Breaking Down The Walls of Separation- Challenge Day

Wow! Really Powerful stuff about Challenge Day and how it was started.  Made me Cry!
It really explains so much my thoughts and fears on bullying 
Social Entrepreneur Empowerment Series Replays
http://www.socialentrepreneurempowerment.com/replays/

Breaking Down The Walls of Separation- Rich Dutra-St. John
Rich co-founded both a company and an NGO (Challenge Day) that has now transformed the lives of millions of youth and adults, breaking down walls of judgment and separation, replacing them with compassion, understanding and love. His work has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and a popular MTV series. Learn what it took to launch and build Challenge Day, and how they overcame any obstacles along the way to mainstream notoriety and massive influence. 
http://www.challengeday.org/

Our Vision

Our vision is that every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved and celebrated.

Our Mission

The Challenge Day mission is to provide youth and their communities with experiential programs that demonstrate the possibility of love and connection through the celebration of diversity, truth, and full expression.

Be the Change- Take one positive action everyday!!  

Be The Change Movement Mission

To inspire people to be the change they wish to see in the world, starting with ourselves, through compassion and service using the formula for change – NOTICE, CHOOSE, and ACT.

Be The Change Teams Mission

To be the driving force in creating the school of their dreams.

Notice, Choose, Act
http://www.challengeday.org/videos.php
http://www.challengeday.org/challenge-day-program.php

(Value Tip: Start meetings with check-in-(If you really knew me) and end with appreciation) 

MTV: If you really knew me
http://www.challengeday.org/mtv/  Download the pdf's here.
http://www.challengeday.org/mtv/downloads/IYRKM_IntroGuide.pdf

Be The Change
http://dynamic.challengeday.org/bethechange/

PUNTA COMETA, Oaxaca- I just love this place!

This one of my favourite places of all time. Punta Cometa, the ocean here is really hypnotic, I think I did a great job of capturing it. Some of the waves were huge, it was really a wonderful treat.

We got a ride with our friends and were able to visit late in the afternoon. Normally we went in the morning and left before noon as it gets very hot. There was a lot of people there at the end, never seen so many in the pool, but we were leaving so didn't mind.

The sun was going down and the light was beautiful. The clouds were incredible and I took some fantastic photos that day. I'm really missing it today.




Join Adventurez in Mexico for a walk on Ohm Playa and a trip to Punta Cometa with Amigos!!

Wow!! Una Grande Ola!!!  Photography and Video Copyright by Tina Winterlik  ©2010

Let's Make a Wish For World Peace!!

Well this is just the coolest, to see this BIG BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW!! Let's all take a moment and make a wish today. Let's Wish for World Peace!

Please just make this little saying our motto: "Treat others as you would like to be treated!"

Rainbow- Confirmation!!

This is so amazing, I had just posted the Martin Luther King speech, and was thinking about a lot of different things...how will people react, interpret my actions.

I was thinking that not a lot has changed, but that not a lot has changed. There's a black president, but there is so much suffering of Mexican people and lots of other people in the U.S. and in Canada we have the highest child poverty in B.C. and there are terrible problems in certain areas in Mexico, and just really sad injustices all over the world.

I was thinking about some things that people do in the name of certain things and they are prepared for some of the consequences and then not.

It was so wonderful though, because as I was standing at the sink washing the breakfast dishes and thinking of all this, then Angel shouts..."I see a Rainbow!"

And there BIG and BRIGHT is this HUGE RAINBOW!
For me it was confirmation! From God, From the Universe, From Martin Luther, From my parents, ...that what I am doing is good, and keep going! Keep on Dreaming!!

I have a Dream....

Martin Luther King- "I have a dream"

I honor of Martin Luther King Day I am posting his "I have a dream" speech.
His speech is for everyone that suffers from the things he speaks.

"All Men Are Created Equal"

I hope you all listen carefully. This was made in 1963, I was only one year old.
We still have along way to go for Human Rights for All!

All We Need is Love!!

This is for Gloria & Daniel-and everyone at Shambhala, Chico & Margarita- Roca Blanca, Beto & Elia, Franco- Italian Panaderia, Oscar, Kelly, Miki & Paolo -Pachamama and ALL OUR AMIGOS EN ZIPOLITE! Sending you all lots of love!!

To all the people we met on our travels in Mexico. Por todo la gente nostros conecemos quando nostros visita Zipolite y Oaxaca, Chiapas, Jalisco, Mexico City...todo nos amigos. Besos y Abrazos.

Tina y Angel :)

Zententions

Navigate, Meditate, Radiate and Celebrate Now!
Jen Wichard & Billie Weiss- Reiki, Workshops, Group Healing, Hypnosis

Wow, this was shared with me on Facebook today,
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=175639139138681&comments#!/video/video.php?v=175639139138681&comments


Visualizing is such powerful stuff. I made a promise to myself that Angel and I are going to do a lot more of this.

Thanks so much Jen & Billie. Really really wonderful and appreciated that your sharing this.

Edible Schoolyards and Cob housing

Well I was so inspired by the webcasts on the Social Entrepreneur Empowerment Series that I have been listening to and since there was a competition I thought I would at least try and enter.

So you can read my idea here. I hope you like it and that I inspire you. Like the song says...Dreams can come true, they can happen to you...if your young at heart.

http://www.changemakers.com/node/98770

Transform schools into Edible Schoolyards, teaching children to grow beautiful gardens, harvest and market the food they produce. By working side by side become Mentally and Physically Strong, and United. Teach children to feed themselves and to build community, and with these tools they will figure out how to build sustainable housing whether it be cob houses or other types of housing, but whatever type it will be environmentally friendly to their community and they will know how to live in harmony from their experience and education nurturing their environment in their Edible Schoolyard. In addition to the Edible Schoolyard there would be markets, and Performing Art Centers, where arts would be embraced, thus adding to healthy minds and spirits.

Everyone has to be a Change Maker

http://www.socialentrepreneurempowerment.com/replays/

Just love what this first speaker has to say about children being a Masters of Empathy!! Please listen to this, it's really powerful information.

Every 15 year old must be a Changemaker.

Bill Drayton-Everyone A Changemaker (30 minutes)
The man responsible for popularizing the term "social entrepreneur" shares his philosophy of "everyone a changemaker". We will discuss why social entrepreneurs are so critical at this precarious time of rapidly accelerating change, the number one obstacle faced by entrepreneurs, the importance of collaboration, and the unprecedented opportunity of Hybrid Value Chains - a new framework for businesses to reap the benefits of combining social and economic value by forging alliances with citizen sector organizations. Bill will share his passion for cultivating empathy as a fundamental precursor to widespread cultural transformation, and the role of young people in catalyzing change, now and in the future.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Drayton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka:_Innovators_for_the_Public
http://ashoka.org/
http://ashoka.org/whatwedo
http://ashoka.org/story/googles-gift  
http://www.changemakers.com/
http://ashoka.org/support

Peace, Love, Unity, Power, Clap, Clap, Clap For Your Life!

After the earthquake hit Haiti on 12 January 2010, some street-children from the slums in Nairobi, Kenya, felt they should do something to support children in Haiti, now living in conditions as bad as or worse than their own. The Wafalme Kidz, hailing from the streets of East Nairobi, made up a song

This is so incredible, I love this when people use music and videos to enlighten and send powerful messages.

Angel and I want to travel the world. Lately with all the stories on Haiti, all she talks about it is going there to get a little brother or sister. I tell it's not that easy but maybe when she's older we can go help. Right now all we can do is send prayers and post videos and info in order to spread the word.

In case your wondering why I'm posting this here, it's because this little girl is Angel's age. And what happened at this hockey game is surprising. The poor little thing, the microphone went dead, and some lady cackles and then this is the part that made me cry, is everyone started singing.

You can read the rest of the story here.
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Hockey-crowd-sings-after-8-year-old-s-nat?urn=nhl-306789

The Changers!!

Once upon a time...back in 1991 I think, I was working on re-learning my grade 10 math, as I needed it to learn my grade 11 math so that I could take my Photography Program at Langara College.(I worked 11 years before I returned to college) It was while I was concentrating so hard, that suddenly I had this vision. This was so powerful that I had to actually stop and go to another room and write down what I saw. Anyways it was about "The Changers"

 and this was how it went...

A little girl was running thru the village, when someone says..."Hey, where are you going?" To my Grama's 100th birthday party she says as she rushes past. "She's one of the last of  The Changers! Everyone is welcome....see you there..." she calls back.

When she arrives she sees all the children gathered at her Grama's feet, they are all pleading with her. "Tell us the story, Grama, pleeeassse!!" "Not that old story, again", she chides, teasing them."Please Grama, Please"

So she starts, she tells how long long ago the earth was very very sick, everything was dying, everything was polluted, Mother Earth had been wounded by mining, and cars, and all the wars and all the pollution.

She told them that slowly the people realized the damage, and the children started to make changes. Slowly they changed the world. (there was more detail but I am just writing this quick here.)

Slowly the world grew into a healthier place and as time passed people began to live in harmony with the earth ...that is how the world it became as it is now.

The children ask Grama "Do you miss the old world Grama?" No my dears, no I don't for the most part, but there is one thing I do miss!

What's that the children ask?

"The Music!" Grama replies as a teardrop falls down her cheek.

And with that the children start to sing!! and Grama smiles!



---------------------
So that was my vision. I always meant to write it into a book but could never figure out how to really animate it or illustrate it as I want it to have a real universal, indigenous, generic look to the characters.

---------------

Anyways, I found this connections   to Ryan Eliason* of
The Social Entrepeneurs webcast  http://www.socialentrepreneurempowerment.com/   http://www.socialentrepreneurempowerment.com/   http://www.socialentrepreneurempowerment.com/connect/  and they were interviewing this man Bill Drayton* that works with this program http://www.ashoka.org/Blogs  and then I linked thru and found this, The Changers. http://www.changemakers.com/stories


I don't have the time I would like checking all these things out, but I wanted to post this to share it and keep us all striving for change.

Have a great day everyone!!
----------------------------------------------------
What are the secrets to creating successful ventures that merge positive social impact with sustainability and profit?

*Ryan Eliason has been answering this question since he was 19
years old, when he founded an organization that empowered more
than 675,000 young visionary leaders from 65 nations working on
social change, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
For this interview series, he carefully selected 39 extraordinary
people who have dedicated their lives to healing and transforming
our world through social enterprise. 

*Bill Drayton 
Everyone A Changemaker
The man responsible for popularizing the term "social entrepreneur" shares his philosophy of "everyone a changemaker". We will discuss why social entrepreneurs are so critical at this precarious time of rapidly accelerating change, the number one obstacle faced by entrepreneurs, the importance of collaboration, and the unprecedented opportunity of Hybrid Value Chains - a new framework for businesses to reap the benefits of combining social and economic value by forging alliances with citizen sector organizations. Bill will share his passion for cultivating empathy as a fundamental precursor to widespread cultural transformation, and the role of young people in catalyzing change, now and in the future.

Piedra Blancas

This photo was taken way back in 1989 or 1990, and this was at Piedra Blancas before it was developed. It's near Bucerias. Was just going thru a bunch of old photos so I thought I'd post it.

Tapped-Trailer- Watch This!!

Hope I can see the movie, this is stuff I have been saying for so long, but what can you do. 11 years ago I had the water bottle cooler, and everyone would come over and drink my "nice clean water", I thought the pipes in my building were old and leaching toxins and so didn't want to drink it.

Fast forward, they redid the pipes...probably with some type of plastic and not only that, when you go to Mexico that is all you can drink from. So here in Canada, wake up...we are so blessed.

Stop polluting by using bottled water.
1)Polluting not just from the plastic the bottles are made from
2)Polluting out bodies by the toxins going into them from the water in the plastic bottle,
3)Spending millions of dollars in oil to ship the water all over the place.

Just frigging crazy!

Perhaps we could use those resources to produce clean water in Mexico and other places around the world so they don't have to drink bottled water. Just a thought!!

If A Tree Falls In The Forest

Bruce Cockburn - If a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear?
I love this song. Just pulled out the tape the other day, all our stuff has been in storage, so I discovering lots of things.

This song is so profound. Wow, so old now...has much changed in 22 years,...not much... just the consequences... Global Warming. This is from a 1989 album...that's when I just started visiting Mexico, saw how beautiful it was. Are we ever going to learn...?? Can we turn this world around?...Can our kids? We can only give them the tools, we can educate them, show them the damage and hopefully they'll implement the solutions. It's all we can hope for. Our kids are the future!!

Here's a fun video for La Rosca de Reyes (King’s Ring Cake)

This was shared on my facebook and then I got it from Youtube.
Here's the link.

http://www.journeymexico.com/blog/la-rosca-de-reyes-kings-ring-cake/

Three Kings Day and Rosca_de_reyes - Jan 6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosca_de_reyes

Rosca de reyes or roscón de reyes (kings' ring) is a Spanish and Spanish American king's cake pastry traditionally eaten to celebrate Epiphany.

Although the name indicates that it should be round, the “rosca de reyes” generally has an oval shape due to the need to make cakes larger than 30cm across for larger parties. Recipes vary from country to country. For decoration, fig fruit, quinces, cherries or dried and candied fruits are used.

It is traditionally eaten on January 6, during the celebration of the "Día de Reyes" (literally "Kings' Day"), which commemorates the arrival of the three Magi or Wise Men. In most of Spain, Spanish America, and sometimes, Hispanic communities in the United States, this is the day when children traditionally get presents, which are attributed to the Three Wise Men (and not Santa Claus or Father Christmas). In Mexico before children go to bed, they leave their shoes outside filled with hay or dried grass for the animals the Wise Men ride, along with a note.

The tradition of placing a trinket (figurine of the Christ Child) in the cake is very old. The baby Jesus, when hidden in the bread, represents the flight of Jesus, fleeing from King Herod's evil plan to kill all babies that could be the prophesied messiah. Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed and must take the figurine to the nearest church on February 2, Candlemas Day (Día de la Candelaria). In the Mexican culture, this person also has to throw a party and provide tamales and atole to the guests. Read more...

I found a couple of videos on Youtube about Three Kings Days and Rosca de reyes


This is cool, click here and then you can see more episodes and see the whole process.

Responsible Travel

http://adventurezinmexico.blogspot.com/2010/08/responsible-travel.html
I posted this way back in August but it doesn't hurt to remind everyone, as this is the time of year everyone is making travel plans.

Responsible Travel
Many of these Tips came from Lonely Planet Suggestions and I added to them.

Go Overland - Ride Buses or local transportation whenever possible, opposed to planes. Buses in Mexico are Excellent. Their service is much better than Canadian Greyhound. Their ticketing service is excellent and Greyhound would do well to adapt it. Also their security. I love taking the buses in Mexico.

Give Right - I always made an attempt to buy from small stores and spread the wealth around. Lonely Planet recommends you donate to schools, and clinics and avoid giving hand-outs to children in order not to encourage begging. We used to give the children pretty photos.

Buy Local-Eat in Local Restaurants, buy from local small stores.

Use cold showers - avoid hot showers that use wood heat.

Pick up your litter, and if you pack it in, pack it out!

Be Respectful! Especially of local traditions and customs.
Use appropriate attire when visiting churches and local villages

Ask Questions! Learn the customs and ask how not to make mistakes
the other tourists do.

Other Recommended Website Links are:

http://www.eco-indextourism.org/

http://www.ecotourism.org/

http://www.planet.org/

http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/

Aerial View of Suites Costa Dorada in Bucerias from Google Maps

Sorry, I had a map here but it was really slowing down my blog. Just Google Bucerias and click map. :)

Suites Costa Dorada has a Special Place in my heart, they have been so good to us. I have visited there a number of times in the last 20 years and we are always well recieved.

Bucerias is a really cute town, even though it has really changed over the years. Marks Bar & Grill is really famous and I remember it when it was just a house and Mark came to fix it up and work on it each year.


I think Bucerias has something for everyone, you may have to hunt but I think it's possible. We found a lovely little place to stay that was affordable. Of course it's very expensive compared to the $12 a night room with a kitchen I rented in the 90's but if you rent long term you can get a good deal.

I recommend Bucerias if you have never been to Mexico and want to get a feel for things.

Aerial View of Palenque from Google Maps

Sorry I had a map here but it was really slowing down my blog. Just google Palenque and click Map. :)

This is an aerial view of the town of Palenque, I could not find the ruins on the map. I really liked the town, we didn't stay there, we stayed out by the ruins, when we went to town to book our tour for Agua Azul and for banking and a little shopping, I really enjoyed this town. It's hot though, humid, but lovely. IT'S SO GREEN!!