Friday 25 September 2009

Life is too short to be lived without poetry

New uni year, new attempt with the blog. This summer's been one of change, not all good. I'm trying to make a lot of changes in myself, which is difficult, but hopefully it will work. Spending all of today in bed wasn't part of the plan.

So I'm trying to eat a bit more healthily, pay off my debts, keep on top of my uni work, be more positive and make more of an effort with people. Massive ask.

Friday 13 March 2009

I remembered my blog again. I'm so bad at this.

Things haven't exactly been perfect recently. A lot of things have gone on in my family, and whilst (almost) everyone seems to be a lot happier now that they are, to some extent, resolved, I feel awful. Whatever I may be told, or what I may know, I feel guilty. I can't even begin to explain why. I hope it passes.

I have little motivation to do my uni work, which is odd. I'm so determined to get a first, but I'm not making it easy for myself at all. I procrastinate constantly, and I've wasted so many hours this week alone which could have been spent on an essay or my dissertation. I anticipate using 24 hour library opening frequently over the next 2 months, if only to take me away from the distractions of my house.

On that subject (the house I mean) I have no idea what's happening. Until I know for certain which uni I'll be at come September I'm postponing making any plans for when I'm unceremoniously forced to leave my home in the middle of May. The atmosphere around here is horrific, but I'm taking comfort in the fact that I'm blameless. I haven't even shouted. This is a big deal for me. I've always struggled with my temper, and to have kept it so well over the last few weeks makes me proud. Go me.

Been to some awesome shows, as always. By the end of June I will have seen all 6 of my favourite artists in 2009. Nearly all of the top 10 in fact. It's brilliant.

Sunday 18 January 2009

This week has been somewhat crazy. My birthday celebrations were a lot of fun, and I got to spend time with people I really should see more often than I actually do, which is always good. Yesterday was 5 months since Tom and I got together, celebrated with a lovely Mexican meal and a lot of junk food. And today...well, I'm supposed to be putting in lots of effort to do my uni work for this week. So far, not so much. But I'm going to now. Promise.

Friday 9 January 2009

21 and invincible

Well, very nearly.
First week back at uni this week. I do feel like I have a lot to do to get the first I've promised myself, but if I knuckle down just a little bit more I'm sure it's achievable. I think. I hope. Oh I don't know anymore.
I'm home for the weekend. Mum seems to be trying to overcompensate for general family rubbishness, which is sweet but a tad uncomfortable. Shopping and a meal tomorrow, then back to London on Sunday. Monday sees the big 2-1, and a night with the majority of my favourite people. A week of partying, and celebrating 5 whole months with the boy, will fill out the rest of the next 10 days. I can see my grades slipping already....but hey, work hard and play hard.

Sunday 4 January 2009

Film reviews, 1-4th January

Twilight
Yes, I went to see it. It's awesome. I really didn't expect to enjoy it quite so much, but it surprised me. The acting is good, the story is a classic, the effects are cringey at times, but it's still fantastic. 8/10

The Spirit
Visually, this film doesn't disappoint. It looks almost as good as Sin City. Almost. However, the story is bland, the acting barely covers the lack of a strong plot, and the real appeal is seeing the variety of beautiful women in various states of undress. It had so much potential, but it just doesn't hit the mark. 5/10

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Guillermo del Toro's labour of love, and it shows. The level of detail in crowd scenes, the individual monsters, the story and the visual splendour are reminiscent of the first film, only slightly better. The humour is perfectly placed, nothing feels forced, and the 'monster' characters somehow feel more real than the humans. 7/10

Eastern Promises
I expected this to have a definite cringe-factor - non-Russians playing Russian parts could easily have backfired. Viggo Mortensen is a revelation, tough but with a clear moral centre. The violence is not excessive, and the story is believable. The characters are well-played and easy to connect with - the villains seem the more villainous for their obvious human flaws. Interesting and well-made, but not entirely my thing. 6/10