exam day 3

Today is going much much better - I've finished a very very rough draft of the second essay. Rest of the time today I think I'll go through my notes and make a list of the extras that I'm going to need to expand on both of them. So happy days, despite the rain! Everyone has come home from being on campus looking like drowned rats :P

I'm going to watch my housemate Non perform in a Uni. of York rendition of Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites a week on Sunday, and she just sent me a Youtube link to the finale, as performed by the Metropolitan Opera. It's so so so powerful, it makes me jump and want to cry at the same time every time the guillotine sounds. Absolutely incredible, I can't wait to see this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcUXp-fpiD0

somerfield exercises

I had to add this to the list of what makes you feel better during exam-cabin-fever time - going out for a walk in the sun, especially in the evening. Admittedly, I was simply walking to Somerfield (to stock up on 'decent' and colourful food) but I felt so much better for it. I put my iPod in as well, and practised holding myself up tall and walking with a swaying of the hips whilst listening to songs like Tambourine. My posture has often been quite bad - I tended to hunch my shoulders over and look squarely at the floor, especially when unhappy - but today I practised keeping my chin up. It's a good exercise!

Returned with salad, veg, special Lincolnshire sausages (it is exam week after all!), and a cheeky pot of olives and fresh Tiger bread. Bliss :)

exam day 2... cabin fever

Ok, so I'm over 24 hours into the exam and I'm already climbing the walls - 1 extremely nonsensical, scrappy draft of an essay down though, and one to go. For reference though, here's a list of a few things that have helped me out today:

• Motown (and dancing around my room to it - Lionel Richie, to be precise)
• Lots of tea
• Having a collected, sane, very patient friend to give you tips
• Tip from said friend: if you're stuck, write in a sentence what you want to say, then build from there.
• Phil Collins
• Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=michael%20mcintyre%20comedy%20roadshow&search=Search&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&spell=1 A few Youtube clips for your delectation.
• A few squares of dark chocolate

Another thing about me - I like making lists. A lot.

Also, I discovered today that Shared Earth (one of my most favouritest shops in York ever) now have 20 items for 50% off in store every month. I know where I'll be heading when this is finished!

http://www.sharedearth.co.uk/ So you can be excited too :)

'why would you eat that??'

I got told off by my mother for eating rubbish food (namely my tea which comprised of pasta, tuna, sauce, broccoli and cheese - didn't look good but tasted fine!) and have been ordered to purchase more fresh generally healthy malarkey. Will endeavour to take a trip to Somerfield and stock up on these things.

The new rule is: 'the more colourful your plate, the better it is for you.' Not a bad rule...

exam: day 1... and a sinclair rant.

Well, got the paper this morning and my 5 day exam bonanza has begun! Have been planning essays to the sounds of Motown and Tina Turner - both were playing in Roger Kirk earlier and they've been fairly fitting! Nothing like 'Simply The Best' to keep you motivated.

I think I have my two chosen essays now.. In a way I'm looking forward to getting them written out and being allowed to go all creative and philosophical with it :D

In other news - Sinclair are TWONKS. To cut a long story short we've been pestering them for a hoover for the past year (the one they gave us spat dust out instead of sucking it up) - phone calls, emails, you name it. We've been told every time that none of our messages have come through, including when my housemate called them today. However this time they went one step further: 'Well, if my house was dirty and my hoover didn't work, I'd use a brush.'

A brush?!?! On carpets that are essentially mess-magnets?! We are unimpressed with this. If they can give us pictures for the walls, new furniture and two barbeques without us asking for it, then they can afford a working vacuum cleaner. Sodding student letting agencies!

revision

Started off today with an absolutely hellish morning - my own fault for being too lazy to get up at 10 like I planned. I was supposed to be on campus for midday but at around that time I was still waiting for the shower to free up, and constantly tip-toeing out of my room clad only in my dressing gown to check if the coast was clear. It wasn't - I found myself peeking straight into the face of my housemate's dad more than once. In the meantime my room looked like a bomb had hit it, my hair would not behave itself and I learned the hard way that in future, I have to iron my favourite Zara shirt-dress after washing or it will ride up constantly. Not a good look when you're in leggings.

However!...Had a good revision sesh today with a couple of my friends - we were sat in the Courtyard for approx. 6 hours, not a lie. We even made friends with the bar staff (including the deadpan and oddly charming manager who bought us our first coffees of the day) and probably amused quite a few people by playing 'wasp tennis' around our table (it wouldn't sod off so we kept batting it with our folders). I feel like I definitely understand the stuff for the exam now (just as well when it's tomorrow!) so hopefully, the next 5 days will go swimmingly!

Got home, successfully pumped up my bike tyres (and felt very practical) and then tidied my room to make it exam-friendly. That actually included DUSTING. I kid you not. And actually the result makes me wonder why I haven't actually done it before (a fact my mum doesn't need to know) - everything seems a bit fresher, less musty, less clogged up. (By the way I was listening to Spotify at the time - and I've actually discovered I love love love Melanie C's album 'Beautiful Intentions' - seriously, if you're in need of general empowerment, or if you've had a rubbish relationship etc, listen to this album. The lyrics are brilliant - they summed up this past year for me in general.) I did unfortunately manage to kind of damage my desk a wee bit in the process though... note to self: don't spray surfaces with bleach when trying to remove a wax stain. Then definitely do not try to scrape away the wax with a knife because you WILL take a chunk out of your desk.

Oh well! That'll be coming out of my deposit then. *Sigh*
You're welcome, Sinclair.

That's all from me this evening... off for a listen to 'Baba O'Riley/Teenage Wasteland', then bed. Night all! :)

late introduction...

For some reason I'm still awake at 1am, listening to 'In Our Time: The Augustan Age' on Radio 4 (partly 'cos it's less likely to wake up the housemates than Spotify and partly for funsies), and I decided to start up this blog. I've been thinking about it for a couple of days now, setting up a little space where I can write out my thoughts and observations, and share the mad experiences of studentdom, living in York and just being me. So: hello! Welcome to my space :)

So now I've said hi hello and all the rest of it... who am I? These are a few odd things about me:

• I'm Bristolian.
• Love love love history and all things old. Old documents, artefacts, churches, castles.. can't get enough!
• I absolutely love turtles.
• I drink a LOT of tea. Have recently got into Redbush, which I love because I can drink it late at night (yay)
• I'm a fairly open person - I tend to just come out with things and be straightforward.
• Having said that I'll probably worry quite a bit about it afterwards!
• I have a pretty eclectic music taste. We're talking folk, to rock, to r'n'b, to boogie woogie, to 80s music, to world, to pop, and to the lute. Etc.
• I love to read poetry and novels and I still dream about writing one or the other. Favourite poet: John Betjeman/ favourite author: Philippa Gregory.
• I like to draw and paint.
• I tend to give my all to everything I do.

So that is a little bit of me to begin with. I am off to bed now, bed is calling and not even Melvyn Bragg can keep me awake!