On the morning after the US elections 2012, I want to preface this post by saying firstly that I am personally pleased that Obama has the chance be President for another four years. Secondly, I know very little about US politics (I get very into it for about three days every four years!).
However, I think we, as the Rest Of The World, have to be very careful triumphing over an election result that, ultimately, is not ours. I have seen, and felt uneasy about, lots of facebook statuses and twitter updates from non-Americans congratulation Americans on their choice, celebrating the fact that Romney lost.
I think we should remember a few things. Firstly, we perhaps feel Obama is best for leadership because of his foreign policy? But foreign policy is only a tiny amount of the myriad of things that the President of the USA has to deal with on a daily basis. So to us, who do not see America's industry, employment, homelessness, healthcare, education, crime levels, it seems a way bigger deal than to those inside America. I'm sure there are people in our country for whom David Cameron's foreign policy is only as important, if not less important, than all those myriad other things he has to deal with.
I also think we should remember that because we are not American, we cannot possibly understand what it is to be American. We think we are fairly similar, but infact the more you get to chat to Americans, I think you understand that there are lots of tiny tiny cultural differences that in fact make our outlooks on life very different. And so I think it's kind of presumptious and a little arrogant of us to think we know what is best for a nation that is not our own. I'm sure there are some US residents, both victorious Democrats and defeated Republicans, who would wish the rest of the world would shut up. I'm not sure I would be particularly gracious if I had a German friend waxing lyrical about the next UK elections.
Thirdly, I think we have to remember that all our opinions are formed by what we read and what we are told, and our media is probably fairly left wing when it comes to American Politics.
As I said, I do believe that Obama is the best man for the job in terms of the world situation, and from my, British, standpoint it seems that he has the better ideas for America itself. But I think we should be compassionate to our fellows in the States and understand that we can't really understand!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
live below the line... done!
This (final) live below the line blog post finds me tucked up in bed with 15 meals for a total of £5 under my belt (literally!!) and looking forward to a nice big fry up, proper coffee and some juice in the morning!
The menu for today was (guess...?) porridge and a coffee for breakfast, broth, toast, an apple and two biscuits for lunch, and a plate of egg fried rice with frozen vegetables for dinner (and a couple of biscuits to help me along the way); and the total is about 82p...
Today, I have kept finding myself almost reaching for a piece of cake; or having a glass of wine; or having some chocolate for pudding and having to stop myself! I guess this means I am getting used to it and not thinking about my diet constantly.
On the other hand, I have noticed this week how much it consumes you to have to think about how much you are eating. We have weighed, and divided, and added, and costed, and counted, all week to ensure we are within budget. If you are doing it for real, I know you don't have the luxury of choice and of counting the cost of different ingredients to work out the cheapest in the same way - you have what is there, and you make it last. But it must also consume you - the worry of where the next meal will come from, of whether it will stretch to feed all the family, of the rising costs of your staple food, of the lack of anything different to eat.
I did have a mini-meltdown eating my porridge this morning. Because it's pretty boring, I found that having the internet on over breakfast helped distract me while I ate it! I was looking at some of the videos on the #belowtheline hashtag which told of some people's reasons for doing it. Together with this, and remembering a friend pointing out yesterday that for many people it's way below £1, and a bowl of porridge is all they get, every day, day in, day out, I suddenly looked at my bowl of uninspiring oats, imagined what it would be like to know no other food, and blubbed like a baby!
I know it's contrived, because I can go back to 'normal' tomorrow. And because I still have electric light, heating, transport, gas to cook on, shampoo, cleaning products, new clothes. But I really do think it has given me the tiniest insight into what it might be like to have to survive on so little, with so little variety.
I have been surprised and blessed by everyone's reactions to it - everyone I have told has been really interested in what it is and what the point is. No-one has told me it's a stupid idea, and most people have said 'oo I could never do it, well done!'
So, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for supporting me and sponsoring me (I've raised nearly £300 so far for Christian Aid, a great charity who plug away at reducing world poverty year after year... if you'd like to still sponsor me please go to www.livebelowtheline.com/me/alisonely )
Same place next year?! Who's in?
The menu for today was (guess...?) porridge and a coffee for breakfast, broth, toast, an apple and two biscuits for lunch, and a plate of egg fried rice with frozen vegetables for dinner (and a couple of biscuits to help me along the way); and the total is about 82p...
Today, I have kept finding myself almost reaching for a piece of cake; or having a glass of wine; or having some chocolate for pudding and having to stop myself! I guess this means I am getting used to it and not thinking about my diet constantly.
On the other hand, I have noticed this week how much it consumes you to have to think about how much you are eating. We have weighed, and divided, and added, and costed, and counted, all week to ensure we are within budget. If you are doing it for real, I know you don't have the luxury of choice and of counting the cost of different ingredients to work out the cheapest in the same way - you have what is there, and you make it last. But it must also consume you - the worry of where the next meal will come from, of whether it will stretch to feed all the family, of the rising costs of your staple food, of the lack of anything different to eat.
I did have a mini-meltdown eating my porridge this morning. Because it's pretty boring, I found that having the internet on over breakfast helped distract me while I ate it! I was looking at some of the videos on the #belowtheline hashtag which told of some people's reasons for doing it. Together with this, and remembering a friend pointing out yesterday that for many people it's way below £1, and a bowl of porridge is all they get, every day, day in, day out, I suddenly looked at my bowl of uninspiring oats, imagined what it would be like to know no other food, and blubbed like a baby!
I know it's contrived, because I can go back to 'normal' tomorrow. And because I still have electric light, heating, transport, gas to cook on, shampoo, cleaning products, new clothes. But I really do think it has given me the tiniest insight into what it might be like to have to survive on so little, with so little variety.
I have been surprised and blessed by everyone's reactions to it - everyone I have told has been really interested in what it is and what the point is. No-one has told me it's a stupid idea, and most people have said 'oo I could never do it, well done!'
So, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for supporting me and sponsoring me (I've raised nearly £300 so far for Christian Aid, a great charity who plug away at reducing world poverty year after year... if you'd like to still sponsor me please go to www.livebelowtheline.com/me/alisonely )
Same place next year?! Who's in?
Thursday, May 10, 2012
live below the line... day 4
As I write, I am savouring every last mouthful of a jam doughnut which my sugar-craving housemate had sourced for 30p for 5 from the reduced aisle of Morrisons this evening. We worked out we had around 50p left between the three of us and that was quite possibly the best use of our funds.
I think I am getting used to it now - whether mentally or physically - or both - I don't know! I have been rather chirpy compared to how I was on Tuesday, when I was tempted to give up and envisaged my housemate coming home to find me in a sugar induced coma surrounded by sweet wrappers with melted chocolate smeared across my face.
My stomach seemed to go a lot longer without rumbling, and I wasn't craving crisps anywhere near as much.
So, today's menu, not much of a change really; porridge and a coffee for breakfast; two rich tea biscuits mid-morning; lunch was broth, toast, an apple and two rich teas; mid afternoon I moved on to two chocolate chip biscuits; dinner was pasta and tomato sauce again. And of course the doughnuts. I think all this was about 95p.
Again, the amount of waste we throw away has been at the forefront of my mind today. I am so, so aware that if I don't eat what's in front of me, there will be nothing else. I scrape every bowl till the pattern is coming off! I even caught myself licking my finger to pick up the biscuit crumbs from my desk today...
And the other thing that I've thought about quite a bit is the community doing it - the online community on twitter on the hashtag #belowtheline is great - it's brilliant to see that so many people are striving to improve the lives of people they have never met even a tiny bit. It's also fun to see what other people are eating, and how they are feeling, and know that you are not the only one suffering form lack of concentration, or boredom from food, or a caffeine-withdrawal headache! Perhaps more though, has been the community of the three of us doing it; my housemate and our friend round the corner being the other two. We've eaten at each other's houses where possible, we've shopped together and worked it all out together, they fed me when I was suffering from The Hunger Gap, we've supplied each other with encouragement and solidarity and doughnuts!
Only one day to go... whoop!!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
on living below the line - day 3
After yesterday's grumps, Day 3 saw me feeling slightly more chirpy. A little hungry, but chirpy!
This evening, we had our small group meeting from church, and as we eat together each week, we cooked a meal for 33p a head - we did bean chilli, rice, and pancakes again for pudding. There was even enough left for some cups of tea. Our group found it rather amusing the degree to which we went to work out the costs!
The headache is coming and going - I guess it's mostly the lack of caffeine (one mug a day) but also maybe the general lack of food, and change in food?
I've discovered hot water is much more pallatable than I thought, and part of having a coffee is eveidentally the comfort of a hot drink! I'm drinking lots and lots of water, and discovering that the reason I seem to have a 'bladder of steel' is because I never drink any water. Not so steely-bladdered this week.
Of all the ruminating thoughts inspired by this week, I think the 'take-home' message from this week will be WASTE. I have never been so sure to make sure everything gets eaten; normally I am so flippant with what I have. A quick look at these food waste facts on the feeding the 5k website makes me sick with guilt!
Nice to be over the half-way mark! Remember - if you'd like to sponsor me, you can do so at www.livebelowtheline.com/me/alisonely
Thanks!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
on living below the line - day 2
So, another day underneath the breadline draws to a close.
Today's menu consisted of... porridge and coffee for breakfast, broth, toast, an apple and two rich tea biscuits for lunch, an emergency half portion of rice (2p) when I got home from work, pasta and tomato sauce for tea... and... when me and my co-below-the-liners sat down and looked at the total for the day, we decided... we could afford... PANCAKES! This has transformed my evening. Today's total was 94p!
What I have mainly learnt today is that I still suffer from The Hunger Gap. When I was very small, I used to occupy the time between waking up and having breakfast by generally being a grumpy, badly behaved brat. Ma and Pa decided the answer was that I was hungry, and so used to leave two rich tea biscuits and a glass of juice by my bed, with strict instructions it was for the morning. And that solved it. Apparently, judging by today's performance, this is still an affliction I have to endure...
I have also started to look at waste in a different way. I used much more of the onion than I usually do in cooking. My lentil soup stuck, but that got scraped off and mixed into the soup anyway! No pan, plate, spoon or tupperware goes to the wash without having every last morsel scraped or licked off; you realise that if you don't eat what's there, there will be nothing else.
Tomorrow, I am going to endeavour to be more JOYFUL.
Oh, and the Below The Line Headache has hit.
Today's menu consisted of... porridge and coffee for breakfast, broth, toast, an apple and two rich tea biscuits for lunch, an emergency half portion of rice (2p) when I got home from work, pasta and tomato sauce for tea... and... when me and my co-below-the-liners sat down and looked at the total for the day, we decided... we could afford... PANCAKES! This has transformed my evening. Today's total was 94p!
What I have mainly learnt today is that I still suffer from The Hunger Gap. When I was very small, I used to occupy the time between waking up and having breakfast by generally being a grumpy, badly behaved brat. Ma and Pa decided the answer was that I was hungry, and so used to leave two rich tea biscuits and a glass of juice by my bed, with strict instructions it was for the morning. And that solved it. Apparently, judging by today's performance, this is still an affliction I have to endure...
I have also started to look at waste in a different way. I used much more of the onion than I usually do in cooking. My lentil soup stuck, but that got scraped off and mixed into the soup anyway! No pan, plate, spoon or tupperware goes to the wash without having every last morsel scraped or licked off; you realise that if you don't eat what's there, there will be nothing else.
Tomorrow, I am going to endeavour to be more JOYFUL.
Oh, and the Below The Line Headache has hit.
on living below the line - day 1!
If you follow me on twitter, are friends with me on facebook, or have spent any time with me in the past few weeks, you will know that I am taking part in the international challenge to Live Below The Line - the line being the poverty line, and that line being set at £1 a day.
The idea seems to be twofold - to raise awareness of what 1.4billion people in our world experience every day, but we in our 24hr supermarket culture are completely cushioned from - and secondly, to raise sponsorship money (my page is here if you'd like to sponsor me and I'm raising money for Christian Aid) for a whole range of charities who are all aiming to reduce this extreme poverty.
So, Monday the 7th of May was Day 1. I woke up at a friend's in London (it was planned, I'm not a dirty stop out) and had porridge, but because it was pretty early and I'm not a morning eater, I couldn't really eat much. As my friend Bex said later "you'll eat it when you're hungry!". I skipped the tea/coffee allowance, and filled a bottle of water for the journey. I was pretty hungry when I got home, and had a bowl of broth my housemate had made, two slices of toast, and two rich tea biscuits. Wandering round town later, my stomach was grumbling by 3pm! I had to let it grumble though, and just stocked up on water, until dinner when we had huge baked potatoes and lots of beans. I costed this lot up, and together with the two further rich teas, it came to 98p.
I knew it was going to be hard as soon as I started to think about it - but I didn't know it would be this hard. I know how important food is to me; it's a comfort, a nice brew warms, cooking de-stresses me, snacking distracts me. I didn't realise how if you take all those things away though I'm pretty stuck!
I realised that on the one hand we're at a disadvantage doing this because, firstly we are not used to eating so little, and secondly we are constantly surrounded by temptation - the full cupboard, the pounds in my purse, the people offering me food. On the other hand, if I did decide I just couldn't do it, I could give up and eat a full meal; if I took it too far, and fainted through lack of food, there's plenty of medical help available to me.
I realised that on the one hand we're at a disadvantage doing this because, firstly we are not used to eating so little, and secondly we are constantly surrounded by temptation - the full cupboard, the pounds in my purse, the people offering me food. On the other hand, if I did decide I just couldn't do it, I could give up and eat a full meal; if I took it too far, and fainted through lack of food, there's plenty of medical help available to me.
So, that's just my musings from day 1! I'll try and continue through the week!
Friday, May 4, 2012
on documentaries which blow me away
As you may have noticed, I have not blogged for ages. I have ideas but I never get 'roundtoit'!
However, this week I stumbled across something on the iplayer whilst shnaffling reheated roast dinner that I have not stopped thinking about and so want to share!
Samira Hashi is a 21-year old model in London. She was born in 1990 in Mogadishu, Somalia, and ten days after she was born her mum was forced to flee the city with five small girls as war broke out. They escaped to a refugee camp and lived there for two years, before moving to London.
The documentary showed Samira going back to Mogadishu, via Ethiopia to see her dad and Dolo Ado refugee camp.
I was completely blown away by the whole programme. The first few minutes showed Samira in London, packing and talking about her trip, and out with friends, and wide eyed and excited, and I was concerned it was going to be a bit 'fluffy', but as soon as she got to Africa, it was not in the least bit fluffy.
The first thing that struck me was the culture difference between her and her dad. Having seen a bit of African culture and noticed how different it is from my own (albeit it West African so I know it's vastly different), the clash between two people who were of the same nature, but very different nurture, was fascinating. Her dad was very what we may describe as stand-off-ish, he neither asked nor answered many questions, and he admitted he'd left her family because he wanted boys to continue the family name.
Samira's honesty with which she cried at the horrific conditions in the refugee camps was heartbreaking. Seeing her on the phone to her mum after one day of being there just sobbing 'I want to come home, it's too horrible' did not come across as at all self indulgent as it may seem reading it on the page. He reactions to the whole trip reminded me lots of Aled (from the Chris Moyles Show) when he visited Uganda. I loved the way he just had no idea what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised when he could tweet from Uganda... and was surprised when people seemed content in their lives, and shocked when he saw well-known multinational companies. I think it can be very easy for Africa-hardened westerners to monopolise the media and the information coming out of Africa; and so the language used to describe it will be the language of aid work. And it will assume prior knowledge. And it will ignore the things that we can identify with. And so it will miss engaging new people. What I think Samira and Aled had in common, is that they had no, or very little, expereince or knowledge of what it would actually be like. There was no frame of reference to start hanging their experience on; every sight, every sound, every interaction, was a totally new experience. Therefore, they both seemed to reference it back to UK experience, which the average viewer/listener can identify with. Somehow, this hit home so much more than a veteran journalist, or even Lenny Henry reporting for Comic Relief.
The other thing I was hugely impressed with was her bravery. There was discussion about the UNHCR (who she travelled with) being the top target but still she went with them, as she arrived in Mogadishu fighting was breaking out, she had to wear a helmet and a bullet proof vest and drive through town in a tank, you heard gunfire on film as she was talking. I don't think many people in the public eye would put themselves in such danger; I'm sure she could have taken a much more back seat.
So basically, watch, and learn!
As an aside; all these thoughts were really put into persepctive a day or so later when I saw the trend on twitter of the journalist who shot to infamy last month when she basically declared she was stunningly beautiful and it was a disadvantage to her. The latest article she had written took a pop at a TV academic, saying she was not attractive enough and had not taken enough time on her appearance to be infront of the cameras. I couldn't help comparing the two, and wondering who was actually behaving like the 21 year old fashion model.
Friday, July 1, 2011
clothes update...
This blog has become my accountability tool for my clothes buying!
So thus, I feel I should confess some purchases...
1) lovely pair of work shoes, to replace those which BROKE. They are Carvela, and so should last... and thus ethical, right?? (don't mention they were made in China...)
2) tights - within the rules... not good for the world, I'm afraid, in anyway, except for for my pocket, as they were considerably reduced.
3) PANTS. In the English (and not North-West England) sense of the word. Again, within the rules, and I have need of non-VPL pants. Girls, you'll understand. Maybe boys too, I don't know. Do boys worry about VPL?
Also, my lovely friend Lindsay sent me a belated birthday present of bamboo socks (ethical because it grows quicker...and they're beautifully soft) and a cute black linen tunic dress, from Nomad and organic and fairtrade and all that shenangans. Thanks Linds :)
So thus, I feel I should confess some purchases...
1) lovely pair of work shoes, to replace those which BROKE. They are Carvela, and so should last... and thus ethical, right?? (don't mention they were made in China...)
2) tights - within the rules... not good for the world, I'm afraid, in anyway, except for for my pocket, as they were considerably reduced.
3) PANTS. In the English (and not North-West England) sense of the word. Again, within the rules, and I have need of non-VPL pants. Girls, you'll understand. Maybe boys too, I don't know. Do boys worry about VPL?
Also, my lovely friend Lindsay sent me a belated birthday present of bamboo socks (ethical because it grows quicker...and they're beautifully soft) and a cute black linen tunic dress, from Nomad and organic and fairtrade and all that shenangans. Thanks Linds :)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
on procrastination
I am the world's worst procrastinator, and the world's most disorganised resident. The other day, I spent the majority of the morning tidying my desk, and it's still covered in 10 piles of different 'stuff', set in opposite directions to try and provide some kind of a code for when I next tackle it. The shelves above my desk are still scattered with sheaths of paper and old diaries and CDs and I haven't even begun to tackle them.
The following day, I was mostly procrastinating, firstly cos of having to fill in 8 weeks of timesheets, which is in itself a result of procrastination, and then this afternoon because of a having to do a structural job (which I ALWAYS put off because I am basically scared of them).
So therefore, I know all about 'tau day' (oppositions of 'pi') and the fact that Kate Bush did a song called pi, and what tau (2x pi, 6.28) would sound like if it were made into music, and I've watched a funny vid of a man falling over the boundary trying to catch a ball at a cricket match, and a video of folkface (off of Chris Moyles) at Glastonbury, and Tina Daheley (off of Chris Moyles) 'scaling' the five storey Radio1 building in a cherry picker, and the fact that Alistair cook got out for 5 and then they went off for rain in the cricket.
In a bid to CONQUER this terrible habit, I have printed off an excel sheet marked out in half hourly boxes with Monday to Friday across the top to fill in with what I have been doing each half hour, in the hope that the guilt will hit me as I go to fill in each half hour and discover that I have to make stuff up for 'searching for Kate Bush tracks about mathematical symbols'.
So far, it has not worked, because since I decided to do it, I have spent the afternoon firstly making the table, drafts 1, 2, and3, and then putting off the structures job, by printing things out for jobs I need to do later in the week, washing up tea mugs, and attempting to descale the kettle.
I could go on and discuss my untidyness (as anyone who as ever lived with me for any time, however short, will be able to testify to) but that is just a bit too confessional. Anyway, I have decided that my gravestone should read 'lovely girl, but more than a trifle disorganised'.
The following day, I was mostly procrastinating, firstly cos of having to fill in 8 weeks of timesheets, which is in itself a result of procrastination, and then this afternoon because of a having to do a structural job (which I ALWAYS put off because I am basically scared of them).
So therefore, I know all about 'tau day' (oppositions of 'pi') and the fact that Kate Bush did a song called pi, and what tau (2x pi, 6.28) would sound like if it were made into music, and I've watched a funny vid of a man falling over the boundary trying to catch a ball at a cricket match, and a video of folkface (off of Chris Moyles) at Glastonbury, and Tina Daheley (off of Chris Moyles) 'scaling' the five storey Radio1 building in a cherry picker, and the fact that Alistair cook got out for 5 and then they went off for rain in the cricket.
In a bid to CONQUER this terrible habit, I have printed off an excel sheet marked out in half hourly boxes with Monday to Friday across the top to fill in with what I have been doing each half hour, in the hope that the guilt will hit me as I go to fill in each half hour and discover that I have to make stuff up for 'searching for Kate Bush tracks about mathematical symbols'.
So far, it has not worked, because since I decided to do it, I have spent the afternoon firstly making the table, drafts 1, 2, and3, and then putting off the structures job, by printing things out for jobs I need to do later in the week, washing up tea mugs, and attempting to descale the kettle.
I could go on and discuss my untidyness (as anyone who as ever lived with me for any time, however short, will be able to testify to) but that is just a bit too confessional. Anyway, I have decided that my gravestone should read 'lovely girl, but more than a trifle disorganised'.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
on fruit eating
I have an ethical dilemma of how to eat a kiwi fruit. Well, it's not ethical at all, but never mind.
If one peels a kiwi fruit, with one's fingers, a little bit of skin at a time, it takes about five times as long to peel as it does to eat. Thus the effort is felt to have been wasted as the fruit is gone in two bites.
However, if one cuts the skin off with a knife, inevitably one loses a sizable fraction of the fruit. So you get less goodness but quicker.
If one peels a kiwi fruit, with one's fingers, a little bit of skin at a time, it takes about five times as long to peel as it does to eat. Thus the effort is felt to have been wasted as the fruit is gone in two bites.
However, if one cuts the skin off with a knife, inevitably one loses a sizable fraction of the fruit. So you get less goodness but quicker.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
clothes update
OK, so I'm rubbish at updating.
Anyway, it's time for an update on my Year Without Buying Clothes (almost)(yes there's a confession coming up).
I think I'm doing well! It was tricky when the seasons started to change and the weather started getting warmer, and the shops had lots of lovely summer floaty clothes in, as it's always nice ushering in the spring with new togs! However, I went to my mum and dad's a couple of times and discovered all last year's floaty clothes so I've restocked. And the housemate and I have swapped and shared a few bits (although I have to be careful at encouraging her to buy things I think I'd like to wear!).
I also found it a bit tricky when I was in a foul mood; that's the time I'd ordinarily buy some new clothes to cheer me up. Luckily, I was placated by one of the lads from work who, fed up of my moaning, bought me a starbucks cheesecake. Bless.
I'm also planning using different coloured ribbons in some shoes that are currently fastened with a black ribbon - instant new shoes!
I did say that if I needed new things, I would get them from charity shops. But only if I NEEDED them. With the warmer weather I discovered I could do with a new lighter weight cardi - so hit Goodramgate in York today, otherwise known as charity shop street. I think about every other shop is a charity shop! I think I have got a bit snobby about these places; a bit nervous about getting things from them. But I had my eyes opened today; I think when I am buying clothes again I will definitely spend more time here. I had to be really self-restrained; I could easily have bought a few bits, particularly a gorgeous Reiss short sleeved light tan sweater dress for NINE POUNDS. I shall be wanging on about that particular sacrifice for ages, so deal with it. NINE POUNDS. But, I did find a very cute Laura Ashley black cardi with a cute vintage frill and buttons on the cuffs for a fiver.
In other news, we have started composting and taking the proceeds to friends' who have a wormery!
Anyway, it's time for an update on my Year Without Buying Clothes (almost)(yes there's a confession coming up).
I think I'm doing well! It was tricky when the seasons started to change and the weather started getting warmer, and the shops had lots of lovely summer floaty clothes in, as it's always nice ushering in the spring with new togs! However, I went to my mum and dad's a couple of times and discovered all last year's floaty clothes so I've restocked. And the housemate and I have swapped and shared a few bits (although I have to be careful at encouraging her to buy things I think I'd like to wear!).
I also found it a bit tricky when I was in a foul mood; that's the time I'd ordinarily buy some new clothes to cheer me up. Luckily, I was placated by one of the lads from work who, fed up of my moaning, bought me a starbucks cheesecake. Bless.
I'm also planning using different coloured ribbons in some shoes that are currently fastened with a black ribbon - instant new shoes!
I did say that if I needed new things, I would get them from charity shops. But only if I NEEDED them. With the warmer weather I discovered I could do with a new lighter weight cardi - so hit Goodramgate in York today, otherwise known as charity shop street. I think about every other shop is a charity shop! I think I have got a bit snobby about these places; a bit nervous about getting things from them. But I had my eyes opened today; I think when I am buying clothes again I will definitely spend more time here. I had to be really self-restrained; I could easily have bought a few bits, particularly a gorgeous Reiss short sleeved light tan sweater dress for NINE POUNDS. I shall be wanging on about that particular sacrifice for ages, so deal with it. NINE POUNDS. But, I did find a very cute Laura Ashley black cardi with a cute vintage frill and buttons on the cuffs for a fiver.
In other news, we have started composting and taking the proceeds to friends' who have a wormery!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
just managing
I am feeling incredibly snowed under by work at the moment. And the fact that worktime seems to encroach upon hometime! And that I am Rubbish at getting on with what needs to be done both at home and at work.
Anyway, this has reminded me (this, and singin the line 'by the grace of God, we will carry on') of a time when in Ghana that I spoke to a friend who worked at the airport, and asked him how work was, and he answered me
"By His Grace we are managing small small"
Which is my favourite ever Ghanaian quote. Ever.
Anyway, this has reminded me (this, and singin the line 'by the grace of God, we will carry on') of a time when in Ghana that I spoke to a friend who worked at the airport, and asked him how work was, and he answered me
"By His Grace we are managing small small"
Which is my favourite ever Ghanaian quote. Ever.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
i forgot to buy tights!
I've just realised that this is the day I said I'd officially start my no-clothes-buying and I forgot to get any tights in advance! Still, I kind of feel it's cheating to buy stuff prior to starting my resolution, and if I rip my tights there's not much I can do anyway but buy a new pair.
I have been a bit encouraged already at the memory that last summer I customised a pair of shoes not just once, but TWICE, in order to wear them for two different weddings. They were very simple New Look cream faux-satin, high heeled court type shoes that I'd worn to be a bridesmaid for my friend Gem a year before. I decided I would probably not wear them again in their current state and so for wedding #1 (navy, cream and pink dress) I stuck some navy buttons in place of the plastic gemstone, and for wedding #2 (red dress) I removed the navy buttons and stuck some tiny red fabric roses in their place. Inevitably as it was me doing it both these alterations were done last minute, the night before, with scavanged tools, but it lasted and the roses are still in tact! The shoes got a bit muddy so I'm thinking this year I may try and dye them...
I have also already been offered a pair of shoes by someone who found out I was not buying any clothes, but alas they were the wrong size! I have been telling a lot of people, as a bit of an accountability thing really, the more people who know the less likely I am to break it... but something else that I hope will come out of it is a step towards living more in community; there's no reason why my same-sized housemate and I shouldn't borrow each others clothes more, and maybe this will spread to other friends and encourage us to live much closer lives!
Reading the green book has inspired me (hopefully not just momentarily) to do more things to conserve resources. I sat mending my coat on the train yesterday; in my bag I had a Spork, a cloth bag for shopping, a plastic mug for coffees and a thermos for soup or cold drinks. Just in case like. I try to do these things anyway but hopefully they will come more as second nature rather than a constant afterthought...
I have been a bit encouraged already at the memory that last summer I customised a pair of shoes not just once, but TWICE, in order to wear them for two different weddings. They were very simple New Look cream faux-satin, high heeled court type shoes that I'd worn to be a bridesmaid for my friend Gem a year before. I decided I would probably not wear them again in their current state and so for wedding #1 (navy, cream and pink dress) I stuck some navy buttons in place of the plastic gemstone, and for wedding #2 (red dress) I removed the navy buttons and stuck some tiny red fabric roses in their place. Inevitably as it was me doing it both these alterations were done last minute, the night before, with scavanged tools, but it lasted and the roses are still in tact! The shoes got a bit muddy so I'm thinking this year I may try and dye them...
I have also already been offered a pair of shoes by someone who found out I was not buying any clothes, but alas they were the wrong size! I have been telling a lot of people, as a bit of an accountability thing really, the more people who know the less likely I am to break it... but something else that I hope will come out of it is a step towards living more in community; there's no reason why my same-sized housemate and I shouldn't borrow each others clothes more, and maybe this will spread to other friends and encourage us to live much closer lives!
Reading the green book has inspired me (hopefully not just momentarily) to do more things to conserve resources. I sat mending my coat on the train yesterday; in my bag I had a Spork, a cloth bag for shopping, a plastic mug for coffees and a thermos for soup or cold drinks. Just in case like. I try to do these things anyway but hopefully they will come more as second nature rather than a constant afterthought...
Thursday, January 27, 2011
late resolutions
I have a good friend who is going travelling for a year, and she is having the inevitable clear out and passing-on of bits and bobs she think various friends might appreciate! I was thus the grateful recipient of a book entitle 'How green are my wellies' by Anna Shepard, a kind of manual to greener living, but in a very unthreatening and amusing way.
I like to think of myself as a bit bothered about the world around me but far too often I'm too lazy... take right now for example, where I've left the radio on downstairs and I'm sitting upstairs.
Anyhoo, last night I got to the February chapter, although the fact it is in reality nearly February is more a coincidence than a plan, and the author told how she gave up buying new clothes for a year. I then and there spontaneously decided there was no earthly reason why I should not do the same!
I have lots of clothes, far too many in fact, but still feel the need to buy new regularly. It turns out there are many reasons I can use to support this plan; green reasons, ethical and moral reasons, financial reasons and also reasons of faith...
I am Rubbish about things like this so I am publicising it to the world so I have no excuse!
There are, however, rules... I am permitted in that time to buy brand new underwear, but will endeavour to ensure it is organic and fairtrade! If I need new things, I am allowed to search in charity shops, but as for me it's as much about frugal living as about not creating new waste I am going to try not to browse idly in charity shops. Accessories are allowed! Shoes are not allowed (this is the worst thing!!).
Ultimately though, I'm not going to go round in indecent clothes so if I need something I will get it from the high street, but last resort only...
I like to think of myself as a bit bothered about the world around me but far too often I'm too lazy... take right now for example, where I've left the radio on downstairs and I'm sitting upstairs.
Anyhoo, last night I got to the February chapter, although the fact it is in reality nearly February is more a coincidence than a plan, and the author told how she gave up buying new clothes for a year. I then and there spontaneously decided there was no earthly reason why I should not do the same!
I have lots of clothes, far too many in fact, but still feel the need to buy new regularly. It turns out there are many reasons I can use to support this plan; green reasons, ethical and moral reasons, financial reasons and also reasons of faith...
I am Rubbish about things like this so I am publicising it to the world so I have no excuse!
There are, however, rules... I am permitted in that time to buy brand new underwear, but will endeavour to ensure it is organic and fairtrade! If I need new things, I am allowed to search in charity shops, but as for me it's as much about frugal living as about not creating new waste I am going to try not to browse idly in charity shops. Accessories are allowed! Shoes are not allowed (this is the worst thing!!).
Ultimately though, I'm not going to go round in indecent clothes so if I need something I will get it from the high street, but last resort only...
Thursday, November 26, 2009
thanks!
I'm sure I've said it before, but one of the things I most gained from being in Ghana, which I never imagined, was meeting people from all over the world. I now have both acquaintances and people I consider friends all around the world. It gave me a chance to learn about other ways of doing things, other traditions, sayings and cultures, and learn that the British way of doing things isn't necessarily the only way (Pancake Day...!)
One of those things was when an American friend came to stay with me exactly two years ago in Kumasi on the way to or from doing some research. It had barely registered with me, but before we ate our very un-thanksgiving-y dinner (it certainly wasn't turkey, although we may have treated ourselves to a take away!) she explained that we had to say what we were thankful for.
As our friends across the pond start to wake up and facebook statuses declare thankful messages and wishes of goodwill to each other, I was reminded of this time!
I'm being a bit of a grump at the moment, nothing seems to be going my way, but I guess it's even more important when I'm feeling melodramatic and hard done by and sorry for myself to count my blessings! I'm not going to list them as I think it gets a bit trite and I bet there are a million bloggers doing the same. But I have resolved to be a bit chirpier.
And I'll read this again in 24hours when that resolve dissolves.
One of those things was when an American friend came to stay with me exactly two years ago in Kumasi on the way to or from doing some research. It had barely registered with me, but before we ate our very un-thanksgiving-y dinner (it certainly wasn't turkey, although we may have treated ourselves to a take away!) she explained that we had to say what we were thankful for.
As our friends across the pond start to wake up and facebook statuses declare thankful messages and wishes of goodwill to each other, I was reminded of this time!
I'm being a bit of a grump at the moment, nothing seems to be going my way, but I guess it's even more important when I'm feeling melodramatic and hard done by and sorry for myself to count my blessings! I'm not going to list them as I think it gets a bit trite and I bet there are a million bloggers doing the same. But I have resolved to be a bit chirpier.
And I'll read this again in 24hours when that resolve dissolves.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
tuesday
I went shopping yesterday.
Three significant happenings happened.
1) I walked in, turned round and walked straight out of a well known high street shop* on principle, because they had none other than MARIAH CAREY wailing about all she wanted for Christmas. On NOVEMBER THE THIRD. We've not even had Bonfire Night yet. We've not even started our daily advent calendar chocolate fix. We've not even had a FROST yet.
*(mentioning no names but it's initials could also stand for the Bagshot Hypertension Services)
2) I bemoaned the lack of NICE long-sleeved warm jumpers around in the shops. They're all either something only a short sighted granny would wear, a grey/tan/vomit colour, don't go beyond ones elbow, or are in some kind of a loose knit and are, merely more for show, rather than giving any kind of extra insulating layer.
3) Whereas I normally only go into Marks and Spencers to head straight for the underwear section, hood up sunglasses on so I won't be spotted, I found myself willingly and unwittingly wandering round the various clothing lines, looking with interest at the jumper selection (see #2), admiring their denim lines, and searching for long sleeved pyjames (maybe my (unsuccessful) pyjama search should have been number #4. As maybe should my discovery of the Most amazing pair of shoes in NEXT. I have never in my life looked twice at any pair of Next shoes. Is this a reflection on me or Next??).
Why, I hear you ask, are these such significant happenings?
These things are all significant because they are proof I am a) getting old and b) turning into my parents. I would never have worried about the sleeve length of a jumper a few years ago. And the mere thought of buying jeans from M&S!!!! !!!!!
My beloved Father hates 'pop' (he says it in a very particualr manner, as though it were a rather nastyy taste in his mouth) music in shops at the best of times and the idea of sleigh bells and key changes on November the third would send him doolally. My mother, meanwhile, is always asking me 'if I've looked in M&S' for whatever new piece of clothing I may need, while both of them keep muttering things like 'well if you will wear silly little clothes...' when I complain at the cold.
So, I did what ever self respecting young lady would do after such revelations, I went and purged myself of all such thoughts by trying on several beautiful pairs of shoes. Not in Next. Not in M&S. And certainly not in the (Botswanan Hip Society).
Three significant happenings happened.
1) I walked in, turned round and walked straight out of a well known high street shop* on principle, because they had none other than MARIAH CAREY wailing about all she wanted for Christmas. On NOVEMBER THE THIRD. We've not even had Bonfire Night yet. We've not even started our daily advent calendar chocolate fix. We've not even had a FROST yet.
*(mentioning no names but it's initials could also stand for the Bagshot Hypertension Services)
2) I bemoaned the lack of NICE long-sleeved warm jumpers around in the shops. They're all either something only a short sighted granny would wear, a grey/tan/vomit colour, don't go beyond ones elbow, or are in some kind of a loose knit and are, merely more for show, rather than giving any kind of extra insulating layer.
3) Whereas I normally only go into Marks and Spencers to head straight for the underwear section, hood up sunglasses on so I won't be spotted, I found myself willingly and unwittingly wandering round the various clothing lines, looking with interest at the jumper selection (see #2), admiring their denim lines, and searching for long sleeved pyjames (maybe my (unsuccessful) pyjama search should have been number #4. As maybe should my discovery of the Most amazing pair of shoes in NEXT. I have never in my life looked twice at any pair of Next shoes. Is this a reflection on me or Next??).
Why, I hear you ask, are these such significant happenings?
These things are all significant because they are proof I am a) getting old and b) turning into my parents. I would never have worried about the sleeve length of a jumper a few years ago. And the mere thought of buying jeans from M&S!!!! !!!!!
My beloved Father hates 'pop' (he says it in a very particualr manner, as though it were a rather nastyy taste in his mouth) music in shops at the best of times and the idea of sleigh bells and key changes on November the third would send him doolally. My mother, meanwhile, is always asking me 'if I've looked in M&S' for whatever new piece of clothing I may need, while both of them keep muttering things like 'well if you will wear silly little clothes...' when I complain at the cold.
So, I did what ever self respecting young lady would do after such revelations, I went and purged myself of all such thoughts by trying on several beautiful pairs of shoes. Not in Next. Not in M&S. And certainly not in the (Botswanan Hip Society).
Friday, October 30, 2009
the DadCrush
When my friend Em (who gets far too many namechecks in my blogging life) spontaneously came down to visit on her day off the other day, we were driving round the surrounding bits of Wolverhmapton, and I confessed something to her. She looked at me funny, laughed nervously, and said I should blog it. So, here goes.
I’m talking to the ladies here - have you ever found yourself admiring an older man in a slightly embarrassingly fashion. I don’t mean fancying them, I mean being in awe of them and not quite being able to get your words out when you speak to them. I think it’s like a girly version of the Man Crush, and I have coined it the DadCrush.
It’s not like I want anyone else to be my dad, he rocks (despite protestations from himself that if he does anything, rocking is Definitely Not what he does) and I love him to bits. It’s just sometimes I think it would be cool to have other men as my dad too!
My latest DadCrush is an acquaintance of my parents. He’s in Politics, so he has to be nice to people, but he’s just so nice! He Even remembered my name. There have been a few Dad Crushes in my time, but I think my longest-serving DadCrush has to be Philip Schofield. I love him to bits and wish he could be my second father. I just imagine summer days in the park with him running along behind me as I learn to ride a bike, pretending he won’t let go of the back wheel. Or great discussions over the Sunday dinner table about the lack of human rights in India. Or taking me off to uni in his big people carrier with bikes, table legs and CD racks tied onto the roofrack.
Oh Pip Schofield, when will you be mine?
n.b. (Upsettingly, but probably not unsurprisingly, I have just Googled Dad Crush and find the phrase has already been created. Devastating. Still, not to be perturbed, I say, lets get DadCrush into the mainstream!)
(what do you write for a second n.b??) do boys have MumCrushes??
I’m talking to the ladies here - have you ever found yourself admiring an older man in a slightly embarrassingly fashion. I don’t mean fancying them, I mean being in awe of them and not quite being able to get your words out when you speak to them. I think it’s like a girly version of the Man Crush, and I have coined it the DadCrush.
It’s not like I want anyone else to be my dad, he rocks (despite protestations from himself that if he does anything, rocking is Definitely Not what he does) and I love him to bits. It’s just sometimes I think it would be cool to have other men as my dad too!
My latest DadCrush is an acquaintance of my parents. He’s in Politics, so he has to be nice to people, but he’s just so nice! He Even remembered my name. There have been a few Dad Crushes in my time, but I think my longest-serving DadCrush has to be Philip Schofield. I love him to bits and wish he could be my second father. I just imagine summer days in the park with him running along behind me as I learn to ride a bike, pretending he won’t let go of the back wheel. Or great discussions over the Sunday dinner table about the lack of human rights in India. Or taking me off to uni in his big people carrier with bikes, table legs and CD racks tied onto the roofrack.
Oh Pip Schofield, when will you be mine?
n.b. (Upsettingly, but probably not unsurprisingly, I have just Googled Dad Crush and find the phrase has already been created. Devastating. Still, not to be perturbed, I say, lets get DadCrush into the mainstream!)
(what do you write for a second n.b??) do boys have MumCrushes??
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
