Mountain fold, valley fold, viola! Louise Seymour from PaperLab showed us how simple it is to make your own Pop-Up Cards, including an awesome Space Invaders one! But as with most things, people have taken the techniques to astounding levels, and she brought along some examples that could truly be classified as art. And in 3D Paper Flowers, Louise (or PaperLou as she is commonly called) showed us all how to beat that sad feeling we get when our flowers die! We made a number of flowers including a paper poppy and a beautiful paper rose made from individual paper petals. Flowers that can live through all seasons!
Rick Miolo showed us how to Style the Modern Male with tips and tricks, ways to mix and match, and suggestions for the right colours for the right situation. He even provided some ideas to begin your wardrobe, and build it up slowly, starting with the essentials of white and blue shirts.
Bitcoin, the open source cryptocurrency, was the topic in the next class: Bitcoin for Beginners. Dale Dickins from Mad in Melbourne showed us what it was, how it works, and made us all regret not knowing about it a year ago, as it has becoming more and more valuable at a remarkable rate. At the end, Dale introduced some of her expert friends who talked a bit about the technical aspects, and then everyone was free to mingle and learn more. The only question that remains: what should I spend my $5 worth of Bitcoin on?
In Modern Qi Gong – Breath and Movement, Nicole Betts from People Outside Walking, took us from the origins of this ancient Chinese tradition to its dynamic modern practice. We learnt the breathing patterns and techniques as well as the slow and flowing movements, as we meditated and relaxed.
Clare Burder of The Humble Tumblerwas back once again with Wine: A One Night Palate Trainer, where we learnt all we need to know when choosing a wine at the bottle store! Including an overview of acidity, sugar and tannin (which I hope never to taste again!), tasting of 6 different wines and even a jelly bean experiment, this class always passes so fast!
Dennis Wright told us some of the stories of The Men of the Thai Burma Railway and it was as fascinating and gripping as it was brutal and poignant. History books often tell you facts and dates but something about personal stories makes it much more real. The stories we heard were all collected by Dennis or his wife Pattie from POWs and gave a new, and chilling, meaning to the words ‘The Line’.
Then, George Halasz was back to talk about dealing with stress with a diving twist in The Psychology of Being Out of Our Depth. Using his own experience while learning how to dive, George took us through how the body and mind deal with stress. For example, as a “survival instinct” his legs kept paddling up when his instructor wanted to go down. He also talked about how different parts of the body react to stress and the importance of breathing to manage it.
And finally, a skill that will make you the favourite uncle or aunty: Face Painting. Susanne Daoud, founder of Juicy Body Art, taught us how to paint two different designs. Everyone had lots of fun, painting themselves or their friends, and by the end we had a room full of butterflies and monsters. Some brave souls decided to make the journey home without washing their faces first!
