Sophie Mei

Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director for her film The Hurt Locker. She along with Sandra Bullock, another strong female figure who won her first Oscar for best actress, demonstrated true girl power, skill and glamour at this year’s Oscars.
Most of all, the day it was announced March 8th, marks International Women’s Day which this year’s theme is ‘Women in Action’ of which Sandra and Kathryn showed in true Hollywood style.

What did you do, if anything, to mark the day? Were you even aware?

I never used to know or even celebrate it as I’ve always shied away from feminism as I used to believe that feminists were men-hating, doc Martin wearing, anti-make-up and angry women. Where as I have always been happy-go-lucky, loved make up and dresses, loved men and heels even more. However, I too have argued strongly for equal rights for women, men and transgender alike.
I now realize that i am a feminist just not as extreme as others. Personally, I feel it’s important to celebrate International Women’s Day as women are still not treated equally across the world. There are varying levels of inequality depending on the country but I am yet to go anywhere for a period of time and feel that women are treated equally.

In the UK today we still don’t batter an eyelid as we glance at a topless woman on Page 3 or strip clubs opening across the country. Even in Italy, known for it’s devout religious values still broadcast women in sexily cut short skirts dumbly reading the news next to a more ‘intelligent-looking’ man.

So from Germaine Greer to Jordan – from fake nailed WAG wannabees to men-hating doc Martin wearers – we seem to be a society of extremes, however, whatever turns you on, the one thing that we as women should do is join together in the fight for universal equality for women.

Trash the Dress: The most colourful day of your life

The sun shines, the bride and groom are smiling and family members are gathered around the newly wed couple – having their photo’s taken. Suddenly, the envious bridesmaid in demure black, starts to squirt paint all over the bride’s new designer dress.  Reds, blues, yellows and even green all over the dress and veil until the bride… starts to squirt back.

Family members look on in amusement and decide to join in.

Not your normal wedding day photo but colourful all the same and that’s why this weird and wonderful craze has swept America… and now Sheffield.

Serendipity Photography, who specialise in Kid’s and wedding photography, and Little White Book Wedding, who are a company of wedding planners, contacted me to see if I wanted to be acting bride and paint victim. Naturally, I declined modelling as a bride and having a paint fight… yeah right, it was definitely up my street and my second fake wedding as a singleton! Best of all, my model/make up artist stunning friend – Katy Padam worked on the shoot with me.

Our chosen venue/paint dungeon was a derelict area on the outskirts of Sheffield City Centre where there was lots of stunning graffiti art and disused factories.

So there we were shivering in white wedding dresses fighting with bottles of paint and smashing our bouquets on one another.

Hah all in a day’s work… the only slightly embarrassing moment came when Katy and I had to journey home covered in paint and dressed wedding dresses…

Watch out for part 11: Trash the Costume where I get covered in paint in my bellydance outfit… and finally I wonder if it’s a trend we could spread to funerals… I’d like that … trash the coffin.

B-EAT
Last week marked National Eating Disorder Awareness Week and I was glad to see it had been picked up in ‘The Star’ with Sarah Dunn’s article on Sheffield’s Eating Disorder Service.
B-EAT is the national eating disorders charity and it is one of the charities that I support, in addition to Mind, and for which I regularly campaign.
There are a lot of myths surrounding with eating disorders; such as, they only affect ‘vain girls’ who want to become excessively thin or ‘girls going through a tough time’. However, we must remember that eating disorders are like any other ILLNESS and that it isn’t a choice.
There is a whole a spectrum of severity to different eating disorders and it is not disingenuous to suggest that these days, most people in today’s society could be labelled as having some form of eating disorder! Who hasn’t over-stuffed their face on hearing some bad news and wished they hadn’t? Who hasn’t had that extra pint or glass of wine in the evening when they know how bad it is for the waistline and heart? Who hasn’t eaten more chocolate than they should have and then gone on a crash diet to squeeze into that summer swimming costume, bridesmaid dress or even wedding dress?
Personally, I believe that once a habit with your usual food/eating/diet/exercise becomes obsessive and frequently affects and interferes with your everyday life, I think this is when help needs to be sought. It is not purely a weight change but a change of ‘normal’ habits that are not part of a usual routine.
Sadly, this generation is seeing an epidemic of men, women, girls and boys with eating disorders and body dysmorphia. But what has caused this dramatic increase? This is the question we should be asking – not overly concentrating on shock tactics.
Today’s society is obsessed with diets, physique and celebrity status – however, eating disorders are much more than a matter of vanity. They are a mental health illness and can control the sufferer’s lives. We must start to move on with narrow definitions and judgements, and start to ask what is the true cause of these eating disorder epidemics – and we must look less to blame the sufferer which is the easiest route to take.
We will each have our own ideas about the cause – and they may very well be multifaceted. Personally, I think they are caused by a lack of opportunity for people to fulfil their potential and have control over the basic things that make all our lives happy ones (flexible time to spend with loved ones, reasonable workloads, decent salaries, etc). This lack of control is increasingly something in all our lives – especially when we are in the middle of a economic recession or other things that bring undue stress to us all. Eating disorders are only ONE manifestation of that frustration and stress. Others may turn to drink, alcohol, domestic violence and other more obvious outlets. The thing about eating disorders, is the first victim is the sufferer, and it is such a deceptively quiet illness that it is easier to ignore and easier to blame the individual and easier not to fund the support needed. Rather than attract sympathy and empathy, it seems to incite dismissive judgement. Perhaps it is because it seems so linked to ‘looks’ and ‘looks’ have become an obsessive focus of today’s society. And society divides itself constantly over the topic of whether ‘looks’ do or do not matter. But that is a whole other debate, for a whole new blog…
We must stay away from the ‘shock-factor’ and our obsession with the size zero trend. Personally, I was horrified to watch Louise’s Redknapp’s show last year, which showed Louise following a diet/exercise programme to become a ‘size zero’ in order to expose how difficult and damaging it can be. However, such issues need more analysis than a light-hearted factual entertainment show which, to the vulnerable viewer actually taught trick on how to lose weight, and I felt it made eating disorders look like a trivial issue.
Yes, eating disorders are about weight loss/gain and how we view ourselves physically but most of all internally.
If we see that overly skeletal girl or that morbidly obese guy we must not jump to conclusions but begin to learn more about an illness that affects so many people, from anorexia to obesity and binge-eating disorder – they are all physically harmful in there own rights (of varying severity) but most of all, mentally damaging and upsetting for the sufferers and their family/carers/friends.
Finally, on a more optimistic note eating disorders can be prevented, managed and even ‘cured’ with the right treatment and understanding but first we must rid society of the stigma surrounding them. The best known treatment for eating disorders is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and it is essential that if you or someone you know has or is on the road to an eating disorder to put tem in touch with professional help.

For further information, please see: http://www.b-eat.co.uk

What a week - Running Blog 3

This week has been a weird and wonderful one. It has been full of radio interviews and press call but not about my bellydancing my running!

Yes, it’s not incredible for the typical fit person – but for me running is a real challenge. Whilst growing up a chubby munchkin at school I would dread Sport’s Day, PE and don’t even mention cross-country (we stopped off and bought sweets at the shop).

However, once you get the running bug – you really get it – and I have started and have caught the bug from January 2010.

This week I helped to launch BUPA’s Great Yorkshire Run (10k) with Comedian Hugh Dennis, Tony Audenshaw (Emmerdale’s Bob Hope) and local Sheffield Coucillors Paul Scriven and Sylvia Dunkley.

The race which takes place on September 6th is in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society amongst other charities. The launch was successful and was covered in the local newspapers, BBC Look North and local radio.

Although, the only problem with it being a press call is that there were lots of photo’s being taken and I had the worst fake tanned orange palms! (not a good look!) The skiing and dancing after helped to wipe the orange off my palms though – desperate measures!

I also had a week working at BBC Radio Manchester and then Sarah and I aka the ‘ showbiz girls’ were on Howard Pressman’s Entertainment slot, BBC Radio Sheffield on Saturday mornings.

Plus, I then taught my weekly bellydance class at Greens gym, danced in Derbyshire and then finally …

Sunday was not a day of rest. I took part in my first ever race in the Huddersfield 10k. It was lots of fun but the hills were very hard and seemed to be never ending. Although, having the cheers from the crowds keeps you going plus some of the good looking men at the front (you don't want to look unfit now do you?!).

Nonetheless, Ruth and me finished the 10k in under an hour so we should be all good to go by 25th April for the Sheffield Half Marathon.

It was such a great feeling to finish my first race – so great that I managed to hit the gym after. So now I’m in pain and feeling the negative side of adrenaline. After, all it’s all about moderation… ish.

Huddersfield 10k