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The Shard
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
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Southbank Sinfonia
 So Southbank Sinfonia is back, along with Vladimir Ashkenazy at the Cadogan Hall on March 24th. Some tickets still available.
Or come along, most Thursdays from 6pm, for a rush hour concert. Free music, free glass of wine with inspiring music. Leaving enough time to catch another concert at RFH, where you may spot some familiar faces. Yes, Eugene in the Bruckner.
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Music at the Wigmore Hall
Other amazing events this month were Martin Frost Master Class. A chance to spot some new talent. Three hours of clarinet, followed 2 days later by his concert with SMTF. Mozart and Klesmer and all kinds of pyrotechnics. He is Artist in Residence at Wigmore this year. More clarinet in May.
A vignette of great significance for some of us that, although Swedish, Martin's father frequently played Jack Brymer, who became a role model for Martin. How important are role models and mentors?
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The Brain's Way
of Healing
Another book from Dr. Norman Doidge. Canadian, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, researcher, author, essayist and poet. Like Ian McGilchrist, a man of many talents and interests. Perhaps that holds the key to how they are able to think less conventionally, more creatively.
It's official, the brain is plastic, not wired like a computer. The Brain's Way of Healing, now widely available.
www.normandoidge.com
You can re-train neural pathways, you can create new cells, and we've know this for over 20 years!! In fact your brain may make new cells right up until death, but you need to use them. His book suggests some principles.
Be active socially, physically and mentally. This is not simple work, not Sudoku, but move to a new country and learn a new language, start a degree in mathematics or physics.
If you ever hear anyone talk about the brain being hard-wired, our destiny pre-determined by genetics, inform them just how out of date they are. It's usually to keep the status quo. Keeping women and minorities in their place.
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You can click through to the Archive to read other interview extracts, as well as old newsletters.
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All photographs are used with permission of owners, courtesy of Wikipedia or are the property of ChrisTrainers.
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Welcome
Entering either the Shard or News UK (formerly News International) the computer calls a lift for you, the floor you specified. Keeping all the occupants quite separate, probably as much for security and to override stopping every floor up to the 35th, or 87th. Those readers who were Monash graduates in the early days will recall the original Ming Wing creating a wind funnel. So it is here.
This was the setting for the latest interview. OnlyConnecting with the Global Woman. Juliana describes herself as a television journalist and broadcaster who specialises in investigations and current affairs.
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Investigations
Just a few of her investigations and achievements. Cambodian orphanages fleecing gullible Westerners to sponsor an 'orphan', who had in fact been taken from their parents, to line the pockets of the orphanages' boss. The orphanages were shut down, a criminal neglect filed, and the UK production company stopped sending volunteers.
Sex trafficking from Nigeria to Italy. Exposing the Juju oath, which binds the women to their traffickers.
Driving away a fleet of South Korean boats who were illegally fishing and destroying both the economy and ecology of the coast of Sierra Leone.
Click here to read about her work.
www.ionthecity.com
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Juliana Ruhfus
Juliana is a splendid role model for young women growing up, whether journalism or other careers, and indeed for entrepreneurs of both genders.
My village is a tiny little speck on a map. If you come from such a place you don't allow yourself to dream to be a foreign correspondent, because it seemed ridiculous to sit in a village like that and dream that you'll travel the world, and live in a cosmopolitan city and do all these "cool things". Read more www.ionthecity.com
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Danger
I always struggle with the question of danger, because I feel that I try and assess how dangerous a situation is before I go. It is a decision I take before I leave home, because I know I'm entering a risk situation. Yes a place like Somalia is dangerous, to go in and spend one day in parliament, but who am I to highlight my danger if these politicians, every time, they take that risk.
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Change
If you try to achieve change on a very big scale you may end up impaling yourself on your own ambitions. I think you get cynical if you're too ambitions, or you get disappointed.
The one thing I have learnt if there is anything to make money off they will do it. They will sell anything, they will sell babies, they will steal your organs.
But I think if you aim at change, start with your own environment. Even starting with how you just treat people around you, not even as work. Just to be as kind and generous to anybody in your world, that already to me is the beginning of change.
To read the full two-part interview go to
www.ionthecity.com
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Go Well In The World
Here is more inspirational advice from Juliana:
"Making yourself non-judgmental before you pass judgment on others. It's just really helpful and it's really grounding, it's a really important counterweight to work."
She finds her inspiration from her yoga teacher. "Then you feel not just changes in your body, but changes in your mind. In the West we're so used to you can use your mind to shift your body. But the great thing about yoga, you can use your body to shift your mind."
Do some small change, some small kindness today.
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