Deborah Ayres is Australian by birth and whilst she loves her country, she also loves to travel and has lived more than half her life overseas. The majority of that time has been in Asia and the South Pacific. As a teen Deborah lived in Singapore and this experience sparked a love for Asia that has endured.
She holds an Asian Studies Degree with a major in History, Politics and Bahasa Indonesia and Malay. Deborah spent the first decade of her life serving as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy and over this time her area of interest expanded to include the South Pacific. Consequently, upon leaving the Navy, Deborah moved to Vanuatu where she was involved in the Tourism sector for 10 years. She learned Bislama (the colourful language of Vanuatu) and absorbed extensive knowledge about the geography, people and customs of the South Pacific. Ultimately, however her love of South East Asia and Asian food, pulled her back to Asia. She and her family moved onto a catamaran and sailed it up from Perth, through Indonesia to Singapore and then beyond to Malaysia and Thailand. As fate would have it the Tsunami of 2004 sunk the boat, and after two years living in Langkawi whilst rebuilding the yacht, Deborah decided to settle in Penang......and she has been there ever since!
She now combines two of her great loves.......spending time at sea and sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for this amazing part of the world. On top of this, she is also a respected Painter and Glass Artist, was the Co-founder of the Penang Creative Art Club back in 2007 and is an active member of the Portrait Society of America and the Virginia Glass Guild in USA.
SOUTH EAST ASIA
Amazing Flora and Fauna of Southeast Asia.Learn about the amazing variety of flora and fauna unique to Southeast Asia. Witness footage of the Malayan Tapir with its cute striped babies, the wrestling Dragons of Komodo with a venomous bite or the massive parasitic Rafflesia flower which exudes a smell like rotten meat.
The Story of Sri Lanka - Tea, Trains, Tuk-Tuks, Towers, Tigers, Tusks and a Tooth.Hear the fascinating stories behind Sri Lanka, its history, its past and current struggles and future potential.
The Amazing Kingdom of Thailand.Explore the rich cultural history of Thailand, the only country in Southeast Asia never to be colonized. Hear stories from history and discover why Thailand is now so popular with tourists.
Megastructures of Southeast Asia.Marvel at the Skyscrapers, Towers, Tunnels, Temples, Palaces, Cable Cars, and other impressive megastructures to be found in Southeast Asia.
Singapore - A Success Story.Marvel at Singapore's history and transformation from a small fishing village to a modern city state, and the logistical and financial hub of Southeast Asia. Follow its progress through personal stories and memories of its transformation.
Vietnam - More Than A War Story.Be fascinated by the interesting sites, sounds, food, beverages, arts, customs and natural wonders to be found in Vietnam.
Royalty In Southeast Asia.The 20th Century saw the demise of most Monarchies in the World, but four countries in Southeast Asia still have a Monarchy. Come and learn about the Royal Families of Southeast Asia and the roles the Kings play in the governance of their countries.
Penang - The Pearl of the Orient.Explore the history of Penang and discover how it earned the title "Pearl of the Orient". In a world of racial struggles, hear how Penang has managed to create a harmonious mix of races and benefit from cultural diversity.
Malaysia - Truly Asia.Learn how Malaysia's location in the center of Southeast Asia has resulted in it becoming a melting pot of peoples and culture from East to West.
Komodo Dragons.Before setting foot ashore, learn about this remarkable endangered reptile, and how to stay safe!
Indonesia The Most Volcanic Country on Earth.Positioned on the fault line between two tectonic plates, Indonesia is the most volcanic country on Earth. Discover the science behind this volcanic activity, the benefits to the nation and the reality of dealing with natural disasters, like Krakatoa and the Asian Tsunami of 2004.
Regional Geology and the Asian Tsunami of 2004.The Asian Tsunami of 2004 was a devastating event. Learn the science behind this event and extent of the impact. Hear my personal Tsunami experience in Langkawi and be comforted by the knowledge that an early warning systems has now been implemented to limit future impact.
Beautiful Bali Appreciate beautiful Bali and its Hindu based culture. With well maintained temples in beautiful setting, terraced rice paddy, ornately costumed dancers and gamelan, shadow puppets, ogoh-ogoh, and elaborate wedding and funeral ceremonies to witness it is hard to put the camera away.
Indonesia's Capital Cities - Past, Present and Future.Take a journey through current day Indonesia starting by exploring the ancient empires. Discus Jakarta, the current capital city of Indonesia, and take a peak at the new capital city already under construction.
The First Kingdoms of IndonesiaAll real estate agents agree that the most important thing is position, position, position. Indonesia is a fertile land and positioned in the perfect location to control the sea trade routes. Come and learn about the first kingdoms, and how Indonesia became a country for the first time.
The Spice Islands and ImperialismBefore refrigeration, spices that could preserve meat
.or at least cover up the flavor of slightly spoiled meat, became worth its weight in gold. This talk covers the spices and how they brought Imperialism to Indonesia.
Independence for IndonesiaThe Dutch were not happy to give Indonesia their Independence. This talk covers how World War II, the Japanese and USA all played a part in helping Indonesia gain its Independence.
Unesco in South East AsiaThere are 38 Unesco World Heritage Sites in South East Asia. Two of these gems of history are in Malaysia. This talk discusses the two towns of Georgetown on Penang Island and Malacca on mainland Malaysia, their history as colonial trading ports and importance of preserving them for future generations.
Bahasa Indonesia and Malay The Language of Indonesia and MalaysiaIndonesia is a country of approximately 17000 islands and more than 700 indigenous languages. Learn how Bahasa Indonesia became the official language and helped Indonesia become a united and independent country. Come prepared to have some fun learning a few useful words and phrases that will help you get more enjoyment out of your visit to Indonesia and Malaysia. Who knows, it may even help get a better price when bargaining for those souvenirs.
SOUTH PACIFIC
Vanuatu and CannibalismVanuatu is a Y shaped string of islands, many with a strong history of cannibalism until the very recent past. Find out about how the tribes from each island caught and killed their food (including other humans) and the customs associated with guaranteeing a successful harvest like the Pentecost Land Diving.
Austronesia and the Pacific RacesMelanesia Comes from Greek meaning the land of the Black (meaning black skinned people). Discover how the islands of Melanesia and Polynesia became populated and learn interesting facts and stories about how the two races and their culture, religion and lifestyles differ.
Slavery in the South PacificWhen we think of Slavery we think of the transportation of Africans to the Americas, but slavery was happening in the Pacific in the 19th and 20th century. The practice was called Blackbirding. Sometimes it was by force, sometimes by deception and trickery. Hear about the impact of Blackbirding in the Pacific and Australia.
Bislama The Language of VanuatuCome prepared to have fun and participate in a little language learning. This lecture will discuss the how Bislama came to be the language of Vanautu. Learn funny saying and words and a few local phrases you can use. As an example if you want to tell people to smile when taking a photo you might say....Skinem tuth blong yu (which translated means pull back the skin from your teeth. I can assure you some of these charming ways of communicating will stay with you for life!
AUSTRALIA
Unique and Deadly.Become more knowledgeable about the cute / and not so cute, unique and dangerous animals to be found in Australia. Learn interesting facts about their love life, where to find them and how to avoid getting them upset.
Talking "Strain" and Iconic Australians.Become acquainted with a talented, and sometimes wacky, group of Iconic Australians
The Bombing of Darwin Australia's Pearl Harbour.In WW II Darwin was a major naval base but on 19 February 1942, 242 Japanese Aircraft hit Darwin, causing huge damage and killing 235 people. It was the first of 97 attacks by the Japanese Air Force and Navy on Australia over the following 18 months however a recent survey found that only 4% of Australians educated in the 50s had learned about the Bombing of Darwin? Was this a cover up or a failure in education?
Thursday Island A Pearl of an IslandThursday Island is one of hundreds of islands in the Torres Strait, of which only 17 are occupied. Enjoy stories of pearls, war, crocodiles and politics from these small remote islands.
ART INSTRUCTING WORKSHOPS
The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.