Just Another Rant Of Mine

The worlds population as it stands is 7.023 billion: this includes a population consisting of all different kinds of people; different races, different religions, different physicalities, different abilities, different views, different personality traits, different wants, different likes and dislikes and all in all a different way of conducting their lives. 

For years, societies have been created and with those societies have come "norms" and morals- And these, irritate me more than you can imagine... not the little ones like eating breakfast in the morning rather than evening but rather personal ones such as having a baby AFTER you're married rather than before, moving out only when you turn a certain age, going to academic school rather than any other institution aimed at a specific subject etc etc. 

Things where the other option isn't even considered by individuals because either they don't want to stray from the crowd and be judged or possibly they do actually believe it's right- BUT have they even considered the other options? No. Hardly ever and this is why I get irritated. There are so many people... DIFFERENT people who are all on a different path and therefore all require different things and ways of living their lives. 

Some people aren't meant to go to academic school as they would thrive when placed in a school specifically aimed at cultivating their unique talent. 

Some people want to have a baby and then get married because that choice suits their lives better and will end up making them happier and more stable.

Some couples are right for one another from the start and should in fact live with each other as soon as possible as they influence each other in a positive way- in fact better than when alone. 

When done, these actions and life choices are all looked down upon and most of the time forbidden solely because they are strays from normality that are PERCEIVED to be of negative effect. 

It confuses me, it really does. The individual himself/herself needs to be considered with far more importance and thereafter a choice for a life path can be made- one that benefits the person themselves rather than the societies conscience of what is "right". 

X Zo

Rocking the Daisies!

So round about this time last
year, I was waiting in anticipation as to what Rocking the Daisies 2012 would hold for me...
and if I told you they didn't disappoint- that would be the understatement of the century! Being with your friends drinking and listening to the most INCREDIBLE music at all times of the day (I mean, have you seen this years line-up?!). It was a three days to remember and I've been waiting for it ever since. 

SO: 5 DAYS TILL DAISIES!

For all you virgin-Daisiers I'm going to write a top 10 list of things to bring/know to/about RTD as well as show you what clothing items are on the top of my packing list for this Thursday! 

My Top 10 List of Things to Bring/Know to/about RTD:

• 1. An extremely comfortable sleeping set (Don't let the summer weather fool you-it gets absolutely FREEZING at night!)including: a blow-up mattress, (I know its a bit of a mission to bring it up but last year I took the lazy route and just brought a sleeping bag and it just wasn't comfortable! trust me, when you're dying for sleep at 4 in the morning the last thing you want to do is hit the ground)a comfortable pillow (or maybe two!) and lastly a WARM blanket (and sleeping bag if you have the space and want the extra heat). 
• 2. A nice and sustainable water bottle- because if you're planning on drinking all throughout the afternoon, evening and night its a great way to be able to fill yourself up and be on the run to go and dance and what not!
• 3. For all girls that don't know: theres something there called the 'Daisy Den' designed especially for women (who aren't trying to rough it out for the weekend!)- the lines are always horribly long but if you get there early enough in the morning or not at a peak time during the afternoon you'll be able to use the facilities... which include: nice showers and sinks and a full room filled with tables with mirrors and even some hair appliances like straighteners etc AS WELL AS plugs so bring your phone chargers if you're planning on using your phone.
• 4. I didn't use one last year and nothing went missing but I do recommend that you bring a lock for your tent if you plan  on keeping important belongings inside of it! 
• 5. Bring some $$$ because if you didn't know already there are some delicious food stalls like Hudsons, Debonairs, Kneed  etc and although its nice to cook your own food etc- trust me  on the second last or last night you'll be tired and in the need for some good food not to mention how much better an egg-roll can make a hangover feel! not to mention the trader market stalls that have some really cool stuff to look at if not buy.
• 6. Bring a swimming costume and sunglasses to hang out at the Beach Bar during the hot days! I didn't swim last year but many people did am I'm definitely takin' a dip this year! PLUS- its very nice to wear under clothing when its boiling hot.
• 7. Earplugs! (obviously depending on whether or not you're a deep sleeper or don't mind the noise) BUT, if you do let me tell you the party at Daisies never stops and definitely not for the good of your sleep so it may come in handy that you bring a pair of earplugs for when taking a power-nap! 
• 8. A cooler-box! for all the food and drinks you bring- its handy to keep outside your tent and of course to keep things cool and fresh! 
• 9. You or someone in your group of friends, if you are camping with people should bring (a very important one) a table and chair set! you underestimate how useful and great this is to bring but last year, its where my friends and I spent our entire afternoon during the day and we were constantly in need of more chairs! 
• 10. Lastly... this isn't really a thing to bring but it is something very necessary: if you have an I-Phone etc you should download the 'RTD App'- I downloaded it yesterday and its very useful including things such as the map, the lineup, a schedule you can make and plan for yourself and all other news regarding the festival. 

So now that you've got my ten tips heres a look into whats definitely going into my bag! 

During the day, its very hot at RTD so I'm going to take: a pair or two of shorts, some short-sleeved tops, a summer dress/boho dress, a summer cardigan and some sandals.

Then for the complete opposite- unfortunately Daisies by night is freezing and because you'll be on the go all the time you should make sure you're warm! so I'm going to take: one or two pairs of jeans, a snood, a warm jacket and a denim jacket (to put over all my outfits during the evening), a pair of boots or wellingtons and one or two warm jerseys. 

One of my favourite festival looks
by Kate Bosworth- its chilled and
laid-back yet still so stylish
and well put-together. This is the
type of look I'm aiming for this year!

I'm counting down the hours to escape reality and of course- see Alt-J (and all the other incredible artists) live! 

To everyone that goes: have the most WONDERFUL time! 

X Zo

A Not So Perfect Role-Model

I can still remember seeing her for the first time in her plastic box; she looked so perfect, I remember hoping to my 6 year old, oblivious self that throughout my future years I would transform from my chubby-stomached, short, brown-haired self into a tall, skinny pretty blonde lady and the more and more I played with Barbie, the more and more I idealized my future life: I would have a husband just like Ken and we would live in a Dream House just like Barbie's and we would both drive around in our equally dreamy cars and there would never be any mishaps because of course, we would never stop smiling and everything would come easy to us- I think that’s where I started. That’s the period in which I started feeling inferior to societies view of what a perfect girl/woman should look like and what her life should comprise. 

Barbie has been a childhood success with annual sales of 1.5 billion dollars for more than forty years... but what lessonshas she taught society? There are various controversies around the doll. Some of which include major consumerism and materialism but the issue I will be discussing today as its the one I feel most strongly connected to is her unattainable body image- that has legitimately been proven to be inhumanely impossible.

Comparison of Barbie and the average sized woman of the same age

You must be wondering why on earth this random topic popped into my mind- its because I suddenly became curious as to what has impacted my (and millions of other women's-never the less men's) image of what the perfect woman SHOULD look like. Think about it for a second: this image we have that has been plastered securely in our brains impacts everything- in my life for instance it impacts the weight I believe I should be to be 'perfect' as well as the various other characteristics I need to acquire or better in order to complete this perfection... and after the research and reminiscing I've done, I've come to the conclusion that maybe the researchers are right: maybe we were all affected by this doll a lot more than we think.

Various studies have been conducted comparing the effect Barbie dolls have on young girls- one in particular compared perceived body image when young girls (age 5-8) were exposed to images or the actual barbie dolls or when they were exposed to Emme dolls (a doll that was created to create a healthier body image for children-U.S size 16) or no dolls at all-the baseline. The discoveries showed that the children exposed to the actual barbie dolls produced lower self-esteem and a greater desire for a thinner body shape than the other conditions. The study concluded “These findings imply that, even if dolls cease to function as aspirational role models for older girls, early exposure to dolls epitomizing an unrealistically thin body ideal may damage girls’ body image, which would contribute to an increased risk of disordered eating and weight cycling." 

But is it fair to declare all dolls bad and damaging on young girls?  

... Well, seeing as Mattel have been marketing the extremely thin doll for years and years and doesn't plan on changing her build anytime soon, I believe mothers should turn to a new doll for their children to give them a much better chance at having a healthy body image and more self-esteem: the Emme doll (mentioned above)- she is a plus-sized doll that at her weight- (just like Barbie) she has many careers and accessories.  

To conclude, I'd just like to say that I LOVED Barbie as a child; playing with her made me very happy and I guarded my collection with my young life 

'The Hill's socialite star Heidi Montag
has undergone countless Barbie-creatingsurgeries
for which she admitted were as a result
of her constant desire to be 'perfect'. - A perfect example of how far some people
will actually go to become their idealistic image of 'perfect'

BUT 

I do now think that she could very easily have contributed to the very low self-esteem and inferiority myself and many other girls/women feel about their bodies, looks and lives in general; Barbie with her perfect self, life, husband, car, house, family and job creates an unlikely and naïve belief that this is all attainable WHEREAS if you present me with someone (from this planet) who has nothing not working out for them from bills and loans to marks to relationship issues to family problems to your phone battery dying to your hair not looking nice one day to your socks not matching to you wanting more, to you wanting less to you not getting what you want for gods sakes!- you'll be sure to see my jaw drop! 

X Zo