Take A Walk Down Memory Lane

Those who know me personally, know what a photo-taking freak I am. I document my life like there is no tomorrow. A close friend and I once took 7,000 photos during a 12-day trip to Thailand. Our record would be 1,200 on an overnight stay at Yosemite National Park.

There are a few probable reasons behind my photographic addiction. I have a lot of happy or funny moments and I like to share them with other people. If one day when I am old and have dimentia, I would like for these photos to be available to fill in the gaps. Mostly, I just like being able to flick through photos from years gone by and reflect on the great adventures I have had, and the wonderful people that shared the journey with me.

Now is the time to trawl through your photos.

Journey back in time,

through your treasure trove of memories.

Look deeply into the important images.

Lose yourself in them:

recall those who have made the journey with you.

Savour them.

Learn from them. 

So take a quick trip (or a long one if time allows) down memory lane. Smile at the moments you've captured. Laugh at the memories you've triggered. Then share them with someone else who might enjoy them. Below is one of the random photos I just came across from December 2009.

My friend Mat and I were so far ahead of the competition in Lawn Bowls that we decided to give the others a chance to catch up. So everytime I took a turn, Mat covered my eyes and I bowled blind. When Mat bowled, he gave me a piggy back so I could cover his eyes, and he too bowled blind. Funnily enough, the photo below was of the shot that one the tournament! Makes me smile everytime I see it. I just sent a copy to Mat so that he can remember the fun we had that night!

So go down memory lane, and take a friend on the journey with you! Enjoy!

A Hug For The Record Books

British rail passengers are renowned for their indifference towards fellow commuters.

But that didn't stop 112 people, many of them total strangers, to set aside their usual cultural reserve towards fellow passengers at St Pancras station in central London as they set the Guinness Book of World Records record for the most people hugging for 60 seconds.

When I read an old article about this record, I thought to myself - I could easily break that record at any major Rotaract event. Heck - we had a 300+ person group hug at the Cultural Night at the Asia-Pacific Regional Rotaract Conference that I held in Sydney last year.

So I did a bit of research to see if that record still stood...

The city of Alba Iulia sits in the heartland of Transylvania. In the centre of the city there is a walled citadel, a former fortress with seven bastions in a stellar shape as you can see in the picture below.

In a story written by Guinness World Records Adjudicator Paul Kenny, he noted that what was clearest was the very deep and abiding pride that the local residents had in their city which is why, on May 29, nearly 10,000 citizens of Alba Iulia and its surrounding townships gathered in a circle stretching over 3.4 km (2.1 miles) and literally embraced their city. It was the largest group hug ever recorded by Guinness World Records.

The execution was flawless: weeks of advance television promoting the event; a white line painted on the ground around the outside of the walled area; hundreds of volunteer marshalls shepherding the arriving people into sections around the outside of the walls, and feeding their numbers back to a centralized counting station. Even the President of Romania, Traian Băsescu, took part among a mass of media and fans.

At the given signal, fireworks were sent into the air, the bells of the cathedral were rung, and Mr Kenny was on his bicycle to ride a lap around the citadel, ensuring that everyone was in formation and the hug was complete. So many people – young kids, high-school students, elderly folk, a group of policemen – in a circle nearly 3.5 km long all standing proud in support of their home.

The largest group hug was a symbol of something very special – home, pride, national identity, call it what you will – and the Guiness World Records judge said it was as moving and as wonderful an event as he had ever been part of.  

10,000 people hugging at once... now that is what I call a good day!!!