Sweet Freedom

Ahh, freedom! Sweet, sweet freedom! So beautiful, so elusive and also, the world's biggest oxymoron. Freedom governs our every action, so much so that it becomes the very force that constrains us. We want to be free to say what we want. We want to be free to share our thoughts. And we want to ensure that we are free from the implications of our actions. (Listening to Jeremy Vine this morning in light of the Parisian terrorist attack that happened earlier this week, this sequence of thought freedom seems particularly prevalent.) But our obsession with our freedom is around us in all forms. 

Freedom to love who we want, even if they're of the same sex. Freedom to be who we want and get a job that needs us. Freedom from our families. Freedom from the government. Freedom from technology. Freedom from cancer. 

There are constantly petitions for those of us who are deemed to have freedom of speech to save those who aren't. Us, the 'free people', the people who can say what we want ... only we can't. I agree: no one should be granted to make racist comments, to make rude and damaging remarks about other people's faiths or their sexual orientation. That shouldn't happen. But as a nation and even, as a race, we are absolutely and undeniably obsessed with being free. And herein lies our problem. 

We have a massive issue with the word 'free'. People have differing views of what it means to be free in varying contexts. But if we reduce the word to its bare skeleton it means 'to be unconstrained'. So, apply this in a context of 'dignity' - well, then we should all accept that it is perfectly normal for some of us to choose to strut off to Tesco's naked. If you have a problem with it, then you're not liberal enough. Apply this in the context of 'speech' and anyone can say whatever they want. 

Our problem is not with what we want from society. But what we seek to do is lump all our thoughts into one neat word that rolls of the tongue. 

'Free' is not it. 

Perhaps, instead we should call it 'impartiality' -  a word meaning fairness and equal treatment of people, which still upholds the principle of open-mindedness. Rather than 'freedom of speech', 'impartiality of speech'. It sounds better already. 

I wanted to start this year off with a blog post that meant something. I wanted to start with something along the lines my usual kind of list obsession but I felt this way was better. So, for 2015, I invite you all to give up your supposed freedoms. Not to imprison yourself and give up being free, but to be something different. Strive to be impartial.  

NEW CREATION: Christmas clusters (by mistake)

It always so happens that when I plan to how you a recipe, it always goes wrong.

I baked individual pineapple upside down cakes for my parents anniversary meal - I didn't take a picture and actually they went splendidly well. 

Still, I don't think I could have salvaged the look of that Swiss roll! 

* 

It's too early to be thinking about Christmas, by apparently it's only 20 Fridays away. 

And these cakes have nothing to do with Christmas, bar the fact that they give off, what reminds me of, a Christmassy aroma. 

The culprit: mixed spice. It is one of my all time favourite spices and I just had to add them to these rock cakes gone wrong. 

This recipe here is a mixture of some of my favourites in the baking world: the aforementioned mixed spice and rock cakes. 

Rock cakes were one of the first things that I learnt to make at school in year 7 and they've been one of my favourite things to bake. They're so simple, delicious and don't (unlike most cakes) rely on appearance to make them a winner. In fact, the messier the better. 

So what I've conjured up today is a smaller and more spices version of the traditional raisin rock cakes. 

Behold the Christmas Cluster!

Yeah ... the oven makes them look better.

We ate them as they were, but I feel like they should be served warm and with cream! Feels like winter's coming!

Rub butter into flour

Add dried fruit, sugar and spices

Add 1 egg

Add milk and stir

Bake at 200 degrees C for 20-25 mins

And you're done! Tah-dah!

The IKEA Haul

As University draws nearer and nearer, enlarging on the horizon, nerves are a reoccurring sensation.

But as every little thing I do to prepare sets in, nothing has hit me more than packing up my whole room and coordinating colours for my new one in University - a space that's going to be considerably smaller and will house my entire world for the year.  

This afternoon we took to IKEA - of course. (Who doesn't end up in IKEA when furnishing their home?) 

We went at 5:30pm - bad choice. If you're familiar with Dubai you'll know how lively the country becomes at night. It's almost part of the culture. No one really goes out until the sun sets. There's no worse place to be on a late weekend afternoon than IKEA. There are literally hundreds of couples and families browsing every section of the store. Finding what you need with a supermarket trolley is easier said than done. 

Nevertheless, 2 hours after we arrived, we'd bought most of the essentials; knives, scissors, a chopping board, a laundry basket, cutlery. Most things. 

It's amazing how much fun choosing essentials can be. 

I've decided upon a red and white theme for the bathroom - a colour scheme I've always always loved. I feel like a new home owner. I don't feel old enough to get picky over the colours in a bathroom!

While I'm an advocate of cheapness, I really enjoy choosing old fashioned and vintage decorations. 

This clock (though you can't see very well) is an original style clock - with two bells on top and a metal ringer to wake me up in the morning. 

So, it's fair to say that I'm really really happy with the afternoon's work - walking round with my little list whilst piling various items into the trolley, then removing them after having looked at the price! 

It's weird how by putting myself right in the centre of it all, I've taken the edge off my nerves!