Wild Women

My dad this morning came downstairs and commented on how he felt like he'd walked  back in time. Me and my sister were sat at the dining room table working on separate projects. She was doing work for school (she's a teacher) and I was doing a crafty thing to do with animals (a wildlife zine). When Emily and I looked at the scene we couldn't help but laugh, we may be women now but deep down we're still the little girls we once were- Me drawing animals and loving all things wildlife and her lining up her dolls to teach them the curriculum.

The irony is even our little sister has stayed true to herself, she was forever lost on beach holidays, only to be found engrossed in rock pool fauna or just swimming about in the sea. Our little mermaid is  not so little anymore she's a slightly bigger marine biologist (in the making)!

Life huh?!

It got me thinking about the people who've influenced me whilst I was growing up and on reflection nearly all of these are women. Wild women to be exact the kind that studied primates in deepest Africa or trekked through Amazonian rainforests. I'd get lost in their books or T.V. shows dreaming of the life they had (which lets be honest contrasted quite a lot to my suburban West Midlands existence)! 

I take a lot of joy and solace out of spotting wildlife in urban places. The asphalt flower, the robin on the railway fence, there is so much beauty around us and if you blink you'll miss it. Simply doing your commute you can have some really wild encounters (and all in middle England)!

The intrepid Charlotte Uhlenbroek

 

My hero Jane Goodall

The Really Wild show was one of my favorite T.V. programs and I so wanted Michaela Strachan's job!

The only male to make my list, Rolf Harris is a LEGEND and I absolutely loved watching him on animal hospital each week. Seriously who doesn't love Rolf Harris??

You may have noticed on this blog of late, that my career choices have been quite far ranging. I believe a few weeks ago all I could talk about was setting up a social enterprise, well that idea is still there but to be honest I've started wondering about my first love - wildlife conservation - it is after all what I studied in University...

Monkey Business

I came across this blog of an anthropology student which perfectly summarizes the boomerang effect graduates go through in selecting a career. I found it really, really amusing and as its monkey related right up my street! (My specialism was primates at uni).

 This is Serious Monkey Business

 As to the big life decision I'm still up in airs about what I'll pursue but having space to think and not dwell on it has brought wildlife conservation back to the forefront. Loving nature is so interwoven with my history its making me contemplate whether its part of my future too. 

I'll keep you posted. 

:) 

Zoologica

Believe it or not I took this pic in England!

Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your teacher

                           - William Wordsworth

The Animals of the planet are in desperate peril. Without free animal life I believe we will lose the spiritual equivalent of oxygen.

                            - Alice Walker

Before I started liking boys the only thing that interested me was the great outdoors. I could sit outside for hours looking at things and trying to rescue wildlife I deemed to be in need of assistance (unfortunately I decided to create a snail sanctuary in my neighbors shed. The snails were happy, the neighbor was not). 

Nature and her animal kingdom was an endless source of fascination and became my vocation of choice which I spent three years loving, at the University of Cumbria UK studying wildlife conservation science. It surprises me that I've distanced myself from this passion, obviously there's context to this fact, but fundamentally I wonder why I'm not doing stuff that makes me happy- walking outdoors, mountain climbing, visiting parks, reading more about zoology. What's happened? 

So as another spanner in the works for my BIG LIFE DECISION I'm going to think about doing a masters in zoology. I'll send applications out and see what comes back- why not? If and when I have acceptances for international development and/or zoology masters courses then I'm sure instinct will help me choose a path. 

I'm grateful everyday for nature <3

Photo taken by Slaven on the beautiful Island of Cres, Croatia  

Photo taken by Slaven on the beautiful Island of Cres

And still I rise...

Inadvertently this blog has become a diary, except this one is written to the world, to all of you. So while I self modify to protect myself, mostly I just stretch my fingers and let the words flow from the keyboard. 

I sought out an old diary yesterday, the need for nostalgia compelling me to seek the words of a 17 year old me. The optimistic girl I was confronted with utterly confounded me, was I really that determined and positive? Age has to some extent eroded this part of me but I feel optimism still burns faintly reinforced by reminding myself that simply being is reason enough. I'm a firm believer of living in the moment but sometimes, just sometimes, its important to take stock and look around to see all that you were and are.   

Pictures speak a thousand words...

Here's a summary of my days of late.  

 

New hairdo! 

I came across Maya Angelou 'And Still I Rise' poem in the London Refugee Film Festival, her words made my back specter straight and the little hairs on my arms stand up. If I had been alone I'd probably have cried, she was quite simply, wonderful. 
So please love her with me. 

You don't own me.

Women might just have something more to contribute than their vagina's 

Christopher Buckley, Florence of Arabia.

(Aside being obviously aimed at an American audience this video is all about girl power and in theme with my last post!)  

Half the sky.

Women hold up half the sky 
           - Chinese Proverb 

I often wonder if I lived by a beach break would I take it for granted? Would consistently surfing become normal, maybe even boring? As a beginner I've already encountered that wall of frustration which rises up when the initial elation wears off (you know that in between phase of being able to stand up occasionally but tanking 95% of the time). 

Not surfing feels like something is always wrong. I roll my tongue round my teeth, look at my fingers, count my loved ones and then remember - its because I'm not surfing.

The inertia is all self derived. 

I need to get my feet wet, pining for the ocean is becoming exasperating but I feel there is a lesson to be learnt here. There is always a lesson! 

So anyway. Something funny is happening. 

I've been working as a refugee youth leader (part time) for almost four months now. Based in Birmingham I spend Thursday evenings socializing with a multi-national group drawn to B'ham for various reasons. As part of a newly established grass roots organisation work has been hard and slow to start. I tend to spend a lot of time running about, networking, trying to find more people to help and worrying that I'm not doing enough to bring about positive change. As the person responsible for the 13-25 year old side of the project I have the privilege of working with some really amazing people with a heaps of talent and potential I'm grateful to them always. 

As much as I want to escape to the coast I feel like I'm needed here. This feeling has been crystallized by the Refugee Film Festival the youth group and myself attended this weekend at the British Film Institute in London. It was empowering, inspirational and a truly wonderful experience, here are some of the highlights.

Art from the women's workshop we attended 'Ideas of female beauty'

Beautiful Somali women explaining about their fascinating culture. 

Rest Up Hostel 

For my birthday I was bought a book called 'Half the Sky' written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn an American husband and wife team who've explored women's rights issues and gender equality. Their book has moved me to tears because the numerous stories about heroic women who've overcome atrocities to empower both themselves and others. 

Its really provoked deep contemplation in me, I keep wanting to escape Birmingham but there's a voice telling me its not yet time to go, as much as I want to live by the sea there are people here who need me more.

You see something funny is happening. 

Glitch meet Surf.

My incredibly talented boyfriend fused his passion for glitch art with my passion for surfing and produced these amazing glitch/surf images for my birthday present. 

I think you'll agree they look absolutely amazing. Somebody alert the surf clothing companies and let them know here's a dynamic new way to display surf photography! 

<3 THANK YOU ANTONIO <3

The good thing about ageing...

Growing old is inevitable,

growing up is optional. 

                 - Anon

So it was my birthday on Tuesday, twenty four years danced in and out of the window, the pace of which feels like breakneck speeds. 

I had the pleasure of celebrating with my nearest and dearest reminding me that its never 'stuff' or locations which make a life but the people we choose to surround ourselves with. 

This year my birthday has been a landmark for reminding me to stay positive and grateful. Optimism is exhausting but it is the right path, we have been blessed with this fragile thing we call life, so living voraciously and compassionately is our imperative. 

Before everyone arrived to wish me well I an empty house and an opportunity to do some yoga. I've had some distance from my yoga and meditation practice which I think is a big symptom of my disarray, I haven't been living mindfully. Well I rectified this doing a session and in that hour sequence regained composure. I know that I must ensure I stay faithful to my practice as the benefits and clarity it gives me is unfounded. 

I wish to speak a little about some gifts from a very special someone (the lovely man fellow). I've never been motivated by the wealth of a gift but by the thought that's gone into it. Antonio made me feel like the luckiest person alive thanks to the effort he put into my birthday. I was so moved bu him I've taken a few pictures as these speak a thousand words (with the camera he brought me, thanks dude)! 

Thank you to all my friends and family for spoiling me rotten and reminding me why I love this life and you all so much. Thanks also to you dear blog reader for taking the time to read my thoughts and affect me in your own special way, you matter and I'm grateful for your time. 

Namaste! 

<3 

The caption  should read 'Bliss'

Even though this is bad quality I love the action!

My beautiful handmade card and surprise.

The full effect! 

Antonio painted me a scene from a Leroy Grannis photograph. I love. 

This note made me cry actual tears of happiness!