What song do you think everyone should listen to once in their life ?
Sail On, Sailor - The Beach Boys
What film is a must see ?
Hotfuzz
The best film of the Cornetto trilogy, perhaps one of the best comedy films ever made? ‘Nuff said.
Lion (2016)
I’m not a crier, like at all, and it made me cry when I saw it in the cinema. It’s kind of about the strength of human love I suppose, it did restore my hope for humanity (at least before I got home and watched the news).
Blinded by the Light
This is a really enjoyable film just for general audiences, but if you’re a second/third generation immigrant like myself, it becomes REALLY relatable.
What book is a must read ?
Non-Fiction: The Secret Barrister; Stories of the Law and how it’s broken
I’m a little biased considering I want to pursue a career as a barrister, but this is a really accessible, revealing (and troubling) book that puts into perspective how the UK justice system is struggling, well worth the read as it concerns us all. Would also recommend the follow up: Fake Law
Fiction: Neil Gaiman; American Gods
This book understands the complexities of gods from various different cultures, and utilises that as a way of exploring the idea of America. It’s over 400 pages of antics based on that premise and it’s so good as a result. Way better than the tv show which is hot garbage.
Graphic novel: Bryan Lee O’Malley; Seconds
From the guy who wrote the Scott Pilgrim books, and honestly, as much as I love Scott Pilgrim, I think this is a better story, and it’s just a stand-alone book. Without spoiling, it asks; “What if you could change your past choices, and what would be the consequences?”. That, alongside a gorgeous art style makes it a must-read.
What are you most grateful for ?
My maternal grandfather’s diaries. In my family, I think they might be perhaps the most precious heirlooms we have because it details the story of my mother’s side of the family. They also inspired my own diaries, so I hope to go on recording the history of my family, friends and just general current affairs. My diaries wouldn't exist however without my Grandad picking up a pen in 1949 and deciding to record everyday, and 70+ years on, he’s still going. It is a legacy I intend to honour.
When we initially entered into lockdown last year, I was presented with a unique situation that affected me most poignantly in two ways.
Firstly, the sudden halting of my normal activities froze what had been up until that point, several continuous years of progression. I have always been someone who is looking forward, thinking about what is to come next, clearly greatly influenced by my father who lives by the philosophy “Failing to plan, is planning to fail”. However, lockdown washed away all the plans that I had. In that moment, I came to realise that sometimes allowing oneself to appreciate the present is just as important as looking towards the future. Especially being faced with the daily news of lives being taken before their time from the pandemic, for the first time, I properly considered my own mortality, what I wanted in life, and who was really important to me. I’ll carry those thoughts with me for the rest of my life.
The other was the prospect of facing my own mental health. For a number of years now, I’ve struggled with a kind of agoraphobia, specifically the kind that triggers a panic attack in wide open spaces, like beaches or fields. Lockdown presented on the surface, a convenient means by which I could avoid confronting my phobia, by staying indoors. However in doing so it fed the phobia, making it worse because it’s allowed to grow without challenge. Throughout the past year I’ve tried to balance the necessity to stay in, with my need to go outside, to prevent the phobia from worsening. A year on, and this is still a balance I’ve not yet fully figured out. My hope is that one day I will be able to climb Arthur’s Seat or go for a walk in the Pentlands or somewhere similar without having a panic attack, but until then, every little step, is a step in the direction of recovery.
