So on the 3rd February at 11.06am exactly I turned 18. F*ck Yeah! It was the most perfect birthday ever considering the circumstances! My parents decorated my granny's kitchen with balloons and streamers as I'd said jokingly last weekend that I wanted a party with my family. Darn they delivered. I cried when I walked into the room!
It's been quite difficult this gap year due to the fact that all my friends are spread out across the globe and country literally and this birthday was promising to be pretty dull and boring seeing as none of them could make it on the day. But it turned out perfectly.
I even got a pancake pan.
So for the next week this crazy Scottish chit is hitting London, the Big Lights, The City, The Place To Be. That Place Down South! So enjoy a little Clash as London calls.
Ok - London calling aside, what have I got to speak to y'all about? (Besides my new found love of using y'all, it's just so friendly and welcoming).
Well my gap year is falling brick by over organised brick apart. I'm learning spontaneity guys. Learning it! And learning and spontaneous should not be in the same sentence! However anyone following any of my posts would know I like things planned to the tiniest meticulous detail so if ever a time came when I'd discover spontaneity it would be in a controlled situation such as learning!
So anyway yes; my gap year is turning into a patchwork quilt - a week here and a week there - but most of it will be spent at home..... I am going to be dying to get to Universityby September, and I'm already pretty desperate! I have had to Work. Work. Work. I even had to make soup today - funnily enough not as difficult as I imagined!
Now asides from gap year antics nothing much is going on - I have discovered a new addiction: Nothing To Declare.
Imagine.... A dark room, there's a man sitting across from you, his face shaded as he growls out in a deep gravelly voice:
Thousands of men and women dedicate their lives to protecting Australia's border.
OK so that's not how the program starts but that is the type of life or death atmosphere they give it, to what is basically videos of officers looking in peoples luggage and finding drugs. Some of the stuff they refuse to let into Australia is ridiculously over the top protective but the program is such Good Fun.
To finish off - last night my daddy and I watched Kick Ass - god I love that film. It is Hilarious (though apparently controversial and caused a lot of bother when it came out!) Just noticed though that this photo is a little dodgy looking with the dude's hands but no, nothing perverse happens in Kick Ass!
Cross My Heart by Carmen Reid was an inspirational adventure set in the Second World War. Following plucky bold Nicole as she joins the Belgian resistance, determined to do all she can to make it harder for the Nazi Germans who have stolen her city for them-selves, Reid tells a emotional heartbreaking story with vivid threads of truth sewn through it which gives it an edge over other fictional novels. Brussels, 1940. Fifteen-year-old Nicole watches as the Nazis invade Belgium. Determined not to stand by as her country is brought to its knees, Nicole vows to fight back and joins the Belgian Resistance. Under her new alias - Coco - Nicole embarks on a dangerous new life as a spy, where the only question is not if you'll be caught, but when... Cross My Heart was well written in that it managed to include scenarios where some warmth was instilled again - it wasn't an overly cold distressing desolate novel as many WWII novels are (it wasn't exactly a period where many good things happened). Reid's character creation was brilliant and her characters extremely real. I was completely invested in Nicole's life and actions and fell in love with kind strong Anton at the same time as her.
Reid also conveyed Nicole's steeled determination to resist but also the fear and guilt she felt at endangering her family excellently. Reid's imagery and description was spot on and the Ravensbruck part of the novel was real enough without being too real. Reid didn't need to overload the reader with horrific graphic descriptions as the dire atmosphere of the camps and the defeated scared feelings of the inhabitants was reinforced throughout her writing and didn't need the overload.
All in All Cross My Heart was a good historic fiction and was a welcome addition to the growing YA market. A solid 4 for Reid's novel and I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for her next novel for YA.
Published by Corgi, an imprint of Random House Childrens Publishers Cross My Heart can be bought from all decent book stores.
I needed a book to pull me out of my post-Christmas depressive slump and Twinmaker by Sean Williams did just that. I had started it before Christmas and hadn't felt it but when I picked it up again I was sucked right into the twisting traitorous plot of betrayal, misused global technology, best friends, terrorists and corrupted powerful corporations. A near-future thriller that fans of the GONE series and Doctor Who will love
Clair is pretty sure the offer in the ‘Improvement' meme is just another viral spam, though Libby is determined to give it a try.
But what starts as Libby's dream turns into Clair's nightmare when her friend vanishes.
In her search for answers, Clair seeks out Jesse - a boy whose alternative lifestyle might help to uncover the truth.
What they don't anticipate is intervention from the mysterious contact known only as Q, and being caught up in a conspiracy that will change everything. Set in the relative new future after global warming has caused huge tidal surges and humanity has taken great steps to reduce their impact and emissions, Twinmaker follows Clair Hill on her mission to save her best friend. Although Libby (the BFF) wasn't a character who endeared herself to me, it wasn't a Yin Yang - you complete me - relationship but more of a let Libby walk all over Clair and Clair will be there to fix everything Libby breaks, Clair was a great character who really progressed and developed throughout the novel. Libby has taken part in Improvement, the new viral meme circling the Air (not happy with your body, say what you want to change, jump in a booth, teleport a lot of times and you'll be Improved) but Improvement isn't what it appears to be. Something more sinister is evolving in Sean William's world. Williams concept and plot was original (the basic theme was of the power of technology and the way it is the user who abuses the system not the system itself that is corrupt) and he explored it thoroughly to each little detail. However what was missing for me, and what I look for in a dystopian novel, is the creation and exploration of the world it's set in. And Williams' world would have been amazing, especially due to his creation of the d-mat (a teleportation system that transmits users all over the world to booths, wherever they wish to go), which would have given him the opportunity to really enhance and embellish his world. Although there's plenty of time for that in his sequel Crashland.
Twinmaker is all action, fast and furious, relentless to a certain extent, once Williams gets going there was no stopping him. Definitely a novel I'd need to re-read before I read the sequel it was excellent all the same. Williams has a talent for creating characters, both villains and heroes were realistic, the former dastardly scary and all too real, the latter glorious normal and attainable. Jesse (an Abstainer boy) and Q (she's a secret you'll need to discover for yourself) really stood out for me and I was glad that their parts grew as the book progressed and their importance to Clair increased.
A solid 5 out of 5 for Twinmaker and I can't wait till Crashland is out and I can join up with Q, Clair and Jesse and have some strings untangled. Published by Electric Monkey an imprint of Egmont I promise Twinmaker is a book you need to read. Especially so you can learn that you really should accept that you're great as you are. Improvement is not the way to go.
Well, it's the 6th January - Christmas trees are coming down (I tried to stop Dad taking ours down but to no avail), school has restarted (mwahaha Gap Year folks), T.V. has returned to its less than jolly, no longer nostalgic self and really it's a bit of a sad time of year. Christmas is over. New Year is over. Everyone's getting back to their lives. Friends have left. Family has gone home. It's pretty shitty.
But I have managed to pull myself out of my warm cocoon of a bed ....I got a new memory foam mattress for Christmas and it is flipping BLISS..... I have fed my horses in the howling gale Scotland has decided is the default weather of winter (at least it's not hailing.. oh spoke too soon) and I am now writing this post for you all. I'm too kind aren't I.
However please regard Exhibit A - this is my excuse for my considerable lack of blogging since 15th December..... Christmas shenanigans. I mean c'mon! The 50 GREATEST MOMENTS OF HARRY POTTER was on T.V. Can you blame me? My addiction to Harry Potter was at an all time high this Christmas.... Especially once I realised the last Harry Potter book was published in 2007. That was almost 5 years ago. It depressed me I must admit - made me feel old and more than slightly obsessed. But I am in the middle of re-reading them all again (twice in 2013 this shall be my first of 2014 - 2014 Harry Potter cherry consider yourself popped). And my sadness is slowly evaporating with every successive defeat of Voldemort.
Now for Exhibit B we have the dreaded electricity outage. We've lost power over seven times since I came home. Christmas day from 9 till 6 inclusive. I did feel sorry for the electricity people who must have had to abandon their Christmas dinners just to put our power back on. Thank the Lord it was back on for Doctor Who though. I don't think I could have survived if it hadn't been. We have been luckier than some people though - I think in England some people lost it for five days - now there's a reason to be depressed. To add to our luck we have the most amazing cookers - powered by gas and oil - yeah not very eco-friendly but I'm sorry Mother Earth it meant our geese were ready on Christmas Day and so I'm not complaining!
Well I'm going to end this post whilst I'm ahead by sending a few thoughts to all the people in America and Canada suffering what apparently is being called 'the record storm' (though every storm seems to be called that). Anyway it looks pretty fricking cold so my thoughts are with them all and I hope for their sakes they have a non-eco friendly stove!
So yesterday I landed in Glasgow, back in Scotland....... I was lucky we landed - Scotland greeted our plane with 70mph gusts that shook and tossed the plane, I did not envy our pilot!
I found my family and it was all hugs and kisses and tears from Mum, beams and gruff tough hugs from Dad, and a begrudging smile from Haden which is an improvement. And it was great. Yesterday was great - I was happy to be home, ecstatic to see my dog and animals and so happy to see my family.
Today the cracks of living with the family began to show; Parents being grumpy and naggy, Haden lazing around being a general nuisance and lazy bum, and me feeling jittery. I don't really feel Home, it feels far too temporary - maybe it's because I know that soon I'll be at university and will be an adult, independant and not with my family. It's a lot to take in, and it's darn scary!!!! Exciting and thrilling but so far away but not far enough. A confusing conflicting feeling that will surely diminish as I get settled in again.
On other note parents bought me a memory foam mattress as an early Christmas present. Bliss! Far better than my old one that made me feel like the Princess and the Pea! I could feel every little thing digging into my mattress there was to feel!
Now I'm home though and free of work at the moment, I'll get writing some book posts! I have a luscious varied range of books to write up and you will LOVE and DROOL for them all!
Ever noticed that life has a way of slipping through your hands? It just keeps going and you don't notice as it trickles through your fingertips. Life is sand, time and memories. Granules that are impossible to keep a hold off but that sparkle as they catch the light but when wet become heavy and so difficult to lift and live.
Deep, profound and meaningful there's my excuse for not writing in a while. Really it's because I got sucked into the treacherous superficial world of the first series of 90210. Luckily for yours and mines sanity the second series appeared crap so I gave up watching it and I've been returned to my fully functioning blogging glory. Pretty awesome huh!
So less than 2 weeks left in France - I'll miss my job and my horses but I am so looking forward to getting home and back to the sarcastic life of Britain. Yesterday I was at a shopping centre with Ali, my mother for three months and we were exploring the cultural differences of the British and the French and you know what our main one was?
British people generally CARE about people's feeling whereas the French are far more of a clamber over everyone and put yourself first ALWAYS. They also have a bit of a superiority complex; they all think they're better than everyone else. One of the woman I work with has an increasingly annoying habit of phoning people all the time. So she'll be on the phone while I wait, patiently and in boredom as my phone has broken so I don't even have that to distract myself with, and she will not even try to hurry up. They don't really think about other people, and it drives me a little crazy....
Another thing: They don't appreciate initiative. For instance if you do something quickly or early they don't express thanks they just hand you something else to do - they seem to like making more work and then handing it to someone else to do - mainly me. Yay! For example I finish my chores early because I worked hard and quickly they'll hand me something completely inane and bizarre to do - last time I finished mucking out the stables early they sent me to brush around the muckheap. The muckheap was just about to be picked up by a lorry and so after I finished brushing around it, said lorry arrived and made a whole lot more mess... so rule out initiative..
And the worst thing for a British person. They don't use sarcasm and don't acknowledge apologies. We are an apologetic nation - I say sorry if I'm early to work for god's sake! Or sorry if I have to ask the woman to bring a new bale of hay despite the fact it's her job. I know we use apologies when one isn't needed but in Britain one would just reply 'that's no problem I'll get to it'. But the French aren't an effusive people they use words minimally and do not offer sympathetic understanding words. Yes it's unnecessary but it's nice!!! And then sarcasm. They don't use sarcasm. Do they not realise there is a whole world of delightful witty comebacks, sayings and general fun to be had from sarcasm? They say what they mean. But being British, used to sarcasm and unable to accept compliments, I tend to find myself staring blindly at people when they say something like - 'Well Done' after I've mucked out a stable - I mean c'mon why? Did I not do it right? I do it everyday I know how to do it. It's condescending..... unless you're being sarcastic. C'mon you are aren't you - what did I do wrong? But I'm getting better, I know don't bare my teeth when someone says I like your hair..... improvement right?!
To finish off - last night my daddy and I watched Kick Ass - god I love that film. It is Hilarious (though apparently controversial and caused a lot of bother when it came out!) Just noticed though that this photo is a little dodgy looking with the dude's hands but no, nothing perverse happens in Kick Ass!
Cross My Heart by Carmen Reid was an inspirational adventure set in the Second World War. Following plucky bold Nicole as she joins the Belgian resistance, determined to do all she can to make it harder for the Nazi Germans who have stolen her city for them-selves, Reid tells a emotional heartbreaking story with vivid threads of truth sewn through it which gives it an edge over other fictional novels.
I needed a book to pull me out of my post-Christmas depressive slump and Twinmaker by Sean Williams did just that. I had started it before Christmas and hadn't felt it but when I picked it up again I was sucked right into the twisting traitorous plot of betrayal, misused global technology, best friends, terrorists and corrupted powerful corporations. 
Now for Exhibit B we have the dreaded electricity outage. We've lost power over seven times since I came home. Christmas day from 9 till 6 inclusive. I did feel sorry for the electricity people who must have had to abandon their Christmas dinners just to put our power back on. Thank the Lord it was back on for Doctor Who though. I don't think I could have survived if it hadn't been. We have been luckier than some people though - I think in England some people lost it for five days - now there's a reason to be depressed. To add to our luck we have the most amazing cookers - powered by gas and oil - yeah not very eco-friendly but I'm sorry Mother Earth it meant our geese were ready on Christmas Day and so I'm not complaining!
