Cultural issues Archives - Dr Bambi Rakhel Ward

Category: Cultural issues (page 1 of 2)

Central Australia – we keep returning

September 13, 2016 / Bambi Rakhel Ward / 0 Comments

Outback Australia continues to lure us back.

This time the attractions were the Field of Lights at Uluru, and King’s Canyon, where we enjoyed glamping (glamorous camping) in the middle of nowhere.

The dinners under the stars, sitting around a campfire, listening to a didgeridoo, and to stories told by Aboriginal Traditional Owners and Elders were some of the highlights.

We’ll be back.

Helicopter view of Kata Tjuta (Olgas)

5 person helicopter

Uluru at sunset

Field of Lights – Art installation – Yulara/Uluru

Fantastic cultural tour – Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Middle Ranges – near Kings Canyon

Mural – airport at Uluru

Peacock at Alice Springs

The back of a peacock.

Royal Flying Doctor Service, Alice Springs. Mock interior of a plane.

Sunset from 14th floor of Jupiter's Casino

General Practice Teaching and Education Conference 2016 – Gold Coast

September 1, 2016 / Bambi Rakhel Ward / 0 Comments

I’ve been at the Gold Coast this week attending a national conference on General Practice education. I enjoyed presenting a workshop on Building empathy: the role of humanities. I was also honored to be invited to co-chair a one day forum for the Cultural Educators, Cultural Mentors, and Medical Educators Network.

View from 14th floor of Jupiter’s Casino at the conference

Sunset from 14th floor of Jupiter’s Casino at the conference

View from 14th floor of Jupiter’s Casino at the conference

Jupiter’s Casino – I just looked!

Conference venue – Jupiter’s.

Conference dinner table decoration – steam punk theme. (I had to google what it was).

Medical humanities and more NT photos

August 24, 2016 / Bambi Rakhel Ward / 0 Comments

I’m back home this week before heading off to the Gold Coast for a national Medical Educators’ conference. I’ve been given the honour of co-facilitating a one day forum for Medical Educators and Indigenous Cultural Educators. I will also be presenting a workshop on one of my favourite topics: ‘Using medical humanities to build empathy in doctors’.

This brings me to the book of the week: ‘all the beginnings: a queer autobiography of the body’ by Quinn Eades. Quinn, who created this book as part of a PhD in creative writing, writes poignantly about many experiences from a patient’s point of view, including being a new mother, having a hysterectomy, and the journey of having a twisted ovary being diagnosed…..eventually. The book also contains several traumatic life events experienced by Quinn, whilst identifying as a ‘she’. Quinn now identifies as a transman who has begun transitioning since the book was published. I admire Quinn’s courage, his incredible resilience, and willingness to show his vulnerability.

From Tennant Creek to Alice Springs, NT.

August 16, 2016 / Bambi Rakhel Ward / 1 Comment

View from hotel room, Alice Springs

Table decoration – authentic desert sand.

In a cafe at Tennant Creek….guess what these are? (Answer at end of blog).

Mobile of a flying man – Tennant Creek cafe

View from 10 seater chartered plane from Tennant Creek back to Alice Springs

Safety Instructions

Inside 10 seater chartered plane from Tennant Creek back to Alice Springs

View from 10 seater chartered plane from Tennant Creek back to Alice Springs

Peacock by the pool

Mural in Alice Springs hospital

Outside Alice Springs hospital

The mystery items from the cafe with ladies’ heads turned out to be holders for earrings made for pierced ears. (Just flip open the bit at the bottom and voila!).

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Tennant Creek

August 10, 2016 / Bambi Rakhel Ward / 0 Comments

Some photos of my trip to Tennant Creek…

Old Telegraph Station, Tennant Creek

Bush Turkeys, Tennant Creek

Termite Mound, Tennant Creek

On the way to the Pebbles, Tennant Creek

The Pebbles, Tennant Creek

The Pebbles is a sacred site for women’s business. I could feel why. The energy there is very peaceful.

Writing, beanies and another NT visit

August 3, 2016 / Bambi Rakhel Ward / 0 Comments

I’ve been busy working on the second draft of a memoir about my spiritual journey. I’m trying to get as much done as I can before heading off on my monthly work visit to Alice Springs next week. Cutting out sections that took blood, sweat and tears to write can be excruciating, but it needs to be done. ‘Kill your darlings’, as the saying for authors goes. It also helps to have a mentor, as well as deadlines, self-imposed or otherwise.

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been working as a Medical Educator training doctors to become General Practitioners for the Northern Territory’s General Practice Training Education (NTGPE) program since 2009.

Blurred Roles and Other Issues

July 20, 2016 / Bambi Rakhel Ward / 0 Comments

My husband has been unwell with pneumonia for what feels like way too long for him and me, however thankfully he is now on the mend.

This prompted me to share a modified version of an article I wrote many years ago about my experience of being both a doctor and a mother of a child with a chronic health condition.

It appeared in ‘Australian Doctor’, a weekly national magazine for General Practitioners. Although it was published on 23/3/2001, the message is still relevant today.

Blurred Roles: We Care Too, by Dr Bambi Ward.

My Revamped Blog

July 13, 2016 / Bambi Rakhel Ward / 0 Comments

I’m finally back home after having time for work and pleasure in the wonderful Northern Territory.

I’m looking forward to celebrating my birthday this week…..it’s not a special birthday in the traditional sense, but I’m turning the age of the last two digits of the year I was born in, so it feels very special to me.

I’ve also been reflecting on my current blog, and how it’s going. Given that I have a multitude of interests, I’ve decided to experiment for a while and try a few regular features. These may include links to someone else’s blog, photos of books I’ve bought or am reading, a recommendation of a cultural activity, conference or festival, and something or someone that has inspired me.