From one extreme to the other...

Given the fact it was the first week of my month-long Easter holiday this week I don't seem to have used the time off wisely. Monday was most productive with a trip into town to go and get some books from the library and then I went into Manchester in the evening to go for a meal to celebrate a friend's (who is one of the French assistants in Manchester) birthday. It was nowhere near a late night, although it could have been if it hadn't been for a taxi driver who dropped me off at home for less the fare it should have been. Taxi wasn't my mode of transport of choice, I have to say though, bus was....at least until I went to the terminus to find it locked with cleaners inside who told me no buses were operating....so much for having a 'night service' then really and after a frantic dash over to Piccadilly train station there were no trains either, so I had two choices, walking miles or jumping in a black cab and going as far as my £13 would take me. The fact the taxi driver said he hadn't the heart to just kick me out anywhere and would do the whole journey (even though it meant him being £22 out of pocket) due to the fact I had been honest restored my faith in human kind I have to say, especially as walking at that time of night wouldn't have been the best idea I'd ever had and it would have taken hours as it was miles. The rest of the week has been boring in comparison, days spent at home doing nothing with no-one as everyone is at work, I was even driven to start my essay which isn't due in for 4 weeks yesterday due to boredom, but still I can't say that being productive is a negative thing.

This week is in stark contrast to last week at uni before I came home as I was up to my eyeballs in essays as I had two essay deadlines, two days apart...you could say it was actually Essay Hell. Was so pleased to get them done, and went for a pub lunch last Friday with friends before the holidays, given that some people are staying in Leeds due to the amount of work they have, whereas others like myself have come home. I don't intend on going back to Leeds until I need to for lectures, although if library books come in the library I am not going to let them pass me by if at all possible.

Have a lot more going on over the next few weeks, meeting up with Elena and other mates this week, then Easter. Have a hen-party the following weekend and then a wedding the last weekend I am home, before I go back to uni and the small matter of uni work, which I have absolutely no doubt will get done given I have started on it around a week before I actually intended on doing. I am fortunate with how my modules panned out though as I have only one essay and a part of  a presentation to do whereas I know people who have got 5 essays to do over these holidays, so it could be a lot worse, but it is nice to think almost all of the work I have to do is done.

Hopefully going on a city break at the end of the academic year with some of my friends before we all graduate, which should be awesome....I've been itching to leave the country for months! Will write more about that when things are finalised as we are only in the planning stage at the moment, still all very exciting though!

Birthday Times!

I turned 22 on Thursday and I have to say it doesn't feel that much different from being 21...had an equally epic day like my 21st last year though! I saw the day in with 2 of my housemates in the kitchen with what was a rather spotaneous night including a takeaway, dancing on chairs (in Annika's case at least) and a good few games of Categories (seriously we didn't stop until we had gone through the whole alphabet!). I love nights like that, completely spontaneous but end up being legendary nights you will remember for a long time! :) At around 1.30am my housemates decided to do some baking, no idea why at that time specifically but I guess the mood took them, especially as the mixing bowl was still on the worktop drying out from when we had made pancakes for Shrove Tuesday 2 days before. Their aim was to make some cookies with the usual metal cookie cutters, although for the rather originally and amusingly shaped cookie they made me, I swear cutters weren't necessary! The final result was basically hard bread instead of cookies as Annika had messed up the recipe, but still I appreciated their efforts nonetheless, the thought was there which is what counts more than anything else.
Had a great day, took a surprise delivery of a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates in the morning which are currently on the desk in a vase next to me and had tea and cake that evening with my housemates again. I didn't even care about the hour I had at uni, nor the mad dash around town to get a cake before I had to be back for my seminar...I really do have the best friends, that was evident from the messages and birthday wishes sent from people near or far, nothing gets in the way of friendship and all my friends know who they are and how much I appreciate them all :)
Spoke to Mum on the phone as she rang to wish me Happy Birthday and have a chat, but I didn't go home as I was back last weekend for a family party and so saw everyone then, plus I am sure people appreciate that I have work to be getting on with given final year isn't exactly meant to be easy! Will be back again in a month's time as have 2 more family parties due to a lot of big milestones being reached this year what with 18ths, 21sts and an 80th to name but a few! Always love seeing the family though, especially as I hadn't seen them in 2 years due to having been away last year and working abroad over summers etc, any opportunity is more than welcomed :)
Hopefully going ice-skating this week now that half term is over and the ice-rink in town will theoretically not be as packed. Been wanting to go for a while and I know it is only open for a few more weeks- it is so much fun! :)
Write again soon before essay writing takes precedence which it will inevitably do over the next few weeks, but will need a break at some point! ;) x

A Pin Cushion in a Past Life?

Not had the greatest 2 days, frankly because I have had to confront my biggest phobia on both occasions. I am trypanophobic, for those who aren't well versed in all things phobias trypanophobia is the chronic fear of injections. Petrified isn't a strong enough word, I swear...what should have been a fairly straight forward blood test turned into two mornings spent at the Medical Centre, 4 attempts (so as much as I don't want to use the word, 4 needles) which nothing much to show for any apart from the last one and me with 2 splitting migraines, 2 sleepless nights, 2 achy arms for 2 days and no tears shed, not that it wasn't a distinct possibility on both occasions! I always seem to have problems when I go as the blood doesn't want to leave my system which prolongs everything further, it's like some kind of weird vicious circle with me completely stressed and petrified lay on a bed in the middle of it all!
I realise a lot of people are perfectly composed when it comes to things like this (my Mum and Brother being two)and will be wondering why I am so soft and making a fuss, but in all seriousness, to me it is no joke, I am so scared- I can't even watch injections and procedures on tv so God help me if I ever end up having to stay in hospital for a significant length of time! Ah well, necessary evils I guess even though I am an absolute wreck every time and for days beforehand. Had nice nurses with me today though which made things a bit easier, though I wouldn't go as far as saying I was wholly comfortable given I knew what was coming, hopefully done and dusted for another year (or so I hope!) now and I can chill this weekend knowing it's all out of the way! Think I owe myself a treat or two :)

Jeremy Kyle Show

Last Friday I did something I tried to do once before and failed...I went to watch The Jeremy Kyle Show at Granada Studios in Manchester. For people who don't know about the show the basic premise is that people with issues such as infidelity and want a lie-detector test or doubt the paternity of a child who want a DNA test go on the show and Jeremy Kyle and his team help sort the problems out, a bit like counselling but in front of several million people watching in a morning (or early afternoon when the show is repeated)and a studio audience when the programme is recorded.
It wasn't planned for me to go on that exact day, I had requested tickets (that are free) before Christmas and there is usually a waiting list of a few weeks or so, but due to the harsh winter and heavy snowfall we had last week they rang and asked if I still wanted to go saying I could have priority tickets so I would be guaranteed to get in as they needed a full audience (usually you have to go and queue because they give out more tickets than they need for each show as they need to make sure they have a full audience in the studio so once they have all the people they need, you get turned away as we did and then get priority tickets if you want to go back another time)...anyway I jumped at the chance, hadn't anything better to do apart from revise which was starting to bore me to tears! Ended up going on my own as it was short notice and none of my friends could manage it due to the weather/ work etc, but it didn't bother me whatsoever!
Arrived at Granada Studios and had to go through the security rigmarole, being frisked to make sure I wasn't trying to smuggle anything in and had my camera confiscated for obvious reasons, then ended up waiting for what seemed like hours...probably was if the truth be told! According to the crew the morning recording overran so they were behind schedule, so we had to be patient really and then eventually we were escorted down to the studio and alloted seats. The studio was so small, I swear the camera adds about twenty feet! Will, the floor manager explained to us how the recording was going to work and then Jeremy came and saw us all which was awesome...he was hilariously funny! I won't go through the show in precise detail but there were 3 lots of DNA results and the usual woman who is 110% sure that a guy is the father of her child and then shock, horror when he isn't! Think I am gonna be on the first half of one programme and the whole of another, but we will see when the show is broadcast in a few weeks- will probably still watch even though I know precisely what happens, yes, I am that sad!
Finally left Granada studios at 6.20 after having arrived at 1.45, but was well worth all the waiting around everyone had to do! Me and my friends are already planning to go back and thanks to Jezza we have been promised priority tickets again! :)

Snow: From Novelty to Annoyance

It is obvious when there is a snow day in the UK and not for the obvious reason that you can see snow everywhere! Schools are closed, public transport comes to a standstill, airports enter into chaos and basically everyone apart from kids who get a day off school find it a tad annoying...well after 3 weeks and the most snow Manchester has seen in a lifetime anyway! You would think that we would have resources and measures in place to deal with the fluffy white flakes that fall from the sky but as with most things it seems there isn't! I'm sure the weather-forecasts are there for a reason, so it wasn't as if there wasn't advanced warning or anything really. Local councils have been quoted as saying that there is not enough grit to put on the roads in one town in the North West never mind the whole of the region! Best description of the situation is meltdown, no pun intended.
I am starting to worry a bit now though as I am supposed to be returning to Leeds as I have my exams at university next week and up to now I have no idea whether or not I am going to be able to get back there as snow is forecast in Leeds until at least Saturday so watch this space! In the meantime we are all praying exams are postponed as given quite a lot of people live at the top or bottom of hills it could be difficult to get into uni once the snow turns to ice or even if there is more snowfall which is possible! In the meantime revision continues though and I don't see them completely cancelling final year uni exams, that would be way too much to ask!

Work in Progress...

As Christmas approaches as do the deadlines for the last week of term in 3 weeks time. Everyone I know is currently slaving away at desks, in the library or wherever so it is a pretty productive time of year for all concerned, mainly spurred on by the fact that it is the final push before the Christmas holidays...could be a lot worse! Christmas parties are already being planned with all the traditional food and cheesy music that we all know and love, so with the festive atmosphere becoming more and more evident as the days go by, who really cares if it is getting colder or darker that bit earlier in the evenings?
I am particularly happy at the moment as after months of looking my brother, Robert starts his first full-time job tomorrow working as a mechanic. He is on a month's trial but to be honest I see him getting through it with no problems at all, so in my mind at least he has the job for good! Hopefully then he can come and see me in Leeds after Christmas once my exams in January are over so we can go on the outdoor ice-rink which is always awesome fun! I adore it, again it doesn't matter that you have to queue for the best part of an hour to go on or the fact that it is cold as everyone is so happy! :) Really hope it snows this year though, it kind of makes the cold temperatures more worthwhile and I was really gutted when there was lots of snow in England during my time in France....was typical really, there is never usually that much and then the minute I go away it doesn't stop! Ah well, here's hoping at least!
Should probably head off to bed now given that I have to be up earlier than usual in the morning...student life has a tendency to mess up your sleeping patterns, but it's all part of life I think, it may well be the same in the workplace, I am yet to find out!
Will write again soon,
take care.xx

University Life

This past month feels as if it has both flown by and dragged...ah well, such is Final Year. I found it really weird being back in Leeds and back at university at first after not having had any classes in eighteen months and having been away for most of the rest of that time! Ah well, it has been nice to see my friends again though some of whom I hadn't seen in over a year, before I went to France and it has also been great to make some new friends in my halls (I live next door to a French girl, from Paris- how perfect is that?!) and in some of my classes.
As well as all my work this year I am having to make some really hard decisions about my future and what I want to do upon leaving university, so basically making decisions which will affect the rest of my life...it is so hard even though I am pretty sure what I want to do. I am glad to know it isn't just me that is having difficulty as some of my friends have told me the same. Hopefully have everything sorted in a couple of weeks though as have 'reading week' next week, which everyone uses as a kind of half-term holiday despite the work element implied in the name! Am off home for some of it though as have only been home for a weekend since coming back to Leeds and hopefully going to be able to teach some classes in my old college and secondary school, but that isn't yet confirmed. Got to know all the Language assistants in Manchester and Leeds which is really nice, good for me to be able to speak as much French as possible, but also to practice my Spanish a bit and improve what little German I know as well as helping them with their English and help them with all things to do with the UK. I was in their shoes last year so I know how they feel at times and faced with certain situations, so I know that for them it is good to have a native Englishwoman there as a resource and to help if necessary.
I went to a Ballroom and Latin 'Give it a go' session at uni last week and loved it! I think I am going to carry it on as I really want to learn more and I am on a mission to prove my Mum wrong! She (who used to be a semi-professional dancer and dance teacher might I add...) thinks I have little rhythm and can't really dance, but we'll see who has the last laugh on that one! :) Will keep you updated with how I get on! Have a French soirée with some of my coursemates this week too, so I am going to have to choose some films to take with me and some other French things as part of my contribution to the evening, should be good though!
Will write again soon (even if it is just to have a break from essay writing, hehe :))