Which weird and wonderful day is up next… ah! Happy Uncle and Aunt Day! (Yes, really)

It’s safe to say that there’s a fair few weird and wonderful holidays that are spread out across the calendar year, and I’m not talking your average Christmas or Easter.

Here at KCL, we like to look at the more unusual ‘unofficial’ holidays that people may not necessarily know about, educating you, if you will, about things you may not know about. 

So, following this fashion, today we wish you a happy uncle and aunt day! 

Perhaps often overlooked, uncles and aunts can take on an important role. From providing support, influence, guidance and fun, they can help shape who we are.

Now, not all of us have uncles or aunts with whom we have contact with, or any in the first place, but for some they play an integral role in our lives.  

Aunts and Uncles are similar to parents, except without most of the rules and regulations. Whether it’s getting spoilt with attention, showered with gifts that your parents refused to get you or providing some much-needed advice that you can’t seem to approach with mum or dad, they can be a huge part of a much-needed support system. 

But it’s not just those with whom you share DNA with that can be regarded as uncles and aunts.

In Western cultures, these terms are typically reserved for the close family members who are related by marriage or genetics, but many other cultures contrast this ‘norm’. Africa, Asia and Middle East cultures especially use the terms to refer to anyone from the generation of one’s parent, and that has followed, in a way, to Western cultures as of late.

For example, close or old friends of parents are often sweetly referred to as ‘aunty’ or ‘uncle’, especially if they are Godparents. Having that support network of people who are close to you but not necessarily related can be invaluable. Speaking personally, I would be a little lost without the support, advice and adventures I’ve been fortunate enough to experience with my Godparents.

My Godmother, who I refer to as an ‘aunty’, is essentially my second mother. Someone I know I can always turn to when it may not feel quite right talking to my mum about or I can go and experience new and exciting things with (including some questionable delicacies on our travels). This isn’t to say I don’t talk to or get on with my own mother at all, it’s simply been incredibly beneficial to me to have someone to go to when I may need advice on delicate topics, or just knowing there’s a place and person I can go to when I need space and support. 

It can be so important to have these people in our lives, and I feel extremely grateful that I have that, as I know not everyone is lucky enough. So, for those who are, try and not take them for granted, and take a minute this uncle and aunt day to let those people know how important they are to you, or simply have a perhaps overdue catch-up.

Family doesn’t always have to be down to genes and DNA. Often those we chose to be part of our families serve the greatest purpose and are the ones you value most. 

Did You Know…

…that "say uncle" is a phrase popularly used in the United States and Canada and is usually used to concede defeat in a game or match?

Put in too many working hours? Today’s your day

Shutterstock images

Here at KCL, we like to appreciate the weird and wonderful, including fun themed holidays. This one, however, is probably slightly less of a fun-packed thrill. Why, may you ask? Well because today is national workaholics day. Ermmmm…woohoooo?

This unofficial holiday was created to raise awareness about overworking, and the fact that too much work and too little play can have negative impacts on mental physical health. So instead of celebrating this lifestyle, it’s more of a focus on encouraging workaholics to make lifestyle changes in order to give other aspects of their lives as much attention. Having a healthy work/life balance is important, and with the majority of us working from home in this Covid-era, it can be hard to separate the two worlds.

With 60% if employees working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, 77% of remote workers in the UK have said they’re more productive when working from home, with many hoping to continue this new way of life post-pandemic. But it’s important to draw a line when doing this. Many of us are getting carried away and taking laptops to bed with us, typing till the early hours, or taking on more work than possible. This can have a negative impact on those around you, as family and friends may not feel their having quality time with you. 

So, on this holiday, why not take some time out to look out for the workaholic in your life and ask them to join you in a fun activity? Maybe you’re the one guilty of spending a little too much time in the office, so take yourself out for a walk or phone a friend and just check in on yourself. It’s important to remember to look after our mental wellbeing, especially after the chaos of the last year, so there’s no shame in taking a little time out. 

Some ideas for today:

·       If there is a workaholic in your life, ask them to take the day off and take them out to do something fun. Perhaps a trip to a theme park or a hike?

·       Make a nice meal for the workaholic in your life and tell them about the problems associated with working all the time.

·       If you are a workaholic, take the day off to revaluate your life and take some time off for yourself.

Today we're talking Daylight Appreciation Day

Monday 21st June 2021, AKA Daylight Appreciation Day, is here for all of us to celebrate. Solatube International created this holiday to raise awareness about the advantages of daylighting.  

What is daylighting? You may be wondering. It’s the use of natural light to light up interior spaces. It can be achieved simply by opening windows and adding reflective surfaces to them, which allows for the maximum amount of sunlight to fill the inside. 

Daylighting is an ancient practise which is normally recommended by architects, interior decorators and energy experts. It can help with health and energy saving, as using natural light cuts down on energy and electricity costs. Studies have also found that daylighting in workplaces can help increase productivity, work performance, employee satisfaction and retention 

It’s no secret that the summer months put a smile on our faces. Heading out for days at the beach and sunny walks armed with sunglasses and ice cream is enough to boost anyone’s mood, and so bringing that inside is sure to boost moods all year round. It’s not only good for you mentally, but physically too. By bringing a dose of nature and the great outdoors into your home, it can help to reduce stress and increase happiness, and it is far better for you than spending time under artificial lights. 

Fittingly, Daylight Appreciation Day is celebrated on the longest day of the year for northern Hemisphere residents, as in most years, the June Solstice occurs on June 21st. 

You can celebrate this day yourself. Why not find a way to bring some sunshine and light into your home by speaking to an architect to see what they can create for you? Or just take some simple, cost-effective steps such as opening windows, installing light-coloured blinds and curtains and applying reflective surfaces to the windows to let the natural sunlight in. you could also fire up the BBQ and have some friends round to enjoy (socially distanced) food and drinks together- after all, we’re not lucky with many months of warmer weather here in the UK. 

You may be part of a culture that participated in June solstice events and celebrate its significance. Even if you don’t, you can read up about cultures traditions and educate yourself on their festivities- it may encourage you to join in yourself! 

Virtual Glastonbury Went Off With a Glitch

The evening of Saturday 22nd May, festival and music enthusiasts alike tuned in to partake in a little pandemic escapism and have the closest thing we could get to the Glastonbury experience- although without the inevitable wading in mud and instead embracing the comfort of your own home. ‘Live at Worthy Farm’ would be filmed at the ground of the world-renowned festival and available to watch all around the world. 

But just like with happenings this past year, things didn’t go quite to plan…

Instead of being able to watch a smoothly run special film shot at Worthy Farm, featuring artists such as Haim, Coldplay and George Ezra, technical glitches were afoot and tampered with the much-anticipated event. 

The problems with the link that ‘Glasthomebury’ goers paid £20 to access failed to work for anyone when it came to logging on for Wolf Alice at 7pm for the first setlist of the evening. Organisers worked quickly and non-stop in order to avoid disappointing those who had been anticipately waiting for a night of fun amongst a chaotic year, and eventually managed to fix it. A free link was released in the end so that it could be accessible for all, and those who had paid were emailed with the offer for a refund.

I have to say though, it didn’t spoil my home Glasto fun. 

Like with many events, it was most enjoyable with others around you, and dressing up to look the part is half the fun. 

Donning Hawaiian shirts and sporting glitter laden faces put me in festival mode, with all that was missing was a fashionable pair of wellies. Just being able to get together with others and have a laugh, a drink or two and have a nigh of distraction and fun was enough in itself. 

The fact that Eurovision was able to entertain in the meantime whilst Worthy Farm experienced difficulties was a huge bonus. There’s nothing that gets you in the party mood quite like some cheesy European anthems paired with eye-catching outfits. So, after some glitzy Eurovision fun, getting on to the Glastonbury livestream was still a joy.

It may not have been quite as upbeat and energetic as what was being streamed live from Rotterdam, but the film itself was beautiful. It was a very laid-back sort of affair, with Haim playing their chilliest, dreamiest songs and Damion Alburn taking a seat at a piano rather than riling up the virtual crowds.

Coldplay arguably brought the most concert-like performance of the evening, with their statement colourful bright lights and upbeat anthems being belted out in front of the structure of the famous Pyramid Stage. Chris Martin’s love for Glastonbury isn’t exactly a secret, so perhaps his passion and enthusiasm for the Somerset festival helped carry the performance across into viewers living rooms. 

There were many who were disappointed with what happened, but I chose to embrace the Glasto spirit and look at the positives. I had a good time with people, we had DIY Glastonbury decorations which cheered everyone up and we managed to watch it in the end and have a good time. It just shows that in this digital age we’re in now that even the giants encounter technicalities, and if over a year of Covid has taught us anything, it’s to have just a little more patience. 

The Dark Side of the Media

This week we’re mixing things up a bit and taking a look at a slightly different topic. but one that’s relevancy grows over the years.

Whilst the media can provide endless hours of entertainment as well as news, it can prove to have a dark side. Some of us forget that these stories we’re reading merely to entertain and distract ourselves from our own lives, are about real people, with real feelings and emotions.

The media can all too often forget about how negative press and intrusive stories can affect a person’s mental well-being, and there can be a lack of consideration for how mental health is portrayed in the news. 

It tends to start with media outlets wanting the most clickbait-worthy stories gracing the front pages, doing everything in their power to draw readers in, even if what they’re writing may not be 100% accurate.

This is the damage caused by sensationalist media, and ‘has been implicated in the rapid spread of rumour and misinformation online’, (Chen, Conroy, Rubin:15-19). Stories are exaggerated, people are made to look worse than they are and then come under the scrutiny of the public, who are left to judge.

This not only goes against a journalists duty to report truthful and accurate news, but leaves celebrities feeling used and deceived. Well, if you’ve read one of my previous blog posts *ahem* you’ll know my views on sensationalist media.

This issue was sadly brought into light when Caroline Flack took her own life in February 2020, after being bombarded by the media as she battled a court case.

For the public, a court battle is a private affair for a person or family to deal with, and it may get news coverage but that would be based on neutral grounds and would simply state facts. However, when it’s someone well know, it’s very different. 

She was under intense press scrutiny for around six months before she passed away due to an ongoing case regarding an incident with her boyfriend- something that was never our business to begin with, people forget.

An event that occurs in the privacy of someone’s house involving personal matters and issues is not something that should be spread blatantly across the front pages and morning headlines

A Guardian analysis showed that the Sun published the most articles about her, with a quarter of them taking a negative tone as they included graphic references to her alleged assault. 

However, it is hard to say for sure if the attention she received from the media and the negative press was to blame. There’s no denying that it didn’t help, and may have been the final straw, but the probability is that it can’t bear the sole blame. 

A lot can build up in a persons life that drives them to a place of such sadness and despair that we never truly know the reasons behind such tragic event. Even if the media aren’t solely to blame, they didn’t aide the situation. They were yet another weight mounting on her mind. 

Yes, the press should be allowed to publish that which is in the publics interest, but not when it is something which risks causing damage to someone mentally and lead them to such a dark place. It is a clear indication as to how one may be affected by a story, due to how they’ve been portrayed in the media.

Vilifying a person of half-truths and hurtful lies causes detrimental damage to a persons wellbeing, and surprise surprise, celebrities are people too!

The lesson that the media can take from this is to only publish facts, not speculation. Think about what damage a story can cause to a person, who may be vulnerable. Celebrities aren’t invincible, no matter what we think, they are still people, who can be left hurt by what is written about them. The ‘Be Kind’ message shared on social media after Caroline’s death is an important one, and the media should work on being fair and accurate, not just click-bait central.

It seems, however, that as time has gone on the media still hasn’t learned (will it ever?). 

The  Jonny Depp and Amber Heard court case has produced an uproar of outrage from many, after the UK courts declared him guilty of being a “wife-beater”. He was slandered all over the front pages of newspapers for allegedly abusing his ex-wife, with a media circus causing chaos outside the courts throughout the trial. 

Now it can only be judged through assumption that Depp’s state may be different to Flack’s, but how are any of us to know? Why when it comes to reporting we don’t just dictate the facts in which the publics interest lies and leave everyone to decipher it and judge for themselves how they feel?

Turning such a large audience against one person, especially before hard-evidence and facts are confirmed, is a perilous action that can result in the downfall of said person.

Is the pandemic pushing our digital future closer?

In a new world where long gone are the days of firm handshakes and employees gathered around a table for daily meetings, it’s easy to think that life has ever so drastically changed. Virtual conferences and catch-ups, online learning and working from home have become our new norm. But are things really that different to how they were before? 

Of course, this is somewhat a dramatized version of living in the digital world, with technology’s uses being heightened and more invested in than ever, but I feel we had some good practise in this field already. As services such as online dating, facetiming and takeaway services like Deliveroo and Just Eat have become more popular over the years, we’ve been training for a digitally led world. 

Taking meetings at your dining table whilst rocking a half formal half PJ combo may seem like a sudden leap into the unknown, but wasn’t this where we were headed anyway? As technology develops and more innovations are made, we are constantly preparing ourselves for changes to come. 

Once upon a time you had to get out and about to meet a partner. Nowadays, you can find that spark from the comfort of your own home. Changes have been coming for years, and pandemic or not, we were surely heading towards a more digitalised world so we could use these modernisations to our advantage. We’ve just accelerated and moved at pace towards this way of life sooner than we thought. 

Some of these changes make life more accessible to many and show just how we can get around such problems as a pandemic, when the daily norm is forced on hold. It’s been a modern blessing to be able to carry on somewhat business as usual from our homes. Businesses have suffered, and many have lost throughout this year, but technology has at least let virtual concerts, meetings and sociable gatherings take place. It’s allowed for busts of normality amongst the surrealness we’ve endure. Furthermore, convenience comes above all these days, as we find comfort behind our screens and wish to make things as simple as possible. After all, isn’t that part of what technology is about? Making life more convenient? 

I often think of the film ‘Wall-e’ when I think of technology and using it to make our lives as comfortable and easy as can be. Just floating around on chairs with everything we could desire at our fingertips. A sense of dread and pessimism encompasses me when I realise just how realistic that dystopian world in the film is in our current reality. Surely, we won’t let ourselves become so unhealthy, unsociable and greedy? Greedy for ease and accessibility. We must prevent a future where our lives are purely led from the tips of our fingers on a screen. 

Whilst it’s all well and good that we’re running our live thanks to the power of social medias and technology, we mustn’t let it conquer us in such a way that we don’t know how to interact in-person anymore. We run the risk of becoming too accustomed to talk over text and asking Alexa to turn off the lights, dishwasher or TV. Who knows? One day we may see having to get up to grab a remote an arduous task if we have bots who can do it all for us. I like to think we’d never allow this happen, and we’d remember that there’s more value in a group BBQ or dinner in a restaurant than endless food arriving whilst we’re fixated in front of our screens.

But maybe, we’re more like this now than we think, and a future enclosed in automation isn’t as alien as it may seem in the movies.

Are you bank holiday ready?

We’re coming up to that time of year again- May’s bank holiday! And with the weather set to be less than impressive on Monday 3rd, it’s best to be prepared for all weather eventualities. 

Bank holidays are little bursts of relief and joy sprinkled throughout our years to provide us with some often much-needed longer weekends to get errands done or have a cheeky lie-in (I know that’s what I’ll be doing).

It’s the perfect excuse for a get-together with friends and family. From throwing a Pimm’s fuelled BBQ or a cosy movie marathon laden with popcorn, it feels like an extra treat we get given to do as we please with.

Like most of life lately though, there are restrictions and rules in place which throw a spanner in the words for gatherings. On top of that, despite the kind weather we’ve had lately, it’s set to be less favourable on May’s first Monday. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still make the most of your golden day of free time. 

Here are some short and sweet ideas for your bank holiday:

·      Indoor BBQs. You can still put the prep in for a BBQ, as you can easily bring it inside if needed. It may not be quite the same as basking under the British sunshine and sipping away on a cold one, but you can ignore the downpour outside and turn your dining room into the summer paradise you’re after.

·      Set up some forts. Yes, I’m serious. Embrace your inner child and get creative with your blankets and pillows. Snuggling up to watch films, setting up Zooms to talk to loved ones or gathering some board games together in a fort can prove a relaxing setting to unwind. Or if you want to save the tidying up, just bringing the duvet down to your sofa will suffice.

·      Virtual cocktail making. Now this is a fun one. Order you and your drink-loving friends some cocktails kits and join a Zoom together to shake up some drinks for you all. you can practise your bartender skills at home without the stress of a high-pressured environment. 

·      Challenge yourself! How much can you learn/put together in a day? Is there a song you’ve been pondering about learning? A recipe you’ve ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ over? Why not use your extra time to finally give it a go? You’ll be surprised with how much you can learn and achieve in a day.

These are just some short and simple ideas, but let it inspire you- get creative! We all need a bit of light-hearted joy nowadays, so if you can push your work aside for the day, make the most of it and do something fun.

Let us know in the comments what you’ll be up to!

A doppelgänger or two...

Ever had to do a double take because you suspected you saw your favourite artist? Or even someone you may be associated with personally? Well, there’s a whole day dedicated to this. 

Look Alike Day falls on April 20th, and if you’ve ever been told you look similar to someone else, then it’s a day for you! 

People have been known to celebrate in weird and wacky ways. From spending the day with the person, they look like, dressing identically and copying each other’s mannerisms, or changing social media profile pictures with their doppelgängers, it’s an excuse to embrace your silliness and have a light-hearted laugh. 

It’s said that there are at least 7 people in the world who look like you, with chances being that there are loads more, so there’s a fair chance you may have come across a recognisable face along the way. Obviously identical twins know all too well what it’s like to be seeing double, but you don’t have to share genetics to share recognisable features.

Collecting celebrity doppelgangers has even become a hobby for some, with the ‘Same de la Same’ Instagram community committed to sharing celebrity look-alike photos with the world. Warning- you can end up going down a social media rabbit hole, once you see one intrigue sparks you to look more.  

Let’s see if you can be fooled by a doppelganger or two. Check out these faces to see if any seem familiar to you…

So, on Tuesday 20th, keep your eye out for any lookalikes that may leave you second guessing, and celebrate your likeness to another, tis’ the day for it after all!

Answers:

Angelina Jolie

Ed Sheeran

Shakira

Will Smith