Photographing action and Celebrating International Women's Day

 Hi everyone, I hope you and yours are going well. 

Yesterday, 8 March was International Women's Day. This year I didn't do anything specifically to celebrate International Women's Day, however I have I decided to share a few photos of women I have taken over the last month at some events where I was taking photos. I've also included a few links further down to International Women's Day events I have been to in the past. 

The first was on the 16th February where I, and other members of the Photography Group of Bunbury were asked by the Bunbury Triathlon Club to take photos at the Bunbury City Classic Triathlon. We have done this for the last few years. It was a hot morning, and I was lucky to get myself a spot under the shade of Norfolk Pines on the road into Bunbury. 

Competitors were young, old, the very fit and the newbies. All having a go. 

I took all my photos on sports mode on my camera. I really need to practise panning. Sports mode seemed to freeze the action - which was good - but also the background - which I really wanted blurred.  However my panning shots were all blur. Definitely a skill to practise. 

The next event was 22 February where I again went down with the Photography Group of Bunbury to photograph the South West Multicultural Festival in Bunbury. This is a wonderful yearly event of music, dance, food, and culture. I have been going to this festival for a number of years. I have even danced there in the past with Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company. Unfortunately they didn't dance there this year. The first time ever I think. 

South West Multicultural night under the stars 2016

I really enjoyed the Roztiazhka Ukranian Cossak Dancers with their vibrancy and smiles, and the Narthanalaya School of Indian Classical Dance was elegant. The Taiko On Japanese Drumming were fantastic. This lady you see below here was amazing. 

Unfortunately none of my photos of the Ngaru Pou Maori Haka and Cultural Dance Group turned out, but this young group, who are on their way to a competition in the Pacific were fantastic. It was evening by then and I needed to use a different setting for low light on my camera. I will try to remember next time to boost the ISO. 

On Saturday afternoon 8 March my husband and I were on-water-control-safety boat at the Forza Dragon Boat Club annual match-racing twilight regatta in Bunbury. Our family has been involved with dragon boat racing in Bunbury since in the first regatta in 1990 and our two sons still compete.  Being in a boat on the water put in in an ideal place to take photos. Below here you can see some of the women's racing - 20 paddlers plus a drummer on front and a sweep at the back steering the boat. The pink team you see is Amazons Dragons Abreast Perth - part of an Australian and international organisation for women who have had breast cancer and their survivors. Truly Amazon women. 

Forza Dragon Boat regatta 2022

International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission

There have been many biographies and books written about remarkable women. I would also like to recommend a couple I have read in the last 12 months of so. 

The Librarians of Rue de Picardie - by Janet Skeslien Charles - based on the true story of the CARDS (American Committee for Devastated France), and in particular Jessie (Kit) Carson (1876-1959), who came from the New York Public Library to Blerancourt in war torn France in 1918, to help rebuild devastated French communities just miles from the front lines. Jessie turns ambulances into bookmobiles to reach isolated villages and trains the first French female librarians and revolutionisers French libraries by welcoming in women and children, not just scholars. The story also tells of the aspiring writer Wendy Peterson in 1987 who becomes consumed researching Jessie and the CARDS.   www.jskesliencharles-behind the book and American Libraries Magazine - Remembering the American Librarians of post WW1 France. 

Also published as - Miss Morgan's Book Brigade. 

• The Art of Breaking Ice - by Rachael Mead -  This fictional novel is based around the true story of the Antartic adventure of Nel Law - artist and wife of Antartic expedition leader Phillip Law, Rachel pulls together what little is known at Nel Law to write this fictional account of Nel's trip to Antartica - the first Australian woman to set foot on Antartica in an age when the lives of wives were defined by their husbands. Mead says she was inspired by Nel Law’s courage in defying expectations and gender stereotypes, and the constant scrutiny of the men.  Some characters were created - ie Dr Harris McCallum who commissioned her to draw penguins for his research paper.    wikipedia.org/wiki/Nel_Law 

Thank you so much for stopping by. Did you do anything for International Women's Day? Here are four previous posts you might enjoy  - 

International Womens Day 2018 - Identity and Transition

Celebrating International Women's Day and Ageing with Attitude - The Granny Grommets, Albany Western Australia  - 2016

International Womens Day 2017

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
   

Mosaic Monday @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Travel Tuesday

Talking About It Tuesdays @ Slices of Life

ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

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Until then, enjoy your day...Life only comes around once, so do what makes you happy and be with people who make you smile. 

International Women's Day - Identity and Transition

On Saturday I felt privileged to be able to attend an all day International Women's Day event hosted in my home town by the South West Women's Health and Information Centre. How inspriing it was to be in the company of such an amazing, diverse, intelligent, creative and talented group of women across all ages and walks of life. 

And how wonderful it is when women get together supporting each other. 

 The theme of the day was "Women as we age - identity and transition" and the fabulous array of speakers touched on this theme in various ways - from displaced lives through circumstance or war, taking up new challenges, and changes that happen as we go through life. 

The day was opened by the traditional welcome to country followed by an opening address by City Councillor, Betty McCleary on behalf of the City of Bunbury.  

We were then treated to an amazing performance by Viva Aerial Dance and Freespirit Trapese performers backed by the Bunbury Vocal Fusion Choir. 
The strength and flexibility of these aerial performers is amazing. Charlotte, the girl you see on the left is only 13.

Following this we heard several lively pieces from poet Kate Wilson, Marilyn Palmer from Edith Cowan University, Helen Shervington the chair of CinefestOz Film Festival (the largest regional film festival in Australia), indigenous Australian Naydeene Edwards (a moving story about looking for belonging and identity) and Cambodian Daravann Meek talked about culture and identity, special guest, political scientist, Karen Paget from the USA, ABC gardening guru Sabrina Hahn talked about the healing power of nature, Deb Perry entertained us with her spoon playing, and Josephine Wilson talked about her 2017 Miles Franklin awarded book, Extinctions, before we enjoyed a singalong with the amazing voice of Tracey Musham. 

A few quotes from the day -

• "there is power when we unite" - Betty McCleary
• "what she wrote became an antidote to her choked throat" - Kate Wilson
• "these lines (on my face) are my stories and they run deep" - Kate Wilson
• "stay conscious about the power of language.... language forms and creates our world.... choose words carefully.... be careful of the power of words.... look for opportunities to be involved" - Marilyn Palmer
• "transitions happen bit by bit...just get on with it" - Helen Shervington
•  Talking about her book - Last Days of the House - "the house helps me commune with my younger self... we are all in transition... we all look for our rock... and tell ourselves stories about our childhood..."  - Karen Padget 
• "the importance of finding someone to connect to... family is about love and connection... family doesn't have to conform and can change..." - Josephine Wilson

• "transition is a constant thing... sometimes it is difficult but sometimes the hardest things are the most important... it's ok to feel what you are feeling....it builds resilience... we don't allow out kids to explore things in their own time and make their own mistakes. Play is how they learn. As adults we forget to play. We take ourselves too seriously. We need to get away from screens...get outside...zone down..... Don't allow aging to get in the way of things you want to do - just find a way to do it differently. Don't think you can't do it. Keep learning..... We are one species among many. Everything is connected to everything else. We need gardens more and more in urban living for community health. It is so important to sit, listen, and just be. If you are not quiet you miss so much.... Remember that the person next to us is not better than you." - Sabrina Hahn

After a delicious lunch we were able to attend an array of half hour workshops - some serious and some just for fun!  I went to one with Sarah Evans about memoir and bio writing. Then learnt a bit about drumming with Felicity Dear, before de-stressing with Clair Connolly and Dru Yoga, finishing up with learning how to play the spoons with Deb Perry.  The basics are fairly easy to learn. I demonstrated to my family after I got home, and I think they are hoping I won't take it up - castanets around home is more than enough for them! 

 And a few final comments from the panel - 
"Transitions occur throughout our life and are ongoing....the roles we are fulfilling in the moment are not our true selves... life is messy - these experiences enrich our lives... invisible labour we do for love.... look forward without fear... think about all the women on whose shoulders we stand .... how we love is the most important thing.... all women are connected.... chase your dreams and passions... make a ritual everyday to sit, listen, look and hear and then fiddle with something you've always wanted to do."

 I was also able to have a space to sell some of my products - eco-dyed silk scarves and greeting cards, hand folded paper flowers, and cushions, tote bags and greeting cards featuring my photography. 

It was a fabulous day which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Congratulations South West Women's Health and Information Centre for putting on such an amazing day in celebration of International Women's Day. 

 Thank you so much for stopping by.  Did you go to an event for International Women's Day? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comments. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.  

You might also like:-
Celebrating International Women's Day and Aging with Attitude - 2016
International Women's Day 2017 
The life of women in Australia's past 

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

   
All Seasons
Mosaic Monday 

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

Through My Lens 

Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday 

The Lovin' Life Team over at Deep Fried Fruit
Little Things Thursday

Life in Reflection

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

If you are a blogger you can also link your blog to Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global.

International Women's Day - 8 March 2017

 Hi girlfriends! Did you do anything for International Women's Day last week?

Last Wednesday I went to a fabulous International Women's Day morning tea and presentation held by the South West Women's Health and Information Centre.  

What a wonderful vibe there was in the room with all these women connecting, reconnecting, meeting, chatting, exchanging. At one point the lady who was sitting next to me, who I had just met said, "is this what you call a gaggle of women?" - it certainly sounded like it - in a good way!

 So today, in recognition of International Women's Day I thought I would share with you some of the positive thoughts the five speakers gifted us with during the morning. The  focal themes for me which I received from the morning were - It is never too late to start.... and.... life is too short not to follow your passions - and a message which follows my own mantra - be true to yourself.... and..... only you can make your dreams come true.

 Please click here to keep reading more -