Another Drop in the Ocean
Take a life-affirming dash into the ocean each morning with AquaBumps. This online wave-worshipping community sends subscribers a pic a day. Wake up to sunrise over Bondi, the froth of a just-broken wave or, er, girls in bikinis…whatever catches photographer, Eugene Tan’s eye.
Soul in Sydney
In the hackneyed Sydney-versus-Melbourne ‘thing’, Sydney is attributed with fabulous looks, but little depth. Well, there’s a gathering on the 27th of July that puts paid to that argument. Soul in the City is a get-together with presentations by people who’ve chosen professions dedicated to making people feel good. Professors, authors, musicians and architects cover such things as relationships, how our surrounds affect our inner being and the importance of Slow. It’s a community of health professionals (physical and mental health) and artists opening up to the broader community. And they’re all pretty good looking too…
Whoa There
It’s possible to slow down technology – in a good way. Phones, computers and (their love child) Blackberries were designed to give us more leisure time. And there are a number of people out there leisurely using theirs to record their days, and sharing the results. Like Jason Evans’ Daily Nice and David Horvitz (work pictured) who will, among other things, send you a photo of the sky every day this year.
Make the day-to-day deliberate by setting a task. It could be a daily phone-photo or a train ticket torn (a la Mintie wrapper) into one long unbroken streamer.
Who doesn’t love a market? Especially one selling locally made art and design goods. More than ever if it also supports projects working for Sydney’s homeless. This weekend the Hope Street Markets are on at the Paddington Town Hall, profits from which go to Hope Street. As well as stalls aplenty laden with jewellery, paintings, accessories and things for around home, there’ll be live music and food. Hope to see you there.
Guerrilla Gardening
They’re illegal, carry out their deeds at night to avoid detection and are active in a growing number of cities around the world. They’re Guerrilla Gardeners. Their crime? Attacking ugly patches of public land with hand-trowels and flowering annuals in covert greening campaigns. Typical targets include roundabouts, verges and other neglected areas, which are beautified with plants. Richard Reynolds’ website has a global noticeboard of activities plus a how-to guide for beginners.
The Other 20 20
From Monday it’s National Volunteer Week (12-18 May), which honours volunteers. Der, you might say. But previously it operated as a kind of recruitment drive. Volunteers are now so prevalent that the week’s focus has shifted to say ‘thanks’.
Those matchmakers at Good Company – who introduce professionals to short-term projects with charities – are hosting an Exchange of Ideas and Inspiration forum. Helen Dalley (from Sky Business Channel) will be telling stories of successful volunteering outcomes.
Upstairs at the Establishment, 248-252 George St
15 May, 6-8pm
RSVP
Green Hanger
Being green is easy – despite what Kermit says. It just takes some creativity. The inventors of Green Hanger – the environmentally conscious coathanger – have it in spades. Who’d have thought that we had such a huge appetite for wire coathangers – albeit shortlived? Some 77 million end up as landfill each year. Made from recycled cardboard, the Green Hanger is a good-looking, mindful alternative.
