Ashma John

Whenever, as a child, I forgot my table manners or just general etiquette, I recall my elders nagging that it showed that I had no “broughtupsy”. 

I recently saw a meme being shared on  Facebook that made me feel a bit sad, and, if I’m being honest, caused me to chuckle a little at how nonchalant we are when it comes to connecting the dots to global problems.

Purchasing gifts is such a time consuming, hit or miss, mind boggling task, especially when there is no gift registry.

If you didn’t photograph it, did it even happen? If you didn’t tag your location pin, were you even there?

Recently, a trip to the cinema feels as if you are inside of a Pepto-Bismol bottle.

When you were born and raised in a country with warm and humid weather it’s easy to override the negative effects extreme heat can have on the body and just believe the body will naturally adapt to anything.

I wouldn’t consider myself a die-hard Beyonce fan but two weeks ago I guess I could have fooled a lot of people into thinking otherwise.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most debilitating mental illnesses there is.

There are aspects of my life that I hope to always retain despite how it may change over the years.

According to a Forbes report in 2020, Guyana is said to have the largest diaspora population in comparison to the rest of the world (36.4%).

Uncivilised, violent, devil worshipping and a country inherent in bad luck are some of the stereotypes most of us tend to believe of Haiti and Haitians.

Not a single word or words stringed together will ever be able to bring any sense of comfort to the family and friends reeling from pain after learning that they have lost loved ones in the Mahdia dorm fire.

When designers produce accessible collections with leading fast fashion brands or significantly slash prices of their merchandise six months later to clear the way for new collections, I always question the real value of the supposed luxury. 

Examinations and tests have always made me nervous. There is something so definitive about them that sometimes makes it hard for one to divorce one’s self-esteem from the outcome.  

To travel without a visa to a country where you once needed it feels awkward and strange.

According to a Forbes report in 2020, Guyana has the largest diaspora population in comparison to the rest of the world (36.4%).

The land of baguettes, macarons and luxury has caught fire yet again and I don’t say such to gloat or make fun, but rather to serve as a reminder that even the most idealistic places that we tend to romanticise and idealise have their own problems.

Learning to stand up for oneself is a hard skill to develop and even more so when one is navigating this under established power dynamics.

If anyone asked me to roll a spliff or to differentiate between the varying qualities of cannabis, I would fail miserably.

The irony of seeing so many lengthy messages of support for women and the importance of their contribution to society for International Women’s Day when just a mere two days before a woman was murdered by her partner was aggravating.