St Mary de Haura Church, Shoreham-by-Sea

“One of the most magnificent Romanesque parish churches in the whole of the south-east of England”

Somalia: A Different Perspective

If any of you get the chance, def check out this exhibition on at SOAS next week, fortunately I got a chance to have a preview at SRDF's and the Royal African Society's 'Somali Talks' event today. The photo's by the incredibly talented Petterik Wiggers are beautiful! ...for some reason they take me back to stargazing in Lahore... More info below http://www.soas.ac.uk/cas/events/07may2013-somalia-a-different-perspective----photo-exhibition.html 

After two decades of war, Somalia adopted a new constitution in August 2012 amid renewed hopes for the return of lasting peace.  Hope is an  extraordinarily powerful force. A lot of attention is paid to the conflict and disasters in Somalia, but little light is shed on the other side of this beautiful country and its people. Somalia has a rich history and culture, filled with poetry and literature and it has remained true to this through the years.  The Somali people still have a clear sight of their dreams. They carry with them innovation, entrepreneurship, resilience and strength, just like people anywhere else on earth.

This exhibition will show a side of Somalia different from what is has been and continues to be portrayed. Through these pictures, we hope to provide an intimate glimpse at Somali life.

To Live (Below the Line)

When I first signed up to this challenge, I don't think I really knew what I was letting myself for. For  five days I would be living off £1 worth of food and drink a day, (like 1.2 billion other people across the world.) I took part in this challenge in order to raise money for the Somali Relief and Development Forum, the charity I work for. All the money I receive(d) through sponsorship will go towards our crucial projects including the distribution of emergency food packages and the establishment of water wells throughout Somalia. 

So I must admit, the main reason I initially joined this challenge was because our very devoted (and persuasive!) fundraising manager Samra Said had asked me to, but I also wanted to experience something new, something different, something that might change my whole perspective on things. Live below the Line is less about re-creating poverty and more about changing the way in which we view our options (the world we live in and our place in it). This week has made me do just that! This experience has been truly life-changing and I can't recommend it enough to people. 

Day 1

Day one was hard in so many ways! Having failed to do my shopping the Sunday before, I woke up on Monday feeling very unprepared and a bit at loss. In the morning, I 'borrowed' a slice of bread, toasted it and had a cup of tea (I promised myself I'd give the items back later that day). And so I left, though it wasn't long before I wish I hadn't. My morning commute was awful! There were severe delays on the northern line, so I ended up going to Tooting Broadway and getting the bus to Elephant and Castle. It took forever! I then got another bus from Elephant towards Tottenham Court road, a few stops into my journey I got off and started to walk it. (The traffic was horrendous!) Needless to say I got into work very late, a bit stressed and rather exhausted!

Fortunately upon my arrival I realised my work pal, Fatiha had also come in completely unprepared.  At lunch we decided to pool together our resources and head to Sainsbury. That's when things got really complicated. We spent over an hour in Sainsbury's wandering aimlessly through aisles looking for food to buy, inserting numbers into our calculator and negotiating crucial foodstuffs, (custard creams or smash, that is the question...) We ended up spending £9.96 between the two of us. Our shopping included milk, cheese, a couple of cans of rice pudding, eggs, pasta and bread! We were actually quite surprised at how much we managed to buy!

When we got back we made toast and rice pudding for lunch. It was quite filling! ...this is going to be a breeze, we both agreed. My pal Fatiha and I really enjoy our lunch times and during the last six weeks at my job, we've been to pretty much every food joint in the area. Our lunches have rather varied, from eating chicken wings outside the British Museum on a sunny day, to consuming subs in the basement of Subway on a rainy day. We both love food. In fact, it's probably one of the reasons why we so quickly became friends. It would be interesting to see how we would manage sharing our very limited supplies over the next few days!

So on the first day of the challenge, I was the last one to leave my office and on my way down I very quickly realised that my wallet was still in Fatiha's bag. I wondered what I was going to do! I had no money, I was already feeling quite hungry and there was no way I wanted to walk all the way back to Tooting. So I went downstairs and knocked on the door to the offices of the first floor. A friendly looking chap who's name I still hadn't managed to learn opened the door. Embarrassed, I asked him if he could lend me a fiver. He opened his wallet, alas nothing, but wasted no time in whizzing around to find someone who did! He ended up collecting some pound coins from the few people still around. I was overcome and incredibly humbled by everyone's kindness, especially his own. Despite the fact that I hadn't even made the effort to learn his name, here he was showing me great kindness. That was a lesson for me right there. I was grateful. So reluctantly I took the money and headed out. When outside, I considered walking to Waterloo to save £2.50, but decided against it. At the tube station, I ended up getting a single paper ticket to Tooting Bec. It cost £4.50, that's 50p short of my entire weeks food budget!! I thought then about the 1.2 billion people in the world, who use the equivalent money for not only food, but education and travel too (to name a few!) In less than 40 minutes I was back home.

When I got in, I called Fatiha and asked her if she had my wallet, she didn't. So without thinking I called up my bank and blocked my card. I then made some pasta and wolfed down half the plate. Back in my room, there on my table, I noticed a single shiny pound coin. I picked it up and turned it in the gold evening light, all the while thinking to myself, isn't money funny!! In this city especially, we're rendered so vulnerable without it! That night I lay awake thinking about how much I take for granted on a day to day basis, from my travel card, to those endless cups of tea, I also wondered what tomorrow would hold...

Day 2

Day two wasn't half as dramatic as my first day living below the line. I woke up feeling a lot more optimistic. I cooked up a half boiled egg and downed it with a couple of toasts and tea. A good wholesome breakfast,  but I sure wasn't looking forward to that undercooked pasta for lunch! I was also bit worried I'd get beaten up by Fatiha especially as I burned her toast the day before too!

When I got into work, I found my wallet on top of a Sainsbury's bag on the table. Joy. The whole day went by quite fast, I couldn't concentrate as well and was feeling pretty tired and pretty hungry! At lunch time we quickly consumed the left over pasta (it was actually a lot nicer than the night before).

We decided to go for a walk to Goodge Street, before heading back, then after work we ended up wandering around some of the shops in Oxford Circus. It wasn't long before we both decided to call it a day. When I got home I had a couple of toasts with a bit of curry sauce (swapped a couple spoonfuls for two eggs, hope that isn't cheating!) I went to bed hungry nonetheless. During the rest of the week I quickly realised how completely simplified my life had become. I didn't really feel like calling up friends or talking to people. I just ended up going to bed uncharacteristically early. I guess I didn't realise how much of my life revolved around eating, or how much of an impact the food I ate made in my life. It was only day two and already I missed the simple things, esp. fruit and veg!

Day 3

I didn't sleep well at all the night before. I woke up feeling weak, shaky and quite out of it. I ended up making a good breakfast (half a can of beans, toast and egg). I did wonder whether I would actually make it through till the end of the week! I'd also broken out in skin rashes (not sure if it was the food or something else!) This did however seem to add to my general sense of agitation and anti-socialness. At lunch, Fatiha (also feeling equally miserable) and I sat outside the offices in the sunshine. I ate the same pasta and a number of custard creams before we headed back in to finish the day. 

When I got home that evening I made potato mash with the 14p can of Sainsbury's basics potatoes and finished half the can of leftover beans from the morning. I then sat in the garden for a bit before having another early night.

Day 4

I woke up feeling more agitated and annoyed than the previous day. I had an egg and toast for breakfast before heading out. The morning dragged on a bit at work but I managed to get all my jobs done.

For lunch I had a burnt slice of toast and a can of rice pudding. It took me ages to open the can with a knife, proper fail!!

So at the end of the day, I really really needed to go for a walk! So I walked. I cut through Soho Square Garden, through Chinatown and to Piccadilly. During the end of my walk I began to feel quite ill and a bit out of my head, I wasn't enjoying my walk at all, in fact I felt more agitated by the crowds and noise. So I got the tube back, the whole way home as I clasped the yellow bar on my northern line train, all I could think about was a banana, about eating a banana. I was also quite angry. I was angry that 1.2 billion people around the world live this way, I felt angry at our collective apathy, I felt angry that I had been rendered so vulnerable and that the lack of nutrition had completely changed my way of life in less than a week! I also found myself thinking more deeply about those very simple questions and I felt myself grow a lot more grateful and empathetic, but also a bit detached from people, especially people who weren't living below the line. When I got home, I cooked and ate some more pasta before jotting down a string of poems and then heading to bed. 

Day 5

This was probably the easiest day by far, maybe because I knew I would finally be able to eat what I want. At the same time, it was difficult knowing that a great number of people in the world, wouldn't be able to have those options or to come out of it, the way a lot of us could. 

For breakfast on my last day of living below the line, I had a plain toast and a cup of tea. For lunch, I consumed more pasta, and for desert a yoghurt. Before leaving work I had my last live below the line meal: quite befittingly- toast and tea!

When I got home my new debit card finally arrived and so I cut up the old one! Symbolically it was quite powerful and I vowed to change the way I spend, the way I eat and the way I think about a lot of things. This week has taught me so so much, I just hope I can remember these lessons and learn from them. If you haven't already, there's still time to donate! Any donation, small or large would be really appreciated. https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/sysprints 

Main ye Soch Kar

before the storm, it dawned (on her)

by the waters edge...

...smudgy sky, reeds below...

Post-Storm Mist

the bird and his song

A Panel Discussion on Palestine

I went to this really insightful panel discussion on Palestine at the LSE today. It was chaired by Jon Snow, the man himself and addressed some important issues on subjects including media fatigue on the subject of Palestine and the Palestinian plight and issues surrounding the historicity of the land.   

I particularly found it interesting listening to Peter Kosminsky (director of the incredible series The Promise) talk about his seven year journey into researching the story and the consequent backlash he faced by the zionist lobby... If you missed the series, you can watch the full episodes on 4od and youtube. See trailer below. I've also included some general info on the event below. 

The Event

On this panel discussion, chaired by Jon Snow of Channel 4 News, the speakers will discuss aspects of the current situation in Palestine, including: Palestinian domestic politics, Israel’s position, the international dimension of the impasse and the insights into the conflict provided by film-making.

Speakers

Karma Nabulsi is Lecturer in International Relations at the department of politics and International Relations, University of Oxford and Fellow in Politics at St Edmund Hall

Rosemary Hollis is Professor of Middle East Policy Studies and Director of the Olive Tree Scholarship Programme at City University London. Her research focuses on international political and security issues in the Middle East, particularly European, EU, UK and US relations with the region.

Ilan Pappe is Professor of History, Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies and Co-Director for the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies at the University of Exeter.

Peter Kosminsky is a British writer, director and producer. He is the director of The Promise, a four episodes television series telling the story of a young woman who goes to Israel and Palestine determined to find out about her soldier grandfather's involvement in the final years of Palestine under the British mandate.

Jon Snow is a British journalist and presenter. He has been the face of Channel 4 News since 1989.

guitar reflections

Moonshine.

swaying flowers, in the spring breeze

we met.... this one time....

Urban Wandering II

Happiness (is) only real when shared- Christopher McCandless

It's been another beautiful week of wandering, in fact I've probably done more wandering than ever before and more slumbering too, urban slumbering. Hmm I think the most glorious part of my week was lying on the grass outside the Tate under a silver birch tree, after a long day at work and watching the sunset in the sky and listening to a busker sing some dusty forgotten songs while watching the sky slowly fade into the most ethereal and soft shade of blue I ever saw, the stars appeared then and the moon, it shone so bright! 

....this week, I've wandered at sunset, at twilight and at nightfall. I've wandered all around, through many nameless places and many places with names too. I've wandered around Embankment,  Blackfriars, through Victoria Embankment Gardens, South Bank, dallied by St Pauls, London Bridge, Borough Market, Temple, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Holborn, Oxford Circus, I've drifted by the river, under bridges, over bridges, under the moon, under the setting sun... London is such a beautiful, beautiful city, the perfect place to just let time slip away... I took my camera along on one of my wanders...

...to smile, wherever...

A Chap named Tongogara

War, Peace and Faith

War, Peace and Faith: The Ambiguous Role of Religion in 21st Century Conflict

I went along to this incredibly interesting event at the Royal Commonweath Society a few days ago with Emm. I found the discussions to be quite mind-blowing and def worth sharing. Click here to watch the full video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ-tzWimM-8

Faith is often invoked in war and conflict yet the goal of all religions is peace. What is their impact on prospects for war and peace, for security or instability? Can religion assist in the search for peace without getting instrumentalised – with potentially non-peaceful effects? The discussion explored both sides of the argument.

SPEAKERS

Aaqil Ahmed, Head of Religion and Ethics, BBC

Andrew Brown, Editor of Comment Is Free – Belief, The Guardian

Rama Mani, Co-Convenor, Agents of Transformation

Fabio Petito, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Sussex

Dan Smith (Chair), Secretary General, International Alert

...to live life, inside a Gauguin painting....

...hold fast...

...a state of mind...

...staring out, a dusty bus window...

Urban Wandering I

Of all the things on my 'How to Survive 9-5' list, urban wandering has so far been the one I've had the least problems sticking with (that and my poetry) Despite working long hours, I've probably walked more this week than I have in a really long time! My longest wander of the week was from Tottenham Court Road back to South London (Oval)... 

...this week I've wandered through Denmark Street, Chinatown, Leicester Square, Holborn, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, St James Park, Westminister, Embankment, the British Museum, Lambeth North and Waterloo...ahh nothing beats rambling on a windy golden evening in this beautiful city of London. I took my camera with along with me today on my post-work travels...

-dat jumpin' squirrel was proper nut-nut-

Four Blue Herons

Postcards from Palestine

...a friend got me these postcards from palestine, love them...

Leg O' Mutton Nature Reserve

I really like visiting nature reserves with trippy names.... leg o' mutton is beautiful, def worth a trip! Closest station; Barnes Bridge.

'a former reservoir saved from development by local action. It has become a hidden treasure, where ducks and other water birds can breed away from the famous London Wetland Centre. In winter, there are teal, tufted duck, widgeon and shovellers'

spring bloom

a lone robin

...to reflect...

Against the Sky

...birds, squirrel, plane, sky...

a hundred hues of gold