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.

november

These kids.

cambridge today

papa

Today would have been my Papa's birthday. Every year I try and have a wee dram of whiskey around this time - this year whiskey-purists would have hated me, on Thursday I had a Tennessee Honey Jack Daniels with a couple of girlfriends and it was OH SO good.

Papa (Ingram Taylor McLaren - what a name) was a fantastic man. I was only young when he died but I remember this. I won't root up all the stories of him here but one in particular is special to me: Papa took the exam (unbeknownst to everyone) and was accepted into MENSA in relatively ripe adulthood. I'm the proud owner of his certificate, which sits on my dresser at home proudly displaying his enormous IQ. I think this story has always been a secret inspiration to me to be smart and have a geekish enthusiasm for studying. I thought of him a lot when I got my acceptance letter into Cambridge, and also on the day I finished my final final last year. No doubt he'll be on my mind when I'm receiving my degree in June next year.

Here's me and the big guy:

Papa was a Burns' fan I believe but I'm more partial to a bit of Robert Service - he was a Scot born in England, spent his youth in Glasgow and went to British Colombia at 21, and so I identify our England-Scotland-Massachusetts family spread with his life. Here's my favourite of his works, My Madonna:

I haled me a woman from the street,

   Shameless, but, oh, so fair!

I bade her sit in the model’s seat

   And I painted her sitting there.

I hid all trace of her heart unclean;

   I painted a babe at her breast;

I painted her as she might have been

   If the Worst had been the Best.

She laughed at my picture and went away.

   Then came, with a knowing nod,

A connoisseur, and I heard him say;

   “’Tis Mary, the Mother of God.”

So I painted a halo round her hair,

   And I sold her and took my fee,

And she hangs in the church of Saint Hillaire,

   Where you and all may see.

TEDing

I haven't posted in a WHILE but fortunately that means I've been far too busy moving back to Cambridge, starting this year and loving life. SO MANY updates to come, including the fact that living with four boys has possibly been the best decision I ever made (you guyz are so sweet), but for the meantime here is a bit of this evening's headspace:

I hate working in silence so whilst doing a bit more maths prep tonight (business maths, as it turns out, is terrifying) I've been playing a few TED talks in the background. First was a Steve Jobs one which was very emotional very inspirational yada yada yada. My favourite this evening however and one which I just felt compared to share was one from Amy Webb on hacking online-dating. For some reason I just love it. It's so great. Watch it!

(From TEDSalon NY2013 see here)

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!