Be more Queen Khong, visit the 4000 Islands in Laos!
If you need time with yourself, or just in very closed company, Don Khong is an island you should seriously consider. No cars. No electricity after 10pm. Frequently you will be the only diner/s. I was depleted by the time I made it here. My group of backpacker friends were all in search of time too. Selfishly, these pictures set me at ease. Practically, the captions are my advice on how to approach a trip to 4000 Islands and what to expect!
The Tory Majority and My Breaking Heart
Today the Tories have won the 2019 General Election. Boris Johnson secured more votes of confidence than any other candidate. Despite being caught on live TV hiding in a fridge to avoid questioning, just two days ago.
Book Review: Tarka the Otter, Henry Williamson.
Insightful book review of Tarka the Otter written by Henry Williamson. The story is about an otter called Tarka, and the first few years of his life. It’s an intimate portrait of survival that pulls no punches when it comes to describing the harsh ways otters kill and are killed. My heartbeat quickened ever time I saw a “Tally Ho!” on the page. The otter hunt is described with a ruthless detachment that makes it even more emotive.
Why is Everybody So White at British Literary Festivals? Talking Hay & Cardiff book festival.
Why is Everybody So White at British Literary Festivals? Discussing the line up for the Hay book festival & Cardiff book festival and their lack of diversity in speakers.
Cheap Things to do in any City in the World. Top 10 Ideas.
Top 10 Cheap Things to do in any City in the World. Take a DIY Streetart Tour. Do a Street Performer Scavenger Hunt. Seek Out Free Walking Tours in any city. See How National Bank Holidays and Festivals are Celebrated on the Streets of different countries, for example the Songkran festival in Thailand. Learn a new skill abroad, Put the phone away! Try something new. Maybe it's colouring your own postcards to send home? Maybe it's a bit of embroidery? You might even manage to take up playing the harmonica like you always wanted to. Time to kill, on a beach, is the time to take the plunge. Go Geocaching hen use it to find secret caches that are hidden all over the world, using a free app. Visit a university library in any country, University and central libraries usually have a storied history too. The one pictured above is in UNAM, Mexico City, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. The entire building is covered in a mural that pays tribute to Mexico's history.
Long Bus Lazing Playlist
Self created playlist of music for lazing on a bus or long journey to. A mix of Wolf Alice, Jesse Malin, Diet Cig, Los Campesinos! Maggie Rogers and loads more. A brief description of why I love each band and how music is good for the soul.
7 of the best podcasts about culture (on Spotify) 2019
7 of the best podcasts about culture (on Spotify) THE ALLUSIONIST: A PODCAST ABOUT LANGUAGE (Helen Zaltzman), GETTING CURIOUS by Jonathan Van Ness, HALFCAST PODCAST by Chuckie, Poet and team. WITHOUT FAIL by Alex Blumberg. WHAT'S THE TEE? (RuPaul and Michelle Visage)
8 Incredible People of Colour to Follow on Instagram
The #brownupyourfeed trend might sound clumsy, or like virtue signalling, but taking up the challenge has brought me joy, it might do the same for you.
Book Review: The Salt Path, Raynor Winn.
Book Review: The Salt Path, Raynor Winn. A detailed and personal account of reading this travel story by a female writer.
Dog got your tongue? First person nature writing series.
Got Your Tongue? Is a series of pieces that challenge me to think more than “cute” about a creature, and to research about them instead. Writing in the first person is meant to improve the empathy we feel when reading, so I’ve decided to just act as if I am a goose and hope it resonates with you better that way too. I feel strongly about the damage we are inflicting on our ecosystems and this is my tiny contribution to trying to work out how we can do better.
Terrapin got your tongue? First person nature writing series.
Terrapin Got Your Tongue? Is a series of pieces that challenge me to think more than "cute" about a creature, and to research about them instead. Writing in the first person is meant to improve the empathy we feel when reading. A creative honest written blog about terrapins featuring in Roath park in Cardiff.
Canterbury Cathedral is in Suspended Animation: Refugee exhibition.
Canterbury Cathedral is in Suspended Animation: A Syrian Refugee exhibition installation at a time where Teresa May paid Calais to further house the refugees in the French camps.
The love locks tradition, Cologne & Paris: So what if it's passé?
The love locks tradition, Cologne & Paris: So what if it's passé? Blog written by Kelly Keegan about the history of leaving love locks and the importance of the feelings.
Kidnap the Sandy Claws (keep the Christmas spirit alive!)
It's about this time of year, from the interim of Christmas day to NYE and beyond into January, that the 'slump' begins. Often, we have spent beyond our means, rushed around trying to fit in lots of things and taken up a chunk of our holiday days.
The quicksand dread of going back to work and needing to pack away all the Christmas decorations sets in. Plus, January, as a month, seems to have become the lynchpin for abstinence campaigns!
5 incredible nature accounts to follow on Instagram
I sincerely believe change comes when you empower people, not when you ridicule or dismiss them. So, here are 5 nature and wildlife accounts that I follow on Instagram that are constantly informing me on the wonder in our natural world and the ways in which we are threatening/improving it.
Are there any accounts you follow about the natural world, or wildlife, that educate, entertain or soothe you? Drop me some suggestions below. Remember, Sir David Attenborough wants us to respect our planet, so let's pull together on that matter.
The Abandoned Acropolis Mall photo shoot in Vértiz Narvarte, Mexico City.
The Abandoned Acropolis Mall: Mexico City, a photo gallery and discovery of an abandoned mall in Mexico.
We didn’t anticipate that a throwaway conversation about my interest in urban decay, and abandoned places, would lead to an invitation to “explore” Acropolis, a crumbling mall, but were immediately game. With a name taken from the Greeks, conjuring visions of grandeur and stone pillars obliquely linked to shopping, who could resist?