Mission To Lars

Kate & Will Spicer film: Mission To Lars

Last night on 7^th June, I had the pleasure of attending a documentary of a rare and insightful kind. This documentary is called “Mission to Lars” which was shown at The Lexi Cinema in Kensel Rise.

Kate Spicer, a journalist and her brother Will a film maker decided to make a documentary about their brother Tom, who has Fragile X syndrome “a type of autism with bells on” as Kate describes.

Since the age of 18 Tom has lived in a Care home in the country, whilst Kate and Tom went off to university.

The Mission to Lars is about a brother and a sister fulfilling their brother’s dream of touring America in the hope to meet Tom’s hero Lars Ulrich, the drummer of the heavy metal rock band Metallica! Rock on maaan!

During this lovely journey we see Kate’s determination to drive around America with no Sav nav! Whilst trying to keep calm under pressure in order to cater to Toms needs, although he always seems calm and relaxed during the film.

The film covered all things about Tom and as he has mild autism he needed routine, which proved to be a challenge to get Tom on the road to meet his hero.

I went to the second screening and met Kate, where she wished me luck for my own mission, which I hope to film about my younger brother, who was diagnosed with learning difficulties and mild autism at age 19, but has come out of school with crap grades and has lost confidence about his future.

From hearing Kate’s Q’n’A about spending the intense amount of time with her little brother, (not so little) it makes me think about how my relationship is with Jordan. He is the youngest of our family, and before his diagnosis we treated him as a member of the family, without looking at him as having a condition, which I feel is important for anyone who has a sibling with a learning difficulty.

 Also just because someone has a learning difficulty doesn’t mean they can’t and shouldn’t have goals which they are entitled too and are achievable, they just may need a little help from their siblings.

A job well done to Kate and Tom Spicer and Go Tom!! The star of the show! A warm and inspiring film, which proves that anything is possible no matter what! A film not to be missed!

For me, I hope to film Jordan with his funny and quirky ways!

For more screenings and information about Mission to Lars see: http://mission-to-lars.blogspot.co.uk/

Are you always late? Or ridiculous early?

Are you ever ridiculously late for things, like meeting friends, work or appointments, or do you fall into the category of being early and annoyed at your late friends?

Are you forever making exuses “I’m just on the train now, or I’m just leaving now” when you know full well you aren’t, you’re just drying your hair.

After listening to woman’s hour,it seems according to Louise Berry from Psychologies Magazine there are ONLY two types of neuroticism, being incredibly organized or absolutely chaotic and
trying to do ten things at once before leaving the house for that meeting, or appointment.

There are certain times in our lives that we just cannot afford to be late, like an exam, when catching a plane, working on live television or depending on how cute the guy you’re
dating is, will depend on our lateness scale, however sometimes it is “fashionable
to be late.”

Or there are other times in our
lives when we just cannot get off the phone to a friend who’s having a bad day.
Psychologies magazine says that supposedly those who are late are more
creative!

I fall in to the category of
being late! No matter how much time I prep before a journey, despite having
checked TFL and having a back packed I am ALWAYS late weather it’s by 5 minutes
of 30!

What’s funny is that if a friend
is late for me I become very impatient, but why is this?

I know there are crucial times in our lives where we just HAVE to be organised
for special occasions such as exams or transport, so why can I not make this a permanent
thing? It’s not as if I don’t value my friends, job or lectures, but I feel no
matter what I’m always late!

Maybe it’s because we have our trusty mobile phone to help us, or that fact that according to the Psychologies magazine I am just pre disposed to being absolutely chaotic, I guess I just
need to manage my chaos and try and be on time! Or maybe for us late people we
may not want to ruin our creativity.

The Importance of a good nights sleep zzzzz

It has been said that the ideal amount of sleep to have each night is 8 hours, but in a busy world with work or Uni or life in general do we all really get 8 hours of sleep a night?
Last week due to the craziness of juggling a life with Uni, gym, work etc I was having 6 hours of sleep a night. It was a struggle to wake up but none the less once I was up and about it was ok, and every day when I awoke I would say “ok tonight will be an early one.” Do you think that happened? Uh..NO chance!
Happily plodding along day to day I was slowly becoming restless and what I would call “emotion” I put it down to new surroundings, but it wasn’t until I noticed I was getting hungrier (not unusual), irritable and insecure for some reason, but then I thought in my crazy hysteria of restlessness I’ve had no sleep!
So you can guess, a good 8 hours sleep later and I felt like myself again,
The point of this article is that the next time you feel restless, uneasy or generally irritable ask yourself if you’ve had enough sleep, you really will feel much better once you have it!

Nawal El Saadawi is an inspiration

Nawal El Saadawi نوال السعداوى‎),
A revolutionist before the revolution,
Last night Nawal El Saadawi gave a talk about her life and her new project of creativity and dissidence.

She was so full of life, un pretentious (not that all academics are) warm and open.
For many of you reading this who aren’t familiar with her works, she has lived a very accomplished and active life, she is an Egyptian feminist writer, activist, physician and psychiatrist. She has written many books on the subject of women in Islam, paying particular attention to the practice of female and male genital mutilation in her society. Some of her popular books give an in depth insight into the lives of women in the Arab world, although she says her books are fictional many of which are based on her own and other women’s experiences. Her books include The Hidden Face of Eve , Woman at Point Zero and Zeina to name but a few.
As a post graduate myself, it was amazing to think I am sitting in front of a woman who has achieved so much in her life, through trouble, fight and also by her glowing aura a fulfilled and happy life too. She made me think, “wow what do I want to have achieved by the time I’m 80?” She has lived nearly 3 of my lives, I’m 24 by the way, and to sit there at 80 and be so accomplished and yet still be in high spirits and I can imagine as passionate and driven as she probably was as a child when the Egyptian revolution started.
A point I want to leave this article on is this, during the evening an audience member asked her- “What in your opinion can we do to help the revolution? Who can we turn to for hope?”
Nawal replied- “ Yourself! You have the power to create things and change the world, don’t get stuck and live for other people.”
So I will leave this note with Live your life for you, do things that make you happy, don’t follow the crowd if it doesn’t feel right, doing what makes you happy will make you feel more fulfilled.
If you would like to know more about Nawal El Saadawi here is an article about her http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-saadawi.htm
Thank you x

Can't Work.....Won't Work

Is it a case that young people don’t want to work, or is it that they simply just cannot find jobs? They always say the first year after graduation is the hardest to find a job, and I remember people saying to me “once you get your foot in the door then your career will start?” But what happens when you can’t even get your foot near the door? Or in some people’s cases don’t want to even consider going for an education or a job......

Whilst flicking through the news today I came across this,

According to The Guardian online In England young people between the ages of 16-24, “Some 938,000 young people in this age group were "neets" – not in education, employment or training – quarterly statistics from October to December reveal.”

“The latest figures show unemployment in Wales rose by 3,000 in the last quarter to 126,000, which is 5,000 lower than the same period last year.

The number of jobless 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK increased by 12,000 in the three months to February to 963,000.” (BBC Wales online)

I mean fair enough people have disabilities and ailments that prevent them to work which is legitimate, but when people Can work and Choose not to or simply cannot find a job, then there is a problem surely?

I know I maybe stating the obvious here and I’m not saying anything that’s not been said before.

In the Daily Mail Online today the work and pensions secretary Ian Duncan Smith had this to say:

"As we work hard to break welfare dependency and get young people ready for the labour market, we need businesses to give them a chance, and not just fall back on labour from abroad. If Government and business pull together on this, I believe we can start to give our young people a chance."

Give young people a chance! We are keen and eager! We are the future!

Washing your hair can make you feel so much better....

Last weekend I had a night out with friends, which isn’t unusual for a 24 year old on a Saturday night. However I was staying with them, again not unusual for myself, unfamiliar to these surroundings I felt I had to make more of an effort to “fit in” with the locals; this could be to do with the fact that the town was a student town which wasn't “my” student town, extra effort had to be made!

So the night started off great,

all dressed up and great to go, hair had been curled, time taken to apply makeup, and outfit carefully selected days before, I was good to go and par-tay!

However something wasn’t right, I couldn't put my finger on it, and it wasn’t due to the people making me feel unwelcome, nor was it that I felt out of place, it was because I HAD NOT WASHED MY HAIR!

I felt conscious and not quite 100% ready! However the night went on and I had a fab time, especially dancing to old student tunes like, Nina Sky and Wayne Wonder!

The next day after a healthy breakfast and all packed up to go, I took a shower and, yep you guessed it...washed my hair! It seemed that I instantly felt GREAT! And also commented on my facebook how “washing your hair after a night out makes you feel so much better!” which got me thinking of the South Pacific Film- where Nellie Sings – “ I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” where her problem seemed to get better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIAP364nxEo

As soon as her hair was washed, she caught the eye of an admirer! This is not to say that once you’ve washed your hair it’s a guaranteed tool for meeting a man, but it got me thinking to the benefits of how you feel once you’ve washed your hair.

Also when I’m having a bad hair day, I’ll always say to friends “hello, ignore the hair!” as if they were analysing me in the first place!

But be it job interview, a night out, a break up or even to cheer myself up, give washing you’re hair a go! It’s out greatest asset!

Willow Smith did not bring the song out for nothing! Not does Cheryl Cole promote – “ 5 Star care for Great British Hair” for nothing either.

So next time you’re having a bad day, or have broken up with some one, or just want to make yourself feel better- it’s simple- Wash Your Hair!

Dame Anne Owers - Female Chief Inspector Of Prisons

On Wednesday 11^th May 2011, I was invited by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to attaned a talk with Dame Anne Elizabeth Owers. DBE (born 23 June 1947),

For those who don’t know who she is, Dame Anna Owers was the first female Chief Inspector of Prisons for nine years, where her post ended back in 2010.

Before becoming Chief Inspector, she was the Director of JUSTICE, which is a UK- based human rights and law reform organisation.

When speaking about the justice system, which is something I have very limited if any at all knowledge on, she was highlighting the “rights” prisoners should have and for them not be locked up for 23 hours a day. These rights include things like, having a door handle on the prison doors, so prisoners feel they are in a room, rather than in a box. Also the fact that people should not have one place to, eat, sleep and urinate in the same room. Humans should be given their “right” to have privacy.

She mentioned that for a lot of people in prisons at the moment, many mental health problems and maybe it’s those issues we need to address, rather than “punishing” them by keeping them in a cell for 23 hours a day. Also that some of the disabled prisoners, were unable to seek assistance with washing due to health and safety reasons, I mean where is the line? Should a human being who is in prison not be entitled to seek assistance to wash?

The talk for me was insightful and intriguing as we don’t really think about the conditions prisoners have to face, Yes that have committed a crime, and Yes they deserve to do their time, however for me it’s the fact that they have a “right” to have privacy and treatment to help conquer under lying issues going on within their psyche, which can help “prevent” causing crimes in the future.

But due to lack of resources or government funding will these issues ever go away?, Or is it that people will not give ex offenders a chance and argue that they've done wrong and deserve to be treated with the consequences with no true understanding as to why, where, when and how they got there in the first place?