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Farm Camp

Getting to work in 2010: Our new plans...

Getting to work in 2010: Our new plans...


I am attending the rally at Columbia through Oxfam America. Spread the word! Let's all be there, or if you cannot find your event at the 350. org website, they are happening globally. Get on it!

Rooftop Garden Deluxe

Charlotte's work: A Culture of Sexual Harrassment

A Culture of Sexual Harassment

“You’re so beautiful”, “wow”, “baby” – are these words offensive to you? What about when the phrases reference sexual acts and use obscene language? Sexual harassment is not always physical but the effects are the same; a woman left feeling violated, offended and dirty.

On the street, in taxis and services, within the walls of universities, drinking in a cafe or even in the confines of some women’s homes, none of these places are free from sexual harassment. These incidences are rarely reported which allows the perpetrators to continue to treat women with no respect. Society condones these men and their actions when it does not stand up for the women who suffer from unwanted attention and contact.

Women leered at when they sit alone; boys on bicycles riding past and grabbing a woman’s body; wandering hands on buses; taxi drivers reaching round to grope legs; abuse on the street. Men undress women with their eyes as they walk down streets or ride buses and see women as their property if left in a room together. It starts as a girl becomes a teenager and then continues throughout her life. These examples of sexual harassment have affected both Syrian and Western women, veiled or unveiled, in a country which strives to champion its multi-cultural tolerance.

There has been a sad demise in the respect afforded to women, particularly those travelling. Not respected for being independent, adventurous or strong, they are increasingly wearing fake wedding rings, talking about fake children and travelling in groups with other foreigners in order to avoid the hassle and unwanted attention from local men. One of the first things many foreign women buy in Syria is a hairdryer. The reality that some people believe a woman with wet hair is a prostitute or has recently had sex is upsetting and shocking. No one would like to be so culturally misunderstood, yet they have to battle with the stereotype that they are easy, loose, and available for any man who is interested, a message perpetuated through selected films, magazines and television shows.

Inquisitive staring is another large cultural shock experienced by foreigners in Syria. However, one soon realises that this attention is not towards foreign women exclusively but directed at women in general. There is a point when this staring becomes uncomfortable and inappropriate. Once the novelty of a two week tourist trip has faded and living in Syria becomes a reality, awareness of sexual harassment increases dramatically.

One of the saddest aspects of sexual harassment in Syria is seeing other women around you when it happens. If a woman does not step in and help when they witness harassment occurring, especially in the street, she is condoning that man’s behaviour. Women need to help women; speak up and make a scene if a case of sexual harassment occurs to you or near you.

This is the sad reality for women today; however it is certainly not the message any government would want publicised. Sexual harassment has become normalised across society due to frequent throw-away comments that are never challenged; only the most obscene and offensive acts are still able to shock. Educating society about women’s rights and striving to change negative stereotypes is crucial. But first, sexual harassment needs to be talked about; we need to recognise that there is a problem.

Al-Thara will be launching a campaign against Sexual Harassment in Syria over the coming months. Please watch the website for details. If you are interested in or affected by the issues raised in this article, please get in touch via the contact details section on this page.

Lemon and Mint Thirst Quencher - بولو

It is getting hot hot hot over here in Syria and there are not many things which can cool me down. My flat feels like a green house and I am on an endless search for cool drinks and cool places. I am hoping I can persuade J to post her ice latte tips....

Polo (pronounced bolo) manages to be tasty, tart and terrifically thirst quenching all at once. I love that you can buy it from a street corner or a smart restaurant and there is never any doubt what you will get - a green flecked drink which feels like a welcome oasis.

I have had endless horrified looks from the juice makers when I ask for no sugar - I really like the tart-factor although there are some days when I wish they had come across agave!

There is lots of room for creativity here - do you like your drinks a little sweeter? Add some honey or agave. Hoping for an icy blast? Blend some ice cubes up with your juice. Not a huge fan of mint? Just enjoy lemon sunshine in your glass. Add as much water to suit your taste buds...leave it in the fridge for extra chilliness or drink swiftly if you are in danger of over heating!

Makes 2 glasses

Health warning: You might get addicted

Ingredients:

8 lemons

One big handful of fresh mint

500ml cool water


Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice out of them using a juicer. Pour lemon juice and mint leaves into a blender and blitz until smooth. Add ice to make a smoothie consistency or dilute with water. Blend.

If you don't have a blender, juice the lemons and mix with water. Add the mint leaves whole and let the juice stew for a while in the sunshine. I like to roughly chop them but the blender gives a smoother drink.

Garnish with whole mint leaves. Best drank in some shade. Enjoy!

Syrian recipes coming soon!

Salaam,

Charlotte xx

Polenta Honey Apricot cake: perfect Summer Birthday treat

I have been experimenting (might I say pretty well) a lot lately. From homemade rye bread (gluten-free of course), to double red quinoa and bean salad, to oatmeal choc-o-cookies to this last fabulous invention. All my other treats have literally disappeared before I have had a chance to snap a pic...and I think they are not quite perfect enough to share yet. Note: I thought (an still kind of do) that xanthum gum has a weird taste, so I try an bake without it. However, I whipped up some fat-free banana - fig muffins this morning and used brown rice flour and a bit of Bob's Red Mills AP mix. Now don't get me wrong I love Bob's stuff, but I think the Garbanzo bean flour in his mix (the others do not seem as offensive: sorghum, tapioca, potato) seems to bake up with a weird after taste. I just cannot get over it! Please anyone else doing GF baking tell me if you agree. I love chickpeas to death, but could it be that bean flours have a weird taste? So far I love brown rice four, teff and amaranth. Of course oat flour is a must (taste good in everything) and still to try quinoa flour. I think I am going to make quinoa bread soon...

But getting to the good stuff...the stuff that needs no adjustment, because it came out so heavenly.

This cake - Polenta Honey Apricot Cake- is just divine. Not too sweet, and delicate but definitely a thing of character with the crunch of the cornmeal and honey jam of the melted apricots. It was my wee brother's birthday on Friday! He is not so wee and did not think a cake with candles was necessary, but I did of course. He is mad for chocolate but he loved this, everyone at the table dipped in for seconds. I think that says something of a cake made with no chocolate. For all summer birthdays this is a beautifully light (and pretty healthy) treat. I love you Jay! Happy Birthday!


Polenta Honey Apricot Cake

prep and cook time: 1 hour +

3/4 cup ground almonds
½ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup rice flour
3 whites and 2 egg yolks (from large to extra large eggs)
½ cup agave/honey blend
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons fats/fat replacement ( I did (3) coconut oil, (2) olive oil and (2) applesauce)
8-10 apricot halves with honey


Preheat the oven to 350 F. The cake will take 40-45 minutes to bake, and if made into muffins they would take 20 minutes. (NB: I was going to do muffin cakes but I did not know if the apricots would stick to the bottom of the muffin trays, now thinking back you could probably make a parchment paper design/sleeve.)

Cut a circular piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of your 9 inch cake pan. This can be done be tracing the bottom and then cutting the traced circle out. Insert the circular parchment paper in the pan. Then grease the rim and the bottom over the parchment paper.

Mix the flours, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl mix the honey, melted oils, applesauce, two egg yolks and vanilla. Mix the wet slowly into the dry. Whip the three egg whites into peaks and slowly (1/3 at a time) fold them in. The batter should be pretty wet. Arrange the apricot halves "belly" up in the pan. Dollop honey in each belly and then pour the batter over them. Even the batter out. Pop in the oven. Keep in the oven for at least 40 min or until finito. Let the cake cool and garnish with organic powdered sugar. I know I avoided sugar in the recipe (intentionally) but it really made the cake pretty and added a good bite when sprinkled on top. NB: Cake even better next morning for breakfast!