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There is a posture of defense and resistance in me. It had been formed when I was a child and a young person. The purpose of this posture is to keep me safe, to protect me both physically and intellectually from the environment. I have to be protected because the world outside is not benevolent, […]

Lovely seeing Ali’s smiling face and positive message over the weekend, also letters on humanity just days after my Costa Women blog – two qualities sorely lacking in these troubled times (sorry to sound negative). After working as business development manager at Brixton Online, south London, I founded EaRA (Electric Avenue Residents’ Association) and community

Vineyards in Verzenay… Barbara Franken Photography Finally we were driving along the outskirts of Reims towards the village of Verzenay, seeing the horizon filled with vineyards and we knew we were almost there. It had been a long but beautiful day driving, the sun shining strongly, turning the heads of the sunflowers that filled both

  The Caro Hotel, Valencia… Barbara Franken Photography Our summer adventure was upon us, we were off on our first long car journey since the arrival of our new red Range Rover Evoque. We had planned our 3 week driving holiday a year before, booking hotels, boat & tunnel crossings and arranged to meet up with our family and

Happy #OrangeDay! It’s 25 August, a day to wear orange, speak out and take action to end violence against women and girls (http://saynotoviolence.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=3d29e44d120dbaa8d14163032&id=beb9a526a6&e=acdd073afc) The UNiTE Campaign team is getting ready for the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, which runs from 25 November to 10 December, and brings together people from all

As Spain Buddy approaches its third anniversary on September 01 2015, the website at www.spainbuddy.com has been re-launched with a brand new look.   The logo and core branding remains the same, but the website now has more of a magazine layout, drawing it away from the blog format which it had at its inception

Life is happening now. I can dwell on the past and I can plan or fear the future, but the only reality is here in the present. I think that I am living my life, but what if life is living me. Even when I sit motionlessly there is a continuous activity in my body

First broadcast in September 2014 and re-run on 20 August 2015, ‘Agafia’ follows a wise, wizened “Old Believer” Agafia Lykov as she completes her daily chores in a remote forested area of Khakassia, Siberia. Cut off from the modern world – she refuses products labelled with barcodes – this hard-working, humble woman speaks truths about

In my strong, and undying efforts of moving, living and working in Spain, I have registered for a diploma course in copywriting. I am very excited because this is something that I do daily for my blog, and as a self-published author. I’ve worked for myself for almost four years, and though I love the

What positive thinking has to do with negative feelings? Can I change a negative feeling by thinking positively? Well, it is a little like trying to refurbish a room by working on its snapshot on computer. The effect will be great in the virtual world-published on social media, but it will have no effect on