Ghajjejt u Xbajt

Where did we leave off? Ah yes, my tits having been chopped off and transformed into perky little bao buns for an exorbitant amount of money. Fun times all round. There is a bitterness which I’ve let go of ever since the operation. Although, come to think of it, that bitterness had already more or less faded prior to the deterioration of my once magnificent mammaries. I suppose the older I got, the more impervious I became to society’s judgement of large breasts. Either that, or my minimisers were doing a fine job. No. It was something else. It was cultural context. I cannot recallRead More…

I had been in this consultation room before. Eight years ago, to be precise. The first time round, I sat down and asked the surgeon to chisel off 2cm worth of bone from my Grecian nose. It was too contorted to be called French, and I wasn’t emaciated enough for it to be called chic. And so, I paid the man and he did what I asked of him six months later. It is now a Soviet nose. Make of that description what you will. So here we were again, waltzing into rooms, throwing wads of cash at perfect strangers to chop off random partsRead More…

Recently everyone woke up to the news that Texas had introduced a ban of abortions after 6 weeks, effectively removing the ability to have an abortion entirely, considering when one is able to find out they are pregnant. The news spread rapidly, burning through the hearts of many around the world. A country like the United States, that has allowed people to have abortions for decades, took a gigantic half-a-century-sized step backwards throughout a whole state, and removed access to life-saving reproductive healthcare practically overnight. How could this happen, right under our noses? Where did this come from? What ripple effect will this create? Well,Read More…

It is difficult to absorb the information that someone you love has been a victim of predatory behaviour – many likely feel helpless and enraged when absorbing this information, feeling lost in having not been there to protect their friend or family member when they were harmed. What must one feel, then, if a person they love, and seemingly know well, is accused of predatory behaviour, and of causing the same pain they may have seen in victims time and time again? Before anything else, one must make sure that they take care of themselves, and allow themselves the space to process this information –Read More…

Whenever a high profile murder of a woman occurs, there is always a resurgence of the discussion of high rates of femicide that occur globally. The immediate reaction from many is, with good reason, anger, pain and frustrating fatigue, particularly from women who have come close to being in these scenarios, or nearly escaped their own death through sheer luck, at the hands of a male attacker. At the same time, there is always a distinct halting in the discussion surrounding femicide, particularly when a story gains some traction, and that is the response of ‘Not All Men’. This phrase, most commonly written out asRead More…

Society has a very odd relationship with breasts, especially those that hold the potential to feed newborn human babies and sit on people who are not flat-chested. Not everyone may have boobs, but those who do seem to be constantly told by everyone exactly how they should be feeling about them. It is fascinating how quickly one may rile up a crowd simply by mentioning a topic even remotely associated with the human breast – particularly if that topic of conversation centers around a person being able to do whatever they like with said breast, without the interference of other people. To start off, allowRead More…

Marriage means many different things, for many different people, in many different cultures; some may love it, others may enjoy the idea of it, and more still may feel that it is a practical decision for legal reasons and the joining of assets. Whatever one’s thoughts may be on marriage, there are some societies within which this agreement between two people may manifest itself through very toxic ideas within the minds of those who know the people getting married. There is much to be said for what occurs prior to any marriage of two people, but what about the way family and friends, and evenRead More…

Throughout a human’s childhood and teenage years, it is made very clear to them that forming bonds of friendship with others is extremely important and actually quite vital to the experience of ‘being a kid’. As one eases into adulthood however, platonic relationships do not lose their importance – and yet one often runs the risk of forgetting how to build new friendships with others, the more time passes. Whilst the idea of maintaining said friendships we formed in our childhood is not something new to us, especially on a small island like Malta, there are not many conversations to be found growing up onRead More…

Pregnancy and motherhood are presented to us with very specific imagery growing up – always an aura of serenity surrounding them, pictures of peace and tranquility, an expectation of feeling completeness when considering any aspect of birth, pregnancy, and motherhood. What more could one want than the gift of motherhood? It is presented as the ultimate job, the most beautiful experience, the greatest love of all. And whilst it can feel like this for some, seeing as all people are different, the idea that this is the blueprint for motherhood is a false facade, a rose-tinted glass dome placed upon the reality of life, leavingRead More…

The gender norms that society applies to us from the moment the doctor tells our parents whether we fall into the category of Boy or Girl are stifling to say the least… Picture this – a person finds out they are pregnant and they excitedly tell their partner. This couple is pleased because the pregnancy was planned and they welcome it. With bated breath they await the week that they are able to find out what the gender of their baby is – ‘we must make plans!’, ‘we must know what colours to paint the room!’. The gender is revealed to them by their doctor,Read More…