the wedding

I haven't had a thing to do with this blog since before I graduated. Since then I have obtained a degree (how I did this I still don't understand), volunteered in Mexico, celebrated my eldest cousin's wedding and settled into a job. As I thought, work sucks. But I've forced myself to sit and go through my photos tonight.

The wedding shots. Originally I was going to make them black in white, as weddings seem to be black and white in my head. But the light in the Church was so lovely I didn't want to lose that honey glow the stained glass windows were giving. These are mainly from the rehearsal but it was half the fun.

These two are tying the knot next summer. My cousin on the left and my soon-to-be cousin and one of my best friends on the left. Isn't she lovely.

my year

I shared this a couple weeks ago on facebook and I wasn't expecting the huge reaction I got from friends&fam. It's a bit strange not catching a second of footage each day but also glad of the break, and might do another one for 2014-15 (also shaping up to be a big year).

megan mclaren 1 second everyday 
23-1-13 to 22-1-14 

2013-14 was one of the biggest years of my life, and i didn't want a single day to be forgotten. for the whole year i recorded a second of footage from every day to make a 6-minute video of my year. rather than purposely manufacturing exciting 'seconds' to film, i wanted the video to be a true representation of the year (however dull/exciting each day was). it was hard work and sometimes i forgot (hence the little messages here & there), but in a short video i've managed to capture: 

scotland > barcelona > nyc > vegas > california > massachusetts > rome > trinidad > tobago > dubai 

starting my dissertation > college ents > life in cambridge > beyond profit > theatre > finishing my dissertation > funerals > sitting my finals > cambridge may balls > bed club > getting a 2.1 > manchester > cups of tea > finishing the whole of gilmore girls > moving mairi to uni > starting 4th year > engless trips to london > working at sc > christmas in trinidad 

way too many cats 

and most importantly, some of the best people i've ever met (those of you not featured were most likely right by my side at the time) 

song choices are excruciatingly cringey and i'm proud of it. 

i recorded my year using the 1se app (1secondeveryday.com) on my iphone. the app made enormous improvements during the course of the year and so the video is a bit jumpy between formats, but is now running smoothly and available on ios and android. i highly recommend doing a 1se video yourself. i am an extraordinarily lucky girl. 

2013 never forgotten.

how to make pastelles (benjamin-cozier styley)

Definitely listen to this song whilst reading.

1. Get your machete out and attack a banana tree

2. Pass banana leaves to your fire guy

3. Make fire. Put a chimney on it and smoke the leaves on each side. Generously oil the leaves

4. Take your shirt off to sharpen yo knives. Cut the leaves into squares

5. Make corn dough stuff (really yellow)

6. Make corn dough stuff into balls

7. Flatten balls into pancakes using Trini-pastelle press, or invent another pressing device using oven dishes / rolling pins / hands / elbows

8. Put mince meat (mixed with raisins) on the pancake, and fold the dough round it

This all done best in a Fordist assembly line

9. Wrap the banana leaf round the parcel and tie it with string to make it look like a christmas present

10. Make s*** loads

11. Steam them and play sleeping lions while you wait (it helps keep you quiet if you've got a bit too excited by all the fun)

12. Unwrap and take yo shirt off to eat it

We tried to make a 'how to' video but didn't do very well:

How to make pastelles from Megan McLaren on Vimeo.

Here's a really how to make Caribbean pastelles.

dabudabi

,

Haven't posted in a WHILE. Mainly because the last 3 weeks have been spent all over the world - in a literal sense: I am an extremely lucky kid. I've been messing around a bit with this tumblr instead as I got a bit tired of ole blog and thought I might change it more into a space for comment on all things changemaking/social enterprise, but I've missed it and it lets me upload REALLY large photos so alas I'm breathing life into it again. Also - name change. After a while I started to turn my nose up at 'Shut up, Meg' so for now I'm adopting as the title a nickname I shared with my Grandma Helen. NB I won't actually be posting anything to do with space travel. (Famous last words, bet I get a job at NASA after this).

These snaps were from a quiet explore of Barsha South during call-to-prayer. With Dad living in the Middle East I’m lucky enough to visit a couple of times a year. This visit was probably my favourite: a week’s worth of sleeping off Trini-adventure (still to be documented online) ending in a big family party, and a night out with friends of mine from primary school. (I was schooled in the UAE until 11). Dubai has changed a lot since I lived there and I’ve been steadily building up a nasty impression of the place it is today, casting judgement on the haphazard and sprawling hyper-development and drawing a line through the possibility of ever coming back to live there. However, my Dad's moved house out of a commercial compound (where every house looks the same) to a stand-alone in Al Barsha. Spending a week drifting in between my bed, the supermarket and the living room, I grew to love Barsha, and a night out at a sports bar with childhood friends changed my view of Dubai. They’re the same old people, incredibly grounded and immune to the greed and attraction to a lavish lifestyle that newbies to Dubai seem to succumb to. My friend Ruaridh pointed out, “if you’re from Dubai, you’re always from Dubai” and I can indeed see myself fitting back into that scene I left over ten years ago. People definitely make a place, and I think the Dubai the rest of the world knows is certainly different to the one I grew up in and (maybe) want to go back to.

old stuff

So I've been so busy jetsetting I haven't sorted out any Americuh photos yet. I managed to get away on a college travel grant to ROMA with Hazza T last last weekend. Now I'm back on the couch watching endless episodes of full house (television royalty) and lamenting the departure of my younger sister to university. You really get a sense of how little you do on summer holidays when you've no longer got someone to do nothing with. Anyway here's a few from day one of the Rome excursion. Despite having shy of three days to explore Rome we really did experience the city - sightseeing everyday, eating ALL THE PIZZA AND THE GELATI and hanging out with Russians with matching names / Americans gatecrashing their friend's honeymoon / Italian hotel owners at night. I think it's safe to say we'd both return to the city in a heartbeat. B&w photos for b&w times:

Colosseum kitty.

This happened a plenty.

Back to Cambridge next weekend to move into DREAM HOUSE. We can't believe how much of a good deal we've got for a student house this year.

my blood and sweat

America 2013 Highlights from Megan McLaren on Vimeo.

This video has been my blood and sweat for the past few weeks - the reason none of my America photos are getting any attention!! Just a small glimpse into the trip from the girls' point of view. Enjoy!

Azkaban

Wasn't going to do an update so soon but there were quite a few photos from Azkaban today. Azkaban is great, if thoroughly recommend it. Although I did feel slightly on edge the whole time I was on the island and felt relieved when we touched down on the mainland..the place has strange vibes. There were only 14 escape attempts made in the 30 years it operated as a prison which I was surprised about, but some of the escape stories the park rangers told us were CRAYZEE. They involved creative use of spoons, rubber gloves and laundry items.  Each of us definitely stared out over the shark-infested waters wondering how we'd do it..

The watch tower.

The wall of the library.

Marks left from grenades thrown in by US Marines to stop a guards-taken-hostage situation. 

The visitation centre.

The kitchen, with outlines of the knives in the cupboard so guards could quickly tell if one was missing...AGGGGGHHHHHH

Lots of these dudes.

The water tower, now a fossil of the Indian occupation after the prison was closed.

A San Fran tram! They do exist!

And we camped out in Dad and Ali's room with a room service delivery for dinner because Ali's back ain't great at the moment. LOOK HOW MANY COLOUR JUICES. OMNOMNOM. 

Napa Valley vineyard tours tomorrow..#unaylad #drinking 

I know it's Alcatraz. Shhhh.