That's a wrap... for 2016 at least

It is almost that time of year when South Africa shuts down, and I know I won't be blogging again before the end of 2016. What a year it has been (for the world - for me, personally, it hasn't really been that noteworthy). I look forward to it being over and I hope that 2017 includes more rational decisions in the global community.  I hope that people will be kinder and make decisions that are rational rather than from a place of fear. I hope that science will not be ignored and that Trump will turn out to not be an idiot and that Zuma will stop being one. 

However, I hope to make the most of the rest of 2016 and I hope you do too. I love this time of year, I love the sunshine, the long days, the bubbles and crisp white wines. I love that I get to see most of my family and be in touch with friends I haven't spoken to in a while. 

I am looking forward to lazy days, early morning walks on the beach, plunges into the pool and cuddles with the dogs. I am looking forward to laughing and being a tiny bit silly. I can't wait to hug my folks (and all the people I love) and eat mom's mince pies. 

I am also looking forward to 2017 and making NY resolutions that I may, or may not keep. I want to explore my beautiful country more; to swim, in rivers, seas or pools; mostly, I want to make sure that no matter the number of horrible news stories I read, that I am kinder and optimistic and proactive in speaking up for things that matter to me. 

A campsite just outside Greyton. I can't wait to find more fab
places to visit in 2017! 

So, I wish you all the very best over this festive season and I hope it is safe and happy. I hope you have fun and come back to 2017 ready to also be kinder and optimistic and proactive in speaking up for things that matter to you, because, more and more, I think we need to stop relying on someone else to sort things out and we need to make sure our voices are heard. 

OK, but MOSTLY, just have a lovely festive season and drink champagne and wear sunscreen! (Apologies to those up north - but you can enjoy mulled wine and wear... LOTS!)

Sciencing

That's a word - right? Last week was the Benguela Symposium and my wonderful PhD supervisor (who must be wondering if she is ever going to get rid of me), agreed to pay for me to attend. She really is awesome. 

I still feel approximately this old when I am at science
meetings - a little like I have snuck onto the adult
table.

It was, in equal measure, really inspiring and intimidating. The science being produced in southern Africa (and about southern Africa because there were a number of international speakers too) is really impressive and a little intimidating. The conference really made me miss science and feel inspired to do more (or some, I am not really doing science at all right now). I think that we can feel proud of how well southern Africans do science - with much smaller budgets and fewer people than developed countries. 

The only less than awesome aspect of the conference was that I was ridiculously nervous for my presentation - I guess because of the impressive audience and the fact that I haven't presented any of my own work for such a long time (the last time I presented was three years ago). I rushed and blundered through some of the explanations and made the normal mistakes one makes when nervous. I think this suggests that I am out of practice  and need to do presentations more often because I used to really enjoy them and didn't enjoy this one at all. If you see any (funded) opportunities - let me know! 

I know you can't really read it, but if you want
more info - shout.

Luckily, the audience was nice and, while the science was intimidating, the scientists weren't at all! (And the feedback I got was positive which is cool). It was a very friendly symposium and I didn't feel like anyone was off-limits for a chat (or to drag to the pub). It is lovely to find brilliant minds that are still completely approachable and fun.

And, the poster session went well (not least of all because there was wine, actually, wine was a pretty regular feature of the conference) and people were generally enthusiastic about my poster. (Although one person said "another 700 fish and you have a paper there" - so I will be looking for a student to do the lab work). I even have hope (hold thumbs) that the DEA will be banning microbeads in the future - I will be following up on that and letting you know. 

I completely failed to take pictures, sadly. This is from a
picnic at Sea Point with some of the conference people
after the conference was finished. 

By far the best part of the conference was seeing familiar friendly faces again. There were some people I hadn't seen in years, and it was fantastic to catch up with people I used to share an office with, shared awesome field trips in Luderitz, or gave me an excuse to look for sunshine and happiness when my PhD results came back. There are some really special people in science and even if I didn't love science already, they would be enough of a reason to want to stay in touch with the science world! 

Oh and the banquet was awesome too!

A punch to the gut

On Wednesday, I woke up with a migraine, I didn't know yet that there was a really good reason for one. Later, while I was following the world spiraling from rational to absurd from my office, I could hear people upstairs, at some meeting or conference, laughing and chatting - I wanted to storm upstairs and shake them. Didn't they realise what was happening? Didn't they understand that the world had changed?  

I felt a little self conscious about my physical reaction to the news. I felt ill, genuinely nauseous (although I had woken up feeling that way, so maybe it was just coincidence). I couldn't stop the lump in my throat and no amount of headache tablets were going to make me feel better. In my boss's words: "the world just took a collective punch in the gut..." (he let me work from home in the afternoon - at least he, as an American, had a vote).   

I though Brexit was bad, this is worse. I understand that there are people that feel disenfranchised by the "system" but to have voted for someone who is so blatantly awful, sexist, racist, stupid and dishonest seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face. I hope that he surprises us all and actually does something good, but I am not placing bets on it. 

I am scared of the global political trends. I hope that these trends of racism and nationalism stop. You have to see that this is terrible idea. It isn't even a new terrible idea, we have already seen how this story ends. Please, Germany, France and Netherlands, when you vote next year, vote carefully - your face will look better with a nose even if it isn't perfect. I can't handle another 2016, so let's make 2017 better! 

It is hard not to feel anything other than despair, but I came across this quote by Judith February in an Eye Witness News opinion piece and I am trying to take it to heart, I hope you will too.  

"Given the political milieu, we may well feel as if we are in a very particular time of global and South African despair, yet now is a time for the very opposite of despair, for greater mobilisation and the true awakening of citizen activism for progressive values and corruption-free societies.

Toni Morrison is instructive:

‘This is precisely the time when artists go to work.

There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity,

No need for silence, no room for fear

We speak, we write, we do language.

That is how civilisations heal.’"

Let's loudly and actively reject racism and sexism. We have to continue to fight for the environment. We have to talk and DO SOMETHING about climate change. We have to science! We need to be proactive. We need to be loud so we are not drowned out by those that care more about power than truth. And we need to remember that people are more good than bad...   

Champagne and happiness

After my previous grumpy post, it is quite nice to be able to write that things are looking a little brighter again - although that might also be because of my recent wine-drinking opportunities (more on that later). 

The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay. What a setting!

The charges against poor Pravin have been withdrawn and Abrahams looks silly (and is now sad that people are judging him in social media - but my sympathy is limited given what he did, very publicly, to Pravin and our economy).  And while I am having a TRULY awesome week, Zuma isn't which isn't a bad thing in my opinion. (Unfortunately I rather suspect that he is indifferent to public opinion and can't even be bothered to feel sad). Thanks to the magnificent Thuli's State Capture Report, Zuma, van Rooyen, Eskom and the Guptas etc. are under scrutiny and even though it might just be the beginning of the process and Zuma might still pull some magic out of his corruption hat, it is a start.

And in international wins, Namibia reversed the decision about phosphate mining! Whoop whoop! We will be keeping an eye on you (and South Africa's marine phosphate mining decisions) though! A huge marine protected area was declared in the Antarctic... not just huge, the hugest and it is a pretty amazing achievement because it required collaboration from a bunch of counties (which gives me hope for other things that need inter-country collaboration, e.g. climate change mitigation and stopping fishing subsidies). And wonderful Leo is doing wonderful things (which totally justify teenage-Shannon thinking he was the best-ever.) Not only has he made #BeforetheFlood (which I haven't watched yet, sorry Leo) but he is putting his name behind other environmental initiatives too (I realise, he isn't a saint, just someone lucky enough to be famous, but there are MANY famous people doing nothing).  

Even the coffee was extra special!

Of course, there are still unresolved problems and so, dear rational and active citizenry, please don't get too relaxed yet (and looting isn't justified during marches no matter what the cause you are marching for) but it is important to celebrate occasionally too.  

I had a fabulous but slightly surreal mid-week. Firstly, I drank wine at the ridiculously beautiful Bay Hotel in Camps Bay at the Norway-South Africa Science Week. The Science Week was all about discussing future opportunities for research and collaboration between the two countries which is a wonderfully hopeful thing to be discussing (particularly in beautiful settings, first Camps Bay and then the Waterfront).

Cheese should always have glitter and come with
champagne. It was all so pretty!

And then, I got to start celebrating Christmas early... Completely out of the blue, I received an email from Pick n Pay inviting me to their "A Taste of Christmas" event. I didn't really know what to think or what it would be or whether it was real (it wasn't Google-able).  BUT, it was real and it was magnificent. I am happy anytime I arrive somewhere and they hand me champagne (which really doesn't happen often enough) but that was really just the tip of the ice berg. All the staff were so welcoming and friendly, I felt like I had mistakenly found myself in the VIP section. Judging from the bewildered but happy faces around me, I think I wasn't the only one. 

Pick n Pay outdid themselves, the setting was stunning, the food amazing, the atmosphere fantastic. I kept waiting for a catch, but the only catch I found was that I ran out of space in my stomach (and even then, we were sent on our way with Christmas cake, a personalised Lindt teddy bear, Ferrero Rocher balls and a chocolate mince pie - although I sort of stole that, wrapped in a serviette). Pick n Pay has a great range of Christmas gifts too, we chatted to one of the buyers and she said they have increased their Christmas range by ten fold (maybe, I had had champagne and am never good at remembering details). 

Champagne with a view

I was very sad to leave the elegantly glittery cheese platters and the ridiculously delicious stollen (not to mention the gin cocktails, champagne and wines that I couldn't drink too much of because of that whole driving thing), but I am so grateful to Pick n Pay for such a fantastic evening. I felt completely spoiled and loved every moment of it! I only wish that I had had more room in my belly.


P.S. Don't worry Mom, I didn't waste space on mince pies, I know yours are the only ones worth eating! 

Ostriches

I haven't written for a while, but I am going to stop apologizing for that because it has become the norm. Someone asked me this week whether I was still blogging and my reply was that I am finding the world very uninspiring at the moment. And I am. It is more than that even, I don't want to think about all the things that are going terribly wrong. I want to stick my head in the sand and think about the little white eyes fluttering outside my office window or about what I am doing this weekend or what the next (happy) book I will read will be (suggestions welcome - but rainbows and happiness, OK?)

I definitely don't want to think about the Guptas, Nkandla, Thuli no longer being Public Protector, SAA, SABC, poor Pravin, the Nuclear deal, Bexit, Trump or #Feesmustfall (which is particularly difficult because I really want to give UCT a big hug). It is very difficult to avoid thinking about these topics though but I know little about the intricacies involved, so I won't even try to talk about them (because I only really know what the media tells me). 

I do know a bit more about the environmental issues I would rather not have to (but can't avoid) think about. For instance, I know that I want to bang the door down of the Namibian environmental ministry and ask "WTF" (possibly even in the full words, even though I am not a fan of the last one). What are you thinking NAMIBIA? WHAT? First, there is the company wanting to catch LIVE AND FREE marine animals to put in to an aquarium! Ridiculous. How dare you even consider it. And while the CITES conversations are happening in Johannesburg? How can you think it is a good idea to catch ENDANGERED African Penguins and dolphins from what is probably a small, (~100 individuals) closed population resident in Namibia. It is crazy! But how can you think it is a good idea when there has relatively recently been such public outcry about marine mammals in captivity (even those born in captivity)? (I haven't even watched Black Fish because I know it will make me too angry/upset). 

And now, they are considering (? or allowing?) marine phosphate mining! Huh? You can check out the Safeguard Our Seabed website for details on how terrible an idea this is, but let me just say that it is open strip mining but in a marine environment it will impact the whole marine ecosystem and the scale of it is INSANE. All for something that is actually available on land and shouldn't be used in such huge quantities because it contributes to eutrophication (Google definition: excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to run-off from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life.) which is a whole other set of problems. 

I am not meaning to pick on Namibia, South Africa is also doing silly things! And one of the reasons (although one of many) I am worried about phosphate mining in Namibia is that it sets the precedent for the same to occur in South Africa. 

And now this blog is already too long and I haven't gotten to the other thing that is making me mad (mad enough to rant about to my poor, wonderful mom when I was meant to be just wishing her a very happy birthday - The rant came about because we were chatting about the crazy weather, particularly in Bloemfontein).  Climate Change! I feel like South Africa is acting as though the drought was a surprise to them when meanwhile, the El Nino event (that are associated with droughts) was forecast and climate change modelling has shown increased likelihood of drought and extreme weather events in South Africa. And yet, what measures are South Africa taking to deal with this? I know that the people in power have their hands full with all the things I listed in the second paragraph, but climate change is an issue we NEED TO BE PROACTIVE and NOT REACTIVE to. And yet, we haven't ratified the Paris Agreement. Let's be clear, Climate Change isn't a luxurious problem, it will impact the poor and marginalised communities the most. 

So, unfortunately, we can't be ostriches. We need a rational and active citizenry who hold the government to account for both its economic , social and environmental (which will impact social and economic conditions) decisions.... without throwing faeces or petrol bombs.

Update on 28th October: We also need this

Democracy in Action

In the dark Wintery pre-dawn (6:30 am!) I arrived at my voting station to find that there were already people there sitting patiently waiting for the doors to open at 7 am. I was there to observe the election process and was surprised by the eager faces waiting for their chance to vote. It wasn't my first time acting as a party agent at the voting station, so I knew that the only queue that was likely to stretch out the door that day was going to be the one made by the 7 am eager beavers.

Once I got over the pre-dawn grumpiness I was really excited to see many familiar faces from my neighbourhood coming to make their mark. There was a nice atmosphere in the (short and fast moving) queue. It was also nice to see so many people walking/running to the station and bringing their dogs and children. I loved listening to parents explaining the voting process to their children and the kids being excited to be there too. Obviously I was also really happy to pet the dogs coming to the voting station too. 

There was a little eruption of youthful hot tempers at one stage of the day, but the IEC handled it really well and that party's representatives melted away looking a little sheepish about their outburst. The other party representatives there were really nice and friendly and everyone was there to just see that things went well. 

I was continuously impressed by the professionalism and friendly demeanor of the IEC representatives. It is a very long day for them and most of them managed to remain cheerful and grump-free right up until they left after 1 am. They were also very careful to make sure they did everything by the rule book, 100% correctly. I have enormous respect for the woman in charge of our station and the man in charge of the ward and for the hard work put in by all the IEC officials on Wednesday. 

SPCA made my favourite election
posters and the ones with no lies.

So, you will have gathered that I am a big fan of the democratic process. I think it is important and necessary part of our beautiful country. The downside I noticed was just how much paper and plastic there was (I cringed when one party arrived with helium balloons only for them to blow away within an hour). Elections, as important and exciting as they are, have an environmental impact that people seem a little reluctant to talk about. And I couldn't help thinking if the IEC went to the trouble of printing all those ballot papers, the people (ALL of the them) could have gone out and voted. News24 listed some of the numbers involved in the election - for example: 73 900 000 - Ballot papers printed for the 2016 election. Have a look at the rest of the numbers, they are a little mind boggling. Do ballot papers get recycled? Do party posters or "Vote here" boards get recycled? I hope that it will not be long until we can start having "free and fair" electronic elections. 

In the meantime, I am proud of my small role in Wednesday's elections. A couple of weeks ago I was listening to the radio in my car and they played "A World in Union" and I found myself tearing up and feeling sad about how far from being in union the world is (Trump, Brexit, ISIS etc. - see the first bit of my previous blog for a recap if you can stand it) and how that 1995 feeling of hope has been lost or dampened in South Africa. Today, I was in the car and when they played "A World in Union" I didn't feel sad at all because I think South Africa made a stand against corruption and stagnation on Wednesday and our democracy matured a little beyond the single party state that it has been - even the Rand is performing well! 

P.S. I hadn't heard of many of the parties on the voting roll, but if anyone knows anything about "The Greens" I am intrigued. Google search isn't helping which suggests they need to "up" their game. 

Mandela Day and beyond

At least there's wine

Every couple of weeks I have opened this up to write a new post... It has, after all, been months since my last post and, weirdly, that makes me feel guilty. Yet, each time I do, I am defeated the weight of the current affairs topics. What could I say on Fees Must Fall or Turkey, Syria, Paris, Nice, Brussels or Trump, Brexit, Malema, and Zupta? Not least of all given that the premise of my blog is fairly frivolous and came about because I wanted to whine about my own troubles - not face the large troubles of the world (unless they relate to the environment).

Putting the bits of the kennel together 

I was quite excited leading up to yesterday's Mandela Day. I love the concept of having a day that reminds people to give a little back. Also, it is Winter, so I am in active pursuit of excitement. I did my 67 minutes (+... I mean it is never really 67 minutes) at a dog shelter "building" a kennel. It was great, there was sunshine (and icy wind) and lots of people all choosing wood and hammering and measuring and sawing (although thank goodness they only let the skilled people do that - I already managed to get a blood blister, I am not sure what I would have achieved with a saw). 

Here's why it is a good idea to pick up litter
(I know YOU wouldn't DROP litter in the first place but
still worth picking it up)

Then, yesterday, my Facebook feed was full of organisations that I follow posting pictures of litter pick ups, community food drives and animal shelter fund raising. It was great. It made me feel a little better about the world and the people in it. Sure, maybe it is just one day that gets people thinking about what they can do but maybe they will enjoy it so much that they will do it more often. Humans can be pretty rad! 

Look at those eyes, just imploring you to be a better person

Unfortunately, last night someone smashed by headlight which somewhat dulled my warm fuzzy, "humans are rad" feeling but I am determined not to let it go completely. Today I am going to go  try donate blood at the mobile station in Claremont (it is really easy to find out when these things happen - which puts to bed one of my excuses for not doing this before. Follow this link if you live in the Western Cape, I am sure it is as easy in other provinces). I have never donated blood before, which is something else I have always felt guilty about. Then a friend of mine mentioned how much blood is needed for cancer patients which is something I haven't thought about before. Obviously it is used in many equally deserving circumstances, but cancer has made me mad this year (David Bowie, Alan Rickman and closer to home), and this is one little thing I can do to help, so it is totally worth getting over any eekkk needle feelings. 

How are you going to keep the feeling behind the 67 minutes alive? 

P.S. I did donate blood and it wasn't at all stressful. The staff were super friendly and encouraging and even though they gave me extra time to stay sitting afterwards, I didn't feel at all like I was woozy. I definitely recommend doing it - oh and I got a free bag and pen as a first time donor!

Meanwhile, the headlight has cost me over R400, so whoever did that... you are not a rad person.

Yo-Yo

I am not the type of person that can pull off "yoh-yoh" so I am talking about dieting, unfortunately. I really don't like this as a topic, I don't like talking about my weight or what I eat (and not only because the only answer I ever think of is "sweetcorn"). I have always pictured the people that tell people they are "on diet" as high-maintenance skinny chics that eat salad and act like they understand the horrible feeling of not fitting into clothes any more. Maybe that is unfair, but I do strive to be low maintenance (if you disagree, I did say "strive"). It also seems so ridiculous, in a world where people are starving and begging for food, that other people are on diet - that particularly makes me feel icky inside. 

Unfortunately dieting is actually part of my life and so is a strong tendency to chubbiness (and a love of chocolate and wine). For as long as I can remember I have regularly complained that it is so annoying that I eat so little (and not just sweetcorn, guys) and still can't keep weight off. I reached my heaviest weight during my PhD, it snuck up on my without me realising. I know that sounds a little unbelievable but I wasn't really paying attention to my body at the time (and that is my tenuous link for writing about this here).

I was quite ashamed that I had to go on diet. I didn't really want to tell anyone. When I started, I told only a handful of people, I am not sure why. I was also scared it wouldn't work. I guess I felt like I had failed some kind of test. Unfortunately, I also knew I couldn't do it by myself. I signed up for one of those programs where the guilt of having someone else see my progress on the scale was sufficient motivation for me to behave.  And it worked, well to a point, but it did work. 

The only trouble is, I approached it begrudgingly. I didn't like having to think about what I was eating all the time. I didn't like having to worry about what I looked like all the time. It felt so shallow. And it was expensive (I find that a frustrating problem in the world, that eating healthily is more expensive than not). I didn't quite reach goal, but I was happy enough and went back to not thinking about it (much, of course I thought about it, I just didn't do anything about it). That was ~6 years ago.

And you know what, I maintained that weight give or take a bit for most of that time. And then, like a master villain, it crept up on me when I wasn't looking, again. 

So, that was a REALLY long build up to what I wanted to say. I know it is trendy to "bant/paleo" these days, but I really don't like that idea, not least because of the environmental impact of eating all that meat. I joined WeighLess (and their vegetarian plan), with some habitual resentment. It is early days, but it has made me realise that eating very little is not the way to go. Cutting out carbs, fats or fruit is also not the way to go. I don't need to approach food with resentment.

I have a soft spot for cheese too,
so far only cottage cheese on diet.

The WeighLess meal plan includes so much food that I find it a little overwhelming, but it feels healthy (obviously portions are controlled but it is much more food than I am used to). There are proper servings of fruit and veg, protein and carbs. I have avoided bread (it's rye or seed loaf but that's tastier anyway) for so long and realise now that maybe it wasn't necessary. And you know what, they add food as you reach different milestones, so I will even be allowed wine once I get to the second step! The only trouble I can see at the moment is, eating all that healthy balanced food is  still pretty expensive. 

As much as I hate the whole dieting thing, I think it is really important for people to not approach food with distrust so that's why I wanted to talk about it. I also think it shouldn't really be something I am ashamed of. And sometimes it is OK to admit that you need a hand with something. Food isn't the enemy, and neither is wine... 

STOP! Smell the roses

Life is hectic and stressful and the world is starting to feel a little like Voldemort is gaining power. There are droughts and floods and mass dies offs and increasing racism and right wing tendencies even in countries we thought we could count on to be rational and nice (Sweden, I am so disappointed).









And yet, there is also so much beauty and happiness and good in the world. I think we all need to make a proper effort to appreciate that. And I don't mean snapping a quick picture with your camera phone but really properly focusing on all the good things. I know it might sound frivolous or new age-y but, so what? We get bombarded by bad news all the time let's just take a moment to actively look for goodness and happiness.






I am not sure if it is the change in the season, but at the moment every sunset and sunrise seems to be more breathtaking than the last. If you can't find anything else to be happy about, take a moment to appreciate that.

More and more it seems that being a workaholic is something to be proud of, but really, so is being a good friend, an interesting person and someone that appreciates beauty and Pinotage. The Awkward Yeti is awesome, follow your heart! See LINK and LINK and oh, LINK.

It would have been better if I actually had a picture of roses but, funnily enough, I don't really like roses.

Subtle sexism

Many possible blog topics have popped into my head over the last while, but most have popped out again, or I wasn't sure how to phrase them or make them interesting to anyone not currently living inside my head. I have hesitated about this blog for about 2 weeks...

It was recently International Women's Day, which is cool. I honestly didn't know that that was a thing. I don't personally feel disadvantaged because of my gender. Of course, that's because I am lucky enough to be a white, English speaking woman with a good education and a liberal background. I am a scientist, but I think females are less under represented in biology than they are in other scientific fields.

NOW. 

I do not for a second forget that I was able to study science and be in the field that I am because of female scientists that broke ground before me. Women like Dr. Sylvia Earle who did ground-breaking scientific work that was reported in the general media in a completely patronising way (she was literally described as a "real life mermaid" - I wrote about this previously). And, women closer to home. In a rare conversation that wasn't all about my PhD with my supervisor, she pointed out how difficult it was for women to get berths on research vessels or to be taken seriously as scientists. I owe my career to women like her (not least of all for all her help with my PhD) and, more widely, the women that fought for the vote and equal rights. 

I feel a little weird about the possibility of getting funding from a particular source just because I am female and I am never sure about joining "Women in Science" groups because, like I said, I don't feel disadvantaged. 

And yet, even in my non-disadvantaged way I can't avoid the fact that there are still some things that make me, as a woman, feel frustrated. Last year during the course, my dad was in town and joined us for a braai on "National Braai Day". One of the attendees said to my dad, "You must be proud of your beautiful daughter". I recognise that is a nice statement, a complementary statement but at the same time... "You must be proud of your successful, efficient, organised, intelligent daughter" (just one would work, I am not greedy) would have made me so much happier because it was, after all, a work event (and I am all those things! ;)) 

In a strictly work environment I don't want to be described as beautiful. I don't want to be hit on. I don't want to have to worry about whether my friendly, helpfulness is being misinterpreted. 

In a more recent conversation, a person I don't really know (and who clearly doesn't know me) suggested that feminism is a bad thing or associated with man-hating. Let's be clear, most of the women and I presume, (because why wouldn't they be?) most of the men I know, are feminists. Being a feminist doesn't mean that I don't want to wear dresses, wear make-up or shave my legs (I don't really want to do that, but sometimes do anyway), it just means that I want to be seen as more than those things. I don't need to be an androgynous man-hater to be a feminist. 

It is a minefield, of course, because we are human and generalisations make life easier (and to my shame, I do occasionally objectify very handsome men - but not just because he is handsome, he also controls thunder which is awesome). Just don't presume that because I like pink (it is a fun colour that makes me happy when I wear it) and wear dresses (they are comfi - give it a try), you shouldn't take me seriously. Yes, I like pink, but I also know how to use a drill and shoot arrows (ANOTHER recent conversation with a gent at archery, his wife does shopping while he is at archery which he thinks makes sense because of traditional "hunter/gatherer" roles - don't get me started on his thoughts about genderising LEGO). Another trickiness is that I am also single and don't want to be forever, but I don't want someone making me feel icky either. 

Even making sweeping statements like: "let one of the young girls take the notes because they have nicer handwriting" is a silly thing to say - although, I do have lovely handwriting and if you make me take the notes I will write my own thoughts first.

I'm not disadvantaged but many women still are. Many women around the world don't have access to the same freedoms and privileges that I have (which I have as a result of the women that came before me). In South Africa it is culturally acceptable for a man to have multiple wives but not for a woman to have multiple husbands. This is inequality (Not that I want multiple husbands, I just want it recognised that it devalues women). In South Africa, recently it is more dangerous for women to seek solitude or exercise in open spaces and while that refers to particular incidents that made news - crime affects all genders - horrible incidents occur in this country everyday in townships and informal settlements where women can't protect themselves and men think it is OK to treat them like property. 

This blog, doesn't do anything useful. It does not help those women at all, unfortunately, I am not sure how. It is my personal opinion that as long as we tip toe around cultural polygamy and patriarchal practices women won't be equal in South Africa - not in the hearts and minds of men or, unfortunately, women (because women are often as bad about this, for example one women said she couldn't do all the work on the island because she was a women which is rubbish because there are other women that could have done it - I know some pretty amazing women - and some pretty amazing men).

I have some very strong opinions and a tendency to be obnoxious, or a bit of a buzz kill, which, believe it or not, I do try keep under wraps so I try not to moan at people I don't really know. BUT, I think I need to do what I can to make sure the women that come after me don't feel disadvantaged. I'm not sure how, but at very least it's by being the best I can be, talking about this issue and being a tiny bit of a brat. 

I LOVE this video of Emma Watson: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0Dg226G2Z8&feature=youtu.be She is genius and far more eloquent than I am. 

"If not me, who? If not now, when?"

Read these posts for a different perspective: 

This one is fabulous: http://mic.com/articles/100466/13-feminist-comedians-prove-just-how-fun-challenging-the-patriarchy-can-be#.y3RcIX6f4

Science gender gap: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/04/30/sexism-in-science-peer-editor-tells-female-researchers-their-study-needs-a-male-author/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/01/08/men-on-the-internet-dont-believe-sexism-is-a-problem-in-science-even-when-they-see-evidence/

I'm Melting!

If this continues,
I am going to need a swimming pool!
(Whether or not it continues, I regret all the
[warm] days where a pool has been available
and I didn't swim!)

While I am probably on record somewhere saying that I would never complain about heat, it has been unprecedentedly hot lately. I was just opening the blog page and it took longer to load than normal which meant that it was stuck on the picture of water which is my background. I wanted to dive into my computer screen. Yesterday was a landmark day for me because I voluntarily closed the blind of my office window which you will know is crazy behaviour for me (don't worry - the slats are sideways so I can still see outside). 

We know that this is El Nino driven and exacerbated by climate change. The news is full of stories about droughts and Operation Hydrate (great initiative) and how expensive maize and rooibos are going to be. I do have to wonder why, when we knew an El Nino was predicted, we didn't plan in advance? I know drought doesn't seem like a thing you can plan for, but when it is predicted? Could the water restrictions been enforced before the drought started? Could South Africans not have invested in water tanks? I think we all realise that these hot temperatures and low rainfalls aren't going anywhere - yes, there will be respites - BUT we do know what the climate change predictions for South Africa will be so can we start planning ahead?

Can we start to start to anticipate instead of react? I know there are already some great initiatives but I think we need to keep the momentum from the days leading up to COP21 going. I hope all the climate change deniers are realising that this isn't just a patch of weird weather... these El Nino years are a practice run for the future.

My brain doesn't work in 40C heat and my skin definitely can't cope so what can we do? Some of you might, but I don't have the budget for solar panels and water tanks (and I live in a block of flats with very different priorities - not super proud of my block lately) but, leading up to the local elections later this year, I can ask our local politicians what they are doing in their neighborhoods to a) decrease carbon emissions and b) to mitigate against the impacts (especially if you live in Fishhoek + surrounds) - but take what ever they say with a pinch of salt because it is an election year so keep the pressure on!


P.S. This is the most important issue - Cartoons capture it all

Beyond Facebook

I mentioned my general resolution to make the most of life last year but it is also important to have measurable/ achievable goals. (I think there is an acronym - SMART goals? Specific Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely). One of my 2016 goals is to create more public awareness around the issue of plastic microbeads. To this end, I have been trying to get local papers to publish my articles. 

Thanks J for letting me use your hand!

J I know you were bummed about the plastic in your present
but it has been super helpful having pictures - silver linings.

I am not sure if I really expected them to agree, and to be honest, while six (out of 36) have at least responded, I have only seen one article (but YAY the South Coast Herald). I have high hopes about the other papers (eternal optimist) - particularly Kempton Express because they emailed back to ask me my designation. 

I have also contacted 50|50, Cosmopolitan (they are personal care products after all) and Go, Getaway and Caxton Magazines (Green = responded, Red = silence). Facebook is remarkably useful for this. I am hoping there will be a guest blog on the Two Oceans Aquarium website soon too. Anyway, I am mentioning all this because I think this is important but I don't have any experience in this kind of thing (I have learnt that it is important to mention my name and organisation in the text in case they don't say who wrote the article - oops). I would love it if anyone has some suggestions. 

I am REALLY excited about the picture that N did for us - I think it is beautiful and you know what they say about a picture saying a thousand words...

 (I tend to opt for the thousand words because my artistic skills extend to colouring in - not always in the lines - but this time I will keep it short). 

PS In my work capacity I have been very careful to not mention brands but that picture is a SORBET product - they say they only have three that include plastic and they are phasing it out - but in the mean time, don't buy it. J has also alerted me to the fact that there are little colourful beads in some household cleaning agents e.g. MR MUSCLE. They don't mention plastic as an ingredient ("encapsulated beads" of what, I ask?) but keep a look out for sneaky plastic.

PPS SO bad at keeping it short. Promise I am done now!