Fundraising BBQ photo

Firstly, I haven't been around because I've had a particularly busy end of school term!

Here's a photo from the BBQ, I'm in  the background and my excellent helper providing some assistance!  Though I have permission to use the photo, I might just keep names confidential for privacy reasons.  It was a great day and I'm so grateful to the people who gave up their time and helped me out!

Cooking up a storm at the BBQ on October 30th!

So, I finalised my fund raising early this week and If I haven't already given the total, I raised $888.25!!  This is a great result and I went past my $750 goal.  I'm really happy with the final result and what I've achieved in such a short space of time.

The rest of the trip is starting to come together, my Cambodian Visa was approved and emailed to me the other day and I have just organised my airport pickup with PEPY to take me to the hotel when I arrive on the 29th Dec.

I'm hiring the mountain bike and panniers off PEPY too, so I need to go to their headquarters to organise a bike fitting and sort that all out.

Not long now!

The Generosity of Spirit :-)

I have been completely amazed by the generosity of people who don't even know me personally, yet are prepared to donate to my cause :-)

I have been to visit three of my sponsor shops and the result on the money tin collections at their front counters is unreal!

Sister Cafe at Cotton Tree:  Raised $70.20


Sister Cafe at Palmwoods:  Raised $80.50 (someone left a ten dollar note in the tin!)


Collection of Rainbows Giftware:  Raised $23

This is incredibly excellent from all of you!! I am very grateful to the kindness of your staff (some of which emptied your tip jars for me!) and your wonderful customers!

So the total at this point is $660.20! Not long until the target goal of $750 :-D

If you are able to donate at Canada Helps, I would be most appreciative!

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=9374

Thanks for dropping by! I'm off to practice my Khmer now ;-)

Nicole

Excellent Updates!

I know it has been a little while since I last posted on here, work has taken up so much time!

Just a quick report on some of the progress made with fundraising :-)

The BBQ raised $474.60 total!  I am happy with this result. I was very fortunate that the people who won my $100 prize raffle donated the prize straight back to me!  I am very grateful to Natasha and Chloe for donating back the prize winnings :-)

Today I collected my money tin from Sister Cafe Cotton Tree.  Thanks to the generous staff and patrons of the cafe, I raised $70.20 total!

So far I have raised a total of $654.75.  This includes all of my fundraising actions and the individual donations I have collected so far.

I have a donation page with Canada Helps, please support me if you can!  I am grateful and humbled for all of the help I have received so far!

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=9374

There is still more to come, but just that quick update for now :-)

Published in newspaper, wheee!

The scanned article is uploaded below here!  Hope to see you at the sausage sizzle if you are local to the area :-)

The scanned document is a half page from the newspaper and is huge, my apologies lol!

The summer snag

One aspect of being Australian is the humble sausage, they are incredibly popular here and don't take long to disappear off the BBQ hotplate!

Cotton Tree Meats have come on board to support my sausage sizzle fund raiser on the 30th of October!  So if you would like to sample some top quality butcher's fare, come on down to Home Hardware Kawana, at 290 Nicklin Way, Warana and grab a snag.

A big thank you to Cotton Tree Meats for your support!

There was a great segment on A Current Affair tonight, about the legend of the Sausage.  To watch the video, click on this link:

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/video/#50e17aec-6174-45de-a6f1-2f61ee98899b

This also acknowledges the source that this video was taken from (it's the teacher in me LOL).  If the link takes you to another story, you should just be able to click on the 'Summer Snag' story link on the page.

Have an excellent day / evening!

Nicole

And the generosity continues...

One important thing that a sausage sizzle needs is bread, and a local business at Warana has been kind enough to assist me with my sausage sizzle.

Check out this link to Warana Beach Bakery if you get a chance, there's many excellent breads and pastries on offer.  If you are coming along to the sausage sizzle, the bread will come from this bakery.  I spoke to the staff the other day, and I'm all set to pick up ten loaves on the Saturday morning. 

I am still in the process of organising 250 sausages (phew!) but am still in contact with the butcher's shop, so will need to write more about that one at a later date.

Have an excellent day :-)

Another thank you :-)

My gratitude is extended to Collection of Rainbows, based at Aussie World.  This local business has taken one of my collection tins to place on their front counter. Thank you so much! 

The preparations for the Sausage Sizzle are coming along nicely, I will post more when I have a moment, work has been quite busy!

Nicole ox

Thank you!

A big THANK YOU to Lionel and the team at Home Hardware Kawana for agreeing to host my fund raising Sausage Sizzle on Saturday the 30th of October!  If you are in the local area, please drop by for a sausage on bread, buy a ticket in the raffle or to talk to me about my up and coming cycling adventure.

More details to come when I know them :-)

Changing money

The accepted currency in Cambodia is the US dollar, even more accepted than their local currency, the Riel.  I had an interesting time getting hold of some US dollars.  Decided to do so now, even though it is officially three months before I will be in Siem Reap.

The reason is the current strength of the Australian economy, the Aussie dollar is very strong.  When I hopped on the Yahoo Currency Converter just before, the official exchange rate is one Aussie dollar buys 97 US cents.
I don't think it has ever been this good that I can remember in my life!  When my family and I travelled to the USA in 1994, I think we were buying 65 US cents with one of our dollars.

Here's an extract from Monday's Courier Mail, where David and Libby Koch talk about currency exchange and rates (I typed directly from the newspaper):

While the Media quotes the currency based on the wholesale interbank rates (which are the best) there is a huge variation on offer.  Our research in the past week has found:

• The difference between the interbank and your rate should be no more than US3c.
• Never convert currency at a shopping centre Travelex branch (oops! That's what I did :-(

That's why I got 88 US cents for my dollars and a $20 commission!  Rather, the article suggests that you order your money off the Travelex website and pick it up at the branch to get a far better rate.

Whoops! Oh well I learned the hard way I guess....

I did try to pick up my currency from Australia Post (best rate closest to interbank and no commission) but they would only order it in large bills, like 20's and 50's.  The best thing I can have are the small notes that I got, no higher than ten dollar notes.  For many people in Cambodia, $20 US could be a months wages! There is no way in the wide world I'm going to take huge notes into the country and expect the local shops to change them for me.

One more task done in the entire process of getting ready!

Responsible Tourism

The credits for this post have been taken from the Lonely Planet website: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/travel-tips-and-articles/12039

One of the aspects of this journey is that it is a responsible tourism venture.  Our group seeks to tour through Cambodia, making as little impact on the local environment as possible, while taking part in projects that support and sustain the local communities that we visit.

I've enjoyed reading a number of websites and guides in preparation for the trip.  Whilst browsing on the Lonely Planet website, I found this great article about dining in local restaurants that helps support local people and sustains training and a formal qualification that they can take with them.  I think I want to eat at places like this!  All information has been copied and pasted from the link above:

Cambodia

Friends International operates four restaurants run by former street youth in training. Three of these are in Phnom Penh and one is in Laos. At these restaurants, students learn hospitality skills in a real restaurant environment. When you dine here you not only get a great meal but also help these students gain the skills and confidence to work in the hospitality industry.

• Friends the Restaurant, near the National Museum, is famous for its frozen shakes and daiquiris, its Asian and Western tapas and its incredibly friendly staff. After you’ve had your fill pop next door to the Friends and Stuff store to snap up a snazzy silk skirt or lamp made in the school just behind the shop front. Treat yourself to a manicure and know that your dollars are training someone with a career to keep them off the streets.
• 
• Romdeng, also run by Friends, is set in a beautifully decorated colonial mansion with a leafy garden and swimming pool.
• Café du Centre, the third Friend’s restaurant, is a French-style bistro in the gardens of the French Cultural Centre.
• Lotus Blanc serves fine French and Asian cuisine to support vocational training for children formerly surviving by scavenging the dump.
• Boddhi Tree Umma, opposite the harrowing Tuol Sleng Museum, will feed you up like the Buddha with a roasted aubergine, goats cheese and mango chutney sandwich. They also offer guesthouse-style suites that allow you to stay off the beaten track and can include cookery courses and market tours. Staff often come here after family crises to be trained in this positive environment.
• The Green Orange Cafe in Battambang provides a safe alcohol- and drug-free space for children of all ages to meet and socialise. Green Orange staff are from the area and the café provides much needed employment to the village of Ksach Poy, as well as raising funds for other community projects. By using local ingredients, the Green Orange Café (named after the famous Battambang Orange) seeks to benefit the local economy in an environmentally responsible way.

Although I have 9 weeks of work left, all I can think about is my trip.  Patience, patience I'll get there :-)

Cambodia Itinerary

Here is the proposed journey!  I've copied and pasted directly from the Global Agents for Change website.  This is the group who has organised the trip, though the actual logistics of the journey itself have been organised with PEPY Cambodia.

Cambodia2011

Global Agents for Change / PEPY
Cycling Journey Through Cambodia
December 29- January 11, 2011

Day 1 – Welcome to Siem Reap! PEPY staff will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Tonight we have a Welcome Dinner where all trip participants will meet, have a chance to get to know each other, take part in an orientation, a bike fitting, and enjoy your first taste of delicious Cambodian cuisine.
Day 2 – We will cycle around the 16 sq kilometer Baray Tuk Tlay, the 700 year old water supply for the Angkor Empire. The ride will take us through the rarely visited western entrance of Angkor Thom and allow guests to ride around the perimeter of the ancient city. (35 kilometers)
Day 3 – From the seat of our mountain bikes we will have the freedom to explore the highlights of the Angkorian temples including the iconic Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm (30 kilometers)
Day 4 – Following the Old Angkorian Highway we will cycle through the Cambodian countryside until we reach the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but utterly consumed by the voracious appetite of nature. (60 kilometers)
Day 5 – Cycling back to Siem Reap in the morning will leave time in the afternoon to explore the city. Some of you may wish to return to the temples for a further look, others might choose to visit the Landmine Museum, the local markets, or relax with a massage. (70 kilometers)
Day 6 – Enjoy the early morning cycling to the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The Tonle Sap has a rich eco-system that was declared ‘Biosphere Reserve’ by UNESCO in 1997. The lakeshore is scattered with floating villages, inhabited by people who make their livelihoods from the lake. After hopping the boat to Kompong Chnang we will have a chance to cycle around an area rarely visited by tourists where we can see clay pot production or palm sugar harvesting. We will also have a chance to visit Geres, an organization creating energy efficient clay stoves. (40km)
Day 7 – Today we cycle dirt roads to Oudong Mountain, the spiritual center and capital of Cambodia from 1618 to 1866. At the top of the mountain (or hill!) there is a modern temple with wonderful views of the flat surrounding countryside. As you explore, you will see a number ofstupas housing the remains of various past kings, and the enigmatic remains of a massive temple enclosure, which was badly damaged during the Khmer Rouge era. The remains of a large Buddha are here, and are now being rebuilt after the Khmer Rouge blew them up in 1977. (50km short route, 100km long route)
Day 8 – As our dirt roads transform into a bustling highway, we’ll arrive in Cambodia’s vibrant capital, Phnom Penh. Simply walking the streets of this energetic city is exciting, as you watch cyclos and motos weave through the traffic, stroll past street sellers on the pavement, and take in the beauty of the Royal Palace and the sunset over the Tonle Sap River. (60km)
Day 9 – We all might need a rest from riding or a chance to explore on our town, so today’s activities are up to you. We will organize a visit to Resource Development International Cambodia (RDIC) in the morning for those who are interested to see the work they do with agricultural technologies, affordable home water treatment, and many other projects. Others might choose to explore the markets, Royal Palace, the National Museum, or head to Olympic Stadium for sunset to join in the many outdoor aerobics or tai chi classes!
Day 10 – Today we take a sobering look at the history of the Khmer Rouge. The Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S21, is located in a quiet Phnom Penh suburb. This group of buildings was once a school, but was turned into a prison and torture centre by the Khmer Rouge. This disturbing site is now a museum to explain the crimes committed there. Once we have gained an initial understanding of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime, we will visit the ‘Killing Fields’ or Cheoung Ek. A 15-kilometer cycle from Phnom Penh, this site is where Tuol Sleng prisoners were forcibly marched and then executed; it is now a memorial site located in a tranquil setting. (20km city ride)
Day 11 – Today’s ride is one of the longest rides of our journey. We will head out of Phnom Penh along a river embankment and then criss-cross between highways and red dirt roads on our way to Chuuk. Chuuk is a small town where the only noise pollution is the serenade of crickets; a stark change from hectic Phnom Penh. (109 Kilometers)
Day 12 – Enjoy a beautiful cycle, finishing in the unspoiled beachside town of Kep. We will celebrate our arrival on Cambodia’s southern coast with a boat trip out to Rabbit island where we will enjoy fresh seafood, warm water, and a great sunset. (90km)
Day 13 – Our journey will finish in the laidback riverside town of Kampot. Here we will have a chance to unwind and reflect on our two week adventure across Cambodia. (20km)
Day 14 – Say our goodbyes and continue on our own adventures in Cambodia or elsewhere in the world.

* We strive to offer local and/or socially responsible restaurants and accommodation throughout the tour.

So there you have it, more details to be posted soon!

A story of persistence, amongst other things!

I promised the story of Abraham Lincoln the other day, because it is such a good one.

Here it is, copied and pasted from: http://www.rogerknapp.com/inspire/lincoln.htm

Abraham Lincoln Didn't Quit

Probably the greatest example of persistence is Abraham Lincoln. If you want to learn about somebody who didn't quit, look no further.

Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown.

He could have quit many times - but he didn't and because he didn't quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country.

Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up. Here is a sketch of Lincoln's road to the White House:

• 1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
• 1818 His mother died.
• 1831 Failed in business.
• 1832 Ran for state legislature - lost.
• l832 Also lost his job - wanted to go to law school but couldn't get in.
• 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
• 1834 Ran for state legislature again - won.
• 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
• 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
• 1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature - defeated.
• 1840 Sought to become elector - defeated.
• 1843 Ran for Congress - lost.
• 1846 Ran for Congress again - this time he won - went to Washington and did a good job.
• 1848 Ran for re-election to Congress - lost.
• 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state - rejected.
• 1854 Ran for Senate of the United States - lost.
• 1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party's national convention - get less than 100 votes.
• 1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again - again he lost.
• 1860 Elected president of the United States.

 I know this story spans a lifetime, but to me this is why persistence and never giving up are so important.

Part of the reason that I'm doing this trip is to not only experience another culture, but learn to be truly grateful for everything that I have here in Australia, because we really have an abundance of all that we need.

Well some of the preparations for Cambodia are well underway

Yesterday morning I visited my doctor to see what immunisations I needed before I set foot in the country. Well the main ones are for Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B.  The Typhoid and Hep A are offered as a combined vaccine, for a cost of $103. Problem is, at the moment the vaccine is as rare as hen's teeth until November, and doc told me that it has to be injected as early as possible to get the maximum benefit.  

So I thought 'oh great, this will be fun!' as I was told that I would have to chase the vaccine amongst all of the different chemists and might pick one up if I was lucky.

Well BINGO, went to the chemist that is right next door to my doctor's surgery and they had one in stock! So I bought it, raced STRAIGHT back to the doctor and Jo the receptionist / nurse injected me straight away.  The most interesting thing is that I had my Hep B vaccine about ten minutes earlier into my left arm because I wasn't expecting to get the Hep A / Typhoid today!  SO I feel like the human pincushion!
Jo warned me, 'this Hep A vaccine is really going to hurt later" and I was like 'Nah, I feel GREAT this is wonderful!'
WRONG!

Two hours after I had the needle and it hurts like you wouldn't believe and I'm almost in tears here and typing with my left hand only!  It is massively PAINFUL and at the moment I can't lift my arm up past my shoulder level.

In other news, the main money accepted in Cambodia is the US dollar, so I organised to get some of those yesterday. I also got about $50 worth of Malaysian Ringgut to get me through my stopover in Kuala Lumpur.

All notes are lower than $10 in value.  I wont be able to go to Cambodia with $20's and expect change, because for so many people that is about a months wage and the last thing I want to do is stick it in their faces.  So they are all $1, $5 and $10.  I like the $5 note because Abraham Lincoln is on that one and I love his inspirational story of persistence to become the President :-)  I will publish his inspirational story in my next blog entry.


Other than that, I've also booked my flights, at least it's all getting sorted now and I love it because it just reminds me of how close I am getting to heading overseas on this trip of a lifetime!  Next plan of action, to continue working on my $750 fundraising goal.


Thank you to the following businesses for supporting my fundraising campaign so far!


Sister Cafe Palmwoods
Sister Cafe Cotton Tree
Beachside Health Centre Mooloolaba