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!