London Weekend

I have finally finished my exams! Therefore free time recommenced and I'm back to blogging! I will try and be better, but let's be real, until I get my act together with this thing it is going to be a bit sporadic- I'm currently trying to blitz through some posts and then schedule them so on Sundays there's a blog post up here for whoever wants to see! No promises, but I think this may be the method that goes with my working style. 


Sadly not all of my house have finished, so in order for the worker bees to keep going undisturbed (apparently I'm considered a distraction, can't think why) I headed to London to see my sister. I was lucky enough that a friend of ours was also popping down from the west country, so shared a journey with her. I have to admit this weekend made me fall in love with London again. 


I was throughly spoiled over the weekend, starting with that Friday night! I was feeling a little worse for wear after post-exam celebrations the night before, so for the first time ever was a little apprehensive about the thought of a big West End musical. However, Memphis blew all my blues away, simply because of the incredible music and dancing that I witnessed! I've tried to put the album up here using a Spotify Play button, apologies if it totally doesn't work... technology is rarely my friend. 




The story is about a black nightclub singer (played by Beverly Knight no less!) and a white Radio DJ during the civil rights movement in, well, Memphis. He basically believes that white radio stations should play black rhythm and blues music. It's apparently based loosely on the life of Radio DJ Dewey Phillips. The way I would describe it is as perfect for any Hairspray lovers. There's amazing music, a love story, dancing that I wish (and will never) I could do and to cap it all off we all gave them a standing ovation. I think that kind of explains it really. I loved it because there wasn't a single weak performer in the whole cast and they each had their moment, wowing me again and again. 

If you get the chance, head on to the Shaftesbury and check it out. 

We also headed over to the Alexander McQueen exhibition on Saturday, only to be wowed again. McQueen killed himself in 2010 and his work is so moving and powerful, I was totally in the exhibition... to the point that actually I had no idea where Emma and Esme were. It became a bit of trend of the weekend...oops! I didn't take any pictures because I assume they ask you not to for a reason (I sound like such a swot I know, but seriously it's worth going to see it for yourself). Here's the link for tickets and more information.  It actually made my sister see how fashion is so much more complicated than selling clothes and certainly McQueen's stuff is amazing, but not wearable! The stories behind each collection were incredible and all amazingly personal to Alexander McQueen's identity. Which made it all a bit more gothic and frightening that he committed suicide and death featured so heavily in his designs. Check out my Pinterest for images of the exhibition to get more of an idea. 

It's at the V&A until the 2nd August and it isn't part of the free exhibitions, but still really worth the money! 

That evening, the photo opportunity was just too good to be true, simply because London was finally bathed in SUNSHINE. I think this heavily influenced my new love affair with London. My sister has taken me to this really cool bar in the city before, but not in the sunshine, which made it even better. Sipping rooftop cocktails (prosecco, gin, elderflower and hopefully some tonic!) we enjoyed the sunshine and the cracking view of St. Paul's! Simply the image of bliss. 

Sunday was spent at the Tate Modern, looking at their Sonia Delauney exhibition which has just come in. I will confess that none of us had heard of her before (despite this cultured weekend, we know nothing). However, we went along and actually loved it. Abstract art is not the easiest thing to engage with, but Delauney had an interesting life and because she owned a clothing company a lot of her art included clothes and textiles, making it far more accessible than I expected. I've put some of her stuff on a pinterest board like with the McQueen exhibition. 

Of course, it wouldn't be a London trip without food and Emma has found the new BEST brunch place- this time it was The Table, about a 5 minute walk from the Tate. I was famished by this point, took one look at 'the stack' on the menu and thought 'yes PLEASE' (genuinely salivating at the thought). It was a toasted bagel layered with their ham hock baked beans, choritzo, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. So basically a heart attack piled up, but I really didn't care, it was delicious. Washed down with a morning glory juice- pineapple and lime. Perfect, as you will have seen on instagram. 

By the time I was the train back to Exeter, I didn't want to leave! Truly I was spoiled by this weekend and it was all down to Emma and Esme's organising skills. Once I've graduated from university London is certainly up there on the dreams. 

New Year's Skiing and the Christmas Catch Up

I'm trying to be a bit more on it with the blog posts- I should be working right now but this feels productive so I'm giving myself that at least...(here's hoping none of my tutors read this!) 

I was home for most of the Christmas holidays in Switzerland, except for a few manic days in England for Christmas eve, day and Boxing day, which can be summed up by slightly strange baking and roasts with my friend Anna and my uni housemates, as I'm sure you'll have seen on my instagram. 

For the first time ever, we managed to organise an actual ski holiday rather that to-ing and fro-ing between Geneva and the mountains. 

We've always gone for good old Les Gets and this year has been no different. Neither, have our packing habits; the car was so full a lucky little Tilly-dog was allowed to sit in the back seat with me, because the boot was rammed with all the 'essentials' my mum insisted on! 

The apartment is more of a modern style rather than your traditional chalet- hence mum's rug and throw explosion to make it homey- it's a natural instinct that she just can't shut down! 

Les Gets is quite low down, so the season only really starts just in time for Christmas. However, there wasn't really enough snow until New Years' week, so we had arrived just in time! The dogs are snow mad, so it also made their trip too. 

So we had mornings spent on the slopes and afternoons snoozing off the excessive amount of food eaten while we were there, topped off with new year's eve at this little restaurant called L'Outa. We were the only English people there, which is rare for Les Gets and reminded us of the community that's still in the village, making it extra-special. 

I'm heading back this month with a few uni friends for a sneaky ski weekend and looking back means I just can't wait! 

Surviving Final Year/3rd Year

So this is a bit weird for me, simply because I don't really think of this blog as a place for advice, but here goes! 

I have (as I have previously mentioned) started my final year of university. It's looking like the year of extremes- stress and fun all bundled together. I thought I would compile a list of things that have helped me survive the shock of all this work (as well as the awful heating of student houses) 

1. Tea: 
Not to be laughed at, whether it's a classic yorkshire brew, peppermint or some of the more fancy herbal blends, tea has been my snuggly friend through freshers' flu and final year stress.

2. SNACKS
Doesn't matter what I'm doing, if I'm working, I'm snacking too. Doesn't always have to the be the naughty stuff (pictured here as I prepared for a full- blown dissertation day that actually became a blogging day...) but another personal fave are rice cakes and guacamole, or just anything with guacamole, really. 

3. Stationary you can bear to look at: 
Struggling to convince yourself to even start thinking about deadlines? Having a diary that doesn't look at sombre and serious as your workload is always recommended. Paperchase do some of the brightest and best academic diaries I have ever found, so take a look! 

4. A good book: 
If you've had a look at this blog before, you'll know that I'm a lover of all things literary. Books are the best way to start a slow morning, but wake your brain up for a bit of work at the same time. Baby steps towards the scary theories we have to wrap our heads around. 

5. A good show or film: 
Sometimes, you just need a time out. If work is just not happening and you are freaking out, give yourself 40 mins (the average TV shows without adverts) to curl up and calm down. My current favourite is True Blood, because those vampires are pretty...

6. Get out of the house! 
Don't get cabin fever, it never helps. Whether it's a trip to the gym or your campus library to work there, staying inside all day rarely works for me. If anything, it will mean a poor night's sleep before your 9am the next day, so even if it's to the corner shop to get pringles, get out there. 

7. Music
I can't work in silence, and when my headphones broke the other week I cried. It was tragic. But let's be honest, Taylor Swift keeps me going. You can deny it, but we all know...

8. Your bed: 
Sleep is key for this year- everything really does look better in the morning- I also like working from my bed (my desk this year is pathetic), so go to your nearest Wilko and get some cheap pillows and cushions to make it a snuggly home for you to do some seminar reading on. Providing you don't fall into the trap of falling asleep while reading. 

9. Your Friends: 
They will also be going mental, freaking out and scrabbling around too. Best thing to do is to not be alone and scare yourself that you're alone in the panic zone. Either give yourself a motivational night out together or have a film night and look super cool like Merryn and I here...

'I'm Not that Kind of Girl' by Lena Dunham Review

So I recently did a book haul and here is the first of the reviews for it. It's that simple really.

First Impressions:

I'm in love. With Lena, with the stories, with this book. It sounds a bit lame and arty-farty, but this book really gets me and all other 20-something women (I hope, maybe it is just me). Granted, some of the clothing choices that Dunham describes are quite my thing, nor would I go for canary-yellow hair. However, the ideas behind the evidence are bang on. It's reminding me a lot of How to be a Woman by Catlin Moran, which I expected. Yet it still manages to be different. Of course, it's in an American context, but I don't think that makes a difference. I think being predominantly first person and not being quite so didactic when directly addressing the reader (which I enjoyed in Moran's writing, don't get me confused for a critic) makes it a little more relatable. 

This could be because so far it has been mostly just college memoirs that I can relate to because the Lena that she's talking about is the same age as me. However, I think that girls and women of any age (though maybe not too young) should pick this up. I even instagrammed about it. I mean, woah. 

Synopsis: 

I realise that those first impressions don't really explain all that much about the book and therefore are a little bit useless, but really fun to write. 

Dunham's work doesn't really have a synopsis per se, but is a collection of chapters based around some the topics that women (with the extensive case study of just me) think about most. It's a coming of age story as well taken from her own experiences and follows a style similar to a self-help book. However, I don't consider it as tragic to read than your average 'how to make it' book. It's an honest depiction of how girls become women and what we need to understand how we identify ourselves as women. Mostly the conclusion I have received is to know what your comfortable with, set that boundary and don't let people push you around if that's the line you won't cross. 

In short, it's an empowering collection of lessons that I think every woman should know about just to escape the inevitable feeling of loneliness that sometimes occurs. 

Actual Impressions: 

I have now finished the book and enjoyed it immensely- it was a bit weird at times, but I think that was due to getting used to Dunham's 'voice' throughout the book and also the fact that I read it until 1am most nights, which resulted in me falling asleep with the book in my bed. Scandalous I know. 

In a lot of ways, the stories make you wish that as a 20-something, you were, or are half as cool as Lena Dunham was, but at the same time, really, really glad you weren't/aren't her. The stories are great, because they seem as honest as stories can get, plus make me feel a little less concerned about being me. 

All in all, it was a fun and slightly mental read- if you have the attention span of a caffeinated squirrel, then at least give the first 5 chapters a go and you won't regret it. 

Kindle Haul- Readings for the Cold and Stressed

As I mentioned in previous posts I am back at university- something that is both exciting and stressful. I also have a cold at the moment that has rendered me totally pathetic. As you may have noticed if you follow me on pinterest that I rather like reading and joke about it in gif form (along with cats, firefly and Sherlock...not that I'm a stereotypical youth on the internet or anything...). It's pretty clear that books are almost as good as comfort food for me, so I've been a little downloading fiend this morning and thought I should share it with you. 

1. Not that Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham: 
I am so excited to read this! It's a collection of essays, which I have never read outside of studying, so I'm curious to see how it works as reading for pleasure. It has also been popping up on my instagram feed non-stop recently, so I'm hoping it's worth all the hype. I don't really know what to expect from it, but I'm hoping for another perspective of How to be a Woman by Catlin Moran...but then at the same time if its completely different, I think I'll still love it. I'm not even a 'Girls' fan, but I still love Lena Dunham and am curious to see what she's like as an author. 

2. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby:
I watched the film adaptation of A Long Way Down over the summer and wasn't sure how I felt about it. However, it made me curious to read some of Hornby's work because I have loved previous film adaptations like About a Boy, but feel awful when I watch films that are based on books and never pick up the paper version. High Fidelity was adapted into a film in 2000 that I haven't seen either, so if I enjoy the book I may give the film a watch too and review them side-by-side for you. 







3. The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond: 
This was a totally random pick, which can sometimes result in finding a new favourite author. It was on the Kindle Bestseller list and is all about sibling rivalries and finding your place in the world- something I think most people can relate to. Moreover, it's predominantly set in Cornwall (see my St Ives post to understand my love for that county), which isn't far from where I go to uni. It looks like an easy read that I can curl up with a cup of tea with. 









4. Everyone's reading Bastard by Nick Hornby:
Another Horby book, simply because I couldn't decide which one to choose! Both are about breakups, but this is about a divorce that ends up being dragged out online and in a newspaper column. Not only did the title make me giggle, but it sounds like Hornby is exploring the complicated world of modern relationships. I love these kinds of books that try to negotiate how the internet affects relationships (just see my Fangirl review)- especially in a comedic setting. Another easy read to enjoy!








This should result in reviews coming out each week when I have finished these delights, so keep an eye on and don't forget to follow on bloglovin' to keep track of when I post- I'm going to try for every sunday and we'll see how that goes. 

'The Silkworm' by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling

http://www.theedgesusu.co.uk/culture/2014/06/25/review-the-silkworm-by-robert-galbraith/

Hello all- another blog post that has been left lingering in the drafts section far too long...

So my commute to work was saved by the sequel to The Cuckoo's Calling also by Robert Galbraith.

We all know how J.K. Rowling's pseudonym was revealed with the first book, so let's move on from that excitement already and just look at the book for what it is- simply brilliant.

This book follows Comoran Strike and Robin once more as they investigate the disappearance of an author Owen Quine. As they go further they realise that his disappearance is based around the unfinished novel Bombyx Mori (latin for Silkworm, hence the title) and the characters that were involved in its creation.

I don't want to give too much away, because the twists and turns of the plot line were great fun to read. Galbraith is amazing at revealing just enough information to keep you reading without it being entirely predictable. Also, as with most sequels, both Strike and Robin get their own characters developed far more. Strike no longer appears like the stereotypical isolated he-man, but a full character with friends and thoughts beyond his case. His apparent 'use' of the new character Nina suggest that he's got a bit more going on- it certainly stops this novel being repeating the prequel.

Similarly, Robin gets far more stage time- her relationship with Matthew, her fiancee is explored- especially in the triangle between them and Strike- but not to the extent that it slows down the story. You get to visit her home town and follow her as she looks into what she really wants in terms of working with Strike and the impacts that it has on her impending marriage. All in all, these characters are a bit more people-like than vehicles for a story.

The book certainly has a pace to it- but at times I did get lost in all the characters. As with most Crime novels that don't involve serial killers, new characters were always part of the new case. This one in particular involves a wealth of characters that are each well established, but still I was able to confuse them from time to time. I blame the early starts to my fuzzy head.

However, living in London this summer made this book great fun- Galbraith is great at dropping in landmarks and locations that aren't the usual tourist fare of London literature- a highlight for me was passing through one of the tube stops that was referenced as I was reading it. It certainly made the descriptions come alive. Also, the presence of diverse female characters was amazing. To be honest, the diversity of the characters was great, considering the numbers was impressive- I think the setting of the literary world certainly helped in giving a platform for it.

An amazing read, especially if you are a born londoner or part-timer like me.

Sunny St Ives

Hi there...remember me? No? I kind of understand.

So interning actually just took over my life, completely and utterly. I thought I would have time in my 10 days before uni started to post this, but alas, no joy. I'm currently tucked in bed in my new house and have finally had 5 minutes to breathe during the madness of final year! So, I can fill you in on some of my summer as we move into autumn. If your pining for summer to stay for ever, maybe this post can trick you into thinking so!

The main holiday I had was three days down in Cornwall- we used to go every year to stay with our really close family friends, but sadly haven't been able to for years. So, even 72 hours in lovely St Ives was more than I have had in a long time and I jumped at the chance!

Unusually for an English summer, we were totally spoilt with the weather and had endless sunshine for the entire time I was there. It meant a mandatory beach day, sunbathing for my sister and friends and curled up with a book and the shade for me (I always wear sunscreen as well...joys of pale skin). After being bullied into the freezing sea with no wetsuit, the heat was really rather welcome.

A serious highlight of the trip was the food- head down to Moomaid on the harbour for the best ice-cream ever. My recommendation is the Soya dark chocolate sorbet- it's basically creamier than a normal sorbet, but not as heavy as ice-cream, with a really intense chocolate flavour. Amazing. In terms of actual food, there's the Porthminster Beach Cafe, a firm favourite of ours, and the Porthgwidden Beach Cafe for breakfast, another tradition that we keep. Fish and chips must be consumed at some point.

However, we had the most fun on our final night we a classic beach barbecue- the weather was threatening to rain and we were watched by beady eyed seagulls, but with the combination of food, wine and slightly drunk friends, it was entertainment all round.

More practical stuff for you to know: we stayed in the Tregenna Castle Lodges, just below the hotel and above Porthminster Beach- our friends have a time share there and it's actually a great location, though prepare yourself for an uphill climb home from town and beach- the main advantage there is that the views from the hotel itself are amazing.

I also flew to Newquay from London Gatwick South Terminal- it was only 45 mins with FlyBe in contrast to the 5 hours it took my family earlier on in the week- silver lining to working all summer right there! Prices vary depending on how far in advance you book.


I hope to go back next summer and promise to blog about it when it's actually summer again!