Contributors

Thursday, February 25, 2010

What I'm grateful for February 25...




February 25:
1. W.O.W. – I’m grateful for the Women of Woodside, a social networking group part of Australia’s leading independent energy company in gas and LNG operations. Every month they have a guest speaker, tonight they got more than they bargained for with yours truly. I had a ball, comfortable once meeting some of their deadly Indigenous staff, becoming aware of Woodside’s 2010 Reconciliation Action Plan and a whole range of opportunities available for / to Indigenous people within the company. And the ladies were so lovely. Young! Very young! I felt like a big sister, an Aunty almost. I had fun talking about my writing career, plugging Indigenous Literacy Day and NASCA. Aside from the potential for some project partnerships in the future, I also managed to sell quite a few books which was a nice bonus. I’m also grateful that my Perth Writers’ Festival experience was kicked off with such a bang.
2. STEVE: I think his name was Steve. If not, let’s just call him Steve anyway. He was the official photographer taking pics for two hours. I’m grateful for his professionalism and for taking shots from my left side / best side wherever possible. But I was a tad concerned when he said, ‘Can you just lick your lips.’ Ummm, who do you usually shoot for Steve?
3. RANDOM HOUSE GIFT BAG: The first time I had a RHA gift bag delivered to my house during the Sydney Writers’ Festival I thought ‘I’ve finally made it as a writer.’ Seriously, I was excited. And now, I just expect it. A box of handmade chocolates and a bottle of vino waiting in my hotel room. I’m so grateful for both. Although a bottle of Tiffany’s perfume would be better, and a bangle from Tiffany’s better still. Maybe next year!
4. SMILES: I’m grateful for people who choose smiling over frowning. I’m told it actually uses less effort to smile than frown anyway. I like to smile and very rarely find it difficult to pull one off, except for a recent photo shoot for the Courier Mail where I looked constipated... haven’t seen the pics yet, and not really keen to! On the flight over from Sydney to Perth today, I watched one of the stewards do the ‘fake smile’ all the way down the aisle, dropping it the minute he stopped looking at a passenger. Very, very bad Mr QANTAS!
5. SUNSHINE: I’m grateful for it, it makes me smile.

Pics: Me with with Tracey from the WOW Committee [I particularly love the person behind me with MANHATTAN DREAMING upside down], me Woodside signing books, me with my frisbee!

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