Of foreboding and the city...

 Photo by me :)

I'm sure I was made for the city.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, but if it weren't for money issues I would've been a Londoner. And now I've been to Paris. I think it's safe to say I am in love with the place. I made a wish going under the bridge (the one where you're meant to fall in love), but I won't tell you what it was or it won't come tree ;). Then on the way back we went through London in a cab, and I remembered how much I love that too. As it is, for the next year I will be remaining in shit-village-in-the-middle-of-nowhere. Still, could be worse. It's safe, I guess. Unlike the next town I might add [see people-going-when-the-light-turns-green-even-if-there's-a-pedestrian-right-in-front-of-them.]

It's weird to think that I'll be moving out in just over a year. I kind of feel mentally ready for it, but at the same time I don't want to leave all my friends behind! The other thing is the unpredictable nature of the move. I don't know WHERE I'm actually moving to. But Thursday might go some way to deciding...
Thursday. Results day. FUUUUUUUCK.
(And they actually matter this time!)
I'm hoping to get an A in music and Bs in everything else, but I'll have to see. This also goes some way to determining what I drop this year. I know what I WANT it to be, but I'll have to see...

In the meantime, here's the music for today :)

Peace&Love

Of joy and wanderlust.

 Image from WeHeartIt.

Hmmm. Summer.
Well, it's great not being in school, but I haven't really been doing, well, anything in particular. Ok so I've been drawing stuff inspired by northern mythology and playing me ukelele but yeah. Also I read Wuthering Heights and it was SO GOOD. But not as good as generally socialising. Everyone seems to be away or booked up, and I am stuck in England, looking wistfully at pictures of the Nordic countries. One day...
On the plus side, I have a couple of mates to meet up with, and in mid August I will be spending a couple in days in the good old Pariiiis (where I've never actually been before and am very excited about.

Also, I just got the news that I passed my music theory this time round! On top of that, I got a merit. I am very pleased with this, and that's one less thing to worry about when university hunting.
I know I haven't been writing very faithfully on this lately, but now the exams are over and done with I should have more time as a distraction from the distinct lack of boyfriend as he too is off on holiday next week. It was our nine months today, how time flies...

Today's music is in spirit of the aforementioned book.

Peace&Love

Of ageing and updating.

I haven't been able to be on much lately. First, my internet went down, for nine days. But it's back now. And then I've just been doing other things.
In this time, I got hit by a car (it was going at like 10 miles an hour but I twisted my foot breaking my fall, nothing's broken but it hurts like fuck. Then I went to see the University of York and fell in love somewhat... it's one of the hardest ones on my current shortlist to get into, though. Hmm.... The day in question was also my seventeenth birthday! Raves ensued and I am now the proud owner of a whole bunch of CDs, a new birdcage necklace and a minature TARDIS, among other things. Thankee all!

And now there's the end of term blues. I mean, it's not like I particularly enjoy school of anything, but nearly everyone's away over the summer. And I'm stuck here in England the entire time, save a possible/probable weekend in Paris with the family, which should be awesomely awesome. And I'm already scared about results day. And Goggles is leaving. To be honest I don't blame her in the slightest. The only reason I'm still there is for the very few people who I care about and actually give a shit about me too, and the fact that I want to get decent marks so I can get into a good uni and just start all over again. I'm not much a fan of it other than that. But then people hae actually been horrible towards Goggles. I am simply ignored.

Nothing else has gone on really, so just today's music (Stratovarius) and a picture that made me smile.

Image from WeHeartIt.

Peace&Love

Of studying and losses to metal.

 Image from WeHeartIt.

Tuesday.
Japanese exam on Thursday.
This is followed by music, English and media.
I have been spending every waking moment of my life studying. If I get any more stressed, my head is actually going to explode.

Still, in a month's time, this'll all be over. It'll be summer, it'll be carefree, some of my friends might be able to drive so we can go anywhere. (My goal is Paris but due to lack of money I don't know how realistic this). Also, my family just got tickets to go and see Gorillaz in September. They used to be my favourite band, I haven't listened to them properly for a while now but I'm still excited. Plus it'll be Damon Albarn round #4.

I'm gonna try and get an early night as I have a whole day of Japanese revision ahead of me, but before I go, (sorry to end on a sad note) I have to mention Mr Ronnie James Dio, who passed away last weekend after a battle with stomach cancer. It's a sad day for rock and roll.
1942-2010. RIP

 Funny the things you notice after something like this happens. The first thing I noticed was that his wikipedia article had been re-written in the past tense. Today's music is Holy Diver.
Peace&Love

Of tediousness and preperation.

Well. I feel exhausted. I've texted more tonight that over the whole of the last two weeks, and my bag weighs a tonne. People I am ready for school. Not. And I can guarantee that all my essays are shocking.

The last few days have been literally filled with pessimism. Tuomas Holopainen once said "everything is possible. Even the impossible." Which in anyone else's life would be an optimistic notion. Not in mine. Hey, I was told it was impossible to fail Grade 5 music theory, but look what I've gone and done! (I'm over this enough to be able to laugh about it now.)

Nothing else to report. Today's music is from Massive Attack's new album. Feat. Damon Albarn.


Peace&Love

Of lazy days and punk legends.

Today I had a lazy day. It sounds better than "downright boring".

If I'm wearing my paint encrusted, much too big hoodie, you can tell I'm not planning on going anywhere. I think the only times I've worn it in public were on the Japan trip, which it was for, and after Nightwish, because my hair was greasy with alchohol, pyrotechnic and Finn. So yeah, it has memories attatched.
I was housebound for the whole day due to having to wait for the washing machine repairman. We asked for a callout between eight and twelve. Guy turned up at two. And I have been all on my owny all day.
What have I done? Well I had an amazingly healthy lunch of ryvita, cheese string and cookies, I took some photos of some flowers in the garden (inspired by the sheer number of photography based blogs now gracing my following list, damn I wish I could take photos like that!), watched Outnumbered and Russell Howard's Good News (comedy - the only thing the British still do better than anywhere else), and some revision in my Leverage-pun infested notebook (nine colours, eight pages and two hours later and I'm still no closer to liking Van Morrison. And now I think I will play some Sims. Typically the one day I can't go out is the one day the sun is actually shining.

Today I heard the sad news that a punk legend and creator of the Sex Pistols (who are simultaneously one of the worst and best bands in existence), passed away. RIP Malcolm McLaren.

Today's music is in his honour.


Peace&Love

Of camdening and rain.

Today was the day of mine and Emma's seasonal trip to Camden. Unfortunately, being England, it was absolutely pissing down.

A crappy photo of some things drawn for the occasion.

I love Camden and all the eccentrics you find there. I bought a nice dress, and despite the rain it was still a trip to the city. And the city, really, is where I want to be. I'm fed up of living in the middle of nowhere.

 One of these days, I'll start doing proper photography ;)

Today's music is for Emma. 

Peace&Love

Of a newly revised bucket list.

- Study music at university.
- Tour Europe by train and visit every capital city.
- Learn to walk in slip on shoes.
- Join some kind of group of political activists.
- Join a band.
- See the Northern Lights.
- Read all the works of Shakespeare.
- Go scuba diving.
- Meet Tuomas Holopainen.
- Dye my hair some insane colour.

I'm sitting here surrounded by stray paper, a vegetarian cookbook and my beloved iPod. And it's bloody freezing.

Spring is finally upon us. I hate spring, basically due to the weather (I'm British, all I do is complain about the weather!). It's mild and rainy, the inbetween season. And I like extremes. Still, it's a time for new beginnings. I think I'm going to fiddle around with the colourscheme on this thing.

Easter holidays - a bittersweet feeling. On one hand it's great to be off school and to be able to go out and do all kinds of crazy things with my friends and boyfriend, but on the downside I will be spending nearly all of it working. A/S level exams are painfully close.

We didn't make the media deadline, which sucks. I don't want it to sound like I'm blaming someone else for my own mistakes, but to be honest, the teachers were the ones who never gave us any equimpment with which to do the aforementioned coursework, and thus it is ALL THEIR FAULT. Ah well... we're nearly done, so we'll be getting it in as soon as humanly possible.

Today's music is Leverage. Because the vocals from 3.34 to 3.45 made my heart skip a beat.


Peace & Love

Of Mardi Gras and budgetting.

Between midday on Tuesday and about five on Wednesday, I spent the equivelent of about seven minutes at home. Living life to the full? I think so.
Thursday afternoon was spent a-wandering round town with George, contemplating buying an audio tape of the Moomins, testing out glasses that doubled up as straws (great idea, not so great in the execution) and having a Finnish-Swedish band battle. He bet me that I couldn't name as many Finnish bands as he could name Swedish ones. I did. He made all of his up. I win.
Then I went home to grab some Häagen - Dazs, and went out to Hayley's. Alchohol was consumed by all but me, I woke up with a hangover (THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS), we watched The Grudge 2 and talked fairly candidly about bases. And Emma had awesome novelty glasses. And I slept in my clothes.

 (I look hideous.)

THEN I went home again to change my t-shirt and brush my teeth, before going to Cosmo with Emma and Georgie. Ate mammoth amounts despite it's being the first day of Lent, then wandered around town. I spent a grand total of 50p. I am awesome at saving up. Not that this will last due to the simultaneous discovery of this jacket and Brother Firetribe's recently released DVD. Today's music comes from that DVD.





Peace & Love

Of winter chills and longing

I think it's fair to say that summer's on it's way out. Or at least it is here in Kent. Yeah the skies are blue and clear, but it's absolutely freezing. I like summer, but I think I like winter more.

What I don't like is autumn and spring. The in between stages. I prefer the two extremes.

I miss the weirdest things about winter.

I miss the cold air whipping around my face.

I miss the smell of the rain and the artifical shine of the streetlamps when it's dark at half past four.

I miss that one frail bit of hope that we might actually have a white Christmas.

I miss the Doctor Who specials!

I miss the unbelievably long chat I have with Emi on Christmas day, and the marginally shorter one I have with Hayley,

I miss that one glorious week of doing fuck-all at school, and watching the upper sixth make a fool of the teachers on the last day. They said they might ban it, but if not, that's me in 2010!

I miss the weird things you find in Christmas Bazaars like a table full of sushi. And spending stupid amounts of money on raffle tickets knowing that I have no hope in hell of winning anything.

I miss wandering around town in the freezing cold, and only being able to afford one hot chocolate between us, resulting in us drinking it with three staws.

I miss the feel of the fire when the central heating just doesn't make the grade, so to speak.

I miss the coca-cola adverts and the things you always find on TV.

I miss it when the teachers at school let certain secrets about certain Christmas traditions slip and we all pretend to be shocked and upset when actually we've known for ages.

I miss how in primary school we used to pack things up into shoeboxes and send them as Christmas presents to children in less economically developed countries.

I miss the meal we have with Hayley's family where we play drunken board games and my brother gets pissed off because everyone picks on him.

I miss the unbelievably tacky light-up santas people have popping in and out of their chimneys.

And I miss all the Christmas raves I have with my friends.

Today's music reminds me of winter. Plus Nightwish are awesome.

Nightwish - Walking in the Air live at Hartwall Areena

Peace & Love

Of rowing boats and epic failures

You may recall that some time ago I mentioned that myself, Hayley and Emi had attempted to row a boat at a park in our area. We were particularly bad at rowing said boat, and after being towed out from a bush we were forced to trade for a pedalo. Well, there is now a lot more to this story...

Aly had her sixteenth birthday in the park and the three of us went. We dragged Aly into a rowing boat with us. Now, Aly actually has some idea of how to row a boat, but being as you needed two people to do so, we just went round and round in circles. At this point, some of Aly's guy mates jumped into pedalos and tried to ram us. With them towing us around via some ropes on the boats, playing tug of war with our boat, us yelling at them to leave the ducks alone and Aly leaning across the boat to kiss her then-boyfriend, we nearly capsized. We then had to be towed in again once our alloted time was up.

Turns out that while I was away, Emi and Hayley went back to the place, and, having got stuck again, asked the guy to try and teach them to row. He stormed off when Emi asked which way was right, and they got stuck on the bank again. The guy refused to help them, so Emi climbed out onto the bank and pushed it free. However, Hayley was then left rowing round and round in circles while Emi stood on the bank in complete hysterics! I wish to God I'd been there! We plan to go back again... they're going to know our names soon!

Peace & Love

Of dramatic returns and GCSE results

Back from Spain, and have all my GCSE results!

Japanese - A*

Music - A

Core Science - A

Additional Science - A

RE - A

English Language - A

English Literature - B

French - B

Maths - B

Art - C

Peace & Love

Of holidays and closing forums

I'm on holiday from tomorrow until the 29th August. So I won't be on here. So here's a few messages for the three people who might read this.

Emi: I hope your last few days in the Burgh of Edin treated you nicely. Have a lovely summer and I'll be ringing round the second I get back to discuss exam results. Sorry I can't text you in the... pain of S?

Holly and Mia: When I get back, the forum changeover will have already have taken place, so I'll see you there. PLEASE keep your original usernames or I'll never find you!

So yes, I'm off to Costa Blanca (or thereabouts) and when I come back I will have my GCSE results. See you all on the other side!

In the meantime, here's a couple of things to watch.

Florence & The Machine - Blinding

Anette Olzon - Kuolema Tekee Taitelijian

Peace & Love

Of sudden news and growing up

I finished work experience today, so summer has now officially started. I learnt about teaching and music. And that I shouldn't become stupidly attatched to people in the space of five days. My supervisors were both really friendly and I didn't want to leave... but I've been very tired so I guess it was time. It's weird being at work instead of school... I've always had a fear of leaving full time education and experiencing the "real world" and I'm still in school for another two years and then I'm going to uni, if all goes to plan... so I was expecting to hate it, but I didn't! Maybe I'm growing up...

Also, a man who has been in and out of the media throughout my entire life and longer passed away either late last night or early this morning. Rest in peace Mr Michael Jackson. I'm kind of in shock because you always hear so much about him. I won't explain who he is because I doubt there's anyone out there who doesn't know. His music has never been something I've really listened to apart from the occasional song, but he was an absolute legend and changed the face of music.

So yeah. Here's Scream.

Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson - Scream

Peace & Love