Thailand…Elephant Nature Park

Now this blog is a difficult one, not because I’m lost for words (a very rare occurrence) but because my week at ENP was one of the best times of my life so far and I have waaaaaay too many things to tell you, but ill give it a wiz and hopefully I will be able to portray my amazing experiences through the power of blog!

When I arrived in Chiang Mai I didn’t know what to expect, I was aware that I had booked a week with ENP but going off their website my expectations didn’t go further than a tiny hut in the middle of nowhere surrounded by elephants ALONE. I couldn’t have been more wrong it was simply beautiful…not just the place, but the people aswell (I made some awesome friends, a couple are American but I won’t hold that against them :p) The land stretched for miles surrounded by jungle, with a river flowing through it. The building was huge and the bedrooms were sooo cute, all my previous fears had disappeared within minutes of seeing it. Luckily I had an awesome room mate (Brenda Rodriguez) and that just added to the fun J We immediately made friends with the lovely Kate Comer, Holly Pfeiffer, Karen Gorham and Eline Van den berg and for the week we were inseparable.

Now it wasn’t just fun and games, we were told on the 1^st day that we would be working, the park relies upon the help of the volunteers to keep it running. (However there was always plenty of free time to chill out, wander around ORRRR drink some thai moonshine, and play thai UNO!) We were separated into 4 groups and the jobs included….preparing the ele food, cleaning up the ele poo (not my favourite one :/) cutting corn, planting trees and pineapples, shovelling sand and watering plants and baby trees. But surrounded by elephants, the beautiful scenery and great company not one of these wasn’t fun J

In the evenings we would either have a talk from some of the people that made ENP possible, or have a laugh with our amazing volunteer co coordinators (Jack, Chet, Chai and Thep). The talks were very educational and extremely eye opening. We were told about how each and nearly every elephant in the park had been through extreme suffering in their lives, about how they were beaten and tortured by their previous mahouts (elephant trainers) and some even blinded! Despite the fact that the emblem of the elephant represents Thailand and they are considered sacred animals, the country still believes in hurting them to make them passive and trainable. This is were Lek comes in (Sangduen Chailert) since she was a young girl she has fought against the traditional practice of the “Crush” (a method of torture that is bestowed upon each elephant to crush their spirit and make them easy to control). When they are young the elephants are forced into wooden cages and beaten and stabbed until they succumb to the mahouts demands. This goes on for days and many elephants don’t survive this traumatic process, but if they do they are then forced into a hard life of entertaining tourists, being badly beaten and underfed. It is a controversial topic for Thailand as elephants are classed as domestic creatures (despite the figures of them declining rapidly) and Lek has struggled throughout the years to get support from Thai people, especially the government, to them it is simply a tradition and things like elephant rides and elephant shows bring tourism and money to Thailand.

But in reality the fact that we partake in these events does nothing but reaffirm to the people of Thailand that these methods of torture are necessary.

It has taken Lek years of hard work, constant campaigning and an unlimited amount of inner strength to achieve what she has managed today. With 35 elephants at the park including two babies, she has managed to buy abused elephants which have been close to deaths door from their mahouts and give them a home full of care and love. She has also managed to train young elephants that have never gone through “the Crush” with positive reinforcement – showing that painful and torturous methods are not needed.

However Lek’s fight for the elephants doesn’t stop there, with the recent flooding that consumed parts of Thailand, many cats and dogs were abandoned and left to die. With the help of volunteers Lek managed to buy boats and medical supplies to go to their aid. The elephant park and office is now full of many dogs and cats all being treated for any injuries or illnesses they sustained due to the floodings. I am glad to report that they all seemed very happy with their new home and seem to have no problems sunbathing next to the elephants J

My week there was not only eye opening but left me an emotional wreck when I had to leave. I sincerely believe that there isn’t a more beautiful and idyllic place to go both in vision but in cause aswell. Support Elephant Nature Park today!

Lou molloy article published :D

Check out issue 18 of Elite Online magazine. It will fail to disappoint with it's hot, fresh features, it's jaw dropping girls and it's sensational pictures. It's wide range of readership is what sets it apart from other "typical" mens mags as it appeals to young lads, aspiring models, talented photographers and women and men wanting fashion and indepth articles, so get with the times and click the link below ;p
http://www.eliteonlinemagazine.com/Issue18/
And here is the direct link to my article :)
http://www.eliteonlinemagazine.com/Issue18/#/130/

Lou Molloy exhibition :) Pictures will be soon to follow....

Lou Molloy is one of the UK’s leading tattoo artists, and with a string of celebrity clients and a waiting list of up to a year, I would have been foolish to turn down an invite to an exhibition of his most spectacular work at The Pop Art Gallery in Manchester.

Back in the 1970’s tattoos had a dark reputation and were associated with people who were firmly outside mainstream culture. Despite this, the art form fascinated him and this is when he started practising his own tattoos. By 1981, at the young and tender age of 18, he had spent most his teenage years perfecting his skill and decided to open up his own shop, The Middleton Tattoo Studio, in Manchester.

Since 1981 his artwork has made him world famous and he is not only one of the most sought after UK tattooists he also, in 2007, became involved with the television series, London Ink. His work has not only earned him recognition among hard core tattoo lovers but also within the world of celebrity. His most famous client being David Beckham and in 1999 he designed and inked Beckham’s back with a bald, winged, angelic figure, of which Beckham refers to as “his guardian angel.” Since then he has tattooed Victoria Beckham, Mel C, Mel B, all members of Boyzone and Ricky Hatton.

London Ink is a spin off show from Miami Ink and features Lou, alongside 3 other tattoo artists working in a studio. London Ink is shown on Real Time Discovery and their website describes him as “A very versatile artist whose skills stretch to any style…He draws on his wide knowledge of art and culture to create tattoos that have real meaning and depth…And has twice been recipient of outstanding artist of the year UK.”

The art form itself is what interests Lou Molloy the most and he has recently decided to “bridge a gap for those who admire the art but don’t want to take the permanent step of getting a tattoo” by bringing out a menswear collection. This is available on his website http://www.loumolloy.com/

He has partnered with John Smedley in creating this unique form of clothes wear and his site features t-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, John Smedley knitwear and accessories, all with artwork designed by Lou himself.

The exhibition was indeed a hit, whilst showcasing his world famous tattoo artwork in Manchester; it also brought together all different types of people who admire his work. One of which was Manchester United’s newest team member, Chris Smalling, alongside his Page 3 girlfriend Sam Cooke, whose passion is indeed DJing. She showed she was no stranger to the decks as she kicked of her high heels, put on her headphones and took over playing music.

With Lou trying his best to talk to everyone at the event, free drinks were being handed out while people admired his dark and captivating art work. His tattoos are indeed mesmerising and with the mixture of press, friends and fans it would be safe to say that there cant have been many people, who at that moment in time, didn’t want a Lou Molloy tattoo.

love love love this lady :)

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/in-the-pink-first-lady-of-hiphop-nicki-minaj-is-a-bewigged-global-phenomenon-2331338.html

The new Queen of Hip Hop, Nicky Minaj, has rapped her way into our music scene, microphone in hand, hair peice in place, ready to take us by storm. And that she did. With a high range of celebs wanting to collaborate with her it is definately an acheievement to be famous before the release of her first album "Pink Friday."

Entering the world of paintballing...............

Gun in hand, body armour secured, the ultimate boys game is about to start. This is paintballing, complete with their war paint and injuries, Morecambe Bay Assassins are taking no prisoners in the war to become one of the countries most recognised paintballing teams.

Founded in 2008, team captain and one of the original instigators, Matt Newsham, 20, tells me,

“It was just an innocent way for some lads to have some fun”,

But within no time at all their 4 man team which included, Will Hawkins (Matt’s dad), Adam Horrobin and Gary Cowan managed to grow to an impressive 14, as well as being nominated for UK Scenario Paintball Break Though Team of the year 2009 and 2010.

Matt tells me,

“Morecambe Bay Assassins are a UK scenario paintballing team that travel all over the country to attend different games. Our name simply came about because the majority of our players are from Morecambe, but now we have managed to expand some of our players also come from Lancaster, Heysham, Barrow, Preston and even as far as Wolverhampton!”

With hundreds of paintballing teams from all over the country, at the moment, there is no official league table to measure the success of each team, Matt tells me,

“We have developed over the years by gaining more members and attending more games, the way we measure our success is by how well known we are becoming within the paintballing community and how other paintballing teams look at us.”

Despite all the battles and fun there is a serious point to be taken into consideration and this is how the teams are funded, Matt explains,

“We are a totally self funded group and we do this by all holding full time and part time jobs (some of us have careers and some of us just have jobs to fund paintballing.) We do have companies which support us out with the paintballs and equipment. All our playing jerseys and custom line come from Custompb and London International Paintball Supplies (LIPS) help us out with out playing gear as well as our paintballs.”

As great as it all sounds we can’t just simply avoid the fact that this isn’t a sport for the squeamish. As much as I’d love to take part in something like this, due to the fact that I like to interpret my bossiness as me being a natural born leader J I’m not one for pain. So when I asked Matt what his worst injury had been…I soon regretted it.

“My worst injury was definitely back in 2009 at the England V Scotland game. I was shot from about 6ft away right in the back of the neck; there was blood and a nice welt. The pain was unbelievable.”

There was no way to dispute the fact that the following for paintballing was growing at a rapid pace so when 4 guys came together to see how they could expand the world of paintballing, “Super6”, was born. Matt is also involved with this and explains,

“Super6 is a joint project between some of the UK’s most experienced event organisers, these guys are Nail Squaire, Andy Sables, Ged Green and Tim Barnet. They all recognised that it was time for UK scenario paintball to move on to the next level. They arrange for 6 big games over the year, each one bigger and better than the next.”

This also inspired Super6 TV, which is a 45 minute documentary showcasing the events from the game, at the moment it is only being shown on YouTube buts as it’s following grows there is definitely hope that it will soon be picked up by a TV station. Matt is the camera guy for the show and loves every minute,

“It’s great to be involved in the game but in a completely different way, with Super6 TV we travel out to the location and talk to all the traders and the players, we get to find out what new studd they have to offer and catch up on all the game action.”

So for all the people out there that are looking for something different and fun to get involved in this summer paintballing might just be the thing for you, so strap on your balls and get your war faces ready because this is definitely fighting time.

One of the saddest days yet...............The Last Harry Potter film

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

The end has arrived and as everyone makes the journey into the cinema they are aware that this is the final goodbye to Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermonie (Emma Watson). This is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

With tissue packets stuffed into our pockets and some of the audience dressed up in full gryffindor uniform everyone is prepared for the immensity that is about to hit the screen. Explosive is the only word to describe this film, fast paced and action packed, there is no way your attention could waver even for a second.

With their wands at the ready, this film takes off exactly where the last one finished, Dobbys untimely death at the hands of Bellatrix Lastrange (Helena Bonham Carter), Voldermorts (Ralph Fiennes) most extreme follower. With their mission clearly laid out for them in Part 1, nothing has changed, the hunt for Horcrux’s still continues. However time is against them as it isn’t long until Voldermort realises what they are up to. With his search for the Elder wand over, he now believes himself to be the most powerful wizard about and wants nothing more than to find Harry and kill him.

With their journey taking so many unpredictable twists it isn’t long until they have no choice but to return to Hogwarts, a school they no longer recognise with Snape (Alan Rickman) as Headmaster. When they arrive they are greeted by old school mates who have carried on the DA (Dumbledores Army) and hide out in the Room of Requirement, as to avoid the torturing punishments of the Deatheaters and the Dementors that now surround the school.

Meeting up with a few school favourites from the other films the audience is happy to see professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Seamus Finnigan (Devon Murray), Cho Chang (Katie Leung) and professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) jump to Harry’s aid. But the most surprising of all characters is Nevill Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), he is no longer recognisable as the loveable but quiet and shy boy who lets himself get bullied. But has transformed into a strong leader who welcomes the fight for good to triumph over evil, he is the true hero of this film.

Both Harry and Voldermort know that this is it, this is the battle to end all battles and this is where one will have to die. This film is dark and the director David Yates has done his best to portray the book perfectly into the film, with the strong structure of the story and the all star cast you will struggle to catch your breath in the battle between life long enemies, Harry and Voldermort. The fate of the magical world is in Harry’s hands as this final battle will determine whether or not life can go back to normal for everyone or whether dark magic will rule and the muggle world be destroyed.

So for every follower of the films and for every devoted fan of the books now is time to gather support and cheer Harry on, because this is the last time you will gather in excitement at the cinema for a new Harry Potter film. Our friends will be greatly missed.

Friends of Chernobyl’s children......A heartwarming charity

This year marked the 25^th anniversary of Chernobyl and for many people all over England their hearts still go out to the victims, especially the children who are still living with the aftermath of that terrible day.

Every year a charity called Friends of Chernobyl’s children (FOCC) arrange for children from Belarus to come over and stay somewhere in England for 4 weeks and I’m glad to report that Morecambe is one of these places. Every year 18 children that originally come from orphanages and disadvantaged homes in Belarus get to live with a host family in Lancashire and experience a different way of life.

The cost of an annual visit per child is around £500 which is raised by people of the community by fundraising and one of the people involved is Gary Eckford, the landlord of the New Inn in Morecambe. On Saturday the 18^th of June he will be hosting a race night to raise money for the charity where everyone is invited to enjoy a fun day of betting on horses, karaoke and a raffle. The person who bets on the winning horse will also receive a cash prize and the rest of the money will go towards FOCC, so if you fancy a fun filled evening whilst at the same time helping children then get down to the New Inn at 8pm.

Another dedicated local man who is set on raising money for FOCC is Gary Whitfield who on the Saturday morning before the race night is doing a skydive which Whitewalls catering have paid for in Cockerham. He will be jumping 14,000 feet out of plane and even some of the charity committee will be coming down to watch him.

Chernobyl was a power station in Ukraine that in 1986 had an explosion resulting in highly radioactive smoke being released into the atmosphere over the Western USSR and most of Europe. Belarus was one of the most effected areas and it said that it received 60% of the fall out. In 1995 The World Health Organisation finally recognised the link to the high percentages of Thyroid cancer and Chernobyl. Unfortunately it is believed that 1 third of the children that were aged from 0-4, in the area, at the time of the disaster will get thyroid cancer in their life times. There has also been a 50% increase in leukaemia cases, as well as a recognised increase in breast cancer. This was an incident that will go on affecting people’s lives for a very long time.

Throughout the year FOCC are glad to receive all sorts of donations including clothes as some of the children don’t come over with many. If you are unable to attend the fundraiser but still feel as though you would like to donate something towards it then please make sure it is well sealed and send it to Gary Eckford at The New Inn Morecambe with FOCC wrote on it. Any help is greatly appreciated.