Talking without sound.

Recently at work I had an idea, why not try and learn some basic sign language? See I work in a supermarket located in an area with lots of hard of hearing people living near by. Sure most customers who are hard of hearing come into our store with a support worker, which is great! But does that make us lazy in a way? We all talk to the support worker rather than the customer themselves. Would we want someone talking to our friend rather than us because they assume we cannot understand? Of course we don’t know sign language and for some customers using their support worker is their only way to communicate clearly, but what if we could make it easier for them?!

I brought this up at work and suggested we try and learn some basic signs so we can communicate with our customers at least a small amount rather than completely through their support workers. It was well received by my colleagues and so we set about trying to make this work. A friend of mine (who works with me, how lucky am I!) agreed to help out. He can sign, and agreed to help by teaching those interested a few phrases such as ‘can I help you’, ‘welcome’ and ‘my name is’.

The sign language session at work went really well! So many colleagues wanted to genuinely learn and they took to it so easily! Sure we are not professionals and couldn’t have a detailed conversation in sign language, however it is a start to making our customers feel even more welcome, appreciated and respected. But most of all it’s making their shopping experience easier.

The success of this got me thinking should we be teaching sign language in schools or basic phrases relevant to jobs as part of their new starter training? Imagine how many people would no longer feel frustrated because they cannot communicate what they want. How many children would feel less confused and left out because finally their friends can talk to them. How many people it would give a new lease of life to if we all knew even just a handful of phrases and words in sign language!

Surely anything we can do to make life easier for people should be embraced and encouraged? Learning some sign language, putting in ramps for disabled people, even having dedicated cinema screenings for people with autism! Any one of these things could change someones life.

So why are we not making sign language more accessible to learn?

‘What is perfect, and how do I become it?’

I overheard a young girl say this the other day whilst I was walking through town, as she said it she pointed at her face. ‘What is perfect, and how do I become it?‘ And it got me thinking what is perfect? Why do we all strive to be it? Why do we all want to be the same?

Of course there have been times I’ve wished I looked what society called perfect, and there are times I wish I acted in a way society classed as perfect, but what is perfect? I feels like it changes all the time! One minute the magazines and tv say tanned, skinny with a thigh gap and blonde hair is perfect. Next minute it’s skin so pale it looks like snow and red hair. No matter how you look you will never be permanently perfect. One minute we’re told to be skinny, next we are told to be curvy.  We are told to be quiet and keep ourselves to ourselves, then we are told to be loud and confident. And that’s just the ideas thrust onto women! Of course men have ideals put onto them too! Nobody is safe from the perfect brigade! There is a temporary idea of perfect, that is it. You’ll see the latest instagram model online and you’ll strive to look like her, you’ll spend all your money on fad diets and hair dyes, fake tans and make up. But you’re still going to be you, and you know what? That is what makes you perfectly perfect.  Why try and be someone you know you aren’t? Does that not get exhausting? I find it exhausting pretending to be perfect, I know that much.

Why are we all striving to be perfect, when nobody can actually decide what perfect is? EMBRACE who you are! If we all acted the same and looked the same life would be boring! Wear that shirt you’ve had your eye on, Try that lip colour even though its not fashionable. Wear those jeans, shout if you want to shout or be quiet if you want to be quiet. Eat the damn cake and enjoy yourself. You get one life, don’t waste it by worrying about if you are perfect to other people or not.

You are beautiful, talented and smart. Even if you don’t feel it. You’ll find love and you’ll get what you dream of. Don’t change yourself! Embrace yourself.

One person, not a whole community.

Manchester, Monday 22nd May 2017.  22 people lost their lives during a terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert. The events of Monday evening have me heartbroken, angry and just plain confused. How can one person (I refuse to call him a man for his actions are that of a coward not a man) cause so much destruction and heartbreak? Why? This person attacked some of the most vulnerable people are country is home to, children. Children, teenagers and guardians all killed because of one persons selfish, cowardly act.

Ariana Grande is well known for being a hit with the younger music fans, this person knew what they were doing. They knew who would be hurt.

For many victims this would of been their first concert. Maybe a birthday or Christmas present from parents. For many of the people there on Monday this would be the first time they experienced just how great live music can be, the first time they experienced the excitement, the friendship and the fun of a live gig. For some people it would also sadly be the last time.

Music is something that brings people together, gets people through tough times and is the first building block in some friendships. This person, this coward tried to ruin that for young people. And for what? To prove a point?

Acts of terror like this will not tear this country apart though. Hundreds of people opened up their homes and businesses (for example taxis giving free lifts) in the Manchester area after the attack. Hundreds of emergency staff worked throughout the night to help as many people as they could. People came together, and they will not come apart now.

The actions of this individual are not ok, but it is important to remember that he is exactly that, an individual. His actions do not speak for all the Muslims in Britain. Just because the attacker followed a faith different to your own does not mean his actions reflect all in that faith. Do not pop everyone of the same faith into the same box. We all stand as one.

This persons actions have only made us stronger. We will not be afraid. We will not give you what you want. We are not a country burying our heads in the sand. We are a nation who are going to support those around us. We are going to share our kindness with those in need and WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE PUSHED DOWN. We will get through this. WE WILL STAND TOGETHER.

R.I.P to all 22 lives lost on Monday.

Halloween how to do it right!

It’s the day a lot of people have been waiting for, the day where the witches, ghouls and broken dollies come out to play. Yes it’s Halloween! Get your pumpkins out, your face paint on and your bags ready for your treats.

If you’re going out and about trick or treating tonight or taking a child or two out don’t forget your manners. It’s very easy in the excitement of it all to forget the simple Halloween etiquette, but that’s ok as we are here to give you our tips for a safe, fun, respectful Halloween whilst still getting lots of treats!

Kelly Parsons spooky pumpkin.
Credit: Kelly Parsons

• BE CAREFUL! Lots of costumes are made of very flammable synthetic materials. Stay away from open flames and be aware of pumpkins on doorsteps with candles inside.
• Cars still exist:It’s very easy for children to get excited and run across roads to the next house, but PLEASE remind the children in your care to stop, look and listen. Lots of costumes are dark, combined with the darkness of the night this can be a recipe for disaster.
• Remember NO lights means NO thank you: If you get to a house with no lights on and no notice on the door do not knock on the door. This house is not giving out treats tonight.
• If a door has a sign READ IT: Some families with young babies, or dogs that bark may put up signs asking you not to knock, please respect these requests.
• Say THANK YOU: The people who you are asking for treats from have spent their money on these goodies, so don’t forget to say thank you!
• BRING A TORCH: It’s going to be dark and you are going to need light to make sure you don’t trip over.
• DON’T BE MEAN: Yes Halloween is meant to be spooky, but don’t go hiding behind bushes and jumping out at smaller children. Sure scare your friends if you think they can take it, but don’t be horrible and scare random children, you will ruin their night.
• Don’t do anything you would NEVER NORMALLY DO: If you wouldn’t normally get an egg and throw it at someones house don’t do it tonight.
• DON’T EGG OR TOILET PAPER HOUSES: You will just make bad blood between yourselves and your neighbours and make where you live look disgusting and messy.
• And the most important tip of all: HAVE FUN!

The magic of tea.

Britain is known as a nation of tea lovers. Builders brew, loose leaf Earl Grey, fruity concoctions and even having the stuff all icy cold!  But why do we love tea so much?

I’m currently sat at my desk, with a pot of tea (loose leaf Oolong from Whittards if you must know) and as I took a sip of the warm liquid the thought came to me. Why do we love this stuff so much? It’s just flavoured water isn’t it? Now of course some teas contain ingredients that promote this and that for example you can get teas to help bust a cold and teas for boosting energy. But what is it about the slightly murky coloured water we love so much? Why do we use it as a comforter when something has gone wrong and why is it the ultimate relaxation drink?

Tea is something most of us love, of course not everyone, but most. It’s been around for what feels like forever. The actual base of all your tea grows its not built by a machine. It’s one of the most natural drinks in the world. With far too many different variations to count. It’s used in special ceremonies across the world, and to some it is a friend in a cup.

Maybe it’s the familiar warmth that we love, the way a cup of tea warms you through on a cold winters day. Or maybe its the variety of flavours and ways to make tea that we love. Some of us love tea that is more milk than tea, and some of us love tea where milk barely touches it. It could be all the antioxidants and whatnot that are packed into the wonderful little brew that we love. Or how about we just love it and we aren’t sure why?

To be honest I love tea for the variety, for the comfort , the taste, and the cute teacups and teapots you can get. I love how a pot of team makes me feel like I can achieve anything, I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s because when I was younger I used to see all these important people on tv shows having a pot of tea whilst getting about their business. I love how a warm cup of tea feels in my hands and I love how the warm liquid feels when I drink it.

So in conclusion to my little tea time thought, I’m not entirely sure why we love tea so much. But that isn’t going to stop me asking: WHY DO YOU LOVE TEA?

 

I’ll eat where I want to!

Cafe’s, restaurants, and greasy spoons with fried bread and grilled tomatoes, what do they have in common? I’ll tell you, they are places where people PAY to eat food prepared ON THE PREMISES. So what is with this growing trend of mainly teenagers (although the odd business man and woman are guilty as well) of eating our own food in these public places? Food that has not been ordered from smiley Brenda at the till, food that has not been prepared by the cooks in the back? Where has this lack of respect for businesses come from?

For example today my mother and I were eating in a local cafe, it’s not the biggest of spaces and it’s busy at lunch time anyway. But today it was particularly busy so busy in fact we got the last free table at that time. Now what’s the issue I hear you ask, why are you telling me this? Lots of people have to wait for tables at lunch time.Well the issue is most of these tables were taken up by pupils from the local school, eating their own food, feet up and bums plonked on the tables and yelling over each other.

I have a few issues with this, let me explain:

As someone who was brought, not dragged up, I have been taught to respect any signage in a business. In this cafe there are signs asking that customers eat food ONLY purchased in the cafe.

I have also been taught not to put my feet or my bum on tables, especially not with outside shoes on and even more so NOT on tables that will have food on them.

During this lunch time rush I noticed a group of elderly ladies who were chatting about how they couldn’t wait to sit down to a nice cuppa, only to notice the lack of space and walk out disappointed.

Not only is this culture of eating our own food in cafes affecting businesses, it’s affecting our community. It’s disheartening people when they are excited to sit down to coffee and cake but can’t as there is a group of school kids eating their own munch and shouting.

Please remind yourselves that cafes you are only meant to consume food and drink you purchase there, and NEVER EVER put your dirty feet on a table someone will be eating from later, its disgusting!

 

There’s a difference between Best before and use by, Learn it!

How many of you have thrown away an item of food because it was a day or so after the best before label thinking it was unsafe to eat? Put your hand up.  We’re all guilty of doing it at least once. However did you know that actually the food you have just thrown away is most likely still edible?

Many of us mistake the best before date as an expiration date, but it’s far from it! Expiration dates (also known as Use by dates) are put on items that spoil quickly, such as dairy, meat, fish or anything that could make you very ill. A Best before date is just a guidance, the food is still edible after this date you just need to use your judgement, if it doesn’t have mould on it it’s not likely to make you ill. The food may be a bit more soft or hard than it’s meant to be but it’s still edible, it’s just the quality isn’t as good as it would be before the date given.

The amount of food that gets wasted as people get their labels confused is astounding.  We are literally throwing away food that is still edible just because we got our best before and use by confused. Many charity’s now cook with food that is just past it’s best before date that has been donated to them as the food is still safe, and when cooked most of the time you  can’t even taste that its past it’s best before.

Fruits and vegetables are one of the biggest causes of wastage due to the confusion over the labels. The general rule with produce is if it isn’t mouldy or completely impossible to cook with (for example if your carrot is super floppy and impossible to cut, or your broccoli is more mush than anything) it’s safe to eat. Just take a good look at what you’re planning to use and obviously if it looks unsafe get rid of it, if not than chop that carrot up and make yourself a nice casserole. With produce as well most of the imperfections are on the skin you peel off, so don’t write off your veg before you peel it!

Getting to know the difference between the best before and use by labels will not only save you money, but it will stop food being needlessly wasted.

Do yourself a favour and learn your labels.

Kitchen tips for students and low budget chefs!

So it’s the end of August and for students that have just celebrated their A-Level results that means one thing: off to university! Now for many new students, this will be the first time being completely in charge of preparing your own food. So here are some handy tips to bear in mind when starting off in the kitchen that may save some pennies and some time!

1. Rice is part of the student’s staple diet. You can buy rice in bulk at Asian supermarkets if you can find one in your city. One of my flatmates in my first year of uni did this and it lasted for nearly the entire year! – Just make it is stored somewhere cool and dry.
2. When a joint of meat is on offer, you can prepare it for different meals throughout the week. Simply label and freeze and defrost when needed.
3. Don’t throw away stale bread – it’s great for making breadcrumbs, croutons and bread and butter pudding! Bread can also be frozen. This is helpful if you don’t eat it often, in order to get the most use out of a loaf.
4. Invest in some good-quality knives and cooking utensils. They will last for years!
5. Stock up your spice rack – good seasoning can make plain dishes taste amazing. Some of my personal favourites are Season-All by Schwartz, cumin, paprika, mixed herbs and – of course – sea salt and black pepper.
6. Some supermarkets offer discounts on ‘ugly’ vegetables. Asda is currently trialling a ‘Wonky Veg’ box across some of their UK stores. At £3.50, it could be ideal for students and those on a tighter budget. Some other stores that have similar offers include Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s.
7. Make the most out of ingredients – before you shop, plan your meals for the week ahead and buy according to the plan to minimise food waste.
8. Keep bananas away from other fresh produce – they produce ethylene gas which makes other fresh fruit and veg spoil quicker!
9. Keep up to date with special supermarket offers – check their websites on food shop day. Most supermarkets also offer loyalty cards that can accumulate points to exchange for store discounts if you’re a little short on cash.
10. Go off the beaten track – sometimes good kitchen equipment can be found at independent stores. I found some of my kitchen supplies for very good value at a local market stall.

Pokemon go! or Pokemon NO!

Unless you have no access to social media, google, a phone’s app store or physical interaction with a human you’ll of heard of the latest game craze, Pokemon Go!  I’ll explain quickly what it is just in case you have been under a rock.

Pokemon Go! Is a new game for mobile phones (and some tablets) that allows users to search for animated characters called Pokemon in the real world. Pretty much every 90’s child will remember Pokemon, so if you’re slightly older you may want to go and ask a 90’s child about the journey of Pokemon so you can understand what we are talking about here. Pokemon Go! Uses AR (augmented reality) to show you the Pokemon in real life, just give the game access to your phone camera et voila if your phone has a gyroscope you can view Pokemon in your current surroundings. Using Pokeballs to catch your Pokemon your aim is to try and ‘catch em all’, battle and win control of gyms and ‘be the very best, like no one ever was.’

However as with many new games Pokemon Go! Has been the subject of controversy, with children getting lost in caves, people being in car accidents and trespassing onto private property all being things people have done in the name of the game.  Some Pokemon are rarer (think like precious stones for jewellery)and can only be found in certain places, whereas some Pokemon are more common and can be found pretty much anywhere. There has also been a lot of abuse toward older people playing the game, with some people saying adults playing the game are sad and pathetic. The game itself however is aimed at all ages, Pokemon the tv show has been going since the 90’s so lots of now 20 somethings who watched the show when it first came out are reconnecting with their childhood love via the game, some adults are playing it with their small children now who are watching the current version of the Pokemon tv show. It’s aimed at all ages and has resulted in many good things, as well as bad things.

For example to find the Pokemon and hatch eggs you need to get outside and walk around, this promoting getting away from sit down games consoles such as Xbox and Play Station. More people are getting out and exploring their country side thank’s to the game, and lots of families have come together thanks to the game as they have something in common with each other. Also in the news there has been stories of teenagers with crippling anxiety going outside and playing the game and talking to other teens, and children with learning difficulties finding it easier to make friends thanks to the game.

But then there are the negatives, some users of the game have no common sense, causing the game developers to add warnings such as ‘Do not Pokemon Go! and drive’ ‘Do not trespass whilst playing Pokemon go!’ ‘Be aware of your surroundings when playing Pokemon Go!’ and some users have  caused harm to themselves, and to others whilst playing the game. When the app first came out some muggers were putting Lures (a device that attracts Pokemon to a set location for a set amount of time) onto Pokestops (almost like a lucky dip where you spin the icon and get free items that will be useful to you on your Pokemon journey such as Pokeballs) and mugging the people who came to these locations.

So is Pokemon Go! Good or bad? we asked for some of your views (some people wished to remain anonymous):

‘I think Pokemon Go! Is good for kids as it gets them out and about’

‘Pokemon Go! Hasn’t really impacted my life in a negative way. It’s encouraged me to get out of the house more and it’s brought back some childhood nostalgia. I really like the game and how it’s helping other people in really positive ways.It’s a perfect example of how technology needn’t impede on the importance of being outside and social interaction.’ -Colette

‘Pokemon Go! has brought back a lot of childhood memories for me as I used to love the tv show. To be able to play it on my phone rather than needing to upgrade a games console to keep up to date on the games is great for me! I’ve seen loads of people playing it and getting outside which is great!’- Shanna

‘I don’t like how some people cannot use their common sense whilst using the game and cause us all to have to sit through warnings like do not Pokemon Go! And drive, however I do enjoy the game and I sometimes use it as a motivation to go outside and have a walk.’

‘I like it but the AR isn’t worth it, and they need more Pokestops in rural areas.’ -Josh

 

So what do you think? Is Pokemon Go! good, or should it be renamed Pokemon NO! ?

 

 

 

Body shaming is never right.

Have you heard about the playboy model who recently snapchatted a picture of herself in the gym, with a naked woman in the background? did you see the caption on the picture that went along the lines of ‘If I can’t unsee this neither can you?’.

Have you seen all the gossip magazines that class a size 12 woman as overweight?, Or a man with a little bit of a belly as ‘chunky’?

Why do we need to focus so much on how people look? Surely when we are younger we are all taught its what is on the inside that counts?

Body shaming is a real issue, its a real problem and its something we should all learn not to do, especially as a lot of people do it without realising, we need to learn what we say have consequences.

There is no ‘perfect’ way to look. If there was a perfect way to look would there be so many different heights, weights, hair and skin colours? If there was a perfect way to look don’t you think we would of found it already? Why do we assume that a slim body, tanned skin and long flowing hair (on a woman), and a six pack, tanned skin, tall and fluffy hair (on a man) is perfect? Why does carrying a couple of extra pounds automatically make someone imperfect? why does having cellulite, stretchmarks and spots count as imperfect?

the number of people diagnosed with eating disorders, self harm and depression is ever increasing, and part of that is thought to be due to the pressure to look perfect. We should be more focused on body acceptance than body shaming. We should be encouraging people to embrace how they look. to not feel bad because they have a bit of a tummy, or some stretch marks. We should be teaching people it is fine to look how you look. You don’t need to diet or wear make up to look good. Do those things if you want to of course (do the dieting sensibly and get a drs advice before making any major changes to what you eat though) but DON’T feel that you HAVE TO.

The perfect body is one that is healthy. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. If it is healthy and does its job its perfect.

Now let’s all tell each other we are beautiful and compliment each other rather than saying things like maybe you shouldn’t eat that, or maybe you should get some foundation or something.