“It was a spectacular pass actually!”

… Of late I have not had much to smile about and keep me going but this made me smile a lot today.

Below are the unit results!

• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 1: 100%
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 2: 100%
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 3: 100%
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 4: 77%
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 5: 98%

I am genuinely shocked and the results I got and overall really very pleased at the results I managed to attain in the test. I have been working on and off really hard at this course for six whole months and I am really glad that all that hard work has paid off!

I am told that the certification shall arrive via post within the next few days.

To combine everything I have done over the last six months of hard work, below are the unit courses that I worked through and their overall scores as well.

1. Section1: Seamanship (Finished: 26th October 2012 – 75% Correct)
• Nautical Terms
• Ropework
• Anchoring
• Preparation for sea
• Tying up alongside
• Port or Starboard Tack

2. Section2: Introduction to Chartwork (Finished: 22nd November 2012 – 100% Correct)
• Chart Familiarisation
• Points of the compass
• Latitude and Longitude
• Position of an object
• Using the plotter
• Finding positions on the cart

3. Section3: Tidal Information (Finished: 20th November 2012 – 100% Correct)
• What causes Tides
• Tidal Heights Terminology
• Tide Height Calculations
• Tide Tables and Tidal Curves
• Introduction to secondary ports
• Tide Tables and Tide streams

4. Section4: Chartwork – Position Fixing (Finished: 12th December 2012 – 98% Correct)
• Variation and Deviation
• Plotting Fixes
• Dead Reckoning
• Estimated Position
• Use of the chart plotter

5. Section5: Course to steer (Finished: 05th February 2013 – 95% Correct)
• Plotting a Course to Steer
• Complications and Interpretation
• Introduction to Leeway
• Maintaining a Ground Track

6. Section6: Using GPS (Finished: 16th December 2012 – 88% Correct)
• General information and abbreviations
• Use of Cross Track Error
• Navigation web
• Raster and Vector Charts

7. Section7: Buoyage and Pilotage (Finished: 07th February 2013 – 79% Correct)
• Information Available
• Identifying Buoys and Lights, Using Pilotage Information
• Forward and Back Bearings
• Leading Lines and Lights

8. Section8: Safety (Finished: 26th November 2012 – 100% Correct)
• Safety Briefs
• Mayday Calls and Rescue
• Lifejackets and Dinghies
• Strong Conditions and Fire
• Actions in fog and Life Rafts

9. Section9: Meteorology (Finished: 18th December 2012 – 100% Correct)
• Weather Forecasts
• Low Pressure Systems
• Sea Breezes
• Advection and Radiation Fog

10. Section10: Passage Planning (Finished: 01st March 2013 – 87% Correct)
• Information Required
• Legal Requirements
• Passage plan examples
• Trying a passage plan

11. Section11: Collision Regulations (Finished: 22nd November 2012 – 100% Correct)
• General Rules Sound signals and shapes
• Lights and shapes
• Collision Avoidance

12. Section12: Passage Making (Finished: April 19th 2013 – 99% Correct)
• This second brings all of the learning together as you plan a full passage plan

13. Royal Yachting Association Day Skipper Test (Results Pending): (Finished: April 23rd 2013)
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 1: 100%
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 2: 100%
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 3: 100%
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 4: 77%
• The RYA Day Skipper Theory Test – Section 5: 98%

Take It Easy,

Kyoto Wolf

Every photograph in this blog is owned by ©KyotoWolf – Elísa Sólonsdóttir The Icelandic Pony Girl @KyotoWolf – @KyotoSnowWolf – ©Elísa Sólonsdóttir unless otherwise stated, and not for public domain use, thank you.

by: Mylene Mendoza-Dayrit

Last night I went back to my swimming lesson, and quite a lot has changed this term.

There were only 5 of us this time – by the end of last term there were at least 10 of us, so it was strange to go back to a small class. The other drastic change is that only 2 of us last night were capable swimmers. The other three couldn’t swim at all and all needed one on one time with the teacher. So the two of us that were okay were left alone to swim as we wished, with no help on technique or anything. This was a bit disappointing at first, because after so much time off I felt a bit rusty on some strokes, and I like the usual format of lessons; where we try something, get help from the instructor and then try again. However it didn’t take me long to get back what swimming skills I have previously learnt, I was able to breathe just as well as before and my strokes felt better and stronger than ever before. I wasn’t expecting anything fantastic after two months off, but I was surprised at how confident I felt as soon as I stepped in the pool. Before I got there I was nervous and panicking, I almost didn’t go. Over the Easter holidays after a couple of weeks off I wanted to go, but as I stepped out the door I had a panic attack and couldn’t face it. I guess it really is a case of mind over matter, I gave myself a pep talk and dived in. It felt good to be back in the pool!

I didn’t manage a whole length doing proper strokes though. In my last lesson, my goggles broke, so for this one I dug out an old pair. But they were so rubbish I may as well not have been wearing them!! I would do two strokes and they would come off my face and water seeped into my eyes. I mostly swam with my face out of the water in this session! Definitely time for a new pair before my next lesson, perhaps a more expensive pair. Somehow I now think that goggles are something worth spending more than £3 on!

I only lasted 45 minutes before I was too exhausted to carry on, note to self: never leave it two months again!! (And every bit of me aches today, it’s definitely true what they say about swimming fitness being lost easily.)

At the end of the session, our instructor did tell me and the other capable swimmer that we would be better off going to the Wednesday class in future, as the Monday class would now be for beginners and she would therefore be able to help us out better on Wednesdays, but unfortunately my University schedule is too hectic on a Wednesday, and I’m going home for placement and summer in two weeks, so it looks like last night will be my last lesson for a while. I’m hoping I will be able to go swimming over the summer though, as well as achieving something new and swimming in the sea. One of the reasons I decided to learn to swim was so I could have the courage to go swimming in the sea, so fingers crossed I am now a confident enough swimmer to have a go at tackling another fear! I will probably sign up for more lessons in September though, as I enjoy the lessons, they give me confidence and certificates that I’m not sure I could get anywhere else! The people and the instructor are lovely and helpful, and it will encourage me to keep swimming on a regular basis. So, followers, if I go quiet for a while, I can only apologise! But I will keep this blog updated with any swimming endeavours I partake in over the summer, particularly if I achieve anything new and exciting! 

Thank you to everyone who has followed/shared/supported my blog since I started it, but also to the people who have supported my lessons since the beginning, who have boosted me after a bad lesson and celebrated with me after a great one! Here’s to overcoming more fears and celebrating more achievements, here’s to swimming in the sea under the sun with my best friends, and a 200 metre certificate next term! (Perhaps a tad ambitious, but why shouldn’t I be?!)

The feeling of being on my way to conquering a fear, and the feeling of achieving things I’ve wanted to achieve since I was a little girl are feelings like none I’ve ever felt before. It makes me feel happy, but mostly I am proud of myself. People are impressed when I tell them I am learning and ask me about it, and I am happy to answer their questions. It’s been a long time since I’ve had something so big to be proud about!

What are your fears? Why don’t you try overcoming them? What are your goals for the summer? Is there something new you’d like to achieve? Why not go for it? Don’t talk yourself out of it! If there’s something I’ve learnt throughout my swimming lessons and my reflections of them, it’s that when it comes to fears and overcoming them, the most important thing to remember is: Mind Over Matter.

The test takes place within an eight hour window; I finished the first dead on four hours, which I find slightly impressive. With each unit test question I triple checked the answers I had given, to make totally sure that I had confidence in what I had put down.

In the end I clicked on submit, stopped the stopwatch, stepped back and folded away the charts and learning materials I had been using. With all the questions, units and work now submitted I am now playing a waiting game; it is the waiting which is really getting to me now. I was told some of the percentages of my answers for some of the questions in this final rest. I got nothing below seventy-five percent. I had two one-hundred percent scores and a ninety-eight percent score as well, I just home my combined scores were high enough to get me a pass!

I should know if I have passed or failed before this evening. I can tell you now I am a nervous wreck (no pun there I assure you). Maybe I should read or play a game to take my mind of things. Oh coffee, that sounds like a great idea to me. I shall make a freshly ground cup of coffee.

Below are the units I had worked on over the last six months! It has been a long road with this course on and off, but it has been fantastic fun and a big confidence booster.

1. Section1: Seamanship (Finished: 26th October 2012 – 75% Correct)
• Nautical Terms
• Ropework
• Anchoring
• Preparation for sea
• Tying up alongside
• Port or Starboard Tack

2. Section2: Introduction to Chartwork (Finished: 22nd November 2012 – 100% Correct)
• Chart Familiarisation
• Points of the compass
• Latitude and Longitude
• Position of an object
• Using the plotter
• Finding positions on the cart

3. Section3: Tidal Information (Finished: 20th November 2012 – 100% Correct)
• What causes Tides
• Tidal Heights Terminology
• Tide Height Calculations
• Tide Tables and Tidal Curves
• Introduction to secondary ports
• Tide Tables and Tide streams

4. Section4: Chartwork – Position Fixing (Finished: 12th December 2012 – 98% Correct)
• Variation and Deviation
• Plotting Fixes
• Dead Reckoning
• Estimated Position
• Use of the chart plotter

5. Section5: Course to steer (Finished: 05th February 2013 – 95% Correct)
• Plotting a Course to Steer
• Complications and Interpretation
• Introduction to Leeway
• Maintaining a Ground Track

6. Section6: Using GPS (Finished: 16th December 2012 – 88% Correct)
• General information and abbreviations
• Use of Cross Track Error
• Navigation web
• Raster and Vector Charts

7. Section7: Buoyage and Pilotage (Finished: 07th February 2013 – 79% Correct)
• Information Available
• Identifying Buoys and Lights, Using Pilotage Information
• Forward and Back Bearings
• Leading Lines and Lights

8. Section8: Safety (Finished: 26th November 2012 – 100% Correct)
• Safety Briefs
• Mayday Calls and Rescue
• Lifejackets and Dinghies
• Strong Conditions and Fire
• Actions in fog and Life Rafts

9. Section9: Meteorology (Finished: 18th December 2012 – 100% Correct)
• Weather Forecasts
• Low Pressure Systems
• Sea Breezes
• Advection and Radiation Fog

10. Section10: Passage Planning (Finished: 01st March 2013 – 87% Correct)
• Information Required
• Legal Requirements
• Passage plan examples
• Trying a passage plan

11. Section11: Collision Regulations (Finished: 22nd November 2012 – 100% Correct)
• General Rules Sound signals and shapes
• Lights and shapes
• Collision Avoidance

12. Section12: Passage Making (Finished: April 19th 2012 – 99% Correct)
• This second brings all of the learning together as you plan a full passage plan

Royal Yachting Association Day Skipper Test (Results Pending): (Finished: April 23th April)

Take It Easy,

Kyoto Wolf

Every photograph in this blog is owned by ©KyotoWolf – Elísa Sólonsdóttir The Icelandic Pony Girl @KyotoWolf – @KyotoSnowWolf – ©Elísa Sólonsdóttir unless otherwise stated, and not for public domain use, thank you.

Nicky Roche, formerly a big cheese at the Government Olympic Executive gave the after dinner speech at a networking event I went to the other week.  And jolly interesting she was on the nuts and bolts of putting together an event of such mind-boggling complexity as the 2012 Games.

It was clear listening to her that women played a huge role in delivering the Games, although that was far from clear if you were on the outside of the big  bubble.

“Women were in the second tier,  it was the men who were on the news” she said.  “Women were leading teams and doing it well but were not at the top table.”  And when they had opportunities to shine, like when they were in meetings with the Prime Minister, it was the men who took the spotlight.  “There was a lot of alpha male behaviour.  The men loved it.  I didn’t care.  I was doing a good job.  I knew I was doing a good job. I didn’t mind about the plaudits”.

In questions at the end she was asked how women could tackle limelight-hogging behaviour  by male colleagues.  She was surprisingly ambivalent about whether they should try.  “Men and women have different attitudes to being at the top” she said.  ”Sometimes women just value different things”.  She commented that she knows women who have come close to the very top, especially in the Civil Service, but have realised that, for them, it’s not worth the sacrifices involved.

Ironically she then went on to tell some hair-raising stories about working for Margaret Thatcher – it was the day after the funeral and the Baroness was much on people’s minds.  Now there was a lady who had no problem with being at the top.

My younger self would have been appalled at this – I think my current self still is, a bit.  Of course women should be at the top table and if they’re doing the jobs then they should get the recognition (though I can think of more satisfying rewards than a pat on the head from the PM).  Partly I suspect that she’s right.  I too know bright, talented, experienced hard-working women, who are working below their capacity because leaping through the hoops of a permanently on-call senior job that takes them away from their families and other interests just isn’t worth the candle.  Maybe we just aren’t as driven to get to the top as men.  Maybe when push comes to shove we are less prepared to sacrifice family life than them.  Maybe they just don’t feel that they have the choice to hold back.  I know what Margaret Thatcher would say – but then I never really counted her as much of a role model.

London Marathon 2013 winners Priscah Jeptoo and Tiki Gelana can’t even get a look in across today’s headlines. All eyes were on Mo including Lollipop who thinks the Olympic Champion will go all the way to the finish line next year.

Clearly she has not read the recent money grabbing claims that depict the idea of Farah as an expensive pacemaker.

Even three-time London Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe quizzed Farah’s decision to run only half of today’s race.

She said: “It’s not something I would have done, but that isn’t a criticism of him.”

“I would have preferred to come in to a full race.”

Of course our champion Farah rejected such comments and said before the race: “”That’s one of the things that hurts. It’s not nice but all the people who know me know I’m not the sort of person who would do that. I genuinely enjoy my athletics.”

And after his incredible half marathon run in just under an hour Lollipop and I are totally  behind Farah.

The 30-year-old athlete is only the 7^th man to win both the 5,000m and 10,000m at a single Olympics in the 2012 London Games. He epitomizes British athletics and shows how far the sport came in 2012.

Those comments which question his nationality and his ethics in competing today have little respect for his talent and achievements.

Farah’s reported fee of £450,000 for his two appearances should be highlighted by the press but so should his previous accolades and what he has done for British athletics.

His fee does not come from the taxpayers pockets but from advertisers, fellow runners who enter through the ballot, or defer for a year, and the charities who pay London Marathon the sum of 300 pounds to secure a bonded place.

There may be less money given to charity due to his appearance today but Farah already does so much. The Mo Farah Foundation was set up by him and wife to help save lives and support people affected by the worst drought to his the Horn of Africa.

Farah needs to capitalise on 2012 to keep his career on track.

He hopes to compete in the London Marathon next year after defending his world champion title which means he will be focusing on both track and marathon runs in 2014. But after what he has already achieved at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford Lollipop has no doubts for Farah.

“Of course he’ll win. Doesn’t he win everything now?” questions Lollipop.

Indeed he does Lollipop. Indeed he does. Well apart from Sports Personality of the year of course.

I realized early on, when we began this adventure, that really, only one MAJOR outing per day could be planned before the kiddies lost their minds and were a complete mess (making my life a BAZILLION times harder than it needed to be). The outing for this particular day in Barcelona was was going to be something close to my heart.  We were going to visit THE MOST FAMOUS MARKET IN BARCELONA……. LA BOQUERIA!

The outing on this day was 100% for me. I was half hoping that the kiddies would be super excited by going to the market……. but I knew that they were most likely too young to enjoy this little treasure of Barcelona.

We spent a good portion of the morning at the hotel prepping for our adventure, before we hopped on the train, to take us into the heart of Barcelona and La Boqueria Market. We navigated our way on the metro and walked a good portion of La Rambla before coming upon the market.

It is a large covered market, that has all the spanish delicacies that one dreams of!  We walked in (make way people……double stroller coming through), to some of the most amazing smells.  We passed by a Tapas restaurat and the food smells were OUT OF THIS WORLD! Seriously……  what I would have given to have sat down and ordered a glass of wine and some fab food…..

As the kids and I meandered around the market we notice many local specialties and tons of frresh vegetables and seafood.  At this point I realized I was caught between Heaven and Hell.  Pure Heaven with all these amazing ingredients around me ….. and Pure Hell since I was living in a hotel with no where to cook all these ingredients. We ended up leaving the market with some AMAZING fresh squeezed juices…… but that was it.

It was hot day in Barcelona, and the kids seemed like they had had enough so we decided to make our way back to the hotel on the metro and call it a day pool side with Brodies’ new friend and some yummy eats.

Barcelona Part 5

Friday was our last full day in Barcelona and we woke up with a mission.  It was the day of the Opening Ceremonies for London 2012 and we were making our way to the Olympic Diving Pool from when Barcelona hosted the summer Olympics in 1992.  It is the most iconic of venues from the ’92 Olympics.   It showcased Barcelona as everyone had ever imagined it to be…..   The backdrop for the divers was (and is) SPECTACULAR to say the least!

We arrived via, the metro and then to a funicular up the mountainside to the dive pool.  I did find it strange that it took us a while to find the “Olympic Pool”.  I had assumed there would be signs pointing us in the proper direction, but there were none. We did eventually get on the right track and made our way to the admission counter and to the pool deck.

I will admit that I was a bit thrown off that this Olympic landmark was not better signed.  Coming off the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and seeing first hand the care that Vancouver has put into preserving its Olympic Legacy, I was shocked by what we encountered.  It was almost like Barcelona could have cared less about this once iconic venue…..   it made me sad

Since it was the Opening Ceremony day for London 2012 I had hopes that something spectacular might be going on here….. and with 4000 seat bleachers…….I thought there maybe big screen TV’s with ticket admission to watch…. I dont know…. something….seriously SOMETHING! I was wrong…. there was nothing “Olympic” going on here…. BOO!

During our visit,to the pool we took in the most STUNNING view of Barcelona with no crowds. We got to cool off in the heat of the day in a pretty awesome pool with about 12 other people, as well we got to watch the Barcelona Diving Team practicing.  The kiddies and I thought that was pretty cool. The pool is in much need of some serious repairs as you will see by the pictures.  It is sad that such a beautiful pool is not being used to its full potential and is falling into disrepair.

The kiddies and I had a super fun last day in Barcelona, making our way around town like we were locals!

During the week leading up to the Olympics, Mike and I had been looking into places to watch the Opening Ceremonies. We finally decided that our hotel room was most likely the best place to see it.  We couldnt find any “hype” around the event so we made our own.

We had dinner across from the hotel in an “Itallian” restaurant that was attached to the mall ( *disclaimer*…. I  have already stated this was not a culinary journey for the Bain clan).  We then proceeded to the “mini” amusement park. You know…. the one that seemed to follow us everywhere in Europe.  Brodie was  full on on the trampolines from his experience in Luz St. Saveur and when it comes to any type of carousel…… well Syd seriously could go in circles FOREVER, so she was in HEAVEN!

We made our way back to the hotel, and with wine and chocolate milk ordered to the room, we had the best time cheering the London 2012 Canadian Team on as they entered the London Stadium with Simon Whitfield carrying the Canadian FLAG!  It was such an awesome evening, even if we couldn’t understand what the local commentators were saying!

It was an fabulous way to end our last day in Barcelona……

Enjoy your (not so) Daily Dose.

Xox

B.

Our Hotel. The Hilton Diagonal Mar. we were 7 windows up on the right hand corner. We looked right into Mikes work at SAP!

La Boqueria

a 

An entire stall dedicated to Baccalau (Salt Cod)…. sorry it’s not my favourite!

Our purchase for the day! So super YUM!

Mmmmmmmm……..MUSHROOMS!

nnnnn…….. NUTS!

AWESOME and beautiful!

YUMMERS!

An entire stall just for Foie Gras….

Outside the Market… La Ramblas

Hahahaha…. to late now….. but needed this for sure!

Our entrance to the metro

Pool…. Here we COME!

Spiderman follows us EVERYWHERE!

FUNICULAR up the mountain

Mr. Man

Little Miss

Kiddos in Barcelona!

Pool… finally!

Olympic Dive Pool

Down we go to the pool deck!

Dive towers

Barcelona team practicing

Brodie LOVED THIS… said I NEEDED to take the birds photo!

He was right.

Diving Platforms

Repairs needed

Hallway to change rooms… no signs, so it turns out we all changed in the “boys” change room.  Oops!

Random fix-it-up places all through out the dive pool venue

Loving the stair walk up!

Up Up Up

Dive platforms

“Olympic” signage…. so sad!

More fun at the hotel pool before dinner!

8:30PM and its EMPTY! Will be full in about an HOUR! Late night dinner for everyone in Barcelona!

Round and round we go!

Chupa Chuyps Truck

Chupa Chuyps Truck was the favourite

Motorcycles…. FUN!

Opening Ceremonies – London 2012

Yay Canada!

Hello Canada… Hello Simon Whitfield

The opening ceremonies were AMAZING!

London 2012 venue, offers white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking on an artificial park venue.

EN9 1AB

Follow links for videos:
Jess Ennis – http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19131768
Greg Rutherford – http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18912032
Mo Farah – http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18912148

Findlay, a five-time winner on the WTS circuit in 2010-11, struggled all of 2012 trying to regain fitness after she suffered a minor right hip injury in June 2011, but had won a regional triathlon in Sarasota, Fla., last month and has said her winter training had gone well this year.

After tweaking her leg in final training on Thursday, Findlay consulted with Libby Burrell, Triathlon Canada’s high-performance director, and the decision was made to err on the side of caution and withdraw.

“She could go if they were to push it but (Burrell) doesn’t want to take any risks because there are much bigger events this year,” said Triathlon Canada spokesman Chris Dornan, adding that Findlay is in the best shape she has been in for the last two years.

Findlay was ranked No. 1 in the world in June 2011 after winning the first three WTS events that season. But after suffering a small tear in her right hip in training for a World Cup race in Edmonton, Findlay did not regain that world-class form. On the strength of her 2010 and 2011 success, Findlay qualified for Canada’s 2012 Olympic team, but well off-form she finished a tearful last at the London Games.

Training under renowned coach Joel Filliol, in Clermont, Fla., this winter, Findlay trained well and had turned in encouraging performances, as well. She finished fifth in a sprint triathlon in Clermont and then first in a Pan American Cup race in Sarasota.

She travelled to San Diego in an upbeat mood, with realistic expectations for the race, which would have been her first against elite competition since the London race last August.

Over the coming weeks I intend to document my experience; talk about the highs, the lows, the rain and the bed-pushing, and share some of the things going on behind the scenes. I won’t commit to an exact schedule or regularity – I am in a mad dash to write 50,000 words by the end of April (current count: 30,425) – but the whole story will come eventually.

To start with then: the background, the auditions, and those first few rehearsals.

My Background and Auditioning

Technically, my “Olympic Journey” started way back in January. In my final year at Reading University, I had a mostly unwritten dissertation to get on with, final exams to think about, jobs to apply for, and I was on the University Dance Club’s organising committee. In short, I was busy.

A friend of mine posted on his Facebook about the auditions, and I remember him highlighting that they were specifically looking for more men. I don’t really know how this factored in to my decision to apply – perhaps it convinced me that I would fare better at the auditions, but on the flip side succeeding in the auditions meant accepting a commitment of up to twelve hours a week. Plus travel to and from Reading, plus everything else? Sensible people would scoff at the idea.

In the end though, I decided I had nothing to lose by testing the waters at an audition, and I was invited to Three Mills Studio in London on 16^th February. My friend who had posted the link on Facebook – only after I had put in my application – revealed that he had auditioned way back in October, so I travelled into London by myself. I was playing down my expectations – I wasn’t sure whether or not I could make the time commitment, after all – and was determined to just enjoy the day out. However, I was still nervous. The first thing we were asked to do was to freestyle dance in this conga line around the hall, which seemed to go on forever and only made me more self-conscious. Having a background in Ballroom, Latin and salsa dancing… well, it wasn’t especially useful. Anyone who has ever seen me out at a club can testify that I don’t do freestyle very well.

We didn’t have umbrellas, but otherwise a familiar scene.

Eventually we moved on to learn some small routines, one more dance-focussed and the other more acting-based, and I was much more comfortable with this. It was fun, relaxed, and more than a little silly as we danced a morning routine and slapped our babies. I went home having achieved what I set out to do – have a fun day out – but felt I had been sufficiently awkward at the freestyle section to deny me a call-back.

However, as it turned out, I was wrong, and back in London the following week. Fortunately we did not have to go through the freestyle section again, and even more fortunately it had been replaced with a partner dance lindy-hop routine to learn. I was new to lindy but not to partner dancing and I feel that this section is what saw me through. Again I had a lot of fun on the day, tried to keep cool about my chances, and we were told we would hear back within three weeks.

First rehearsals/Three Mills

Well, three weeks passed and I had not heard anything, and I didn’t really think anything of it. My dissertation was barely started, my exams were looming… and then at the end of the fourth week I got the email. “You have been accepted to perform in the Olympic Opening Ceremony”. And… well, how do you turn that down? I would make time.

I was lucky, in many ways. The first rehearsal wasn’t until the 19^th April, by which time my dissertation ought to have been finished (it wasn’t), and there were only five rehearsals including that one until the end of my exam period. I thought that I would have to miss one because it actually clashed with an exam but, when I explained to the university exams office, it turned out that rehearsing for the Olympic Opening Ceremony was a good enough excuse to reschedule the exam.

The first rehearsal was pretty relaxed. We were four hundred – half of what would make up the entire contingent of NHS volunteers. Danny Boyle came by, talked to us around a scale model of the Olympic Stadium, and then showed us a storyboard of the scene we would be creating. The hairs on my arms stood on end. Children’s literature and the NHS in one fell swoop? Who would have guessed? And we had to keep this a secret for the next three months, resisting pestering friends and relatives and strangers on the tube. I did share and trade stories with my friend who had initially recruited me, however; he had joined the dancers in the ‘Thanks Tim’ section and I would see very little of him until we started doing complete run-throughs late in July. For the record, our section was called ‘Swing-Out Sisters’, or SOS, but I had an easier time claiming to be NHS than a Swing-Out Sister.

The scale model image that teased the media for months.

Anyway, chatting with the other volunteers sat around me, somehow, in that room of four hundred people, the girl sat directly behind me was also studying at Reading Uni, and I immediately had a friend to travel with; a friend who I have seen pretty regularly since the Opening Ceremony and hopefully will continue to see as time goes on. I also remember, while the majority of people there sported the ‘NHS’ bibs, I was one of perhaps fifty marked ‘LIN’. We eventually worked out that this meant lindy-hop, and were eventually absorbed into the ranks of NHS bibs, but it was somewhat nervy having been singled out at that early stage.

The second rehearsal stands out in my memory too. While in the first we had sat down for a while, chatted, watched a video and eventually done some dancing, the second rehearsal we were organised into groups and set to work. It was four hours of dance with maybe a fifteen minute break. For me, that was four hours of the “party dance” routine – the fast tempo, high energy section. I was among the youngest, although evidently not the fittest! I was also very conscious of partner dancing while sweat literally poured off me, but we were all in much the same state so didn’t comment and soldiered on.

In Part Two, the rest of Three Mills, and the move to Dagenham.

Found In:

London 2012: Cycling Time Trials

It was also the first time I’ve seen some of my fellow officials since the Paralympics and European U22 tournaments, which is always nice.

The final score was 46-54 to the The Netherlands.  If you can’t make it to the West Midlands, UK to watch the games do follow the live stats here, as both teams start on their road to Rio.

This is an hour of ‘The History Show’ which I co-presented alongside Rachel Chew.

The show was a one off broadcaster which aired alongside Birmingham City University’s first years production event based on London 2012.

Radio specialists like myself all came together to create the station ‘BCUTwenty12 Radio’ for the day, which aired a variety of different shows surrounding the topic of the Olympics. Our show was based on the history of the Olympics, featuring the best Olympic moments, Inspirational Olympic songs and interviews.

In addition to my role as a presenter, I also gathered content for the show by interviewing three torchbearers from across the country. My interview with torchbearer Damien Davis is also available to listen to here if you want to hear his story on how he raised money and awareness for ‘Team Wayne’.

This is an interview I conducted with members of the ‘BCU Twenty12’ radio ‘History Show’ team. As part of my university course, we had to conduct a production event surrounding the topic of the Olympics in London. The Radio specialists like myself separated into a variety of different shows which broadcasted throughout the day around the topic of 2012. I was a co presenter for the History Show as well as one of the three reporters who gathered content on the torchbearers for this years event.

For this interview, we traveled down to London to interview the torchbearer, Damien Davis, in person. Damien’s story was an inspiration, “making a difference” by raising money on behalf of his late friend Wayne for Leukemia& Lymphoma Research with the members of ‘Team Wayne’. Damien is helping to spread the word of ‘Team Wayne’, from running marathons, to climbing the wrong mountains, and now carrying the Olympic Torch. Listen to his story, and understand why he was chosen to represent the UK as a Olympic Torchbearer for 2012.

The team are still raising money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Research now, visit their website for more information:

http://teamwayne.co.uk/

It has taken just over 100 years for women to convince the rest of the sporting world that they are just as fit and able to fight as men. Nicola Adams winning Gold for Great Britain in 2012 silenced the doubters and hugely boosted the popularity of the sport across the UK.

Let’s have a look at the history of the sport and how it has come to be as popular as it is today.

Women’s boxing first appeared at the Olympic Games back in 1904 as a demonstration bout. However, for most of the 20^th Century the sport was banned for women across the world. It wasn’t until 1998 that women were given official licences to fight in the UK. The British Boxing Board of Control said that the reason for this delay was that pre-menstrual tension made females too unstable to fight...

Jane Couch, MBE, was the first women to become officially licensed to box in 1998. Jane had a 14-year professional career where she won several world titles. She eventually retired from boxing in 2008 and is now a boxing promoter. Jane told You Hit Like a Girl about her experience with getting the sport legalised for women –

It was illegal when I took up the sport so I faced every challenge imaginable. After taking court action to get it legalised, I then had the task of proving that women can fight. Since then, the sport has gone from strength to strength because girls can now fight as amateurs.

Take a look at the lady herself in action…

In 1999, the International Amateur Boxing Association approved the first European Cup for Women and the first World Championship for Women in 2001. The 2008 Olympics did not feature women’s boxing, but in 2009, it was announced that the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board had approved women’s boxing for the London 2012 Olympics.

So this takes us up to the present day, where women’s boxing has evidently risen in popularity. According to figures from Sport England, the number of women that participate in both non-contact and competitive boxing has steadily risen over the past four years. In 2012, figures showed that over 23,000 women participated in boxing at least once per week and almost 37,000 women participated in boxing at least once a month.

Interestingly, if you look more closely at the data from Sport England, there is a surprising trend in terms of the ages of both men and women participating in the sport. You might think that younger people aged 16-25 would be most interested in taking up boxing, but in fact, there has been a recent rise in participation among those aged 30-44.

From 2007-2012, participation in boxing of those aged 16-19 has in fact fallen by 1,300, whereas almost 8,000 more men and women aged 30-34 have taken up boxing and 9,600 for those aged 35-44. One explanation as to why young girls shy away from sports is because they are afraid of looking unfeminine or that they might fail at the sport. You Hit Like a Girl mentioned this to European Silver Medalist Lisa Whiteside, who is part of the charity Sporting Champions. Sporting Champions gives young people a chance to meet world-class athletes to help inspire them into sport. This is what Lisa had to say…

Women have clearly fought hard over the years to get the sport to where it is today. Despite the slight decline in participation in younger boxers, the overall increase in women’s boxing participation is certainly encouraging. More young girls like Chloe and Kayleigh need to take part in boxing in order to boost the sport’s popularity. This is such an exciting time for women’s boxing, so let’s hope more women of all ages are INSPIRED TO GIVE THE SPORT A GO!

Raw Data from Sport England can be found here

Nicola Adams Image Courtesy of The Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Both Images of Women Boxing on the Homepage and on the Post are Courtesy of West Point Public Affairs  

RB

Photo credit: Washington Post

Expecting high standards is more than merely setting high sales goals or demanding perfection in quality. It means that leaders expect and demonstrate high personal and professional standards in the conduct of their lives and business. I don’t mean we create a “Stepford company” of robotic overachievers, but we do expect that ethical behavior at work means that we have ethical behavior in our private lives. We serve our cause, or institution, and each other best when this is the case. Entrepreneur and co-founder of Medical Imaging Company, combat veteran, and former A-10 pilot David Specht once shared his theory about why people fail that I think is very astute: “If someone fails, they usually fail for one of three reasons: either they weren’t trained, they weren’t resourced, or they weren’t led.” Dave’s view is one I agree with, and it illustrates the responsibility for the leader to lead his team by investing himself in the team’s success. If there is failure, the leader usually has himself to blame, at least initially.

Apart from George Bailey’s uncle in the film It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s a rare case indeed where the failure of an employee is solely responsible for an organization’s failure. However, even if it’s the sole employee’s fault for a failure, it’s the leader’s responsibility to get the task accomplished. An effective leader accepts responsibility for the failure of the task and diverts praise for success to their teammates and subordinates. It’s very unseemly for a leader to try to blame others for the failure of the team, just as it’s a morale killer for the team when the leader tries to take the glory for the success. The leader in those cases isn’t fooling anyone; everyone knows success is a team effort, and the leader is ultimately accountable for failure. Trying to divert attention only lowers the leader in the esteem of others.

As a ‘kiwi kid’ I believe I was exposed to the best childhood anyone could ever wish for – greenery all around, warm weather, freedom, big into sports and a real sense of belonging and community. New Zealand has this certain vibe about it which I think anyone who visits really picks up. The majority of people are so friendly and there is such a positive atmosphere. New Zealand will always be my home – I look at the rest of the world as an adventure, I am taking all the opportunities that are thrown at me and making the most of life – I know that when I want to settle down with my Husband I will go back to New Zealand so my children can experience the beauty of growing up as a kiwi kid!

I absolutely love exploring and traveling the world and I am so incredibly blessed to have travelled the majority of all of the places I ever dreamt of visiting. One day soon I hope to explore South East Asia – the cuisine especially! I absolutely love food/produce markets and could spend hours scrummaging through all the goodies they have to offer!

One of the best days in my life was when my Mama and I went to the London 2012 Olympic games opening ceremony! We were so blessed to get tickets and it was certainly a once in a lifetime experience which I will never forget! Me being me I was dressed head-to-toe in All Blacks gear – I was asked for many photos with strangers from all over the world. I was definitely a proud kiwi that day (everyday really)!

My aspiration in life is to work with teenage girls who are recovering from EDs – showing them that what the media portrays as an ideal is not healthy – teaching them how to cook nutritious, delicious meals that are going to make them feel good about their bodies – showing them that no matter what their background and/or appearance is, they are beautiful. Along with my studies, I am hoping to gain real life experience to help me achieve this – through work placements and volunteering. This (English) summer I am spending 10 weeks in New Jersey, America working as part of a Summer Camp in their Healthy Lifestyle program – here I will be advising underprivileged teens on how to improve their health and well-being – from their cooking right through to their basic nutrition knowledge. I hope I am able to make a big impact on their lives which will change their way they think about food and therefore, their improving their confidence. I also hope to become a qualified health coach through completing the ‘Integrative Nutrition’ course – the book is amazing and I would love to be able to coach individuals on what I believe is a great way to get the most out of life.

6 facts about me:

1) I follow the Holistee Manifesto like it’s the bible

2) I weighed 4 pounds when I was born

3) My brother is an actor, my Grandfather was a famous archaeologist and my great, great Aunt was a world famous childrens author

4) I have visited Disneyland 10 times and could EASILY live there

5) Even in the coldest and snowiest weather conditions I still believe it’s acceptable to walk around in shorts and jandels (flip flops, thongs..whatever you want to call them!)

6) When I was younger my Mama wouldn’t let my brother and I be extras for the Lord of the Rings as she didn’t believe it would be big – we will never let her live that down!

Anyhow, I’m finally writing from Paris. Weather here is awesome. I can walk about in my tee even at night. Glad to leave London but not so happy I left the people I care about behind… plus the many shows I never got to see (damn you Judi Dench, Jude Law, Daniel Radcliffe, Rowan Atkinson etc). Oh yes, not forgetting the Tesco/M&S sausages and roast duck in Four Seasons Chinatown, I shall miss you dearly.

London has been good to me except the damn weather. This time around, I felt the people are friendlier even the UK Border folks. Maybe London 2012 Olympics did do something positive to the people’s behaviour. Had a memorable time with my host, ate lots, played tour guide to friends from KL (yes I can actually do that), and spent even more time with some old friends. I wish I had more time with Grant, my Aussie mate (glad you dropped by St. Pancras and got myself a free coffee hehe). Part of me wish to stay on but knowing my stubborn focus mind, it will always overthrow my heart hands down. Hence locking myself down with a Eurail Global Pass was the easiest thing for me to act upon (although I was still contemplating if I should fly in the last minute during my rail pass purchase, thanks Birte for the help).

I’ve got heaps to share about London. But will do so in due time if I ever get around it. I still have 4 other backlog posts which haven’t seen the daylight yet. I suppose I shall have more time to write soon during my train journey to Madrid this coming Tuesday.

In the meantime, here are some snapshots through my eyes in London. Ah! total budget spent in London for almost a month is ~ GBP1,883 (USD2,889 / RM8,787 @ GBP/MYR 4.66 as of 13th April 2013). Why so much you ask? Cos I didn’t cut it cheap, went to shows, ate whatever I want and whenever I want, treated friends etc. Perhaps I’ll be treated back when the time comes . We shall see.

Enjoy the pics and captions.

First time seeing Mandarin ducks.

Old tree with creepy branches. But I like it.

I like this park near Watford home.

I see my rock finally.

I want this for my house.

Had a nice lunch with Mun Seng and Jannik here. But the weather was BLEH!

Don’t see too many of these anymore.

What a sight in the middle of London.

Nice stroll with Tom here.

Clients need to stop forcing their products unnecessary into the visuals. No one holds cups if you are in that pose.

I got a scare walking pass it. Bloody hell.

Guoman Hotel cafe.

Being silly.

Right in the heart of gay village.

Before the show begins. Yawn yawn.

Surely it’s riding on the currently popular musical Book of Mormon in West End.

He’s pretty funny.

Been getting many weird phone calls since leaving KL.

The items I left behind in Watford. Thanks MS for carrying them back for me.