last month with friends, Ros Chalwell and Teresa Bladon at the Tiger Zoo Pattaya in Thailand.


Time has raced past me in the blink of an eye. Do you get that feeling about this year rushing by also? It's already been a little over a month since I celebrated my birthday on 22nd July.


The Tiger Zoo (technically called Sriracha Tiger) is a fun animal park where you get to watch (and pet) Tigers, Crocodiles, Scorpions, Wild Pigs and Elephants and witnessing them do some amazing acts of entertainment.


These parks in Thailand are often held with contentious debate about the ethics and care of these animals. For the sake of this blog, I won't even enter my 'two bob's' worth of thoughts on such a political topic.


But I will say, that the experience was extraordinary... and also really enjoyed being a part of the elephant show! ....Enjoy the video!

Singapore Zoo

I've recently arrived back in Perth from an extended trip to Queensland, Sydney, then (briefly Singapore) and Thailand for a month.


Since being back in Australia for the last week, I've had plenty of 'signs' too slooooooow down and rest.


What better time than now to put together some short videos and write some blog updates to share my latest adventures with you.


The first one is... Singapore Zoo!


During my 12-hour stop-over (on my way to Thailand) I was hosted by my beautiful friend, Tina Jessamiene Goh, who showed me around her beautiful city. 

We ate at a local restaurant for authentic Singaporean food, had a wonderful time relaxing at a river restaurant, on the outdoor patio over-looking the city river, drinking delicious white wine - (really enjoying every drop, since it was $120 Singaporean dollars for a bottle of NZ wine you can buy in Australia from the bottle shop for under $20!)


The best fun however, was at Singapore Zoo. 

Watch the short video and you will witness great highlights of the day. Watch orangutans lounging on rope up in the air (including a tiny baby orangutan!) Delight in the playful nature of a polar bear eating watermelon, admire a White Tiger prowling. Have a laugh and enjoy the Sea Lion show (which I got to participate in). And be in awe of the Elephant show. 


I highly recommend you add Singapore Zoo to your 'bucket list' - a must see in your travels. It's the best zoo I have ever been to. It's more than a zoo. It's a beautiful sanctuary. 

USA June 2010

It's been a few weeks since I've ventured onto these blog pages, but I needed the 'hermit' time to catch up from the wonderful but dizzying journey around the world in twenty two days! 

I had a blast!


My favorite moments were always with my friends and catching up with people along the way.


My motivation for this short tour was to go to the exclusive Jeff Walker Platinum Partner (Product Launch Manager) master-mind meeting, held in Durango, Colorado.


So I wrapped a bunch of wonderful adventures around it, before and after it, to see friends in New York City; Phoenix, Arizona; and San Francisco, California.


Some great people I want to acknowledge again (as I have in the short film) are:

• Anthony and Dawn Donofrio
• Croix Sather                                  www.CroixSather.com
• Jeff Walker (and the team)            www.JeffWalker.com
• PLM Platinum Partners
• James Klobasa
• Jane Tabachnick
• Eugenie Verney
• Ralph Watkins
• Victoria & Tom Schutte
• Patrick & Lisa Harvey
• Joanna Laznicka
• Melissa Risdon
• Risdon Family
• Lentzner Family
• David Anderton                          www.TheAndertonGroup.com
• Brandon Leonard
• David Groode                             www.InnerPrecision.com     
• Herb Light

• and...

• Larry Lossness

Since this trip, I have been back in Australia for a two and a half week 'hermit' break.


Then last Monday (12th July) I headed of to the Sunshine Coast (Queensland) to stay for a few days with my friend and fellow PLM (Product Launch Manager) Platinum Partner,  James Klobasa. 


Then I headed to Sydney for another four days for the 'Winter' Business Blueprint event with Dale Beaumont and my fellow Platinum Partners (yes, another group! hahah).


I've just arrived back in Perth, Australia last night... and I'm still relaxing in my pyjamas (at 2 pm in the afternoon) being lazy, before I pack my bag to leave this magnificent country yet again tomorrow...


...this time...


...the destination is...


...Thailand....

Rafting Durango

Rafting Durango waters is freeeezing, but FUN!

After a fantastic two-day master-mind meeting with the other Platinum Partner 'Product Launch Managers' trained by Jeff Walker, a small group of us went to enjoy the water rafting in Durango, Colorado.



James Klobasa, Eugenie Verney, Jane Tabachnick, Ralph Watkins and I had a blast enjoying this sporting experience, witnessing the gorgeous scenery surrounding us.

The water was cold. VERY cold. 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius!)

The rafting lasted two hours. Then for the rest of the day we enjoyed the sunshine on an outdoor deck at a restaurant, sipping margaritas and eating a lunch of blackened catfish and salad.

Rafting Durango waters was a highlight of visiting this scenic town. If you want to do it, opt for the wetsuit!