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It was continuously raining for these two days so I didn't go out much, except to buy groceries and food to cook later on. So I spent most of my time doing photo editing and also getting online. Wifi is good here, but to use it you have to pay. Just simply login online and give your credit card / debit card details and off you go. But if you're registered YHA membership, you'll have wifi connection for free.
It was during this period that I made the last minute decision, to go for another trip within two weeks time which was to go down to South Island. So what I did that time was to book flight and coach tickets, accommodation and other stuffs that matters. Pretty much a hectic situation for me, but it was really worth it. So expect another series of travelogue from me in the next entries.
Ipipiri Overnight Cruise by Fuller's Great Sights (30 November 2012)
Today was the second last day to my journey up here in Northland, after traveled to Whangarei and Kerikeri before going back home in Palmerston North. So for today, I went on board the luxury overnight cruise called Ipipiri. This trip was actually out of initial plan for this journey, but I was happened to be lucky to get cheap ticket from Trademe where a guy was selling his ticket last minute for a really reasonable price. Usually the ticket costs around $400 but I got it for $170 only.
Launched in 2009 by Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands, for the past five years Ipipiri has cruised the sheltered waters of the Bay of Islands providing unique tours of the region to international and domestic visitors, wedding parties and local groups. In 2014 Ipipiri was relocated to Auckland's Viaduct Harbour and now, under the name of Hauraki Blue Cruises, she offers an overnight cruise experience and half-day harbour lunch cruises around the sparkling waters of the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf, as well as a premium Auckland wedding venue, and conferences, meetings and incentives venue.
Ipipiri is the flagship vessel of Hauraki Blue Cruises. At 146 feet (44.5 metres), she is the largest cruising ship permanently based in New Zealand, providing a truly impressive cruise experience. Spread over four levels, this catamaran includes 30 ocean view cabins, a spacious sundeck with 360 degree views and a 70-seat restaurant and bar. Cruising at 12 knots, the vessel has been designed to provide maximum stability and minimum wake.
Photo of the cruise.
I checked out that morning from YHA Backpackers with all my belonging and went to the I-Site at town. Reason why I went early is that the baggage storage at I-Site is limited and I don't want to bring all of my stuff on the cruise. Luckily I managed to get a locker for my stuff and later on registered at the counter. It was 9 am that morning and the receptionist there said that they will gather all the participants at 12.30 pm, so I still have plenty of time. So, I went to the nearby stall and have my breakfast.
Finally, the time has come and all of the passengers were gathered at the main lobby of I-Site. I estimated that there were around 30 guests that going on the cruise that day including me. We were accompanied by Fuller's Great Sights company on-duty staffs to the bus that brought us the jetty where the cruise sails, which was at Opua, which is about 10 km southwards from Paihia. On bus while on the journey to Opua, we were given short briefing on the cruise activities and also about offered us on the photos collection of the whole activities captured by their respective photographers which is collectible upon the end of the cruise.
Short briefing by Fuller's Tourist Guide on the bus.
Finally, we reached Opua. After finished taking our belongings, we were lining up to board the ship. During this time, there was a photographer who took our photos with the background the cruise one by one (or by partner of family) before going on board.
Lining up to go on the cruise.
First and foremost, we were asked to go to the main dining deck first as there was a briefing to be conducted by the captain of the ship. We were also introduced with the staffs on board like the cabin crews and chefs. The briefing was mainly about the facilities on board, activities and tentative of that afternoon until the end of the cruise, do's and dont's on the ship and other stuffs that matters. Finally, we were given our room key and accompanied to respective rooms.
Captain of the ship during the main briefing.
View from my room :)
My room. Taken with my ultra wide angle lens.
Quite nice aye? :)
We were told that the cruise is now heading towards the islands away from the land and our first stop was one of the islands for few activities such as swimming, kayaking and island trekking. So until that time, we were free to stay at rooms or going on the dining deck to have refreshments or to view the surroundings on the top observation deck. I decided to have lunch before going up to the observation deck.
Muffin and hot chocs for lunch.
View from the lower observation deck.
A windsurfer surfing from one island to another.
There was a huge cruise that sails in Bay of Islands that day. I was also noticed that its passengers also waited at I-Site Paihia and being brought to the jetty near Waitangi Ground with vans and later on to this cruise with few boats.
Sailing Ship that passed our cruise.
One of the beautiful islands that we passed along our journey.
Finally, the cruise arrived at one of the islands which I don't know its name. Announcement was made by the crew that who are interested to go to the shore are asked to gather at the bottom deck, where a boat will bring us to the beach at that island. Those who wanted to stay on the cruise are allowed to do so. So I went to the bottom deck and waited for boat to pick me and others to the shore
On the boat from the cruise to the shore of the island.
View of Ipipiri from the boat. Isn't she a beaut?
Finally reached the shore. Luckily I didn't soak my shoes.
On this island, we were given two choices of activities which are the island walking and water kayaking. Since I didn't want to get myself soaked and I didn't bring with me spare clothes, so I decided to do walking around the island. We were given two hours at most to explore the island before going back to Ipipiri. The walking track was not difficult and the only tiring walk was only that the track is going uphill. But the view up there is great where we can see our cruise and other yachts that moored there at the beach. I took few pictures there.
View from the top of the island. Ipipiri can be seen at the top right corner of the picture.
View on the rear side of the island.
On the way back, I met with the elderly Asian couple where they asked me to take their picture. We walked together back to the beach and I learned that they're Malaysian but now residing in Melbourne, doing business of supplying medical equipment to the hospitals. The uncle was from Sungai Petani but spent his primary and secondary education years in St George Taiping (he mentioned that when I told him I come from Taiping). And his wife was from Kuala Terengganu. We talked a lot,( in fact that the uncle was so talkative) about Malaysia and what's currently happening that time.
Some of us went kayaking around the island.
Ipipiri as seen from the beach.
Boat that brought us from and back to the ship.
Finally, we were going back to the cruise the same way as we came. Participants were brought back group by group. After everybody were getting on the ship, we are free to do anything until late evening where dinner is served. So I took the liberty of getting around the cruise to take pictures. Meanwhile, the cruise is moving again and the captain told us that the cruise will stop and stay at one of the secluded cove around the islands that night.
Again, the picture of my room.
Lobby outside of my room.
The Malaysia born uncle and auntie (I forgot to ask their name) having conversation with another couple who also came from Australia
Light refreshments were served that afternoon while waiting for dinner.
View in the dining deck.
Me enjoying the view from the rear of the cruise.
The top observation deck. It is where you can see the 360 degree view from the top of the ship.
The others were enjoying the journey outside the dining room.
Suddenly, the announcement was made by the cabin crew saying that there is a group of dolphins swimming around the cruise. So I grabbed my camera, changing lens and try for couple of shots. Luckily I got few nice shots of the dolphins. The other passengers and crews were eager to see my pictures when I told them I got the nice shots of these dolphins.
Pair of dolphins that swimming around the cruise.
Finally, the cruise stopped here and the anchor set down. I took this picture few minutes before the sun goes down.
As the dinner was ready to be served, we were asked to gather at the dining deck. It was three course meal that being served which are the starter, main course and finally dessert. The starter was served ala carte and the main course and dessert were served as buffet. I sit with the the Malaysian uncle and aunty and also the Australian couple and a mainland Chinese student during that time.
Ze starter.
Grilled lamb and rice for the dinner.
Shared the table with them; the Malaysian uncle and aunty and the Australian couple (his wife was not in the picture).
What I have for dessert.
Having conversation after finished with dinner.
View in the dining deck after dinner was over.
So, practically, the night was over and everyone were going back to their room for rest. Me did the same too, having bath and lying on my bed, but when I see through the window, I saw the full moon rising. Big one. So I bring my camera and went to the top observation deck and took few pictures. Only then, I went to my bed and sleep.
On my bed.
Moon and moonlit on the top of the cruise.
1st December ; The Final Day in Paihia and Northland Trip.
I woke up at 5 am that morning, having my Fajr prayer. Since it was in the mid Summer, the sun rise up early. I decided not to sleep back after prayer and brought my camera up to the observation deck to see and capture the sunrise. Joining me on the deck was a guy from Auckland who worked as an engineer at Tegel Chicken Poultry. He was on fishing trip yesterday and joined us on board last night.
View from my room early that morning.
View from the top observation deck that morning, few minutes before sun rising up.
Sunrise over a secluded settlement at one of the islands near to the cruise.
Made this panorama shooting from in front of the cruise.
Announcement was made at 7.15 am to wake up everyone who still sleeping and to prepare themselves for breakfast which will be served at 8.00 am.
After done with the breakfast, the cruise set up and sailed back to Opua. But along the journey back we were brought around the islands. The captain while driving the cruise, he gave out commentary on the specific islands that we went passing by and the stories and histories that lie behind it. Sometimes we went across few groups of dolphins that swimming. I got few pictures of the dolphins, but not as good as the day before to my liking.
Video that I recorded while on the way back to Opua.
Islands, boats and no dolphins.
One of the dolphins went up.
Finally, the cruise was on its way back to Opua. We were told to pack up stuff and belongings together and later on gather all the stuff outside of the dining room. Most of us were going up to the observation deck, taking pictures while waiting to arrive at Opua.
Ferry that brought dolphins observers around the island.
Some of the yachts that moored around the bay. It seemed like Bay of Islands is the summer or holidays escapade for Kiwi riches who probably want to escape from their jobs at the cities.
Finally, we reached Opua. On the way off the boat, the captain and cabin crews were lining up to meet the participants, thanking each others and wishes a safe journey. We were escorted back to the bus that already awaited at the jetty and then going back to I-Site, Paihia.
I wished farewell to the nice auntie and uncle that I spent most of the time with them as they're leaving for Russell and then to Auckland, catching flight to go south to Christchurch. It was 12pm in noon and my coach to Auckland will departs at 2pm so I waited there at the I-Site lobby, online while waiting for the coach to come.
Finally the bus came and I left Paihia for Auckland at 2 pm. I reached Auckland around 5 pm and from there I catch the next connecting bus back to Palmerston North at 8 pm. I have my late lunch, Zohor and Asar prayer at Auckland before leaving for Palmerston North.
All praises be to God, I reached Palmy at 4.50 am in the morning of 2nd December. It was a fun journey really, especially when I was travelling alone. I learnt many things during this journey and of course, I did enjoy the scenic views of the Northland.
Thanks guys for reading this series. But it is not ended yet. I was at Palmy only for a week before I set out again travelling, this time I was going south. So, stay tune to my next entries - Journey to South.


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Fertility Services
Your fertility is an integral part of your sexuality. Many popular methods of birth control treat fertility as if it were a disease, using drugs, devices and surgery to "fix" it. Natural Family Planning is a natural and effective alternative which treats fertility as a gift. It is based on years of scientific research into human reproduction. Instructors, trained in the physiology and management of human fertility, can help you to achieve your family planning goals.
Simple to use indicators of fertility
The best way to recognise a woman's fertile phase, in each cycle, is to observe and record, on a daily basis, powerful indicators of fertility – including cervical secretions and basal body temperature. These indicators enable you, as a couple, to decide when to make love to avoid (or achieve) pregnancy regardless of cycle length.
How to learn
To see an NFP teacher through our agency couples can contact Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services on (08) 9241 5000 to arrange a suitable appointment. Alternatively, couples can learn online through the Australian Council of Natural Family Planning by visiting www.acnfp.com.au
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NFP contraception?
No. NFP is not contraception. Not all methods of Family Planning are contraceptive. NFP works by choosing to abstain from genital contact during the fertile phase of a woman's cycle. A contraceptive is any agent or device used to prevent conception. Abstinence is not contraceptive. Couples are simply making an informed decision to avoid or achieve pregnancy each cycle.
How does NFP compare to contraceptive methods for planning a family?
Natural Family Planning compares very well with modern contraceptive methods. A 2007 study by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology involving 900 women who contributed 17,638 cycles of information confirmed that the Sympto-Thermal method of Natural Family Planning is 99.4% effective when used as directed to avoid a pregnancy. This makes it as effective as birth control pills.
Why does CMFS promote NFP in their courses and what are the advantages of this method?
Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services promotes Natural Family Planning in its courses for a number of reasons. The primary reason is that Natural Family Planning is the only approach to family planning which is approved by the Catholic Church and CMFS is a Catholic organisation. In other words NFP is Catholic friendly. Other reasons include:
- NFP is highly effective for both avoiding and achieving pregnancy.
- NFP has no side effects.
- NFP is very cost effective.
- NFP can be used by most couples in most situations.
- NFP promotes shared responsibility for fertility in a relationship.
- NFP promotes couple communication.
Our courses provide an opportunity for couples to get reliable information about Natural Family Planning which is not easily accessible in the community.
Can NFP be used by shift workers or people who are fly in / fly out?
Yes. NFP can be used by couples where one or both partners are doing shift work or fly in/fly out. However, CM&FS advises all couples to learn NFP from a teacher accredited by the Australian Council of Natural Family Planning. These teachers are trained to assist couples in learning NFP and can provide extra information and support for couples in these situations.
What if I have sub fertility but want to achieve a pregnancy?
There are many reasons why couples may experience sub fertility such as ovarian cysts, endometriosis, etc. In many cases of sub fertility Natural Family Planning can assist couples to achieve a pregnancy. NFP supports couples to achieve a pregnancy by helping them to identify the most fertile time in each cycle. After 6-12 months of charting fertility cycles a couple may be referred to other health professional for further investigation if they are not achieving pregnancy.
Can I use NFP if I have irregular cycles?
Yes, NFP can be used even if you have irregular cycles. Out-dated methods such as the rhythm method relied on women having regular twenty eight day cycles to be effective. These days, scientists understand that cycles can be affected by many factors including travel, stress and illness. Cycle lengths can also vary from woman to woman. Modern methods such as the Sympto-Thermal method of NFP teach couples to recognise their own unique signs of fertility regardless of cycle length.
Is natural family planning just another name for the rhythm method?
No. Old NFP methods such as the Rhythm Method assumed that women had regular 28 day cycles which we now know is not the case. Modern NFP methods such as the Sympto-Thermal method use the most recent fertility research to help couples recognise the fertile and infertile phases of each cycle regardless of cycle length.
How long does it take to learn NFP?
Most couples find that it takes a couple of cycles before they feel completely confident to use the method autonomously. However, the initial cost that you pay to learn through Natural Fertility Services will cover you for as many appointments as you need to feel confident for six months, with no extra charge. Re-service is available after 6 months for a small fee.
Can I learn NFP online?
Yes. Whilst it is ideal, and many couples find it preferable, to learn NFP face to face with an instructor accredited through the Australian Council of Natural Family Planning this is not always possible if couples don't have easy access an NFP service. Also, in today's world some couples prefer the convenience of learning online. However, this can be difficult with a lot of couples struggling with conflicting information from different sites. If you would like to learn online we would recommend the Australian Council of Natural Family Planning. They are a very reliable online service at www.acnfp.com.au.

subset: commoncrawl


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The beautiful Diva Deepika Padukone has been the queen of millions of heart in India,since her debut in 2008 released Bollywood venture "Om Shanti Om".
And since, then she has never looked back. The career of Deepika progressed like a sudden hike in the stock market. In a short period of time, Deepika Padukone has achieved a lot and a Hollywood call was just matter of time.
Then, in 2013 she got the first opportunities to work in the fast and Furious 7 along with Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, but she chooses Bollywood's Happy New Year and rejected the Hollywood
Although, Happy New Year failed to make any impact but it did not affect the Deepika career as she keeps improving and became the top female actress in the Bollywood industry.
Meanwhile, in between this she got the offer for XXX: The Return of Xander Cage and she accepted it and inked the proposal and then went to shoot with the Hollywood hunk, Vin Diesel.
And now, this movie is completed and it will hit the theatre in January of 2017. But, only a few knows that Deepika was not preparing for joining this movie.
Deepika in a recent interview revealed that she was initially not prepare for prepare for signing XXX, but later she did it. Deepika told the media wing that " Initially, I didn't feel like I was ready (to take up an international project). I was offered films in the past too, but they just didn't feel right. I have always followed my heart and my instinct."
Well, we are really proud of Deepika and would like to wish her for near future and would hope that she will continue to entertain us with her brilliant movies.


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Simply Having a A Jazzy Christmas Time
Thursday, December 20, 2012
It's been quite the foray of Christmas present buying, bare minimum housework (need-to-see-basis only), mind boggling studying for 'our' first Christmas tests and ferrying the boy to and from school for said tests. At an unearthly hour of the morning, I might add!
I don't have time to clear my throat these days! I'm in bed early most evenings and I haven't switched my laptop on in a week. A whole week, people! Totally unheard of, for me.
However, it is good to get all the preparations done early - a girl has to clear her schedule to allow for some party nights out after all!
I do get some help with some of this work though. You see, I don't have to worry about forgetting who the hastily wrapped and untagged presents under the tree are for. I have Pretty Cat for that. She very kindly tears open the corners, for identification purposes only, of course. Hmmmm...
In the melee of Christmas preparations, which for the first Santa-less year does not include a trip to a toy store, time has obviously been found to visit the patient, who is doing relatively okay. Thank God. Fingers crossed though, as the emotional roller coaster continues it's bone shaking - on the day I bought the patient's Christmas present I also bought a black dress. I promptly gave the patient her present because, well, she needed it now and, well, you know....
I also put the tree and all the Christmas decorations up early - because, well, you know....
It's a kind of reverse psychology, I guess. And depending on the occasion, I either have myself an SATC Miranda style 'shitty black dress that I'll never wear again' or I have a rather classy and demur one. So far it's the latter. That damn, emotional roller coaster really can shake you up.
So, these are some of the reasons you've seen less of Jazzy in this hallowed blogosphere. The other reason is that there's slightly less of me to see! Yay!! Yes, I started a new focused regime back in September and its starting to pay dividends. It's been up and down over that time, mostly down thankfully . Through the efforts of my Curves gym and Weight Watchers I have lost 11 pounds (only 3 more to go) and a grand total of 8 inches! I am rather pleased with myself, as you can imagine. Not that anyone but myself has noticed, but I kind of like that.
Why did it work for me? Because I love to exercise and to be successful I need to track and be tracked. I also need to live my life.... and there must be wine! I cannot adhere to regimes that ban certain foodstuffs entirely. This way I can enjoy what I like, just not as much of it. And that's a good thing as it brings other health benefits too, which is a good idea when you're a lady of a certain age!
No doubt a bit of stress in ones life helps the cause, though sometimes it can also hinder.
But as it's now Christmas I am literally off-track. Which was pretty obvious from my enjoyment of last Saturday's party night out. As it was from my late night tweet. 'Oops' - or perhaps more appropriately : hic'!! At least I thought to share the fact that the guys wore their Santa thongs ( that I flicked) on the outside of their trousers!! I think I also threatened to give them wedgies too but, it being Christmas, I didn't follow through! I'm so kind and thoughtful really!
So now I'm feeling rather Christmassy, with fingers fiercely crossed for the patient's well being, as we enjoy a few nights out, with the big day fast approaching.
But before that big day happens there is another one due, of equal (if not more) importance.
The day that my fabulous Pre-Teen becomes a fully fledged Teen Boy. I am so, incredibly proud of him!
Two days to go.
We're very excited.
But now I must depart, there are a few drinks in my local pub with my name on them, and the winning Grand Prize ticket too - I hope!
22 comments:
Cheers! Despite the worry over the patient, it sounds as though lots of congratulations are in order :) Enjoy your nights out and have a very Happy Christmas xxReplyDelete
"and there must be wine" - I couldn't agree more! Merry Christmas to you and yours!ReplyDelete
Good for you Jazzy! You are sounding up beat and at ease. Love the look of your Xmas tree, and glad to hear that the Patient is doing okay. Hope Teen Boy has a great day and that you all have a good Xmas all things considered. X.ReplyDelete
@Blue Sky: Thanks! And a very Happy Christmas to you too :-)xxReplyDelete
@Tanya Savko: Totally 'must be wine'! Merry Christmas to you all too :-)
@Older Mum: Doing my best!I LOVE my tree and having the decorations up! Thanks so much...and Merry Christmas to you and yours too :-)
Thanks for your comments. Dashing off for birthday cake buying and patient visiting before whisking soon-to-be-Teen Boy off for Birthday meal ahead of tomorrow and his Pizza/movie party! Will catch up on your blogs later. With a glass of wine in hand. Naturally!
xx Jazzy
Woohoo... a teenager! Look out (she says knowingly ;)!)ReplyDelete
Seriously though, here is hoping that the patient is okay and that you all have a wonderful Christmas. Take care, Jazzy. I will raise a Christmas glass of cheer to you.... xx
Happy Birthday to Teen-boy, congratulations on your weight and inch loss and a very merry Christmas to you all! xxxReplyDelete
@Bright Side of Life: I was afraid someone would say that!Thank you, Merry Christmas and I'll raise a glass to you too :-)ReplyDelete
@Midlife Singlemum: Thanks, on all fronts. Though I think some of those inches and pounds may be sneaking back. Ah well, that's what January is for! Merry Christmas to you and your gorgeous girl :-)
Thanks for your comments :-)
xx Jazzy
And now it's time to put your feet up and relax surely? Have a wonderful Christmas! Emma xxReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 27, 2012 at 7:55 AM
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- AnonymousDecember 27, 2012 at 10:06 AM
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Glad to hear you ae having some social nights out and fab news about the weight loss. Wishing you a happy new year Val.ReplyDelete
Mich x
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There are no upcoming shows for this artist.
Fire in velvet. A fitting description of Joshua Breakstone's jazz guitar," wrote Paul Weidman in The Sante Fe New Mexican. "His flowing lines on up-tempo cookers are impeccably clean and fiery, bearing the mark of a first-rate improviser, while his chordal work on heartbreaker ballads is the final word in finesse," has raved Guitar Player magazine. Japan's Jazz Hihyo (aka Jazz Critique) recognizes that "The style in which Joshua develops his fluid single-note solos used to be thought of as the Grant Green school, but now this man leads the school." Downbeat also has written that "There is no shortage of young, knock-out jazz guitarists about us these days. And Joshua Breakstone is among the best of them."
Joshua Breakstone was born July 22, 1955 in Elizabeth, NJ. Through his music loving parents he was exposed to Broadway shows, Broadway show cast recordings, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Through his older sisters he was exposed to all kinds of other music- including jazz and rock and roll. "My sister Jill worked for the light show at The Fillmore East where I could hear all the bands regularly, especially my then-favorites Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa."
"I picked up the guitar around the time I was 14 and began playing with an interesting high school group called Moon Unit which consisted of guitar, bass, drums, organ, and flute. It wasn't your typical late sixties rock and roll instrumentation. I was exposed to jazz regularly as a kid, but it never caught my ear until I heard Lee Morgan. Lee's sound was exciting and made me want to hear more jazz. The first jazz people who turned me on were trumpet players, then I heard Charlie Parker."
"The fire of Lee Morgan played with grabbed me immediately," he says, "and the way both he and Clifford Brown fully articulated each note has been an ideal toward which I work with regard to the sound I try and get on the guitar. When I heard Bird, I knew I wanted to play like him in the sense of playing things which are meaningful, emotional, and, more than anything else, irresistibly beautiful. The guitar is a real challenge because it tends to be a very visual instrument and lends itself to patterns. In a way, I try and get away from the guitar and into the world where music exists in and of itself, where ideas, articulation and sound exist apart and away from the instrument."
At that same time Joshua began studying in Manhattan with Sal Salvador. "Sal was a great teacher, a great person, and eventually became a great friend. He exposed me to a broad range of music and helped me accomplish a lot on the instrument in a relatively short time."
In 1972, Breakstone entered New College of the University of South Florida (Sarasota, Florida), where he graduated in three years - including two terms at Berklee College of Music (Boston, Massachusetts)- in 1975 with a degree in jazz studies. After graduation Joshua spent several months in Brazil, then moved back to New York where he taught and performed while taking graduate courses at NYU. In 1979 he made his recording debut on Canadian reedman Glen Hall's Book of the Heart (Sonora Records 101), with JoAnne Brackeen, Cecil McBee, and Billy Hart. During the period leading up to his first recording as a leader in 1983, Wonderful! (Sonora Records 222 with Barry Harris, Earl Sauls, and Leroy Williams), he was residing in New York, performing with people like Vinnie Burke, Warne Marsh, Emily Remler, Dave Schnitter, and Aaron Bell, teaching both privately and at the Rhode Island Conservatory of Music (Providence, Rhode Island). The following year he recorded again for Sonora Records, 4/4=1, with Kenny Barron.
In 1986 Breakstone began a four year contract for four recordings with Fantasy Records' Contemporary label. First was Echoes, with Pepper Adams, Kenny Barron, Dennis Irwin, and Keith Copeland, followed by Evening Star the following year with Jimmy Knepper, Tommy Flanagan, Dave Shapiro and Keith Copeland. Self Portrait in Swing followed in early 1989, followed by 1990's Nine By Three, Breakstone's first trio recording, with Dennis Irwin and Kenny Washington. Josh has written, "During the course of my four short years with Contemporary, I spanned two eras in the recording industry in that my first two recordings were released only on LP, my third was released as both LP and CD, and my last, Nine By Three, was released only on CD."
1986 was the year of Joshua's first Japanese tour. Since that time he has toured throughout Japan usually twice a year both with his own groups as well as with the groups of such noted Japanese musicians as Terumasa Hino, "Monkey" Kobayashi, and Eiji Nakamura. In 1991 Joshua began recording for the Japanese King Record label, an association that led to four recordings. Walk Don't Run was followed by I Want To Hold Your Hand and Oh! Darling - two CDs of Beatles compositions rearranged and adapted to Breakstone's musical point of view. On all three are heard the formidable rhythm section of pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Dennis Irwin, and drummer Kenny Washington. The subsequent Remembering Grant Green features Grant Green bandmates, organist Jack McDuff and drummer Al Harewood. Kenny Barron returns as well on two tracks, this time with bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Keith Copeland.
Sittin' On The Thing With Ming, his 1993 debut recording for Capri Records, consists mostly (except for one selection) of Joshua's original compositions. " In live settings I tend to play a mix of originals and standards, I'm always writing new things. After four CDs of theme recordings for King, I had amassed quite a lot of original material which ended up seeing the light of day - in terms of being recorded for the first time - on Sittin' On The Thing With Ming." This was followed by his 2001 recording, Tomorrow's Hours, a tribute to the compositions of Wes Montgomery and 2003's A Jamais (Forever). "A Jamais was recorded in the south of France with French musicians, the first time I've recorded outside the US. It also consists, as does Sittin' On The Thing With Ming, almost entirely of my own originals, some of which had been previously recorded, others being recorded here for the first time."
1996's Let's Call This Monk, with bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Mickey Roker marks Breakstone's debut for the Double-Time label. In 2000 he recorded a subsequent tribute to another of the great jazz pianists with his The Music of Bud Powell. Sandwiched in between on Double-Time was his 1999 This Just In.
There is one additional and very unique item of interest in Joshua's discography as a leader, Japanese Songs. "As it says in the liner notes, it all began with the gift. When I was touring Japan in the spring of 1999, I was given an extraordinary present by Junko Noda, an opera singer, pianist and teacher - a handmade book of Japanese songs. From this gift sprang the Japanese Songs CD, which is self produced- a limited edition of only 1000 copies, each one hand signed and numbered. I'm really proud of this very special project."
What does the future hold for Joshua? "We may do another recording in France, possibly a duo with the brilliant Louis Petrucciani who plays so fabulously on A Jamais. We're also discussing doing a recording in Japan with Japanese musicians. I'm leaving a few days free to visit studios on my next trip there, in April." "I'm basically trying to do what I do better and better. I'm trying to keep writing, constantly learning new tunes and being exposed to players who are new to me - I feel that my travel and performance schedule contributes a lot to my growth, and hopefully the recordings will document that."
"In teaching, either in clinics or individually, I describe to students the progression we make as jazz musicians, starting with learning to improvise, to negotiate any harmonic terrain, which could be a lifetime of work right there. But when we take a step back and consider, to become an improviser is not really to have accomplished anything at all- the goal in jazz is one of self expression- to become a unique voice, to say something in our own way, with our own voice. It's only in the taking of this leap- from someone who improvises to someone who communicates- that we go from being musicians, craftsmen, to becoming artists. I don't worry about trying to be this thing or that other thing, my idea has always been to try and say something straight from my heart. It's always been my conviction that if you say something unique, in your own way, and honestly, that there will always be an audience there for you, you'll always be all right.


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by Esther Pavao
They say history is written by the winners, and in the case of General Sir Banastre Tarleton, that may just be the case. History has multiple versions of this general, most of which portray him as a ruthless murderer, and others that assert his loyalty, honor, and dignity.
He may have been the heartless monster that is portrayed in American media today, or he may have just been a soldier doing his job and the victim of the media propaganda war which ruined the reputation of the brilliant Aaron Burr, among others. It seems more likely that it was a combination of the two enhanced by a few bad judgment calls.
Banastre Tarleton was born in Liverpool, England on August 21, 1754 to a well-off family. He was the fourth of seven children born to John Tarleton, successful merchant, slave trader, and ship owner. It was perhaps being raised in an environment built on the financial gain from slavery that made him fight so strongly in favor of the institution in parliament later in life.
He was educated at Oxford, but although he studied law, he was well known for his prowess as an athlete, excelling at cricket, boxing, horseback riding, and tennis. By all accounts he was a gentleman, handsome, well bred, and charming.
He inherited some money at his father's death in 1773 and promptly gambled most of it away, using the remainder to purchase himself a commission in the 1st Regiment Dragoon Guards. His previous experience as a rider served him well, and he proved himself an excellent horseman and leader. He never had to purchase another promotion; he had only to rely on his skills, which eventually earned him a General's title.
In 1775 Tarleton volunteered to go to America to quell the stirrings of the revolution, begun with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Banastre Tarleton fought well and bravely for the British Army, with many successes, including the capture of Patriot General Charles Lee. This, along with his excellent record earned him the title of Lieutenant Colonel at the age of 23.
Banastre Tarleton's British Legion became known as the Green Dragoons (soldiers who ride horseback into battle and fight equally well on horseback or on foot). They were a gifted mixture of light infantry (foot soldiers) and cavalry (horseback soldiers) whose green jackets marked them out and struck fear into the hearts of their adversaries after only a few battles.
They were quick, strong, and their leader was an excellent soldier whose success had commanded their respect, and earned the statement "I wish you would get three legions, and divide yourself into three parts: We can do no good without you," from Lord Cornwallis himself.
However, the Patriots did not see his successes with the same admiration. In particular, his actions at the Battle of Waxhaws earned him the unique titles "the most hated officer in America" and "bloody Tarleton" which have carried down through the years.
The facts agree that Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton and 129 mostly loyalist soldiers overtook about 350 continental soldiers led by Abraham Buford on May 29, 1780. Buford fought bravely and refused to surrender; only after he suffered severe casualties, did he surrender.
What followed is debated. The popular surviving version of the story tells that Tarleton continued to butcher soldiers without mercy although they screamed their surrender; if that were true, the American titles, "Buford Massacre" or "Waxhaw Massacre" would be well earned.
An American field surgeon at the scene, however, claimed that as Abraham Buford began raising the flag in surrender, Banastre Tarleton's horse was shot from beneath him. Enraged that they would ask for mercy and then shoot at their leader, the loyalists attacked fiercely, stabbing even those who weren't resisting and injured men on the ground. Tarleton later admitted it was "vindictive...not easily restrained."
The final death toll for the Americans was 110, 203 captured, and more than 150 wounded so badly they had to be left there. The British lost 5, and only 12 were wounded. From then on, offering no quarter was referred to as "Tarleton's Quarter" and his reputation grew. He was only 26 at the time.
Another incident detrimental to his reputation was his encounter with Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox. Marion was an expert at guerilla warfare, hiding, and sneaking past British troops, making him a hero to the South Carolina resident patriots.
No one had successfully caught him, and when Tarleton was given the task, he instantly made himself unpopular by acting unnecessarily cruelly to the residents and burning homes and land in an effort to draw out the fox.
His later actions when he captured Monticello (home of Thomas Jefferson) suggest that his previous actions were purely military in motive as Jefferson himself is quoted as saying that Tarleton caused no harm and specifically ordered that his men treat the objects in the home gently.
He was successful in a few more raids in Virginia, but he eventually surrendered Gloucester Point, Virginia when Yorktown was surrendered, and he returned to England.
Banastre Tarleton held a seat in parliament. His most notable stances were that he supported Charles Fox (although they differed in their opinions of the Revolutionary War) and strongly advocated slavery, openly mocking the abolitionists. Likely, he believed that such a deeply rooted institution such as slavery, that had been strong, thriving, and successful for so long, could never be uprooted.
He earned himself even more military titles up to General, a baronetcy, and a governorship. After a 15-year relationship with a famous actress, he married the illegitimate daughter of a duke in 1798. He had no children and died in January 15, 1833.
Return to Revolutionary War Generals


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Podcasting for learning in universities
Document Type
Publication details
Wilson, G 2011, 'Podcasting for learning in universities', International Journal for Academic Development, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 90-91.
Published version available from:
Peer Reviewed
Additional information
Review of:
Salmon, G & Edrisingha, P (eds) 2008, Podcasting for learning in universities, Society of Research into Higher Education, Maidenhead, UK. ISBN: 9780335234295


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2014 GMEA All-State Etude: Tenor Saxophone Symphonic Band (fast),performed by Dr. Joren Cain, Associate Professor of Saxophone at Valdosta State University. For more information, contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com by VSUMusic on april 16, 2014 at 10:00 pm
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Between Love And Loneliness
Artist: Ian C. Bouras
Genre: Soundtrack
Duration: 00:06:14
I think if these live presentations doesn't amazement you enough, you will be shocked to understand that Ian truly encounters an exceptional neurological condition called Ataxia. For anyone not happy with this, it impacts a man coordination. Luckily for Ian, it's not propelling snappy but instead in any case it influences his guitar playing. As a matter of fact, I'm looking best expositions however in the wake of investigating this site, I felt this one is useful for the music sweetheart.
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I think if these live displays doesn't amazement you enough, you will be bewildered to understand that Ian truly encounters an extraordinary neurological condition called Ataxia. For anyone not happy with this, it impacts a man coordination. Luckily for Ian, it's not propelling speedy yet rather notwithstanding it influences his guitar playing. All things considered, I'm looking however in the wake of investigating this site, I felt this one is useful for the music darling.
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I think if these live exhibitions doesn't awe you enough, you will be astounded to realize that Ian really experiences an uncommon neurological condition called Ataxia. For anybody not comfortable with this, it influences a man coordination. Fortunately for Ian, it's not advancing quick but rather regardless it affects his guitar playing. Actually, I'm looking best dissertations but after exploring this website, i felt this one is good for the music lover.
Ian Charles Bouras is a guitarist and producer from New York City.
He is one of the main songwriters, and the guitar player for NYC rock/reggae band AñaVañA.
AñaVañA's self-titled debut record (2004) showcases his songwriting, guitar playing and producing.
Ian was nominated by Billboard Magazine to be among the top songwriters in 2004 and 2005 for his work with AñaVañA.
Since receiving his audio engineering degree, Ian has produced, mixed, and played guitar and bass on records in all genres from rock to spoken word, and is now working as a freelance audio engineer.
Ian produced, played guitar, bass, and mixed AñaVañA's second release entitled "R*U*B" (2005), which was called: "Sophisticated and musically brilliant… a magnetic hybrid of music… a refreshing 2nd full length record… a distinct sound-from shy to outright strident" --- RACHEL ROKICKI (The Deli Magazine)
His first solo release on SDMP Records, entitled "A Cure For Reality" (2007), has Ian producing, playing guitar, keys, bass, programming drums, and mixing, and earned him attention from music fans and critics alike: "A surprisingly unique and fresh sound. Artists like this are responsible for the evolution of musical genres." --- Blips and Beeps
Ian's second release was, "By Company They Mean Me", and is the only "digital-only" release for SDMP Records, and is described as "epic orchestral music with classical guitars", a unique blend of electronic and live music.
His newest release, "The Certainty Of Being Found", finds Ian experimenting further with the mix of dub reggae with spanish and classical guitars. There are also 6 guitar interludes, which clearly show the emotion that Ian puts into his music.
Ian is continuing work as an engineer on several projects to be released throughout 2010, and is in pre-production for his next solo offering.
To learn more about Ian or SDMP Records, please visit: www.sdmprecords.com


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So this is what I had in my 'small fruit box' and 'medium veg box' from Organic Wick last weekend….
2 turnips, 5 onions, 2 green peppers, broccoli, mixed young salad leaves, flat mushrooms, little apples, Kiwis, a pineapple and a grapefruit.
I had carrots left from last weeks veg box, so I made a Thai Carrot Curry using a couple of the onions and added the peeled sliced turnips from this weeks box. The turnips worked a treat in the curry. The flavour had softened, (as had their texture and really succulent too.) and worked beautifully with the Thai flavourings and coconut milk.
I'm using the broccoli and a couple more of the onions to roast under (yes I said under…) a chicken, and a salad will be made with some of the kiwis and salad leaves with a crumbling of feta over the top.
The green peppers are roasting in the oven to be peeled and dressed in olive oil and garlic over night and the mushrooms are working hard as a piece of art…..laters…..


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Dr. A -- Helping Students To Think With No Box
Communication Arts professor who has taught over a thousand students in his career. By empathizing with his students, he advises them to think with no box and motivates them to have a successful college life. Through his multifaceted approach to traditional and new medias, his students have the opportunity to become better communicators. Dr. A has helped hundreds of young adults to truly discover who they are, what makes them tick and where their passions lie, in order to achieve long term success in life. He is a very productive college professor who can be found on a variety of social media outlets, public and academic sources, and even on merchandise showcasing his photographic art. Technology complements but doesn't define him.
Teaching Assignments
In a period of 10 years, Dr. A has taught a number of college courses at the bachelors, master and doctoral levels, which is a disproportional number of classes for any college professor to teach in this time period. He has graciously accepted constant assignment overload to help his departments. He is currently teaching DIGM 365 — Innovation And Social Media, COMM 354 — Intercultural Communication, COMM 250 — Basics of Digital Photography, COMM 270 — Web Design, COMM 331 — Photojournalism, and COMM 300 — Research Methods at Lee University's Department of Communication Arts. Keeping up with the market and what companies are really looking for drives his classroom experience so that students may have an edge up and stand out for potential employers. Dr. A is the Students' Professor.
Advising Agenda
Dr. A is currently advising students with understanding that failure shouldn't define who anybody is especially in the short term, if one's goal is to better understand success. He is also emphasizing the importance of being gracious in life to his students. He himself has struggled as a student in Brazil and through patience and a lot of hard work, he turned his life around, making him understand failure, success, and gratitude. Dr. A cares so much for advising that he decided to write an eBook exclusively to help his students to better understand life. Tidbits by Dr. A is a collection of provocative thoughts written by Dr. A throughout his social media accounts along with some of his favorite quotes written by several industry leaders. Some of the content you will find in this book include, "Never underestimate what you don't know or what you can't see. Behind every star there is much unseen sweat."
Research Expertise
An Award winning researcher, Dr. A holds a traditional definition of what research in communication education is. To him, research means publishing in peer-reviewed academic journals, presenting in peer-reviewed academic conferences, writing research proceedings and scholarly books containing a multitude of academic citations. Dr. A has published articles and presented academic conference presentations relating to health, technology and culture in a number of national and international journals. He has served as a consulting academic journal editor for 10 years and has chaired a number of PhD student's dissertations and masters thesis. He is trained in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. He is currently increasing audience knowledge and awareness of the overuse of technology in society through the web, social media, with a though of culture.
The Caring Professor
Dr. Almeida is a college professor who cares and is constantly interacting with students in order to better serve and find the best in them. It isn't atypical for him to stop in the middle of the hallway and start speaking with students, literally. He takes this approach in order to expose students to his personality outside the classroom, which he believes is one of the most important things students should know in a university — that professors have a life and personality outside the classroom.
The Latino Professor
He has also contributed to the Praeger Handbook of Latino Education in the U.S., was acclaimed by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review as "Newsmaker" for his work with technology, and has served as a quantitative researcher for the multi-million dollar Classrooms For the Future (CFF) and Enhancing Education Through Technology grants. Dr. A isn't against technology or media development. Much for the contrary. He is an experienced technology producer.
The Citizen Professor
Dr. A is a good department citizen who celebrates his colleague's victories and is often seen on campus speaking with professors from different departments. He finds enjoyment in collaborating with peers and seeing his institutions succeed. Always smiling and with a positive attitude, Dr. A is truly a unique kind of college professor who celebrates the success of others and is always ready to assist his colleagues in his department even with no notice.


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Friday, May 25, 2007
Fundacion para las Letras Mexicanas
A very interesting meeting yesterday at the Fundacion para las Letras Mexicanas where I met several of their young writers in residence-- some from as far away as Chiapas. And I was given a copy of the massive (really, it weighs as much as a brick) new French anthology, Cent Ans de Litterature Mexicaine, edited by Philippe Olle-Laprune. I was delighted to see that it includes many of the writers and poets I've either translated or published in Tameme or included in my own anthology, Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion: Carlos Fuentes, Jaime Sabines, Fernando del Paso, Ines Arredondo, Julieta Campos, Carlos Monsivais, Rosario Castellanos, Gabriel Zaid, Alvaro Mutis, Juan Villoro, Daniel Sada, Fabio Morabito, Alberto Ruy Sanchez, Jesus Gardea, Guillermo Samperio, Elsa Cross, Coral Bracho, and Eduardo Hurtado. But there are many, many more to discover. More anon.


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(The) Emotional Experience of Travel, Art and the Eiffel Tower !
"A dominant impulse on encountering beauty is to wish to hold on to it, to possess it and give it weight in one's life. There is an urge to say, 'I was here, I saw this and it mattered to me."
― Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel
I often wonder how others approach travel and to what extent they allow themselves to be changed by the experience of Travel. It's possible of course, to roll out a list of places you have travelled but to what extent if at all did they change you and was the change superficial or deep and permanent?
It seems to me today that many people want to avoid being touched too deeply by life and such mistrust naturally blocks off the flow of deep emotional engagement with all the wonderful things life has to offer. Take art for example, here I am in Paris surrounded by exquisite creations but what is it that captures my imagination and causes me to gasp at the sight of it then go back to my room and cry my eyes out? Suddenly I understood the absolute genius of Van Gogh and the pain of his struggle with life. But I had to have many different emotional experiences in my own life in order to reach this state of appreciation.
Art and nature are the two great healers of life, but they can only do their work if we let them.
"What do you do after you've been to a gallery?"
Two 'jeune hommes serieux'- art students carrying out a survey for their course- asked me when I had finally finished looking at "Starry Night".
What a great question ! Some artworks are subtle and take time to manifest their presence, others hit you with a sledgehammer. Some works weave themselves into your life and its not until you realise that you've been thinking about it for some time, just how powerful its affect has been. Art is designed to change us and for real change to occur it has to involve not just the head but also the heart-all those emotions like fear, disgust, anger, disillusion, wonder, joy and of course love- before the real change in our behaviour occurs.
On seeing the Eiffel tower for the first time I experienced a totally different reaction. The iconic edifice which dominates the Paris skyline, produced two major emotions-awe at just how huge it is in every aspect. Fear emerged soon after at the thought of climbing the structure which I soon realised was an emotional engagement I was never going to makes thanks to my fear of heights. Still, I can appreciate the many faces of the grand structure from the safety of mother earth.


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Hetepu (Peace & Blessings) Family
I have been meaning to write this post for the longest time so finally, here it is and hopefully it helps.
If you are like most people interested in your spiritual development, you have most likely come across people talking about winter solstice. I am not going to go into the full explanation of winter solstice is because there are plenty of sources available on the Internet. Instead I am going to give a little insight into how I got into it, why I stopped observing and why I chose to celebrate it now.
Before we begin, I have to tell you that when I first got on this path, there were people who explained to me that winter solstice was the original Christmas. Now either because 1) I was new to the whole practice, 2) my disgust for the over commercialization of Christmas and those dreaded Christmas songs that are played 24 hours for 35 days beginning on November 26, and/or 3) because these individuals were very zealous and did not understand the full meaning either. All I got out of it was that we were supposed to do all day fasts prior to the 25th of December, on the hope of receiving new things for the coming year. (Please note that I am knocking anyone who observe Winter Solstice in this manner. I am just stating my experience. ) It was also impressed upon me that if you did not fast and meditate, that you would not be blessed. So, for several years, I tried to observe this event as best I could even though it was presented to me as a dogmatic ritual.
However, it became increasingly difficult to observe Winter Solstice this way because: 1) I still had to go to work and, going to office parties, while fasting brings a whole lot of unwanted and unnecessary attention, and. 2) Not only that it never felt like a real celebration but more like a boring, monotonous chore. So I stopped observing it for a while, but I returned to celebrating it after I discovered the Maa Aankh. Then, when my daughter was born, my wife and I wanted her to have a more profound experience for this event without feeling isolated or out-of-place from other family members and friends who celebrate Christmas and Three Kings Day in the typical fashion.
So, that our child has a more profound understanding of this event and develops an interfaith and multicultural understanding, it was decided that we would celebrate Winter Solstice as the "Receiving of the Name". This way she is not weirded out and sees the celebration of other peoples' holidays as just another form of Winter Solstice.
What is Winter Solstice?
Now, before I explain how the "Receiving of the Name" works, Winter Solstice is the start of the solar year and it begins on the 21st of December marking the first day of winter. It is an astronomical event like a solar or lunar eclipse, or shooting stars, but a little more significant because the earth rotating on its axis tilts in a way that sun appears to be sitting still. Thus, making the length of the day appear shorter and the night the longest night of the year. (Note that during the summer solstice the opposite occurs and the sun appears to sit still making the day the longest day of the year and the night the shortest). Immediately after the 21st of December, the days the sun shine during the daytime will get longer as the nights will get shorter.
So, in a nutshell scientifically speaking, Winter Solstice is when the earth tilts making it appear that the night is longer than the day. It is an annual, natural astronomical event, which means it affects all of us regardless if we believe in it or not, like gravity. Since it affects us all, each culture interprets it differently like we do when we see an eclipse. Some people go out and gaze at the eclipse, others avoid being out during the eclipse for fear of the influences it may have upon an unborn child (My wife and I heard them all this past year). While some people see eclipses as an opportune time to conduct rituals, so it all depends upon what you believe or how you interpret the Winter Solstice.
Since it affects everyone, Winter Solstice has been celebrated by people all over the world based upon their cultural belief. This means there is no right or wrong way to observe Winter Solstice. Choosing not to observe this astronomical event is similar to choosing not to watch a solar eclipse or Haley's Comet. However, if you choose to observe it, you can do what others have done in the past, which is allegorized the entire event.
For instance, for some people who saw the darkness as an extension of evil and daytime as an extension of good, Winter Solstice was seen as the birth of a solar savior. During this time they created a tradition to ensure that the various trickster spirits in the darkness were kind. This is how Santa Claus comes into the picture and why he is offered sweets to make him more favorable towards you. For some other cultures, they observed this event by setting an evergreen tree in the north. Then the tree was decorated with a star above used to represent the "invisible sun" (some say the star Sirius) and the various orbs and lights decorating the tree symbolized the spheres of the Tree of Life. Another version of this same tradition seems to build an elaborate bonfire and observe that the "Invisible Sun" provides warmth during these dark times.
In case you are wondering, the reason for allegorizing this astronomical event is because most people would get lost with the science of it. Imagine explaining to a child about how the earth tilts, and now that we have people who are questioning on if the earth is round or flat. You can easily see how it becomes very confusing with all of these beliefs, ideas and theories but, people cannot deny this astronomical event. All you have to do is go outside and you will see that the days seem to be getting shorter and the nights longer. For instance, the other day (December 12th) the sun set around 5:30 – 6 o'clock and did not rise until 7:30 the next morning. That's between 12+ hours of darkness. And, the closer we get to the 21st the shorter the days will be. So people from all over the allegorized this event to help them to remember, celebrate and observe it, and you can too.
Most of us are familiar with the Christianize version of this event which was changed to December 25 by Emperor Aurelian to celebrate the "Invisible Sun". Then, in 273 AD the Roman Catholic Church changed this astronomical event to a literal historical event to celebrate the birthday of Christian savior. However, it is believed that January 6 was the original date the Kemetic sages chose to celebrate Winter Solstice, which the Catholic Church adopted in order to celebrate the Three Magi or Three Kings Day.
How to Celebrate Winter Solstice the Kemetic Shaman Way
Since I follow a Kemetic shamanic path, Winter Solstice has a more profound meaning to me – one related to the Kemetic concept of Ra, Shu and Tefnut. Ra or Rau in the Kemetic life force or chi energy symbolized as the Sun. Shu is the Kemetic version of the Chinese Yang and it represents activity, light, warmth, heat, aggression, etc. and is anthropomorphized as a masculine energy. Shu's sister Tefnut is the Kemetic version of the Chinese Yin and she represents receptivity, darkness, coolness, water, passivity, etc. Since, the dyadic relationship of good versus evil does not exist in ancient African thinking. Shu is not the symbol of good and Tefnut is not the symbol of evil. Rather good and evil in Kemetic thinking is balance and imbalance. In other words, too much and too little of a thing is considered evil, while good is considered balanced. Therefore, the Winter Solstice is considered the most Tefnut day of the year, thus signifying that the Ra energy is trying to establish balance. The entire event on the Maa Aankh is overseen by Amun Ra (Hidden Ra), thus making Winter Solstice a time of rebirth, hence the "Return of the Light" or actually the heralding the receiving of Amun Ra or the "Hidden (Invisible) Ra", according to the Story of Ra and Oset (Aset, Auset, Isis in Greek).
Remember, in the Story of Ra and Oset, Ra reveals that he is "Khepera in the morning, Ra at noon, Tmu (Ra Atum) in the evening" thus alluding he is Amun Ra at midnight. So, upon receiving Ra's secret name, Oset received a soul which she passed on to her child Hru, thus giving him immortality so long as he lived a righteous life. This means that through Oset, we all became her children (Hru) because she shared Ra's secret name or Amun Ra with us (for more information see Kamta Primer).
Therefore, Winter Solstice is a period of rebirth and nourishment for our soul. It is during this time that we naturally tend to physically slow down and conduct most of our activities indoor because we have less daylight and more warmth inside. It also during this time of the year, we also tend to emotionally move inward and reflect on the past events that occurred during the year, as we prepare for the upcoming year. It is natural during this time of the year to reflect inward on our health, relationships, careers, dreams, etc., make New Year's resolutions by asking, "How can I improve my life or the life of others?"
Draw the Maa Aankh, and place five tea lights on the five points. Then on:
- December 21st: Light the Khepera candle symbolizing the Birth of Ra we celebrate all new beginnings and give thanks for all blessings that have come into being. This is also a special day to also honor children who signify the future and are protected by Khepera. To make this day even more festive, Khepera's colors are black and/or indigo, so one's space can be decorated with these colors or one can purchase dark colored flowers. Khepera is symbolized by a scarab beetle and rising sun. Dark colored foods can also be served on this day and children given toys to raise Khepera's energy. To further ritualize this day, write a list of the goals you want to achieve in the upcoming year and place them in the center of the maa aankh.
- December 22nd: Light the Ra candle symbolizing the Visible Ra's Day is a day of action and it is set to honor all of the young adults and adults (except for elders who are given a special day on their own). Ra's colors are bright red so to raise this energy decorate one's space with bright red colors. Spicy foods can be served on this day colored with achiote (annatto seed), chili, paparika, cayenne, etc. Also, spicy and warming beverages such as spiced apple cider, ginger beer, cinnamon teas, etc. To further ritualize this day, write a list of the obstacles you must overcome and barriers you must break through to achieve your goals from the Khepera moment. Then, place them in the center of the maa aankh. This is also a time to ask for the protection, good health, vitality and strength for all loved ones.
- December 23rd: Light the Ra Atum candle symbolizing the Completed Ra who oversees all things that have come to an end. Ra Atum reminds us to remember our elders so that we can learn from their experience and wisdom. Ra Atum's colors are white so to raise this energy decorate the space with white and shiny things like silver. White colored foods and drinks can be offered at this time. As well as white colored beverages such as coconut milk, peanut punch, coconut water, coquito, etc. To further ritualize this day, write a list of the things you are willing to give up in order to achieve your goals in the upcoming year and place them in the center of the maa aankh.
- December 24th: Light the Amun Ra symbolizing the "Hidden Ra" who oversees our ancestors and spirit guides, therefore this is the day to honor and remember our honorable dead. Amun Ra's colors are yellow and/or gold, so to help raise this re-birthing and renewal energy, decorate the space with the color yellow and serve yellow colored foods and beverages. Offer yellow candles and light colored foods such as pound cake, etc. to the ancestors. To further ritualize this day, imagine how your goal will improve the life of everyone. Amun Ra's symbols are ram, sheep, spiral patterns, etc., which all signify a return.
- On the December 25, light the candle in the center symbolizing Oset sharing the name with Hru. Then, burn all of the request and imagine the end results of your goals for the upcoming year.
Hope this helps. Happy Winter Solstice.
How will you celebrate Winter Solstice?
Please share.


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For our second week in Argentina, we headed south west of Buenos Aires to volunteer on an Estancia (Argentinian ranch) set in the remote, flat, endless pampas. With my wife being the world's biggest horse fan it was an opportunity for her to see how horses live in this gaucho (cowboy) culture. For me, the challenge would be to live like a Gaucho for a week.
The life of an Argentinian Gaucho is a hard one: they only get 1 day off in 15, and the other 14 are spent tending to the land, cattle and horses of the estancia. As we had found when we visited an estancia in Bolivia (where Gauchos are known as Ganaderos), cowboy life in much of Latin America seems to have remained relatively unchanged by the advances of the modern world. Plenty of estancias survive in near-isolation without mains electricity or running water, much of the work continues to be conducted on horseback, and here in Argentina most Gauchos still don the floppy berets, baggy trousers and canvas shoes which is their traditional dress.
Obviously such an authentically agricultural lifestyle has attracted a burgeoning tourist market, and many estancias have diverted to fulfil this need. The estancia on which we stayed, La Margarita, now caters for tourists, with the old farm house converted into cosy rooms with roaring fires, and the estancia's herd of horses on hand so you can explore the countryside from the comfort of your gaucho saddle.
It would, perhaps, have been lovely to spend a few days lounging in the rustic comforts afforded to guests at La Margarita, but our budget demanded a more economical experience, and happily La Margarita offers a volunteering programme, for which the shortest stay is just 1 week. So, despite the English owner David's protestations that there wouldn't be a massive amount for us to do in the September low season, we signed up and took a 5 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires to the rural town of Tapalque, then a short ride in David's car along a dusty track which brought us to Estancia La Margarita.
Estancia life
Arriving at the estancia at dusk, we descended on the toasty farmhouse kitchen where we met the strong, quiet gauchos (both decked in traditional unifoms) and the bubbly ladies who look after the large old estancia house. Like any farm, life revolves around the kitchen, and it seemed like someone was cooking, eating or chatting around the range in there at most times of day and night.
The following day we were able to see the surrounding grounds, with cattle grazing (La Margarita has a small herd, mainly for milk), horses mooching, pigs scratching and chickens ambling it had the feel of a classic small holding. When we arrived there were few guests around so the gauchos tended to the grounds and rotated the animals between pastures, before a large lunch complete with wine. After lunch, as with most of Argentina, everyone disappears for a (minimum) 2 hour siesta, before the estancia comes to life with wood collection and chopping in the afternoon. We also spent time eating, riding, and hanging out with guests who'd come from as close as Buenos Aires and as far afield as Australia. Everyone was here in relaxed moods, ready to soak up the tranquility and their slice of gaucho life, which invariably involves eating lots of meat, riding, hanging out with the friendly dogs and even learning to milk a cow (to my surprise, I was an utter natural, and best-in-class!).
Each estancia is encased in its own little woodlands in order to shelter from the weather which sweeps in across the flat, exposed pampas. The woods also serve to feed the estancia's fires, and La Margarita has plenty of burnable fuel thanks to a hurricane which swept through last year, leaving fallen trees and chaos in it's wake. As the owner, David showed us around the grounds, he pointed at the woods "You can do some work tidying up in there" he said.
Manual labour where have you been all my life?
Not since our week of turtle conservation work in Costa Rica had my wife and I experienced the demands of daily physical labour, but each day as I toiled alone, collecting fallen branches and bagging strewn rubbish in La Margarita's hurricane damaged woods, I felt an immense satisfaction in completing tasks which expended lots of energy yet required little brain space. When we weren't tidying, we were collecting eggs (from the extremely free range chickens) and picking fruit/making juice for breakfast. Amidst La Margarita's tranquil pace, these tasks felt like the perfect occupation.
Live like a gaucho? Try understanding one first…
Since commencing Spanish lessons at the beginning of My Year In Flux, I'd become pretty confident with the basics of the language, and able to hold conversations with hosts and new friends we'd met along our American journey. It had actually become a badge of honour to be able to learn this language completely from scratch, to understand, to be understood. But everything changed when we arrived in Argentina, when we realised they spoke a very different form of the language. They don't even call it Spanish, but instead refer to their language as 'Castellano'. My language woes deepened during gaucho week at La Margarita. The gauchos spoke so quickly and in such an accent that I could understand almost nothing. When you're volunteering, communication is pretty essential, and when you are keen to learn more about someone's way of life, language is a must. Despite being anxious about this before we arrived, the knot of stress was quickly released when I realised just how far I had to go with my Spanish/Castellano. I accepted failure and regressed to odd words, hand signals and laughter.
Ride like a gaucho
Unable to communicate well, one skill I knew I did have was horse riding, which is obviously a big part of the gaucho life. Although I only overcame a fear of horses and learned to ride 5 years ago, I'd grown in confidence steadily and really taken to the more relaxed (and comfortable) Western style riding which predominates in the Americas. In fact we'd just enjoyed lots of riding in Bolivia, where I'd conquered my final fears of galloping!
So as we took to the saddle here and loped off after our (now mostly silent, thanks to my language barrier) gaucho guides, I began to feel more at home. And then we began trotting, and boy can these horses trot. And man is it uncomfortable. As I urged my horse on towards a canter, he reared his head and stoutly refused. When we did finally get into a canter, I found the saddle uncomfortable and unbalanced. It felt like I was having as harder time being understood by the horses as by the gauchos.
One day when we had no guests on the estancia, the gauchos took us out for a 3-4 hour ride across the spectacularly flat but nevertheless interesting countryside, which teemed with life in the form of hawks, hares, snakes and – of course – cattle. I continued to have my horse-language difficulties, despite having changed horses and saddles, and spent the final hour of the ride in the lower reaches of control over my horse. As I dismounted, my wife read my scowl and reminded me just how far I'd come in five years of riding.
With riding then, like the Spanish language, I'd assumed my knowledge level to be higher than, in reality, it was. I felt like I was turning out to be a rubbish gaucho!
Conclusions: novelty bites back
My week as a gaucho was a constant flux between enjoyment and anxiety. The enjoyment was all in relation to the fabulous setting, hospitality and tranquility of Estancia La Margarita, and the anxiety completely down to a realisation of a few of my own shortcomings.
Thanks to My Year In Flux, I've managed to spend 6 months ducking such problems by continually embracing novelty, perpetually moving on to the next thing at such a dizzying rate that I'd almost completely forgotten about the more challenging second and third stages of learning something new: for after initial toe-dipping excitement, it is concentration, frustration, occasional despair and (eventually, sometimes) grim determination and hard-earned satisfaction which follow. These secondary stages are where I found myself with horse riding and Spanish speaking during Gaucho week.
I had imagined coming away from Gaucho Week on Estancia La Margarita caked in lasso dust and steak fat, but like so many other experiences this year, the reality bore different – and arguably more productive – fruit. Though I'd scratched the surface on how gauchos live, I'd also been faced with the anxiety and frustration of my own shortcomings. It was a reminder that, beyond the novelties and idealism of this year, I will have to face the reality that some of my new skills, ideas and experiences must at some stage be converted into mastery, and that journey brings less instant gratification.
Thank you to Estancia La Margarita for having us. For more information about the estancia, including their volunteer programme, visit their website.
Gaucho Week was a weekly challenge, and I'm undertaking a new one every week for an entire year. That's 52 new skills and experiences in just 12 months. If you've got a suggestion for a future weekly challenge, please contact me or leave a comment, to find out what I'm up to this week, visit the Facebook page.