Nestle, Swimming and Family Trees.

So today union councillors got the chance to sit in on a meeting between our working group who are considering the issue or whether or not we continue with our current union boycott of Nestle products or not, and Nestle represenatives who came to persuade us not too. As students with disabilities councillor I made the decision at the start of the year not to get involved with any groups that didn't directly impact on the disabled students of the union as I know my tendencies to get involved with everything and already had enough on, so was pleasantly surprised to be invited to the meeting. My mum and dad decided we were going to boycott nestle as a family when I was in reception (I remember stropping about no kitkats on the way home from school) and my mum worked as a breastfeeding counsellor and was heavily involved in baby milk action so I have to say I went in there ready for some serious Nestle bashing. However, I was actually surprised, and a little freaked out by my feelings in the meeting. These people (as you would expect) were seriously well prepared. Nestle sent representatives from the developing world, (S. Africa and Sri Lanka) who now work in the UK. They basically said that in the developing world Nestle was a trusted brand and its only in Europe and the US that these problems exist. (Well maybe because we have better access to education and resources?) They bombarded us with articles and facts and figures and said how they were the best industry practice, had been removed from loads of black lists, even the Methodist Church have decided to invest in them. They made the (fair) point that in all the shouting about Nestle, other companies who are breaking the codes to a far worse extent are being ignored (SMA, Cow and Gate) by the general public. They raised a recent guardian article which had Nestle in the title but only talked about other companies as proof of this, they also had a pet midwife who had 'switched camps' from bma to Nestle talk to us.
I really don't know what I think- Baby Milk Action can't be sure they can get to the Union before the working group needs to bring it's recommendations to council, and I'd hate for them to only hear the Nestle perspective. But it makes me wonder if we should be boycotting all the other companies too? But that referendum may well be defeated, therefore undoing even a Nestle boycott. I'm glad glad glad that it's now in the working group's court, and not mine. An interesting afternoon though.

In other news- I haven't been swimming since the summer because it makes my eczema flare really badly, but in the space of a week I have found this pool pratically next to my house, which has lower chlorine than the Uni pool, and have finally found a ethical and organic eczema body wash (I HATE the emollients I get on prescription, they're overly greasy and make me smell like an oil refinery) which is suitable for the shower, as I hate baths. They also make a shampoo and conditioner- a bit on the pricey side but I got the shower wash and the shampoo and my eczema on my head is the best it's been in ages, plus I didn't flare up at all after my swim (25 lengths! go me). Their website is here and their stuff is yummy.

Lastly, I did a google search for the origins of my surname just for my own personal amusement in front of ER this evening, and found out my family motto is esse quam videri which means to be, rather than to seem. I quite like it!

Well, if you made it this far, thanks for reading!
S x x x

Looking towards a busy term...

The exam period is a weird time- I have things I know I need to do but I'm completely free to do them as and when I want. Last semester was my 50 credit semester and I'm now facing a 70 credit semester which is kind of exciting, but also intimidating as I still need to work (paid) and carry on with my union commitments (unpaid) plus I'm trying to get more involved with church, I've been asked to sing in their palm sunday service which is exciting, I really hope I can fit it in because, weirdly, I find choral singing really relaxing, and also a style of music that modern churches maybe don't consider that often.
I was in Somerfields today (buying grapes mozzerella and pop socks if you're really interested) and while my friend paid, was looking at the magazine counter. Now I really don't care which star has lost a whopping 2 stone in 45 seconds, or how Myleene Klass lost 58lbs between popping out her baby and leaving the delivery room, or how YOU TOO CAN LOSE 14 STONE AND YOUR SANITY ON OUR EXCLUSIVE 14 DAY LETTUCE AND PEA-SHOOTS DIET!!!
Obviously this country has a strange relationship with food, that's what happens when you cut the end result of something off from how it was produced until cooking and eating just becomes something involving a freezer, a microwave and a sofa in front of the TV. Magazines fetishizing what is already a problematic relationship really doens't help- and I'm fed up of seeing it to the point when I won't buy magazines with this crap written on the front of them. How about teaching people to live healthy lives, both physically and MENTALLY? Why is it weird if a woman says, I'm a size 14 and have better things to do than stress about shrinking to a 12. People in the world are starving to death!! Yarg.
I will be SO happy when these 2 essays are done, maybe I'll stop ranting.

Sarah x x

RAGE!

So in my successful attempts to avoid writing this essay (which has led to a wasted week) I was wombling around facebook and found a group dedicated to the memory of Heath Ledger. No surprises there- Heath was an amazing actor and people will jump on anything to try and create the next super-group (I may be cynical, maybe they just really liked heath ledger, maybe both?! who knows.) So anyway, I saw that someone had posted that the lovely, Christian people at Westboro Baptist Church, Kansas are going to picket his funeral. Westoboro Baptist Church? I hear you ask, better known as www.godhatesfags.com. These representatives of Christ on earth are going to picket his funeral because: (and I quote) God Hates Fags! & Fag-Enablers! Ergo, God hates the sordid, tacky bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as 'Brokeback Mountain - and He hates all persons having anything whatsoever to do with it. Heath Ledger is now in Hell and has begun serving his eternal sentence there - beside which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential. This and other kind-natured ramblings can be found here (If you want to make yourself sick!)
This has annoyed me for SO many reasons- Firstly, even if you were the kind of Christian that believed that homosexuality is wrong (Which I'm not- I'm a let he who is without sin cast the first stone kind of person) you still have to believe that portraying a homosexual is wrong, which is whole other story, BUT even if you think that acting a homosexual in an oscar-nominated film is wrong, you must still believe in salvation or you're not a christian, so if Heath Ledger had ever prayed for forgiveness he wouldn't be in hell anyway. SO they can't guarantee he's there, even if they believe the biggoted load of nonesense outlined above, as they simply don't know what went on between Heath Ledger and his maker.
Secondly- now we've given these idiots the benefit of 5 minutes of acting as if there was anything salvageable about their point of view on this, can we look at this realistically?! ARGGGGHHHHHHH! These people are the reason that hundreds of thousands of people believe that faith (of any kind) is not for them. They believe that Christians are judgemental and wouldnt accept them, or that they wouldn't fit in. The thing I love about being a Christian is the basic accpetance that I am human and will always f**k up! And so will all my Christian friends. Noone is acceptable because we are all flawed. Noone is perfect. INCLUDING the godhatesfags brigade. They seem intent on turning people away from God in order to preach their intolerant ignorant message.
All I can say is God is love, full stop. Its not for me to analyse or judge on what kind of love that should be, I'll leave it to the big guy and as long as you're not hurting anyone or yourself, I'll leave you to it.
I'm so glad my church is the polar opposite to Westboro Baptist.
Check it out!

Slightly more of a rant than I intended, but hey, not a post about my boring life for once!!

Sarah x x

I am still here... promise!

Sorry for the big gap! I've had an incredibly hectic couple of weeks, plus a really sore jaw! I've been working on an essay on memory- it's been hard work but really really interesting which was nice, at least I didn't have to spend ages working on something that didn't remotely interest me, which is what I'm about to start doing with this horrible multiculturalsim essay- not that multiculturalism isn't interesting, but 1500 words in german about multiculturalism is not what I need at the moment.
I'm currently packing to go to back to Uni, not really sure how I feel about that at the moment, I do love it in Sheffield but everything was so stressy before christmas, and not all of it was resolved so heading back into the middle of it when feeling decidedly below par isn't filling me with joy, plus I'll really miss Andy and his lovely house :(
I have to go back to Uni via Edinburgh which is a pain, I have a huge case which I'm going to fill with my granny's incontinence pads while my mum drives to Sheffield with my stuff to give my aunt a break, ooh the glamorous life of Sarah.
I know this is all a bit stream of conciousness but I don't know how to personalise this blog so if anyone can help me please shout.
Lastly, I can't believe the media are shocked that Gordon Brown called Hain incompetent- finally a politician actually says what everyone is thinking and its still mega news?! What a weird country we live in!
More soon.
Sarah x x

New Year!

Well a very merry christmas and a happy new year to you all, sorry there's been a big break but I've been loving sleeping, hanging out with Andy and my family and generally chilling out. Unforunately I set myself the deadline of the new year to start work again, and essays=facebook=blogging so here I am. Am currently deciding if I want to link to this from my facebook, as there's no point in me blogging to noone!
Bigger blog soon (I promise)
Sarah x

Church

So, after a brief, unsuccessful church hunt last year I found a new church near my house at Uni at the start of this year. To begin with, everything was great- they were all really friendly, I like the style of worship, it's maybe not as modern as I'd like but I really agree with their theological stance and its great to be at a church with such a passion for social justice. The problem is, they have a student night on Wednesdays which I can't make it to because of DDSF. Its beginning to feel like they're never going to see me as 'part' of the students at church, and the rest of the church just seem to presume that the students are keeping an eye 0n me. There's a christmas meal next week which someone semi-invited me to last week but didn't mention where or when, I found out today it's fancy dress as everyone else was discussing their costumes and still noone invited me. They then all went round one guy's house for lunch, and another girl is having a party tonight but... you got it! no invitation. I found out today that there's an email list which you can get on but I guess I had kind of hoped that someone would have told me about it. I've never really had to integrate into a new church before as Dad being a minister means everyone knew who I was so it was never really a problem but this is really starting to get me down. I may be chatty, but I hate asserting myself. I just wish churches realised that the welcome team need to focus on more than you're first sunday- it's really integrating into the church that's hard. (especially if, like me it's a completely new tradition, I'm brought up methodist but now at a high anglican church.)
I don't know if anyone even reads this but if so, any advice would be appreciated. comment away!!

Sarah

Nearly Christmas...

WAHEY the last paid work of term is done (£12. woot.) A nasty trip to nasty meadowhell yesterday has resulted in some very non nasty presents, although now I'm going to be looking decidedly like Santa trying to get all the family's christmas presents, the books for the history, neue deutsche identitaeten and film module essays and enough clothes for a month. I really can't wait now, it's bizarre most of my friends being on holiday and all chilling out and I'm still all guns blazing to get this 201 essay done. That said the NPD is a really interesting topic so at least I'm not bored! Getting stressed about my lack of grammer, will have to hit that over Christmas with some Hammer Grammer fun... another book for Santa's sack!!