Krakow, Poland

Over the weekend I went to Krakow on a hen do, it was a rather fun weekend all in all and I'm now basically fluent in Polish, it's a pretty easy language to pick up...if you ask me. I'm unable to report anything here, so I'll leave you all with a little innocent short montage of Krakow...

The Hen and her sister have a heart to heart

The hardcore doers party on...

Even the bottle corks are happy in Poland!

Dover

Rowan and I needed a reason to get out of London (well who doesn't!) so we had a random thought to head to Kent, I'd never been and he wanted to see the White Cliffs of Dover, so it was settled that we would head to Dover. One high speed train and one episode of Game of Thrones and we arrived.

After a little walk around, Rowan acquired a new film camera from one of the charity shops (£4 well spent), we headed to our B&B (Hubert House) to book in, the B&B didn't open until 4pm so we headed to The White Horse next door. The White Horse is a rather adorable little pub which is covered with swimmers names and times from swimming the Channel. We eventually checked in and set off for our walk along the cliffs...

Rowan and I had set a challenge to take the most dull photo possible, the photo has to be a decent shot but boring as hell. My dull photos are mostly on the camera film (which is yet to be developed) but some of my boring images are below...

I feel that they are perfectly dull and appropriate for our competition. I'm very much looking forward to the film being processed, it's unfortunate that the film is Black and White, as that always makes things slightly more interesting, damn it! Have a fence and horizon to boot!

We took a nice long walk over the cliffs to St Margaret's Bay, where we enjoyed a pint to reward ourselves. We then headed in to St Margaret's on Cliffe to find some food and an eventual taxi home. 

We ended spending too much time talking to the regulars and nearly got locked out of our B&B, luckily we made it back just in time and folded ourselves in for a restful night slightly drunk.

The next day we woke early ate breakfast and then headed back to bed, well it is Sunday afterall. Eventually we had to leave, which sucked as it was all rather nice tucked up with a warm breeze coming through the window and ventured out into the real world, we opted for Dover Castle and some tea drinking.

I can not recommend Dover Castle enough, there was plenty to look at and do, excluding the War Tunnels and Hospital Wards, which were also extremely interesting. English Heritage has renovated the castle to be similar to how it was at the height of its hey day, the roof is also open for you to enjoy the vast views of the horizon. We ended up spending 4-5 hours there all in all and as we left, I signed us up to English Heritage as members, this of course needed to be celebrated by telling my parents; who promptly ignored my text message.

Shortly after we finished there, we headed back to London; one day we'll get to spend our hours exploring and doing no work, one day...

Scottish Céilidh

I had a random invite to some Scottish Céilidh, which was obviously something that I was going to attend, therefore this evening I found myself in Whitechapel surrounded by trainee Doctors dancing to a live Scottish band.

It was an experience, that is for sure, who knew so much energy would be required to run and swing...I'm pretty sure that it was created due to it being so cold up north and they needed to keep warm at all times!

Below is an action pack shot of some Céilidh in action...

The Grand Budapest Hotel

I'm going to see 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' this evening with the Boyo and am very excited!!! Eek!

I've loved Wes Anderson, since I first watched 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and was extremely excited when I heard he was making 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'. Roll 8:30 pm this evening...

I'm unable to embed the video, so watch the trailer, it's worth it!

Languages

I was sat on the bus the other morning listening to some Polish men talk and I started to think that I'd like the capacity to understand all spoken languages, then I though 'well, if I can understand them, why not wish to be able to speak them also?!' which is completely understandable, if you ask me.

But then I thought 'if you hosted the ability to understand and speak all of the languages in the world, how long would it take to scan your brain to identify which language were being spoken?', therefore I decided that possibly being able to talk and understand a select few would make more sense, although how would you judge which ones? Bearing in mind that during the 90s, I would have chosen French, German, Spanish and Italian. I'd never have guessed that Russian, Mandarin and Polish would become more relevant. Therefore, if we were having wishes granted, would it make more sense that you can review and add accordingly every few years?!

And now I'm completely lost, but I guess there is no fear, as granted wishes don't exist and it would take me forever to learn one language, let alone numerous ones - this is based on my inability to speak French, after five years of studying of course.

However, dreams are very nice things...

Quentin Shih

First Date Review

My date on Friday was pretty bloody great! I was full of nerves when I left work, I'm not generally a nervous person, so that was irritating. I arrived at Seven Sisters station and then stacked it on the escalator, spilling the contents of my bag up them (I nearly lost my mega sexy M&S granny pants also, luckily they stayed put in my broken bag), for some reason this stupid accident made me feel much better and all my nerves evaporated.

I ended up running five minutes late and received a text from 'Spazzy Jeff' (username only) saying that he was there and by the condiments, in my typical fantasy world, I assumed that meant the pub was set out in the style of a shop (yep, because that makes complete sense?! I really do wonder about myself at times). My main worry was how do you greet a stranger who you've been talking to, luckily he had this all in hand and that instantly made me feel better. Although, the first thing I did after meeting him was go to the lavatory, when I came out I asked him "did you get worried that I'd climb out the lavatory window?", way to make a guy feel comfortable...I obviously know all of the best tricks.

It was all rather easy, after the initial awkward chit chat and first couple of drinks. He picked a pretty good pub, the 6 nations were showing, funnily enough it was his team, Wales, who were playing, what are the chances?! It was a good game and half way through he planted me with a big old smacker. In typical verbal diarrhoea fashion, post kiss I blurted out 'I thought you'd be a soft touch and not kiss me for ages'. After this it was rather plain sailing...we even discussed the 1001 things not to mention on a first date, always a good sign that you're on a similar wavelength.

We had a few more drinks, SP suggested we moved on, I got us off at the wrong bus stop and we walked around the back of Farringdon/Angel for a while (this didn't seem to bother him, which I liked, although he might have been playing it very cool and was fuming inside, if so, he is a very good actor). We finally found the road we were looking for and popped into a pub (that I've walked past numerous times and never visited) and had a proper banter session, I won't say about what, it was extremely crude and very funny.

After this, we went to a late bar and had some more banter, conversations and drinks. SP suggested that we head to where he originally wanted to take me (before I got us lost) and I suggested that due to it being rather late, we could walk around the city, which we did. We ended up south of the river and I wanted to know everything he's ever thought and felt. Needless to say that our date turned into brunch. I know, you're not supposed to emerge yourself in someone so quickly but we just seemed to click and I didn't want to go home.


We had a second date on Sunday evening in Greenwich, I got to see some of Greenwich, as I got off at the wrong stop, doh! and I also got to see the Cutty Sark, it's only taken me nearly three years to get anywhere near both places.

SP took me to Up the Creek Comedy Club in Greenwich. It was a fantastic evening, with some brilliant comedians. The highlights were the compare, who was rather quick witted. The first guy who was from Granada and was upset that Granada isn't known for anything cool, just Nutmeg; he wants to become the Nutmeg King. This was very funny and I'm explaining it abominably! A girl who's act was a hyper chatty hairdresser and a vegan comedian who said that all phrases were generally biased against all vegans, as most of them are about harming animals, leaving vegans with only "You can't make an Omelette!".

All in all, a blinding weekend.

Random Almond

There was a huge almond on the seat next to me tonight, it was mammoth. I wondered if someone was afraid to eat it due to its size and left it behind. They didn’t even leave a note – the poor thing. It was suggested to me that I should have taken it home to plant…I don’t think Hackney council would be happy with that. But what if it was a bean (disguised as an almond) and now I’ll never get to climb the stalk to the castle?! Although this is probably a good thing, as I’m afraid of heights and have poor upper body strength.

You win some, you lose some!

First Date Fear

I have had the arduous task of reformatting a spreadsheet of over 2000 entries over the last few weeks at work. I've been listening to the eight hour biography of Johnny Cash while doing this, it's been good company, other than the first 20 minutes which spoke of June Carter's death, which caused my eyes to flood, which meant I was unable to see the screen properly to format correctly - curse you, you silly real life story and my achilles heel of crying as soon as death is mentioned, grr!

It ended today with Johnny's sad demise and death, this also caused numerous tears, god damn I am weak! Yep, more tears were shed! I remember the first time I heard 'American Recording IV', I'd been at Courtyard for a few years and we'd received it from Island Def Jam through the post. Bryce and I went up to the living room for some time out and upon first listening, as soon as Johnny opened with 'Bridge over trouble water', Bryce and I had had our fill. Who knew that a few months later, we'd be playing it on repeat?! Hence the classic, "don't judge a book by it's cover" and "don't let first impressions cloud your judgement", which are both so much easier said than done...

This entire tedious intro leads me to my main purpose for writing this evening...I'm filled with a mix of emotions, most are exciting and crazy immature balls of energy, but others are nervous bubbles of gas, which could and most probably will burst out of me at the wrong time, causing some strange noises to occur from my mouth...arhjbgbiejgn riogkregnegm! For an example!

I have my first proper date tomorrow evening. It's the first since, oh God knows?! Umm, 2009? Possibly Summer 2009. OK so it's not extra long ago, but it's long enough to have forgotten and therefore be filled with dread about a first date. All I can remember is how awful all of my previous first dates have been, I keep on trying to remind myself that it's just drinks with a future friend/future stranger, but then the excitement bubbles and all turns to shit. The main reason for my fear is that, and I know I shouldn't and deep down I don't but I feel that possibly I should do so, I'm listening to other people's fears. FOOL! I know, I know! I try my best to ignore them, I always have, ever since some bitch told me at the age of 11 that I'd forgotten to put something on, in the changing rooms and I retorted "What? My bra? Why would I wear one, when I've nothing to hold in place?!", she then exclaimed loudly that I was obviously a freak - I think we all know who was the real freak!

I've done my best to be me via messages and I feel that we have good rapport, or possible good rapport but those with weak dispositions have started to imply that his banter may not be as good and as lively as mine in person and therefore the date could be frightful. I stifled the concern for long enough but I've now allowed it to consume me....follow that with random 'far too comfortable' texts from me about 'coats made of the skin from my previous dating website counterparts' and 'dead family hunting trophies' and I think if he does turn up, he may be clinically insane. Fuck!

Damn you insecure, extra weary, lovely but foolish people who I love! Damn you all! Why couldn't I just carry on living in my mad, wonderfully Disney world where we wacky people find our own kin through the strangest of circumstances and just get on.

Maybe, he is, as I keep on reaffirming to myself and others, a casual guy who doesn't sit on his phone and is that laid back (unlike a certain person I know, where you would have thought his phone was an extra limb of his) and he just responds when he sees it, rather than waiting and instantly texting back. Therefore he is banterous and a good time, it just appears rather staggered through the medium of text. Yes, this is my sunny disposition clinging to hope and god damn, I'm going to cling to that fine fine strand.

I guess, the worst thing is that within 24 hours, I will know and what will I have lost?! An evening where I would have been sat at home, instead I'll be sat in the pub with a stranger. This is as bad as it can get and that is what I need to remember. No date will ever be as bad as sitting in 'The Duke' in Oxford on a Sunday afternoon stuck talking to a perfectly pleasant but dull middle age man about the same topics of conversation which we had covered the day before and this is what I need to remember. I've already talked to the most boring people I've ever met. Nothing that this guy says or does will be as random as I've seen or heard before, unless he takes off his sock and sucks his toes in the pub, that would be pretty random...and if he is just actually that boring, then I've a new story to tell to current and future friends.

Yes, I may be tempting fate but fate, I tempt you. You've always been rather kind to me, so I implore to you, please be kind once again. Until this time tomorrow, Adieu!

In the mean time, have a little cry to Johnny's last video:

Dear Old Granny, Died 15th January 2013, Mounted 15th March 2013

Rudi, my office's Roe Deer

This morning, I was thinking about the mounting of dead animals on walls as trophies, which is a rather odd thing to do. I was then thinking about whether you could do a similar thing with human skin, as we do with animal hides bearing in mind they are both living organisms, therefore being able to do it with one and not the other seems rather odd. This led me to think about Gunther von Hagens (aptly nicknamed Dr. Frankenstein) and how he’s developed the art of preserving human tissue by plastination. Therefore, one day, mounting your dear old granny on the wall could be a possibility.

 

Although, the main difference between mounting an animal hide and a human would vary, due to the fact that creating the mould for animals is relatively simple, as even if it’s not exact it still looks like an animal. Even really bad taxidermy has it’s charm...even if they don’t look exactly like the original animals (I’m finding it hard to stifle the laughter and keeping a straight face as I type)?!. 




The perfect Coat Stand?

How hard would it be to make the mould for dear old granny, bearing in mind that every face has a 1000+ different feaures and points which make them so individual and if we did start to mount family members on the wall, would there be a heriarchy of good to bad taxidermy and would poorer families accept piss poor versions of their dearly departed?! Or could we get them posed and they could become handy items of furniture around the house?

Also, would the mould need to have a softness about it, or due to the plastination would it be hard and would this also detract from the initial facial features, etc.?

Maybe I need to write to Gunther...I think answers are required.

Tangent Time: I went to see Body Works when it was in Brick Lane years ago with my Mum and once I had gotten over the initial shock of it (which was set off by one of the slices of human having a tattoo, which brought back the fact that they once had reletives, lives, thought and movement), I found it fascinating and wanted to go back around again. I definitely recommend it to all who are mildly interested in biology and the human body.

Accidental Chocolate Brownie / Tart

One evening I was making Chocolate Brownie for a dinner party, that I was going attending, and realised at an extremely late moment that I'd run out of Caster Sugar, so I added extra chocolate instead. It didn't cook properly due to the consistency being too wet but it did make the most delicious chocolate brownie tart thing. 

Due to the London Tube Strike, I was unable to come home to collect it for my dinner party, so I took it to work the next day and it's now a firm favourite with my colleagues, although I'm not sure if it's a firm favourite with their waist lines. Try it, trust me it's scrumptious!

Ingredients:

100g (4oz) Unsalted Butter

300g (12oz) Dark Chocolate

100g (4oz) Plain Flour

100g (4oz) Caster Siugar

2 Medium Eggs

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Vanilla Essence

Instructions:

Melt the butter and chocolate together.

Mix the remaining ingredients together.

Add the melted butter and chocolate to the remaining mixture.

Place the mixture in a greased dish and pop into a pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes at approximately 200c / Gas Mark 5.

Take the chocolate brownie/tart out when the mixture is still kind of moist / wet in the middle and leave to cool.

Once cool, cut and serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Clotted Cream.

Enjoy!

3D Letters

I made this for a friend's birthday, it is made from 6 layers of foam board, stuck together, then covered in newspaper and PVA glue.

I laid the material on with double sided sticky tape, to ensure that I could reposition if need be and to ensure that the fabric wasn't ruined with glue.

Where will the craziness end?

Confession time. I have now joined 'Plenty of Fish'. I’ve done it, I’ve joined an online dating website. I swore when I became single last summer that the one thing I would never, ever, ever do was join a dating website. I swore blind, while sober/while drunk that I couldn't even comprehend the possibility of joining something that only "desperate people" turn to and look at me eating my words by the ladle!  And worse still, glup, I’m enjoying it! Oh the humanity!!!

After playing with Tinder for a couple of weeks, I’ve gotten bored of not really being able to see anything about the guys, not knowing what they do, like, think, etc.. Now don’t get me wrong, playing ‘hot or not’ will never get old but being someone who is all about personality and loves a good laugh, I need to ensure that these suitors have a sense of humour, some intellect, the ability to string a sentence together and use basic grammar, etc.. It even appears that some of them are lacking basic life skills: the ability to maintain a conversation, sensing written inflections (ok, I’ll allow that this is hard to pick up on when two dimensional but come on...). These are things that I cling to in everyday life, the blood and soul of basic human interaction. I guess maybe my big problem is that I'm a very physical person; I'm very verbal and expressive and like to be able to see and hear how and what people are saying. Obviously, I'm a master with words, can't you tell?! But my one love is conversing with others when the communication just flows and is natural. Small talk and forced conversations are the worst!

 

So, Plenty of Fish, how is it treating me? I joined on Wednesday evening with help from Rupert, who has previously been on there and he has given me some male pointers. But Rupert struggles to express himself through the written word and as we know, I do not, so some logger heads were met. I think I've summed myself up pretty well...I've added a disclaimer, well if all else fails, add a disclaimer, that is what they say isn't it?!

 

Last night, I had a little peruse and messaged a couple of guys. Just as I was about to log off, I spotted a nice looking chap, so I messaged him and happened to use the word 'diarrhoea', I was trying to explain my verbal dysentery when I feel awkward but in doing so, I also raised a not so pleasant image. Well if nothing more, at least I will be memorable.

Tinder - it's a strange new world!

I downloaded Tinder last week, well why not?!

It is the strangest addictive game of 'hot or not' that I've ever played. I think I've said yes to about 200 guys, which is unnerving, also unnerving due to letting my married friends play with it, therefore I've had random messages from men I've never seen before. Thanks "dearest friends"! I guess they were getting their own back for my constantly saying that every guy on there looks short or freakishly tall!

I was talking with Tom about it on Friday, who is also on it, and he recommended that I use a profile picture which features a Roe Deer, apparently most girls on there have constantly pretty photos, so to have something a little random means the guys will take a further look - I'm pretty sure that those two days were the worst for matches. Plus, which guys (who feature on Tinder) are actually going to bother to look further? And, do I really care?

I've had a couple of messages from some nice looking guys; one was a little too soft and nice, which isn't my kind of thing. The other seemed to be going rather well but I was a little too drunk to be conversing with anyone! Funnily enough, that conversation ended rather early...damn me and my afternoon of drinking post a long walk. Oops!

On Saturday afternoon I was speaking to a barman (Jo, 29), who was also on Tinder. It appears that everyone is on there, who knew so many single people existed?!

On this note, I spoke with Viktorious last night about it and was saying how I originally believed that the whole of London was made up of married people - everyone on the tube and in all the pubs (who I find hot) are married. I'd convinced myself that everyone in the universe is in a couple, apart from me. Now Tinder has made me believe that everyone is single. It's a total mind fuck, just like life generally.

Anyhow, this barman was in the belief that it was nice to talk to girls but he had no interest in ever meeting up with any of them, due to so many friends saying that none of the girls they'd met looked like their photos. I hope this isn't true, as that is pretty scary...I guess the whole thing is pretty random and strange. Additionally, according to Viktorious' housemate, a lot of the girls on there are dull as dishwater, which at least gives me one bonus over them - you couldn't fit more personally into one body. In fact I think doing so, is considered a personally disorder...

I've also been advised to not start the conversation with those who I am matched with, as that implies I'm only up for getting laid, can that really be the case?! I've messaged some of the guys anyway, well yolo (please note that is the only ever time I've used that (my first and last), I had to think about how you'd write it, although that might be the hangover talking?!).

Basically, I'm even more confused than before I'd ever seen or knew of Tinder - oh so confused! I swear being single wasn't this difficult or addictive previously...

So...

...as predicted, my Dryuary ended pretty much with an unhappy friend but the exercise is continuing, in one form or another. As is my productivity.

I made this little beauty a few weekends back. A tutorial will follow soon.

The same weekend I made this, I finally saw a ballet. I saw 'Le Corsaire', which was very good. Although I had expected them to sing for the first fifteen minutes, which was rather confusing. Plus, the lead guy chose a 'ho' over his 'bro', yes his bro was a douche but still...he'd only known the girl for a short amount of time.
I'm very much looking forward to attending my next ballet. Yay!

I've not been up to much otherwise; a huge walk on Hampstead Heath this weekend just passed, various birthdays celebrated and endless nights chilling at home. Everything is rather pleasant! (that's not me gloating, it's me being very grateful for this blissful period of my life. Thanks universe!).

Macdonald Gill

How fantastic are these maps!

http://www.macdonaldgill.com/

Certain hurdles in the abstaining...

Life sometimes throws you little hurdles, which you either jump, run into or run away from.

Yesterday I saw a friend who has been having some troubles in her love life, which meant that I had to take wine for her to cry in to and you can't allow a sad girl to drink wine on her own, it just isn't right. So I had to consume a glass of wine or two... It's not my proudest moment and I did feel bad but that was more because of her situation, rather than drinking the wine. Of course, I'm a good friend, not a crazy person!

On the upside, I'm finally getting to go to the Ballet on Saturday. Hurrah! It's been a long time coming (at the age of 4, I wanted to be a ballet dancer) but for some reason, I've never gotten around to going. I guess I hoped someone would take me but it never came to fruition. I can not wait! I saw an opera in Venice with my mother years ago but the ballet just seemed to allude me. It's only recently that I've been thinking of things I've always wanted to do and not gotten around to doing, and this popped back in to my pea size brain, and I've seized that moment/chance/opportunity (delete as appropriate).

Golly, men in tights with strong arms, lifting waif like girls to beautiful music - what isn't to like?! And it's been suggested that we ladies wear pretty dresses. I love getting all pretty. If you can't tell, I'm terribly excited!

Roll on Saturday evening:


In fact, it's a fab weekend all round. On Sunday I'm going here: Ice Sculpting Festival
Which brings me to another thing which I've had on my list to do for ages and not done: visit Canary Wharf! I've been to Isle of Dogs arena but never quite made it to actual Canary Wharf. I'm hoping to see this also:

It will all be finished off with a big serving of home made casserole with cheese dumplings - roll on 4pm tomorrow, when my weekend starts!

Anxiety Dreams Already

I had an anxiety dream last night, where I was offered a Gin and Tonic, accepted, drank it and then remembered that I was supposed to be abstaining - at which point it was too late, oh well was my dream theory - really rather typical of my good, committed self!

Earlier today, I bumped in to my mate, Glen, and told him that I was trying to abstain from booze. Stating that it's not for health reasons, it's more to see if I'm able too. Based on the fact that I used to drive everywhere and not drink and stay out all night without a drink and have a great time, and I'm interested in whether I can do this again. I also stated that my main problem with this is that I actually like the taste of booze - I love the wheaty fizzy freshness of beer, the round soily flavour of Malbec and the sweet gooseberry notes of Sauvignon Blanc, not to get drunk but for the taste and this is what I worry about.

Especially, as when I saw Glen on the street, the first thing I asked if he fancied a quick pint and a catch up - FAIL!

SHHHIIIIITTTTTT (said like Clay Davis)! This is going to get tough!

Dryuary

I've set myself a little task: I am going to try to abstain from alcohol for the whole of January - I know, I'm one of ten million desperate winos who are trying to not drink for the first month of the year, how cliche! But I haven't not drunk for a period of time, for at least 6-7 years, and feel that I should challenge myself. I guess, I have a lot of time on my hands.

I'm three days in and was going strong, until I was given a bottle of wine at work today and now I've painted two walls in my room and I'm desperate for a large glass of full bodied, earthy, ashy, thicker than thick red wine to reward myself with, I want one so so badly!

And I've also been invited to a 30th birthday party on the 18th - this is going to be much harder than I initially contemplated...bugger!

New Year Resolutions

My New Years Resolution last year was to read some of the 'classics' and it is probably the only NYR that I've kept too and enjoyed!

This year, I've decided that I will keep on reading classics, obviously as there are 100s of books left for me to read, but 2014 marks the year of finishing all projects which I've started and given up on.

I realised the other day that I haven't truly moved in to my room, the wall which I intended to paint is still green, my clothes rail is still held to the wall with wool (from where my clothes tore it down), I haven't painted my chest of drawers, etc...the list is long for my room alone, let alone the rest of my projects which I've squirrelled away and ignored, instead of completing.

It's finally time. I don't have a boyfriend to blame for taking up my time, so why the hell not! I've started to pull them all out from the wood work and will be setting to it asap. In fact, I've already completed my new clothing rail, although it bows in the middle due to holding too much, so time will tell but it's an excellent start at least...

My Year of Books: Various

I've read various books since I last updated. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Quirk Books.

To Kill a Mockingbird was incredible. I saw the film when I was a teenager and remember enjoying it but I had never read the book until now and I'm now wondering what took me so bloody long. It is a wonderful read, which sums up the relationship between the adult and child worlds, the conceptions of both worlds from the opposite points of view and also captures that period of time in Alabama and the racial tensions which existed.
I may have shed a few tears and also gasped aloud on the tube ride to work in the morning but it was the kind of book which I got incredibly wrapped up in and wanted to carry on all the way to Brixton, so I could continue reading it, rather than go to work.

Five Quarters of the Orange, isn't exactly a classic work but I wanted something slightly lighter to read and my housemate suggested this. It wasn't really a light read but it was a very good one. Although, I'm not exactly sure that I had the right amount of compassion for the main antagonist.

I'm currently reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is Pride and Prejudice rewritten to incorporate zombies (one of my favourite topics). I wasn't 100% convinced that it would work well but it does exceedingly. It has been both entertaining and well considered, as well and kept to the original storyline without detracting. My only criticism is that the cover makes the average person give me a raised eye brow, when read in public spaces...

Veggie lifestyle

My housie is a vegetarian, well a vegetarian who is coming out of being a vegetarian slowly and rarely eats meat, therefore most of our meals are vegetable based. Which isn't an issue obviously, it's just strange eating such little meat and so many vegetables.

I've always tried to eat lots of veg, but it was hard when living with Tom as we'd have a couple nights out a week and what we had in the house would go off, etc. and now here I am, getting more than my 5 a day. For the first time in 10 years (since leaving my parents home) my body is a temple! Well it would be if I got my arse back in gear and went swimming or running.

Earlier today, while making a 'shit load' of curry, I dropped a tin of tomatoes on my keyboard and now my laptop has a dip in the middle. Oops! but at least all the keys still work - hurrah!

My prediction

I'm making a random prediction about a situation and it won't mean anything to anyone, other than two dear, dear friends: 4th August 2014...

...and if I'm wrong, I just look like a right dick and that happens most days, so ce la vie!

The next gig at my local Train Station?!

I wonder how much it would cost to get Carly Simon to play live? Let alone, at my nearest Train Station, or Dock, or Room? Maybe, it would be like the film 'Little Black Book' and she would just appear and sing?! Or maybe life is just 'Working Girl', where Carly's songs just crop up constantly?!

Here's to wishful thoughts...

Kolmanskop

There aren't that many places in the World, that I'd love to visit. In fact, I could probably count them on both hands:

China - to see the Terracotta Army and Great Wall of China.
Japan - just generally but mostly for the architecture and impressive scenery.
India - Taj Mahal, various festivals and food.
Iceland or Finland - to see the Northern lights.
Tuscany and Greece - food, sea and scenery.
and I'd like to drive across North America and around Ireland.

Saying this, doens't mean I wouldn't like to go to other places, I just really want to go to these places.

BUT

I've now seen Kolmanskop and I think it has to be added, right near the top. It looks haunting. I remember seeing it in Vogue some years back in a photo shoot and thinking that it looked remarkable.

It's kind of unbelieveable, haunting and enchanting!

A conversation with a disgruntled 70 year old man, otherwise known as my Dad

This is a snipet of the typical telephone conversation I have with my Dad -

Me: Hi Dad.

Dad: Oh hi.

Me: I’m coming home this weekend!

Dad: Are you, why?

Me: It’s Grandma’s birthday.

Dad: Is it?

Me: Yes, it’s been her birthday on November 3^rd since her birth, in the 20s.

Dad: Well no one tells me these things?! (this is his own mother, we are talking about, bloody men!).

Me: I think we’re going to hers and eating Fish and Chips.

Dad: Oh joy!

Me: I was calling to talk to Mum about logisitics.

Dad: I’ve no idea where she is.

Me: Oh right.

Dad: It’s not like we make plans and she then buggers off and does her own thing.

Me: Ok, well I might come home on Friday, you can tell me all about it then?!

Dad: Will you want picking up from the station?

Me: Possibly, will that be a pain?

Dad: Depends. How about you call when your mother is at home?

Me: I didn’t realise she wasn’t when I initially rang, it’s not as though she has a gps and I’ve got a tracking system?!

Dad: Well she’s not here.

Me: Ok, love you.

Dad: Bye.

Ooops!

A few years back, my old housies bought me a 'whiteboard clock', which meant we could write away, erase and redesign...when Tom and I moved to E1, we wiped it clean and had every visitor add a little something. When we broke up and moved on, I wiped it clean for a new start and it's been hanging in my room, plain, for a few months now...

...I finally decided what I wanted to put on it and wrote away, one spelling mistake and I tried to erase it, ooops! a permanent marker...bugger!

Worse still is probably the thing I was writing was a little personal/uncool/funny/bloody marvellous. But the mistake made it so much worse...a lot of scrubbing and the top layer has dissolved and I now have a dirty whiteboard clock. I need to repaint it but in the mean time I continued with my redesign, which was a very simple lyric:

"...and getting caught in the rain, if you're not in to yoga, if you have half a brain. If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape..."

Good damn, Rupert, you were one cool muthaflipper!

The end of BST sucks!

This week, I have mostly been tired! I hate the last week of British Summer Time so, so much! It's horrid. Dark, damp, windy and tiring...I can not wait for Monday morning, a sentence I would not normally say, no matter what the circumstance.

A friend was saying the other day that she doesn't think we should change the clocks. I highly disagree. I could not survive Winter with mornings like the last week of BST...it would be nightmarish and scenes like this every morning would make me most depressed!

And I'm not a depression kind of girl, I'm a 'happy go lucky, sunny side up' kind of girl!

Roll on 2am on Sunday, I shall be saluting the sun rise and extra light with both hands! Plus, winter evenings are extremely enchanting and magical, especially with all the fairy lights that Christmas brings.

My Year of Books: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

For a small rest bite of new books, I picked up one of my old favourites. It's taken me about a week to finish...good damn, Douglas Adams was a wonderful writer!

If you haven't read it, do! Enough said!

My Year of Books: The Beast in the Jungle

I picked up this novella due to packing a small handbag one day, after I'd finished Frankenstein and I'm so glad that I did, as it's wonderful. It's by Henry James, who I've never heard of...sorry literacy fans, as I've stated before I'm uneducated and rubbish with books and classic works.

The Beast in the Jungle is a short story about John Marcher, who has a constantly dread that some spectacular event will happen to him. It opens with John being reunited with May Bartram, who he met ten years earlier and shared his secret with. I don't want to give too much away, as this book is wonderful. It's a lovely read and has such charming sentiments, I'd highly recommend to anyone. Especially those who aren't quite sure what is expected from life or what life is all about...

My Year of Books: Frankenstein Pt. 2

I've finished Frankenstein! Now I have two friends who sit firmly on both side of this book, one loves it and the other one thinks it's pointless (I guess, similar to how I feel about Anna Karenina), I sit somewhere in the middle. I really enjoyed it and never tired of it but at the same time it was relatively long winded and I felt certain parts weren't as conclusive as they could have been.

Regards though, I'd recommend it to everyone, as you can always skim read the long winded parts.

N16

On my second weekend as a N16 residence, I decided to go for a wander...

In my immediate neighbourhood, I'm lucky to be surrounded by the following parks:

Abney Park Cemetery
Clissold Park
Springfield Park
Hackney Downs

During my wander, I pottered down to Stoke Newington Church Road and was planning on walking around to Clissold Park, but decided the cemetery looked more interesting, plus I've never ventured in before.

I'm so glad I did. It's incredible! Check it out for yourselves, it looks as though the caretaker died and no one noticed.

The thing about Abney Park is that there are loads of people looking around, sitting on benches and drinking in public (obviously the last one isn't so attractive but it all sets the scene). The park is huge and continues for miles, with little earthy tracks, and rows and rows of graves. It looks as though certain parts of the cemetery are overgrown hedgerows but when you take a closer look, you realise that graves lie underneath. The entire place is so enchanted and when you think you've seen everything, a derelict church appears out of nowhere.

I highly recommend trips to Abney Park Cemetery (this is their official website).

After I'd finished pottering around Abney, I headed over to Springfield Park, which is the other side of my home. It's a lovely little park, which has a nice set of hedges with benches in them, looking Eastwards over the River Lea and Walthamstow Marshes.

Some good deeds, aren't worth it!

I had a rather funny/strange conversation with my mum the other day: It consisted of me telling her about my helping a bitch (I happen to know) out.

It starts like this: a couple of friends and I had planned to go to the pub, this individual invited herself along - isn't that always the way?!

A couple of drinks in and the bitch seems to be getting pretty merry, she tells us about cheating on her long term boyfriend with Colin Farrell in LA (whoop de do, you whore!)...I mean come on, we all talk about our Top 5s, but how many people would actually cheat on their partners if they had the chance?! I doubt that many would, I know I couldn't. Anyway, I'm lost on a tangent... So, we continue to drink and the bitch starts to walk around and place drinks down, hardly touched, orders a new drink and then place that one down, etc...in total, she basically drank about three large reds. I appreciate this is on an empty stomach, and not everyone is as epic as I am at drinking, but if you reach your limit, stop drinking don't continue to waste money on new drinks, especially tasty large reds!

Anyhow, we get about five drinks in and she disappears. I assume she's gone out the back door of the pub, I continue to talk to the random people I've found for a bit, eventually I decide it's time to leave. Now, in this particular pub, there are three doors and two ladies lavatories (this bitch is lucky that I didn't use the lavatory I'd normally use, otherwise it could have been a much worse story for her). As I walk into the pub, I see her asleep on one of the tables. I pop to the lavatory and have to decide, do I
a) walk pass her and leave?
b) wake her up and try to get her to a taxi rank?
or
c) take a photo and then do either a) or b)?

Due to my parents raising my correctly, I perform b). As soon as I do, I regret it (did I mention she was dribbling?!), I wake her up and she is instantly rude to me. Fun times for me!

I support her up the road and all the way, she tells me that I'm lucky she's there to help me, she also repeatedly asks me why I'm doing this? And also is incredibly rude and horrible to every bloke who walks past, to whom I have to apologise to.

I finally get her to a cash point and she refuses to withdraw cash, at one point she tries to withdraw cash with random membership cards, she continues to throw her designer bag on the floor and empty the contents onto the pavement, which I then scramble around and pick up for her. She also starts to bitch about the fact that she can't believe that her boss didn't give her any cash for her taxi and how dare he leave her up shits creek. After about 5 minutes of this (by the way, Barclays will be having a field day if they ever watch the cctv of the cash point from that night), two guys start to wait behind us, at which point she tells them that she knows what they want and there is no way their ever going to get it. They, understandably, look horrified. I apologise profusely and move her to one side, so they can get cash out. It ends up with me, having to offer to get cash out for her. I explain that I'm at the end of my overdraft and that I'll get charge, I also explain I'd expect her to pay it. I finally flag a taxi down and put her in it, at which point she refuses to tell the taxi driver where she lives. I see this as my chance to leave  - I'm free!

Side note - Dear Mr Taxi Driver, I am very sorry for leaving you in the lurch with such a horrid drunk person, but I hope you can except my apology. I'm sorry that you may have thought that I was also coming along. Please accept my apologies from the bottom of my heart.

The next time I see her, after about 2 hours I had to bring up the fact that she owed me cash. I also had to wait till the second time I saw her to a) get it and b) receive a thank you for helping her. You know what, some times good deeds just aren't worth the effort.

So, why was the conversation about this with my mum so funny?!
Firstly, once I told my mother this and she had gotten over her initial rant about 'stupid girls getting so drunk and being irresponsible', she told me that I should have taken a photo (remember, this is the woman who has instilled all of my morals).
Secondly, when I told her that I've always felt this girl wasn't very nice, and having her behave in such a way, reassured me that I had possibly been right first time round. She told me that maybe I shouldn't have bothered to help her and that some people won't learn until they end up in a situation which isn't ideal (once again, this is my moral guide?!).
Thirdly, towards the end, when I explained that I thought this particular girl may have always been over looked by her own mother and that maybe she lacked parental love and that I will always choose loving parents and a family unit over all the money in the world, my darling mother laughed and said "Oh dear, maybe I failed at raising you properly!".

Dearest Mother, you are one very funny lady!

Revamping a Dresser

This is my new dresser, which I've acquired form my new housie. She has given me free licence to do as I see fit with it. So I thought for about an hour and decided to collage the main body of the dresser in flowery/pastel images and the drawers in black and white type.

I've ordered some flower door knobs from eBay of various colours and have started perusing my collection of magazines for flower images. I'm so excited, I almost don't want to start it, in case it doesn't work and looks rubbish. Damn you, pre-crafting worry...

All moved in

Having moved out at the beginning of August, I stayed with an awesome friend and her husband for a week and a half in Bermondsey. I then headed to Chiswick to house sit for two weeks. During this period, I had my friend, Lauren, stay with me. The house was the most lovely house, very stylish and homely, which is a hard mix to accomplish. I was also cat sitting, although I think it was more that they looked after me.

Choucas' weak spot!

During this time, I chilled, drank, crocheted, hosted a small bbq and had some good times one weekend along the river with some most excellent friends: JFo and Budge.

Choco tries to blend in!

At the end of this, I headed back to Bermondsey for just over a week and then, finally, I moved in to my new flat, with my guardian angel of a new housie: Innie. 

(In fact during the entire period after my break up, I appear to have been surrounded and looked after by so many different "angels in disguise", it's been rather incredible and has made me feel truly blessed! I've always believed in karma and this period of time has truly shown me that it exists, although I really don't think I've deserved this much kindness, it has been awe inspiring).

I moved myself in mid week and on Friday collected the majority of my crap from my parents, with the help of some wonderful friends, we got it in to my room, just about! I spent all of yesterday unpacking, but check it out!

My creative centre

Dressing Area

Alternative light

Newly made curtains

Some high brow TV shows and reading...

Some actual high brow reading (well, mostly)...

I finally got the chance to use some fabric, which I've had for seven years, as my new curtains, I'm so glad I kept hold of it. I've also got a creative area for sewing, art projects and various other crafts that I turn my hand too. Although all I've used it for so far, is storage of clean clothes and other crap.

Innie has lent me her old dresser, which I've been given permission to adapt. It's currently cream, soon it shall be collaged in flowers and type, with awesome flower handles - I'm totally embracing my girly side, after two years of being told everything has to be mutually decorated. YAY! Bring on the flowers, sequins and glitter!