As part of an awesome initiative called Give Back Day, I joined a team of volunteers to rejuvinate Carmel Primary School in remote North-East Jamaica. We worked together with the school principal, teachers, parents and kids to plant trees, paint the school building and make murals on the walls to give the school some colour and life! The kids were having so much fun planting and painting, that their uniforms got super dirty and paint stained.... oops! Yet this created new jobs for the local tailor, as we donated an extra US$100 to create a new school uniform for all the 20+ kids (yes that money goes SO far here), so now everyone has a clean “indoor” and messy “outdoor” uniform!

At the end of the day we had a closing ceremony where the kids sang songs in a local dialect (Patois) and English, and we gave the students backpacks, pens, books and and other donations collected.

This school is very remote (in the jungle of west Jamaica) and one of the school’s buildings burnt down, so currently a makeshift classroom has been set up inside the church. Many of the kids don’t get to eat breakfast before going to school - as you can imagine this greatly affects learning retention. Therefore a “breakfast program” is being developed to be able to feed these beautiful children so they arrive every morning to school, with full bellies and ready to tackle the day and learn to their greatest potential.

If you have the capacity to make any donation, no matter how great or small, visit www.gofundme.com/givebacklifejamaica to read more about it. If you can’t, even sharing this post will help to spread the word to others.

This has been, hands down, a highlight of my trip to Jamaica. If you ever get an opportunity to be involved in such work, do it. It will give you a totally different perspective in life.

www.gofundme.com/givebacklifejamaica

#givebacklifejamaica #givebackday #jamaica #AfestJamaica

In the midst of the trash and treasure I am sorting before I move house, I came across an old "Girlfriend" magazine from June 2001 (back when I was a cheeky 16-year old). I saved it because I featured in an article about whether my friend or my boyfriend at the time, "knew me best" - based on my response to some basic questions about my life and aspirations.

I was intrigued at my own response to Question 7 - "What would be your dream career?" - to which I answered - "Travelling to different countries and studying languages - it would be so cool to be multilingual."

I was amazed, because back then I was still a 16-year old adolescent duckling, with no real life or travel experience,  yet my young heart knew what it wanted. But somehow I forgot about this, put the magazine away, finished high school and went to  do something that is "sensible" and "expected" (that is, go to uni and get an office job). Yet, thirteen years later and now 29, I still have managed to find the time to travel independently all around South America,  Europe and Africa. I have also studied and lived in Denmark and now speak 3.5 languages (if you include French swimming around somewhere!), making me multilingual. And the most beautiful thing, is  that my website Culture Unlock expresses the same values today, as what I innocently answered 13 years ago in that teen mag article. 

Trust your instincts and focus on what you love. If not, then you will always be yearning for it (and you'll still end up doing it unconsciously hahaha!

:)

I was interviewed by SBS Radio Denmark, to give my insight to amazing cross-cultural project I am coordinating at Sydney Opera House called MADE by the Opera House - a Multidisciplinary Australian Danish Exchange - a ten-year collaboration between Sydney Opera House and The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Denmark. 

Click here to listen to the interview.

I describe (in Danish) my own perspective as the program coordinator, and how significant this project is in creating closer collaboration between Australia and Denmark. I also describe what it was like to meet so many awesome Danes (such as Their Royal Highnesses, the Crown Prince Couple and Jan Utzon!), and also how I got to practise speaking Danish with Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Mary! Jennifer McMaster, one of the inaugural Australian MADE winners, also gives her insight as the MADE participant to go to Denmark to work on a multidisciplinary project. 

For those not living in Australia - SBS stands for 'Special Broadcasting Service' and is Australia's national provider of"multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia's multicultural society" -  SBS: Frequently Asked Questions SBS Corporation, accessed 26 May 2007 

Thanks to SBS Radio Denmark for this article.

Talk about a blast from the past! Recently my dad found this video that a random crew member of performing artist Ed Motta had randomly captured back in 2006. It was a great experience turned unforgettable - I had jumped up on stage because my best mate Simmy dared me to! Props to Ed Motta who wittily transformed it into an impromptu party - to the disapproval of the security guards...meh, they just wanted in.

Roskilde Festival is North Europe's biggest festival which has been rocking out since 1971. What's more, the festival is a non-profit project celebrated by close to 100,000 happy festival-goers. They're mainly from Scandinavia, but the vibrance of this festival attracts people from all corners of the globe. There are four "warm up" days before the four days of music actually starts, so that everyone can hang out and uncover adventures of all kinds (like participate in the traditional Naked Race!!). 
I don't think I've ever experienced such freedom and friendliness - everyone simply leaves their troubles and inhibitions in the city, for a huge party out at an oversized country paddock. 

What happens when I combine planning, scripting, roaming the streets with a camera and crazy adventures?
...My first ever short film! Watch and you'll discover why Sydney is the most FANTASTIC place in the world!

I am proud of the final product and truly believe in this representation of Sydney.

I have entered this video as part of an exciting worldwide competition with My Destination. But no matter what the outcome, the experience has been invaluable and I have grown so much from it. I've met so many inspiring and interesting individuals on the way. I broke through my comfort zone to take on interesting and crazy adventures. But most importantly, I conquered a personal challenge by achieving what I thought was impossible. This feels so rewarding.

Experiences go from good to great when you push beyond your boundaries. 
Life goes from great to unforgettable when you burst out of the bubble.

Also a special thanks to:
Gabrielle Widders and The Rocks Dreaming Aboriginal Heritage Tour
Sydney Bladers & Wednesday Skate Night
Ganga Giri
Sydney Raw Cacao Party by Superfeast
All the truly amazing people that participated in this video!
... and most importantly - Paolo Cellini, my beautiful partner who was there to support me every step of the way.

Today I was interviewed by SBS Radio Denmark, where I discuss my insight as a "Danish architect working at Sydney Opera House". 

The interview is mostly in Danish, but scroll forward to 3:52 where I describe in English, my experience of climbing through claustrophobic hatches to reach the the top of the highest sail at Sydney Opera House. 

For those not living in Australia - SBS stands for 'Special Broadcasting Service' and is Australia's national provider of "multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia's multicultural society" -  SBS: Frequently Asked Questions SBS Corporation, accessed 26 May 2007 

Thanks to SBS Radio Denmark for this article.

Who loves Monday mornings?! Well, you would if you experienced what I did this particular Monday morning. This place is truly special.

I went to my first ever Raw Cacao Dance Party. What's that, you ask? Well I found out it was a drug-free, alcohol-free party full of really interesting and hip individuals, who spice up the night with Raw Cacao smoothies and blue-green algae shots. Raw Cacao is apparently the purest form of chocolate, and gives you this cool energetic buzz. Kind of like the way lots of candy and sugar makes you hyperactive, but without that sickening feeling afterwards.

So what happens when you combine a Raw Cacao dance party with contemporary indigenous beats? Pure energy and great fun! I randomly decided to join Ganga Giri and his band on stage. To my enjoyment the band was delighted to receive me. I then got encouragement from the crowd, and after the show when I went to thank Ganga, he gave me one of his albums in gratitude for my spontaneous energy! 

Raw Cacao + Ganga Giri = An energetic rush!

Raw Cacao Party by Superfeast, with performance by Ganga Giri. 

Bjarke Ingels is the founding partner of a high-profile and award-winning Danish architectural practice, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). BIG is renowned for pushing the limits of creativity to develop far-from-conventional works of architecture.

In our chat, Bjarke shares his understanding of Jørn Utzon's architectural masterpiece, Sydney Opera House.