Last Year's New Year Resolution Update

2010 is winding down and what have we done. In between working, school, caring, sharing and all the other things that make up our everyday lives I think it's been a productive year. My personal new year's resolution was to, essentially, be a better feminist. 

Now that is quite a general phrase to throw around but what I basically mean is that I wanted to become a feminist in more than words. I wanted to be active, to engage with other feminists and to be proud to call myself one.

Over the year I have actually met that challenge in numerous ways. I signed myself up to help at the Ladyfest Ten festival in London, which if you didn't go to was amazing, in late 2009. Before I knew it I was swept up in a feminist wave revolving around websites, cupcakes and spreadsheets. Ask any Ladyfester, that's basically how the lead up to the festival can be described. 

Although we did all work ourselves into the ground and have probably done irreparable damage to our careers or education it was, break out the tissues, life changing. We put on a 3 day cross cultural event in London from absolutely nothing that featured some great acts, workshops, performers and speakers.

I met some cool girls who I'm still friends with now and we're still thinking of ways to spread our underground feminist message into popular discourse. Whether we're setting up self defence classes, running film nights or djing at club nights we're all still involved. We're all still visible as feminists which allows other girls to feel comfortable to come up and talk to us.

I've also found time to go to numerous feminist conferences which have always been an eye opener to say the least. My first march was this year's Million Women Rise. Even though it was spring time it was freezing cold and that didn't stop thousands of women coming out to march.

To wind down the year I responded to an ad looking for girls looking to form a riot grrrl band. now a few months later we're on our way to becoming a fully fledged band with songs and everything.

To conclude that whole essay was just an example that although for most people 2010 was a write off regarding jobs, careers or their futures in general, you can feel better by changing one aspect of your life. Of course I could always do more but those steps have helped me immensely.

My New Year's resolution, excluding the usual lose weight become a better person etc, is to volunteer at charity. This website is a great resource for ideas.

I Know Christmas Has Gone But...

.... as Christmas songs go this pretty much fits the mood of the country now.

Christmas: The Aftermath

Not my actual family

So it's Boxing Day and I'm currently sitting in my living watching Jamie Oliver with my mum while my dad is sleeping in his armchair. I hope you all enjoyed Christmas day whatever you were doing.

I spent yesterday discussing the racism that occurs in Jamaica, student fees benefit scroungers and how much we hate the government.

It was quite a varied Christmas day conversation really.

Let's Start a Band and Get Outta This Place

So I have finally started a band and it was all by chance. In September in the run up to Ladyfest Ten online magazine The Girls Are set up a battle of the bands competition as a fundraiser for Ladyfest Ten. The ultimate band would win a place on the Ladyfest Ten set list. I thought it was a great idea and when saw a message looking for girls that wanted to start a riot grrrl band for the competition I immediately replied.

After all these years who would have thought that being able to set up a band would be so easy. No more playing quietly alone in my room, writing songs no one else will here. Now I'm in a real life band.

I met up with Ray and we both had similar ideas of what kind of music we wanted to make and decided to meet up again for a jam session. A few weeks later we did and we successful wrote two songs, which are think are awesome.

Since it was just us two we had to advertise for other members. A few gumtree posts later and we're starting to look like a fully formed band that consist of Ray, lead guitar, Claudia, bass, me, rhythm guitar, Harry, vocals and Sophie, drums.

We don't actually have a name yet but we won't let that stop us. Hopefully after we practise a bit more, we can get a bit tighter and actually gig. So exciting.

SIS IUD Stay In School Cuz It's The Best

Hello non-readers, all two of you who accidentally clicked on the wrong link and ended up here. A blog in limbo. Too tedious to update regularly but too necessary to delete forever.

It's been a while but I've decided to stop my procrastination here by updating this blog which is actually just another form of procrastination. I need to pack my bags to go back home for Christmas in 2 hours but instead I've decided to do something else entirely. Makes sense don't it.

Anywho there have been a lot of changes in my life for instance I am half way through a 6 month NCTJ journalism course to fulfil my dream of actually getting paid to write something, imagine the thought. I go to college at noSWeat Journalism School in Clerkenwell. It's full of the loveliest journos you could meet, all journos are nice in opinion anyway, and it is a diploma that I need.

There are a lot of things about it that make you wonder about your life choices. Is one course really worth £4000 considering the funny little things that keep happening. Either way it's not really an option to bail out now and it is a useful course so I'll see how it goes.

Updates are fun aren't they. Let's see how often I blog here till I forget about it or get bored.