Dubrovnik

I was recently taken on a surprise holiday to Dubrovnik, Croatia (this sort of thing doesn't usually happen to me, it was a rather special honeymoon-type occasion). We stayed in a hotel a stone's throw from the sea and had a stunning view of the Adriatic, rolling mountains and all. According to the WHSmith guide book, October is the best time of year to visit this part of the world because the weather is still pleasant enough to be able to walk around in sandals and a skirt and the millions of tourists have packed up for the summer season and left the 'Pearl of the Adriatic' in a peaceful, almost dreamlike, state.

Our week was chiefly spent pottering, sipping coffee in outdoor cafes and reading. This may make me sound like a middle-aged bore but it was just lovely to relax and absorb the culture of our surroundings. The European cafe culture may have become a little tired and overused by us tea-supping, Starbucks-aholics from the UK but when you partake in the activity in actual Europe, it's rather delightful.

We did some of the touristy things too; walking round the city walls of the Old Town in Dubrovnik is highly recommended, especially on a sunny day; taking a boat trip out to one of the islands for a day out is also a must-do activity. The country hasn't joined the Euro yet so things like meals and gifts are a little cheaper than in most European cities. The coffee is good, the wine is OK, the people are warm and friendly (and they speak English).

My favourite part of traveling is seeing a country without its glamourous touristy gloss. I think we managed to see a fair amount of the 'real' Croatia during our stay, but the most authentic part for me was when we went on a boat trip to one of the islands. We were sitting on the top deck of the boat, feeling a bit chilly as the sea air gradually wormed its way through our clothes and onto our goose-pimpled skin and we decided to venture below deck. There was an increasing stench of coffee and cigarette smoke as we neared the indoor section of the vessel and when we poked our heads into what looked like a small makeshift cafe we were met with the most glorious sight.

It was almost as if we had stumbled onto the set of an old Eastern European film; old men propped up at the bar, middle-aged men slumped against the murky windows, taking the chance to nap on the boat before starting work again at the next port, all sporting grand flourishes of facial hair and most of them smoking and drinking coffee. I half expected someone to whip out an accordion and start singing a traditional folk song, but then I shook myself and realised that my thoughts were bordering on ignorant or worse; British.

In conclusion, Dubrovnik is marvellous.

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driv·el - noun: silly nonsense: "don't talk such drivel!"

I have been dabbling in the deliciously sparkling waters of Photoshop of late, and in doing so have discovered a fantastic odyssey of magical arty goodness. (I have also not blogged in a while and wanted to pop my head up with rather a pretentious wordy flourish. Did it.)

So, Photoshop. It's wonderful. I'm not an expert by any means and I learn new techniques every time I start a new project. My work at the moment is not incredible, but I think that with practice and patience I can acomplish some good stuff. The magazine the team are working on is coming on a treat, although it's difficult to stick to deadlines because of the hours and hours I sit and perfect each page, and then kick myself when it goes to print when I notice a typo that I missed due to my stupidly acute attention to detail in the design. I have gained an awful lot of respect for the people who design stuff like Little White Lies and Live & Love York, publications which look simple and polished but which contain some creatively beautiful ideas.

Here are a couple of handy websites that I've been dipping into recently for inspiration:

http://bestdesignoptions.com/
http://www.brusheezy.com/

That's all I wanted to say really, unless you wanted to add anything? No? OK then.

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What's up darlin'?

Crikey. It's been a while. I've almost forgotten how to blog. I'm doing some fairly noteworthy things in the next few weeks so thought I'd pop my head back into the blogosphere for a while and let you know what's going down.

Firstly, it's the only day of the working year that my mum is allowed to legitimately have off from work; my graduation. This Friday. It's an odd one really, as it's kind of important on the scale of things to do going from: a regular Saturday morning watching cartoons and picking a scab on your knee to: your Wedding Day. I'd say it's about an 8 on that scale. However, despite all the giddy anticipation that surrounds the day, it's one of the things that I feel the least prepared for. I mean, what's the right thing to wear underneath the gown? How do you have your hair under the silly square contraption? Is it OK to not want to hang out with your doting parents for the entire day? Can you act about and pretend to be batman while you wear the cape? There are no rules. This is unsettling.

Secondly, I'm going to Uganda. Next week. On one hand I'm completely and utterly over the moon at this prospect; I went to the same place in the country last year and made some great friends and had a really lovely time. However, I think the nostalgia setting in my brain has gone a little bit crazy and has blocked out the hard bits from last year in place for beautiful sunsets and sitting around with gorgeous Ugandan children singing songs and making friendship bracelets. The truth is, it's going to be hard. There's no running water; we have to wash out of a bucket. There's very little access to electricity; we'll have hardly any contact with friends and family back home. We'll be living in cramped conditions as a team and working on a building site every day with heavy lifting and potential for injury.

These things are all really hard to cope with, and last year I remember almost breaking down after the first week through sheer emotional and physical exhaustion. But this year, I want to approach it from a different angle, to be more outward looking and to consider the people who live in these conditions all the time. Not to be so selfish and instead, try and learn from these people's generosity and kindness. I think if I see it as a challenge not to be introspective and hard done by, and instead embrace the chance to learn from a different culture and make some lasting friendships then I will have a far more rewarding time.

Finally, here is a great track by Florence and the Machine from the new Twilight film, Eclipse. It's mega. Enjoy.

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Blue Roses

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Digression is the best medicine.

The trouble with researching for a dissertation about the arts, is that you end up going off on enormously fun, yet ridiculously unproductive tangents all over the place, and end up with 300 words on paper, and nothing else to show for it.

That's going to change right now, as I share but a few of the tangenty type treats I have found this week.

#1

Slash's debut solo album is out this week. Read a [fairly biased] review here. I am very excited about this, he proves his star pulling power by collaborating with artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Grohl, Adam Levine and of course, old pal Duff McKagen. Thanks, Slash. You're great.




#2

Renegade street artist Banky's first ever film is soon to be released, check out the trailer, and enjoy the 'subtle' snubs to major film companies:




#3

Rediscover Nouvelle Vague and also, this quirky little animation - a teary narrative, but really well made short.

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Home, sweet home.

When I'm not living in Preston, I like to come home to York. Here is what I did this afternoon :)









I am also the proud owner of an amazing red spotty suitcase. Good day all round!

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Confessions of a film snob.

Last night, I did something bad. Really bad. And the odd thing is, I really enjoyed it. I had been resisting it for a long time, I had been avoiding the temptation, with a resolute ignorance, despite many of my friends persuading me that I would like it. I was ashamed at first, but then flung myself into the moment with intrigue and excitement.

That's right kids. I watched New Moon. And I liked it.

I have always considered anything that is surrounded by as much hype and screaming teenage girls as the Twilight saga as... oh, what's the word... Lame. And I was more than ready to have my expectations met as my friends and I sat down to watch the second installment of the 'saga', and the film opened with the image of a large and intimidating moon accompanied by some crashing orchestral score that would sent shivers down any respectable human's spine. I raised the characteristic eye brow and scoffed into the cuff of my hooded jumper, curling my toes in anticipation of a massive let down, but going along with it for the sake of my lesser knowledgeable peers (a short-lived moment of arrogance - sorry girls).

Oh how wrong I was. Yes, the glittery-faced effect that Edward prances around with is a little bit rubbish, and yes the bronzed and buff Jacob is a little too bronzed and buff to be believed, but if you look past these, it really is a good film! The soundtrack is outstanding, with tracks from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Lykke Li and OK Go that as standalone pieces are just incredible and as part of the film, work, with magnificence.

Some of the shots are sublime, and really capture the indie film look, especially those of Bella looking lost and forlorn in the forest, and the lighting and camera angles lend themselves to an aesthetic similar to the fantastical element of indie successes such as Where the Wild Things Are.

So, this is a challenge to all you fellow film snobs out there. Watch New Moon. Give it a chance. Even if you do it in secret without telling anyone; it really is worth it.

And if you were wondering... it's Team Jacob all the way. Knowing wink.



This is a Death Cab for Cutie song from the soundtrack, not the best song from the film, but that's kind of on purpose. Go forth and Spotify!

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The carefully crafted media representation of Matt Smith

I have been quietly observing the media coverage surrounding the next Doctor Who actor, Matt Smith and have been amused at the overt way in which he has been marketed, especially by the BBC.

There is no doubt that Doctor Who has been one of the most successful investments for the beeb in recent years, and I don't blame them for plugging the life out of the new series, but they seem to be putting an awful lot of emphasis on poor old Matt Smith.

For instance, his appearance on the One Show on Thursday of this week was so carefully put together, even down to the smallest details of changing the title music and graphics to place the smug presenters in front of a whirling Tardis in the opening credits. Then in he bounded with a new hairstyle one could only compare to R-Pattz' sweeping mop, and a silly wide faced grin that has probably already melted a fair few housewives' hearts. The interview was confusing and vague, and left him looking a little bit dim; Christine Bleakley was all over him, joking that she wanted to be the new assistant alongside Smith.

Then there was the appearance on the Chris Moyles show this morning, where Zane Lowe took over and Matt Smith popped in for a 'Verses' competition where the pair had to compete to see who could choose the best music for a certain category for an hour. Anyone who listens to Zane Lowe regularly will be aware that he takes no prisoners when it comes to his opinion on music, but he let the Doctor walk all over him and only read out texts from adoring fans who were 'in awe' of Matt Smith's coolness and incredible knowledge of music.

I just think that the BBC have made a bit of a mockery of the whole lark in confusing the person who is Matt Smith with the character of Doctor Who, and by making so much effort in creating this persona around him in the week leading up to the show, rather than waiting for the new Doctor's characteristics to unfold through the narrative of the drama on Saturday. There must be a small part of the marketing team who are terrified of the undoubted comparisons to the perfect-for-the-roll David Tennant, who was just cool, without having to be paraded around and for him to tell us he's cool.

Having said all that, I plan to plonk myself down in front of the telly box on Saturday and watch the new series, and will probably end up gushing about how cool and trendy Matt Smith is on my next blog... how fickle of me.

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An experiment in rediscovery.

I have finally achieved the thing that I have been planning to try for a long time, something that on paper doesn't seem like too much of a challenge, but in practice, is ridiculously testing.

I have given up Facebook.

This makes me sound like a complete and utter loser, that I would want to blog about a seemingly small thing, but even after a day of not logging on and interacting with my peers, I have found other things to do! Perhaps I am in a minority when I admit that I'm in the bunch of nerds who sit at a computer for hours at a time, perusing through photo albums and lurking around my friend's profile pages, waiting for something interesting to happen, then I give up waiting and just curl up in a heap and dissolve into a pile of self loathing and envy (everyone else is having so much of a better life than me!)

This may seem like a slight exaggeration, but sadly, I believe that a lot of time spent on social networking sites can be fairly destructive, so have decided to give my emotions a break and take a few weeks out to rediscover my passions and interests. (And also, probably, do a bit of work).

So, the experiment starts here. I will be blogging about once a week to keep anyone who is interested updated in the task, wish me luck!

Here is a lovely cover by Cat Power of the stunning song Amazing Grace.

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Magical Musical Mystery Tour

I have been doing a fair amount of research into new music for the radio show that I co-present on a Tuesday afternoon, with my good friend Sam Lee, and have come across some absolute beauties.

Lovely little secrets I have come across include American trio, Au Revoir Simone, who really capture the current whimsical style that female artists are embracing and will be nice to have in the background while writing:



Lykke Li is a super cool Swedish chick who reminds me a little bit of Ellie Goulding, but rocks the indie-electro vibe with a bit more style:



And finally, just because I love how this video is shot, here's a blast from erm, 2007 in the form of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Have a jive to this:

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Imogen Heap @ Manchester

There are three types of people at a gig. The first is the "Superfan", the one who has bought their ticket a year in advance, missed an important family engagement to attend, and bought at least three over priced objects from the souvenir stand at the back.

The second is the "Gig Virgin". The person who has no idea of gig etiquette, and gets a little over excited at the support act, taking as many photographs as their camera's memory card can cram in, and looking wide eyed around at all the 'cool' people who seem to know the unwritten rules of Gigging.

The third is the best. The one that the other two wish they were and someday may become. This is the "Old Timer". The person who has been to more gigs than they care to remember, know the ropes of how to get through the crowd, close enough to the stage without looking overly keen, and maintaining a certain level of decorum even at the most exhilarating parts in a set. They don't go too dressy, they buy beer and stand at the back during the support, and they nod along to the songs without looking too excited at anything.

These three types of people were competing against each other at the Imogen Heap gig I went to last night.

Anyone who has been to a Heap gig will empathize with me when I say that I fell in love with her. She came on before her support acts to introduce them and had a general chat to the audience, and then popped off backstage to work on her incredible hair do.

Her set was magical; her voice was angelic and her musical ability was unbelievable. She floated around the stage in her layered pink silk skirt and enchanted the audience with her beautiful collection of tracks from all of her previous albums. Technically, the show was awesome. The light show at the back of the stage with fluttering birds, dancing figures and falling leaves added depth to the spectacle and wowed the fans with each new flourish of animation.

Here's a video I stole from youtube... enjoy!

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Faith, Hope, Love.

I have not posted this video for tabloid-style sensationalism, or an attention-grabbing few moments, or to try and make myself look super holy, I have posted it so you can see that Haiti has hope, and their hope is found in Jesus. The image of the cross still standing though the rest of the building has collapsed amid the 7.0 earthquake is extremely iconic, and paints a picture of the attitude that many of the Haitians are taking at this awful time; even though their whole worlds have literally crumbled around them, their hope still remains in their creator God. The woman at the end of the clip who breaks out into song praising her Saviour is incredible; I truly admire her spiritual fervor, and her complete trust in Christ.

Channel 4's reportage is not bias and always aims to show an accurate picture of world situations in its broadcast, and this clip is no exception. The images of the dead being piled into mass graves is disturbing, but I think we need to be aware of the extent of this disaster in order to compel us to do something to help those people. I don't know about you, but I have been watching the news reports and hearing the stories about the disorganisation of the whole process of trying to get aid to the people in need, and have felt so helpless, and watching the report from Jon Snow yesterday on the news just reduced me to tears.

Charities have set up websites where people can donate money which will hopefully materialise into aid in order to help the survivors, and eventually re-stabalise a broken country, and I urge you to take a look and donate as much as you can.

- Save The Children
- Oxfam
- The Red Cross

And finally, to those of you who read this and who believe that Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins, and who believe that we have a God who is compassionate and merciful to His people, I ask you to pray for Haiti every day, and ask Him to bring glory in the midst of the disaster, to save lives and to provide hope.

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Getting my head in the game

Armed with smoothies and boxes of green tea, I can't help but feeling a lot like Bridget Jones at this time of year, the bit where she turns over a new leaf post-Hugh Grant phase, and buys a gym membership and starts a diet of air and dust... well maybe I'm not taking the January detox quite that far, but I have noticed a definite air of 'new leaves' about the place. My plans for this year are much the same as past years; be more organised (I received not one but TWO diaries for Christmas); eat more healthily (the fridge is stocked with vegetables and the fruit bowl is full to the brim); be better with money (student loan has just gone in, and I'm not going to even walk past Topshop for fear of temptation). So far, so good. But only time will tell.

In head adornment news, the headband craze has caught my attention recently, and has made me very happy. Here are some reasons why...






There are pretty much no rules to this new trend: oversized flowers, gold ribbon, leather embossed leaves, plaited material... the list goes on. And of course, my favourite pop pixie, Natasha Kahn of Bat for Lashes almost lives in the things, so they must be good.

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Sherlock Holmes

Token stereotypical cockney meat heads; a detailed grimy slow-mo fight scene; fast-paced, smooth edits; a definitively British sense of humour, minute attention to detail in the cinematography. All things one would expect from a Guy Ritchie movie; all things one is presented with in his latest offering: Sherlock Holmes.

If this is a sign of things to come in the film world in this fresh decade, then I will happily partake in its hearty consumption. I feel I often sway one way or another when reviewing films, they are either the very best thing since the common loaf was first sliced, or the lowest-of-the-low-never-to-be-seen-again type job. But this really is a good film. Robert Downey Jr. plays a delightfully flamboyant pipe-wielding Holmes, and gels incredibly naturally with his Watson, Jude Law. The crime fighting pair humour their audience with a quick wit and a constant charming sparkle in their eyes, one which maintains character interest right up until the adrenaline packed finale where one wills both men to succeed in their plight.

Rachel McAdams, of Mean Girls fame, steps back in time for another period drama role, and handles it surprisingly well; her devious femme fatal character proving to endear and captivate the majority of the male audience, and her glamorous Victorian wardrobe enthralling the female half.

The plot has enough twists and turns to remain true to Conan Doyle's cleverly intricate detective novels, and translates into the realm of film remarkably well, undoubtedly partly akin to Hans Zimmer's genius in creating yet another perfect score to create a beautifully authentic soundtrack for the time. My favourite scene, trying to avoid revealing anything vital to the plot, is when a large explosion occurs and two of the main characters are sent flailing through the air in slow motion with only the sound of a solitary violin moaning dramatically over the picture to accompany their disastrous state of affairs. I can usually pinpoint the part in most great films I see, where I think, yes, this is good. And that did it for me.

This movie has single-handedly restored my faith in British film-making, and reminded me that I would quite like to go and be a Victorian femme fatal, if only for the damn sexy dresses they get to wear. Bad ass.

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Avatar 3-D

The first picture from James Cameron since Titanic, Avatar, hit our cinema screens this week with rapturous applause from critics and audiences alike. I went to see it today with my aunt and brother in the middle of a manic shopping session in a beautiful Christmassy York, knowing that we were in for a treat if friends' recommendations were anything to go by.

I had heard a review on the radio a few days previously and was genuinely excited about Cameron's latest offering; the film had taken ten years to make and the director had invented a whole new language for the purpose of making it more authentic. We were certainly not disappointed. The graphics are stunning, and made even better by the 3-D effects; Cameron has created a cinematic masterpiece in the new planet 'Pandora' which glisten in a mysterious magical way and ooze a beautifully natural charm.

As with Titanic, the characters are delightfully believable and the audience warms to them immediately, with a tender love story at the centre of the narrative. The fact that the majority of the cast were previously unseen actors is refreshing, and Sigourney Weaver's roll as aging scientist becomes more likable as the film goes on.

The soundtrack is equally stunning, with the immaculate score from James Horner which guides the viewer's emotions in all the right places, creating subtle nuances between the onscreen action and suggesting certain plot twists at particular narrative arcs.

There is however, a deeper meaning. The relationship between The People and their god is intriguing, and mirrors a lot of the ways in which the relationship between man and God plays out on earth. The way The People all sit and praise Eywa and try to connect with her is similar to corporate worship by men all over the world today, who yearn for some form of intimacy with their maker. I think it indicates that people need a higher power to connect to, and need a purpose for their lives in order to create a balance and a peace.

This is all just my opinion however, and I urge you to see the film yourself, if you have not already done so. And prove your superfanhood by learning the language...

Movie Trivia Here.

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Like mother like son...

Ever since Diana died way back in '97, I have had a keen interest in the activities of the royal family and how they are represented in the media. The family, especially the two young princes, have earned themselves a good public image over the years and are generally well respected. Aware of his influence on society, and struck with some kind of social consciousness, William has made the news today with a humble stance against the homeless situation in Britain, by joining the unfortunate street dwellers for one night in the harsh winter weather conditions.

The BBC have reported that he spent a night in a sleeping bag near Blackfriars Bridge in central London last week in order to raise awareness for the homeless charity that he endorses.

It will be interesting to see what he does with the more powerful influence of kinghood, if that ever happens.

See more on the homeless charity here: Centerpoint.

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Peace

Two weeks off. Bliss.

The past three months at uni have been a whirlwind: staying up until the early hours to complete assignments; traveling around the country to see friends; helping to run the Christian Union; joining a new church and getting involved with various things that they do in the community; spending time with friends; turning 21 (!) and thinking of what to do after I graduate, only partly sums up the activities of Sep-Dec 2009. I am certainly not complaining, but it has been lovely to come home and relax with my family this Christmas.

Coming home and seeing my brothers again always makes me feel a little like an old Aunt who comments on how tall they have grown, how much facial hair they have sprouted (or tried to) and what their current interests involve... (some high-tech pastime which involves shooting things on a computer and getting angry, as the past couple of days have revealed). Tim endeavors to crack jokes about the 'rents being really old and harks back to the days when we had in-jokes about more or less everything and tries as hard as he can to recreate those lost days; Simon talks about Philosophy and we all shrivel up with boredom.

I love reading, and have grabbed the opportunity to spend time on my own catching up with some great material, at the moment I'm on Heidi and Rolland Baker's There's Always Enough, which near moves me to tears every few pages. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I plan to sneak some films in over the festive period too, with Where the Wild Things Are, Avatar and Sherlock Holmes on the wish list at the moment.

There will also be much drinking of tea, after a lovely friend bought me some weird and wonderful packets of tea from The Mystery Tea House, including Mango Black Tea and Mini Rose Pu-erh, all of which sound, er, interesting to say the least.

I plan to blog more over the next couple of weeks, so keep having a nosy!

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Childhood Memories

I LOVE the new John Lewis ad... check it out. Song by folk band, Taken by Trees.

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A Nice Cup of Tea.

If you drink as many cups of tea per day as my friends and I then you will appreciate that in order to enjoy the full tea experience it helps if you are with lovely people and even more if you are in a lovely place. I have had many good tea experiences in my life. A particularly lovely time was when I was in Uganda over the summer and I lay on the grass in the front garden of the bungalow we stayed in, with a great book and a mischievous little Ugandan boy running around me, trying to engage me in a game of hit the football into the banana plant.


This tea drinking time could only be bettered by the occasion I was in Cape Town, South Africa on the most beautiful beach, as the sun was setting and my friends and I had just played a vigorous game of Frisbee... or possibly when I was in Canada looking over a frozen lake with two of my most favourite people and we had shivery cups of tea out of a flask.

However, I currently live in Preston, and have found that exotic tea drinking locations are few and far between. UNTIL... my friend Hannah introduced me to 'The Mystery Tea House' hidden somewhere in Preston. We walked into the little haven of tea delights and had our senses awakened by the tingling smell of fresh tea leaves, then stomped upstairs to a window seat where we poured over the menu and made our precious selection.

Mine was Rose Desire, Hannah's, Cinnamon Tea. The place was just perfect. There were candles on the tables, a rocky waterfall in the corner of the cafe, African style paintings on the walls, and some kind of dreamy mysterious music pouring from somewhere in the room.

Thank you Hannah for introducing me to tea heaven.

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Can we have an encore?

I had forgotten how incredible Faithless were. I heard a live track on the radio this afternoon and went mad on Youtube trying to find it. I wish I'd been at this gig, it looks immense. Enjoy!

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