Table of contents for February - April 2016 in Womankind

The sorrowful-sounding word ‘ennui’ refers to the feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction that arises from a lack of excitement in life. Ennui can set in when the wheels of your life are turning, but you’re no longer in the driver’s cabin. Instead, you’re operating on autopilot or “going through the motions”, as it’s referred to at times, simply moving from one routine to the next. Sometimes ennui is so overwhelming that you crave a fresh start. You toss up the idea of taking up residence somewhere exotic. Why not the Bahamas? Ruminating on ‘fresh starts’ compels you to think about what your life would be like in another place - you think about your daily rituals, what you’d eat, wear, and how you’d spend your time. You begin to see…

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• Sea turtles are some of the oldest creatures on Earth, dating back over 150 million years. • The largest turtle, the leatherback sea turtle, weighs some 700 kg, just under the weight of a small hatchback car. • Male turtles never leave the sea. • Female turtles return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs, sometimes as long as 30 years later. • Typically, only one hatchling in a thousand will make it to adulthood. • The lifespan of a sea turtle is 70 to 80 years.…

Pre-social media, I took a film camera on a trip overseas. I looked patiently for moments or scenes to capture, not knowing how they’d turn out. No one knew what I was doing, or where I was. I sat alone watching the sunset over Tel Aviv’s Gordon Beach. I wasn’t trying to capture its most spectacular moment; I appreciated how the light changed and was reminded of the beauty behind the cliché. The moment was mine to keep. My next trip was New York. It was my first visit and I gathered tips like a child chasing Easter eggs. I did my own research, trawling through people I admired on social media to see where they’d been. To fit everything in, each day was heavily planned. I only had two…

“I just can’t work under a female boss.” It’s a concern when we hear this expression bandied about, but what’s most concerning is when it’s a statement made by a woman. The “glass ceiling” represents the invisible barrier that prevents women from advancing to senior positions in large companies and organisations. Senior ranking positions are typically the most sought after: they’re higher paid and hold greater personal responsibility and autonomy - attributes that make work, and life generally, more enjoyable. The World Economic Forum’s latest report on gender parity found that for every $1 earned by a man, a woman on average receives little more than 60 cents for the same work. The report concludes that it will take over 100 years before women can expect equal pay with men.…

I’m sitting watching an episode of the British children’s animation series Rastamouse, which follows three undeniably cute Rasta mice who split their time between crime-busting and their reggae band, wondering how worship of the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie came to this. It’s a long story. For most people, dancing to the intoxicating rhythms of reggae, or having a Peter Tosh song playing a fixed loop in their head, is their only window to an unfamiliar world. The music conjures images of dreadlocked musicians, vibrant colours, and an enviably laid-back lifestyle focusing on peace, harmony, and a relaxed work ethic, but people seldom draw closer to look beyond and to wonder at its source and motivations. It’s from a philosophical standpoint that Rastafari differs so radically from Western understandings of the…

THAT HIS COMPASSES WERE “ERRATIC”, SUGGEST THEY WERE NOT JUST OFF DIRECTION, BUT RAPIDLY CHANGING. Over the years, an area in the Atlantic Ocean has witnessed a high incidence of unexplained disasters; ships, boats and aircraft that appear to vanish, often leaving no wreckage or evidence. This sea, located between Bermuda, Miami, and Puerto Rico, has long inspired mariner’s tales and superstitions. In 1492, Columbus sailed into waters strewn with seaweed; his entry in the captain’s log assumed land was near - it assumed wrong. Seaweed usually does signal coastline but not in the lethal calm of the Sargasso Sea. Medieval Spanish galleons often became stranded there, with no choice but to wait until a wind or current came to their rescue. The “Horse Latitudes” were named after floating dead…

Lia Weston Along with mastering a croquembouche and watching Citizen Kane, establishing a meditation practice has been on my to-do list for some time. Womankind’s challenge, therefore, was perfect. Day one: I plan to meditate before work, and, of course, completely forget. I then decide to meditate at lunch, but, again, forget as I’m too busy shoving salad into my face while standing over a sink. No other opportunities present themselves until bedtime. I settle myself, inhale through my nostrils, and experience a glorious twenty seconds of peace before my husband says, thoughtfully, “How does a bullfrog manage to eat a snake head-first without the snake biting it?” And that’s my evening Zen gone. Day two: The small gap of time between my morning kickboxing class and my pre-work shower…

Hyde, an American, first came to Jamaica on a Fulbright fellowship in 2010, and returned in 2012 after dropping out of graduate school, motivated by the people and places she experienced when first living on the island. What do you think of when you think of reggae? For many of us outside of Jamaica, the sounds of roots reggae conjure up a hazy image of the past, of Bob Marley and Burning Spear and that span of time in the 1970s when all eyes were on the island and all ears were fixated on its sounds. In the thirty years since Marley’s death, both Jamaican and international tastes have shifted and changed, and new genres have ballooned and deflated across the charts. For the last twenty years, the electric rhythms…

ROYALS HANKERED AFTER IT. ELIZABETH I SUFFERED BLACK TEETH BECAUSE OF HER SUGAR HABIT (THE QUANTITIES SHE ATE WERE A SIGN OF HER POWER) AND WHEN QUEEN ISABELLA OF CASTILE GAVE A CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO HER DAUGHTERS, SHE PRESENTED A TINY EXQUISITE BOX OF SUGAR. Sugar may taste sweet, but for some it holds bitter memories. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries abolitionists produced pamphlets painting sugar - the engine that fuelled the slave trade - as imbued with sweat and tears. “No - I abhor thee tempting food / Purchased by many a Brother’s blood,” read one poem. Rather than white and pure, sugar was dirty and polluted. Today sugar is ubiquitous, the hidden ingredient in most processed foods: in America the average person consumes more than…

We are pleased to present the winning photographer and the finalists in the Womankind Photographers’ Award V: Family. The winner of Award V is photographer Maria Stone, for her adorable portrayal of family life entitled Special Bond Between Generations. Maria says, “This is my special son with his devoted grandfather (my Dad) sharing a morning cuppa in their matching pjs! They share such a special bond. I will always cherish these moments, just as they both do. Family is my everything and I am so blessed to have these two in my life.” In second place is Annette Liu’s engaging depiction of family life. Liu regularly moves countries with her father, a diplomat, and her mother. “The photo is a reenactment of the first few days after our shipping container…

NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA Ottawa, Canada Mirrors with Memory: Daguerreotypes from Library and Archives Canada UNTIL 28 FEB 2016 The invention of the daguerreotype in 1839 was a revelation. These jewel-like, reflective objects were capable of capturing likenesses with incredible clarity, to the delight and astonishment of their viewers. This exhibition, drawn from the collection of Library and Archives Canada, offers examples of “Daguerreotypomania”, a worldwide phenomenon that lasted through the 1850s. Intimate, detailed and captivating, these objects provide some of the earliest photographic glimpses of Canada. HAY-ON-WYE Wales, UK Hay Festival 26 MAY - 5 JUNE 2016 For 27 years Hay Festival has brought together writers from around the world to debate and share stories at its festival in the staggering beauty of the Welsh Borders. Hay celebrates great…

“None but ourselves can free our minds”. Bob Marley Akwantu: the Journey Akwantu: the Journey documents the struggle for freedom of the Maroons of Jamaica, who were able to flee the plantations and slave ships to form communities in some of the most inhospitable regions of the island. Queen Nanny, a spiritual leader, kept her people safe by utilising effective ‘guerilla warfare’ tactics to defend against British firepower. Tortoises and Sea Turtles Sea Turtles, often referred to as living fossils, are some of the oldest living creatures on Earth. This simple documentary, designed for children, discusses the history, biology as well as the environmental dangers facing sea turtles today. The Secrets of Sugar Many people identify sugar as an essential component of great tasting foods, and of blissful culinary gratification.…

As you set out for Ithacahope the voyage is a long one,full of adventure, full of discovery.Laistrygonians and Cyclops,angry Poseidon - don’t be afraid of them:you’ll never find things like that on your wayas long as you keep your thoughts raised high,as long as a rare excitementstirs your spirit and your body.Laistrygonians and Cyclops,wild Poseidon - you won’t encounter themunless you bring them along inside your soul,unless your soul sets them up in front of you. Hope the voyage is a long one.May there be many a summer morning when,with what pleasure, what joy,you come into harbours seen for the first time;may you stop at Phoenician trading stationsto buy fine things,mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,sensual perfume of every kind -as many sensual perfumes as you can;and may…

Messy desk? Isn’t that supposed to mean a cluttered mind? In a study published in Psychological Science, Kathleen Vohs positioned two groups of people into two different rooms - half of them were placed in a tidy room, and the others in a room strewn with books and papers. From these very different surroundings, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires, contribute to charity, and choose either a healthy or unhealthy snack. Vohs found that those seated in the neat room were more likely to eat healthily as well as give to charity, but when it came to creativity - coming up with unique and varied ideas - the participants in the messy room were significantly more creative. This may partly explain why artists are often truly messy individuals -…

The International Reggae Poster Contest, founded by Michael Thompson and Maria Papaefstathiou, celebrates international reggae culture, encompassing all popular Jamaican musical genres including Ska, Rocksteady, Roots Reggae, Dub, Dancehall and the unique Jamaican Sound System. The theme and mission of the contest is “Toward A Reggae Hall of Fame, Celebrating Great Jamaican Music”. The contest has received some 3,000 poster submissions from over 100 countries, and Womankind is pleased to showcase in this edition a range of winning entries from 2012 to 2014.…

IF YOU’VE EVER SPENT TIME IN A EUROPEAN CITY, WITH DECENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT, CYCLEWAYS AND A MEDIEVAL CENTRE RULED BY PEDESTRIANS, YOU’LL KNOW THE MISERY OF RETURNING TO THE ROARING STUPIDITY OF A CULTURE DEVOTED TO CARS. Have you ever fallen in love with a city? Has your pulse quickened with desire as the kaleidoscope of urban life whooshes past you - the terraces, abandoned factories, flowers bursting from drainpipes, serpentine streets, skyscrapers, and urban blight? Have you delighted in the anonymity of dark, swarming crowds; or fantasised about the liquid red dangers of nightly worlds - bars spooked by criminals and bohemia; or thrilled to the freedom of communities of choice - the city’s gift to its residents of self-invention? As someone who moved from Moon-bi - a sleepy…

one Theories on how to change one’s life rarely touch on the core of the matter - and that’s ‘habit’. Real change isn’t a matter of dyeing your hair, losing weight, or getting a tattoo. Real change happens when you change your habits. Habits determine what sort of food we eat, how we occupy our day, whether we say good morning to strangers, or turn our head askance. Habits dictate our health, our love life, even our finances. Most of the time we’re running on habit, much like a robot, acting out a limited sequence of preprogrammed moves. Knowing the process behind habit formation - how habits both form and stick - is critical in understanding how to change them. Unless you recognise that you have habits in the first…

What inspired you to focus on the Caribbean for your art? In art college I was a figurative artist just venturing into colour with enthusiasm. I remember a couple of instructors suggested I explore a greyer palette. Obviously, that didn’t take. Then in the ‘80s, my artist husband, Douglas Gifford, was painting colonial architecture, which led him to Haiti - and me to a world without greys. The lush landscapes, candy-coloured villages, and generous people were enchanting. We started backpacking throughout the Leewards and Windwards for more subject matter and inspiration. The Virgins, Saba, Bequia, Iles des Saintes, and Tobago were some favourites. Recently, the Out Islands of the Bahamas have revealed their colourful history to us. It’s becoming an annual quest to find the rapidly-disappearing, authentic corners of the…

SHIPWRECKS, FOR THOSE WHO CAN SURVIVE THEM, MEAN EXOTIC EXPERIENCES, AND FABULOUS RICHES. An island is a landmass, formed by built-up layers of volcanic eruption, or the erosion of land linking continent to isle. This is the physical definition. An island is a concept, too - a metaphor for the human condition. “No man is an island,” goes the saying, meaning something about community, and snatched from a John Donne poem. The poem goes on to say, “Every man is a continent, / A part of the main… Any man’s death diminishes me.” An island is only one piece of the puzzle. The other is the castaway. The survivor of a shipwreck, maybe, or a sailor left to die. A castaway is the protagonist, the audience stand-in. A castaway is…

Vocation EXPLORES THE CONCEPT OF VOCATION AWARD VII: We are looking for photographs that depict the concept ‘vocation’. The word ‘vocation’ means a strong desire to spend your life doing a certain kind of work. This may entail a particular occupation, business, profession or calling. Modelling shots are not appropriate. We do not accept violent images, or images depicting nudity or semi-nudity. Open to readers only. DETAILS CLOSING DATE: 31 May 2016 FORMAT: One photograph per entry. Entries must also include a separate photograph of the latest edition of Womankind. APPLICANTS: Open to male and female amateur and professional photographers. FILE SIZE: Please send entries in 300dpi, minimum 2000x2000 pixels. The winning entries must be provided in a size sufficient for publication. For full details visit: womankindmag.com/award Send to: award@womankindmag.com…