I am a published writer of essay and short stories, with a Masters in Creative Writing from University of Technology Sydney. As a freelance writer, I was interested telling people's stories: I wrote about parenting issues, education, health, science and food. I have been published in Fairfax media, MiNDFOOD magazine and Scientriffic amongst others. Oh, and I am a latent pharmacist.
Essay
There's a list of things I imagine doing if I lived a different life: wandering into the small reserve I drive past daily, sipping my first cup of tea every morning on the patio bench, learning to identify native flora and fauna by name, picking up my embroidery from where I left it weeks ago.
At 5.30m, it's still dark when we stop at McDonald's for coffee. We have been waking up earlier than this for the past thirty mornings of Ramadhan to eat a meal before the fast begins at dawn. But today is the first day of a new month, a day of celebration and feasting after the fasting.
Features
You are on an overseas holiday when a dictator invades a neighbouring country. You are taken hostage with your companions. You spend the next month idling away the days in a five-star hotel, dining on three-course meals, waiting for your captor to make his next move.
"You learn a lot about a person and their culture through the story of their dish," says Penny Elsley. Ms Elsley started the Welcome Dinner project when a group of Sudanese women told her that no Australian women had invited them to their homes.
Fred and Shannon with baby Olina and their tiny house. Photo: James Braund Big ideas often have modest beginnings. When Fred Schultz hit 50, he started to ask himself what he wanted. "I began to question whether I would achieve the happiness I wanted in a life filled with work, or was I going to strike out and really savour life?"
"We do mix business with pleasure": Alison and Michael. Photo: Paul Harris Alison Kubler, 42, is a freelance curator and writer married to Michael Zavros, 41, an artist. Alison: "Michael and I met when we were both finding our feet in the arts. I was doing three jobs, and Mike was trying to be an artist.
Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims move around the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Photo: AP Australian nurse Nelley Youssef is immersed in a sea of millions of white-robed pilgrims doing the tawaf of the Kaaba, the black cuboid structure at the heart of Masjid Al-Haram mosque in Mecca, Saudia Arabia.
Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims move around the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque during the annual Haj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Photo: AP For many Muslims, completing the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but Australian construction manager Caleb Strik is in the middle of his third trip.
Ballet dancer Brett Chynoweth from the Australian Ballet. Photo: Supplied In today's world, as little girls dream of becoming surgeons and CEOs, little boys are also starting to dream of becoming nurses and ballet dancers? At the Australian Ballet, in Melbourne's Southbank, the ensemble of 68 dancers comprises 30 males and 38 females.
Firefighter, Regional Training Instructor, Bronnie Mackintosh. Photo: Marina Neil Despite the concept of "men's work" and "women's work" being outdated, huge gender imbalances still exist in the workplace. Even though women make up just under half of all employees in Australia in 2014, equal opportunities haven't translated into equal representation across industry.
Listen Up
Three women tell how their expat childhood left a permanent imprint on their psyche, in the Sun-Herald's Sunday Life Magazine
Fashion statement: Zulfiye Tufa dresses modestly as a way of expressing her internal beliefs. The image of the modern Muslim woman is changing fast, fuelled by the rise and rise of the hijabista phenomenon. Photo: Armelle Habib
Making it as an elite athlete is harder than most realise. How do you prepare your child for the possibility of failure without quashing their dreams?
Stress, and the Year 12 student : how girls and boys handle the pressures of the HSC.
Profiles
Rosemary Kariuki-Fyfe came to Australia in 1999 from Kenya, carrying all her best clothes in one suitcase and only $300 in her purse. Her efforts in the refugee community have now been publicly acknowledged, as she continues to make it her mission to help others.
Yarrie Bangura was born in Sierra Leone, and fled civil war there, ending up in a refugee camp in Guinea. She shares her story with MiNDFOOD. Refugee Week is Australia's peak annual activity to inform the public about issues faced by refugees, to celebrate their positive contributions to Australian society, and to promote harmony and togetherness.
First Person
I wrote a guest post for A Cup of Tea and a Blog, answering the question : "If you could have a cup of tea with anyone, living or dead, real or fictitious, who would you chose and why?''
Science Writing
The look and type of your earwax can reveal secrets about who you are, published in the CSIRO's Scientriffic Magazine
Published in ''Spot-on'' in Scientriffic magazine ''Most cheeses have a reputation for being smelly, but two scientists have taken this to a new level.''
Antibiotic Awareness Week promotes the sensible use of antibiotics in the community.
Food writing
Looking for a deliciously healthy snack to satisfy the pickiest of little eaters? This slice is a great lunchbox filler or weekend snack.
his year, the Australian National Imams Council announced that, with the appearance of the new moon, Sunday will be the last day of Ramadan for most Australian Muslims, and the day of Eid Al-Fitr will be Monday 2 May. The three day celebration involves food, family visits, gifts for kids, and, of course, sweets and pastries.