One Blonde...

Desktop clearout...

2012-01-31T21:35:00.000Z

Oh god, I can no longer remember where any of these came from.... Apologies.

Love

2011-12-28T13:19:00.001Z

Flags

2011-12-27T10:56:00.001Z

Octopus ring...

2011-12-27T10:34:00.000Z

In dreams #1

2011-12-27T10:29:00.000Z

If only...

2011-12-26T11:56:00.002Z

Tolstoy

2011-12-14T20:45:00.000Z

"If you want to be happy, be"

Sevigny

2011-12-14T20:44:00.000Z

Ridiculously cool yet utterly pointless

2011-12-13T19:09:00.001Z

Again, I found these on Instagram and then googled...

Anatomical Heart Pendant

2011-12-13T19:07:00.001Z

I found this on Instagram (obsessed) then googled the images and found a seller on etsy. I'm crossing my fingers it's still for sale in two weeks...

Desire

2011-12-12T22:19:00.000Z

Found this whilst tumbling around on tumblr.... So beautiful.

NYE 2012/2013?

2011-12-12T22:08:00.002Z

Life in a Day.

2011-12-12T22:05:00.000Z

Because life is beautiful and this helps you remember.

Reading List Updated

2011-12-12T22:01:00.003Z

Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga - Amazing, much preferred the second offering of Adiga and now plan on sourcing 'The Last Man in the Tower'.. currently been lent to a friend to devour
A House in Bali by Colin McPhee - I'll be honest, this has probably been forever abandoned... maybe
A Single Swallow by Horatio Clare - Amazing, despite the fact I am definitely not, nor will ever be a 'twitcher', the journey itself is the hook.
Women who run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes - Still dipping in/dipping out although yet to have another really good dip!!
The Music Room by William Fiennes - I still prefer Snow Geese, however a beautiful, beautiful book... also been lent out, alongside Snow Geese, to a colleage with a penchant to Fiennes.

Additions

Man Walks Into a Room by Nicole Krauss - I picked it up because 'History of Love' was great, I barely remember what it was about I just remember it was beautiful and that I saw hundreds of people reading it on the tube a few months later. Amazing story.
A Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston - This makes me want to move to China and be a warrior.
Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald - INDIA OMG. I made notes over the entire text and spent half of my reading time googling references. OBSESSED. Baring in mind I thought it would be *trash* it was brilliant.
Indian Summer by Will Randall - INDIA OMG. India and Teaching and India and Teaching. Why HELLO?! Not as inspirational as MacDonald but more closer to home. (British Teacher goes to India and becomes a voluntary teacher in a slum, as opposed to Australian radio presenter follows News reporting boyfriend)
An Indian Summer by James Cameron - INDIA OMG. Better than I thought and I loved the 70's cover.
Staying On by Paul Scott - INDIA OMG, reminds me of George and Weedon Grossmith's 'Diary of Nobody', a text a studied for my A-Levels, but India style. Weird, not my usual cup of chai (haha) but yet I read on... for another 100 pages. (And a booker winner!!)
An Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai - First take-out from the school library. Cried through most of it, makes me want to go to India even more. (And it also won a booker!!!)
Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morall. Brilliant yet utterly predictable by the time you get to the end.

A while ago I posted my 'reading list', i have to admit i'm on a bit of a 'power read' at the moment and have literally been gorging myself on literature; it's now been updated and added too. On my bedside table I have

A Passage to India by EM Forster
Troubles by JG Farrell
The Siege of Krishnapur by JG Farrell
Disgrace by JM Coetzee
Down Under by Bill Bryson

I'll give you one guess to what country I want to be right now.

PS It's not the UK.

NYE 2012/2013??

2011-12-02T18:30:00.001Z

This time next year I'll be somewhere hot...

2011-12-02T18:29:00.001Z

How I roll...

2011-11-29T18:47:00.001Z

Can't remember where I found this, my desktop is a moodboard of stolen images at the moment.

The Little Things #stars

2011-11-28T22:07:00.003Z

I want to swim in the wild

2011-11-28T22:07:00.001Z

What Sundays should be about...

2011-11-27T16:00:00.001Z

All images stolen from various tumblrs at various points, sorry for the vagueness.

Dreaming

2011-11-24T20:18:00.001Z

My feet are currebntly absurdly 'itchy', most likely because my least loved season has truly set in. I despise the cold. It sallows my soul and turns me into a different person completely.

So I do as I normally do as soon as it becomes dark by 4.30 and I find myself both leaving for and returning from work in the darkness, I plan. I plan obsessively new journeys, new trips and new experiences. And I plan how I'm going to achieve them by becoming frugal and attempting to suppress the materialistic streak that devastates my bank account. But now my dreams are getting out of hand...

What started as a potential minimum of two months in India and six in Australia is getting far beyond that point... and China, mainly thanks to Maxine Hong Kingston's beautiful text 'The Woman Warrior' is firmly within my radar. But how? Financially I can not afford to spend a year or my life a la Kerouac, although I think that Christopher McCandless was a man with aspirations similar to my own, I am not brave enough or free enough to abandon everything and risk a slow and painful death in an abandoned bus. Instead I'm trying to be, forcing myself to be practical. I need to earn abroad... so Australia and fruit picking, why the hell not. Right now I think it's just what the doctor ordered and hopefully I can also blag myself a 6 month teaching contract in China at the same time (Please Brian, Please.....) Anyhow... the more I plan, the more I shall update. Until then this is my reading list (in no particular order)

Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga (I lie, this is the first I'm already 100 pages in)
A House in Bali by Colin McPhee
A Single Swallow by Horatio Clare
Women who run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
The Music Room by William Fiennes

London in pictures...

2011-11-13T20:33:00.003Z

London in words...

2011-11-13T20:33:00.001Z

Nature, not all in London.

2011-11-13T20:32:00.001Z

Alabama is my Icon

2011-11-13T20:02:00.001Z

Love

2011-10-25T14:02:00.000+01:00

Old Lula

2011-10-25T14:01:00.003+01:00

To be framed 1

2011-10-24T23:35:00.000+01:00

Sofia Love

2011-10-24T23:34:00.001+01:00

Mui Mui from before

2011-10-24T23:32:00.000+01:00

Chloe

2011-10-24T23:31:00.002+01:00

La Lohan

2011-10-24T23:29:00.002+01:00

pug coffee table porn

2011-09-29T19:09:00.003+01:00

courtesy of becauseimaddicted...

hair porn

2011-09-29T19:09:00.000+01:00

How to make a Big Mac desirable.

2011-09-25T17:52:00.002+01:00

Thankyou to streetpeeper.com

Baby monkey Ooooh

2011-09-17T20:17:00.001+01:00

I got sent this video about 6 months to a year ago and laughed hysterically. Today I got sent it again. I love it. It makes me desperately want a baby monkey, a pig and to be able to get the baby monkey to ride backwards on the pig.... all day.

*This post has links to stress caused by the start of a new school term, at a new school*

Dog on a bike

2011-09-17T20:13:00.001+01:00

Second bike option....

stolen from www.wizzystyle.blogspot.com

This is how I want to live...

2011-09-11T15:29:00.000+01:00

Stolen from www.thesartorialist.com

Teaching

2011-08-31T21:59:00.000+01:00

I start my job on Monday, the kids rock up on Wednesday. I'm petrified to say the least. The most preparation I have done has involved shelling out a vast amount of money in order to find the perfect shoes, the perfect skirt and the perfect trousers, all of which I'll probably hate and detest by October half term. I've spent the last three hours clearing the forests worth of paperwork that has been accumulated since September, transported from East London to South London and stored in a box for 3 months, most of it's now in a recycling bag. I did however find some useful nuggets and some interesting 'things' I have collected along the way...

1. 36 things to do with a poem worksheet
2. The BFI teachers handbook
3. An amazing story one of my pupils wrote ( I photocopied it)
4. This poem, which was tattered and pinned to the staffroom wall in my first placement school, just under an advert to teach in Singapore...

The Average Child by Mike Buscemi

I don’t cause teachers trouble;
My grades have been okay.
I listen in my classes.
I’m in school every day.
My teachers think I’m average;
My parents think so too.
I wish I didn’t know that, though;
There’s lots I’d like to do.

I’d like to build a rocket;
I read a book on how.
Or start a stamp collection…
But no use trying now.

’Cause, since I found I’m average,
I’m smart enough you see
To know there’s nothing special
I should expect of me.

I’m part of that majority,
That hump part of the bell,
Who spends his life unnoticed
In an average kind of hell.

2011-08-20T14:30:00.000+01:00

Again, these I found from wizzystyle.blogspot.com, as opposed to obtaining them myself. It's another one of my favourite blogs. These pictures are what I want to be, how I want to live. Especially the last - to be that skinny, that tanned, my hair that length and to be lounging in a bikini in a hot country....

Honestly, WTF?

2011-08-03T15:12:00.000+01:00

All of these images have been stolen from honestlywtf.com, a blog I have recently discovered and love to gaze at on a regular basis...

The final image is of a restaurant called The Rock restaurant off the coast of Zanzibar that I now dream of visiting...

R.I.P

2011-07-24T11:24:00.000+01:00

Such a tragic waste of talent.

Start of the Summer...

2011-07-24T11:20:00.000+01:00

The sun was shining (?!), the hangover was in full flow and despite being somewhat late my 6 week summer holiday kicked off with a trip to Ben and Jerry's Summer Sundae on the Common with two of my amazing best friends. Cue Pimms bus, dancing and some lying in pain on the picnic blanket we re-lived our teenage years alongside the likes of The Fun Lovin' Criminals, Ash and Ocean Colour Scene...

Desperately Seeking Dirt.

2011-07-06T16:56:00.000+01:00

This exhibition at the Wellcome Collection is high up on my 'things to do' list...

Thursday Reading.

2011-06-30T18:43:00.000+01:00

Amazon courier dropped this off at about 10am this morning. So good I'm going to read it again tomorrow.

White Heat.

2011-06-30T10:56:00.002+01:00

I wish I could wake up in this room.

Stolen from @hardtoexplain79.blogspot.com

Hair Crush

2011-06-30T10:54:00.000+01:00

When I grow up I want to be a Surfer...

2011-06-29T23:36:00.000+01:00

Stolen from @ hardtoexplain79.blogspot.com

Attack me in Beige.

2011-06-29T23:33:00.000+01:00

I am a black boot girl. However next season, I'm going to experiment...

Attack boots @ Topshop

Animal Instinct

2011-06-28T20:52:00.000+01:00

Those that know me know that my love for animal print, particularly that of the leopard variety, is verging on obsessive however I try an ensure it remains as classy as possible and have found two new 'items' I have been pining for and am likely to purchase in the next few weeks.

Firstly this colour block/leopard print sheer top from TopShop. I've had my eye on it for weeks, I've touched up the black version a number of times however am besotted with this peach version.

Secondly, Dolce and Gabbana's 'Animalier' bronzer, exclusive to Harrods... yes the print fades after about three swooshes with a bronzing brush but do I care??

Tracey and her Black Cat

2011-05-10T20:46:00.000+01:00

Really annoyed I missed Collect at the Saatchi last weekend would have loved to have seen Tracey Emin and West Dean's collaboration entitled 'Black Cat'. Only just realised it was happening and it was over. Luckily Tracey is having her show at the Hayward soon, EXCITING! Also there was an intriguing feature on her in the Sunday Times Magazine at the weekend written by Lynn Barber...worth a read.

Into the Wild....

2011-05-10T20:40:00.000+01:00

Emile...

Christoper McCandless

I saw this film quite randomly at some point in Korea and was blown away. Luckily HMV were selling it for about £3 (I can't remember it might have been more?) when I decided to go wandering in there last Bank Holiday Monday. It's quite simply amazing, the true story of Christopher McCandless who decided to give up his possessions and travel the USA (a bit of Mexico and Alaska) as 'Alexander Supertramp' after giving up on society.... it's simply awe inspiring. It stars Emile Hirsch and Kristen Stewart makes an interesting appearance (despite being very annoying as Bella Swann this is the second film she's appeared in that I LOVE - the other being Adventureland)

Portugal last week...

2011-04-28T21:55:00.000+01:00

So being an almost teacher I now get a two week Easter break, unfortunately the 'almost' bit means this year I had a huge amount of work to complete during the break, however I also desperately needed a change of scenery! Luckily my Dad lives in Portugal (he is currently turning the house into a guesthouse 'Casa Verde' and I was able to go and hang out by the beach and take all of my work with me... 5 hours of sunbathing a day was the incentive I needed to get somework... I didn't travel like I normally I did, I just stayed put in Povoa with its gorgeous beaches, cafes, restaurants and 25 degree heat... hence the onslaught of beach photos you are about to see. What made it more interesting was the Easter preperation occuring and Easter events, due to the location of the house directly opposite to the castello I got a balcony view of the towns 'crucifixion', no I am not joking...

Amsterdam...

2011-04-28T21:43:00.000+01:00

WAY back in February I headed to Amsterdam with five fabulous girlies from my PGCE course, here are a few images I have been meaning to post since then but never quite got around to it.... due to the mountainous workload and pretty horrific placement i've be on.... It was february, we were there for three days, it snowed on the second day and I was sick for the majority. I mainly saw the inside of bars and the sex museum. I need to go back at some point.

Her Morning Elegance

2011-03-26T14:55:00.000Z

New Favourite Blog

2011-03-26T13:34:00.000Z

http://hardtoexplain79.blogspot.com

This blog is my new obsession, so god damn beautiful it makes me want to cry and be sick at the same time. The Smashing Pumpkins soundtrack (Take me Down) just tips it over the scale of WOW.

This is how I feel right now...

2011-03-24T22:04:00.000Z

Chloe Sevigny via Chris Buck via Fashionista.com. (I'm trying my bestest to credit)

FT/TT

2011-03-20T00:20:00.000Z

In my head all day long....

Rumours

2011-03-20T00:18:00.000Z

I was with a friend looking at Pantone socks in a department store earlier on and she told me about Pantone makeup and I had to do some research. Looks AMAZING, think it's just a prototype....

Best cereal in the world??

2011-03-20T00:16:00.001Z

I can't for the life of me remember what I was googling when I found these, or where I found them but OMG, possibly the best cereal ever?? Although now I doubt it would taste that good...

I want pink hair...

2011-03-20T00:14:00.001Z

I think I found this via Fashion Toast.... x

Half-Term Holidays.

2011-02-21T19:44:00.000Z

I finally managed to walk past Dalston Oxfam when it was open and it was just as wondrous and experience as I might have imagines. It's a rather large branch and the windows are always full of books which I have always found exciting, however I rarely wander down/up Kingsland Road enough to go in. Today was definitely the day. All the books are 99p! They also had an amazing selection which would have probably been even better if I had got there a few moments earlier as the couple queueing ahead were buying around fifty books! In order to renew my attempt at reading all the Booker Prize winners I picked up a copy of Anne Enright's 'The Gathering', 'White Tiger' by Aravind Adiga and 'Possession' by AS Byatt, as well as a nominee from 2003, 'Astonishing Splashes of Colour' by Clare Morrall. Burrowed deep within the shelves was also a copy of Maxine Hong Kingston's 'The Woman Warrior' which I have been meaning to read for a while. I also snapped up a copy of 'The Mitford Girls' (hence the photo) by Mary S Lovell for a bit of lighter reading.

With some 'free' time on my hands I went for a trawl through BBC Iplayer and found 'South Riding'. relying only on only streaming I miss programme adverts and tend to miss the beginning of some great Dramas, on other channels this doesn't matter, but as the BBC only keeps things up for 7 days I normally miss the first episode and thus fail to understand what is going on. Luckily, 'South Riding' has only just been shown, yesterday evening I believe, so I managed to actually get episode one. Totally loved it, for a totally idealistic trainee English Teacher, who up until now never really fancied a career as a Headmistress, it's made me actually consider the role of management within my future...

Due to a brief few years where I worked in fashion and spent two weeks of the year sitting on uncomfortable floors backstage waiting for girls who were waiting for hair/make-up fittings and so forth, whenever LFW comes around I always have slight mixed feelings about leaving my potential fashion career, mainly because LFW was my favourite thing, even if I did get a numb bum and no sleep for two weeks. Since then I always avidly check the reports on Style.com and Vogue.com and this year I'm amazed how quickly they are being uploaded. It used to be my job to sift through the shows looking for images of the models I looked after, not that easy when they are made over, wearing a hat and you've only seen them once! So, of the show reports I've glanced over so far from London, I have to see these are my two favourite images. The above, was the closing dress from Holly Fulton, I love it, there is just something about those clouds... and below, well, you can't beat Vivienne Westwood at the best of times and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact she had pink hair opening the show.

An image a day - 1

2011-02-21T19:19:00.002Z

Susan Hiller

2011-02-11T23:00:00.001Z

Monument (Image 1) Witness (Image 2) and Dedicated to the Unknown Artists were probably my favourite pieces from Susan Hiller's exhibition at the Tate Britain.

Having purchased Tate Membership back in the Autumn I have been a frequent visitor to Tate Modern, but terrible at visiting Tate Britain, thus missing amongst others the Edward Muybridge exhibit which I am still kicking myself about! Now that Pimlico is technically on my way home if I go via the Victoria Line, it means Tate Britain is easy access to in the need to calm my brain I decided to drop by after work and see what was going on (aka ensure I get my moneys worth from my Membership and just go and see everything) Tate Etc is still sat in its packaging under a pile of books on Educational Pedagogy and even so, the chance of me ever choosing to go and see the work of 'Susan Hiller' was slim to none, I've never heard of her or heard anything about her or seen the exhibit advertised.

Turns out, I should definitely experiment more so because it was one of the best exhibitions I have seen in the Uk for a LONG time. I had no idea what to expect and just found all of her work both interesting and beautiful. According to the guide that accompanies the exhibition, Hiller was born in the USA in 1940 but has lived and worked in Britain since the seventies, her work is based on 'overlooked and ignored aspects of our culture' and presented in a combined media/installation method. The exhibition, which is the largest yet and rather packed with work, is essentially a discussion of memory, language and imagination.

Again, apologising for my atrocious ability to comment on art, I am just going to make a brief reference to my favourite pieces.

Monument - A collection of memorial plaques inspired by the discovery of a neglected monument in a park in the City of London.

Witness - This INCREDIBLE sound based piece which transmits stories in a variety of languages. The atmospheres is just amazing. I love it and it just seems so relevant considering all of the recent work I have been involved in about Spoken Language study.

Dedicated to the Unknown Artists- A collection of seaside postcards

The brevity of my comments if simply a shallow explanation of what the pieces are, they are about alot more than what I say due to Hiller's involvement within them.

The exhibition is at Tate Britain until 15th May her website is www.susanhiller.org

Attempted Art Review: Whitechapel Gallery

2011-02-11T22:44:00.001Z

Last Weekend I wandered down the road with the vague idea of walking from the East End to the Tate Modern, however deciding I was really not in the mood I ended up in Whitechapel Gallery, a space I have been meaning to go to for YEARS but never actually made it! Visiting on a Sunday early afternoon meant the place was somewhat busy, almost too busy in places, I find visiting Galleries great for relaxation and rejuvenation however if they are busy I find them the worst places on earth. Luckily London has a mass of galleries and those visiting tend to be 'millers' as opposed to 'queuers', queueing to look at a painting is something I DETEST.

Anyhow, totally unaware of what was showing I ended up having a gander at pretty much everything. From what I gather the key exhibition at the moment is John Stezaker (Gallery 1 until 18th March) who had only just imaged. I have never heard of him, in retrospect reading the leaflet I discovered he's british and that it's his first major exhibition. In simple terms he is all about collage and 'the lure of images', he cuts and pastes found images together to create meaning... in many ways he is the epitome of modern art because 'Anyone can cut some pictures together and make a collage', however there is something about his choice in images and the meaning created by the way he mashes them together that makes you actually think, well no, I couldn't do that. Well, I couldn't do it and create that meaning anyhow.

The second exhibition I poked my head around was Bethan Huwys. In all fairness a pretentious foreign lady in her fifties summed it up by asking the attendant 'Where is the art', the attendant looked bemused and confused and the lady repeated the question. I like it when people play with space but for me, and the lady Bethan Huwys does it far too subtly... for those that are interested, the lady was standing in the middle of the 'installation' when she asked the question, hence the attendants response. Of blankness.

My favourite work was definitely the moving image work in the Zilkha Auditorium, now I am terrible at reviewing still art let alone art that involves moving image, all I can say is that up until today, it was the best moving image I've seen in a looooong time, I believe the last was somewhere in Seoul....

Three pieces are featured by Giorgio Andreotta Calo, Jalal Toufic and Huang Xiaopeng. They are all awesome, I would advise you to just go and see them because anything I will say will not do them justice!

Flamingo Art

2011-02-11T22:16:00.000Z

I came across this amazing picture earlier today, the result of being bored and googling flamingo art, totally love it and want it but it's unobtainable on so many levels that all I can do is post about it. The link where I found it is below....

http://www.hifructose.com/the-blog/1138-the-art-of-kevin-sloan.html

Resolutions update.

2011-02-05T00:49:00.000Z

Okay, so I made two lists of Resolutions - the original list and a secondary list inspired by Alice Du Parcq in the Times Style and enforced by my friend Ali. I would love to turn around and tell you that despite it being barely february that I am a super thin, rich and bendy and spend my days driving around London but that would be a lie.

I am however going to try and keep it positive. This month, being January I cooked two new versions of my 'classic recipes' in preparation for the cooking of two new recipes this month! The first was a Lemony, chickeny, spinachy risotto for a dinner with some friends and the second was a new take on a Chili Con Carne, where I essentially learnt that Hot Pepper Sauce is not a brilliant idea and its the lager/beer and sweet chili sauce that really makes it (and a worcestershire if there's some to hand). Oh well. Onwards and upwards. February's recipes shall both be taken from 'Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights' cookbook which was a much desired Christmas gift, however despite reading it about 5 times cover to cover (I love her) I have failed to cook any of the recipes! That is now going to change as I attempt 'My dad's chicken curry' p112 and 'Buttermilk chicken with smashed sweet potatoes' p119, both are taken from the Winter suppers section and I shall let you know my progress and try and remember to take photos and possibly even some quotes from tasters!

Yoga. Was going really well, until I screwed my shoulder and now it's on the back burner. My pain threshold is not that great! Also, I'm back teaching this week so i'm not entirely sure a 9am Saturday class is going to workout as the most suitable option.

Reading More. My course is prominently based on Practical Teaching, Lesson Planning, Observations and such forth. We also have two rather hefty written projects to complete, of which I am currently smack bang in the middle of the first one... thus I have been reading an awful lot but subject matter has been predominantly related to Teaching, Teaching English, Teaching Poetry, Teaching Media, Teaching Reading, Teaching English Heritage Literature, Teaching Theories and Assessment. I did however get through a copy of Cherries in the Snow by Emma Forrest. I have few comments to say about that as still find it totally borders on heinous trash and wit. Some of it I love, some made me want to rip the book in half and throw it in a bin, harsh words from someone that cares more about some of her books than they do members of her family!

Anyhow, hopefully I shall do better at the resolutions this month, although let's be honest, don't expect miracles unless my trip to Amsterdam gives me some weird kind of stomach bug, or I get salmonella from the chicken cooking.

Black Swan

2011-02-03T10:45:00.000Z

I really need to see this film. I am the worlds worst cinema goer, I have already missed 'Somewhere', mainly due to the poor distribution I CAN NOT miss this. I was supposed to go o Wednesday but the stupid shoulder hurt too much.

Hurwendeki Penguin

2011-02-03T10:42:00.000Z

I went to Hurwendeki cafe for a Birthday Breakfast with my friend Sarah a few weeks ago, on the shelf they had this awesome taxidermy penguin and it was for sale! Sarah thought it was vile but I fell in love.

Unfortunately I couldn't afford it, so I just took a picture instead.

hurwendeki.com

Why exercise is bad

2011-02-03T10:38:00.000Z

This is Rocky bought via Gumtree for £35 from a Kiwi guy around the corner. I rode him for the first time by myself the other day (I'm a bike wimp) and as I was coming over London Bridge (northbound) I turned to check for traffic and wrenched my neck and shoulder so badly that I've been in pain for the past 5 days. I spent 3 hours at The Royal London who gave me painkillers which make me feel slightly cuckoo. The main conclusion I have made out of this is that I am not designed to cycle. Would anybody like to buy a bike?

And to the PAST

2011-02-03T10:33:00.000Z

Here are some other exhibits that captured my eye from my recent trip to the Museum of London...

Look to the FUTURE...

2011-02-03T10:29:00.000Z

So as part of my course we had to make a little film of a place of educational value, although in retrospect I wish we had gone to the viewtube, we went to the refurbed since i last visited, Museum of London. They are currently exhibiting, amongst other things the INCREDIBLE and BEAUTIFUL London Futures exhibition. I was overcome and forced to take photos of all the images, however the size does not do them justice. I have only posted my favourites...

Pop Tart

2011-01-07T17:19:00.000Z

So, I may or may not have admitted it yet, but I am a HUGE fan of Strawberry Pop Tarts, yep that disgustingly unhealthy plastic candy amazingness. My obsession is getting far worse, thanks to my Mother, who keeps buying them, meaning whenever I go and visit I always return home with boxes. What makes it even more ridiculous is that I recently discovered that they make Hello Kitty branded Pop Tarts, in Meow Berry flavour, could it get more perfect? My favourite munch adorned with my favourite, incredibly anti-feminist mouthless Kitty? Well yes it could, I could find a stockist for the damn things, instead I shall just have to stare longingly at the image of the box and cross my fingers they one day appear in cyber candy.

Karl bag.

2011-01-05T11:32:00.000Z

My Karl bag arrived today. I love it, I'm going to use it when I wear my Anna Wintour Tshirt.

Rene Gruau and The Line of Beauty

2011-01-05T11:30:00.000Z

I have to go and see this before it ends on Sunday. www.somersethouse.org.uk

This picture makes me want to drive

2011-01-05T11:26:00.002Z

New Year's resolution Part 2

2011-01-04T20:29:00.000Z

Gaining skills, not loosing weight.

1. Learn Yoga

2. Do more than contemplate learning to drive, renew my now expired driving license and book some lessons.

3. Learn origami

4. Learn how to meditate.

5. Travel alone for more than a week.

6. Roast something that is edible

7. Cook something new every month. A meal not a pop tart

8. Pitch a tent and sleep in it.

9. Climb a mountain

Inspired by Alice Du Parcq's 'Life Lessons' in The Sunday Times Style, to be enforced by Alissia Durbridge, who has her own list but no blog.

Resolutions....

2010-12-28T22:15:00.000Z

Every year I make New Year's resolutions and every year I break them on the first day, mainly because something occurs which destroys them eg. Last years 'Don't eat junk food during January' failed miserably as I was hungover and only a Lotteria takeaway burger would suffice. However, maybe if I put more effort in I will actually get somewhere. In no particular order of importance my NYE resolutions for the year 2011 are as follows

1. Loose a stone
2. Save money
3. Buy quality not quantity
4. Tidy on a regular basis
5. Eat healthily and exercise.
6. Read more

The standard six, will probably always be the standard six, unless fingers crossed this year I develop a passion for exercise and obtain a vast wad of cash from somewhere. Number 3 stems from buying pointless amounts of budget crap that falls apart when I should just grit my teeth and pay more (mainly in reference to clothes) I have already attempted at No 1 and No 5, by booking a BMF taster session and enquiring about Yoga classes (and the way they work out their concessions prices - No2?)

7. Meditate
8. Travel more (I have booked a holiday to Amsterdam for Feb already...)
9. Contemplate learning to drive
10. Be more organised (It would help if I could find the paper version of my resolutions I scawled out earlier in the day)
11. Pass PGCE (obviously)
12. Find a nice flat (Not to buy, just one that isn't full of psychotic morons)
13. Cook more (Sophie Dahl shall help me with this)
14. Go to the library (and don't get fines!)

Question #1

2010-12-07T22:06:00.001Z

How would you describe your style?

I aim for boho/rockchick but end up as Tragic, not in a good way.

Until February 21st...

2010-12-07T20:35:00.000Z

My life now involves around 'Project 1', the Medium Term Plan and extended essay for my PGCE, I have decided to focus on the poem London by William Blake. Could be interesting, I shall keep you informed of my (lack of) progress.

I wish I had time to watch these films...

2010-12-02T17:59:00.000Z

Dreaming of a coat...

2010-12-02T17:52:00.000Z

I'm obsessing over this Sheepskin jacket worn by a fourteen year old in December Vogue. It's listed as Topshop, but as always, their customer service department have no idea what I'm talking about.

10th December.

2010-12-01T19:19:00.001Z

Not being a Social Recluse #1

2010-11-25T20:23:00.007Z

I have been mainly

Attempting to read John Banville's 'The Sea' as part of my endeavour to read all Booker Prize Winners...

I booked a trip to Amsterdam... for February with 6 of my fellow PGCE students...

I had brunch with Sarah at Canteen

I went to the Richmix...

I went to see 'The Glasgow Boys' at the RA...

And I went to see 'Budapest' at the RA as well...

See not to bad for someone who spends her life doing Lesson Plans...

Ibiza in Photos

2010-11-25T20:03:00.018Z

4 days in Ibiza at the end of October a combination of hidden beaches and quiet street wanders...

This fully explains my life in Korea...

2010-10-24T21:29:00.000+01:00

www.roketship.com

A random collection of photographs I have taken during the past seven weeks...

2010-10-24T20:58:00.030+01:00

The Gerkin just after a freak hailstorm earlier today...

Lunch at The Japanese Canteen in Hoxton Square

By the time I got back the Overground was finally finished!!

Hackney Road

Ms Marmite Lover's Underground market... she who runs The Underground Restaurant, decided to have a farmers market in her garden...

Dinner at Ali's in Brixton, her new flat is gorgeous.

Post dinner fun with Ali & Lizzie

Victoria Station, how I missed thee

My friend Michelle, a londoner who I met in Korea came to meet me and we spent the day wandering around - visiting the Korean Culture centre on The Strand, having lunch in Wagamama's and walking through the park up to Buckingham Palace where it poured with rain. We also had several run-ins with the Piccadilly line which was horrendous, before ending up in Angel drinking cocktails. Undoubtedly there was much talk about Korea and the time thats passed since I saw Michelle in march, she climbed Everest post Korea, that was one point of conversation to say the least!

The display of Shakespeare related poetry some students created after a project I did.

View of Battersea power station from the train

My friend works in a wine shop, I love going in and taking photos of the bottles as opposed to buying the wine. This is my favouritest bottle ever. I have yet to buy the wine, next payday/bursary day!

Rainbow in West Sussex

Wandering West Sussex,

Blackberries

View of the Tate Modern from the end of Millenium bridge...

Ai Weiwei Sunflower seeds installation as part of The Unilever Series - unfortunately I was too late, and didn't get to walk across them - stupid british red tape...grr

Weird sky out of my window...

Despite being annoyed that The Sunday Times had the audacity to bring in a fee for online browsing, I still love it.

The fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square, much improved since those annoying people last summer!

Boris Bikes - initially I thought cool, having been around the damn things for over a month I have realised it's only actually morons with no road-sense or helmets that actually ride them. GRRR

First Leon in over 12 months, I have been going religiously once a week, well actually probably twice, Liverpool Street/Spitalfields is the new favourite however, The Strand, Carnaby Street and Oxford Street have not been neglected!

Around the corner from University...

Bunnies at Spitalfields

Kuala Lumpur and the road home...

2010-10-24T20:23:00.018+01:00

My flight from Seoul to London was via Kuala Lumpur and I got to spend a staggering 18 hours in transit!! After landing at around 430pm, I went through customs, (mainly to get a stamp), checked in my excessive amounts of hand luggage and duty free and despite being exhausted took the KLIA express train into the centre of town. At Seoul airport, I had met a fabulous turbaned gentleman who had given me some great ideas of where to head, however as one could have guessed as soon as I ended up in the main train station, surrounded by busy malaysians and confronted by a host of ticket machines that had somewhat of a vendetta against me, i nearly burst into tears and went back to the aiport, instead i bit my lip, begged for help and reduced the original plan to a trip to one of KL's major malls, right under the Petronas Towers, which in all honesty were the main thing I wanted to see. I squashed myself onto a very crowded subway train, eventually ending up in the giant mall. I tried to get up to the top of the towers, but alas the previous 30 minute meltdown meant they were now closed until the next morning. Instead I attempted some photographs, chugged on some Malaysian cigarettes and wandered around a huge mall, for approximately 5 hours. What's more amazing was that I didn't go crazy with the shopping, but that was more to do with the fact I had so much crap already, that I couldn't really carry much more as handluggage, they did have a rather big TopShop, the first I had seen since February during my trip to Tokyo, I fell i love with a beautiful top that I have since tried to track down in the UK and failed miserable, it was white, cotton and lace stripes, gorgeous so if anyone sees it please tell me! After twenty million different stores, I found a restaurant to crash in, and crash I nearly did, almost falling asleep whilst I ate some kind of curried fish? It was around 11pm when I gave up and got a cab back to the airport and not wanting to spend the night on a bench, I took the 'luxurious' option of checking myself into the in terminal transit hotel, best decision ever. By the time I hit the mattress I was starting to feel rather horrendous, with a major headache and aching joints. I passed out for 6 hours (all I was allowed) had a shower and went off to kill the further 3/4 hours I had before my flight took off. I eventually boarded the joyous 13 hours flight to London at around 915am... a window seat next to two fabulous people, who were obviously partial to a bit of cake, and found myself somewhat wedged into my seat. WORST FLIGHT EVER! The woman next to me also had some issues with her leg, and was unable to move out of her chair, for me to use the bathroom, which during a 13 hour flight was neccessary on more than one occasion, meaning that I had to literally use gymnastic skills to leap across her! It probably wont surprise anyone that I sucombed to drinking several glasses of red wine during the flight to keep me sane. I was very excited when I caught sight of a London bus below me, and we eventually landed, a fantastic 90 minutes early!

Me and my co-teacher, Jenny Teacher!

The plane from Seoul to Kuala Lumpur

Waiting at the gate, the same gate I was at for my trip to Vietnam a month earlier!

Kimchi on the plane! I was a good Korean and ate it all

Possibly India - I actually have no idea...I just remember getting snap happy when I flew over India.

Exhausted on the KLIA express

First glimpse of KL city

KL city from the train

Too close to take a decent photo of the Petronas Towers in daylight!

Suria KLCC - HUGE MALL!

Random malaysian food - chicken curry with noodles...

The Petronas Towers at night... stunning!

Plane from KL to London.

Nearly in England!

And we have landed... back on English soil/concrete tarmac, for the first time in 369 days!

Half term holidays!!

2010-10-24T20:17:00.003+01:00

So I arrived back in the UK 7 weeks ago and have barely had time to breathe. The PGCE has taken over my life, I am sleeping, eating, breathing and socialising in relation to teaching English for secondary pupils... however it's now officially half term and I have a few hours to kill, in which I am supposed to be packing, before a head off on a 4 day holiday to Ibiza to meet my lovely friend Sarah, who is out there on a longer holiday with her family. As much as I love being back in the UK and in London, I need a breather and a chilled out few days lounging on a beach on the White Isle is just what the doctor ordered! I will of course be taking my camera and attempting to get some classic artistic tourist shots(?) wherever possible, however the main agenda will be a. A tan, b. much needed relaxation and c. unfortunately a rather large amount of planning. It maybe halfterm, however on Monday my first schools placement begins and I have lessons to prepare for, but more of that later. For now I shall commence my entry back into the blogging world with some beautiful, imaged based entries of what the feck has been going on!

Korean London

2010-09-25T00:03:00.000+01:00

http://london.korean-culture.org/welcome.do

Tomorrow I think i'm going here....

I promise you an update.... soon

2010-09-19T21:13:00.002+01:00

So, not only am I back in blighty I have also made a permanent return to London after a week squatting on my friend's sofa. My postgrad started with gusto last week, and is continuing at a rate of knots under mid June 2011 so posts maybe come in mass spurts as opposed to regular updates (I am a bad blogger, for this I am sorry) I have spent the entire weekend moving my entire life in cars and on trains to E2, then proceeded to spend the afternoon trekking across to Kilburn to spend my student grant on Beetroot and Orange chutney, Dill sauce, beetroot cake and some gorgeous red wine, before returning to my little cupboard of a room to attempt some engagement with; the giant pile of suitcases containing clothes sat too close to the door, the mounting pile of papers on the deskchair, the wodge of a reading list and the internet (made much easier thanks to the purchase of Iphone4, however need to fix Mac in order to make the thing work as it is supposed to do). I promise you as soon as I have unearthed some batteries I will publish the last of my Korean photos and a select few of my favourites, Kuala Lumpur photos and the steady growing collection of British photography... I also have some Holga shots of Imjingak waiting to be developed so they may also arrive... but for now I'm off to study, sleep and live the gruelling new life of 'One Blonde Trainee Teacher in East London'...

2010-09-06T23:04:00.000+01:00

I'M HOME!!!!!

Final hours

2010-09-01T15:23:00.004+01:00

My plane leaves in less than 35 hours, I still have a full day of teaching ahead of me and a dinner with my fabulous Korean friends. This has been an AMAZING, INCREDIBLE year and I have totally loved it, although right now my feet are itchy as hell and I just want to board that plane! The new adventure is about to begin, first stop after Korea is Kuala Lumpur, then back to fabulous blighty, home of burgundy passports and my amazing family and friends. The next week is all change, as I get my haircut, enroll in Uni, finish the pre-course coursework/reading and hang out with my bestest friends. I am so excited/nervous/anxious i feel like i may vomit. The tension was relieved when, despite having to post yet ANOTHER box home, i managed to get my suitcase to 18 kilos!

for those that care twitter.com/jescalouis

I plan to 'tweet' my way home.... for the entire journey of approximately 45 hours door to door.

Why I want to stay in Korea

2010-08-27T17:32:00.000+01:00

Single figures

2010-08-26T11:32:00.002+01:00

I have five days left at work, seven days left in Korea and nine days until I'm home.

For some reason, I have a feeling that those final five aren't going to run as smoothly as I'd hoped.

Oh well, on a positive note, I have booked my haircut, and a doctors appointment AND two dinner dates with some fabulous people.

War Museum

2010-08-25T09:55:00.003+01:00

Last Saturday I headed to the War Memorial Museum of Korea, in Seoul (Samgakchi). I had been meaning to visit for a while, and with Korea still technically at war, I thought it was intrigued to have a look at their 'take' on War History.

Despite trying my best to be interested in guns, missiles and the strategy, I totally failed, and focussed on the things I usually like looking at..

Name-tags, possibly the most beautiful name tags in the world?

Used as military underlay, I could definitely wear it as a dress...

Sunday goings on

2010-08-22T08:33:00.002+01:00

Well, contrary to the post title, I'm not really going anywhere, instead i'm just hanging in my apartment and indulging myself in the fact I don't really have to do anything, if I don't want to. So far, i've watched a bizarre film called 'Russian Doll' with Hugo weaving, 'F@llow me' on OnStyle, a program I am relatively obsessed with despite the fact it's Korean, and I have no idea what's actually going on! I'm now into my third hour of ANTM re-runs, and the most productive thing I have done is wander downtown for further indulgence (buy nice food). I came back with, amongst other things a 'Pink cloud' from Tous Le Jours, a french korean cake shop, which was so beautiful and so tasty i totally forgot to take a photo, which just gives me an excuse to buy another one before I leave.... Today is clearly one of those days where i'm saying 'F*uck food intolerance's, it's so pretty!'........

PGCE Pending

2010-08-20T12:59:00.002+01:00

Today I got sent an email asking me to fill in some online forms ahead of my PGCE enrollment on September 9th, they also included my student number, email address, passwords and the details off my first course seminar. I know only have a mere 13 days left in Korea, it's mental, and i'm really excited about heading back to Uni. I have, however, SOOO much to do in the days between arriving back home and heading back to London it's crazy, especially when all i'm going to want to do is recover from the previous 369 days by sleeping in my own bed.

Dr Fish

2010-08-20T12:49:00.003+01:00

Dr Fish is a process in which you stick your tootsies into a bath full of fish and they eat away the dead skin. I have been meaning to have this experience for a while, but finding the time to get to Gangnam from Munsan has always been a bit of an issue, it's just so out the way. Anyhow, a few weeks ago I decided that this Saturday the 21st of August would be the day. It's also the designated day to do everything in Seoul I will kick myself if I don't do (War museum, Leeum Art museum, Jongymo Shrine) all bits that i've planned to do but never actually made it. The process is apparently painless but rather ticklish, it's also really cheap, around 2000 won for 15 minutes ish, (about £1).

However, thanks to last weekends jaunt to Sokcho, where i decided to wear my flipflops on the Sunday, get them sodding wet by walking in the sea, cover them in sand and then walk around in them for a further 8 plus hours a now have a feck off blister on my right foot and can't go. I'm not happy. Apparently your feet have to be free from any 'mank' such as cuts or scabs or weak skin etc because the fish are stupid and will just eat it off you, so then it gets even worse.

I'm praying that the stupid blistererous monster will heal itself so I can just wake up early and go next weekend, before I go to Dragon Hill, if not the Dragon Hill ladies are sure to just bash off the dead skin anyway, and then I wont need Dr Fish...

Still, the whole thing sucks.

two and a half weeks...

2010-08-16T13:50:00.005+01:00

Things I will miss...

1. The people - From my Munsan wonderland homegirls Jenny & Mary, to those Geumcheon rivals (Shauna I mean you!) , to the genuinely fabulous 'waeguk's' I have met along the way...

To the Korean staff I work with in particularly Jenny Teacher!

And my AMAZING students

in particular the following - the kid who i still plan to hide in my suitcase - His name is U Shin/Peter. I can not express how much I adore him. I need to get more photos and video before I leave. I'm sure it wont be that hard. HE ROCKS

2. The food. What's a meal without Kimchi?? That's almost a joke, it's the seafood, the amazing seafood, the raw fish, the recently discovered Squid Sundae, Koreans and their way with fish will always have a place in my heart, or should that be stomach. Korean cakes. Because they are amazing, Korean pizza. Because it is also amazing. GALBI!!!!

3. The clothes - Hongdae, Dongdaemun, Meyong-dong, La festa, Western Dome and all that is in between, especially the place in Munsan, the one with the plastic swing doors, near the sex shop. Topshop is just NOT the same.

4. Peter - I LOVE HIM. truly

5. Downloading movies - because in Korea, it's okay.

6. NOREABANG

7. Bars that open all night, and bars like MAX PAPER, in Hongdae - which when you turn up worse for wear at 4am, give you a blanket and let you go to sleep (until they wake you up with very loud Argentian Tango music)

8. Not quite knowing what your going to get when you place a food order

9. Mountain Dew - because in Korea, it's everywhere!

10. Having my own apartment.

Things I wont miss...

1. Squat toilets

2. Taking your shoes off, i understand the hygiene issue, (not compared with the state of the toilets) however I always have that 'Carrie Bradshaw at a babyshower Sex and the City Moment'... you know what I mean

3. Ajumma RAGE

4. Being called russian

5. Having to wear far too many clothes in extreme heat and humidity because of etiquette

6. Being followed around shops whenever you enter - I NEED MY SPACE

7. PRESSURE - On the kids.

8. Not quite knowing what your going to get when you place a food order

9. That it's okay to wack kids with sticks. It's not.

10. Having my own apartment

Things I CAN NOT WAIT ANY LONGER FOR....

1. My mum

2. Family & Friends

3. Proper Wine, in particular Rose

4. Food - Pitta, hummus, avocado, Indian food, moroccan food, dairy milk, beetroot, herring roll mops

5. Blonde hair dye & Batiste dry shampoo

6. LONDON

7. WEST SUSSEX

8. Swimming Pools.

9. Lack of unbearable humidity

10. Understand what the feck is going on...