My Knight in Shining Armour (or something...)

Hello! A belated Merry Christmas to all! Hope you've had a lovely time (even to any of you who don't celebrate Christmas - it's always nice to be happy! - see last post!) and are now overfed on turkey and mince pies and Quality Street tins that keep on appearing from nowhere.

I know I am.

I don't know why I'm showing you a picture of my Christmas dinner, but, hey, here's a picture of my Christmas dinner. Enjoy.

Anyway, my dearest apologies for being away for so long.  But I have no school for another 9 days, so hopefully I'll be able to blog a bit more! (But just in case, here's a long 'un to keep you occupied. Maybe. Probably not.)

Right, to the "My knight in shining armour" bit.
I feel quite embarrassed, but I really feel that I must get this off my chest, and even if no-one else actually reads this post I'll have got it out in the open.
Anyway. I'm not really the kind of girl boys flock to. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with that, but sometimes when I'm sat with my friend and some guy starts flirting with her I end up sitting there like a third wheel, because I'm that geeky girl who they only talk to when they need help with coursework or have nothing better to do.

Ok, so I do have friends that are male. One of my best friends is a guy. But it's not the same having friends that are guys and actually feeling comfortable around a guy.  But I always thought that I was better around guys than girls. I tend to find it easier talking to the male species. Probably because they don't constantly bicker about one another and because I'm really good at ranting. Oh, and I like rugby. And cricket. So screaming at a bunch of guys on a rugby field apparently doesn't count as normal female behaviour. Nor does understanding how to score in a cricket match. Even if you do think that Alastair Cook is almost too gorgeous for words.

Alastair Cook
Photo courtesy of circketalert.blogspot.com
 

So, a few months ago I was chosen to represent my school as part of a team in this Science-y/ Engineer-y project where you have to come up with an idea (in our case, we're considering methods of generating electricity) and at the end of it all hopefully get a Crest Gold Award.  And me being me, I ended up in a team made up of three others - all AS Physics and Maths students. So they're the really smart ones and I'm the little one (literally) in the corner taking English Lit. and Psychology who got chosen because she said "I really like equations" (which, to be fair, is true) to her old GCSE Physics teacher in the interview.

As part of the project we have to do field work, and though I go camping every summer and walking with my dad and really like the outdoors, for some unknown reason, on that one day my brain decided that, oh no it wouldn't behave like it regularly does, but instead make me incredibly clumsy and lack more common sense than I normally lack (which, if you want to know, is a lot)

So, long-story-short, I almost fell into a river. Actually make that two rivers. And a waterfall.

Yep.

And long-story-even-shorter, he saved me from falling into two rivers. And a waterfall.

Which, normally - had I known the guy - would've been fine. Well, even if I didn't know the guy I would've thanked him for saving me from falling into a waterfall. And stuff...
But, oh no, my brain decided that normal just wasn't happening. Even when he - let's call him 'M' - even when M literally swept me off my feet to stop me falling into the first river. Then literally almost fell into the second river trying to stop me falling into it.
It was almost like a fairy tale, apart from the fact that I was more like Dumbo than Belle.
And even though I thanked him profusely for the next four hours or so, and he seemed fine about the fact that some girl that he hardly knew had landed in his arms twice and held his hand about four times, the fact that I hardly even knew him just made me not know how to react. And to make matters even more awkward, before that day I'd only ever spoken to him once.

Needless to say, that's one successful mode of team bonding...

On another note, my Sixth Form ball was on the 17th, which was quite exciting. We were in a Marriott hotel, with a three-course meal and professional photographer and a photo booth, and - contrary to my expectations - I actually really enjoyed myself.

To end this post (and I'm really sorry that it dragged!) I will leave you with this quote by one Martha Graham and say goodnight:

"You are unique, and if that is not fulfilled, then something has been lost"

FGB x

Reasons to be happy

“If you're reading this...
Congratulations, you're alive.
If that's not something to smile about,
then I don't know what is.”
― Chad Sugg

I don't know why I decided to make this post, but I know that happiness is a mixed emotion in life. For some, it comes naturally. For others, not so much.
But I hope that maybe this post can show you that happiness is possible. It's there, somewhere, ready for you to discover...

Five Reasons to be Happy!
1. You are alive - I know this seems like a small thing, but it's not. You're alive. You're important. You're loved. Hold onto that.
2. You can dream - Don't be afraid to dream. Don't be limited - let your imagination roam free.
3. “Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” -Unknown  - Life isn't perfect. It never will be. But it doesn't mean that we can't try to be happy.
4. The little things in life - a smile from a stranger, a book on a train, a photograph, a compliment... Strive on these little things, and they may lead to greater things.
5. You have impacted someone's life - You matter. Someone out there somewhere has benefitted from you; from your company.

So just smile. However hard it is. However much it hurts.
Smile, and I guarantee that you'll brighten someone's life.
And it may be naïve of me to say this, but one smile can do a world of good.
And maybe, just maybe, it'll brighten up your own life too.

FGB x

 

A sticky note 'left to its own fate' by incredible optimist thingsweforget.blogspot.com

How British am I?

Good evening!

I don't quite know how to feel about this, but I managed to score 29.17% in a 'How British are you?' online quiz today. 29.17%!!!
That's not even 30%! I'm apparently not even 30% British.
(Note that I even started with a typically British salutation. Then used the word 'salutation'. But, nope, still not British.)

Ok, so being the (pretty rubbishly) anonymous blogger that I am, I don't think I've specified that yes, dear reader, I am a British citizen. More so, I always have been a British citizen, and my family - back to about a trillion years ago - are all British. So, maybe, if I was American, or Canadian, or Australian, or from another country that isn't Britain, then I wouldn't be boring you all with this rant about how I'm apparently not British. But I am. And for that I profusely apologise.

That's the problem with all the hype over Britain. Ok, I admit that I'm proud to be British, and all that malarkey, but sometimes it just gets to the point where I just want to scream in the faces of anyone who tells me that I'm not British. Or gets excited that I am British.

I don't know what it is. It's as if Britain has this magnetic field that draws all these countries towards it. And then slathers them in tea and scones and afternoon strolls through Autumnal forests.
Which is fine, because I admit that I do drink tea and occasionally eat scones and the Autumn is my favourite time of year, but I don't think that these factors should define whether or not I am British.

And another thing: Britain isn't England. (Just to be clear, I don't live in England. Just to be clearer, I don't have anything against England. Well, only when it comes to rugby, but that's a different matter...) Like, if someone mentions a "British" accent, people tend to think of a middle-class London accent.
Someone on holiday spent three days genuinely thinking that my brother was Russian.
I rest my case.

Anyway, I'll leave it at that. I think I've wasted enough of your time tonight. But just a note before you go: "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts" - Eleanor Roosevelt

Cheerio!
FGB x

Who Am I?

"Anonymity is the truest expression of altruism." - Eric Gibson

I like being anonymous.
To anyone reading this blog - in passing, or just generally - I can't really express myself aloud. I always say the wrong things, or say the right things that get perceived in the wrong way, or just don't say anything at all.

And I know it sounds clichéd, but my greatest form of expression is through writing. It's a sort of escapism - if I get the balance right, I can just let myself go, and not feel afraid to be who I want to be, and not who I feel that I need to be.

It's like writing this blog. Ok, so maybe I'm not the best blog-writer in the universe. And I may not be able to post incredibly witty remarks or interesting talents or anything like that, but what I can do is express myself. And, Ok, maybe it's boring. Maybe I'm not destined to write a blog, but hey, if fate persuaded me to start this thing, then I hope that I can do it justice.

And, yes, I enjoy being anonymous. I enjoy the fact that I can write these things and not feel like I'll fail someone by posting them. This blog is an outlet, and anonymity keeps it this way.

So who am I?
I'm whoever you want me to be.
See me as a blank canvas, a half-empty page, a character in an unfinished book... I don't mind.
I have so much to learn, and so much more to tell.

x

Musician's Review #2 - The April Maze

I decided to post another Musician's Review today out of a pure need of procrastination love of all things musical...

The April Maze are a Independent British/Australian alternative-folk duo based in Melbourne, Australia, consisting of married couple Todd Mayhew and Sivan Agam.
I happened to come across this duo via Spotify earlier this year and instantly fell in love with their beautiful harmonies and vocals - in particular Todd Mayhew's occasional 'whisky-voice', which - in contrast to many male 'gravel' voices seems relatively soothing and natural to the ear.

Though this time last year they were relatively unheard of, The April Maze's popularity grew almost overnight as a result of Spotify's Top 100 Most Popular New Releases playlist, and since then they have toured excessively throughout Australia, Britain and are currently on the road in Canada.

One simple reason to listen to - and enjoy - The April Maze is the fact that they don't care what anyone else thinks. They bring a breath of fresh air to the music scene, incorporating every strength and releasing every emotion into their music (their song 'Two Dogs' uses the exact wording of their wedding vows) in order to tell a story; their story, that can only be told through music...

Tea Issues (A Stereotypical British Rant)

I don't know if it's just me, but there's always that moment in life when someone makes you a cup of tea and it's just not quite right and you just have to stand there in front of them and pretend that everything's fine, when in fact you're debating whether or not to make a comment (but you're too socially awkward to do that anyway, so...) or something.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fussy tea-drinker (I understand that this is completely contradicted however by above statement) and my love for tea won't be destroyed by one dodgy cup, but it's just that it's a constant circle of dodgy cups (which is fine) by the same one person (which is not fine).
So, if I blatantly emphasise that I don't want sugar, and I'm given three teaspoons, then fine. But if I keep blatantly emphasising every time I'm offered a cup of tea by that one person that I don't want sugar and there is sugar in my tea, then I will start to get annoyed.

So, a warning to all. If you ever go to make me a cup of tea, please don't. I do love you and all, but it's such tough turf to tread on...

Musician's Review #1 - RJ Thompson

A few years ago, had someone mentioned to me the words 'Independent singer-songwriter', I would've instantly thought of some twenty-something guy in his bedroom with a tape recorder singing covers of Celine Dion and living off Pot Noodle. Until, that was, I accidentally stumbled upon one such musician.

Scrolling through YouTube videos in mid April 2011, I came across a video - a cover of The Killers' Mr Brightside - by RJ Thompson, who I soon discovered was - of course - an independent singer-songwriter from Newcastle. To begin with, my 14 year old self couldn't quite work out what to think of this sudden musical transition. Over the year, I'd moved from the cheesy-pop of One Direction to the smooth crooning Jamie Cullum, and had even verged into indie-rock influences such as Panic! At the Disco and The Wombats, but never had I imagined the effect that this up-and-coming genre of music would have on both my - and so many other people's - views on the music industry.

Having released two albums and three EP's over the last ten years, with a new album on the way in the next few months, RJ is clearly somewhat of a veteran to the music scene. Though some would say that he's never quite got his break, he seems pretty content with what he's achieved, holding a relatively small yet dedicated fan base, receiving airtime on many BBC Radio stations, and gaining success through his YouTube channel, where he presents both popular covers and original material.

The main aspect of appeal - in my eyes - is that RJ Thompson is a down-to-earth musician. Though he's toured with artists that have achieved wonders - such as Gabrielle Aplin, Joe Brooks, Sandi Thom, The Proclaimers... - he's still the kind of guy that you could chat with if you bumped into him in the freezer aisle in Tesco (so to speak).

This kind-hearted nature mixed with his clear love for music makes him one to watch.

Ummm....

Oh, my... It's taken me two months and seven days to realise that I haven't blogged for...oh... 2 months and seven days.
It's not that I don't enjoy blogging - it's completely the opposite, if anything. It's just that I've got so much on with school and music and coursework and excessive homework and stuff that I'm starting to find it hard to just sit down and actually write something relatively meaningful. Not that I can write anything anyway, but this blog just gives space to write about things that I couldn't really talk about to actual, proper, living people. So yeah. I think I'll just leave it at that. For today, anyway...




Anyway, here's a random picture of a kitten in a cup. Just because...

Failing at life (just your regular teenage rant)

So, I'm getting my exam results tomorrow. (Yaaaaaay.)
Yeah.
Don't really know how I feel about that, to be honest. I've really just given up on it all.

Maybe it'll be different tomorrow, once the envelope's in my hands. But at the moment all I really want to do is hide under the covers and then maybe hitchhike my way to Canada... Ok, maybe Canada's a bit far... But, like, Shropshire or something, and then not come back for two weeks and then start all over.

But I HAVE to get through the next two years of school, because otherwise I won't be able to go to uni and then I won't be able to get a job, then I won't be able to afford to live...
Not that I'll be able to get a job if I go to uni anyway...

And then, maybe, maybe, I can do a road-trip or something. Like, one of those plan-certain-bits-but-get-a-map-and-point-at-random-places-and-travel-for-a-bit road trips. And, like, camp in fields and stuff. 

Maybe.

Home Sweet Home

Paris was awesome! I mean absolutely, positively, genuinely awesome!
The performances were amazing, especially at Jardin Du Luxembourg. So many people stopped to watch and listen to us, and then gave so much positive feedback. A woman came up to me and my friend and congratulated us and we had a lovely conversation about music and the weather!
We even ended up playing an encore of one of the best songs I think I have ever played on the clarinet - called 'Instant Concert' - the smile on my face at the end of it was worth seeing!!!

It's nice to be home, though. I don't tend to get homesick anymore, but I love my house and I love my family!
And then I'm off again on Saturday - camping in Nottingham for a week!
They'll forget what I look like by the time I'm back...

Service with a smile (literally)

My mother and I went shopping in the big city today, which we've never really done together just the both of us. So when we got there, my mum decided that she fancied a coffee, so I had a hot chocolate and a cookie and that was that.
I then finished my hot chocolate and this was staring back at me at the bottom of the mug:

It made my day!

I also started brushing up a bit on my French on the way back, seeing as Paris is only a few days away. Yeah, it didn't quite go to plan...
But at least I can order a sandwich (sort of) and ask where the toilets are. That's got to count for something!
I could always point!

Clarinetting My Way to the US of A (well, not quite)...

I'm going to Paris! Yaaay!

I've been playing clarinet in my county's Senior Wind Band for the last year or so, and on Friday we're going on tour! To Paris! For four days! And we're going to Disneyland!

I don't actually care too much about Disneyland, but I'm really looking forward to playing in Paris - I've never played outside of my school or local area before, so that should be fun. And the band is serious, which is awesome, so I feel like I'm actually achieving something musically by going there!

I have been abroad before - with my family - but not without (unless you count going to England abroad; you DO have to cross a channel!), so I'm actually really looking forward. And hopefully I'll get to meet new people. Maybe. If I can pluck up the courage to speak to them. Which isn't very likely. I am getting better, though; I'm not so socially awkward anymore (if I say so myself)...
AND I now have a French GCSE to my name. Hopefully.

Well, anyway, the clarinet is finally getting a well-deserved holiday!!!

Reviews and other non-teenagery things

So...blogging...

I'm not really sure what to do here, or whether what I'm doing is right, but basically the whole point of this is for me to express my views and randomness to the world...Or something... Ok, maybe not the world; maybe more myself and a close-knit group of others. Unless the world wants this kind of thing, that is.
Oh, I don't know...

Anyway, I thought, because I'm a bit of a nerd and really like books and films and music and stuff, that I'd try and post some reviews on this blog. Like various reviews on various things, and if you want to read them, then great. 

I don't really do exciting things all the time, especially since I'm on 'leave' from school until September, but I'll try and blog too about my life - various things. Mainly so that I can look back in 5  or 10 years time and see what I was like (if I don't remember, or something).