Auntie Mabel's Knitted Bikinis

Om nom nom

2011-07-16T02:14:00.001-07:00

I've had a bit of a change of heart with this blog.

A friend once said to me that with a blog, you really need something interesting to say...or you've got to be really funny.
Now don't get me wrong- I spent most of my time giggling when I shouldn't...but you really have to have been there most of the time. I can't really translate it into blog-worthy material.
HOWEVER!

Whilst icing buns at the cake factory where I work the other day, spending less than a second on each one, cause you're not allowed to spend more time than that, I suddenly had the urge to make food that I could spend time on.

That I could make look decent.

That I would know was made with a little more care and attention.

So I'm starting a food blog. It may be recipes that I've tried. It might be interesting food tidbits.
It might just be me drooling over a cake that I saw once. Either way, I hope you, the reader, find it interesting and perhaps a little bit useful.

reLENTless

2011-02-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

It's weird to think that we've been back at uni now for a good few weeks. It's easy to get so swept up straight away in work and life and things that suddenly you think "wow...I'm properly in term time now!" This past couple of weeks has been insanely busy- what with exams and 5 essays and a piece of coursework to start, as well as fitting in some sort of social life.

And throughout it all, I've been on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster- excitement at being back, a wee bit of homesickness, frustration at essays, general rattiness and relief at getting it all done on time. But one of the things that has stuck out for me is the sheer wonderfullness of my friends. Instead of saying "Oh shush, it's not that bad!" (which would have been completely reasonable...!), people have been there for me, lending an ear, giving advice, making me cups of tea, letting me cry on their shoulder (literally cried on Jess' shoulder at one point, poor girl!). I think last term I had all the usual worries about fitting in and making friends and there were points where I felt a little insecure. But people have blown me away with how supportive and lovely they are. :) There have been many times this term when I've laughed so much it hurts, which I think is an awesome way to spend your time. Obviously, life's not all a bunch of giggles, but occasionally, laughing in an embarrasing, undignified, painful way once in a while is good for the soul. Now I've finished a massive load of work, it seems everyone else has it piled on- all I can hope is that I can be there for people like they've been there for me.

In other news, I got a note today from Wendy: Housekeeping Supervisor, politely notifying me that my large kettle is not allowed in my room. Aww shucks. I knew this day would come.

Oh Dear...

2011-01-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

So I've found a new pastime which not only makes me a bit of a loser but also kind of defeats the point of me blocking Facebook, 4oD and BBC iPlayer, which I did last week.

It's a little hobby called "watch loads of trailers on youtube, because with most films, that's all you need to see". It's like a concentrated version of watching movies all day, but it doesn't take all day cause trailers are only a couple of minutes long! Nevertheless, it does still snatch away good packing time, which is what I really should be doing right now...

But since I am a poor student, I can't afford to go to the cinema much anymore, SO this is a nice way of catching up on what's happening in the movie world without paying £7.00 for the privilege.

But now back to putting my life back into boxes- it would be really useful if I didn't have to move my stuff back and forward each term, but making my life easy is not how Cambridge rolls. Sweet. Awesome. Anyway, laterrrrs.

Music to Revise By

2011-01-10T03:51:00.000-08:00

I've become addicted to making playlists on Spotify. Thing is, I change the kind of music I listen to depending on my mood, which I know a lot of other people do, which is the beauty of music and the beauty of playlists.
So currently I have the following playlists:

Mellow - containing much music by Laura Marling, Sigur Ros, Mumford and Sons and songs from the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack as well as loads of lovely one-off songs that calm me down. It's perfect for revising to, because it doesn't make me want to dance around and it gets me nice and focussed without feeling sleepy. YEY! (I know I should be revising right now, but it's fine, this is just a short break, 'kay?)
Party Party- You know when you're about to go out but you're SO TIRED and you CAN'T BE BOTHERED? This playlist is a pic N mix of pumpin' beatz, awesome choonz and sick riddims. It's all the songs I'm ashamed to enjoy, but I do, and they wake me up enough to hit the wild wild clubs of Cambridge.
Christmas. I like to listen to this playlist at Easter, of course.
Smile - these are the songs that can always make me grin or make me EVEN HAPPIER if I'm in a good mood. Includes wonders such as Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, Mas Que Nada by Sergio Mendes, You've got the Love by Flo + The Machine and Mother, We Just Can't Get Enough by New Radicals.
Imaginary Beach Playlist - As previously mentioned, the songs that will be playing during my amazing beach party, that you're all invited to. It's not real yet, which is a minor issue, but one that I'm sure to smooth out when I win the lottery and buy Richard Branson's Island (y'know, the one with the outdoor toilet) from him.

Anyway, you may think it'a not quite an addiction yet, which is probably very true. But I keep adding songs to these playlists and it's only a matter of time until the playlist count grows exponentially.

Anyhoo, I thought I'd share with you a fun game to play on spotify. If you're connected to friends, you can send them songs via Spotify which I think was intended as a way of showing your friends this awesome new song!!!!! you've discovered that you think they'd really like!!!!

Anyway, the game I like to play is called "select a 90s boyband, perhaps boyzone, and bombard a friend with all the songs you can find on spotify by that band, with messages that state how meaningful Baby Can I Hold You is to your friendship." I'm working on the title of the game, but it's pretty self explanatory from there. Enjoy!

Cards from Abroad

2011-01-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Today I received a big brown envelope in the post and I knew what was inside. My good friend Conor who most of you may know as one of my buddies from China, had promised me a Christmas card and I was very excited about what it would be like; after all, Conor is fantastic at art and is very creative!

When I pulled out the piece of BSB red A2 card, I was greeted not by images of Father Christmas, but by another familiar character:

Nothing says Merry Chritmas like Darth Vader eh? (By the way, Concon did apologise for the spelling error).

But my favourite part of the card isn't the art work, it's what's inside: messages from the year 6 kids at the British School of Beijing. Conor is their TA this year, I was their TA last year.

I miss those kids so much sometimes. The other night I had a dream where I was back there and Katherine gave me a hug and it was adorable! So this made my day and also distracted me for a long time from the beauty that is revising the genetics of evolution...FUN!

Well, the weather outside is frightful, all rainy and gloomy and cold. Definitely indoor weather which I suppose makes revision slightly more bearable since I can't be frolicking outside, but it is quite depressing. And it's odd to think that I missed this weather when I was away! But nevertheless, I have been driven to creating an Imaginary Beach Party playlist on Spotify, which carries me off to some tropical island paradise where a party is in full swing and I can dance the night away. I never used to really go for tropical island dream- biiiiig open beaches depress me sometimes...they seem so empty and far too big. I remember being on a beach in Cyprus when I was younger and it was miiiiiilles away from anything. The land was so flat for miles around and so this beach felt really desolate and lonely. I'd just like to state for the record that my awesome beach party wouldn't feel lonely or desolate at all, but amazing and friendly and EVERYONE would be having fun. And you're invited.

Anyway, must get back to revision. No really, I must. I'm sorry but I really can't stay! Please let me leave! Aw cheers.

Thank you, 2010, you have been my friend.

2010-12-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

The end of 2010 has arrived and it's strange to think that I've already done 10 whole years of the new millenium. It's also horrifying to realise I'm now in my 20s. Horrifying because now I have to be some sort of grown up...something I am NOT prepared for at all!

Anyway, looking back, 2010 has been an awesome year. Obviously it's not been perfect because that's impossible, but I've managed to see new things, meet new people and get closer to people I already knew.

I started the year in Beijing:

had a little trip to Xi'an:

an even littler trip to Pingyao:

popped over to Sanya, on Hainan island, in July:

then flew to a little country called England later on in July:

then flew to an EVEN LITTLER country called Scotland late late in July:

then a while later moved to Cambridge, in October:

I am so so grateful for the year I've been given. It's been a happy one and I think I've changed a lot.

BUT on with 2011!
I've made some NY resolutions. I haven't made them for the past few years because I'm awful at keeping them, but I've become a bit more self-disciplined (mind you, only a bit, let's not get excited) so I thought I'd try my hand at resolving:

Get fitter- I've started this resolution by...quitting the gym...nice! But only cause I can't afford it. And this might actually spur me on to doing some exercise as opposed to thinking "well I'm a member of a gym, so I'm being healthy, right?". I am also going to try harder to get to rugby training and do badminton AND try some jogging. PHEW.
Do more work- Less time on 4oD for me and more time in the library. No more last minute all-nighters! I'm going to be good this year!
Blog more- but I'll try and make it less me-centered as I'm not off in any exciting foreign countries this time. I'll try and make it a collection of funny/interesting things I've learned/heard/seen and other tidbits.
Be wiser with my money- this is going to be the big 'un but hopefully will be made easier by the fact that I HAVE NO MONEY! I'm going to have to become super frugal, but I'd also like to try and eat fairly healthily, so this means less trips to cindies, less biscuits (which will also help with the first resolution) and more veg and stuff. I might try living a fairly veggie lifestyle cause meat is expensive mate!

I'll keep you updated on those if I can remember.

So I'll finish by saying HAPPY NEW YEAR and I hope your 2011 is filled with excitement and adventure!

Autumn Days When the Grass is Jewelled..

2010-09-28T14:05:00.001-07:00

Autumn in Beijing is gorgeous: glorious sunshine, it's just the right temperature, the leaves turn that golden-red-brown colour and there's a feeling of relief after the horribly smoggy and humid summers.

But autumn in Beijing lasts about 2 weeks. And then it's ON with the relentless winter. FUN.

Anyway, so the other weekend, Dadbo and I undertook the task of de-pearing our pear tree. He was the adventurous one who climbed into the tree to reach up, past the spiders, to the highest pears. So my job was to catch the pears and decide if they were fit for consumption. So whilst I was standing around waiting for the next pear, I was struck by how beautiful autumn is. There was a slight chill in the air, the sun was shining and it was very peaceful. And there was that incredible mossy damp smell from all the flora of the summer.

Autumn makes me think of fruit from trees, blackberries, being able to wrap up warm but not getting that sting on your uncovered cheeks, rainbow trees, bonfires, that exciting first term of school, walking through leaves, Warminster Carnival and my birthday! And the song Zorbing, by Stornoway, reminds me of autumn.

I hope YOU, yes YOU, person reading this, have a lovely autumn too. :)

Freshly Squeazed Start (from concentrate...)

2010-09-28T03:45:00.000-07:00

Since the year 12 trip to the Bath Universities Fair, I've been very much looking forward to being a student. I saw some, slouching along in their casual clothes, clearly not too bothered about dressing to impress (which in year 12 was quite a big thing), on their way to something exciting. And I thought I'm going to BE one of those people. All casually stylish and awesome and studious and slightly scruffy!

It reminds me a bit of how, before starting year 7, I saw the South Wilts Girls and I thought I'm going to BE one of those people! All stylish in their kilts, hanging round Salisbury after school, being all cool and grown up! And when I arrived, my kilt was awkwardly long, my hair was insane, I had braces (essentially, I did not look at all stylish!) and I then discovered that all my friends were going to be catching the earliest possible train home. Which meant no hanging around in Salisbury after school for me!

So, perhaps my dream of being a cool, effortlessly stylish, studious and sophisticated student may not come to pass...(i reckon the slightly scruffy part will happen though!) But in the end, thats not mainly what I'm excited about.

It's going to be another fresh start. New stationary, new home, new friends. The unknown brings a feeling of fear mingled with excitement. Fearxitement? For those who don't know, this is where I'm heading:

Homerton College, Cambridge. (Hehe, I won't be living in this lovely building- to the left and slightly behind the photographer would be West House which is where the majority of first years live.)

Anyhoo, I guess I'll have to see what my uni experience brings, cause it'll be different to everyone else's. Luckily, I'm not the only one going through the first year- I have lots of people who've done it before that I can turn to, and a fair few people who are starting on the same day as me. And I think I'm going to try and go into thinking positively- ready to accept whatever and whoever comes into my path. Unless that thing is a life of crime. THEN NO! But anyway, bazillions of people have started uni before. So shhhh Jessie, stop making a fuss.

I guess I might try and give something TO Homerton as well. Perhaps! (Again, unless that thing is...I dunno...a broken window...or an unexpected crop of magic mushrooms...) I've got all these wild plans to do volunteer work and joint he rugby team and learn to punt and join the CU and join the Tea Society (Teasoc, to those in the know) and GET INVOLVED. I'll be shattered by the end of the year. Oh, and I suppose I should maybe do some studying as well.

So anyway, you'll be hearing lots more about all this jazz when I get there. At the moment, life is in the stage of preparation. Note to self: must get numerous passport photos taken for moving day. Ugh.