Sea Dog

Sea dog 4/11/08 Laura Muller

It is early morning and the boat is ready to leave the Kaiteriteri shore for the Abel Tasman National Park.

Tourists on the boat are excited waiting for the adventure, while the crew moves from one place to other sorting details.

A few times a week the crew is joined by a special member, a furry one. Archie is a 12 year-old Jack Russell dog. Her white fur with black spots, brown ears and tale that moves at the speed of light makes her the star on board.

Craig Wilson, 40, Manager of the Wilsons Abel Tasman lodge, is the owner of this special dog. Wilson said that Archie is a “Sea dog” and loves being on the boat as part of the crew.

Archie walks between the passengers welcoming them and letting them know that she is the captain on board. She moves with the confidence of a model on the catwalk.

Been an old dog is just a matter of numbers for her. She looks extremely healthy, and has the energy and charm of a puppy.

Every time Archie feels like getting a cuddle or having a sneak through the window, she steps over two legs close to a crew member who happily picks her up and spoils her. People from all over the world have cuddled her since she was a puppy.

Archie has being riding the boat since she was four months old and soon learned the danger of falling into salty water. She fell out of the boat, “She was trying to swim, but was drowning instead.” Archie was rescued on time by Wilson, “I did rescue her, I am the diver!” Ever since, Archie has learned not to get too close to the edge.

Archie has become part of the attraction of the boat ride at Abel Tasman National Park, Wilson said tourists miss their pets left at home and love seeing a friendly dog.
Guide, Rod Barker, said “Archie makes the tourists happy; you can see a smile in their faces when they see her.”

This curious girl has her favourite spots at the ride. Close to Tonga Island, where a seal colony lives, she usually jumps over Wilson’s lap and sticks her nose up to the window, Wilson said, “She loves dolphins and seals. When she smells them, she wants to get out of the boat.”

Archie is like a shadow to Wilson, she follows him everywhere on the boat and walks hours with him going from one lodge to the other, what keeps her fit.

Archie and Wilson are best mates, Wilson could not stand having another pet because Archie is “one man’s girl” and would not want another girl at home.

End.

COCHLEAR IMPLANT

Gilbert Hadfield 65, anxiously waited for his son to pick him up at the airport. After 14 years he would be able to talk to him again.

Hadfield of Wainuiomata became totally deaf at the age of 51. Doctors could not identify the reason but thanks to a cochlear implant he can hear again. The cochlear was implanted in Christchurch seven months ago.

The Southern Cochlear Implant Programme describes the device as a type of surgically-implanted hearing aid. Instead of amplifying sounds like a traditional hearing aid, it provides a sensation of hearing by directly stimulating the auditory nerve using electrical signals.

“When I got out of the hospital after the surgery, I could hear huge sounds as if a monster was going to grabbing me up, so I was quiet frightened and nervy;” reacalls Hadfield. “whoom whoom, it was a car going pass. I was jumping.”

The device is most appropriate where the cochlear does not have enough surviving hair cells for a conventional hearing aid to be effective.

“This kind of surgery is given a people who is completely deaf. You need to have some language already. People who born deaf and get the implant might be able to hear sounds but not necessarily develop speech.” Said Hadfield.


“I could not follow a conversation a first stage. The second day it was difficult but I made it, but at the third day I was able to follow a conversation. That day my son picked me up at the airport and it was our first conversation since he was a teenager and now he is 28. It has make a huge difference to my life”

The device is basically for speech but scientists are working on improving the implant to make people able to hear music.

ENDS

COCHLEAR IMPLANT

Gilbert Hadfield 65, anxiously waited for his son to pick him up at the airport. After 14 years he would be able to talk to him again.

Hadfield of Wainuiomata became totally deaf at the age of 51. Doctors could not identify the reason but thanks to a cochlear implant he can hear again. The cochlear was implanted in Christchurch seven months ago.

The Southern Cochlear Implant Programme describes the device as a type of surgically-implanted hearing aid. Instead of amplifying sounds like a traditional hearing aid, it provides a sensation of hearing by directly stimulating the auditory nerve using electrical signals.

“When I got out of the hospital after the surgery, I could hear huge sounds as if a monster was going to grabbing me up, so I was quiet frightened and nervy;” reacalls Hadfield. “whoom whoom, it was a car going pass. I was jumping.”

The device is most appropriate where the cochlear does not have enough surviving hair cells for a conventional hearing aid to be effective.

“This kind of surgery is given a people who is completely deaf. You need to have some language already. People who born deaf and get the implant might be able to hear sounds but not necessarily develop speech.” Said Hadfield.


“I could not follow a conversation a first stage. The second day it was difficult but I made it, but at the third day I was able to follow a conversation. That day my son picked me up at the airport and it was our first conversation since he was a teenager and now he is 28. It has make a huge difference to my life”

The device is basically for speech but scientists are working on improving the implant to make people able to hear music.

ENDS

THE SMALL ANT

URBAN ROULETTE
The small ant

Quebec, Canada: This morning I saw blonder hair than mine flying in front of me, I have not seen Jennifer many times, but every time I see her she reminds me a little ant. Those kind of small ants that run over the walls going and coming caring food to the ant’s net, and now that I think it better that is exactly what Jennifer does, she transmits enthusiasm and produce changes in ant’s strategy.
Jennifer is my age, frightening 28, the difference between us is that she is one of the 100 most influential women in Canada and I am not even in the Mexican white pages.
But lets travel in time to the year of 1999, when the radio did not stop playing Ricky Martin’s song, Living la vida loca and the jeans used to cover the line of your bottom when you sited down. On that year, Jennifer and Michael rolled-skated over Ottawa streets, they were very exited after attending a youth conference and chatted about all the good opportunities they have had during their life and the importance of making other young people involve in organizations that could have an impact in today's world.
Their skate-roller conversation went from words to actions and in 2000, their project had a name and website. With a group of volunteers they created takingitglobal.org
Takingitglobal.org is a life community web based were 200,000 young activist from 261 countries share ideas and projects. Young people that works in philanthropic projects, education, sustainability, volunteering, animals and human rights, you named it and taking it global has it
This web page in the entrance door to a world full of opportunities, available in 12 different languages, were youth can find scholarship, international conferences, guides to create your own organization and many other opportunities such as, sponsors for your projects and networking with other youth involve in similar projects around the world.
If you are interested in creating your own organization in the place where you live, taking it global is the place to begin. The newest advantage is Tiged.org a website for educators, where teachers can find interesting material for their classes and information to begging projects with their students.
Takingitglobal.org has taken Jennifer to international stages. She has worked with important companies such as, Microsoft, Xerox, Credit Union, Nike, HP as well as having the opportunity to collaborate with 6 United Nations agencies. In 2005 Jennifer was selected by the World Economic Forum as World Young leader.
“I think that with each moment we live, and each decision we make, we have an impact on our own lives, and the lives of those around us. Most of the time, we are unconscious of the impact that we have. I think that the first way for 'others to make an impact' is to become more conscious and aware of the decisions we make and the choices we have. Once this happens, we are able to critically examine our own lives, and imagine new possibilities for ourselves and the world. There are an infinite number of ways to affect change and have an impact - the question we should ask ourselves should center around what contribution we want to make, what kind of experiences we want to have, and what kind of world we want to live in." Jennifer Corriero
Jennifer has achieve through takingitglobal.org the networking of a huge amount of small ants that carry different flags and speak different languages to support each other in the search for peace, equality and order in this enormous ant’s net that we call, planet earth.

Depression course

Waking up in the middle of the night and not been able to go back to sleep can be a sign of depression. If you are feeling irritated, tired, low self-esteem and having trouble to concentrate the alarm is on, depression can be the diagnosis.
Promoting Wellbeing in North Canterbury is offering an 8 week course at Rangiora High School to provide education/support for those experiencing or supporting depression.
Most suicidal behaviours in New Zealand occur in the context of depression. In a period of 12 months every six of 100 New Zealanders will experience a major depressive disorder.
People between 16 and 24 years had the highest prevalence of mood disorders, including depressive disorders, women are most likely to be affected but anyone can get depression, doesn’t matter age, ethnicity or social group. (NZ Mental Health Survey).
Depression can be cure with the right advice and medication. The course starts on October 21, from 7-9 on Tuesday’s evenings.
Info 3133401-3138933.

Raced to be veggie

Curly brown hair is the frame of the mischievous face of the vegetarian Shona Walter. Miss Walters tells her story sitting on an outside bench, while she eats fresh celery that just pulled out of her backyard.
These 23-year-old law student has been a vegetarian since she was born. Her older aunt followed an Indian Guru during the 60’s and became a vegetarian; at her return to New Zealand she convinced the whole family to become vegetarian.
Walter has good memories of her childhood, she remembers getting hungry and going to the garden to pullout something to eat.
The first contact of Walter with meat was at the age of five, when her school teacher gave her a sausage. When Walter’s mother found out she was very disappointed and explained why they were vegetarians, “Then is when I realized that I was a little beat different form everyone else, ooh, I am vegetarian”
Walter only eats a little fish when she goes to Japanese restaurants, she gets enough nutrients and minerals from nuts, fruits, grains and vegetables, “my body does not desire meat, it taste and feels weird, after a couple bites I have to spill it.”
Walter also said that she does not disagree with eating meat, but she believes that the way society consumes meat is not sustainable. “I think we should eat a little less of meat, maybe twice a week instead of six, you body does not need that much meat.”
Walter remembers being at a restaurant in Argentina, “the world capital of meat” trying to practice some Spanish she asked for a hamburger with no meat and as it seems her Spanish skills where not very strong because she got a two slices meat hamburger.
The only trouble Walters has about been a vegetarian is deciding to which restaurant to go with a meat-lover boyfriend!