The Mooncup

I heard about the "Mooncup" years ago, and then again recently when Roopa tried it out and said that she would never look back, I finally joined her and I couldn't agree with her more.

What is the Mooncup:

"The Mooncup® is the original silicone menstrual cup designed by women to be a convenient, safe and eco-friendly alternative to tampons and sanitary pads. .........the Mooncup offers an end to the waste, discomfort and expense of disposable sanitary protection."

Here are the benefits to the Mooncup:

• Environmentally friendly - no waste
• Many women suffer from fewer or less intense cramps (I can confirm this one)
• Cheaper then buying sanitary products every month
• Safe

The slight discomfort in "learning" how to use the Mooncup is a lot less then anticipated and you quickly figure out how to use it, with the result that you very soon forget that it is there. Cleaning is relatively easy, even when out and about. I mean lugging around sanitary products can be just as inconvenient and we all are used to that! I thought I would be a little "icked out" when I first took it out and with cleaning it, but I am really not, it is very natural and enlightening.

Try it, I dare you, you will never look back. Jigna

ms understood

We went to see this exhibition at the women's library. It was really interesting, while a little static in its presentation; the conversation that came out of the museum was worth it. Some of our group remembered the Grunswick and Gate Gourmet dispute on a personal level, some had lobbied alongside the union, some remembered relatives marching in protest. The exhibition has an array of fantastic articles, facts, opinions and criticism about all manner of female issues.

While a feminist, im not sure about male bashing eg ' when god made man, she made a mistake' ideology, nonetheless females have through history been persecuted. I recently learned about the psychoanalysis of the female vs queer theory; to be clear I was interested in that age old debate, the glass ceiling and whether women should be have a career or have a family. The discussion was about why women have to adhere to patriarchal rules of society, but instead, why does the patriarchal society not change and move in order to accommodate the females biological reproductive need?

Im not sure if I know enough about any of the above debate, I would like to, it fascinates me. Im blessed to be living in a world where men and women are said to be equal, all the history, all the wars that have been fought and won for me and other women- but what Im faced with in reality confuses me. Working with young people in an environment which was predominantly white male, i see females (colleagues and young people) who are not seen equal to men on so many levels; culturally, professionally, traditionally and witnessing social interaction and professional values...We live with it everyday, its sub conscious. but I must stop remember how it used to be and be grateful that the world is changing-in some places more than others, and it is up to people who are morally and politically grounded to keep at it. I think.

roopa

Sita Sings the Blues

I first read about the film via a blog, Devis with Babies, and then a few months later a friend suggested we watch the film, we recalled that we had planned to and failed, the friend had watched the DVD via Netflix. So we did the same. However you can download it and/or stream it for free by going to the website Sita Sings the Blues.

The film is interesting on so many different levels; the animation, music and the film itself, the different stories involved in the film, the retelling of the Ramayana from Sita's view and the struggles the artist has had to face in bringing her film to an audience.

Nina Paley, the brilliant talent behind the film appears to have faced her own battle of epic proportions with copyright laws and facing insurmountable costs she opted to distribute her movie via a different model, and so far she seems to be getting the film out there and generating a significant amount of interest.

Whilst watching the film, we both realized that we had heard the stories about Sita having to "prove her purity" to Rama but that it is one of the aspects of the Ramayana not repeatedly told, and in today's "enlightened age", it is a wonder why. I have to admit, I am not a regular reader of the Ramayana, but maybe that is why I enjoyed this film for its modern twist and because I am not beholden to one particular version?

I think if someone takes the time to complain, you are definitely on the road to making it. I understand that some Hindu's have taken offense at the animation as an affront to their religious beliefs and some "left wing" opinions have taken affront to a "white" woman re-telling the Ramayana, as this indicates neocolonialism. See the wiki entry for a summary.

It is a shame, that some people find art offensive, and wish to shut down such endeavors and discussions on the basis of their offense. I feel grateful to have been born in a time and place where individuals have some freedom to express themselves. It is my belief that art can sometimes be a generator of discussion and re-analysis, this is how art, which is a part of culture and society as a whole, moves (hopefully) progressively forward and does not stagnate or worse still, regress.

I feel that Ms Paley's art is an honourable expression, her comments about how she perceived her audience is a testament to her intentions, "I always imagine an audience of smart, compassionate people I’d enjoy spending time with." Maybe this sentiment is a little naive, but to believe that such people exist is probably a good thing.

To sum up; this clever, beautiful and unique animation is a joy to watch on various different levels not least of which it is a wonderful film by a talented and yet to be undefeated artist.

"This I Believe"

A little while ago I started paying attention to NPR as they would air, "This I Believe" this led to a an interest in the series, and then I purchased the book. Here is the premise, "Based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, Americans from all walks of life share the personal philosophies and core values that guide their daily lives."

I think the audibook may have been compelling, but the book is just as inspirational. I love the way they have worked in essays from the original series, from the 50's. The style of writing in the essays from the '50's is different, a lot more formal but funnily enough the empathy, the curiosity and the hope remains universal. You can dismiss it as sentimental indulgence but I like the positivity, the honesty and the commonality of the essays. It is like a direct antidote to the cynicism and "organized religion based goodness" that can seem to dominate. Now I just have to take pen to paper and write my own essay.

W. heard one of the new editors on NPR refer to how he believes that "beliefs" do not have to remain constant, and that is what he believes, that as you live your beliefs do and should change. I agree.

This is what re-affirms my faith in the base goodness of humanity, "This I Believe" and "Sunday Morning Love Songs on BBC Radio 2". Jigna

How do you get yours? (News that is)

I have stopped reading the newspaper and I miss it. I have been unsuccessful in my efforts to get into a newspaper habit in the US, I am not sure why that is, I think the New York Times is a very worthy newspaper.

So instead I read the Guardian and the BBC News on line, which quite frankly is not the same thing, although it is a very good second. I no longer watch a daily news program/show, I will occasionally watch BBC America (which is not the same as watching the BBC at home), Anderson Cooper on CNN or Rachel Maddow on MSNBC but I find the commercial breaks, the repetitive nature and actual lack of any news content annoying. The big saving grace to date has been National Public Radio (NPR) (which I know, I have already said, I absolutely love, elsewhere on this blog)

It is this lack of actual News content that I have been thinking about recently. I increasingly find myself watching, listening and reading opinion pieces, and this worries me. Instead of the getting the "factual" story I am getting someone else's opinion. I have to admit, although in my defence I do think it is human nature, I find myself seeking out opinion pieces which support my previously held opinion, thereby simply re-enforcing my opinion without challenging me or making me consider the other side(s). This is not good News. So I sometimes go out of my way to read opinion pieces or expose myself to viewpoints I do not share, this more often than not does not challenge me nor does it encourage me to re-consider my already formed opinion instead it just frustrates me at how "stupid" some people are and how they clearly do not have the "facts" to make a correct judgement, which is invariably my opinion.

I do agree that any News story/report, even those which attempt to be investigative and impartial will have a bias, it's inevitable, it's human nature, but at least with investigative or "traditional" reporting/journalism an attempt is made to gather and report the "facts" in an impartial fashion with at least some effort being made to portray all sides of the story. As opposed to opinions which often repeat stories without any effort to gather the facts and find evidence in support. Often any attempt to do so is perfunctory and superficial, the time and expense to carry out a thorough investigation, would mean that the story will have moved on, it is no longer considered relevant and the audience will have been lost. In addition to which an in-depth report will not fit into 140 characters or less. This insults our intelligence, we need to demand more.

Do not get me wrong there are some great pluses in the "twitter" revolutions, Internet campaigns, blogs (obviously) etc but the demise of the "paper" and the investigative or "traditional" reporting/journalism is a sad reflection of modern society and damages democracy. Fundamentally; how are we to vote, if we don't have the facts?

But how are people to get the "facts" if the options seem to be limited to the never ending parade of talking heads, "entertainers" posing as "journalists", and the revolving door of the never ending blogs and opinion pieces all fighting each other for space by becoming increasingly extreme and hyperbolic in their efforts to demand our rapidly diminishing attention spans.

W. recently heard Alex Jones author of, " Losing The News', And why it matters" being interviewed on NPR, I have to agree with a lot of what he talks about, as he says "opinion is cheap". And so ends another "opinion" piece.

Jigna

Film Review

A few weeks ago W. (apparently he is trying to reclaim the initial - we will need to keep this under review as to how that is working out for him!) and I went to watch a really lovely "indie film", "Away We Go". It was a rough weekend, I had just been involved in a relatively minor and injury free car accident (my first and hopefully last car accident), the week before and so I was feeling anxious and low. We met some great friends and went off to see the movie, it was exactly what I think we needed, or well what I needed, anyway. We all loved the film. In the style of, "Little Miss Sunshine" a similar sense of humor, wit, life affirming "warm fuzziness" without the saccharine sentimentality shoved down your throat. The concepts, of home and family were investigated and portrayed in a sensitive and funny way. I don't want to give the film away but it's a coming of age/road trip film which is not based on teenagers but grown up's trying to decide how and where to have a family. A story very much based in the present, where so many of us are far away from an "ancestral" or "family" home or homes, if we indeed even have one or more, and often also so far apart from family, friends and loved ones, whether out of choice and/or circumstances. The film looks at how we can try to combine or consolidate all of this to create our own "homes" and "families" and what a "home" or "family' means to us. The story touched upon issues currently running around my own little hamster wheel and maybe that is why I loved it so much. It is a warm and funny film, I would recommend you go watch. Jigna

Why jacket potatoes are great

We haven't done any 'great' posts for a while, and this is a dish truly worthy of being described as 'great'.

The humble potato can be cooked in many many ways – mashed potato is the ultimate comfort food, and chips are phenomenal, but you can also boil, sauté and roast them. You can make thin french (or freedom) fries, or thick chip shop style chips, potato wedges, potato dauphinoise, potato salad – with seasoning, herbs and spices the sky really is the limit. And that’s before you even begin to consider the varieties of potato you can get – jersey royals, new potatoes, king edwards, maris pipers, anya’s – and those are just the few I know – according the British Potato Council there are thousands grown around the world, including 80 commercial varieties in Great Britain (I know – hilarious: and it was only set up in 1997, not, as I’d assumed seeped in some historical urgency, demonstrating the centuries old British love of the spud. No – this administration set it up and the next will probably abolish it. And then they wonder where political apathy stems from: success governments who piffle around the edges, political parties who cannot just agree on the need for some basic and important independent state funded organisations.)

Back to the matter at hand - why single out the humble jacket potato? Because it is, quite simply unbeatable. It’s a great hangover lunch. It’s good for an easy- yet filling- supper. how can anyone not enjoy a jacket spud??? But I think its quite a British way to eat a potato: my best mate said they were the one thing she missed whilst traveling. And the fillings: oh where do I start on the fillings?? Lets start simply and build it up:

• Butter, salt and pepper – simple yet satisfying, and a great carb side with a steak.
• Sour cream – very American, nice on its own, or again as a side.
• Grated cheddar cheese is where the spud comes into its own: a meal within itself, you need nothing with this, great when you are getting over a tummy bug and need simple filling food.
• Grated cheese and baked beans – oh how I love this filling. So quintessentially British. Who else would put baked beans into a baked potato fill it with cheese and squidge the lot together? My mouths watering already. This is often my hungover lunchtime choice.
• Tuna (often with mayonnaise and sweetcorn) – nice – I find you have to be in the mood, and not too much mayo. Corn adds a nice sweeness.
• Chilli or veggy chilli nice for dinner, particularly in the winter next to a roaring pub fire, with a big salad or some steamed veg and glass of red wine….
• Broccoli and cheese (the kind of cheese you use changes the taste of this completely – mature cheddar is great, but a salty creamy blue cheese, like stilton is phenomenal) – an amazing summer supper, with a crisp green salad and cold glass of dry white wine. This is a firm fave with me and S this summer.
• A nice spicy twist is to stir fried peppers and mushroom with chilli and spices, and grate some red Leicester cheese– split the potatoes, scoop out the inside leaving the ‘jackets’ to one side: mix it all together then carefully re-fill the jackets sprinkle some cheese on top then grill.

I won’t go on, but you get the idea – so many variations its too difficult to attempt to even list them all, but some others include garlic mushrooms, coleslaw, baked beans, gooey cheese like camembert, steamed green beans, stir fried veg, and many more classic combo’s such as cheese and sweetcorn, bacon and brie etc etc. you can mix it up and there are NO rules - just try different things and see what you like: most things taste better in a jacket potato.

“What kind of potato and how do I make this simple feast!?”

Choose the spud you want (the potato council has some ideas) and then stick them in the oven for as long as it takes to have crispy shells and soft fluffy insides. In my view, microwaved jacket potatoes are an abomination and should be banned.

Every mouthful of a good jacket potato is a joy - and that my friends, is why the jacket potato is great.

the best mum in the world!

left; here we are in the field behind the hotel where the flies attacked dhara.

right; mum and dhara painting their beautiful paintings.

this is David our tour guide who showed and told us everything about wine!

talking about the vines, i had no idea how the grapes are farmed, was truly fantastic to hear so much from someone who knows so much!

a belated birthday weekend for the best mum in the world

Last weekend we gave the supremely wonderful woman, our mother Surekha Vyas a very belated birthday present. She began the fun filled weekend on Friday night with a glass of gold champagne on arrival in st pancras. This was swiftly followed by a lovely picnic for me S and mum watching the weird and wonderful fous de basin . The next morning the sun was shining brightly, Roopa arrived early and off we went. The tomcat wasn’t very well so we took S’s car and went from London to kent to sussex to kent to sussex….and ended up at Carr Taylor vineyard in east sussex. We were taken on a tour of the vineryard, learnt lots about wine and then (our favourite bit) some wine tasting!! The wine was lovely, and it was interesting to talk about the different tastes (we didn’t all enjoy the same ones at all, but the one we all agreed one and I think we would all recommend is the carr taylor brut - third one down. Its crisp and quite dry with a very slight fruity finish. Yummy).

We then had a lovely big ploughman’s lunch and went on to do some art. The artist Katie Sollhub was great, and she took us through some different techniques which we all enjoyed trying out.

We purchased lots of wine (naturally- Vyas’s on tour etc etc) went to our hotel drank a bottle then ended the day with a wander round winchelsea (pretty but dull - see pictiure) and a big dinner.

The next was it was ridiculously sunny again, woke early and went to Rye – but the weather so gorgeous we ended up in Camber – golden sands and sunshine.

All in all a fantastic weekend (with thanks to Ben, Georgie, Katie and all those at Carr Taylor who helped make Saturday fab)

Roops – add some photos to this post?!

The best movie going experience ever...........

On Friday night we finally made it to the Inwood Theatre screening lounge, we saw Star Trek, which was a fun movie and does not require you to be a Trekkie fan to enjoy. However the real highlight of the night was the screening lounge, the best movie going experience ever! As W. pointed out, now that you have seen a movie this way, how can you go back to normal movie theaters? Just as an FYI we did have the front seat, and it was the best! So comfy, squishy, relaxing and fun. I am even more excited by the new Potter movie, in the hope that they show it here! Fingers crossed! Jigna

PS: Potter 6 was great at the Inwood!

Introducing Texans to hot tea, one by one

We are British and of Indian origin which means that our hot tea (with milk)/chai drinking is really rooted in our heritage, culture, background, basically in all that we are, (when I say we, here I mean my husband and I). When we arrived in Texas we were astonished to find that some people had never heard of drinking hot tea (with milk), imagine our shock, our horror! 

We have since introduced a few Texans to hot tea with milk (well, okay one). We switched cable/internet service providers, they had to come out to connect it all up and the nice guy that came out, entered our home just as the kettle was switched on (serendipity, happy coincidence, fate or kismet?). As he had never had a cup of hot tea (with milk), we offered him one and he accepted. It was a chilly day (yes they do happen in Dallas, once in while!) and so he really appreciated the hot drink. He really enjoyed it, and we polished off his cultural experience, by offering him a chocolate digestive - we showed him how to dunk. Jigna.

Vital cocktail information:

Vital cocktail information: please refer to Victoria Moore's article/blog on the Guardian website, thank you Ms Moore. Mmmmm could murder a G&T. I dunno why but the tonic water in the US just tastes funny, I have to get the imported expensive kind from "special" shops? Jigna 

Picture credit: screaming-eagles.com/ 2009/03/benny-and-the-nets

The politics of identity

I began to write a blog about, Sikh week at Texas colleges, as reported in the Dallas Morning News, a friend brought in the section for me, (surprisingly I am not a regular reader), it is a very interesting and revealing story. I think we can all applaud this effort to educate people.

I then started to think about this Cif (by Sunny Handal in the Guardian), regarding the politics of race and identity. I am concerned that often in our effort to reclaim,claim, explain,define etc our identities we distance ourselves from our shared humanity. This also coincides with my firmly held belief that I don't think we should be defined by just one aspect of our personalities. Whilst certain aspects of our identities may be more important to us or others in defining us, it is vital to look to ourselves as a sum of our parts rather then being defined by one characteristic, especially when you consider that the one characteristic, may be something that we have had no control over i.e. our race, gender, place of birth etc.

This leads me to another point after a certain age, religious identities are usually chosen, and so it is not the same as a racial or gender identity, which is something that you are born with.

I think that the differences do not have to mean "everything". Those differences can be what you pin your identity on or they could not be. Maybe that is a sign of a "progressive and open" society, that the differences I choose to identify myself with, are chosen by me and not enforced upon me.  Jigna

2 very different books

well I haven't posted a blog for quite some time - for which I have no explanation really, although I moved house and also changed jobs that was a while ago - i think its fair to say i've just been lazy.

The other week I finished reading George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London which I absolutely loved and recommend it highly to you (yes, I know most people have read it, where have I been? I dunno)- its a brilliant and smart account of his time of being penniless and hungry, both in Paris and in London: but as its Orwell of course thats not all it is. It is a non-damning commentary on society, the way we treat the homeless and the poor: i say non damning because he doesn't preach really, its his recollections, his memoirs. But he is sharp and has strong opinions about how we as a society ought to support people (in a non preachy way!) - he always struck me as common sense sorta chap. Supporting people to support themselves where possible - and just support people because they really need our support. not our damning of them.

Its fairly embarrassing that in 2009 we haven't moved on so much in London - ok so we don't have 'spikes' in the same sense as they did in the 1930's but we still have homeless people who are hungry and cold and alone. In London. In 2009. Not that I expect everything in the 21st century world to be fixed or anything (yup, am waiting for Obama to sort that bit out), but we all know that deprivation and poverty in the city of such wealth is just rubbish. In my cynical moods I really wonder if the bankers and city folks have just lost all perspective in relation to the value of money and how much impact such small amounts for food, water and shelter can make- given the sums of money they deal with, the value(s) of their homes, the capital in their cars, the amount they have invested, the amount of credit they have (or had) access to. The big bucks have really skewed the way that people (often people who have the power, money and influence to really change things) have the big bucks skewed their ability to see the difference they can make? But we all know its not only rich people who can make a difference (although perhaps this recent downturn and recession might impact on the way those financial folks view those less well off then themselves?).

There have always been rich people and poor people. There has always been philanthropy, to varying degrees. But there hasn't always been such an expansive welfare state as we have now in the UK, and I believe in it - but its not fully functioning because too many people fall through the net. Too many people get lost in the bureaucracy, too many people aren't eligible or able to access support. Its complicated, and I don't profess to know that much about it - but what are we doing wrong? and why exactly aren't we investing in more social housing? why did anyone ever think it was such a great idea to encourage people to buy up social housing - was that really going to eradicate or help the housing problem? This book has challenged so many assumptions that its easy to make about homelessness and poverty in a really human way - even though its based in the 1930's its relevant.

Another book I just finished is one my friend gave Chris gave me for my birthday, Tom Holt's The Portable Door - I absolutely loved it. I don't think it will be to everyones taste - you need to be into the slightly fantastical and weird to like this book, its brilliant and I look forward to reading more about J W Wells and Co. Goblins and craziness, twists and turns, imp reflecting surfaces and more. really great escapism. I really like getting book and author recommendations - so thank you Chris! A whole new world of Tom Holt for me to discover!!

As an aside, i think its worth noting here that mum has a such a key role in all things literary for the Vyas sisters. So many of the books, authors and genres I love are down to my mum and the choices of book she has given to me and my sisters over the years, which have shaped our own buying and reading habits - always unique to suit each of us and our preferences and interests. I love her so much for that.

Mental decline

So mental decline could begin as early as 27? Well that explains a lot then!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7945569.stm

Why The Simpson's are great

I have always loved The Simpson's, but I have never really watched The Simpson's with any form of commitment, maybe because it is always on or maybe it is because it is always on slightly earlier and so I am not always home in time, whatever. However with the help of one of the greatest invention ever, Tivo/DVR, I now have Simpson's recorded and whenever I am feeling low or I want to watch some fun TV I can always watch an episode of The Simpson's and I can fast forward the annoying commercial breaks!

With such great story lines as below (courtesy of The Simpson's website), it is amazing to me that The Simpson's is on at all, is on so early and is on the Fox Network, they are truly subversive but they do it in the best way possible; with humour and limited offence caused. So much TV nowadays tries to bend over backwards to appeal to the lowest common denominator and is so bland, I just love the fact that The Simpson's continue to provide protest and humour, and what is truly amazing it has been doing so for 20 years. The Simpson's are great, they are America's first family!

Bart mangled banner: When Bart accidentally moons the American flag and Marge accidentally says on national television that all of Springfield hates America, the Simpson family is arrested for high treason and sent to Alcatraz. They escape from prison and as they swim to shore, a French ship who takes them to France where they are free to hate Americans picks them up. Although France is lovely, they miss home and decide to return to America as immigrants.

The Monkey Suit: After visiting an evolution exhibit, Ned Flanders pushes Mayor Quimby to appoint Reverend Lovejoy as a "Morality Czar" in charge of spreading the theory of creationism. Darwin's theories are quickly outlawed and Lisa finds herself as the only supporter of the scientific theory. Lisa is later arrested for holding secret evolution classes and is forced to defend her beliefs in front of a judge. In the 11th hour, Marge stumbles across one of Lisa's textbooks, changes her view and helps her daughter to call Ned Flanders to the stand. Homer's antics cause Ned to crack under pressure and call Homer an ape which leads the judge to believe that Homer resembles the missing link that the prosecutors were basing their argument and the case falls apart.

International Women's Day

Sadly I only realised that it was International Women's Day late yesterday, but hopefully next year I will remember it and celebrate the day, March 8!

Thank a feminist!

The following has been stuck on the wall next to my desk at work for the last couple of years – I have often quoted parts of it when talking to friends who think that feminism is nothing to do with them (both male and female friends).

I find it quite frustrating because feminism is actually fundamentally about basic human rights and freedoms, far more then most people realise – and feminism impacts on everyone all the time. Every day we need to thank feminists for the fact that our generation lives the way it does!


If…
... you can vote, thank a feminist.
... you get paid as much as men doing the same job, thank a feminist.
... you went to college instead of being expected to quit after high school so your brothers could go because "You'll just get married anyway," thank a feminist.
... you can apply for any job, not just "women's work," thank a feminist.
... you can get or give birth control information without going to jail, thank a feminist.
... your doctor, lawyer, pastor, judge or legislator is a woman, thank a feminist.
... you play an organised sport, thank a feminist.
... you can wear trousers without being excommunicated from your church/community or run out of town, thank a feminist.
... your boss isn't allowed to pressure you to sleep with him, thank a feminist.
... you get raped and the trial isn't about your hemline or your previous boyfriends, thank a feminist.
... you start a small business and can get a loan using only your name and credit history, thank a feminist.
... you are on trial and are allowed to testify in your own defence, thank a feminist.
... you own property that is solely yours, thank a feminist.
... you have the right to your own salary even if you are married or have a male relative, thank a feminist.
... you get custody of your children following divorce or separation, thank a feminist.
... you get a voice in the raising and care of your children instead of them being completely controlled by the husband/father, thank a feminist.
... your husband beats you and it is illegal and the police stop him instead of lecturing you on better wifely behaviour, thank a feminist.
... you are granted a degree after attending college instead of a certificate of completion, thank a feminist.
... you can breast feed your baby discreetly in a public place and not be arrested, thank a feminist.
... you marry and your civil human rights do not disappear into your husband's rights, thank a feminist.
... you have the right to refuse sex with your husband, thank a feminist.
... you have the right to keep your medical records confidential from the men in your family, thank a feminist.
... you have the right to read the books you want, thank a feminist.
... you can testify in court about crimes or wrongs your husband has committed, thank a feminist.
... you can choose to be a mother or not a mother in your own time not at the dictates of a husband or rapist, thank a feminist.
... you can look forward to a lifespan of 80 years instead of dying in your 20s from unlimited childbirth, thank a feminist.
... you can see yourself as a full, adult human being instead of a minor who needs to be controlled by a man, thank a feminist.

Do we need to wash the bottles when we recycle them?

I have always wondered about this questions and I have also always worried about that lime in the corona bottle so it was good to read this article in Slate.com. Now if could we could get our apartment association to agree to recycle, then we would not have to drive to our friends house to use his recycle bin every couple of weeks! Sounds hilarious but it is what we have to do!

We try to reduce our packaging, they just don't make it all that easy for you, for example I am always trying to use my re-usable bag, once I was in a big store, and the lady at the checkout tore a plastic carrier bag out and started packing my purchases into the plastic carrier bag, despite me having said twice I had my own bag. She finally got it, took the stuff out of the plastic carrier bag and went to put it in my re-usable bag. She then took the plastic carrier bag and tossed it in her bin. I was horrified and spent another two minutes explaining the concept to her, she then looked at me, a light flickered, and she said, "oh you recycle!" I wanted to hug her in gratitude, she had finally got it! It takes a while, but with a little patience they might just get it. That day the people behind me at the checkout loved me, but it was worth it, just to get through to one person. I appreciate it will take a lot more, but when even the easy stuff is so hard for so many, these minor achievements are worth the effort - for me anyway.

Atheist Bus Campaign

Entering the fray by way of starting a religious discussion can be hazardous, especially for those who may not have a strong faith in one of the worlds more established religions. I really like the Atheist Bus Campaign, the money raised and the exposure suggests quite a few other people also like this idea.

I love that fact that they decided to err on the side of caution and stick with "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" although I think prefer the American one, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake" and it is not because I live in America now or maybe it is because I do?

I also wonder why Australia is the only place without, is it a sign? But from whom and why?

I think atheists should try and avoid becoming dogmatic, trenched and inflexible. Tolerance is probably always the safe option. Which is another reason why I like this campaign, it gets its point across without being offensive, hateful or dogmatic it is I believe lighthearted and positive.

a day off the booze?

this article in the Indy is quite interesting - i am not sure where I stand on the daily versus weekly limits, but I think that its so obvious that our bodies need a break from alcohol that anyone with common sense will try and incorporate a break into their week. But the truth is its not always so easy to do! thats why we should try to do it.

Yosemite National Park

Over the Thanksgiving holiday last year, (November 2008) we went to the Yosemite National Park in California , USA. We were awed by the scale of nature, the huge rock formations the massive sequoia trees. We enjoyed the benefits of accessible nature, which is a worry, the number of people tramping through nature, but the National Park Service fight the good fight and attempt to ensure that nature is somewhat preserved for future generations.

The National Park Service, (NPS) truly one of the great arguments for Government providing a force for good. The great parks of North America are often overlooked by many, but they are truly are a must see, the power of nature can often be overwhelmed by the ingenuity of humans, when bustling around the urban centers of the USA, but once you get out to a park you are awed into respect for nature that reminds you of the huge duty we have to our wonderful planet.

The below is a quote from Wikipedia's article on the National Parks.

"The next (second) effort by any government to set aside such protected lands was, again, in the United States, when President Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of Congress on June 30, 1864, ceding the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (later becoming the Yosemite National Park) to the state of California:
"The said State shall accept this grant upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation; shall be inalienable for all time."

The "dean of western writers", American Pulitzer prize-winning author Wallace Stegner, has written that national parks are 'America's best idea,'—a departure from the royal preserves that Old World sovereigns enjoyed for themselves—inherently democratic, open to all, "they reflect us at our best, not our worst."

Even with the creation of Yellowstone, Yosemite, and nearly 37 other national parks and monuments, another 44 years passed before an agency was created in the United States to administer these units in a comprehensive way - the U.S. National Park Service (NPS)."

A great advocate of the National Parks, President Bartlett:
"I'm a National Parks buff. . . . I have been to all of them"


Give us a break nestle!

As all of our blog readers know, Roopa and I both live in Lewisham, South East London. Before christmas, Roops told me about a kitkat billboard at Lewisham that was complete sexist twaddle, advertising a chocolate bar to women - based on the fact it has fewer calories!! She also told me that some GENIUS had graffitied the billboard with 'sexist nonsense - give us a break' - brilliant!!

Many fellow bloggers have posted about this - see here, here and here for a few - but I still hadn't seen it....until a few weeks later, when I was in the car and we drove past this one in Ladywell:

Riot not Diet!

I am SO impressed with whoever is responsible for improving these ad's with so much humour! well done! and which complete twerp at nestel thought these ad's were a good idea anyway???

unite and boycott! and hip hip hooray for the person/people who have taken nestle to task in Lewisham - I hope people all over the country are doing the same!

why 'A Suitable Boy' is great

I recently re-read Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy - its a novel I have read and recommended to so many people that i feel it merits a mention as one of the GREATEST novels ever.

At its heart its a love story - but its so much more then that. Seth is able to cleverly weave together in one novel the stories of so many individuals and families, so many lives, different social strata - a courtesan, a politician, a student, a zamindar, a communist student, a lovable rogue, a professor, a widowed mother, a cobbler, a socialite, a poet, a child genius, - and many more. A Suitable Boy takes the reader on a journey through post partition India, touching on diverse issues raging from politics, land acts and riots to family strife, a musician losing his trade, forbidden love and high society in Calcutta - and a whole plethora of issues in between.

It is a brilliant novel - captivating, interesting and above all beautifully written: I know I'll read it again and again in years to come. And thats why A Suitable Boy is great!