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June 29, 2011

Beauty secrets from around the world

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Women around the globe will always find ways to make themselves more beautiful. Kelly Baker reveals beauty tricks from all corners of the world — and you don’t need to travel to try them.

All over the world, women have long created beauty treatments with their own hands — hair conditioner crafted from crushed hibiscus petals picked from a tree in the family’s backyard, soap from a mixture of shaved sandalwood and lentils, and moisturiser from fresh cream, to name just a few.

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These rich, sensual mixtures are made up of fresh, powerful ingredients, but there’s more to them than that.

What sets them apart is that they are created with care and diligence. The women who mix these lotions and oils don’t hurry. They take their time and focus on the process.

These beauty treatments come with a secret ingredient — love. So, come on a world tour of beauty secrets.

India

Throughout India, from the Himalayas in the north to the plains of Kerala in the south, women of all ages take a few moments each morning to lovingly shred a little ginger and mix it with a spoonful of honey. After adding water, they savour the sweetness of the honey combined with the gentle warmth of the fresh ginger. These two simple ingredients are believed to keep the skin line-free.

Japan

Many women in Japan protect their milky white skin from the sun’s harsh rays at all times. They shun skimpy clothing, preferring instead to cover up and carry UV protective parasols. The result — dewy, fresh skin well into middle age and often even beyond.

Belize

Coconut oil is naturally rich, as women in Belize know only too well. They have long used it to ease fine lines and wrinkles, and to soften dry skin. It’s also a natural sunscreen, protecting skin even further.

Australia

Some Aboriginal women use yarrow root to prevent stretch marks. It hydrates skin and is also an anti-inflammatory, meaning it soothes, too.

Dominican Republic

Girls here learn at a young age that, if they want to grow long gorgeous nails, then garlic is the only thing they need. They cut it finely and then add it to clear nail polish. After it’s stewed for a week or so, they apply a single coat to strengthen their nails and also ward off bacteria. Slice some garlic and add it to your favourite polish.

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Spain

Bring out your natural highlights by rinsing your hair with cranberry juice, as many glossy-haired Spanish girls do. After shampooing, mix 1/4 cup of pure cranberry juice with 1/4 cup of water and rinse your hair with the liquid. Natural blondes might like to use lemon juice instead.

Read more of this story in the July issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Your say: Do you have any homemade beauty treatments?

Subscribe to 12 issues of The Australian Women’s Weekly for just $69.95 and receive a BONUS Avon Anew Night Cream valued at $59.99. That’s a 15% saving on the retail price.

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June 29, 2011

Our family was marooned for five months

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The Barrie family, who were marooned on the island of Mogmog for five months

When a Perth family set out on a two-year round-the-world trip on a catamaran, they didn’t count on being shipwrecked on a remote island in the Pacific. Sue Williams recounts their adventures.

Lashed by nine-metre waves and brutal winds in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Jennifer Barrie and her husband, Andrew, fought desperately to keep control of their catamaran as their two young daughters in life jackets clung to the rails.

Realising their lives were at stake, the Perth family jumped into their dinghy and abandoned ship just before it slammed into rusting jetties on a coral reef, its hull tearing apart.

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As they dragged themselves from the boiling surf onto the sands of what looked like an island paradise, they thought the worst of their ordeal was over. They were wrong — it was just beginning.

Mogmog, the tiny island they stumbled across on March 23 last year and on which they would be marooned for the next five months, is part of a remote atoll about 2000km north of Papua New Guinea.

It is undeveloped, isolated and deeply traditional. Just 200 people live there, without phones, running water, or currency. The few houses are dilapidated, possessions are shared and one groaning generator provides all the electricity.

Locals survive on fish, turtles, even wild dogs, which they cook on an open fire. Men wear loincloths and women go topless. To respect their male relatives, women are expected to bend or kneel so their heads remain lower.

In contrast, the Barries sail around the world, run their own business and come from a country in which women can do anything — even become prime minister. A culture clash was almost inevitable.

“I suppose it does sound like a great adventure,” Jennifer tells The Weekly in an exclusive interview two days after the family finally arrived back in Western Australia, in June. “But I’d much rather it hadn’t happened. I think the whole experience has really affected us.”

When their boat crashed, the Barrie family could have returned to Australia. A local barge would have taken them to a nearby island, which is serviced by an airstrip. Yet they were not insured, so they decided to stay and try to repair Windrider, a process Andrew estimated would take six months.

“We’d spent 10 years planning and waiting for this trip, and we weren’t prepared to let it go,” says Jennifer. “We had no insurance, so we would have lost everything, but more than that, we weren’t prepared to give up on our dreams. I think we’d probably make the same decision again.”

The chief allowed them to move into one of the only houses on the island, meant for visiting priests. It was dank and dark, with no running water, but plenty of rats.

The girls split their time between exploring the island — they were allowed to roam if they stuck together — and taking lessons over radio from an Australian distance education school. Andrew and Jennifer set about fixing the boat.

On the advice of an American aid worker, Jennifer adopted the local custom of toplessness. “This very much went against the grain for me,” she says, but she realised they needed as much community support as possible. Andrew thought it was hilarious.”

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At first, the family got on well with the natives, but cracks quickly appeared. Food was scarce and Jennifer found it hard to hold her tongue in the male-dominated society.

More conflict came when Jennifer upset some of the men by admonishing them for killing and eating a dog of which the Australians had become fond.

“One day, I hope I will be able to look fondly back at that time,” says Jennifer, choosing her words carefully. “But not yet. I can’t do that yet and probably won’t be able to for a long time.”

Marooned On Mogmog by Jennifer Barrie is published by HarperCollins, $35.

Read more of this story in the July issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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June 29, 2011

Should I seek a second opinion?

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Trust what the doctor says, we are told, so when is it okay to get a second, third or even fourth opinion? Professor Kerryn Phelps explains.

The question of second opinions comes up all the time in medical practice.

The type you may be most familiar with are the referrals to specialists in a particular area of expertise, such as a dermatologist or a cardiologist when you have a specific health issue.

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Usually this is because the GP you are seeing knows that they need the opinion of an expert who is focused on a particular disease or body part.

A lot of my patients talk to me about second opinions from specialists. Quite often the conversation begins tentatively.

It is usually along the lines of, “I have been seeing my specialist for years, but I don’t feel I am improving at all. I really want to get another opinion, but could I do that without him knowing because I would not want to upset him. He has been so good to me”.

Sometimes, I see a patient for the first time because they have not been happy with the way their health has been managed so far, in which case I am the one being asked for a second opinion. In some cases, it turns out to be a third, fourth or even fifth opinion.

PROS AND CONS

There are advantages and disadvantages to seeking extra opinions. I am the first person to encourage people to be active participants in their healthcare decisions and seeking opinions is one way of gathering the information you need.

Medical diagnosis and healthcare is not always an exact science and sometimes medical conditions can be very complicated. So, if you are in a situation where you are not making progress, it makes sense to get a fresh perspective.

It is also hugely important to choose doctors in whom you have complete confidence. People are often reluctant to hurt “their” doctor’s feelings and I understand this. Many doctor-patient relationships are very close and personal, and it can feel a bit disloyal if you go looking elsewhere.

However, getting your health on track is far more important than the possibility of hurting someone’s professional pride. This can be handled sensitively, by the doctor providing the second opinion communicating back to your usual GP or specialist with your permission.

Be aware, though, that your GP is not obliged to provide a referral for a second opinion if they do not believe it is in your best interests, but you need a referral in order to get a Medicare rebate for the specialist’s consultation.

HOW TO SEEK A SECOND OPINION

The health system in Australia makes it relatively easy to seek second opinions. If you feel you want a different GP’s perspective, you just need to make an appointment, take along as many results of blood tests, scans and specialist reports as you can get hold of and go to another GP. The downside here is that some tests may be repeated unnecessarily and there is a loss of continuity of care.

In a group general practice, we are accustomed to the possibility of patients seeing various practitioners in the group from time to time and that does often bring a new perspective with all of the records in one location.

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Yet I have come across doctors who have felt threatened or annoyed by patients seeking other opinions. Really, that’s just too bad. Your health is the priority.

If you want a second opinion from a specialist, you can discuss that with your GP.

Your doctor will need to be satisfied professionally and ethically that the second opinion is in your best interests. A referral by a GP has legal and ethical requirements on the doctor – it is not automatically provided on a patient’s request.

Read more of this story in the July issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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June 29, 2011

Men of the moment

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Manu Feildel, David Wenham and Andrew Rochford (Photography by Peter Brew-Bevan, Styling by Olivia Fleming)

They’re smart and sexy, with talent in spades. The Weekly talks to some of our favourite Aussie blokes about what they value most and the women they love.

Andrew Rochford, 7pm Project panellist, doctor, 31

Who is the woman you most admire?

My wife. She’s really quite inspiring. She’s capable, she’s ambitious, she’s got a great sense of humour and she impresses me.

What trait do you most admire in a woman?

Probably ambition. There’s something about an ambitious woman who’s not afraid to take on a few challenges in life. That’s always impressed me.

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What do you like about medicine?

I enjoy the challenge. I have always enjoyed interacting with people. I like the responsibility of it, that you can’t necessarily do a second rate job.

Where did you take your wife on your first date?

We went to a quiet bar in North Sydney and just talked and talked. There was nothing flash about it. I was dressed really badly in pants that were too short for me. She says she must have seen something in me because it was really hard to get past those pants.

Do you have any advice for women from a man’s perspective?

The one thing for me is to be yourself, to make fun of yourself, to have a bit of a laugh. That to me is exceptionally attractive … don’t take yourself too seriously.

Manu Feildel, Celebrity chef, 38.

What trait do you most admire in a woman?

She must have a head on her shoulders. She needs to be able to have a conversation, talk about things. She can be the most beautiful woman on the planet, but if she’s not intelligent, see you later.

What woman do you most admire?

My mum because she brought me up well so I am who I am today and she is always there for me. She also cooks fantastic food.

What is your greatest vice?

I would like many wives. I love women.

What is your greatest pleasure?

My son [Jonti]. He is the reason that I wake up every morning. Everything I do is for him.

What would your last meal be?

Bacon. I love bacon. A bacon and egg sandwich.

David Wenham, Actor, 45

Who is the woman you most admire?

My mother, definitely. She was an extraordinary woman. She has only recently passed away. My other half, Kate, my kids — both girls — then after that, it’s a tricky one.

What’s something the public doesn’t know about you?

I was a really good lawn bowler when I was younger. [I’d play with a drama school friend] because we thought we’d clean up on the circuit and maybe win a little bit of money. We won a lot of meat trays and chicken trays, but we didn’t win terribly much money.

What would you be doing if not acting?

God only knows. I have no idea because I don’t really have any other skill and I’ve got to say I’m not proud of that.

What has been your favourite role?

I don’t have one particular favourite. I’ve got a few, for various reasons. The Boys, Gettin’ Square — Johnny Spitieri, that’s a role that lives on and on. Being given the opportunity to be part of amazing films in history, like Lord Of The Rings, that’s pretty special.

What’s the one piece of advice that you would give women from a male perspective?

I don’t think I could give a piece of advice. I’m of the belief that women are of the smarter sex in so many different ways. I think that men could learn far more from women than women could learn from men.

David Wenham’s latest film, Oranges And Sunshine, is playing in cinemas.

Read more of this story in the July issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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June 29, 2011

Tara Brown: Baby bliss at 43

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Tara Brown with her sons Tom and Jack

Tara Brown says she is a lucky woman. Not only has she created a stellar career as one of TV’s most successful reporters, but she’s managed to keep the best part until last — becoming a mother again in her 40s.

As a 60 Minutes reporter, Tara Brown has faced illness, fatigue and all manner of frustrations that have, at times, left her physically and emotionally drained.

Yet this time was different. This time, Tara wasn’t just sick and tired — she was tired and sick.

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It was April last year and she was on the trail of one of Australia’s hottest rocks acts, Powderfinger, who were signing off after 15 years at the top with a farewell national tour.

“Shortly before, I’d been in Queensland covering the worst floods in more than 100 years,” says Tara, 43. “And towards the end of that, I was getting cranky, crankier than I should have been. I put it down to being tired.

“Then, I was straight back on the road with Powderfinger. I started to feel sick, nausea that didn’t let up. I thought, ‘Maybe I’m exhausted. Maybe I am sick of being on the road, or sick of the boys in the band, or both.’ “

As it turned out, it was neither. When Tara arrived home, she realised there was an explanation she’d overlooked. She took a pregnancy test. It proved positive.

“I was surprised, delighted, shocked, incredibly lucky and relieved, all at the same time,” says Tara. “I hadn’t really considered that I might be pregnant. I know how lucky I am.

“So many women out there try so hard for so long to conceive and have the greatest difficulties, so to conceive as an older woman, when the chances are less, is a gift.

“Even so, I didn’t fully appreciate just how lucky I am until I held this child in my arms.”

That child, Tara’s second with her husband of 12 years, John McAvoy, 41, is Tom Oliver McAvoy, who was born at 11.07am on December 12 last year at Sydney’s North Shore Private Hospital.

He weighed 3.35 kilograms and measured 53 centimetres, but the experience, says Tara, was vastly different to that with Jack Cooper, their first child, who is now two-and-a-half.

“It was all much faster this time around,” says Tara, who was six days overdue when she and John went to the hospital for her to be induced. “The doctor broke my

waters and almost instantly I went into labour. But there wasn’t any time for pain relief. Two hours later, Tom was born. It was that quick.

“I don’t know how women do long labours. Jack was four hours and I thought I was going to die. Tom was only two hours and I still thought I was going to die. It was quicker, but it was very intense. You can never say that childbirth is pain free – because it certainly isn’t — but it was uncomplicated and I was grateful for that.”

The pain, however, quickly passed when Tara’s doctor handed Tom to her. “I am still amazed at how you can be in a world of pain, feeling so immobile and awful, and then, the second that the baby is born, you can be up and walking around, and the pain is gone. It’s incredible,” she says.

Related: Learn more about Tara Brown

Tara and John always wanted a second child after the birth of Jack in October 2008, but didn’t follow a plan. “It was more a hope than a plan,” says Tara, who conceived naturally.

“Again, being an older mum I think I’d come to terms with only ever having one child if that was the way it worked out. I felt so grateful to have Jack and was madly in love with him, as I still am.”

Read more of this story in the July issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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June 29, 2011

Why the size of your plate is making you fat

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Twenty years ago, Kit Kats were sold in two-piece packs weighing 20g, today a Kit Kat weighs 78g. Welcome to our supersize world. The result: we’re also supersizing ourselves.

Fancy a biscuit? And how about a coffee to go with it? Twenty years ago, that would have meant a biscuit you could have fitted whole &151; at a squeeze — into your mouth. Today, it’s the size of your hand and with around 10 times the calories.

The coffee hardly washes that down comfortably, either. In 1991, it was made with water and served in a 200ml cup. Even with milk and two sugars, it had only around 400 kilojoules. Now, we buy a 470ml full-cream milk-based coffee, with more than 2000kJ. Is it really any wonder we’re overweight?

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“Food portion sizes have increased significantly over the past 20 years, along with obesity,” says dietitian Amanda Clark, author of the books Portion Perfection and Portion Perfection Healthy Snack Bible.

“It’s happened slowly so we just haven’t noticed how much they’ve crept up. We didn’t realise we were eating so much more.”

In the US, the average daily dietary intake has increased by 2520kJ (600 calories) — from 9122kJ (2172cal) to 11,655kJ (2775cal) — over the past 37 years.

Australians are not so far behind, with recent national intake surveys finding that our kids are now eating more than 840kJ (200cal) extra a day than they did 20 years ago. That could mean a 10 kilogram gain in body weight in just one year.

The reasons are various. The average dinner plate has grown by more than 36 percent since 1960. And portions in restaurants and fast-food outlets, where we eat much more regularly, have, in some cases, been supersized to more than double.

In addition, food is now generally sold in much bigger packs and bottles, which consumers embrace because they think they’re more of a bargain. In turn, food producers like to see us buy more, so it becomes a habit.

“It also has a lot to do with advertising and the images we see all the time of food,” says nutritionist and naturopath Tania Flack.

“We’re presented with pictures of Brontosaurus-sized steaks that would be enough to feed three, but they’re for one person. TV commercials show Sunday roasts that are massive. But just think back to the size of the kind of meals our grandparents served up — there’s absolutely no comparison.”

Back when all our energies were taken up with survival, food was only available at certain times, for instance when an animal was killed once every six days, clinical psychologist Sarah Edelman points out. Yet now we eat like it’s our last meal, three times a day.

“We’re designed and wired to look for food, and we haven’t made that evolutionary adjustment,” she says. “Food is also now very much part of our social life and culture, and it’s very comforting to eat, it can really reduce anxiety.”

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We’re also far more confused about what a healthy diet involves, says Amanda Clark. Often, we think we can eat endless quantities of the good stuff, not realising that’s still too much.

Plus, adds Tania Flack, people usually kid themselves they’re being healthy by simply adding a small salad to a giant burger. “Instead, they should be adding a small burger to a big salad,” she says. “That’s the long-term solution.”

Read more of this story in the July issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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Subscribe to 12 issues of The Australian Women’s Weekly for just $69.95 and receive a BONUS Avon Anew Night Cream valued at $59.99. That’s a 15% saving on the retail price.

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June 29, 2011

The truth about the Greg Combet shoot

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Diamant Hotel Canberra - Designer Loft Apartment, Mid Century Modern Suite. Styled by Don Cameron, Curated Living.

There were many men in the running to be one of Australia’s Men of the Moment, as judged by the Women’s Weekly: Malcolm Turnbull, with his leather jacket bad-boy look; Tony Abbott, the ironman; Rob Oakeshott, the rugged country lad. But the Weekly likes to be at the cutting edge, so we did a straw poll of editors of fellow ACP magazines. There was a clear theme.

“You have got to get Greg Combet,” said one. “He could be really hot.”

Combet, of course, is also very much a man of the moment, selling the government’s carbon tax to a cautious public. He perfectly fit our criteria: topical, someone our readers want to know more about, and handsome. So we approached his office to put our case. We won support for our shoot from his staff, but right up to the day of the shoot, Combet remained wary.

We understood this. Even female politicians are wary of being “dressed up” for magazine shoots. They go into politics because they’re more interested in policy than clothes, and don’t want the public to think they’re wannabe fashion models. Their colleagues are merciless on the teasing front. And the fallout from Cheryl Kernot’s 1998 feather boa is still echoing around Parliament House.

But Combet also knew it was a good way to get his message on climate across to the Weekly‘s 2.2 million readers, so he agreed to the shoot on the condition he could wear his own clothes.

On the set, at Canberra’s Diamant Hotel, he was charming and good-natured. He cracked jokes and impressed the photographer and stylist with his sense of humour. He was slow to smile in front of the camera — that’s not unusual, being photographed as a model on a magazine shoot is even weirder than you’d imagine — but eventually, the smile came. And, in what market editor Olivia Fleming considers one of the crowning achievements of her career, Combet was convinced to take his glasses off for a photo, which he’s never done before.

When the photographic edit reached the Weekly‘s office, we were all impressed with Combet’s Mad Men good looks. We loved that he loves his mum and approved of his passion for the environment, but were a bit stumped by his love of finches. “If he ever wants to attract a woman again, maybe we shouldn’t highlight the quote about the finches,” said managing editor, Michelle Endacott.

To read more about Combet and his finches, turn to page 68 of the July issue of the Women’s Weekly.

Follow Jordan on Twitter @jordsbaker

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“I would give up every gold medal I’ve ever won to have a child”: Ariarne Titmus sheds light on her ovarian tumour surgery

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These pictures prove that Home and Away sweethearts Luke Mitchell and Rebecca Breeds are the soap’s biggest success story

All the adorable snaps of Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli’s newborn son Lucius

Is this the end of Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little?

Home And Away lovebirds Rebecca Breeds and Luke Mitchell are pregnant!

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June 28, 2011

Former Ugly Betty star America Ferrera marries in New York

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The former star of Ugly Betty, America Ferrera, has tied the knot in a glamorous New York wedding with her long-time boyfriend Ryan Piers Williams.

The ceremony, which took place on Monday, was held in the stunning home of her Ugly Betty co-star Vanessa Williams, Ferrera’s rep told Us magazine.

And it seems the actress is as popular with her fellow actors as she with her audience. She had a star-studded guest list, including her Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants co-stars Blake Lively and Amber Tamblyn, as well as her Ugly Betty co-star Rebecca Romijn and her husband Jerry O’Connell.

The loved-up pair, who first met at the University of Southern California where they were studying, became engaged in June 2010 after Ryan proposed to the 27-year-old actress with a four-carat round-cut diamond worth about $70,000.

It seems like the pair have been enjoying family life since they moved in together in 2007. Ferrera told W magazine that they refer to their golden retriever Buddy as “our baby”.

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Irish crime thriller, Clean Sweep was a hidden gem but is now topping charts, so where can you watch it in Australia?

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Everyone’s talking about Martha Stewart, here’s why

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“It was our church”: 50 years of legendary show Countdown

What to watch on TV and streaming this week

Home And Away spoilers: Summer Bay races to find a new site for Alf’s Bait Shop

My Kitchen Rules’ Caz opens up on making Top Four, roasting in a toaster & Janey

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Home And Away characters Eden, Justin, Tane and Cash are in the thick of the drama.

Home And Away spoilers: Who is left with blood on their hands in the gripping season finale

Osher Günsberg opens up about the chronic discomfort that changed his world

Gyton Grantley and Nikki Osborne pose alongside each other in a promotional still for The Big Trip

The Big Trip’s Nikki Osborne spills on her secret past with teammate Gyton Grantley

Jamie Durie: “We put our wedding on hold for this house!”

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June 28, 2011

The Weekly’s adoption campaign

The Weekly's Editor-in-chief Helen McCabe on why the magazine is campaigning to change Australia's adoption laws.

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The Weekly's Editor-in-chief Helen McCabe

Around the world there are millions of orphans and unwanted children and Australia has plenty of families wanting to provide them with the love and care they deserve.

Unfortunately, Australia’s adoption system doesn’t make this easy, and fewer than 300 inter-country adoptions take place each year.

Even for the few families who do get through the adoption process, it can cost up to $40,000 and take up to eight years from the beginning of the process to when the adoptive parents pick up their child.

In support of National Adoption Awareness Week, The Weekly is joining forces with adoption advocate Deborah-Lee Furness to change the way adoption works in Australia.

Through the stories you find here on our online adoption hub and in the magazine and through the breakfast we will be hosting during National Adoption Awareness Week, we aim to make it easier for Australians to adopt children from other countries.

**For more information or to join the campaign to change adoption laws, visit National Adoption Awareness Week

Your say: Do you think it should be easier for Australian couples to adopt children from other countries? Email us [email protected]

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June 28, 2011

An adoption success story

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Linda Doherty and her adopted daughter Hai Yan

One mother recalls the overwhelming joy of successfully adopting a baby girl.

It was the call I’d been waiting years to receive. “You have a daughter, she’s 11 months old and her name is Hai Yan,” the adoption caseworker said.

I recorded the few available details — weight, height, number of teeth (four) — and then I screamed with joy.

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At long last I would be a mother, and a baby on the other side of the world would have a family.

The next morning, tears rolled down my cheeks when I saw the first photo of my bright-eyed “swallow by the sea”, which is what her pretty Chinese name means.

Two months later, with a bag of bottles, food, toys and nappies, my sister and I headed to an orphanage in Beijing to meet Hai Yan.

I decided to adopt as a single woman in my late thirties, the day after I saw a documentary on inter-country adoption.

I waited for five years, but all that time dissolved when I held my daughter for the first time. She was clutching the fluffy chicken toy I had sent her and was wearing new clothes two sizes too big.

I rocked her as she cried. Then she settled and looked me straight in the eyes. On the way back to the motel she played with the charms on my bracelet and that night she giggled and giggled as she devoured three bowls of congee.

She was now in the care of a foreigner speaking a strange language, and away from everyone she knew. Yet she allowed me to comfort her. From our first day together, I was enchanted by her personality and amazed at her resilience.

The most wrenching moment was leaving China when the enormity of the adoption sunk in; that I was taking Hai Yan out of her country of birth. I sobbed to the guide and asked her to translate. “Can you tell Hai Yan we are leaving China to live in Australia, but we will come back to visit many, many times.”

Two years later, Hai Yan is a lively, affectionate three-year-old I call Cheeky Chops for her impish sense of humour. She goes to preschool, has lots of cousins and friends and melts my heart when she says “I love you mama”.

Her favourite past-time is dress-ups. A walk to the shop to buy milk often involves a fairy dress, a wand and a dolly in a pram.

She is an Aussie toddler, complete with ocker accent, but she is also very aware and proud of the fact she is Chinese. Hai Yan often displays the birthmark on her tummy, saying, “I got this when I was born in China”.

Strangers often remark that Hai Yan is “a very lucky girl” to be living in an affluent Western country. Yet children who aren’t able to stay with their birth families are not “lucky”.

I’m the lucky one. Hai Yan has brought me so much love and happiness; she’s the gift that keeps on giving.

*China no longer accepts adoption applications from single women.

For more information or to join the campaign to change adoption laws, visit National Adoption Awareness Week or email [[email protected]](/mailto:[email protected]).