While in the changing room post-swim the other day, a poster caught my eye. Christchurch City Council's new campaign, It's Cool Not to Be Cruel centres around reminding people to treat CCC's employees with basic human decency. Abuse towards customer service employees has been on the rise. Part of me was shocked to learn this,… Continue reading Kind Strangers, Angry Strangers
Having body hair - anywhere except on the scalp - is seen by most women as a drag, a pet peeve, or even disgusting. It's something to be ashamed of, something to get rid of, something to cover up. I understand that; I've grown up with that societal expectation around me. From friends, from family,… Continue reading Fearing the Hair
I'm all Coronavirused out, so I'm fully not going to talk about it - other than to say it has been a weird, chaotic and uncertain last few weeks, has it not? I hope everybody is staying safe, well, and being nice to their flatmates/family/partners during this stressful time. Sparing a thought for all the… Continue reading The Covid19 Diaries: Isolation Staycation?
It has been far too long - a mammoth four months - since I have posted. I feel like the longer I'm away from my blog the harder it is to get back into. It has crossed my mind numerous times over the last few months to chuck up a few hundred words or so,… Continue reading New Year, Sore Knees
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
What an absolute whirlwind of a term...and a year in fact. On the whole, I think 2018 has been very good to me - I suppose I've tried to be good to her also. I am celebrating the completion of second year, and also the much loved return of my circadian rhythms. I think I've… Continue reading Insomnia: How to Not Fall Asleep
Kia ora glorious humans! This month, I have decided to get involved in Mahuru Māori, which is all about normalising te reo, and participants can opt to pledge the whole month or a day per week. For me, it will involve pledging to speak, sing, and write solely in te reo Māori for every Tuesday… Continue reading Mahuru Māori
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
Kei hea tātou reo, Aotearoa? Where is our language, Aotearoa? This is a question that has been buzzing around in my head over the last few months. In January, I attended a summer camp in Ōtaki. It was an opportunity for youth aged 17-30 to come together and discuss politics, environmental issues, play music, dance,… Continue reading Why Te Reo Māori is Relevant Now
Recently, in the dentist waiting room, I had an epiphany. As I sat there, I saw everyone was glued to their digital devices: smartphones, tablets, the whole shebang. I asked myself, how can we so socially connected and disconnected simultaneously? Then I typed these preliminary thoughts into my own mobile device... am I not the… Continue reading Dial-Up Days, Mother Nature and Digital Detoxing
bohemianhumanist.com 