Celebrate IWD 2020
This auspicious occasion has many great memories for me. I do enjoy celebrating International Women’s Day. I have attended many events in Australia, but two events in China stand out in my memories, and they were the focus of my talk at the Mitchelton Older Women’s Network event last week. I am also doing the same talk for the Woody Point Older Women’s Network on Tuesday, too.
IWD 2020 – The First Day of My Next Venture
What better date to start a new Venture. On Saturday March 7th, I completed my training as a GAB Instructor. GAB is short for Guided AutoBiography – a process of writing life stories or memoirs created in the 1970’s by Dr James Birren in the USA. I learned about the program last year, and as it fits into my interest of life stories, and obituaries, I researched it and enrolled. For the past two months I have been up and awake at 5 am to go online with Zoom to do the course from Canada. You can read more about my plans below.
Talks for IWD for Older Women’s Network
When I was asked to speak at two events for OWN I decided to talk about the two IWD events I attended in China, and the story about Qiu Jin, China’s first feminist. When I went to teach in China in 2008, I did not consider that it would be International Women’s Day a few weeks later, or that I would attend a function to celebrate the occasion. But it did happen.
It was a spectacular event at a mattress factory, which will forever be in my memory. Then two years later, I was again back in China, for another auspicious celebration.
Entertainers at the IWD Event in China 2010
A Celebration Ten Years Ago
While the first event for IWD I attended in China in 2008 was very salubrious, the one two years later stepped up! They held it at a major hotel in the city, with 500 plus in attendance for great entertainment, food, wine and fun.
Jo Lamont and I sing, “I am, We are Australian.”
I was not impressed to be asked to “perform” on the day, but Jo and I did a good job. Well, the locals thought so!! It was a great event to attend and I was so impressed at the way the local Chinese celebrated IWD.
My New Venture
Yesterday (March 7th) I completed my training as a GAB Instructor. GAB, of course, the abbreviation of Guided Autobiography. For the past 8 weeks, I have been awake and online via Zoom for the course, which took 3 hours and all my energy.
Many friends know that I have been interested in Life Stories, and this training will allow me to run programs on the GAB method. While “autobiography” is used in its name, it is more like “memoir” writing. I plan to run courses – one or two a week – on this very interesting mode of writing.
I have delayed making too many plans for my new venture during the course, as I was using all my time and brain power to complete the course. Over the next few weeks I will be setting up the new business. To me it is exciting.
Probably my first sessions will be Introductory classes at Beachmere, at the University of the Third Age. I have already put in an application to teach two lessons, which will give participants an idea of how they can create the stories of their life.
Over the next few weeks, I will set up several sessions and will consider doing an online course. But, need to put pen to paper and make some plans. I need some tools. I want to be well organised for this venture.
If you are interested in information about the GAB Workshops – either online or face to face, let me know via the contact form below.
