How much money is enough?

The short answer is there is never enough money. Enough is okay, too much is better. So for #Lifethisweek I want to tell a little story.

This story was told to me by a tuktuk driver, and deviates a little from the version on the website, but I like my version better, so that is what I'll share. In Siem Reap there are regular music concerts held to raise money for the running of a hospital. It started when a Swiss man, who fell in love with Cambodia decided he wanted to build a hospital. The government said 'We can give you the land but we can't give you the money. If you can raise the money, you can build the hospital'. So he asked around, begged bankers and businessmen and held concerts. He raised the money and built the hospital. The real story is even greater than that, as there are five hospitals, helping 13 million outpatients over twenty three years, and saving three thousand children a month who would otherwise die without this access to free medical care. If you are in Cambodia (or occasionally Switzerland), please attend a concert, and know your dollars are doing some good. Nowadays, 3% is donated from the Cambodian Government, 4% from the Swiss Government and a whopping 92% of running costs come from private donation. If interested in donating, click here.

As amazing as this is, it is not unique. A similar tale was repeated when a Japanese Photographer was moved to help the children of Cambodia and set up Friends Without A Border which in 1999 opened Angkor Hospital for Children (run by and for Cambodians) and more recently in 2015 opened the Lao Friends Hospital for Children. You can fundraise, donate, send supplies,  'adopt a patient', give a gift to an inpatient or buy gifts to help support the FWAB.

I've spoken before of Aki Ra and his continual work clearing landmines, and the byproduct of this work, housing and caring for children, creating the Relief Centre housed with the Landmine Museum. Last year a Farm Project was also created. All run on donations.

These people thought of the project and didn't baulk at the dollar signs. Their determination was enough.

So in answer to the question, how much money is enough? However much you need.


Please note I have no affiliation with these charities. I just like them.

Linking with #OpenSlather

First of the Month Fiction - February

A little late this month, but just in time!

Write a story in exactly 100 words or less than 30 words, then link your blog (or don't, if you don't have one).

It had been an awful year. They had lost the house, he'd left her in the turmoil and she was fired after a few too many teary outbursts at work. Her world order was completely overthrown. So when she found an old lottery ticket in her handbag, it was little surprise her imagination ran away with her. There was little else for it these days. As she placed it under the scanner, her heart soared in hope. The screen flashed a verdict....”Unable to scan. Please go to counter”. Patiently she stood in line. The newsagent smiled. “You’ve won. $48.50. Congratulations!”

I know, I know. I really wanted to make her win, but I couldn't....

Add yours, and have a great month. Sorry about the fonts, it just won't let me fix it!

Linking with #Openslather and #MummyMondays

A Night at the Opera

We love the Opera, but the cost is prohibitive for us, so when I saw the special that threw in a free dinner with your ticket, we jumped at the chance. (It still was big bucks but psychologically it seemed cheaper).


We raced off to La Boheme, with it's glamorous Berlin pre-war sets (we'd just seen Cabaret a few days before so it fitted in nicely, continuing the theme).

But the real show stealer, as always, is the building itself and the view from the Sydney Opera House at interval!

When you're there, you can't help loving life.



Happy New Year Everyone - and Roosters, take care!!

Linking with#FridayPhoto & #TPThursday

Back to Routine

I've taken a long time off these holidays, and barely written a word. I've had sleep ins and lazy days, been out exploring and enjoyed time with friends. It's been a mini Arts Festival with lots of plays, shows and concerts. Now it's all over. Now we're back to routine.

I'm already counting down the days until this term is over. While it will be nice to get work done, get my hair cut, exercise and so on, I'm lamenting the loss of fun with the kids, and all the timetables and deadlines imposed on us.

The after school scheduling, the assignments that need nagging, the appointments, the meetings. 

The Christmas holidays always stretch luxuriously out before you and then suddenly vanish. 

Overnight the fun disappears and the school lunches are looming.

Balzac said it about marriage, but it's equally applicable to life. “Marriage must fight constantly against a monster which devours everything: routine.” 

For the next 10 weeks, treasure those weekends, the 2 precious days when anything is possible.

Here's to battling monsters!

Do you love the holidays? Or are you glad to send them back to school?

(As a PostScript, I discovered in the nick of time, last night, that the middle child doesn't return to school tomorrow. So years of therapy averted and once twe farewell the other two, it's day of Didier for six hours!)

Linking with #Lifethisweek, #MummyMondays #KCACOLS & #FortheloveofBLOG

So Frenchy, So Chic

 

There's a fun little festival that celebrates all things French, this year in Sydney it moved to the waterfront location of Glebe.

There's music, cocktails (not in flimsy plastic glasses) and champagne, and Moules Frites in a picnic setting.

It was a stunning day, but not too hot. Perfect for kicking back on a  rug with friends.

Deluxe stole the show and my legs hurt this morning from jumping so much!

(Those of you in the UK, well worth a trip to France to catch them live. SO MUCH FUN!)

For the day, I was most definitely living la vie en rose!

  

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Linking with #Sundayinmycity

The Beach, Barangaroo

Looking for some free fun these holiday? Head to Barangaroo. The Cutaway has been filled with an ocean of white balls and there's plenty of fun to be had at the beach! You can pay to skip the queue - see details here- but we opted to wait in line (for an hour) and then spend the bucks at Da Mario's for lunch at the pop up Festival Village outside.

It's a great excuse to visit the park and spend a day by the water in this beautiful harbour city.

Living in Sydney at Festival time makes it so hard not to love life!

Have you been having fun at the Festival of Sydney?

Linking this old post with #ThruMyLens.

because I was thinking about it yesterday.

Medicare Funding Cuts

I have in the past posted about some alarming statistics, one in particular that we have the highest rate of suicide in the world, and the highest per capita prescriptions for anti depressants. Something is not right in the state of Denmark Australia as they say. Given these figures, I was shocked by what I heard yesterday.

In an informal conversation with a doctor, I learnt of some changes to Medicare that fills me with fear. I am not a doctor, and I am hoping I have misunderstood what she was meaning, and if that is the case, please correct me and I will amend the post. If this issue does affect you, please don't panic yet, as I may be entirely wrong.

The short of it, as explained to me, is that the average person will no longer get rebates on counselling with Psychiatrists and Psychologists. If you are a child, homeless, with the healthcare card and suicidal, you will still get the rebate or access to the free services. However, if you are a mother with PND, a husband overwhelmed at his retrenchment, someone whose physical pain has become a little too much to cope with, or someone afflicted with anxiety, there is no code for the GP to give the referral, If you received help at 17, when you turn 18, that help will cease, unless you can pay for it.

Surely the key to mental health is preventative steps while the problem is manageable? Why wait for the breakdown, or for it to be too late? Surely it is in the public interest to support those seeking treatment? We all benefit from a happier, more productive society.

This offhand comment at a party was the first I heard of it, so I'm hoping I am wrong. It does seem odd that a google search doesn't bring it up, which gives me hope that I misinterpreted the conversation.

As I said, if there is just a delay in the process, and the codes are on their way to GPs in the 'new year' or if I totally misunderstood what was being said, please speak up and I can breathe easy and take down the post. If it is the case that the Government has decided to pull much needed funding from Mental Health in the areas of Anxiety and Depression, please give me an idea on how we combat or challenge this. Other than Change.org, I really have no idea how to start. I do however feel I can't sit this one out, as we aren't quite the lucky country I once thought we were, but I do believe we can be.

I believe we should be trying to encourage people to seek help when they need it. If we price it out of their means, they just won't bother, and so the downward spiral begins. This cost cutting seems very short sighted and detrimental to all of us, However a tide raises all boats, so let's start the swell.

Linking with the #UltimateRabbitHole

Please note this discussion that may trigger distress. If  feeling fragile, please always reach out for help. Lifeline 13 11 14  (or 000 in an emergency). Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636, Reach Out , Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467. 

Also please leave the name calling off  the comments, I will delete any disrespectful discussion whether it's regarding other comments or politicians.