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I might live rurally, but the last thing I wants is to feel is disconnected

by Narges Mohammadi May 31, 2022

Having high-speed internet means our columnist can still stay in touch with her old life

Let’s read the story of Katie, an English woman who decides to live rurally but still wants connection with the 21st century technology

Once, people moved to the countryside to escape. Wild cliffs, wide valleys and mountains were places you went to lose yourself. People ran to the hills to be isolated. I suppose that’s why I first came to the countryside. It seemed like a way to free myself from everything and everyone (not to mention a marriage). But if I came to the countryside harboring fantasies of living alone on a cliff, now that I’ve actually settled here it turns out the last thing I want is to be isolated. What’s the point in having all these nice feature fireplaces and views if I can’t share my #cottagecore on Instagram

Country life was perhaps once synonymous with living off-grid, a hippy idyll for people who wanted to opt out of the system. But for my generation of digital natives, living in nature doesn’t mean dropping out. It can be quite the opposite. For many of us, leaving the city isn’t a way to shun work but to focus on it, as US tech entrepreneurs in their ranches suggest

I am part of a generation who entered the workforce when remote working was already the norm. We were used to freelancing from our beds in our PJs, running a remote office from our homes using Slack, Teams and Zoom long before the pandemic made such platforms widespread

Many of the people who come to stay with me in Somerset to help do up my cottage – people I found on the Workaway website where travelers exchange labor for accommodation – are subsidizing their journeys by working online, and were doing so long before Covid19 appeared. Those staying in my caravan have so far included a woman working in online book marketing, a freelance illustrator and a man trading cryptocurrencies

The internet hasn’t just revolutionized the workplace but changed every aspect of our lives, and this has never been so apparent in the country. Here, being able to access high-speed internet means, in some ways, my life still resembles the one I left behind in the city

I still go on dates via Tinder. Even if I discovered at Land’s End there were so few local matches I could “complete” it. I still sell my old clothes on eBay, although now I have to drive to the Post Office awkwardly handing over my packages to the same postman every time who remarks on what I’m doing. I still make friends through Instagram and enemies through Twitter. As I write this column my flat-mates are watching Netflix, live-streaming the Johnny Depp trial, and flicking through Hinge

A friend who used to sometimes write a weekend round-up for a news desk, who lives in a rural location, likes to describe the mad morning drive he used to take, as the sun was rising, to get the papers from a newsagent in the nearest village, miles away. Now, I read the latest headlines at the same time as everyone else, on my phone in bed, while the cows move around the fields next to me

I find that some social media is used even more enthusiastically here in the countryside than in cities: Local Facebook groups are a hive of gossip and fights. And apps such as Next Door are full of advice on where to find a plumber or someone to drain your well. Online communities are meeting points where people go to share veg box delivery information and the pub’s opening hours

Now decent phone reception and high-speed internet are prerequisites to country life. If only the real world had caught up. I’m lucky where I live. After an initial hump with BT, I got onto my Wi-Fi network and was delighted to find it runs quicker than my internet connection in London ever did, where I was competing with thousands of other networks. I may live down an unmarked dirt track, surrounded by cows, but I’ve never been more connected

Some rural areas are less fortunate. According to Ofcom there are currently more than 600,000 properties in the UK that are unable to access reliable broadband service from either fixed or fixed wireless networks. As part of its levelling-up ambitions, the Government has pledged £22 million to make the country better connected

The UK Gigabit Voucher scheme, introduced in 2018, entitles eligible rural homes to a £1,500 voucher to upgrade their network – though in some remote areas the internet’s so awful this won’t even touch the sides of what it would cost to actually upgrade to a decent signal

One homeowner in Buxton, Derbyshire, was quoted £40,000 by BT to improve his internet connection. BT got me online but I hadn’t accounted for the other Wi-Fi issues I’d face. I didn’t think about the fact that the half-meter thick walls of my ancient cottage would block the signal from travelling from one side of the house to the other. Or the fact that I’d have an Argentinian staying in my caravan trading Bitcoin who needed a fast connection

Still, I did find a solution. Orbi Mesh routers are big white boxes I plug around my house, which do something miraculous so now the internet works in all corners of the cottage, right across the garden and even in the caravan. Which is how right now my flat-mates are watching rugby and chatting on Facebook in the house while the Argentinian is in the caravan checking his investments online, and I have Taylor Swift blaring from YouTube while I upload shots of my pink kitchen to Instagram, where people in America, London and Cornwall reply to tell me what they think

The people I know who’ve chosen to live rurally aren’t necessarily trying to escape. They don’t want to avoid modern life, many of us are just trying to find another way to be part of it. I might be living in an ancient cottage but I don’t actually want to live in the 17th century

May 31, 2022 0 comment

Asia Society

Tuncer Salih jailed for horror nightclub rapes of young women

by Narges Mohammadi May 24, 2022

A Melbourne man raped two women in a nightclub toilet and told them about his dead daughter in the horrifying attack

Tuncer Salih was found guilty of two counts of rape following a trial in the County Court of Victoria and was jailed for 16 years on Tuesday. The 45-year-old followed the women into the female bathrooms at Clique nightclub and climbed over the top of their locked cubicle in the early hours of February 2, 2019

One of the two women in the cubicle tried to push Salih back but he overpowered her and told her to “shush” as she fought him. He also spoke about his dead daughter as he forced himself on her. That victim watched in horror as he raped her friend, who was passed out in the toilet cubicle, before she was able to escape and get security

“Your predatory attacks on two vulnerable women in the female toilet of a busy city nightclub in the early morning hours was motivated to satiate a desire for sexual gratification,” Judge Douglas Trapnell said. These are truly appalling crimes

A security guard at the club came in and insisted the cubicle door be opened, where he saw Mr Salih’s pants down and a woman in a sitting position on the floor, he told police.The security guard told police that earlier in the night Mr Salih tried to give him money to allow him to take a woman into the bathrooms – which he rejected

One of his victims told the court in a harrowing statement the impact the crime had on her. “I find myself constantly reliving the night from a third person perspective, trying to piece together the dots,” she previously told the court

She suffered flashbacks and found the court experience difficult.“I am personally terrified about the day when he completes his sentence,” she said. Salih fought the charges at a trial, but was later found guilty on both counts

The judge found his prospects of rehabilitation were problematic because of similar offending, including rapes carried out in the past. He took into account the delay in the case going to trial and the impact of Covid-19 on prison conditions. Salih must spend at least 12 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole

May 24, 2022 0 comment

Asia Society

Women riding high in Chinese delivery industry

by Narges Mohammadi May 24, 2022

More female drivers in China are opting to work in the delivery sector. Below, you will read the words of three of them and will learn about their aspirations plus the reasons to why they accepted this once male-dominated job

Although Wang Chaofeng may not stand out among the throng of food delivery personnel, her persistence and hardworking spirit have won respect for her and her small number of female peers

Since she started the job in October 2018, the 29-year-old has never allowed herself to lose out to male workers in terms of physical strength and endurance

Initially, my husband and I worked at a registration stand for driving schools, but we quit several years ago as the job couldn’t secure a good life for us, she said. Then in 2018, we came to Beijing to look for work

She said that she and her husband were nonplussed about their lives and future at first, and they were constantly worried about paying for food and rent at the time

I remember that we wandered around the streets like aimless flies for a couple of days, looking for any vacancies. Then we heard that it was easy to get jobs as food delivery drivers, which could bring in high salaries, she said. We registered with Meituan, a food delivery platform, without any hesitation

She conceded that she had some concerns about the job as very few women were willing to take on food delivery work. The high salary lured me,” she said. Even though she enjoys the flexible working hours the job provides, she once burst into tears because of the heavy workload.

In the first month after I took the job, I got really tired every day and couldn’t get used to the work at all. I remember that it was around the end of the year. One very cold day, when the road was iced up because a street sprinkler had just passed by, I fell off my electric scooter after applying the brakes a little too hard, she said

I just sat on the ground, feeling helpless because I couldn’t lift up my e-scooter. It was too heavy and I was too tired at the time. All the emotions came flooding out and I felt aggrieved,” she said. “But I still love the job, anyway

Wang said that she never thinks of herself as inferior when she works with male delivery drivers. “Except for when I have my period, I won’t lose out to them in terms of physical strength. Sometimes, I may get more understanding and kindness from customers when they see I’m a woman,” she said

I remember that one time I got an order to deliver mutton soup, but I spilled a lot of the broth during the journey because I fell off my e-scooter. I was very sorry, so I told the customer that I would pay for another bowl of soup for him. But he refused, saying he preferred the mutton to the soup. I knew it was an excuse to make me feel better, but it did cheer me up

As the mother of two children, Wang said the job gives her the mental strength to support the family

Sometimes, my husband, who is also a food deliveryman at the same Meituan station as me, blames himself for letting me do such an arduous job. He used to try to persuade me to get a new job for example, to become a courier for a shopping mall but I really feel okay and I love the flexible working hours, she said

Wang usually delivers about 40 orders a day, working from 10 am to 9 pm. That means she can earn around 10,000 yuan ($1,490) a month during the peak seasons, which are usually the hottest and coldest months

I take a break at about 2 pm, when the peak of lunch orders finishes. The second peak comes after 5 pm, for dinner,” she said

She is one of the team leaders at the Meituan station. “I don’t think women are inferior to men, and I just want my female peers to drive slowly and take good care of themselves. We women are as good as men at our duties,” she said

May 24, 2022 0 comment

Europe Health

UK charities follow Spain in calling for menstrual leave for severe pain

by Narges Mohammadi May 22, 2022

It comes as Spanish politicians approve a new draft bill that would allow those with painful periods to have three days off a month. Current UK employment law states workers should use sick leave if they need time off work

Emma Cox from Endometriosis UK says: “We need to challenge the squeamishness and silence around menstrual health”. A spokesperson for period equality charity Bloody Good Period added: We need to understand the experiences and challenges that people who menstruate face in the workplace, and then take steps to support them

If the Spanish legislation is passed, it will become the first European country to offer this type of leave. It is part of a number of reproductive health reforms in the country, including changes to abortion laws. The three-day sick leave for painful periods would be allowed with a doctor’s note, and could extend to five days in extreme cases

‘Debilitating and excruciating’

Abbie Stapleton is a 26-year-old freelance photographer who says she had to leave her previous job as a nurse due to “debilitating and excruciating” period pain. She has endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries

When I started as a nurse I had to go on extended sick leave because the pain was so bad, I lost out on a social life, my friendships and relationships really suffered and I was housebound most of the time – I’d also spent many days in hospital and on strong pain relief

Abbie says having the option of menstrual leave would have been really helpful. I think menstrual leave is really important, especially for those who have debilitating period pain and struggle to function, such as those with endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS and fibroids

It gives people time to rest, to prioritize their health, and it would also break down the stigma about period pain. A spokesperson for Bloody Good Period has said that more needs to be done by the government beyond issuing menstrual leave, including improving the communications, culture and broader policy around periods in the workplace” and “ensuring employers have an understanding of the range of symptoms someone with painful periods might experience

Emma Cox from Endometriosis UK, adds: Anyone experiencing pain which means they need to be absent from work should expect to be listened to, believed, and receive support which is appropriate to the type and severity of symptoms they experience

There are only a few countries around the world that offer menstrual leave, including Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Zambia. All their laws vary widely, with the majority of countries not offering paid leave but providing extra time off outside of statutory sick leave allowances

In Indonesia, workers are allowed two days of menstrual leave a month, but that’s not in addition to sick leave. Japanese law states that those experiencing a particularly difficult menstruation period should be given time off, but it doesn’t have to be paid leave

May 22, 2022 0 comment

Health North America

Brewed Coffee Vs. Espresso May Affect Cholesterol Levels Differently in Men and Women

by Narges Mohammadi May 12, 2022

The gender of the drinker and the brewing method could be key to coffee’s link with elevated cholesterol levels, according to a new study published in the open-access journal Open Heart

Researchers reported that espresso drinks showed the widest difference between genders in cholesterol levels. Coffee made with a plunger (cafetière) showed the narrowest difference between genders

Researchers from UiT The Arctic University of Norway studied data from 13,889 participants (7,167 women and 6,722 men) responding in 2015 and 2016 to the seventh survey of the Tromso Study, a long-term population study launched in 1974 involving residents of the Norwegian city of Tromso

Scientists asked participants how many cups of coffee they drank each day. They also asked what type of brew they drank: filtered; plunger (cafetière); espresso from a coffee machine, pods, mocha pots, and instant

Subjects were 40 and older, with an average age of 56

Blood samples were collected and physical information was gathered, including height and weight, diet and lifestyle, including whether the participants smoked, how much alcohol they drank, and how much they exercised. They also recorded participants’ education level attainment and whether they’d been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes

Women drank an average of just under four cups of coffee per day, while men consumed nearly five on average

Data analysis showed an association between coffee and serum total cholesterol that varied, depending on how the coffee was made. “Significant” gender differences were discovered for all brew types, except coffee made with a bar plunger

“Coffee is the most frequently consumed central stimulant worldwide,” the study authors wrote. “Because of the high consumption of coffee, even small health effects can have considerable health consequences

May 12, 2022 1 comment

Europe Society

A year after Sarah Everard’s murder, are women of Britain any safer

by Narges Mohammadi May 1, 2022

After the murder of Sara Everard, the authorities promised to ensure the safety of women no matter what; but what we hear says something else

Two years ago in London, a woman named Sarah Everard was abducted by a police officer on her way home at night, raped and then brutally killed. That police officer threw Sarah’s body into a bin liner and left it somewhere. This wasn’t the first time that this happened to a woman in the UK, which is why when this story went viral on the media across Britain; women staged protested because of the lack of security in the country

Following the widespread wave of women’s protests, the authorities pledged to address the situation and provide the necessary security and comfort for women in the community. Nearly 2 years after this incident, a Sky News reporter went to the British people and interviewed several women from different parts of the society and asked them, “Will the security that was promised to them be provided after the Sarah Everard incident or not?”. We have their words as follows

Anna Birley, Job Occupation: Organizer, “Reclaim Our Streets”

“Short answer, no. I think what’s really disappointing is how politicians, decision-makers, senior police officers all said that last March was this watershed moment for women’s safety and not only has it happened again, there was the tragic case of Sabina Nessa, for example, but very little has happened as a result of their words

“Every woman I know, myself included, still checks their behaviour – not walking down certain roads, especially at night, getting a taxi if it’s not more than a short distance away. I don’t know a woman who hasn’t at some point put their keys between their fingers. If the answer was street lights and more CCTV cameras there wouldn’t be an issue of women’s safety

It’s not an easy fix. We’re not being attacked by a lack of street lights; we’re being attacked by men feeling empowered and emboldened to behave that way towards women. And that stems from a culture that allows misogyny to go unchecked

Salwa lives in Brixton, near where Sarah Everard went missing

“I don’t feel like there have been any formalities or any policies that I’ve been in direct contact with that make me feel safer over the past year. As a woman, there is always that element of fear that surrounds how you act and how you can be. And I’ll do things myself to keep myself safe. I don’t ever think that feeling of fear will ever go, that’s routed in something that’s a much larger conversation

Ella Morrison, Year 13 pupil, Alleyn’s School, South London

“It was so scary – the fact that Sarah Everard was walking down a road that many of us walk down as well. She did everything that we are told that you are supposed to do – walk along a main road, not listening to music. But the conversation that we have had at school now as a result, I think the pupils have really benefited from that, in just opening up the conversation and having it not as stigmatized as it was before

The sad truth is a lot of Year 7 and Year 8 pupils will experience cat-calling or gender-based violence and it’s better to educate them before that happens, rather than just be left in the dark about it, and allow it to be normalized

May 1, 2022 0 comment

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