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By Lopa Patel, 23 August 2009
Several years after graduating with a joint honours degree in science (yes, it’s hard for me to believe too!), I am ashamed to admit that I am developing something of an “ology” fetish - which is strange given that I am completely rubbish at science. And yet, my curiosity has been peaked. Not so much for biology as ecology and evolution. First, I plan to visit the Eden Project in St Austell (hopefully it won’t be closed this week) on a little sojourn to Cornwall.
Given that we are celebrating 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin (who suggested the natural selection accounted for the evolution of species), I also had the brazenness to sign up for the Natural History Museum’s press preview of their new Darwin Centre – complete with a tour of a cocoon that highlights 20 million plants and insects, from huge tarantulas to metre-high poisonous plants! How could I possibly resist? Their press release even starts with “The “Natural History Museum invites you to ‘The Grand Opening of Your Mind’”!
Never mind that I’ve never been a science writer, or the fact I threw away all my school and uni notes and that the only science book I ever bought was ruined in a flood some years back. Take it from me, I am more likely to be reading Jane Austen under the cover of ‘New Scientist’ than the reverse. I can’t recall many elements of the periodic table, can’t remember anything about cell division or what DNA stands for. What was I thinking? How can I possibly pass muster interviewing eminent scientists on a subject about which I know nothing. Is Darwinology even an acceptable term? If Maureen Lipman’s Beattie TV character had been my grandma, believe me, she’d have told me to take up pottery!
So please, intelligent suggestions about how I can ‘fake it’ as a science journalist would be much appreciated.Visit the Darwin Centre at http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
By Lopa Patel, 23 August 2009
Just downloaded the brochure for the British Science Festival 2009 which runs from 5 10 September 2009 at the University of Surrey in Guildford and was pleasantly surprised how they’ve managed to take the ‘eek’ out of Science ‘week’. With lectures topics like ‘Real Snail Mail’ (about the world’s first webmail service using live snails); ‘Microbes – Invisible, Influential and Inspirational’; ‘Rocks on the Roll’ (plate tectonics), ‘Chemistry with cabbage’, ‘The House that Twitters’, ‘Garden Grabbing costs lives’ (urban green spaces), ‘A Physicists Guide to Dating’ (carbon dating) and ‘Shaken or Stirred: Was James Bond right?’ (about making the perfect vodka martini)…all I can say is that science suddenly got a helluva lot sexier than when I were a lass!You can visit the British Science Festival, click below.http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/BritishScienceFestival/index.htm
By Lopa Patel, 21 August 2009
Having just enjoyed (I use that term loosely) a two week staycation with my 11-year old daughter, I wondered if we - multi-tasking working mothers - are turning our children into over-indulged poodles? By the time I was eleven, I already had a morning paper round and the weekly chore of cleaning the entire house. By contrast, my daughter rarely makes her bed or draws the curtains. Sometimes, in exasperation I’ll leave her bed unmade – she seems to have no difficulty getting into an unmade bed night after night!
By the age of eleven, I would occasionally hoist the weekly laundry down to the launderette (we had no washing machine). By contrast, my daughter puts everything into the laundry basket as it saves her the bother of refolding clothes to put back into her wardrobe. She’s convinced that there lives a laundry fairy in our house – one who whisks her clothes away at night while she sleeps and delivers it freshly washed, ironed and folded in her wardrobe, as if my magic, a few days later.
By eleven, I was walking to school on my own. By contrast, I’d probably be “shopped” to social services for even suggesting such an idea nowadays.
And it’s not only my daughter. All her friends seem to be of the same ilk.
BORED (SIC) GAMES ARE SO BORING!
Board games are too boring – scrabble is too difficult, equate too complex; hangman is for restaurants and cards for picnics. Although I have noticed that most eleven-year olds are genetically programmed to decipher ipods, Nintendo, Wii and all types of parentally-controlled electrical gadgetry with ease!
Educational trips to the museums, zoo or galleries require planning on a militaristic scale followed by an obligatory hour in the souvenir shop to stock up on that jigsaw, board game or knick knack that is destined to collect cobwebs thereafter.
But can we lay the blame entirely at their door?
As I glance at the myriad of certificates and trophies my daughter has accumulated for everything from ballet, chess, music and art to swimming and science, it is clear that our ‘little darlings’ are as competitive as we were. But are they competitive for themselves or because we make them so?
It seems to me that everything these days comes with its own set of badges, awards and rewards. TV ‘Supernanny’, Jo Frost, recommends a praise and gold star system for encouraging good behaviour. My young nephews even get a gold star for poo in the loo (as opposed to everywhere else I presume!).
It’s just that we just seem to have taken the encouragement method one step too far.
I recently spent £130 in ‘Hobbycraft’ buying a card-making kit and tapestry set. Needless to say that the tapestry remains unstitched and the card-making kit has yielded one measly card after much nagging. From her school though - which embraces gold star encouragement treatment - I am regularly bombarded with cards and recently a full-blown tapestry for my birthday stitched by my daughter! The system obviously works, but only when there are gold stars at stake – is this competitive self-entertainment? Can children only be bothered to make something in exchange for a reward?
ACTIVE PARENTING v PARTICIPATORY PARENTING
The piano we bought remains unplayed (she has no new pieces to learn) and the guitar unstrummed (she’s waiting for her tutor to teach her some different styles). Is this a backlash to the active parenting of term time where a regimen of school and after-school classes seem to spark inspiration rather then zap it? Left to her own devices during the holidays, my 11-year old is happy to do absolutely nothing and then complain she’s bored.
Personally, I blame the competitive active-parenting trap we - multi-tasking working mothers - seem to have fallen into. I seem to have morphed from being a mother to being part-time care-giver, cleaner, taxi driver and entertainments officer. Active parenting meets participatory parenting. Tennis requires me to play or be a line-judge-cum-ball-girl; swimming needs me to don a costume; card-playing requires me to be the dealer and any ball game, a referee. Even a trip to the local park necessitates me to be a cash machine as an ice-cream or frothy hot-chocolate are obligatory. And when I am doing all of the above, I am cooking breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea time snacks and dinner whilst busy juggling a social calendar to rival Paris Hilton’s - arranging sleepovers with one or other school mate.
Not that having school friends over helps much.
Apart from hours of secretive whispering, two or more eleven-year olds are incapable of devising games to amuse themselves. Even as I write this – sitting on a park bench, a discrete-but-close-enough distance away from ‘my girls’ – I notice two other tweenagers happily engaged in taking photos of each other on an iPhone. They’ve spent an hour doing this, giggling senselessly – well, at least it’s a game of some sort!
BOREDOM IS NO BAD THING
I hate to resort to “when I were a lass” type of tale, but I am beginning to wonder if perhaps ‘boredom’ is no bad thing. I don’t recall my mother ever having time to play – she worked full time. But I didn’t seem to be bored – there were walks in the park, hopscotch, making daisy chains, skipping, swimming, kite flying, marbles, gossiping, magazines and gob-stoppers to keep me occupied. I’d play dress-up, practice my skills on ‘Operation’ (the board game) borrow a camera and take pictures, write silly poems, draw flowers and make rubbings of coins and such other such nonsense. Perhaps if we left our children to get bored, they might eventually devise new games or activities for themselves? As pots of paint sit gathering dust, books unread on the shelf and games unloved in the games cupboard …it is sad that our children seem to have lost the art to amuse themselves.
Someone please tell me it gets better by the time they’re twelve?
PS. If you’re left wondering about the reference to poodles, well this comes from my daughter’s favourite pastime which is to curl and pin her hair with clips and ribbons everyday and then dance to MTV music tracks looking like, well a poodle!
I felt compelled to share this piece of important information with you.
IMPORTANT HEALTH ADVICE FOR WOMEN.
Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor orpharmacist about Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. It can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.
You will notice the benefits of Sauvignon almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had.
Stop hiding and start living.
Sauvignon may not be right for everyone.
Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use it.
However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.
Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister.
WARNINGS: -
* The consumption of Sauvignon may make you think you are whispering when you are not.
* The consumption of Sauvignon may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
* The consumption of Sauvignon may cause you to think you can sing.
* The consumption of Sauvignon may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
* The consumption of Sauvignon may create the illusion that you are tougher,smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
Please feel free to share this important information with as many women asyou feel may benefit.
By Lopa Patel, 6 August 2009
Well the news is out now and it seems I have been elected to the first RSA Fellowship Council for the London Region. Part of me is delighted – “social change” is my goal over the next few years and given that this has been the RSA’s mantra for over 250 years, it seems like a good place to start.
But part of me is daunted by the prospect – it’s akin to having to climb Mount Everest to just get started.
The announcement of the RSA Fellowship Council opened a Pandora’s box of issues, some of which were debated by the London City Network and on RSA CEO Matthew Taylor’s blog, but most of which are destined to remain unanswered for a while, including the fact that:
1. Many fellows are confused about what the RSA is all about.
2. Many fellows are not clear about what they get from the RSA (apart from the warm, fuzzy feeling of being an FRSA).
3. Many fellows want to collaborate with other fellows but don’t know how.
4. Many see the RSA as a talking shop about societal progress, others see it as an engineer of change
5. Many confuse the commercial arm of the RSA (John Adam Street House) with the non-for-profit aim of the organisation (its activities).
Well I must admit to being in the same boat as you, if any of you count yourselves among the groups listed above. [If on the other hand, you are one of the clued-up, plugged-in, hands-on RSA Fellows….when can we meet??]
A member for a few years, I hadn’t really done anything with my membership until late last year, when I started visiting the site and reading a little bit more. So here are my top tips for getting the most from your RSA Fellowship
Getting the most from your RSA Fellowship
1. Visit the RSA website: create a login, update your profile and sign up to receive information via email. Make sure your email address is correct.
2. Visit the RSA Blogs – choose one, choose them all. Sign up to have updates delivered to your current email address. Follow the RSA and Mathew Taylor on Twitter; join the RSA Facebook group, join the RSA Linkedin group. Do everything!
3. Check out the RSA City Networks – sign up to your local one. My local is London and I am pleased that work of so many others has made it a really vibrant one.
4. Attend an event – either locally or at RSA John Adam Street. You’ll get more than a warm reception. After the last one I attended, my brain was pinging with ideas, books I wanted to read and searches I wanted to do on Google. It’s like the caffeine-high of a Starbucks macchiato.
5. Listen to and watch past events– the RSA Streaming service is exemplary.
6. Read the RSA Journal – put it in your briefcase, satchel or handbag. You’ll be amazed how fascinating it is, esp. when you’re stuck in the underground with nothing to read.
7. Recommend the RSA to a friend or colleague. Sounds crazy especially if you don’t know what it’s all about. But, it will make you prepare a short elevator pitch in your head before you email or phone a friend.
So do any of the above answer the question about the RSA Fellowship Council and what it’s all about? Well, no!
But it brings to mind Kennedy’s quote “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” overlaid with the visual imagery of Lord Kitchener’s wartime poster ‘Your Country Needs You’ – somehow the two always go together in my brain.
Replace “your country” with the RSA and things start becoming clearer – the RSA is a little bit like a school mums picnic, everyone brings a dish, we all share and everyone has a good time! In formal terms, it means Fellows have to engage with the RSA in order to be rewarded.
So, I hope you’ll join me on the journey to discover what RSA Fellowship and the new Council is all about over the coming months!
By Lopa Patel, 6 August 2009.
This is my list of '10 things I wish I'd known' before I started my career.
1. Give something for nothing.
The word ‘free’ may be the most over-used word in marketing, but people will often weigh up the return before agreeing to give up their time, money or energy for a worthwhile activity. My motto is always “give something for nothing”.
2. Speak up
When you are starting out, you are too scared to speak your mind. Just remember, by speaking up you might just make a difference.
3. Own up to your mistakes.
Sorry does seem to be the hardest word, but if you have made a mistake, own up to it.
4. Planning is the answer to everything.
Although I have longed to accept that the answer to everything is ‘42’, the reality is that good planning is the answer to everything.
5. Do the same thing for long enough.
You need to do the same thing for long enough to learn from your mistakes. “10,000 hours of practice is the magic number to greatness” (Malcolm Gladwell, ‘Outliers – The Story of Success’).
6. Research, research, research.
Don’t jump in too quickly. ‘Research, research, research’ should be the mantra for any would-be entrepreneur.
7. Be knowledgeable
Embrace the concept of life-long learning. Being knowledgeable about your market, your industry or your interests will help open up opportunities.
8. You are in charge of your career
Realise that you are in charge of your career. Be ready for your “lucky break”!
9. Invest in yourself
You need to invest in yourself: your skills set, your qualifications, your interests, your knowledge, your presentation and your own personal brand.
10. Killer heels are murder on your feet
I never seem to learn that kitten heels are far better than killer heels. Even as I totter off into the sunset, I’ll be regretting that I didn’t put a spare pair of pumps in my bag!
Several years after graduating with a joint honours degree in science (yes, it’s hard for me to believe too!), I am ashamed to admit that I am developing something of an “ology” fetish - which is strange given that I am completely rubbish at science. And yet, my curiosity has been peaked. Not so much for biology as ecology and evolution. First, I plan to visit the Eden Project in St Austell (hopefully it won’t be closed this week) on a little sojourn to Cornwall.
