Have I told you about my sensory travel diary? Every day I am overseas, I write a diary containing one thing I smell, hear, taste and touch. Yes, I think I pasted you the Indian adventure via the sensory diary. Today I have to give a talk at the Dunedin Travel Club with Ron so in preparation he has sorted 110 photos to accompany our talking! Ron says you are supposed to allow 30 seconds for each photo! “That won’t be happening” I responded. “That takes us up to 55 minutes which is way over our allottedtime!” Gulp! I have no idea how I will stop him talking, probably sweep the rest of India under the carpet as I will sense our audience’s desire to go and catch their buses! Ha! Sri Lanka and Manila will have to go the way of all good things as well. I’ll let you know how we go!

Going through the photos, even though I can’t see them, brought back a flood of memories including bending down in China in a rice field, feeling the grains in my hands. I remember thinking it would take a lot of grains and hard work to get the bag that I buy for $2.99 at the supermarket! We don’t think about what we pick up in the food shops on a weekly basis, but looking through those photos reminded me that I should!

Next time you are in the supermarket buying rice, give some thought to the Chinese people and processes that got your bag of rice into your hand!

In the meantime, here’s today’s wisdoms:

1 the feel of the warm air– last night it was quite pleasant!

2 the feel of my slouch hat growing before my very fingers last night! Margaret and I got the wool for $1 at Spotlight yesterday – I’m hoping I can get one hat from one ball because then I could get two hats out of it! It’s 14 ply and very chunky!

3 the taste of the fresh bread rolls we had for lunch!

4 the sound of the metronome on TV last night – it took me right back to those piano lessons in Law Street, Dunedin, where Mrs Barker used to make me play the piano to that tick tock! Great discipline!

5 the sound of China as Ron prepared the photos for our talk at the Travel Club today! There’s a great one of me crouching down and feeling the rice granules as I open up the grass to reveal the grains!

6 the smell of my pork mince and tomato dish in the slow cooker last night! Lay down a bed of sliced potatoes, add in a can of flavoursome, seasoned tomatoes, then layer pork mince over it and throw any remaining vegetables on top! We had brussel sprouts – nnum num num!

7 the feel of all the buttons in Shop on Carroll yesterday! Megan is such a nice lady who works in there – I promised her a flower broach!

8 the sound of JAWS reading my report that I wrote for the Blind Foundation today. It felt great to do it and to get it done!

9 the feel of rain spitting on us briefly on our morning walk yesterday!

10 the taste of my cuppa when Margaret and I got back from doing jobs!

I may not see but I can smell

And taste and touch and listen

And when I do this every day

I find my optimism!