Back home

I haven't blogged in a while, bad me.

This week, I wasn't ill, I wasn't especially busy, I wasn't happy or sad. In fact it was just a very bland, homogenous week, and I had nothing to blog about. Most of my thoughts were "I can't wait to be home", and now I am home, and feeling much better for it.

Actually, one interesting thing happened this week. I had decided not to shave or cut my hair. I looked like a young Seasick Steve (except no where near as cool). But on Thursday/Friday I decided to cut my hair and shave the chin fuzz, it felt pretty metioric at the time but blogging about it now I feel a bit stupid playing up the largeness of the event. Haha.

Meh, whatever. Great to be back in London!

P&L¬!

Following the trend set by Facebook and MSN

I have decided to update my page. I think it looks better. I'm also about to add my first story to my short stories blogger site, so have a read.

Here is the link: http://nothingbutshortstories.blogspot.com

Today was a bit of a bizarre day. I heard that Jade Goody died. I know that I should be all dubious and mean because I am a Journo and we're the scum of the earth, but I do feel sorry for her and her family. Impending death, especially when it's your wife or mother, or daughter, must be so difficult. My heart goes out to them. That being said, the journalist in me doesn't like the way the media handled it (especially OK! magazine) and I expect the newspapers tomorrow to be rammed full of Jade Mania. But after that, and the funeral, I hope they leave her family alone.

P&L.

I've always wanted to look like a fighter...

Yep, I always have wanted to look like someone who could kick your ass from here to Neverland.

Although I'd like to make it clear that I've never wanted to be that type of guy. Apart from my interest in nunchucks, which I've never used on anyone, I have no interest in turning myself into a fighter. Quite the opposite, I haven't killed anything for years.

Even when a bug is flying in my face, i shoo it away, rather than hitting it for a home-run with a magazine. The best example of this would be last week, I had a spider dangling from my fringe on a single strand. I think most people would have jumped. I tried to blow it off, not taking into account that it would swing away, and then back into my face. So i collected it in my hand and let it scuttle up a wall.

I digress. I've lifted weights, grown my hair long, cut it short, stared at pictures of Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee for inspiration. I even copied the Rocky movies and began downing raw eggs in the mornings and after work outs, hoping it would make me ripped. Sadly, genetics didn't play fair and despite doing everything right, I hit my limits, falling way short despite being able to lift a lot. I just don't have the type of body that puts on much muscle.

That was all before Uni of course. Now I'm growing my hair long (I've just been stared at longingly by a hairdresser from his shop window = good sign) and will start my press ups routine soon, let's see what happens this time. But first, the Pudsey Beer Festival!

While I'm blogging, does anyone else find it difficult to resist saying goodbye on the phone in a silly voice? The more I say goodbye, the higher/lower my voice goes, so after three goodbyes I sound like either Barry White or Joe Pasquale. It maketh no senseth.

P&L :)

Illnesses and how to combat them

So once more, this is another bus blog. I think I could actually save a lot of time if I went onto blogspot on my phone while on the bus, but alas I am just not that smart (and my phone battery sucks). This morning I decided to talk about illness, and how it affects people. I was also a bit late, so I had to run for the bus.

This little thing to the left, is ginger. It's amazing stuff, if you haven't eaten it raw then I suggest you do. It's super spicy.

*Gasp*... Ok just ran my ass off to catch the bus that I'm sitting on right now. I was like Usain Bolt, just white and not that fast.

Anyway, the topic of my blog today is illness. Something, I don't know what or where from, has got into my system and made me ill. I have all the symptoms: headache, runny nose, general 'shit' feeling.. It's all there. But I'm still going into Uni, determined to ignore it, and enjoy it. This is what I always do by the yay, unless I break my leg and can't walk, I ignore illnesses. And it seems to work, I hardly ever get ill. But is it the best approach? Would a few days in bed, with a hot water bottle, do me better in the long run? I guess I'll never know.

Also happening in my life.. I'm running out of recipes involving manuka honey and ginger, aka the cold killers. I had beef with ginger and onions last night, it was amazing. (No longer on the bus) tonight I chopped a butternut squash in half, stuffed it with ginger, rubbed olive oil all over it, and then baked it for about an hour and a half at a low heat. What came out was this mushy, orange, sweet and gingery.. stuff. It was really tasty, and it felt healthy. AND, I have another butternut squash half to cook with tomorrow. I think I might add a bit of Soy sauce, a dash of mirin, and serve it with rice. I can envisage that being pretty f-ing good.

I had a bit of a strange experience on the bus today too. This little ginger kid (it's a theme) sat across from me on the bus. Little is a fair description, he looked about 15 but was barely 5 foot. He was also blessed with an array of freckles all over his face, and had a kind of nervous expression. Which was ironic because, I'm sure he had nothing to be nervous about. But I guess it's a symptom of being that age, I remember being hella insecure when I was 15, I am sure he was no different. Anyway, these two girls from the back of the bus decided to come to the front to talk to him, and no doubt antagonise him. I had my headphones on so I don't know what they were saying to him, but I could see he looked uncomfortable. Then one of them stroked my hair. I looked around and gave her a real London "what the f*ck are you doing?!" screwface, like only a real Londoner can. Then I realised they were about 16, and switched my expression to a smile. Then they started asking me questions, I could see how relieved my little ginger friend was that they had stopped interrogating him. Being 20, and pretty confident, I was comfortable talking to these girls and took the heat of him for a bit, until my stop came.

Now that might not seem like an interesting story, but it was an eye opener for me that I am so comfortable talking to complete strangers, yet my little 15 yr old friend, and my 15 yr old self, would be bricking it in a situation. That's what I love about being the age I am now. I have the self confidence to deal with most things, but the youth to still be excited by life.

Anyway, I watched Afro Samurai last night. It was great, I wrote a review today for audioscribbler so that should be online on Wednesday. I also watched Lion King 3 today, and I wasn't impressed. It's kind of a lame cash in. BUT, it was inventive, and I did enjoy it. It just didn't hit the heights that the original Lion King did - what a classic that was.

P&L!

Face invaders!

This is another blog written on the bus. Hope you like it :P oh, and let's see what captions you think should go with this picture.

This is from Friday.

A little known fact about me is that i very rarely acquire new spots on my face. It seems the oncoming of age seems to have finally halted that torturous process. The only time i get them is when I'm stressed. They work as tiny little red, pus filled guides to just how stressed I am. And right now, I'm not exactly Luke Chadwick, but my face has seen better days. As soon as the stress goes, they go. As it's magazine deadline day today, I'm expecting them to peak in the afternoon before disappearing by Saturday evening. Well, i hope so anyway. The project we're doing right now has really highlighted how uncomfortable I am with designing newspapers. Put me in charge, or let me organise everyone, or just write articles. But being in front of a blank Quark screen feels like I'm facing the glaring teeth of a great white shark. That won't do though. Time to practise. Especially as I'll be at Bizarre in exactly a month!

Lateness

Despite me wincing a little at the grammar and use of i (as opposed to I) I will upload my uncut, rant to myself that I wrote in my phone, on the way to Uni this morning. As you can probably tell, I was late. I like writing on my phone, you can't as write as fast as you can with a keyboard, so the words are a little more considered. Plus I'm usually bored when I do it, so another side of me comes across.


Oh and this picture (over there <--) definitely deserves to be online in some shape or form.

It's a strange thing being late. I hate it. In fact, i can't stand it. I see my tardiness as a strength, reliable enough to put your house on. But right now, i'm on the bus, late. Really late. Not suprising when you wake up two hours later than normal. But what is bizarre about my psyche is that i can't blame myself. It was the "stupid" alarm clock that didn't wake me up. Despite me forgetting to set it, it's definitely the clock's fault. Stupid clock - it's made me late. And the bus, perfectly on time. But it didn't come when i got to the bus stop. How dare it not, it's made me late too. Analysing the way i've looked at these things, i can say it's definitely my fault. I take responsibility, hang me on the cross. But no one will care ... Except me.

Boring updates

Hey hey!

SO, I’ve definitely decided that I don’t want to become a bad blogger. By that I mean, someone who writes a few little tidbits for the blog, and then buggers off. But as it is, I’ve been a little busy lately. And not busy in that I don’t have any spare time – that’s very rarely the case – but it takes a certain amount of effort to sit down, and write something you actually want people to read. Or something that I myself would want to read, a few years down the line.

So right now, I’m in my underwear. I was about to go to bed but I’m just not tired enough yet. And I have stuff to say. So I’m a little bit in there with my journalisming. I am now part of Leeds Music Scene, Audio Scribbler, Braintazer, Itchy, this (obviously) and my youtube project www.youtube.com/user/studentcooking. Which is really promising, I think I might email The Student Pocket Guide too, see if I can become part of that as well.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is, I’ve been creatively busy. But I am still really excited by life.