Wanderlust

I was recently introduced to a YouTube channel-Funforlouis and I am now hooked. This YouTuber has a zest for life and is lucky enough to travel around the world. He vlogs (video blogs) every day and regards each day as an adventure, regardless of how exciting or mundane the day may be, he always finds something positive and holds on to it. 

It’s made me realise how we take small things for granted in our day to day lives, just because we are not in a new place to experience them. 

In terms of ‘adventure’ and ‘travel’ I had a pretty amazing 2013. I got to go to Germany-specifblogically Hamburg and Papenburg, France-Disneyland and Paris and I tried to explore London (I deliberately got lost in Central London). On one of my central London walks I got to see Blue (the band- Antony, Duncan, Lee and Simon).

These are just a few things but honestly, 2013 was pretty amazing! I got to meet some amazing people, experience new cultures and try out interesting foods.

The aim now is for 2014 to outdo 2013 and I think one of the ways of achieving this is through mind-set. If we were to regard each day as an adventure, we wouldn't overlook every new experience. We would accept it with open arms and live it, even if it’s in our day to day lives. We don’t necessarily have to be in a new environment to experience new things.

So here’s to wanderlust, the desire to want to travel and explore. I thought I would be a bit original so I wrote the quote down and got my friends to help me decorate it. We are by no means artists, were just trying to have fun.

Resolution Update

One of my New Year resolutions is to exercise. Well I’m pleased to report that I have started doing squats. It was a touch and go situation initially, however, I am lucky enough to have friends who are on a weight loss mission and dragged my lazy self to exercise with them.

We have a squat chart that we are following and today I did 70 squats (30 with 2kg dumb bells).

We also thought we would try to eat healthy, however, since January the 1^st 2014; we have made a lot of very unhealthy choices in terms of our eating. We have had an incredible number of takeaways and have become a permanent fixture in nandos. I say ‘we’ as this is a joint venture, my flat mates and I are in this together. We seem to have ignited a passion for food-specifically food we have not cooked! The only thing losing weight right now is our bank balances which was not the intention. If anyone has any tips on how to overcome this please, please comment or write to us. All we seem to think about is ramen, kebab rolls, biryani, chicken tikka, chicken wings, lamb chops, shawarmas, pasta, fish & chips, rice and curry, burgers- chicken burgers, kebab sheesh burgers, wraps-every possible form, chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream (Haagen Dazs and Ben & Jerrys), cakes, profiteroles and most of all-FRAPPACHINOS. We have wanted Starbuck’s Frappuccino for quite some time now but there isn’t a Starbucks near the Medway campus. 

Even though food is our source of sustenance I think we may have taken it a bit too far.

The pictures below were all taken by me and are just some (emphasis on some) of the things we have come across. The first three images represent one of my flatmates incredible baking abilities. 

My flatmate's delights!

I have made up my mind

In my November post I said I was not sure if I thought January exams were a good idea or not.

After taking exams in January I can safely say, they are not a good idea, at least not the way ours were conducted.

Source: http://belfastgms.org/

The Christmas holidays were spent revising, however, even when I took Christmas day and New Year’s Eve off, it was really hard to relax. Exam stress is quite consistent; it does not take a day off. First day back from the holidays we had our first exam and now in the second week back at University, I am absolutely exhausted. We have not had a proper break which in my opinion was quite important considering how tough and demanding this term is going to be for us final years.

I am one of the representatives for our third year and throughout the holidays I got emails from my fellow class-mates saying how distressed they were and if there was anything that could be done.

I know that if we did not have January exams we would have had to give all our exams in May, however, we would have had more time and would have had a lot more energy if allowed to give exams in May.

I think the school should ask students before making decisions like this or instead, if third and second year students are used to May exams, they should be allowed to complete the course the same way they started it, the same way they are used to and the first years who are new to the system, get to try the new system of January exams.

I know a lot of Universities have January exams, but those same Universities also give their students revision extra time and then extra time off too.

On a more positive note, I hope you have a lovely Christmas break and if you had exams in January, I hope they went well. 

New Year’s Resolutions

WERE IN 2014!!! WOW! Time flies.

During the last few years, I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions because I learnt early on that I was terrible at keeping them. So instead of setting myself up for failure I just stopped making them. Don’t get me wrong, I didn't stop making resolutions, I just didn't make them at the start of the year for the whole year.

This year however, I thought I might try again. So I made two resolutions. I know that may seem quite little, but I would rather just have two and make sure I keep them because I really do want to be able to do them every month.

My resolutions are:
1. To try to focus/concentrate more - I find I can’t focus on a particular task for too long, as my mind wonders or I start day dreaming. So I am hoping that each month I get better and better at being able to focus on whatever task I am undertaking. I am also hoping that this will make me more present and help me to ‘live in the moment’.

2. Start exercising - I know this is one of the most common resolutions however; I really want to and hope to start exercising and hopefully keep it up. I don’t do a lot of physical activity, not as much as I use to and I can really feel the difference. The body becomes quite sluggish and tired, even when it shouldn't. I have not yet worked out an actually exercise regimen, but hope to have one in set soon. If I find one that works I will most definitely write about it.  

What new year’s resolutions have you made and what are you doing to stick to them?

Hostage Situation

I have never been held as a hostage and hopefully never will be, but I can’t say the same for some of my belongings. One of the washing machines (the first one when you enter the laundry room) recently took my clothes hostage. I had heard rumours of a washing machine that was holding hostages and that was returning clothes in a much worse state, then they had been in when the owners had initially, care freely and unknowingly put their clothes in.

 I have used the machines that are located in the laundry room in question, a number of times and experienced nothing of the sort so, in the same care free manner I proceeded to do my laundry. Here’s the step by step, in case you were wondering: put my cloths in the washing machine, added detergent, put the money in, pressed the button, set the timer on my phone and walked back to my room (and went straight onto YouTube).

47 minutes later I go back to our buildings laundry room only to find the machine has stopped (at 43 minutes), the door won’t open, the buttons won’t work and my clothes were in the washing machine and had no way of getting out!

At first I was gentle, careful and kind but after 30 minutes of no support, no help from the company and the machine refusing to do anything but sit there glaring at me with pompous arrogance, I stabbed the ‘coloured clothes 40◦’ button! And it worked!  That’s right! That machine churned! And it did not stop until it finished the complete washing cycle!

Here’s a picture of the culprit:

It’s even specific with regards to what coins it accepts! 

Mission “must not get ill” has commenced

Have any of your ever suffered from an internal fever? Along with your whole body hurting; your head in particular, blocked nose, dry coughs, sinuses acting up and experiencing the occurrence of an intermittent temperature? When you go out your layers of cloths and flesh no longer help to act as a barrier and the wind is able to rattle your bones?

Yeah, that's happening and I don't have time for any of this! So, mission stop getting any more ill and kick this illness to the curb has commenced! I've stocked up on everything Google thinks will help-I can't go to my GP because they have  a one problem one appointment policy ( I promise to take a picture of the sign that states this if and when I next go to grace my GP with my presence ;) ).

I’ve been taking the day and night nurse religiously and have made sure I’m constantly sipping hot drinks. Coats and scarfs have become second skin and I’ve been trying not to go out too much, in case I catch anything new. Don’t want to risk anything while my immune system is weak and busy fighting off this annoying trespasser.

I have had to finish and hand in an essay as well as complete a set of online MCQs in this state. Not my finest work. However, I am hoping that my efforts to fight this and stay positive will help me get through this quickly. 

November

This month I have to submit a case study, an essay on atherosclerosis, complete a literature review on a cancer paper, complete 2 sets of MCQs for microbiology, START my final year project, prepare to do a presentation regarding my final year project and get up to date on all my lectures. 

So, (I’m starting this month on Monday the 4th) I have about 4 weeks-27 days- 648 hours! After factoring out sleep and lectures I am left with 376 hours. That doesn't sound that bad when I break it up like that. But I still think it’s not going to be easy.

By the time you read this, I would have handed in my essay & case study and completed one set of MCQs.   

The reason why I’m trying to stay up-to-date with everything is because; for the first time we have January exams. This was not the case during my first and second year. I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it because sometimes I think it’s good to be tested on these subjects when they are still fresh in our mind instead of in May but then I also think it’s very important to actually get to spend our Christmas break, taking a ‘break’. It helps us to recuperate and reorganise ourselves for the second term. Now because of the January exams, our Christmas holidays are going to be spent revising for our exams (hopefully) and for same strange reason I am fretting about this in November and not December.

As this post has been quite a random one, I will end with some facts about November.

The name ‘November’ comes from the Latin for nine (novem), as it was the ninth month of the Roman calendar.

There is no mention of the month of November in any of Shakespeare's plays or sonnets.

November has been designated National Novel Writing Month and National Blog Posting Month.

November of 1986 was when the speed limit for horseless carriages in Britain was raised from 4 mph to 14 mph.

The 4^th of November use to be called Mischief night. This was the night when all sorts of approved naughty things were done. The main idea was to put things in the wrong place. Apparently Germany still celebrates Mischief night but on the 1^st of May.