To write about writing

Writing has an important place in the world, even if the words end up scrunched up in the bin. It is the process, not the finished piece that is often the most insightful, enjoyable and important part. And that scrunched up piece of paper may have helped you explore yourself or the world around you.

XR: Exclusive Rebellion?

Without a doubt, XR has created an ‘in-group’ identity within the movement; the distinctive banners are always present at demos, flags flitter at the end of bikes, the branded designs are printed on tote bags and t-shirts-to name a few. XR may argue that there is not an ‘in-group’ and that anyone, in fact everyone, is welcome to be a rebel. But that’s not truly the case as the in-group conform to an identity that few on the outside have.

Remain to Leave

A poem about Brexit

The B-word

Being part of the EU meant more to me than migration, which was a common political frisbee chucked around during the referendum and for the last 3 years. It was a source of exchange for languages and culture, a funding pot for roads that paved my country, a mechanism set up for peace-building. It was membership in a union in an ever fragmenting world.

Villains and Heroes: Who has control over student housing?

“I bet that’s luxury student accommodation” I remarked to my friend as we turned a corner in Exeter and were faced with a 10 story monolithic building. There’s something in its shiny design, uniformity and complete inability to blend into the local area that makes it familiar. These developments have become so common that I […]

You are a U-turn

In my mind a U-turn used to be a driving maneuver. Now, a U-turn seems to be a commonly used and increasingly acceptable political maneuver. This thought bubble is about Boris Johnson, the Apprentice and my frustration at a seemingly incompetent government. Over the last 14 weeks, Boris Johnson has reversed or changed government policy […]

Studying International Development: Academia and Activism

This blog post is a combination of a few thought bubbles I have had recently about the last 3 years of studying International Development. I had been planning to write about activism and academia in separate posts but decided to combine the two together as, after participating in an interview as part of the Creative […]

Border line, Blurred line

As I took this photo I was looking up and down the beautiful river Wye with my feet firmly in Wales. Wales was behind me and to my right, yet if I had walked 20 minutes straight ahead or to the left I would have reached England. I can criss-cross that dotted line on a […]

Social distancing: less or more socially awkward?

This blog entry explores the thought bubble I’ve had this weekend- is socially distant socialising more or less socially awkward? It’s been quite intriguing noting how we socialise differently, and distantly, since the global pandemic of Coronavirus started to be that member of your friendship circle who always has to change plans and butt in […]

The C-word

The last time I was in a pub with friends was 5 weeks ago. It was my birthday and the news was increasingly talking about coronavirus. It was becoming a big news but its impact was still unknown. I joked that I would put a box on the table and every time someone said or […]