Wyn Drabble: Be aware ... be very aware

Wyn Drabble.

If you weren't alert, you might have missed Maori Language Week. I didn't. I added two new sentences to my Maori arsenal: "One language is never enough" and "My hovercraft is full of eels."

I thought the second one was a must after last week's column. In fact, it led me to discovering that there is a website which translates that famous sentence into almost all known languages: http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hovercraft.htm

You may have also missed World Population Day (July 11) but I have to admit to bypassing that one; my days of repopulating the planet are long gone.

Perhaps you'd like to be more aware of awareness days so you can celebrate some of those still to come for 2016. It seems there's a day or a week for anything you can think of. I'm sure there must be an International Nasal Hygiene Day or a Mung Bean Appreciation Week.

From July 31 to August 6 there's Cook Island Language Week. It seems all Pacific Islands have jumped on board this one. Those remaining for 2016: Tongan Language Week (September 4-10); Tuvalu Language Week (September 25-October 1); Fiji Language Week (October 3-9); Niuean Language Week (October 16-22) .

September offers Fathers' Day on which family members rally round and buy socks for their patriarch. September also offers NZ Conservation Week (10-18), New Zealand Chinese Language Week (12-18), Loud Shirt Day (16) and International Day of Peace (21).

By far my favourite in September, however, is International Talk Like A Pirate Day (19). You can add impact by wearing an eye patch and carrying a parrot on your shoulder but you can get by just dropping a few pirate expressions into your everyday conversation.

The stock expression is "Arrr" (not to be confused with "Arrrgh!" which is what you say when you open your hovercraft door and find it is full of eels). Also refer to your work colleagues as "me hearties" and try to keep your roger jolly.

October brings World Habitat Day (3) and World Teachers' Day (5). I don't know what you do on Habitat Day but apparently you can find out on the UN website.

I think the idea of Teachers' Day is that all kids arrive on time with the correct gear and in correct uniform, behave in an exemplary manner and give the teacher an apple.

October 30 to November 3 is time for Diwali, an ancient Hindu festival which celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair. You'll need lots of lights for this one.

November also offers National Recycling Week (we do ours every week) and Universal Children's Day.

On December 11 you can celebrate International Mountain Day. I admit I had to look this one up. My first thought was that you had to move one or at least climb one. Wrong. The day was created in 2003 "to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around the world." I did not make up that mission statement.

This is, of course, followed by a prolonged Period of Panic leading up to Christmas Day and the frenzy of the Boxing Day sales.

I'm sure this isn't a comprehensive list, sorry if I've left something out. Anyway, you could also create your own.

How about Talk Like A Pirate While Up A Mountain Day?

- Wyn Drabble is a teacher of English, a writer, musician and public speaker.