The older I get, the more I realise that identity is extraordinary complex. In my own context, I have a lot of questions of myself, my friends, my whānau, and the communities I am involved in. Shock horror - Abby has more questions? Such is the life of a philosophy major, a poet, a writer,… Continue reading Navigating Identity: Being Pākehā in Aotearoa
Category: Favourites
Stop “Learning” Languages
Long time, no write. I have always been meaning to get around to writing a new blog post... but then I'd get stuck for ideas. I started writing again a few times, but my heart wasn't in it and I didn't want it to feel forced. But my goodness I just have to tell the… Continue reading Stop “Learning” Languages
Aspergirl Gone Rogue
Wow. So it's been awhile. Long time no blog, lil' Abs. So, why not hit the ground running again with something personal and freeing, with just a touch of advocacy? Life is weird. I've recently been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), more specifically, the kind that used to be known as Asperger's. This has… Continue reading Aspergirl Gone Rogue
Suicide and the Value of Te Whare Tapa Whā
Suicide. Many people that I know, myself included, have contemplated it at difficult periods of our lives. My grandfather died by it – so I never got to meet him – and so did a fellow high school chorister. Those deaths will never ever escape my mind; both for different reasons. People need to come… Continue reading Suicide and the Value of Te Whare Tapa Whā
Deep and Meaningfuls in the Kitchen
There are three things I choose to believe: At their core, people are good.*Everybody has shit to deal with.Hurt people hurt people. Most of the time we hide our mess and our problems and the things which we'd rather not have people see...things we're ashamed of, things that are too tender, things that make us… Continue reading Deep and Meaningfuls in the Kitchen
Philosophy, Sexuality, and Christian Me
I don't know where I want to go with this post, but that's ultimately how most of my blog updates go, so we're doing good. I went on a Philosophy field trip last weekend and it was an absolute whale of a time. I met heaps of wonderfully weird humans akin to myself, had phantastic… Continue reading Philosophy, Sexuality, and Christian Me
Neurodiversity: Learning from Special Ed Kids
Recently I have started doing relief work at a special needs school for 5-21 year olds. I have been having the best time getting to know the students, staff, and learning more about special education as a whole. My introduction to working in this area started early in my final year of high school, when… Continue reading Neurodiversity: Learning from Special Ed Kids
Mental Health: Wellbeing in Education?
School takes up a huge majority of our childhoods and teenage years, yet what are we really learning? For those who have finished, we all have very varied, and often strong opinions of that time. Some look upon memories of school in disgust, some in adoration, and others are more indifferent. So what is actually happening… Continue reading Mental Health: Wellbeing in Education?