The Royal Melbourne Show has been cancelled for this year but you can still order showbags from a number of different places. The sentimentalist in me loves the Bertie Beetle collection (a bargain starting at $5!) and you can buy optional bags that include camping mugs or a large canister. Showbags have become more sophisticated with eco-friendly Conscious Co (great value for money) and Nude by Nature bag options. They make a nice treat for little and big people alike.
While I don’t subscribe to monthly or seasonal beauty boxes like Adore Beauty or ’tis the box, I can definitely understand the allure. Given I have missed a hair appointment over this time, I did buy a couple of hair products from Adore Beauty as a once-off and love that you get a Tim Tam! It has cheered me up and you may be interested in the new Heide x Gorman collection inspired by Emily Floyd’s colourful sculpture Abstract Labour (2014) that sits outside the front entrance to Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen.
We are officially half way through Stage 4 restrictions here in Melbourne and I am counting down the days to Spring especially this bitterly cold weekend weather-wise. I’ve been cooking (homemade baked beans and zucchini and corn fritters) trying healthier options given I’m back to my usual weight and hope to stay that way. Not that any of us should be beating ourselves up at this time – it’s really important to be kind to yourself. Some of you might be interested in the 3 minute mindful meditation video by Master of Counselling Psychology alumna Cassandra Scicluna, which I helped produce for La Trobe’s alumni community. I’ve been trying to incorporate this during my work day along with some desk exercises or running up and down my deck stairs outside mixed with a bit of skipping or shooting hoops. I am missing the incidental exercise you get when working at the office.
I was also awarded a scholarship last week by my peak global body CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) which was a big honour given I’ve not won anything since my Year 12 Legal Studies Award! I am glad I chose to pursue communications rather than law as a career – I’ve found it infinitely more interesting and rewarding, which is not to denigrate any lawyers out there, but I’ve been definitely more suited to this field. I was interested too in the ‘Who gets to tell Australian stories?’ report on media diversity and this related article by former Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane.
For me while the digital disruption has impacted the world of publishing it also means the democracy of publishing with me, and people like me, able to have a voice and presence in what has largely been a very white bread world and something I brought up back in 2011 to The Age Green Guide (scroll down to my Dearth of Diversity letter). The world has become an incredibly diverse place and Generation Z possibly the most diverse generation of all – we need to become much more inclusive in our boardrooms, in our media and in many other ways to represent who we now are as a multicultural society.
I will get off my soapbox now but it is gratifying to see some people leading the way. Food is a great leveller and while my kids have been watching The Secret History of Comics as DC and Marvel fans, I’ve been enjoying seeing 71 year old Asian Australian chef and entrepreneur turned SBS TV presenter Jimmy Shu and his Taste of the Territory food series in Darwin. My Dad has met him and I’ve dined at some of his restaurants here in Melbourne – Shakahari and Isthmus of Kra but I’ve now put Darwin on my Australian bucket list as a foodie destination. I love too that younger people are also leading the charge with Australia’s first crowdfunded publisher Somekind just releasing New Voices on Food: Diversity in food media anthology – good on them.
Jimmy Shu has shown that age is no barrier with many of us still yet to reach our peak! Young or old, you may be interested in this upcoming La Trobe lunchtime webinar on senior entrepreneurship – the fastest growing sector of entrepreneurship in Australia and something to consider as most of us will have 7 different jobs or career changes in our lifetime.
Miss Rosanna 