A Man from Chile, Cycling, Food, Wine & Music.

Last Week

I wasn't at the meeting so I am indebted to Mike Vink and Steve du Plessis: 

Dirk Otto accepts a banner of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn from  Graham Donet at last week’s meeting. 

Dirk is a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Vita Cura in Santiago, Chile, where he and his family currently live. He is married to a South African and has visited New Dawn before.

 His is the banner for RC Berlin International on the club board. He was a member there during a more recent spell in his homeland. 

He spoke to the club about projects that his club, an established club in Chile, are involved in, and compared it with getting projects off the ground in newer clubs such as New Dawn and Berlin International. 

Dirk works for Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

Cycling again!

Many thanks, Paul Kasango, for sending this photo of Amina Frense preparing to wave her flag at the cycle race last weekend!

Is she enjoying herself?

This Week

I'll be talking to the Club about the perils of being a food and wine critic.

It was part of my job for 15 years and I am still involved in wine but I never have to review restaurants ever again...what a joy!

And now the sort of thing that I wish Rotary would be involved with more often than it is:

HELPING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES MAKE THEIR OWN MUSIC

Instructor Danuta Warzachowska (left) talks with her student Marcin Miazgowski before a recital by students of the Music School for Children With Disabilities in Honor of Paul Harris. The recital was held in May 2012 at the school in Lublin, Poland.

Photo Credit: Alyce Henson/Rotary International

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Music has been an important part of leading an ordinary life for students at the Music School for Children With Disabilities in Honor of Paul Harris in Lublin, Poland. Founded by Rotary members, the school serves 20 students with various disabilities, including Down syndrome, autism, and visual impairments. The Rotary Club of Lublin-Centrum-Maria Curie-Sklodowska has provided funding with help from Rotary Foundation Matching Grants and the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society, which houses the school.

After their son Mateusz was born with underdeveloped eyes, Mariusz and Joanna Kania looked for ways to help him be active. When he showed an aptitude for music, they looked for a teacher and were thrilled to find the Paul Harris music school.

“A school like this helps children like Mateusz widen their perspectives, see the world a bit differently, and meet new people,” his father says. “If it weren’t for this school, there wouldn’t be a place in Lublin for disabled children who want to develop musically.”