Treasure The Memories

Wednesday Words II

2012-02-08T20:27:00.002Z

I realise my last Wednesday Words was wayyy back in October. Sorry. I have actually read quite a lot since then and will endevour to share some highlights with you.

Piercing the Darkness by Frank E Peretti
This is the sequel to This Present Darkness which I read and blogged about here in October 2010. Both books are amazing and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are 'Christian Fiction', a term that immediately puts me off and scares me away from reading them, but once I had overcome that initial barrier the books themselves were completely engrossing. I literally couldn't put either down. I think it's fair to say that the sequel is very similar to the first book but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The plot may be similar but the so is the fact that I was completely gripped and couldn't stop reading either of them. I would be glad when my train to/from work was delayed simply because it was an opportunity to drink in a few more pages. This particular book centres around two main characters (and a few other more minor ones), firstly, a woman called Sally Roe who has lots of issues including depression and suicidal tendencies, she is searching for answers, whilst someone is searching for her so they can kill her. The second protagonist is a man called Tom who is the headteacher of a Christian school and is accused of abusing a child at the school. As a result his own kids are taken from him (their mother has died previously) and he is fighting to prove his innocence and get them back. The book follows the lives of these two people and the very different spiritual battles that each is facing and eventually the two seemingly unrelated lives are found to be incredibly intertwined and the fate of one will affect the fate of the other. This book (although it is fiction) really emphasises the importance of prayer and unity. I would recommend it completely.

Tersias by G P Taylor
You may remember GP Taylor from previous books he has written which include Shadowmancer and Wormwood. It is one of those teen fiction kind of books that I really enjoy (I realise I probably lost countless cool points there but I'm not ashamed!) It has a bit of magic, a bit of mystery and a bit of romance, what more could you want?! It is set a few hundred years ago in a London full of beggars, vagabonds and magicians - exactly the kind of setting I love. The main characters include a blind boy who can see the future, a teenage highway man, a crazed zealot who has created his own religious cult and a magician. Intrinsically it is about a teenage boy finding his own identity with a lot of other slightly crazy and magical stuff going on around him. Again, I would thoroughly recommend it - provided teen fiction is your cup of tea...

The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer
This is not the usual kind of book I would read because it is kind of straying into the realms of trashy American self-help book which I would rather avoid at all costs. However, its substance and the genuine compassion of the author makes the slightly patronising and often American tone somewhat more bearable. I picked this book up on a whim and was so glad that I did. It talks a bit about the role of women in the church (but doesn't unpack it fully since it only gives one chapter to the topic where so much more space is needed!), explores self-doubt, lack of confidence, fear, worry, stress and, most importantly, how to free yourself from all these things and become courageous and confident. I know it's not that easy (and the book recognises that it isn't an easy transition to make) but the Meyer's experiences and authenticity mean this book has real authority and really made me think about how I live. I don't want to be living in fear, I don't want to be stressed and I don't want to be continually worrying about things that will probably never happen. I want to be confident and courageous and grab all that life has to offer and this book really challenged my thought processes as well as my behaviours. I would recommend it to any woman who wants to get the most out of life and is sick of letting things get in the way.

The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
Someone lent me this book and upon returning it to him I bought four copies and am handing them out to friends with the words 'when you've read this, don't give it back to me but pass it on to someone else and be blessed'. I think that says it all really. I don't know where to begin. This book is so amazing. Absolutely incredible. Again I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. This man phoned Mother Theresa (or Momma T as he affectionately refers to her as) and asked to spend a summer with her, which she agreed to. He saw people dying in various hospitals and hospices over there. He went to Iraq during the most recent war there and simply loved the Iraqi people who were being blown up by American (and British and other) soldiers. He also has done a lot of work with the homeless in Philadelphia (where he lives). He is so inspiring (and he has dreadlocks). I found the book so inspiring that I was even quoting from it when I went into work in the mornings! One quote I shared with my team was, 'In 1965 the average American worker made $7.52 per hour, while the person running the company made $330.38 per hour; today, the average worker makes $7.39 per hour, the average CEO $1,566.68 per hour - that's 212 more!. He talks about Fair Trade and trade justice which I love. He doesn't have health insurance (which is a big deal in America), instead he is part of a health co-operative with other people who can't afford health insurance and they cover each others medical bills (with God's help). He invites people in from the street to eat and/or live with them. He occupied a church that homeless people were living in whilst the authorities threatened to kick them out. He is just generally amazing. Out of all the books listed above, this is the one I would recommend the most. Please read it. If you want a copy then let me know and I will post one to you (that is how much I want you to read this book!)

I am currently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and I am 200 pages in and loving it. I will be sure to review it when I finish it.

I have also had a bit of a book buying spree of late and books I have bought include:
Humility: True Greatness by C J Mahaney
Boundaries by Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend
God Speaks your Love Language by Gary Chapman
Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw
Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: Prayer for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro

I will let you know if any of them are worth a read and if you want to borrow any of them when I'm done with them then you are more than welcome to.

Love and blessings,
Blue Eyes xx

Youth Group

2012-02-07T21:13:00.004Z

I am not sure if I have previously mentioned that I am now running a youth group for 14-18s at my home church. I began in November (about a week after I started my new job I think! Talk about timing!)

I ran a youth group at the church I went to at uni for about four years but it was very different. The age groups changed a little whilst I was there it tended to be 11-16s so they were slightly younger, but the main difference was that the kids at my previous youth group were all non-churched. They were amazing kids, they were loving, kind, thoughtful and very generous. However, they were from a very different background from me. They had many issues, most were from broken homes and they had lived through all kinds of things that I couldn't even imagine. They were tough on the outside but somewhere, deep down, they were gentle and just wanting to be loved. In short, they were amazing and I still miss them (despite finishing at that group in July).

My new group are equally amazing and loving and kind etc, however they are all from a much more similar background to me. They are more 'middle class' (sorry to use that terminology), most are from backgrounds where their parents are still together and they have all been attending church since they arrived in this world (probably before then too...). With the previous group I was just 'there' for them. I was just someone who loved them and cared for them. I just made myself available, I offered advice where I was asked for it and offered encouragement and uplifting comments whether asked or not. I didn't speak about my faith particularly openly (unless asked, which was fairly rare) and I certainly didn't do any Bible teaching or 'Christian' stuff. I always said that I shared God's love simply by loving the kids and simply by living my life as an example. And maybe that that was the wimps way out. Maybe that was the easy option. I could just turn up and help out. I could just 'wing' it. I could just be me without any real thought (I did plan crafts etc but no teaching).

But I can't do that anymore. And that's why the middle class, 'churched' youth group scare me. I am terrified. I don't know anywhere near enough to pass on wisdom or Bible teaching. I am still finding my own way with God. I am still journeying. I am still making mistakes (masses of them). I am still screwing up. I am still asking questions. I am still searching for answers. There are still things I don't understand. They ask me questions that I don't know the answer to. They might even look up to me. And that scares me. Sometimes I question how good a 'role model' I am.

I can't just wing it anymore. I can't just put some craft materials in a bag and hope it will be alright on the night. I have to prepare. I have to be in a good relationship with God. I have to rely on Him. I have to read my Bible. I have to read other study books. I have to step out of my comfort zone. And that is the real crux of it. I have to do something that doesn't come easily to me. I have to learn in order to be able to teach. I have to search for answers, find them, digest them and then explain them. I guess I had gotten so good at relying on myself and being safe in a situation that I knew and was comfortable with that I had forgotten what it was like to rely on God. What it was like to feel challenged by what I was doing.

And although it's scary, time-consuming and full on, I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way. The kids are great. I love being asked questions that I don't know the answer to. I love having to search out the answers. Some of the questions they ask I know what I believe the answer to be, but I don't know why I believe it and I can't just offer the kids unfounded thoughts of mine. I need to give them evidence. I need to give them Scriptures to refer to. I need to give them a well thought through answer and not just some messy, illogical, layered theology that I have developed through my life by pasting together preaches from different churches, songs from different bands and quotes from a variety of books. My theology may be safe and sound and I may be happy with its roots and origins, but should I be? Does it have good foundations? I am not saying that it doesn't, I am just saying that I should be sure that it does. I shouldn't be willing to believe stuff that I have no evidence for or real understanding of. I should be deconstructing it and finding the reasons and facts at the bottom. And I started doing that whilst doing my 'Big Year' course last year and need to continue along that track. I want to read more. I want to study more. I want to hear from more wise people. I want to ask questions. And youth group is providing me with the impetus to do just that. I was getting lazy, cocky and happy to cut corners with my beliefs. This can't be the case anymore. There is no more room for compromise. There is no more room for 'playing it safe', for 'resting on my laurels' or for thinking 'someone else can explore that, I don't need to'. Because I do need to. And that is one of the reasons I love running the youth group that I am now involved in. It is persuading me to get up and go for it.

The next challenge is preaching at a youth service in a month's time...I accidentally volunteered to do it because we have no-one else available to speak. I have managed to avoid preaching at youth services for years (I have been involved since I was about 16 years old). I have led plenty of services and shared testimonies at even more, but I have always shied away from preaching. I have always had some pathetic excuse. I have always left it to someone else. I have always thought that I wasn't good enough and not actually made the effort to make myself good enough. By that I mean, I've always thought 'I don't know enough about the Bible' but haven't actually been spurred on to read/study the Bible more. But now is the time for that to change. If I put my mind to it and pray to God then I do know enough. I can share something valuable. And I will be glad to share with the youth.

So, if you are the praying kind, then please pray for me as I prepare to preach. Please pray for my youth group as they journey through their teenage years. Please pray for God to really guide us all.

Love and blessings to you all,
Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: Set a Fire and Wake Me Up

2012-02-05T21:11:00.002Z

Here are two pretty different songs that I am listening to a lot at the moment and thought you might enjoy (but beware: they are catchy!)

And...

Let me know what you think,
Blue Eyes xx

Monday Musings VII

2012-01-30T20:16:00.002Z

A couple of interesting links on the BBC news page today...

Why do some people never get depressed?

Trendfear: Do you ever feel you're being left behind?

Thoughtful,
Blue Eyes xx

Monday Musings VI

2012-01-23T20:17:00.001Z

Thinking of buying a new phone? Perhaps this will influence your decision...

How the Mobile Phone in your Pocket is helping to Pay for the Civil War in the Congo

And what about gender equality?

Meghalaya, India: Where women rule and men are suffragettes

And on a lighter note, a great video discussing an important difference between American and British politics in a satirical way. Although it is a bit tacky and OTT, I think the basic point they are making about the accountability and transparency of British government vs that of American government is a very valuable one. I am glad that the PM has to answer questions once a week in the House of Commons so that he is kept accountable to Parliament and the electorate. I am glad that these questions are shown live on the Parliament channel and then can be viewed at the public's leisure on Parliament Live Online.

American govt vs British govt video

Hope you have learnt something,
Blue Eyes xx

Rehab for Mothers in Crisis

2012-01-20T23:07:00.002Z

And Baby comes too: rehab for mothers in crisis

I just thought that this deserved to be shared because it is such a cool project...

Blue Eyes xx

Monday Musings V

2012-01-16T22:28:00.001Z

A Youtube video that's gone viral...

What do you think?

Wishing she could rap,
Blue Eyes xx

Expectations

2012-01-11T17:43:00.002Z

Now that I am commuting to London everyday I read The Evening Standard on the way home. I read this small article on Friday which I thought was encouraging...

Nobel jury slated Tolkien bestseller
JRR Tolkien may have millions of fans across the globe but 50 years ago The Lord of the Rings was damned by the Nobel prize jury for its second-rate prose. One jury member said of the book - now the third best-selling novel ever written - that it 'has not in any way measured up to the story-telling of the highest quality'. Nominated by his friend author CS Lewis in 1961 for the world's most prestigious literary prize, Tolkien lost out to Yugoslavian writer Ivo Andric.

So, JRR Tolkien was told that his book wasn't good enough. It wasn't recognised as worthy of a prize. It was regarded as second-rate. And look what happened. It is a world famous book with fans across the world, with films, games and countless different toys and other merchandise based on it.

I guess my message from this blog is, don't be discouraged if people don't recognise your talent straight away. Don't be disheartened. If you love what you do then go for it no matter what the world thinks. You never know when you might create something amazing...

Blue Eyes xx

Happy New Year!

2012-01-10T12:54:00.000Z

Happy New Year to all (or perhaps, both?!) of my loyal blog readers. I wish you all the best for 2012 and hope it brings you peace, joy and happiness whatever you've got planned. At this time of year I get thinking about the year that's just gone and the one that's just begun (like everyone else in the blogosphere!). My resolutions are inevitably fairly similar from year to the next and I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, nor does it mean that I have failed them previously, it's just that some things require continued effort. So here goes for another year...

Save up - I want to save up for a deposit for a house. I know the amount of money that I want to have saved by the end of the year and I think it's feasible. I would love to be buying a (small) place of my own in 2013. This will require me to cut back my spending on frivolous things and have a bit more self-discipline...

Write more - I really want to write a book and I have started one, and written out plans for two others in the recent past. It really should be achievable if I am a bit more disciplined about my time.

Write more letters - I love to send and receive letters (especially if they have photos or random gifts etc in them). I already write a fair few letters, but it kind of happens in waves and I would like to be more consistent.

Energise - I know this is a weird title but I don't feel 'get fit' quite fits because I don't think I'm particularly unfit at the moment (I may be living in cloud cuckoo land...). I want to go to zumba classes again or maybe street dance classes?! I am terrible at dancing but going to classes would be the way to improve ...

Be less busy - I'm kind of doing this. Kind of. Life is still pretty manic but I am trying to be more peaceful and be more relaxed. I want to bring peace with me wherever I go, not chaos or stress.

Have less - I want to be more strict about the 'stuff' that earns a place in my wardrobe/drawers/room. By the end of the year I want to have less stuff not more stuff.

Read more - I still have lots of books that I have borrowed from people and I would like to give them back!

They are just a few thoughts that are swimming around my head that the moment and I feel they would make a big difference to my quality of life.

Blue Eyes xx

Monday Musings IIII

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000Z

I thought this video might trigger some thoughts or responses? What do you think? I, personally, love it. I think it's great. I prefer to believe that this is a genuine video though obviously there is the chance that it could be staged...

I realise this is just one musing, I am sure I will be back with plenty more next week!

Until then,
Blue Eyes xx

Crisis at Christmas

2012-01-07T13:58:00.001Z

One of my friends volunteered at Crisis at Christmas recently. I haven't had the chance to chat to her about it but she shared this video with me and I found it so inspiring that I thought I would share it with you guys.

Be inspired, challenged and encouraged,
Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: Katy Perry

2011-12-26T19:39:00.000Z

Merry (belated) Christmas one and all! I wanted to post this yesterday but I actually watched the video to the end and figured it wasn't very Christmassy! Please be warned that it is a little bit sad...

Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: Lucie Silvas

2011-12-11T21:22:00.000Z

It probably says a lot about how I'm feeling if I'm listening to Lucie Silvas. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing, just shows I'm feeling a bit reflective...

And a final song by her combined with a bit of Final Fantasy X which I love!

Do you see her when you see me? Could you love her like you love me?

Blue Eyes xx

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

2011-12-10T17:28:00.002Z

A bit of Christmas fun to get you in the spirit...

Humming along,
Blue Eyes xx

Dairy

2011-12-09T20:50:00.002Z

I'm not sure if I've ever blogged about this. I have intended to many a time but perhaps it's never materialised. I currently can't eat dairy. And it's not fun times. I'm pretty sick and tired of it now to be honest. I'm sick of not being able to eat copious amounts of chocolate and cake. I can barely remember the taste of ice-cream (soya ice-cream is alright but nothing on Ben and Jerry's...) as I haven't eaten it in a good six months. I haven't eaten normal cheese in as long - though I have had buffalo mozzarella, sheep's cheese and possibly goat's cheese in small doses to keep me going, but it's definitely not the same.

It all started when I got really ill in Nepal in May. By really ill I mean I lost half a stone in a week. Again, I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not. This illness gave my stomach lining a beating and it hasn't been the same since. It hasn't recovered enough to deal with dairy. I think it's getting there and should be ok over the next month or so (well, that's just a month picked out of thin air and I say something similar every month because I always hope 'this month will be it, this month I'll be better'). So far, not so good.

It's just such a pain (usually literally). I hate going to a restaurant and asking which of their meals is dairy free. It's annoying. I feel like I'm just causing a problem. Mostly the waiting staff just look at me slightly confused. And it's even worse when their first language isn't English and they don't quite understand what you're saying. No matter how much you try to explain they don't quite get it and you're left eating your meal feeling mildly concerned that you might have to rush to the bathroom at any minute. That's not conducive to enjoying a good meal. There are some restaurants that can hardly accommodate to someone with a dairy intolerance. Pizza Express, for example, has only one meal without dairy (unless you count having a pizza without the cheese on it, which is pointless, what is a pizza without cheese?!). All of their pasta dishes have two different types of dairy in them (usually in the form of creamy sauce and a cheese) and the one meal I could eat - which was a salad - I had to get the creamy sauce left off. Having said that, the salad was amazing. Possibly the best salad I have ever eaten and far bigger and more filling than a pizza! I never order salads in restaurants, I don't regard them as 'real' meals, but I couldn't find fault with this one. It was divine. I don't remember the name of it but it had egg, chicken, peppers, lettuce and bread strips in it amongst other things. I would definitely order it again. Yummm. I pretty much can't eat in curry houses at all unless I want a really, really spicy meal that will blow my mouth off. And that wouldn't be good. And most places dessert is completely off the menu. There wasn't a single one in Pizza Express and that's not uncommon. Most desserts involve chocolate, cream, butter, ice-cream etc. Not fair :(

However I have to take this opportunity to praise Wagamama's. I don't go there very often (probably been about five times in total) but when I said I was dairy free the waitress immediately brought over a folder with details about every single meal and what dietary requirements they suited (eg nut allergies, coeliacs, dairy intolerances). It was amazing. I could use it alongside my menu to make a well-informed decision about what I could eat. Bravo Wagamama's you have got it right. Which makes me wonder, if Wagamama's can do it then why do so few other places make the effort? It clearly is do-able and wouldn't take too much time to print off a sheet of paper with the meal ingredients on it.

One of the most annoying things about having an intolerance and not an allergy is that I won't die if I eat it. I guess that came out wrong. Let me explain, a few of my friends have nut allergies and if they eat nuts - or come in contact with them in any way - they could go into anaphylactic shock and potentially die if they don't get medical attention/jabbed with an epipen. I realise this isn't necessarily true of every nut allergy sufferer, but there are a few extreme cases and a boy died at a school near me a few years ago because the school canteen gave him a sandwich with peanuts in. He was barely 17. So I guess it really is a good thing that I won't die if I eat dairy, however sometimes it feel really frustrating. I feel like I am making a fuss about nothing. Eating dairy will give me stomach pains and result in a rush to the bathroom, sometimes it will affect me for a long time, sometimes it will go straight through my system. It's not nice, it's not fun and I hate it. But I feel like I'm a bit OTT about eating dairy because it won't kill me, it will just make me a bit ill. Eurgh.

Do you have any food allergies/intolerances? Do you share my pain? How do you deal with it? Any tips?

Craving ice-cream,
Blue Eyes xx

A Guilty Pleasure II

2011-12-08T21:32:00.002Z

I have blogged about having a guilty pleasure before and, like the last time, this is a TV programme. I am ashamed to admit it but I love it and I'm completely addicted.

Tool Academy

I love it. Fact. It is an absolutely terrible show and I am the first to admit it. It has no intellectual value. It doesn't provide sophistication, class or music. It doesn't add very much to my life or skillset. But regardless of all these things I love it. I can't get enough of it. I watch it religiously, though not when it's actually on TV, I watch it on 4od.

I want to tell you more about it, but I'm about to watch the most recent episode...

Blue Eyes xx

Monday Musings III

2011-11-28T19:10:00.000Z

All of these are worth a read/watch. More than one of them has made me cry so consider yourself warned!

Hello mum, this is going to be hard for you to read

32 year-old poses as teenager at a school...

Dear blank, please blank

By far the best Breaking Dawn Part 1 trailer I've seen so far...

Why Christians should be involved in politics

Love 146: End Child Sex Slavery and Exploitation

Stop the Traffik Video

Sounds of Sunday: John Lewis

2011-11-27T15:36:00.001Z

I know this isn't technically a music video or a recent chart release, however it is worth 90 seconds of your time...

Isn't he a sweetie?!

I read in the Evening Standard this week that for every £1 John Lewis spends on advertising they get £4 in the til. Now that's a pretty good rate of return!

Unable to believe how many views this advert has already got,
Blue Eyes xx

The Girl Effect

2011-11-22T22:14:00.001Z

The Girl Effect...

What do you think? Something you would like to share with others?

Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: Janet Devlin

2011-11-20T20:38:00.000Z

I'm not actually watching much of the current X Factor but I thought I would share a couple of performances by a lovely Norn Irish girl who is competing this series.

Unfortunately Youtube won't let me embed the videos here so I am just going to have to post some links:

Janet Devlin - Your Song

Janet Devlin - Fix You

I think she's great and hopefully she'll make it through to the final.

Are any of you guys watching the X Factor? What do you think of Janet and the others?

Singing along,
Blue Eyes xx

Life is too short...

2011-11-16T20:08:00.000Z

I saw this and LOVE it:

Feeling inspired,
Blue Eyes xx

A Funny Radio Clip

2011-11-15T16:20:00.000Z

Just in case you fancy a bit of a laugh. Sorry about the title of the video...there are some crazy Christians posting on YouTube these days! :P

I think it speaks for itself really...

Blue Eyes xx

Monday Musings III

2011-11-14T20:48:00.000Z

Titanic captain
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-14099173
A BBC news story about the Captain who went down with the Titanic. He chose to stay aboard the ill-fated ship and send out emergency signals so that nearby ships would come and pick up the survivors, guaranteeing himself a watery grave. This is what dedication and putting other people's lives above your own looks like.

Stoned wallabies
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8118257.stm
This may be a bit of an old article but any article that links wallabies, pot and crop circles is worthy of a read no matter what the year!

Why Nepal loves the Summer of '69
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14756009
I absolutely love this song and have a habit of requesting it on nights out and since it shares a link with Nepal, a country I visited earlier in the year, I thought it would be worth sharing with my fellow bloggers. Enjoy.

News from The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/iraq.humanrights?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038
An article entitled 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love' is bound to be rather horrific so consider yourself warned...

I'm enjoying combining lots of links and thoughts into a (fairly) regular weekly post. I hope you like it too.

Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: Boyce Avenue

2011-11-13T20:49:00.000Z

It's unusual for me to pick just one artist on a Sunday but Boyce Avenue are so good that they are worth a whole blog post dedicated to them! They do acoustic covers to well known songs and I love them. I have shared their amazing cover of Teenage Dream by Katy Perry previously here and today I am sharing a few more good 'uns.

So, are you now as obsessed as I am?!

Loving it,
Blue Eyes x

Life, the world and everything

2011-11-12T23:08:00.003Z

So I have been at my new job for two weeks now! Wow! I am sorry to have been so quiet about it on the blogosphere but I have wanted to get a bit of a feel for it before blogging about it and I feel now the time has come.

I won't tell you exactly where I work but I want to give you a bit of an idea. I work for a big company that has a few different departments, many different branches, countless staff (though, like everywhere else, it has been making redundancies lately) and international opportunities. Some of the departments conflict a bit in their aims but generally the company is heading forward in one direction - though what that is I haven't quite figured out yet!

I am on their graduate scheme (which is quite highly rated) and am so glad to have a job. I get good holiday (wouldn't want to brag about how many days, but it's plenty and I am very lucky) and the money isn't bad either. Five of us have started in my particular department this year - though we are spread out across it and none of us are in the same team. There are already about 80 people on the scheme in the department, these guys have started within the last five years and have different specialisms. They also have worked in a number of different departments between them and know quite a lot about how the whole company works - so they are good to tap for information! There are lots of social events arranged for people on the graduate scheme, including lunchtime seminars, meetings with the boss, drinks after work and even a graduate Christmas party! Exciting times all round! All the people I have met on this scheme have been lovely and generally very funny. We all come from similar backgrounds and have similar thoughts and ideas. It's nice to have lots in common.

As to the team I am actually working with on a day-to-day basis, they are all absolutely lovely too and have been very welcoming. None of them are on the scheme I'm on though two joined the company on the scheme so they have a bit of experience of it and know what to expect.

I am working on a fairly big project; it's topical, has a lot of money behind it and is slightly contentious - though it's not very glamorous! On the plus side we will be going on some work trips over the next couple of weeks! Not to mention to some meetings in other departments which is always exciting.

I will keep you a updated with how it's going but for now it's just great! Yay!

Blue Eyes xx

David Harvey

2011-11-08T14:00:00.001Z

Having studied geography I obviously love a bit of David Harvey every now and again. Having stumbled across an article and been recommended a video clip I thought I would share them with you guys so you can enjoy them too :) (and maybe learn just a little something since he is a very smart man)

David Harvey - The Party of Wall Street Meets its Nemesis

Spending too much time online,
Blue Eyes xx

Two Clips

2011-11-05T13:36:00.003Z

Although I try to save up all my links for my Monday Musings post, I feel that these two can't wait and need to be shared today!

Firstly a clip from the ITV news showing a man using a flash mob to propose to his unsuspecting girlfriend on the train this week:

Secondly a clip from BBC's Question Time about what makes you happy (the comment from Peter Hitchens the commentator is a good one):

Glad to share a couple of videos,
Blue Eyes xx

Potential Employees...

2011-11-04T20:41:00.003Z

My dad forwarded me this which he read on http://www.techrepublic.com/ a wee while ago. I thought it might make you giggle after a long day at work...

When asked to recall the most memorable or unusual resumes, human resource managers and hiring managers shared the following:

1) Candidate said the more you paid him, the harder he worked.
2) Candidate was fired from different jobs, but included each one as a reference.
3) Candidate said he just wanted an opportunity to show off his new tie.
4) Candidate listed her dog as a reference.
5) Candidate listed the ability to do the moonwalk as a special skill.
6) Candidates -a husband and wife looking to job share -submitted a co-written poem.
7) Candidate included “versatile toes” as a selling point.
8) Candidate said that he would be a “good asset to the company,” but failed to include the “et” in the word “asset.”
9) Candidate’s email address on the resume had “shakinmybootie” in it.
10) Candidate included that she survived a bite from a deadly aquatic animal.
11) Candidate used first name only.
12) Candidate asked, “Would you pass up an opportunity to hire someone like this? I think not.”
13) Candidate insisted that the company pay him to interview with them because his time was valuable.
14) Candidate shipped a lemon with résumé, stating “I am not a lemon.”
15) Candidate included that he was arrested for assaulting his previous boss.

Hope it at least raised a smile,
Blue Eyes xx

The Machine Gun Preacher

2011-11-03T18:05:00.002Z

This film came out yesterday and I really want to see it! What do you think? A challenging film that paints a Christian in a good light? Or tacky and verging on blasphemous?

http://www.machinegunpreacher.co.uk/

Wanting to go to the cinema,
Blue Eyes xx

To Get List...

2011-11-01T20:37:00.000Z

Whilst in Morocco my two traveling companions persuaded me to get a few things...

1. Twitter - I have since created a Twitter account and am following over 100 people. I have over 20 followers and this is increasing everyday which is nice. I certainly feel very welcomed into the Twittersphere! However I will not be linking my Twitter to this blog because it is a not-anonymous version of me and I would like to keep this blog fairly anonymous at least for a while longer anyway. Sorry folks.

2. An SLR - I love taking pictures and I think it would be even more fun with an SLR. My travelling companions are both Nikon fans and one has a D40 and the other a D50. They also had a variety of filters that they were taking on and off their lenses. Everywhere we went we spent hours taking pictures and it was fun. The photos I took with my compact can't compare with their magnificent shots...

3. A Travel Blog - Well, the boys didn't persuade me to get this, I came up with the idea myself and it's one I have been toying with for a while. I have been to a fair few places over the past few years so why not combine my love of travelling with my love of writing/blogging? It would be very separate from this blog and I would link it to my Twitter and maybe even to my FB (pushing the boat out ey?!). I just have to find the energy to make this happen...

4. Campaign More - Well, this isn't really something for me to 'get' but it is certainly something I would like to do more of. By campaign I simply mean write a few more letters to MPs etc and get a bit more involved with local action groups. Nothing too hardcore but simply making sure I am aware of current issues and where I can I would like to do something. At the moment I am considering changing my bank account to a more ethical one. I will keep you posted.

5. Podcasts - I am doing this as I write this blog! One of my fellow travellers had downloaded a few great podcasts about a whole range of issues from this site www.thersa.org and I have already downloaded a fair few to keep me entertained on train journeys to and from work. They are sooo interesting and raise really good questions. I feel more intelligent after listening to them!! I really would recommend them wholeheartedly. My only concern is that whilst listening to them I might miss my stop...

My trip to Morocco sparked many thoughts and ideas that I am still processing but those are the most easily explained and communicated. The others may take a bit longer to pin down...

Any thoughts about my list?
Blue Eyes xx

Monday Musings II

2011-10-31T13:42:00.000Z

A few links that I have compiled covering any topics I feel like...

http://leaving-the-seat-up.blogspot.com/2010/04/head-vs-heart.html
I like this fairly old blog post about head vs heart and find it funny and well written - so I thought it was worth sharing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15167917
I love this BBC Magazine article about privacy and how we 'protect' our image. It looks at issues of transparency vs privacy and how they interact in social media as well as the wider world. How can we maintain our privacy? How can we live transparent lives? Should we be aiming for one or the other or can we balance the two? I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

Blood in the Mobile
This highly informative campaign highlights the plight of millions in the Congo who are suffering so that we can have the latest mobile phone and is very provocative. I would definitely consider buying the DVD and watching the feature length film.

Stanfords
This is one of the most awe-inspiring shops in the world and I fell in love with it within 30 seconds of walking inside. I went to the one in Covent Garden, London and I intend to go back many, many times. They have maps for every country in the world and more travelling/hiking/camping gear than you could shake a very big stick at. It is just amazing. I don't think my few words can do it justice. Next time you are in London (or Bristol because they have one there too) you simply have to visit the place yourself and feel the urge to travel seep into you...

The End of Polio Campaign
This UK-based website is seeking signatures and people willing to email their MP to bring the end to polio across the globe and thereby save countless lives. Please take a look and consider putting your name to it.

I hope you enjoy these and find them even half as interesting as I do!

Always looking for new things,
Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: Thinking...

2011-10-30T11:17:00.000Z

Just a couple of songs this week and they are two that have lyrics that make me think...

Firstly:

Furthermore, I apologize for any skipping tracks
It's just the last girl that played me left a couple cracks
I used to used to used to used to, now I'm over that
Cause holding grudges over love is ancient artifacts

Secondly:

Dear dad,
As a kid I looked up to you,
Only thing was I never saw enough of you.
The last thing I said to you was I hated you,
I loved you and now it's too late to say to you.
Just didn't know what to do or how to deal with it,
Even now deep down I'm still livid.
To think, I used to blame me,
I wonder what I did to you to make you hate me.
I wasn't even bad, life's a journey and mine wasn't an easy ride.
You never even got to see me rhyme,
I just wish you woulda reached out,
I wish you woulda been round when I been down.
I wish that you could see me now,
Wherever you are I really hope you found peace.
But know that if I ever have kids,
Unlike you I'll never let them be without me.

I think those lyrics are really indicative of the lives of many kids in the UK today. I think he speaks for many people of my generation and not just for himself. And that really makes me sad. I wish it wasn't the case and I can only hope and pray that the kids in my generation who have grown up without mothers/fathers around and say things like 'But know that if I ever have kids unlike you I'll never let them be without me' mean it and can live it out. Maybe this generation will take it's responsibilities seriously and love the next generation more than they themselves were loved? I hope so but I guess it waits to be seen...

Looking ahead,
Blue Eyes xx

Me Again

2011-10-29T23:26:00.002+01:00

Hello folks,

I am back from Morocco (well, I have been for a few days now, I've just been a bit lazy about blogging!) and I had a wonderful time whilst I was there. I would really recommend it and intend to write a couple of blog posts about the different places we went to - I even have some photos to share with you!

I have big news! I will be starting my new job on Monday!! Which I am really excited about - though simultaneously absolutely terrified by! I will obviously let you know how it goes and I am sure it will be lots of fun - the people I have met/spoken to on the phone so far are lovely.

So those are the two main things to keep you updated with for now but I will be sharing more with you as the days go by, for now I have other things to be getting on with.

TTFN,
Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: Sounds like...

2011-10-16T16:35:00.003+01:00

Thought I would share some 'sound like' tunes with you...

This newer song...

Reminds me of this older song...

And this newer song...

Reminds me of this older song...

Have you heard any other song similarities lately?

Singing along (again),
Blue Eyes xx

Wednesday Words

2011-10-12T16:54:00.000+01:00

I am hoping to post book reviews fairly regularly under the incredibly cool and well thought through title of 'Wednesday Words'. I know, you love it already!

Since I haven't read all that much over the last couple of weeks (I have been too buys cross-stitching and generally dossing about like an unemployed person...), I will be reviewing a few books I read a wee while ago and enjoyed so much that they warrant a review now!

I Heart New York, I Heart Hollywood and I Heart Paris: I loved these girly, feel-good books and just couldn't put them down! My sister recommended them to me and I couldn't recommend them highly enough if you want an easy to read, slightly superficial novel to read for a bit of escapism! They were fun and the characters were instantly likeable. I was genuinely concerned when it looked like it wasn't going to work out well for the female protagonist (Angela) and was far too emotionally involved in these characters lives! I think the main thing that made me fall in love with these books is that Angela leaves everything in England (after her friend's absolutely hilarious but kind of sad wedding) to start a new life abroad. She is such an adventurer and is willing to leave it all to start something new and better across the Atlantic. She is so spirited and doesn't just want a normal life. She always says the wrong thing and disaster seems to follow her around but she doesn't let it get her down which makes for a funny and very optimistic read.

My next book review will include reviews for To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby in an attempt to prove that I don't just read trashy chick-lit....honest...

Looking forward to reading lots when she commutes to London for her new job,
Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: Some Favourites

2011-10-09T16:26:00.000+01:00

I thought I would share a few of the songs that make me turn the volume up when they are played on the radio...

I hope you like them as much as I do :)

Singing along,
Blue Eyes xx

Monday Musings

2011-10-03T20:37:00.001+01:00

Instead of posting lots of posts with just one link and only a tiny bit of information I am instead condensing all those links (from now on) down into one easy to read post that I will publish every so often when it is buzzing with interesting stories and webpages for you to click through too.

The first on my list is:

The East: This organisation declares itself 'The Home of East Asian Investigative Journalism in Britain' and is full of information about a variety of events, seminars, performances, cooking classes, festivals, exhibitions that are linked to East Asian culture - primarily Japanese.

Italian Parents Try to Evict 41-year-old Son: I posted this on my dad's Facebook an told him not to get any ideas!

War and Shopping: I thought this was food for thought.

Grandfather Murder Plot: This recent news story made me very sad :(

And last but not least, my friend has recently moved to Cameroon and started her own blog which I think will make for interesting reading: Beyond The Guide Book

I hope you are enjoying my slightly more organised posts and I hope they continue in this way!

Watching too much CSI,
Blue Eyes xx

Sounds of Sunday: The Big Gig

2011-10-02T12:32:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I went to the Big Gig at Wembley Arena and it was amazing! I thought I would share a few of the songs with you on my new feature 'Sounds of Sunday'. This is my attempt to add some order to my blog...

Olly Murs opened up the show with a few of his most famous songs. I have never been much of a fan of his but he was amazing. A few of my friends are crazy about him and now I know why. He had so much energy, was so much fun and really had a great stage presence and there is something very, very attractive about that. He was jumping around and dancing a lot. The girls in the audience (all 11,000 of them) were screaming and dancing along with him. They loved it. His recorded music definitely doesn't do him justice as to how good he really is; you can't convey that kind of passion and energy through a song or video. So here's one of my faves of his...

Next up (I think) was Pixie Lott and she was great. I saw her at the Big Gig a couple of years ago and she was just as good this year! She is lovely, kind, friendly and used to be a Brownie so really supports the Girl Guides which is nice. She seems like a really genuine person and her voice is lovely so here is one of my favourites of hers...

Then came Dionne Bromfield, goddaughter of Amy Winehouse, and she really sounds like her which is a bit scary! However, she didn't have much of a stage presence (possibly because she's quite young) and IMO her hotpants were wayyy too short (but maybe I'm just a prude...) None of her songs were particularly memorable (and her dancers were out of time...) but here is something by her that I found on Youtube:

Next came Parade who weren't great! They were wearing the weirdest outfits and doing a bit too much sexy dancing for my liking (bearing in mind that the audience were made up of 13 year-old, impressionable girls) and their songs weren't wonderful but I will give you a taste regardless:

Next up was Loick Essien who I didn't recognise at first but his song (read: only song) is pretty famous and been played on the radio lots lately. His voice was amazing, absolutely amazing, and he played around, showing it off a bit which was lovely to listen too. Here he is:

Then came Alexis Jordan who had flown over from the States yesterday morning to be with us and (I am being very frank here) she shouldn't have bothered. She looked good and I think she had a good voice. The reason I say 'think' is because she seemed to lipsync most of the time and she was lipsyncing badly! I could lipsync better than that! She would lift her hands (one of which was holding a microphone) in the air yet her voice would still be coming out of the speakers....hhhmmm. Anyway here's something by her:

Next came Rizzle Kicks who had joined Olly Murs on stage briefly for the song they did together Heart Skips a Beat but they came on a second time to sing a couple of their own songs. They were full of energy and ran/jumped/danced around the stage a lot and generally had a great time. They did look like they were wearing their PE kit though... Here is one of their songs:

Eliza Doolittle took time out of writing and recording her new album to join us and she was nothing like what I expected. She didn't look anything like I had imagined her and she was basically a complete surprise and I can't work out why! Anyway she was good and here is one of her tunes:

Ed Sheeran was easily my favourite performer of the show and he was amazing. He was so much fun and clearly loved what she was doing. He also seemed a little nervous which was very, very cute. He had some fun with a loop pedal, creating a song on stage, and during that broke three of his guitar strings which he proceeded to pull off and continue playing anyway! He recorded a few chords on the loop pedal before ridding himself of his guitar completely and simply using the recordings he had on the loop pedal and singing along. He also got the audience singing along too which was very entertaining. So here is my favourite song of his, he is a very talented man in my mind (unfortunately he is only 20 years old and so a bit young for me...):

The evening ended with a superb performance by The Wanted which was just stunning. They came up through the floor and were natural entertainers. They danced around the stage and interacted with each other and the band. They were clearly having the time of their lives and flirted with the camera and girls in the front row shamelessly! All their songs were great and they are all beautiful (sorry, but I just had to say it!). They have many, many good songs which I could listen to all day but here is their most recent which I love:

I realise this was a very long blog and future Sounds of Sunday posts will be shorter and probably contain just one or two songs but do you think it's a good way to help me add a bit of structure? I quite like it but it could well change...

Singing along,
Blue Eyes xx

TV Audiences...

2011-09-27T11:59:00.002+01:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have been in the audience for a few TV shows. I thought I would share a few highlights...

The Jonathan Ross Show
This was the first one I went to and I went with just one friend from uni. We got into London a few hours early and went to the Tate Modern for a bit of a look around first; there is a great exhibition there at the moment by Taryn Simon which we really enjoyed - thought maybe that's because we are both human geographers and in my opinion it was more geographical than it was arty. I would definitely recommend a look around it before it closes in January 2012. Anyway, we headed over to the TV studio where we joined the (already quite big) queue for The Jonathan Ross Show. After a bit of anxiety about whether we would get in, we eventually made it inside and got some great seats! First on was Alan Carr and he was really funny. He told some great anecdotes and was really likeable; definitely the sort of person you could spend an evening at the pub with! Then we met The Saturdays, they were actually pretty dull and if I had been watching the show at home then I would have turned off...one of the highlights of their conversation was that one of them had been to the royal wedding and introduced herself to Kate Middleton whilst barefoot and another girl could supposedly smell you and know what you had eaten that day. Interesting... Things got much better when Benedict Cumberbatch came on. He was really interesting and had some great stories about spending his gap yah in a Tibentan Monastery. He is of course also known as Sherlock Holmes in the new series and is in the new Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy film. Definitely would have gone on a date with him... Finally we were entertained by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers who had a bit of a chat with the host before performing their new single. All in all it was a great evening and best of all it was free!! The only downside of spending your evening in a TV audience is that you might not get in if you don't get their early enough. They deliberately overbook to ensure that they have enough people in the audience because they know that some people won't show up...

If you live in the UK I would definitely recommend that you check out:

SRO Audiences

Although a lot of the shows are filmed in London there are a few that are filmed in Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast etc.

I will tell you all about my enjoyment of The Alan Titschmarch Show (yes, I just dropped ten cool points right there) and Live at the Apollo (hopefully I regained a few points with that one...).

Smiling,
Blue Eyes xx

The Blind Side

2011-09-23T11:59:00.002+01:00

I just saw this trailer and really want to see this film!

You have to bear with the trailer a bit - there is about 16 seconds of nothing which is a bit rubbish but the rest of it is pure gold (well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little...)!

I think it seems to be a very sweet, inspiring film and I would like to be a bit more like the lead female (played by Sandra Bullock) when I'm older and welcome people into my home. She seems like am amazing woman. And it's based on a true story which makes the film even cuter and more inspiring...

Sorry that my posts are not getting anymore organised, I hope that they will do pretty soon, but not right now obviously...

Feeling good,
Blue Eyes xx

A New Thought?

2011-09-22T19:36:00.001+01:00

I have been thinking a fair bit about my blog of late. I feel that it is rather 'all over the place' at the moment - possibly a reflection of my life. I feel that sometimes I don't post for months at a time and then I will post everyday for a month. Sometimes all I post is a link and a few words or a song and a few words whereas sometimes I write an epic post that is simply full of rambling thoughts that are probably not at all interesting! I want it to have more structure (I kind of want my life to have more structure too...) I want to be more disciplined about blogging. I want people to 'know what the are going to get' to an extent when they click through to my blog. I like blogs that have certain topics on certain days of the week (eg Music Monday, To-do Tuesday, Thankful Thursday). I like the themes, the obvious chain of thought, the fact that it just works and isn't a mess of ideas that needs detangling before it can be understood. I feel like my blog is messy and doesn't really know what to do with itself. And I guess I feel like my life is like that a bit too at the moment. I keep trying to clear out stuff (and to an extent I am doing pretty well) however there is so much more that needs to be done. I still can't see the surface of my desk because it (like my bedroom floor) is covered in stuff that simply has nowhere else to go and can't be thrown away. My desk is covered in half-started projects or letters or books or to-do lists that need completing. I can't throw them away because they need acted upon, however they are just sitting there making me feel guilty that I have haven't dealt with them yet!

I thought that when I moved back home things would be different. That I would be more grown-up and more organised. I thought that I would have less stuff - no idea why?! I thought that once I got my chest of drawers and went through my wardrobe I would be able to put everything away tidily and forget about it and not be stressed anymore. However it hasn't quite panned out like that. It's still a mess and I'm still stressed. I still can't get everything away and out of the way. I wish my room could reflect one of my favourite sayings, 'A place for everything and everything in it's place'. But it couldn't be further from it.

I need to be more ruthless and just get rid of stuff but I am a hopeless hoarder! I think that things 'could be useful' and so don't want to throw them away when the likelihood is that they will probably never be useful to me ever again...

Actually, that's not completely true, I've been throwing a lot away of late. For example I got rid of six pairs of shoes that have been hidden away under my bed unworn for years along with three full bags of clothes and various other bits and pieces. I am gradually working my way through a huge stack of books which I will be returning to their rightful owners or giving away. If I take a step back and am a bit more realistic about the situation then I know that I have thrown a lot away and I am nearly there with my room, just a few more bits to chuck or squeeze in. However some days, like today, I feel completely overwhelmed and rather stressed by a situation that in my mind should have been resolved ages ago. As soon as I moved back in. (Which in reality was only a couple of weeks ago and I have been pretty busy since then...). I probably do need to give myself a bit of a break but that's difficult when I am moving clothes from my chair to my bed during the daytime and then from my bed to my chain during the night time so that I can actually sleep in my bed... I am feeling a very strong urge to de-clutter and want to make it happen a lot more than it has done so far...

Unnecessarily frustrated,
Blue Eyes xx

PS I realise this post went rather off topic (a good example of what I mean about not getting what you expect when you click through to my blog...) and I will ponder a bit more about what I actually want my blog to look like. Please feel free to leave suggestions. I am always open to ideas.

Erotic Capital

2011-09-21T17:41:00.000+01:00

This has been in the papers a fair bit of late and I thought I would put my ten cents in and share this article with you...

The Guardian: Charm School Marm

Any thoughts? I would begin a deep, question-provoking debate questioning my very existence and value however I need to go wash my hair and put some make-up on before heading out for the evening...

TTFN,
Blue Eyes xx

The Belle's Stratagem

2011-09-20T12:50:00.000+01:00

My friend is in this play...

The Belle's Stratagem at Southwark Playhouse

It is running 6th September - 1st October 2011 and I will be going to see it tomorrow!

I will be sure to write a bit of a review and let you know if it's any good.

I hear Hannah from S Club 7 is in it...

Feeling very cultured and well-connected,
Blue Eyes xx

A Lecturer

2011-09-19T12:24:00.003+01:00

This guy did a lecture about the UN when my university team were preparing to take part in the National Model United Nations in New York in April 2010. He is lovely and is now running as a congressional candidate...unfortunately I can't vote in the US...

Does this count as knowing someone who is almost famous?

Smiling,
Blue Eyes xx

Ethical Dilemma

2011-09-17T14:26:00.004+01:00

I thought this news article raised an interesting ethical dilemma...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14706687

What do you think? Should advertisers be allowed to use kids in their advertising campaigns? Should there be an age limit? Should there be a limit as to which products/brands children can be used to advertise? For example, should they be allowed to advertise unhealthy food or fast food chains? Would you let your child be used as an advertising tool? Or is it good for a child's CV? Not to mention the income that it would bring in...

Thinking,
Blue Eyes xx

How to plan a gap yah!

2011-09-15T15:51:00.000+01:00

I am sure you have all seen the Youtube video this guy made about his 'Gap Yah' and if you haven't then it's pretty easy to find on Youtube if you search 'Gap Yah'. He has now written a book about planning your 'gap yah' and although I will not be buying it the review it received in The Telegraph was quite amusing. (NB: I will also not be buying The Telegraph any time soon...)

How to plan a gap yah by YouTube hit Orlando Charmon

Still laughing,
Blue Eyes xx

Lots Going On

2011-09-14T11:05:00.004+01:00

Since getting back from Guyana I have been a busy bee sorting out all the things that had been left undone when I headed off on my adventures. I have had a massive sort out of my room and gotten rid of a few bags of stuff and generally tidied things away, however this is an ongoing process and I still have lots left to do - namely return to my room all of my stuff which I moved into the spare room 'temporarily' and is driving my mum crazy! I got a new chest of drawers - yay! - which means that I can actually fit all of my clothes in my room without having bags of them on the floor! My bookshelves now have two rows of books on each shelf (one behind the other) because they wouldn't fit on any other way... I'm glad things are tidied up though and will continue working on this until my room is an oasis of calm rather than something that causes me stress every time I walk into it!

In other news, I have booked flights to Morocco for a couple of weeks in October! Have you been? Is there anything you would recommend that I see? Anywhere I should go? Anything I should eat (or not eat?!)? Anywhere I should shop? Anywhere I should stay? On a more practical note, what should I (as a woman) wear, I know I need to wear full length trousers/skirts and cover my shoulders, however I have heard conflicting advice about wearing a headscarf. Most people say not however a couple of girls have said that they did and they earnt a lot more respect doing so. What do you think? I am happy to and in some ways I think covering up my long, blonde hair might be a good idea and stop me getting comments. What do you think?

I have been busy catching up with a lot of people lately - some who I haven't seen in over a year - which has been lots of fun. I still have a few more to go but they are mostly scheduled in the diary for the next couple of weeks. Yay!

I went to a feedback weekend to discuss how the project in Guyana went last weekend so it's all officially over! How sad is that?! It's good that the project will remain ongoing and that a new team will be sent next year, but I am sad that that's it for me! I sincerely hope that some of the Guyanese Guides can come over to the UK and say hi...

Oh, and in case I didn't mention it; the start date of my job has been pushed back to 31st October earliest; more likely to be early November. This is a bit of a pain because I feel like I am in a bit of a limbo at the moment; not quite knowing exactly when it will start and unable to sign up to anything long term because the start date looms. I can't join the leadership team of a youth group or other group because I would only be able to guarantee my presence for two months, after that I might be too busy or get back from work too late to be able to continue helping and I feel it's a bit unfair to start something and then only months later abandon them.

There. I think you're up-to-date with me. Am I up-to-date with you?

Smiling,
Blue Eyes xx

Holiday Reads...

2011-09-05T17:30:00.000+01:00

I thought you might like to read a bit about the books that I read whilst I was in South America. It wasn't particularly safe to go out in the evenings so when we finished our planning for the next day we would have some time to ourselves and I enjoyed working my way through a stack of books. Before I went away I did a bit of fundraising for the project which included asking friends and neighbours for books they no longer wanted and then holding a second hand book sale at my house. I sold quite a lot but had plenty left over out of which I chose a few I was interested in and then took the rest (along with many from our house) to the charity shop. My car was rammed full of books and I must have taken in excess of 300 and the volunteer who helped me to unload my car was very happy to see them! They have since opened a new branch which is specifically a bookshop in the town where I went to uni - this was planned before I donated all those books honest! So I am sure they had a good use for them.

Anyway, back to the books I picked out for myself. I brought a few of them to South America with me figuring that I would read them and then leave them there at a charity shop or equivalent. Three of the below books were donated by friends (mostly from church or my mum's work) and neighbours and I was shocked by the content of the first one I read!! I couldn't believe they would have read it and then passed it on to me! My only guess is that they bought the book, kept it on the shelf for ages meaning to read it but never got round to it and then donated it to me, because if they had known what was in it I think they would have been too embarrassed to pass it on to my mum at work or through our church network. You will see why...

A Kept Woman by Louise Bagshawe
I have never, ever read a book so full of sex! Literally every other page was rather graphic and I was so surprised. The actual story line was really good - all about a woman who moved to New York with her husband as a bit of a trophy wife but then found him cheating and was left with nothing. She had never worked, had no home and no friends or family. The book follows her rebuilding her life and is a real story of power and overcoming all the obstacles put in her way. The only downside is that there are many, many incredibly graphic sex scenes which although they may be fun to read at first, they get rather repetitive!

Angels by Marian Keyes
I have blogged previously about a book I have read by this author and I really didn't like the previous one because it was all about a woman whose husband had died and I found it really upsetting. As a result I was a little dubious about this one but thankfully amongst these pages there were no tragic car accidents to be found and I enjoyed it a lot better. The plot is good, the characters are likeable and the ending was good - though a little abrupt I thought.

Amazonia by James Rollins
This was a good adventure novel and definitely could be read by guys as well as girls (most of the books I tend to read are rather female-orientated...). Maybe I shouldn't have read it days before heading into the Amazon but that made it more fun! It's about a group of people who are thrown together from a number of backgrounds to follow a trail in the jungle and find the cure for a disease that could kill millions if they don't get to it on time. That sounds a bit cliche I know but it was really gripped and very exciting. I would definitely recommend it if you like a bit of adventure and intrigue. Oh and killer frogs, giant caiman, double agents and other fun things like that.

Dedication by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin
Another girls in my group had brought this one along with her so I picked it up. I didn't really like it; it kept switching between modern day and the main character's high school years. It also didn't get moving with the plotline; I got to page 145 before anything much happened. I don't know how the authors filled the first 144 pages with so many words yet nothing actually happening, but they managed to! I definitely would not recommend it and I probably wouldn't read another book by them. Though, saying that, the ending was quite good - if a bit abrupt.

Honeymoon and other stories by Kevin Canty
One of the Guyanese Girl Guides was reading this when we went camping and after I finished my book I picked up this one (she left it lying around near the kitchen/dining area). I wish I hadn't. It was terrible. Absolutely terrible. It is supposedly about inappropriate love or something. One of the stories was about a 40 year-old woman sleeping with her 19 year-old nephew....how is that literature?! Or worth reading at all? It's just gross. And there was no plotline, just her talking about that. And another of the stories involved a girl being run over by a bus. And that was it. All the stories were either inappropriate or dull, some were a mixture of the two.

Secret of the Sirens by Julia Golding
I loved this book. But that's because I am a massive nerd and I love teen fantasy books that involve myths and legends. I love books that hint at secret societies and and other, hidden, worlds. I also like books with a bit of magic in them - the more 'old skool' the better. And this book covers most of these things so I was pretty much guaranteed to enjoy it! I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone my age who reads 'normal' books, however if you are aged 14 and enjoy teen fantasy novels then this is definitely for you. I loved it.

Sons of Thunder by Dave Hopwood
A friend really enjoyed this book and so very kindly lent it to me. I haven't quite finished it but I am loving it. It is a re-telling of the Gospel but set today and involves people getting drunk, watching porn, gambling, spending time in prison and much more. It is fun and exciting. The characters are likeable; though I've spent the whole time trying to match them up with the traditional characters found in the New Testament because they have different (but similar) names! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone - not just Christians. It is interesting, accessible and I am really enjoying it. I would also consider reading other re-tellings of Bible stories set in the modern day because this one is so good! If you have any recommendations then please pass them on...

I am reading a few other books at the moment and I will let you know how they go.

Do you have any recommendations for me?

Wishing she read more often,
Blue Eyes xx

New Clothes

2011-09-04T23:30:00.000+01:00

I am absolutely broke at the moment! This is mainly because I am unemployed and will be for the next couple of months, but alas that is another story. Back to the main topic of this blog post! A neighbour's son got married to an Irish girl a few years ago and up until recently they lived over here, however within the past few months they have sold up and relocated to Ireland. My neighbour's daughter-in-law couldn't bring all her clothes over with her so she left bags and bags of them with our neighbour. This girl is about my size - she fluctuates between my size and my sister's size - and so my neighbour called me and asked if I would like to see if there was anything that I would like before she took the clothes to a charity shop. Since I have no money, no new clothes and, more importantly, no office-suitable clothes for when I start my new job I jumped at the chance and had look through them. She had loads of lovely things including lots from nice brands such as Banana Republic, A&F, American Eagle, Mango, Zara and Topshop amongst others. She also didn't appear to have worn any of the items very often - one of the cardigans still had it's tag in it! As a result I chose a whole load of clothes that I thought either myself or my sister would like and will just drop the ones that don't fit back down to my neighbour so she can take them to the charity shop altogether. So far I have worn one of the tops on a night out for a friend's birthday and when I combined it with a skirt I already have it looked like a really pretty dress and people commented on how nice it was. I haven't had the chance to wear many items yet because I am putting them through the wash first and it rained today when they were supposed to be drying :( But I will be wearing them lots when they are all clean and packed into my wardrobe!

You know the nice feeling when you have bought something new? The feeling when you wear it for the first time? I used to only think it came with clothes that you bought, however have discovered that it is just as real and feels just as nice when you have clothes given to you by your neighbour. In fact, it's kind of better because you have got lovely clothes from lovely shops without having to pay for them! It's a nice feeling. And because I know I couldn't afford to buy them it makes me appreciate them more and want to wear them at every possible opportunity because it's nice to have something new. Something different.

Have you ever gained clothes through a friend? Do you wear them much? Today I have been wearing a short-sleeved cardi that Miss Hopeful gave me last year because it didn't fit her. She gave me a couple of things and every time I wear them I think of her. It's nice.

Liking pretty things,
Blue Eyes xx

Ain't No Sunshine...

2011-09-04T17:25:00.000+01:00

I have no idea why this song is suddenly stuck in my head because I haven't heard it anywhere that I can remember but it is and has been for days. I thought I would share it with you loyal blog-readers (who I fear are few and far between because my updates are so sporadic!)

Enjoy,
Blue Eyes xx

Somebody to Love - Queen

2011-08-29T01:52:00.000+01:00

I am rather enjoying this classic at the moment...

I heard a kid at the youth camp I went to sing it as part of the talent show and he was simply amazing and inspired me to listen to the original. I would almost go so far as to say he was better than the original....but I might get some abuse from Queen fans if I say that so I will refrain...

Singing along,
Blue Eyes xx

Minimum Wage

2011-08-28T01:44:00.000+01:00

My friend wrote an interesting article on the proposed idea of scrapping the minimum wage and I thought I would give it a bit of publicity through my blog...

Why cutting or scrapping the minimum wage is economic lunacy

I am very tired as I post this and although I have read the article I haven't properly processed it in my mind so cannot at the moment make a hard and fast comment about how I feel about it. At first glance I would say that I agree that the minimum wage should not be scrapped because people deserve to earn a decent wage so that they can provide for their families. I believe there is too big a discrepancy between earnings in the UK anyway (whoa, I sound like a communist there!) and removing the minimum wage law would not really affect most of us, however would be devastating to the lives of the people who depend on it to feed and clothe their families whilst trying to scrape together rent, money to pay their bills and send their children on school trips.

I love to read articles written by my friends. I also love to promote them too so please send me any links that you think I would be interested in and I am more than happy to share them with friends and blog readers.

Feeling blessed to not have to live on a minimum wage salary,
Blue Eyes xx

South American Adventures Part III

2011-08-27T00:57:00.001+01:00

We went to Kaieteur Falls, a waterfall in the Amazon in Guyana that is in fact the largest single drop waterfall in the world - this measurement combines it's height with the volume of water that flows down it. It is (apparently) one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world. And it was stunning. Absolutely stunning. It is five times higher than Niagara Falls and twice as high as Victoria Falls. The best bit about it is that it is not touristy at all. There are no railings, no souvenir shops, minimal signage, and apart from our tour group of 10 there were only four or five other people in the vicinity. Talk about breath-taking. We flew out there on a small plane (it seated only ten people and I sat in the co-pilot's seat on the way there - praying hard that the pilot wouldn't have a heart attack because I can't land a plane!). As we flew all we could see below us was green. Green, green and more green. It was beautiful. It was (almost) completely untouched. It was the Amazon. In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined that I would have been somewhere so remote and untamed. We had a jungle survival kit on the plane with us; I have no idea what was on it and I am glad we didn't have to find out. I took many, many photos at the falls and will share a few with you. The first is a picture taken from the plane, the second from the top of the waterfall where we were standing and the third was taken right by the waterfall but looking the other way out into the Amazon.

Guyana truly is a beautiful country and worth a visit if you are doing a bit of a tour of South America. It is the only English speaking country in South America and it is definitely a Caribbean country and not a Latin American one. It is a mix of peoples, cultures, religions and everything that comes with that. It is not touristy - the only other white people there were with either the America Peace Corps or Mormons. You can go for days without seeing them. And even amongst the foreigners, none were from the UK, they were mainly from America with a few from Canada. If you want to go somewhere that isn't flooded with tacky souvenirs and rip-off tourist prices then Guyana is for you. The locals don't put up the prices when you buy things, the postcards in the 'Guyana Store' looked like they had been there for a good 20 years - which says a lot about the frequency of visitors. Guyana really is unreached and worth a visit, though you could probably see all the things worth seeing in Georgtown in less than a week. If you want to spend more time there then you have to go into the interior which is the best bit of the country (IMO). If you go to Guyana and don't see the falls, drive/trek through the Amazon or walk along the Canopy Walkway then you are missing out on the real heart of the country. You are missing the adventure.

The photos will never be as beautiful as the real thing. You should check it out for yourself.

Trying to put it all into words,
Blue Eyes xx

South American Adventures Part II

2011-08-26T00:48:00.000+01:00

Where was I? Oh yes, the mugging and the cockroaches...I remember.

We had cockroaches in our flat. Thankfully we only discovered them in the last couple of days otherwise our stay would have been rather less enjoyable. We managed to evict Carlos the cockroach from the kitchen after a lot of screaming, jumping onto beds and sofas and throwing a bowl on it. However, his cousin who I came across in the bathroom managed to evade our capture and although we didn't see it again, it was there somewhere. Watching. Waiting.

The mugging is a long story. Whether it is interesting or not is up to you to decide. We were walking through the centre of the capital on a Sunday afternoon. About 3pm. Broad daylight. We were near the post office, museum, touristy shops and various other bits and pieces. Usually the area is full of people, however on Sundays all these places are closed and the area was deserted. A man grabbed my friends camera from around her neck - breaking the metal clasps on the strap which was some feat and meant that as it happened she felt like she was being strangled. Then he tried to grab my backpack, however I had it over both arms (like you would normally wear a backpack!) and he must have been the world's least intelligent thief because he was pulling it towards him and it was simply bumping into my back - it wasn't exactly going to come off that way was it?! Eventually he gave up and ran off. A Guyanese woman who had seen the whole thing came over to our aid and took us to the local police station (I say station, it was a converted port-a-cabin type thing). As we arrived a policeman said the pretty white girls have arrived'. Not really the time or place but whatever. They sent a few police cars out to look for him but to no avail. We filled in a report and left. We returned on Monday morning to get a proper police report which we would need for our insurance claim. However, when we arrived we discovered that the police had gotten the camera back. It was still in it's case and had it's battery and memory card within it. Unfortunately the photos had been deleted which was a great shame, however we were happy to have the camera back. We asked how they had retrieved it and were told that the man was a well-known thief in the area and a police man had been out looking for him (thanks to our description) and spotted his girlfriend. He spoke to her and 'threatened to harass or kill her family' if she did not return the camera ASAP. Needless to say the camera was promptly returned. I am not sure if I was entirely comfortable hearing that this woman's family had been threatened, not only because it is a little immoral, but also because it could mean that the thief (who was no small man) might come after us in a revenge attack for the threat that his girlfriend had received. Luckily this did not happen and we did not see him again for the rest of our time there. However our fun at the police station did not end there. The police asked for a 'gift' to give to the policeman who had returned the camera and other officers based at that particular unit. They said it would improve their policing and would be a good thank you for their hard work. We weren't sure about this and had very little money on us at the time so made our apologies and promised to return over the next couple of days to give them a gift. They told us, 'don't forget your friends at the police station' as we walked away. Our team leader spoke to one of the Guyanese ladies we were working with, asking if giving a monetary gift was a good idea, to which the response was, 'of course not, it would not go to the right place at all.' Glad to have cleared that up we studiously avoided the police station for the remainder of our trip. Not giving a 'gift' (aka a bribe) to the police was probably the right decision...

I am still on 'Guyana time' which is five hours ahead of BST so I am staying up late into the night, long after my family have gone to bed which is a bit of a pain because it means I sleep in rather later than I would like in the mornings. I really should rectify this situation...

I will fill you in on the rest of our exploits, many involving the police in one capacity or another, in a later post.

For now, farewell,
Blue Eyes xx

South American Adventures Part I

2011-08-25T00:30:00.000+01:00

I loved my time in Guyana (and brief stint in Brazil). I met so many amazing people. I saw so many different things. I ate so many different things - not all of them good! I passed on knowledge. I learnt so much more than I passed on. I had an adventure. A real adventure. It was exciting, crazy, scary (at times), hard work (most of the time), unexpected and wild. And I loved it. I don't want my adventures to end. I want to keep going to exciting places and to keep being challenged. I don't want to live an easy life. I don't want things to drift along. I want to do crazy things and see the world. Starting now. Starting today, not tomorrow.

So, I will share the highlights slowly so you can read a bit at a time and feel like you were there with me.

Where to begin? Well...

There was an armed robbery across the road from our apartment one night at about 10pm. A bus crashed and a couple of guys with guns threatened the passengers and stole a handbag or two. They were later caught with someone else's ID on them and police didn't believe their story when they said they had 'just found it on the street and were on the way to hand it in at a police station'.

We were stalked through the centre of Georgetown by a creepy guy who we couldn't shake for a long time. We kept hiding in shops in the hope that he would get bored and go elsewhere. He didn't. Eventually (with the help of a Guyanese girl we were shopping with) we managed to lose him and felt like spies as we hid behind cars and ran between shops hoping he wouldn't see us. We did stick out like a sore thumb though...six white girls walking down a street full of local people... Oh, and when we eventually lost him we did a few hours shopping before running into him again and starting the process all over again...

We used the local buses for almost all our journeys. The Foreign Office does not recommend that Brits use them. We found out why. Although we didn't end up in an accident when in a bus, we saw plenty of smashed up buses and many had cracks across their windscreens. Taxis also had cracks in their windscreens and when one of the group was foolish enough to ask the driver how he had gotten his the answer was simply, 'motorbike'. Ouch.

I was proposed to many a time whilst wandering around. Mainly because I have blonde hair and blue eyes which is quite a novelty over there. One bus conductor said to me, 'I like you, you're sweet', to which I replied, 'thank you'. His next line took me by surprise, 'Will you marry me?', to which I was perfectly polite and said, 'No, thank you'. Most of the girls were proposed to many times too. Even the one who was married and kept telling people this.

I have plenty more crazy stories to regale you with, involving a sinking speedboat (thankfully we were not on it), being mugged (we were ok), cockroaches, vultures and many more. You will have to check in over the next couple of days to find out more...

Still on Guyana time,
Blue Eyes xx

Is this it?

2011-08-24T00:28:00.001+01:00

I realise I have only just returned from South America and you probably want to hear all about it, but I have just stumbled upon this video which I absolutely have to share before I can write anything else!

It made me think. Is this it?

Thinking,
Blue Eyes xx

Fast Car

2011-07-21T11:43:00.003+01:00

I love this song, I know it's not exactly new but I heard it again last weekend and am enjoying it again.

I like the mix of emotions in it.

Singing along,
Blue Eyes xx

The end of so many Eras

2011-07-14T22:01:00.000+01:00

Not only did I finish work yesterday and have to say goodbye to so many people that I consider far more than colleagues, but next week I will be finishing the course that I have been part of since September and will be finishing running the youth group that I have been involved with for four years. I don't know if I will be able to cope with all these things finishing! Also, I may be stopping attending the church that I have been a part of for about four years too, not for bad reasons, simply because I will be moving back into my parents' house which may be too far away to commute to church/cell/everything else that comes with being part of a church community on a regular basis. Oh, and that brings me onto another change, I will be moving away from where I currently live and have been based for four years (since I've been at uni). It's unlikely that I will ever move back here (though stranger things have happened and it's not a total impossibility!) so basically I am moving away from somewhere that has been 'home' for four years where my 'community' is based.

All of these topics and end of eras warrant their own blog posts because each is a big topic and each are on my mind a fair bit. Questions like these fill my mind: how will I move on? Where do I go from here? How much do I let go of and how much do I try to hang onto?

All these changes and the consequences are weighing on my mind. I know I probably should just sit by and watch the change happen because there is nothing I can do to stop/slow/alter it. Change is an inevitable part of life. But I find it hard. I hate to say goodbye. I hate not knowing if I will ever see people again. I hate the uncertainty. I hate not knowing what the future holds. I like routine and structure and security which right now feels very lacking. I feel like I am surrounded by chaos and disorder. I feel like I don't really know where I am and I know even less about where I'm going. And I don't like it. I know it will be over soon and come October/November everything will be a lot more settled and life will have structure and routine, but that is little comfort to me in the here and now.

I feel like so much is happening and is about to happen and I can't quite get my head around it all. I feel like I am kind of spinning in an abyss of ideas, thoughts, actions and changes all of which are beyond my control. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sad, or lonely or in a bad place. I just don't know where I am. Does that make sense? Life isn't bad. But it kind of isn't anything. It isn't easily defined. It's too busy and crazy and hectic right now to be put into a box.

I feel like I am making less sense than usual so it's probably time to call it a night.

So much change, so little time,
Blue Eyes xx

California King Bed

2011-07-13T17:34:00.000+01:00

I absolutely love this song right now. I don't think all that much of the video but the song is a good one...

I like the line

So confused wanna ask you if you love me
But I don't wanna seem so weak

I'm not sure why but I do.

Hoping you like the song too,
Blue Eyes xx

My Last Day at Work

2011-07-12T17:25:00.002+01:00

Tomorrow will be my last day at work! Oh my goodness! I am bringing in a few choccys with which to say goodbye and thanks to everyone who has been so kind to me whilst I've been at the shop. I am actually quite sad that it may be the last time I see some of those people, however I am not here to blog about that again since I did so last week!

Saturday night out on the town with some of the young'uns from work was a lot of fun! I haven't been out for a boogie in what feels like forever but in reality has probably only been a month. I drove in the end so stuck to the Red Bull but a good time was had regardless! We danced lots and I even saw a friend who lives in the area that I know from uni and I haven't seen in a while so that was nice :) I can't believe that it was the first time I have ever been out with work people - I have missed out on so much fun! There have been other nights out that I simply have been unable to attend and some that have been cancelled last minute (one due to severe snow!) which has meant that I have never been out dancing with that group before and it is a real shame. I will have to make sure I keep in touch and go out with them again when I return from my South American adventures (which, incidentally, are less than two weeks away!).

I am still surprised that a job that started simply as a way of paying my bills actually provided far more than a few pounds every month; it provided me with routine, a reason to get up in the mornings, free food and most importantly new friendships. And I will miss those people.

Already missing people I haven't said goodbye to yet,
Blue Eyes xx

New Job

2011-07-08T18:41:00.002+01:00

Having blogged yesterday about leaving my current job I shall fill you in on my future plans. I am sure you know that I have been offered a graduate job which I am so happy about because I applied to so many places and was rejected so many times by so many different companies! I know a bit more about the specific department I will be in for that job though will not disclose it on here because I like to keep a bit of privacy with regard to work. Although it wasn't my first choice department it still seems to be a good one with a lot of opportunities and once I have been there for a year or two I will have more of a chance of transferring across. I may even decide that I love the department that I'm in and not want to transfer at all. You never know! I genuinely believe that God will put me in the right place and that He will use me no matter where I am so I'm happy with that. The more I find out about the dept the more interesting it seems and the happier I'm becoming. I think I will fit in there, well, I hope so anyway! I have met with my manager to-be and he seems really nice and generally interested in me. I also spoke to a girl on the graduate programme who has been there nearly a year and she was really helpful and friendly too which was nice. I am sure I will meet lots of people across the dept and company more generally as soon as I start. Apparently they really encourage you to 'network' since that makes doing the job easier and quicker - you can get information faster and more easily if you know someone in various depts who you can ask personally!

I know I will enjoy it and I know I will have fun. I know it will be challenging and I will have to work hard. I know I will be tired for the first few weeks as I get used to the commute (though it's the same one I did for three months as I interned last summer which is nice). I know I won't want to go in on the first day. I know the only way I will force myself to walk through the door is by telling myself 'I don't have to go back tomorrow if I don't want to' - though inevitably I always do go back tomorrow and I always love it!

I am looking forward to going for cocktails in Covent Garden after work. I am looking forward to catching up with all my friends who live/work in London. I am looking forward to lots of things. It will be good times. I'm excited.

I think I will be starting in late September/early October and I will tell you all about my plans between now and then sometime soon. They are also exciting.

Everything is exciting,
Blue Eyes xx

Leaving my Job!

2011-07-07T18:24:00.003+01:00

I only have three days left at my current job! Yay! I'm working tomorrow, Saturday and Wednesday and then it's all over and I'm leaving the place! I am so glad! Well, if I had been blogging about it a week or so ago I would have been nothing but glad. However now I'm not so sure. I am glad to no longer have to do the actual job that I do, the actual tasks are a bit repetitive and the job is a bit soul-destroying because you set everything up in the morning knowing that you will have to clear it all away in the afternoon, so you are kind of doing and undo-ing your work everyday. I like to get something done and know that it won't need re-done, which isn't really the nature of my current job. However the reason that I am not glad to be leaving isn't really one reason, it's about 40 reasons. The people. The other staff working there. Apart from a couple they are all absolutely lovely people and I have grown to really care about them. Over the last couple of weeks especially I have had a few really good conversations and I really feel like I connected with people. People have opened up that little bit more. People have shared their hopes and dreams with me. People have told me about their pasts. Their hopes and fears. People have been real and honest. And that takes time to build and grow. Why is it that it seems to have taken the whole time I have been there for it to grow and it's only come into fullness as I decide to leave. That's just not fair. All the people there are good to have a laugh with, they're kind, they're thoughtful and they tend to be pretty loyal. I know there are a few I haven't always seen eye to eye with but that's always going to be the case anywhere you go. I never thought I would say this but I will miss those guys and I'll miss the shop as a whole. I will miss the community and the constant joking. I will miss the smiling. The random singing. The note writing on paper bags. The sharing of food. Having the radio on really loudly. Lots of things really.

Fortunately for me a few of the young'uns from the shop will be going for a night out this Saturday so we can hang out outside of work and have a bit of a boogie together - apparently even the boys are up for dancing so it should be lots of fun! I'm excited :)

Surprised that she will miss the shop so much,
Blue Eyes xx

War School Video

2011-07-01T17:23:00.001+01:00

So have you found a cause to campaign about yet? Child traffiking? Global warming? Poverty in Africa? Human rights abuses? Forced marriage? The persecution of different religious groups? No? Really? Well I have found another fairly shocking video to share with you, perhaps it will stir up some ideas?

War School Video

Just because things happen abroad to other people doesn't mean they shouldn't affect us too...

Raising awareness about important issues,
Blue Eyes xx

Dear Photograph

2011-06-30T18:30:00.002+01:00

My friend sent me this link and I think it's very cool...

Dear Photograph...

What do you think?

I really want to take a photograph the way they have done, but I lived somewhere else when I was really little and cute so I don't know if I'll be able to! I might be able to put together a picture that is a bit more recent, maybe from when I was seven or eight years old or something...hmmm....If I do I'll let you know. And if you post a photo to them then you have to let me know too!!

About to go hunting for some old photographs...
Blue Eyes xx

No Way Through Video

2011-06-29T17:09:00.000+01:00

Another challenging video, aiming to get you out of your seat and into a place of action.

No Way Through

Whether you choose to get involved in this campaign or something else I would really encourage you to get involved campaigning to stop something that is unjust or to start something that will change the world for the better. Choose whatever you like, whatever gets you thinking, whatever kick starts your righteous anger and get involved. Simply posting a blog about something your passionate about will raise awareness of the problem and the possible solutions. You could write to your MP - I really recommend this because for every one person who contacts them they assume that ten people in their constituency are concerned about that issue. How good is that?! Imagine if you can get a few of your friends to email/write in at the same time, how much of an impact can you have?! If they get enough letters then they will know that the issue is important and should be raised in debate at Westminster. Most MPs will reply, my MP has sent me a lengthy, three page letter in response to an email I sent him! Most of them really do read their post. Feel free to write to the PM and Deputy PM too. And any other MPs who are linked to the issue. And MEPs linked to the issue too! Write to newspapers and magazines. Get word out about your campaign. Start changing the world one blog at a time. One letter at a time. One email at a time.

What issue pulls at your heartstrings? Where can you campaign to change the world? And what have you done about it?

You can do it,
Blue Eyes xx

Man Made Video

2011-06-26T17:05:00.000+01:00

If you fancy a bit of a shocking video that will hopefully inspire and challenge you to think a bit more about the wider world outside your life then this is the video for you. It certainly did that to me and I am still sitting, wondering what I can do to change things...

Check it out...

Man Made

What do you think? Do you feel challenged?

Itching to write to her MP again,
Blue Eyes xx

Rapha House

2011-06-25T18:02:00.001+01:00

These guys are pretty cool...

Rapha House

That is all.

Blue Eyes xx

Currently II

2011-06-24T17:49:00.003+01:00

A little meme to provide some insight into my life. I first posted this here and I thought I would update it since that post was in 2008!

CURRENTLY...

excited about my plans over the next few months. I will be off to South America for a month and then starting my job soon after that.

reading Tersias by GP Taylor and The Last Testament by Sam Bourne amongst other things when I get the time. I have quite a few books that belong to other people that I probably should make the effort to finish reading and return to them ASAP!

loving seeing people and catching up with friends.

hating not feeling 'at home' anywhere. It's weird. And kind of unsettling.

wondering what the future holds. Any insight anyone?

craving routine. And I won't have it until September which is kind of annoying but at least I know I will get it at some point. I probably won't want it then though...

listening to The Fray. Always have liked them. Probably always will.

watching nothing avidly. I do enjoy a bit of CSI though

Blockbuster-ing the new Harry Potter comes out soon and I will be sure to see that in the cinema but other than that I'm not really sure what's on.

I hope that wasn't too dull for you loyal readers. Not sure if I will do it again but it was fun nonetheless.

Blue Eyes xx

Iraq

2011-06-23T16:53:00.000+01:00

One of my friends is from Iraq and he shared this website (and video) with me.

Just click on the link and then click 'Watch Trailer' at the bottom. It's only a couple of minutes long and it really made me think.

Iraq - Where Love Costs Everything

Are you thinking yet?
Blue Eyes xx

I want a man who...

2011-06-22T12:56:00.000+01:00

I have created this blog many times in my head, I even have a few bullet points in a document dated 17/06/2008 however this one will be based on recent experiences so I deliberately haven't read the document. I figure the things that 19 year-old me wanted are probably quite different from the things that 22 year-old me wants...

I want someone who won't take phone calls all the time when he's with me. If just the two of us are out for dinner, then just the two of just are out for dinner, his mum/sister/friend isn't there so why should he be on the phone to them all the time? I understand if it's something important, if it's an urgent work thing or if he's in the process of arranging something with someone and needs two minutes to get across the information. But a ten minute phone call about life, the world, everything and nothing is unnecessary and in my opinion a bit rude. If you want to talk to these people then talk to them, please do, but please don't invite me out for dinner at the same time. If it was only a one off call that would be fine, if most meals weren't interrupted by phone calls and it only happened once or twice would be ok; but when it happens every time we go out together it leaves me feeling a bit worthless, like you don't even want to speak to me. If my friends get phone calls when we're out together they usually do one of two things; 1) ignore it and know they can call back later or 2) apologise profusely, explain that the call is important, ask (yes, ask) if they can take it, go out of the room with it and keep it as brief as possible. That to me seems polite and says to me 'I value your time and I'm really sorry that I can't get out of this phone call.' The same goes for texting, am I so boring that you need to text other people when you're with me? Again, one or two quick texts are fine, but being so permanently being glued to your phone that you barely make eye contact with me is far from ideal. And you know the worst thing? When he behaves like that it makes me behave like that too. I almost never take phone calls when I'm with someone one-on-one (I think it's different when you're in a big group because there is always someone else to talk to so the specific friend that you were engaging with won't be left alone), however when I am with someone who is always making/taking calls and texting I start doing it too. I am just as bad as he is. I feel insecure so I do it back. I know it's childish and two wrongs don't make a right but I do it to try to regain some kind of control in the situation. And I hate it. It's not who I am. I value people and the precious time I spend with them.

I want someone who isn't concerned about their weight. I can worry about being overweight far too often. I used to worry so much about what I ate, and maybe I still do a little. I have my insecurities I know. However they can be so exacerbated by the person I'm with. Most of the people in my life at the moment don't voice concerns about their weight so I don't think about it. However there are people I have been friends with for a long time (such as the Dressy Bookworm and the Busty Blonde) who, on a whim and completely out of the blue, will tell me everything they've eaten that day. Or say, 'the only naughty thing I eat these days are crisps, and I don't even eat those very much' - whilst standing there in their (UK) size six clothes looking very, very slim. This can have a really negative effect on me. Recently I spent a lot of time with a guy who was concerned about his weight. He would run through everything he'd eaten that day. He (effectively) told me not to eat at McDonald's and Burger King (and places like that). He ate incredibly healthily, which in itself isn't a bad thing. When I went out for meals with him I would worry about eating too much and wouldn't choose what I actually wanted off the menu, I would choose something that he would 'approve' of. This was pretty stressful. And I'm glad it's all over with him. Ahhhh! But how can I ensure I don't pick another guy like this? How do you know if a a guy has weight issues?

I will be continuing this blog and these musings as soon as I have a bit more time on my hands...

Until then,
Blue Eyes xx

A Couple of Nepal Photos

2011-06-21T12:38:00.002+01:00

Just a couple of photos from Nepal...

Maybe I'll post a few more sometime,
Blue Eyes xx

The Guardian - Liverpool Frontline Video

2011-06-20T12:02:00.002+01:00

My friend posted this amazing video on his blog (I Wrested the Angel) and I loved it so much I thought I would share it. It's always good (but often rare) to see Christians getting a good press in the secular news!

There are lots of negative comments below the video but I love this positive one:

"In my personal experience, obviously not entirely representative of everyone, all my friends care about other people and happily throw money into collection pots etc

But the only ones who actually DO things are the religious ones - be it volunteering, running the collections etc

As I say not entirely representative but I bet if people were honest they'd probably admit their experiences were similar."

What do you think? I especially love the last 20 seconds or so which includes a bit of an interview with an ex prostitute/drug addict. Turns a lot of people's ideas on their head.

Oh, and I love this comment:

"I can't help but feel that there are a lot of people blowing hard on these threads writing ethical judgement cheques that their own way of life can't cash, perhaps something explained by their discomfort at the sight of what true goodness, religiously inspired or otherwise, looks like."

Wishing more churches were like Frontline,
Blue Eyes xx

Recent Moments

2011-06-19T11:17:00.003+01:00

I have nearly a month of moments to fill you in with; I'll just pick the best ones...

Good moments...
Seeing Mamma Mia at the theatre in London. It was amazing and I would thoroughly recommend it.
Parties, BBQs and nights out, all of these have centred around friends, new and old and have been great. I don't see these people enough.
Working on the summer dress that I am making myself. Love it.

Embarrassing moments...
When a customer at work asked which of our cheese were from France and I pointed out the Gruyere, to which his reply was "No it's not; it's from Switzerland - I used to live there!" Ooops...
Tripping over in my heels whilst walking through Shoreditch (East London) and some incredibly sophisticated and good looking guy asking if I was ok. Embarrassing much.

Bad moments...
Finding out that my sister's boyfriend's mum has brain cancer. She has/had lung cancer and had 3/4 of a lung removed about seven weeks ago, but they have just found out that she has brain cancer too so had an operation yesterday. I haven't heard much about it so I am assuming no news is good news. Please pray for her. Thanks.
Finding out that a friend had a double heart attack on Friday night. He is only in his early 30s and his wife had their first baby within the last six months. He is still in a very serious situation in hospital so please pray. Thanks again.

I have had lots of thoughts over the past month or so. I think I have re-evaluated my priorities a lot and realised that some things I am prepared to compromise on and some things I'm not. It's good to know which are which...

Putting off writing her 2,500 word essay and corresponding 10 minute presentation,
Blue Eyes xx

Petition for Vaccines for Children

2011-05-30T19:26:00.002+01:00

I just signed this and thought I would advertise it a bit in case anyone else wanted to sign the petition too

http://www.globalpovertyproject.com/pages/vaccines

No pressure. Just thought you might be interested.

I got back from Nepal a few days ago and will update you all about it I promise. And I will tell you about the job that I will be starting sometime after September. And I will tell you about lots of things that I have been up to. I might even show you some pictures if you're lucky. I bet you can't wait!

Much love,
Blues Eyes xx

Post and Parcels Abroad

2011-05-11T20:18:00.000+01:00

One of my friends is a soldier in Afghanistan and I am sending him parcels every so often. I send things like DVDs, car magazines, sweets, balls, that kind of thing. However I am now running out of ideas! Can you think of anything that you would like to receive if you were far away from home for six months? I can't send chocolate or anything that will melt (it's pretty hot over there) and I can't really send liquids. Also can't send 'top shelf' magazines (not that I would anyway!). I think that's about it with regard to restrictions. There probably are other things too (like drugs and cigarettes or something) but they aren't the kind of things I would be sending. I would really appreciate any thoughts or ideas that you can offer because otherwise my parcels are going to get a bit 'samey'! Any bloke-y, novelty things you can think of? Like cheap gadgets (I won't be sending him a Kindle any time soon...) or funny stuff. Any good books or DVDs you would recommend? Anywhere that is good to find novelty socks or funny-but-kind-of-pointless-gifts? Oh, and these things must fit into a shoebox sort of size and not be overly heavy. The good news is that post to the troops is freeeee! I find this very exciting since I love sending post and the main thing that puts me off is the cost of actually posting it.

Hoping to find my blog flooded with ideas,
Blue Eyes xx

Alicia Jane Turner

2011-05-10T20:41:00.000+01:00

After yesterday's blog promoting music I will continue the trend and promote another friend of a friend who has just released her first EP.

Here it is:

You can now download her music on iTunes! Just search 'Alicia Jane Turner' and 'Drown'.

Hope you all enjoy a good listen,
Blue Eyes xx

Free EP - Nowhere Again - Today only!

2011-05-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

Just thought I would not-very-subtly promote 'Nowhere Again' which is a band made up by a few of my friends from college. They have recently released an EP which is FREE today! I will definitely be downloading it, how about you?

It is definitely worth a listen, and what have you got to lose since it's FREE!!

Check it out:

http://superstardestroyer.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/now-i-am-twenty-free-on-monday-only/

What do you think? Is it a good one?

Having heard a few of their previous songs I am looking forward to this one!

Enjoy,
Blue Eyes xx

Change.org

2011-05-08T21:31:00.002+01:00

I found this interesting website yesterday:

Change.org

It's an American one and not a British one so the petitions are more relevant to Americans reading this blog than Brits (I will have a look for a British one and let you know). It's simply a site full of petitions for recent issues.

My favourite petition is 'Make Girl Scout Cookies Rainforest-Safe' hahahahaha. You can tell the issues that are important to society today!!

Feeling in a campaigning mood,
Blue Eyes xx

Slutwalk

2011-05-07T21:13:00.002+01:00

I stumbled on both of these articles posted by friends on Facebook at around the same time. There may be no connection but I thought they were thought-provoking and shocking so I would share them:

http://news.change.org/stories/yale-fraternity-pledges-chant-no-means-yes-outside-first-year-dorms

And:

http://slutwalklondon.tumblr.com/

Slutwalk Twitter

Slutwalk Poster

Slutwalk Toronto

Trying not to lose her faith in humanity too much,
Blue Eyes xx

Religious Extremism Blog

2011-05-06T21:45:00.002+01:00

This was recommended to me by a friend and I thought it was quite thought-provoking so I would pass it on to you guys.

The Right Kind of Religious Freedom

I like quotes and blogs so this was a fun one. Is it bad to admit that I didn't actually read the whole one and kind of only skimmed it? I'm clearly getting lazy...

Reading quotes and blogs,
Blue Eyes xx

Dear God, Who Invented You?

2011-04-30T18:11:00.002+01:00

I saw this and thought it was lovely:

A Six Year Old Writes a Letter to God

I'm glad the Archbishop took the time to write back.

Smiling,
Blue Eyes xx

Doing

2011-04-23T21:17:00.000+01:00

I stumbled across this thought-provoking blog post recently and thought I would share it...

http://positive-thought-of-the-week.blogspot.com/2011/03/you-will-do-as-you-practice.html

I think he makes a valid point and this challenges me to behave everyday the way I want to behave later on in life. And that's not just about 'being good', but it's about taking risks, making good decisions, being prepared to sacrifice things to become who you're meant to be, being prepared to give up good things to do great things and above all treating people with love.

Despite having had only a handful of hours off in the past couple of days I am still finding the time to relax and think about life,
Blue Eyes xx

Forgiveness

2011-04-22T21:06:00.006+01:00

I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness recently (this makes me sound like a much deeper person than I actually am...). Furthermore I have stumbled on a few completely unrelated websites, through completely unrelated searches and thoughts and links and the like.

One blog post I liked is:

Happy Endings Blog

A quote I like is this:

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. - Lewis B. Smedes It's come up a few times recently in talks that I've heard, books I've read and in general conversations. I like it.

A picture that makes up part of the desktop collage on my laptop is:

Another good quote:

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. - Mahatma Gandhi

Any other good forgiveness quotes or thoughts I should ponder?

Enjoying having time to think,
Blue Eyes xx

My birthday

2011-04-18T21:54:00.002+01:00

I celebrated my birthday last week and I feel a bit like it just slipped by. Not necessarily in a bad way, just that it didn't feel like my birthday. I don't feel any older.

Last year I was really concerned about my birthday. I wanted lots of people to come so that I could network all my friends together. I wanted a big party and a late night - and lots of photos! This year I wasn't so fussed about it. I had two separate events in different locations knowing that friends from home would find it easier to meet in one place and friends from uni in another. As soon as I knew that at least one person would be going to each - and that I would be arriving with them! - I didn't worry very much about anyone else. I knew I would have a perfectly good time with just one or two people. I didn't want to make a big deal about it, I didn't want people to feel the need to buy me lavish gifts or spend a lot of time/money coming to celebrate - since most of my friends are pretty time/cash poor at the moment. In the end lots of people came to both celebrations! I think three of them 'overlapped' and came to both which was nice. I had a lovely time and a few of them even bought me lovely presents - Hotel Chocolat chocolate and Oliver Bonas earrings to name a couple. None of my celebrations were late nights because I appreciate my sleep more this year! But both involved lots of catching up and spending time with people I've known and loved for a long time. Happy times really.

I guess birthdays will gradually lose their magic from now on. Like Christmas perhaps. When you're young they are a big deal, something worth shouting about, but as you get older they get increasingly easy to forget and overlook. I guess it hasn't helped that I have been even busier than usual over the past week so I wasn't really around to spend the usual birthday time with my family and haven't been out on the town like I usually would to celebrate my advancing years. I had a couple of drinks at each event, however realised that last week was the first time I had had an alcoholic beverage since New Year's Eve! How crazy is that?! I just don't bother anymore. I don't really like the taste of alcohol so I don't drink it with meals or just randomly during the day and since I haven't been out partying and dancing of late I haven't really been drinking. I am taking this as a good thing and a sign that I am getting old. Though I don't want to get much older! The wrinkles will come soon...

Feeling her age,
Blue Eyes xx

Welcome Back

2011-04-13T23:32:00.000+01:00

Just in case you missed this incredible singing advert on the TV. I just love it!

I want this to happen when I return from Nepal or Guyana/Brazil this year! I want someone to come pick me up and sing to me! That would be lovely. See you there...

Smiling again,
Blue Eyes xx

A Blog

2011-04-12T23:13:00.002+01:00

A friend of mine from college writes a blog and I stumbled across it through another friend from college's blog. I particularly like this post of his. I find it hilarious and so true to his personality! He writes this story exactly as he would if he were telling it to you in a pub and I really like that in bloggers. Obviously most of the blogs I read are written by people I haven't met IRL, but a few are and I like it when reading someone's written words feels like talking to them directly. It feels real, you know?

Anyway, he very rarely blogs but this one is a classic:

Arkys Blog

Smiling,
Blue Eyes xx

Spider Email

2011-04-11T23:01:00.000+01:00

I am not sure why I find this so funny but my sister sent it to me ages ago and I every time I see it I laugh and laugh and laugh. Maybe this says a lot about my state of mind and poor sense of humour and very little about the hilarity of the content.

Check it out:

http://www.27bslash6.com/overdue.html

Ha, ha, ha,
Blue Eyes xx

A Guilty Pleasure

2011-04-10T22:32:00.000+01:00

I feel the need to come clean about a guilty pleasure I have picked up recently and am now completely addicted to...

Great British Hairdresser

Nuff said really.

For those of you with taste and without endless time to spend watching poor quality reality television I will explain a bit about the show. It is pretty much 'The Apprentice' or 'America's Next Top Model' but for hairdressers. That's it. A famous hair stylist (who has styled Kate Moss, Lily Allen and countless others who he likes to namedrop at every possible occasion) is trying to find his next protege through a competition that started with maybe 20 stylists (lots more applied and had auditions) and at each stage they face different challenges. Each week they have to style hair in a different way and to a different brief for a modelling campaign or something along those lines. I know it sounds terrible but I'm not watching any other TV at the moment. I am never in my house and actually available to watch TV! For instance, this show is on Monday evenings at 10pm but I have yet to see one at that time - I tend to watch two at a time on 4od very sporadically. Oh, and I'm usually emailing/Skyping/Facebooking whilst watching. I like to multi-task...

So, if you are in any way interested in hair or styling or a bitchy man shouting at mediocre hair stylists then watch this show! For me it's a good stress relief because it's unimportant, it doesn't involve me concentrating and I like watching people with pretty hairstyles.

Here's the link if you're tempted...

4od: Great British Hairdresser

About to watch another episode,
Blue Eyes xx

Zumba

2011-04-09T22:19:00.000+01:00

I have been going to Zumba classes more regularly lately. I have been three times in the past five weeks (the two weeks that I didn't go were because one was Pancake Tuesday so, naturally, I was at a Pancake party and the other was my sister's birthday so I went out for dinner to celebrate). I really enjoy it and always go along with at least one friend which makes it even better. The first time we went there were only five or six people, but last Tuesday there were 20! And the teacher is considering running two classes back to back because we can't all fit in the one hall! Crazy! Despite being completely unco-ordinated and without a sense of rhythm I am actually improving at this whole Zumba thing! She does similar moves and routines each week so I feel I am gradually picking them up and can concentrate more on getting faster at them and working out and concentrate less on trying to follow her moves which is good. I am by no means perfect and I am definitely not the best person in the group, however I am happy with how it's going and I always enjoy myself. I would really recommend Zumba to anyone who is considering it, if you know me IRL, live nearby and would like to come along then just ask - the more the merrier! If you don't live nearby then check out your local sports centre or even your local village hall (that's where mine is held) and see if they run a class. It's quite fashionable/popular now so they probably will. Expect to pay about £5 per session, though this will probably vary. It's definitely good value for money because I am sweaty within minutes of starting and our teacher almost always runs over! At the end of the hour I really feel like I've had a good work-out and I always sleep well afterwards! Plus I spend the next day humming the songs...

Sorry if this sounds like a Zumba promotion! I guess it probably is - although I'm not being paid for it!

Zumba, do-do-do-do-do, Zumba,
Blue Eyes xx

Saying No! Part II

2011-04-08T22:07:00.002+01:00

Whilst writing the title of this blog, blogger kindly reminded me that I wrote a blog on this very topic in 2009 here.

In that blog I was writing about how difficult I find it to say 'no' to things! However I am getting better. Earlier this week someone invited me along to an additional church/youth leaders meeting which would be very soon after the full day of my course. Part of me automatically wanted to be involved because I love to learn about new things, I love to meet new people and I just, genuinely, like being involved. However thankfully I have at least one sane brain cell which said 'don't sign away another evening of your life' and I politely declined the offer saying that although I was sure it would be great, I couldn't go along to another meeting. I simply have too much on. In other words, I said no! And the world didn't fall apart. I'm still here. No-one is angry with me. Or upset. Or disappointed. In fact, they understand. Some other people said 'no' too. The meeting went ahead. I am sure it was still great. And I am so happy with myself. I did it. I said 'no' and I feel so good. I will definitely be saying 'no' more often so you better get used to it...

No, no, no,
Blue Eyes xx

The Sixty Ones

2011-04-07T22:04:00.002+01:00

This would be a quick plug for my friend's band, but they don't technically exist anymore so it's kind of pointless, but I think the music is a good find so I thought I would recommend it regardless...

Myspace: The Sixty Ones

I always love listening to unsigned bands and new, exciting things so if you want to recommend anything then feel free.

Wishing she was in a band,
Blue Eyes xx

Crossfire

2011-04-06T22:03:00.001+01:00

I heard this song on the radio recently and haven't been able to get it out of my head since...

What do you think?

Hummying,
Blue Eyes xx

Not thinking with your mind

2011-03-24T23:36:00.000Z

Why do boys do it? So many of them think with their man parts rather than thinking with their heads. Obviously not all men do this (just a little disclaimer there!) but recently I have come across a few who have and I just think, 'why?'

Why do men, who are usually rational, level-headed and forward-thinking, just ditch all their common sense in a moment of madness and think with their man parts instead of their heads?! (I don't wanna say the 'p' word because then people will probably do a Google search for that sort of thing and find my blog and I may get some interesting comments...) Seriously, why risk everything in the hope that you might 'get some action'? The specific example I am thinking of is a man in a committed, long-term relationship (seriously he has been with his partner for years) who in a matter of moments risked it all in the hope that he could get with me. I genuinely don't understand why you would do that? How could that short-term thing be worth giving it all up for? If I had something that special I wouldn't be so eager to risk losing it.

I hear my friends talking about it all the time; their boyfriends cheated on them and had a one night stand with some tart. Why?! Especially when their girlfriend (my friend) is an incredibly beautiful girl, smart, funny, kind and really loves them. Why would they risk losing all that? I guess it's kind of like the Ashley and Cheryl Cole thing. Most guys would love to date Cheryl, she's gorgeous, successful, funny and warm-hearted. Not to mention minted. So why then did Ashley cheat? Did he not realise the good thing that he had? Did he just get out of bed one day and not engage his brain? Did he think with his man parts for one second too long and screw up everything (no pun intended)?

Not understanding men,
Blue Eyes xx

Pricetag

2011-03-23T23:30:00.000Z

I will have to admit that I love this song right now. My housemate sings an acoustic one which I think is a lot better but until he records it (which will never happen!) I will have to settle for the original on Youtube...

It's not about the money, money, money,
Blue Eyes ss

Pon and Zi

2011-03-22T19:33:00.000Z

I thought I would share a bit of Pon and Zi with you for those who have never enjoyed it before.

This website has a whole gallery of pictures:

http://www.ponandzi.com/index.php

A few of my favourites include:

I love Pon and Zi,
Blue Eyes xx

Talking

2011-03-21T19:30:00.000Z

I thought I would share this quote with you:

A gossip is one who talks to you about others;
A bore is one who talks to you about himself;
And a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself

Lisa Kirk (American Actor, 1925-1990)

I like it. I think I can fall into all three categories at different times with different people though.

Talk, talk, talk,
Blue Eyes xx

On My Mind

2011-03-20T01:21:00.002Z

I think this song pretty much sums up my state of mind right now:

Though it is 1.20am so I'm probably not thinking straight. This week has been a bit of a crazy one and this is the third night in a row that I have been up until 1am which is weird for me because I have been going to bed at 10/11pm lately. I used to stay up this late (and later) all the time but it was never good for me emotionally or physically because I was so shattered all the time and I really don't want to get back in the habit of it. I have spent my evening doing something totally ridiculous that I know is not good for me but I did it anyway. You know when you do things like that? And whilst you're doing it every fibre in your being is calling out 'Blue Eyes, you know this isn't helpful, why are you doing it?' but you're in too deep by then and you just can't stop. Well, that was me this evening whilst stalking a boy. Stalking is never a good idea. Never, never, never. By stalking I don't mean literal stalking, I mean Facebook stalking. Equally bad, but thankfully not illegal. I really am a silly little girl sometimes.

Blue Eyes xx

A Good News Blog

2011-03-18T23:12:00.000Z

I stumbled across this lately and think that it's worth a bit of a read if you want a (slightly cynical but very educated and mostly impartial) British opinion on both national and international politics.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/

Any other political or interesting blogs you would recommend?

Reading up on world affairs,
Blue Eyes xx

Prison

2011-03-17T20:10:00.000Z

One of my friends went to prison for a few years last week. I don't really want to say what for or whether or not I believe he's guilty. He was found guilty and that's that. There isn't much he can do about it and he got a lighter sentence than expected I think. Obviously to be sent to prison you must have done something wrong (unless there has been a severe miscarriage of justice) and I understand that it is a necessary part of our justice system, but the fact that he will be spending a minimum of the next 18 months of his life away from everyone he knows and loves makes me sad. He isn't exactly one of my closest friends so in a way I'm wondering why I am so hung up about it. But I am. I can't get it out of my head. Maybe it's because I don't know many people who are in prison? Maybe I lead a sheltered life and shy away from people that behave in the sort of way that leads to prison sentences? I just think that it must be a horrible place. Being unable to have any freedom must be pretty horrible. I would hate to be trapped somewhere like that, feeling completely claustrophobic and knowing there was nothing I could do to get out of there. I would hate to be away from everyone I know and love. And I don't think I could cope with the fact that your entire of your life is on 'hold'. You can't do any of the things you would be doing if you were back in the 'real world'. And I suppose that is the point. The very essence of prison is taking your freedom away and putting you somewhere where you will have to think about what you've done - and hopefully decide not to do it again! It just makes me sad that's all. I know that sounds naive and innocent and childish but it's true. Knowing someone - anyone - has to live like that makes me sad. And maybe he 'deserves' it; I guess a lot of people in prison 'deserve' it and have committed crimes knowing full well the consequences so it's only fair they do the time for it. I am probably not making any sense. I am torn between my understanding that prisons are a necessary thing and that people need to receive justice when a crime is committed and I am not questioning that. I realise that prison is there for so many reasons - retribution, rehabilitation, protecting the public from the law-breaker etc, however I don't like the idea of it.

I'll try a comparison - I don't like the idea of getting vaccines before going abroad, but I understand why they are needed. This is the direction my thinking about prison is going. I may not like something but it may still be necessary. Does that help to explain my position a bit further?

Maybe if I was the victim of the crime I would feel differently? Maybe if I didn't know the perpetrator my perspective would change? That's almost definitely true. I think I'm a pretty loyal person. If any of my friends committed murder I would go visit them in prison. I wouldn't condone what they had done and I would know deep down that they deserved to be doing time for committing a crime like that, but I would still visit them because they are my friends and I love them unconditionally. I wouldn't defend them or try to justify their actions because what they had done was plain wrong, but I wouldn't abandon them in their hour of need. I would write to them and make it obvious that I still cared for them. I would stand by them even if no-one else did. At least, I would like to think that's what I would do, but I guess you never know until it happens.

And that brings me onto my next thought. I quite want to go visit this guy; we have a few mutual friends and I have spoken to one of them who is planning to go visit him and knows that he has been incarcerated relatively nearby. Should I go? Bearing in mind that we aren't best friends in the world, but I would still regard him as a friend and would like to show that I care. Or am I crazy? I have never been to a prison before and have no idea what to expect. It probably wouldn't be the nicest experience in the world. I am kind of in two minds about it all. I don't know what to think. I would like to think that if I ended up 'inside' people would come to visit me. I guess I would find out who my real friends are pretty quickly! Maybe I'm too loyal? Maybe I'm weird? Maybe this is a ridiculous idea that will never come to fruition? Those are all valid questions and definite possibilities! Hmmm.

At a total loss as to what to do, but that's life sometimes!
Blue Eyes xx

Archery

2011-03-16T22:59:00.000Z

So I am now a trained assassin...I mean qualified archery instructor...

I'm pretty pleased about this because it's something so different from anything I've ever done before. I'm not the sporty type, I have never really been very good at exercise-type things and I have never really taken sport that seriously. As a result I am really glad that I got through this four day course and am now qualified. We were assessed for the last half day of the course which was a bit scary but could have been a lot worse! I will now be teaching 4-5 archery lessons per year at our local Guide campsite. So it's not too much of a time commitment over the year, but I'm worried that since I'm so busy over the summer my plans might clash with the dates when they will need me. Oh well, I guess most Guide leaders are in the same boat and they'll just have to deal with it! 12 of us did the course and all 12 of us passed which was good! And we will never be leading sessions by ourselves - there will always be at least two of us there which is reassuring.

The main type of archery we learnt about (and took part in) was target archery which was fun. However there are many other types of archery including clout and flight. We got to try out both of these on Sunday because we had a large empty field! You wouldn't usually get the chance because most places aren't big enough. For example, clout is when you aim at a pole/target on the ground which is 180 yards away for men and 140 yards away for women. Since we are not professionals and only had (relatively) weak bows our target was only 80 yards away but it was still hard to both shoot the arrow that far whilst aiming for the pole! Lots of fun though! Then we did flight which is simply shooting an arrow as far as you can and I loved it! The world record for flight is held by a British man and is 1.2 miles! Can you believe that?! However he used a bow that you hold with your feet and has a lot more force/power behind the shot than the ones we were using. Nevertheless I shot my arrow to about 110-120 yards which I'm pretty proud of, especially considering that I've never done it before and I was joint third out of my group! The few of us who shot the furthest were actually the smallest of out group. The big, muscular men didn't manage to shoot their arrows so far which was surprising.

Have you learnt anything new recently? Or are you still working towards a new skill or qualification?

Excited about learning new things,
Blue Eyes xx