Six Word Fridays: Routine

Children at play...Ekwendeni, Malawi

The morning time has a routine...

We wake as the cock crows;

We clean house and feed chickens;

We fetch water from the well;

We boil the water and bathe;

We take porridge if its there;

We walk ten miles to school.

The afternoon time has a routine...

We walk ten miles from school;

We gather in the home compound;

We share a meal all together;

We fetch water and feed chickens;

We then play, yes we play!

From things thrown we make toys.

The evening time has a routine...

We come home from play tired;

We clean farming tools for mother;

We help cook, we eat together;

We have a treat today...meat;

We read books by candle light;

Mother cannot help... she cannot read.

The night time has a routine...

We prepare ourselves for bedtime now;

We wonder if father will come;

We think, we wish, we pray;

That there will be food tomorrow;

That father will bring school fees;

That he will not abuse mother...

Six Word Fridays hosted by Making things up.com

Rue's Friday Fragments @ Half Past Kissing Time...

I have just discovered this really great posting group hosted by the lovely Mrs 4444 at Half Past Kissing Time called Friday Fragments. Essentially it is an opportunity to share tid-bits, rants and observations that I have made in the week. Not to mention that odd picture I have taken that doesn't fit in anywhere, and put them all together in one post on Friday (yes I know I am doing this on Saturday but like I said I just came across it!) So here goes...

Issue No. 1 -Rue's Top 10 Friday Fragments...

10. Random Image:

What? I thought the logs were interesting! :-)

9. Men who are beaten by their wives!
I read this rant on a blog I follow called 3 Men on a Boat where it was identified that men in Zimbabwe were increasingly becoming the victim of domestic violence which honestly surprised me! Being a woman who is acutely aware that the reverse happens in a far greater magnitude it is almost forgiveable if I cheered on these 'husband beaters'. I am however of the school of thought that one ought not to fight fire with fire and therefore I cannot condone violence regardless of the victim, all abuse is wrong and should be exposed as such!


8.Doctors out of hours service...or not! as the case may be...
I was as sick as a dog particularly on Thursday night and as one does I called my doctors out of hours service. Now I am not one to make a fuss and if I didn't think i could be dying or worse living with extreme pain! I wouldn't bother anyone, so me calling them was a big deal! Well as it happens I didn't bother them at all! I call at midnight and didn't get a call back until 1am ironically just as I was about to fall asleep only to be told to go to sleep! and call the doctor in the morning!!!!!!! Arrrgghhh to say the least, so -10/10 for service!


7.Vintage Clothing a must!
My friend Pam has got me hooked on Vintage clothing and I recently got this fabulous T-shirt with a plump but very hot lady on it indulging on all her favourite things from food to spa like treatments! I thought yes, this was made for me so I picked it up and went to the till and you wouldn't believe it was discounted from £14 to £3! Yaaaaay!!!!! Go Vintage!!!! Lol!


6. Nasty Neighbours!
When I moved into my flat I was warned by my landlord that the people across the street had displayed racist behaviour and attitudes to a young Indian couple who had lived here before me. I am one tough cooking who is clued up on my rights and not easily rattled so i figured i could take them if push came to shove. I have been here over a month and they have been pleasant enough to me so I assumed that it was just an issue between neighbours. Well I had an Indian girlfriend come over for lunch this week and I popped to the shop just before she arrived so she had to wait for 5 minutes. In that short time the neighbours had come out and started attacking my friend! What the heck is that about!?!?! Needless to say as I arrived they dispersed and smiled at me!!!!! I could't believe it when she told me...not happy at all! How small minded is that!?!?! unbelievable!!!! I think there should be a prision term for people who insist on being ignorant in countries like the UK that are so multicutlutal and most informed of all societies around the world.


5. Anniversary of 911

Image courtesy of the internet

You would need to be living under a rock to not have heard of the preacher int he States threatening to burn the Koran today if a Muslim prayer room / mosque is built near ground zero. This story disturbed me, not because he is threatening to do it and not because of the location of the mosque but because neither of these are the real issue, particularly this day. Today should be about us as a world taking stock on what causes acts like that, what we have so much hate in the world and what can be done to make a genuine change not just stop a mosque being built. We need to be spreading the gospel of truth and light that Jesus is and giving people an opportunity to turn from hate and turn to God. Not squabbling over real estate which wont change anything but may cause those who need little reason to take their own lives to spite others to action. As a Christian I am saddened by this preachers approach because he ill represents my faith and make Christians seem as hateful as the people who caused this atrocious act.


4. Baby fever! 
My sister has just had her first baby! A boy!!!! I am soooo excited about it! and am heading off to meet my nephew for the first time!!! Yaaay!!!!! Pictures to follow....
'Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.' (Psalms 127:3-5 ESV)


3. Jesus want to be your friend on Facebook

Image courtesy of the internet

I saw this image above on Facebook and was in two minds about what I thought of it. On the one hand that picture is not actually Jesus! But I honestly feel that in today's global community online, evangelism has to be more flexible and interactive. Churches do need to become technologically and social networking friendly to reach a whole generation whose lives are based online in social media networks. Its not a 'taking the mic' image and the words are convicting so I give it my rubber stamp / green light and yes I accepted Him! :-)


2. Facebook parenting!
You may be as shocked as I was when I saw a friend updating her status on Facebook with a rant about her daughters behaviour. You may think no Rue, we are not shocked by that, well you will be when I say that said friend went on to write on her daughter wall that she was grounded! No computer, no friends no nothing! Then her daughter came online and responded to this post by telling her mother where to go! and she went on to be online for 2hrs after that!!!!! Whatever happened to the rod of correction and actually confiscating the computers/phone whatever and actually meaning what you say and not just threatening your child? Not to mention showing the world that you have no control over said child! I give up!


1. Woman watching her rape on a mobile phone!
You wont believe this but a BBC news report I watched this week showed a woman who was given spiked drinks by people she knows then they proceeded to rape her, record it on a mobile phone and when she came round from the drugs showed her the clip!!!!!! Oh my days! Who does that!!!!!!! Seriously!!!!! I was so shocked and disgusted I couldn't believe that this is the world we are living in! Worse yet they tried to get her to believe she had some how consented or been a party to this  to the point she almost felt she couldn't report these men to the police! WOMEN RAPE AND ABUSE OF ANY KIND IS NEVER YOUR FAULT!!!! DON'T LET ANYONE MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE IT IS BECAUSE IT IS NOT!


That's it, my top 10 for this week! All that is left to say is please please vote for Passion in the Moments for the people's choice awards at coolphotoblogs. All you have to do is follow the link below:

Click here to vote for us! 

Flight 4:13...

Review of a play

Image courtesy of the Potter's House Church, Reading

I had the opportunity to attend a theatrical performance entitled 'Flight 4:13' at the Potter's House Church, Reading, UK on the 22nd of August 2010, the second of three showings.

Synopsis:

 A plane carrying 200 passengers crashes leaving six survivors. Each survivor has a secret / secret life that they have been hiding and for some they have been even hiding the truth of who they are from themselves. Those who survive the crash are trapped in the plane and afraid that this is the end for them and so they start to confess their secrets to one another or expose each other for some. There are hypocrites, liars, pretenders and all other manner of characters in this bunch. The theme is that they all wear a mask or two and in this their final hour all is revealed. They then need to make a decision to repent and turn to God or not. As they are about to make this decision something unexpected happens...


Main Characters: Co-pilot, air stewardess, preacher, preachers wife, a baby and a spoilt rich guy

From L to R: Yemi Omonijo (stewardess), Ben Banda (spoilt rich guy), Luc Clerveaux (co-pilot), Ene Etteh (preacher) and Joan Agwuna (preachers wife holding the baby)

Image gallery:

My take on it:
I really enjoyed watching this play particularly because it was both really funny whilst incredibly revealing of the human condition. You could not helped being drawn in by the characters and whist you may not have committed their particular offences you could see the character traits they portrayed in your own life which was convicting. The hypocrisy that is often  found in organised religion was brought out to perfection and levelled the playing field, showing that no matter how religious you are, it says nothing of your heart condition. The scriptures put it best when they say that 'man looks on the outward part and God looks at the heart'...this play gives us a glimpse of the heart and we are able to make a comparison with the outward part. 

Poetess Yemi Omonijo

The highlight of this play for me was the poetess Yemi Omonijo who took to the stage as the closing act of this play with a recital of her about wearing masks. She has a melodious voice and has a way of drawing in the audience that is simply captivating. He words are clear and descriptive and you can imagine in your minds eye all that she describes and you can even place yourself in her poetry which is a powerful skill that one does not often come across particularly as a Christian poetess. I have heard her a few time before and simply love her art. All in all it was a really good theatrical display and evangelistic event.


Next play being hosted by the Potter's House Church Reading: 
Angry Young Minds -  25th September 
See the website for details here
Also coming up:

What is fashion?

I must admit that I am only posting on this topic because I saw my mate wearing the T-shirt and I had to take a picture of it! So there is no agenda and possibly little depth to what I have to say on the subject of fashion, not. Now this is not because I don't have impeccable taste and style (big grin here!) but because I don't like what the fashion industry stands for to be perfectly honest. The stick thin models, the super expensive designer lines made for pennies in poor third world countries, possibly by children and so on...So no, I am not championing a debate on the subject... I do however want to hear what you think fashion is????

This is me loving my style...yes its starts with passion and a sense of fun!

I'll go first! I say fashion is a personal self-expression of one's character, where you are in your life at that time and your sense of creativity, passion and sense of fun! All words that don't describe clothes at all really but then does fashion start on the rack or in the heart????

The best definition of fashion I have ever come across is; Fashion is a state of mind...a spirit, an extension of one's self. Fashion talks, it can be an understated whisper, a high-energy scream or an all knowing wink and a smile. Most of all fashion is about being comfortable with yourself, translating self-esteem into a personal style' Cynthia Durcanin( Editor of Elle Magazine.) I completely agree with Cynthia and am genuinely surprised that she is of this opinion yet works in the world of fashion. In light of this fact, my caveat is thus; in addition to the above I believe that fashion has to be self influenced FIRST before the latest 'whatever is going' gets to throw its 'two penny's worth' on what you 'should and shouldn't' when it comes to your personal style and fashion sense . 

Join in the conversation at our Passion in the Moments community page here

The 'Big Brother' Generation Seeking Privacy

This collection of images aptly named 'The Big Brother Generation Seeking Privacy' is the result of a photo shoot that was borne out of the question of privacy in this modern 'global' world. David Aaronovitch told in an article he wrote for the Times Newspaper that we are reported to be captured by Closed-Circuit Television [Security Cameras] (CCTV) on average 300 times a day in the United Kingdom on a network of 4.2 million CCTV cameras dotted across the country. This in addition to the simplicity by which on can gain often detailed knowledge about another person simply by 'googling' them leaves me wondering if there really is any privacy left in our society. The latter is down to one's control of their personal information, however the latter is so far beyond our control that we can go through life without even noticing it is happening to us at such an alarming rate. how often do we go into a public place and interact without noticing the thirty or so cameras that are sharing that experience with us and some even recording it?

We hear of celebrities being hounded by paparazzi photographers and gossip mongers and we look at that and say, well they have put themselves out there on the spot light so what else do they expect. Yet when it is closer to home and by the mere act of stepping outside your home you are photographed up to 300 times without your knowledge, images you will never see yet they may lead to surveillance of your home, internet usage, your family...particularly in the age of intensified terrorism where we live in fear and suspicion. The result is that we involuntarily live in a country sided 'Big Brother' house without applying to join the reality show or any change of winng the prize money at the end, or indeed getting an end.

Some would argue of the security benefits when we consider that such CCTV footage has lead to the detailing of the last movements of a missing or murdered person; the case of the Ipswich murders comes to mind, or the tracing of suspected terrorists. Whilst others would take the position that if you have not committed a crime or behave in appropriately why should you worry? This is when the question of a Right to Privacy is most important. Privacy is the the right to be free from unsanctioned intrusion; the quality or condition of being removed from the constant view and scrutiny of another.

When we correctly deduce the essence of its meaning, privacy goes far beyond being able to live behind closed doors. It is also the ability to be able to live without said doors whilst enjoying an absence of penetration from any source without your express consent, no without your invitation. That is the fundamental human right that is evaded through this excessive monitoring in every public place from the street you live, the bank where you keep your money to your local shopping centre and petrol station.There is a lot to be said for one having the liberty to have privacy; particularly in a democracy that prides itself on the choice of the individual and the protection of said individual's human rights. However thus far, this right to privacy has eluded us and is poised to continue to do so as the global threats of terror turn the free man...the law abiding citizen into a goldfish in a bowl...a suspect...a caged bird whose life is on display for all to see...

Recycle me a planet or two...

Trees... An optical illusion

In the last three or so years I have had various encounters with the 'go green' movement that is aimed at 'saving the planet' from mankind's destructive behaviour! With increasing emphasis and attention on an organisations 'Corporate Social Responsibility', I found myself cast as the 'environmental champion' at work. This role required me to join an environmental sterring group, organise activities and campaigns to highight the issues around how people are damaging the environment and manage our sub contractors in a way that their actions improved our carbon foot print position. I must say however that I do feel somewhat of a fraud because at home I am not so motivated to 'save the planet'. The reason for this is that the systems I have to live within or rely upon for travel and waste disposal all seem to work against the environmentally not so-conscious! 

Travel being the chief culprit in my battle to be green in that public transport is shockingly unreliable and shrouded with inexplicably frequent delays. For one to rely on the bus or train to get to work and around generally, literally means to allow these services to dictate your day. I remember many a Sunday in winter particularly waiting at a train station to get me to church and an hour or hours could go by at times before a train arrived going your way. This coupled with the virtually non existent Sunday bus service was frustrating at the best of times and the lack of buses after 8pm then hindered any socialisation one may want to partake in on an evening. The answer? Buy a car and burn Co2 so you can be on time and have flexibility!

My personal favourite is that of the conundrum that is garbage  / waste disposal! We are encourage to the point of being impressed upon to recycle as much of our waste as possible to the point that our general waste is only collected fortnightly and the bins provided for it are small to limit the amount it will hold whilst we get six different recycling bins of varying sizes. The main deterrent for me when it comes to recycling at home unlike at work is separating everything down to types of plastic, cardboard and glass! I am not really a 'greenie tree huger' type so I only have a measure of motivation which is easily defused when I am expected to separate my household waste into six different bins!!!!! Crazy or what??? In my new neighbourhood the local council expect this to be done or they will punish you by not collecting your trash! The result often is that everything goes into black bags for general waste collection. 

So my petition is thus, many people, (myself included) are not so passionate about saving the plant but are willing to contribute to the effort provided that the process is not time consuming or frustrating... So if the powers that be would make it easier for us to pick 'green' or 'greener' options then we would pick them! That said it is indeed a noble cause to save the plant and where and when we can we should all do more towards preserving our planet for the next generation... 

Say NO!!! to violence against Women and Girls.

Everyday a female is beaten, raped, verbally abused / belittled / intimidated / caused to live in fear of another person or sold into prostitution or some other form of slavery. This may sound like an exaggerated statement to some however it is the reality of countries all over the world including the first world. Offences against women of the violent and/or abusive nature do not only cause damage to the individual woman but it affects her children and family dynamics. I recently met with a woman who has survived domestic violence and she talked of the impact of this on her children. The breakdown of the family unit and had come to her home long before her husband left. He used tactics of manipulation and employed words which his used like fists to break down her resolve, remove all trace of self esteem in her and ensure that she is never strong enough in mind and spirit to make a stand for her rights. 

Womankind reports that least 1 out of every 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime withthe abuser usually someone known to her." 

( Click here for more info)

“A woman is more likely to be sexually assaulted than she is to get breast cancer. But, unlike cancer, sexual violence is rarely discussed. There is a stigma attached to sexual crime, the result of attitudes that lay the blame on the woman for the rape, not the perpetrator.

"Violence against women includes: domestic violence, rape

 and sexual violence,sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, crimes in the name of honour, trafficking and sexual exploitation.These are mostly committed by men that women know or are in close relationship with. 'A woman is more likely to be sexually assaulted than she is to get breast cancer. But, unlike breast cancer, sexual violence is rarely discussed. There is a stigma attached to sexual crime, the result of attitudes that lay the blame on the woman for the rape, not the perpetrator.'

Sexual Violence in the UK is 54% more likely to be committed by a woman

’s current or former partner. Sexual violence of any kind from the 'mild' sexual overtures in the office to the forced sex with a partner  / a known person. Rape is a crime that is not carried out exclusively on women but thousands of girls around the world have become victims also. I had the humbling experience of talking to a young girl who had been raped a few years ago, in her case by a stranger. The blessing in her situation is that she did not get pregnant or get any STI / STD's or HIV from this violation. However the psychological impact was so great and so damaging that this girl has been in and out of the social services system and placed in many different foster care environments due to her fear of men. Her innocence robbed so young that she initially blamed herself, felt dirty at the very thought of any man looking at her and she was ashamed of herself as if she had done something wrong... You may wonder what this girl did to provoke her attacker? Did she flirt, wear her school skirt too short, accept a ride from strange me, lie about her age? The answer is no. she was a 13 and a half year old tomboy who did everything with her parents and only walked to school alone. As she did one day the perpetrator abducted her. Had she fitted the former description of the flirtatious teen, it would still not be acceptable or in any way understandable that this inhumane character sought to violate her in this manner. Furthermore, sexual assault is about control and domination often coupled with anger and and the desire to violate than it is about attraction or lust. \The are no excusable set of circumstance in which a woman or girl should be raped.

Physical Violence against women and girls is a problem of pandemic proportions. The Home Office published statistics on violence against women which showed that; In the majority of incidents of domestic violence in the UK (2007/8), the victims were women 85% of the time. Furthermore, female victims are more likely to be killed by someone they know; 48% were killed by their partner, ex-partner or lover. These statistics highlight the gravity of the issue of violence against women, an inconvenient truth that is often ignored. Women who are murdered as a result of violence and abuse in the home will have engaged the emergency services at least once prior to their death however if a woman does not disclose that she has been abused the authorities are powerless to intervene and assist her. Her friends and family will experience a change in their relationship with her where she is vague, distant and increasingly unavailable, her countenance and character changed. Responding to these subtle changes before they  escalate can be the difference between life and death for many women, please do not ignore the signs.

Human Trafficking has been defined by the United Nations as, “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation". Human trafficking claims an estimated number of persons ranging from 500,000 to two million per year, the majority of victims are female, many of these come from poor families, third world countries. Some are sold into slavery by family members who are poor and have no way of ensuring their basic needs, others are lured in by promised a better life in another country, for example the United Kingdom, yet upon arrival their passports are confiscated and they are forced to work as sex workers to pay for their freedom. This is a reality today all over the western world not just in impoverished developing countries and it is essentially slavery in the 21st Century.

War Crimes against women are some of the most atrocious. According to Amnesty International every conflict zone they investigated in 1999 and 2000, showed that the torture of women was reported, most often in the form of sexual violence. They went on to say that; rape, when used as a weapon of war, is systematically employed for a variety of purposes, including intimidation, humiliation, political terror, extracting information, rewarding soldiers, and "ethnic cleansing".This is the reality of so many women and girls today in every war torn country whether the issue is internal conflict (such as dictatorship and military coups) or external conflict  with other countries. This tragic reality in our world today can not be accepted or ignored, particularly when young girls and women are taken from their homes and placed in 'rape camps' where they are systematically raped and beaten.  The Women's Refugee Commission state that; Gender-based violence (GBV) is any harm enacted against a person's will that is the result of power imbalances that exploit distinctions between males and females. Forms of GBV that occur during conflict and its aftermath include: sexual abuse and exploitation; domestic violence; trafficking; forced impregnation or sterilization; forced marriage; forced prostitution; forced recruitment; and harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation or early marriage. Amnesty International highlight, that these acts are forms of hatred and those that result in prolific offence are tantamount to torture and are used as a rutal precursor to murder.

Where you live today...someone is being abused in one way or another...dont look the other way...be the difference in the fight against brutality and violence against women.

Click here

There are many local, national and international organisations that have been set up specifically to raise awareness and fight against all forms of violence and abuse to women and girls. A notable organisation/movement is that of the White Ribbon Campaign which was started by and is run by men. They say of themselves, 'White Ribbon is a campaign led by men who condemn violence against women and take action to tackle it.  We are part of a global campaign of men and boys committed to ending violence against women'. If you are male and reading this, go to the website for your local white ribbon campaign and submit a pledge, ladies you can make a donation to this organisation as well as your local organisations that deal with helping women who have already been abused. You can be the difference and violence against women can stop...Get involved!        

Violence against women continues to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world.

Ban K-moon, UN Secretary General 

For more information click here