“So Happy Christmas, I love you baby”

I chose that as a title because in my opinion, it is the best Christmas song ever written. I’m a bit rubbish really because I don’t like Christmas songs so it’s an honour to get a seal of approval from me when it comes to Christmas music, let alone being labelled as favourite. As you can imagine, I’m avoiding the music channels. Anyway…

So, I’ve been thinking recently about the meaning of Christmas. Angelina Jolie said something really interesting on Daybreak – for any of you who watch it – she said that rather celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, her family celebrates it as a time of light. I assume this is because of her culturally diverse family. So this got me thinking. The ever famous Gurveen, as mentioned in my last post, is Sikh and she celebrates Christmas with her family too. Personally, I think it’s because they just want an excuse for more presents but there seemed to be a bit of a thing going on here.

Now, here we are at quite an interesting point. For once and probably for the first time, I do not intend to talk about equality. Wow, yes, but as Rogers kindly pointed out to me at my house the other day “Chloé says think!” and therefore, we’re gonna get all philisophical. So, what is the point of Christmas?

The obvious, Christian argument, is that it is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. If you are unfamiliar with the Lord Saviour’s birth, than I suggest you Google (other search engines are available) “The Nativity Story”. Christians love a bit of Jesus, he did miracles, he did nice things, told a good story or two and then saved the world from sin. Nice bloke. So why shouldn’t we all celebrate his birthday?

Many people don’t believe in Christ, or for the less sceptic, they believe his existence, they just don’t believe the Bible. Sorry if I have offended anybody by suggesting that the Bible is not a book of truth, I’m just conveying different opinions. However, a lot of these people still celebrate Christmas.

I’m not blind, I understand the shallow nature of society, I understand that a large part of Christmas is about the presents! Especially when you’re younger. A huge part of the excitment is the thought of Santa and the build up to his arrival. The colours, the atmosphere, the attempt to be on your very best behaviour, just to be spoilt rotten with gifts under the tree.

I also have seen that as you get older, it’s still about the presents, except, it’s about giving the presents rather than receiving them which is nice   It’s nice that Christmas, as you get older, becomes all about family and just being together – I know my Grandparents cherish that the most of all the people I know. You begin to associate the excitment of Christmas with the lights, with the tree, with the family party, with the mince pies, with the Coca-Cola advert (By the way, I am utterly disgusted at the dramatic change in the advert!) and actually, the best part of Christmas becomes about experiencing all of these things rather than the day itself. I loved decorating the tree with my sisters, it was amazing and I am sure, no matter how greatful I will be that I have been given an abundance of presents, I won’t be as happy as I was at that point and I will not be as happy ripping off the wrapping paper as I will be seeing my 5 month old cousin getting excited on his first Christmas.

So maybe Angelina Jolie is right. Maybe Christmas is a time of light, not in the Bonfire night way, but in the sense that Christmas is time of all things good: joy, family, thankfulness etc. etc. etc. Maybe I’m being blasphemous by suggesting that Christmas isn’t just about Jesus, if it’s really about Jesus at all but personally, if Jesus and Papa G are checking up on me I think they will be deeply satisfied with my outlook on Christmas. It’s not shallow, and it’s not bad. It’s a pure outlook which appreciates everything Christianity holds dear. This way, we can all celebrate Christmas and for those who want the religious option, do it my way but throw in a few prayers as and when you fancy

I will take the opportunity to invite you to think of all those who less fortunate than you are, of all of those who are no longer with us and for those who won’t be having too good of a Christmas.

I’m going to leave you with that. I wanted to have the chance to wish all my readers a very merry Christmas.

A Night to Remember.

This post is about personal experience. I don’t usually do diary-style blog posts because it would consist of uneventful descriptions of my day that would see the words: Harry Potter, Keira Knightley, Reading and Coffee repeated  until your eyes hurt. However, something interesting in my life happend and I find that it fits with the general theme of my blog so I’m using it to enlighten your pretty little lives. Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEYONCÉ! (Gurveen) - She’s such a badass.

I was lucky enough recently to be invited to a suprise 18th birthday party. I was also lucky enough recently to be invited to an Indian party. Yes, it was the same party. If you hadn’t guessed by now (or if you’re a new reader) I’m really into other cultures. It’s something that fascinates me and I get all giddy with excitement over it – so as you can imagine, I was pretty buzzing for this event.

Apart from my very limited number of friends, there was only one other white person who had married into the family. We were all very much the minority and poor Becci, who is ginger, was an even smaller minority. We spoke to various members of Gurveen’s family (they’re of the Sikh religion should you be interested) and we ate all the food – it was fantastic! – and waited for the birthday girl to arrive. For a whole hour I sat feeling very awkward. I joked with my friends and that took the pain away but when I had chance to think about the situation I was in, I realised how embarassing it really was.

Gurveen came in and we were all standing, clapping to the drum beat and music it was all good fun. We saw the cake cutting and ate more food. Me being me, I decided it would be fantastic to join in with the dancing. I don’t think I have ever looked so white in my life, kind of standing/bobbing whilst awkwardly clapping waiting for Gruveen’s attention so I could relax. Anyway, point is, I got up there and did it and after a while, I really got into it and just forgot about the fact I wasn’t family, forgot the fact I was white, forgot the fact I hadn’t a clue what the song was about or who the people I was dancing with were.

It was a brilliant night in all although I left quite early, I did hear that the party went on until 3 in the morning! I came home and couldn’t stop talking about how much fun it was. The food was amazing, the best indian food I have ever ate, they were amazing hosts and we got all the alcohol we could have ever possibly needed. The music was lively, there were so many colours and so, so, so much dancing. Everybody was happy, everybody had forgotten about the outside world. It was just us, the happiness and the music all in this room. Now, I’ve never been to any other indian parties but from what I’ve heard they’re all pretty much like that.

I found it beautiful how, as outsiders, we could just come and join in. We were made to feel welcome, yes, I felt awkward at points but that was my own self-consciouness. Once I realised nobody else cared about how odd I was, I was in my element. I laughed so much my stomach hurt, my feet ached and when I was in bed my ears continued to ring. It was blissful, the room swelled with energy from a lot of people doing a lot of celebration. Gurveen was beautiful and so confident and people fed off that, well, I know I did anyway. I’ve never had such a good time at a party in my life - The Kalirai’s know how to rock it, that’s for sure.

This is Stef and I. I’m drinking some Indian Tea. Gurveen was right, it is nice!

Everybody was grabbing at Gurveen like she was a celebrity. I loved her new outfit though.

Left to Right: Gurveen, Me and Stef. Nothing like a photo to keep the memories concrete.

How does this tie in with all my other posts? The fact that I was made so welcome and very much felt a part of what was going on is inspiring. There were no prejudices, no boundaries to their hospitality and there was understanding that I had no experience of what was going on whatsoever. Part of it will be that Gurveen and her immediate family were conscious of making us feel welcomed – no doubt. However, there were times when we were very much on our own, on the dancefloor, surrounded by sikhs who we had never met before in our lives and once I let go of my own worries, I didn’t feel out of place. If anything, with the discrimination shown to their religion on a daily basis in this country, they should have been suspicious of us but they weren’t and that’s why it ties in.

For a brief moment in time, I was part of a ethnic minority yet, despite having every reason to distrust me, hundreds of open-minded sikhs welcomed me into their lives. Maybe we can all learn a lesson from that?

“Kill me or give me my freedom”

So, I’ve been having a think about it. I’ve thought about what my aims are with this blog and what I wish to have achieved by now. If I’m honest, these aims haven’t really been met. I really just wanted to fuel a fever in people that inspires them to do more, to fight for good causes and argue on behalf of those to who injustice is the most cruel. As I thought about this, the lyrics “I’m not Jesus but neither are you” really resounded wth me. What I’m trying to say is, I’m not a miracle worker, and a page full of my rants is not going to make you change anything about yourself. I’m just a normal kid and you lot are my peers. So, what I’ve decided to do is give you access to the material that inspired such a huge change in me, so then maybe, just maybe, you will be as passionate as I am and you can use my blog to find information out about different issues. That’s the thinking anyway. I’m hoping it works. So from this point onwards, this post will be compiled of, what I hope you will consider, inspirational videos.



So yes. I hope you liked them and they inspired you in some way. If you get chance I highly recommend you watch The People Speak (UK Version) for some really inspirational work – Saffron Whatsherface (her monologue inspired the title of this post) and Ian Mckellen’s monologue in particular are really emotional, I couldn’t find them online for me to share with you.

Anyway, that is all guys for now, until next time, ciao.

“late-comers are able to profit by the labors of their predecessors without paying the same price.”

I apologise for my very rant-like post the other week. It was very unruly of me and I apologise profusely. This weeks is a little more clam, however, it may be a little irrelevant to your life. For those of you who may know me, you will realise this subject is close to my heart for a very good reason and for those of you who don’t, I can only promise to write about things on which I have an opinion and trust me, I have a very strong opinion on this mainly because I feel very bitter over it…

I am one of the minority. There aren’t many minority social groups of which I belong to but I am definitely one of the minorities in this case. I applied to Cambridge university coming from a state school background. Let me tell you a  little something about Cambridge. It is very much like Oxford. In fact, it is so much like Oxford that the Cambridge admissions tutors can go round the country and give a presentation on teenage “hopefulls” not only on applying to Cambridge, but on Oxford as well, answering questions about Oxford just as easy as answering questions about their own university. Trust me, I’ve been to these presentations.

Getting into university these days is hard. More people than ever have got it into their heads they can’t get a job without a degree (to be honest, this is pretty much the case), the government are raising the cap on tuition fees, tripling the yearly fee from approx £3,000 to £9,000 from 2012 onwards meaning less students are taking a gap year in order to avoid this increase, ontop of this, A Level results are rising making more people qualified to get into top universities. This is not helpful.

So, what has that got to do with anything? Well, my dearest, unaware reader, it makes my job as a state school, unsupported Cambridge applicant’s life a lot harder than it was already going to be. Why was it already going to be hard I hear you ask? Cambridge, as well as Oxford, constantly tell anybody who asks that they are not looking for certain “type” of person. You don’t have to be rich, white, privately educated, arrogantly conservative and up your own backside to get in, no, of course not, you just have to have the ability and motivation to do well. Well, do you know what I say to that Cambridge?  I’d tell you but it’s a bit rude for such a public domain!

Again, you kind of have to know me for this to make sense but trust me when I say I have more than enough motivation to do well and my academic ability will not let me down. I would be perfectly able to keep up with those Cambridge lot as they discuss their politics laughing at my rather socialist view. Yeah, it might have taken a little bit more hard work then they have to put in but by God, I would have shown them my worth! So no, it’s not just about being motivated and clever, it’s about something so much more, you definitely have to be their type and I’m evidence for that statement.

What is their type? Oh, well I couldn’t tell you! I’m not part of the majority of people who get into Cambridge/Oxford that have those wonderful classes which teach you just how to apply, how to interview and essentially, how to get in. Those classes weren’t available to me, nor are they available to a lot of normal kids who go to normal schools. That’s fine I suppose, if they were available, I’d soon be attending. My point is, those classes bring alot of the applications to a similar standard. A standard that has not been created by applicants but by experienced teachers/tutors who are pushing the standard ahead of it’s time. This is a standard I’m unaware of, a standard so many other people like me are unaware of and so therefore, cannot meet. We’re not on the same page. The goalposts have been moved.

So whilst upon meeting me you may find that my passion for education and determination to be the top of my chosen field is Cambridge/Oxford worthy, they will never know that because whilst I felt my application was strong, it will be nothing on the carefully moulded applications that will be received with open arms. I won’t meet the minimum because some very lucky kids got somebody to teach them all the secrets.

I know that many people who are in my situation do get in and there are plenty who do have the tuition and don’t get in. That’s fine. There are exceptions, always.

It’s a shame, these are our country’s top universities and they’re missing out on so much personality, colour and inevitably, they’re missing out on so much innovation because we’re not spoon fed, we’re not the creation of somebody else, we’ve lived life, we’re the brave who are prepared to go against the odds and put our necks on the line. Isn’t that the kind of environment that you want? Isn’t that the way to progress?

I don’t intend to insult anoybody at Oxford/Cambridge nor insult those who take the classes. There is nothing wrong with grasping support that’s offered. It’s not you who I have an issue with, it’s those that are offering the support and the universities who are taking it to be you’re own initiative. My message is: stop disadvantaging those who have already been disadvantaged in this area for so long, even if it means ticking a box on your application to say you’ve attended these classes so it’s taken into consideration! Also, for those of you who are accepted/are already there, embrace it. You’re the lucky ones.

I feel like I’ve worked for a very long time for this, like so many before me, yet there are those who decided on it last-minute and just ride on the backs of those who teach them, who know how to do it and who have been there so many times. I’ll be attending a university who appreciates my quirckiness and my personality- a personality that has not been filtered or dulled in any way. I wish I could say the same for everybody

Sorry if this has bored you guys, I just had to express it!

Love x

“The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.”

You’ve had a date with this post since the beginning. Where do I start?

If you have no intention of taking me seriously, please leave this page immediately, I can’t handle jokers around an issue that animates me so violently – not that there is much to joke about.

Before we start, let us clear up a few things. As defined by www.dictionary.com:

• Hate – to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest: to hate the enemy; to hate bigotry.
• Discrimination – treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

Hate and discrimination take place in our daily lives. You’re judged upon first appearance everyday and sometimes the slightest thing can lead to a person hating you, despite knowing only the basics. A lot of the time, it is just a fleeting instance that leads to nothing more than a strange look, we’ve all been subjected to those and yes, it knocks the confidence out of you but you move on.

For some people, hate and discrimination is not only part of their daily lives but it’s a big part of their daily lives. This is for the ethnic minorities, the homosexuals, the disabled, the kids who never fitted in at school, the asylum seekers, the immigrants and the rest of you. This post is for every single person who was not judged on their own merits and hated for no real reason. In particular, this blog post is for all the people who have been treated differently in some way just because someone didn’t get to know them properly. Is that you? Because this post is in your name, and is on your behalf – You have to have a voice, we all do. However, if it’s not you, then you should really listen up because this is being written for you to read.

The sick thing is, you know what I’m going to say. You know that I’m going to tell you that we were all made equal and there is no basis for discrimination to take place, it’s just ignorance. To be honest with you, that’s truth and that’s not the sick part. What irritates me is the fact you know what I’m going to say before I say it, indicating you know the difference between right and wrong, yet a majority of you will still act upon your prejudices. You will remain to be ignorant and judgemental. That’s what makes it so sick, you know the truth but yet, I still am having to write this post.

Personally, I find it heart-wrenching. Yes, go ahead, tell a man that it is unnatural for him to be sexually inclined towards other males but laugh at the thought of lesbians…because you know, lesbians are sexy so that’s fine…Still, I’ve been called a lesbian in my time out of maliscious intent. But what is unnatural? What makes a straight person so natural? To be natural is to be ‘existing in or formed by nature’ is a homosexual not existing in nature? Is a gay person not formed by nature? We’re all made the same as far as science is concerned, we are all natural. How could you possibly use the word ‘gay’ as a derogatory remark when once upon a time it was used to describe something happy. Gay people, please, be happy in your existence because you exist in nature, that makes you natural and that makes you beautiful.

Racism is another issue that gets to me along with homophobia (Oh yeah, I’m going there). Scientists believe that the original human race was black and came from Africa. As they moved across the globe to other climates, human skin colour evolved to adapt to a lack of sunlight. Black skin blocks the vitamins created by sunlight that humans need, which is fine if you’re living somewhere like Africa but if you moved to Europe, the effects are devistating. As a result, the human race in climates such as the European climates faded to white in order to maximise chances of survival. So yes, we are all descendants of black people. Asians are the descendants of black people, black people are the descendants of black people, yet you have the audacity to insult people claiming that they’re not of your race when infact, you are part of theirs. We are one race, the human race and I throw this argument in the face of anybody who dares to deny such a thing. I’d also like to point out the irony in the poor state of Africa, despite it being the country of the human race’s origin. Maybe we’re all doomed to be corrupted and ruined? (Also, see my post on fairtrade on how you can help third world countries).

As for disability, I am sick and I am tired of seeing people, day in, day out mock the disabled. The term ‘spacker‘ or ‘retard‘ is not funny, it’s offensive. I hate it when people use the word ‘downer‘ how DARE you? What gives you the right? Do you not see that these people do not only have to live with the fact they cannot function as an everyday person can, they have to live in care homes that are, the majority of the time, not fit for human occupation and on top of that, they are mocked relentlessly by those who don’t spare a thought for their dignity. Okay, depending on the disability, they may not understand but I can sure as hell tell you that the families will take it offensively and so will those who work with them. They have done nothing wrong to deserve such a stigma. When a soldier loses a limb in a war, do you mock them? So why would you mock someone who was born with the need of a wheelchair? When you see a child who has come from a unstable background then later on life develop a mental disorder, do you mock them? So why would you mock somebody who was born with a mental disorder? If anything you should be bending over backwards to help integrate them into society. They are people like you are, like I am. In fact some of the most content people I know are down syndromes, yet they’re mocked. For what? They’ve never hurt anybody. They are innocent. You, as a reader, probably deserve more punishment but yet, they take the pain.

I genuinely could go on about this forever. I have reason for why we should accept eachother as human beings and why we should give every person a chance but you don’t need to hear it. If I was going to win you over I will have done it by now, if not, then, I’m dissappointed. Maybe there is no hope. Why asylum seekers look to our country for safety, I will never know. Britain of all places! A kingdom where the countries within it hate eachother. The only time when Wales, Northern Ireland (don’t even get me started on Ireland) and Scotland join together, is when they’re against England and the English hate just about everybody. And so, as karma quite likes to kick the asses of the world’s bitches, Britain becomes more and more multi-cultural and more diverse…one word, two syllables…HAHA. May I remind you that Hitler tried not only to kill all of the Jews (religion is for another day) but he tried to erase trace of ethnic minorities, the disabled, and the homosexuals. Do you think the world would be a better place without these social groups? Well go jump in a grave with Hitler because that’s where you belong. If you think that’s harsh, I think it is harsh that you would discriminate against people just because of who they are on the surface. I thought we were a civilised nation.

We are a war ridden world, poverty exists in every corner, governments are corrupt, democracy is somewhat non existant, and criminals are on the rise and how long will it be until the world gives in to the chaos? Hate is the root of it all. Learn to open your minds, learn to open your heart because at the end of the day, your opinion isn’t going to change much on the grand scale of things so you’re gonna have to suck it up, grow a set, sort out a backbone out and just enjoy what you’ve been given. The sad thing is this applies to me too but how can I enjoy a world so full of negativity? I am one voice, one opinion on my own but I encourage you now to spread the word and let us join together because we can prevail if there are enough of us. Discrimination can be abolished. It’s not enough just to change laws, we have to change the minds of the people. Trust me it would be a much easier world if it wasn’t as full of conflict. Discrimination may not seem such a huge deal to you but it’s one step closer to the ideal world. I might sound like a dreamer but I’m not, I’m prophesying the future, I have hope that eventually the masses will wake up and the truth will dawn on them. For now, just make your daily life happier and let go of the hate. 

I’m so emotional that I can’t stand the idea of putting in pictures, it just doesn’t seem right. Sorry.

With love to all my readers, forever and always.

“Ayo, I’m tired of using technology…”

It’s been a long time since I have decided to blog. This is not because I have given up, though at times it feels like it, it is because I have been preoccupied with other things. I haven’t really found a topic that’s inspired me to the point of distraction recently, so I’ve used my energy elsewhere. However, what is install for you today my lucky reader? Well I have a few hours to myself and a revelation. Technology is killing our relationships. Yes, I’m going to use technology to tell you why we should be using it less.

The wonders that is known to us as the internet has been very useful indeed. We can do all our shopping online, we can talk to eachother through instant messaging, we can write on walls (facebook reference) as well as an abundance of other functions that networking sights hold. We can upload images, tweet (twitter reference), listen to music, steal music, steal films, communicate to the masses through blogging, advertise…You get the picture. Of course you are more than aware of all of this. You’ve probably been handling the internet for a long time now.

I love the internet and I hold nothing against it. It’s done a lot for human society. I mean, you can even find the love of your life online these days! Anyway, my issue is not necessarily with the internet nor infact is it actually with technology as a whole. It’s with networking sights/texting (SMS)/instant messaging etc. and relationships.

I won’t lie to you, I use all three of those functions. I’m a regular on Facebook/Twitter, I have had a phone since I was 11 and MSN for even longer. So why am I complaining? Well, it’s an issue that’s been bothering me for the past few months. The very reasons why I love this technology is the same reason why I’m starting to get worried.

I am always texting somebody. I text everyday and I feel uncomfortable if I am not texting somone constantly or if I’m not texting a large number of people. I have been known to go over the limit on my contract…despite my unlimited texts. This cannot be healthy can it?

My point is, you use all this communication technology to keep in constant contact with people, correct? Of course you also use it out of necessity, I mean, letters just don’t travel fast enough these days. However a lot of the technology is abused (This is probably more common in younger people). Teenagers are on instant messaging servies into the late hours of the nights or texting people all day, every day. Wanting to be in constant contact with someone is nice (even if it can be stalkerish), it’s a compliment to the person. What I want to know is, what happens once constant contact is achieved? What more do you strive for in a relationship.

Constant contact means there is no anticipation. You lose that sense of wondering what they’re up to or what they’ve spent their free time doing. You run out of conversation and there are never any suprises. I think the worst thing about constant contact is the fact you never miss that person.

You may ask, how is never missing somebody a bad thing? This is the very question that really inspired this blog. This may only really apply to romantic relationships, I don’t know, I’m not a psychologist. But if you don’t miss somebody then you no longer want to be with them. That desire is gone. Even couples who cohabit don’t spend every second with eachother. They might even work in the same building but they will have their own circle of friends or they might have the same circle of friends but work in different buildings. They don’t have to talk to eachother every second that they’re apart because it gives them something to talk about when they are together. They may even spend a week apart for one reason or another and it’s actually nice because they have the satisfaction of seeing eachother again.

If you are in constant contact with someone, you are never seperated. Even if it is only virtually, you are in their space all of the time. It’s unhealthy to never be away from someone, it’s unhealthy for your relationship. Also, what should happen if you lose contact? Whatever that reason may be… Maybe the other person decides they’ve had enough of you or they want to give up technology and transport themselves back to the 19th century (don’t laugh, I want to do it)…What’s going to happen then? You’re going to be a state of grief.

I just generally think that to always be speaking to a person takes the edge off things. You get to know everything about that person within a short space of time and then you’re with them through every step of their development. I mean, where is there to go in a relationship after that? Surely, you reach a dead end?

Maybe I am completely wrong but I do think that fleeting moments of romance are much better preserved when they’re handed over to the past with a side dish of “What if?” It’s just not so nice when you’re then spending the next few weeks asking the same quesitions “hey, how was your day? what are you up to?”

Moving away from the point of romantic relationships. What about close friends or family? When you go on holiday, lets say, or even a trip abroad for an extended period of time, you are obviously going to miss them. That is natural. You’re going to want to talk to them, to share your experiences with them, to attain comfort for your homesickness etc. However, if you’re talking to the everyday (I pressume this is made worse via webcam) you are constantly moving your brain from the state where you are thinking “It’s okay, I will see them soon, it’s not a bad thing to be away.” to the state you were in when you originally left them, that fear of what you will do without them, how you’re going to cope if things get hard. It’s like never letting go, even if it’s only a month or two, you keep your emotions really highstrung. Atleast, I think you do. 

I really want some responses about this because despite my ability to be completely stubborn in my opinions, I’ve took this soley from personal experience and I like to have a full picture before I can definitely argue a case.

Lemme know babes. Only, don’t text me your response

Women Empowerment

As ever, I’m just going to take on an issue that has several opinions. This may look like a feminist piece but I would never call myself a feminist, it’s just that this is a topic that really gets to me. I want to take an opportunity to thank all the positive women role models out there; I salute you!

Please excuse this rant.

There is a beautiful article based on this issue in the 25th Anniversary issue of Elle magazine and if I’m honest, it’s really inspired me to write about the subject.

Now, I don’t like to be thought of as a snob, but Elle magazine is one of the few magazines that I don’t find tacky. This is not a unfounded statement, I have read other magazines. I used to be a regular of Ok, Hello and Heat but there just came a point where I couldn’t read it anymore and this is where the media have just  got women empowerment all wrong.

I don’t mean to offend anybody who feels emotionally attached to the magazines I just called tacky but they’re rubbish – end of. I just found that issue after issue I was finding articles on the same things on the same people. It was bitchy and focused on such negative things. The women who were viewed positively were those who have had drug issues, who have had copious amounts of plastic surgery, who have been arrested for one reason or another. How can this be good for teenage girls? Women who are acting illegally and who are so insecure with their body they spend a stupendous amount of money (money that most people don’t have) on altering their appearance are enshrined in this public adoration.

We all know the usual argument. Tarty women are bigged up by tacky media institutions and as a result teenage girls become tacky and follow in their footsteps. We have all seen our fair share of bright orange, blonde hair “Jersey Shore” type girl and we all know the trend is growing. Is this empowerment? Is this freedom to dress like this, is it real freedom? I don’t think so. I find that girls are being so influenced by some forms of media and by eachother (peer pressure and what not) so much now that infact, they have little control over what they wear or do.

This lack of dignity is attractive to the younger male. It’s true. Whilst in time men soon learn that a female who can keep her knickers on is much more worth the keeping, they all have often resorted to the loose lady in their time. Girls are so hungry for male attention that they are allowing their dignity to run away and they’re dressing like prositutes and they’re bed-hopping. They’re giving up their bodies for attention. This comes down to men though. Men want it so women give it. By being “sexy” women feel empowered but that’s because they’re turning men’s heads and making men lustful. To me this isn’t real empowerment. This is men and their fanatsies taking control because lets face, it isn’t the women who decide what “sexy” is. Yes, the fashion world has it’s own definition but on the day-to-day level, it is men. (Please excuse the feminism.) To me being “sexy” is rather disgusting, I feel it’s becoming something that is…for want of a better word…dishonourable.

What we need now is classy women who are making lives for themselves in a positive way. I’m not saying shake off the man, I like men, they’re useful but for once we need to see women who are making money by not appealing to the male population. For example, we need less Jordan and more Cate Blanchett. We need women who make women feel their worth!

We need to stop seeing young girls and young women in tiny skirts and low cut tops, stumbling across town in their mountain-height stilletos. Instead we need to see women who are free from the need to conform to this. Women who can remain covered up but still turn heads. Women who’s intelligence and attributes are valued much higher than their appearance. It’s about real confidence. We need females to start promoting true confidence not insecurity so that they can go out there become business women, mothers, or whatever they want to be without fear of rejection or fear that they will never be loved by someone.

I don’t believe in sexism but I feel like that if women had things they could unite on without the influence of the alpha male or the media then they would feel a new empowerment. The fashion community are so empowered because they don’t need men (that’s not to say that men don’t have their say in fashion, some of the best designers are men). The fashion world is so dominated by women due to the traditions from 100s of years ago that it’s just a feminine thing and we need more feminin “things”. It might sound backwards and stereotypical but things such as high end fashion and classical styles of dance should be promoted in a girls life, they might not be the best example but I’m running out of ideas. Okay, it doesn’t need to dominate but women need to find a common ground that they can unite on, just ignore my examples. 

At a very basic level, I think girls need to stop being so influenced at a young age. It stops them from coming into their own and forces them to become a copy of all the others. Leave them untainted I say!

Our role models need to change. We need role models who don’t give away all of their private lives to the media, who endorse projects of good-will, who are doing what they want and what they believe in. We need more classy ladies like those on the front of Elle. The ones who have a sense of propriety. I’m not saying bring back the victorian ages but I am saying bring back some class. We need the return of Audrey Hepburn, we need more Agness Deyn, we need more Deborah Meaden and Tyra Banks.

I believe for real equality, women need to stop becoming the play things of men. It’s not the men’s fault, if it was the other way round, females would do the same. Women need to stop letting themselves become the play things of men. We need empowerment. We need the feeling that women can stand on their own two feet!

I feel it’s a subject that I can’t express in the way I want but you’ll have to try and see where I’m coming from. If you can get hold of the Elle Magazine as shown above and read the article. You’ll see where I’m coming from.

Also, Hello Gee – Because you never get a mention.

“Consumer Power Baby”

I would like to begin by apologising for my previous, nonsensical post. I promise from now on they will begin to take a more structured form. Secondly, I would like to dedicate this blog to Stefanie, Kathryn, Jake and Charlotte aka “CP” for their vaired support and understanding on this matter. Oh yes, and hello to Lavo and Sue and thank you for reading that dreadful first post

So, this weeks blog is on consumer power. More specifically, I’m going to lecture you on my opinions on Fair Trade. I will predominantly be ranting about Fair Trade fashion because it is what I have the most exposure to and what has inspired me in this but a lot of the basic principles can be applied to Fair Trade in general and that’s important to remember.

Here I am sitting in my Fair Trade t-shirt and drinking my Fair Trade coffee. I’m not going to tell you that I feel ontop of the world, I don’t feel particulalry blissful but I do have peace of mind. Now, I will assume many of you (apart from Jake and CP) will not be wearing or drinking Fair Trade and you’re probably not squirming with discomfort over it and I’m not saying that you should. However, once you do start getting in the habit of buying Fair Trade their is a part of you that does feel good, really good. And once you start seeing what your money does, you feel even better.

Yes, Fair Trade products (especially clothes and jewellery) can cost significantly more than your standard Primark but you have to remember, the prices aren’t expensive, they’re fair, it’s Primark that is shamefully cheap. I say shamefully because they strip people of their dignity, lives and steal childhoods. It’s not just Primark, it’s “fast-fashion” in general. We’re talking about your mass-producing, high street shops that produce clothing on a huge scale, very quickly and very cheaply. There are companies in our country that don’t pay their factory workers over in places such as India any form of wage. Sure, they’re paid but it’s pennies to avoid being accused of slavery and to make a bigger profit but it’s not a liveable wage and it’s at their workers expense! Whole families are forced to live in and put up with squalid conditions, in pure poverty for very little in return.

As I said, Fair Trade products can cost a lot more than what we’re now used to but I personally feel, as do many Fair Trade supporters, that if you have the opportunity and the money to buy Fair Trade then you most definitely should. Sometimes, I will buy half the clothes that I would normally buy and spend the same amount of money because I am buying Fair Trade – but I don’t mind. Not only do I have the soul-satisfying benefits of knowing somewhere out there, a family is benefitting from my surplus cash but knowing that I am going to be spending more money than usual, I take more time over my purchases and really make sure it’s what I want. When I do receive my clothes I love them that so much more because they look great, they’re great quality, they last a hell of a lot longer and I knew for a fact it wasn’t an impulse buy that I would later regret. Because it’s not “fast-fashion” a lot of the pieces are timeless and you can really create you’re own style with some key pieces that will be worn season after season.

I’m not going to call you a bad person for not buying Fair Trade because some people are heartless and that’s that but I know that sometimes, the opportunity isn’t always there. Fair Trade fashion makes up 1% of the industry and is not going to be expanding any time soon because the bigger companies are 10 million steps infront of them. This is slightly different for food products because supermarkets are actively endorsing Fair Trade products and as food is a necessity adults are paying for them more and more. Clothing however is just not something people are willing to spend serious amounts of money on. As for Fair Trade clothing, it isn’t always the nicest, sometimes it’s a bit “hippyish” which is fine if you’re into that but if you want fashionable yet Fair Trade then it’s a little harder. Luckily I know a few people who have it down to an art but that’s not the point. Teenagers are just not seeing Fair Trade fashion being actively promoted and they’re not seeing the real benefits for themselves as well as those they help and that’s a shame. If the interest grew then there would be more companies and more benefits all round.

If I haven’t convinced you yet to atleast be empathetic of my viewpoint, if not moved enough to act upon it, then I think you may have problems. I have honestly met people in my time who shrug their shoulders and say “who cares?” when they hear about the poor conditions of non Fair Trade communities. If you are still of that persuasion, in otherwords, if you are still shrugging your shoulders and saying “who cares?” let me tell you something. I care. I care and so do the workers. They are real people, just as real as you are. Just because you don’t have to break a sweat for your money and when you’re practically handed your wage packet or your pocket money for your tiny, effortless contributions to society, you waste it on clothing that will be destroyed after a week of wear. Still don’t care? Imagine if it was you. No seriously, really take a second to imagine it was you. Struggling to even do that? I think you need to research this a little, then when you go to sleep tonight, imagine you’re sleeping on something little other than the floor and when you go to the bathroom, imagine it as a hole in the floor with no privacy dividing you and the kitchen.

I’m not expecting you to go out there now and buy Fair Trade but I am expecting that you become more aware of the options. Yes, you have your fast-fashion and it is indeed very fast and cheap for when you need it but if you have a little time and a little extra cash, spare the thought for the 3rd world countries. This isn’t charity and this is not pitty, this is helping people help themselves out of  poverty, which is all they really want. It’s not too much to ask really. We live in such unnecessary luxury sometimes and even when we think times are tight, there is always someone, working in a garment factory, on a farm or wherever earning a lot less than you. Spare a though for them because in essence they are your neighbour, they are part of the world, they are humans and we should look out for eachother.

If you want to know more, leave a comment and I can talk to you some more or hook you up with some Fair Trade sites/shops etc.

 

First things first.

Well I’m asuming if you have read this within recent posting then you know me. However, if you are looking back at previous posts and thought you would start at the beginning, there is still a risk you know me but it is maybe less likely.

Even if you do know me you may want to know why I’m doing this, or you haven’t got much choice because this is the first post. I’m doing this because I have a lot to say and not enough “face time” with people to say it. If I write it, people can read it in their own time and if I change things, then great, if not, I don’t really mind because I’ve expressed myself.

I find expression really important. I don’t have many opinions that I will fight for, because I’m known as a bit of a “fencesitter” but if you give me an issue, a real issue, then more than likely, I will fight for a cause. I may be liberal minded but I’m not a member of the liberal party. I love my politics but I’m not associated with any part of the political spectrum. I’m not left, I’m not right, I’m not centre, I’m whatever party agrees with me at election time. I suppose it would be better to phrase it as “open” minded rather than liberal. We don’t want any nasty confusions. I’m no Nick Clegg fan.

If you think you can read my blog and comment on my spelling mistakes and on my grammar then forget it. I may of got an A on my English coursework but that was re-draft after re-draft after re-draft. My exam, however, was not so good. I got a D. I am more creative than technical when it comes to English, so don’t you judge me!

So, as I was saying, expression. Really important. People need to embrace expression in every form and through whatever form it is handed to them in. You should not laugh at people’s expression and you should not judge people by their chosen form. Whether it is writing, painting, singing, performing, fashion, preaching, facebook status updates, whatever – embrace it and absorb what people are telling you because that is the only way to really become cultured. Expression, depending on the form, is the things people are terrified to say or are terrified to publicly feel and those voices, despite however encrypted they are, should be listened to.

I’m 17, currently. I’m in 6th Form studying 3 A levels, though right now I haven’t really decided which 3. I have to drop an AS level, probably politics but we’ll see. As I said, I’m open minded and I love to learn not just academic things, but little things too. I’m really serious but really laid back at the same time. Kind of like with my opinions, if I don’t think it’s worth bothering over, I’ll just chill out and sit right back on that fence, if it is worth bothering over, I put in as much effort as I can give. There is a lot you will learn about me over the next few posts but I’m trying to iron out the basics. I have 2 brothers, 2 sisters. My family mean the world to me and the thought of leaving them cuts me up. I have lots of friends but the few best friends that I have are some of the worlds most beautiful people both inside and out (it’s why I picked them). I have to be busy, I have to be doing something which is why in the 6 weeks holiday I have periods of time where I’m really down just because I love a constant buzz. I need projects to work on, things to improve on and things to intiate. I can’t really watch tele because I don’t have the committment. I just about managed to watch Glee and I have to buy the series for inbetweeners and IT Crowd because I want to watch them but forget they’re on. I used to watch Criminal Minds a lot but now I don’t and I watch a lot of Two and a Half Men just because that’s what’s on when I have nothing to do.

As for my future, I want to be a psychologist. I love helping people and I love giving back and I seem to be naturally interested/good at it. So that’s that. I work in a care home for learning disabilites and I’m head girl. I love Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, anything by Jane Austen, Keira Knightley, Emma Watson, Natalie Portman, fair trade fashion, and costa coffee. I’m a geek.

So this is how it’s going to go down. I’m going to think of an issue I care about and I’m going to rant about my opinion and hopefully encourage you to make some right decisions in your life – sorry for my presumptions about your moral reasoning but yano, I’m god. Yes, I like to call myself god but religion is a whole other pose.

So that’s it for now. Those were the first things you needed to know and therefore, they came first, hence the blog name. At this point I would announce what the next blog is going to be about but I just haven’t bloody decided yet.

Thank you for reading. I already feel you’re an enlightend person.