I am on Facebook...
This map shows places I've visited, where I live and where I want to go next...
See the location of the visitors to my page...
About me...I'd like to say that I am a community health psychologist, but I only just completed my Masters in Health, Community and Development at the London School of Economics at the end of last year and perhaps it's a bit early to say! I am going to re-write my dissertation shortly to be published in an academic journal hopefully this year. I've got desires to do a PhD, mainly to gain more letters after my name than my father, but it's all dependant on finances and whether I'll actually have time for it all!
I am extrememly interested in sexual behaviour and sexual health in particular HIV/AIDS from both epidemiological and attitudinal perspectives. I hope that my PhD will address teenage fathers, differences in sexual health indicators in London or a programme evaluation.
I've spent most of my life in London, being born at St Mary's in Paddington and lived in West London for most of it, except when I was in a Wiltshire village listening to the cows cry when their calves were taken, picking bluebells on walks through the woods and being the subject of photographs that won first prize in the village fair!
I lived in Zimbabwe for 6 months in 1998 working with street kids and this experience opened my eyes massively to the inequalities that exist in terms of lifestyle, economics and health and pretty much set me up for the kind of idealogy I stand for today.
I'm subsequently very passionate about creating opportunities for reducing the massive differences in society, and after 4 years at Oxford Brookes University studying Psychology, Fine Art and Anthropology, I spent 2 years working in Uganda . This experience taught me even more than Zimbabwe had 5 years previously. I worked in a remote, rural village with no power or running water, bathing outdoors, killing chickens for meat, winnowing millet, planting and harvesting cassava and potatoes and cooking 15 kgs of pork in one go. These differences to general life in the UK definately opened my eyes further than I could have imagined.
My work in the village of Kamago, in Kidera Sub-county in the Basoga region of Uganda was community health and education and was quite challenging. I travelled to Kenya and Tanzania with a bearded Texan called Aidan on the back of our 125 motorbike, climbed Kilimanjaro, visited Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater and was a stow-away on a large ferry. I did a more leisurely beach related tour of the Swahili Coast with my friend Shey which was beautiful. I set up an organisation with my friend Megan who is currently studying in Wisconsin and we distributed 36,000 condoms in one day, befriended famous singers AND appeared in the newspapers more than once :) I lived in a flat whilst I worked for ICR in Jinja town where I promoted sexual health and HIV prevention and care to former street kids, orphans and disabled youth.
I came back to London at Christmas 2004 and have worked for myriad different companies as a temp and last year took a full-time 1 year Master's programme in the Social Psychology department of the LSE which was possibly the most money I've ever spent in one go, but which culminated in the most intellectually stimulating, sociable and personal developmental experience. I learned a lot about myself and my limitations during that time and gained a lot of wisdom from friends I made, including Chi, Mary, Ying, Mobie, Aditi, Haifa, Shen, Mon, Jenny, Jap, Andy, Fouzel, Marie, Daniella and Chris. In particular, thoughts of Chi, Mary and Ying, are with me daily and I love those girls a lot. The people I met whilst studying, not just fellow students, but lecturers and departmental staff, have really inspired me to utilise my brain much more than I ever imagined. In particularly, our course leader Professor Catherine Campbell was a complete inspiration.
I'm currently working in the public sector as a sexual health outreach worker, and my aims this year are to move into a South London flat, travel to Texas, start a PhD, recommence studying Italian, take dance classes, get fit again and take a life drawing course.
I am very interested in politics and of course I should be in charge so vote for me :)
Check out this slideshow from 2006...
Things that I like...
goat kebabs
humus
Marmite
bagels
chocolate
mojitos
deep and meeningful conversations
informing journal articles
brilliant books
magazines (National Geographic, Time, New African, Prospect, New Scientist)
dancing
Blacktronica, Blacktronica, Blacktronica
great music
good bars
pretty views
countryside
beaches
sunshine
wide open spaces
road trips
train journeys
the Tube
walking
technology that I can work
big headphones
cute boys
cats
cheering people up
being funny
cooking
being argumentative!!
making new friends
hanging out in greasy spoons
taking pictures for myspace
proper debates
laughing
helping people out
baking cakes
new and cool myspace friends
drinking wine
a good cold beer
thinking & debating bout the possibility of making things in the world better
my friends :)
Check out my trip to Canada, summer 2006...
Create your own Friend Quiz here
Things that I don't like...
cartoonsdisney & anything related
jigsaw puzzles
waiting for things when i am stressed
being hungry
spelling mistakes
badly written letters
broken hearts
seeing people suffer
missed opportunities
football hooligans
cuddly toys
little cutesy animals and revolting fluffy things
slippers
tyrannical political leaders
Bush/Blair relationship
going to war in Iraq
diamond rings (have some imagination!)
soppy scenarios
revolting chick flicks
cliches
overly girly things
being told what to do
the Telegraph
terrible women's magazines
facism, racism, sexism, chauvinism, paedophilia, homophobia
generalisations
ignorance
awful politicians
women being paid less than men
women that think it's OK to be paid less than men
all manner of innequalities
being hungry
over indulgent rich people
complainers (unless its me)
tights
plasters
paper cuts
celebrities complaining about being photographed all the time when it's their job
running out of milk
rudeness (unless it's justified)
judgemental people
PEPFAR and their new social marketing policy
doing badly in school
loosing touch with people
missing friends
grey skies
the end of the holidays
cancer
people assuming i'm young and ID-ing me!
religious fundamentalists of any form
LIVER (don't put that in my mouth!)
KIWIS (grim grim grim grimmest fruit ever)
DATES (taste sugary and wrong)
off foodstuffs
being a failure
feeling a failure
Check out pictures of my birthday in July, 2006...
Extras...
I'm a volunteer for the Terrence Higgins Trust and they have a myspace.I'm also currently trying to organise an art exhibition that celebrates the diversity that exists amongst humans, rather than allowing hatred and negativity. Check it out here. I've even got Rohan Marley subscribing to the blog :) Add me up if you want to join the community and send a message if you've comments, suggestions or criticisms.If you were to buy me, it would cost you $919,796.17! What are you worth?
Lyrics
TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name: Kate
Birthday: 3rd August 1979
Birthplace: St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London
Current Location: The sofa
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Dark blonde or light brown depending upon your opinion
Height: 5ft 2" I believe
Right Handed or Left Handed: Left-handed like all historical geniuses
Your Heritage: One grandfather gained a Burmese star, the other invented the forklift truck
The Shoes You Wore Today: I didn't wear any, brown socks with pink toes and heels :)
Your Weakness: Distraction
Your Fears: Failure
Your Perfect Pizza: Al tonno e cipolla
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Move into a flat in South London
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: haha (I hate that LOL thing!)
Thoughts First Waking Up: "Oh noooooo"
Your Best Physical Feature: Bottom
Your Bedtime: Between 11pm and 2am
Your Most Missed Memory: Falling into ponds in a dress with no knickers on
Pepsi or Coke: Coke Zero please
MacDonalds or Burger King: Hmm, BK chips and McChicken sandwich
Single or Group Dates: Neither, I'm rubbish at all dating related situations
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: What?? What's wrong with Lady Grey and lots of milk?
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate of course.
Cappuccino or Coffee: A nice latte
Do you Smoke: Nope
Do you Swear: Fuck, yeah!
Do you Sing: Well, I'd say no, since I cannot do it tunefully, but I've been known to attempt
Do you Shower Daily: Yup
Have you Been in Love: Ah, this question, I'm not good with untangible itinerary
Do you want to go to College: I've an MSc, darling
Do you want to get Married: Ah, well, I was going to 2 years ago..
Do you belive in yourself: I think by rights, one has to believe in oneself, otherwise you'd be unable to argue, participate in challenging situations and try something new.
Do you get Motion Sickness: Nope
Do you think you are Attractive: Yeah, in an average, can look good, can look shit kinda way
Are you a Health Freak: I am into sexual health, I'm a freak, does that answer the question?
Do you get along with your Parents: Yeah, they rock
Do you like Thunderstorms: S'ok
Do you play an Instrument: Piano and guitar although currently only a couple of things
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol: Yes. Last Friday being a bad example of alcohol abuse
In the past month have you Smoked: Nope
In the past month have you been on Drugs: Nope, and never have I been, unless you include codeine..
In the past month have you gone on a Date: Yup
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: Noooo
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: No I haven't actually.
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: Yeah, on one of the dates!
In the past month have you been on Stage: No
In the past month have you been Dumped: Noooo
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: In this weather?
In the past month have you Stolen Anything: A pen from work..
Ever been Drunk: Yes
Ever been called a Tease: Yes
Ever been Beaten up: Yes
Ever Shoplifted: No
How do you want to Die: In a dignified manner
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: Health Minister in UK Government
What country would you most like to Visit: Mexico, Japan, China, Russia, Denmark, Bolivia, Jamaica, Columbia, Lesotho, Ghana, Senegal...
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color: Any
Favourite Hair Color: Any
Short or Long Hair: Any
Height: Taller than me is preferable
Weight: Any
Best Clothing Style: Funky, original, something that suits them
Number of Drugs I have taken: None
Number of CDs I own: I did own over 300 til someone refused to give them back
Number of Piercings: 5, all ears
Number of Tattoos: None
Number of things in my Past I Regret: Possibly one or two but I'd never divulge that