Alex

Me 

I thought I would fully introduce myself. I am Alex potter.I am 18 years old and I live in Hampstead in London. Up in till 4 mouth ago I was a student at Kings University. There are many different reasons to why I drop out which you can read in my first post.I was a victim of the Rwandan genocide with which I lost all my family. I was young at them time and was taken to safety by a photographer who was taking pictures of the disasters. He took me back to England and adopted me.I was raised by

him and Meg.

My dad suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder when my mum died. He was half the way across the world taking his pictures. He’s a professional photographer who takes pictures of world disasters her are a couple....

Disaster: Volcano eruption

Photographer: Joesph Potter (my dad)

Year: 1991

Location: Mt. Pinatubo, Luzon, Philippines

Casualties: 800

This picture is straight out of a disaster movie, but don't be fooled, this isn't a Hollywood studio. It's a real vehicle running from the real eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991. Eruptions went from small to large in over two weeks, culminating in several eruptions 13 or more miles high. The ash cloud left Luzon in total darkness and contributed to reducing the temperature of the entire Northern Hemisphere over the following years.

The Armero Tragedy

Disaster: Volcano eruption

Photographer: Joesph Potter

Year: 1985

Location: Nevado Del Ruiz, Colombia

Casualties: 25,000

The Nevado Del Ruiz volcano's relatively small eruption in Colombia caused massive lahars (volcanic mudslides). Mud and debris traveled at highway speeds and flowed into the rivers, engulfing the town of Armero. This deeply disturbing image was taken of 13-year-old Omayra Sanchez, who died after being trapped in debris for 3 days. The shocking photo brought international attention and controversy to the event

I now work in Sainsburys and live at home with my dad and my brother. Its a funny story really, my dad got a email 4 years ago from my biological brother who survived the the genocide. But we have only just been reunited  because my dad decided to keep it form me! i persuade him to do an exhibition he was offered and when helping him sort out his pictures i found the picture he world breaking award for. It was me next to my dying mother anyways. He had cropped it ! Crop out my bother who was in the shot. He said it was for my own good or some other bullshit ! but know hes here and i am grateful for that but him and my dad really aren't getting along ! errrrrr

Slideshow

Photos

                            Kings Uni !

                        My shitty Bedsit

Rwanda is were i was born

my ethical home 

i was raised in the uk with my adopted father

                                                                                                                       

The Genocide 1994

Me

Love This Song !

 

 

Do not dwell in the past, do not 

dream of the future, concentrate 

the mind on the present moment.

Buddha

I have a brother !

So apparently I have a brother !!!!

I don't know about you , but my weeks been crazzzy ! Thursday morning  I was up early to do the early morning shift at work when I saw a letter popping out of the letter box. Normaliy i would ignor it, we mostly get crap like ... Take Away menus or Dad's bills for god knows what, but for some reason this letter stood out. It had a hand written envelope with loads of these colourful Internationale stamps all over it,  one from Rwanda ! As soon as I saw it was addressed to me I hurriedly ripped it open. It was from my brother! my biologically brother ,explaining how he's moving to England and wanting to meet ! 

Of courses I said yes. It so it happened he had know were to stay so hes now living with me and dad. Your probably thinking shouldn't i be be freaking out that i have a brother , but i was told at a very young age i had a brother but know body knew , were he was and if he even survived the genocide so i never rely questioned it But Simon is lovely ! We rely connect, the picture is a screen shot of a video of us on the couch. you see i am attempting to teach Simon how to skank witch for those who are not aware of the word its a routine dance you do in a club when the song 'migraine skank' comes on like Cameo candy but slightly more urban! i have to say he was terrible at it but in time he'll learn.

Orange is so not my colour !

 That its! I've actually gone and done it, quit uni. I am doing well...  it’s a work in progress I’ve got a job at Sainsburys and although orange is so not my colour, it’s a job like any other, I’ll be fine its all going to turn out ... Who I am kidding? What am I doing? NO, this is the right decision, although Dad doesn’t think so. See, I am back at home living with my Dad, step-Dad that is, he’s angry that I left Kings, he said I am throwing away my future. He’s such a hypocrite, he used to be a successful photographer taking photos of world disasters, he was good at it, had an eye for that kind of thing. As for now... he’s a fat, old, unfit nobody taking crappy wedding photos. I may come across as being a bit harsh, I do love him and all but he gets on my nerves sometimes! Nagging and nagging to do something productive with my life, instead we're doing the opposite he’s just been giving an amazing job offer. An art gallery have asked him to put together his finest work so they can create an exhibition of all of his photography and I have persuaded him do it!  But on one condition, that I go back to uni. S***!

What i am i doing with my life ?

How would you feel if you were sitting in an art lecture, like every other day, studying how to capture pure emotion? An example comes up on the 12 by 12 foot lecturing board, it’s of you , your young 4-5, crying over your died mothers body , surrounded by mass corpse . My name is Alex Potter. I am 19 years old and don’t think i am going to be able to show my face in that lecture hall again. It makes me Cringe just thinking about!! The hole experience keeps coming back to haunt me, I keep getting flash backs of the hole Mortifying event. I am rely considering just dropping out if uni as a hole. I mean just the other week this guy comes up to me in the bar I am working at and starts touching my hair ,  like he’s  never seen anything like it before it was almost as if he never met a black girl in his hole entire life . I rely freaked  me out. i am siting here in a bed sit writing a blog on my life , a blog about me , what am i doing here i need to get out of here, find myself i cant carry on like this !