Off Exploring!

Firstly, thank you for the kind birthday wishes. It was a grand celebration involving lots of pampering and lobster. I'll have photos uploaded soon but for now I'm off gallivanting about with a friend who has travelled very far to visit me. So, I will give him the due attention and my blogging presence shall be limited for the next week. 

Also, please help those in the Horn of Africa. The UN says that tens of thousands have already died and currently ten million are on the verge of starvation. It is being virtually ignored by the American media. BBC is covering it but it is still largely being overlooked.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to donate. Anything will be helpful.

Hope you're all enjoying the summer.

Gorgeous photo of Scotland via Ninbra

What are you doing

for Japan?

 Notes to the victims and the missing.

I've been feeling helpless about the catastrophes in Japan. The earthquake. Then the tsunami. Followed by explosions. I am so saddened at the immense and arduous uphill battle the country will endure with just the lingering and detrimental effects of radiation alone. I donated, but I want to do more and found other ways to take part worth sharing.

Firstly, donate here:

Canadian Red Cross

American Red Cross

British Red Cross

Australian Red Cross

Global Living

Elsewhere

Also:

Soles 4 Souls donates shoes to those affected by natural disasters, like Japan. Do you really need those old sneaks?

Drop off a load of stuff you don't need at the Salvation Army, shop there or even donate your miles to help people get to safer grounds.

Stores such as Uniqlo, Theory, Comptoir des Cotonniers and all the stores belonging to Fast Retailing Group have started actively donating clothes to keep the Japanese warm for the rest of their winter, specifically in areas where heat and electricity are sparce. They've also promised to donate over the equivalent of 17 million US $.

Mother attempting to console her daughter in a cold homeless shelter.

If you do just one thing: donate to Shelter Box, who send boxes of tents, blankets, water purification kit, tools and other vitals.

Then take a moment of silence.

 

I will. See you on Monday.

 Image credits: Truth Leem for Reuters, Paula Bronstein from Getty Images, both via The Atlantic