Author: Steph

My #nofilter Hatred for Facebook

Posted by on Leave a Comment
My #nofilter Hatred for Facebook

My relationship with my Facebook account has come to resemble an unhappy marriage. It all started off so well: everything was fresh and new, there were always new features to discover, we were poking each other three times a day. Gradually, however, things began to get a little stale; a bit...samey. Cool, you had a really healthy salad for your lunch – looks great. Oh, you ran 5 miles before I even got out of bed and have the abs to prove it – good for you. Wow, are you and your boyfriend the most loved-up couple in the world? I think you just might be! I had been in denial about our … [Read more...]

Homage to Catalonia; Scotland says ho sentim

Posted by on Leave a Comment
Homage to Catalonia; Scotland says ho sentim

As I write, the flags of Scotland (or 45% of them, at least) are at proverbial half-mast. I woke up on Friday, September 19th, 2014 to the sentence that will stay with me for the rest of my life: ‘Scotland Says ‘No’ to Independence’. It was the first country ever to do so. Beneath the low wail of the disenfranchised youth, cries of confusion could be heard thousands of miles away in Catalonia to the effect of, “What are you doing?! You’ve ruined it for all of us!” We know, we know. And we’re really sorry. The truth is that, in the lead up to the devastating result, Catalonia had … [Read more...]

Girlz-N-The-Hood: the ghetto gospel truth about Guatemala City

Posted by on 1 Comment
Girlz-N-The-Hood: the ghetto gospel truth about Guatemala City

“Big, dirty and dangerous” are the only words that Lonely Planet can find to describe Guatemala City. My friends and family had no trouble finding alternative adjectives when I told them I was moving here for 2 and a half months to write my dissertation: “one of the highest rates of violent death in Latin America”, “I’d feel better if you got a gun”, and “Have you died yet?” were personal highlights on my ‘How Not to Reassure Someone’ list. The week before I left, The Guardian printed an article entitled “Murder in Guatemala: ‘I won’t allow my daughter to become another statistic’. It … [Read more...]

Feria de Abril: A Guiri’s Guide

Posted by on 4 Comments
Feria de Abril: A Guiri's Guide

Since moving back to the UK last year, I am reminded with alarming regularity that, Toto, we’re not in Spain anymore. I’m reminded every time I pay more than a Euro for a beer; I’m reminded every time I stand nicely in a queue; and I’m reminded with every breakfast, lunch, and 6pm-sharp dinner. But there’s no time of year I am more harshly reminded of my residency than this week: the Feria de Abril (that’s April Fair to you and I). I was lucky enough to experience Feria in Seville: its birthplace and biggest fan. Feria in Andalucia is a pretty big deal. Don’t make the mistake of going in … [Read more...]

Tinder vs The Lad: a match made in Hell

Posted by on Leave a Comment
Tinder vs The Lad: a match made in Hell

I, like many unsuspecting members, was tricked into getting Tinder. My friend sold it to me under the premise that it was a game. In fact, its misleading use of language such as “keep playing” had me thinking that these were fictional characters up until the point where Andy, 24, from Glasgow popped up on my screen to say, “Like the headdress lol r u a red Indian haha.” It was love at first casual racist remark. So, Andy didn’t make the cut, but it was scary how quickly my index finger became accustomed to the left swipe. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept: Tinder is an app that … [Read more...]

…But they’ll never take our freedom?

Posted by on 3 Comments
...But they’ll never take our freedom?

I come from Scotland. The land of the free and the home of the brave... or something like that. The country that brought us television, the telephone, and Trainspotting; The land whose national diet screams “YOLO” and whose dialect uses the word “fucking” the same way that most people use a comma. This is, arguably, the most important year in Scottish history for hundreds of years – it’s the year we’ll decide whether to divorce our overbearing husband to the South, or to remain in a loveless marriage for the rest of our days. Let’s be clear from the offset: this has nothing to do with … [Read more...]