Hello sunny Septemberites,
Let the tears stop rolling, the grief fade and the long faces crack into smiles: 5 Bullet Friday is back! 🔥 It’s been a delightful August crossing many parts of Europe, seeing old friends, and spending quality time with family. And 5 Bullet Friday didn’t quite manage to figure. But, here we are. There is so much I want to share from the past months, so whilst my holiday-brain still processes, here is a wild assortment of 5 summery trivia, tips, treats and talking points that I’ve come across or re-discovered over the past… 2 months! Please enjoy!
1. What I’m practising: Free-diving – One of the delights of the past month has been exploring the wonderful world of apnea – or free-diving. Having fallen in love with scuba diving over the past couple of years, free-diving felt like an irresistible next step for submarine exploration. Watching the recent Netflix documentary The Deepest Breath (linked above) also provided aquatic impetus. AIDA Level 1 and a personal breath hold record of 3’42 now obtained, there’s a lot more to explore about the mammalian diving reflex in the months to come!
2. What I’m reading: The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony – No book has taken me back to my university days studying Classics & English more rapidly than this elegy to the classical world and stories that underpin much of western consciousness. This gorgeous book may not be your classic retelling of myth, nor a page-turner in the traditional sense, but it is a true tour de force of fresh and composite thinking rendered in blissful prose over 300+ pages. The perfect companion to travels around Italy and Greece.
3. What I’m watching: Christpiracy – after Cowspiracy, Seaspiracy, and my own failed attempt at Petspiracy… comes Christspiracy, a daring documentary that exposes the ties between religious institutions and the animal food industry. Taking on Christianity first and foremost, it puts forwards some striking and certainly unorthodox views on Jesus’ dietary preferences. Overwrought and fairly sensational (much as the other two are) is perhaps its most glaring fault, but well worth a (free) watch.
4. What I’m laughing at: ‘Fool Me Once’ – I am incredibly proud of my gorgeous boyfriend for having taking his show this year to the Edinburgh Fringe. One of the delights of having a stand-up (and stand-out!) partner is laughing a good deal. This little sketch from comedian James Donald Forbes McCann is just fantastic and had me in stitches earlier this summer. 2’29 of well-composed comedy!
5. What I’m learning with: Language Transfer – It’s not the first time I’m recommending this free app (pedagogy, rather!) created by Mihalis Eleftheriou. Masterfully teaching Spanish, French, Italian, Turkish, Arabic, Greek, German, Swahili and English via his incredibly effective methodology, I have had real personal success with Greek, Spanish and Italian. I regularly go back to his lessons when I’ve got an upcoming trip to dive back into the language. Dubbed ‘the thinking method’, his style invites the learner to truly understand how the language is working, and to build autonomous practices of ‘finding’ words rather than rote memorisation. I have been his supporter for 5+ years and will be for many more!
📣 Opportunities from me and my network
🎼 Know a school looking for an Indonesian Gamelan? We’re selling one! Email me!
💻 Time for a new website? Visit Circular Design, my non-profit web agency
🔥 Need pro bono legal support for your charity? Try out PILnet and TrustLaw
🥦 Become a Vegan Society Member for free if you’re under 26!
📖 Don’t forget to order your copy of Remnants of War, Migration, Love by Taha Salim.
🎨 Looking for fabulous art to gift? Support my brilliant friend and artist Nadine here.
⭐️ Know someone critically-minded? I’d love to nominate them for Aspen Rising Leaders.
That’s it for this fortnight! As ever, please let me know your thoughts and feedback – and send anything you’d like me to include in upcoming editions this way.
