Close your eyes - what can you see?

Fairy footprints

I sit in the loud silence of the evening. Some may recognize that saying as a paradox but it is no such thing. Having lived in tropical countries most of my life - I've been lulled to sleep by the spinning of fan blades, the buzz of mosquitoes (not the most pleasant sound) or the distant rush and beeps of cars. But here, isolated from civilization and surrounded by water that almost insulates us from sound waves - one can tune into the universal hum of silence. When I was younger I would put my ear to the pillow and hear the sound almost escalating. My imagination would go wild - I could see a whole world of tiny people, (similar to those in 'Horton hears a Who' by Doctor Seuss), the sound emanating from the minute golden foghorns that one could only faintly detect.

It's funny how the concept of imagination is generally associated with children. The idea that as we get older and more wrapped up in our physical worlds, our imagination loses priority. A large part of that does have to do with time. As kids we're free from the list of responsibilities that accompany adults. We have the time and space to roam, and our minds aren't subject to so much influence that's thrust upon us as we grow up. Newspapers, TV, just media in general, then there are books, events, people. Up until the age of about 12 I wouldn't watch the news out of fear. It was like watching a real life horror story, the confrontation with reality was too gory and brutal. But you get eased into it, the death of hundreds of people due to car bombs or warfare begins to seem more normal. Of course empathy remains but as I've said before, when you routinely see the same kind of things on the news, it brings with it a strong sense of normality.

Call me a flower child

When we lived in Sri Lanka during the last few years of the Civil War, I'd receive emails from friends in other countries asking if I was alive after a recent bombing - And that was normal. The news made it look so much more terrifying than the bubble us expats were living in; surrounded by constant parties, beaches and a lot of security guards. Actually there was one day that I remember quite clearly. We were 14- 15 years old, a group of friends and I. We'd bought tickets to a concert that had a few local well known expat bands that had won various music competitions - so you can imagine how excited we were. Everyone was wearing their 'Icarus' shirts and the buzz was getting bigger as the concert went on. 30 minutes into the show, the announcer comes up on stage with the microphone announcing "Hi everyone.. uhm.. there's currently an air raid occurring and the government's instructed for all lights and electricity to be switched off in Colombo to confuse the terrorists". Everyone nervously laughed at the 'joke' that he'd come up with to kick off the intermission. The lights all went out and I looked out the window in the Foyer.. I could see little bright lights shooting into the sky "Fireworks!" I was so excited - someone else screamed back "They're bullets!" Within seconds, thousands of teenagers in Icarus shirts were running into one another tapping furiously at their phones. The phone signal was totally gone and the doors had been padlocked by the guards to ensure none of us were hit outside the building. Everyone clustered together, the heat rose and sweat appeared on everyone's panic-stricken faces. "I love you if this is it", I heard that over and over again. It seemed so unreal, we heard about this on the News! We didn't experience this! It all turned out to be OK, the Tamil Tiger Planes were shot down by the Sinhalese army and the doors were eventually unlocked. Needless to say the concert did not go on, but our lives did.

Red poppy riding solo

Distinguish the grey horizon

So to link these slightly shocking stories to my main point. Imagination is almost 'lessened' because so much of what one would imagine via watching video or computer games, happens in real life so less is left for the imagination to conjure up. Some people do choose to spend their time indulging in their imaginations instead of falling victim to reality. Artists tune into their creative streams and focus them into more mature creations like sculptures, clothes, movies etc. But artists only make up a small percent of the population so what does that say about the rest of us? Imagine if the people that created our surroundings had wild imaginations like Dr. Seuss - our houses would be lop-sided and bright purple, Willy Wonker would have created chocolate rivers and bubble-gum trees, and Yayoi Kusama would have polka dots splattered all over the place.

Monopoly

Back on the road at last

Scone prep.

My brother and I discussed this on our walk today - to our left was the windy sea, due to the overcast, dismal day it reflected the grey sky; sea and sky blended together, separated by merely a line of dark grey horizon. To my right a royal contrast, golden fields of wheat blew in the breeze that created gentle waves of kernels at its surface.
Dad was walking slower to accompany my granny, and my brother and I walked on ahead. The discussion began with the effect video games have on the mind - his argument was there are far more pro's than cons and mine was vice versa. He claims that it aids his imagination, I asked "with violence?" And he began telling me of all the things he saw happening around him at that moment. I chimed in and added my usual whimsical fantasies of fairies and elves running between the straws of wheat. His fantasies always seem to resemble scenes from Lord of The Rings - a slight obsession to put it lightly.

Fresh scones baby!

All fantastical thought was paused as we ran into various forks in the path and had to zone back in while he figured out where we were going. The day dragged on, Smoked Haddock and salad for lunch followed by a big game of monopoly. Board games have to make an appearance on drizzly days. After my 12 year old brother had successfully made us all bankrupt with his ridiculous money-making tactics, I set about making fresh scones. I had the house to myself for a few hours as the others were off 'prawning' in the boat. I stood outside in the brightening sky and inhaled on a familiar friend.. The rest of the day has been slow and light. The scones were delicious with blackberries, clotted cream and jam (with tea of course) and the sausage pie for dinner filled us to the brim.
Time to close my eyes and switch on the imagination button for a few hours.


 Recipe of the day: Sausage pie (Any pastry can be used)
http://www.jusrol.co.uk/recipe.aspx?RecipeId=141

Observation

My brother's band's called 'Lazy Sunday' - coincidence!

For a while it seemed as though we could have easily teleported to a rural Mediterranean country-side town. The weather was too good to be true; I no longer gaze out the window at blue cloudless skies, the English weather has found its niche once again and the grey clouds have returned with vengeance. It hasn't rained yet, but everything feels ominous, the air's heavy and the rain's waiting to fall. I want to almost press the flush button and watch it all pour down - the suspense requires too many layers of clothing. 


This morning we were up bright and early - I love that nature reveals different aspects of itself to you in different conditions. This morning, before the clouds stormed in, the early birds were singing and amazing blue and yellow butterflies were circling outside our window. I felt like I was in a children's fairy tale, I just needed to open the door for the rest of the woodland animals to join in the sing-along. An amazing smell drifted up the stairs as I got out of the shower. Dad was making his indulgent breakfast, porridge with molasses and clotted cream. The scene had suddenly switched to goldilocks and the three bears - well two bears. I stuck to the usual - Dad keeps saying if I eat too much muesli I'll get sick of it, or my body will revolt against it, but that hasn't happened so far so I may as well count my blessings, keep calm and carry on!

Buying muscles

We've seen a fair amount of wild life while we've been here, yesterday a beautiful badger was caught stunned in the middle of a country lane. The most perfect white stripe was situated across it's face, it's bright eyes reflecting the sun. It scrambled back into it's hole at record speed. There's definitely something to be said for the perfection that lies within nature. On my way up the hill I saw a lonesome poppy swaying with the summer breeze. It's delicate petals felt like silk and the sharp crimson stood out against it's black centre. Poppies have such a sexy daredevil-like quality to them. It was almost like a symbol for 'The heart of Darkness', a book we'd spent months analysing - to the point at which it had almost become ingrained into our psyche. 
The landscapes that surround us also continue to blow me away, my eyes open slightly wider when I think of those responsible for cultivating these works of art - local farmers, people that don't gain enough recognition around these parts. Now I'm not religious myself, but the idea that these stunning natural creations (flowers, animals, forests) all have such sophistication and perfection without being sculpted or altered by hand is so humbling - and it's understandable how people attribute this perfection to the concept of 'a god' in creating such beauty, because man-made art that also contains a high degree of perfection, is the only thing we have to compare it to - hence the fact that gods image is so similar to man, is conceivable. 

Vintage ad.

Moving on from religious matters (my book has me hooked), we went into town today to pick up a few bits and pieces, and I noticed something as I walked into shop after shop after shop. About a year ago I watched a documentary made by Morgan Spurlock (the same man that made 'Supersize me' a film I'm sure everyone's familiar with), it was called "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" and while I don't particularly recommend it for entertainment's sake, it does have some thought provoking insights. The whole documentary is based on the idea of marketing and advertising, how products become successful based on the schemes surrounding them. It even got to the point of being psychological - movie trailers today are based on creating the biggest reaction possible to hook their audience - this can be measured via EEG machines that measure brainwaves and can detect when the frequencies are the most active reflecting various moods like excitement or fear. A bit of a scary idea that we're subconsciously being reeled in to watch movies without really knowing it, but I suppose we subject ourselves to them in the first place..

Vintage ad.

But one other big idea that I took away from the documentary was the advertisement ban that took place in São Paulo - to enable brands to succeed or fail based on their products quality and the preferences of the people, without any influence from advertisements. The satisfaction rates of the population increased dramatically following this ban. And this is exactly what went through my head as we walked into shops confronted by a million different products and prices. It's so much to take in I don't understand how one can filter through it all unless you have a completely clear objective of what you need without being subject to distraction along the way. My friends always joke around with me when we walk through malls saying I need horse-blinders to keep me focused. A few shops and a few-too-many headspins later I gave up; there are always going to be things that we want or can/ can't afford, that's the nature of consumerism and materialsm. And it's hard to end that process, of course I still haven't 'ended that process' living in the society we do today, but it was nice not needing to go home with handfulls of new clothes to add to my suitcase that's already spilling over. Living on a budget means I have to actually think before I buy now aswell, not that I didn't before - but knowing how long it takes to earn $6 as opposed to having it handed to you, does give you another layer of awareness to add to the basket. 

My Gran's arrived so we have more female energy in the house - balanced at last. Pasties and salad for lunch, as we sat wrapped up in shawls and jumpers with stronger gales still approaching. We'll get in a bit of nature later with a nice walk through nearby fields. French bread and fresh muscles for dinner - mm, who can resist a taste of France ;). 


 Recipe of the day: Steamed muscles in white wine served with grilled French bread
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/steamed-mussels-with-white-wine-tarragon-shallots-butter-and-grilled-french-bread-recipe/index.html

As I walk and ponder

These views make it worth the walk

Can you imagine the stories you'd hear if trees could talk? Trees that have been alive for hundreds of years, their cellular memory dating back centuries. I think that's why tree-huggers and nature lovers really connect to something, the pent-up energy that's gathered in a solid mass of cells over time is quite humbling.
We carefully made our way over bushes of stinging nettles and purple spikey purple flowers on our walk through the forest this afternoon. When you passed clear patches of brush and softer plants it was relieving. Despite being advised to wear trainers my stubbornness got the better of me and I'd set out in my Ipanema flip flops that were about 2cm thick. Walking through fields full of chopped grass and weeds was painful to say the least. I could feel the spikes and nettles all over my feet but to 'just keep going' as Dory would say, was the only thing I could really do. My brother and I raced ahead, reaching a signpost that lead to three different paths. I was so certain it was the path ahead, and being in a slightly 'dazed' state aided my decision out of sheer laziness to not engage in thought - but soon I realized that recognizing something doesn't necessarily mean you're anywhere near your destination.

Starting off..

I 'recognized' cottages, nooks and crannies for about 20 minutes until I caught a glimpse of a rough Devonshire sea through the trees. Our cottage is situated at the end of an estuary, that leads off from the sea - so I pieced the puzzle together and turned around, to walk back down the hill feeling slightly disheartened. I found my brother wondering towards me with a 'why did I follow you again.' look on his face. 5 minutes later dad was magically driving towards us in the car that we've recently gained a love for. He laughed and shook his head. I bowed mine in defeat - there was no way I was arguing my way out of this one.

And rapidly regressing

The day didn't start off amazingly either. I plucked up the courage to brave the windy seas in our sailing boat with dad. Feeling slightly like a michelin man wrapped up in a swimming costume, a wetsuit, a life-jacked and boating shoes, I trudged my way into the middle of the estuary to 'hold the boat towards the wind'. The sail went up and this job suddenly got a whole lot harder - it flapped uncontrollably banging against the metal pole, not a very gentle experience for ones ears. Whenever the sail caught the wind the boat picked up speed and violently spun left or right, it was like trying to control a manic 4 year old child. That weighed a lot. I lay over the front of the boat holding both ends, trying to manage my fading sense of optimism and hoping that the experience would pick up. 20 minutes after dragging the boat back and forth, I was instructed to step in. As I placed my foot in the centre of the boat the wind caught the sail and it flipped over towards me sending me backwards into the muddy water. Dad's face dropped as his efforts drowned along with the sail. We spent the next 20 minutes trying to drag the heavy four year old back on to the shore, not easy when it's filled to the brim with seaweed and water. To be honest I was slightly relieved that we didn't end up going - the thought of capsizing in the middle of a freezing sea didn't seem too promising.

The magic of shrooms

During the remainder of my day I watched three new and exciting TedTalks - 6 ways mushrooms can save the world (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5frPV58tY) - an impressive lecture about the new found-energy generated by mushrooms, their pesticide-properties, their ability to clean sources of water from factory wastes, the list goes on. However listening to science in such intricate detail can either send the brain on a mission to understand it, or on a journey to take refuge in ones own thoughts. I experienced a mixture of the two - and needed a bit of psychology to put things into perspective 'The power of Introverts' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4) was the next lecture I indulged in. Leading me to categorize individuals in my life into one of the two: Introverts or extroverts. Introverts being characterized by their preference of being alone to think or engage in individual activities like reading or writing and tending to avoid louder social situations. A number of people came to mind. Whereas extroverts are more 'out there', they crave stimuli and activity, socializing with others and constantly 'doing'.. of course there's a spectrum and these two lie at either end so many people fall at different points. But it lead me to think of what I am? A bit of both? Maybe slightly more towards the extrovert side as I tend to feel cabin-fevered and a bit crazy when I'm left on my own or stuck indoors for too long. I'm sure many others would agree. The lecture reminded me of a principle in the sociocultural aspect of psychology that I've spend the past two years studying. People have an Individual and social self - the need to be alone being just as important as the need to be with others. However within the whole psychological spectrum of what I've studied, I find that there's a lot more importance placed on the idea of socializing and being surrounded by others, to learn off them 'the social learning theory', and to grow into our own selves with our own thoughts via the social, cultural, biological, cognitive etc. aspects that take place around us - requiring us to be extrovert and engage in such measures. 

Introversion

I soon found myself in a usual and familiar situation of stressing out. Wanting to do a million things (read, do yoga, eat breakfast, watch masterchef, watch TedTalks, go on a walk, go to the beach, cook, read other blogs - lalala doesn't the list end?) I came across Carl Honore giving a lecture on 'Slowing down in a world built for speed' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhXiHJ8vfuk) exactly the lecture I needed to be given - well most people in the developing world really. One of the most important things I took out of the speeches given at graduation was when our well respected conselor said "Once in a while, turn off everything that has a power button, and just listen." It's so true, so many of the distractions that exist today are comprised of technology. The first thing I do in the morning is check the time on my phone, followed shortly by turning on my laptop. When I'm away from technology I can't help but wonder whether I've missed a call, if i need to get intouch with someone, or watch something that I've missed out on. That's a whole different issue altogether 'FOMO' it's apparently termed, 'Fear Of Missing Out. The tattoo at the back of my neck, and one of the main principles of meditation and yoga, is presence. The idea of slowing down your pace in such a busy and demanding world, to just experience what's going in in that moment without necessarily needing google to do it for you. Again, awareness comes into the equation.

An odd concept

I'm just about to watch Michael Phelps on TV swimming his amazing 400m I.M at the Olympics. Though I'm not the most amazing swimmer I know, having had the experience of being in a competitive swim team and knowing the push towards that goal of touching the wall at the end of a never-ending race; it's nice to be able to connect to something and have a slightly higher degree of understanding for what you're watching... seeing Phelps walking around in his swimmers isn't too painful either - they're at the blocks and the buzzer's about to go, time for another exciting race!


To engage in a bit of brother-sister bonding time we tuned in to our musical side - here's a rough rendition 'You know I'm no good' by a legendary singer to say the least (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQaJuaJ1YIw)

(We made the most amazing fresh crab, mayo and lemon sandwiches the other day - using freshly baked bread of course.. here's a recipe for another family fave:)


Recipe of the day: Fresh crab linguine 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/crab_linguine_22025

A comment on creativity

Yesterday morning began as routine - it's funny how you can be in a place for only a few days before you begin to develop your own little pattern. Adaptation, well in a comfortably warm cottage with endless (touch-wood) sunny days, it's not too hard to get into. I got my breakfast together, sliced nectarines that were on the brim of being over-ripe, the juice spilling all over the counter. I still haven't mastered cutting nectarines, you can't slice them into segments because the flesh doesn't pull off the stone, and slicing it against the stone leaves you with lots of excess flimsy thin slices that aren't any use to anyone. Pear, banana and strawberries joined the mixture, along with a few nuts, seeds and natural yogurt. I sat opposite my dad and brother who were munching on bacon, fried egg, potato cakes and toast. A bit of a contrast. 

Frisky food art - Joli Lapin

My laptop was situated next to me, and I pressed play on the 'TedTalks' that spanned my screen, it was titled 'Do schools kill creativity?' (http://youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY) Sir Ken Robinson's main point being that creativity stems out of having no fear of being wrong. Think about the theories that arose when people thought the earth was flat, had many moons, or was the centre of the universe. These theorists are still talked about today, and through harnessing their creative streams and having no fear of putting their idea's out their though their theories may have been wrong, they led the way to the right discoveries. Schools today label being wrong as detrimental - I remember being handed back my essay's or projects and seeing red pen spanning the page. Crosses on maths papers, a loss of self-esteem when your grades for that english paper weren't what you expected. Memorizing the exact definitions for exams and the biological processes that we splurged onto the page, only to forget them weeks later. Of course you can see this in positive terms aswell, school's just want to produce kids that will work error-free in a demanding world that's getting tougher by the minute and constantly looking for qualifications that you can only get if you pass that exam or get the best grades in that English paper. But one big part of school that I always found to be unfair was the focus on awarding the best. Whether it was for 'academic achievement', or 'outstanding athletic abilities', only the individuals who rose above the rest were recognized, there's nothing wrong with this, but what about everyone in-between? Effort was never really seen as something that important if it didn't get you to the top, competition was constantly thrust into our faces and 'a friendly game' to purely enjoy the activity of writing, dancing, acting, singing, playing or whatever it was, wasn't really an option.

It's an apple fly! - Joli Lapin

A sports shoe and burgers, oh the irony - Joli Lapin

The speaker in the video talked of school's focus on developing the analytical left side of the brain, the more prestigious subjects like maths and sciences being of a higher stature than the arts that focus on the right, more creative side of the brain. The thing that I don't particularly warm to in regards to the analytical subjects is that the answer's either right or wrong with no space for grey area. Yes, there's no room for bullshit or talking/ writing your way around the answer, if you know it you know it, if you don't you don't. But this doesn't allow for any individuality. 50 people can get the right answer, but who stands out if they're all the same? I love that through English, you have to argue your point using your own devices; the basis of these are tools you've been taught, but each argument is seperated by the individuals thoughts and opinions towards the matter. So do schools kill creativity? I think many of the institutions that exist today do, yes.

Food art - Joli Lapin

Interestingly the day before I watched this TedTalks, I was conversing with my dad as we wondered through the Devonshire forests. The 3:00pm sun shining through the trees cast abstract shapes over the bumpy terrain and the stallions on either side of us had their heads lazily hanging over the shaded gates at the edge of their vast fields of green. I was talking about the institution of school, as we have a great friend that's decided not to send any of his kids to school simply because he doesn't believe in its principles. They're still being taught by their parents to read and write, the basics. But instead of spending their days sitting at tables filling out worksheets enclosed within four walls, they walk the trapeze at circus school, prance around in ballet, draw, paint and mould in art classes, and run, swing and slide in the park. They have a truly active and creative childhood - I can see this being more difficult as they get older, especially if some of them want to be doctors or go into other professions that require qualifications and schooling. But it made me think whether the hours, days and months spent reading textbooks and writing essays was all worth it - in such a competitive world where degrees don't take you as far as they used to;

Walk back from Gara

I feel like a bit of a sheep sometimes, going along with the rules and regulations of society to 'hopefully' get to a point of success in the future. End up in a career that I'm truly passionate about (hopefully in food), a stable financial situation and a good degree of excitement and change brought about through travelling and experience. But isn't that the dream most people strive for? And how many end up selling their souls to jobs that earn buckets of money but have them sitting in an office from 9 - 5, 5 days a week. I have too many friends that have fantastic lives financially, but never see their dads/ mums as they're always away on business trips, or stuck at the office. I truly hope I don't get swallowed up in the money cycle.

Haha, dad looking slightly senile

The opening Ceremony!

So my dad thinks schooling and university and qualifications give you choices, especially if you don't know what you want to do in life. And along the way you may meet someone who offers you the job of your dreams or your path might change completely but to have the foundation there is a safe and stable bet. But the thing is, as great as it feels to have an IB diploma behind me, I can't help thinking that if I'd been taken to schools for art, circus, dance, culinary, singing, acting (the list goes on), whether I'd be in a state of passion and drive right now, instead of looking ahead at a slightly daunting three years of university with the hope of coming out with a BSC in Nutrition and Food science. Yes it's well respected, but I don't like that life's about pleasing and impressing others with your 'highly respected degrees' and not about engaging in activities that you absolutely love, without playing it safe. I guess you find those activities and passions along the way? I don't think there's any right answer..

The crowd the crowd

Today was lazy again, at one point everyone had fallen asleep on the grass in the garden, I lay in a patch of sun reading my new, recommended book that's very interesting but requires a high degree of concentration, "God is Not Great" by Christopher Hitchens, an athiest with strong opinions, and strong support, i'm two chapters in and the grip's tightening.. Everyone slowly started moving and we made our way down to 'Gara Rock' again, spending the rest of the day with friends playing cricket, bat-and-ball and football on the beach. The day ended with a bang watching the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in 'The Pigs Nose' our local pub. It was full to the brim, we'd managed to find a table with a great view but as the masses started piling in, standing on our seats was the only way to see anything. It was an odd but interesting opening ceremony, the queens emotionless face serving to humour everyone, especially when "God save the queen" was sung. Rowan Atkinson definitely had the most laughs - the best addition by far. The energy of 'great British pride' began dying down as the 160+ countries walked around the stadium bearing their flags and camera's and we left the pub in the evening lul. On our drive home we came across a wide-eyed tawny owl in the middle of the street. It looked exactly like the owls you see in books or cartoons. We continued on as it glided up to the telephone wire above us and I fell into a daydream about an old childhood tape I used to listen to 'The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark' by Jill Tomlinson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOaQ0f6TRsY). I lay down with a cup of chamomile tea after another beautiful day, time to shut-down for a few hours. 

 Recipe of the day: Classic lasagne

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10602/classic-lasagne

Wavy day

Dad and his sand chair

Today I felt like I rode the emotional wave - and no I was not PMS'ing - it is possible to be grumpy, annoyed or down without having Mrs. Flow come to town. (Excuse the rhyme) It began with one of those early mornings - and I have this slight phobia of waking up past 11 if it's a sunny day - it just feels like you're wasting the days potential. All those activities that could be done! They literally run through my head in lists waking each cell up one by one until the anxiety pulls me out of bed. So I slope out from under my duvet, religiously drink my three glasses of water, and do an hour of yoga in the morning sun. It's so nice being outside without having to lather yourself in a thick layer of oily suncream because it's not late/ early enough to make you turn completely beetroot, but just give you a slight blush.
As I finished I see my brother's floppy head bobbing through the door, and with his drooping eyes he slinks down onto the sofa with a book. The role reversal is quite interesting in our family. My 11 year old brother could sleep till 3 whereas I'm up at the crack of dawn - unless the night before involved intoxication of any sort. And while most of my friends refer to their dads as 'the tough ones', mine's a softy and my mum holds the flame. If she raises her voice it's a cue for all of us to put a sock in it.
The sun was almost covered in a muslin cloth - the layer of clouds was so thin but their movement across the sky made the planes look slow. The tide was coming in and the waves on the water were increasing in size. 'Time for a sail!' dad's enthusiasm was met with grunts and sighs. I kind of felt I had a duty to go along with it though, everything's worth a try even though cold winds and wetsuits in a muddy estuary didn't really appeal.

Coastal trail

Before we left I was given the task of taking off all the wooden boards that my pesky cousin had nailed into our sweet tree in the middle of the garden. It looked like it'd been tortured, sap was bleeding out of it at all corners and moss had started to gather at the wounds. I climbed its branches, though struck by slight vertigo, I focused on the climb. Sitting in the top branches of the tree I found a nook and felt empowered looking down below me. After 20 minutes of whining and squealing about how I couldn't do it, I'd managed to knock all the debris out of the tree... throughout the day I'd find patches of tree sap stuck onto my arms, legs and clothes (not the funnest thing to wash off).
My brother's disadvantage of being the youngest means he has to unwillingly comply with whatever decision the rest of the family makes - unless his whining and grumpy moods make way to his choice being heard. But today he didn't luck out and slipped into a wetsuit, making his way into the cold water, dragging the smaller yellow open-top kayak behind him. I followed suit in the big orange one, feeling inappropriately tropical in my strapless bikini (if there's tan potential it has to be utilized). I have never laughed so much while kayaking in all my life. We floated with the wind towards Salcombe, turning the bend to see the beautiful seaside town with it's pastel coloured houses and hundreds of sailing boats gliding along in the morning wind. Turning back, against it wasn't as fun - I got into a rowing zone, despite the frequent splashes of cold water and the harsh gales, I managed to keep going for about five minutes. To then realize that my brother was with me too, I turned around and saw him about 200m behind, rowing his heart out and remaining in exactly the same position, I couldn't help but laugh.

A frame of blue

Holding onto a buoy I waited for him. My mind was drifting to our senior trip in Koh Samui earlier this year, raves in 'green mango', a club that we'd spent most nights in... Nick and Harry, the funny boys we'd met while travelling, I remember when "FINALLY!" Jake arrived and I snapped into life-mode. I let him climb onto the back of my kayak, after he rested his little arms for a few minutes. He dragged his kayak along as I managed to row us both the 300m to the cottage. The day was lazy, salad, fresh bread and cold-cuts for lunch. We discussed plans for the day, and the mention of 'sunny' (my favourite beach here) sent my brother into a strop "why can't we just do nothing!?" The conversation degraded and insults were being thrown across the table, sibling banter, that my father couldn't completely handle. Escapism facilitated the situation and my dad and I went off on a walk, disabling all technology causing my brother to be forced to actually get into his book or spend a bit of time interacting with the world.

The mysterious alien in my tummy 

We walked along the coastal path, overlooking the glittering sea, keeping cool with the never-tiring breeze. We made our way down to the beach with our friends that had joined us. After a swim in icy waters and a few ball games we were on our way back through the forest to the car in order to promptly make our doctors appointment. Turns out I may have a 'tropical tummy disease' brought on my stress due to change, and eating certain foods in foreign, tropical countries. Fan.fucking.tastic. 'Have you been travelling anywhere lately?' Hong-Kong, Cambodia and Malaysia raised the doctors eyebrows and she began taking suspicious notes that were too far out of view for me to read. I knew coming back from holiday without a scratch was too good to be true. My spirits had gone from early-morning-ecstacy, to lunchtime anger with my brother, to tea time high's, and now I was at an evening low. Tropical disease? Perfect mid-summer news.

Mid-Picture chaos

I indulged in a bit of culinary therapy and set out making dinner for the family. Following exact measurements in recipe's, I discovered, is not always clever. I ended up frantic over my disgustingly sweet pea puree as the vegetables and potatoes were getting browner by the minute. I slightly salvaged it by making extra, dumping out half of the original lot and mixing the two together with some acid to sway it's flavour scale. We sat down to crispy chicken, pea puree and roasted veg. A warming way to end the evening. A spliff lifted me back into positivity and now I sit in a light satiated daze, ready to submit myself to a deep sleep.


Recipe of the day: Pan-fried chicken with pea purée and Roasted veg (Don't put honey into the pea purée.)
http://blog.grasslandbeef.com/bid/14677/Chicken-Cutlets-with-Sweet-Pea-Puree-Garlicky-Oven-Roasted-Potatoes

Blood red munch

Amazing food art - watermelon

One reason why I chose a degree in Food science and Nutrition is because the manner in which food can be manipulated to affect certain changes in the body fascinates me. I remember living in India and constantly being hooked up to tubes and breathing devices after yet another asthma attack due to the thick Dheli pollution. That summer my mum decided to take my brother and I to a homeopathic dowser in London on reccomendation - and we spent the next few hours sitting in her apartment as we listed hundreds of foods and wrote down the 'response' of her crystal (when it swung backwards/forwards it was 'yes' side to side it was 'no' and circular motions were 'maybe') - now i know dowsing is highly controversial - critisized for being a pseudo-science, but this account helped convince me... our friends had gone to her recentley with a hand-drawn map of their entire house as they had a leak somewhere that would require thousands of pounds if they were to uplift all of the floorboards, unless they were able to determine its exact location. The dowser and her crystal were consulted and the crystal landed in one spot, on the second floor of their house in the far right corner. What do you know, a few floorboards in the spot were uplifted and the leak was found. Coincidence you may say, but it's comforting to believe in a bit of so-called-magic aswell (I've done science projects on the different properties and energies of crystals - the tools used in dowsing; there's lots of interesting info available supporting the practise aswell, worth a read). Anyway, we left the apartment with a list of foods to avoid - including wheat, dairy, citric acid, specific fruits/ veg/ grains and fats. Sticking to this diet for only 2 weeks resulted in such a drastic change.  No more snotty noses, coughs, wheezing or trips to the hospital. The diet had totally transformed our immune systems...

Cultured apple

Today I was wondering around an organic 'greenfoods' shop as dad was buying all the essentials. I ended up conversing with one of the shop owers about the right foods for your blood type. So here's a bit of human history related to food that i found fascinating (this information is a condensed version of info from various sources). Lets begin the breakdown, now before I start, blood types are said to be linked to specific personality traits and exercise patterns as the result of the presence of more or less hormones (including the stress hormone cortisol or the fight and flight hormone Adrenaline) but i'll be focusing on the food aspect. 

Egg pram

As you all know man started off in Africa, known as the 'Cro-magnum man' with blood type O being the most common (meat eaters). We then migrated down to Asia and Europe where meat was less available resulting in a more herbivorous diet of fruits, vegetables and carbs (Blood type A). Humans continued into the Himalayas, India, Nepal, Mongolia and Pakistan, into cooler climates (which is believed to be a reason for the 'mutation' of our blood type from A to B), we continued into Europe and began the domestication of Animals in cooperating more dairy and meat into our diet. 

The sea's salmon, spot the potatoes, mint and bread

I'm a blood type B, and apparently this means we're more adaptable to our environments and flexible due to our ancient geographical movements. But food wise, I just found out a few more things. I won't list it all because it's quite extensive, but the main foods we're supposed to avoid include: wheat, peanuts, tomatoes, chicken, shellfish, cinnamon, avocado's, corn, beans, sesame/ sunflower oil ...  The list of what we should eat excited me a lot more: Lamb, venison, turkey, deep sea fish, eggs, dairy, oats, figs, green veg. etc.. I saw 'oats, dried apricots and figs' and breathed a sigh of relief, muesli, you're here to stay (http://www.bewellbuzz.com/nutrition/eating-for-blood-type-b/ for more info).

Cracking nuts

My father and brother are blood type A's, and their weekly ritual after football is going down to 'Suzy's corner' and eating steak and chips. Ah the look on their faces when I told them the main thing they were meant to avoid was meat, as geographically type A's are meant to most efficiently digest carbohydrates. Type A's are said to have most sensitive immune systems and in terms of food, the list was the most extensive, sending my brother and dad's eyes rolling as they listened to me read on, and on, and on. Food to avoid: red meats, dairy products, eggs, wheat products, potato, peppers, banana, papaya, coconut, peanut oil, brazil nuts, beer, liquor... But the good news is broccoli, carrots, lettuce, artichokes, beets, olive oil, most fish and lots more all get the thumbs up!  (http://www.bewellbuzz.com/nutrition/eating-blood-type-a-a/ for more)

It's a toaster!

My brother responded with 'screw that i'm eating whatever I want'. And to some extent I totally agree, there are other theories (similar to the concept of the hygiene theory) that kids should eat anything and everything in order for their immune systems to build up their own defence instead of being so carefully cared for, causing negative reactions and allergies on exposure to unusual foods.

O's are the meat eaters of the world and the most common blood type out there, the 'givers' - they're advised to eat MEAT, walnuts, seaweed, berries, rice, quinoa, almonds, cheese etc. (lots of protein rich foods for vege's listed too) but advised against wheat, dairy, pork products, avo's, oranges, coffee, pickled veg ... (http://www.bewellbuzz.com/general/eating-blood-type-o/)

Lastly the rare ones, AB: Containing characteristics of both A and B they're said to have a hard time digesting meats, lots of shellfish and seafood, dairy products, oil, corn flower, soba, banana, avo, vinegar, black tea lalala... but you can eat loads: tuna, cod, lamb, turkey, rice, oat, spelt, berries, plums,   olives, lentils, garlic, red wine, coffee etc. (http://www.bewellbuzz.com/nutrition/eating-blood-type-ab-ab/)

Yes, there are exceptions and our environments also have a huge impact on our individual constitutions as does lifestyle choices, exercise, drinking, smoking, diet, or whatever we may alter. But if following this diet can improve your life, why not give it a go? 

Hot banana-loon?

We've got all our fresh fruit and veg from the farmers market and I'm making dinner tonight - mum's gone so we have an odd number but it's nice to have the boys around - sundowner time :). 

Side note.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T_jwq9ph8k&feature=player_embedded is a TedTalks video I just found by Michael Shermer, though i'm not a skeptic myself, his points have a good degree of humour and wit - (from 9 minutes onwards it made me chuckle.. "Why people believe strange things")

Recipe of the day: Thai basil-chilli pork (Serve with jasmine rice and Asian greens)
http://www.food.com/recipe/minced-pork-with-thai-basil-bangkok-style-pat-krapao-moo-sap-142348

The philosophical mind

'Vintage thought'

I understand the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' and 'ignorance is bliss' but we've got to where we are because of curiosity and change - that's evolution isn't it? So I allowed my mind to look into that unknown place and ask those unanswerable questions. While lying on my turquoise sarong on the white sand beach today, slightly blazed and delirious from a spliff and a few swigs of cider, I soaked in the philosophical conversation that my mum and her great friend were having. Some of it was airy fairy 'we just exist, we have to make the most of now and enjoy the 'wow' moment of realizing that this is everything'. But then I started getting into it, think of the idea that some philosophies of life (yogic or buddhist especially) are about detachment from our material possessions, letting go of such strong emotional connections with people and enjoying them purely for what they are (so objectively). Yet if one's enlightened, everything around you shouldn't seem a distraction or something to get away from, as everything around us is what shapes our reality, hence it should be embraced and accepted, we need to live a subjective life to truly be present. I think of enlightenment as a pyramid... similar to Maslow's hierarchy of human needs - enlightenment can't be reached until all the other layers have been completed/ met. But the needs on Maslow's hierarchy revolve a lot around what our society deems to be the most important aspects, money, security, love etc. and of course I agree to a certain extent, but when someone reaches pure acceptance, where the light and the dark (yin and yang, good and evil, whatever you want to call it) are balanced within your perception and understanding of the world, your reality lifts to a higher vibrational frequency and everything 'makes sense'. That's what I believe anyway, if you can understand my thought train.

S. with her dogs

So that's one philosophical thought - 'oh the meaning of life', I give you permission to roll your eyes, but bear with me. I rolled over onto my other side, just to ensure I didn't end up looking like a piece of bread at the end of a loaf: brown on one side and white on the other. I gazed at the expansive blue sky that just seemed so ethereal and never-ending. I couldn't imagine that only a week ago clouds had littered this view, and now there was absolutely nothing. It made me feel so insignificant and vulnerable under such a wide-spread sheet of aqua. So I'd pondered about life, now I pondered about death. When do we disappear?
My brother has this slight obsession with fame, or people associated with fame. Anything famous has top priority and I'm sure one day I'll turn on the TV, or whatever new technology exists, and he'll be on it rocking away with shaggy hair on his guitar. But I don't totally understand the desire of fame unless it's just an accessory to success after pursuing your dream career. It brings so many toxins with it and envelops you into a tough world that's hard to not conform to. Just look at British TV today - Made in Chelsea, The only way is Essex, Geordie shore, The Kardashians, we're all obsessed with watching other 'famous' people's lives instead of entertaining ourselves with our own- isn't that weird? But anyway, back to my point, so while I think being famous has so many downfalls, it does ensure that your name lives on in some way - whether it's on TV, through records or CD's, in documents or books, or even on google. Having your name out there means that when you do eventually die - your name won't only live through the people you knew until they eventually die and your stories stop being told. Your legacy gets read about or listened to or watched. So for that (slightly morbid) reason I understand the pull that celeb-dome has.

I woke up a bit with a splash in the ice-cold waters, managing to stay in for longer than 5 minutes until my lungs felt as though they were going to collapse and hypothermia was fast approaching. A slight exaggeration I admit, but something has to be said for the freezing british seas and their drastic impact on the human body.. it's my last day with my mum before she leaves our lovely cottage to go and spend a few days in London with family and friends. I'll see her next at Christmas, and the impact of really 'leaving the nest' is hitting me as I can see it happen before my eyes. And because I've almost developed a 'script' that I recite when asked 'so what are you planning on doing on your gap year?' constantly repeating something always brings with it a sense of normality.

What a laugh - These were being sold at the 'Pigs Nose pub'
"PIGS NOSES, DOGGIE TREATS 20p"

How are you supposed to spend your last day with your mum? Today we've just been enjoying it like any other. Yoga, a great BBQ for lunch (spiced chicken, sausages, burgers, beautiful organic salads, brie, salmon, fresh walnut-date bread, avocado's and tomatoes and lots of sangria), a walk to the beach, a stop-off at the pub where we replenished our sun-struck bodies with fizzy elderflower and scrumpy (local cider) and Devonshire burts-crisps and ice cream. Roast pork and apple for dins, if we can fit any more in! Today's been the philosophical day, passing on the last 'words of wisdom' before I gain independence from my maternal pillar. "Every choice you make is a vote" that was one conversation I held on to - when you choose to buy a certain brand you take on the responsibility of supporting their morals and what they stand for - child labour? Their CSR? Their treatment of animals, produce or farmers? It's all about awareness I guess..

Kids in a sweetshop?

Pasties on the pier

Out of the corner of my eye I can sea the pink and white striped 'Cranches' bag that we got this morning, it's from our traditional sweetshop that has been around ever since I can remember. When you walk in all you see is containers of every sweet you can imagine, old and new. 1p cola bottles, flying saucers, bon bons, maple-walnut fudge, liquorice, sour apples, turkish delight, oh my god it goes on forever. You take your little basket and walk around filling it to your hearts content - despite being 18 years old the concept of 'a child in a sweetshop' still remains. My brother's panic-stricken eyes as he rushed around under time-constraint as we had to get back in our little motor-boat before the tide went down. I pranced around in an orderly manner knowing exactly what I wanted to choose. We asked the shop-keeper who supplied the sweets and he told us about this fantastic sweet factory that had sweets from any era you wanted - different sections for sweets from the 1920's, 30's, 40's etc etc etc. How amazing would that be. About 20 minutes after leaving the shop I had a tooth ache from eating half my bag in a sugary rush of excitement.. We sat on the edge of the dock watching the seagulls and eating a pasty before boating back (just in time) to get the BBQ set up.. sorry about the non-chronological order of my comings and goings but the mind just doesn't work like that.

I'm still lightly buzzing and the golden hue of another summer sunset is casting long shadows behind the tall sail boats that are moored near our cottage, the tide's high and another beautiful evening is about to commence (accompanied by a few glasses of red).

Recipe of the day: Spiced marinated chicken (serve with natural yogurt)
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/indian-style-marinated-chicken-10000001215931/

Drink of the day: Sangria (Yummy with fresh mint leaves)

 http://wine.about.com/od/redwines/r/basicSangria.htm)

Blue skies and lavender

Good times under waterfalls in Malaysia truly Asia

On top of sunny cliffs in Devon

Ok a wave of nostalgia has just hit, allow me to endulge."Nice to meet, nice to part and nice to meet again" a quote that I hear repeatedly from my friend Thom I. Parting is something many of my friends and I have had to do a lot as of late. They can begin slightly awkward,  the vague 'see you soon' never knowing when that will be and a little hug before they move on to part with the next person sitting at the table. The benefit of being teenagers and having graduated is these goodbyes usually take place in social hang-out venues like bars, pubs or clubs - meaning that after a drink or two (one for me), everyone's in a slightly buzzy mood and the sad edge is lifted. The goodbyes start to get tiring once you've done it a few times and the reality of possible not seeing the person again is masked by the parting routine and the leaving 'personality' you develop. I've started to become aware of mine, the generic smile, a warm hug and a sincere-as-possible 'I hope I see you soon' -- the line 'we'll stay in touch' is usually true in most cases today due to our ability to access social networks everywhere we go. At our little hidden beach today I happened to glance at my phone only to see '2 facebook notifications' spanning the screen.. the world's constantly shrinking so why hold onto worry about seeing people again when we all know there's high possibility that it will happen! Anyway, back to today's events..A

Ecstasy in the English sea

Mid-walk breather

Today we walked down to 'Limebry', a nearby beach that's hidden away behind the swarming, popular, touristy beach mill-bay. We edged cautiously passed the spiky brush that had sheep wool caught in it from the poor buggers that constantly try to squeeze pass, to only find themselves standing at the tip of a cliff and having to turn back. We scrambled down the rock face to the glittering water down below. The surfers in wet-suits were out, granny's in bikini's, kids in arm-bands and teenagers playing Frisbee. It's so great how when the sun's out everyone just seems to converge in nature. The grandparents are no longer limited to Tesco and thrift shops, teenagers don't just hang out on curbs of streets or indoors - politely keeping their hormonal moods at bay from the unwanting public, and kids aren't limited to drizzly playgrounds and trolley's while their parents push them around for hours giving them the odd lollipop to keep them quiet. We'd walked passed an ice cream van earlier selling 'home-made Devonshire ice creams', i peeked over a little girls shoulder at the enticing honeycomb, mint-chocolate chip and hazelnut ice cream - perfect for a summer day. 

Brotherly sisterly love.. and exhaustion

One family tradition we have while down here is swimming in the sea. Now this, as easy as it may sound, takes serious balls (that stand the high risk of freezing off on contact with this water). The temperature, i'd describe as ice slowly melting - you know when you keep your hand in ice-water for too long and your bones start to ache? That's basically what your whole body experiences before the numbness takes over and  your mind convinces your body that it's warm. I've managed to stay in for 5 minutes so far before running out in fear of getting hypothermia. 

We ate our sandwiches - hummus, chorizo and lettuce, with kettles crisps and apple cider. Chilli chocolate for pud. and after half an hour to digest we launched into a game of cricket with some good friends. 'Unfortunately' I chose to stand in the spot where the ball was never aimed at so I didn't move too much but soaked up a few rays in-between bowling and batting.

View of Salcombe near our cottage

We made our way back to the car with my brother bantering on about how 'the reason he had no body hair was because the angels thought he was too beautiful so had to take something away from him'. I looked at him with a grin "I met your best friend ego the other day", 'who's ego?' replied mum. Dad chuckled walking ahead and we got into the car for our quick drive along the narrow country lanes back to the cottage. 

Amazing array of sweets from our
local traditional sweet shop 'Cranches'

At present, I'm sitting in our garden surrounded by white daisies and green grass listening to the trickle of water in the estuary as the tide's slowly rising and the stepping stones are gradually disappearing. The summer sun's still high in the sky giving no indication of what time it is - but the family's getting ready to head out to our favourite dinner spot in Torcross that serves the most beautiful fish and chips you will ever have the privilege of tasting. Light golden batter and thick chunky chips with vinegar and salt. Steamed treacle pudding with clotted cream for pudding followed by a satiated drive back home. Almost time for a shower, I'll sit here for 5 minutes soaking up the whiffs of lavender and the expansive blue skies above before it all disappears into another night - looking forward to the munch that awaits!

FISH AND CHIPS!

Recipe of the day: Steamed treacle pudding (Serve with vanilla ice cream or clotted cream!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/steamedtreaclesponge_81747