Australia’s own Low-Fat Cookbook Queen, Annette Sym, is embarking on an adventure of a lifetime as she sets off on a trade mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The trade mission, organised by Dr Fiona Hill of Almanar Consultancy, is a landmark first of its kind expedition. Taking only a select group of women from across Australia, the purpose of the trip is to generate lasting business connections between Australia and the Middle East.

Award-winning author of internationally acclaimed low-fat cookbook series, Symply Too Good To Be True, Annette Sym said she is really looking forward to the mission and will be researching the possibility of creating an Arabic version of her cookbooks.

“My cookbooks in Australia and America feature healthy alternatives to traditionally high-fat foods that everyone loves such as burgers, lasagne and cheesecake, and I am hoping that by visiting these countries I will be able to develop low-fat versions of their favourite foods too,” Annette said.

“Almost half of Saudi Arabia are classified as obese including 66% of women and 18% of pre-school-aged children,” Annette said.

“But what motivates me the most, is to be able to help them as this region has the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the world,” Annette said.

“I am really looking forward to meeting and working with as many local women as possible so I can do what I can to help reduce this,” she said.

During her trip, Annette will visit Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Jeddah and plans to research their cuisine, recipes, cooking style and habits in relation to food and exercise. She will also be meeting with Trade Queensland, Chamber of Commerce and the Australia and Saudi Consulate as well as representatives of Saudi Universities.

Almanar Consultancy is an Australian business that facilitates Australia-Arab relations through training, education and specialised Arab country visits. Almanar specialises in providing advice, experiences and opportunities for Australian businesswomen in the fields of international trade, investment and cultural exchange.

“I will be wearing the Abaya and head scarf while I am there to show my respect for their culture and strict Muslim beliefs,” Annette said.

Selling more than 3 million copies due to their undeniable ability to help people lose weight, Annette Sym’s series, Symply Too Good To Be True are available at all leading newsagencies and Borders Bookstores nation-wide. Books 1,2,3,4 and 5 are $13.95 and the bumper-sized Book 6 with the weightloss MASTERCLASS DVD and 28-day meal plan is $28.

Visit the Symply Too Good website, www.symplytoogood.com.au, for great low-fat cooking tips and to see Annette cooking a new recipe each month.

The Buderim Foundation is once again on a mission to assist local families by distributing cash vouchers to schools and charities that will help with back-to-school expenses.

This is the seventh consecutive year the Foundation has assisted with the project and Buderim Foundation Director Dr Sarah Bird said it has become an annual event on the Foundation’s calendar.

The 125 vouchers, valued at $50 each, will be distributed by the schools and charities to families requiring assistance with their children’s back-to-school expenses. The vouchers can be spent at Target stores.

The vouchers, valued at $6,250, are provided to the Buderim Foundation by the Australia-wide Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) and the Sidney Myer Fund, which operates the 2011 Back to School Program that assists families in need of support with the start of the school year.

“The directors of the Buderim Foundation are pleased that the strong relationship with the program has resulted in Back to School vouchers for Buderim families. And we enjoy working with Buderim organisations to get the vouchers out there,” Dr Bird said.

“We have provided vouchers to several schools including Buderim Mountain State School, Mountain Creek Primary School and Chancellor State College, as well as half a dozen community organisations including St Vincent de Paul, SunnyKids, Community Solutions and the Cindy Mackenzie Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Working through these organisations ensures that the families and children in the greatest need obtain the most benefit from the program, whilst maintaining privacy for all involved.

“The Cindy Mackenzie Breast Cancer Foundation in particular has a strong connection to the Foundation,” Dr Bird said. “Cindy was a dear friend of mine and many others involved in the Buderim Foundation, so it is really great to be able to support them in this small way. The feedback we’ve received is that families are surprised and delighted by the vouchers… it’s definitely a win/win/win situation,” she said.

The 2011 Back to School Program is an initiative of the FRRR and the Sidney Myer Fund and supported by The Sidney Myer Fund, VISY, The Aussie Farmers Foundation, The Julian Flett Foundation, The Edward Wilson Trust, The Wyatt Benevolent Institution and Target.

More information on the Buderim Foundation can be obtained by visiting the Foundation’s website www.buderimfoundation.org.au, by contacting a Board member on info@buderimfoundation.org.au or writing to the Buderim Foundation, PO Box 1408, Buderim, QLD 4556.

Our latest documentary ‘Smiling for Smiddy- The Long Road’, which follows the journey of a group of friends raising money for cancer research in memory of their mate, Adam Smiddy, who died of cancer in 2006.

Through “The Long Road”, Adam’s mother, Maria, tells not only her own intensely personal story about losing her son but also the unforgettable legacy created by his friends to ensure Adam is never forgotten and that a cure is found for this insidious disease.

To view the trailer, see below. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/19425498[/vimeo]

Our latest documentary ‘Smiling for Smiddy- The Long Road’, which follows the journey of a group of friends raising money for cancer research in memory of their mate, Adam Smiddy, who died of cancer in 2006.

Through “The Long Road”, Adam’s mother, Maria, tells not only her own intensely personal story about losing her son but also the unforgettable legacy created by his friends to ensure Adam is never forgotten and that a cure is found for this insidious disease.

The documentary is set to premiere in Brisbane later this month in the UQ schonell Cinema on Tuesday, 22 February at 7pm.Tickets are $10 for adults of $4 for children. All funds raised will go towards Smiling for Smiddy’s fundraising efforts.

To purchase tickets go to http://www.materfoundation.org.au/Events-and-Campaigns/Current-Events/-The-Long-Road–Documentary-Premiere.aspx.

To view the trailer, see below. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/19425498[/vimeo]

Aspiring writers are lining up for a spot at the Sunshine Coast Literary Association’s popular Authors’ Summer School so if you don’t want to miss out on securing a seat, then don’t waste another minute.

President of the SCLA, Bryan Ward said the association had received lots of bookings for the Summer School from writers across the Sunshine Coast.

“There are new emails in our inbox everyday with enquiries and people booking for the Summer School,” Bryan said.

The Summer School will be held across two evenings, Thursday 3^rd February and Thursday 10^th February at the University of the Sunshine Coast.  Hosted by industry professionals, the classes aim to provide writing enthusiasts of all levels with ‘need to know’ information, practical advice and feedback they need to become award-winning short story authors.

“They also aim to prepare writers for our annual writing competition, which will be open to entries from 7^th February.

“The competition is open to aspiring writers in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie area, with six entry categories including junior short story, junior poem, young adult short story, young adult poem, open short story and open poem,” Bryan said.

The classes will be presented by two of the University of the Sunshine Coast’s creative writing educators, Nike Bourke (also co-director of the Olvar Wood Writers Retreat) and Naomi Stekelenburg, and will focus on all aspects of short story writing.

The first two-hour session will focus on the basics of short story writing including narrative construction, plot, character, setting and style, and will examine the origins of ideas and include a workshop-style brainstorming session with the opportunity for feedback.

During the second session, the evening will centre on the common pitfalls of short story writing including some strategies to overcome them and will also have a workshop where participants will have the opportunity to put pen to paper and share some of their own ideas.

Nike Bourke said she was really looking forward to working with a wide variety of writers at the Short Story Bootcamp.

“Workshops are a great way to meet other writers, find out the truth about how judging competitions work, and get on-the-spot feedback and answers to your questions,” Nike said.

“Naomi and I have both judged a lot of competitions, and over time it’s easy to see what kinds of stories really grab a judges’ attention and keep them reading,” she said.

“The bootcamp provides us with the opportunity to share those insights with a select group of writers, and give them lots of hints and tips about how to fine tune their short stories,” she said.

The classes will be held in Lecture Theatre 3 at USC and will begin at 6:15pm for a prompt 6:30pm start, concluding at 8.30pm each night. For SCLA members the classes are $25 for one session or $40 for both, and for guests one class is $30 or $50 for both. Positions are limited, so make sure you book your seat today.

For more information about the program, biographies of both our talented presenters or to book you seat for the summer school please visit the What’s On section of the SCLA website, www.scliterary.org or call 5450 2691.

BRISBANE, QLD – January 19, 2011: Opengear (www.opengear.com.au) today announced the opening of a UK subsidiary with offices in Slough in the South E ast of England, close to West London. Opengear is a leading provider of next generation enterprise-grade remote infrastructure management solutions and their new office will enable them to meet the growing business opportunities in this area.

“Our open source platforms give network managers the virtual hands to securely monitor, access and control computing equipment and smart devices in remote sites. European nations are being driven to manage their economies more effectively and they are leading the way in smartening up their distributed infrastructure operations,” Bob Waldie, CEO of Opengear said.

“We are seeing tremendous growth opportunities in this region. One leadership example is solar power where Europe has more than 70% of the global cumulative photovoltaic installed capacity – and they certainly don’t enjoy 70% of the world’s sunshine!”, Bob said.

Opengear delivers its management products in Europe through distributor partners. UK distributors are S-Connect Limited and Entrix Computing Limited. In setting up the UK office Opengear has relocated one of its lead engineers there to work with customers and channel partners. The company has also set up an online store http://www.opengearstore.co.uk to ensure prompt sample delivery.

As luck would have it the home of the engineer who relocated from Opengear’s R&D office in Brisbane to work at the Opengear Limited office was submerged in the recent devastating floods here last week. This event, plus other tales of community suffering from the floods prompted Opengear to initiate an internal program to donate profits to help flood victims in Queensland.

“Effective first January and going through to end March, we have committed to donate 25% of all sales revenues from our online store in Australia, and 5% of sales from our USA estore and our new UK estore to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal,” Bob Waldie said. “So if someone in Australia buys a CM4148 console server from us online for $2070, we will donate $517 of that to flood relief.”

The Sunshine Coast Literary Association is bringing back its popular Authors’ Summer School in 2011, which will provide writing enthusiasts with the tips and tricks to become award-winning short story authors.

This short story bootcamp is suitable for writers of all levels from beginners to advanced and will be held across two evenings, Thursday 3rd February and Thursday 10th February at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Presidents of the SCLA, Bryan Ward said the summer school also aims to prepare writers for our annual writing competition, which will be open to entries from 7th February.

“The competition is open to aspiring writers in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie area, with six entry categories including junior short story, junior poem, young adult short story, young adult poem, open short story and open poem,” Bryan said.

The classes will be presented by two of the University of the Sunshine Coast’s creative writing educators, Nike Bourke (also co-director of the Olvar Wood Writers Retreat) and Naomi Stekelenburg, and will focus on all aspects of short story writing.

The first two-hour session will focus on the basics of short story writing including narrative construction, plot, character, setting and style, and will examine the origins of ideas and include a workshop-style brainstorming session with the opportunity for feedback.

During the second session, the evening will centre on the common pitfalls of short story writing including some strategies to overcome them and will also have a workshop where participants will have the opportunity to put pen to paper and share some of their own ideas.

Nike Bourke said she was really looking forward to working with a wide variety of writers at the Short Story Bootcamp.

“Workshops are a great way to meet other writers, find out the truth about how judging competitions work, and get on-the-spot feedback and answers to your questions,” Nike said.

“Naomi and I have both judged a lot of competitions, and over time it’s easy to see what kinds of stories really grab a judges’ attention and keep them reading,” she said.

“The bootcamp provides us with the opportunity to share those insights with a select group of writers, and give them lots of hints and tips about how to fine tune their short stories,” she said.

The classes will be held in Lecture Theatre 3 at USC and will begin at 6:15pm for a prompt 6:30pm start, concluding at 8.30pm each night. For SCLA members the classes are $25 for one session or $40 for both, and for guests one class is $30 or $50 for both. Positions are limited, so make sure you book your seat today.

For more information about the program, biographies of both our talented presenters or to book you seat for the summer school please visit the What’s On section of the SCLA website, www.scliterary.org or call 5450 2691.

The team at Reflected Image PRoductions would like to express our greatest sympathies for all those who have lost loved ones and belongings in the disastrous Queensland Floods and hope the cleanup happens as swiftly as possible.

It is that time of the year again, when you are eagerly trying to find that ‘perfect gift’ for Christmas.  But, Jenny King, the Sunshine Coast’s very own crochet queen believes the art of crochet could be that perfect gift.

With her new store located in Marcoola, the self-confessed crochet addict hopes that her passion for crochet can be learnt and enjoy by many this Christmas.

“With Christmas approaching crochet kits make great gifts. Giving someone the ability to create something with their own two hands is so special and unique,” Jenny King said .

The new store, Jenny King Designs, at Shop 1, 932 David Low Way, Marcoola makes it easy to choose your gift and Jenny can also offer impromptu crochet lessons for beginners when making a purchase. With her range of designs from crochet dolls, intricate beaded bags, jewellery, to your favourite football team footy, rugs there is a gift suited to everyone’s tastes.

Jenny’s passion for crocheting has been alive since she was just 10-years-old when she was first taught the simple two stiches. She has passed on her love of crochet since the 1990s and has been an author of 13 crochet books and countless patterns and designs. She has taught crochet around Australia and internationally.

“Crochet is so simple and quick, everyone can do it no matter what skill level. We have some exciting new plans for 2011 but in the meantime making someone a gift you have created will show that person you love just how much you care for them and it will be a gift that can be treasured,” Jenny said.

This Christmas do something different and be creative. Create someone you love a gift from the heart, a gift that will prove to them just how much they mean to you. Getting a gift knowing that someone has put time and effort into it is much more valuable than an expensive item purchase from a chain store.

If you think it is too hard to create that special gift on you own Jenny King operates her personalised crochet classes at her store location.

“Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. Crochet is not difficult and you will be able to create that perfect gift before you know it” said Jenny.

“I wanted to share my passion with other people so that everyone can see how easy it is and so the skills we learnt from our ancestors are not lost with the passage of time.”

Crochet has been around for centuries, providing enjoyment and pleasure to many. Jenny’s passion for crochet is undeniable and through her ability to create the most beautiful and creative gifts there is bound to be that perfect gift for someone you love this Christmas.

For more information about Christmas gift ideas or the crochet classes, visit the store open from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday or call Jenny on 07 5450 7077.

The Sunshine Coast Literary Association (SCLA) is celebrating the festive season with a special Christmas Discussion Evening on Tuesday, 14^th December.

Members and visitors are welcome to attend and participate in discussions on the Association’s 2011 program, talk and network with other writers and share a celebratory drink.

The evening will also feature an author talk by Coast children’s author Angela Bueti, creator of Wow Books 4 Boys. Her books follow a pair of cheeky monsters, Scratch and Patch, as they embark on a range of adventures. The series is specially designed to assist with language development in boys aged between 4 and 8 and is full of colourful illustrations, humour and action that would inspire any boy to turn the page.

The evening will be held at Rivers Café in Cotton Tree, on the corner of 2^nd Avenue and the Esplanade. If you would like to purchase a meal and share an informal chat then come along at 6pm or just join us for Angela Bueti’s presentation and the discussion from 7pm to 8.30pm.

In the spirit of Christmas, a complimentary glass of wine and piece of cake will be provided by the Association, with other delicious meals and drinks available for purchase from the Café menu. The discussion and presentation portion of the night is free for members and $2 for visitors.

SCLA president Bryan Ward said the evening would be a great opportunity to celebrate Christmas with fantastic and inspiring company.

To RSVP for dinner or the discussion portion, please e-mail info@scliterary.org or phone 0414 635 407 or visit the SCLA website for information on how to become a member www.scliterary.org.