Bluebells of Badbury Woods
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
10M ago
Location: Badbury Woods, Faringdon, Oxfordshire, UK. A spring walk through Badbury Woodlands means strolling amongst a stunning sea of purple. The end of April was a perfect time to visit the woods, as we took in the peaceful atmosphere and spent time just contemplating while gazing at the blanket of bluebells in the sunshine ..read more
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Women, mentors, teachers, friends…mothers?
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
Note: I have been attempting to write this piece for over six months now and have been drafting it over and over, returning to the drafts in an attempt to find more suitable wordings (you’ll understand once you’ve read it). It is with an unsure mindset that I post this now, as I don’t think I will ever find the right words to say in response to those who have been a positive part of my life.  I hope it all makes sense!   Looking back on life so far, I am lucky to have had some wonderful women come and go throughout. I would like to dedicate this post to three specific women. But firs ..read more
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A wander through Holland Park
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
With the Covid-19 situation being what it is, there is now next to nothing to do outdoors in London that doesn’t involve some sort of park. If you’ve ventured out in the past fews weeks, you’ll find that the majority of parks have been packed with people trying to escape the confines of their home and get a spot of sunshine as well as see their friends and family. This weekend, I went to Kensington’s Holland Park for a walk. Expecting it to be fairly empty (as per my last visit in July 2018), I was surprised to find it full of people walking, picnicking, yoga-ing and making the most of being a ..read more
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Sunset from Primrose Hill
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
A few weeks ago, I ventured up Primrose Hill in North London to see the so-called ‘breathtaking’ views of London. I had been looking up places I could visit to capture some photos and this was apparently one of the best spots to view the sun setting over the city. Therefore, after a minor trek up the hill, I perched myself among the many others who had come up to watch the sunset, and waited. Needless to say, the sight of the city was lovely. However, as the sun set on the opposite side of the hill to the view of the city, I didn’t quite get the spectacular views I had been expecting. Maybe I ..read more
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Heightened
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
Heightened. Everything is heightened. Sadness becomes misery, Envy becomes resentment, Nostalgia becomes yearning, Anger becomes fury, Anxiety becomes panic, Fear becomes dread, Emotion becomes heightened. It climbs and climbs and climbs, until one day the emotion is gone. The emptiness arrives. A hole is created. The emptiness stays. It stays until the light is turned on. It stays until the emotions are calmer. It stays until the emotions return. It stays until the hole is full again. The circuit stays running. Running for as long as it can. Until it breaks.     ..read more
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Sunset at St.Pauls
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
Finally had a little of something called ‘free time’, so I went out to capture the sunset from London’s Millennium Bridge. Here’s what my camera could handle before it started pouring with hail and I had to make a break for the nearest coffee shop! Played around with some editing this time. St. Pauls Cathedral under the sunset.  St. Pauls Cathedral under the rain.  This is when it was hailing heavily! ^^^ The other side of the Millennium Bridge.   ..read more
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December in London
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
Happy Holidays! It’s been a while since my last post. Over the last few months I have been working my way through a Primary PGCE course in London. It has not been an easy ride, but I have learnt a lot along the way – I can probably even classify myself as a Londoner soon. As someone who (kind of) knows the city well and has experienced the crowded rush hour commutes, dull weather, and dirty streets, it’s easy to forget that it can be beautiful at times – the tourists certainly think its amazing! This winter I noticed that London takes its festive decorations quite seriously – there are a stunn ..read more
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27 Years
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
Warning: Contains dark themes. Brief mentions of anxiety, depression and suicide. What is it like to be happy? What is it like to be content? Are we ever fully either? Maybe the lucky ones among us are. The older I get, the more I am realising that being an ‘adult’ is not as it appears. The past few years of birthdays have been days to dread, rather than ones to celebrate. With the age shaming (is that even a thing?) that goes on within my family’s culture, it’s no question why. My dad has always referred to me being a year or two older than I actually am, and I am constantly reminded that I a ..read more
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Reconsidering and Reflecting – Life as a First Time Teaching Assistant
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
I get in the car and take a deep breath of relief that the day is over. Today I have been smacked in the face twice by children at work, adding pain to the existing bruise I gained from walking into a door the day before (ha!). Both children have been diagnosed with autism and therefore had no control of their actions. In fact, it was probably my own slow reactions which caused me to get hurt. In addition, I then had a football kicked straight into my back while supervising on the playground (another accidental case – I figured maybe that’s why the other TA’s tended to stand on the edges and w ..read more
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Spring sun catchers
CALMINGPRESENCE
by Sara
3y ago
With the start of spring came the colourful arrays of flowers lining fields, pavement and gardens. After having previously made sun catchers in nursery using tissue paper and glitter, I wanted to go for a natural approach this time. I took the pre-school children out to collect some flowers to do just that. The children collected piles of daisies and some grass (the only plants that were available to us at the time). We then used sticky back plastic and paper plates to create our sun catchers, and hung them on the window in our room. The problem with only having daisies at hand for this act ..read more
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