India Pocock - Creative Portfolio

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Putting my feet back on the ground and thinking about work has been the area of challenge this week. Before Africa I worked at an arts organisation for 2 months and they have kindly offered me a few weeks worth of work and the opportunity to run a workshop in the future. I also have about 6 weddings coming up in the space of 2 months, which is brilliant but insanely stressful. I just need to remember to breathe otherwise there will be a passed out photographer in the church. 

Marketing has been on the top of my list as well as researching decent camera insurance companies. Incredibly tricky. I think I have got the hang of the lingo but I'm still out of my comfort zone. 

Anyway, I came home on a high but unfortunately fell ill with Salmonella as soon as I walked through my front door. Not the best start to an enthusiastic person with an epiphany. The epiphany's flame is slowly dimming as the reality of 'real life' hits me square in the face. 'Real life' is actually referring to my bank balance. Currently healthy but I know supplies will deplete greatly over the next few weeks. Also, I need to stop watching depressing films. The Fault in Our Stars was beautiful if you wanted to spend your Saturday night crying...

Old habits are cropping up. Checking Whatsapp about five times a minute when it gets past 10pm and feeling the need to face-palm every 10 mins. No one prepares you for life after university. No one tells you how moving back home can literally make your life the most stressful thing in the whole world. No one tells you that having a degree counts for nothing these days. Job hunting is literally like hunting the Do-do.. It's non-existent. I came home from Africa thinking: 'India, you need to relish in life! You have everything going for you! Loads of cool people around you and opportunities.' 

So I am starting a Salsa class tomorrow night.. 

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Goodbye Africa

My last week flew by. I got to experience the deep, dark depths of the underground and managed to see some gold in the walls, which was incredible. Photography underground was incredibly challenging as it was so hot that my camera struggled to acclimatise. I managed a few foggy photos but nothing major. 

I said goodbye to all the friends I had made and even the barman bought me 3 necklaces! It was such a lovely gesture! It was great to become familiar with the faces, names, environment and smells. It makes the long distance relationship a little easier as I am able to visualise all the places we have been and people we have met when Justin mentions them to me on the phone. 

Saying goodbye to Justin was the most challenging part. It was always going to be. We have said 'goodbye' many times before so you would think it would start getting easier but unfortunately it doesn't. 

My African trip is the biggest thing I have ever done in my life. I enjoyed it a lot but it definitely made me appreciate the luxuries of home, which I am sure everybody says on their return. It made me realise my next steps that I need to take in order to figure out what I want to do in the future and what I need to do to keep a healthy balance. I am incredibly proud of Justin and I certainly could not do his job or live where he lives. He's super brainy and brave! Now it's my turn to have a career adventure!

Thank you for following my African adventure.

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© India Pocock 2014

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Last Weekend

It was my last weekend here and I feel it was the best one yet. I was locked out of the house for a fair few hours on Saturday so soaked up the sun a little too much. In the evening, we enjoyed BBQed prawns at Justin’s bosses and got rather merry. They all kept asking when will we be getting married in front of both of us. This was then followed by awkward glances at each other and a lot of extended ‘errmms…’ and nervous laughter. 

We headed to the clubhouse around 11pm as Justin’s friends were watching the World Cup and having a few drinks. They followed us home and continued to drink on the veranda, which was a loud and noisy affair but fun. They tried to convince me to go into the village for a few drinks but warned me that there will be prostitutes. The following speech that was made was one which no woman wants to hear. They said, that I have to understand that there are men working here for long stints with families back home so it’s perfectly normal for them to go to prostitutes… It was followed by the fact I shouldn’t be scared or surprised if I see this happen. Justin refused to take me, thank goodness, and not long after I put myself to bed. 

Yesterday was a brilliant day. Although feeling incredibly hungover we managed to make some use of the Sunday. One of Justin’s bosses offered to take us on a tour, which included a trip to the other mine and through the villages and towns.

I was a little nervous but I really wanted to capture Africa outside of the site as you end up in a little bubble here. The road to the mine was long and straight but on either side of the road was just hundreds and hundreds of huts, which were surrounded by rubbish. People living in such poor conditions with children wandering around by themselves. There were men illegally mining which is insanely dangerous. It was incredibly sad to see.  We reached the mine and and accidentally took a wrong turn which lead us to some geologists and their kayaks by a dam. They invited us to have a BBQ (or Bri) with them and I joined the children on the dam for a little kayak. It was so much fun!

We then headed to an abandoned village which was within the mining area. Apparently when the company had started mining there, the people had to move or relocate. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. The huts are still there and were built incredibly well. They were plastered with clay on the outside which made them cool on the inside. Very Clever!

We headed back a little later and went through the town where we saw the brothel which was called; Black White Solutions. Interesting name choice! Apparently the prostitutes here are illegally trafficked here from Nigeria with promise of a better life. Their passports are confiscated until they make a certain amount of money each. So horrendous.  As we drove past the town their were children waving and they literally sold everything you could imagine. It was crazy. There were a lot of donkeys. We also went past the school, which the mine had built as part of the negotiation when it first started. It was a brilliant day but it made you realise how little these people have and the difference in the quality of life that they have in comparison to us.

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© India Pocock On My Walk

Unfortunately this photo isn't properly in focus but it was still amazing to get a photo of the butterfly as they fly away so quickly. All it's wings are ripped.

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© India Pocock 2014 On My Walk

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© India Pocock 2014  Loulo Mine, Mali, Africa

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Good News

Good news, I am not so scared anymore. I think once you get to know the important people on site, like the waiters and safety manager, you feel a little more at home. And you definitely know you’ve been here a while when the barman knows exactly what you want to drink every night and doesn’t even ask you anymore. I have drunk the site dry of Malibu and lemonade! I now feel like I have a few eyes watching me for the better.. Not just starring. Saying that though, I was just heckled by an African man out of the window of his car as he drove past… Something on the lines of, “How are you my sister?” or “Who are you my sister?” 

I guess it could have been worse.

The last couple of days have been emotionally sensitive. I felt a little humiliated by a comment that was made by Justin’s boss in reference to my visit and it sent me on a downward spiral for about 24 hours. It hurt a fair amount and made me feel a little deflated. It's also made me feel like I shouldn’t have been here or like I was in the way. I guess I will make sure he receives an invoice for the photos he wants with a little added extra for the emotional inconvenience. It's amazing how a small comment can throw you off but I guess they’re not used to addressing woman often in such a male orientated industry so maybe didn’t mean it in a horrible way. 

However, in the last couple of days I have visited a site which has this super-duper filtering system and I am hoping to go underground this evening. I have been photographing a lot of it for newsletters and maybe the annual reports… I think I am getting paid in steak or something. 

I have eight days remaining and I feel it has gone pretty fast! I have really enjoyed getting to know the place which Justin works and the people he talks about. It will hopefully make it a lot easier when he Skypes me and mentions names and places. I can then picture it and make better sense of what he’s on about! I have also got some cool photos, which I hope I can publish or exhibit when I get home.

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Home

Today I am missing home. After a message from my mum to say they were going to Aunty Barb’s for Sunday roast I started to feel a bit bleurgh.. and incredibly hungry. I haven’t eaten any fresh veg since I arrived. Justin is still working hard as usual so I haven’t spent much time with him over the weekend. We were kindly invited to one of his bosses house’s for a curry on Saturday night, which I heard was quite a famous and fun night! I was looking forward to it but nervous as there were top dogs there so didn’t want to embarrass Justin too much! It was curry night and Justin assured me that there would be a hot curry and a mild curry.. I am not a hot and spicy person and theres nothing more painful than trying to shovel down food to be polite. 

There was just hot curry…

*Sigh* 

So after about 5 minutes of eating this curry my lips were numb and the rice around it was my only hope. I was watched while filling my plate strategically to then be told, “India, have more meat! There’s plenty!!”… Ahhhh!

Justin helped me out by sneakily swapping the plates when he had finished and then continued to eat mine. Phew. We then headed indoors for a drinking game session. Again, I am not a massive one for drinking games so this was going to be interesting. Chucked in the deep end much. After quietly observing, I was encouraged to play a game where you had to bounce the coin off the table and into the mug. If you managed this you made a ‘drinking rule’ and nominated someone to drink the shot of beer. All around me there were middle-aged South African guys who kept voting me to drink! I was struggling with the coin bouncing thing so couldn’t nominate anyone or make a rule! 

And then it happened! Sheer luck saw the coin gracefully bounce off the table and in to the mug! The whole room cheered and I did a sweeping high five around the table! This was payback! My rule?! Who ever got nominated had to curtsy like a little girl before they drank their shot. The guys groaned as I told them but when it actually started to come into play they found it hilarious. After while I started to get the hang of it and made some brilliant suggestions!

They all seemed very nice people and were even encouraging me to come and live out here. A lovely suggestion but I am not so sure right now as there is not much here for me to do or experience apart from fear! 

I guess a positive thing about being here is that it has clarified a few things. One, I am really scared of Africa in general. Two, this is it.. Justin will be working here for many years so I need to pull myself together and think for myself when I go home. As a couple we are not in the position to find somewhere together when we are 3000 miles from each other and spend a third of the year in each others company.. And I think I need a roommate. I just like someone being there when I get home or to speak to. The idea of finding a house on my own sounds so daunting. I think I would want to share that house with someone. Ideally the person you love the most but sometimes a good friend is exactly what you need too. 

Speaking to some of the guys who work here and I discovered they had children. Some see them 4 months of the year, some even less. I just starred at them wide-eyed thinking, you won’t ever really get to know them or see their first steps. Yeah, you can send them to a good school because you have money… Buy them the latest gadgets but they’ll never have their dad to come home to or help them with their homework. Teach them to ride their bicycle or help them write their name. And then of course their wives or girlfriends will have to raise them all on her own.. It’s not my idea of a family. One of the bosses is supposed to be on his break away with his family and he wasn’t able to join them as he has to work. I just wouldn’t be able to handle the disappointment if I was his wife. 

I mean, this is all pretty deep but my goodness it has freaked me out. The realisation of ‘going it alone’ has set in. I wouldn’t ever want to be without Justin! No way! I just need to be prepared that I may have to sort myself out and Justin can be a part of it when he’s home. I am sure the future is bright but for now it just got a little more real.

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© India Pocock 2014 

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Loulo Mine © India Pocock 2014 

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Casual Scorpion

The last few days have been adventurous. I did my safety induction so that I am able to go underground in the next couple of days and Justin also drove me around the different sites/sights. The miners were very surprised to see me around.. I got a lot of stares… Again. It’s really interesting stuff but the academic side of my brain is struggling to cope with all the science terminologies. Far too many! I am an artist!! They have a conveyer which must be over a mile long which take the gold from one plant to another. Just one lonngg conveyer! 

Good news! They want me to photograph some of the mining structures for their annual report! I doubt I will be paid or even credited.. but I guess it’s good ‘experience’. It’s what all rich companies say to struggling graduates. Eurgh! We had a good walk the other night and saw some brilliant landscapes, which I hope to upload shortly. I have also started to put together a video but it’s not very good. It consists of small clips of my African Adventure.

I have met some incredible people. One Australian guy burns a couple of $100 notes on New Years to keep evil sprits away. Casual. He also was a massive Instagram fan so took me through many of his photos. There are so many guys out here who love photography! They have some great photos of the wildlife. The wife of the security manager gave me a canvas and paints to keep me busy which was very kind. They are from South Africa and have lived in Mali for 9 years. She told me that about the safety routine if someone attacked the camp. She also told me that about 5 years ago the camp was attacked by locals who burned down all the miners living quarters. It was because someone got fired or hired that they liked or didn’t like and just kicked off. At the time there were families living here so within an hour planes arrived with soldiers on and the wives and families left on the planes that came in. I hope something like that doesn’t happen when I am here..?! I met the catering manager again at the pool where he showed me photos of his children and told me stories about when he worked in Saudi Arabia. He cooked for Tony Blair and Shakira! He even kissed Shakira! What was even better, is that he said he just makes sure that the guys are cooking properly but if I tell the waiter my name he will cook my food personally! Such a great man. I also had an interesting conversation with a guy who had an arranged marriage. I find things like that fascinating! 

So the wildlife has been rather prominent in the last couple of days. I got graced with the presence of a scorpion, a viper or python (either way, it is a snake that can kill you no matter how small), a funny little frog by the pool side and a range of insects. I have been waiting to see these creatures for the past 2 weeks and they all arrived in a couple of days! 

It’s been 2 weeks since I arrived and in some ways I think it has gone so quickly and others slow. I have really enjoyed taking the time and having the time to further my photography, learning about Justin’s ‘other life’ and meeting new people. Everyone has been so welcoming and take them time to say ‘hello’ and introduce themselves. In such a male-orientated industry I was a little worried I would be hidden in the shadows. However, if I had to describe what it is like to people back home; it’s a glorified prison camp, Butlins went bust.. You get where I am going with this. It makes you appreciate food, internet, friends, family but most of all freedom. I have a massive fear of going places on my own back home but nothing compares to here. I could wonder around naked back home and I would feel safer! Obviously, the main reason why I am here is to see Justin, who makes all the rubbish stuff worth while… (CHEESE!). Would I come again? Ask me in two weeks.. I’ll tell you then.

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© India Pocock 2014 Mali Wildlife

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The Weekend

The weekend passed like the week had done. Justin had to work all weekend so I have been keeping myself occupied. My current self-project is needle felting a sausage dog which I received from my work friends when I left… It’s currently looking like a brown duck as I haven’t added limbs and ears yet but I think it’s going okay considering it’s my first attempt. 

I headed to the pool all on my own Saturday afternoon. I was the only one there for hours until a gentleman who works on the mine joined me. He was the catering manager from Lebanon. His english wasn’t too bad so we had a good conversation. He was telling me how he thinks it’s strange that in England we have one plate each and maybe a salad plate. In Lebanon, two people eating will have an average of 20 plates between them! I told him that us english have only a couple plates because twenty plates would be too much washing up for us to do! He found it funny. 

I really enjoy speaking to people from different countries, I always have done. There was an Aussie guy at the bar on Saturday night who knew Justin. He had never been to uni or anything but he just simply trained on a mine in Australia. He had also worked in Indonesia and then came to Mali. He had quit that day as he wanted to finish off his helicopter license. So casual! He was telling us of all these different stories and how he would borrow his friends helicopter. I normally borrow a DVD or a book from a friend… (I need to start asking to borrow more things). Being me, I asked about the wildlife in Australia.. Stereotypical things like Kangaroos and the Huntsman Spider. He said that the spiders aren’t actually that bad and you can even pick them up and they do a funny dance. I don’t fancy risking it though…

Sunday, an ant bit my boob. I could feel this odd pain and I wiped it away to find this ant squashed in my hand. It was tiny but my goodness, I felt it. Luckily I must have caught it in good time! Cheeky little ant! Justin had the afternoon off but was super sleepy so we made some incredible pasta with chorizo before heading to the pool.

In the next few days I am hoping to get inducted as a visitor to go underground! I hope I get a set of overalls! And some bloody good photos! For now though I shall leave you with some wildlife ones…

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© India Pocock 2014 Messing around with graphic designee things

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Entertainment

The past few days have flown by which surprises me due to the fact that I have had to keep myself entertained. I have happily edited photos, started reading Inferno by Dan Brown and finished a 500 piece puzzle in record time. I have concerns that my self-entertainment meter will run out in due course but we shall see. As a child I was well known for being a quiet, good little thing that was happy with my own company. 

Nothing overly funny has happened although I did see a man who was wearing jogging bottoms who clearly had no pants underneath them. We were sat eating food last night at the bar and I had already noticed he didn’t say his ‘please-s’ and thank you-s’ and when he had finished he stood up and there it was… He might as well have been naked. Not good!

Still slightly living in fear but my confidence is building. I got chased inside by a metallic green insect today… I really need to stop panicking! The birds haven’t taken to my bird feeders so I need to modify them a bit more. I have tried to tempt them with seeds on the floor but nothing is happening. 

Having this time to create things and take my time over them is so good. I cannot wait to produce more photographic work this weekend to go towards an exhibition when I get home.

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Wild Cats © India Pocock 2014