being an explorer


It is the small hours of the morning and the sun is coming up over the misty fog that lines the hills surrounding the stone circle at Glastonbury Festival. Having completed some dance shapes at a very random backstage party full of transvestites, I have found myself sitting amongst the masses with a glittery 70's Stevey Nicks blue sequin dress and a drawn on moustache. I suppose that is pretty standard for Glasto especially after seeing the Rolling Stones rock the socks off everyone as the headline act and playing drinking games with red wine. Not recommended.

cross-dress party stage

I get chatting, as you do, and a lady asks me "So what do you do for a living?". A question I get asked a lot and struggle to answer in a conventional way. So I bite the bullet, I decide to finally make the proclamation.
"I am an explorer" I reply with the straightest face possible while sporting a pencil lined moustache.
The lovely lady laughs a while; "An explorer!?" she turns to a friend of hers. A blonde lady in her 30's who for the sake of it I will call Jane. "Jane, I just asked this girl what she does for a living and she says she's an explorer!" More laughs are shared.
"So what does it take to be an explorer Jess?" says Jane inquisitively in a somewhat patronising tone.

Blimey. They think I am joking and pretending to be Wizardora or something...or perhaps that I am on acid traversing a different dimension.

Nevertheless I go on.
"Firstly, I would say it takes courage. Courage to stop whatever normal world you are in and step out of your comfort zone. Courage to be alone in wild places where bears might attack you (in hindsight I really should have done an impression of the bear scare techniques I practiced while trekking in India) or as a woman, where you may feel very uncomfortable and stared at. Courage to keep going sometimes too when you start to miss people or feel the madness ensue after multiple culture shocks.

Secondly, you need to be stupidly curious. Curiosity is fundamental to keeping you going and exploring more places and learning new things. To keep asking why... (dramatic pause for deep thought).

And I think lastly, you have got to be open-minded. Being open-minded to the various realities that people are living in and points of view people hold so that you can adapt appropriately and be compassionate to people different perspectives." - there is no way I spoke so eloquently in the early hours that morning... but the sentiment remains. These are pretty essential in hindsight, along with foolish tendencies and deep breaths through office lit, rushed, shoes off and no liquids airports. I am updating my passport soon and am going to get an eye scanner one. I was not so happy when I learned this. "Next thing I'll have a chip embedded in my arm" I joked to which someone responded "yeah but the cues are shorter!". If only my housemates didn't graffiti "Imigrant" and "Jess is Gay" in my passport 7 years ago.

After my little job explanation I asked Jane what it was she did for a living.
"I'm a planner, a marketing strategist." she replied.
"Oh, that's funny..." and kinda weird "I used to be one of those..." well I guess it's pretty much the same thing but with a very broad market, nothing to sell and a lot less worrying.


Being an explorer is a cool job title though and given I purchased a £2 felt festival hat from the local charity shop that resembles that of Indiana Jones; I seemingly qualify. Of course every explorer needs a good hat that works at music festivals AND weddings for a couple of bob.

If you decide to become an explorer, check out my magical tips for solo travellers and remember to keep a journal / blog / take photos.

sharing the love

Thus far my spontaneous travels have been an amazing journey of discovery and ponderings on what it is that makes us truly happy. Seeing parts of the world and learning from many cultures has taught me some simple truths about humankind; that despite the injustices that exist in this world, the power of family and community can lift the spirits, share the pains and move us all in a positive direction. 

Personally, experience has been a very real way of seeing the gross disparities that exist and realising for myself that even the littlest things can make a dramatic difference. It has been proven psychologically and economically, that a nations happiness is not dependent on its GDP - which is more aligned with our collective waistlines funnily enough - but the balance between it's rich and poor; the bigger the gap, the more collective suffering. Of course on a global level the same applies. 

When traveling in India I trekked to an amazing hot spring tucked in the Himalayas called Kheer Ganga. On the way I met a humble family of low caste who invited me to stay with them. I was treated as they treat all their guests 'like god' as they say in their culture; insisting on giving me their best food, serving me tea, showing me their village and without any expectation that as a westerner I offer anymore than my company. 

The family have 5 children, they sleep in one room, their winters are snowed in "like prison" and they don't have running water (the toilet was squatting with the cattle next door!). I taught the kids some basic English, played with them at the school ground and got insight in to their lives. Moving to say the least and certainly a big reminder me to be grateful. 

I have promised I will return and with my return I would like to bring them enough money to make their lives a little more comfortable and sanitary - I would also love to stay with them and not be attacked by nasty lice again.

As low caste they have little opportunity in terms of work; we foraged together for gucci mushrooms and they have an uncle who is a goat shepherd, so consequently, I am donating my next birthday to fundraise a wee donation for them. The currency exchange means that at the very least even a few dollars can support them to buy grains and beans for their winter reserves. i.e. even a five spot will make a difference. 

If you feel inclined, please share a little of your good fortune by contacting me and making a donation.

You know me well enough to know that 100% and some will go to them. They're the most humble people I have met and deserve so much more for their acceptance of a really hard life.

Please feel free to forward this to anyone equally trusting and up for sharing the love. 

a galley chef crosses the atlantic

Traveling is a big passion of mine and these last 2 years have been wonderfully insightful and eye opening. And despite not being on a salary, I do find that I need purpose; an occupation to keep me occupied with something beyond my indulgent quest to learn on the road. I do pick up projects as I go along, often not-for-profit-more-for-love projects. I’ve been a post tsunami conservation volunteer, solar powered lights postman, garbage recyclingevangelist, reiki and thai masseuse, CSR strategist, underwater scuba photographer, online TV presenter, race sailing crew and more recently; a galley chef.

Thus far the galley chef position has been the best earner and most enthralling. Doing something I love; cooking, while sailing across the Atlantic on a super yacht; Swan 82, has been quite the challenge but my soul seems to thrive in those challenging conditions. If its not knitting on a local bus in the Himalayas of India its trying to prepare dinner for 7 crew in a hot galley that tilts from side to side. Hence, cooking in a rocking kitchen is frankly an occupational hazard that takes some adapting to. I spent my first few days burping and tactically vomiting while breaking out in hot sweats as my sea legs adjusted and I tackled a few intense encounters with hot pans on stoves.

The Azures; most Westerly point

The trans-Atlantic crossing took us approximately 3 weeks with a 2-day stopover in the Azures to pick up more provisions, get refueled and shower without bouncing off walls. In terms of working the galley there were some essential learning’s that I’d hasten to share with anyone who wishes to take on such a crazy challenge.

Happy mate

Cook meals in advance

This is Galley Chef 101. The best meals are those that can be frozen then thrown in the oven. Do salad preparations in advance preferably the day before so that they stay fresh longer.

Smart Storage

Become friendly with Tupperware and plastic ziplock bags. They are awesome for storage. I recommend putting as much as possible in to containers to avoid a smelly fridge. Emptying and wiping down a fridge amongst giant swells and fatigue was my least fun job.

Recycling

This is really tough on a boat and there really needs to be more service at ports to accommodate recycling for boats. We separated the plastics and stored them on the boat to recycle at port. Sadly all other waste was thrown overboard.

Serving

Make sure food is laid out on tea towels the right tack round. This is a no brainer but essential to avoiding spillage.  Try to keep it simple and easy so that packing away and cleaning are painless.

Crack the whip

Being at sea is tough on the mind, body and soul. Some crew members may, in their weary states, forget to wash and dry their dishes. Ensure they are aware that this isn’t cool. A cheeky note from a kitchen device tends to do the trick.

Enjoy it

Being at sea away from land for a long time is testing on many levels; patience and compassion are two very favourable ways of dealing with what days at sea brings out in oneself and others. Reminding myself that what I was doing was rare and challenging kept me upbeat and appreciative.

Menu

I prepared food according to the preferences of my crew. I struck a fine balance between convenience, preferences and health.

Lunches

Lunches

• Wraps and buns with cooked chicken, hams, tuna mayo and cheese.
•  Fresh salads
•  Leek and potato soup
•  Chickpea, lentil and beanmedley
• Pasta, tomato, aubergine and corgette
• Pasta, Basil, mozzarella, pinenuts, sundried tomatoes, chili oil, pesto
• Cous cous with vegetables
• Risotto with mushroom, sundried tomato and cockles

Dips

Raita – natural yogurt, fresh lemon juice, chopped coriander, crushed garlic and chopped cucumber

Humous – Crushed cooked chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, black pepper

Dinners

• Chicken, chickpea and pumpkin curry
•  Aubergine curry
• Thai Green prawn curry
• Thai Red chicken curry
• Lasagne
• Spaghetti bolognaise
•  Spaghetti carbonara
• Spinach and ricotta pie
• Chicken, mushroom and bacon pie
• Tuna steaks in chopped tomato, onion with garlic and pepper
• Tuna stir fry with soy sauce

Desert

Cake mix, add rum and dried fruit. Naughty. Yummy.

Fishing

We caught 5 Big Eye Tuna within 48 hours coming in to the Azores. Everyone was incredibly excited and learned a thing or two about fishing. However personally, especially as a galley chef, I did want to iterate the fact that if the crew were keen enough to kill it, they might also be as keen to eat it, given it took up most of my freezer and fridge real estate(!) Thankfully Ptarmigan also donated one to a local orphanage in the Azores and gifted another to friends. Sharing’s caring.

All in all. A rocking experience and a wonderful way to travel. If anyone's interested in pursuing adventures at sea crew are required to have an STCW certificate and experience at sea.

lessons at sea racing an old boat

Sometimes on the road one gets stuck. I call it my 'desperate poet' syndrome where I'll go in to my cave, write, draw, ponder, edit while isolating myself from people as I gather my thoughts and come back to myself. This happens occasionally especially after intense cultural shifts and physically or emotionally draining experiences. Being pro-active and meeting like minded souls has been the best remedy and nothing could be more active and uniting than racing Bounty; a beautiful classic yacht. A wonderful way to get unstuck.

Holding on during stormy weather.
Apparently sailing is said to be ‘precious teaching’ and certainly was quite an intense lesson the weekend I found myself racing in Antigua on a 19^th Century old dining table named 'Bounty' at the Classics Yacht Regatta.

The lovely French skipper, Florian (known as ‘Flo’) arrived in Antigua with a rather battered Bounty looking for some loving and a crew that might brave the intense storms that had brewed as all the old classic ships came rolling in to the Old English Harbour of the Caribbean.

Going with the Flo
One evening I came to my little shack on the island to find an email from a friend inviting me to have ‘the best day of my life… unless you get seasick’. All I knew was that there was an old boat involved and I may need some foul weather gear. Indeed I also needed some courage as I found myself pulling lines and getting a face full of seawater, slipping my backside down very wet heeled deck and finding my hand in a winch for the first and last time in my life (a winch is something you really don’t want to put your hand in). Life suddenly was flying through me as the crew flew old Bounty through the lashings of rain and over giant swells. My morning coffee revisited my taste buds a couple of times but nothing a few deep breaths and a couple of laughs wasn’t going to settle. Thankfully it did settle and a special vegetarian roti from ‘Roti Sue’ soon had my mind back in the game.

Teamworks dreamwork
There was something magical about that boat. The crew. There’s much to be said about ‘the crew’. Everyone was present. Everyone was there. We raced of course but we laughed much more; frolicking and not taking anything (besides survival) too seriously. There was an intuitive nature about how we worked the boat. Funnily enough we came 3^rd place and I found myself meeting some incredible people with hearts of gold; the various travelers and sailors at sea being romanced and united by an old boat. There was something spiritual about it of course. The ocean breathes spirit and there’s nothing more incredibly energizing than feeling the adrenalin of those extremities at sea. The magic and the fragility of life. That day I raced, four boats lost their rigging, my friend Imo broke her ribs and another few sailors busted bones. It was an extreme day and those that followed were equally exhilarating.

I am so grateful to the gorgeous soul, Phil, who got me out and living one of the rarest and most precious experiences of life; racing Bounty.  An incredible time. Bountiful one might say.

I really believe there’s a lot to be said for ‘going with the Flo’ and allowing spontaneity to take the heart on an adventure or two while sharing the experience with the cool people you meet along the way.

Bounty, I was well and truly romanced.

do ethically minded consumers really walk their talk?

 “Sure I always look to buy fair trade/organic/local produce” – a statement we are hearing more and more as sustainable living becomes increasingly mainstream while countries review their green policies and scientists debate the consequences and impacts manmade fossil fuels have. People are also looking at their values when it comes to ethical buying and the changes they can have on the environment.

While working as an advertising strategist, I ran a focus group and conversations shifted to sustainable living. One person remarked how an ad I’d shown them connected with her because of the “sustainability bit”. Almost like a drawn out yawn this idea seemed to spread. Suddenly people who hadn’t observed any ethical or sustainable message were chiming in on how “it connected with how they lived their lives sustainably” and low and behold I was in a room full of greenies. This is a phenomenon commonly known in focus groups as we humans have a sheepish capacity and so it didn’t surprise me, but it did get me wondering, of those that said they lived their lives ‘sustainably’ – how many of them truly did? The reality is that ethically minded consumers do not always walk their talk.

Behavioural psychologists are finding that there’s a distinct gap between what consumers say they are going to do and what they actually do at the point of purchase (Auger and Devinney, 2007; Belk et al., 2005; Carrigan and Attalla, 2001; Follows and Jobber, 2000; Shaw et al., 2007). Empirical studies in the field of consumer behaviour more broadly already suggest that purchase intentions do not translate literally into people’s purchase behaviour. So how do we understand better the process the mind takes when making these purchase decisions in the context of ethical consumption?

Researchers have long understood that intentions are poor predictors of behaviour and that gaining insight into this gap is of critical importance to understanding, interpreting, predicting and influencing consumer behaviour (Bagozzi, 1993).  The idea that “actions speak louder than words” comes to mind. The gap, however, remains poorly understood, especially within the ethical consumerism context and given people tend to respond with answers they believe to be socially acceptable, overstating the importance of ethical considerations in their buying behaviour, the truth of the matter is that what they say is not what they do.  But what is equally interesting is that people do have a concept of what is ‘right or socially acceptable’ yet still behave in a way they themselves might perceive as ‘wrong’.  In the context of human behaviour is this a surprise? Do purchasers of fizzy drinks believe that drinking sugar fuelled fizzy liquids is benefitting them, let alone society?

The majority of ethical consumer behaviour models are built on a core cognitive progression:

Using this framework, there are two circumstances that may contribute to the overall disparity between attitude and behaviour – a gap between consumer attitude and purchase intent, and a gap between purchase intent and actual purchase behaviour. The majority of research within the ethical consumerism field on the attitude–intention–behaviour gap has focused on the disparities and relationships between attitudes and intentions of the ethically minded. In contrast, I wanted to look primarily at the gap between ethical purchase intentions and actual buying behaviour.

But attitude–intent–behaviour models of consumer choice artificially isolate decision-making, ignoring the external effect of the environment/situation on purchase behaviour. This interaction with environmental factors, as advertisers know, is proven to influence decision-making. Cognitive approaches assume perfect and constant conditions without consideration of environmental or social settings, thus oversimplifying the complex translation of purchase intentions into actual buying behaviour. Also when looking at this model within the ethical consumerism context, scant attention has been given to the actual control the individuals have over their personal behaviour at the point of purchase and how this differs according to their own perceptions of behavioural control when they were formulating their purchase intentions (however perceptions of control rarely reflect actual control).

Finally, there’s a lack of ethical and general consumer decision-making studies that measure and observe actual buying behaviour, as opposed to stated intentions or self-reported behaviour, is a significant methodological limitation that leaves the extant research open to the influence of social desirability bias (Auger and Devinney, 2007). Social desirability bias occurs when people feel social pressure to respond with answers in research that they believe to be socially acceptable. Social desirability bias is inherent to research methods that employ self-reported behaviour, and is pronounced in studies with ethical considerations (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001; Podsakoff and Organ, 1986).

So while my lovely focus group may have had all the right intentions; was their behaviour a true reflection on this? Did they have the control to follow through with their actions? The idiom; “the path to hell is paved with good intentions” came to mind. Given we live in a world where our environment is perpetually manipulating our perception of reality, where we surrender much of our power and responsibility to act within a system of control, do we have enough motivation to be true to our intentions? Do we have enough power to act according to what we feel is right as opposed to what is convenient in a world that binds us through other finite resources; time and money? As a researcher in my career; I wondered this. As a wonderer, hearing plenty of "blah blah blah" (future intent),  I've witnessed it. Once I met a traveler in the Holy Lake town of Pushkar whom I offered a biscuit to - he politely explaining that he wouldn't eat anything that comes in plastic wrapping while in India. Now that to me is absolute control. Walking the talk.

don't blame the sea: fishing after the tsunami

Do Not Blame The Sea from The Perennial Plate on Vimeo.

In 2004, the Tsunami that hit Sri Lanka killed 8 members of this small fishing family. And yet today, they still fish (either on stilts or in a boat) because they have to do it to survive. The family lives in a small, makeshift hut with a back "window" that opens onto the ocean - the same sea that gives life also takes it away.

How a family continued to love that which also took away their loved ones "We live because of the sea and will continue to live because of it. So we love the sea" and the reality they are facing as it becomes harder and harder for them to catch "as there are not many fish these days".

ferocious vulnerability on tour

I have been on such turns and bends alight with multiple culture shocks such as witnessing the heart breaking devastation of the post-apocalyptic tsunami in Japan, learning the balancing act of sailing at sea, having humility pumped through my veins by the mesmerising Himalayas and reconnecting with family in such a beautiful way along the road. Its been intensely revealing and while traveling is amazingly fun and adventurous it certainly asks you to be present even when initially you don't like what you see. Perhaps that's where serendipity comes in.

Rush hour Tokyo

I witnessed the chaotic world in Buenos Aires and the impact a man has over a beautiful but insecure woman as he whistles and shouts sexually charged words at her in a city that has the highest cases of bulimia. I've seen the commuters passing out in to their mobile phones on the speedy commuter trains of Tokyo, a city so emotionally repressed that buildings have suicide proof windows and a business culture that expects workers to stay until their boss leaves the office be 9pm or 3am. I've seen the ignorance a culture (who's government is hell bent on growth) can create in one of the most beautiful places in the world as garbage lines the paths and riverbanks in the "Holy" spots of India and how affluent Everest tourism has poisoned the minds of the once staunchly religious Buddhist community in Nepal as one approached temples to pray and instead got directed immediately to donation boxes.

I've seen how we bullied ourselves in to disharmony and disconnection with one another, with our families, with our real home, nature and especially with our beautiful selves. This has been the most incredibly expansive experience of my life yet and still equally one that brought me back to myself; a chaos within I had to accept, the conditionings of society and culture to reflect upon, fears to face, materialism that never quite filled the sense of emptiness and impact a childhood truly had on my subconscious from when my brother was born sick with a hole in his heart to the bullying endured during a dramatic money-fueled divorce. Yup. Shit happens in this world on all sorts of scales. But that's how we learn and thankfully it all lives in the past; that illusory place that's only really a subjective story not serving the present moment beyond the wisdom one may have learned and emotions that might want to pop up and be surrendered.

So now I am in Antigua; the Caribbean. This is a stunning place, with wonderful heartfelt culture and again one of extremities. The locals, mostly black, still carry the sufferings their ancestors fought through thanks to slavery which is projected on to the "Whites" who reflect back an innate fear of the unknown. The blacks have wristbands to represent "Black Power" and with the huge affluent sailing community and living near "English Harbour", a place that brings in many elite sailors of Great Britain with lovely la-dee-da accents, I've been intrigued by the contrast of shame and pride that plays on repeat between these cultures.

The beautiful and hopeful story is that there are also people here who see beyond colour and are encouraging more balance and connection between these communities that can learn so much from one another. Many of them seen as the mad ones. The visionaries  I have faith that eventually we'll be united perhaps not by choice but as means to survive as we are certainly causing enough damage to our home.

The music scene here is world class. I LOVE reggae; its beat inspires that of the heart and my feet just can't help but bounce to it. I craved some reggae beats in India as I subjected myself to relentless trance at music festivals (for a good cause) and frankly trance isn't really a scene for me. I go out to some of the music nights here to get my socks blown off by live jazz or a local reggae band while flying round like the social butterfly I am, surprisingly sober given I don't really drink much these days, and my travel budget appreciates it, chatting to new friends and learning of their worlds, exchanging learnings as we go and feeling alive and grateful. But I walk home alone. Alone safely self-protected.

A lesson I've had to learn is how to be vulnerable. Because I am. Constantly. Any solo female traveler will agree that feeling perpetually vulnerable in the vortex of the unknown develops a ferociousness and sense of faith even through the darkest of times. Learning to keep one's wits about them and know how to walk away from trouble and step out of others people's stuff. To be sane while the world around oneself is being insane. To be responsible and to take deep breaths in those moments of reflection and confusion and to protect oneself from the naughty children out there!

The world is doing some really crazy things. I would read about it. I watched documentaries about it. I spent a lot of breath talking about it.

Feeling it, on the other hand, shook my soul awake through that powerful sense of ferocious vulnerability. 

tender radicalism, dolphins in japan

Watch The Cove in Activism & Non-Profit  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Recently I was given a book to read "Rules for Radicals" by Saul D. Alinsky (free pdf) and a documentary I have been wanting to watch for a long time, The Cove. I laughed to myself about the book... an insightful read nevertheless.

I suppose it appeals to the little activist in me who feels a bit heart broken every time she sees the ignorant destruction we're causing to ourselves and the planet.  I guess one of the side-affects of travel is the opportunity to witness the scale of mankind's ignorance and stupidity. This really is the 'Age of Stupid' on so many levels, but thankfully, there are people out there that through their awareness, passion and creativity provoke us to realise it and perhaps even, change our ways and perspectives a little.

One quote I loved from this movie is "Society doesn't change through Government, it changes through the passions of individuals". 

I was also brought up on Flipper and wanted to swim with dolphins. Its still a dream of mine. However, realising how wonderfully conscious, beautiful, empathetic and intelligent these creatures are, I'd rather learn from them than support a cruel industry of Seaworlds and mass aquatic murders.

When I was in Japan at the tsunami volunteers camp the camp was donated tinned whale meat from the local fisheries. The fisheries close enough to the two nuclear power-plants which were damaged from the tsunami (the second very much kept under wraps by media).

Its saddening to think that the gorgeous volunteers who dedicate their life to rebuilding a place destroyed, practically left to die by the government, are eating toxic meat unbeknown to them. I understand the notion of 'cultural pursuits' but there's got to be a line drawn somewhere between mass destruction, pollution of the oceans and maintaining tradition. Not to mention the nuclear stuff which I'll hold my tongue on.

This documentary is a wonderful demonstration of how a person's passion can create change and, in all honesty, makes me want to be a mermaid, go to Japan and save the dolphins. Sadly I can't do that right now - so I'm sharing this documentary instead. 

travels & being

I love Eckhart Tolle. Such a master. He makes everything sound so profound and simple at the same time. I would listen to his audiobook in Sydney at night and pass out too quickly to catch the words thanks to his amazingly relaxing voice.

While sometimes the idea of being present can feel like a distant dream, I do feel traveling has a powerful way of forcing one to be present, in the moment, partly because of being totally out of the comfort zone. There's something about being in a moving vehicle, where the body can be still while the space around can continually change that I find quite mesmerising. Hence, enjoy a little montage of some shapes and sights witnessed over the last 18 months on tour, beginning with the devastation of post-tsunami Japan.

losing my femininity in india

Arriving at Everest Basecamp.
Braless.

As I sat on the flight to Jaipur in Rajasthan (Northern India) I felt a very uncomfortable feeling having a man further down the carriage relentlessly turn his head in order to stare at me. I wasn't wearing anything revealing, nor make up and yet this man followed me to the luggage collection before I had to say to him "go away". As is common for Western women in India, I soon realised I was getting a lot of ‘attention’ or glares from men. Farrel my ‘gay husband’, a friend from Sydney who I travelled with through Rajasthan for a few weeks would joke that he felt like he was ‘married to a celebrity’ and, bless his heart, found it pretty frustrating that he was constantly feeling in the background despite me saying I'd gladly exchange places. Personally nothing was more irritating than the constant request for a photo, the ‘are you married?’ and the feeling of being incredibly vulnerable.

At the beginning of my trip I was 'touched up' on a tourist bus twice, the first time I was asleep and felt ‘something’ which woke me and after stealthily covering half my face with my eye patches managed to catch the guy as he went for a second attempt. I got the confidence to speak up and thankfully he was later kicked off the bus. The second time I donkey kicked the guy and made it very clear that he was “not right!” shaking a boiling hot chai in his face as I walked on to the bus after our ‘pee in the street’ and 'grab a chai' stop.

It's a sad world we live in where women can’t express their femininity without feeling naked to the eyes of glaring men and I have wondered what the impact of pornography has had to the conditioning of minds, likewise, I appreciate that in India the imported Hollywood movies tell a 'story' of how women in the West behave and hence, leading to certain ideas very much off the mark.

My friend Adi, the local doctor.
Check out those pants!

So in an unconscious act of defence I travelled boyishly and wore a bindi. I made many friends who were guys, including local guys who didn’t see me as anything beyond a bahini (sister) which made traveling much more fun, offered a sense of security at times and empowerment actually. But it made me also pretty unsexy.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been practicalities in embracing my inner Tom Boy, I allowed myself to get hairy, much to the disgrace of my family, my toiletries whittled down to a bar of soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste. My dresses and skirts were abandoned and donated along with most my luggage as I left my big heavy rucksack to go to the post winter chill of the Himalayas where I stayed for 7 months. I adapted my style in line with the community, sporting the local woollen shawls, a bindi and whatever items of clothing were kindly donated to me (see above). I saw it as respectful to their culture as I saw many female tourists floating in with tight fit leggings and revealing tops. So I acquired quite an interesting wardrobe and wondered to myself on the fancy dress we call life. The fun we can have with 'costume' whether its a business suit or a pretty dress.

What seemed to come with my distinct lack of attentiveness to my femininity was the ability to travel and feel safe in India and Nepal. I became much more connected with Mother Nature. I had super short nails and would allow myself to get dirty trekking around the mountains. It was worth it in order to adventure and not attract attention to myself of a desirous nature.

Funnily enough, I didn't realise how unfeminine I had become until I visited the family of a dear friend in Kathmandu and found myself being dressed up by his mother and sister in a pink sari, having bangles placed on my wrists and getting my nails polished by them. It felt strangely familiar and I wondered why I hadn't allow myself to be a woman as I came to the end of my trip.

Which brings me to this feeling of frustration that as a woman I had to hide it. I was afraid to provoke. What kind of world do we live in where a woman has to do this in order to travel comfortably? Now I choose to be more direct and empowered. I protect myself. But it takes a lot to step out of that fear but I have to be straight with men who express interest - if its not there, its not there - but why sacrifice what could be an amazing long haul of a friendship?

I hope one day to see more equality and respect between the sexes. We have the same male-female genome on a genetic level, despite the hormones and we’re all human. Sure there are carnal desires but I hope mutual respect and love for one another can transcend that. Following the horrific rape of the young girl on an Indian bus, this message really hit home for me.

spreading light in remote himalayas

Little Sun

Little Sun is an inspired product and work of art that seeks to provide solar powered sustainable light in areas where electricity is scarce and people’s circumstances don’t afford them the opportunity of light.  They are a global project to get clean and affordable light to the 20% of the world’s population who have no access to the electrical grid. 

Tibetan nuns having a tea break

I was living with Tibetan nuns in an isolated monastery of remote Everest region, Nepal. There I was to experience chronic loneliness, isolation along with a desperate sickness that nearly saw me abandoning my travels and returning to Europe to be with my mum (know the feeling?).

My day would start at 5.30am where I would be awoken by the blowing of the conch to indicate the start of the mantras. The nuns performed a special 10 day long ceremony for long life and in devotion of the Buddhist deity; White Tara and I would sit in sometimes and meditate alongside them shifting from dead leg to dead leg while amazed at their stillness.

The Tibetan Buddhist Puja

Everyday they would sit and recite mantras until 8-9pm using the Tibetan Buddhist and shamanic inspired instruments, mandalas and offerings. It was incredible to be a part of and inspired admiration for these determined women who'd been forced out of their homeland in order to continue their faith.

I would help with collecting wood, vegetables, washing up and trek a little around the area, however in truth, I really struggled with the lack of integration and felt duly isolated having no more than my iPhone, some books and my friend and monk Pasang, who spoke English to keep me company.

But there is a reason for everything. And while in my somewhat adverse and alien circumstances, living in a mud hut sharing a room with a mouse, I learned an incredible amount through solitude. Especially the virtues of technology! One day I received a newsletter from Good.is and learned of the remarkable invention; Little Sun and having nothing better to do besides wash with cold water and a bucket in the chill outside, I got poking the screen and sent them an email.

A few months later, back in Parvati valley (India), I was collecting a box of Little Suns, which had been delivered from Berlin to the local doctor and my friend, Adi Sharma.

While in Parvati Valley there is a huge hydropower plant station being developed in order to capitalise on India’s most powerful river, Parvati; it appears that the small villages nearby are not to benefit from it. While locals in villages nearby continue to struggle for consistent electricity power and furthermore suffer winters of waist deep snow, isolation and poverty, the Indian government will continue to grow in power and wealth as a consequence of the Himalayan project. In fact the electricity bills for these poor communities is ironically high given the natural resource that is being capitalised on their doorstep.

Little Sun Love

I felt very blessed to be able to shine a bit of light for a family that took care of me while I made the 2 day trek to Kheer Ganga; the highest Holy River in India (and furthermore one complete with lovely hot springs) as I delivered the Little Suns in to the hands of a humble family who treated me as though I were one of their own.

They have no running water, live in a small room,  farm and forage for food while the five adorable children all roll together amongst handmade blankets on the floor to sleep. I stayed with them a number of times and while my body got attacked by bed-lice, I was happy to sacrifice comfort to be in the warm and loving environment of this kind family. Didi (sister) is like my own sister, a few years older than I am and yet with a wisdom far beyond. She also makes the best chapatti’s I have ever had and taught me a thing or two about cooking parantha on a tandoor. The family are low caste and sadly, at the mercy of the judgements and discriminations that this tradition afflicts but their acceptance of it astounded me. They would never complain. The only complaint I heard was of Didi’s husband explaining that the winters were so tough “it is like prison” as they spent their time confined within the four walls sitting around an iron box to keep warm.

Little Sun offered them something the Indian government has not; free and reliable light. I am all too humble to have had the opportunity to give their community something that for much of my life was taken for granted and I sincerely hope that anyone reading this can feel duly inspired to make a difference where they can, connecting good ideas and innovations with those that need it within our rapidly globalised and technological world. It doesn't take much.

In everyday life, it is important that we critically engage in global initiatives and local contexts. Our actions have consequences for the world. Little Sun is a wedge that opens up the urgent discussion about bringing sustainable energy to all from the perspective of art.  – Olafur Eliasson (Little Sun)

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