Shanaka Fernando was named Australia's Local Hero

Shanaka Fernando was named Australia's Local Hero for his work founding not-for-profit restaurant chain Lentil as anything.

The group of four restaurants, which employs about 80 young people and provides space for artists and writers, does not set prices for dishes.

Instead, diners are encouraged to pay what they can afford or what they think the meal was worth.

Mr Fernando sunk his personal capital into the first restaurant and turned it into a co-operative and youth training enterprise. Lentil as Anything has shown that it is possible for a business to be run on a socially responsible, idealistic basis and still be financially successful and popular.

The 38-year-old restaurateur, who was born in Sri Lanka and arrived in Australia in 1989, said the award meant a great deal to him.

"Hopefully it means the nature of what is happening through our organisation is important and will spill out to the greater society.

"I hope this award will inspire other migrants and anyone in the community who may have ideas that might not seem normal and which have no prior format to go ahead and try these ideas and follow your heart."

And on the eve of Australia Day, Mr Fernando said he thought to be Australian was to be "welcoming of others … to be encouraging of each other".

I Met Shanaka some time ago when some friends of mine and myself took a huge road trip from Sydney to Melbourne just to visit hes restaurant in melbourne I love this guy he has a heart as big as one could have and a social awarness that is everything I want mine to be! I almost cryed when I heard he had won an award (about time) and I watched him accept it on TV with in a most humble way!!! This man is great!!


Who would have thought a restaurant with no prices would suvive let alone bring some social change!!!

My heart goes out to you Shanaka with love, light and blessings to you my friend!!!!
Sarah xoxo

Interview Link

Happy Australia Day !!!!!!!!!

Aussie Aussie Aussie OI OI OI!!!!!!!

I came from the dreamtime from the dusty red soil plains
I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame
I stood upon the rocky shore
I watched the tall ships come
For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian.

[2]
I came upon the prison ship bowed down by iron chains.
I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.
I'm a settler.
I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man I became Australian.

[3]
I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road
I'm a child of the depression
I saw the good times come
I'm a bushy, I'm a battler
I am Australian

[chorus]
We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian
I am, you are, we are Australian.

[4]

I'm a teller of stories
I'm a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira
I paint the ghostly gums
I am Clancy on his horse
I'm Ned Kelly on the run
I'm the one who waltzed Matilda
I am Australian
[5]

I'm the hot wind from the desert
I'm the black soil of the plains
I'm the mountains and the valleys
I'm the drought and flooding rains
I am the rock, I am the sky
The rivers when they run
The spirit of this great land
I am Australian
[chorus]

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian
I am, you are, we are Australian.

Being Australian means so many things so many people At the end of the day I am so deeply Happy and proud to be australian. Australia has so much to be proud for we are growing up and continue to change but we all hold onto the great gift it is to be australian we may have come from many countrys but we have one dream to live together as one. As a country born from chains as convicts we welcome with open arms people from all over the world we offer a fresh start a new life!!!!

How Hard ?

Hey Kids well as some of you know I am back training! But I really have no goal at the moment which makes it hard as hell when you dont know where you are heading... I have started back in the weight room I think just to stop the boredem at the moment perhaps to get a nice girly 6 pack back for next summer perhaps to take on the surf again and maybe even enter a comp or something ...

I kinda retired from adventure racing about a year ago and I have loved the break no a year when you wake up with no pain when you eat what you like not what you have to. So anyway I am not going back to any of that crazy stuff but I feel the need to do something anyway in doing so I hooked up with my old PT this week and we started training again gotta say I am sore all over even my toes (what the hell is that about) its kinda fun and I feel fitter and more relaxed again

What dose it say about me when I have to run and lift weights and swim just to be able to sleep well at night .. lol go figure but I have noticed that this time I am eatting better and my body is loving me for it execpt I am getting vains coming up in my arms and legs not ugly ones like spider ones I mean muscle ones its kinda freaky when I finsh.

Am going to spend Australia day (aka invasion day) back at bondi with some old friends celebrating what its like to be in the lucky country and living the good life ..... Its time to show the flag and everything that makes us love to be aussies that means beaches and sunscreen to me oh and watching life savers and surfboys YUM!!!!!!

when you are yelling on the inside "ok shut up now"

So the second date went well but at one point I was ready to say SHUT UP! I mean this guy and talk and talk! The movie was great and the coffee after was nice but lets see Rob is a PHD student and well dare I say it part nerd! thats not so bad hes great to talk to but I need to be able to talk too and not just sit there listening to him crap on about bullshit ..

OK all that said we will prolly go out again I mean everything else is going well and if he can relax a bit then maybe we will go places .. who knows I will give him alittle time and just wait see.

Apart from that I am back training not for anything inportant this time just doing some weight sesions in the gym with a PT and keeping up with the running and swiming I really dont want to get into anything but need to keep fit! I think I put on about 5 kg over christmas period .! ouch !!!

Now they are already selling hot cross buns at the supermarket just another reasion to stay away from the big corprate monsters .. normally I keep well clear of them trying to buy from farmers markets and small shops but sometimes you just have to go inthere for something and I was there last week I found hot cross buns and its still Jan!! Easter didnt make you fat cause its only one day of choclete but now its like 3 mths of hot cross buns and choc ... omgosh .. the fat jsut get fatter!!!!

Still sweating it out here waiting for some rain .. and fires still raging but no longer near me thank whoever !!!

Love and light
Sarah

I Would Say Eccentric

I was talking to a good friend of mine over tea this morning he said to me "Sarah you will never find a man your too much of a weirdo!"
My reply "Weirdo! Perhaps eccentric but not weirdo prick"
"No seriously Sazz you do weird things"
"Weird to you maybe not to me"

Anyway I got thinking am I that weird!! did High school scar me that much!?

He gave me five things that I do and he thinks they are weird? I dont think so! do you ??

1. I randomly call it french day or deaf day or german day and then only talk that language for the whole day to everyone I meet or even online. But thats just about me keeping up my language skills so thats not weird! is it?NOT WEIRD

2.I sleep for about 4 hours at a time prefering to get up early then sleep after lunch then stay up late. Is that so bad I mean we live in a 24/7 world it makes sence to me.NOT WEIRD

3.I have never and will never go inside a Mc Donalds or KFC. I mean why would ya?NOT WEIRD

4.I like my Tea to made in order. But thats just taste isnt it! NOT WEIRD

5.I dont work I havnt worked in many years and have no intention of ever working a real job ever! That just luck NOT WEIRD

So I would say at best perhaps a little eccentric but not weird not at all!!! most people might say something different but then again they are the people who hate everything..


I looked up Eccentric"In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual." Thats not so good so I read on "Eccentricity is often associated with genius, giftedness, or extreme creativity; the word itself is often employed to euphemize or invert a connotation of madness hence the phrase "there's a method to his madness", implying inscrutable complexity or originality in lieu of the dismissible randomness of common lunacy. The individual's eccentric behavior is perceived to be the outward expression of his unique intelligence or creative impulse"

Oh Tommorow I have a second date with Rob we are off to the movies and coffee should be great oh and its his birthday!! That is so unfair that we start dating and he has a birthday on the second date I mean I have to get him something but I dont know what he likes yet so its hard as hell .... I am thinking of a necklace that I like and hope he dose .. just something small.

Love and light friends
see ya soon
Sarah
hugz and kisses

The Smoke Gets in your Eyes

Today started so stuffed up I sleeped in untill 10am now I normally get up at 5 am so go figure anyway I woke up and smelt smoke lots of smoke my eyes hurt mouth was dry and sore .. it was not dark but not light either there was a weird orange haze over everything.. there were no bird singing songs nothing at all!!!!

I was in a panic now as you know (or dont know) I live on about 5 square km of bush land and its the hight of fire seasion even though we had late last year we are still in a very bad fire seasion here!! anyway I ran from my bedroom to see what the hell was going on ... OK OK false alarm its just some smoke from somwhere else most likely all the way from the Victorian fires or somewhere but sure was not the start to the day I had hoped for !!!!!

Anyway I just got off the phone from the my date last Thursday lets just call him Rob for now anyway He asked me out for to a movie and coffee next friday and asked me to call him back latter in the week when I know what I would like to see!! WOW hows that must say its put a huge smile on my face but still early days yet and I am just trying to tell myself that!!!!! But I guess I have to have some hope up or I wouldnt care at all would I ...

Not much going on I have been reading alot about Cambodia and I think I might base my South East Asia holiday from there at least spend a couple of weeks there.

Take care peeps
Love and light
Sarah xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The Date...

Well last night went well I dont really know how well I wouldnt say it went GREAT but it wasnt CRAP either so we will just wait and see ... all I know is I am intrested hes very nice very smart and talks alot (yes more than I do) He dose have limited experance in the whole dating/relationship thing which might make things weird down the track. Well I dont know if weird is the word but diferent all the same I guess everyone is diferent thats just going to be one area that we are very diferent in... So nothing to report as yet .. just the waiting game .... I will give him a call on the weekend and see if he wants to catch up sometime soon ;)

Apart from that all is normal around here I am so so sick of summer. The Heat is giving me the shits!! I just long for a rainny winters day.

Nothing much going on this weekend either perhaps a poker game tonight all going well ..

So Another boring post from me I guess
Take Care friends
love and light
Sarah

07 starts with a bullet!!

Only a couple of weeks into 07 and things are taking off big time! I found out today that a houses I have been looking into buying was just sold! gotta Hate that but I am not concerned there is always more I did like this one all the same and was just about to make an offer seems I missed the boat on this one Oh well better luck next time to be honest I can prolly do without one more at the moment with the market stalled at the moment.

Anyway the big news is a hot date I have lined up for Thursday night!!! Its with a guy I met at a christmas party not so long back we have been talking on the phone alittle but havnt caught up due to the whole christmas new year stuff and travel on hes part anyway He called last night and asked me out for Indian (my fave) so anyway nothing to tell at the moment but who knows I do like this one He is actually kinda smart and a bit younger than I am. Wish me luck X

I spent today swiming down the river Its so nice and refreshing to just swim and float down stream untill you go tooo far then have to get out and walk back only to do it again! I do love river swiming its the best!!

Oh my Hot tub is comming in next week so I guess that means I am going to have to have that Hot tub party soon!! maybe when it cools down a bit Your all invited of course more info to come on that one when it comes to hand ..

I am currently making plans to visit South East Asia in sept/oct if anyone is going to be there or wants to travel with me get intouch perhaps we can work something out? Who knows

I am thinking of wearing a dress on Thursday night (yes I actually own one) lol .. what do you guys think? its or should I dress in hippy pants?? Oh I have nothing to wear .. gotta hate my girly side it so dosnt come out to often I will have to supress it with vodka!

Anyway Take care friends
love and light
Sarah
xoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxox!

I,m Back ..(miss me???)

Well Yes I am back and home after making it through another confest! This year I didnt get there till a day or so late cause I didnt feel all that well so i delayed my travel once again confest was fantastic,
I really dont know what to tell you. confest is great at giving you what you want out of it for me its about relaxing meeting people and de stressing its about letting my hair down and having fun!!

Check out my great body Paint job ;) (I thought best to cover some bits on the blog)

I listen to some ideas about all kinds of things from great raw food to yoga and everything in between!

Tonight I feel a bit strange so I will just leave my short little blog entry as it is ...

Take Care
Love and Light
Sarah
hugz