Week 26: Can you live without...?

The challenge for this week is to give something up, whether that may be alcohol, fake tan, watching TV or coffee: the vice is yours.

Gem

Week 25: the power of Facebook, I hope

Facebook has the details:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4423483&id=525992469#!/profile.php?id=36814783

Love, ali x

Week 25: The Chester Effect

Last Wednesday morning I was focused on work: I had things to do and stuff on my mind. I saw the weekly charity collectors at my station, bowed my head and scurried on by. Half way down the ramp at Finsbury Park I had a pang of guilt and more importantly a blog challenge to complete so I wandered back to the top to be greeted by a patient and ever-so-cute dog called Chester. He posed for the photo, then I posed with my badge and went on my merry way with a spring in my step (it must be noted that this is possibly to do with the lightening of my purse ).

Challenge fulfilled and it felt good.

Gem xxx

Week 25: give it away, give it away, give it away now

In a nice balance to last week's challenge, this week's task is to give something* away for free.

*must be material object, not abstract self-concept e.g. dignity, pride.



Love, ali xxx

Week 24: Red Eye Of The Jedi

The real scrounge of the week was getting Will into this very swish cocktail party that I went to on Friday night with work. The theme was red and everything served had to have a red element including the cocktails. All the food and drink was free and boy did we indulge. I have no documentary evidence of this so I swiped a pic of the venue: Shanghai Blues off the Internet, it was pretty gorgeous.



The only photographic evidence I do have is blagging a free flower that I stole from Kensington Gardens when Will and I went on our 7 mile walk around London on Saturday, lame but true

Gem xxx

Week 24: a middle-class kind of scrounge

Now, strictly speaking, Australia never went into recession during the "GFC" (as chicken-loving financial analysts like to call it). This is my advance defence for the fact that this week I didn't really blag something in the usual sense of the word (i.e. relying on nowt but my copious natural charms to get something for free). Instead, I took advantage of a leaflet that was posted into our letter box, promising "free coffee"* at a new cafe opening nearby...



*smallprint, for the less eagle-eyed readers - "...with any purchase from the cafe".

All of which means, I didn't get that warm buzz that comes with a bona fide scrounge. Did you?

Love, ali x

PS the coffee tasted alright.

Week 24: A job fit for a scrounger

This week's challenge is to blag or scrounge something for free, it is still a recession after all.

Gem xx

Week 23: Parliament has been dissolved therefore a Councillor will have to do

FOR THE ATTENTION OF:

• Cllr Richard Watts
• Cllr Daniel Hulls
• Cllr Catherine West

Tollington

Sunday 11 April 2010

Dear Richard Watts, Daniel Hulls and Catherine West,

This is the first time that I have contacted my local Councillor even though I am 27 years of age and have lived in the area for four years.

This is my attempt to understand fully the role that politics and my local representatives play in the development and infrastructure of my area

As a young female professional who works late in Central London I often arrive home in the dark weaving my way through the back streets behind Finsbury Park. At present there is low lighting on the streets and many dark alleyways which creates a tense walk home. Further lighting developments around this area would be very beneficial.

In addition, I have enjoyed playing netball since moving here from Scotland but my last two venues have closed down due to redevelopments which has caused me to move further away from my home in order to keep playing. Will there be any new investment into sports facilities, particularly netball courts/clubs, in the near future?

Thank you for taking the time to read my email.

Yours sincerely,

Gemma Parkinson

Week 23: strong words, from one ineligible to vote

Here it is, in all its mundane glory:

Transport in Sydney‏
From: Alison Gowland (ali_172000@hotmail.com)
Sent: 12 April 2010 07:09:34
To: heffron@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Dear Ms Keneally,

This is the first time I have contacted you as my MP, and I would like to first of all thank you for the hard work that you do in representing this area.

I'm writing to you about the transport infrastructure in Sydney. I feel that there are some very basic improvements that could be made that would make a real difference to the ease of travel around the city, such as posting a route map at every bus stop so that passengers can see where each bus will go. Currently, there is no such information at any bus stop I've seen, and only very limited information displayed on the front of the bus.

Secondly, I'd like to add my voice to the body of support for better cycling infrastructure. Proper cycle lanes, separated from the main body of traffic, would help people to feel safer on the roads and encourage greater cycle use, with all the secondary health and environmental benefits that would bring.

Thank you for taking my views into consideration.

Yours sincerely,





Ali Gowland
12 Young Street, Redfern 2016

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Love from, a poorly-off-work-lying-on-the-sofa-feeling-sorry-for-herself ali x

Week 23: in which we change the world

This week, you must write to your MP. Words of praise, or pleas for change, it's up to you. Exercise your democratic right!

Love, ali x

Week 22: Does this wig make me look fat?

In all its splendour, this bronze statue would not have comedy wigs on and fluffy arm bands but I quite enjoyed the evolution of a seemingly completed piece of art.

Last Monday, my team had an 'away day' for my channel Yesterday at the Imperial War Museum. From there we walked through Lambeth north towards the Thames and then right along the south bank to an old pub called The George where Dickens used to write in London Bridge (I feel this is a claim invoked my numerous pubs along this stretch of London to play on the tourists hunger for the authentic and romantic, suffice to say we too succumbed to it's old English allure).

This statue crossed my path outside the BFI and although I am not sure of its meaning, its awkward and exaggerated features grabbed my attention.

Gx

Week 22: Sydney snaps

I rocked up to the Australian Photography Centre (http://tmp.acp.org.au/current/) on a rainy Sunday morning to find myself the first patron of the day (it took me 12 more hours to realise that this was because I'd forgotten to turn the clocks back the night before....).

There are three (free!) exhibitions there at the moment; Zed Nelson's "Love me", a series themed around our relentless pursuit of beauty at any cost (leg-lengthening operations in China; 9-year-old girls wearing lipstick in pageants); Olivia Martin-McGuire's "Sleeping", created by fixing a camera to bedroom ceilings and taking shots of people at slumber; and "Domesticated" by Amy Stein, which won the Saatchi Gallery/Guardian prize recently.

The Amy Stein stuff was my favourite. What I especially liked about "Domesticated" was the kind of surreal aspect of every photo, even despite the necessary realism of photography as a medium. Here's a taste of her work....



Until next time, art fans,

Ali x