Thought bubbles
Welcome to Thought Bubbles by Ruthie. I’m full of thoughts and ideas, and writing is a way to explore and express these. All these thoughts whirl around in my head, beneath a thick layer of curly red hair, until they pop out. My friend once called these thought bubbles. Most of the thought bubbles I catch and write about are to do with people and places (travel, identity, social justice, the world of work). I hope you enjoy reading my work, and please get in touch with any question or comments. You can find out more about me here.
Ruthie
Travel
Another trip, another freckle
I’m a keen traveller and have spent a lot of time over the last 10 years living in Spain and Germany, exploring my home country of Wales and going on trips around Europe. All my blogs are based on my personal experiences and include tales from my trips as well as some practical information.
Montenegro: A land of colours
Montenegro, known in its mother tongue as Crna Gora, translates as ‘black mountain’. But you’d be wrong to associate this former Yugoslavian nation with dark hues.
A trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina: overland solo travel
My trip started in the early hours of the morning on an unassuming Monday in May at St. Pancras International Departures, a curious mix between an airport and a train station, bustling with a curious mix of business people and backpackers.
A travel guide for Poznań, Poland
Poznań is an ideal destination if you’re after a relaxing trip in a charming city. Poznań is a quietly wonderful holiday destination for families, friends or solo travellers, and an great location for digital nomads.
Read my articles about Cardiff and Wales for Travel Lemming, an online travel guide with more than 10 million readers annually!
World of Work
Another day, another dollar
Watch this space for more thought bubbles on working in hospitality, and a series of blogs about the charity sector.
The WhatsApp Manager
It has taken a steady uptake in the use of Whatsapp and a steady decline in the art of face-to-face verbal communication to breed a new type of manager. The Whatsapp Manager. Resting on their ‘message sent’ laurels, the Whatsapp manager sits back, relaxes and assumes that everyone has read, understood and will remember the content of their written notes.
The subtle art of looking busy
The subtle art of looking busy is something of a necessity in the hospitality world. It’s a skill that won’t appear on job descriptions and you won’t get asked about it in an interview. But if you don’t master the subtle art of looking busy when working in hospitality, your co-workers and customers will become suspicious.
Language and identity
Another thought bubble, another blog
No polyglots please, we’re British!
A polyglot is “a person who knows and is able to use several languages“, according to Google, and by default, not by pretentious self-satisfaction, it is a word I could use to describe myself. Given I am among a global norm (over half the world’s population speak more than one language), why would the words ‘pretentious’ and ‘self-satisfaction’ come to mind when describing myself as a polyglot? Well, because I’m British!
“You’re Welsh?! Where’s the accent?”
The title is courtesy of the plumber who came round today to my Brighton home and with whom I had a little chat. He asked where I was from- to which I responded South Wales-and that was his response. This is not a response I’m new to. In fact, it has now become the reply I expect.
Published pieces on other sites
The international development sector needs to think twice when talking about ‘in-country refugee costs’ and ODA
Published on Bond UK
There is growing criticism and outrage about the divisive and harmful language that the UK government uses to talk about people seeking sanctuary, and the actions that this language mirrors.
Widening the lens: English teaching volunteering
Published on Culture and Capitalism
Overseas volunteering has received a lot of attention in academia, in the media and on social media. Yet, the focus tends to be on the volunteer, often from the Global North, whilst the communities visited are referred to as ‘the voluntoured’, ‘recipients’ or simply ‘host communities’. As a result, I was often left wondering about the so called ‘voluntoured,’ ‘recipients’ and ‘host communities.’
Villains and Heroes: who has control over student housing?
Published by SEASALT Housing Co-operative
“I bet that’s luxury student accommodation” I remarked to my friend as we turned a corner in Exeter and were faced with a 10 story monolithic building. There’s something in its shiny design, uniformity and complete inability to blend into the local area that makes it familiar.
Thought Bubbles by Ruthie 