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Monthly Archive for November, 2011

journey since Cairo

moving through Suez – was so beautiful, tranquil, smooth, serious almost solemn that even before we’d got through I wanted to turn round, go back and come through again.
I didn’t use my glasses much [gazing in wonder] so it was a surprise to me when several passengers earnestly informed me that the whole way we were being watched from the banks, by people with guns. nothing to worry about, they assured me.

after Aqaba and further afloat…

This is a little message for all the children of Northern Ireland. It’s about all kinds of school subjects… there’s English, Maths etc etc but really it’s about looking after our world/how beautiful our world is, and how we can look after it…

How can Baglady get it to you? we send it to all the schools we know, via the teachers, Eco-committees etc. And maybe the papers can help, and maybe John Toal’s show will help us… and maybe all our friends and family will pass it

This is the scene.
The weather is beautiful, mild, perfect. It’s just a little busride from the big, white ship [which is much smaller than all the other big white ships in port] to the centre of the city.
I’ve taken off my smelly old Baglady bags and am wearing a long skirt, a shirt and a long scarf wrapped around my head because that’s what women and girls do around here

now I understand why Northern Ireland’s only been in the world news when there’s fighting on… we don’t have a lot of money… is that really ALL journalists can think about? Politicians worried or unrepentant politicians… need role-model of responsible.. ASAP….

lost at sea: Baglady

Folks I’m lost at sea at present. Can’t get or send emails at all.

Trying so hard to get through to Iris and Rachael, Bill, Jacky, Julia, Nick, all the NI councils, newspapers, and all the schools but I have to say: it’s not working. Technology is NOT the answer to the world’s problems.

In 2 days I will be in Salalah which is in Oman… Hope I can connect from there via wifi and or phone, skype, whatever.

Then long long days at sea to Thailand. So wish me luck everyone and I hope we speak SOON.

Tell all your friends and family to do as much as you can ASAP!!

not drowning, waving… Baglady

aqaba, jordan

[caption id="attachment_1168" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Aqaba statue of liberty"]Aqaba statue of liberty[/caption]moments in AQABA, Jordan

I’m no good at geography unless I’ve been there, if you know what I mean BUT
Aqaba is wealth, poverty, old world, new world all rolled into one; right next to Egypt AND Israel…

here’s some Maths from my day here: wealth = waste, greed = waste, wealth+greed = misery life= music [esp Jordanian]laughter, children and I know how to say thankyou in Arabic

The Aqaba pictures I’ve chosen from about 80 film clips/stills I’ve taken tell this story. Here are some captions:

BL ghosts2,3
brake oil
children’s playground + shady space
costly view
empty plastic Aqaba
heavenly kindling
old mosque excavation

those who want to see Petra, Wadi Rum etc, you know where to find it. I never was much of a tourist, but I have to say Suez was stunning. EVERYONE in the world has an equal right to see it.

best beams, Baglady

empty plastic Aqaba

empty plastic Aqaba

[caption id="attachment_1171" align="alignright" width="300" caption="old mosque excavation"]old mosque excavation[/caption]

Cairo: a ‘tourist’s eye view by Baglady

Baglady experiences pyramids

Baglady experiences pyramids

You wouldn’t believe it. Whole busloads of Aussies and Irish were slap in the middle of Cairo yesterday, and yet we got neither sight nor sound of the protests in Tahrir Square where Al Jazeera news says at least 33 people were killed. We can see it on endless replay on our TVs in our cabins.

But everyone I speak to who went on the Cairo + Pyramids/CruiseontheNilewithbellydance tour yesterday [Mon] was shocked by the scenes taking place at that better known tourist spot, the Pyramids, complete with Sphinx….. mfl [more later]……

Suddenly all we old and elderly etc people are coming out with all this stuff about the state of the world, and what we NEED to DO about it. Mostly women but lots of men: list includes: Sharon, Robin, Ruth, David, 3XWendy, Sylvia’s the latest oh yes and Don. And Thomas. Fred Thomas. Plus Tomislav, Nick, Omar, JimX2…. it’s endless. Phyllis. Lynn and husband…

They’re from all over Australia. And loads are of Irish/Irish descent. Fred’s great great grandfather was deported in 1815 for stealing a roll of fabric…

Somewhere in the middle of all this story is Northern Ireland. Ably represented by Baglady. Who in turns represents NI’s contribution to European Week of Waste Reduction, Owen Lyttle, Jane Cassidy, Steve Aston, Alison Curtis, Sue, Declan, James, Judy [Do it Loud], Bo and Bairbre and the bell… EWWR\’s a big story and Baglady’s pledged to support it, report it and then in January we’re doing yes, a big follow-up event in Ballymena. ASAP Day. Or Shop ASAP Day. Whatever our girls on the ground decide to call it.

How’s it going Rachael? with the John Toal Show – coollest show in the country folks, the Saturday Magazine show, on Radio Ulster, 10-12 every Saturday. And what are you brothers doing to celebrate the end of EWWR??? Rachael’s giving you all a call, to find out.

Meanwhile Baglady’s been having fun, eating forbidden foods, filming rubbish, and beauty, everywhere she goes and she’s dying to share it with you, as are the 500-odd crew, staff and passengers of this wee cruise ship from the big country: the Athena, Goddess of Wisdom! from the land recently known as Australia. Which is about to be taken over, ASAP….

and guess what! we’re 3 hours ahead of you already brothers…. only 8 more to go and we’ll be in Australia. ifya know what I mean…

best beams, BL

inspired by Malta! Baglady sings for European Week of Waste Reduction

Hullo dia duit gday! it’s me Baglady – sailing across the planet with a burning yearning to find rubbishfree places and people… and I think I’ve found the least rubbishy place in Europe!

Guess where?

Q: Is it Northern Ireland?

England? Liverpool – Northampton – Hope Valley – Sheffield – Oxford – London posh?

Paris?

Napoli recycling opportunity

Napoli recycling opportunity

Roma? Napoli? Sicilia?

Malta?

A It’s – MALTA!

But sad to say, so far Baglady’s found rubbish everywhere.

What’s YOUR place like? what rubbish do YOU want to get rid of from your world?

Best beams, baisers and baccios,

Baglady

TRAVEL ASAP with Baglady, check our piks/stories, and send us yours…

let’s REALLY reduce waste in all EUROPE, not just for a week, make it – forever!!!

Shop ASAP during EWWR

European Week of Waste Reduction 19-27th November

European Week of Waste Reduction 19-27th November

As Baglady travels south we begin the European Week of Waste Reduction, this is your chance all of you children, politicians, councils, people of Northern Ireland to shop with a difference, the As Sustainably As Possible way!!
For this shopping challenge you need to be aware of 3 aspects of sustainable shopping:
1. Locally produced food, low food miles, seasonal, organic options
2. Least or zero-packaged items
3. Respect for producers – across the world or locally,
we have lots of ideas, so let us know what Shopping ASAP is like wherever you shop,
send pictures, snippets, we will support best ASAP traders.
We will be contacting lots of people so come willingly with your reusable bags held high!!!

GOOD news about NI local papers

A big lot of the dozens of local papers in Northern Ireland, that have helped us get the word around about Living ASAP, NEEDabag? etc over the last 10yrs, are going to Travel ASAP with Baglady!!!

The sound of KIDS voices: schools from across NI and all Ireland – shouting YEA!!! [with ECO-UNESCO, Eco-Schools etc]] will echo across the land…

green lights from papers in Armagh, Ballymena, Omagh, Strabane, Newry, Ballycastle, Limavady and many others. Not one paper has said NO, yet; and some want Weekly blogs from Baglady aboard ship.

Coleraine, Ballymoney editors are wanting a strong local link, of course, and that’s what with all of us working together we can provide!! ie schools, councils, MPs MEPs MLAs, shops businesses, community groups… and the GOOD celebs… all sharing the skills and energy we’re all going to need around the world to get us out of the big mess we’ve somehow got into. need churches to support now, too

What this means is, if you or your friends/family read say the Strabane Weekly News [talking to Anna Maguire today] you can find out what Strabane’s doing ASAP; then you can add your bit… and inspire others around the country, around the world…

>>>>>>>

On the Oxford Tube luxury, supercheap coach to London, passing near to High Wycombe, Bucks where Baglady [1959-63] had a scholarship to a posh English boarding school called Wycombe Abbey. Sister school to Princess Anne’s school, Benenden. It killed me Ballymena accent but it didn’t kill my spirit and I learned a lot about what keeps the class system in place. Time to move on. Next: Nick Clegg and Baglady…

Baglady on Radio Ulster with John Toal

John Toal welcomes Baglady on Radio Ulster’s Saturday Magasine, and remembers “every plastic bag that was ever made is still with us”

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John Toal said I was an inspiration, so that’s good. The producer said ‘you’re a good talker, stay in touch’ which is like royal command, I have to do it whether he meant it or not; but somebody quite famous was in the studio at the time and did really smile at me…. all this work when I just want to hug trees…
Baglady’s As Sustainable As Possible Journey is moving Southwards, London tomorrow

signs of hope in Hope Valley

Hope Valley Country Market

Hope Valley Country Market

this is Derbyshire, Hope Valley, lots of friendly people and they walk a lot. Not yesterday, rain in stilts coming down on the conservatory

Hope Valley’s got a country market which opens 9.30 sharp on Fridays… and everyone rushes in and buys lovely homegrown and homemade things.

we need to follow their example, ASAP. we need to grow and produce more food, share it, swop it, give it away…. just like we used to do

the more I have, the more I give away, the more flows towards me…. come on NI – take the lead!!

Shirley’s Farewell to Northern Ireland

Baglady's Farewell at Ballyeamon Barn, Cushendall

Baglady's Farewell at Ballyeamon Barn, Cushendall

Hullo and thanks to all who’ve played your part in getting Shirley the Baglady off Irish soil

John Toal called me an inspiration!! So it was worth the 4 hrs I spent to get to BBC Radio Ulster by ASAP bus and train..

I still hadn’t finished packing and didn’t really ever finish, just loaded onto the boat with bags and bags, to sift and sort and recycle every possible thing.

Stena Line Belfast-Birkenhead. A far cry from the old ferries. Aggressive drinking men tossing cigarette butts into the sea and throwing cans around. I gave them my view on it; I think they were a bit ashamed but they covered it up with smart remarks.

Which I did at Lime Street Station, Liverpool. Paper/card thrown in together; plastic to landfill but at least I DID it! Also drank [not FairTrade] coffee from my own cup – saving waste. .