When Emma met Jophie

I met Joe on my very first day of university back in September 2007. We lived on the same floor of the same halls of residence. I walked into the kitchen and there he was, drinking a beer already (or at least I think he was - in my memory there's definitely a bottle in his hand). He was funny and friendly (still is) and I liked him immediately.

Sophie, I didn't meet until the second semester. I was out on the town with my flatmates, and my friend Lydia had come with us. We were about to leave whatever bar or pub we were in and head to Pier Pressure (a club) when Lydia said she was going to head back because of the early morning lecture, which I had already decided I wasn't going to attend. Disappointed to lose Lydia's company, I pleaded with her to come with us, and she looked me dead in the eye with the air of a seasoned negotiator and said, "Okay then, Emma. If you come with me to the lecture at 9am tomorrow morning, I'll go to Pier with you." I agreed easily, satisfied that I had managed to get my own way and not worrying about my side of the bargain because that was a problem for future-me. I couldn't even get out of it either, as Lydia came by bright and early to personally escort me to my fate. So there I was, hungover, tired and irritable, being led into a lecture about medieval Germany or something by an annoyingly chipper Lydia, and she introduced me to Sophie, the friendliest person I have ever met.

As it happened, Sophie already knew Joe as they had some of the same classes, and to say that she was rather fond of him is putting it mildly. I'm not sure when exactly it came up that I not only knew Joe, but I lived with him - regardless, it was a happy coincidence, and Sophie and I gradually began to see more and more of each other as the year progressed.

I had a few people over to my house during the summer holidays for my birthday, Sophie and Joe included, and I can still remember standing in the kitchen in the morning making pancakes (or attempting to - I seem to recall some disagreements over how many eggs go in pancake batter), while Sophie, never one to hold back, gushed to me about Joe.

That was eight years ago. And on Saturday, I got to watch them get married.

There was a moment later on in the night, when I was on the dance floor surrounded by people I had gone to university with, and the band started to play Don't Stop Believin' by Journey, a song synonymous with our old Student Union, and it was like being hit by wave after wave of nostalgia. Dancing around in a big circle, singing our hearts out at the top of our lungs, and it was so bittersweet because uni feels like it was a lifetime ago, but at the same time it feels like it could have been last week. We were dancing to Journey at the union, then we blinked and we were dancing to Journey at Joe and Sophie's wedding. Time, man. It flies.

So this post is for Joe and Sophie. I've known them separately, and I've known them together, and I've never seen either as happy as they were on Saturday. I wish them all the love in the world.

Song of the Day: When You Were Young by The Killers (And sometimes you close your eyes and see the place where you used to live/ When you were young)

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I'm aliiiiiive!

I've long given up feeling like I have to apologise whenever I'm absent from this blog for an extended period of time - it is what it is, and I know that it's here for me to return to whenever I see fit. Usually when I want to talk about books or music or something cool I found on the internet.

My friend Sophie had her hen-do a couple of weekends ago and we went to Alton Towers, which was fun, but it did reaffirm the fact that I am not a roller-coaster person, as much as I'd like to be. The last time I was there I did go on Oblivion and decided never again, but the Smiler wasn't there last time. I took one look at it and said "nope." Which was a good thing, really, because Soph said it was, and I quote, "vomit-inducing."

Park aside, we got to stay in the most adorable little lodges, ate tapas (and drank copious amounts of sangria) at a local pub where we were served by the friendliest staff I have ever come across, and got to have afternoon tea the following day at the Alton Towers hotel. There was also a spa trip but I forgot my swimming costume, it didn't even occur to me to take it, I'm not sure why. This is clearly a very 'me' thing to do because when I was telling my mum about it afterwards, she said "Oh Emma" in a very mum-like way. I didn't mean to. But anyway, in lieu of the spa, I went back into the park with a couple of others and had a wander around and went to the aquarium. And anyone who knows me knows that I love a good aquarium. What a lovely weekend, can't wait for the wedding now.

On Saturday, it was my brother's 30th birthday, which I'm struggling to get my head around. He's in America, so I didn't get to see him, but I did post this picture on his Facebook wall, just so he knows I care, and to remind him of the days when he was nice to me and not annoying me from thousands of miles away. (It should be noted that I don't actually know how many miles away he is. I was going to say millions, but that seems excessive. It feels far, anyhow.)

So yeah, Saturday was James's birthday. But that is not all it was. Saturday was also Eurovision day, that wonderfully weird event that comes but once a year.

Eurovision is incredibly difficult to describe to the uninitiated. I think it's the kind of thing you have to experience to understand. I have a sort of morbid fascination with Eurovision - I never really mean to watch it, but somehow I nearly always end up doing just that. It's like a trainwreck, I just can't look away. Although I will say that this year was relatively tame on the whole, compared to previous years.

I felt a bit bad for the British boys, who ended up coming third from last (I think? Can't quite remember), when their song was actually objectively one of the better ones. But I suppose it's par for the course and we never do all that well. It's all good fun and I hope they didn't take it to heart.

My personal favourite was the entry from France, it was super catchy and I'm disappointed he didn't win.

C'est la vie.

Currently reading: I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak. Loving it so far.

Song of the Day: Australia by The Shins (You'll be damned to pining through the windowpanes/ You know you'd trade your life for any ordinary Joe/ Well do it now or grow old/ Your nightmares only need a year or two to unfold)

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How I like to spend Sundays

As far as Sundays go, yesterday was a pretty good one.

I jolted awake super early and disorientated (perhaps I had been dreaming), and Jack - still asleep mind you - laughed and said, "Yes." He talks in his sleep sometimes. I get a real kick out of it.

Anyway, I went back to sleep and woke up at 10.30am, much more refreshed. Downstairs, Jack made me a cup of tea and then we had pain au chocolats for breakfast (because we're fancy), and after watching Nigella, I went to have a shower and then changed into a fresh pair of pyjama bottoms and an old baggy t-shirt. Sunday is a day of REST, okay? I had no choice.

Back downstairs, I removed my super dark purple nail polish and replaced it with a slightly lighter shade of purple nail polish whilst watching Christmas cooking shows on the Food Network channel. After that, I lit a candle and we watched The Nightmare Before Christmas followed by The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, because they are Christmassy without being overtly Christmassy, if you know what I mean. I don't like to crack out things like Elf or The Grinch until December is upon us. 

We ate leftover lasagna for tea, and then I caught up with Sophie who made me get Whatsapp and introduced me to the 21st Century. We chilled out for a bit before Jack went home, and then I wrote 2,000 words for NaNoWriMo whilst listening to Third Eye Blind (who have reinstated themselves as one of my favourite bands).

Yeah. A good day. I like to remember the good days.

Song of the Day: The Background by Third Eye Blind (The plans I make still have you in them 'cause you come swimming into view/And I'm hanging on your words like I always used to do/ The words they use so lightly I only feel for you/ I only know because I carry you around in the background)

Currently reading: The Invisible Library still. I keep stopping and starting.

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Birthdays

I've had the kind of week that feels like it's going ridiculously slowly but in actual fact it's not and all of a sudden it's over. I think I've woken up everyday this week and thought to myself  I am definitely going to blog today but then something always came up and I ended up not doing it. Anyway, I've got a busy week coming up again because of work, and it's my birthday on Friday and Daf is taking me to the Harry Potter Studio Tour on Thursday. Excitedexcitedexcited.


Speaking of my birthday, I was on bar last night at work and I served a couple of guys and one said, "How old are you, because my mate thinks you're about 13." Fan-tastic. Needless to say they were surprised when I told them I was going to be 23 on Friday. 


In other news, today is my bestest's birthday.

Happy Birthday Soph!


Song of the Day: Dance Wiv Me by Dizzee Rascal feat. Calvin Harris & Chrome


Currently reading: On The Road. I may have not picked it up since I last blogged...maybe.

Days 20 & 21: Friends and somewhere I went (Alton Towers)

I've merged days again for Friday and Saturday. And you probably won't get today's photo until tomorrow when I'll probably have to merge another two days. I'm OK with it though, it's nice that life gets in the way.


Anyway, so I've been to Alton Towers where it turns out I'm a nervous roller-coaster rider. I must have only been 8 or 9 the last time I went to Alton Towers and all I could remember was going on the Runaway Mine Train and the fact that my dad went on absolutely nothing. The last time I remember going on a roller-coaster at all it was at some sort of fair type place, and I was probably a little too small for the ride because I felt like I was holding onto the safety bar for dear life. And memories like that stay with you. Lydia thought she would break me in easy by going straight for Oblivion. This was my face as we approached the front of the queue.

Pasty with fear. Thanks to Soph for snapping this beauty.


Here are the photos I managed to take. I didn't want to take my Nikon D90 so I just took Daf's little point-and-shoot camera, which still gets the job done nicely enough.

I know you can't see the people all that well, but Soph and Lydia are in that carriage. I sat out of going on Sonic Spinball, as just looking at it made me feel a little bit queasy, and I had started to lose my nerve a little bit towards the end of the day! After this we went on the Log Flume, where I sat in the front and got absolutely drenched.

This is the closest I got to a photo of my friends, but in all fairness it wasn't much of a taking photos day, we were too busy going on roller-coasters and stuff.


Until next time...


Song of the Day: Grapevine Fires by Death Cab for Cutie


Currently reading: The Book Thief

Days 18 and 19

I missed a day. Shocking, I know. But honestly, it's been pouring with rain almost constantly for the last couple of days (and still is, by the way) and I have had little to no inspiration, and my 30 day photo challenge is feeling a tad like a chore at the moment. So here is two days in one.


Day 18: Something I wore


This is the dress I wore for my graduation, during which the label was sticking out the back of my collar for the entire ceremony and nobody told me. I didn't notice until I saw the footage from my dad's camcorder.

At least it's a pretty dress.


Day 19: My room


I kind of have two rooms at the moment. My bedroom (which is the one I photographed) is teeny tiny, so when my brother moved to Ireland I sort of commandeered his old room and that is where Daf and I currently live. I have so much stuff that an extra room comes in really handy!

I am super cool with my Jaws poster.


Anyway, tomorrow evening me and Soph are off to Lydia's house, and we're going to Alton Towers on Saturday. So excited. Here's hoping it stops raining sometime before then. I haven't been to a theme park in years, I really hope I don't suddenly decide I'm terrified of roller coasters. But my point is, I won't be able to post anything here until Sunday or maybe Monday, but don't worry because I'll still be taking photos for the challenge. I'll just be posting them late.


Song of the Day: Nobody by Eliza Doolittle


Currently reading: The Book Thief

I am bad at reading

Sorry for my silence, but now I've committed myself to including what I'm reading in every blogpost, I was embarrassed to update because I'm still reading The Hobbit. Please don't shout at me. I've only picked it up once in the last week. I'm so ashamed. But the good news is I'm planning on finishing it in the next couple of days, so that I can move on to another book. Hooray!


In other news, I went out with some friends on Friday night. I very rarely go out on the town anymore, so whenever I do it's usually a good night because it's such a novelty. It was fun. My friend and I were getting some drinks when some guy standing near us vomited all over the bar and was then surprised that a) they wouldn't serve him and b) that he was escorted out by a bouncer. It was disgusting, but hilarious.


Also, Daf and I have been watching Prison Break on Netflix, and it makes me have vivid dreams that I am either in prison, or I'm being pursued by the FBI for breaking out of prison. It's all very entertaining. Plus it means that Wentworth Miller features heavily in my dreams, and that can never be a bad thing.

[source]

Song of the Day: History Book by Dry the River


Currently Reading: The Hobbit

Where I've been

For anyone who wanted to know how my bowling trip went, out of 3 games I came last twice and 3rd (out of 4) once. I suck at bowling. And I am not the most gracious of losers. To add insult to injury I was also designated driver so I was sat there sipping on my coke while Daf, Jack and Al knocked back pitchers of Coors Light. Ah well, it's all good fun. And our staff do is on Tuesday and we're going bowling, funnily enough, so at least I've had some practice.

I have recently discovered How It Should Have Ended on YouTube, where they do animated alternate endings of popular movies. The one for how X-Men: First Class should have ended is a personal favourite, with honourable mention going to Harry Potter. 

Oh, and I've also started watching the American version of The Office on Netflix, and I love it so much, I think Dwight might be my favourite fictional character ever. Largely because of this face:

[source]

Song of the Day: Better Half by Frank Turner

There must be a better half somewhere out there/She lives a better life, a life that she shares/Shares with a better man, a man who is there when she calls in the night/Who says "Hey, it's alright"

A bad blogger's weekly round-up

I do believe it's been over a week since I blogged. I've been meaning to, but I've been busy in a kind of non-busy way. Last weekend I went to Ludlow for a gathering for Soph's birthday which was fun, she got given a tent which she tried to convince me we were sleeping in (I am not a fan of tents or camping). On Monday Daf came up on the train from Barmouth for a few days. We went to the cinema on Tuesday to watch X-Men: First Class which was really good if you like that sort of thing (and I do). On Wednesday it was my birthday! 22 years old, it doesn't feel like such a fun age. Anyway, I got a lovely present of a cold, so it wasn't one of my better birthdays. I really don't remember what happened on Thursday, it has disappeared from my memory, but yesterday I went to a local pub/restaurant to chat about starting a job there, which I will be doing next week. It's just a Saturday job at the moment but it'll pick up as it gets busier, also I could maybe get another job for the week. Either way I'm pretty pleased that I only got back from university just over a week ago and I already have a job on the horizon. Yay for money! Oh, and also Daf and I have now completely finished Lost. What an emotional rollercoaster, that's all I can say. I was up early this morning to drop Daf off at the train station, and the ONLY good thing about this is that as a result I was able to watch Spongebob which is always a winner in my book.

Sorry to go all, "On Monday I did this, and then I did that..." on you but it's my attempt at explaining my absence. Hopefully I'll be back to updating a bit more regularly now.

Here's some photos!

These were all taken in Soph's garden in Ludlow.

******

Song of the Day: Nightingale Song by Toad The Wet Sprocket

And little ever changes if anything at all/Just reminds ourselves how small we are

 

Home Sweet Home

I have arrived home after a hellish train journey on what feels like the hottest day in the history of Britain. It's been half term for the schools this week so the train gradually got busier and busier at each station. Before we even reached the Welsh border the train kept stopping due to what the train-driver/conductor/whoever it is they get to mumble the announcements called 'engine difficulties'. Which, let's face it, isn't exactly what you're after when you're half an hour into a two and a half hour journey.

Luckily, I had Joe to keep me company until Welshpool, and he helped me plan out my whole career. I'm going to be a freelance writer, folks. Starting with this blog which I do not get paid for. It's going to be great. Also, a couple of ladies got on at Newtown and sat opposite us, and one of them started reading a book called Star Wars: A New Jedi Order. I didn't even know they had Star Wars books, but I must read them all.

Eventually I made it home about an hour later than I was expecting, and after an extortionate taxi fare. I went to Waitrose for a posh shop because it's close and I am so very very tired, and now I'm watching Malcolm in the Middle because that is how I roll.

Just a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Soph before I go.

******

Song of the Day: Masquerade by Lelia Broussard

You masquerade like you're unique/Like you've got a lot to say/Like there's something underneath

Graduation fears

With my dissertation in and only one exam to revise for, my thoughts have drifted to my graduation. I've been wondering what to wear both clothes-wise and shoes-wise, and also complaining about how much it costs to hire a gown, and why can't the university pay for it, blah blah blah, etc. Among these thoughts is a genuine concern about graduation photographs. My parents will undoubtedly want a nice shot of me with my degree certificate, but I have a real difficulty of looking....well, let's just say 'normal' in photographs.

The problem is, whenever anyone points a camera at me, I automatically give a thumbs up and my face does this:

I do this so often that it has become known as the 'classic' Emma pose, and my friends even do it with me now. (By friends, I pretty much just mean Soph):

Daf even does it:

But shhhh, don't tell him I put this on my blog.

My friend Lydia even did a 'classic Emma' on her wedding day - a very proud moment for me.

Anyway, the point to all of this is that my face is ridiculous and I'm going to look like a crazy fool when I graduate. There are plenty more examples of these photos by the way, I just think that you've seen more than enough of my face for one day.

Just before I go, click this link - you won't regret it, it has made my day.

******

Song of the Day: You Only Live Once by The Strokes

Sit me down/Shut me up/I'll calm down and I'll get along with you

Emilee

When I left Saudi to come back to England with my family in 1999, I said goodbye to a very dear friend of mine, Emilee. When we first moved to Saudi, Emilee's family were our next door neighbours. I was two, and she was one, and we saw each other nearly every day for the next eight years. We both left at the same time, as her family was moving to China, and when the time came for us to say goodbye, I genuinely believed that I would never see her again.

Extraordinarily, I did see her again, several years later when me and my parents were back in Saudi again. Her parents had an interview in Bahrain, and a bunch of families who knew them 'way back when' had a meal out, and so I saw her then, albeit briefly, and it wasn't exactly an ideal setting to have a proper catch-up. Nevertheless, it was still lovely to see her, because again, I thought I wouldn't be seeing her again. 

On Saturday afternoon, me and Emilee sat together in my garden in Wolverhampton, reminiscing about our childhood and Saudi, and just generally having a much needed catch-up. Emilee's parents live back in Saudi now (it's funny how a lot of people who move away from Saudi end up coming back, if not to Saudi then somewhere else in the Middle-East) and Emilee goes to college back in America. She's been studying in London since January, and has been interning there as well, but she goes home soon, and so she got the train down to see me on Saturday for a few hours.

It was so lovely to see her after all these years. As a child, I was just as likely to eat at her house for dinner as I was at mine. A patio was all that separated our houses, and along with the other kids that lived on our compound, we would play together every day after school.

I grew up with Emilee, and I'm so glad she took time out of her trip to come and see me.

Me and Emilee with Emilee's Dad when we were little. I don't have a scanner so I had to take a picture of a picture.

My Dad had a series of photos of me and Emilee and added 'witty' speech bubbles to them. I couldn't get a clear picture of the whole thing so I've just got this one instead.

Emilee took a photo while she was here which she's put on her blog. I hope it's not too long before we meet up again!

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I've decided not to do my loving/hatin' section anymore, because it's sometimes a chore to think of them, and most of the time it will be pretty obvious from my blog post what I love or hate anyway! I will however still be doing a song of the day. I like enforcing my musical tastes on people. I'm obnoxious like that.

 

Song of the Day: Lost In Stereo by All Time Low

She's dancing alone/I'm ready to go/But she's so lost in stereo, lost in stereo

Happy Days

Evenin'. Long time no see. Well, not really.

I had such a good weekend! Lauren and Sam got here just before 8pm on Friday and we got ready to go out whilst drinking wine and vodka (but not at the same time). By the time we left it was getting on for eleven, so after a quick pit-stop at one of the pubs to meet Alice and her friends, we went to Pier Pressure, because that's where the magic happens. A good night was had all round, except for an unfortunate incident with a ridiculously annoying boy who wouldn't leave us alone. Don't worry, Alice made sure he got booted out by the bouncers. 

The next day was absolutely beautiful so we went for a walk along the sea-front and then went for lunch. I took my trusty camera with me and got a few shots of Lauren which I love, I've had a play around with a couple just to get a few quirky effects (because Lauren is quirky).

 The one above has barely been touched, I just warmed up the colour ever so slightly because other than that I thought it was pretty much perfect.

When we got back to my flat we ended up having a bit of a movie day, watching Van Wilder, about half an hour of Willow before we decided that it just wasn't working for us in a slightly hungover state, and then we watched Moulin Rouge, which was so worth it purely for Ewan McGregor singing Your Song. 

Anyway, now my weekend is over and it's back to work. I've just got a final push at uni and then it's all over - the end seems so near and yet so far away, but at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Now that's enough clichés for one day. Until next time, folks.

******

Today I'm loving: That I've already finished my seminar reading for tomorrow.

Today I'm hatin': That my ear is blocked, I really don't want to have to go and get it syringed.

Song of the Day: Re:Stacks by Bon Iver

I keep throwing it down two-hundred at a time/It's hard to find it when you knew it/When your money's gone/And you're drunk as hell

Click here so you can hear it, it's so pretty.

I actually have plans!

Tonight, me and Soph are going to the Student Union to see a Phil Collins/Genesis tribute act called Phillin Collins. Apparently he's really good so I'm quite excited. He comes every year, although I haven't been before, and it's an event called 'Ginesis' (do you see what they've done there?) because they serve lots of kinds of gin or something. I hate gin, but I'm willing to embrace it if it's cheap. Plus, I get to hang out with Soph, who I love. She complained that she wasn't in my '10 things that make me smile' post, and when I told her that it was because she isn't a thing, she said, "I am an 'it' at least." She does make me laugh. So anyway, expect another post at some point about Phillin Collins. Good or bad, it'll surely give me something to write about.

Today is the 22nd birthday of my lovely cousin Frances, so here's hoping that the birthday wishes I sent her on facebook and this little mention have distracted her from the fact that I forgot to send her a card. Sorryyyy! Happy Birthday! 

I'm currently nursing a sore throat which is making me grumpy and unreasonable (poor Daf), but I'm hoping it won't stop me from singing along later! Nothing a bit of gin won't fix, anyway.

Today I'm loving: That the heating has been fixed, hooray!

Today I'm hatin': Poorly throats :(

Song of the Day: In the spirit of tonight, In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins
I can feel it coming in the air tonight/Oh Lord/And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life/Oh Lord 

China and Facebook

Before coming back to university, Dafydd and I held a mini leaving do at my house for our friend Ben, who has just gone to China for a year to teach English. He was supposed to be leaving on or around the 15th, as far as I know, and so all being well, he should now be safely in China. Yesterday Joe and Soph popped over for a bit and I asked if either of them had heard from Ben yet, as I had written on his Facebook wall and not heard back yet. To which Joe replied:

"Yeah, but he won't be able to read that because Facebook's banned in China."

What?

Facebook is everywhere these days, where someone's more likely to 'add' you on Facebook than ask you for your number. The concept of you not being able to access it in a whole country absolutely blows my mind. So much so that at first I wasn't even sure I believed it was true, and I googled it. I typed in Why is Facebook blocked in China? and the internet told me this:

"Because in China when people start to question the Government the government cracks down. Opponents are called terrorists, traitors and unpatriotic.

The state controlled media that supports the government 100% then begins to feed the masses with all sorts of stories about how the government is good and only wants to help. That the dissidents, are a danger to the country because they question the wisdom of the government.

To make this stick they have to block outside sources of information because they fear that the people will not just accept the media stories and instead decide to find out the truth for themselves." - Yahoo Answers

So that clears that up then. Thanks, internet!

Speaking of Facebook, I have a daily internal debate with myself every single time I log into my account over whether or not to delete it. Because to tell you the truth, Facebook infuriates me. I have it because it's a convenient way of sharing photos, catching up with friends, sorting out events, and things like that. But there are so many people on there who TyPe LyK diS in a manner that obviously takes much more effort than just typing properly. Text speak seems to have taken over in such a way that some people shorten words that simply don't need to be shortened. Also, you get those copy and paste statuses some people put up that say something along the lines of:


"Copy and Paste this as your status if you know anyone who has cancer. 93% of people won't paste this as their status, but will you be part of the 7% that does?"

I know they're supposed to raise awareness for a good cause, and believe me, I am a full supporter of cancer charities and awareness is obviously a good thing. However, I certainly don't need a patronising status update to remind me that cancer exists. I feel like it's trying to make people feel guilty, that those of us in the 93% are terrible people or something. Actually, I give money to cancer charities on a fairly regular basis. Maybe you in the 7% should get off Facebook and do the same. I don't know, perhaps I'm being unfair, I just think it comes across as really self-righteous and it really grinds my gears (haha, I love Family Guy references).

The stupid pointless groups are another Facebook annoyance of mine. A lot of them are supposed to be petitions for this, that and the other. Whilst some of these petitions are actually legit and for something serious, a lot of them are like, 'If one million people sign this petition then they'll do another series of Gavin & Stacey'. No they won't. Deal with it.

The worst thing about Facebook is the people who go on there just to insult everyone else. On so many group walls where people have simply written down their opinion on something, there are sometimes hundreds of comments full of the vilest language towards this unsuspecting person simply because they disagree, and it just becomes a slanging match. It's the whole internet society where you can sit at your computer and say things you'd (most likely) never dream of saying to someone's face.

All that being said, I probably won't delete my Facebook account, at least not for the foreseeable future. After everything I've just written, it does seem a tad hypocritical, but to be honest I think I'd just worry I was missing out on something if I did get rid of it. It's a sad, sad world. I do have a phone, after all.

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Bit gross, I know. Funny though.

Have a good one,

Emma

Today I'm loving: the beautiful new boots I got from Brantano, the text from my mum saying she liked the photos in my last blog, and that when I searched for why Facebook was banned in China, the fact that Miley Cyrus is also banned in China was brought to my attention. I didn't look into why, it probably would have been a let down.

Today I'm hatin': that there were no Apple Turnovers in Morrisons, when secretly they were the whole reason we went in the first place.

Song of the day: Looking for Love by Michelle Featherstone. It's beautiful, check it out.  

I'm looking for love/And love, love, love/I  thought it was you

The best of 2010

2010 was a pretty good year. I passed the second year of my degree with some pretty good results; I got to see Feeder perform at my university's May Ball; I turned 21 and got a really awesome camera from my parents; finally passed my driving test (third time lucky and all that); went to Sandown Racing Course where I got to watch the races AND see Westlife perform (a birthday present from my brother and his girlfriend); I went to my good friend Lydia's wedding; went to Liverpool to see one of my best friends, Lauren, who I hadn't seen in about two years. And everything else in between. I wasn't sure quite what to do with this post, but I thought I'd share my favourite photos from 2010. You can click on them to see them bigger.

This is my friend Joe doing a bungee jump at the May Ball my university holds every year:

This is me and my bestest, Soph. I think this photo pretty much sums up our entire friendship:

I took this with my new camera in my Nan's garden, it's one of my favourite photos I've taken with my camera so far. I dunno, I really like bees I guess:

I took this in the summer and completely forgot about it until I found it yesterday. I have so many photos of spider webs, they're just so cool:

This was taken at my 21st birthday shindig:

Pretty cool spider, right? Right. But it should definitely not have been in my garden in ENGLAND of all places. Whatever, as long as it stays the hell away from my house:

Taken at Harlech Castle in the summer:

It's not a bad view to have out of your window, is it?:

This is when me and Alice went to visit Lauren in Liverpool. It was epic:

And this is me with the lovely Lauren herself:

Snow!:

So yeah, 2010 was good. Let's hope 2011 is better.

Next time I'll write a post with more substance, but I thought I might include something that I'm loving about my day at the end of each post. So for now I'll leave you with this:

Today I'm loving that Daf is making my tea for me as we speak.

Laters!