Embracing our boredom

Boredom. A feeling that everyone of us has experienced at some point in our lives. As I write this I am sitting alone in my student bedroom in a silent house. All of my housemates have gone home. Some for the weekend and one, sadly, forever. The boredom is tangible. It is almost 15:30 and I haven’t spoken today. An odd sensation. However, the beauty of being alone is underestimated. I am free to do as I please. To walk around the house completely naked or keep the door of the bathroom open so I can watch Mad Men as I lie back in the bath. Bliss.

Instead of sitting in front of Loose Women with endless mugs of hot tea, listening to the rain pounding at our windows, I decided to be productive and get some writing done. It struck me that boredom inspires creativity and thus should not be feared or avoided but embraced and harnessed. Who knows, something magical might spring from a bored afternoon.

With the summer on the horizon and long weeks of nothingness ahead of me, I am anticipating more than a few days of crippling boredom. In fact, it is fair to say that this blog was born of a bored Wednesday afternoon last summer. Without actively encouraging people to avoid social contact and to sit inside all summer waiting for the creative juices to start flowing, I can’t stress the magnificence of monotony enough. There is never a better time to be productive. Be it writing, knitting, making music or even just planning the rest of your week, getting a hold of one’s boredom can be the most empowering thing.

Now exams are over we are free to indulge in things that make us happy. Parties. Gigs. Jazz Bars. Or just lying in bed knowing that the day is ours to do as we please. This is my June. And I intend to savour it, because come July, the real work begins!

Anyone who is relishing their new found freedom and likes great live music (folk/alternative) should head down to The Water Rats by Kings Cross tomorrow night. Steffan Davies is playing his first London gig and it’s going to be a great show. He’s on at 7pm. Get there before 7pm and its free. So if you need a little bit more Welsh in your life (who doesn’t?) The Water Rats is the place to be this Saturday night.

Is this justice?

‘An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.’ – Mahatma Ghandi

When I awoke this bank holiday Monday to the numerous Facebook status updates joyfully announcing Osama Bin Laden’s death at the hands of American soldiers, I was unsure what to make of the news. I certainly did not feel the triumph that was clearly felt by many of my peers and the world press.

Before I continue I need to stress that this article is not an attempt to vindicate Osama Bin Laden’s actions. I merely want to question why the world has reacted as it has and whether, as Barack Obama tells us, justice has indeed been done.

Living, as I do, by Ghandi’s timeless proverb, I am against the death penalty in any situation. It goes against every ethical code that I hold dear and thus is a position that I cannot stomach under any circumstance. No person has the right to take another’s life and it is even more illogical if we are condemning someone for murder.

However, in the case of Osama Bin Laden, I believe that there is a more crucial issue at stake. A person’s right to a defence is a basic human right, without which society would collapse. A good friend of mine said to me yesterday that even Nazi leaders were given a fair trial at Nuremberg. She questioned how Osama Bin Laden’s case was any different. We have not been told much about what actually happened, except that Bin Laden was killed after a firefight. Are we to believe that he was captured and then shot? Is it true that he was unarmed? Could he not have been captured alive and brought to trial? Would that not have been more poignant? And most importantly, what happened to the USA’s promise to maintain good relations with the Middle East?

These were the questions buzzing around my head on Monday morning.

However, what I found even more sickening as I sat up in bed watching the news unfold, was the global reaction to Osama Bin Laden’s death. Celebrities were tweeting ecstatically. Happily proclaiming that justice had finally been done. Facebook statuses exclaimed that ‘the baddie’ was finally dead. Impromptu parties sprung up all over the world as people rejoiced. I feel that the reaction of the press and the people is a woeful display of humanity. I understand that I should tread carefully here, and I want to reiterate that I am in no way attempting to justify the actions of Osama Bin Laden, but I felt genuinely ashamed of our reaction to his death. To revel in death is completely alien to me. And, what’s more, I was appalled by the utter believe that this was justice.

Is this all it takes for Obama to regain popularity in America? Osama Bin Laden’s death does not justify the war. It does not justify the actions of George Bush. It is no compensation for the lives lost in this illegal battle. And finally, we should be under no illusion: the ‘war on terror’ is not over. It rages on. Unfortunately, America have lost something incredibly valuable that they had a responsibility to maintain. The moral high ground.

‘I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.’ – Mahatma Ghandi

Channelling Your Inner Phoebe

Okay fashion followers, it’s time to brave something new. I am known in my little London household for wearing lots of short dresses. I didn’t realise this until I was told repeatedly by my housemates!

So, recently , I have branched out into pastures new, developing a taste for midi length, or as I prefer, ‘mumsy’ length dresses, reminiscent  of Pheobe from Friends. Just like the maxi dress of old, the ‘mumsy’ dress is the next big thing. But it is absolutely crucial that is is worn just right. 

So here are my rules for channelling your inner Phoebe Buffay:

1) Don’t wear with plain pumps. There needs to be a bit of a rocky edge to this outfit, and pumps just don’t cut it.

2) Never wear with a neat, preppy cardigan. Again, just not kooky enough. Scruffy is the name of the game.

3) Just like Pheobe, fit as many rings as you can on to each finger.

4) I like to think of this look as pretty slouchy, so find a tatty ‘grandad’ cardigan and pair it with the mid length dress to give it a ‘Mary Kate Olsen’ vibe.

5) Mix the ‘mumsy’ length dress with Dr Martens to create a Julie Andrews cross Agyness Deyn combo.

6) Go out and wear this outfit with confidence.

Personally, I wear mine with my bright red Dr Martens and my beloved fur coat. Add a beanie if you really want to grunge it up.

Its a difficult line to draw, but I really like the outcome. What do others think?

Fur coat, I salute you!

Finally, I felt it was time to write a quick note on the coat of all coats. The coat that people stop me in the street and question me about. I have had it everywhere, at the rugby, at the bus stop, on the tube, in the street. Everyone is fascinated by the coat. It was a total impulse buy, but one that I have not regretted for one moment. Entirely fake. Not even delightfully vintage. It is Topshop’s very own. And yet I have never encountered another. I sat through the warm summer days, longing for the winter so I could wrap myself in my fakery once again. And now that I can, it is ten times better that I remembered. Fur coat, I salute you.

Lovely

I can sing a rainbow…

This is my stripy FCUK skirt. Lydia told me that it was a clown skirt, but I think it is fabulous! So wearable as you can wear it with any of the colours in the skirt! Add coloured tights and some DM’s and you have yourself a pretty colourful little outfit. Perfect for those grey winter days. In the spring you can swap the tights and boots for leggings and pumps and away you go. Plus, it was in the sale. What more can you ask for?

FCUK sample sale

Mornington Crescent. All weekend. £1 entry. Coats starting at £20. I shouldn’t be telling you this because I want to get all of the good stuff, but I just couldn’t resist! Enjoy!

Jumping Ship

News of the day is that I left my job this afternoon. After weeks of trying to grin and bear call centre work, I gave in to the inevitable and decided that I would rather buy less clothes that work there for another day. They completely understood.

It made me wonder, however, how much you have to truly despise a job in order for you to pluck up the courage to leave. I realised this morning, when I woke up and had a bit of a cry at the thought of going in that the job probably wasn’t for me. So I jumped, and the feeling is amazing. But I had the luxury of being able to leave. The money that I earned was my money to spend on whatever I chose, not money to feed me. Suddenly a terrifying thought occurred to me. I am terrified of growing up, leaving ‘student-hood’ and being stuck in a job that I absolutely cannot stand purely because I have to pay bills (and more importantly…student debt!)

Maybe others reading this know where they are going in their lives, but I have no idea. I don’t know what I want to do with my degree, and the terrifying thought is that I am already half way through, surely I should have worked it out by now? I am so scared of ending up in a job that makes me feel the way that this job made me feel.

But I had a little think and, as naive as it might sound, I have come to the conclusion that a career is something that becomes obvious to you as you grow up and realise your strengths and your weaknesses. Plus, I’ve already ruled out call centre work!

‘ConDem’ed?

Today I’d like to write a blog about the student protests. Unfortunately I don’t have any lectures to walk out of today, but I am considering heading into central London to join in the march. As a typical student, I strongly believe in the right to protest and strike. Without these rights, we could no longer call the political system we live in a democracy.

Protesters

However, as a firm supporter of the Liberal Democrats, I do believe, somewhat controversially, that Nick Clegg is actually not the ‘baddie’ of the situation. Picture a scenario where Clegg had decided not to join the Conservatives and form a coalition. The fees would still be going up, and students would still be baying for Clegg’s blood, claiming that had he joined the Conservatives things would be different.

Nick Clegg was stuck between a rock and a hard place in those 5 days after the election. I feel people tend to forget that the Liberal Democrats did not get a majority and therefore, they do not have the power to push through everything they promised in their election campaign. They simply have not got that power because the british public didn’t give it to them. If we live in a democratic society, the power should fall to those who received the most votes. This is a tricky subject for me, because I am strongly in favour of voting reform…however, in this instance it was the Conservatives. Now, I don’t like that as much as the next person, but I am a strong believer in making democracy work, as it is the best chance we have for a fair society. Thus, however much we may dislike it, it was the Conservative Party who ‘won’ the election because of votes cast by the public and therefore all of those promises that the Liberals made during the election campaign cannot possibly be kept. So, in my opinion, Nick Clegg has not broken any promises, he simply does not have the power to fulfill them. And I do not believe that is something we should hate him for.

I can empathise with voters anger at the Liberals joining the Conservatives. It made no sense. It was like forcing two opposing magnetic fields together. And yes, I would argue that Clegg has become the public’s scape goat. Maybe the Liberals should have stayed on the sidelines, like they have for 70 years being idealistic instead of pragmatic. But instead, they chose to join the Conservatives and attempt to change party politics forever. If they can achieve voting reform next May, they will have achieved more than the Liberal Democrats have achieved in 70 years. Yes, the party will have changed, but it is unrealistic to believe that a party can stay the same when the reality is is that the world around us is changing. And I truly believe that whilst they have adapted, the Liberal’s still have the same principles at heart.

Nick Clegg

I also think that with all the protests and strikes going on, so many questions about the philosophy of politics are being raised. I am no big fan of Plato’s philosophy, but the questions he raises about democracy really interest me. He is fundamentally against democracy, claiming that it is an impossible aim. People want good health care and education, but they also want lower taxes….it is contradictory. He claims that a government that rules by democracy will never be strong, or please people as it will be trying too hard to balance everyone’s demands. Also, a democracy is always about selling itself, which encourages a lot of rhetoric from politicians, something that Plato, as well as Ian Hislop and co, despise.  He also, controversially, argued that ‘uneducated’ people do not know what is good for them, and therefore should not be able to make decisions about policy. Very risky. I am treading very carefully here, as I do not want anyone to think I am anti democracy. However, what I would say, is that democracy is not an ideal, it is only the best case scenario for an equal society. And I believe that this is the issue that we struggled with in the elections this year. It is impossible to make everybody happy, and therefore we have to go with making the ‘majority’ happy. This will leave others unhappy, and thus, it is crucial that we allow them the basic right to protest, as the students are doing as I speak.

To conclude, I would like to say that a ‘ConDem’ government was not my ideal outcome from the election. But if the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives together can achieve what they say they can, and change the face of politics as we know it, then I am willing to sit back and wait. I think its important to remember that the first few months of this government were always going to be difficult, but if we wait and Clegg remains strong, we could see a very different side to the coalition this time next year.

 

The Long and the Short of it.

As a child my mum insisted on giving Lydia and I brutally short ‘page boy’ hair cuts. I longed for the same luscious long locks that my friends had, but try as I might my hair was never allowed to grow as long as I wanted. There are even home videos of the two of us sitting on the sofa at home with tights on our heads, desperately pretending to have hair as long as Repunzal. Looking back, I can see where my mum was coming from. We did look cute with our thick, quirky, white blonde fringes. But I want to know where the obsession with long hair comes from. From a young age, we are told in fairy tales and cartoons that long hair is beautiful. Cinderella didn’t have a chic bob. Sleeping Beauty didn’t have an edgy crop. What is it about long hair that is so intrinsically linked with being feminine?

It has been argued that long hair is a sign of health which therefore signifies reproductive potential. Short hair or a shaven head is often associated with rebellion and therefore possibly slightly threatening. I think for a lot of people long hair becomes almost like a safety blanket and when you become genuinely scared to cut it off I believe it is time for the dreaded chop! Sure, there are those classic beauties where one cannot imagine them without their treasured hair. Mary Kate Olsen always stands out to me, grubby chic, but always sexy. Jennifer Anniston is another, more classic version of the long haired gal.

I am here to fly the flag for short and fabulous. I cut all of my hair off into Mia Farrow esque crop in September and I haven’t looked back since! Look at Emma Watson, Carey Mulligan and Victoria Beckham. All previously known for long hair, all overnight style icons. I would in no way like to compare myself with these three, but I have felt much more confident in myself since I cut my hair off, which I didn’t expect. I suppose sometimes you really do have to lose something in order to gain something else!

My favourite crops:

Carey Mulligan

Emma Watson

Mia Farrow

Jean Seberg

I truly believe that short hair, bob, crop or otherwise can completely change a look. Suddenly all of those dresses with pretty necklines can be shown off to their full potential. Long earrings can be seen and swung. A neck that was previously hidden is now swanlike and elegant. The beauty of a short haircut is that suddenly your face reappears after all of those years of furious growing!

Nevertheless, I will not deny that they are hard work. I’ve had a bob before now and it is an incredibly hard to style hair cut. When done correctly, however, it is the chicest of the chic. My crop is not high maintenance, but I do have to get it cut regularly, so consider that when choosing a style.

Maybe I have, in a way, gone back to the hairstyle of my childhood, possibly casting off preconceptions of what it is to be a women along the way. Although to be completely honest, I just fancied a change. And so I put it to all you girls with Cindrella locks….would you brave the chop?

The Sewing Machine

Sorry for the lack of blog in the last week. On Tuesday I bought myself my very first sewing machine and it has taken up all of my time, like a new baby or puppy! I decided that although I have never sewed before it would be a great purchase as I would finally be able to alter clothes myself without the help of my friend Hannah, Maynard’s in house seamstress. We could hand Hannah anything and she could mend it, adjust is and make it beautiful. Although I am just starting out, I hope to one day be as good as she is.

The advantage I can see to having a sewing machine is that nothing is impossible. No garment is unwearable as it can be adjusted and customised to fit perfectly. For a vintage lover this is the perfect piece of equipment as it opens up a new realm of clothing possibilities. This is what excites me so much about my new machine.

For a while my sewing machine winked at me from the corner of my room in an intimidating manner. It was almost as if it had a personality of its own and was looking at me thinking, ‘she can’t sew!’. I’ll admit, I was scared. But as soon as I had followed the instructions and set it up I was much more at ease with it. I had tamed the beast.

Currently, however, apart from mending one of my beloved playsuits, I haven’t yet used my machine on clothes found in the depths of a charity shop. Instead, I am actually attempting to make my own. I am sewing myself an incredibly basic skirt (or so the lady in John Lewis told me). The whole process of picking out a pattern and then the material is lengthy but exciting. The fact that the making of my own skirt is entirely up to me is a thrilling feeling, if somewhat daunting.

I sat down this afternoon and spent two and a half hours poring over the skirt’s pattern in an attempt to understand this new language of ‘basting’ and ‘toile’s’. Apparently dressmaking is much more complicated than first meets the eye. Who even cares about hemming and pleats? But I will persist. I just can’t resist a good project. Updates to come on the making of my skirt…blogs may be inconsistent because of this!