The Year in Review

2015 has been an incredible year. Of course it's had it's ups and downs, it's had times that weren't great and times that were unbelievably amazing. And the latter is what I want to focus on - and especially all the things I have achieved, and that I am proud of. So without further ado, here is a list of just some of the amazing things (in no particular order) that have happened in 2015. 

1. I got distinction for my grade 8 piano and played at the ABRSM High Scorers Concert 

2. I got distinction for my grade 6 violin

3. I had my first own composition performed at school (Guinevere)

4. I had my second composition performed at my school's carol service (Long, Long Ago)

5. I went on tour with my singing group

6. I went on academic tour

7. I went on tour to umfolozi

8. I went on exchange to France (and am still here haha)

9. I finished writing my first book (The Invisible Boy)

10. I learnt to play the viola

11. I joined a string ensemble outside of school

12. I went to a party (wow look at me being social!)

13. I had a holiday with my BFF

14. I navigated my way through Dubai airport all alone

15. I job shadowed on two different days

16. I was part of my school's musical

17. I went to Grahamstown festival 

18. I got my second ear piercings

19. I completed two sets of exams for 10 subjects

20. I created this blog

21. I went to KZN, the Eastern Cape, Dubai, Edinburgh, Paris, Lille and Belgium for the first time

22. I started composition lessons

23. I ate snails for the first time

24. I continued to become more confident

25. I went to see One Republic live

26. I started watching Agents of SHIELD

27. I went of Grade 11 camp

28. I listened to some amazing music

Well there you go. That is by no means every wonderful thing that happened in 2015, but just a few off the top of my head. And seriously, what a year. Looking back not only have I been lucky enough to do so many amazing things and visit so many new and wonderful places, but I've also done so many things that may seem small, but that I'm extremely proud of. And seeing as it's the last day of 2015 I will allow myself to feel proud and give myself a pat on the back. 

So here's to 2015, a crazy year of madness. Now bring on 2016!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Blogmas Day 23-24

So as I'm writing this... it's Christmas Day! Just gone midnight. So merry Christmas, I guess!

But anyway, lemme back track a bit because I didn't write a blogpost for yesterday, and I don't have a lame excuse I'm afraid. Soooo allons-y!

So the morning was slow and chilled, and I had a lovely breakfast of Nutella on bread and a couple of clementines with Zoe and Agathe. At about 12 I went with Sophie, Bobby, Maryse and Agathe to a massive house just across the road that was very pretty with amazing architecture! After walking around there for a couple of hours and snapping some pics we returned to the house for lunch, and after that Agathe and I spent literally the whole afternoon colouring these pretty floral drawings with inspirational messages written in French on them. It's so addictive omg! They turned out really nicely though, and it was actually nice to just chill and colour and listen to music with Agathe! After that we had dinner, followed by a lovely white chocolate and berry desert made by Zoe and Sylvie. We then all retreated to the living room to play the same game as before, which I have now found out is in fact called "Quitte ou Double". It was really fun, even though my team ended up with a grand total of zero points because we blew everything in the last round haha! It was gone kosher by the time we all then traipsed off to bed. 

The next day, Christmas Eve, we had to wake up a bit earlier than usual in order to get back home in time to do all that had to be done. After another yummy but unhealthy breakfast we scampered around gathering all our scattered things and packing it all away into the car. It was then time to say goodbye, which is never easy. Even though I'd only spent 3 days with this family I've grown very fond of them, and I'll be sad not to see them again! Maybe I'll just have to come back next Christmas haha. 

Then came the drive home which took about 3 and a half hours I think, and when we arrived back Leo made me what was basically fish fingers and chips but had some fancy French name, but anyway 'twas good. Zoe, Sophie and I then went shopping for all the Cristian's food, and when we returned I quickly showered and then the festivities began! Yet again, there was soooo much food and I'm stuffed now. First we had little nibbly bits by the fire as we opened all the wonderful presents that had appeared under the tree! We then moved to the dining table for some clam-like things that I can't quite remember the name of, followed by cheese (of course), followed by a lovely berry and ice cream desert Zoe had made, similar to the one we had at Sylvie's. We then waited until midnight so we could say, IT'S CHRISTMAS!

The last few days I've had an amazing time and I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to do something so amazing as spend a Christmas in a different country. Not to mention Zoe's family - extended too - are SO nice and I couldn't have wished for better people! Anyway I'll shush now because I'm getting all sentimental, but I'll just say this: Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year!

And with that, I'm off to the land of dreams. This is the last time I'll be doing this, and I'll kind of miss it I think! But yeah, if anyone was actually reading I hope you enjoyed, and I'll be back to normal blogposts come January. 

So for the last time, merry Christmas and a happy new year! And I hope everyone has a lovely day. 

Bye bye!

A Day in Bruge | Blogmas Day 22

Salut. Today I woke up even earlier than yesterday, 10.30am! I know, crazy. I then had a quick shower before all 17 of us headed of for Bruges, Belgium. 

The car ride there was about an hour long, and Zoe, Agathe and I were in the back with very very little leg space. But we made it, and it was definitely worth it because the city is so beautiful! I couldn't get over just how many people there were riding bikes, and there were plenty of bike lanes and racks for them too. We meandered around the cute cobbled streets before sopping for lunch where I had a Croque Monseiur avec des frites, even though we weren't in France anymore and the menu was in Flemmish, which was interesting! We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through the streets with Christmas lights and music all around, before heading back to the cars as darkness fell, legs tired from spending the day walking. The journey home was longer, and though a snoozed for half of it my legs were so cramped up by the time we got back! It was a relief to get out of the car. We then chilled for while before having a lovely dinner, after which we all retreated to the cinema room to watch my PowerPoint and Zoe's video of South Africa, which went down well. We then watched some other random vids and are now watching U2 in Paris, even though it's gone midnight so I'm probably going to go to bed soon. 

Okey doke, see you then. Bye bye!

A Big Wheel in Lille | Blogmas Day 21

Okay first of all, how on earth is it the 21st already?! Christmas is in like... 4 days. Wowza. 

Anyway, today I rose late in comparison to most other people but I guess early for me, as it was 11am. At about 12 me, Zoe, Agathe, Sylvie, Maryse and Mami et Papi (Zoe's grandparents) went for a walk in a forest which was sooooopa muddy. Agathe, Zoe and I played the same game as last night except without post-its, which was fun. When we got back we had a lovely lunch followed by the desserts Zoe and I made, and I'm so happy because my malva pudding actually tasted really good and everyone seemed to like it! Yayayay so relieved about that. 

In the late afternoon we bundled in to the car to go to Lille. And when I say bundled I mean 9 people in one car. A bit of a squish. Sophie, Zoe, Agathe, Angel and I were then dropped in the centre of the town, where the first thing we did was go on the big wheel that went soooo fast and it was freezing too! Nonetheless I loved the whole atmosphere because there was a massive Christmas tree, loads of people and great Christmas music playing! After that we walked around the streets for a couple of hours admiring the shops and buildings, before catching the "metro" back. After dinner we played a came called "Quitte ou Doule" or something like that - I'm not really sure - but it was basically like trivia but in French of course, which was interesting, but also very fun! 

And now I'm about to go to bed, so that'll be all. Bissous!

So the Festivities Begin | Blogmas Day 18-20

Hello! Currently writing this on the 20th, although I have no wifi at the moment so not sure when I'll be able to actually post it. I'll get to why I don't have wifi later though, so if you're interested read on I guess!

So, the 18th begin with a morning stroll through the countryside... on horses. Yup, horse riding! Now I haven't been horse riding since I was like 8 I think, and it was a tad scary at first but I think I settled in quite nicely, and we even trotted a bit! My butt had a lot of complaining to do that evening though... The afternoon I FaceTimed the fam again, as they had arrived at my grandparents in England. They also had a chat with Sophie and Bobby, as we're all meeting up in less than a week now! Excitinggg. In the evening Bobby and I watched The Seventh Son but in French, of course, and it was pretty good even though I wasn't really sure what they were saying. 

The 19th was a Saturday, and it began with a long sleep again followed by lunch, after which Zoe and I went for a walk around a nearby lake. I love winter walks so so much and the lake was very pretty because it was so calm and still, and we crossed a bridge over it and snapped some pics, before doing a loop around a field where there were loads of people running with their dogs tied to them! Quite a strange sight! That evening Zoe baked her really cool cake and I attempted to make a malva pudding for the first time, and I'm not sure if it will be alright because we haven't eaten it yet! After that we went to Zoe's friends house for pizza and a movie - bear in mind we left home at 10.30 and therefore only started the movie at about midnight, after eating pizza and making virgin mojitos which were soooo good! The movie we watched was Night at the Museum 3, in French but thankfully with English subtitles!

So this morning, the 20th, it was very difficult to wake up. After quickly packing last night at 3 in the morning we were supposed to leave at 8, which just did not happen. It was about 9.30 by the time the car was packed full and we all bundled in for the 3-4 hour journey to Zoe's grandparents' house, which I spent sleeping surprise surprise. Somehow we arrived right on time at 12.30, at about the same time as the rest of the family which was a loooot of people! After a few glasses of champagne we all settled around the table for lunch, and as we ate the grand giving of all the presents took place. The food was lovely and so are all Zoe's family, and I managed to hold a few conversations in French (mostly just me agreeing and giving one word answers because although I understand quite well now I'm not a great at formulating sentences). We also played that game where you have, in our case, the name of an animal stuck to your head and you have to guess what it is, which was kinda hard because I didn't know what half the animals actually were in French. Nonetheless I managed to formulate questions about my own animal and was actually the first to get it! It was a giraffe, by the way. At about 9 I think we all bundled back in our cars to drive to Sophie's sister's house where we're sleeping, and where I am now. When we arrived soup and yoghurt and, of course, cheese came out, despite it being past 10.30 at night - still can't get over how late they eat here! After the feast everyone trickled off to bed, which is where I am now in a big room in the basement on mattresses on the floor. 

And with that I shall end this incredibly long blogpost, wowza. Guess that's karma for not posting for three days! But yeah, sleep well and I'll be sure to write again tomorrow. 

P.S. We are now playing with a cat in the darkness in bed, because it keeps coming back and playing with Zoe's socks haha. Okay I'm really going now, byeeee. 

So. Much. Food. | Blogmas Day 17

This morning I rose late. Again. Every morning I have an alarm that goes off, and every morning, without fail, I turn it off, roll over and go back to sleep. ARGH. 

But anyway, after lunch I finished writing up my presentation that I was supposed to be doing in the evening and finalised my PowerPoint and all that jazz. Zoe also showed me the video she made of her time time in SA and I love it so much! After that we went to the boulangerie (still love that) to buy bread and also some sneaky treats, of which mine was a Nutella eclair which was very yummy. After all was eaten and the coffee was consumed we decided to paint our nails, and usually I'm absolutely rubbish at that, but they actually went so well and I'm very impressed! My toes, however, are a different matter, but let's not go there. 

This evening we went to Zoe's rotary club for the first time, who are the people my exchange is through, and I was supposed to do my presentation but ended up not, and am doing it in January instead. Nonetheless I met all the rotary people and didn't have too much trouble conversing in French with them - I'm definitely getting much better! We then had a MASSIVE meal. Like, huuuuge. It was literally five courses and I was so stuffed afterwards because everything was so good! Also I think it's a French thing, but we ate so late, like we finished eating at 11pm and then only got home at about quarter to 12. I then faffed around a lot before writing this, and I am now going to bed cos we have exciting stuff planned for tomorrow!

See you then. Au revoir!

So Much Shopping | Blogmas Day 16

Hiiiiii. So today we got up bright and early (by which I mean 10am) to travel to the town of Rouen which is about an hour away by car. 

It was kind of miserable today, although thankfully it only rained a little bit at the beginning, so I guess it was the best day to spend shopping! Rouen is very pretty with its huuuuuge cathedral, and there was a Christmas market right outside which smelt of all good things like mulled wine and crepes mmmm. But yeah, the day was spent shop shop shopping for Christmas presents seeing as it's only like 9 days away now (?!) and I also bought a couple of things for myself including a t-shirt that says "unicorns are real" and a cute little diary, both of which I fell in love with and just couldn't resist. I also ate a crepe with Nutella on which was so so yummy!

I fell fast asleep in the back of the car on the drive home, obviously exhausted from all the shopping, and by the time we got back it was already dark and we spent the rest of the evening chilling before a lovely dinner cooked by Zoe, followed by a game of uno which I actually won woop woop!

So yeah, that was today. See you again tomorrow!

Decorating the Tree | Blogmas Day 15

Yep, today we put up the Christmas tree! Ah, I love Christmas so much. 

The morning was uneventful, and after lunch Zoe and I went for a run. (I know, me, doing exercise. Crazy.) It was actually really nice because it's not too hot, seeing as it's winter and all. When we returned home we starting the decorations of the tree! It began with loooooads of twinkly lights which took a while to untangle, and then baubles galore, and the finished result was great! This evening Zoe cooked this really nice cheesy, potato-y dish that was delicious, and she said it's something they usually eat in winter. Mmmm. After that I just showered and now I'm in bed writing this, soon going to sleep. 

So yeah, that's all for today. Bye bye!

Recuperation Day | Blogmas Day 14

This morning... actually I can't really say that seeing as I got up at about 12. Yes, today was recuperation day which was so nice, considering how sleep deprived we were! So sorry this blogpost is probably gonna be a tad boring seeing as we didn't really do much! 

So I woke up, had a shower and then ate lunch, and then the Christmas decorations came out! Woohoo! So we began decorating the house with santas, a nativity scene and many, many candles. This evening we went out to buy the tree, and the garden centre was completely Christmas galore, including Christmas songs playing! We returned home and just chilled for the rest of the evening, seeing as it was recuperation day and all. 

So there ya go, a lovely lazy day all round. See ya tomorrow!

Not Enough Sleep | Blogmas Day 12-13

Hiya! And yes, I know, I missed a day. All will be explained in a moment. 

So yesterday we had a super chilled morning, and then in the afternoon we made a quick visit to a nearby town to drop off some clothes for charity and then to have a look around some of the shops there. When we got back we began our preparations for Zoe's brithday party, stringing up fairy lights (with difficulty) and rearranging the house to create a dance floor (with even more difficulty). But all went well, and the party was a big success and very fun! Though we ended up going to bed at 5.30am... hence no blogpost yesterday!

This morning when everyone left we drove to a Christmas market about half an hour away, which was really nice. It was in a castle and the whole place just smelled like mulled wine, mmmmm. We also watched this cute little play, intended for kids I think, but I managed follow basically what was going on even if I didn't understand everything they were saying!

We returned home very tired, hence the staying up until 5.30 in the morning and getting very little sleep, but I managed to FaceTime the fam, which was really nice. We then had yummy crepes for dinner, which I may have overdone the Nutella on a bit, and I am now snuggled up on the sofa in front of some weird French drama of which I have no idea what is going on, a) because I'm not really watching and b) because, well, it's in French. 

And with that, I shall love you and leave you. Goodnight!

Winter Walks | Blogmas Day 11

Salut! 

This morning Zoe and I began the day with a short walk to some stables nearby, to ask about a possibility of horse riding sometime next week, which would be really fun! Then while she was out, Sophie and I went on a long walk in the countryside which was sooo nice, because I love the countryside in the winter! We also stopped to buy some honey from a man, who seemed very nice although I didn't understand much of what he was saying! After that I went to the neighbour across the road to play the piano for a little while, as Zoe doesn't have one, which is so nice of them to let me practice! It went pretty well. I then returned home for dinner, and now I'm sitting in front of the TV as I write this. It was a very homey sort of day, which is weird in a good way, seeing as I'm far from home! But it was really nice - which you can probably tell from the number of exclamation marks in this blogpost, i.e. basically every sentence! There's another one. Haha!

Anyway, I'm off to bed now because I seem to be a little delirious. See you tomorrow!

Frenchness Everywhere | Blogmas Day 10

How long have I been in France now? I have no idea. I feel like I could have lived here forever, but only last week I was at school in sunny South Africa... it's really weird. The Carol service was little more than a week ago! Woah. Mind blown. 

Anyway, that was a bit off topic. Today I had a lovely relaxing day, as Zoe was out in the morning so I made myself at home with tea and breakfast of pain au raisin, I believe, which was very yummy. I spent most of the day reading, as well as practising my French with Zoe and Bobby. It's still not great, but it's getting there I think! Zoe and I also played Uno, and then this evening I watched the film Notting Hill on TV, except it was obviously dubbed in French, which was so weird but quite funny! Luckily I've seen the film enough times that I know the story like the palm of my hand, and a lot of the actual words they say too. Okay, maybe I've watched it a little too many times, haha!

And now I will sleep, and maybe dream in French seeing as it's all around me! Bonne nuit!

A Day at the Beach | Blogmas Day 9

Day 3 in France has come and gone, and it was wonderful. 

This morning I woke up at a more reasonable hour than midday, and then we travelled to the seaside town of Deauville. It was soooo cute! All the buildings were the typical Normandie style, and there were tonnes of Christmas lights everywhere. The sky was completely clear, so even though it was absolutely freezing and I was wearing about five layers, we decided to make the most of the sun and take a walk on the beach. It was so pretty, and the sky was amazingly clear and blue! We also looked around at some shops in the town, which all looked so cute and festive with loooads of decorations in the windows. I am SO ready for Christmas. Can you tell?

And with that, I shall love you and leave you. À demain!

Zoe's Birthday | Blogmas Day 8

Bonjour! It is my second day in France, and it's going great so far!

I began the day by sleeping for an extremely long time. Like 14 hours. Thanks jet lag. But I finally woke up at about 12 and ate lunch (lol) and of course, wished Zoe a happy birthday! This afternoon we baked an amazing chocolate cake and then began our preparations for her birthday dinner, which was delicious! We all sat by the fire and ate and chatted, with me mostly listening and understanding about one word every sentence, while she opened all her presents. It was so nice to sit around the fire, because as you probably know I LOVE winter. And they are such a lovely family! I also gave them my gifts from South Africa which went down well! Overall it was just a lovely atmosphere. 

Tomorrow we might go to a town by the sea if the weather is nice, which will be great! So I guess I'll see you then.

Adios!

Actually I feel like I say that too much. And seeing as I began with bonjour and I'm in France...

Au revoir!

France | Blogmas Day 4-7

And I thought this whole posting every day thing was going so well. 

But anyway, guess what? I AM IN FRANCE. And I can't quite believe it to be honest. But so far so good, apart from the fact that I may have overestimated my French-speaking ability as so far I have mainly been saying "quoi?". But let me just start at the beginning, I think that would make more sense. 

So after a few days of frantic last-minute packing the day finally came for me to zip up my suitcase (with difficulty) and head off to the airport - after a final cuddle with my dog, of course. Thankfully my suitcase was still 5 kilos underweight, although I doubt it will be when I return, so all that was left for me to do was say goodbye to my parents and sister, who I will miss very much. But I'll see them all on Boxing Day in Paris, which is extremely exciting! Anyway, where was I. So I got through customs nice and easy and then long story short boarded my flight to Dubai, on which I watched three films: Spy, Fantastic 4 and Mission Impossible 5, and three episodes of Modern Family. Needless to say on my second flight I slept the whole journey, and before I knew it I was arriving in France! Once again I flew through passport control (thank you British passport) and grabbed my heavy suitcase with yet more difficulty, and then I was finally reunited with Zoe! Seeing as we were already in Paris we had a quick coffee by the Eiffel Tower and took some photos, and it was a really nice day - sunny but cold. My favourite. Then we drove to Zoe's town Courcelles sur Seine which is about an hour out of Paris I think. Not entirely sure seeing as I slept the entire journey. But yeah, the town is so cute and pretty as is the house, and I immediately fell in love with it! After a classic lunch of Croque Madame, we went for a walk up a hill to an old castle, where there was a lovely view of the river and the town, made especially more lovely by the golden glow of the setting sun. We also bought some bread at the boulangerie (eeee so French). Sophie and Bobby (Zoe's parents) are very nice and very friendly towards me, even when I get confused with the French! It's only been a day but I already feel at home here. 

And that's all for today. See you tomorrow! (I hope)

Let the Holidays Begin | Blogmas Day 3

So today was my last day of school for the year, and that means only one thing... bring on the holidays!

I am now done and finished with Grade 11, and it's quite a strange feeling. A bit surreal, to be honest. My mind hasn't really wrapped itself around the fact that next year as my final year of high school ever and when I go back to school in January I'll be in Grade 12, or Matric as we call it. But I guess that's what the holidays are for - letting that sink in!

My friends and I celebrated our newborn freedom by going bowling after school, and seeing as I haven't been in an extremely long time I was pretty awful. However by our second round I managed to sneak in a couple of spares and even a strike and actually won - achievement! But yeah, 'twas fun.

And that's about all that really happened today, apart from a rehearsal with the string ensemble I'm in for a concert we're playing on Saturday, and pizza. Which was good. So yeah.

Wow, what a boring blogpost. But do not fear, come Sunday I will be France-bound and I'm sure once I'm there life will get much more interesting. So until then I'll just stick with these short bits, because I'm determined to do this blogmas thing properly.

Okey dokes. Byee!

Christmas is Coming | Blogmas Day 2

Today was such a Christmassy day, and I loved it! 

After the carol service last night I still had the songs stuck in my head this morning when I woke up, and therefore was listening to Pentantonix's Christmas album on the way to school, as well as singing along as I danced with my dog to "It's the most wonderful time of the year". 

At school we had our annual Christmas Party which is one of my favourite events of the year, and this was my last one. And I was wearing a Christmas Pudding hat on my head, yay! We listened to more Christmas songs, not helping the mass that were already stuck in my head, including the Twelve Days of Christmas - both the original version and the "South African" version, which was rather amusing to say the least. 

Aside from that, my sister and I finished season 1 of The 100 today, which we have been avidly watching since I bought it for her birthday in September, and it ended on a cliffhanger?! Argh. Just why?

But yeah. Tomorrow is my last day of school, seeing as we're going into our 6 week long summer holidays now! So that's exciting, because who doesn't love holidays, right? 

Anyway, see you then!

The Carol Service | Blogmas Day 1

This evening was my final carol service at my school, and it was rather emotional.

I love my singing group very much and enjoy singing with them a lot - especially carols because a) I love Christmas and b) they're so beautiful! The service was also extra special because we sang a carol I composed, and I think it went down well. Except the headteacher called me up to take a bow unexpectedly and I went bright red. Yay for awkward me. 

So yeah, that was that, and I'm very sad it's over. Some of my favourite carols we sang were Once In Royal, O Holy Night and a Choral Amen at the end. And of course my own one, because I mean who doesn't like their own music?

Apart from that... how on earth is it December already? I feel like the second half of this year came and went at the speed of light!

That's all for today - short but sweet because I'm still at school so nothing else of much interest happened today, except lots of rehearsals for this evening. So yeah, see y'all tomorrow then. 

Bye!

Stories of Mugs

Hello. I will begin my addressing the blatantly obvious: yes, I have not posted sunce August, yes, it is now almost December. What happened to September, October and November? I LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA. They just vanished. Poof. Gone.

Aaaaaaand now back to the matter at hand.

So you may or may not know, but I am an avid tea drinker. And being a tea drinker, naturally one must have a lot of mugs in which to put all the tea. Exhibit A:

But as I listen to the kettle boil and decide which mug I would like to have my tea in today (a very tough decision might I add) it makes me think about where each mug came from, and the story behind it. Take this one for example:

We bought this mug on a family road trip in Memphis, Tennessee about... five years ago, I think. Wow, how time files! I think I was about 12, and I remember it was a really cool holiday because we got to visit Graceland, Elvis Presley's home, as well as the studios where I was lucky enough to be able to play the actual piano he played!

Ironically, these two mugs weren't bought together. In fact, the blue one we got quite a while ago, and I think my mum was actually given it as a present from work? I could be wrong. And the pink one I was given for my birthday in June, and it just happened to match the one we'd already had for over a year!

This is one of my favourite mugs, and was also a birthday present this year. (Is it really that obvious that I love tea? Okay, I guess it is.) I absolutely love playing the piano and I love tea, so why not combine the two and get this wonderful masterpiece?!

But yeah, there's a few little tales from my mugs. Kinda random, but I guess if you want to take something from this then it's that you can always find little spots of happiness in the most unusual places, if you only look.

Tada!

Now just one quick notice before I go. I have decided, after a long hard think (not really) to do Blogmas. Now idk if this is really a thing but you know what, I'm making it a thing because I can and it's a free country. Basically I'm going to be writing a blogpost every day from the 1st of December up until Christmas, like vlogmas but blogging, hence Blogmas. Also kind of inspired by SprinleofGlitr's October diary. I just think it's a nice idea as I can look back in the future and see what I got up to etc. and it's probably not going to be particularly interesting for anyone else but oh well. Will definitely be interesting to see if I can actually get a blogpost up every day for 25 days in a row...

So yeah, that's that! Guess I'll see you on the first of December. Tomorrow. What?

Adios!

August Favourites

Heeeeeey! So as it's the end of August (what even btw) I thought I'd just share some of my favourites from this month with y'all. Idk if this is a blog thing or just a YouTube thing... but I'm doing it anyway because I want to hehe.

Anyway, leggo!

1. The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Steadman

This book was actually one that I had to read for school, but I ended up falling in love with it. Without giving too much away, it's about a Lighthouse Keeper called Tom who lives on a remote island with his wife, Isabel, when a lifeboat with a baby alive and well in it washes onto the shore. And that's all I'm going to say about it except that it's absolutely amazing, full of plot twists which you probably know I love love love in a book, and with a heart-wrenching ending that stays with you for ages. 

2. Robert Frost

This seems pretty random, but I literally love Robert Frost poems so much. My favourites are The Road Not Taken, Fire and Ice, and Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. I absolutely love the last stanza of the latter, it just really strikes a chord with me for some reason. Here it is:

The woods were lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep. 

3. Eos 

Okay so these things are pretty popular now, and usually when something is popular I tend to have an immediate dislike for it. I don't even know why, it's pretty bad actually! But anyway, I bought the green one of these in October last year, and I absolutely loved it. I love this flavour—honeysuckle—and I just love how soft it makes your lips feel. Unfortunately I've never found them in South Africa and I don't think they're sold here, and after using mine until it was literally flat and I could see the plastic underneath, I lost it. So I think I may have to buy about twenty when I go to England in a few weeks, just to stock up!

4. Pachelbel's Canon in D

This piece of music has been a favourite of mine for years, but I recently rediscovered it , and of course it's just as beautiful as before. It holds so many memories for me and makes me think of my childhood, and I can't even describe it but I just think it is the most beautiful piece of music ever. I think it's just the simplicity of it... but yeah, to me it's basically perfection and will probably be my favourite piece of music for the rest of my life. If you haven't heard it before, I seriously recommend it!

5. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

Finally, my crazy obsession with this TV show. IT'S JUST SO GOOD. I actually started watching it back in June but then had a massive gap due to school work (ugh) but now that's died down a bit so I'm back, and I literally just fangirl about it all the time. I adore all things Marvel and am just so obsessed with this show—I only have three more episodes of Season 2 to watch and then Season 3 comes out in September! Eeeeeek someone needs to calm me down. 

But yeah, there you have it! Hope you enjoyed reading about a few of my favourite things (now that song is stuck in my head wonderful) and let me know if you share any of the same favourites—especially number 5 so we can fangirl together hehe. 

And apart from that, I guess I'll see you in September!

Life is a Zip

I've often thought of the path of life as a zip. 

When I think about the future, about all the endless possibilities, my mind just can't fathom the number of things that could happen - and that most won't. I don't know if I believe in fate, if everything ahead of us is set in stone or we choose our own future, but I know that once something happens there's no going back. I imagine the future opening out in front of us, getting wider and wider as the range of possibilities expands as we look further ahead, the very near future having the least amount of possibilities. 

So like a zip, is what I'm getting at. 

And then behind us is our past, tightly knitted together as it stretches out behind us like a cape, preparing us for our future but not quite dictating it. 

When we are very young, even when our life first begins, the possibility of what could happen in our future is almost endless, and the two sides of the zip fan out as wide as they can go. And as we live our lives and create our story, our future starts to come together - until we're lying on our deathbed and there's not much else that can happen except for us to look back at our path of life we have created. 

I quite like this idea, this steady laying out of your own tracks as you live each day. Your choices affect your life, and where it will take you. Your life is in your own hands, and no one else can tell you how to live your life. Sure they can advise you, they can teach you, and sometimes other people's choices affect us, but at the end of the day it's all really down to you. You can decide if you're going to live a half-hearted life, or an incredible one. 

So there are you go, some motivation for the day! Went off topic a little there, but oh well. Hope you enjoyed reading this little snippet of all the crazy things that go on in my mind - and there will probably be more coming soon!

Adios!

Rocky goes on Safari

Hello lovely people!

So I was looking through my camera photos the other day and I came across a whole lot I took when I was on holiday a couple of weeks ago of my little turtle Rocky. Do you remember him? (Click here if not haha). So I thought I'd do a little 'Adventures of Rocky Part Two' thing. Maybe I'll do this every time I go away somewhere. Shall I make this a thing now? Idk.

But anywho, here is The Adventures of Rocky Part Two: Rocky goes on Safari!

Tut tut Rocky...

Hot water bottle before bed because it was absolutely freezing.

 The morning begins with tea, of course.

 Making friends at the lodge...

 Making more friends!

And then my camera died, hooray. But there are a few cute pics at least! Hope you enjoyed this blogpost and stay tuned for another coming shortly! ANOTHER! *smashes teacup on floor*

(If you didn't get that reference that probably made no sense to you haha)

Goodbye!

Ghosts | OYEAS Writing Competition

Hello again friends!

So today I have something a little different for y'all, and that is some creative writing. As you may know I absoultely love writing and do it a lot in my free time (which is sadly diminishing at the moment) so when I saw that Cindy was holding a writing competition, I couldn't resist entering, despite how much work I have at the moment. And you can find her lovely blog riiiight here - it really is one of my favourite blogs out there!

But without further ado, here is my entry for the OYEAS Writing Competition, along with a picture just to set the mood!

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Ghosts

When I open my eyes, everything is tilted to the side. 

It takes me a while to work out that this is because I'm lying on the ground. My brain doesn't seem to be working so well, my thoughts all running in to each other like watercolours on a canvas. And I can't remember anything. Not even my name. 

With great effort, I sit myself up, my head swimming as the world turns the right way up again. Everything around me is unfamiliar: the empty road, abandoned houses and derelict diners, all with a slightly edgy feel about them. Where are all the people? This place is like a ghost town. 

Where the hell am I?

I try to remember something, anything, but I can't. I frown and rub my temples, but nothing comes to my mind. It's quite unsettling, not knowing a single thing about myself, but strangely I don't feel at all panicked. Perhaps just curious. 

Suddenly a bell rings as the door of the diner across the road from me opens, and an old woman walks out. I stand up, smiling — finally someone who can tell me what on earth I'm doing here. But then my smile fades as I get a closer look as she comes towards me. I'm staring at the broad smile on her face, but I'm sure I can still see the door swinging on the diner behind her. And then I realise: her whole body is almost transparent. I can see right through her. 

She stops in front of me and continues to smile. Does she expect me to say something? I think I'm too flabbergasted to speak. 

Finally she says, "Welcome."

I gape at her, but she still just continues to smile at me. 

"My name is Deirdre," she continues. "I'm the mayor of this town."

Finally I manage to find my voice. "Why am I here?"

She smiles. "All in due time... what did you say your name was?"

I stare at her. "I don't know," I say. 

"Not to worry, dear, just pick a new one," Deirdre says cheerfully. I continue to stare at her, mind-boggled. This whole thing is just getting weirder and weirder by the minute. 

"Nina," I decide. I don't really care for the name, it was just the first one that sprung to mind. 

"Very well, Nina," Deirdre says. "Time for you to meet the rest of the town."

She puts her pinkies in her mouth and gives a long, loud whistle, and no sooner than she brings her hand back to her side, more doors start to open all the way down the street, people emerging cautiously, all eyes fixed on me. 

And I can see right through every single one of them. 

"Deirdre..." I mutter as they start to crowd around us. "Why is everyone... see-through?"

Deirdre chuckles. "Yes, I was wondering when you might ask," she says. "We're all ghosts here, Nina. All of us."

I look around at the people around me, about fifty of them, now. And all their faces the same: blank and expressionless as they watch my every move. 

Okay, now I'm panicking. 

"Nina...?" Deirdre reaches an arm out towards me, sensing my distress, and I take an involuntary step back from her eery translucent hands. Everything is just too overwhelming, and my throats constricts as I imagine fifty faces looming towards me, so I do the only thing I can think of. 

I run away. 

No one makes any immediate effort to stop me, so I run into the nearest diner, up the stairs, out a window and onto a roof. And then I'm jumping across the closely packed roofs like 007, and it's only when I find myself on the top of a church that I finally stop to catch my breath, and take in my surroundings. 

Around me, roofs stretch on as far as I can see, all the way to the horizon where they meet a hazy white mist. This town is never ending. There's no where I can go. 

A noise behind me makes me jump out of my skin, and I whip around to find a boy standing on the roof behind me. He looks at me kindly. 

"It's okay, Nina," he says. "You don't need to panic."

I stare at him. "Easy for you to say."

He smiles. "I've been where you are - we all have. Everyone got here the same way."

I frown at him. My mind still feels foggy round the edges, and I can't seem to make sense of what he is saying. I stare at the misty horizon, far far away. 

"I'm Alex, by the way," the boy adds. 

I turn to look at him. "What do you mean, everyone got here the same way?"

Alex stares at me, as if contemplating something, then says, "Everyone in this town woke up here, not knowing who they were before and how they got here. We all know how it feels, Nina, and we're here to help with your transition."

All these words sound like gibberish to my ears, and I repeat them over and over. Transition? Who they were before? 

"I want to go home."

The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them, and they are received with a sympathetic look from Alex, followed by a small smile. "This is your home now, Nina."

He reaches out his hand, as translucent as Deirdre's, and tentatively I take it. And as I look at our intertwined fingers, I do a double take and my stomach jolts. Because my hand is just as see-through as Alex's.

Suddenly something comes back to me: something Deirdre said to me earlier. And at the same time something inside me clicks, as if the world that was tilted on its axis has fallen back into place, and all the while Deirdre's words seem to ring in my ears. 

We're all ghosts here, Nina. All of us. 

Of course. It all makes sense now. 

I'm a ghost too. 

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So there you have it! Hope you enjoyed that, and let me know if you'd like to see more writing on my blog? Or you can find some of my other works on my wattpad if you so desire :)

But anyway, that's about all I have for you! So I hope you're having a nice day wherever you are, and don't forget to smile wherever you go.

Byeee!

A touch of colour

Hola!

So today I'm going to let you have a bit more of a peek into my life and I'm going to share some pics of my bedroom, and some ways I use one recurring colour in different parts of my room. Does that news not just make your day? Probably not. 

But anyway, welcome!

So I have one wall of my room painted a deep plum sort of colour while the others are white, as I like my room to have a lot of natural light during the day and the white reflects that well. But I also like to carry the plum colour through other parts of my bedroom, like through the blinds, but also just little touches of it here and there.

I found this pretty hanging thing at a market, and I absolutely love it because not only is it the right colour but also music is such a big part of my life, and there's no harm in showing that off in my bedroom!

And conveniently I also found these cute little pegs at a completely different market, but they match perfectly. I just stuck these above my keyboard.

I also carry the colour through into my bathroom a little.

oh hai

My dog being a cutie.

Even through the bits and bobs around my room I carry the colour through - basically if I see anything this colour I just get it for my bedroom!

And of course, a nice warm blanket that I can snuggle up in during winter. And drink tea. Lots of tea.

So there you have it, my plum-themed bedroom! That sounds rather strange. But yeah, I hope you enjoyed this blogpost! I don't really do these sort of advice-y, 'how-to' kind of posts often, mostly because I'm rubbish at giving advice and prefer to just write about anything haha!

Anyway, let me know if you like these sorts of things, and if you have any cool ways to 'personalise' your bedroom.

À bientôt!

Salutations

Yes, it has now been over a month since I last wrote a blogpost. Time flies!

The last time I had such a big gap between posting was over my last holidays, and I've just been on holiday again for three weeks and am now back at school as of tuesday. I am sensing a pattern here... it would seem I only blog when I'm at school, which makes absolutely no sense. Or perfect sense, if you take into account the fact that I am an epic procrastinator.

But anyway, I do have some news. Over these three weeks of freedom I have not been entirely inert, and I actually finished a book, something I am extremely proud of because I am absolutely terrible at finishing stuff! Granted, it's quite short, but it is my baby nonetheless. You can find it on wattpad riiiiight HERE, although not all the chapters are up just yet, but I'm posting one every couple of days so they'll all be up soon!

Erm, what else. I have a very busy term coming up, mostly with musical things, as well as academics. The saddest part is all you northern hemisphere people are having a lovely long summer holiday, and down here we're at school and it is absolutely freezing. But it's okay, because I have tea. Tea is the solution to everything.

Another pro of living up there in the northern hemisphere: you can currently walk into a cinema and watch Ant-Man. I CANNOT. IT IS NOT OUT IN SOUTH AFRICA UNTIL THE 31ST. This is very saddening because I am dying to see it and it is so difficult to avoid spoilers (especially when I follow about 200 marvel accounts on instagram) and everyone is saying that it's amazing and I just really want to see it. In a week tomorrow I can, but that just seems like so far away. Sigh.

Anyway, I think I'll shut up now because I've probably been rambling on for long enough. This was kind of just a life update kinda thing I guess, with a little sneaky self-promotion (heheh). But I should probably go and do something productive now. Like eat dinner.

So goodbye for now, and in apology for my lack of creative ideas / posting at all, here is a picture I took of an adorable dog I met when I was on holiday.

You're welcome.

Walkies

Bonjour!

So the other day I went on a long dog walk with my family, and brought along my camera so I could snap a few pictures. The forest we went to was absolutely beautiful and I just love the trees because they're so tall and grand, and despite the fact that it is now winter down here in the southern hemisphere, it was a lovely sunny day.

I love dog walks, because not only are they a great way to clear your head and get a bit of exercise, but I always find that they but me in such a good mood. My dog always just looks so happy when we go out for 'walkies', and it's impossible to be sad when your dog is smiling at you!

But yeah, I thought I'd just share a few of the pictures I took on here. Enjoy!

Meet my crazy sister!

Me trying to experiment with taking cool photos.

She found a stick. She wouldn't part with it.

Et voila, my family dog walk in pictures. Isn't the last one so cute! I just love her.

Anyway that's all for today, so see you again soon!