The January Challenge: Beautiful

Today's challenge is to find beauty in something ordinary, or ugly. I was thinking about this when I went to sort out my laundry. The washing machine is not much to look at, but it's a machine that makes my life so much easier. If like me, you've tasted what it's like to handwash your laundry, you will never take the washing machine for granted again.

I remember living in a house without any laundry facilities for 6 months and although it was over the summer, it was quite a chore to do laundry. Small clothes were fine to handwash, but beddings were so heavy and your hands just go numb and crinkly submerged in the water for so long.

So to me, a washing machine, and the dryer, are the most beautiful things in my house.

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Indonesian fried spring rolls (Lumpia Goreng)

I don't often make Indonesian food because the ingredients are hard to find, but our local supermarkets are getting better at stocking ethnic ingredients. In the frozen section of Tesco, near the samosas, you can find the spring roll pastry. Don't bother asking the branch in Chester. I was laughed at by the cashier when I asked for spring roll skin, because 'skin' is what we call the wrapper in Indonesian. Her more helpful colleague offered me filo pastry instead, which can be a good substitute. I'm afraid no one in Chester has yet to taste my amazing spring rolls as a result. Friends in Southsea are luckier! Here are the ingredients to make 30 spring rolls (the packs come in 30 or 40 pieces) 1 medium head of cabbage, thinly sliced 2 carrots, julienned 1 red or yellow pepper, julienned 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 medium courgette, julienned 1 tablespoon of Oyster sauce (omit if cooking for vegan) 2 tbsp soy sauce salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp vegetable oil f...

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Luna Park 2021, an eagerly anticipated new public artwork for Portsmouth designed by internationally renowned artists Ivan Morison and Heather Peak of Studio Morison will be launched on 2 October 2021 on a celebratory day in Southsea Common. The 1.4 metres bronze sculpture is a tribute to the original 53-foot high 2010 artwork Luna Park, which tragically burned down on Southsea Common. The artists will unveil a new sculpture that responds to ten years of public demand to ‘bring back the Southsea Dinosaur’. The new public artwork will be located within a direct sightline to the position of the original Luna Park sculpture. It will sit on top of a fossil Portland stone plinth with a QR code which when scanned with a smartphone will connect to an Augmented Reality experience. People will be transported to a digital rendering of the original artwork, seemingly standing life-size in front of them on Southsea Common. Viewers will also be able to use their mobile devices to visit a...

Black History Month celebrations continues

Black History Month (BHM) is held every October with the aim of promoting knowledge of black history, culture and heritage, and positive black contributions to British society. In support of BHM the University of Portsmouth, in conjunction with the Multicultural Staff Network and Student Union and Portsmouth Film Society, is supporting various activities throughout the Month. Events also mark the The Windrush 70th anniversary, celebrating and honouring the pioneering, Windrush generation that came to Britain who have helped to shape British social, cultural and political life. On 31 October, a day of events will be held at the University starting with the launch of the Race Equality Charter. The launch event will give staff an opportunity to learn more about the charter and will be opened by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Graham Galbraith. Dr Deborah Gabriel, Founder and Director of Black British Academics and Co-Chair of Bournemouth University’s Race Equality Charter Steering ...

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