Social September; How will you 'Disconnect to Reconnect'?

“Dad – are you okay? It’s been three hours since you checked your blackberry” was my sister’s introduction to my dad in her wedding speech. The ensuing guilty laughter of all those who could relate (or were sneakily updating their facebook under the table mid-speech) is a telling indicator of who –or what – has the upper hand in our relationship with technology. 

Whether playing Words with Friends while crossing the road or sitting on iPads while having coffee with friends, Social September encourages people to connect with each other – by disconnecting. It is an initiative to raise funds for the Reach Foundation, which promotes the mental health and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable young people.

Photo: Social September Facebook 

Funnily enough, Social September is using our addiction to all things techy – facebook, twitter, the whole social media sphere – to get this message across. Recognising the critical role that technology does play in facilitating our social lives, super socialite and founder of Social September, Bianca Venuti-Hughes, is encouraging us to be more conscious of the where, why and how we do it. Don’t quit facebook – but stop checking it when with company. Keep an eye on your emails – but not over dinner with your girlfriend (or at your daughter’s wedding). Answer that SMS – when you’ve finished our conversation with your mum. 

Founder Bianca Venuti-Hughes reconnects using old-school technology

Launching at the stylish Mezzaluna Ristorante Italiano in Potts Point, ambassadors roved the floor with giant plastic phones as guests admired the sparking Sydney skyline. Maria Venuti, the larger than life entertainer of Mad Pizza fame, stunned the crowd with a powerful rendition of “That’s what friends are for” as the connected crowd tweeted, checked in and instagrammed pics of the event. 

Photo: Social September Facebook

As the clock ticks past midnight tonight, we will farewell winter and commence our springtime socialising – so go to www.socialseptember.com for more info, register to host a Reconnect event, or take on a personal Disconnect challenge for September.

Miss Marmalade, Bondi Junction

"Decaf coffee is like kissing your sister!" The wall, Miss Marmalade

8am, Monday morning. I walk briskly to Bondi Junction station to catch the train to work, an icy wind biting the tip of my nose. At 8 degrees Celsius, my head is down, scarf tightly wound and gloved hands jammed into my pockets. Oxford St is a peripheral blur of sleepy shops, loud buses and early morning commuters. 

 

A warm blast of air and chilled music jolts me out of my determined stride as I pass Miss Marmalade. An oasis of warmth in the Sydney chill, Miss Marmalade is a surprisingly cozy vintage haven, chalk scribbled all over the walls with irreverent quotes amongst the art. The walls may be cheeky but this establishment is clearly serious about its coffee, and appeals to the demand for organic and fair-trade that is flourishing in Bondi but surprisingly scarce in the junction itself. 

I break my mad rush to order a coffee from the dimpled waiter who grins and banters with me while I wait. A laugh, a sensational coffee and a moment of serenity in an otherwise routine trip to work; thanks to Miss Marmalade for a gentle reminder to stop and smell the coffee beans.

 

Bondi boot camp

Pop down to Bondi at 5.45am, and you would be forgiven for thinking you had entered an alternate universe where the gym has hit the beach. Yogis perform downward dog, surfers catch waves, as soft sand runners count laps. Couples walk dogs, as goggled swimmers breast stroke from north to south. Muscled men compete to see who can complete the most pull ups on the outdoor bars, while backpackers doze on the sand in an attempt to recover from the previous night.

There may be a winter chill in the air, but that hasn’t stopped the perky crew at Bottoms Up Fitness and their trademark girly boot camp on the sand. One of only two fitness groups allowed to exercise on the beach itself, the signature red and white of the group’s trainers is a familiarly cheerful sight to locals in the morning.

Providing motivation for heeding an inhumanly early alarm clock, Head Trainer Libby is always ready to greet the “Bottoms” with smiley enthusiasm. With wrenching myself out of bed proving the most challenging part of my ordeal, watching the sun rise over the ocean as we run through a variety of drills is an uplifting reward to kick-start the day.

Tailored specifically to ladies, the Bottoms Up crew provide a series of high intensity workouts that continually keep the body guessing. They recognise that girls have unique goals and physiology, and focus on making the sessions fun to generate a positive association with exercise and fitness.

They mix cardio, movement, boxing and weights with yoga and dance classes, targeting the problem areas of women’s bodies and focusing on health and well being.

With a mission to get us fit and healthy, Libby, Ali, Jay and the crew have found an effective combination of ingredients to encourage exercise during the colder months – fun and different workouts to keep us guessing, spectacular sunrises to make us smile, and constant contagious energy and enthusiasm.

My first early start feels like torture, but after a week of jumping, burpies and boxing on the sand, I’m feeling motivated, energised and ready to join the alternate universe of fitness on the beach!

Read fitness tips from Head Trainer Libby Babet, and the full article at liveeverylastminute.com.au.

Libby is the founder of Bottoms Up! Social Fitness and is a passionate advocate of health, nutrition and fitness. You can read more from Libby and her team at bottomsupfitness.com.au

Save the whales

http://marinemammalresearch.com/