Archive for March, 2008
{ March 31, 2008 @ 12:57 pm }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: comment, daschund, Dogs, pets, Post, sausage dog, terrier, vote, Westie }
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Vote now - Westies or Daschunds?
Last week, I saw a man on the bus with a small and very cute Daschund dog on his lap. So, as you can imagine, it got me thinking…
Now, I know a few posts ago I told you all about my latest obsession with West Highland Terriers (which I do still adore) but now I’ve seen the silky-smooth coat and beautiful puppy-dog eyes of the Daschund and I’m really confused as to which one I want the most.
So, I’ve decided to have a vote.
What do you think? Westie or Sausage Dog?
Post a comment and let me know before the 4th April and whichever gets the most votes, I’ll buy (as a puppy).
Recommended track of the day: ‘Hounds of Love’ by The Futureheads.
{ March 31, 2008 @ 11:02 am }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: Hot, not, office, cold }
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What’s hot:
Daschunds/Sausage dogs
Boots’ Shapers Raspberry granola
Shopping
Being able to cook chicken kievs without them bursting in the oven
What’s not:
It’s nearly April and it’s still freezing cold
Not being able to find any stockists of Golden Compass stickers
Having an office job (sitting down all day sucks)
Recommended track: ‘Hot One’ by The Bees.
{ March 31, 2008 @ 9:54 am }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: doctors, Shopping, fainting, dizziness, cold sweats, health, excitement, A&E, hospital, heart, blood }
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Shopping til I drop.
For most people, the phrase ’shop til you drop’, usually means ‘to head into town, visit a dozen or so shops, purchase lots of clothing/accessories, then flop on the sofa once home (due to mild exhaustion)’.
However, for me, the experience is not quite as jolly.
A few weeks ago, I had to take myself to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department of the local hospital, in order to find out why I’d almost passed out in a shop a few minutes before. It had also happened the previous week.
They took my blood pressure, listened to my heart, got a urine sample and even a blood test (yuck) but they couldn’t detect a single thing.
The good news is, this hasn’t happened since, however, I could feel the cold sweats, dizziness and increased heart rate beginning to take a hold of me the last time I went shopping, but managed to exit the store just in time.
So, I have come to the conclusion that the prospect of buying lots of beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories gets me all excited and then begins doing crazy things to my body, like making me pass out!
Next time I set foot in Miss Selfridge, enter Oasis or reach River Island, I will remember to remove all warm and heavy items of clothing, take deep breaths and probably drink water as I do so.
Whether this is a medical condition or not, it is certainly something I neither find funny nor serious. It is what it is. I just have to make sure I remain calm.
Recommended track: ‘Now I’m All Over The Shop’ by Maximo Park.
{ March 28, 2008 @ 11:10 am }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: UK, rain, England, weather, day, Bored, dull, grim, depressing, weekend }
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Where the sun don’t shine…
I’m not usually stuck for ideas when it comes to writing. Today however, my mind is blank. And although it’s Friday and the weekend is now officially upon us, I’m still finding it difficult to get enthusiastic.
Perhaps it’s because the sky is grey and it hasn’t stopped raining all morning. Or maybe it’s because I know I won’t be able to have a lie-in tomorrow, due to living next to a very noisy road. Then again, it could just be the fact that everyday here in the UK, is as boring, dull and depressing as the day before. The only thing keeping me going is the thought that one day soon, I will be reunited with the sun.
I really don’t belong here…
Recommended track: ‘Where Is Home?’ by Bloc Party.
{ March 27, 2008 @ 3:54 pm }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: Boredom, cute, office, work, games, Bored, cure, Orisinal }
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The cutest cure for boredom.
Ok, chances are, you’re stuck in some dreary old office, in front of a computer and are sick to death of hearing about what your colleagues are cooking for tea tonight. So, I feel it’s only fair to share with you my secret to not being bored at work, the cutest way possible.
With soft, sumptuous, almost edible design and illustration as well as some simply adorable characters, this website, www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/ (introduced to me by a work colleague about five years ago) is the ideal way to speed up the day.
Select one of the site’s many cute games and I swear, you’ll be addicted in no time!
My favourites are:
Bauns
Hydrophobia
These Little Pigs
The instructions are featured at the beginning of each game and are very easy to follow. All you have to do is make sure the boss isn’t nearby…
Enjoy!
Recommended track: ‘Step Into My Office Baby’ by Belle & Sebastian.
{ March 27, 2008 @ 10:59 am }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: The Golden Compass, film, cinema, daemon, favourite, movies, Pan, Lyra, character }
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The Golden Compass: I’m still addicted.
As you probably know from previous posts, I am a big fan of the film, The Golden Compass. In the past week, I have purchased not only a Panini sticker book and several packs of Panini stickers to fill its pages, but also a DVD board game. It’s beautifully packaged in a square-shaped tin with embossed pictures of the film’s characters and logo. And when you consider the fact that it was reduced from £25 to £5, I’m sure you’ll agree, it was a true bargain.
Of course, like any film fanatic, one must have a favourite character. Well, mine is a small ferret-like creature called Pan. He is the daemon of Lyra (the main character) and is the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time on the big screen. Even cuter than Johnny Depp (well almost…).
Recommended track: ‘Golden Skans’ by The Klaxons.
{ March 27, 2008 @ 9:36 am }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: cosmetics, eye, eyeliner, eyes, face, look, Make-up, mascara, National No Make-up Day, shadow, slap, trademark }
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Face facts.
I think this is one of the most ridiculous ideas I’ve ever heard. That’s like saying ‘OK everybody, today we’re all going to shave our hair off’ or ‘Come on, people - today we’re going to walk round with our eyes shut’.
To me, make-up is part of my everyday routine and it has been since the age of about 14. I enjoy applying it and even though it probably looks the same everyday, heavy black eyeliner and smoky grey eye shadow have been my trademark look for years and I am not prepared to give it up. Not even for a day. It’s part of who I am. It reflects my slightly dark and mysterious personality and to be honest, I would feel naked without it.
I often look at women who don’t wear make-up and I get this urge to pick up a liquid eyeliner and draw a line on their upper eyelids at the very least. It could be the fact that I’m quite a creative person, I enjoy drawing and designing so perhaps I see the face as blank canvass…
Anyway, whoever decided to make today National No Make-Up Day, not only needs a slap, but is more than likely to look ten times better when wearing a bit of slap. So ignore this crazy idea and get your mascara out, people.
Recommended track: ‘Weekend Without Make-up’ by The Long Blondes.
{ March 26, 2008 @ 3:48 pm }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: 80s, Alex Kidd, consoles, games, kid, Master System, nostalgia, Sega }
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Unfinished monkey business…
• When I was a child, one of my favourite ways to kill time was to play on my Sega Master System 2. At the time, it was probably one of the most advanced games consoles around, but even though technology has evolved so much since then, I still have maximum respect for the Master System and especially its built-in gem of a game, Alex Kidd. What a theme tune! What a great adventure! I don’t think I ever managed to complete the game but I remember how my heart used to pound rapidly when I reached the level of ‘Radaxian Castle’, a place where monkeys hid in trees, throwing nuts at you and spikes rose out of the ground in a bid to turn poor Alex Kidd into angel wings. It was definitely something I took very seriously.
• Another of my favourite games was Bubble Bobble. Again, great theme tune and endless fun. I didn’t manage to complete this one either. In fact, I once heard a rumour that the game was never ending, but it didn’t put me off, I tried my hardest to capture every baddie in my bubbles and eat every piece of fruit which fell from the sky but somehow, I never made it to the end.
Even now, I wish I could have the chance to complete that game!
• Psycho Fox was a game given to me by my cousins. I don’t remember a great deal about it but I do know it was awesome, Or at least it was to me.
• Mickey Mouse: Land of Illusion: I think I actually did complete this game, although I’m sure it took me weeks. Probably the entire six week summer holidays! I loved this game though. A true gem.
Recommended track: ‘My Favourite Game’ by The Cardigans.
{ March 26, 2008 @ 11:09 am }
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{ Being back in the UK, Spainisms, spain expats }
{ Tags: band, crazy, drinking, expatriate, help, life, lifestyle, lyrics, Sammy's Escape, song, Spain, sun }
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Living in the sun.
During my first few months of living Spain, one of the main things I remember was the inability to separate my daily working life from the typical holiday lifestyle which one would usually associate with the Spanish Costas. This involves heavy drinking and smoking, over eating and talking to absolute strangers for hours on end. For the first couple of days, this was great fun but two months later, when I really should have settled down, I was still out til 4am every night and then getting up for work at 8am with a banging headache. Not ideal really. However, the fact that I lived with the most insane girl I’ve ever met did not help matters. She would pester me to go out to the bar near our apartment every single night and when I said no, she’d always persuade me somehow. Either that, or go in a bad mood. She was devious and latched onto men like a slimy little (acne-covered) leech. She made me cringe and I soon discovered I could no longer stand to be in her presence, let alone her apartment. So I packed my bags and moved in with Martin. A guy I’d only known for about a week. He was in a band - the same band I later joined and fronted (Sammy’s Escape) - and supported Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel.
It was around this time that I wrote the song Factor 30.
The lyrics were almost a cry for help. I felt as if I was living on another planet. Nothing seemed real or structured and to be honest, I was having far too much fun, it didn’t feel right. Isn’t life supposed to be dull?
Anyway, now that I’m back in the UK, where life really IS dull, I can safely say that I would give anything to be back in Espana, maybe not living the crazy life, but living. Which is more than I do here.
Factor 30
Came out here for the easy life
But that was just a dream
The days are long and the nights are crazy
And I’m caught in between
Never thought I’d end up here
With just a suitcase for my vanity
No one told me the sun and the sea
Would lead to such insanity
Coz no one understands the way it is
The way you have to be
It’s not all factor 30, baby
And 24 degrees
So please, won’t you rescue me?
I don’t quite understand just why I’m here
Or what brought me to this land
But I’m grateful for the mountain views,
The rolling waves and the sand
One day it’ll all make some sense
At least that’s what I’m hoping
This place has really f*@ked me up
And baby I’m not joking
Coz no one understands the way it is
The way you have to be
It’s not all factor 30, baby
And 24 degrees
So please, won’t you rescue me?
Tracks which remind me of my year in Spain:
‘Young Folks’ by Peter, Bjorn & John
‘Get Dancy’ by New Young Pony Club
‘Dead Disco’ by Metric
‘Sam’s Town’ by The Killers
‘Killing The Light’ by BRMC
‘Love in a Trashcan’ by The Raveonettes
{ March 25, 2008 @ 2:56 pm }
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{ Being back in the UK, Uncategorized }
{ Tags: 3D, Africa, desert, film, IMAX, Kalahari, lions, National Geographic }
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Roar footage.
At the weekend, I saw a 3D film at the IMAX cinema in Bradford. It was filmed by the National Geographic and although it was more of a documentary than a story, it did tell the tale of a real lion king and his daily strife in the hot, dry Kalahari desert.
Being a lion is not as easy as you might think. For starters, the male had not one but TWO lionesses. I would pretty p*ssed off if that was acceptable in the human world (although, for some it probably is). The lionesses have to go out hunting wild springbok or zebra and bring it home for the king to eat before they can actually feed themselves. This means they have to go out hunting twice. What a bummer!
Also, a rival and wannabe lion king will continue to challenge the existing lion king to a fight, which could result in a new king and complete collapse of the family (there are cubs involved too, very cute ones at that).
If you live anywhere near an IMAX cinema, I suggest you check it out!
You can find out more at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/roar/
Recommended track: ‘Gold Lion’ by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
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