Vingt - Cinq Choses

1.Okay, here's the one that you've either heard a million times or you haven't, and you'll go "ooh, really?". I have three kidneys! Not three bladders or livers, as some people think, but kidneys; the things that look like kidney beans funnily enough.

2. I play the recorder, and have done for 10 years, although I'm only on Grade 6, as I think that playing should be for enjoyment and leisure, not a parent-driven-compulsory activity. I know people who hate playing an instrument because it's something that they've had no choice in. I can play the descant, treble, tenor & bass recorders, which you probably didn't even know existed! I also teach the recorder to complete beginners, which is fun.

3. My taste in music varies from acoustic to rock, classical to (rarely) pop, dance to alternative. I love soundtracks to film, but hate how they're more expensive than regular albums. I'm a CD person and only download from iTunes - don't steal!

4. I'm a fan of technology and would love to live somewhere that has various automatic things and ingenious gadgets to help with everyday life. I want a MacBook, as I'm slowly being converted to Apple (although it may just be because of the badge that goes with it) and I love my iPod - the invention of the MP3 player was one of the highlights of whatever century they were invented in :-)

5. I am a practising Christian (as if you didn't know already ;-}) and find it hard to tolerate people who say they are but then contradict themselves with their actions. My faith is something big to me and don't like it when it's something that separates me from people, rather than something that is accepted. I try not to be judgemental and I think that I'm a pretty nice person!

6. I've come to realise that my heart is in the country, although I don't know where. I really don't want to spend the rest of my life in London. I love the city and all that it has to offer, but I miss the quiet and clean of the countryside/highlands/other parts of Europe.

7. Par contre, I LOVE London, Paris & New York for the cosmopolitan cities that they are, with their bright lights and thriving culture. Maybe I'll live in a city before I settle down and become a bumpkin... :-)

8. I believe that laughter is the best medicine and that those who laugh and smile often are generally happier. Apart from the comedians who HAVE to be funny all the time and get depressed.

9. I'm a little bit obsessed with Stephen Fry... although not in a freaky stalker way, mainly in an admiration way! I love his books, films, documentaries, humour and wit and just think that he's generally a legend.

10. Education is important to me and I think that with the system that we have in Britain, there isn't an excuse to be a drop-out or a bum who doesn't work because he knows that he can earn more off benefits. That's plain lazy. I love learning and am full of useless facts, although when the opportunity comes to share one, I feel elated!

11. My mum was born in Detroit, but her family comes from Scotland. My Dad was born in South East London and we think that older generations came from Greece, as my Grandma has the maiden name 'Bezodis'.

12. I want to live an eventful and unrestricted life - I think that I would be miserable in a 9-5 desk job in the city; work experience was bad enough!

13. My favourite films would have to be Amélie, Australia, A Beautiful Mind, Little Miss Sunshine, Benny & Joon, Moulin Rouge, Brokeback Mountain & I enjoyed the Matrix films, Star Wars & most of the superhero ones.

14. I am studying English Literature, French, History of Art & Photography and aspire to go to probably Warwick or Bristol University to study History of Art, maybe after a gap year. I really enjoy all of them, apart from the volume of homework that I get in French!!!

15. I am enjoy writing and creative things, although it doesn't feel like I have the time to do them enough. I would love to live by myself somewhere serene and peaceful for a week or two to just be and think and create and spend time with God.

16. I love taking photos but don't want to be a kid who has a DSLR and doesn't know what they're doing - I NEVER use auto mode!

17. I have met some of the most amazing people and I value my friends a lot, although sometimes I don't act like it.

18. My parents have taught me a lot and are two of the best people on earth, in my opinion anyway! I love them and enjoy spending time with them, even if it's not cool.

19. I'm not a cool person - I'm awkward, nerdy and strange, but that makes me who I am, I guess!

20. I still have Christmas cards up in my room. I should probably take them down now.

21. I miss aspects of high school, although years 7, 8 & 9 were the most miserable of my life. I hated that time.

22. I keep all of the old Vaseline pots that I have used. I don't know why.23. I like long journeys when you're not in a rush to be anywhere. I enjoy going for wanders and enjoying time to myself. I want to travel more when I'm older and have interesting experiences.

24. My Great Uncle, Peter Page, was the head chef at Buckingham Palace and cooked for the Queen. He would bake Prince Charles' birthday cakes when he was young. I have met Arthur Smith, although I didn't know who he was at the time, so I don't know if that counts! I haven't really met many famous people, but would love to get stuck in a lift with Stephen Fry!!!

25. I can't wait to decorate my house/apartment when I'm older!

Lugubrious

My Art History teacher set homework to find the definition of 'lugubrious', which is now my new favourite word. Not the definition (gloomy, mournful or dismal, especially to an exaggerated degree) but the way it sounds and rolls off your tongue and feels as it leaves your mouth.

Just about all of the blogs that I follow talked about the snow, reinforcing my belief (if you can call it one, perhaps just a passing thought) that the snow has had a profound effect on everyone, as London NEVER gets snow like this! At least not for 18 years, but I wasn't alive then, I was an embryo in my mum's womb.

Walking through it, watching it out the window, playing in it, hearing about it, feeling it, hearing the silence that it brings as it blankets everything around you.

Snow makes me feel poetic.

Not in a 'I'm going to go write a poem about the snow' feeling, but everything becomes symbolic or significant and you find yourself thinking more.

I love the cleanness of the snow; crisp, stark, soft, white, new. Everything looks different and everything becomes more romantic and poetic.

I love the cycle of snow; the new fall that surprises every man, woman, child and DOG, waking up to a winter wonderland. No cars come out to play, buses are cancelled and no aeroplanes are soaring above to disturb us city dwellers. Peaceful.

Ironically, it was on Monday that I felt the more Christmasy than I had in December; it was as if we had stepped into the set of 'Last Christmas'. A day full of snowball fights, 'fort' building, snowmen, sledging, igloos and talking whilst romping and stomping in the wonderful snow. {Photos credited to the cuz}

On Tuesday, I became disillusioned by the neige.

It had become brown, grey, slushy, icy, slippery; a hindrance rather than a present. I stayed inside, and only ventured out to get ingredients for dinner and to test out our new car :)

I filled my time with reading and talk amongst old friends who visited from Norway. I want to live in Scandinavia now.

On Wednesday, we reluctantly returned to college, slipping and sliding all over the place and getting stuck outside because of a false fire alarm. Sigh. Thursday was a good day too, I came home feeling perfectly happy, for no good reason, as nothing extraordinary or exciting had happened.

Yesterday was an amazing day for me, although to others, it will sound like a day of nutters gathering together and talking about something that doesn't exist, to them anyway. I met with God and learned about how to become better at communicating with him and I learned of wonderful things that he has done. I'm a pomegranate.

I feel that today is going to be a good day - well, it has already been a good day! I've done my French homework (bien sur!), written a blog entry, HAD SUM OJ, tasted some of my Mum's shortcrust Strawberry tart and can smell her making pumpkin pie and meatloaf for the Thomas' who are coming round within the hour. I'm looking forward to them coming, as I'll get to talk to Abi and find out how Paris was, how her mocks went and generally catch up! Good food, good friends, good times.

At the moment I can hear Snow Patrol, who my parents have gotten into recently and I did hear my brother listen to How To Save A Life, but set to a video someone made of the Gorrillaz. I liked it. HAPPY MUSIC TIMEZ.

Let's hope that we can get through this week without any scratches or bruises and then enjoy half term without too much work! I'm looking forward to seeing people again :)

Adieu!

Pinch punch first of the month and all that

HI I'm feeling so excited because I've just found blogs of the EWS people which is fun, because not that many people use blogspot. Well obviously millions do, but not people that I know. Soooo it'll be easier to keep in interesting contact with them (just because you're friends on Facebook doesn't mean that you're in regular contact or that you're even FRIENDS) and see what's going on.

I've decided that I want a MacBook when I go to University and it'll be MINE and I can put aaaaaaall my music, photos & documents etc. in one place and it'll be MINE. I just have to save up for it now. Hmph. Because I've gone Apple crazy, I'm using Safari (web browser) which I leik. I didn't at first because I didn't think it had tabs, BUT IT DOES. Which is tres bien. I also want an iPhone. As if I would even use it properly. Or, more importantly, as if I'd even have enough for one. Ah well, I'm sure it's just a whim and it should pass....

PHOTOGRAPHY IS FINISHED! Hurrrraaaaah! No more late nights, no more lost lunchtimes, no more staying in the library till SIX PM! Well, it will be in about 5 weeks but lets not think about that. I was the only one in my class who gave it in on the deadline. Wow.

HOWEVER (I don't know what's with all the capitals today!?) the root of most of my excitement is from the fact that tomorrow we finish college at 1pm (yippee) and then we're going to Regent Street Apple Store to queue to see Stephen Fry!!!!!!!!! That's assuming that we get in, of course. I'm prepared for disappointment, but I'm game to try and I think it'll be fun anyway. 

I've started reading Emma by Jane Austen which should be good. Well, by saying starting, what I really mean is I've read the blurb and put my bookmark on page one. Haha. I'm really going to try and read more than I have been recently.

Ha, we're doing internets stuff in French and on Thursday we did blogging. She asked the class if anyone blogged and obviously I didn't put my hand up. Ha. Probably because people had been slagging it off. In French.

Hokay, I'm going to go eat and do French homework and for once go to bed before 11 :s!!

Adieu!