Mourning Europe

By now we all know that more people have died in terrorist attacks in cities other than Paris and we have been encouraged by fair-minded people to consider all victims of terrorist attacks with equal amounts of sympathy and anger as do those in Paris. However, I feel we shouldn't dismiss the uniqueness of the Parisian attacks. There is more shock at the attacks in Paris because it is a famous city in a European country and European countries are, without a doubt, safe. The whole world stood with Paris because Paris is important, culturally, historically and globally. And by virtue of being part of the Western world. People dream of travelling to Paris. Paris is romantic and elegant. And white people are more important than any shade of brown. The Sydney Opera House in Australia lit up the colours of the French flag as did many other monuments around the globe, people changed their Facebook profile pictures and #JeSuisParisien was trending but when is such solidarity shown other than for Western countries?

Source: The Wall Street Journal, http://www.wsj.com/articles/buildings-around-the-world-light-up-in-frances-colors-1447500908, accessed 23/12/2015

Egypt, though not having a perfect record with terrorism in any sense, showed solidarity regardless of political alliances by remembering Lebanon, Russia and France at the same time. The Pyramids, being an ancient historical landmark, makes this display particularly poignant as it reminds us that we all have the same origins, we are human beings and all of our suffering is relevant. 

So why then has the British government has voted to bomb another city full of people simply trying to enjoy their lives, in another country full of history and culture? As I watched the debate and the results of the vote come to light, I felt sick. It was as if everyone who had voted for airstrikes on Raqqa, Syria, was more concerned with Britain's image than the lives of others and eventually ourselves. Some say it is the only choice we have against the threat of Daesh, but there is not clear path to conquering them. London has been attacked before, Paris has been attacked twice in one year, how can we be sure that there will be no repercussions? If we are more civilized than other nations, why can't we think of a better way to interact with them? We know that civilian lives, people's lives, will be lost. At the same time as the European* refugee crisis which is angering so many nationalists, racists and xenophobes across the continent, how can we justify creating more? Will these people thank us for saving them or will they see us as the enemy of peace and fight against us? 

Source: egyptianstreets.com, http://egyptianstreets.com/2015/11/16/egypts-pyramids-light-up-with-flags-of-france-lebanon-and-russia/, accessed 23/12/2015

We still regard other parts of the world as barbaric. We judge them more harshly than Western countries because they're 'less developed'. Their human rights abuses are shocking and disgusting (when there's nothing to be gained from them), but ours are either justified or individual mistakes. This has to change. I think it's time for the West to reflect on its actions and accept responsbility for the lack of compassion its citizens have for citizens of other nations. Muslim girls (i.e. children) and women are being attacked on the street for wearing hijab i.e. for dressing in the way they are comfortable. Even looking like a Muslim (whatever that means) is dangerous. Brown families feel unsafe just because of the colour of their skin. I say again MUSLIMS ARE NOT TERRORISTS. Extremist interpretations of any religion can lead to terrorist acts. Your fellow people are not your enemies

If the Iraq war was a 'mistake', then why repeat it and kill thousands more for the sake of self-image? We are meant to be a democratic nation, one which values the lives and rights of all others and promotes peace. Democratic countries do not fight each other, not because of our values but because it would look bad. Yes, taking in refugees is expensive, so why not afford them the same rights as citizens to allow them to contribute to the economy? War is expensive, but apparently it is also profitable whereas compassion for other human beings is not. How many more Aylans need to drown before Western countries act?

*I specifically say European here because there have been millions of displaced in other regions of the world but their plight is largely ignored by the mass media.

Tis The Season to be Exhausted Falalafucklalala

Totally in the Christmas spirit as you can see.

As of yet I haven't bought my mum a Christmas present (I don't think she reads this, God help me if she does) and my brother's is on hold because I'm helping him out with his car insurance (yeah, I'm the best big sister ever.) My aunties have the same presents and I know they're gonna discuss it and I'm gonna be the worst niece ever but I got my cousin something she'll love (no giveaways) and I bought that in September so I have something to be proud of!

Aside from presents I'm working non-stop until Christmas Eve which is going to make Christmas Day excruciating as I'll want it to be a rest day but it's the most wonderful time of the year! No? Picking family members up, entertaining them and then dropping them home is going to be anxiety-inducing and just plain tiring but hey-ho at least I expect it. Boxing Day is more family time and I'll be avoiding the shops with such determined passion it'll be like I hate capitalism or something! :D

I have a week off where I'm gonna try and catch my friends who are back from Canada and Spain (but not Nigeria) before working again and then packing for my Spanish au pair experience woop woop! I just feel like everyone wants a piece of me and I have nothing to give. Honestly I need to do some serious planning, pacing and sleeping for that to go well. Life is going good at the moment and I'd like it to stay that way. Also got to remember to lay off the sugar as my energy dips but that's one of my biggest weaknesses! (Tip: Regularly drinking green tea reduces bloating!)

Also my kitten is really demanding at the moment it's a bit weird idk.

So to everyone, look out for your exhausted friends and family members, and spare a thought for those who can't keep up whether it's financially, physically or emotionally.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all, though I may or may not see you before then.

Love and hugs xxx

First Review: Caitlin Moran's "How To Build A Girl"

So this is my first book review since I was what... 14?

Libraries are pretty awesome for books

I picked up How To Build A Girl because it was staring at me every time I went to the library. Seriously, the bright green cover, the ripped tights and the chunky army boots were irresistible to my inner rebel. I was horrified reading the blurb though and read it at least 3 times before I calmed down and realised the protagonist didn't actually kill themselves, just changed who they were, like most teenagers. This isn't a spoiler btw, the blurb gives away as much. I don't think I could've read the book when I did if it was about suicide, like Eric Lange's Butter, which I recommend but won't review, just because the story touched me so much and I'm not ready to connect with all the emotions I felt. (Yeah, I'm super sensitive, especially when a book is well-written.)

Rating

7/10

Good Points 

• The characters were really vivid and believable for the most part. I got so annoyed by Johanna's dad and wished her mum would get some proper support with her depression. I also felt the hunger when they ran out of money and were eating the least satisfying meals imaginable. The family felt really close-knit even though their situation was pretty abysmal, which was refreshing. Also with the characters feeling so real it was easy to understand Johanna/Dolly's relationships with them, which I feel made the book more enjoyable. Her attachments to certain guys were particularly raw, though not too dark.

• The plot was awesome, it went from a kind of suspense thriller to a coming of age novel, really smoothly. You saw coming the point where Johanna would have to grow up, but you didn't know exactly when it would come. 

• The setting was perfect. I really enjoyed the fact that Johanna came from a place I knew nothing about, apart from that it's somewhere up north, and that made her see London with these fresh eager eyes that Londoners don't see London with. 

Not As Good Points

• I wasn't quite ready for Johanna's sexual liberation but this might be more of a reflection on me. Teens are curious at that age whether we as a society want to acknowledge it properly or not. Still, it's there *bam!* first page a 14 year old is masturbating. Okay, *cringe* maybe I shouldn't be reading this on a packed train to Brighton? (Where incidentally, Caitlin is from)

• There's a sentence that says something about hip hop being scary. I don't know if hip hop did used to be scary to teenage white girls but I just didn't like it. I listen to lots of genres of music, sometimes alternative RnB, sometimes rock, sometimes indie, sometimes hip hop. I felt as if me and the character were from different worlds at that point, and didn't see the need for the comparison. But maybe that's the point, Joanna was unique as much as she was relatable.

• Also didn't feel the book needed to be as long as it was, just felt like nothing was happening for a while or events were dragged on. I could also be being impatient. I'm the kind of person who reads a few of the first pages then skips to the end to make sure everything is okay, before returning to the beginning!

Overall

One tip would be to research the musicians and bands mentioned as you go along. I have no idea if they're real or not and I can't remember their names or whether they sounded familiar. Other than that the book is easy to follow and I would definitely recommend reading it. It's funny (seriously, I guarantee you'll laugh), shocking, feminist and memorable.