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.

Being a Fangirl

Last month, I read Rainbow Rowell's novel 'Fangirl' which my friend who told me about Rowell's 'Eleanor and Park', recommended to me. I have to admit, it did take me a while to get into it, but I think that was only because it was during the lead up to Christmas time, so my mind was just flying out in all directions, but after the first 100 pages, I just couldn't get enough and couldn't stop reading. There was one point in the novel- I believe it was in chapter 14- that I had to message my friend and just tell her where I was up to and tell her how much I loved that particular scene so much that I had to share it with someone.

'Fangirl' is about the more quiet twin Cath, and her experience starting college, where her sister who was always the more dominant, decides to go her own way without Cath always being there in the background. Cath doesn't like the idea of interacting with people and much prefers spending her time writing fan fiction about the franchise 'Simon Snow' (which is fictitious, so don't look for them at your local bookstore or anything). But she does end up meeting new people, like her new room mate and her sort-of-boyfriend-but-just-friends-really, Levi, who is an absolutely adorable character. But the novel not only focusses on her experiences in college, but also about her family issues, with her twin and dad, but also the mum who left them when they were younger. However, one of the most enjoyable things about this book is the snippets of the fan fiction that Cath writes.
I really enjoyed reading about her interpretation of Simon Snow and Baz. It added another texture to the novel as a whole, because it was like there was a story within the story that was already within a story... ooh, 'Inception!'

It was such a good book, that I would rate 7/10.

The reason why I brought this particular book up, is because I've only recently realised that I've embarrassingly become a fangirl for my friend's novels that he is working on. I've briefly mentioned these novels in a previous blog, but it's reached the point that I have started writing my own mini fan fiction for these characters that he has created. And it's not as if I publish them or anything, I just write them because I find it fun and sometimes I just can't resist writing making something happen between some of the characters which can't happen in the actual story. I feel sort of bad when I do, because I know it is like sacrilegious to his storyline, but sometimes temptation can't be ignored. It's like all those Harry Potter fan fictions out there (I like the idea of Ron and Draco ending up together... so much tension between the two!) or like what Cath writes in her fan fiction in 'Fangirl.'

Battle Scars

This is probably an incredible song when going through a break-up, but since I'm not going through a break-up, I'm finding 'Battle Scars' an incredible song to just dance around the house to. Dancing around the house is how I spend most of my spare time to be honest, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I still sing into my hairbrush and do the best air guitar the world would ever see... one day I should learn how to play the guitar so I can put my excellent air guitar skills into practice.

Anyway, I realise that I'm really getting off topic, especially since Guy Sebastian's 'Battle Scars' really isn't an air-guitar-like song. Far from it actually. Instead it has such a strong beat, beginning with the piano and then the drums and also the clapping; a beat that you cannot listen to this song without bopping around, whether you are sitting down and typing a blog (um... like I am now) or if you are blaring your music out because you finally have the house to yourself and singing out the lyrics at the top of your lungs (which I did a bit earlier today while preparing dinner).

I'm not a fan of full on rap, however I don't mind it when it is incorporated in songs that have other elements to it, for example Linkin Park or The Script etc. And I think Lupe Fiasco's rapping works really well because it builds up to the mind-blowingly atmospheric chorus, which sounds amazing live. Such. A. Good. Song!

Blaming the weather

I've been really slack with my blog posts recently, so I'm really sorry for that... I blame the weather because it has been hot and muggy which has caused me to have multiple sleepless nights, which turns me into a bit of a grumpy lazy person. It's not very nice. But now that the weather has cooled down again, I really have no excuse for my laziness.

So, these nights where I am lying on top of the covers like a starfish and putting my households ancient portable fan to it's highest force, I have spent a lot of time reading my friend's novels (which is actually one of the most incredible things I've had the privilege of reading)  and listening to lots of music. I've seriously been on a massive song binge and discovered so many great songs that really suit the "struggling to fall asleep" mood.

So, today to make up for my stagnant blog posts, even though it isn't Monday, I'm going to just share a few of these songs, which is similar to what I wrote at the beginning of last year 'Can't get to asleep?' So if you too are having trouble getting to sleep, hopefully this new selection might help a bit:

Don't let me go- RAIGN

Holding on and letting go- Peirson Ross 

A drop in the ocean- Ron Pope

Losing your memory- Ryan Star

Okay, the reoccurring theme for all four songs is that they all feature in 'Vampire Diaries.' That is because, 'Vampire Diaries' is one of my favourite tv shows (which I'm re-watching as part of my Summer holidays 'to do list'), but also because they have an incredible soundtrack selection that seem to suit my "I NEED TO GET TO SLEEP... NOW" vibe. So enjoy! 

Dancing in the Moonlight

'Dancing in the moonlight' by Toploader has become my own official personal work-place national anthem. It is such an incredible song, with that really adorable music in the opening, which immediately causes the listener to start bopping along and wanting to just break into a dance, doesn't matter where you are.

And the reason why I associate it with work, is that the first time I ever heard it, I was at work and was like to my co-worker friend: "what is this song? I love it!" So the first thing I did when I got home, I bought the song and just listened to it a couple of times throughout the evening while dancing around my room and singing along. And when I heard it again at work, my same friend and I were on the same shift when this song began playing... we listened to it a couple of times and each time, it brought the same happiness and enjoyment that it did when we heard it for the first time.

I can safely say, that I am slightly obsessed with this song, and really want to share it with everyone (even though most people would probably already know it). It's just one of those songs that make you feel really good inside and those sort of songs (like 'Island in the sun' by Weezer or 'Better Together' by Jack Johnson) are best experienced when sharing it with others.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2015! 

I haven't got anything much to talk about, I just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year and hope that everyone had a good last couple of days with new years eve celebrations and new years day. Personally, I sound slightly tragic when I say that I spent new years eve at home and watching the fireworks on television, but I had a great night spending it with my parents and then just dancing around the room (having my own one person party) way into the early morning of 2015.

Fireworks are some of the most captivating things ever, and I always find them spellbinding. You can't look away from the dazzling explosions of beautiful colours that look like falling stars and there is something so exciting about the unpredictability of what patterns are going to be created in the sky. Even though this time I was only able to watch the fireworks on the television, when I do see fireworks live, it is just such an incredible experience to witness. 

I haven't been a complete hermit though, because on new years day, I did spend the evening with one of my closest friend and her family, which was really nice. We went to a nice pub/lounge/restaurant for dinner, where I had the premium parmigiana, which had olives, feta and pesto on top of the traditional sauce and cheese. It was delicious and then finishing the evening back at home with a lovely cup of christmas tea and heaps of chocolate. So, in my opinion, it was a great way to start 2015.

2014 was a fantastic year, but I'm certain that 2015 is going to be even better!