Ground breaking science!

30- take part in a science experiment/survey- achieved?

I’ve been involved with practical conservation work, species surveys and basic level studies for quite a while on an ad hoc, voluntary basis. For this challenge I’m going to define science as ‘any type of study or experiment conducted with the aid of a clipboard, with the option of some special tools and text books, which takes place in the company of someone with a phd in being clever’.

   I wasn’t really sure what I envisaged when I added this to the list. Having studied the arts but with a father who was a science teacher, I’d like to think I have a broad range of interests. I love science. I like celebrity scientists like the wonderful Brian Cox and the equally splendid Chris Packham. I enjoy things that make my brain hurt a bit when I think about them. So it made sense, amongst the learning, writing, travelling and other challenges to include something a bit ‘sciency’. Perhaps I had in mind something more of a full-time project, or long-term commitment than I had been involved with before. Maybe something a bit more, significant? Ground-breaking even?

   I didn’t imagine that it would involve cheese puffs.

   Still, we did have a clipboard and there was an actual scientist present. Ok, she is a meteorologist and geologist, but I imagine all the world’s most eminent cheese puff scientists were otherwise engaged.

   The hypothesis, like most good hypotheses, was thought up down the pub. It goes something like this: ‘Waitrose branded cheese puffs are the best.’ There was some discussion. Some of the party thought that cheaper brands would have added salt and therefore be more tasty. The shape of the puff was also considered. Which is more satisfying, a wotsit shaped long puff, or cheese ball? What about texture?

   The date was set to coincide with a small house-warming party I’d planned (and the availability of our friendly scientist). Before you judge this as an odd party activity, bear in mind I’ve been to two dogs’ birthday parties this year, so the bar is set quite high. Five of us were involved in the experiment. One friend was handily allergic to yeast, so was able to record the results and ensure the tasting was indeed ‘blind’. We also did a yeast free corn chip experiment afterwards, just to be fair.

   The equipment: six identically sized, different coloured plastic cups. I knew they’d come in handy. (I actually thought, for a barbecue, but science experiment will do.) Also a pad and pen and a nice tray. Six bags of different brand puffs were emptied into the cups by our yeast free test scientist, who noted which was which.

   The methodology: each scientist would take a puff, examine it for texture and taste and give it a mark out of ten. We also guessed, after tasting, which brand it was. It was all terribly tense. Video and photo evidence supplemented the paper results. I’m pretty sure we could also rustle up a pie chart (puff chart?) or bar graph if you’re interested.

   The results? My hypothesis was proved! Waitrose do indeed produce the best puffs in terms of texture, flavour and generally puffiness. I’m hoping by recording these results they might send me a year’s supply in gratitude.

   I was left with the inevitable post experiment damage, namely seven bags of puffs to eat my way through, but we can all be proud of a job well done and there's always a price to pay for genuine scientific progress.

   I await my nobel prize and the inevitable congratulatory message from Professor Brian Cox.  

Seagulls and sandy toes

3- buy a home by the sea- achieved!

The first thing to write is that no. 26 ‘see Orang-utans in Borneo’ has been put on hold. Sad though this is, it’s not forever and I’m not as unhappy I would normally be when a much look forward to adventure is postponed. The reason for that is because (and I can’t quite believe this myself) I’ve actually achieved no.3 ‘buy a home by the sea’.

Having grown up in the South West of England, I have many happy memories of time spent with sand between my toes and salt water breeze in my face. Even in the worst weather, there is something about the timeless, constantly shifting waves, the somehow unchangeable mass of the ocean that I find reassuring. Its emotions and moods an so often link to my own. However unhappy, cheerful or worried I am it reassures me.

These days as an adult (in theory I am such a thing) the sea adds an extra layer of reassurance. Many of my friends and family are scattered throughout the UK and all over the world. That great expanse of water can often be the thing that makes me feel close to them. The sea, whether it be in Australia, Singapore, Devon or Cape Town, unites us all.

My own ‘home’ isn’t in any of those exotic places. But it is two minutes walk from the beach and has a sea view (if you stand on one leg and lean out of the window a bit). Sharing that first night on Porty beach paddling with friends beneath a cloud studied tangerine – gold – grey sky, it felt exotic enough.

Exotic, and yet homely. Everyone told me it would feel different owning my own home. Like so many of my supposed ‘achievements’, I’d never have got here without the considerable support of others. So it isn’t the feeling of independence. It’s security. I can hang pictures up without worrying. There’s a sudden ‘nesting’ urge to potter about making things cosy. Lining up my books in alphabetical order. Shifting the plant to that corner, no maybe that one... For someone who spends so much time in cafes and transitional spaces, there is a sudden desire to spend time in my own quiet space. Terrifyingly new as that can be. (What was that noise? Zombies? No I’m on the third floor. There are drips on the floor. The roof’s leaking! No wait, I spilt my tea.)

Even if those same seagulls whose cries I find so evocative at the moment start kicking tiles off the roof, they’re my roof tiles. And sadly my roof bill.

Overwhelmingly, there’s a sense of ‘homey-ness’ about it. Sitting with a mug of tea watching Arthur’s Seat disappear and reappear through rain, sun and cloud.

And of course a house is only a really home when it is shared with friends. The door is always open. Except at night-time when it’s barricaded against zombies and axe-murderers.

Come and share a cuppa or glass of wine. Just try not to spill it please.

Blog chain or why (on earth) do I write?

06/04/2014

I should start this post by saying a huge thank you to Vikki Gemmell for recommending me for the blog tour. I first met Vikki at the Scottish Association of Writers’ Conference. We both have a shared passion for writing but both struggle to find time to pursue it whilst working and juggling busy life-styles. Vikki’s writing is excellent and I really admire her enthusiasm and persistence.  She is also the reason I started a blog at all and is great at motivating me to write.

Check out Vikki’s blog here:

http://throughthelookingglass-vikki.blogspot.com/

As part of the blog chain I was asked to answer four questions.

1) What am I working on?

There are three areas of writing I’m currently working on. These are my thriller novels, my charity column and this blog.

When I wrote my first full-length novel aged 16, I leant instinctively towards crime, as detective stories and science-fiction form the bulk of my reading. I quickly realised (well, after three novels,) that the methodical, police enquiry treatment of mysteries didn’t suit my writing style. Instead my later works (I’ve now completed seven full-length novels) have been more fluid. They always explore psychology and relationships, often pushing characters to the very edges of their capability and sanity. The novel I return to most often is called Liminal. It’s set in South Africa and I’m really quite fond of it. However much I put it in a drawer, it keeps re-emerging. It won an award at the SAW conference and has always received good feedback. I’ve spent some time on it in recent years and it’s now in a state I am happy with. So, my aim this year is to get it recognised and published in some form.

I loved the characters in Liminal a lot, especially the central figure called Tom who is a policeman struggling to recover from a traumatic experience. His mental battle is the main feature of the book, coupled with exploration of the landscape of South Africa. I’ve taken some of the characters, including Tom, into a different area and I am writing the sequel, working title: the Leaves of Memory.

In addition to my novel writing, I draft a regular column for a third sector magazine, called ‘Tea and Cake’. In it I describe the highs and lows of volunteering and working for charity.

I also have this blog, which describes my efforts (not always successful) to get around to doing all those things I should have done ages ago.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Liminal is always quite difficult to place as it isn’t strictly a crime novel. However there is a crime at its centre, one which links together several characters and spans the miles between England and South Africa.

Stylistically, I originally made it different by including passages of journal to expand on Tom’s mental trauma. I later discarded these as they created a separation for the reader.

When I met Karen Maitland, who gave it an award at SAW, she was surprised the work was written by a woman. I started thinking about how many adventure stories there were for adults that weren’t murder mysteries, especially ones that both men and women could enjoy. I think Liminal fits a real gap in the market- perhaps for anyone who really misses being able to curl up with a Famous Five or a Hardy Boys adventure!

I’d love to take the central characters to a few different countries throughout the series. Liminal made use of my own experiences travelling through Africa and I’ve been to lots of places since that could be the basis for future works. Who knows, if it’s a success, I might get the excuse to travel even more.

3.) Why do I write what I do?

The simple reason is, that I write because I can’t not write. My full-time job is as a grant writer and fundraiser for charity, so I’m used to telling stories that inspire people. Given five minutes of quiet, I find the characters often fill my head and I’m transported into another world that I would love to share with others.

Looking through all my work there are definitely themes. Liminal I suppose reveals my love of people and psychology, what makes us tick and how we cope when we’re pushed to the edge. I have a strong love of wildlife and landscapes and enjoy a good puzzle. A lot of my work features difficult decisions and situations.

There’s also quite a lot of humour alongside the darkness. So at the root I hope that everything that I write, whether it’s one of my novels, a short story, my column or a blog entry, inspires people that however dark times can get (and they can get pretty dark as we all know,) there has to be hope, humour and friendship. We can surprise ourselves with how strong we are, especially when we have good friends and family beside us. My endings aren’t always happy, but there’s always some sort of light I hope. 

4.) How does my writing process work?

Very sporadically! If it’s a column entry, I often start with a theme, recent event or even a title, then draft as many points about that as I can think of. Later it gets honed down to 500-700 words. I’ll often start thinking about it a few days before the deadline and start noting points in a pad or on my phone. Then of course I end up submitting it at the very last minute.

My novel writing process is similar but less regular. Trains are great places to work. I often write in coffee shops or even sitting up in bed. Basically I work around whenever there is time and inspiration. But as with the columns, I frequently find myself typing down notes of phrases, pictures or situations that will be included.

The first draft is normally very messy. Liminal started as just inter-weaving my journal entries with a fictional mystery. I’ve now integrated the diaries into the main novel and broken it up into handy chapters, also adding some action where needed and taking out a lot of the unnecessary description- I love to wax lyrical.

The Leaves of Memory is actually being written very much how the title suggests, like lots of leaves being turned over. The characters have periods of nostalgia or remembered sequences. I’ve written a lot of the sections separately and am now stitching them all together. It’s not an easy way to write, but as I said, I enjoy a good puzzle.

My blog is very sporadic as it relies on me actually doing one of the activities on the list of forty things. So, there can be quite a gap between entries. That said, there is another one due very soon so watch this space...

The blog I’ve chosen to follow mine in this chain is called Earth Be Glad and it’s run by a group of very enthusiastic volunteers at St. John’s, the church I currently work for as a fundraiser. They all have love of the environment and wildlife at the heart of everything they do, which is why ‘Earth be Glad’ appeals to me as a secret hippy.

There’s currently a programme of events looking at how we can respond to Climate change, pulling together scientists and all of us enthusiastic amateurs to produce events that inspire and appeal to both faith and non-faith based audiences. The most recent one involves creating a wildlife garden.

Even if church isn’t your usual ‘bag’, I’d encourage you to take a read of this blog. It’s really thought-provoking and hopefully fun and enjoyable too.

Here’s their official biog:

"Earth be Glad is a project of St John's Edinburgh to use Christian wisdom as the basis of radical thought and effective action in the face of environmental crisis. It takes its name from Psalm 96, an ancient Hebrew poem which depicts all of nature flourishes in a world in which true justice has been established."

http://eleanormharris.blogspot.co.uk/

Tropical rainforests and fluffy snow

The continuing adventures of a girl trying to achieve forty things before she hits the grand old age of forty, although not necessarily in the right order...

26- See orang-utans in Borneo- booked!

It was the end of an especially dark, miserable winter week. Seeing my friend Tracey’s photos of her expedition last year served as the remaining impetus I needed to push the button on my planned Borneo trek.

After having had such an incredible time with Discover Adventure a couple of years ago, including a tornado, volcano and wild animals, I decided to use them again for my Borneo trek. Visions of tramping, Indiana Jones style, through the muddy rainforest, sleeping in home stays and wading through waterfalls should help to keep me going throughout the next few months.

Very excited now! Ok, it’s still a way away (November) but it’s definitely something to look forward to. Plus there’s plenty of time for the all important packing list...

27- Ski in at least three new countries/regions- two down!

It’s very much a holiday themed blog entry this time. St. Anton in Austria is the second new ski area I’ve visited since I started this blog. Both areas definitely had something great to offer. St. Anton was, granted, much easier to get to than the Pyrenees, with the added bonus of no lost luggage or bomb scare to cope with.

Austria is one of my favourite countries for skiing. They seem to be so proud of their Tyrolean villages and always keep them in wonderfully picturesque condition. I just love the pretty lights and the way the outside walls of the hotels and restaurants are painted in the same decorative style. The après ski too is always fun, with potential for brass bands, yodelling, fireworks and bob sleds. Actually there wasn’t much yodelling done this time, except for during our sound of music karaoke, but it was still great fun. There is something a bit surreal about starting a dance floor, with a drink in your hand, then looking at your watch to discover it’s actually only just past 6pm. Rock and indeed roll.

The weather certainly helped. There were a couple of glorious days when I couldn’t stop staring at the vivid blue sky, thrown into relief by the stark white mountains. It seems an age since I last saw such blue skies. When we first arrived it was almost like late season it was so hot. A couple of days of snowfall helped smooth over some of the ice and bumps, depositing lots of fluffy snow to play in at the edges of the piste. And yes, a lot of opportunity for jumping and falling over in too. I did more than a couple of face plants to amuse the crowds.

St. Anton is really well placed for ski areas. We had plenty of opportunity to explore nearby Lech and other areas of the valley. The range of pistes also meant very few queues and plenty of room for everyone on the slopes. I realise this is sounding like an advert from the St. Anton tourist board. That said, if anyone from the SATB is reading this, a free holiday would be pretty darn well appreciated. Danke schoen.

I did have some challenges finding vegetarian chow.I carefully practiced the German for: ‘have you anything to eat without meat or fish in it?’ Followed, frequently, by the response: ‘nein’. The first lunch I had was a pretzel. Still our chalet was so well catered that there was no danger of me fading away. There was slightly more danger of me not fitting my salopettes by the end of the week. We even had canapés. La-di-da.

The only slight down side was that, whilst I returned from the mountains, my iphone didn’t. Following a minor incident with a T-bar lift and some choppy snow (really they should make those things a lot more stable) Mr iPhone and I parted company. The handy waterproof jacket I’d provided him with ensured he picked up more speed down the red run than I achieved all week.

I did attempt sliding after the phone on my bum, but as I also starting picking up some speed I made the decision between losing my phone and breaking an arm. I like to think, come the thaw, the phone will be discovered under a rock somewhere by a goatherd (presumably lonely) who can amuse himself tweeting photos of his flock to the rest of the goatherding community.

My final note is to say thanks to the group of friends I went with for making the trip such fun. It wouldn’t have been as good on my own. Having good natured, friendly folk to share it with made it extra special. And of course some fellow yodellers to enjoy the spontaneous karaoke with.

All together now: ‘the hills are alive...’