Lindy and I wish you all a full and fulfilling 2020. I have booked on The Santa Sleigh team. While we deliver Christmas presents around the world, we will broadcast peace and harmony messages along the way. As usual, 2019 was filled with lots of activities.
International Day of People with Disability
On the 3rd of December, Beth took Lindy and I to the Department of Social Services to talk to staff about inclusive sports. We had a stand for Fitability and spoke to staff about tandem riding for people who can’t ride a bike on their own. We shared the stand with volunteers from the Pedal Power Cycling without Age program and their rickshaw bicycle. I was dying to have a ride in it but didn’t get the chance – next time.
Canberra Theatre Access Ambassador
Lindy and I are the Access Ambassador for Canberra Theatre. We attended a number of shows including The Wharf Review, Barbara and the Camp Dogs, Westside Story, Prima Facie and many more. I do enjoy the behind the stage tour before the shows. The stage directors showed Lindy and all the vision impaired people and their guides the sets and costumes. We even get to meet some of the performers when they pop up to talk to us.
I think the show that left the most impression on Lindy was Barbara and the Camp Dogs, which is a comedy musical. Barbara, ruled by her anger, plays with her Camp Dogs band in pubs and clubs in Sydney with her sister. “When a family tragedy calls the sisters back home to Katherine, Northern Territory, Barbara had to face the source of her anger: the loss and abandonment – both personal and generational – that has haunted her whole life.” This show presented the emotional argument from different perspectives.
After the show, there was a Q & A session that Lindy and I stayed for. Lindy was so moved by the performance that she was lost for words! I have never seen Lindy ‘lost for words’ since we teamed up in 2015. I highly recommend that you go and see this when it comes to your area.
More cultural activities
Other cultural activities included a music concert and the Monet: Impression Sunrise exhibition at the Art Gallery. Polly took us to the Canberra Symphony Orchestra Concert. The concert reminded Lindy of those concerts that her dad used to take her to. They were performed in Hong Kong Music Hall when she was a young girl.
I also enjoyed the Monet Exhibition as I was able to meet up with some of my work mates. The Art Gallery staff gave Lindy and all the other vision impaired attendees a descriptive tour of the exhibition. They were very knowledgeable and were able to give the group a lot of background information about the artist and the painting. This gave them a better insight into art.
Interactive science workshop at the University of NSW
Two weeks ago I took Lindy to the University of NSW for their Interactive Science Expo with workshops aimed for vision and hearing impaired people. We went through a few workshops in small groups. Most of the presenters were university researchers and PhD students. They had models for various micro cells to enable participants to ‘see’ what some of the cells ‘look like’. When they presented their topic, they used simple language rather than scientific jargon. This enabled Guide Dogs like me to understand what was presented.
Other highlights for 2019
- Lindy’s Cycling Holiday in Vietnam
- Pawgust for Guide Dogs
- Speaking at corporate organisations, communities and schools through the year
- Rowing, cycling and lots of walking with Lindy including improving my Parkrun PBs
- Australia Day Ambassador at Young
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Little things grow into big things.
Little positive thoughts grow into big possibilities.
This is the tail of Lindy’s Comet.
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Woof Woof
Comet Hou
Comet : comet@lindyhou.com
Lindy: lindy@lindyhou.com
Tel: 0402 113 836 / +61 402 113 836
www.lindyhou.com
