A Dysfunctional Egyptologist

(2/2) - "I'm still growing and changing now, and maybe in retrospect I'll be able to tell how valuable this was, or maybe I won't because it'll just keep going. I don't like to call it a crisis really, I call it hope. You get to experience everything everyday and you just need to be confident in your intuition to do something new. Yes it'll be uncomfortable, but you've got to put yourself out of your comfort zone if you want to experience new things. - People say "be yourself", but I don't think you can find that person without trusting your intuition and letting yourself go with other people and seeing what happens. It takes a lot of courage, but it's a growth process. You'll be able to cut out the things you don't like, but you won't know that until you've tried. - I'm going to try and be diplomatic with my parents and let them know I want to be an academic, because I don't want to go into economics or business. I think that once I'm fully financially independent I'll be able to feel less pressure from what they say and, well, be myself." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000. 📸 #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #hope #beyourself (at UCL) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtocWcRgEpO/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=myna55ig2avk

(1/2) - "I've recently been going through an existential crisis. I was heavily invested in Economics, and I've even applied for PhD programmes for it, but since last year I've been seriously thinking whether it's something I really want to do. There are other influences too: I used to be hugely political, but then I realised that I didn't really agree with what I was saying. At that time I was letting myself get influenced by anything in order to find some sort of significance or meaning. - In searching for that I've really gotten into art and poetry, which I've been writing a lot whenever the moment strikes me. It's taking up far too much of my time, but I really want to do it, and they come to me far more spontaneously than academia does, as much as I love it. I have to work for it; it doesn't come as easily to me. - I've committed myself now. I could back out, but I know that's not what my parents would want. They want me to make a lot of money, be successful, and I told them that's what I would do when they sent me abroad. It was a big deal sending me all this way. My family are business-people, not academics. I like academia and thinking about the ways in which people think or feel, and I know my family wouldn't put much value in it, but of course it's valuable." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000. 📸 #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl (at UCL) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtmGOvSgoLM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1jbgcny7heaxp

"I did a year abroad recently and I felt looked down upon by people in my peer group, as I'd decided to go to Germany and not somewhere further afield like the rest of them. They said that it wasn't very ambitious of me, and since it wasn't an elite institution they assumed it was my bottom choice when in fact it was my only choice. I wanted to go there because I had never lived anywhere else, and I feel like that's a big deal for anyone, yet I felt very looked down upon. - I think I have loads of ambition. People here seem to judge you if your ambition isn't to go into a very powerful, high-paid career. I don't care about making loads of money, or about grad schemes; I just want to give my time to something valuable, and make some positive social change. That seems alien to a lot of people here, and I feel very 'other'd' sometimes. - I'd like to work in either NGOs or charities, particularly those that focus on issues surrounding the environment. I like looking at the social impact of issues, so that would be my focus. So long as I'm earning just enough to live, what matters more to me is making a positive difference, even if it's just a small one." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000. 📸 #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #university #london #ambition #goals #judgement (at Print Room Café) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtT4Csin9wc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1na4hmevqklnm

"I've found that, both for myself and a lot of my friends, university is probably one of the biggest mental challenges we will ever face. Right now I'm going through a pretty hard time because I'll be graduating soon and I feel like I have to start defining the sort of person I want to be in society and what I want to do. I'm scared, but university also saves me in a lot of ways: I now have friends who are genuinely interested in me and support me. I've become more confident and now enjoy being with others and doing activities like sport. - If you struggle with these things as I have, the best way to start is by looking at people as who they are and find a genuine connection with them rather than trying to meet an expectation, and if it doesn't happen then it's okay. If you are a competitive person, remember that your most fierce competition is yourself: focus on self-improvement, not on where you are in comparison to others. Don't forget to take the time to look after yourself, and find what helps you keep fit. - Most of all, never forget that what you're doing is for yourself. Whether you're passionate about the subject you do or the things you've gotten involved in since you've started, it's important that you remember it's for you and you should definitely make the most of it, especially as you come near the end." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000. 📸 #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #expectations #mentalhealth #wellbeing #health (at UCL) https://www.instagram.com/p/BssqGTDFfzY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6m7x2lgm40sa

Hope. - Graffiti close to St. Pancras International, London. Taken on a Sony Xperia XA1. (at St Pancras International) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsqG83rFWtj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2yvbgm895vls

"I have a passion for languages and film-making. It's all about having stories to tell and telling them well. I can speak French, so whenever I end up meeting someone who's first language is French and I can talk to them it feels like I already know them, and I do believe speaking to someone in their first language means you can understand and empathise with them more. It unifies people beyond borders and national identity. Language came before all that. - I hope I can use the languages I've learnt - French, Spanish, German - to go around the world and create stories through film, capturing the real essence of what they mean and translating that into something for a wider audience. I can't say for sure where life will take me, but I have hope that so long as I keep going it'll get me somewhere. I believe the same is true for you and everyone else: so long as you keep going, and you surround yourself with good people, you're doing life right." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000 📸 #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #languages (at Print Room Café) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrDJQdMHgRw/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16269jfhx447p

"I was born in 1992, not long after the events of Black May, which were a bunch of protests that happened in Bangkok against the military government of the time. As I got older this is what got me interested in history, to try and understand not only why this happened in Thailand but also what potential there is for my country's future. - During the coup in 2014 I was here in the UK, and seeing it from an outside perspective really got me thinking about political narratives and why different groups of people approve or disapprove of certain actions, hence why things like this happen. I don't think I could ever change it myself, but I dream of becoming a teacher, and perhaps then I can inspire the next generation to make that change. - I've lived here for seven years, and what that has taught me is to love travelling. You meet so many different people and experience so many different things, you start to appreciate that there are many varying ways of looking at things and thinking about them, and it's important to understand those reasons if you really want to make a difference. Reading history should make you think critically about past actions, understanding the effect they still have and using them to make a positive difference now. There's no point in lamenting things you could never have changed, but the story is still being written, and you can write the next chapter. Make it a good one." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000 📸 #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #history #learning (at UCL) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvH9AWn56d/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9enejcwmz02p

"Bae, come over." - "I can't I'm dead." - "I'm making spare ribs." Happy Halloween. 🦇 (at Carluccios Brunswick Square) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpm0poOH__E/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=kr8uo0gvif1a

"I love making coffee because it gave me the independence to go wherever I wanted to go while doing what I enjoy. - I've been making coffee here for three and a half years. It's a beautiful area and it's wonderful getting the chance to talk to so many different and interesting people. Especially all the students; they all appreciate a coffee after a hard day of studying. It's nice to be able to make something that people can enjoy, and even nicer when they show appreciation for it by becoming your regulars. I like to get to know them: I start off with their preferred drink, and then every time they come back I strike up a conversation and try to learn something new. It's wonderful what you can discover." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000 📸. #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #coffee #independence (at UCL) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpaCgcsHWmm/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=10i67j24tbr7s

"I got into secondary school when I was only ten-years old, and I was quite a shy and reserved child, who wasn't necessarily happy with who he was. Drama was initially a way to be somebody else, and it soon became a way for me to feel better about myself. It became an act of empathy: feeling your way through a character and having fun with a scene. Drama lessons were the funniest thing ever because you could interact and bounce off people, and that was my social life. Drama boosted my confidence, and I owe a lot to the subject and my teachers. - A lot of people say that actors are very good at lying. I think that at the very core of drama is truth; you're finding the truth in a character. Again act of empathy: these characters might not exist in reality but they may go through things that we as the audience or as the actor or director can relate to. Even plays about lies are about truth - my favourite play is 'Betrayal' by Harold Pinter, which is all about an affair. Everyone knows what it's like to be lied to, and the wonderful thing about the play is that there's a lot of tension lying under the surface of menial conversations. All of it is very real. - Drama is about things that may or may not have happened, but the core is that the characters are human, and that's where the truth lies." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000 📸. #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #drama #acting #truth (at UCL Institute of Education) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpU3TmKDm2X/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15fkrqv8rbdyj

"Since moving to London seven years ago, I've looked back at my home city of Verona with different eyes. When you do that, you start appreciating something you once took for granted while you were there. Every time I go back, I try to go to places I haven't been before, or do things with friends that I hadn't done before. - Last summer I went to the natural park which is in the hills on the outskirts of the city with some long-standing friends. There are waterfalls there which I used to visit when I was a kid, and I wanted to go back there with them to re-experience it with them, but I never realised how magical they were until then. - So one of the things I'm most grateful to London for - besides being an amazing, multicultural city - is giving me new eyes to appreciate the place where I was born. The magic was in the fact that it allowed me to rediscover my sense of belonging, which I realised is not just tied to my home but also to my friends, and I think that's something within all of us, regardless of what stage you're at in life." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000 📸. #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #magic #home #belonging (at UCL) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bow0QXNH2Qz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y7mkw2y6pqsc

(2/2) - "Black history and narratives are very often kept out of academic spaces, especially at elite institutions. It's very difficult for us to get our own voices included in the discussions about our history. There are spaces here that are named after white eugenicists and our voices haven't been considered in those decisions or in that legacy. That's why the campaign this year is focusing on black people at UCL, to show the local significance of our community here and in the wider context of London: the history of white supremacy on campus, the Windrush Generation - this is black history, and my hope is that the campaign will encourage black people to get involved in learning and writing about their history. - History is the context to the present; we cannot ignore what happened to black people in the past or act as if the fact it is no longer the same today that it doesn't affect the present. We're going through an interesting time where the West is trying to re-brand itself as cosmopolitan, all the while ignoring the gross human rights abuses that still happen in a lot of western countries. People of power often overlook the fact that the institution of slavery lasted longer than the time since it has been abolished, and so the result of it is still felt today. But they don't acknowledge that, because acknowledging it would be accepting responsibility of that legacy and they don't want that. - The key word is "agency": it's important that we return the agency of writing black history to black people, taking control of the narrative and empowering black people to do these things. One day I want to see my own children being taught black history, as narrated by black people.” - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000 📸. #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #studentsunion #studentrep #representation #blackhistory (at UCL) https://www.instagram.com/p/BouR5QAnnYp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xdx958ogcn9c

"I grew up in East London and my school was very diverse, and though diversity doesn't mean racism is non-existent, I still felt quite safe where I was. I was very well-read as a child and so read a lot about racism and xenophobia out there, but it hit me when I was on a school trip in Plymouth and a man screamed at me and my friends: 'we have no mosques here!' - I felt an overwhelming fear and for so long didn't want to leave London again. That's when it hit me that people have these prejudices and they don't like you, and I'd ask my teachers: 'Am I British? Can I be both Somali and British?' - It made me investigate myself, about ideas of race and racism, and that's how I got to where I am today. - My first ever lecture started with me being told that UCL was the radical alternative to Oxbridge, and that it was the first higher academic institution to accept both women and people of colour. Eighteen-year old me was stunned and thought UCL was so liberal and cool, and I was proud of it. Then the news broke of the eugenicist conference that was taking place, and at the same time I was taking a module where we learned about UCL's history with white supremacy and eugenicism, and it was then that I began to realise how this institution has used it's spaces to create a narrative of its history which tends to brush over these realities. - The Main Library has a painting of Jeremy Bentham, our 'spiritual' founder, directing the construction of this institution, all the while the fact that many men who worked at this institution - like Pearson and Petrie - were able to use its backing to go to places in Africa and write about "savages" and conduct experiments which today still have a profound impact on our knowledge and understanding of black history is very much hidden and overlooked." - Taken for @humansofucl with a Sony A6000 📸 #humansofucl #humans #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #interview #stories #inspiration #life #ucl #blackhistory (at UCL) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bor033YHRK7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1639mbz8lol1g

Strictly professional. // Another one of my favourite shots from the little photoshoot I did with my friend @abrahambrown34 at the @britishmuseum. - Camera 📸: Sony A6000 | 50mm, F1.8-ISO 100, SS 1/30. Edited in Capture One 9. #professional #portraitphotography #portrait #portraiture #blackandwhite #black #white #blackandwhitephotography #blackandwhitephoto #photography #photo #sony #sonyphotography #sonyalpha #sonyalphasclub #sonya6000 #sonya6000📷 #sonya6000camera #sonyalpha6000 #sonya6000club (at British Museum)

Here comes the cavalry. // A large group of motorcyclists travelling down past Russell Square. My phone overexposed this to hell so I tried my best to fix it and make it look nice. - Taken with a Sony Xperia XA1 and edited with Instagram filters. #motorcycle #motorcycles #motorbikes #london #photography #photo #sony #sonyphotography (at Russell Square Gardens)

Pausing for reflection. // One of my shots from a little shoot I did with my friend @abrahambrown34 at the @britishmuseum. - If you fancy having some photos taken, just shoot me a DM and let's work something out! - Camera 📸: Sony A6000 | 50mm, F1.8-ISO 100, SS 1/13. Edited in Capture One 9. #reflectiononglass #reflection #blackandwhite #black #white #blackandwhitephotography #blackandwhitephoto #portraitphotography #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #candid #sony #sonyphotography #sonyalpha #sonyalphasclub #sonya6000 #sonya6000📷 #sonya6000camera #sonyalpha6000 #sonya6000club (at British Museum)

"Hi my name's Kyle, welcome to my crib." - Camera 📸: Sony A6000 | 50mm, F1.8-ISO 100, SS 1/2000. Edited in Capture One 9. PC: @abrahambrown34 #newprofilepic #britishmuseum #sony #sonyphotography #sonyalpha #sonyalphasclub #sonya6000 #sonya6000📷 #sonya6000camera #sonyalpha6000 #sonya6000club (at British Museum)