Do you really want to hurt me?

Last night my "friend" decided to upset me by sending me this for no apparent reason:

No context at all. Just halfway through a conversation, it popped up without warning and because I love 'Big Hero 6' and because I have a heart I responded with:

And my friend didn't get it! So I had to spell it out for him saying:
-This is Boy George. You know him.
-He sings the song 'Do you really want to hurt me' You know it.
-So, Do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry?

And after more discussion of quoting song lyrics to annoy each other- which ended in a complete typed version of The Sound of Music's 'Do, a deer'- I realised that I could feature this classic as today's song. Alongside 'Karma Chameleon', this Boy George song I feel like everyone would know. It's great! On another note, unrelated to the song itself, I really admire his eye make up, it's definitely at the Adele standard which a aspire to achieve one day.

Wake Me Up

Recently I've been working quite a lot of morning shifts, so now my body is beginning to adapt to waking up at what I'd usually consider unnatural hours to start the day. This is a good thing because I've never been a morning person at all, so being able to wake up and getting out of bed when I need to and not having to run for public transport is quite the achievement. However, it has also proven to be a bit of an inconvenience for when I'm not working the morning shift, for example the past couple of days. I've had the days off and I haven't been able to sufficiently sleep in like I've wanted to. This morning for example, I woke up and it was 6:30am! Why body, why?!?! I was the only one awake, so I decided to go back to sleep for another couple of hours, just wanting everyone else to wake up soon so I could start the day. This sort of behaviour is not me at all.

Usually I want to sleep all day and hate the idea of waking up during a time with single digit number. Years ago during a high school music camp, my friend who I shared a cabin with spent so long trying to wake me up each morning. It certainly was a brave endeavour she had to undertake with that, because I stubbornly kept rolling over and burying my head back into the covers. Which leads me to the song of the day, as it was during that time the first album of Ed Sheeran came out and quite understandably (because + is an incredible album) I would sing 'Wake Me Up' to her. I didn't know all the lyrics back then, so I would constantly repeat the line "would you make me a cup of tea to open my eyes in the right way?" which is how I wake up every morning to this day (I'm heavily tea dependant).

'Wake Me Up' is such a beautiful song, telling the story of how much he loves this girl and probably one of my favourite songs of his. The music is just the single piano accompanying, and it is so delicate and pure, truly an underrated masterpiece. At the moment, I'm listening to X album and have reached the Deluxe Edition 'Even My Dad Does Sometimes' which just breaks your heart. He's so talented and I really want him to release another album soon so the world can have more of him.

Britney Spears

Britney Spears: Personally, I'm not a fan. But whenever you hear her classic songs playing at a party, you can't help but sing and dance along with enthusiasm... it's very contradictory.

The reason why I brought Britney up, is that now uni has finished I have returned back to my old job, which is what I've been doing for the past few weeks and the reason why I haven't written in ages. She features a lot on the work iPod. Like a lot. All her hit songs like:
"Toxic"
"Oops, I did it again"
"Gimme more"
"Overprotected"
"Stronger"
and "...Baby one more time" to name a few. It's sort of driving me insane, but at the same time it's evoking a weird relationship between me and her songs.

After working pretty much every single day for the past few weeks, the work playlist is getting a bit repetitive. Yet, after my shift today when I caught up with one of my closest friends and were aimlessly wandering around the city, we heard "...Baby one more time" playing in a shop and I still couldn't resist and started singing along. Which makes me actually respect her songs, because how can something that I'm not a fan of, be so catchy? It actually is mind-boggling.
Her music is, for me, like the scene in 'Easy A' (a brilliant film)

Beach Break

Today I returned home from a wonderful few days at the beach. I wish I could have stayed longer, but  the time I spent there was so much fun and the ocean was stunning!

We went on walks over the rocks each day and got to enjoy the beautiful views, walking to the edge and watching the waves crashing around us. On our last day we stuffed our faces with the traditional beach cuisine of fish and chips, which were so filling that afterwards we were feeling so gluggy that we returned back to our cabin and lay on the bed and watched a movie. After we recovered from our greed, we went to the beach and ran around in the sand until...

I ran into a hidden rock and sliced my big toe. A deep cut that flipped back quite a portion of skin and filled with sand while blood was oozing out of it. Being one of the clumsiest people ever, I was not surprised that this happened. And we made the "smart" idea to walk to the beach without shoes on (because our cabin was only 50 or so metres away), which made the walk back a bit of a challenge. But we made it and once I put antiseptic on the wound and bandaged the toe up, we continued our adventure in time for dinner. We got takeaway Chinese and drove to a beach lookout and opened up the boot of the car and sat in it while eating and watching the sun set, which was lovely and a great way to spend our last evening. 

After this semesters intensity, a beach break with one of my favourite people ever was exactly what I needed. 

Clearest Blue

Todays song of the day is different to usual, because I had a mental blank about songs to write about. I'm still completely obsessed with Postmodern Jukebox, but thought I should write about something else for this week. So I decided to ask one of my friends to pick a song for me and give an informal quick interview, which they very patiently agreed to do (thank you!).

'Clearest Blue' by CHVRCHES

Q: Tell me about the song. Why do you like it?
A: It's an easy listen and I really like her voice. Plus the lyrics discuss like a person's insecurity as to whether they are enough in their relationship.

Q: How did you feel when you first heard the song?
A: Energetic I guess. It's the sort of song that belongs at a summer festival.

Q: Where is your favourite place to listen to the song?
A: I'd say driving. It's a great driving song.
Q: Is that when you last heard the song?
A: Yep.

Q: Why did you decide 'Clearest Blue' when I asked to pick a song?
A: It's just a song that comes easy to mind.
Q: Why is that?
A: Because it's not a song that takes a lot of thought if that makes sense. Like the song feels like it sits well in the background to a good time, like festivals and driving so it's an easy mental soundtrack.

Q: What is another favourite song of CHVRHCES?
A: 'The Mother We Share'.

Spice Up Your Life

At the start of the year I admitted my childhood hardcore love for the Spice Girls in my post about Stop. I announced my continued love for them and how I to this day still will belt out the lyrics to all the songs and do all the actions, etc. Well, this Saturday I was able to live my childhood dream and got to be a Spice Girl for a night!

It was my amazing friend's incredible 21st party and we had to dress up as a celebrity/ someone from whatever decade we were born in. So my immediate instinct as a nineties baby, was to take the opportunity to finally be a Spice Girl! I was so excited! In my head I was like "I was born for this moment" and because I have short brown hair and a black dress, I was like "Posh it is"

I didn't realise how much this childhood dream still affected me, because as soon as I was in costume and did my makeup and was ready to go (while getting ready, I was singing along to the Spiceworld album) I was jumping up and down and on the car ride over, I was restless. I even managed to use this quote on the road, because I could:

And the party was AMAZING! It had an absolutely brilliant playlist which I danced to the entire night. No exaggeration, I danced from 8pm to around 2:30am non-stop. The only time I left the dance floor was to go to the toilet and that only took a minute, so it was pretty much non-stop and my thighs certainly felt it the next morning. Also, my other friend dressed up as Sporty Spice, so whenever a Spice Girl song came on, we got really into it. Speaking of songs, here is the classic Spice up your life:

Stressed Out (Postmodern Jukebox)

Sorry for not writing in ages. The past couple of weeks have been frantic with essays and I have pretty much just been a ghost who:
-wakes up
-does essay stuff
-eat lunch
-more essay stuff
-eat dinner-
more essay stuff
-bed
And for the first time ever, for a whole entire semester, I haven't procrastinated essays or assignments. I've been so on top of things that I have actually surprised myself at how efficient I've been. I've had the occasional essay in the past that I have been able to submit before the due date, but this is a whole new level of efficiency. At the beginning of the semester, I knew it was going to be the most difficult and the most demanding one ever, so I made an action plan for myself. I saw the dreaded 28th October where I had my last essays due... three of them due on the same day, which gave me no ability to leave them all to the last minute like a most of the time do. This semester however, something miraculous happened: I was disciplined! I didn't allow myself any opportunity to fall behind. I made sure I had ample time to do all tasks and assignments, so I wouldn't become stressed out in my FINAL SEMESTER!

That is correct! On the 28th of October I had submitted and completed all my assignments for my degree! And now I'm free!!!!!! At the beginning of the semester I made 'Survivor' my theme song to get me through uni, and now I can say I did survive and I'm so happy. To celebrate, I've spent the past three days going out and spending time with the people I love who I've been a ghost to for the past couple months. On Friday I went to a halloween party (happy halloween by the way) and I went as a vampire (again) so I went from ghost, to undead. I'm planning on spending all of tomorrow doing nothing, because I can (I should have made Bruno Mars' 'Lazy Song' the song of the day) and will hopefully by then become a human being again.

So that brings me to the song of the day, which is Twenty One Pilots 'Stressed Out', however, I just discovered this cover group called Postmodern Jukebox who are amazing, so I decided that for today I'll share their cover version. I love the original so much, but I think everyone knows it (or at least they should- it's brilliant. I love dancing to it and singing along). So, because I've become newly obsessed with Postmodern Jukebox (I only was introduced to them yesterday, so I'm really excited about it), here is their cover, which is completely different. They turn well known songs into jazzy 20's, 30's and 40's versions of them getting different artists to sing and it is incredible! I get so nostalgic for that period of music for some reason, so hearing famous songs in that style is really mind-blowing. This version though, is just so amusing because it sounds nothing like the original.

Four Seasons In One Day

Melbourne is famous for it's four seasons in the one day, which makes the Crowded House 1991 hit 'Four Seasons In One Day' very relatable. Today alone, it was freezing cold and raining, then the sun came out and it was warm, and then a few minutes later it was grey and windy and the bitter cold returned, before the sun came out again just before it rained again. And the day proceeded to follow this irregular pattern, which is ironically normal weather behaviour for Melbourne. The past week in particular has been crazy weather, which explains why this song has been stuck in my head pretty much all week.

The first time I ever heard the song, I didn't know who the band was, but I thought the style and voice reminded me a lot of the Beatles slower stuff. I don't know if anyone else experienced that, but that's what I always thought. Anyway, it's such a beautiful song; it's so melancholy and poetic, it hits you straight away in the first verse:

Four seasons in one day

Lying in the depths of your imagination

Worlds above and worlds below

The sun shines on the black clouds hanging over the domain

The song is absolutely faultless, however it is really short. I find that has been the case with these types of gentle, yet heartbreaking songs, like Elliot Smith's  'Between the Bars'  (where I spoke about how those precious songs are ephemeral) as well as the Beatles 'For No One'. I love 'Four Seasons In One Day' so much and it rightfully has been placed as a classic, along with their other song 'Don't Dream It's Over', which is perfect to listen to on a rainy day. Sorry for talking about the weather so much, it's just that this year has been crazier weather than usual, which is saying something.

Mount Macedon

Last week was the much needed mid-semester break, so a group of friends and I went away for a couple of days to Mount Macedon. For those who don't know, these are mountain ranges in Victoria that are stunning and have many breathtaking walks.

However, since it was pouring down for most of the week and absolutely freezing, we spent most of the time inside the house we were staying at. But it was absolutely perfect, having a fire to keep us warm and playing different kinds of board and card games, but not your regular boring games. We played really fun role play and storyline games which I had never heard of before. My favourite was probably a game called 'Ultimate Werewolf' which is where you are given a card that says who you are in the village. You could be an ordinary villager, or have a specific ability/ role or you could be a werewolf and only you know who you are. At "night" everyone has to close their eyes, allowing the werewolves to decide who their victim is for the evening. The next "morning" we discover who died and based on a town meeting, everyone who is still alive has to figure out who the werewolves are. That's a very brief and basic idea of what the game entails, but it's so much fun! We played so many different games, so it was a bit of an overload of rules to remember, but it was a great way to spend the days when it was stormy outside.

One morning it wasn't raining, so we all drove out to one of the mountain walks and found a clearing where we played frisbee and ran around and just had a really great time playing outdoors with each other. At one point, all the guys put each of the girls on their shoulders and continued playing together, which was slightly terrifying (because I was on the shoulders of someone who is 6 foot 3) but also lots of fun. But then it started pouring down with rain again so we headed back to the house and had a delicious lunch of nachos. One of our friends makes legendary nachos, and I'm not even hesitating when I say they were the best nachos I've ever had.

a lake we found on our walk

It was such a great break with a truly wonderful group of people. It was nice to just live in our own little world and forget about the outside world for a bit, just playing and having fun and hanging out and eating really yummy food. When it was the end of the week it was really upsetting to go, because I had such a fantastic time and we knew that when we got back, we had assignments and essays waiting for us. But while we were at Mount Macedon, we were free and loved every single moment of it.

Complicated

It's that time in semester when things are beginning to get really stressful. I have four more essays to write, four public performances for one subject and then one other performance for another. It's hectic and scary and all happening within this month, so it's going to be pretty full on, however that leeways into todays song choice... "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne. Bit of a throwback, but a classic that needs to be revisited from time to time.

I remember when the music video first came out when I was a little kid and thinking how much fun it would be to play with the clothes at the supermarket with friends and I don't think I fully took in a lot of the meaning of the song. I was too busy dancing around, singing around my friend's lounge room and doing some weird dance with her. It's a song that really played a big part of early childhood and I think still holds a really special place in the hearts of everyone in my generation. Belting out the lyrics are still something that happens at parties even fourteen years after when the first song was first released, that and 'Sk8er Boi'.

But back to the leeway justification, that things don't need to be as complicated as they first appear. It opens with telling us to chill out, stop yelling and essentially letting it be and see how things turn out without adding unnecessary flourishes. Just relax and do the best you can and you don't have to make things complicated, which I think is a brilliant message to have when things start getting hectic.

Drive

A couple of weeks ago, my friend introduced me to the song 'Drive' by Gretta Ray. I had the intention to write about it last week but never got the chance, but since I was told about the song I've been excited to share it with others because I realised that she was one of the singers who was performing with Japanese Wallpaper when I went to the Melanie Martinez concert just over a month ago. At the concert, I remember thinking that she was a really talented singer and really enjoyed the performance and when I ended up buying the Japanese Wallpaper album, I was a bit disappointed that she wasn't singing in the songs. So when my friend told me about 'Drive', I immediately purchased it.

It's a really light, content sounding song. When listening to it, it makes me happy and I think I described it to my friend as the type of song that makes you want to drive with a group of good friends on a lovely day and just being carefree and going to  the beach or the country. Just somewhere where you can explore and have a fun day with the people you love. I imagine it on a warm day, with the sun shining but not burning. It's been so cold for ages now and at the moment it's pouring with rain, but hopefully in the near future, I can actually fulfil this imagining.  But for now, I'll listen to the song and look forward to when the Summer holidays begin, while being in awe of her voice.

Bridget Jones' Baby

Firstly, I'm sorry for not writing on Monday, but I've been having friends over every day this past week because I had the house to myself, which has been so much fun. Because of that though, I'm so exhausted because late nights and socialising, plus essays and early mornings for uni and I've lost track of days. 

Last Thursday I saw the brilliantly hilarious new addition to the Bridget Jones films. I've been so excited about seeing this film since I found out that a third book was released, even though the books are completely different to the movies. I love Bridget Jones so much, first watching it with my parents then sharing it with friends (like the time last year when my flat mate and I watched it while eating nutella straight from the jar). 

Bridget Jones is now 43 years old, single and living in her apartment in London (which is my dream apartment) doing well at her job but still as clumsy as ever. Her and her friend go to a music festival where Ed Sheeran makes an appearance and she meets American millionaire Jack. A few days later she encounters her the love of her life, her ex, Mark Darcy. And here begins the confusion of who is the father of her unborn child. 

'Bridget Jones' Baby' was fantastic! I literally skipped out of the cinema; feeling so happy, with a massive grin across my face and just wanting to watch it again. The entire time, my friend and I were laughing so much that at one stage I was crying from laughter, and at one point we accidentally head bumped because we were laughing so much. I can't praise this film enough. If you are a Bridge Jones fan like I am, I don't think anyone could possibly be disappointed and if you haven't seen the films, watch them all! 

The Secret Life of Pets

Last night a group of friends and I saw 'The Secret Life of Pets' at the cinema. I remember when I first saw the trailer I thought "this looks like a really bad movie. I'm not going to see that", but when I got asked, I went just so I could go out with these friends and I'm really glad I did. I don't know if it is partially because I went in with such low expectations, but I thought the film was so funny and so much fun to watch.

It is about, as the title suggests, the secret life of pets, or rather, the extraordinary events that happen to a group of pets in one day. Set in New York, terrier Max has a great relationship with his owner, seeing them as soul mates, until new dog, Duke is adopted. This leads to a whole chain of events, including sausage factories, going underground where they meet the slightly deranged and aggressive bunny called Snowball, running from the revolutionaries as well as the dog pound.
I sort of understand why the trailer didn't do it justice, because my attempt of explaining the plot is pretty atrocious, but I can definitely tell you that it is really fun to watch and not a disappointment at all.

My favourite character would definitely be Chloe the cat. She has some of the funniest lines because she is dry in her delivery and sarcastic and extremely blunt. Perfect representation of a cat, and for that matter, each character is a perfect representation of their respective animals. This film may not be a cartoon classic, but it certainly is one of the animations that I could watch again and still enjoy.

Bang Bang (my baby shot me down)

Monday mornings are always hard, but this morning was so dreary. It was raining, 12 degrees and I had to catch the bus. It's hard to believe that this time last week it was warm and sunny and was wearing a tee-shirt... actually it's hard to believe that only a few days ago it was warm and sunny and was wearing a dress. But today it was back to winter attire including a thick coat. However the weather suited the song that was stuck in my head this morning.

I woke up with the Nancy Sinatra cover of  'Bang Bang (my baby shot me down)' which apparently is played in 'Kill Bill' as one of my friends told me when I mentioned which song I had kept thinking of. I haven't seen it but I've been told it's a good movie, I just know 'Bang bang' is a great song that I first heard when I was 12. I remember distinctly because there was a girl in my year level who was a trouble maker and bullied one of my friends and someone made a parody of this song saying "bang bang you shot me down, [inserted her name] is in trouble now", which now looking back is really not nice of those people. Wow, tween girls can be mean.

But back to the itself song: It's simple in the best way possible with her sweet voice not really needing extravagant accompaniment as she narrates the story about her and a boy growing up and playing games. and the ending is quite sad. It's perfect on a day that you just want to stay inside and ponder around.

The Awkward Moment When... #7

To make up for my lack of posts recently, here is the accumulation of horrifyingly embarrassing and cringeworthy moments that have occurred in only a matter of three months since my last "Awkward Moment When..."

-You have no awareness of political parties so come election day your only judgement is "the leader that has the same shirt as my dad" vs "the leader who doesn't know how to eat a hot dog correctly"

-You watch the movie 'Unfinished Business' with your parents (doesn't sound embarrassing, but when it features a lot of male nudity and glory holes it becomes a whole lot of awkward laughing)

-You're staying at a friends house and next morning are woken up by him walking into the room playing loud music and wearing just his underwear because he forgot you were sleeping on the couch.

-When your parent's friend tells a story of the time they were in France and asked if the bread they were buying had any preservatives in it. You are the only one (as well as the storyteller) who is laughing because it's one of the few words you know in French.

-When your dad is laughing for ten minutes uncontrollably at the cinema and everyone is staring at you and him

-When you get freshers flu but you're in your last semester in final year

-When it's late at night and you're exhausted. You're teasing your friend online and then they log off. You say "did I push it too far?" At first you are concerned that you hurt their feelings, but then your personality takes over and you can't help but add a "that's what he said" and start laughing so hard that tears are blurring your vision

-You set aside a whole day to start writing your essay. It's 8pm and you're still sitting on the floor and only have written 29 words (only the first sentence) and listening to Linkin Park's 'Numb', when your parents come in and ask how you're going and you have to fake a huge smile and act as if you're nearly finished. 

-You're at a party and one of your friends is upset and doesn't want to dance. To cheer her up you give her a lap dance 

-It's a sunny day at uni and you and your friend are hanging out on the grass lying on beanbags. You're lying on your stomach and you move and your top and bra stretch down. You find out that you completely flashed your boob at your friend... who is a guy. Like, completely bare full on flashing

SOS

The reason why I haven't written for ages is because I spent every night last week performing in a play. And the week before were rehearsals all day. After two months of intense rehearsals with an incredible director and such a talented cast, our hard work paid off. Out of the six performances, four of them were sold out and we had to add extra seating, and the other two nights were almost sold out, which is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. I'm so proud of my beautiful cast family and I love them so much, I couldn't have asked for a better lot of people to work with.

Now the great revealing of the play title... 'Slut'- which as you can imagine, allows for countless jokes and innuendos throughout the entire process. It's been so much fun, and we really needed that contrasting humour, because in reality, this play is extremely intense. Written by contemporary Australian playwright Patricia Cornelius, 'Slut' is about a young girl called Lolita who develops early in life and from there, develops a reputation of being a slut. It's a brutally raw and honest depiction of the treatment of women's sexuality in modern society and sadly, rings so much truth watching the rise and fall of Lolita's reign as 'slut'. It's a uniquely written piece which is highly chorus based, so rather than actual events playing out in front of the audience, four chorus members are telling the story of Lolita, starting as her friends who admire her and envy her, then they turn against her viciously.

One of the scenes in the play is recounting the events of a party. Without giving any of the story away, while speaking to the audience we wanted to set the scene of a teenage party, so we played Rihanna's 'SOS'. Along with that, we also choreographed a little dance piece to do while speaking, which was so difficult, but once we got it, it was extremely effective as it juxtaposed with what we were saying and how the scene ended.

On our final performance, our cast and the cast members from other plays had an after party, and 'SOS' came on. All the members of 'Slut' rushed to the dance floor and did our pretty epic routine and then everyone else joined in. A beautiful moment and a great way to celebrate the end of a wonderful two months

Tea Cake

A few weeks ago it was my dad's birthday, so I decided to bake him a cake as part of his present. I ended up baking him a tea cake, but a literal tea cake. My dad loves tea and he has raised me to be reliant on this miracle drink in order to actually function as a human being. It's to the point that I can't do anything unless I wake up to a cup of tea at near reach.

I'm much more a savoury cook rather than a dessert cook, and this cake came out a bit chewy, which I have no idea how, but it tasted good and I think that is the main thing. Couldn't actually taste the tea, more like a plain cake, flavour: sweet. However, look how pretty it looks when it was freshly out of the oven:

Because the cake itself wasn't especially noteworthy- it was more the action of making it as part of a present- I don't think it's really necessary for me to write the recipe. If you want to make a cake, I definitely wouldn't urge you to try this one, as I said, it's not because it tasted bad, it's just that of all the cakes in the world to choose from, you wouldn't want to waste your time making a duplicate of this one. 

Australia Street

Since my friend has gone back to France, we've messaged each other and skyped and already planning where we could go when we next see each other in person. The other day she recommended be to listen to an Australian band who I'd never heard of before called Sticky Fingers, who she listens to and associates with her time visiting. So whenever I hear the song 'Australia Street' I think of her and it's pretty amazing that I know that on the other side of the world, my friend is going about her day listening to the same track as me and bopping along to this upbeat, laid back song.

From their 'Caress the soul' album, I feel like this song actually captures Australian summers really well. Like when you get the chance to go on day trips with friends to the beach, with ice-creams and blazing sun, but the happiness of holidays where you don't need to worry about doing homework or anything really. The time when you can completely relax and have fun, this is what it sounds like. A lot of their songs from the album have that really tropical feel to it, for some reason reminding me a bit of reggae. And their accents are so Australian too, which I think my friend really appreciates.

At the moment I'm listening to the album while doing homework because it gives me the illusion that the work I have to do isn't that much or that hard, that I don't need to stress and don't need to rush. When in reality, I have so much to do, it's really hard, I do need to stress and I need to get it done soon as. I really can't afford to procrastinate, yet, I still haven't started yet.

Melanie Martinez: Cry Baby Tour

Yesterday my friend and I went to see Melanie Martinez! Both of us a huge fans, so it was truly incredible seeing her live. Her 'Cry Baby' album is one of those albums that you either love it completely and every single song is brilliant, or it's not your cup of tea. I've loved her work since she released her first single 'Dollhouse' which I actually wrote about last year as well as a few months ago writing on her song 'Mad Hatter' where I talk about her album in more detail.

It was such a fun night and I can't think of anyone better to have gone with. We sang along to all the songs like everyone else in the audience and even though it was hard to see the stage because the mosh pit was packed, we still managed to see the majority of the stage.

the stage after the concert

I think my favourite moment of the performance was when Melanie asked everyone to sing with her during 'Training Wheels' which is a really sweet love song. It's also one of my favourite songs of hers. It's so pure and genuine I feel and (I don't know what any musical terminology is, so bear with me) when the chorus comes on, it has a sort of swaying momentum that makes you want to spin around in a circle. It's a carefree, relaxed and comfortable feel that I really wish I could describe in proper terms so everyone else knows what I'm going on about. I just recommend people to listen to it.

It was a bit disappointing that she didn't perform 'Playdate' because it is another favourite (mind you, I really think all the songs are favourites when I think about it), but that's okay because everything she performed was great! I loved how 'Mad Hatter' was the last song in the set, as it is another favourite, so quite literally ending on a perfect note.
Also, the supporting act at the beginning were great and today I actually bought their album too. They are an Australian band called Japanese Wallpaper. They are an alternative-electronic-folky vibe, and they were incredible. I especially enjoyed the song 'Forces' which had the female keyboardist singing. I encourage people to look them up because I think they're new and the lead singer was so sweet because every time they finished a song, he would be so grateful and thank the audience for how amazing we were and how much they appreciated our support. I think there album 'Japanese Wallpaper' came out some time this year too, so definitely check them out because it's great.

Now for a bit of a complaint (sorry): the only problem I had about the night is that I felt incredibly old. There were heaps of people our age there, probably 60% were in their twenties, however there were so so so many young teenagers. Like 13 year olds. I forgot how high pitched kids are, but I was reminded when every single time a song started and finished there were piercing screeches coming from all directions and I honestly thought that they were going to deafen me or cause some long term ear drum injury. I get they were excited, but frankly I think they were a bit too excited and don't think they completely realised the serious themes that most of the songs hold. For example, with 'Tag You're It', even when the lights went down to a dark red which cast a sinister atmosphere across the stage, which suits the song's context, these kids were grinning and reacting the exact same way to how they did with every other song, like 'Pity Party' which is more of a playful song.
But other than that, THE NIGHT WAS FANTASTIC! I can't wait until Melanie Martinez releases  her new album so I can hear more of her talent.

Silhouette

I'm finally the proud owner of the new Tom Odell album 'Wrong Crowd'. I bought it last week as a reward for finishing and submitting my first essay for the semester and it's a lovely album. I absolutely love his 'Long way down' album, which I mentioned in a post last year when I wrote about 'Another Love' which is my favourite song of his.

His new album has incorporated new sounds while still retaining that classic Tom Odell style which I adore and admire. His lyrics and music touches your emotions and evokes wonderful imagery, and that is not lost in his 'Wrong Crowd'. It's going to be another short post this week, but the song that I've eventually decided to focus on today is 'Silhouette' because whenever I listen to it, I hear an essence of David Bowie in the chorus which is really lovely to hear because it gives me the delusional moment when I can pretend that Bowie is still alive and creating brilliant music. I don't think Tom Odell intended for this, but in my head, it's like a tribute to Bowie and makes this song one of my favourites in the album. But all the songs are exquisitely constructed, like 'Constellations' for example. But back to 'Silhouette', everything about it is wonderful:

"Is there anyone there?" I say to the dark

But all I get back is a beating heart

Going out of rhythm and I realize

Oh, something's changed 

Survivor

I'm not exaggerating when I say that this semester is the most hectic and demanding I've ever had. It's only week three and I've already had an essay due today and a class presentation. On top of that, I have more hours for class as well as acting in a play in addition to uni. BUT, I decided that this semester I'm going to start on top of things, be organised and not procrastinate with ANYTHING! I'm so determined to be in control of my life and uni this semester and when I mentioned this to one of my friends, he appropriately linked me to a childhood classic 'Survivor' by Destiny's Child.

It's probably one of the most empowering songs, which my friend and I have decided is going to be the theme song for the semester. Because believe me, I need this empowering, motivational song. And that is why for the next month, I'll probably be very slack with blog posts, because I have uni every day and many are full days and go late into the evenings with rehearsals. So I apologise in advance for my lack of regularity that is to come.

But here is the 2001 hit which accompanied any party I went to as a kid, jazz class warm ups, as well as current parties for that matter. It really is a classic, and now that I'm older, I think I appreciate it a lot more than when I was six and (let's be honest) the most challenging thing I had to do was learn to read picture books.

Never Knew Your Name

For some reason I thought I wrote about this song before because every once in a while I seem to have this song stuck in my head. 'Never Knew Your Name' is by far my absolute favourite Madness song. I have the 'Total Madness' album, and they are just really fun and good natured songs, which are made even more perfect with their strong English accents that come through the singing. This song is one of their new ones, from their 'Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da' album that was released in 2012.

All of yesterday I had it on repeat while I was doing my homework and I was like "I wish I could use this song again" but then I realised that I hadn't... I think. To be honest, I've lost track on some of the songs I've focussed on over the past couple of years. Either way, this is a brilliant song that talks about seeing this beautiful girl in a club and at the end of the night, he never found out who she was and wonders whether he'll ever see her again. And he feels blue and it's time to go...
I think the reason why I had this in my head is because last week, being the first week of semester, I went out quite a few times so maybe it's the post-party blues. It's the realisation that now it's second week, so you all of a sudden have to  get your life together because the essays and homework are real and looming over you and are due soon. Also the realisation that you'll be at uni every day because of how your timetable and hours have turned out, and it will be a long time until you can go out and have a social life again...

But despite the next few months of living like a hermit, I will always have this song to listen to. I really love this song so much, which I'm so glad because Madness' earlier stuff is great and it's comforting to know that these musicians from the late 70's and 80's are able to produce brilliant music still.

Love and Friendship

This weekend, my parents and I decided to have a family day, so we spontaneously went to the cinema and saw 'Love and Friendship', which is based on the Jane Austen novel 'Lady Susan'. My mum, being an Austen fan, obviously chose the film and because I've watched all the BBC versions of her novels, I appreciate the satire and witty conversations. Dad, on the other hand, goes because my mum says so, and even though it wasn't the most mind-blowing film in the world, it was enjoyable.

The protagonist, Lady Susan is a widow and has a reputation for being flirty. She is manipulative to the people around her in order to live a comfortable life for herself and to secure a future for her daughter. Despite her taking advantage of the misguided, I was definitely hoping she would get things her way at the end, because I admired her cunning thought process. The film itself was presented with a lighthearted manner, with the introduction of characters been put in a spotlight and a written description of who they are in relation to others and their characteristics, which I found really amusing. It was quite a funny film, especially the character Sir James Martin, who is a bumbling fool. But not as amusing as my dad...

There are sometimes families who are embarrassing in theatres, cinemas, official ceremonies, etc. My family is one of them. Like when it was my high school celebration night when I was in my final year, and my year level had to stand at the front of the stage and have the rest of the school sing at us. Unfortunately, my dad who was sitting in the audience,  made eye contact with me and I could see him laughing at me and the ridiculousness of it all, which made me have to suppress my own laughter. The previous year, my dad smuggled in jelly beans to the school event to make it bearable (because believe me, those school functions were so boring) and he tried to open the packet without making noise. In the process, he opened them down the middle and the jelly beans went flying everywhere. I think that was the same year my parents and I parked far away and had to walk through a public park and the sprinklers turned on and we had to run across the grass, laughing and ended up soaking wet.
Yesterday at the cinema, when the lights went down and the screen lit up, dad started laughing and whispered to me that the man sitting in front of him, who was bald, his head was glowing and reflecting the screen. Now, when my dad laughs, he can't stop. So for the first ten minutes of the film, my dad was hysterically laughing, while I was struggling to keep a straight face (I was silently laughing and tearing up), while also hiding my face from all the people surrounding us who didn't understand why these crazy people were laughing. Mum was just as confused as the others, but I couldn't tell her what was going on until after the movie was over, because, like I predicted, as soon as I told her, she started laughing loudly... and the sad thing is, it wasn't even that funny.
I love my parents.

Funeral

Morbid sounding title, but don't worry, I guarantee that Lukas Graham's song 'Funeral' is brilliant. This morning was the first day of the new semester and hopefully (if I pass all of my subjects), it is my last semester for my degree! This morning, my friend picked me up for uni and we have a system where I choose the song that is playing in the car during the journey. This morning while getting ready, I decided to listen to the Lukas Graham album. I've written about this band a couple of times before, but since then, I've decided which song is my absolute favourite, which is 'Funeral'. I love it so much and have told people that I definitely want it playing at my funeral one day... because that's not a morbid conversation topic...

The piano at the beginning is bluesy and I absolutely adore it. It's the sort of song I can imagine singing late at night in an old timesy bar accompanied by a steinway. And when it builds up with the gospel sounding choir, it becomes almost ethereal. The lyrics themselves are melancholic but in a celebratory way, talking about how the singer won't be there (obviously), but saying how if he were, he would have joined in with the party and exclaiming that "the way [they] lived was amazing".
I definitely want this song at my funeral (a long way in the future we hope) because it is that sort of atmosphere I want to celebrate my life; with joy and fondness.

Moving on from that: this morning being still half asleep, I forced my friend to listen to 'Funeral' a couple of times with my singing loudly all the way to uni. And you know what, I consider that a great start to the day and to the semester.

Ain't no rest for the wicked

A few months ago, I started watching the tv show 'Lucifer' which hopefully some day I'll actually get around to finishing, because I was really enjoying it. It has Tom Ellis (I've known him previously from the BBC show 'Miranda'), who plays an incredible Lucifer, with his beautiful British accent and being utterly charming. It's about Lucifer/ the devil who has retired from Hell and now is running a nightclub in Los Angeles. It is when a friend of his is murdered he encounters a homicide detective who is the only one who is immune to his power of drawing out the desires of people. Together they solve crimes, her really loathing him, while he is intrigued with the sudden emergence of compassion as well as the mystery why she doesn't fall at his feet in adoration like everyone else.

The reason why I brought 'Lucifer' up, is that it has a fantastic soundtrack, one of the songs being Cage The Elephant's song "Ain't no rest for the wicked" which in my opinion, is the perfect song for the show. It's such a great song, from their debut album back in 2008. I only purchased this song a couple of days ago because my friend was playing it in their car and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed listening to it. It starts off quite country sounding until it gets really rock after the intro and it is brilliant how the two collide. The lead singer also annunciates the lyrics so well that you can really follow the journey of the character in the song. I like it when you can follow a story. And now that I associate it with 'Lucifer', when I listen to it, it gives me the impression that I can do whatever I want and no one can stop me. 

Finding Dory

'Finding Nemo' was an excellent film. It was exciting that Australia was featured in a Disney and Pixar film. It was funny, had a good story and I thought a great stand-alone movie. So many movies have created sequels which have been brilliant (like the 'Toy Story' franchise), while others started off fantastic and then became absolutely rubbish (like 'Ice Age'), so when I found out that 'Finding Dory' was to be made, I was extremely skeptical. Extremely so, that when one of my best friends asked if I wanted to see it with him, I said no straight away because I didn't want to be disappointed with what they might have done to the fish. 

It was a rainy day when my friend from France suggested seeing 'Finding Dory', especially since we watched 'Finding Nemo' together when I stayed at her place over the Christmas holidays. With this idea of continuation, I agreed on seeing it. And I feel bad that I turned down my other friend (who still hasn't seen it yet... sorry!), but I'm so glad that I ended up going because it was a fantastic sequel. In my opinion, 'Finding Dory' is just as good as 'Finding Nemo', which is a massive claim considering how much I love Nemo. 

Dory suffers from short term memory loss, which in the first film is a comedic effect, but in this film, it is the key instigator for the events that take place. Something triggers her memory of her family and she becomes determined to find them. Marlin and Nemo agree to help her find her parents, going across the ocean in the search. Along the way, they get separated and it's up to Dory to find the family she remembers missing. 

It's such an inspirational film, showing that even if you have a condition that challenges you, there is a way to still achieve your end goal. During the film, I did get teary eyed and at one stage was biting my thumb nail (I know that sounds really gross, but I really was emotionally invested). So if anyone was like me and at first really hesitant in seeing it, don't be afraid, because it was such a great film. 

Eureka Skydeck

We've been having rotten weather recently, being freezing, rainy and at one point (and of course when I was walking home from the bus stop) hailing. But today, despite being cloudy, it was actually really nice, which made it the close-to-perfect day to take my friend to the Eureka Skydeck. For those who aren't familiar with this building: it is a very very very tall building in Melbourne that has a panoramic viewing deck of the city which is stunning. After only a few seconds in the lift, you are taken to the 88th floor and it is amazing how high up you are and seeing the familiar city from a completely different angle.

I had visited the skydeck before with a group of friends just after I finished high school. Looking back, it was quite poetic gesture that we undertook when you think about it, because when we finished all of our exams, I know I felt on top of the world, so going to the highest point of Melbourne is as close to that. I remembered being so amazed at how small the world was from that height, of watching the tiny cars and even tinier people and it was quite hypnotising. This time, I focused more on the buildings and pointing out the different landmarks to my friend, but still feeling that same sense of awe.

We had a truly great time, as there were sitting areas where we just chatted and hung out while looking at this lovely view:

Stole the Show

My friend who is visiting from France recommended me the album 'Cloud Nine' by Kygo and despite the album coming out only a couple of months ago, a few of the songs must of been released as singles earlier, because a few of the songs were playing at the university nightclub that I went to when on exchange. One of these songs was 'Stole the Show' featuring Parson James (and I'm pretty sure I've heard 'Raging' and 'Firestone' playing a few times too), which is a great song for a night out and dancing non-stop. Each song has a fantastic buildup, the kind that makes you softly smile while the song crescendos and when the beat drops that's when a big smile spreads across your face while swaying to the rhythm. Everything about the music makes you feel invincible.

It was only a few weeks ago I got the album and it really is a great selection of artists. Even this weekend when I was showing my friend around the city and St Kilda, on the tram we were listening to a couple songs together and admiring the artistry. Every time I listen to these songs, I want to turn my bedroom into a night club, so by turning off all of the lights and finding my old lava lamp from when I was a little kid, every now and then I have been dancing in the dark before going to bed. I know that sounds really sad and pathetic, but I really enjoy dancing and just because I can't afford going out all the time doesn't mean that I can't have fun. Okay, maybe it does sound extremely pathetic and daggy, but stealing one of my friend's catch phrases "it's one of my charms."

So here it is, 'Stole the Show' and if you need to create a party play list of good dance songs, I highly encourage listening to 'Cloud Nine'.

Welcome to Australia!

This week has been amazing because my old flat mate from when I was on exchange in England has come to Australia! She is one of the most wonderful people ever; when we were living together we were like the an old happily married adorable couple and I absolutely love her to bits. She is French and the friend who I stayed with last Christmas break and she generously welcomed me to her home country. When we were still in the UK, we made a pinky promise over cupcakes saying that she will come to Australia ...

photographic evidence of the promise we made 

and it has come true! She is in Australia and a group of us who were all on exchange together have a busy and fun month ahead. Tuesday night, one incredible French girl reunited with four excited Australians at Bimbos (which has $4 pizzas- I had the 'Organico' which had roasted pumpkin, rosemary, pine nuts and despite the weird vegan cheese stuff, it was delicious!) and it was funny how natural it was to see her again. She became such a vital part of my life when on exchange, so seeing her again in person was one of the best feelings ever.


Thursday we showed her around our very Australian looking university (we have a lot of eucalyptus trees) before going back to one of my friends flats and we had a very Australian meal of kangaroo and then all the Australian treats for dessert (eg. Milo ice-cream; Caramello koalas; Curly Wurlys; Tim Tams; Pods, etc.) while watching Hamish and Andy and drinking Vodka Cruisers.
Later that evening we put on music, anointed her with drinking goon and playing drinking games (Goon Pong and Flip Cup), then in the early morning watching the first few episodes of 'Puberty Blues' before collapsing into a much needed sleep.
We woke up today with lamingtons for breakfast and then went to a nature reserve where we saw heaps of kangaroos. It was the first time she's seen kangaroos in real life, so it was even more exciting when we found whole families of kangaroos, many with joeys in their pouches. I think we managed to give her a very Australian welcome.

Best Be Believing

I completely forgot it was Monday because I had such an exciting day:
1) it was the first rehearsal for the play I'm in, which went really well and everyone is so lovely
2) my old exchange flat mate from France arrived in Australia today, so I'm finally going to see her again tomorrow!!!!! I'm absolutely beside myself with excitement!
So that is why I have no concept of days, I'm sorry.

Today I woke up with the AlunaGeorge song "Best Be Believing" in my head and it has remained in my head all day. I don't know why I woke with it, but it is quite an upbeat, catchy song, so maybe it is because I'm feeling extra enthusiastic and looking forward to everything that is in stall this month (despite taking almost 40 minutes to actually get out of bed in the morning). It really is a great song for that kind of mood, so if anyone is feeling down and needs to feel a bit of energy, "Best Be Believing" has a great beat that makes you want to get up and dance when the chorus starts. And despite the upbeat, it is quite a gentle sort of beat at the same time, with the "nah nah nah's" easily to sing along to in the zombie-like mood I often feel in the mornings.

Phillip Island

Late last month a few of my friends and I went away to Phillip Island for a couple of days, and despite it being only a short holiday, we had a fantastic time. Unlike a lot of people I know, I never really visited Phillip Island growing up, unless you count the time my parents and I stopped by for a couple hours to see my cousins who were staying at a caravan park there when I was six. And the only thing I remember from that was how windy it was that my mum wrapped her scarf around my head and I ate teddy bear biscuits. This time around was very different and certainly a lot more fun. 

Leaving on a Tuesday evening, four of us drove down and upon arrival we picked our room buddies and played a card game. I'm usually not a fan of cards (other than Cards Against Humanity), but this particular card game was actually lots of fun and completely by fluke, I won. 

The next day we walked along the beach which was completely deserted as it is the middle of winter, which is what I really love because it feels as if no one else exists and all your troubles and stresses are left behind. That afternoon we walked along the cliff area called the Nobbies and it was absolutely stunning. Very, very, very windy (like my six year old self remembered), but such a breathtaking coastline which makes you feel really lucky to have the opportunity to live in such a beautiful country. Watching the waves hit the rocks is captivating and I could easily just stay there forever. If anyone wants to go to see an inspirational landscape, the Nobbies is definitely a place to go. 

Look how beautiful it is! This is actually real!

The day turned even better, because that night we went to see the penguins!!!!! I have heard so much about the penguins all my life and I was really excited and at the same time was sort of like "why is this a big deal?" That skeptical side of my head is stupid and I'm glad I ignore it a lot of the time because that evening was incredible. Yes, we were sitting in the cold and yes, it involved a lot of waiting (which felt similar to the feeling of waiting at a concert and the musician/ band is taking forever to come on stage), but it was worth it all, because the first penguin that appeared, I wanted to squeal with joy, but instead I just was gripping on my friend's arm and squeezing it tightly whenever more and more penguins emerged. I don't have any photos of that night because you're not allowed to take photos or film, so I just need you to trust me when I say that it was incredible to watch. I got so emotionally invested in one penguin in particular because they arrived on the shore with no one and it was scared of the seagulls and tried to swim back into the ocean but the waves kept bringing it back to the sand and then ten or so metres away another penguin arrived and it was minutes of watching the two trying to get to one another... I was gripping two of my friend's arms so tightly and I was almost in tears. But they finally reached each other and ran into the nesting area together, so happily ever after for the cute Little Penguins! YAY! 

The next day we went bush walking and later got fish and chips for lunch (because a visit to the beach isn't official until you eat them), before going to a maze and illusions activity place which was lots of fun. That was also our last day, so that evening we bought marshmallows and toasted them in the fireplace while watching a brilliant film 'Kingsman: The secret service', which was the best way to end our wonderful trip. 

Winter reading 2016

The last week I have been away and didn't have any internet, which meant I got to do a bit of reading which was so much fun! So here are the books I've read over the past few weeks:

A tiny bit marvellous- Dawn French

Everyone has a junk room/ area in their house (even Monica from Friends had one, so this is a scientific fact... obviously) but these holidays my parents decided to clean it out and go through the boxes of stuff we have accumulated over the years. Anyway, that is a completely different story, but what I was getting at, is that we have a lot of books. Like a lot of books, as I'm from a family who loves reading and it just so happened that I stumbled across 'A tiny bit marvellous'. I have been a massive fan of Dawn French, having been raised on watching 'The Vicar of Dibley', so I was instantly intrigued to read her novel. As she is a genius of skits with her partnership with Jennifer Saunders, it was hardly a surprise to find that Dawn French is a talented writer.

Written through the eyes of three characters: Mo (mother going through a mid-life crisis), Dora (moody teenager, soon turning 18) and Peter, aka Oscar (younger son, who is obsessed with Oscar Wilde), each point of view is impressively written with three very distinct voices. The events that take place during the novel itself are just the motions of everyday life, with work, school, personal crises, however it is an insight into the dynamics between members of a fictitious family.
6.5/10

Me before you- Jojo Moyes 
I've referred to this incredible novel a couple times when I talked about my existential reading crisis as well as the From Page to Screen, however, there is nothing wrong with giving a novel such as this with endless praise. Written in the first person, I became so emotionally involved in the life of Louisa and her relationship with her employer Will. Louisa is a 26 year old, newly employed on a six month contract to be the carer and companion of Will, who after being the victim of a motorbike accident, is a quadriplegic. At first it appears that Will absolutely resents her presence, but as time progresses and they get to know each other better, a friendship forms as Louisa becomes desperate to show him that life is still worth living. A definite must read, as it is heartwarming as well as heartbreaking and I encourage to read it when you're not in public so you can not feel embarrassed when you start to cry.
10/10 

The Single Girl’s To-Do List- Lindsey Kelk 
I read this straight after 'Me before you', so it was a tough act to follow, but Lindsey Kelk's novel was so much fun to read (especially after the tear jerker of Moyes novel). It was light and entertaining, about list loving Rachel who unexpectedly gets dumped by her boyfriend of five years. She has never been single and with the help of her two best friends, they create a list to help Rachel realise her potential at being independent. From having a makeover, getting a tattoo, bungee jump, travel to another country, writing a rude letter to her ex, etc. the group of friends that Kelk has created, leave you feeling satisfied with your read. I wanted to read other books she had written. I also liked the extra touch at the end of the book where there are people's 'Single Girl's to-do list', which I actually found really inspiring, as it just allows people to figure out what they want to do in their lives and to challenge themselves and take risks.
7/10 



The End of Summer- Rosamunde Pilcher
Sometimes we read something and at the end of it you’re like “well, that was pointless”. I didn’t enjoy reading ‘The End of Summer’ and the only reason why I finished the book was because it was short and thought I may as well read to the end. It wasn’t because the quality of writing was bad that I didn’t like it, it was I personally thought the content and characters were boring and quite flat. I also thought the protagonist was a weak person who came across as an anti-feminist, in the sense that she was perfectly fine with being dependent on her dad, didn’t want to go out and get a job to claim her independence, but instead had the ambition to find security by one day finding a husband and look after him… this was written in the late 20th century, so I think this mentality is very outdated, and it may just be my own interpretation, but it impacted on my overall opinion of the book. I just was very underwhelmed and unimpressed.
3/10 

Wait for you- J Lynn 
Okay, I’m going to be very honest. This year I made a new years resolution: "to have no dramas this year." That sounds like a really odd resolution, but you need to trust me when I say, the last few years have been a bit crazy with dramas. But I decided that this year I wasn’t going to get involved in things I shouldn’t and focus on my final year of studies instead. At the beginning of this resolution, there may have been a few hiccups but I was really good at doing a bit of maintenance and now I feel like I’m beginning to get my life together with plans after I finish this degree.

What has that got to do with ‘Wait for you’, you may ask. Well, since I have been living a drama-free life, it is relatively boring compared to the drama filled chaos that I’ve been used to. Now I’m living vicariously through other people’s stories, one of which is J Lynn’s book. It’s sad, but it’s true, I really enjoyed reading this book because it filled a gap in my life that I have been avoiding this year. Yep, as I said, I am being very honest, embarrassingly so, because this book is so well written that it has the ability to make your heart race and become breathless.

Avery is in her first year of university, attempting to leave behind her past and family and starting afresh in a place where no one knows her. But the past still haunts her, and when she literally runs into Cam, the perfect guy, she at first is nervous and jittery. As time goes by and they become closer and things get quite passionate between them, she begins to confront the past and move on with her life, learning to trust Cam. And he really is the perfect guy: beautiful, funny, easygoing and he bakes her food! I very happily was living vicariously through this book, so if anyone else is planning on having a drama free year like me, tick of approval goes to this book.
8/10 

Tiny Dancer

A month ago I mentioned Elton John very briefly in my post about Bob Dylan's 'Blowing in the Wind' and thought it was about time that I featured one of his songs. I'm going to admit, I grew up listening to very little of Elton John, knowing only really 'The Lion King' soundtrack and what I heard in an episode of 'The Vicar of Dibley' and later on, I furthered my knowledge with the soundtrack of 'Gnomeo and Juliet' (which is a great movie).

Since then, I have built a small collection of his songs (I only have eight, but one day, it will grow). Alongside 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', 'Your song' and 'Rocket Man', one of my other favourites and possible my ultimate favourite, is 'Tiny Dancer'. The reason why I chose to write about this song in particular is because yesterday I re-watched 'Love, Rosie' where it is featured. I remember the first time I watched the movie and heard the song, I vaguely recognised it and thought it was brilliant.  But I had absolutely no idea what it was called and couldn't remember any of the lyrics and I kept on asking people if they knew the song that went like "da da da da dada daaaaa" and I got very blank faces or very amused faces as a response. It only happened by chance when one of my friends gave me a couple Elton John songs and I listened to 'Tiny Dancer' and I literally jumped out of my seat and shouted "THIS IS THE SONG!!!!" I was really excited to finally find it and listen to it again.

So here it is, 'Tiny Dancer', which is a great song that is an absolute classic and I'm sure if you don't recognise the name (like I didn't), you'll definitely recognise the tune...

From page to screen: "Me before You"

One of the biggest fears that book-nerds like me have is when books we love turn into movies that just aren't good. There was absolutely no need to worry when it comes to the movie adaptation of Jojo Moyes' beautiful novel 'Me before You'. It was a fantastic film that completely does the book justice. The novel is heartbreaking and heartwarming, which transpired into the film. 

I walked out of the cinema sighing with relief and happiness, because the two friends I saw it with haven't read the book and I had been going on and on and on about how much I loved Moyes novel and hyping it up. And both of them loved the film and said they were willing to pay and see the movie again and now want to read the book too. YAY! Because I really had been talking about this film and book all year. I first saw the trailer for the movie in January and straight away I was so excited and couldn't wait to see it. So for the past six months I have been watching as many versions of the trailer on youtube, as well as a couple of interviews and it was this time last week when I actually read the book, and fell in love with the story and characters instantly. 

Louisa Clark is a 26 year old who is recently unemployed and finds a job (without any qualifications or previous experiences) as the carer and companion of Will. Will, two years previously was a successful businessman working in London, loved holidaying to exciting places and was leading a great life, until he was run down in a motorcycle accident which lead him to a spinal cord injury. Now a quadriplegic, Will meets Louisa and although at first resentful for her presence, during her six month contract, they form a friendship. Desperate to prove to Will that his life is still worth living, Louisa is determined to create fun days out and activities, which don't always go according to plan. 

Written in the first person through the eyes of Louisa, the reader too feels the anxiety of a new job, the daunting and awkward moments with the encounters with Will and his family, and the urgency that grows throughout the six months spending time with him. This was not lost in the film, as Emilia Clarke seems to be made for the role of Louisa. She is perfectly awkward and bright, quirky and loveable, and the chemistry between co star Sam Claflin, is beautiful to watch. 

The relationship between the two characters is a balance of tentative and intimate, which although sounds like a contradictory statement, is clearly portrayed on the screen and validates that statement. The story itself features sensitive subjects, for example, Dignitas, which the film depicts with the same sensitivity and understanding which is demonstrated in Jojo Moyes' book and an insight into Will's need for choice.

Not only were the actors perfectly cast, the set and landscape was exactly how I imagined it to be. When watching the movie, it felt like I was reading the book all over again, which is such a wonderful feeling, as it just matched my imagination so well. Mind you, I did watch trailers so many times, so that would have impacted on me subconsciously, but I really and honestly believe that this film  is one of the best novel adaptations I've ever seen, as it stuck so true to the book. Obviously there were a few things that were left out in the film, but they weren't key essential points. I also imagined the mother of Will to be a lot more intimidating than she was in the movie, but I think Janet McTeer's portrayal of Camilla was better and more believable than what my imagination gave me. I also thought that the character Patrick was more of a dick in the novel than in the movie, but I'm okay with that. 

Also with a great soundtrack- featuring two Ed Sheeran songs, both 'Thinking out loud' and 'Photographs' appropriately chosen- this movie really had everything well thought out. As I said earlier, it is a heartbreaking and heartwarming read and watch, which will make you cry from love and sadness. I can easily give both book and film 10/10