Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

Tuesday, 17 January 2012

back on track.


I spent last term in a haze of missing home too much, not drinking enough, not working enough, not speaking enough Italian, not blogging enough (or at all), not reading enough. There is a big ol' list of 'not enoughs', but this term, everything is going to change. Today, I am going for a run, applying for jobs and drinking lots of coffee. This wave of productivity/caffeine has got me feeling really good. I have six months left in Rome. Better make them count!

So it's been a while! Last time I wrote on here, we were in the midst of riots and a warmer climate. Since then, not all that much has changed. Except for the riots and the climate. My mother got "engaged", and while my prospective stepfather leaves a lot to be desired, in theory, I am happy for them and I wish them well (seriously though, who gets engaged at the ripe old age of fifty six!?). Along with half of the population, I bit the bullet and got a Kindle. I was on the fence, but I'm really glad I did because I am reading so much more already. I went to Tom's for Christmas, which was absolutely lovely, though it did mean that due to the legendary Moore hospitality, I ate far too much. This would have been fine, except a couple of days later, my lovely friends Eilish and Bob got married, and I had to not look enormous in my purple bridesmaid's dress! I'm not sure I managed. Eilish on the other hand looked absolutely stunning, and I've never seen two people with bigger grins on their faces.

That's about it really! I came back to Rome about a week ago, and I'm rather enjoying myself. It's sunny and cold, and oh-so Italian. Everyone wears these massive puffer jackets; belted, quilted monstrosities which turn even the most glamorous of women into the Michelin Man, all tutting as they see us silly Brits strutting round in light jackets. The older women waddle around under the weight of their huge fur coats, and the men blow-dry their hair, all for fear of getting a cold.

They might just have the last laugh though, as I'm feeling a little bit sniffly...

So there you have it, a cheeky little update for those of you still interested. A few people asked me to resume writing on here, but I told them I thought maybe the time had passed. I guess I was wrong!



This was in Sherlock last night. Can they do no wrong? Also, Benedict Cumberbatch - phwoar.

Sunday, 26 December 2010

and my wasted heart will love you until you smell like piss...


Well hello there!

I hope (with all the sincerity I can muster) that you all enjoyed Christmas day and have recovered from the calories and general merriment. I am sort of back on the 'I hate Christmas' bandwagon, so please remind me of this next year when I am once more trying to be positive.

Although on a side note, I did enjoy a spot of festive 'Poirot'...

Boxing day has always been a little bit depressing. When I was little, the glow of Christmas day was enough to keep me going through Boxing day and possibly even up as far as the new year. As you get older, however, it seems that presents sort of lose their sparkle. This year I got a printer, some cake tins and a wok. Now, these are all lovely presents (and things I asked for), but it begs the question: when did I grow up?

There are some films I can watch over and over again (Lost in Translation, Pride and Prejudice, Juno, etc.). Love Actually is one of those films. It's so incredibly, naffly heart-warming. Also, some people remain just as sad at the end as they were at the beginning, so this makes it okay, yes? No. No, no, no.

P.S. I used a picture of Keira Knightley to lure you in under false pretences. Sorry about that...

Saturday, 25 December 2010

and the christmas is white and the hats are flimsy...

Merry Christmas everyone. May your day be full of joy and merriment (stuffing and gin).




I can't get over quite how gorgeous this is. Consider it your Christmas present from me. Have a good one, only over-indulge if you can handle the consequences. I hope you have shit paper hats like I will. I can wear my shit paper hat and think of you all wearing your shit paper hats, and it'll almost be like we're together. Yeah, that'll work!

Unreservedly yours,

Anna

x

Friday, 17 December 2010

baby you're a sparkler...


Christopher Thomas Yapp (yappattack) just told me that my last post was "very whingey". Good point well made. So this one is going to be full of positivity and light. Just don't get used to it.

This weekend is the time for the return of all my friends which is very exciting. I've missed them all so much, and hopefully we will be a bit less shit than usual and go out and suchlike things. I should probably do some more Christmas shopping, but my overdraft seems to be reproducing with itself and my finances really aren't too hot at the moment.

Today has been spent watching The Hills and marinading things and wrapping up warm to go out in search of Lemsip and soya milk. I also wrapped up all my Christmas presents so far, which is a shame really because that's the best part of the festive season!

Have you seen the video for Katy Perry's Firework? It's mental. Basically, people keep erupting into a big ball of sparkly flame in various states of emotional imbalance. For example, a couple has an argument and then explode a little bit, a lady has a baby and explodes a little bit, two men kiss and explode a little bit. It's all a bit odd. Throw in a bit of Katy looking uncharacteristically classy, and you've got the gist. I'm sure they're going for some sort of symbolism, but it's just a bit shit.



I promise I will never put another Katy Perry video on here again. Sorry 'bout that...

Go on this blog! It led me to listen to lots of new music and it's beautifully written. In a chart of the best songs of the decade, Sugababes Four Tet and Radiohead all featured. Talk about diversity!

This song is proper good, back from the days before they started rapping and they still had Mutya and the ginger one.

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

overdrawn. in a nice way...



The frost on the trees was incredible, wasn't it? It's starting to thaw now, which is a shame because (in the words of Aqualung) just for a moment, everything was beautiful. Those in the know reckon that the changing of the seasons is good for our sanity. It keeps us on the ball. Keeps us ticking over. I think this is particularly true for those living on campus when it is very possible to feel a little bit trapped. If the view from your bedroom window alters (even just a little bit. With a covering of white, for example.), life seems a little less samey.

Yesterday was my birthday. You probably know this, because you probably know me. I had an exam in the morning and a full day of lectures so it wasn't perfect. But it was lovely.

One of my modules this year, 'Representations of Modern Italy' was pretty much made for me. The lectures are basically history lessons (mostly on Fascism) with a lot of literature and film thrown in. I think I like it just for the amount of variety. We started off studying poetry by Ungaretti, followed by 'Il Sentiero dei nidi di Ragno' or 'The Path to the Spiders' Nests' by Calvino. I had already read and loved 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller' by Calvino, so I was pretty chuffed when this turned up on the syllabus. They are very different, but both stupidly good. Now we are looking at the work of Roberto Rossellini who pioneered the neo-realist movement in film. I cried. That's all you need to know.

This week promises to be a good one. We are trudging along to the Christmas Ball on Thursday and consuming much festive alcohol over the week. There are only three days left of term, and Charlotte is coming to stay for the weekend because she gets chucked out on Friday. I shall be back home (if you can call Wolverley that) on Wednesday, and there the fun will really begin. By this, I of course mean that I will put on a stone in mince pies and will watch Love Actually seventeen times. 'Tis the season to be porky and unquestioning.





Good morrow! (I'm coming over all Dickensian. Did you ever watch A Muppet Christmas Carol? Please do...)

Thursday, 2 December 2010

through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow.....


Christmas doesn't really do it for me, but in the spirit of festive whatnots, I have decided to embrace it this year. It is the bigger picture of which I am not all that fond, but here are the things I can genuinely get excited about.

  1. Mince pies
  2. Gingerbread lattes
  3. A lecture-free month
  4. Buying presents - always so much better than getting them
  5. Ironic Christmas knitwear
  6. Mulled wine
  7. Baileys
  8. Student loan coming in...
  9. Seeing my dog
  10. Love Actually



So yes, still not exactly the most Christmassy person on the planet, but I will relish the time spent indoors doing absolutely nothing and getting a bit porky.

I'm listening to Damien Rice AGAIN. I think he may be my soul mate... 'O' is the only album I can think of that I will happily listen to in its entirety. It's just kind of perfect in a flawed, melodramatic sort of way. Sigh...

I'm not sure I understand all that clearly what is happening to the world at the moment. The USA have ballsed up quite a lot, I think. I have read numerous articles on it, but I'm not really taking any of it in. It seems to have implications for pretty much everyone, so I should probably look into it a bit. Ah well, another day, perhaps...