Bunny Hopping

I am seriously in need of some intellectual conversation or something stimulating to read. I’m beginning to seriously consider doing some housework, which really shows how bored I am getting!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, due to the copious amounts of University work that needed to be completed, such as my dissertation. Thankfully, this is all over and done with now so I can rest for a bit before throwing myself into something else.

Some good news though; I’ve been offered a place on the MA Professional Writing course at University College Falmouth for the autumn! After the week I had last week; with not getting the job I wanted and the absolute lack of normal openings in the job market was beginning to take its toll on me a little. I’m still feeling a bit humph about it all, however, I’m trying my best not to dwell. I’ve been doing a few bits of proofreading this week and would love to take on some more (hint hint!).

My boyfriend is away working at Renishaw this week so it has been me, Lowen the rabbit and a lot of TV (see crazy photo below, do excuse my wonky eyes!). This is probably not the best way to spend my week, and I should be looking for more work, but when jobs stop popping up that involve Market Research and ‘Enthusiastic Sales Manager’, then I might start looking a little more.

As previously mentioned, I’m a great proofreader and wouldn’t mind reading anything right about now, so get in touch if you require my services!

Also, the olympic flame passes past my house today so at least I’ll have that to provide me with some entertainment

Straightening Out

We’re on the up I think.

Been a packed few weeks recently, lots going on and only now when I’m supposed to be doing something else do I sit down and blog, even though it’s sunny outside!

The good news is my personal tutor is pro MA and has agreed to write me a reference! (yay!) She was really enthusiastic about it all and thought it was really good that I’d gone away and done my own research etc. I’m literally waiting for her to okay my personal statement and then its hitting the post faster than you can say education! All being well, this time next year, I’ll have a set of straighter teeth and half way through an MA.

But yes, the teeth.

I’ve just started with Invisalign, and for those who have no idea that that is, its a clear brace that makes your teeth move by regularly changing the tray. I came to the conclusion that as a young woman in my early twenties and hoping to kickstart my career, I could not walk around with a mouth full of metal. It’s going okay so far, I’m experiencing a dry mouth and a bit of the plastic is catching on my tongue, but apart from that, no one notices them and they’re reasonably okay to get in and out. Just a bit of a pain as I drink tea all the time, so it’s like a party trick taking them out every few hours!

I will keep you posted on how I’m getting on with them. There isn’t much documented about them online so it might be helpful for all my readers (!) out there who are thinking about it to be kept informed Plus, you all know that I like sharing my life experiences with you all!

A special mention goes out to Nigel from the TDA Premier Plus Program who is an avid fan of my blog

Over & out.

Dreams of Paradise

 

I finished an almighty first novel today. When I say finish, I mean I finished reading, not writing.

It was one of those novels which kind of gets you hooked after the first chapter and then you struggle to put it down. The name was, The Istanbul Puzzle, by Laurence O’Bryan. At first, you’d think it was a usual novel, trying to break into the market that Dan Brown has over-commercialised, however it was surprisingly good.

As a fellow writer I feel its important to congratulate those awesome books that stand out from all the rest. O’Bryan’s description of Istanbul and the photos that accompanied it at the end of the novel really cemented how much work had gone into producing the novel. Never, have I seen photos in the back of Dan Brown’s book!

So I applaud Mr. O’Bryan on an awesome first novel. I can only hope to emulate his success one day.

 

http://lpobryan.wordpress.com/

An ironic tribute to The Beatles

It’s hard to believe where the time has gone this year. It only feels like yesterday that it was New Years Eve and I was quite happily watching the Harry Potter box set with my other half.

Now, we are in March. I’m supposed to ‘march’ on and choose a career path that is right for me. Picking a career path is like choosing what socks to wear: you quite like a few but none of them are really screaming out at you.

I know this sounds a little pessimistic, and I am in the process of trying to find work experience, trying to find work, and hoping for the best in writing. I know, that if all else fails, I’ll just do what is expected of me and run and teach children their ABC. Although you and I both know that’s not for me.

As I sit here and contemplate how life will change after May, I do wonder whether things will work out okay. Am I living in a bubble, I keep asking myself. I suppose I won’t know until it gets popped.

 

 

It’s like that, is it?

It’s been an odd few months here in my household, as the time is fast approaching where I am finishing University and life is going to have to go one way or another. I’m getting a lot of unnecessary pressure from my parents to make a decision, and lo and behold, they want me to do a PGCE as ‘I won’t get a job anywhere’ and ‘what was the point of going to University if you’re just going to go out and find a job, you could have done that at 18′. This is coming from people who, I quote, ‘know the real world’.

Yeah, life’s a bitch, but I think I already knew that, and I already know that deep down, teaching is not the route for me right now. I don’t see the point of spending more money, more time, and energy on a further qualification when my heart isn’t even in it. I think if I wanted to peruse it, I would be jumping the gun and putting my application in right this second. My Personal Tutor was right, I need to keep my options open.

And thats what I’m trying to do.

Over the last few months I’ve been researching into proof reading and copy writing as now that I am note taking so much in my paid job, it’s come second nature to me. I have to have sentences correct, make them understandable and of course try and get the words spelt right here and there. So I’ve been looking into what it takes and speaking to a few self-employed proof readers about how they got into the business and whether they could give me some advice. All of them have been pretty positive so far, I’ve been looking into courses on the Soceity for Editing and Publishing, looking into doing a part-time online MA in Professional Writing, and trying to bully my boyfriend into helping me get started. I’ve spoken to a friend at University who was interested in the same thing, but I didnt tell her I was already looking in to it. Of course I’ve shared this with only a few close people, and modt certainly not my parents. My cousin, on the other hand, has been so supportive of me looking in to it all and even offered to help me get started, as she works for herself too.

All I’m saying is, I’m keeping my options open. It’s only February but I’m wanting to see whats out there and look at things that doesn’t involve teaching. It’s kind of de motivating in a way when you have parents who are set on one idea for you and are sticking to it, and you have another, very awkward.

As I continue my soul searching and proof reading/copy writing adventure I will keep you posted, as I here blogging is pretty good these days…

 

If its any consolation, I quite like children

I’m casually spending my Christmas/January break chilaxing by the seaside in Suffolk, as one does. Not only should I be doing Uni work and writing on my dissertation, I should be making some hefty life choices.

Teaching is something that has been niggling away in the back of my brain for quite  a while, in fact, since I was about 8, and in Year 3, and I told my teacher Miss Chappell, that I wanted to be an English teacher. Spooky how 12 years on I’m sat here contemplating my career path and debating whether I’ve merely pushed teaching out because everyone automatically assumes that because I’m studying English Literature, I must want to be a teacher. I hate assumptions and stereotypes.

But the problem is, the curriculum is way too stiff, I hate poetry and Shakespeare, and I’d much prefer to spend all my day talking about and reading some Margaret Atwood.

Here’s the interesting part. Somehow I ended up looking into teaching Spanish, as having lived in Spain for 6 years, my Spanish is still pretty decent. So here I am waiting on a school placement.

Why the sudden change you may wonder. Don’t worry, I’m thinking the same thing. I don’t know where this may go but I have to follow the path in order to find out.

I suppose I could let you know how I get on. Maybe.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside..

Journalism Junkie

Things have been quite busy in the past few days for me, hence why I haven’t been blogging an awful lot. Just getting some quiet time now to let you know what I’ve been doing! I’ve been off and applying for work experience at the BBC in Broadcast Journalism for BBC Midlands Today. Never have I been through such a rigourous application process! I had to watch a transmission of BBC Midlands Today and really get nitty gritty and explain why I wanted to step onto the career path of journalism. I felt kind of proud when it asked what I did in my spare time to be more proactive etc, and I was like “I BLOG!!!!”. I didn’t give them the link to this blog, as knowing them, they would think its absolutely rubbish!! I’m really hopeful I can get somewhere and get this placement as it could do wonders for my CV. Although if anyone is reading this and is in journalism or publishing, get in touch because I would REALLY LOVE to do some work experience

I’ve also had my nose into Alastair Campbell’s latest volume of diaries, “Power & Responsibility 1999 – 2001″. I cannot get enough of reading this stuff and I find it really intriguing to see what went on  behind closed doors and how much it differed from what was published in the tabloids. Journalism is a tough world, and behind all that nice nicey paper, is a bunch of ruthless journalists who are printing ludicrous stories in order to make some loot, regardless of the damage. This has been seen only recently with the hacking scandal which has been the lowest of the low. Also, The Daily Mail do not come off well in this volume, and to be honest, I’m not surprised as they are scathing and not worth the money. But what I love about AC’s journal is the politics. When I read it I feel like I’m stood in the middle of the Cabinet Office like a fly on the wall watching it all. Its awfully compelling. The downside is it takes me yonks to read it as its roughly 800 pages long. Give me strength. Then again, the longer it lasts, the less time I have to wait until the next volume. Off I go…

when I come back you’ll know, Amy Winehouse

I’m taking the peaceful time that I have at present to reflect on a fantastic musical sensation, being Amy Winehouse. I’m in a pensive mood today and not feeling a blog full of ranting. Besides, its Sunday.

I’ve just dug out her ‘Back to Black’ album on iTunes and it really is amazing. It’s such a shame to think someone of that musical calibre fell into the dangerous trap of drug and alcohol addiction. Listening to her lyrics, it feels like she means every word, and there is such a sense of sadness throughout the album. It makes me sad to think that she will never release another song, or collab with Mark Ronson, because unfortunately she chose to cut her life short, not accept help, and lived her life as an addict. One could say that her wealth fuelled her addiction. If she wasn’t a Grammy winner, a musical success, she wouldn’t have had the millions in her bank. Her wealth made it easier for her to buy and access drugs than your average Tom, Dick or Harry. Of course I have to condemn her actions and see it as a waste of a life, as she is the epitome of what dangerous abuse can do to a person. Hopefully, people will look at her death and remember her for music and her beautiful voice, and not for the downward spiral she was stuck in. Unforunately, it was just a matter of time before she died.

Nevertheless, Amy, will stay on my iTunes and remain a music icon, and a member of the 27 club.

The bookshop culture – still going strong.

I just read a blog post in which it discussed the decline in bookstores, where you can aimlessly search for books for hours on end and end up getting quite a bad neckache. I can’t disagree that Amazon has taken over the majority of the book world, but for someone like me, an English student who can’t afford to buy brand new books every semester, its perfect. Amazon lets me buy things secondhand, and it keeps the love for literature inside of me.

The book culture, the book craze, still lives. I love books, I don’t know where I would be without books. Only last week I read Harry Potter 3-7 in the space of 5 days. Yes, I had a lot of time on my hands! I love getting lost in a book, the thrill of buying a new book, and waiting for it to come through the post. Books have done a great deal for me throughout my life so far – kept me out of trouble, kept me entertained, and provided me with a career path. Currently, I’m in the process of planning for my dissertation, and books are the key thing that I have to use. For me, flicking through an ebook on the iPad, or buying a Kindle and downloading a book to it seems unnatural. I can never seem to grasp the plot and it doesn’t provide as much joy as holding a book in my hand. In essence, like Maggiecakes said;

It’s not really a book. Its a text.

I couldn’t agree more. When my boyfriend tries to persuade me to convert to the modern way of ‘reading’, I rebuke the idea and say no. Without Literature and books, I wouldn’t be an English student, I wouldn’t wish to write, and I wouldn’t loose myself in plots so easily.

So even though some may say the bookshop culture is dying, it really is still going strong. There may not be as many book shops around today, but, we haven’t lost books to technology just yet, they haven’t become a forgotten pleasure.