I have been lucky enough to guest write for the wonderful food blog Her Favourite Food for the past year. Fine dining, exploring food festivals and food tours across all four corners of London. My experiences have proven that the dining experience can be a feast for all the senses and I have thoroughly enjoyed reviewing on behalf of fellow foodies! Many more to come in the new year!
Check out the blog for yourself here: http://herfavfood.blogspot.co.uk
We Young Queens held an event in both October 2014 and 2015 to showcase the power, potential and diversity of women in their local communities. See the Thank You messages below and visit the wordpress blog page to see the photos! weyoungqueens.wordpress.com
What A Woman! 2015 – Thank You message.
We Young Queens would like to say a huge THANK YOU to you for supporting, liking, sharing, broadcasting, posting, inviting friends and family and of course attending this year’s edition of What a Woman!
We Young Queens is proud of how What A Woman! has grown since last year and know that it would not have been possible without your support and the hard work from those behind the scenes.
Special thanks to:
Our wonderful speakers: Afua Hirsch, Fro Girl Ginny and Heather Daulphin who delivered some inspirational speeches with positive messages for all the women (and men!) that attended. Thanks for reminding us of how important it is to love ourselves and trust our own journeys – even if it differs from what everyone else is doing or wants us to do!
The fantastic Sherryl Blu who held the show together seamlessly and hosted a thought-provoking Q&A session and a very entertaining quiz!
The stall holders: Anne Lawren, Arbonne International, Black Secret Make Up, Blu Beat Ldn, Edwards & Millers Lingerie, Siren Organics and Ziporah’s Inspiration. We’ve had such great feedback about your products, with some guests even asking us to connect them with you after the show so that they can spend even more money!
City of Westminster College (Paddington Campus), especially Lerease, for the wonderful venue and all their support.
Our tech support, Westend DJ, for supplying the music and bar.
The superb Kelly-Ann Taylor for the photography/video.
Cards n Favours for your personalised candles – the perfect gifts for our speakers!
Our amazing volunteers Shirley, Tanya, Neah, Joan, Jean, Richard and Warren. We really appreciate all your help and advice – thanks for helping us pull off a superb event!
Thanks again to you for, well, being YOU and for supporting us in our mission to showcase the true amazingness within the Black community!
Please do not hesitate to contact us via weyoungqueens@gmail.com if you have any queries, comments or suggestions about What a Woman! or We Young Queens. We are currently planning events for 2016 so feedback and suggestions are most welcome!
Until the next event, we wish you all a merry Christmas/Happy Kwansa/Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year when it comes. Continue to shine and share your light with the world!
With love,
Annique, Syeshia & Alayna.
We Young Queens 2014 – Thank you message.
THANK YOU!
We would like to express our gratitude to all of the beautiful people who out to support, celebrate, inspire and be inspired by women of excellence on Thursday. All that on a school night! Thank you for all your kind words of encouragement and to all those who said they can’t wait to get involved in the next event and the “I’m Not Beyonce But…” video project!!
We are currently collating the feedback so we can come back bigger and better. We love and appreciate you all! Special Thanks to our fabulous host Shirley Ricketts, brilliant venue manager Lerease Sweeney, our graceful poet Anastasia Prempeh, our inspirational speakers: Kenisha Watson, Judy Harrison, Rae Gibbons-Fraser and Loraine Martins, our spectacularly creative stall holders: Arbonne International, Cards n Favours, Venus Island, Ziporah’s Inspiration, Empyreal Studios (additional thanks for your competition giveaway), our talented photographer and videographer Akito Hearnshaw and Kelly-Ann Taylor and our generous helpers: Alayna Brown, Neah Shim-Hue, Tanya Hamilton, Warren Manning and Lianne Lawrence.
Also thanks to Westend DJ, Chris Sweeney, Richie Sweeney, Joan Lawrence, Melisha Lawrence, Lorna Falconer and the staff at City of Westminster College.
Stay tuned for the official launch of the “I’m Not Beyonce But…” Video Project which will be posted on this site!!
Remember we are the past, the present and the future! We. Are. Queens.
Add the We Young Queens page on Facebook for updates: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=949811845045472
Email: weyoungqueens@gmail.com
Twitter: @weyoungqueens
Website: weyoungqueens.wordpress.com
With Love,
Annique & Syeshia.
Beyonce’s Self-Titled Album, a non-constructive but highly contemplative review
Apologies for the inconsistency of punctuation and American/English spelling
Introduction to artist and album:
Many of you will be familiar with Beyonce’s work, from her earlier days as lead singer of the 90’s R’n’B girl group Destiny’s Child through to her transformation into a best selling solo artist (grabbing Grammys along the way) and solidifying her current Superstar status. Musical accomplishments and critical acclaim aside, Beyonce has been hailed a leader of female empowerment and still is considered to be now following her marriage to rapper and Hip-Hop mogul Jay-Z. The duo are two of the most influential artists in the industry and together, their potential is maximized.
Dissatisfied with just conquering the world with her voice, Beyonce also pursued acting talents in various films such as Goldmember and Dream Girls and became more involved in the creative and managerial aspects of her work (producing, directing, fashion & perfume designing) after parting ways with her manager (Father, Mathew Knowles) in 2010. As one of the highest paid entertainers in the industry today, it also shouldn’t go unmentioned that she has contributed to many charities for various causes and boasts political alliances with none other than President Barack Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama. Beyonce’s bundle of joy Blue Ivy Carter arrived in 2012 and her 2013 docu-film ‘Life is But A Dream’ unveiled a more intimate side of the typically private Beyonce’s personal life but of course, on her own terms.
On December 13th 2013, Beyonce released her self-titled visual album compiled of 14 tracks and 17 videos spontaneously released on iTunes directly to fans with no promotion or media hype beforehand. Perhaps the Queen’s strongest move yet. Her live performances (complete with all-girl band) are simply incomparable and she has become a certified sex symbol for men and women alike. I find it fascinating that there is even a course taught at degree level, named ‘Politicising Beyonce’ which explores her cultural and social significance in the world today.
To me, Beyonce is a talented and incredibly entertaining performer. I respect her longevity in show business where others (particularly child stars) have veered off-course, to put it politely. However, something doesn’t sit quite right with me in terms of how little we really know her but maybe that’s my problem. Of course we don’t actually know her but there are many artists who are all about the music and stay out of the limelight and you focus solely on their music because of that. It’s difficult to have a music icon who is so readily accessible to also have such a guard up, every interview is overseen and catalogued which is in fact a great regulation for a business woman but now that she is starting to show more of her personality and private life it feels slightly forced or false. I see young girls and ladies my age and older aspire to have her life, they idolize her relationship and imitate her every move. I would rather they do this with a successful pop artist rather than a reckless artist or criminal but I personally prefer to be myself. I am obviously influenced by my environment and of course that would include what I see in the media but as much as I might be influenced by her, I don’t aspire to be Beyonce. I want to be the best version of me that I can be and enjoy her being the best version of her. I don’t know the ins and outs of her relationship so how could I long to have one like it? I can look to people I know that have overcome struggles and tribulations in their personal lives and aim to have similar attributes but should I dream to have fame or fortune or achieve similar success, it will be my own face in my daydreams.
I really enjoy listening and watching this album, I love that she has reverted back to more of a soulful, r’n’b, hip-hop and funk sound rather than chart hits (although they were ideal for previous albums). I admire her creativity on this visual album and her passion to be involved in all aspects of the product, not to mention the risk she took in putting a middle finger up to the usual format for releasing albums. Both Beyonce and her husband (when he signed a deal with Samsung for a free app for his album Magna Carta Holy Grail) have found ways (well Bjork did it first but on a smaller more obscure scale –perhaps someone else wrote a blog on that one) to change the music game by deterring from the usual structures in place and achieving enormous success in spite of it. Or maybe because of it.
This album has also been like a reinvention for the artist following a nine month hiatus; she’s now swearing, she’s showing more of her body than we’ve ever seen before and is it me or does her tone even sound raspy, less perfect, more gritty and raw and let’s not even start on her loose and playful diction/pronounciation. These changes are refreshing and fashionable but it’s just a gimmick right? She’s making a statement here. She’s telling all of the Rihannas, Mileys, Ciaras and anyone even close to considering a career in her shadow to take note and she’s provided a pen and pad for you, so bow down, or something. Is this the new her? Has she been playing nice for too long? Or is she just finally being herself after years of being somewhat sensible? Do you remember those braids and gospel roots? I do. I know many feminists may find discrepancies in her message in comparison to her image but I’m glad she champions female confidence and is encouraging women to seek equality. I know, I know. I’m just as full of contradictions.
What you said:
I can definitely say that when I got a text from a mate saying Beyonce had released a visual album, I rushed to my laptop to see if she really released what i had just been told she released “seeing is believing”. It seems Jay Z’s ‘new rules’ mantra is not only his but Carters.
I skimmed through the visual album quickly as I do with all albums replaying “blow” few times before getting stuck on “rocket”.
Beyonce seems to keep to her Self-empowerment themes whilst exploring her own sexual & vulnerable sides with soundscapes provided by Timbaland, Ammo, Detail, Pharrell, Noah ’40’ Shebib, Hit-Boy and Boots also the penmanship of The Dream, James Fauntleroy, Sia, Frank Ocean, Miguel, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Tedder – there’s a lot of writers I won’t name ‘em all
Pretty Hurts written with Sia Furler, which denounces “plastic smiles” and warns, “It’s the soul that needs the surgery.”
Through a stream of consciousness in part one of “Haunted” titled “Ghost,” “bored” of record labels and “bored” of what she’s doing.
Bey sings “Probably won’t make no money off this,” (YES YOU BLOODY WILL!!!!) she casually sings on “Ghost,” hitting us after with the ultimate Kanye shrug: “oh well.”
Drunk in love her private relationship turns into a sexy duet complete with public dirty talk, got women all over the world into surfing…
Blow this seems to me like the first Timbaland / Pharrell collar its ultra groovy sound that’s easy to listen and dance to. It’s also a little risque with the refrain “I want you to turn that cherry out.” Pardon me while I blush… big tune!!!
Partition = sex in a limo, has a sparse synthesizer pulse and little swoops before a whispery chorus joins her. This one belongs to the pen of The Dream one of my fave writers
Jealous reminds you that she’s one of us. “I’m just human. Don’t judge me,” she sings in “Jealous,” which details her emotional roller coaster in her love/hate relationship.
Rocket reminiscent of something off Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience (Timberlake has writing credit on the track and Timbaland produced it), is filled with clear sexual innuendos Miguel also has a writing credit. i can watch the video in silence!!!
Mine
This track is quintessential emo Drizzy with a bit of Bey mixed in, it really works. 40 is probably the most underrated producers at present, avant garde r&b at its best!
XO celebrates her love in the dreamy, radio-friendly single, “XO,” written and produced by The-Dream and One Republic’s Ryan Tedder. I can see the crowds singing their hearts out to this on her next tour
Just when you find yourself caught up in Yoncé’s spellbinding Hit-Boy co-produced Flawless retooled and retitled “Bow Down/I Been On” chant, “I woke up like this, I woke up like this,” Bey reminds you that she’s one of us.
Superpower a spiritual and vow of lasting “tough love” that’s a duet with Frank Ocean, gives doo-wop a futuristic sheen, as her voice goes low and smoky. Frank Ocean another of my fave writers, can do no wrong this is penmanship on another level!
Heaven is a mourning song with hymn like piano, offering tearful comfort: “Heaven couldn’t wait for you/So go on, go home”; A touching song!
Blue a love letter to her daughter Blue Ivy featuring the toddler. Baby Blues publishing catalogue seems to be growing after being ‘featured’ on her dad Glory record lol
This for me is her best body of Work to date production wise and Vocally she’s on top form!
-Written by Kyle Abrahams
Beyonce’s Self-Titled album.
I love Beyonce. I loved Destiny’s Child when I was growing up. I’m pretty sure every song she’s made has either been an instant hit with, or a grower on me. When I saw her live last year it was incredible and definitely one of the best live shows I’ve seen. She is a powerhouse and her energy on stage is incredible – a singer, a dancer, a wife, a mother, a business woman, an activist for Chime for Change and a recent contributor to The Shriver Report, writing an article entitled ‘Gender Equality is a Myth!’ and all at the grand old age of 32. However, when her latest album rocketed into the media at the end of last year I was definitely surprised at seeing quite a large change in direction. Was this the same Beyonce I knew and loved?
At first when I listened to the songs and watched the videos (and whether you’re a fan of the album or not I think you definitely need to take the time to watch the whole thing because it is designed to be a visual album, if you don’t it would be like watching a film with your eyes closed) I was a little shocked…ok a lot shocked. It’s visceral, sensual, and more like Rihanna than the Beyonce I knew, but as with all Beyonce’s music each track has grown on me and then, when I recently watched the mini-documentary “Self-Titled” that accompanies the album, the whole concept grew on me even more.
The album is an expression of who she is, right now. It celebrates imperfection with songs like Pretty Hurts and Jealous. She uses words from Chimamanda Adichie, an African feminist, on Flawless, the track that was criticised by many for using the lyric ‘bow down bitches’ but also includes the lyric ‘don’t think I’m just his little wife’. I believe her when she says that this album is honest. Previously she had been conscious that being a child of 15 when she released her first album with Destiny’s Child, her audience were young and she had to be aware of them and their parents. Now that she is a Grown Woman with a child of her own, she is not afraid to show every part of herself to her fans, including her sexual nature, her Superpower, a power that every woman holds in her arsenal whether we choose to use it or not.
I think there’s a lot to be said about hype in this day and age. With all the technology we have access to, the amount of information that we receive and process on a daily basis is much higher and our reactions to things are more instant and our opinions made on a whim because you can send something around the world and make it viral in less than 24 hours. But this isn’t about hype, that is exactly why it was released without any prior media coverage or speculation. It’s about a woman, expressing all the parts of herself through music and film, art forms which have divided opinion for many years and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
– Written by Nadia Newstead
What the media said :
Beyonce Shriver Report
Gender Equality Is a Myth!
01.12.2014
By Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet. Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect.
Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are we viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.
We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together. Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. We must demand that we all receive 100 percent of the opportunities.
In retaliation to her Grammy performance:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ernest-owens/beyonce-and-the-oversimpl_b_4684876.html
The performance in question (Beyonce & Jay-Z open The Grammy’s with their steamy performance of Drunk in Love)
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/beyonce-jay-z-open-grammys-674153
Controversy – Domestic Abuse – “Eat the Cake, Anna Mae”
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/jan/28/beyonce-drunk-in-love-problem-lyrics
http://www.mamamia.com.au/beyonce/beyonce-and-jay-z-performance/
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ellie-slee/beyonce-feminist-drunk-in-love-lyrics_b_4676557.html
What she said:
Beyonce released a documentary to accompany the album. Here is a summary of the themes discussed.
The opening sentence is “I see music.” An introduction the vision she wants to share with her fans, an experience she wants to be had. With each chapter there is a quick flick through of images like a kaleidoscope. She recounts her chosen methods through visual concepts, found materials and explains that she misses immersive experiences of tracks/videos like Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ in the 80’s. She refers to her time on ‘Star Search’ (think X-Factor) at nine years old when she lost out to the much older band ‘Skeleton Crew’ and how it was a milestone in her life because of how hard they worked and the shock of then not winning. This milestone is further explored in ‘Pretty Hurts’ as she explains in the documentary that the many trophies and awards mean nothing in comparison to the sacrifices she made. She says the trophy represents her missed childhood, “working her ass off”. And in the end, is it worth it? She refers to ‘Flawless/Bow Down’ and expresses that the aggression and attitude is her fighting back and embracing that she doesn’t always win. She samples the voice of Nigerian Author (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) as she agreed with her words on feminism. “My message behind this album was finding the beauty in imperfection.”
She recorded nearly 80 songs and says she chose the most effortless ones working with her favourite people in the industry. She describes ‘Drunk In Love’ as the “most organic video” she’s ever done as she is embracing mistakes and including them in the video. When filming ‘Flawless’, they used a handheld camera and low-lighting creating a “run’n’gun” style on the whole. They sought to capture instant and instinctive moments to create art. It is refreshing to see such spontaneity and freedom from an artist who usually plans meticulously. “I’m trying to rebel against perfection.” As a new mother, she used her music and her creative vision for the videos as an outlet and escape. She says ‘Partition’ was a fantasy. The beat inspired her to revert to the earlier, flirtier days of her relationship. In regards to her bearing more skin than usual, she beams that she is proud of her post-baby weight loss and rather happy to exhibit getting her body back. She doesn’t feel shamed or embarrassed into hiding sexuality. “Just because you become a Mother it doesn’t mean you lose who you are”. This would explain why she includes a strip-tease style scene for her husband. “You can have your child and you can still have fun and still be sexy and still have dreams and still live for yourself.” Her fans have grown up with her, she previously felt like she held back because of responsibility to kids and their parents but now feels that she needs to embrace herself as a ‘Grown Woman’.
Justin Timberlake, Miguel and Beyonce came together to write ‘Rocket’. She took inspiration from life experiences, and opened up a little more with this album, showing development as an artist and brand. She is of course Executive Producer of this documentary and keeps a firm hand in many of her creative projects and a close eye on all interviews by recording them for her records.
14 Songs, 17 videos
Let’s talk about those videos.
As a whole: This visual album is a visual treat, there is simple black and white portraiture and colourful, natural shots of urban environments, there are grand and luxurious buildings, ostentatious costumes and theatrical themes. We have natural sunlight and artificial strobe effects, filmic elements and traditional miming and performing to camera. From Texas to Brazil, from meaningful, artistic and moving moments to delicious superficial glamour, from a vulnerable Beyonce to a very commanding woman and artist whose work is not yet done.
In detail:
Blow: It’s a Roller disco, full of soulful funk and bright lights, with a cheeky, playful, 70’s feel down to its feel-good, electro-pop tones. This song features the line “Bring ya work home on top of me I’m-a let you be the, be the boss of me” submissive or sexy, you decide? Oh and Beyonce even speaks French. Oh la la. “Je ne sais quoi Cherie, m’vle-ou Aswe ya ce net al kole!”
No Angel: We see Beyonce walking a dog (just like your neighbour), wearing a white fur coat and cowboy hat (a la Madonna who I’d assume isn’t your neighbour) and filming locals in the neighbourhood and strip club. I don’t understand the video in correlation to the song. To me the song is about unconditional love, she is claiming she is a real person with real relationship difficulties. “No I’m not an angel either, but at least I’m trying I know I drive you crazy, but would you rather that I be a machine Who doesn’t notice when you late or when you’re lying I love you even more than who I thought you were before”
XO: Beyonce and pals are in a Fairground/Amusement Park in Coney Island riding rollercoasters and bumper cars. It excites with bright lights and is colourful, fun and loose, with a dance routine, young couples canoodling, Fireworks and is that the gorgeous Jordan Dunn? Why is the bat covered in dollars?
Drunk in Love: Shot in Black & White. We have Bey and we have Sea. In beachwear (as should be expected) & a trophy (not usually a beach essential). Expect slow sensual shots, body writhing in the waves, dancing on sand and Jay Z with multiple chains and a brandy glass. She whispers in her husband’s ear and fondles his ‘Roc’ pendant chain. That’s romantic in 2014. They are showing their unstoppable passion, with a little help from intoxication in the system.
Aside from surfboard (a reference to a sexual position in the bathtub) being a hugely popular topic of discussion, another reference has of course been the controversial lyrics referring to vigorous sex and making a casual reference to a line from the 1993 Tina Turner biopic (‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’) which focuses on domestic abuse. Jay’s verse – “Hold up, that D’ussé is the shit if I do say so myself If I do say so myself, if I do say so myself Hold up, stumble all in the house, time to back up all that mouth That you had all in the car, talking ’bout you the baddest bitch thus far Talking ’bout you be repping that Third, I wanna see all that shit that I heard Know I sling Clint Eastwood, hope you can handle this curve, uh Foreplay in a foyer, fucked up my Warhol Slid the panties right to the side, ain’t got the time to take drawers off On sight, catch a charge I might Beat the box up like Mike in ’97 I bite I’m Ike Turner, turn up, baby, no, I don’t play Now eat the cake, Anna Mae said, “Eat the cake, Anna Mae!” I’m nice, for y’all to reach these heights You gon’ need G3, 4, 5, 6 flights Sleep tight, we sex again in the morning Your breasteses is my breakfast, we going in, we be all night”
Pretty Hurts: This video sheds light on the competition and hostility in the entertainment industry. Beyonce’s first line is intentionally shaky then she projects with that all-too-familiar perfect tone. Directly under the spotlight, we witness the pressure to conform, physical scrutiny, self-reflection, suggestion of bulimia, then the body is submerged under water – drowning the world out. The video includes a genuine clip from her childhood of her winning an award under the guidance of her parents. The video uses a beauty pageant as a vehicle to portray society’s obsession with perfection/facades and scrutiny of imperfections and the expectations and pressures placed on those under the spotlight (“we shine the light on whatever’s worst”). With lines like “My aspiration in life is to be happy” and “take the crown without falling down” could refer to the downfall of others in similar positions of success to hers but she refuses to succumb. Her image and body is exposed and exploited for her line of work but her work is her life.
Yonce: A gritty video with a metonymic focus on Beyonce’s red lips & grillz, smoke blowing from her mouth, a barrage of beauty brought in the form of Supermodels of the moment Jourdan Dunn, Chanel Iman and Joan Smalls with a concrete wall as a backdrop. Beyonce wears a mask and it ends with the paparazzi calling her name and flashing lights. “Yonce! Yonce!” More on her rebellion “Radio say speed it up, I just go slower” and moving at her own pace.
Grown Woman: (Does not feature as audio on album), includes a childhood clip dancing with Kelly Rowland (adorable). Then as an adult she chews gum with a glass in her hand (as every Grown Woman should) against the latin/afrobeats infusion with a heavy emphasis on dance and a shot with her Mother Tina Knowles (Queen Mother to you) and some really cute kids.
Haunted: Who is haunting who? Who ya gonna call? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) Eerie images eg. masks, twins, dummies, haunted house haunting us, that’s for sure. Beyonce sports sleek finger waves, smokes a cigarette (very Madonna-esque). Could smashing the TV screen be indicative of her breaking away from her media perception and refusal to conform to norms? Haunted is incredibly poetic, Beyonce is reflecting on the industry she is part of, she is questioning herself and rebelling/criticizing the entertainment/music industry. “Soul not for sale” – might be up for debate by some, particularly those students on the ‘Politicizing Beyonce’ course. It sounds like a dark subject but then she whispers ‘kiss, bite, foreplay’.
Ghost: The video is simplistic and minimal to reflect the song, again using black and white imagery. Visually pleasing images of flowing black chiffon and a writhing figure in a white one piece like a caterpillar in a cocoon. Very artistic. “Cat-calls on cat-walks, man these women getting solemn I could sing a song for a Solomon or Salamander We took a flight at midnight and now my mind can’t help but wonder: How come? Spoon-fed pluralized eyes to find the beaches in the forest When I’m looking off the edge, I preach my gut it can’t help but ignore it I’m climbing up the walls cause all the shit I hear is boring All the shit I do is boring, all these record labels boring I don’t trust these record labels, I’m torn All these people on the planet working 9 to 5 just to stay alive, how come?” Because we have bills to pay.
Flawless: Again an authentic clip from her childhood is used as she is introduced by middle-aged American TV presenter. Beyonce does casual cool in check shirt and denim shorts. Parts are shot in slow motion but the highlight is surely the infamous hand movement “I woke up like thissss”. “We Flawless” A message of Female Empowerment but also says “Bow down bitches!” which could send mixed messages to anyone looking for a message in a Beyonce track. “I took some time to live my life But don’t think I’m just his little wife Don’t get it twisted, get it twisted This my shit, bow down bitches” she refuses in this instance, to be known as an accessory to her husband and wishes to be respected in her own right. The ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ speech by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ”We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller We say to girls: “You can have ambition, but not too much You should aim to be successful, but not too successful Otherwise, you will threaten the man. Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage I am expected to make my life choices Always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important Now, marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage And we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors Not for jobs or for accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing But for the attention of men We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are Feminist: a person who believes in the social Political, and economic equality of the sexes”. I think this speech is so important and powerful and I hope it is not lost on anyone.
Partition: Beyonce is doing morning glam in a luxurious palace or castle, sitting to tea and a newspaper at breakfast, with servants running to her beck and call. Then a limo drive later we’re in a raunchy burlesque style striptease/dance routine, it’s all a juicy fantasy/daydream while sitting at breakfast. Beyonce is talking about a sexual encounter with her husband in the back of a limousine and she is asking ever so politely (and repeatedly) for the Driver to roll up the partition so they can continue with their activity in private. She wants to give her all to her man and be all he desires and needs, the paparazzi are outside and the driver is trying to eavesdrop despite the music. It’s an infectious beat, I like her accenting on certain words; in a chaotic atmosphere she is letting go of an uptight sensible image.
(Was the French speech taken from The Big Lebowski? http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/12/13/beyonc_french_lyrics_on_partition_did_beyonc_sample_the_big_lebowski.html ). Roughly translated: And here’s how they translate, roughly in English (translation courtesy Slate‘s L.V. Anderson and Miriam Krule):
Do you like sex? Sex. I mean, the physical activity. Coitus. Do you like it? You’re not interested in sex? Men think that feminists hate sex, but it’s a very stimulating and natural activity that women love.
Rocket: Soulful and sensual, very slow shots, black and white again (not complaining). The water running down her back creates the illusion of a mountain which is a great vision. There is lots of water (I’m sure she doesn’t have to worry about her water bill), bed sheet scrunching and self-stroking. There’s a gentle contrast between hard and soft images, working up to the climax of the song. The song is slow and sensual, the lyrics reflect the concept of complimenting one another, fitting together, comfort and unity with a light and natural feel. Rocket, a play on the words “rock it” til the water falls. I’m sure that one didn’t need explaining, younger readers, ask your parents. Expect a talk about the birds and the Beys. So in a lovely dance of innuendos, a rocking back and forth rhythm, the song reaches a climax musically. There is also a play on ‘Roc’ as in RocNation her husband’s record label. The last line whispered in falsetto tone “punish me please” will ring true with S&M fans.
Jealous: The video picks up where Partition left off (at the breakfast table) – as if back to reality. She sits in a grand house at a large table, all alone. It’s not long before she smashes things in frustration then rebels against the feeling by going out and then she runs back home (in her heels, no less) to her man because her spidey senses tell her he’s back in the drive (call it woman’s intuition or maybe she has an app for that) because the whole thing was blown completely out of proportion, guys. A woman’s effort and anger of being stood up or feeling lonely and not having the same freedom and inconsideration of the other. She assures us “I aint lost it”, don’t worry, we see that. She also feels guilty for her jealousy “I’m just human, don’t judge me.” This is attempt to show vulnerability, imperfection and asserting her concerns of differences more than inequality almost like a continuation of the theme in ‘If I were a boy’. As if to say “If I was you, I’d be a better you”. Ouch. Alas, ‘Jealous’ is a little more forgiving and self-blaming than the former. “I wish that you were me So you could feel this feeling I never broke one promise, and I know when you’re not honest Now you got me yelling that’s because I’m jealous” “Sometimes I want to walk in your shoes Do the type of things that I never ever do I take one look in the mirror and I say to myself Baby girl you can’t survive like this no”
Mine: It opens with ‘MINE’ in emblazoned letters then Beyonce very still in this Mary like image with a person laying dependently on her lap and a mask held out in her hand. Again with flowing chiffon creating patterns of beige and grey through contemporary dance. Then there is an image of Beyonce letting go and more energetic dancing as the beat picks up, faceless people dancing in the desert. Sheets over heads of bodies read ‘You’re’ and ‘Mine’ as they embrace, reminiscent of singer JoJo’s music video for ‘In the Dark’. And Beyonce’s naked back has the word ‘MINE’ inked on it. Beyonce and Drake’s images pour into one another in a fluid movement. The hands that were once separated are again joined. Mine is poetic and minimal, with a catchy melody and head nod inducing beat (typical Drake sound). Some have highlighted the matters addressed in the references to post-natal depression and an uncertainty in relationship status. “Been having conversations about breakups and separations I’m not feeling like myself since the baby Are we gonna even make it? Oooh Cause if we are, we’re taking this a little too far”
Superpower: Beyonce dons a balaclava in a derelict, dare I say post-apocalyptic LA? (Yes I’m sure that’s far off but…) There’s fire, graffiti and they’re ready for war, flying flags, charging down stationary escalators (looks fun), breaking into cars and together they have a superpower (no capes though). Beyonce holds a fallen man and later stands with him hand in hand. An army of Beyonce’s people stand face to face with a line of armed police men and they’re not backing down! “When the palm of my two hands hold each other That feels different From when your hands are in mine That’s just the way it is And when my voice is screaming out to my own ears That feels different from when I hear yours Now that’s just the way it is And when I’m standing in this mirror after all these years What I’m viewing is a little different From what your eyes show you I guess I didn’t see myself before you Moving forward”
Frank Ocean is known for alternative but brilliant music. So after reading these lyrics, I have a better understanding of the song. She perceives herself differently to her partner but she also owes this new perception to her partner. Together, they feel invincible. Or perhaps it’s about the power of the bond with her child and the new found identity and self-discovery that comes with being a new mother and a ‘Grown Woman’.
Blue: Natural shots of Beyonce and her young daughter amongst locals filmed in Brazil. We see her husband too but if you blink you’ll miss him and Beyonce repeating the dance moves she has learned from the youngsters. Beautiful and traditional Carnival outfits are worn and Blue Ivy Carter gets her formal introduction to the world (the music world that is) as she features on her first track at the tender age of about one and a half, at the time. She speaks about nothing comparing to the love she has for her daughter and the bond of her family. If like me, you didn’t know what on earth the kid was saying, it’s this: “Hold on to me, hold on Bee-sy-ay Bee-sy-ay Blue Mommy, mommy, mommy Can we see daddy (laughs) Can we see daddy” I imagine die-hard fans would go so far as to sing along to this bit in a concert.
Heaven: A picuresque Catholic Church & with holy images of Beyonce with rosary beads and white lace, contrasted with the memories and celebration of a full life of a friend who has passed away. Contemporary dance is also used and we see Beyonce in a large black hat, and The Lord’s prayer in Spanish is played out over the strobe effect.
On that note, I’m not quite sure how this whole thing should end but here is an award winning article written by Beyonce for Essence (pre-Visual Album) and it taps right into that sincerity I was looking for. It was written in 2012 though.
http://www.essence.com/2012/05/03/beyonce-knowles-nyabj-award-essence-article-eat-play-love/
And just today, Beyonce posted a remix of Drunk in Love featuring Kanye West. Move over “surfboard” it’s time for the “reverse cow girl” , yikes!
http://pitchfork.com/news/53984-listen-kanye-west-remixes-beyonce-and-jay-zs-drunk-in-love/
– Syeren xx
Black History Month, Myth or Meaningful?
We have reached the end of October: Black History Month, did you celebrate or commemorate it in any way? I often feel like there is not enough on offer to educate and entertain young people at this time but there are events on throughout the country, we just have to find them and actually attend. I think people are more likely to pay attention to or purchase mainstream music or a movie rather than attend a seminar, workshop or play, thus we can only hope that the messages portrayed in those mediums are both honest and responsible in their delivery of black history.
Black History Month was invented originally in 1926 by Carter Godwin Woodson.
Black History timeline:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/interactive/2008/oct/13/black-history-month-timeline
There are many more interesting articles on Black History on the above website.
Some Key Figures:
Toussaint L’ouverture – Leader of slave revolt in Caribbean
Alexander Pushkin – Founder of Russian Literature, of African heritage.
Harriet Tubman – Leader of Underground Railroad, freed thousands of slaves
Mary Seacole – A Jamaica nurse who used creole medicine to treat soldiers and sailors. When rejected to help Florence Nightingale she set up her own hotel to aid soldiers
Sojourner Truth – Gained freedom and gave a voice to black women in her famous speech ‘Aint I A Woman’
Frederick Douglass – Critic. Instrumental in abolition of slavery, supported women’s suffrage.
Paul Robeson – Athlete, singer & actor.
Ida B Wells – Journalist and Civil Rights campaigner. Campaigned against lynching and racial segregation.
Martin Luther King – Leader of Civil Rights, opposed segregation and encouraged equality with his iconic speech ‘I Had A Dream’.
Malcolm X – Radical Leader, influenced ‘black power’.
Bob Marley – (Jamaican Reggae) Musician and Liberalist, at the forefront of Rastafarianism.
CLR James – Writer and Historian, famous book: The Black Jacobins.
Muhammad Ali – Boxer and political activist, 3x world heavyweight champion, vocally opposed racism.
Nelson Mandela – First Black president of fully representative democracy in South Africa. Opposed apartheid. African National Congress movement fought actively only when 69 peaceful protestors were brutally murdered. He served 27 years in prison and became a figure of peace for race relations.
Desmond Tutu – South African Social Rights Activist & retired Archbishop, opponent of apartheid.
Barack Obama – The first Black President of the United States
Doreen Lawrence – Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon (in Jamaica). Mother of murdered Black British teenager in racial attack, her campaigning has reformed the British policing system (concluding them institutionally racist).
Some Black inventors:
Garrett Morgan invented the hair straightener, gas mask and auto traffic signal.
Granville Woods invented telegraphy and railway electrical systems.
Philip Downing invented the letterbox.
Ernest Just pioneered fields of marine biology and zoology, researching parthenogenesis.
Lloyd Ray created the dust pan.
William Purvis patented the fountain pen, bag fastener, hand stamp and electric railway device.
Thomas Stewart patented the mop.
Richard Spikes invented the Auto gear shift
Daniel Hale Williams invented the method for and first successful open heart surgery.
Fred Jones invented the portable x-ray machine, automatic movie ticket machine & refrigerated trucking system.
Madame C.J Walker – Black Hair products, created jobs for more than one thousand and became first black millionaire.
Banneker Benjamin – Developed first clock in U.S.A
An interesting article from The Guardian:
Black History Month can only be declared a success once it’s redundant
Uplifting stories of individual triumph, like those of Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Mary Seacole, don’t do nearly enough to fill the knowledge gap
Illustration of slaves working an early cotton gin. ‘The trade in sugar and slaves helped build Britain’s greatness and has provided the backstory for some of our most beloved cultural symbols.’ Photograph: Hulton Archive
When Vladimir Putin’s spokesman dismissed Britain as “a small island no one listens to”, David Cameron defended our nation’s honour by mentioning among its triumphs “that Britain helped to abolish slavery”. He made this statement without any apparent irony, or awareness that Britain was also one of the originators of the institution of slavery, certainly in the Atlantic context.
As we approach the end of Black History Month statements like this make it clear how much it is needed – and, at the same time, how little these annual 31 days have done to address the widespread ignorance about crucial aspects of our history.
The truth is that the trade in sugar and slaves helped build Britain’s greatness and create some of our most beloved cultural symbols. It was sugar, harvested by slaves, that generated those great fortunes jockeyed for in the novels of Jane Austen, and helped to finance the splendid houses which provide the model for Downtown Abbey.
Nor should we forget that even today, more than 150 years after slavery was abolished, Africans and their descendants remain markedly disadvantaged compared to the descendants of those who promoted the trade against them.
So why does this ignorance persist, 25 years after Black History Month was launched in Britain? This month we’ve seen events that range from the sublime, such as the award-winning American musical The Scottsboro Boys, to the tokenistic. At my children’s school, many heart-warming pictures of Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Doreen Lawrence have been produced, as well as innumerable portraits of black sportsmen from Usain Bolt to Theo Walcott. At a friend’s school, the pupils have been encouraged to turn up dressed as a black pop star. Most of our children have become familiar with the travails of Mary Seacole. But these stories of individual triumph, however uplifting, don’t do nearly enough to fill the knowledge gap. We need to integrate black history across the educational curriculum, and among adults, so that people like our prime minister will also comprehend it.
When Britain truly acknowledges its history, our society will realise that the brown and black faces in our midst are not interlopers or johnny-come-latelys, but the logical result of British participation in the world – and evidence of its long and intertwined involvement with its exploited colonies. Indeed, much of what we designate as black history is in fact simply English history – stories we should all remember and acknowledge. We minorities are here not as an act of charity but because we belong here, because we worked and starved and died over centuries to build this nation.
Slavery and colonialism is a ghost that still haunts modern Britain, because we have never fully exorcised it. Like any nation, Britain is what the academic Benedict Anderson described as an “imagined community”: its self-image is determined by what it decides to recall and what it decides to disregard. Thus abolition is warmly remembered and commemorated as the heroic action of a civilised society, and the hundreds of years of barbaric slavery that preceded it are conveniently forgotten.
It is the duty of a mature democracy to not just celebrate its triumphs but to acknowledge its miscarriages. Instead of the jingoistic version of history championed by the likes of education secretary Michael Gove, we should aim to create a narrative for our citizens that tells the whole story, warts and all. We will know Black History Month is successful only when it is redundant – when our history is understood by us all, and young people gain the pride and self-assurance that a genuine account of it would afford.
‘Black Being’ by Annique Simpson
Being Black to me means:
Working twice as hard for half as much.
Constantly ranking last,
Or ranking first just because of your skin shade.
Having to be tolerant of other people’s intolerance.
Being ‘sporty’ or ‘musical’, but never ‘entrepreneurial’ or ‘intelligent’
Being hated, mocked and mistreated for something you can’t hide.
But it also means:
Being able to make something out of nothing.
Fighting and surviving.
Possessing power and pluck.
Rocking natural, enviable skin tones.
Owning super-sexy body shapes.
Being cool and popular and desirable;
But never copiable.
Shirley Ricketts
Last week, I asked my 15-year-old daughter what Black History Month meant to her. She said that it was about Black people getting together to embrace our colour and our history.
My thoughts and feelings about Black History Month are quite similar to those of my daughter. I too think that we should be remembering the greatness of Black people and all the achievements, past and present, that we have accomplished. I believe that there are so many wonderful things that we have done and that there is still so much more that we can do.
So when one of my close friends told me that she was planning to stage a local show for Black History Month, I was more than happy to take part. She hoped to get local people involved – particularly Black men – and the money raised from ticket sales would go to underprivileged children in Jamaica and in the UK.
The performance would involve a trip down memory lane, where drama would meet music with a subtle but poignant message. The show would commemorate great Black leaders and pioneers, including Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Michael Jackson.
After managing to convince my two children to take part in the play, I sent a ‘What’s App’ broadcast to all my male contacts, asking them to consider taking part in this local extravaganza. To be exact, I sent the message to 26 men. I got only three responses. One man said he would love to be a part of the show. Another said he would have loved to help out, but he was busy and the third thought that it was a good idea and had posted it on a male forum. This posting led to a fourth man contacting me for more information (unfortunately, he could not be involved). That was it! I hate to say it, but I think that if my broadcast had been an invitation to a party I might have had a better response.
Nevertheless, my friend held her first planning meeting the following week, which was attended by eight people. However, at the second meeting only two people turned up. Needless to say, the performance will not be going ahead, which is very disappointing. I think we missed an opportunity for the Black community to do something special; to revel in our greatness while raising money for a good cause.
My fear is that if we – the Black community – can’t be bothered to celebrate our own history, the powers that be will make it so we don’t have a choice.
A conversation with my Uncle
Leonard Lawrence is a musician (a percussionist specifically) who has also dedicated his life to being a student of the world. Someone who had always urged my siblings and I to be inquisitive and conscious before we even knew what either of those words meant. Rather than a lecture or a dictation, Len thought it was more useful and effective that we ask questions and begin discussion in the community.
Do we need a Black History Month?
What are the positives and negatives?
Should we not instead celebrate World History, all year around?
Why do people often start Black History at slavery?
How can we educate ourselves if not all of Black History is written?
Why do we have a lack of consumption for our own culture?
Should Black History be popularized to appeal to mainstream culture/majority audiences?
Should learning Black History be an individual journey or lesson rather than taught in the school curriculum?
“Conscious is not Cool – Ain’t Nobody Got Time Fo’ Dat!” by Syeshia Sweeney
My journey began in my last year of University when I decided to challenge myself for one of my Dissertation topics (as if going to Uni wasn’t enough of a challenge), I chose to write my 4000 word Drama Essay on the representation of black women on stage from 1960s to the present in both Britain and America. Well, I started researching and my research soon overtook my project as I read over thirty books on Black culture and Black Feminism. I had a brief History lesson on slavery in High School and I had heard of Rosa Parks but my knowledge was very limited. I had taken bits of pieces about slavery and later race relations from TV and movies but I had no real understanding or knowledge of Black History.
I soon became familiar with terms such as ‘critical consciousness’, ‘marginalised’ and ‘double-burden’ and I became increasingly aware of the black female stereotypes: ‘Superwoman/Matriach, Welfare Queen, Whore and Mammy’.
After my dissertation, I felt dissatisfied. I had to stay focused on the subject of performance rather than venture outwards into the broader subject area of cultural study and black feminism. I found a definite contrast in the American and British histories and a distinct lack of resources in Black British Feminism in comparison to America but then, the population of blacks in America is obviously far greater than in the UK in general. When I left University, I was compelled to write a play using the research I had obtained for my dissertation. It was clear that the likes of Bell Hooks and Audre Lorde had had a certain impact on me as the words quickly filled the pages and I completed the play in a short space of time, just in time to enter a reputable playwright competition to attend the Young Writers Programme at The Royal Court Theatre. I was successful in my application and was selected for the course and my first ever full-length play HATER was based on the quotes and hard-hitting facts I encountered and felt I had to act upon. The books I read had a stern message about ‘poly-vocality’ eg. gathering as a community in speaking out or at least speaking to each other, this is consciousness, this is the first step in fighting towards revolution. A personal revolution.
The other topic that really drove me to write the play was the self-hatred and self-perpetuation of negative imagery and institutionalized racism between Black women. In essence, this play was written for young women (although it focuses on two Black women) to re-evaluate their representation of themselves and the way they are represented.
Notes & Quotes taken from books I read for my research:
Black women felt alienated, ostracized and criticized, they were beaten on the way home from voting.
P25 : “The realization of human injustice moved black women to action, they viewed their roles as activists as a natural extension of their fundamental rights as human beings. In this manner, those women sought to take back what they felt was rightfully theirs.”
Book: Ain’t I A Woman, Bell Hooks.
Black women were viewed as sexually permissive and available, they were denied the title of Miss or Missus. They were often seen as the stereotype of whore or overweight nagging maternal figure (Mammy).
P70: “As sexist ideology has been accepted by black people, these negative myths and stereotypes have effectively transcended class and race boundaries and affected the way black women were perceived by members of their own race and the way they perceived themselves.”
Another stereotype was the Matriach/Superwoman – power we didn’t really possess. Mythology impacts on reality.
P2: “The white women could at least plead for her own emancipation, the black women doubly enslaved, could but suffer and struggle and be silent.”
P159: “S.Truth bared her breasts to prove she was a woman.”
Black women were afraid that if they supported feminism it would harm Black Liberation.
Book: Race, Sex & Gender by Mary F.Brewer
Women were white until proven otherwise.
[For example Literature is predominantly perceived to be pioneered and mastered by and for the White British Middle Class Middle-Aged Male, if a newspaper wrote about a man who had entered a building, it is unlikely that a Western reader would presume the subject to be of a minority race.]
Black women seen as Welfare Queen stereotypes are aware of sexist and racist tendencies and still go ahead with their pregnancies, is it a political resistance?
Slavery saw induced abortion and infanticide.
P48: “Foucault maintained throughout his writings that there is always the possibility of resistance regardless of the relations of power in place.”
White women were overcome by guilt and self-denial.
Oppression is a pre-condition for black women.
P97: “The black female is either unnoticed or over noticed and misinterpreted.”
Book: The Black Woman – La Frances Rodgers-Rose
Slaves were seen as less than human and sold without clothing. Women were subjected to sexual abuse and torture, they were forced to bear multiple children one after the other. Some slaves did in fact become owners of land.
The Mammy stereotype features in advertising. In reality, these Nannies fooled their white masters by separating their conception to their conception of themselves.
[Known as a double identity, these women behaved one way before their masters and another way in their private lives. They felt a notion of superiority in a sense, in the way their submissive behavior was a performed role.]
Rebellious black woman is shown as aggressive or masculine.
P73: “Thomas Jefferson believed black woman had mated with the orangutang.”
Book: Recovering the Black Female Body ed. Michael Bennett
Ix: “Body is never simply matter, never divorced from perception and interpretation.”
Masculinatization/Feminization of black female body: instability. Perceived as both sexual & grotesque.
White female body is seen as more attractive and easier to read.
Book: Black British Feminism by Heidi Safia Mirza
West Indian women came to England to work, most independently but were told they could only claim rights through husband. They worked in public and caring industries.
Triple Oppression: Race, Gender & Class.
P14: “ Reinforced in the black press the superwoman has even become a celebrated empowering notion among black women themselves.”
(Black women have embraced the stereotypes enforced upon them and now believe these to be part of their history and culture.)
‘Otherness’, Black women are eroticized/exoticized.
P18: “Locked into a racialized, sexualized discourse, represented as exotic others, we have forgotten other ways of imagining who we are.”
Black women are critical of black women with light skin and straight hair, shape of lips/nose are measured in approximation to whiteness. Eurocentrism. The European standard/ideal is used as a yardstick for measuring beauty. Whites monopolize on beauty. Internalized by black women and men alike! Skin lightening and hair straightening. Shade prejudice/pigmentocracy, still perceived as an indication of class in some countries.
Audre Lorde – Various Quotes
“I know the anger lies inside of me like I know the beat of my heart and the taste of my spit. It is easier to be furious than to be yearning. Easier to crucify myself in you than to take on the threatening universe of whiteness, by admitting that we are worth wanting each other.”
[Lorde speaks of the strained relationship between Black women]
“The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never allow us to bring about genuine change.”
“I am not only a casualty, I am also a warrior.”
Book: Audre Lorde – Eye to Eye in Sister Outsider (1984)
There is a distrust and a distance between black women.
P152: “Anger – a passion of displeasure that may be excessive or misplaced but not necessarily harmful. Hatred – an emotional habit or attitude of mind in which aversion is coupled with ill will. Anger, used, does not destroy. Hatred does.”
P153: “We cannot settle for the pretenses of connection, or for parodies of self-love. We cannot continue to evade each other on the deepest levels because we fear each other’s angers, nor continue to believe t
hat respect means never looking directly nor with openness into another Black woman’s eyes.”
P157: “Even if our words taste sharp as the edge of a lost woman’s voice, we are speaking.”
Distance is justified as courtesy.
P168: “We are never good enough for each other. All your faults become magnified reflections of my own threatening inadequacies. I must attack you first before our enemies confuse us with each other. But they will anyway.”
Book: Talking Back by Bell Hooks
We need to examine our role as women as perpetuators in these systems of domination.
Encourage/adopt critical consciousness.
Revolution begins with the self and in the self.
Fear of painful confrontation prevents action.
Publishers thought her tone was ‘angry’.
P112: “The first pain wounds us, the second pain helps heal our wounds.”
Book: Black Looks, Bell Hooks
We are controlled by education and government.
P1: “And if we, black people, have learned to cherish hateful images of ourselves, then what process of looking allows us to counter the seduction of images that threatens to dehumanize and colonize.”
Black self-hatred is greater than black pride.
We are told to believe there is now social equality.
P42: (Eye to Eye: Black Women, Hatred and Anger, Audre Lorde)
“We do not love ourselves, therefore we cannot love each other.”
P65: “Officials don’t gather to study ‘whiteness’”.
Baldwin: “people are trapped in history and history trapped
in them”.
P43: Audre Lorde – “Because we see in each other’s face our own face, the face we never stopped wanting. Because we survived and survival breeds desire for more self. A face we never stopped wanting at the same time as we try to obliterate it. Why don’t we meet each other’s eyes? Do we expect betrayal in each other’s gaze or recognition.”
Thank you for reading, I hope you have found this blog insightful, informative and interesting and if you already knew all that was discussed, I hope you are able to take it upon yourself to encourage discussion and raise questions. Never stop learning and asking questions but also remember it is OK to enjoy and invest in popular culture as well as educational or cultural. (Movies The Long Walk to Freedom featuring Idris Elba and The Butler featuring Forest Whitaker is coming to cinemas). So the next time you’re singing along to Nicki Minaj lyrics (which I do too sometimes):
Wobbledy wobble, wo-wo-wobble, wobbin’
Ass so fat, all these bitches’ p*ssies is throbbin’
Bad bitches, I’m your leader, phantom by the meter
Somebody point me to the best ass-eater
Tell ’em “P*ssy clean!” I tell ’em “P*ssy squeaky!”
N*ggas give me brain ’cause all of them n*ggas geeky
If he got a mandingo, then I buy him a dashiki
And bust this p*ssy open in the islands of Waikikiiiiii…
Kiss my ass and my anus, ’cause it’s finally famous
And it’s finally so, yeah, it’s finally so!
I don’t know, man, guess them ass shots wore off!
Bitches ain’t poppin’, Google my ass
Only time you on the net is when you Google my ass
Ya f*ckin’ little whores, fu-f*ckin’ up my decors
Couldn’t get Michael Kors if you was f*ckin’ Michael Kors
B-B-Big Sean, b-boy, how big is you?
Gimme all yo’ money and gimme all yo’ residuals
Then slap it on my ass, ass, ass…
… you’re also aware of the history of Sarah ‘Hottentot Venus’ Baartman. And if you’re not yet familiar, I suggest you err “google her ass.”
I am a firm believer in knowing and listening to your body, although we may not all be medically qualified, there are some things only you can identify within yourself and you have to be the best advocate in leading a healthy life for yourself, physically and mentally. Some friends of mine have kindly and bravely offered an insight into living with various conditions to raise awareness about such issues. Thank you ladies! I have also added some information from support websites related to each condition.
The below is written by A.Smith
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
I’ve suffered with this condition for a few years now and a lot has changed in that time. It started off with bouts of tachycardia, fatigue and weakness which doctors didn’t seem to worry about too much. It then developed pretty quickly and seriously causing me to lose consciousness – at first every few weeks but quickly increasing in frequency, and severity, to the point where I was having episodes every day.
This was pretty scary to live with and really turned my world upside down, taking away my independence which was probably the hardest part.
After many, many medical tests and experimenting with different medications and treatments, including lifestyle changes such as increasing fluid and salt intake, my symptoms are now much more manageable. I’m passing out much less (only a few times in a month) and my other symptoms such as leg pain and tachycardia are gradually getting better too. I have my independence back, even to the point where I’m now working full time in a job I enjoy with, luckily, a very supportive manager and colleagues.
Before I was in and out of hospital and passing out so much that it was very evident I was unwell. Now it’s more of an invisible illness where people wouldn’t necessarily know if I was suffering.
It’s odd to think I will probably always have this condition but at least now I have the hope of seeing that with the right treatment and support, it can get better.”
The facts:
Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is an abnormality of functioning of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. It is defi ned as an increase in heart rate of over 30 beats per minute (or to higher than 120 beats per minute) (40 bpm in those age 12-19) when standing upright. Typically there is no postural fall in blood pressure, although fainting (syncope) can occur (see below).
The main symptoms of POTS include:
What causes PoTS?
Facts provided by : http://www.stars.org.uk/patient-info/conditions/pots
Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) & Sjorgen’s Syndrome
“Ohh…what is that?” is the most common thing that I hear when telling someone you have Lupus; which is pretty poor considering that so many people do suffer from it.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease (i.e. your immune system effectively attacks itself and the good tissue in your body).
Lupus is a chronic condition i.e. it cannot be cured; so you are pretty much stuck with it once you have it. However, there is the potential to manage and control the activity of the disease to provide its sufferers with the best possible quality of life. Sjogren’s syndrome is part of the autoimmune disease family and closely linked to Lupus with similar symptoms but extended to swollen glands, dry eyes and dry mouth.
I was officially diagnosed with Lupus in 2007 and was probably living with it 5 years prior to being diagnosed; however, only recently diagnosed with Sjogren’s in the last year. The main way Lupus is detected is through blood tests and there are certain factors in your blood that are abnormally high in Lupus sufferers. The general diagnosis are aided with the other common symptoms severe joint pains, extreme fatigue, Raynaud’s Phenomenon, hair loss, mouth ulcers, swollen glands, rashes amongst a few others.
The most difficult aspect of living with Lupus and Sjoergen’s is that to the ordinary person you never “appear” ill. The severe joint pains is the main way the condition affects me along with the extreme fatigue and ‘lupus’ kind of tired is like no other. Not many of the people I interact with are aware that a weighty prescription bag resides beside my bed and the creases of my elbows resemble a dot to dot exercise from all the blood the phlebotomists take on a regular basis. Unless my crutches and I are hand in hand or my walk looks incredibly peculiar I seem like an average Jane, although some may beg to differ.
Anyone that does suffer with Lupus would probably confess that the relationship with their medication isn’t the best but I believe that is part and parcel of you being told by your consultants and nurses that you are practically together for life as there is no cure. It can be disheartening as you can flare up when you do take it and equally flare up when you don’t. Whilst the people around you want to believe you are well; to them taking it is the only logic they see and if I had a pound for the amount of people that have hounded me to take my medication I’m sure I could of booked my one way ticket to Jamaica by now.
Living with Lupus can be difficult because it can just flare up with warning, completely preventing me from walking or using my hands and can potentially ruin any plans you have to go out or go to work. The pain can be excruciating at times but having lived with it for so long now I’ve partially learnt to block it out and try and get on with it. Whilst the condition is set with me forever I don’t allow it to consume me and I think the key is to manage the Lupus as opposed to it managing you.
The Facts:
Lupus can produce many symptoms and family doctors often fail to recognise it. Meanwhile, a number of major organs can be damaged in an irreversible way.
Rashes, depression, anaemia, feverishness, headaches, possible hair loss and mouth ulcers may all be part of the pattern of lupus.
Noticeably, whilst the two major symptoms are invariably present, people with lupus can differ greatly in their symptoms and how the illness can affect them – life-threatening for a few, very mild for some. Miscarriage, often recurrent, is another unhappy complication of lupus.
Facts provided by: http://www.lupusuk.org.uk/
Written by Alayna Brown
Multiple Sclerosis
What are your symptoms?
The symptoms which affect me the most are:
Poor balance / Sensory Problems – which affects the way I walk
Fatigue –
Dysaesthesia – Pins & needles and numbness mainly in both arms and
Blurred Version
When did you first discover you had this condition?
Back in October 2007 I was on holiday with my sister and while out doing a bit of sight-seeing I noticed I started dragging my feet while walking and had some sharp shooting pains in both my legs too. As the months went on, the pain came and went so I decided to call the NHS who advised me to go down to the Out of Hours surgery who then suggested I go to A&E. After running a few tests they sent me home with some painkillers which wasn’t much help. It was in June 2008 when I noticed my fatigue level was really bad and actually fell asleep at work, my Boss drove me home and instructed I go to the doctors the following day. I manage to get an appointment the following day with my regular Doctor who wasn’t too happy with just giving me more painkillers so she wrote a letter and insisted I go back to the hospital which I did and was immediately admitted. After weeks of running several tests the doctors informed me that they have my results but are waiting for a specialist to come and view my results before discharging me. When he finally did arrive, he confirmed and diagnosed me with Multiple Sclerosis.
How do cope / stay positive long term?
It’s extremely hard to stay positive daily especially when you’re in pain but I would say the love and support from my family and close friends really helps.
Do you know many other sufferers?
I know 3 people that have MS
The young man I do know has a severe case of MS and is actually in a wheel chair.
The young lady is a mother of two beautiful daughters and pretty much takes each day as is comes.
The last person isn’t actually a person I know to talk to but I do know his name Montel Williams LOL 🙂
How does it affect your social life?
Having MS affects my social in a major way. I find it extremely hard to make plans too far in advance just for the sheer fact that no two days are the same. Today I could be somewhat ok but tomorrow I can wake up in an extreme amount of pain.
If you could give someone else in your position advice, What would you tell them ???
DON’T OVER DO IT. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!!!
Written by C.Williams
The Facts:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition which affects around 100,000 people in the UK.
Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20-40, but it can affect younger and older people too.
Roughly three times as many women have MS as men.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition of the central nervous system.
In MS, the coating around nerve fibres (called myelin) is damaged, causing a range of symptoms.
In MS, your immune system, which normally helps to fight off infections, mistakes myelin for a foreign body and attacks it. This damages the myelin and strips it off the nerve fibres, either partially or completely, leaving scars known as lesions or plaques.
This damage disrupts messages travelling along nerve fibres – they can slow down, become distorted, or not get through at all.
As well as myelin loss, there can also sometimes be damage to the actual nerve fibres. It is this nerve damage that causes the increase in disability that can occur over time.
Physical symptoms of MS might commonly include vision problems, balance problems and dizziness, fatigue, bladder problems and stiffness and/or spasms.
Other symptoms might include problems with:
Facts provided by: http://www.mssociety.org.uk/
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
I didn’t go to the Doctors much when I was younger, in fact I wasn’t registered with a doctor for a long time. I remember Dad coming back from Morocco and being diagnosed with Gastroenteritis, he was told to stay home and warned it was highly contagious. My brother caught it, my sister caught it, My Mum caught it and I sat smugly, feeling invincible as I hadn’t caught it at all. And then of course I did and it never left! Feeling desperate for the loo at inconvenient times was messing with my social life, when you had to go, you had to go! Anyway, as anyone who has experienced it will know it’s an awful feeling but it morphed into IBS and has been causing a lack of control in my bowels for the past five years.
First of all, I’d like to state that I have dealt with some stick for speaking openly on this subject and people treat it as if it’s a taboo. Why? IBS is an extremely common condition, particularly in the UK and each individual’s experience with it is unique. My main symptoms include: loud rumbling/gurgling of the stomach, bloating, trapped wind/flatulence, hiccups (sometimes painful), feeling sick/nauseous, stomach cramps and diarrhoea (I rarely suffer from constipation).
After a while, you figure out what your trigger foods are, which types of foods cause which symptoms and you can choose to avoid it or take the risk at your own peril. For example, for the majority of IBS sufferers – Dairy, Alcohol & spicy food prove to be triggers of symptoms. I know I can sprinkle some cheese on a pasta dish and not suffer much but to eat cream cheese would be a disaster. Milk is by far the worst culprit as it makes me feel like I’m gonna vomit, faint and go to the loo all at once so I never really mess with the cow’s devil juice! Even some healthy foods unfortunately leave me feeling poorly, certain fruit (eg. apples) and veg (eg. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) and there has been lengthy debates about white/brown bread and fibre in the IBS diet.
I have been given medication and tried various treatments ant tried various treatments but to no avail, there is no known cure for IBS but you can learn to live with it by avoiding trigger foods and taking the relevant nutrition to improve your digestive system. The other factor is of course stress, something which is difficult to avoid but can be managed with various stress management techniques.
It affects me socially because I feel like a pain in the neck when I’m invited for dinner or going to a restaurant or even on special occasions such as weddings and Christmas. If I have to go to the toilet immediately, it can make me late for arrangements and the awfully loud tummy rumbling causes me to be rather red-faced in meetings and libraries. It can also be embarrassing if you’re in a relationship as symptoms could get in the way of a romantic evening, hearing someone complain about cramps isn’t exactly whispering sweet nothings. I know that if I am pro-active in making lifestyle changes, I will be able to manage coping with IBS long-term. I try not to let it get me down because there are many others suffering from conditions that are more painful or harmful and they manage to stay positive and keep an optimistic outlook on life.
S.Sweeney
The facts:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is the name doctors have given to a collection of otherwise unexplained symptoms relating to a disturbance of the colon or large intestine. It affects around a third of the population at some point in their lives and about one in ten people suffer symptoms severe enough to seek help from their GP. The symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome may include:
At any one time between 10% and 20% of people living in western countries fulfil the diagnostic criteria for IBS. In common with other medically unexplained illnesses, IBS is more frequently diagnosed in women compared with men, in young compared with old and in western countries compared with the developing world. It is commonly associated with emotional tension and is frequently triggered by life changes, difficult life situations or stressful life events. The Last Taboo. The bowel and its functions are the last taboo – especially when it does not work properly. In an age when we can talk freely about most things, the act of going to the toilet is not ‘polite’. The unwillingness of people to talk clearly and openly about their illness means they feel alienated from family and friends and do not always get the right care from their doctors. Do not be ashamed about discussing your symptoms with your doctor. They have heard far worse than anything you can tell them, and the more you tell them the better they will be able to help you. Talk openly about your symptoms. You’ll be amazed how many other people have similar problems. You are not alone. Support and understanding from The IBS Network makes a real difference in understanding and living with your symptoms, overcoming anxiety, building self-confidence, and reducing isolation.
These facts were provided by: http://www.theibsnetwork.org
Endometriosis
Endometriosis or ‘Endo’ is something I’ve been told it’s very likely I have but I have not officially been diagnosed with it as this can only be done if a laparoscopy is performed. I was advised not to have this procedure and to instead use the combined contraceptive pill as treatment, this improves the pain but doesn’t get rid of it completely. My symptoms include pain in the pelvic area/top of thighs, heavy/prolonged/painful periods and pain when I walk/run.
S.Sweeney
The facts:
What is endometriosis?Endometriosis (pronounced end – oh – mee – tree – oh – sis) is the name given to the condition where cells like the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) are found elsewhere in the body. Every month your body goes through hormonal changes. You naturally release hormones which cause the lining of the womb to increase in preparation for a fertilised egg. If pregnancy does not occur, this lining will break down and bleed. The blood is then released from your body as a period. Endometriosis cells react in the same way – except that they are located outside your womb. During your monthly cycle your hormones stimulate the endometriosis, causing it to grow, then break down and bleed. This internal bleeding, unlike a period, has no way of leaving the body. This leads to inflammation, pain, and the formation of scar tissue (adhesions). Endometrial tissue can also be found in the ovary, where it can form cysts, called ‘chocolate cysts’ because of their appearance.
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Endometriosis affects approximately 1.5 million women in the UK. It can be a chronic and debilitating condition. Endometriosis can impact on a woman’s life in a number of ways which include:
These facts were provided by: www.endometriosis-uk.org
My Journey: University, One Year On.
When I first left the comfort of my small, cosy Sixth Form with good A Level Results and a keen interest in Drama and English Literature, I researched the London Universities that were best known to perform in these areas. I applied for Goldsmiths, Royal Holloway, Queen Mary and a further distance with Manchester Met and Lancaster and I checked out Hertfordshire and Huddersfield (although some of these visits may be related to my second application). I also applied for one drama school CSSD (Central School of Speech and Drama) by auditioning and taking part in a workshop which you had to pay for, I found the experience daunting and after being told they only accept a small amount of undergraduates I felt defeated before I had begun. My application was rejected by Royal Holloway and Lancaster and in the end I think they did me a favour, both are in the middle of nowhere and you have to remember the campus life is a huge constituent to the student experience. I rested on Goldsmiths and began my course there; I was to commute from home in North West London to Newcross in Lewisham which included three trains (1hr30min journey) and was a rougher part of Lewisham but that wasn’t my main concern. I remember missing Freshers week as it was the time of my family holiday so I started on my first day with absolutely no pals, I queued up to enrol and I walked around the building for the first time (I never visited before then).
The building was old school, brick, just huge and boring, there was nothing remotely modern or inviting about the decor but the students were very hip and trendy. I quickly felt out of place there, I felt overwhelmed by the huge building and the workload, I struggled to get to Uni on time in the mornings and came across some unfriendly girls. Most of the time I sat by myself in the canteen and called friends from home like a loser. I did manage to make a couple of friends though, one from Kent and one from Cornwall, they were from completely different walks of life than I was but they had hearts of gold and a good sense of humour which is what drew us together. I also became friends with a young man who had two names, I think one was Yusef but my memory is shaky – he was a very wise, learned, articulate young man who was still able to relate to being an “urban” individual. Despite making some friends and passing my exams (just about) when I began my second year I couldn’t find one of my classes (they had some classes in random buildings across the road and down the road, etc.), it was in what looked like a house with a lock and code needed to open the door. I had just missed someone going in and the door slammed before me and it was like something clicked and I just realised I wasn’t supposed to be in there, it didn’t feel right and I was unhappy so I left and went to my Dad’s shop for the day. My brother asked me “aren’t you supposed to be in Uni or something?” and I told them I’d quit, I laughed as I wasn’t sure I quite believed it myself.
At first I just left and I had no clue that there was a whole formal procedure I had to do, quitting Uni was a process. I filled out the forms and I insisted it wasn’t because of anything other than the fact I wasn’t comfortable there and I didn’t want to return but if there had been more of an offer of support, perhaps I would have stayed but everything happens for a reason. One day I received a rather reprimanding letter in the post stating that I was on probation due to my absence, I wrote back informing them that I had formally withdrawn and they sent another realising their mistake and apologising. I spent the next two years working in play work and retail, being a young woman, enjoying life, making mistakes and growing up. Oh and clubbing, there was a lot of clubbing! I kept mentioning to people that I would return to Uni after a year’s work but I missed the deadline waiting on documentation so it ended up being two years before I applied for Universities again and chose Sussex Uni in Brighton. Sussex just seemed like such a happy campus, it was so full of greenery and a great campus life, a student orientated community, the city, country and seaside all in one location AND an excellent academic reputation (voted 8th best Uni in the UK and once had the reputation of The Oxford by the Sea). I had a friend who was already there studying Sociology and although I would be away from my friends and family, I felt like it was necessary for me to focus and I felt more prepared this time being 21, I felt I had a slight advantage and with Brighton being just one hour travelling distance from Victoria it meant I could visit home whenever I wanted to.
So it was settled, I was moving to Brighton. My first address was 106c Lewes Court. I had an En-suite bathroom so it meant my rent was slightly higher than some of the other accommodations, this had its advantages but the other accommodations were more known as the fun houses but that was fine by me. After all, I was there to study. My Dad kitted me out with a fridge, microwave, kettle and TV, it was all very cosy having my own space. I had my own bathroom but I shared the kitchen with my six other flatmates – all very different characters, half International students, half Londoners. It was cool because I could socialise when I wanted to then I could retreat to my room when I needed to study or wanted to relax. One thing I remember (which I should be used to really from my home in London) was the awful phone reception, I literally had to stick my head outside the window if my phone rang which wasn’t cool in the colder months (most of the time in England). I remember missing Freshers week, I was there this time but I had the flu. I went to the fair and didn’t sign up to anything but I did attend the Freshers Ball which was ridic. My Dad had given me a bottle of champagne and his DJ friend (Rampage 1Xtra) was playing there but I didn’t get there in time and as students we obviously didn’t have champagne flutes so it was more of a mug affair … classy. We rode there on The Big Lemon, a yellow bus in Brighton that runs on used cooking oil! And boy does it smell of it. The Sussex and Brighton students packed this bus up and sang all the way there, drunk as anything. When we finally got there, the building was huge, it had multiple floors, there were crazy games going on in corners. People were definitely on certain things if you know what I mean and it was mostly drum’n’bass all night, there was only so much I could handle. Maybe I was turning into a granny.
I realised very quickly that nobody’s world stops when you leave, everybody gets on with their lives and you have to do the same and you can’t expect people to visit you because you chose to move. I didn’t really get to know many people in my first year, all the tutors scared me and being the only brown face not only in my class, or my year but the whole drama department suddenly became noticeable. Before then, I went to a multicultural primary school and secondary school in West London, I was always around students from various nationalities and I had never been so aware of my race until I went to University. More to the point, despite being in a class with someone who lived near me I was the only person from a certain background and I felt I had to speak differently to be understood but I guess that’s how the International students felt. There were a few black people in the English department but English was a huge department and it’s not like Drama where you’re working together every day so you may never meet. I made some friends along the way and I had my friend from home who introduced me to her pals but obviously they lived off campus, they even took me to ACAS which is the African/Caribbean Society but it was a disappointing experience so I never returned.
I had a lot of problems with funding, I found myself getting increasingly frustrated with the Student Loans Company. At first, they didn’t want to pay my fees at all and I thought I would have to leave Sussex but eventually with the help of a woman whose name I think was Cathy O’Keegan, something like that she was amazing and managed (over a few months with constant back and forth correspondence) they decided to give me a loan to pay for my fees. My bank (Santander) wouldn’t allow me to have another student overdraft and I now have til September of this year to pay if off, thanks guys! Dropping out comes with huge consequences so unless you’re taking a year out to return to it, don’t do it unless you have organised yourself perfectly and you know it’s definitely the decision you want to make. The other thing I would like to praise is the support in place at Sussex and also the GP was good (as are the hospitals in Brighton), the food was good on campus too!
Most of the jokes from my first year stem from campus living, from the fire alarm repeatedly going off in the middle of the night and we all had to vacate the building and I would quickly take my headscarf that I wear at night off because it would just be long to explain. My weird flatmate who refused to speak to anyone who wasn’t from her country, had loud parties on Fridays and used our pots and pans without asking and didn’t understand my sarcastic sense of humour and accused me of stealing her bread. Really?? Then the infamous man upstairs, not God, just a tall dude with a huge fro. Even when I first moved in he was blazing music but it got worse, it was all day and all night and his room was right above mine and I learned the words to songs I had never even heard before (Jason Derulo – What you say). So after multiple Facebook statuses, I was encouraged to confront him, he got a bit cheeky and told me there’s a Library I could go to and the residential advisor I spoke to was friendly with him so it was never really resolved.
So this is where it got interesting, one day I was in my room, I think it was after midnight and I heard voices ask if they could check I don’t know what it was, the gas or water or something and my flatmate, bless her, let them in. It was the kids from upstairs, dressed as pirates, yes pirates and they stole from our cupboards and ran out. When I heard the noises, I came out and quizzed my flatmate about it. A little later another flatmate and her bf came home, a bit drunk and decided they wanted revenge. The bf started throwing like rotten potatoes or tomatoes or something into their window from outside and went and stole stuff from their house (unlike us they left their doors open) to see how they liked it. They marched over to ours, pissed and we all had it out. I was quiet at first hearing their argument that it was just a joke and we had taken it too far and when I started talking I was fuming but it was really hard to take them seriously when they’re dressed as pirates with really heavy eyeliner on. They forced a hug out of me and we left it as that. I later heard he was asked to leave for failing exams or absence or something so he obviously wasn’t serious and I know they probs thought I was a stuck up granny but I had my years of raving and they’re partying is mild compared! Take that afroman!
So I used to return home like every weekend with my lil River Island pulley case, I still love it. I often missed my train due to bad time keeping which was incredibly frustrating, Southern Railway made a lot of money out of me as I didn’t have the energy to claim it back. The train went from Victoria to Brighton then about three stops to Falmer which is where the University is located. My first year covered all the basics, pastoral poetry, classic literature, drama practitioners whereas my second year was more specific, I chose American Lit, European Short Stories and Modern Lit and with drama you do an end of year performance project. In my second year we took a book ‘Why we are Hungry’ by Dave Eggers and made it into an immersive site specific performance piece and we each had to take on a technical role also, mine was costume. It was so much fun, I had a solo which was daunting but the whole process was enjoyable and by this time I had become much more friendly with a lot of the drama group as we knew each other better and our classes had mixed. This second year was more about developing critical awareness, questioning things, original insight, giving presentations and writing essays from an angle. I then lived at 19 Toronto Terrace in an area called Queen’s Park (I also live in Queen’s Park in London) up a ridiculous hill, with two nutty flatmates and a further one who had her own partitioned flat almost.
This year was much more stressful, the workload was so intense and the pressure had definitely been turned up a notch. The bus to Uni came twice an hour, we had to call our landlord regularly for electricity cutting out etc. and we even had a complaint about our recycling building up from a neighbour once which was really silly. Despite the odd petty dispute, I have some fond memories of my flatmates, takeaways and X-Factor, they took me out to clubs and supported one another. I had a lovely birthday in my second year, all my friends and family came to visit me in Brighton and I was so chuffed and grateful they made the effort and the weather held out. Was it in my second year that I tried to get a job, it was calling up alumni (some were elderly) being chatty with them about their time at Uni and then asking them to donate to the Uni fund to help students/departments. It was so difficult, some people were rude, some people were willing to talk but not donate and I wasn’t keeping up with my work as it was and it was now even harder (there is lots of hours you have to put in to English and Drama studies) so I quit after like one or two weeks (looking back, I wish I had worked and saved money so hats off to those who managed it). I didn’t make them any money anyway, they were probably relieved to see the back of me! I also started to become acquainted with the Library now I didn’t live on campus annnd a little too familiar with the shopping centre in Churchill Square. H&M student lock-in, best idea ever!
My third year I lived in a small area called Coldean on Standean Close. Here, the bus to Uni came twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon and that’s it. My two flatmates chose to cycle to Uni but I’m a strange kid, I can’t ride or swim but I can tap dance! My final year obviously was the most stressful, I chose to study Psychoanalysis and Literature which was a mistake and two authors named Jamaica Kincaid and Jean Rhys in English and our performance project for drama was Martin Crimp’s ‘Attempts on her Life’. The other drama girls chose Shakespeare or Feminism, stuff they knew but I chose to baffle myself, I became closer with one other drama student because of it though. English students bunked lessons a lot, you couldn’t get away with that in Drama. My drama tutors were quite strict but maybe if they were more laid back, we’d feel like we could get away with not putting the work in. I had a couple of grievances while I was at Uni and I also had my Father’s 50th birthday out of the country, I also had a vomiting bug one day and for this I was reprimanded by a tutor who said I need to review why I was taking my degree. I was quite hurt by his comments as I had missed two possibly three of his lessons, how does that reflect my whole degree and it was such a struggle to go back to Uni and I had to convince myself it was out of the question to quit again. Anywho, I had a nice house and room and a huge garden which we never really used. I had a French flatmate who introduced me to aperitif and a vegan flatmate who introduced me to dairy free ice-cream. I visited talks about Media and Screenwriting but none were exactly tailored to the career I wanted but screenwriting was close enough, I think the screenwriter’s name was Andrea Gibbons if I remember correctly – she was really good. I did my two English dissertations on ‘Exploring Dissociation and Disavowal in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and ‘Exploring the use of ambivalence in Jamaica Kincaid’s deployment of ‘The Mother’ in her fiction’ and my drama Independent Research Project on ‘Exploring the Representation of Black Women in Theatre and Cultural Theory from 1960 to the Present’.
So the Dissertation Dash is when students gather on either side of the path leading up to the building to hand in their dissertation which is the huge document of work that kind of marks the sum of your degree if you wanna be dramatic, it culminates your three years of learning or just the last term, however you wanna look it. No-one actually leaves it until the last minute to give in their dissertation, they do it in the morning or the day before, then they run the dash with a fake paper in their hands or in costume or topless (it happened) or whatever! No-one except of course, me. I had less than ten minutes to go and I didn’t want to run but I had no choice, I ran so fast and I heard someone cheer my name but it was all just a very rapid blur of adrenaline, I handed it in upstairs and when I saw a friend back downstairs I burst into tears. I had had no sleep and for the past few days I’d been living on pro plus (I don’t recommend this) and practically living in the library, I was still writing and editing that very morning and I was so convinced I wasn’t even gonna make it. I think I got a cab to Uni and then there was a problem in the printing room because someone took some of my work, just a disaster but it was over and I was over the moon!! I went out that night to celebrate and my graduation day was a really relaxed, happy experience and I was so pleased to meet Sanjeev Bhaskar. My family and boyfriend came for the ceremony and we tried to go to the pier but it was pissing down with rain but in true Brighton fashion some girls were skinny dipping.
One year on and some of the Drama girls and boys are teachers, some are musicians, some sticking with acting/directing and have worked at Edinburgh Fringe and some went on to do a Masters in Drama. It’s difficult to live away for three years and come back to living in your family home but I feel like I’m married to London but I had a little love affair with Brighton and it will always have a place in my heart (cheese). I do recommend further education (although I obviously attended before Uni fees rose to the extortionate amount they are now but I know there are apprenticeships and other means of education etc. now), I would also recommend living away if you have many distractions at home or if you’re from a small town and want to see more, the experience of campus life, the ultimate enrichment of the mind and the people you meet from all walks of life is just invaluable. Unfortunately for me, I still have not landed a graduate career and it is the reality for many UK graduates these days and I am in an incredible amount of debt from both Universities BUT I have achieved two things I really wanted to 1.) I was accepted onto the Young Writers Programme at The Royal Court Theatre and 2.) I wrote, co-produced and featured in my first short film. As long as I find a job that pays the bills and funds my creative endeavours, I can still take over the world.
Special Thanks to my family and every member of my Drama class who got me through it, you are a very talented bunch with such bright futures, I better fetch my shades. All the best, happy one year anniversary lol!
Hello all,
I’m sure all my UK peeps are in good spirits with a Wimbledon win and a heatwave all at once you’re probably going out of your minds! Recently, I’ve been all for embracing where you live… I almost feel like jumping on a route master tour bus with my SLR camera and speaking in an accent or I could just be normal but where’s the fun in that? There’s so much on offer on our front doorsteps (not literally, unless you get excited by milk bottles or something), even if you don’t have the extra cash to splash I’m sure you can take a stroll through a lovely park such as Kensington Gardens or visit a Museum for free. If you have a little time and money get down to Brighton, Bournemouth or Southend, seaside locations are glorious in fine weather you just have to decide between pebbles and sand! Did many of you go to Ascot? Glastonbury? I’m heading to Wireless on Friday at the new location of the Olympic Park, haven’t quite mastered what attire to wear yet.
STUFF
Ministry of Sound @ Thorpe Park
http://www.thorpepark.com/plan-your-visit/events.aspx
If thrilling rides aren’t enough for you, you can also let you hair down to chart topping music at the Theme Park.
Disney @ Hyde Park
http://www.bst-hydepark.com/news/detail/disney-comes-to-hyde-park-with-sky-movies
Catch some of your fave Disney films plus other great films such as The Help and Pirates of the Caribbean at this event for a limited period with limited tickets, so hurry!
East End Film Fest
http://www.eastendfilmfestival.com/
This ends tomorrow (10th July) so get involved sharpish.
Rooftop Film Club
http://www.rooftopfilmclub.com/
Looking fun and flashy in a good way, cinema but on the roof top.
The Nomad
http://www.whereisthenomad.com/
The pop-up cinema in a park near you
Silent Picture House
http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/offers/partners/silent-picture-house-offer
This sounds great, sponsored by BAFTA, British Airways presents films that consist of world travel, pop on a pair of headphones and no amount of noisy popcorn munching will disturb you (unless it’s coming from yourself of course!).
Floating Cinema
http://www.floatingcinema.info/
Cinema on a boat? Well now I have heard it all.
Film 4 Fright Fest
http://www.frightfest.co.uk/index.html
Can you do an all-nighter of horror films in the city? Go onnn, if you dare …. muahahaha.
BFI Monster Weekend
https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/monster-weekend
Similarly, BFI are doing screenings of big scary demon things such as Dracula. Classic!
Electric Cinema
http://www.electriccinema.co.uk/
In the heart of Portobello, watch a movie, eat at the (often star-studded) restaurant and even hire a private room if the occasion calls. What’s different about this cinema, there’s 65 armchairs with foot stools and side tables. There’s even a couple of sofas and blankets if needed!
Hyde Park Festivals
The Rolling Stones, Jennifer Lopez & Lionel Richie are just some of the names you’ll find at the Summer event in the Royal Parks.
RA Summer Exhibition
http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/summer/
An open submission means that this exhibition will be large so expect plenty for your money if you’ll be attending this Art Exhibition
Dine in the Dark
This concept fascinates me, you are in complete darkness and are guided to your table which you may share with strangers and you eat a meal that you’re entirely certain of. You’re encouraged to go to the toilet before hand and not drink much so you’re not bursting for the loo as it would spoil the experience.
Concert for Stephen Lawrence
http://www.aeglive.co.uk/node/1838
UNITY : A concert for Stephen Lawrence. Music for a great cause. Sept 29th 2013.
Amy Winehouse Exhibition
http://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/Amy
Some intimate photos and snapshots of the ‘real Amy’ as her family knew her. The Jewish Museum may attract a young and trendy Camden crowd with their late night viewings of the exhibition.
Nights @ London Eye
http://www.londoneye.com/EyeNights/
You know you can visit the rotating wheel at night but the London Eye with a view of the London skyline at night puts a whole new spin on things (see what I did there).
TV
The live murder trial is on tonight at 9pm, same time as Luther so don’t forget to set your recording device!
Luther
Wow Luther was amazing last week, I was hooked within the first 30 seconds, can’t wait for tonight’s episode. I was saddened to hear that Idris Elba found it difficult to shake off the misery of his doom and gloom as DCI Luther as it creeped into his personal life but he gives such a great performance and I’m sure he shook the black cloud off when filming the series wrapped.
TOWIE
I never used to watch this and always dismissed it as poppycock and now i’m hooked! What’s happened to me, I’m more up-to-date than people who have been watching for years, I’ll be getting a fake tan and shimmying at The Sugar Hut soon.
KUWTK
Another show I tried to resist, so the girls are no longer in Miami but instead they’re back with their mother and rest of the family with new dramas galore! Kim battles with her divorce from Kris Humphries as she is carrying Kanye West’s baby (now born, of course).
Don’t call me crazy
A window into the lives of young people suffering with mental health, I think this will be very educational and insightful. well I hope so.
The Call Centre
This show is bloody hilarious. Set in Wales, the leading call centre is full of huge characters and their unconventional boss is a bonus to the laugh-a-minute reality tv show.
FILMS
Delivery Man
Heartwarming yet funny. Vince Vaughn finds out he’s father to 533 kids and decides he wants to be a part of their lives, anonymously.
Stand Up Guys
Great plot and cast. Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin.
Before Midnight
It has festival kudos, looks like a romance story with substance.
Black Rock
This looks interesting, three girls return to their childhood getaway and it turns into a nasty ‘Survivor’ thriller when they realise they’re not alone.
Venus and Serena
The documentary of the leading athletic women and their amazing story!
Chasing Mavericks
Gerard Butler is physically unrecognisable. Based on a true story about an unlikely friendship struck up between a man and a young man with an obsession with surfing huge dangerous waves.
Pacific Rim
Visually nuts, not my usual cup of tea but I heard Transformers was amaze and I never really watched it to find out so it could surprise me.
Baggage Claim
Would you hunt down all your exes for a little romance? Looks like a fun one with a familiar cast.
The Best Man Holiday
How many years as it been since the original? Are they gonna do the electric slide again?
Confine
Daisy Lowe, Alfie Allen and Eliza Bennet. Psychological Thriller, not quite convinced yet but I’d be intrigued to watch it.
Don John
Prisoners
Ride Along
Ice Cube and Kevin Hart, I’m already laughing at the fact that Cube speaks so slowly and Hart speaks so fast. Hart’s character gets roped into shadowing his girlfriend’s brother in his Police duties before he can make an impression at the Police academy and ask his girl to marry him but he won’t be an easy feat with Cube happy to sabotage and ridicule him along the way.
THEATRE
Barking in Essex (Sept – Jan @ Whyndham’s Theatre)
Surprise Theatre @ Royal Court (10th June – 20th July)
A different surprise performance each night, from writers and theatre-makers with thrillingly distinctive voices.
The Amen Corner @ National Theatre until 14th Aug
Romeo & Juliet @ National Theatre, The Shed.
Sweet Bird of Youth @ The Old Vic – Kim Cattrall of SATC fame (1st June – 31st Aug)
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory @ Theatre Royal Drury Lane until May 2014
MUSIC
Beyonce and Andre 3000 – Back to Black cover
Ace Hood – Da Streets
Bridget Kelly – Special Delivery
Amplify dot ft Busta Rhymes – I’m good
Chris Brown ft. Aaliyah – Don’t think they know
Ellie Goulding – Burn
Sebastian Ingrosso – Reload
Moko – Hand on Heart
John Michael – Just A Man
Rita Ora & Snoop Lion
Meek Mill – Levels
Bruno Mars – Treasure
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Can’t Hold Us
Florida Georgia Line ft Nelly – Cruise remix
Kendrick Lamar ft Bridget Kelly – Street Dreamin
Fantasia ft. Kelly Rowland & Missy Elliot –
2 Chainz & Pharrell – Feds watching
Jay Z & Beyonce – On the Run
BET Awards
R. Kelly medley
Ciara
There were lots of other fantastic performances including Mariah Carey, Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae, Robin Thicke, Elephant Man and many more, not forgetting the explosive Lifetime Achievement award and performance/tributes to Charlie Wilson.
Glasto 2013 Highlights – Courtesy of BBC
Wherever you are and whatever it is you get up to, have a fantastic week! -Syeren xx
Hey all!!
Spirit of Nightmares Short Film dir. Emil Socialize
I’m back from the intense experience of making my first short film, we shot it in just under 24hrs on location in Brick Lane (East London). After staying up the night before to prepare to cater for cast &crew, I was up at 7am to help set up and get into hair and make-up to transform into my character Shannon. Despite the process being stressful at times, it was such an exciting experience and a huge learning experience also and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. I kinda threw myself in the deep end by writing, featuring in and I guess co-producing with this project but I hope by doing so, I’ve set the bar high for future endeavours. You will all be invited to the screening, so look out for the details for that as all support is hugely appreciated.
Chime for Change Concert, Twickenham
“None of us can move forward if half of us are held back”
OK so for just £55, I got a seat in a sheltered part of the stadium and I definitely got more than I bargained for. Aside from the already incredible line up with Haim, Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, Florence & The Machine, Timbaland, Laura Pausini, Iggy Azalea, John Legend, J.Lo and Beyonce headlining they also surprised us with performances from Jessie J, Mary. J. Blige, Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran) and the one and only Jay-Z!! Not to mention the star studded presenters such as Madonna, Ashwarya Rai, Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, James Franco, Blake Lively, Jessica Chastain, Freida Pinto to name a few and also Salma Hayek, Beyonce and Gucci (Frida Giannini) who were the founders of the project. Not only did the funds from the tickets go to funding 120 projects to improving Health, Education & Justice for women worldwide but we were treated to moving VTs and speeches from individuals such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu (via satellite) and his daughter, live and from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (award-winning Pakistani-Canadian film maker).
Events
Father’s Day – June 16th
To those celebrating Fathers and to those who have suffered the loss of their Father, June 16th marks the day we choose to honour them. As I’m financially challenged at the moment, it’s likely that my gift will be cooking Sunday breakfast, which is pretty much what I make every Sunday. Maybe I’ll stick a bow on the toast or something?
RJS Cook Up – June 23rd 2013
So RJS, the guys that took 250 party people to Portugal last September and are doing the same in Gran Canaria this year (16th – 23rd September – visit nwrworld.com for more info) are holding a free child-friendly all-dayer event. Expect all your favourite RJS deejays, plus a bouncy castle, ball pit, face painting and pool tables, Nintendo Wii & PS3 competitions, not forgetting the Caribbean buffet available for purchase & the fully stocked bar open from 12 – 10pm. You can purchase your RJS Entertainment Pass on the day in cash if you so wish.
Holi Festival of Colours 2013
The London Holi will take place at Battersea Power Station on August 10th and 11th, join in this festival of music, freedom and colour (derived from the expulsion of the cast system at this particular event in India). Revellers join in the counting down before releasing a spectrum of brightly coloured powder in the air and over each other, thus creating a beautiful sight and a powerful message.
London Zoo Lates
This sounds absolutely fab, a trip to the zoo after hours with the odd comedy or cabaret performance and plenty of food. What could be more fun? You can even by a ticket which includes a drink, queue jump and an animal mask or hat.
MOVIES
Last Vegas
Four Movie Legends: Robert Deniro, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline. They look like they’re reliving their youth on this one, I can’t wait to see these heavyweights in a movie together and better still if it will make us laugh!
Behind the Candelabra
I love when a film is based on a true story. I’ve heard Douglas and Damon put in some great performances but part of me just wants to see this for the ostentatious costumes and props.
Blood Ties
Strong cast (Clive Owen, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, James Caan, Matthias Schoenaerts & Billy Crudup) looks like a good plot also.
Epic
These children’s animated films are looking better and better. The details on the special effects are incredible, looks like an adventure in the forest that will capture even the dullest of imaginations.
Despicable Me 2
Ahh this looks like so much fun, I wanna borrow a kid just so it’s acceptable for me to go and see it! Does it matter that I haven’t seen the first one?
The Last Exorcism Part 2
Eli Roth strikes again, this one actually looks good. I’d watch it, just maybe not before bed.
The Iceman
I am sold! This looks really good, very dramatic. Another strong cast: Ray Liotta, Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, James Franco. The true story of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man.
Admission
I feel like I’ve already reviewed this. Anywho, Tina Fey fan, I love what she does, Paul Rudd is also cool. This looks like a good rom-com, with a crazy plot.
Stuck in Love
I’m getting Deja-vu, feel like I’ve looked at this before as well but hey, interesting enough. I would watch it on Sky Movies but I wouldn’t run out and watch it at the cinema.
World War Z
Ahh I thought it was one of those video games they turned into a movie but it was originally a novel. A U.N. employee is racing against time and fate, as he travels the world trying to stop the outbreak of a deadly Zombie pandemic. So another apocalyptic movie but hopefully Pitt delivers the goods which I’m sure he does.
Alan Partridge – Alpha Papa
A refreshingly unconventional trailer, should be a good watch.
Snitch
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is a father trying to protect his son who has been set up in a drugs bust. He puts himself on the line in an attempt to reduce his son’s sentence but it’s not long before he is in too deep and the officials won’t get involved until he brings down the King Pin drug lord. The story line is unbelievable in parts but it is mostly entertaining.
Spike Island
The Stone Roses, 1990s Manchester, British teens in all their grit, glory and humour.
The Conjuring
Oh that is a good trailer! As some of you loyal readers will know, I don’t rate a lot of horror movies but that looks good.
The East
This looks like an interesting story with Ellen Page. I’m intrigued.
The Heat
Sandra Bullock and Melissa Mccarthy who is just everywhere at the moment make a great team together, this looks like a smash hit comedy movie!
The Seasoning House
I think this is a 2012 release but it looks so gripping, powerful and thrilling from the trailer I couldn’t ignore it.
MUSIC
French Montana – I Ain’t Worried
Eve & Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship – Make it Out this Town
Jason Derulo – The Other Side
Iggy Azalea – Bounce
Miguel ft. Kendrick Lamar – How Many Drinks
Snoop Lion & Miley Cyrus – Ashtrays & Heartbreaks
Disclosure ft. Eliza Doolittle – You & Me
Naughty Boy ft. Sam Smith – La La La
Dizzee Rascal & Bun.B – H.Town
Robbie Williams ft. Dizzee Rascal – Goin’ Crazy
Gilbere Forte – Pray
Shanell – Catch me at the light
Lea Anna – Find My Love
Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
Sasha Go Hard – Rondo
Tyga ft. Chris Brown – For the Road
Ciara ft Nicki Minaj – I’m Out (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift ft Ed Sheeran – Everything has Changed
Alicia Keys – Tears Always Win
Austin Mahone – What About Love?
Lawson ft. B.o.B – Broken Hearted
Doe.B ft. T.I & Juicy J – Let Me Find Out
Young Dro, B.o.B, Yung Booke – Poppin 4 Sum
Ace Hood, Rick Ross & Future – Bugatti
Lil.Wayne ft. Boo – Bugatti
Rick Ross ft. Lil Wayne & Birdman – Veterans Day
2 Chainz – I’m Different
Charly Black & J Capri – Whine & Kotch
Aidonia – Fi Di Jockey
I’ve been babysitting recently and as I await the birth of my niece, this seems relevant and yet awfully daunting…
Have a great weekend and if you’re in the UK, let’s pray for summer!! ~Syeren xxx
Howdy folks!!
Did I miss anything? Apart from this of course!
Downton Abbey goes Downtown
P.Diddy making history, or not. Lol I love him for this but when he acts he’s dead behind the eyes, his body and voice are doing the right things but no life in the eyes.
NYC – My first chunk of The Big Apple
So I’ve recently returned from a long weekend break to NYC. It was my first trip there so naturally I was excited to see if NY was all it was hyped up to be. I stayed in the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Sq with my family, boyfriend and one of my best pals. Despite originally wanting to stay at the W Hotel, The Marriott was so grand and the staff polite and professional. I loved the elevators and general architecture of the building. It was exactly as expected with the skyscrapers, hot dog carts, huge portions, the way they say “coiiffee”, yellow taxi cabs, crazy traffic, etc. etc. and that was just Times Square which is obviously the Tourist hot spot. There are a vast number of people dressed as mascots for photographs or singing or posing half naked, whatever they can do to get some extra cash as they don’t have the benefit system in the U.S (as someone in my group reminded me). So we did the Times Sq thing, dined at The View restaurant which is a rotating restaurant on the 48th floor of the hotel we were staying in – a great experience up until the bill arrived lol, ten of us squeezed into a limo then partied at Jay-Z’s 40/40 club which was a lot of fun but we were all so shattered. The music was good, we had a little table-service area booked, nice vibe despite us witnessing our first NY scuffle – it fizzled out as quickly as it started. We had breakfast at Junior’s across from the hotel which is renowned for its cheesecake which my sister sampled and approved of.
The next day we went to my Uncle’s home in Mount Vernon where he and his wife had a huge family cook out, where they celebrated Mother’s Day and a birthday and his son cooked the best steak imaginable! We bid farewell to our cousins that had driven to NY from Virginia and continued to enjoy the New Yorker hospitality. The next day we went to Woodbury Common (think a larger version of Bicester) where we parted with a lot of money, got hassled by their staff who must be working on commission and left with our weight in shopping bags. Guess, Coach, Ralph Lauren, etc is cheaper there and then you have the more high end stores such as Michael Kors and Balenciaga which tend to stock the older styles but that didn’t stop me buying a classic MK tote shopper. After a few hours of shopping (I was also not dressed for the breezy weather as I was sporting a maxi dress and sandals) we were all shopped out and met up with the others including a heavily pregnant sister-in-law who had given up an hour earlier. That night we dined at The ’21’ Club, it had a rather unusual atmosphere. It was rather dark and the decor consisted of various toys and other paraphernalia that guests had left behind, hanging from the ceiling above our heads. As we chatted and laughed through our three courses, a couple behind us sweetly became engaged we applauded loudly in order to drown out my Dad’s warnings “Don’t do it! And don’t have kids!” Shullup Dad, we’re the best thing that ever happened to you! On our final day, we woke up early and headed to Macy’s and then jumped on the subway to Harlem. I was taken by the Harlem Apollo (more than the sneaker stores) and I was also rather surprised to see a MAC, American Apparel and Starbucks in the hood but I wasn’t complaining! New York, you were good to us. My stay was way too short, I hope to be back shortly with lots and lots of savings (and a larger appetite for a larger bite of that big apple!).
MOVIES
About Time
A heart warming hearty British romance with an American twist. For nerds and cool people.
Broken
This looks like a great compelling story. I love Tim Roth. It’s done the rounds at the film festivals and the academy are paying attention so that’s always promising for a good Indie hit.
Rapture Palooza
I recently watched Pitch Perfect, enjoyed it – had a few giggles. I liked the main actress but I found her physically a little awkward but wondered if it was just her character but here she is again, I’ll leave you to decide. Anyway, it’s another apocalypse comedy.
The Peeples
This looks like good fun. Old concept, new delivery. I thought it was a Tyler Perry movie but it says it’s written and directed by Tina Gordon Chism. Kerry is kind of everywhere at the moment but she’s likable so it’s ok.
Anchorman 2
If you enjoyed the first, I’m sure the sequel won’t disappoint.
Gallowwalkers
OK so this is like Pirates of the Caribbean meets a zombie movie meets a Django style Western and I’m not convinced or interested. You might be though, check it out.
The Purge
The trailer definitely caught my attention and intrigue. Interesting concept. I’d like to see it.
Errors of the Human Body
This is scary, freaky weird.
Disconnect
I think this is a few months old but I really liked the trailer so I thought I’d share it anyway.
White House Down
I haven’t seen Olympus Has Fallen but I’m seeing a lot of comparisons.
Hummingbird
I like to see Statham in a movie with International Appeal and slightly more depth that just another action movie where he throws people around and this looks like it could be that. I love how one of the reviews had a really small print so it was near impossible to work out that it was UK Top Shelf (nude) magazine Nuts. Funny.
Elysium
Matt Damon is barely recognisable in this. Set in 2154, Elysium is the utopian world that exists separately to earth which is like a hell. It looks like a video game come to life.
6 Souls
This was published in February buttt maybe it didn’t get a UK release. So, if they stayed on the route of a psychological thriller and explored multiple personality disorder on that level it would’ve been great but it seems to go down the horror movie route but who knows, could still be a fantastic film.
The Colony
Imagine if the Ice Age returned in the present day? Well, that’s what these film makers did.
The Monk
I’ve always wanted to learn a bit about Monks, I was gonna google it but now I can just watch this film. Result. I wonder if they’ll do one about nuns too cos Sister Act didn’t really cover all grounds.
Sirius
So I fell asleep as soon as dude started talking then woke up again to see a palm-sized jelly like alien. I mean, siriusly???
Romeo & Juliet
I do believe that every generation should witness and participate in the beauty of the Bard’s works but it feels like I don’t know, I guess it happens with Shakespeare, you just see the same story told in similar ways but if we compare with Baz Luhrmann’s version, I guess this is a more classic delivery of the tale which can be used to educate the younger generation and for people to enjoy the old fashioned romance and violence.
The Big Wedding
What a great cast. Just yummy. Lol. Kinda bad reviews though 😦
Summer in February
A period drama set in Cornwall on the brink of war. Yet no Cornish accent. Based on a novel, looks both delicate and dramatic.
The English Teacher
Lovely to see Julianne Moore in a comedy, this film looks like fun. Don’t mess with her lady who is armed with pepper spray and not afraid to use it.
Jurassic Park IV
This reminds me of my childhood but I’m interested to see how they’re gonna pull this off.
Kick-Ass 2
I loved the first Kick-Ass, glad it’s back. Hope it has just as much punch as the first. Should I have said kick?
The Bling Ring
I shared the teaser a while back but here is the full trailer!
MUD
Intriguing plot. Good reviews.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Now this looks good. A Pakistani Muslim in America pre & post 9/11 dealing with prejudice and cultural conflict etc.
Soo Nicki Minaj is landing a film role in new movie ‘The Other Woman’
MUSIC
Stacy Barthe ft Rick Ross – Hell Yeah
A nice meaningful song. Mellow.
Janelle Monae ft. Erykah Badu – Q.U.E.E.N
This girl just breaks boundaries with her quirk and conscious lyrics/concepts. She is innovative and won’t yet tell us what the acronym Q.U.E.E.N stands for. Erykah is a good match for her funky soulful psychedelic sound and they are apparently very close.
Alicia Keys & Maxwell – Fire We Make
Sounds nice and smooth and it is catchy as are all of Keys’ tracks. I love Maxwell’s falsetto.
John Legend – Who Do We Think We Are
The Leg warbling in opulent surroundings.
Becky G – Play it Again
Cute lil Mexican kid. She raps and sings and I believe she has a song with our very own cherished Cher Lloyd. You forgot about her already right? I wonder how old she is? It’s that Hip-Pop stuff.
Selena Gomez – Come & Get It
The lil prelude music is a very different sound to the actual song. She is working the whole sultry spaniard, dark with the red hot lips look. She looks beautiful, sexy and classy and I even like the routine. She’s challenging her inner J-Lo, Shakira and maybe even Beyonce in Crazy in Love. For me, bless her, her face is still very youthful but she is definitely holding her own in this video and breaking out of the Disney mould.
Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull – Live it Up
There is a lot of brand marketing going on here. I’m feeling the burlesque/vogue/haute couture fashion and the dance routine. There is a moment there for a split second where she is kinda working the Tina Turner image whether intentional or not, one line is ‘I know you like my bumper – don’t be ashamed.’ And her backside and the rest of her is looking in fine shape for her age. Who else could get away with yellow lippie? I kinda wanna party with them.
Bridgit Mendler – Hurricane
She sings like Natasha Bedingfield! She sounds British when she talk/raps but she’s American. I told like the whole “knee-ee-ees” thing when she raps. I am pleased she is warning others about natural disasters though.
The Saturdays – Gentleman
I like the Sats but the lyrics are really odd and they also sound particularly American like more than British artists usually do when they sing cos a lot of them do it, I can’t help it when I sing. Anywho, it’s a cool song and they’re tryna break America so it makes sense. All the men they name are American as well, I wonder if it was penned for them.
Etta Bond – Forgiveness (Acoustic version)
Here’s a British accent. Close your eyes and listen to her gorgeous tone, honest lyrics. So beautiful, I almost cried.
THEATRE
Gutted @ Royal Theatre Stratford East
To Kill A Mockingbird @ Regents Park Open Air Theatre
The Billie Holiday Story @ Charing Cross Theatre
ONLINE
The Vessel
Cuckoo
Model Wife
The Beauty Inside
The World Needs More Love Letters – This lady started off leaving lovely inspirational letters for people around NY. Now she has a team and they each write a handwritten reply to those who write to them about their problems.
Make Me Joyful – This lady from London leaves gifts such as flowers and cinema tickets in random spots around the city in order to restore positivity and happiness in gloomy times.
Cake of Kindness – Cosmo are launching a campaign to gift a well-deserved person with a cake. If you know someone who really deserves an act of kindness you can reward them by sending their name and explaining in 150 words why they deserve it, send to cosmo.mail@hearst.co.uk and put ‘Cake of Kindess’ as the subject.
EVENTS
Street Feast, Kingsland Rd
http://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/street-feast
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
London Lit Festival – Southbank
Spitalfield’s Music Summer Festival
Have a great week guys. Syeren xxx
Hey Risers! I’ve been busy temping but I had to blog it out for ya!
So what’s new?
JLS SPLIT
*cue jokes about JLS condoms and teenage hearts smashing up and down the country*
ps. It’s my birthday soon. Yay. Cake for everyone.
Curve Project London
This sounds like fun, if you’ve ever considered a career in plus-sized modelling – here is a One-Day workshop designed to teach you the basics and give you a confidence boost, not to mention the three professional photographs you get after your makeover. http://curveprojectlondon.com/index.html
Free Help Guy
Have you heard of the Free Help Guy? Dude advertised himself on Gumtree as he had some free time on his hands so he just offered his time to help those that need it. It’s absolutely fascinating what he got up to, check it out: http://thefreehelpguy.tumblr.com/
Love you some films?
Free community cinema events in South London up until June 1st. Screenings, workshops and events. http://www.freefilmfestivals.org/index.php
False Beach @ Camden Roundhouse
Ok so this happened last year, a Tiki bar and grill. There was even a screen to watch sports!
THEATRE
OTHELLO at The National Theatre
http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/othello
The Weir @ The Donmar Warehouse
http://www.donmarwarehouse.com/whats-on/donmar-warehouse/2013/the-weir
Olivier Awards Winner List in full 2013
The first time the Olivier Awards were televised in ten years, they were laughs, tears and awkward moments but most importantly hard work and creativity was deservedly celebrated and honored. (Was it just me or did Sheridan Smith look really uncomfortable, great actress but maybe her nerves took over.)
Best actor
Luke Treadaway for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
Best actress
Helen Mirren for The Audience (Gielgud theatre)
MasterCard best new play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
Best director
Marianne Elliott for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
Best revival
Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Apollo theatre)
Best actor in a supporting role
Richard McCabe for The Audience (Gielgud theatre)
Best actress in a supporting role
Nicola Walker for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
White Light award for lighting design
Paule Constable for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
Best sound design
Ian Dickinson and Adrian Sutton for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
Best costume design
Jon Morrell for Top Hat (Aldwych theatre)
XL video award for best set design
Bunny Christie and Finn Ross for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
Best entertainment and family
Goodnight Mister Tom (Phoenix theatre)
BBC Radio 2 audience award
Billy Elliot The Musical (Victoria Palace theatre)
Best new dance production
Aeternum, by the Royal Ballet, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon (Royal Opera House)
Outstanding achievement in dance
Marianela Núñez for Aeternum, Diana & Actaeon and Viscera, by the Royal Ballet (Royal Opera House)
Outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre
The season of new writing at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court
Best new opera production
Einstein on the Beach by Robert Wilson and Philip Glass with choreography by Lucinda Childs (Barbican theatre)
Outstanding achievement in opera
Bryan Hymel for his performance in Les Troyens, Robert Le Diable and Rusalka (Royal Opera House)
Autograph sound award for best theatre choreographer
Bill Deamer for Top Hat (Aldwych theatre)
Best musical revival
Sweeney Todd (Adelphi theatre)
Best performance in a supporting role in a musical
Leigh Zimmerman for A Chorus Line (London Palladium)
Best actor in a musical
Michael Ball for Sweeney Todd (Adelphi theatre)
Best actress in a musical
Imelda Staunton for Sweeney Todd (Adelphi theatre)
Best new musical
Top Hat (Aldwych theatre)
MasterCard best new play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
Special awards
Michael Frayn
Gillian Lynne
MOVIES
All Things to All Men
Love a gritty Brit flick with familiar faces.
Now You See Me
Star studded cast and the trailer looks promising, magic used in robberies – that’s a first!
Star Trek – Into Darkness
I’m not really into Sci-Fi (although I did have an English Lit tutor at Uni who had a star trek kinda vibe going on with her fringe) but I do understand and appreciate a cult classic TV show when I see one. They’ve got some faces in the cast so I’m intrigued as to how well it will do with fans and critics alike.
All Stars
One for ya kids (homegrown).
Dead Man Down
Ooooh this looks good. Plot and acting seem to be up to standard lol as far as I can see and the visuals look particularly interesting. Something most people don’t notice but when you watch a film that doesn’t care about visuals it can feel very flat. Limitless is a film that is shot in a really interesting way.
Admission
Love Tina Fey, looks like a fun lil rom com about a woman reuniting with a long lost son and finding love along the way (with a man).
R.I.P.D
Very strange. Multi-eyed aliens? Expecting Will Smith to pop out and say some crazy stuff.
Only God Forgives
My mind wandered a little and now I have no idea what this film is about after watching the trailer but something tells me even if I watched it properly, I’d feel the same. I think it’s about revenge but I’m sure some of you will only want to catch it for Ryan Gosling alone.
2 Guns
This looks like a movie I wanna watch. Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg
Olympus Has Fallen
This has had great reviews and it is no wonder it was made by the same people of one of my favourite films ‘Training Day’. Action packed and with a very strong cast, I doubt this will disappoint.
Man of Steel
Supermaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!! Nobody rocks a cape like this guy!
The Heat
This looks fun and funny!! Looking forward to it.
The Lone Ranger
21 and Over
From the makers of The Hangover, so you know what to expect. It’s apparently what happens to American lads when they hit 21.
TV
Ice Cream Girls – ITV
Did you catch it? I haven’t yet but I will watch!
Vicious
I didn’t think this would be as funny as it was, I thought it was going to be very exaggerated and theatrical and don’t get me wrong, it is but it will definitely make you chuckle repeatedly!
The Job Lot
I enjoyed this, strong characters.
Nick Grimshaw – Sweat the Small Stuff
I expect this will be funny and cringe all at the same damn time, starts tonight 10pm on BBC 3 – Set ya reminder!
The Mindy Project
Sooo she may have the most annoying voice in the world (higher and squeakier than Kourtney Kardashian) but she’s funny, the show’s a laugh and I’m glad an Asian girl is the lead in a hit comedy series.
MUSIC
Rudimental – Waiting All Night
Saw these guys perform on Jonathan Ross and they were great. Good, catchy song and sounded wicked live.
Jessie Ware – Imagine it was us
I like her tone and I think she makes good music which isn’t the same-y mainstream pop stuff you usually hear in the charts, I think this is probs a grower. It would be a great song to skate to.
Sean Kingston ft. Chris Brown & Wiz Khalifa
Sean Kingston songs usually jar the hell outta me but this isn’t so bad (I could only hear Chris Brown tbf) although I’m pretty sure Breezy should not be singing a song called ‘Beat it’. Just sayin!!
Will.I.Am ft Justin Bieber
So we know Biebs is currently in the media for the wrong reasons and Will is winning over UK audiences for a second consecutive year with his coach status on The Beebs (that’s the BBC not Bieber and Bubs – pronounced Boobs would be Michael Buble but I digress) *The Voice* but let’s discuss the music. This song sounds just like the previous one he did with Nicki Minaj mixed with that Daft Punk ‘Stronger Faster Harder’ song. Not my kind of thing but wicked video (love the routine) and I’m sure it will (no pun) do well in the clubs.
Cher Lloyd – Oath ft. Becky G
Well she looks much better than when she auditioned, she’s clearly not letting the rapping thing go *sigh*. She looks sooo tiny and sounds Americanised. It’s bubblegum pop, sure the kids will like it!
Jo Jo – Andre
I have always loved JoJo, her first album was great stuff and she has always had a powerful voice teamed with great music.
OTHER
Glasto
Bolshoi Ballet (again recently in the media for other reasons)
http://www.roh.org.uk/about/bolshoi
I once saw the famous Russian Ballet ensemble at the Royal Opera House, it was great.
Micky Flanagan
http://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/micky-flanagan-tickets
He’s back in concert – funniest guy in town.
Go Ape
Outdoor playground for adults (tree top adventures and segway in the forest)
Burlesque
Pay what you want Burlesque Experience @ Proud Cabaret
Circus
Check out London Wonderground and Udderbelly
London Zoo Lates
Did you know London Zoo did late night openings? Me neither! I knew the Science Museum did though.
The first murder trial to be televised in the UK
Derren Brown Tour 2013
http://derrenbrown.co.uk/derren-brown-tour-2013/
Opera
Grange Park Opera. If like me, you’ve never been, this sounds like the best intro ever! May – July and they’re trying to encourage more young people so there are £30 seats for 18-35 year olds and there are even free seats for 14 – 25 yr olds on selected dates. You dress up, you get picked up from one of their special taxis and driven to the site (private gardens in Hampshire I think), you can have afternoon tea or a picnic or pub lunch and if you’re really rich you can have a helicopter arranged.
http://www.grangeparkopera.co.uk
EVENTS
RJS GRAN CANARIA 2013 (16th – 23rd September)
They’ve been doing this for over 25 years and in the last two years they’ve been to Malaga and Portugal. It’s seven days of sun, fun and fantasy with your favourite DJs. There are theme nights (including the annual All White Party and Oscar/Gala Dinner and Dance Night), beach parties, pool parties and boat parties. If you can’t commit to a week, book a weekend pass!!
http://nwrworld.com/uncategorized/rjs-gran-canaria-2013/
I am absolutely shattered. Good night and enjoy the rest of your week folks!! xx
syerenrising 