Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Ahhh
on one hand i'm really looking forward to going back to uni...
i dont think i could stay in my job much longer (im not sure i'll make it through the 3 days I have left, it seems so close yet so far)
and im looking forward to getting back into education and 'bettering' myself again
one more step to where i want to be
On the other hand im completely scared...
worried I wont fit back into education, i wont work hard enough, or i've forgotten too much
i wont have any friends, and feel really lonely and wish i had never gone back to somewhere i was so happy, and end up tarring my whole time at Essex if it goes badly...
worried about getting a balance with everything, the money issue, and the jobs issue...
And overall, I was SO looking forwad to going back for so long, wishing the last 8 months away, infact, 12 months and thinking 'i'll be happier when i go back' what if im not happier?? what if i built it up too much??
i should be like my friend and just not have expectations...
oh dear... this one is a bit more of a personal blog, but i felt it needed to be said :)
xxx
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Hospital Trip
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
A place to sit and read
It was cold and I didn't want to go far.
I ended up in the Foyer of the cliffs theatre... I sat overlooking the Thames watching it slowly get darker while reading my book. A production of 'singing in the rain' was being preformed and heard applause every so often, and apart from the 15 minute interval when it was jam packed and buzzing I had a very peaceful2 hours and read a lot of the book... It was very relaxing and improved my mood no end. I hope to do it again soon. Although I'll have to find another book I can get lost in and enjoy as much as that one (didn't think I'd be a fan of Hardy, but once you get past all the descriptive language, the story has a lot of emotion and life in it)
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Vist Up North (Day 2)
Went for a drive and had lunch in a pub called the harrington arms in Erewash near were Dad was born - Draycott I think.
We then walked around St chads water - it used to be a gravel pit - but they filled it in and made it a Local Nature Reserve - very pretty...
some lovely pics from there
then we drove home...
Saturday, 20 June 2009
Vist Up North
Then on to Loughborough to get a train to Leicester and back for my Aunt & Unlces wedding Anniversary...
the station was themed in 1970s style and renamed 'cemetery junction' for the filming of this new movie by Ricky Gervais http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1196204/
and then stayed in a hotel in Derby - I'll add more details and pretty photos soon.xxx
Sunday, 7 June 2009
The Plays of Oscar Wilde
I enjoyed many of these plays, as I felt a lot of them were like little mini, gossip dramas, maybe like a soap or things friends chat/gossip about... there were a couple of dull ones, especially ones he had written after going to America... but a few very enjoyable little plays...
I picked out a few quotes from a couple of the plays that I particularly liked:
*Lady Windermere's Fan
- We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars
- In this world there are two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
- (what is a cynic?) A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing
*A woman of no importance
-The one advantage of playing with fire, Lady Caroline, is that one never gets even singed. It is the people who don't know how to play with it who get burned up.
-Hearts live by being wounded. Pleasure may turn a heart to stone, riches may make it callous, but sorrow - oh, sorrow, cannot break it.
*An Ideal Husband
-It is not the perfect, but the imperfect who have need of love. It is when we are wounded by our own hands, or by the hands of others, that love should come to cure us - else what use is love at all? All sins, except a sin against itself, love should forgive. All lives, save loveless lives, true love should pardon.
- 'I'm glad you have called. I am going to give you some good advice.' 'Oh! Pray don't. One should never give a woman anything that she can't wear in the evening.'
*The Importance of Being Earnest
-The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
- All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his.
These were probably my 4 favourite plays as well, and would recommend people reading a few, they are only short and don't take long to read and are quite entertaining - exactly what reading should be like!
Saturday, 30 May 2009
25th Wedding Anniversary
Think it's kinda sweet they got each other the same card... I like coincidences like that :)
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Makaton Course
Makaton was first developed in the UK in the 1970’s by a speech and language therapist and was devised as a way of increasing the ability to communicate in those who live with learning difficulties, such as those living with Autism and those with cognitive impairment. Makaton is a much simpler form of communication and uses common vocabulary that is used in everyday speech. It also incorporates the use of picture cards and ties in facial expressions with the word to produce more content in the shortest form.
Unlike British Sign Language, Makaton uses speech as well as actions and symbols. This encourages children to learn many different forms of communication which has shown good results in academic and social achievement by those who use it. It has even been proven to increase literacy and numeracy skills and encourages development of visual, recognition and identification skills. As babies develop, they often use signs and gestures to communicate what they want, such as a drink, and most parents also use this method without realising it. For example, many parents and carers symbolise a drink using a hand to mouth action, or a spoon to mouth action when encouraging children to eat for themselves. Makaton is merely an extension of this, with specific actions, signs and symbols for each activity.
I learnt quite a few everyday words and signs, and very much enjoyed learning this new way of communicating. The key to this technique is to TALK while signing... A lot of people were just signing like you do for BSL as deaf people can't hear the words. However, with Makaton it isn't about the signing, its about being able to communicate effectivly, the signing and symbols add to the meaning of the spoken words, to help the person with difficulties learn the meanings of the words. It is like a child learning to read. Childrens books have lots of pictures, and this helps give clues to what the story is about and what words might be being used. For a child with language difficulties, the signs are visual clues to what the words are, and will hopefully help them to eventually develop and learn to recognise the oral words alone.
A very enjoyable two hours, and something I might like to progress with in the future. A well spent saturday morning :)
For more information on Makaton: http://www.makaton.org/about/about.htm
Friday, 24 April 2009
Look-a-Likes 2 Morgan/Bardem
So - Jeffrey Dean Morgan from Greys anatomy: And Javier Bardem from No country For Old Men:
and
Monday, 13 April 2009
Game Reviews (DS)
Theres 8 different games, and I have marked them out of 10, and ordered them below from best to worst :)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village - 10/10
http://professorlaytonds.com/
The Curious Village is a puzzle game. You control Professor Layton around the village of St. Mystere to locate the "Golden Apple" and solving other little mysteries during their searching. There are Brain teasers, logic puzzles, sliding puzzles and lots more - many asking you to think outside the box or to think more carefully before rushing into an answer. Many of these questions I have encountered before, such as the farmer trying to get across the river and trying to measure a certain amount of liquid with other containers... I enjoyed the game a lot, probably the best I have played on the DS (along with Hotel Dusk: http://www.hoteldusk.com/)
ThemePark DS - 8/10
http://www.themepark.ea.com/
Oh... what a classic! Exactly like the old bullfrog PC game I had back in the day.. but on DS - love it!! Although i do get bored of these quite quickly.... I did hope they might bring theme hospital out also, but in an interview asking 'If Theme Park is a success on DS, do you plan to bring Theme Hospital or Populous to DS?' Nagahara (the game designer says) 'We had a wonderful time developing Theme Park for DS... (blah blah blah lots more stuff about how great it was) but we have nothing to discuss at the moment regarding future development plans.' Bummer. :(
Mechanic Master - 7/10
http://www.midway.com/uk/Game_MechanicMaster.html
Mechanic Master uses the stylus as a weapon to rid the Earth of alien invaders that have scattered across the planet. You have to create crazy contraptions to free humans, and creative-thinking is key to clearing each level. I enjoyed this game, but it got a bit boring after a while, as each level is very similar, just getting harder, with more complex contraction reactions you havr to set up..
Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity - 6/10
http://www.game.co.uk/DS/Activity/~r337824/Professor-Heinz-Wolffs-Gravity/
Basically... there are different problems, where you have to get a ball to touch a button... and the only thing that is certain... is gravity... there is lots of physics and stuff involved....I haven't played this a huge amount, but it has been okay. Similar to the Mechanical Master... I got a bit bored quite quickly as you have to be delicate when picking up the objects, as the slightest touch they move and knock over each other, and you have to think very carefully when trying to solve each one.. i lost patience!! A Good, and well thought out game!
Mystery Case File: Millionheir: 6/10
http://www.nintendo.com/mcf/
Sounds more exciting than it is... although it is looking for some dead millionaire, and who killed him... all it is is a big searching game. You have a list of 5-25 items and a time limit to find a certain amount of them in a room or series of locations... this is the whole game... sometimes visiting the same room looking for different items... I enjoyed it, as sometimes it was nice to not have to think and just look for silly objects in a random scene... but I wouldn't play this again now I have completed it...
Rubik's Puzzle World - 3/10
http://www.rubiks.com/Rubiks%20Puzzle%20World.aspx
an abstract environment Rubik's Cubes, with a collection of games that challenge intellect while incorporating the mental twists and turns that made the original Rubik's cube.... Some of the games were quite fun and challenging.. all involving Rubik type cubes and colours... but it seemed a bit pointless, when you had done a level, it just turned a different colour... there wasn't the opition of different profiles so i didn't know what I had done or what my mum had completed, and there were no times or scores, or any extra bits to open... I just didn't really get a sense of progress or feeling of achievement with the game, so i stopped quite soon after starting!
Myst - 1/10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myst
Apparently: 'Alone on a mysterious island, you set out to explore its grandeur and mystery. Here a chilling tale of intrigue and injustice, defying all boundaries of space and time, is being told. Quickly, though, it becomes clear every action can somehow help unfortunate individuals trapped somewhere in a parallel dimension.'
However, this was a complete disaster on the DS. I can see this working really well on the PC (We even have the PC version - I just never got round to playing it) It was awkward, trying to walk around and get a proper view was dreadful, everything was always so dark, and the screen was too small, everything you tried to read was too small even with some magnified glass tool and you couldn't spot things which would lead the story on. I ended up printing a walk through... and realised half the stuff I had done without realising it (I had walked into a secret room from throne room, and didn't know where I was or how I got there due to the awful stylus tapping way of getting around) In the end the walk through just wasn't fun and was meaningless, so I gave up and traded this game in! I did waste a total of about 3-4 hours trying to get into it though!!
The Legend of Zelda:Phantom Hourglass Hints III - 1/10
http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Legend-of-Zelda-Phantom-Hourglass-Hints-III-DS-97755.shtml
Tried to play this game, I really did... but the first thing you have to do it fight 3 Orcs... and then later 2 more and then 2 more... you get 'experience' and promoted or what not, i even found a spell and some protection thing... but I had to make a move, then the enemy made a move, and no matter how i tried to kill them, each time I would lose a few health points, and after about 15 minutes, I died due to having no health. There was no explanation of how to get health, or even really how to play the game... and since there was fighting from the beginning with no real explanation or aim of the game, I gave up and this has also been traded in!
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Unfinished
I have been up to lots of little exciting things, and shall probably follow this with various reviews of films and games I have watched and played this past week :)
Love Love
xxx
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Tea
I decided to add this photo to reiterate my love for tea... even though I look rough!
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
My top 16 Mark Twain Quotes
Ok, So I'm not normally known as a geek (I don't think??!) But secretly I am... in a lot of ways, which you will probably come to find out!! Today's Geeky-ness is how I like to read quotes from famous people... I think they are cool, and interesting and a lot of the time thought-provoking... so here goes, some (well quite a few) quotes from Mark Twain, my chosen person for today - enjoy :)
My Top 16 Mark Twain Quotes:
1. A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain
2. Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first
3. Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable
4. Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
5. I have a higher and grander standard of principle than George Washington. He could not lie; I can, but I won't
6. If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything
7. It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt
8. It is easier to stay out than get out
9. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great
10. The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up
11. The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them
12. Time cools, time clarifies; no mood can be maintained quite unaltered through the course of hours
13. When you cannot get a compliment any other way pay yourself one
14. Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform
15. A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes
16. Man is the Only Animal that Blushes. Or needs to
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Have you ever been in love?
"Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life…You give them a piece of you. They didn’t ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn’t your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like ‘maybe we should be just friends’ turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It’s a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love."