Untukmu Para Pengunjung

Since we moved to Zimbabwe, people have told me not to get stressed. Especially now that I am "with child" people are advising me not to worry/not to get stressed. Trust me - I try. But sometimes it's hard in this country - especially if you have a heart. I can't describe to you how painful it is to see people continually suffering; to see a country continue to get more and more difficult each month. This morning we heard about another officer family who had to flee their home due to political violence and slept the night in the bush. Teachers are no longer going to school in rural areas because it's too dangerous. Of course, many people are still starving. And the economy... well they just introduced 2 new bearer's cheques this morning - $100million and $250million. It's helpful (because I mean, we spent a good 15 minutes at the checkout yesterday as the people in front of us had a bill of $33billion - that's a lot of notes to count out!) but it's just a bad sign! Zimbabwe is very Christian, and everyone says, "we are waiting for God to intervene - it's the only way." So when will He? When is enough enough? You can only shed so many tears; cry out so many prayers. How long, LORD?

I had a powerful dream on Sunday night. I was in a rural area and there was a young girl of about 8 with a worn, simple dress. She had been caring for her mother, and her father had already passed away from AIDS. People asked me to be the one to tell her that her mother and 14 year old brother died. She didn't speak any English, and there was no one to translate. So I had to bring this little girl into the church - where her mother and brother had been laid out. She had no relatives left. I hugged her, but it was awkward, because I'd never met her, and didn't speak her language. She just sat on the floor and stared at her late family - occasionally singing; alone in the world. And I crouched in a dark corner, and felt absolutely helpless. I tried to read my Bible, but I couldn't see any of the words. Then all of a sudden, my best friend was there. She was sitting in her own corner, with her own Bible, and she invited me to come sit in the light with her. It was so good to see Sherri and to sit in the light. So we sat and we prayed and we tried to have hope for this little girl. Then my dad appeared, and it was also good to see him. I gave this big speech, saying something like, "Sometimes I miss being a little girl. I miss the days when you - my father - would protect me from all the evil and the injustice in this world. When I would ask you hard questions and you would answer, 'you'll understand when you're older' or 'just trust God.' At the time I thought maybe you were brushing me off, but now I see that you were trying to protect me for awhile - protect me from seeing all of the hate, hurt, selfishness, greed and pain in the world. When I was a kid, I thought you were my superhero - in your own type of uniform - out trying to help people find God and to help one another. Now I'm an adult, but sometimes I feel like I need a superhero. I see too much evil; too much injustice; too much pain. It's realistic. I need to feel it; to see it; to have it rip open my heart. But sometimes I just want to return to that time when I was shielded from it or when I had a superhero that I knew would save people from it." I woke up crying. It was a very vivid dream.

We're back from our long weekend in Lubumbashi, Congo. It was great to see my friend Rachel and catch up on life. She is doing important work making sure mining companies are working with communities for human rights and health and safety. Katanga Province is resource rich with tonnes of copper and cobalt mines, but the province has also seen a lot of exploitation and pillaging. Lubumbashi is very dusty and the roads are terrible, but Rachel's house and friends were beautiful. We relaxed so well and I took naps every day. We read, watched movies, talked, went to a pool, ate... We braved crazy downtown on Saturday afternoon so we could get our Congolese "souvenirs" (imported pasta and cheese!) My respect for Rachel really increased as we braved traffic and crowds.

Friday, Rach had to work, and we played tourist. We went to the museum and the zoo. I loved seeing all the species of monkeys and chimps at the zoo. The Bengal tigers and lions were also cool. The governor of Katanga is rich, and investing a lot of personal money in re-creating the city - including tigers from Asia! Unfortunately, on the way to the museum, I had a little encounter with the security personnel for the police general. Supposedly, I walked on their grass illegally. A few of them were in military fatigues and drunk, so I was quite nervous when they were saying I had to stay in their hut for questioning, but that John had to leave. The military in Congo is famous for rape, so I was quite scared, especially when they were pulling me inside the gate and pushing John out. Eventually I said that I couldn't leave John because he didn't understand French, and we ran away. Yikes. John was totally confused because of language, but thankfully did not allow us to be separated.

So, we had a good weekend and now we're back. We got 2 prayer requests at devotions today - for a couple who just had a still birth - for the 5th time, and then also for a pair of retired officers who had to flee their home in the south because people are being tortured for voting the wrong way in the presidential elections. The date for the run-off is yet to be announced. I wonder how many people will be harassed, tortured and intimidated before then...

On Webstrategist, A Chronology of Brands that Got Punk’d by Social Media

On Logic + Emotion, Micro interaction + Direct Engagement

On Whats Next Blog, I don’t want my bank to be funny.
How come I didn’t write this post?

On Studentpreneur, Free Printing for Uni students. I want to bring this to Monash

On Facebook, Melbourne Gen Yers bonding over 2AM lockout via Facebook Group

I will be adding to this list as I go.

1. Work for Nike
I want to be a part of making awesome pieces of art. Like this


And this


And this

Does anyone else feel confused with the constant stream of advertising rubbish that comes out from Nando’s? They are clearly a marketing headcase who believe they can change their brand image through readjusting their promotion.

The rest of the marketing elements screams Family-Gen Xers offering, their pricing (highly priced), product (grilled chicken meals), distribution points (store designs that have clearly not been updated since 1992), and employees (the kids who couldn’t get a job at McDonalds).

Yet their advertising message would lead you to believe that they are a young, cheeky, humorous Generation Yers brand.

I ask, What happened to Brand Continuity?????


Here is their latest miss, with the a parody of the Big Brother House
Big Chicken 08


Nando's Fix Gum - WTF?

Skins have backed up their great ad and consumer insight into Sports Celebrities getting paid too much with another advertisement that will surely spark debate.



and here is their other great ad on Sports Celebrities

Here is the promotion for the The Greun Transfer, a 10 part series looking at how Advertising works. Launching May 28th on the ABC. Should be interesting, pity they got Wil Anderson to host this program, he is such a wank.

On reflection there is a great fit for him to host a show looking at the Advertising Industry.

And here is the definition of The Greun Transfer

'The consumer's decision-making consciousness subsides and he or she is more likely to make an impulse purchase because of unconscious influences of lighting, ambient sound and music, spatial choices, visual detail, mirrored and polished surfaces, climate control, and the sequence and order of interior storefronts, etc.

The effect is marked by a slower walking pace and glazed eyes.'