Chivalry: is it dead?

Last year I studied the Arthurian Legend and it's evolution through history based on the social contexts of the times, and during the 12th century in France, chivalry was introduced within the Knights of the Round Table. The idea of 'chivalry' is so romanticised, because the whole code of conduct where there is honour and courtesy (courtesy being the main part of the question of whether it does exist still in the 21st century), it just sounds so lovely.

So is chivalry dead? The answer is: NO- it is still alive! It's just really rare sometimes, or it just goes unnoticed, but when someone does perform a chivalrous deed, it is such a surprise and you really appreciate it. For example, the other day I was waiting for my train to come and when it did arrive, this guy (who was also waiting on the platform) opened the carriage door and then stood back and smiled at me and gestured for me to go in first. And I was actually taken aback and was like "thank you" because it was such a nice thing for someone to do. He could've easily opened the door and ignored me while pushing to go in first and get a seat, but instead he actually made that bit of effort to look me in the eye and pretty much make my day. There are so many countless examples of random acts similar to this, like when someone opens the door for you, but one of the points I'd like to make is: should it really just be so rare for someone to act in a courteous way that it takes us by surprise? Or shouldn't it just be a given that someone to be a bit chivalrous?

However, there are so many people who are so kind and I am (as I'm sure everyone else is) so grateful for those lovely people. I have to admit, I'm incredible selfish, so I really admire and appreciate people who put others before themselves. Chivalry is certainly not dead, it's just different to what the traditional sense of the word implies: with a knight.

Arthur from 'The Adventures of Merlin'

Flesh and Bone

Not only is 'Skins' one of my favourite tv shows ever (apart from series 5 and 6), but they also have an absolutely incredible soundtrack. I cannot express how much I love the shows songs, as it is such a mixture of genres, as well as a combination of old and new songs. For example, one of the songs that I really like is 'Totally Wired' which is by The Fall, a band that my dad and I have listened to quite a few times and 'Totally Wired' is probably both of our favourites. The Fall are from the late 1970's (like Joy Division) and were a punk band. This contrasts greatly to the song that I'm featuring on today's post.

'Flesh and Bone' is a song by Brendan Benson, a contemporary singer-songwriter. It begins with beautiful strumming of the guitar which is then accompanied by the almost-lullubye sounding voice of Benson, which is then followed by the heartbeat drums and the harmonising of vocals which is just so lovely. It is a wonderful song to listen to when you are exhausted and late at night and you just want to drift off into space for a bit (which is how I feel at the moment, hence the song choice and the short post). So I hope you enjoy the song as much as I do, especially the final chorus in the last 20 seconds.

The Breakfast Club

I've heard the title many times. I've been told to watch it many times. And now I've finally seen the famous movie of the 1980's, 'The Breakfast Club' and I enjoyed it so much. Before it started, I had no idea what it was about and if I were to be truly honest, I thought it was going to be about a group of people who catch up at breakfast time and could possibly be a comedy... it's not.

'The Breakfast Club' is a drama about five teenagers who are each a different stereotype: the rebel, the nerd, the jock, the popular princess of the school and the friendless odd-ball, and they have detention together (on a Saturday for eight hours- surely this is illegal!). And they don't actually eat breakfast, mind you, at one point they do have lunch, however the majority of the film is set in the detention room where each person reveals the pressures and hardships in their life. It is quite shocking and really is a powerful performance from all of the actors, as they portray such believable characters; the intensity of it all makes it such a moving film to watch and you go through stages of loving, hating and loving once more, each character. The audience really is drawn into the entire scenario, of feeling everyone's pain, embarrassment, anger and grow alongside the teenagers.

I really loved this movie, and while I was watching it, I couldn't help but think how wonderful this would be as a play. Is it a play? I don't actually know, but if it isn't, it should be. I would see the live production if it were. But the actors in the film were absolutely incredible! I was actually blown away by how well they portrayed their characters: Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall and Emilio Estevez. I saw Molly Ringwald in 'Pretty in Pink' a few months back, and I have to admit that I really did not like the movie at all, but ohmygoodness! 'The Breakfast Club' is so different; it's really such a quality film. I can't praise it enough: I just thought the acting and the script were just exceptional and I highly recommend watching it if you haven't already.

The only thing I would criticise about the movie is the ending. I don't want to give too much away, but there is one particular scene in the film where the nerd asks "what is going to happen on Monday?" asking whether the bond they have created in detention will extend once they are let out. Will they acknowledge each other in everyday life? And I loved how honest the answer was "no".  Even though it is a harsh reply, but it is so honest and I think that is what made the film so strong; the raw and brutal honesty of it. However, the ending I found betrayed the realistic nature of the script, because you reach the ending and it is like you've been on this epic emotional roller coaster and it is as if the writers are suddenly like: "oh, we've come to the end of the movie? well let's create an unrealistic happy ever after moment to finish off" and I'm like "NO!!!! you don't have to do that!" This is the type of film that shouldn't have a "and they lived happily ever after"- I know I sound like a horrible person for saying that, but it just isn't suited to the story. I like the idea that they then go their separate ways after without looking back.

But in saying that mini complaint, I am so glad to have finally watch 'The Breakfast Club' and I really want to watch it again, because it was just such a "wow" film. And a funny coincidence is that on the same day, I also watched 'Pitch Perfect' for the first time and they talk about 'The Breakfast Club' in that and I didn't know they would- what were the chances! 

Tailor made

When I was in Hoi An, I took advantage of the many tailors that were there, and made a few clothes and shoes. I'm not big on shopping- in fact, I really don't enjoy shopping at all- but considering that I was able to design, choose fabric/ material and get it measured to be my perfect fit, it seemed like a waste if I didn't take up the opportunity. All the tailors I went to were so friendly and I was extremely happy with my purchases, especially my leather jacket which I have wanted to have for... I can't even remember, I've just always wanted one.

So here is my leather jacket, which I absolutely love and can't wait to wear (it's way too hot to wear jackets at the moment so I'm really looking forward to when the temperature starts to cool down). When I went to this particular tailor, I just showed them a picture of what I wanted, they took the measurements and then the next day: voila!

My leather jacket which I love so much! 

I also got a dress made, which was also ready the next day. I still can't get over how quickly they made everything. I've been wanting a lace-like dress for a while, but so many that are around at home have the inside material stop above the chest, but I like the inside material to be there throughout, also so many of these dresses have a low back, but I like having a high back, because in summer and in the sun, I don't want to risk sun burn. I was able to tell the lady these preferences and I was so happy to find the perfect dress:

Semi-formal/ nice-casual dress

And lastly, I designed two pairs of winter boots, one more formal with material and leather and the other just leather and a bit more casual, but still night ware. I've got flat shoes that are just my everyday boots, but I don't really have winter going out shoes.   The one with material and leather I'm particularly proud of my design because I came up with it completely on my own, by just sketching it on a scrap piece of paper, and the end result is so amazing, thanks to the lovely lady who made them:

From this 

To this

I knew I wanted a 1920's sort of leather strip down the front (sorry, I don't know any fashion terminologies) and that I wanted a closed shoe, but not completely leather. I liked the idea of something different, so when I saw this silky black asian-influenced patterned material, it was like the missing piece to a puzzle. 

Atmosphere

My dad has played an integral role in my music education, spending hours listening to all these bands and songs that he loved when growing up and what he still loves, together. He loves the original punk bands as well as the really artsy and alternative bands of the 70's and 80's. One of his favourite bands would be Joy Division, which were a band from Manchester in the late 1970's. They only released two albums, 'Unknown Pleasures' and 'Closer' which is a shame because I (as well as many others) absolutely love the band's experimental sounds and would of loved hearing more pieces of theirs.

Joy Division were revolutionary to the music world, using sounds that were never considered to be under the category of traditional music. In fact, the unorthodox sounds can be seen as the instigator of a whole new genre of music which has influenced the techno music of today in terms of "experimental". The reason for Joy Division only having two albums was due to the suicide of the lead singer Ian Curtis, which was a tragic loss to the band and to their fans. However, the band renamed to become New Order, which was also especially influential in the 1980's. Ian Curtis' voice is so hypnotic and so unique, and it is the uniqueness of the band and Curtis which makes the extremely dark songs of Joy Division so mesmerising to listen to; it puts you in a trance-like state and it is addictive to listen to. 

Their most well known song would probably be "Love will tear us apart" (which is one of my favourite songs of Joy Division) but today I'm going to share one of my other favourites of theirs, which is 'Atmosphere' which was released as a single and it is a perfect example of how captivating Ian Curtis' voice and the band's music is. This may not be a lot of peoples taste in music, but I absolutely love it and think it is a crucial band to at least know about:

It's Valentines day?

Okay, so apparently today is Valentines Day. I actually think of the 14th February as one of my best friend's birthday (happy birthday to everyone who happens to have their birthday today) but considering that universally it is a day about love, I thought I'd just give a quick message to everyone:

If you are in a romantic relationship, I hope you have a lovely day with your significant other, but if you aren't in a relationship of that kind, that doesn't mean that this is a day to dread. Because today is a day about love and love can mean love between friends, family, pets etc. I've seen 'Frozen' and that just proves that true love's kiss does not have to be from a  prince charming, but can be an action of love from a sibling- yes, Disney is my argument, because they've got the right idea.

I don't have a significant other, but I have so many amazing friends who I love so much and are all significant to me (and for the ones who read my blog, I love you so much for putting up with my typed up nonsense as well as my verbal diarrhoea on a daily basis)! So today is not only my friend's birthday, but also a friendship day.

Happy Valentines Day everyone! And I hope you know that no matter what, there is someone out there who loves you. Friends are the most amazing people ever and I'm so lucky to have the beautiful friends I have. So give your friends a hug and let them know that they mean so much to you and because I'm a massive fan of the tv show 'Friends' I can't resist and add the theme song by The Rembrandts:

Journey of the Sorcerer

Every now and then, my friend tutors me about some bands they are interested in and at the moment I've been introduced to the Eagles. I only knew two of their songs ("I can't tell you why" and "Hotel California"), both of which I absolutely love. However, yesterday when listening to the band's fourth album, 'One of these nights', while listening to one of the songs I kept on thinking "this sounds like that song in 'The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy' movie" and all throughout the introduction I kept on thinking this thought, until suddenly the climax point came and I seriously jumped up and got so excited because it WAS the song from there! And that song is "Journey of the Sorcerer" which is purely instrumental and very appropriate for a film soundtrack.

It's only a short post today, because I'm absolutely exhausted, but hopefully this powerful song will make you feel awake and ready to take on whatever the galaxy has to throw at you, for example, an early morning work shift tomorrow. Enjoy!

Summer Adventure #4 - Vietnam

I just recently got back from Vietnam, after spending two weeks travelling, which is why I haven't been writing regular posts and why my first post back was about airports and jet lag. I had such a wonderful time in Vietnam, as the people there were so friendly, the places we visited so interesting and the food... OHMYGOODNESS! the food was absolutely delicious! I actually think that the highlight of my trip was the dishes that I had the opportunity to eat. I would even go as far as saying that this holiday was a culinary journey, rather than a break from everyday life (which most holidays are about). 

Vietnam is a really popular holiday destination, and a few of my friends and family have visited before and all of them have given this wonderful country high praise. My holiday began at Halong Bay, which is so beautiful and really is a paradise. We spent a night on a ship, which gave us two whole days cruising around the mini islands, one of which we spent exploring these massive caves that look like something from a fantasy world, and the other day climbing to the top of an island where we saw a lovely view. It was so peaceful there are I didn't want to leave, however the rest of the trip was just as wonderful but in completely different ways. 

The next stop was Hanoi, which is super busy, especially in the Old Quarters where I stayed. The roads are constantly filled with motorbikes. There is no such thing as rush hour traffic, because it is always rush hour, which sort of makes me think that those people's job must be just to create traffic. Crossing the roads and just walking down the street (you had to walk on the road most of the time) was a mental exercise to make sure you don't get hit. Everyone who lives there must have excellent co-ordination skills, because it is quite exhausting walking around purely on the method of walking. But I had a fantastic time, visiting the different pagodas and one night seeing a traditional water-puppet show, which I thought was quite amusing to see. It was spoken in Vietnamese, so I didn't understand what was being said, but you were able to follow the short skits. 

Travelling south, I then visited Hue for a few days, which was considerably less traffic than Hanoi, which was a bit of a relief. I spent a day doing a tour along the Perfume River, visiting a few of the royal tombs, which were really amazing to walk around, as they are extremely elaborate buildings. On that day, we were taken to a traditional Vietnamese home, where the guide told us about certain features of the house, for example, the pond at the front is to keep out spirits. This is because spirits don't have a reflection, because only material things have reflection, so when they can't see themselves, the spirit knows they don't belong there. That was one of the many facts that he told us, all of which, I found extremely interesting. I also spent a day exploring the citadel, which is a popular tourists attraction, because Hue is the old capital of Vietnam. 

I then spent the last week in Hoi An, which is such a beautiful place. At night, the lanterns are lit up all around the Old Town and all along the river. It is like a festival, but it is every single day, which I think is amazing; imagine every single night looking like a wonderland of lights! Also, the hotel I stayed at was wonderful because the staff were some of the loveliest people ever! They really made me feel welcome and on one of the days, was invited to their staff 'end of Luna year' party, where I got to mingle and talk to them and afterwards joined them at a karaoke bar. I've never gone to a karaoke place before, and it was so much fun! I'm definitely going to do that again sometime in the future. 

So, for anyone who is thinking that they want to travel somewhere: Vietnam is amazing! And I can't praise the food enough!

How dumb I was today

Today I did something so dumb, but such a very typical-me kind of thing to do, and that is to get lost. What happened was:

I had to go to someone's house but I had to get there from the city and they lived somewhere I've never gone to via public transport before. So, like anyone in my generation, I googled how to get there the night before, so when it was time, I was able to catch the right tram.
Before hopping on the tram, I asked the driver whether it went (let's call the street 'Baker street') past Baker street, and he said yes. So I'm like "great" and found a seat and was happily in the tram. A girl complimented my tee-shirt and I'm like "yeah, I've got this!"
It went past Baker street and the tram driver indicated that this is the stop, so I got off. Started walking down the street and the house numbers were in the 200's. I wanted to get to a house in the double digits, but I thought "it's a nice day, I don't mind walking" so I pleasantly walked down Baker street knowing I still had time to get there without rushing.
I reach past the number I was meant to go to and was thinking "this is weird. I can't see her house. Actually, none of this looks familiar." But unlike everyone in my generation, I have no clue how to use the internet on my phone to see where on earth I was. So I go into a milk bar and say I'm lost and tell him where I'm meant to be. I'm meant to be  is Baker street, suburb Butcher (I'm going for the nursery rhyme theme for names). Well the guy looked at me with sympathy and probably amusement when he said "this is Baker street, suburb Candlestick."
Oh great... well, that's just typical. So I had to retrace my steps by sprinting (the amount of times I ran today is ridiculous. It can't be healthy to run that much) back to the tram stop, wait for the next tram, phone my friend to tell her that I'm sorry I'm running late now, finally catch the tram and get off at the other Baker street that the previous tram driver didn't tell me about.
My entrance to the person's house was me out of breath from running to her house from the tram, probably bright red because I was boiling and sweaty, while being the last person to arrive so everyone was lounging around and looking so relaxed and waiting for me to arrive. They got there just fine.

Airports and jet lag

Sorry for not having posted anything in a while; I've been away and didn't have access to the internet. However, while I was away, I have thought of many things to talk about and to make up for the weeks of silence, I'll post regularly once again.

I know it is Monday (wait... is it Monday?) where I usually post a song, but today is sort of an exception because I have to get one particular topic off of my chest because it is completely relevant to me in this moment, and that is: airports and jet lag.

Jet lag definition: it messes with your head

I got back from my holiday yesterday morning, and had spent 2pm (previous day) - 11am (taking the time difference into consideration) dedicated to getting back home. And because of that, last night I went to bed at 6:30pm-ish and woke up today at around 1pm. And that was a solid deep sleep... I think that might be a record or something. I initially had the hope of waking up at 8am, so I could get back into a good routine, however the total cliche happened and my clock's battery died and was stuck on 7:34, and making my alarm pretty much useless. So, when I woke up to find out what the actual time was, I thought I may as well stay in bed and read and only get up when it's time to get dinner ready (at a dinner-appropriate hour). Well, that is jet lag for you. I've got work tomorrow, so I may as well rest up as much as I can while I have the chance, because the rest of the week is going to be pretty busy.

Airports definition: a place that I don't like being at, but necessary

I don't mind flying, in fact, I love the feeling of taking off the ground. Of the increasing speed and then the rush and pressure as you head towards the sky. I love the view of the land that grows smaller and smaller as you travel further away, and gazing at the clouds from a new angle: looking down at them rather than looking up. I love having the new movies to watch, and the food is actually pretty good too, and I love the excuse to play my music really loud to drown out all the noise around me. I love the feeling of knowing you are going somewhere else and going on an adventure and having no idea what to expect when you get there. But I just don't like airports themselves.

Airports are a sort of nowhere place that you are stuck in. You have to go there earlier so you can get your luggage sorted out and get your boarding pass, and hopefully if things run smoothly, you then have hours just waiting and unable to do anything other than sitting or walking around the duty free shops (which I personally hate doing, because I just find it tedious. But that's just one of my character flaws because I don't like shopping). But if your plane is delayed, the time just stretches out longer and longer and you can feel your mind just numbing. And then there is customs and all the fiddly things you have to do like finding your gate or when you are in transit and have to go to another terminal (I think being in transit is the worst of the airport situations). I understand that they are all relevant and I'm glad there is security and stuff, but that doesn't mean that I enjoy the experience, because you are restless and ready for travelling (also, being an escapist like me, it doesn't help). It's as if you are running on adrenaline and everything just seems to be going too slowly and you grow impatient. Also, you never know when you should go to the toilet, because you don't want to miss your plane announcement or anything.

Anyway, the airport rant is done, and I promise that is the last rant for a while.