MadeleinePatston: General

Monday, 08 November 2010

Thank you

Ahhh, have slept on a mattress and have had a hot shower - heavenly!

A massive thank you to all of my friends and family who have voiced their support:

Mum, Dad, Alex, Alistair, Alix, Amanda, Amber, Andy, Charlotte, Clare, Elaine, Emma, Frannie, Gabriel, Hannah F, Hannah J, Honza, Jess, Jo, Laura, Ollie, Robyn and Stella.

Thank you also to Oxfam for organising this experience and to anyone else who has read my blog.

I have found this challenge incredibly tough. It lasted just a week, I gave up just two aspects of my privileged lifestyle, and at no point did I compromise my health or security. I have come to understand poverty as a tangible, painful lack of comfort but there is so much more to it that I still cannot comprehend. I cannot comprehend its magnitude, the desperation and fear it must cause, or the remarkable resilience of people affected by it.

The light at the end of my tunnel last week was always very near and the tunnel itself was safe and full of friendly voices. I hope that people who are in much longer, colder and lonelier tunnels can still see the light. EVERYONE can help to shorten tunnels and brighten lights. I hope this blog will have inspired you to get involved.

One last comic picture, post cold shower...

Friday, 05 November 2010

Struggling

My fellow bloggers are setting off fireworks all over the North with radio interviews, newspaper articles, MP responses and more...

So why I am feeling so down? This Challenge is cold, tiring and - despite the messages of support I have received - very lonely.

There is food in my fridge but I lack the energy to cook it. There is soap in my bathroom but I can't face using it. It's not the cold that's the problem but the fact that it's not getting warmer anytime soon.

Well, that's quite dramatic of me; I have a lot to be positive about. I'm off on holiday tomorrow, only a few days until I take a hot shower, and the Oxfam Poverty Challenge is becoming a great success. If reading this has inspired you, then take a look at some of the quick and simple actions you can make to tackle poverty.

But there's no avoiding the fact that this is really, really difficult. I am slowly beginning to see the true face of poverty and it's not pretty.

Update: A few hours on and I am ashamed of wallowing in self-pity. Have just been reading about the upcoming Burmese election. I quote Jack Davies in the Guardian:

U Thein Htun is sitting in the teashop's back room [in Moulmein, Burma]. The election will change nothing for the people, he says. "They don't like the government, but they are too worried about having enough food to eat, enough money for their family. The election means nothing. We already know who will win."

This is the real struggle.

Thursday, 04 November 2010

I've Got the Power

Woke up this morning feeing down. (Not everything in this blog entry is a song lyric by the way, please keep reading…). I was feeling tired, grubby, and very far away from the end of the week.

Over breakfast I listened to one of my favourite podcasts, the Documentaries series from BBC World Service. This particular episode was about the impact of the recession in Ireland. One of the interviewees was Seamus Sherlock, who protested against the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) after they unfairly threatened to disconnect his supply. He took a stand and others followed, please listen to his story, he had me sobbing into my porridge. (I know, bran flakes, porridge… whatever next? Probably bran flakes.)

So Seamus inspired me and I got on with my day. After work I spent 2 hours at the gym to keep me warm. I forgot my camera so have staged some photos to recreate the scene. They’re pretty accurate expect in the gym my cheeks were redder, my skin more sparkly, and my gurn singularly unfathomable. Really sorry you missed it.

I have received a lot of support today from people I haven’t spoken to in ages, thank you so much! Still haven’t heard from my MP Martin Vickers though. His website states he is currently taking action to stop child poverty – sounds like he has a lot of interesting things to talk about, hope to hear from him soon…

Wednesday, 03 November 2010

Acknowledgements (Kate Winslet, eat your heart out)

On this frosty Wednesday (well frosty in my flat anyway) I would like to express my deepest thanks to:

Father Christmas, for creating a lasting fashion for the warm and cheery hat that I am currently wearing. (Don't worry all you environmentalists, I only switched the flashing stars on for the photograph).
Vango, the manufacturers of my highly efficient yet comfortable sleeping bag.
Warwick University Triathlon Club, for providing me with a hoodie 2 years ago that I am now *finally* feeling the true benefit of!
Herodotus, the Ancient Greek historian, for giving me something to read during this dark evening.
Last year's snow, for meaning that I had to go out and clear snow off the airfield (I work at an airport). In the process I acquired some long, thick socks from the fire department, mmmm cosy! (I couldn't get my feet in the picture, so put a sock on my head for you to admire).
The BT Engineer who came and fixed the Internet at my house today despite the lack of heating. He was also subject to a lecture about the Oxfam Poverty Challenge. Lucky guy.
My mum, who distracted me from the cold for 40 minutes this evening with her very lovely phone call.
Robyn, my friend from Manchester, who has kindly shared my blog with all her Facebook friends!
Tea. I <3 you.
Oxfam North, for creating this fantastic and inspirational opportunity that has really got me thinking about poverty.

The support I am getting for this challenge from all over the place is enormous, but it is not me who needs the real support. There are people who face real cold (literal and metaphorical) every day. They do so without the help of socks and tea, but with bravery, dignity and hope for improvement. I share that hope (although photographic evidence indicates I perhaps lack some of the dignity), let's do something to help realise it.

Tuesday, 02 November 2010

Shower dancing

Halloween may have come and gone but I certainly got goosebumps in the shower last night. I felt the brain freeze sensation you get when eating icecream, except this time it was all over the back of my head.

Nevertheless I put in what I felt was a pretty good effort, dancing bravely in and out of the flow of water as much as one can in a small cubicle. After about 5 minutes (or maybe it was 20 seconds), I triumphantly switched off the shower only to discover that I was still covered in shampoo. When I turned the shower back on, it was only the thought of the millions across the world who would love some access to clean water, however cold, that stopped me from turning the pressure dial from “cold” to “medium”.

Just in case the image of me doing some sort of belly-dancing routine to avoid getting covered in cold water wasn’t amusing enough for you, I’ve included a picture of me eating my bran flakes this morning. Maybe I should dig out my fingerless gloves to complete the look!

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