The first thing they asked me...was he a Christian? I stammered that no, he wasn’t but I didn’t see an issue and it shouldn’t matter. But, they didn’t want to know anything else. They didn’t speak to me for a week, I’d get the cold shoulder at breakfast and ignored at the dinner table.
Read MoreIt’s a feeling. It’s a quote many have heard often, so often in fact that it sounds like a crappy cliche. But it’s a reality many of us face when we move away from home, whether it’s completely abroad or just a few houses down. Living away from family brings many good and bad situations for each person, but it is never a super easy decision of just taking all our stuff and moving away.
Read MoreIt was like everything that had unfolded in the park earlier that day hadn’t happened. For the next week, we, Orwell and I, stayed in a blissful bubble of cuddles, catnaps, and the less-than-occasional crying session (you can’t block out reality completely).
Read MoreThere have been countless occasions in which the Millennial and Gen Z generations have come at a head-on collision in recent years. Many articles, vlogs, and Twitter threads outline contention points between the two generations. However, there is one thing that we do have in common: our propensity to job hop. That is, when the going gets tough (or inconvenient, or boring, or no longer interesting), we get going.
Read MoreBefore I am a “journalist”, a student, or anything really, I am a Muslim British Pakistani woman. This is my identity, and something I am proud of. So why, for the first time in my life, did I feel that this was something I should not try to flag up? Why did I think I would miss out on opportunities if I mentioned this, or if people were to discover this I would not be considered for that position?
Read MoreThe geology of the Earth is equally mind-blowing. Billions of years of history and creation sit within layers and layers of rock, some piercing the sky, others submerged underneath our oceans. In fact, some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring creations can’t even be seen above the ground.
Read MoreAt eighteen, my friends excitedly shared how the Facetune app could completely alter your entire figure, and face, in just a few taps. I was shocked my peers had access to this technology throughout our teen years – smoothing away acne, whitening their teeth, taking inches off their waistline. And who could blame them?
Read MoreWhat do you think, when you think about fire? ...the flicker of a candle; the warmth of an open hearth, paired with the comfort of an oversized armchair and a good book; embers dancing above a campfire, and marshmallows; or, for the netflix junkies, the party that never happened...
Read MoreGrowing up by the coast meant you couldn’t get away from the sea. If you couldn’t see it, you could smell it; that distinct fresh, clean salty air that hits your nostrils and fills your lungs. It’s the smell of holidays and health. Water has been the backdrop to my life before I moved inland to the big city and I didn’t understand how much I missed it until I wasn’t near it.
Read MoreMy name is Gemma, I am 35 years old, nearly 36 actually and I am still renting. It almost sounds like a confession. Something to be ashamed of. But, I just never had the money for it. Or maybe I did, I just didn’t start saving early enough in life. Of all the friends I have who have successfully managed to get a foot on the property ladder, very few have done it on their own.
Read MoreDo you want to become a game writer? So, do I! Unfortunately, it is no easy task. However, my recommendation is this: if you love gaming and you love writing, then I would urge you to write stories inspired by your gaming passions if that is a desire that enthrals you.
Read MoreBut before you sign up to your first challenge, or buy that yearly discounted gym membership, consider this? ‘Health is for life, not just for Christmas’. We are all too often sold the quick, one dimensional approach to fitness and exercise. After X weeks we are left floating in a small boat emblazoned ‘life after diet’ wandering what the hell to do now!
Read MoreIn the US, and many other countries, being transgender is a death sentence. Looking at the main surveys, half of the responders have been verbally and physically harassed. Nearly half has been sexually assaulted. The United States is the third country with the highest number of violent reported deaths of transgender people.
Read MoreIt’s a question I’ve grown used to hearing since around mid-2020 when after years of identifying as bisexual, I declared to many of my friends something along the lines of: ‘Fuck men. Fuck my multiple heterosexual past relationships (in which I thought I’d met the love of my life in some arguably mediocre men with drug problems). I think I’m probably gay.’
Read MoreIf you don’t know who Che Guevara is by name, you almost certainly know his face. Emblazoned on t-shirts around the globe, the pop-art print of the revolutionary’s face has become a staple of capitalism and fast fashion.
Read MoreNew year, new me? Why we need to stop putting so much pressure on a New year’s resolution diet. Whatever the reason be it environmental or health, or most commonly weight loss, thousands of us every year try to adopt a new diet in the new year.
Read MoreSerial killer documentaries are oddly marketable. Netflix has of course capitalised on our grave fascination, as in December ‘The Ripper’ premiered on the platform. The four-part docuseries details the murders of 13 women from 1975 to 1980 at the hands of Peter Sutcliffe, better known by his alias, The Yorkshire Ripper.
Read MoreJanuary heralds a time to shape the incoming year with promises of striving to be better, getting healthier and achieving goals. The next 12 months stretch out in front of us, a clean slate just waiting to be written on
Read MoreWith the arrival of the Coronavirus vaccine, we have seen a dramatic rise in scepticism surrounding the jab. Often, this scepticism has been aggressively dismissed as anti-vaxxing. People who have shown the slightest bit of concern as to what the vaccine contains and its potential long-term side-effects have been accused of being uneducated and, often, of halting the process to getting over the pandemic. This scepticism has not, however, been attempted to be understood.
Read MoreThis year though I went down a research rabbit hole when my mum told me that she had heard about Reindeers eyes changing colours and wanted to know why. I read about their feet, their antlers, their noisy tendons. I learnt about their subspecies variation, their eating habits, reintroductions in Scotland. There was a lot, but I’ve picked a couple of my favourites. So, strap in for some of the reasons why I think reindeer are awesome.
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