Tascha time!!!!

Yesterday was a really exciting day for me as I met up with my dear friend Natascha. Tascha had planned to visit England, being from Austria herself, and I delayed my move in order to get to meet her once again. We last saw each other in Vienna where we spent a good few days exploring, and where we celebrated my eighteenth birthday together. If you can't work it out from that I'll clarify: We've not seen each other in way too long!

We met up outside Camden station in London and it was truly wonderful to see her again. Tascha is one of the kindest people I know and it really is a shame that we live so far. It was truly amazing to meet up with Tascha again and I am not even going to try and put it into words. Despite her protestations that her English had worsened (her English is great) we really did pick up where we left off and had a wonderful time. I was also lucky enough to get to meet her cousin,who I think is called Sabrina but I didn't catch her name after the initial introduction so apologies if I am wrong!

Can you tell which of the cousins was sitting in the sun?

It was great to be back in Camden after a while of not visiting. The mazes of stalls, all full of clothes and items that I could quite easily integrate into my collection are all fun to explore. I maintain that the best way to explore the area is to simply walk and get lost in the markets. If you try to find something in particular it's not going to work out quite so well! 

We also had a Turkish wrap thing off one of the street food stalls. Not only were the people on the stall lovely but the food was good too. Indeed, we've not had one of these pancake things (I forget the name and the stall just called the wraps) since my mother and I were in Turkey and sitting in a little tent. It was really nostalgic for me!

Of course, I never manage to show people around without there being some drama and this came in the shape of getting caught in the middle of a police chase. By this, I mean that the bloke who was running managed to hit me in the head with something as he went past. Nice couple of hours of dizziness (sorry to Tascha and Sabrina who had to look after me!) and a lovely bruise forming today. Not complaining because, seriously, these are the events that make the best stories for the future!! It was really funny though as one of the stall holders came over to clarify that this wasn't what England's normally like, bless him!

By this time, it was about time for us to part anyway as The Visitors had tickets for The Book of Mormon and needed to go to theatre land! Can you tell I'm jealous? ;-)

Tascha then really surprised my mother and I by giving us gifts that she had brought with her. My favourite, and that of my family, has to be the home made miniature bottles of schnapps with a little gnome on the bottle. Those feel so special and my bottle is going to take pride of place on one of my shelves in my new room no doubt. It was really sad to part, once again, and I simply hope that we manage to see one another soon, and, indeed, hope that both she and her cousin have a safe flight home on Thursday.

<3

Of course, after a day like that, the journey home simply couldn't be smooth... The car broke down, having been serviced the day before, and we were stuck for about three hours on the M1 - luckily we got to a service station. That said, the drama of the day really brought people out of themselves. Stall holders who came to check I was okay earlier in the day, the men who stopped to try and help with the car, the gentleman and his family who  lived locally and said that we could go to his if need be, the lady who gave us parking for free because it would have cost us twenty pounds otherwise, the cashier at the service station who came over and chatted for ages after his shift so we didn't get bored. These kind of interactions only really happen in mini (or larger!) crises but don't they remind you of the beauty of humanity. If only we all came out of our shells a little more and showed each other the love that we have inside, and if only society allowed that to happen.

A moment back down in Exeter

In a rush to attempt to see a couple of my closest friends before moving out of the country, I managed to steal a couple of days back in Exeter. The plan was to see Lloyd on day one and Nené on day two. I also planned to drop some stroopwafles off at Aimee's as she loves them and I forgot to take any last time. However, on the way down, I received another text from Aimee asking if I was sure I really couldn't stay (again) so I took the hint and stayed there for the night.

Meeting with Lloyd is always fun. He's a highly intelligent and really lovely person. We have some of the most amusing debates on every subject, usually while drinking tea and or eating good food. Naturally, this meeting was no exception. He introduced me to a little restaurant, Mashawi, in Exeter, which serves Middle Eastern food. Although my diet is severely limited at the moment, the food that I could eat was lovely while there was so much I would have liked on the menu. Well done, once again, Lloyd. As always, it was great to see him!

I did bring my camera but only took the one photo!

Then it was a half an hour walk to Aimee's in the rain. I guess it was worth it but y'know... ;-)

Seeing The Best Friend again was a real unexpected bonus and we messed around, played silly games on the computer, talked about stupid things. The morning was brilliant too as Nené was running very late and Aimee, her sister Caroline, and I spent the additional time singing through Disney songs. We're certainly responsible adults, okay?

It was also lovely to get to see Nené again. She was her normal bouncy self and I am so pleased I got to see her before I went. Aimee came with me and those two got on exceptionally well, as I always said they would! Our time was cut unexpectedly short but, to be honest, her gentleman friend who accompanied her seemed so bored that I am slightly pleased to have relieved him of the burden of my presence!

Leaving Aimee once again was really rather strange. Although our previous meeting had seen us saying our goodbyes, doing so once again was really rather painful. My leaving, exciting as it may be, feels so much realer now and to say goodbye within that realisation... it's not comfortable. Now she just has to come out and see me in the Netherlands soon!

Castlefest review: Saturday

For introduction post and Thursday round-up click here, for Friday click here.

Saturday

My plan for the morning was to go and catch the very start of Finvarra's set and then go to see Asynje
while my mother stayed at the former. I'd heard bits of Finvarra's music and wanted to listen to them live but as they clashed with Asynje I knew I was going to have to leave. Well, that didn't quite work out. In the end, I ended up so wrapped up in Finvarra that I ended up staying for the whole thing.

Finvarra, apparently play celtic folk with oriental aspects. However we catagorise their music it's really, really good! Gwen, their normal vocalist, was away on maternity leave and hence lead vocals were provided by Monique of Cesair but it didn't impact on the general performance at all.

The general performance was wonderful. The audience were up and dancing despite the heat - and it was boiling - and the combination of music and dance was the perfect way to start the day. Of course, I bought Finvarra's CD after this set and am currently listening to it. I would certainly go and see them in their own right at some point.

After Finvarra, and conveniently on the same stage, it was time for Zirp. Zirp are one of my favourite live bands because they are simply such good fun. Every time I see them I wish that I could get up and join in with the dance. Seriously, their music will drive me to dance again and that will be dangerous for anyone in the area! Anyway, I digress!

Their hurdy gurdy led folk music makes it impossible to stay still or, indeed, to be unhappy. Intricate melodies, driving tempos, there's something infectious about their music. Before their set, my mother commented on how empty the area in front of the stage was, questioning if Zirp weren't popular... her question was soon answered when they started playing and that space became the dance floor!

It's the only photo I have of all the band, okay! ;-)

My favourite piece that they play would probably be Bourrée Inkarnation and it's probably easy to just listen to them playing than me blathering on about them!

After their set I, once again, decided to try and get one of my scrapbook paintings signed and I was so so pleased that I did. The band were so appreciative of the drawing and it really gave me a chance to chat to them and I can certainly vouch that they are lovely guys! It was weird though as my little scrapbook sketch garnered more attention than I could have imagined with the band asking to have a photo with it. There's something strange about something that you created for yourself to show your respect for the artistry of another receiving so much attention in its own right but I was so pleased too, of course!!

The next band that I was lucky enough to catch was Cesair. Cesair are probably one of my complete

favourite bands. Their music has this magical quality to it and I love both their CD and the shows I have been lucky enough to catch. Although I only managed to see the one show this festival (there were too many clashes between good bands!), it certainly lived up to expectations. I won't go on too much about their show as previous posts have already said it all but once again, I can only say that I would highly recommend catching them live, if possible, and purchasing their CD.

Once again, after the set I went to get my scrapbook painting signed and had another rather large shock with how nice everyone was about the image, based on their CD cover. Fieke, in particular, was so sweet and that did mean so much to me. I also spent a bit of time, while hanging around the Cesair merchandise area, talking to a lovely lady from Amsterdam who was, similarly, lurking. Although I have no continuing contact with her, these little meetings, comings together of strangers, are what make Castlefest such a special festival.

Mother and I then planned to sit down at the back during Corvus Corax's set as there was a real shortfall of seats. I didn't know Corvus Corax particularly well but, having heard a few tracks and a lot of good things about their live show, had decided to attempt to see them but I wasn't that fussed about sitting and not prancing around (etc etc). However, a few tracks in it became clear that there was no way you could sit still, or stand still, during one of their sets. While the music wouldn't be my choice on my iPod, the live show was so loud, energetic, and engaging that it was thoroughly enjoyable. There is no doubt that they are skilled musicians, even if the style isn't quite to my taste, and, moreover, great performers. I may not go out of my way to see them again but I hope that our paths may cross, nevertheless!

Following their set came the burning of the Wicker Owl. Each year, there is some kind of wicker creature/figure with some symbolism that is, on the Saturday, burned with messages etc within it. I won't attempt to describe the whole process as you can see for yourself in the video below. However, what I will say is that it's a profound moment of unity. At that moment, everyone is joined and it is something quite special. 

Video from Castlefest's youtube channel

Following this was Faun. Now, Faun have been one of my favourite bands for many, many years now and I would say that every show of theirs is special. Okay, I'm a bit biased. However, there was something really special about this show. I don't know if it was because it followed the Wickerman ritual, if it was because it was the 10th anniversary of Castlefest, or if it was just an amazing crowd. The atmosphere, the energy of this show was much greater than I have seen before. Wonderful!

 

I was also lucky enough to meet Faun after the show, something that I have not managed to do before (although I've met Oliver when I've seen Folk Noir, previously, and Stephan with Zirp, obviously!). Pleased that I managed to meet them but even more pleased I was at that show. Looking forward to seeing them again soon!

I have a lot more photos on my facebook page, and Sunday's review will be up soon!

Castlefest review: Friday

For introduction post and Thursday round-up click here

Friday

Friday was the first day of the festival itself. My mother and I got up early and walked towards the unknown (i.e. a shuttle bus) and waited. The queues of people waiting by Hillegom station must have been quite the sight! Although I would have liked to have camped, as planned, the atmosphere on these shuttle buses was lovely and we were also lucky enough to have drivers who felt like putting on music for most of the journeys... got to get into the mood, right?

The first act I was lucky enough to see was Lisa Cuthbert. I first got into Lisa's music last year when I accidentally ended up listening to a small part of her set and found it truly beautiful and rather haunting. She has the most stunning voice with true emotional qualities. Her subject matter, and songs, are stunning too. Her CD, Paramour, is a concept album centred around the theme of the Magdalene Laundries which were religious run institutions in Ireland in which fallen women lived in awful conditions. I won't go into her music too much at the moment but will probably review Paramour at some point and would urge you to get it because it's a wonderful album.

Lisa's set this year included several sections in which she played solo and also played with a new band. Despite the fact they have only been playing together since December, if my memory serves, they worked together really well. It's exciting to see the project growing and developing. That said, I'm pleased that the set still does contain some of the stripped back sound that I really did fall in love with.

The highlight of this set for me was hearing my favourite, Gartan Mothers Lullaby, played live. It's such a simple, bittersweet sounding piece that truly does show off Lisa's emotional and vocal range.

After the set (which was spent mostly hiding in the shade) I went over to the merchandise stand to see if I could get my scrapbook drawing signed. This was the first time of meeting Lisa, and also her drummer, and it really must be said that she was lovely. She spent a lot of time with everyone talking about her music, life in general, and really bothered to make everyone feel special. And she did sign my drawing so I was pleased with that too!

After that great start, my mother and I gravitated towards the Forest Stage where Shantalla were playing. Indeed, my mother was supposed to go and see them and not Lisa Cuthbert but, hearing Lisa's performance while 'dropping me off'  the mother decided she wanted to stay too. We were lucky that we managed to catch the end of Shantalla's set and therefore got the best of both worlds.

Shantalla are a band that I vaguely know, and know that they're good, but don't really listen to. I did, however, really enjoy the part of their set that I managed to catch! I think it's really worth commenting upon the lead singer, Helen Flaherty, who, not only has a lovely voice, but has a real joyous energy on stage and brought a lot to the overall atmosphere.

After a brief detour to catch a few minutes of The Moon and the Nightspirit (too many set clashes!) it was back to the Forest Stage for Folk Noir. Although I really do like Folk Noir, I'll be honest and say that I didn't really manage to see all of their set as I had to go and sit down part way through it. One year I will be healthy ;-)

The parts that I did see brought all that I expect from that group, beautiful music with a somewhat nostalgic tone along with a presentation that is professional but not too stiff. There's something great about seeing this group perform live in that it rather feels that you are watching a group of talented individuals jamming together rather than a polished performance. There's that kind of intimate feeling and, perhaps, that is what makes this group stand out.

I'm really looking forward to the prospect of a CD release from the current Folk Noir line up as opposed to the early EP which is wonderful but simply not enough! I don't know if there's one in the works but it was mentioned last year so fingers crossed!

We then moved to one of the other stages to sit in the shade and listen to the next band on our itinerary, La Horde. Now, if you know La Horde you will know that there is no way you want to sit down and listen to them because they are a real party band. I honestly don't know how to describe
them as a band, or their music, other than feel good crazy stuff. From the expected tunes, played in unexpected ways, to tunes you wouldn't really expect at this kind of festival (I like to move it, for example), their sets are fun and unusual! I know there was one set that was planned to be a pyjama party, complete with pillow fight, and also, I've heard, a 'wall of hugs'.

After a bit of a break (listening to Euzen from a distance, and also catching the very end of Rastaban's set) it was time for Scrum. Now, last year, I was really disappointed by Scrum's set. I really do like their music and felt that, surely, this was because the sound tech was messed up. That said, I wasn't expecting too much this time, just in case. However, Scrum did live up to my original high expectations this time (re-enforcing my idea that it was the tech not them causing problems before).

Scrum play a mixture of traditional celtic folk tunes, with a rocky twist, and original pieces in that style. This results in a high energy, high impact performance. This is another band that is really easy to connect with as an audience. Although their musical performance is of a high and polished quality, there is an openness about their stage presentation that makes them seem as though they've just jumped up there for a laugh as opposed to being serious professionals. To be honest, with this genre with all its earthiness, you need to have that kind of attitude on stage. They were also lovely guys and signed my scrapbook painting even though I believe it caused some confusion as people couldn't work out quite what it was!

After Scrum, it was time for The Dolmen who are a band from Weymouth. Despite the fact I lived just down the road from there until a few months back I have only managed to go to their shows in mainland Europe. If any of my English friends are reading this, go see them, okay?

This late night set was full of people who really wanted to dance and have a wonderful time and with The Dolmen's music it was an easy thing to do! Although I was alone for this set I was approached by a fair number of people either to chat or to dance so thank you to anyone who absorbed me into their groups for a time. I think this was one of the most fun and friendly crowds of the festival so, for me, it's one of my highlights for sure and a brilliant way to round off day one!



I have a lot more photos on my facebook page, and Saturday's review can be read here!

Castlefest review

It's hard to believe that Castlefest was only one week ago. As always, it shoots by so quickly with an element of surreality that means that it is only days later that the brain finally starts to believe that it happened.

This blog post is somewhat later than my normal event summary posts as I've been unable to sit down and write, or sort through pictures. Indeed, as I type this I am still whittling down my 1000s of images to a few 'good' ones! I am also splitting it into a few sections (one post for each day) because it would be impossibly long otherwise!

Thursday

As those of you who are friends of mine on facebook (etc) will know, the start of Castlefest didn't exactly go to plan for me. A combination of cancelled flights and standing in queues waiting for KLM for hours, and my own weak composition meant that I was actually quite ill for most of the weekend and chose not to camp. I also ended up having to miss the opening concert which, sad as it was, did allow me some recovery time before the weekend proper.

However, I am happy to say that there was one lovely surprise - the whole festival being live streamed meant that I was able to watch the show from the comfort of the flat my mother was renting. Admittedly, I would never have chosen to do it that way but it was surprising how much of the atmosphere did carry through the computer screen. It also meant that, for the first time, I managed to see a live performance of Dikanda. Every single time I have planned to see them live I have been ill - I think I'm going to give up ;-)

For Friday's review, click here.

A bit of DIY and such

Two blog posts in as many days, oh my!

It's been a really productive day my end and things are feeling more and more positive as my family and I continue to work. In my previous blog, I mentioned that my flat came in a less than suitable state. Indeed, that was the condensed version of the issues faced (I'm still not sure how the previous tenant managed to make quite so many holes in the ceiling), but after two days of solid work and painting, and the such, the room is starting to look more and more habitable.

Working very hard, obviously.

It's amazing what a bucket of paint and a lot of disinfectant can do. Annoyingly, it has put our plans behind a bit as dad's going back to England tomorrow and hasn't had time to lay the carpet yet and that is something I wouldn't know how to even think about doing. It just means that I'll have to spend tomorrow doing more admin stuff (setting up bank accounts anyone?) before going back to England for a couple of weeks, myself.

The minute my old faithful desk went up it started to feel like home!

So, I'm guessing this might be the last blog of this trip to Amsterdam. I've got some really lovely things planned for the couple of weeks I'm back in England, mainly meeting up with friends, but I'll be honest, I'm excited to get back here now!!

Moving in.... slowly

When you enter the room that will be your home for the next three years you really hope that it's going to feel right... or at least okay. I have to be honest and say that I did not have that feeling yesterday.

We should have guessed something was wrong when my mother and I went to pick up the keys from the agency and found that the electronic keys were broken, there were two door keys instead of three and one of those was snapped in half. The caretaker was called, an appointment made for the lock to be changed this

A fuzzy photo of local wildlife is better than a photo of my flat!

morning, early, as I had furniture arriving. It was one of those annoying things but not a great problem.

However, perhaps that should have set off the warning signs, after all the previous tenant obviously wasn't that fastidious and neither, it seems, are the housing agency. We weren't quite expecting the state that the room would be in... I don't know if anyone would have expected it. It was filthy, toilet blocked, holes in the lino etc etc etc. After a long day, that wasn't exactly what one hopes to find.

This morning also saw some setbacks as the caretaker didn't turn up (turned out that despite the appointment being at 9a.m. she didn't start until 12:30). After a few complaints, we eventually got the caretaker of one of the other buildings to come and change my lock and wow, was that for the best. This gentleman was wonderfully helpful, had a few things to say about the previous tenant (none of them very nice!), and got someone to come and completely clean my room there and then. Admittedly, it should have been done before we arrived but I couldn't complain about the service today.

We also moved my stuff in and, although we can't assemble it as we have to paint over hand prints on the walls, it's now starting to feel like home. It's weird how the fact that it's not clean(er) has made it seem a lot more manageable. Indeed, the longer I'm spending out here, the less scary it's becoming and the more exciting it seems!

How can it be over already?

Well, well, well, Castlefest has happened once again. I simply cannot believe it. The last few days have been so amazing, as always, that my mind hasn't really had time to process the fact that they really did happen.

At the moment, I'm sat in the apartment that we're renting until tomorrow typing on my new computer (which isn't working properly so I can't get my photos off my camera... annoying thing). The point being, this is going to be a short post with my full post coming, probably, when I get back to England.

I don't really know how to summarise the weekend and a bit that has just passed. Surrounded by some of the most friendly people, beautiful music, amazing costumes, and an atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else... that is Castlefest. I was also happy to meet up with a couple of people I had originally met last year, and meeting new people too - hi everyone :-D

In a lot of ways, this weekend wasn't exactly what I'd planned. I was unable to camp for various reasons, a last minute discussion based on ill health prompted by several hours standing in a queue at an airport (thanks KLM!). However, things also went well in unexpected ways. I got a couple of my scrapbook paintings signed and they drew quite a bit of attention from some the respective bands. I honestly didn't expect it and it was a little over overwhelming actually for something that I do for my own enjoyment to be so much the focus! Weird but in the very best way!

The other non-planned event was my first conversation in German with a native speaker. Because I'm self-taught 100% I've never had the chance to take the baby steps into conversation although my understanding is not bad. I also got to exercise my French a little too (I learned it since I was 6-7 and only stopped about a year ago yet I have never really used it in conversation... everyone seems to want to speak English)

Anyway, I'm rambling on a lot more than I had intended so I'll go for now. As I said, proper long post with photos and stuff is to come. I will probably have at least one generic blog post before then because I'm getting my flat keys tomorrow... eeee!

A day of ick

Well, I didn't plan to be here right now. I should be in The Netherlands, ready to get things sorted out for The Move and, of course, ready to go off to Castlefest. Instead, I am in a hotel opposite the airport, hoping I'll be able to fly tomorrow.

I wouldn't mind all that much except it has been a complete mess. Standing in a queue for about four hours with no communication from the airline (thank you to the people on facebook/twitter, and Maria in particular, who helped everyone in that line to work out what was going on)... told we would be put on a flight leaving at around 5 and having all our details taken with the promise we'd get the boarding pass in a moment... getting to the front desk at last to be told that we couldn't fly until the next day and, from what we've heard, this was because some people got to skip the queue because they paid extra (seriously) and we got taken off the flight again. We weren't told to sign in to get seats so we will have to go and do that tomorrow; some of our fellow passengers were told to check in. And, finally, looking at the amended booking online - I am down as Un Chadburn. Now, I know I go by many names but Un is not one of them. Incidentally, my frequent flier number and bags have been removed too. Somehow I do not think tomorrow is going to go smoothly.

To top it all off, it turns out that our flight is the only flight that has been cancelled. The previous flights were delayed by the weather, the flights after ours (including the one 10 minutes after ours) were on time. Our flight was not cancelled because of the weather, it was cancelled to get the rest of their flights back on schedule. So, because off all the above, I am writing a stonking complaint letter to KLM as soon as I find the energy.

Once again thank you, thank you to anyone who helped out or texted or whatever... you gems!

Anyway, that's the short version cutting out the bit where I collapsed, we couldn't rearrange the taxi even though on their website it said we were entitled to do so etc. etc 

I'm exhausted. Na night!

Well, that's that then

As I write this I'm whizzing down the road in a van half laden with my stuff, the final things ready for The Move. Incidentally, that also means that this is the first blog post I've written on my phone which means anything could happen.

Sitting next to my bass guitar with my desk in pieces in the back, my paints in boxes it really does feel like my life is packed up. This limbo is an extended goodbye without any of the features of the new beginning. In that sense, I feel a little lost yet I also do feel the excitement of that promise of a new adventure. No matter how it may feel I'm not cutting any bonds but rather stretching them and taking them with me as new ones are formed.

Bring on the future!

It's been a while

So, my last post was just after the Reckless Love show which, in all honest, feels like an eternity ago. The days since then have been filled with preparations for the move, buying a thousand things, arranging a million meetings... worryingly, I'm not exaggerating very much!

Anyway, the point being, while the last few weeks have been a complete emotional and physical roller-coaster for me (what is sleep?) they would have translated into complete monotony to read about... more than normal!

So, in short. I'm still alive... just not very interesting ;-)

Another night of Reckless Love

I will start this blog post with a warning. If something doesn't make sense it's because I haven't quite recovered from the brilliance that was last night and my brain may not be in gear!

Yesterday was another trip to Bristol for an evening of music at The Fleece. It also heralded the last gig that I have with Kim until she comes out to Amsterdam in February and, frankly, that's just sad! As always, we met some delightful people in the queue, and in the venue itself before and after the show.

Kim and I being attacked with a camera ;-)

First up was Mia Klose. With a confidence on stage and a real skill for performance I can see how Klose could be someone to watch. Sadly, I couldn't hear her vocals at all because of bad set up. Indeed, Kim and I spent the first couple of songs trying to work out if the microphone was even on. That said, the instrumental aspects of the music were enough to keep me interested and I've since looked up her music and found it to be quite enjoyable. It's a real shame that the performance was let down by bad sound tech but I guess it's one of those things. In fact, I'm sure I wrote something similar in my last review of a show at The Fleece, hmm...

Next up was the local band, BlackWolf, a band who I saw last Reckless Love gig and felt indifferently, at best about. There was such an improvement in their performance. Last time, it felt like they were trying way too hard and I was more concerned about one of them falling into the audience when their legs got tied together with wires as opposed to the music. This time, the performance was full of energy but felt more polished, mature, and was generally enjoyable. It also allowed me to focus more on their music (they had better sound than last time) and I found that I liked it. It's not the kind of thing I would normally listen to, I don't think, but I think I'll probably give up and buy their CD now and, if I wasn't moving away, I'd like to see them again.

Finally, the stage was set up for Reckless Love, complete with little cameras (or that's what we decided they were) in various positions, including attached to the drummer's chest. Nothing like hidden cameras to make you a little self conscious while 'singing along' and jumping up and down like a loon.

Olli in the spotlight

The usual recording of 'The Boys Are Back In Town' started playing and, after almost all the song had played through, the boys finally turned up on stage. Kim timed them. They were late. Anyway, fashionable lateness aside the band immediately launched into a set filled with old songs and new,

album tracks and singles, and the crowd really enjoyed it.

If anything, this show seemed a little less energetic than previous shows but the difference in the crowd was tangible. There wasn't a moment when people weren't singing along, bouncing up and down and thoroughly enjoying their evening. I have to say that this was probably one of the best audiences I've been in... excited without being overly pushy.

If Olli was less energetic than usual (which still makes him more dynamic than most) then Jalle seemed to be more into the show which was lovely to see. Pepe and Hessu were their normal, wonderful selves. Of course, I can find no complaints... except for the fact that I'm not going to be living in England when they come back!!!

Pepe mid hair flip

We were also lucky enough to meet all of the band members who, again, kindly signed one of my little scrapbook doodle paintings and took photos with Kim and me. The music was a little too loud, there being a club night after the gig, to really converse but it was great to see them all the same.

A few goodbyes and a lost room key later and it was all over. Darn it.

Thank you to everyone I met in the queue (I don't remember everyone's names so won't try to list but if you stumble across this and want to add me on facebook/follow on twitter and say hi then please do!). Also, thank you to Kim for being an amazing person, yet again, (she knows it). And to Reckless Love, well, until next time!

Gathering momentum

With each passing day it's getting closer to The Move, and that's to be expected. What I didn't expect was the way that, with each passing day, time starts barrelling forwards with more and more speed. Suddenly, July is here and with it the daunting phrase: "One more month".

Interestingly, the emotions which have been ballooning around along the terror spectrum are starting to focus more on excitement. I mean, I'll admit that I did have a cry when trying to buy kitchen appliances the other day but we'll just ignore that. It's also starting to feel like things are coming together. Almost every day we're out doing something.  Time is running away and I'm starting to feel ready. I've even bought a bed now, and a sofa bed so people can come visit.

The other thing on the horizon is my final planned UK gig which is, of course, Reckless Love. I'm going to be so upset when they next tour England and I'm not going to be here but I'll ignore that for now! Really looking forward to the concert, which is this Friday, and to meeting up with Kim too. Reckless Love always put on a good show and, with it being a one off festival warm up, I'm thinking it's going to be a bit special!

Naturally, preparing for a gig,
in my mind anyway, means painting

Oh, and as you may have noticed, I've had a go at using my instagram account. I still don't understand the thing but it's easier than going through the whole memory card rigmarole when I want to upload a basic image. We'll see!

End of an era

For some reason, my trip to see Aimee last week, brilliant as it was, and I will go into that below, seems to have triggered a slight feeling of sadness within me. In some ways, it feels as though it was the beginning of the process of change. Saying 'goodbye' to your best friend and her family, a family that may as well be part of your own, knowing that you're unlikely to see them for a long, long time... suddenly the reality of the move starts to hit home. It's not to say that I'm sad because I'm not, I'm excited and nervous and everything one would expect... I just can't quite explain the emotion in English.

Anyway, onto my trip to see The Best Friend...

Caroline somehow managed the impossible and took a
completely out of focus photo on my camera. I think she has a talent!

Arriving later in the evening leaves little time for the innitial catch up discussion so, naturally Aimee and I managed to stay up quite late. Okay, we stayed up until about half three talking about Game of Thrones but oh well!

The day after was a day of exhaustion leading to a decision to mooch as opposed to force excursions. Naturally, this gave Aimee the perfect excuse to attempt to introduce me to her not so new obsession of pole dancing. Admittedly, in my case, this was more like jumping on the pole and clinging on for grim death but heh, it was fun nevertheless. I actually didn't think I'd enjoy it but I really did and would love to have a go properly. It requires yourself to push yourself physically and mentally, a challenge but not impossible.

Aimee and Caroline down by the Quay

The afternoon saw us taking a lazy stroll along the river with Caroline, Aimee's younger sister, and a complete darling. The combination of good weather, better company, and sheep milk ice-cream made the afternoon thoroughly enjoyable. It's lucky we ate out a bit too because I got distracted by DUWO messing me around in the evening and burned dinner slightly. It wasn't badly burned but it was darn annoying.

The day after was a busy one. Aimee and I took a train down to Exmouth and had a bit of time in the sea and in the arcade and being generally touristy. It was, quite simply, lovely. I didn't take my camera down because I didn't want to leave it unattended if we decided to swim and leave the bags on the beach.

At the fair

The evening saw a trip to the fair which is somewhere I've only ever been with The Best Friend and The Sister. Once again I was coerced into going on the roller-coaster despite being a verified coward. I can't say I enjoyed it but eh, I did it. The rest of the time was more enjoyable with me going on some of the calmer rides while watching the other two having fun on the more daring ones. For various reasons, we couldn't stay for all that long but it was a great end to the day.

The weird thing is, talking to Aimee, it's become clear that I will see her at Christmas at the earliest. If not it will be a year until I see her. That's really weird. It felt as though I was facing saying my first 'goodbyes' earlier than planned both to her and to her family. Not to mention, on the way home, we stopped in one of the pubs I've been going to for as long as I remember to find it's been sold and all the staff are leaving next week. It really does feel like change is in the air. I don't really like ends but my goodness, aren't the beginnings they make room for an adventure!

One year of blogging

It was exactly one year ago that I made my first post here. 

I had just finished my exams and I felt pretty low about them because, to be honest, I felt I hadn't done so well. However, it was the start of my gap year, my exciting year of travelling and fun, and I decided to set up this blog to keep friends in the loop as we went our separate ways.

My gap year ended up being a strange thing, and not what I expected at all. From housing to family issues, there were a lot of serious strains,  but I have also seen the direction of my further study change in just a few months.

There's no doubt in my mind that I'm going to continue blogging here. Lets see what the next year holds!

Is it time for bed yet?

Baking for Aimee when I can't be bothered to cook for myself!

Wow, what a busy day this is turning out to be. I've only snatched a moment to write a quite blog post while I wait for the oven to heat up so I can shove in a ready meal!

Although I'm looking forward to going to stay with The Best Friend tomorrow, the fact that I'm going to be away from home until Monday means there's quite a lot to get in order, both regarding The Move and work. Not the end of the world but pretty hectic. Of course, this is without me having to do stuff in readiness for my father's birthday tomorrow and going to Aimee's!

Exciting surprise stuff!

Baklava is ready, shortbread batch two didn't come out quite as well as batch one (the base is a bit thin, I think) but that's setting in the fridge as I type. Just got to run around shoving clothes in a bag and wash my hair and I'm sure I'm forgetting something!

The other bit of news from today is that I received a surprise package which turned out to be a copy of The Testament of Marcellus by Marius Gabriel. I am so looking forward to reading the book as it seems to have a really interesting concept, and one that appeals to me, and will, of course, review it here and on Goodreads when I'm done!

Well, oven has heated up... best put dinner on!

Baking for Aimee (also featuring "How many things can go wrong in one day?")

The last period has been a busy one to live through and a dull one to write about. I'm sure you have no problems with guessing why so I simply won't go into all that.

Today's been a funny old day with basically everything going wrong that could go wrong from printers breaking, something going wrong with the signing of my tenancy agreement which led the website to ask me to call the company whose number doesn't work (certainly not outside of the Netherlands anyway), chopped nuts being bought two days ago being out of date by several months... It's certainly been one of those days.

I feel that it's my duty as a friend to
fatten Aimee (and family) up a bit ;-)

That said, I'm really excited at the moment because I'm going to stay with The Best Friend, and her delightful family, for a couple of days later this week. If you read my blog then you'll know when I last saw her, around the time of my AUC interview, a.k.a. too long ago! I'm really hoping that the weather holds and we can do something nice like go doing to the beach or the like. Anyway, I've got to wait until Thursday for that.

I've already been doing things to 'get ready', however as it's a bit of a tradition (it seems!) that I cook so I've been working away on some baked treats. Given free reign by The Best Friend (as long as there's no mint), I've been experimenting a little with a millionaires' shortbread inspired thing, second batch to be made tomorrow, and a kinda baklava thing which is done but needs some little tweaks yet.

So that's that :-D

Instead of keeping what I'm making a secret, I've decided to tease with photos

This is a blog post, if you couldn't tell!

The last week or so has meandered by quite peacefully. I've been painting, playing music, going to singing lessons generally pottering.

As I write, I am procrastinating several things, the Marie Antoinette translation being one of them (don't hurt me), gardening being the other. Quite frankly, I think I might do the gardening first except I'm pretty sure there's a tribe of angry bitey ants living in my flower bed and I'm not sure if I have any proper shoes... anyway, that's my problem!

There was also the surreal incident of a few days back which some of you might have seen mentioned on facebook. Some gentlemen came by our house looking to build another house over land that belongs to us. After a bit of a heated discussion with my parents, it looks like they now want to buy our house and knock it down. Unlikely to come to anything, I know, but seriously that would be the answer to all our renovation issues!

I know this isn't a proper post, and it has no photos (boo!), but I'll be back properly soon ;-)

In the meanwhile, if anyone fancies recommending any songs/tunes for me to learn on 'cello, bass guitar, or tin whistle (high or low) please do so... I'm running low on ideas!

"Are you going to put this on your blog?"

Why yes, Zoë, I am!

I sit here with aching feet having traversed cobbles in completely inappropriate footwear, but having had an all in all lovely day.

Enjoying being a tourist in my own country :-D

It would just be my luck to choose the one day with buckets of rain to visit the city of Oxford but there we go. I should have expected it! I've only ever really visited the city with specific aims in mind, mainly to see something at one of the theatres, so I think this is the first time I've got to really look around at all. Admittedly, the weather did hamper things a little, and I rather believe Zoë was a bit disappointed that she couldn't show me more, but it was great to look around. Besides, I have an excuse to come back in better weather now ;-)

Of course, the highlight for me had to be meeting up with my friend from college as we last saw each other at Christmas. Just to sit and chat about her adventures was wonderful. Having just been to Bosnia, she made us both a cup of Bosnian style coffee and my goodness it was beautiful. Just to chat about life in a relaxed environment with a good friend felt so good! Annoyingly, because I couldn't afford the trains, I cadged a lift and had to leave quite early. Certainly have to meet up again and soon!

In other news, I have my room allocation for university and it is indeed a single. If anyone (who knows me, obviously) wants the address then message me somewhere and I can give it to you. Goodness, it all seems very real now!

For those who are sitting, and are stressed about, exams

The funny thing about my gap year is that I'm stuck in my own little bubble away from the press of life and yet I still see it going on around me. I watch as friends get really worried about their exams, tormented by worries about whether they will pass or fail. I suppose that, removed from the frenzy, I see it more clearly. It worries me.

I spoke to one friend today, who may well read this but will remain nameless. This person is really worried about the exams they've already sat and feels that the ones they have left to sit are useless. In their mind, they have already failed. In my mind, I know this person is amazing. They're intelligent (more than they, or anyone else really, gives them credit for) and they have worked hard. Perhaps too hard. Perhaps it now matters too much to them. This person has pushed the boundaries of what people said they would be able to do. They have achieved more than people gave them credit for. They're dedicated and wonderful but they simply don't see that. They just feel that they didn't know the answers and therefore it's time to give in. 

What they don't see is that they've already won. 

Just by trying their best, by getting to where they are, they are winning. You are winning. 

If you 'fail' or don't do as well as you had hoped then there is always a way to make it better, be it a resit or a change of plan. It seems like the end of the world at the time but keep ploughing on and it will pass, it will get better, and you will succeed somehow.

And in a couple of months, those exams which are the centre of the universe right now will not matter one iota. What are they after all?

Keep strong. Keep fighting. You can conquer anything.

Besides, you don't need to pass any exams... you're wonderful just the way you are <3