5 Hours In London

The Pressures & Struggles Of Coming From A Mixed Heritage Background

Now, today we are going to get deep. We are going to discuss something personal to me and many others. Something that we may not think about everyday or even every week but has affected us at some point in our lives.

The pressures of coming from a mixed heritage background.

There. I said it. There are pressures.

Pressure to have thick curly hair.
Pressure to have perfectly smooth light skin.
Pressure to have blue or green coloured eyes.
Pressure to have curves.
Pressure to look like the glorified mixed people people on social media.

Just like anything repetitive event in your life, you get used it.

You know you're mixed when people feel entitled to know "what" you are.
When people think its okay to claim or reject you for their race whenever it is convenient to them.
When you can't relate to either side of your family because you weren't raised in their culture.
When people express that "they wish they had your skin tone".
When you have to tick a generalised term on application forms such as "other" or "black and white african".
When people accuse you of siding with one side of your culture, agreeing to the fact that yes you are mixed but you act white or behave black.

When really, that's all you've known and you're just being you.

And what do people expect you to say when...

They ask you why your african heritage hasn't given you curly hair
or the curvaceous body your ancestors possess?
Why you you don't have the blue eyes of your mother?
Or why you listen to 'white' music.

We do not realise the ignorance behind these questions until we take a step back.

As a child of mixed-heritage, I do feel privileged. But not because of my skin tone. I feel privileged because I have a true understanding of two cultures and that is something most people will not have the chance to experience.


✌️🏽

Recipe Of The Week: Carrot Cake With Orange Drizzle!

Ingredients

• 3 Large Eggs

• 140g Grated Carrot

• 1 Large Oraged (Zested and Juiced)

• 175g Self-Raising Flour

• 1 Tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda

• 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 1/2 Tsp Grated Nutmeg 

(For Frosting)

• 175g Icing Sugar

• 2 Tbs Orange Juice

Method

• Heat the oven to 180c/Fan 160/Gas 4 and oil and line the tin

• Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl and pour in the oil, eggs and lightly mix. Stir in grated carrot and orange zest

• Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices then sift into the bowl and lightly mix all the ingredients

• Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40-45minutes. Cool for 5mins and then empty onto a wire rack

• Beat frosting ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle over cooled cake

F**cking Life, Or Is Life F**cking Us?

Sometimes you just have to swallow your words and wait.

Wait for things to blow over or get better or to be forgotten.

That is the hardest lesson of life. Learning to be patient, learning that time is the only true healer.

When you have found something or someone you love. Hold on to it and work at it everyday, if you think you're going to be given your dream job or a perfect husband on a silver platter, you've misunderstood life. Life challenges us in ways that not one single human could.

One moment you will have things under control and then the next it will be shattered into pieces waiting for you to put it back together. You are in control of your life and what you do, humans are programmed to be selfish so don't expect anyone to come and help pick up your pieces when they have pieces of their own to be putting back together.

There will be times when you are frustrated, confused, angry and annoyed...sometimes all at once. Trust your journey and know that every negative thing you go through is helping you become who you are supposed to be.

Whether you fall in love with something or someone. Do it for the rest of your life. Brace yourselves for the cliche of the year...life is fucking short. When you are laying in bed mad at your boyfriend, girlfriend or friend, or just frustrated that you have not made the progress you would have wanted to by now in your career. Just think, if you haven't given up by now, the motivation and love is still there; anything worth having will not come easy. I really do not believe in giving up anymore, not that I have believed in it but I did give up a lot when things were hard. If you want something...fight for it (another saying that probably has you cringing in your seats). Allow yourself to be shamed, taken advantage of or embarrassed. If the love is real and the passion is there, it will be worth it.

You're thinking "fucking hell, that's a bit dramatic". Well, welcome to life, where everything is blown out of proportion and people are taken for granted everyday.

We don't have enough days in our life time to be mad at people we care for or hold off events because we are "scared"; I am talking about people you can't go a day without thinking about and things you can't go a day without researching. Time is the bane of our lives and it is not until we realise this that you we will truly appreciate the people and opportunities around us.

I guess what I am trying to say is, love hard and take advantage of life. It's the only thing your can take advantage of without being judged in this generation.

That was deep, Peace Out.