B3DA #8: Follow Friday

Happy Friday! Phew, one week down, four to go. How are all you BEDA-ers holding up?

I feel like telling you to follow fellow BEDA-ers would be a bit like preaching to the choir, so if you want to find them, you can do so here.

Otherwise, here are some links for awesome things what are on the internet! These are all things I've either liked and not closed, liked and never finished, or liked but haven't actually read/listened to yet. Enjoy!

• Stephen Fry visits my favourite radio personality, Jian Ghomeshi, on CBC Canada.
  
  
• Billy Wilder on The Art of Screenwriting where all great interviews live - The Paris Review.
  
  
• Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com is my film writer of the moment (even though she quit about a year ago).
  
  
• From Flavorwire.com: Writers & their typewriters and 20 final lines in literature.
  
  
• Why We Travel from Paul Theroux of the New York Times.
  
  
• One of John Green's latest videos: Many Truths, 1 Lie
  
  

Got links to share? Send 'em my way!

'Til tomorrow!

Nicola

BEDA #28: Favourites

So here is a quick list I threw together. Most of it is off the top of my head so please don't hold poor choices against me in 10 years(!)

Novel: The Book Thief
Book (Non-Fiction): The Demon-Haunted World - Carl Sagan
Author: Haruki Murakami
Writer: Dave Eggers, Augusten Burroughs
Play (Seen): National Anthems by Dennis McIntyre (at the Old Vic w/Kevin Spacey & Mary Stuart Masterson)
Play (Read): The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Musical: Little Shop of Horrors

Band (Currently): Vampire Weekend
Band (All-Time): Belle & Sebastian
Artist (Currently): Regina Spektor & Ben Folds
Artist (All-Time): Andrew Bird, Jeff Buckley
Song (Current): Brandy Alexander by Feist
Song (All-Time): Van Morrison's cover of Bob Dylan's Just Like a Woman & Wild Mountain Thyme


Film: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Director: Michel Gondry, Cameron Crowe, Chaplin, Keaton
Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman
Actor: Kevin Spacey, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio
Actress: Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson
Animation: Wall-E
TV Show: 30 Rock
Late-Night Host: TV's Craig Ferguson
Comedian: Mitch Hedberg

Website: Google (Mail, Reader, the gateway to the universe.)
Blog: In the interest of not repeating myself, The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau Blogger: NTKOG
Tumblr: 52 Books, oldfilmsflicker
YouTube Video: Hank Being Weird in the Airport cracks me up every time.
Magazine: Empire
Food: Nutella on toast
Hot Drink: English Breakfast Tea
Cold Drink: Iced Chai Latte
Alcoholic Drink: Gin & Tonic, lots of lime.

Twitter User: Changes week-to-week. @jianghomeshi tends to be interesting.

Feel free to put yours in the comments or blog it & link it! What are your favourite favourites?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #27: Addictions

A List Addict's List of Addictions II
I did something similar to this last year. Most of these aren't so much "addictions" as "things I do a lot". Either way, they vary depending on where I am. Let's break this down.

Current addictions:

• 30 Rock - Surely this doesn't require much explanation. It's fun to watch, it has great characters, an amazing ensemble cast, and clever writing. It has to be the most hilarious show I've ever watched. We actually finished Season 3 last night and, to be honest, I'm getting a little burnt out. The plan is to save Season 4 until it airs on UK television.

• Chai tea: Thanks to Steven, who recommended it when I met up with him in Santa Barbara about a month ago. I still haven't been able to make it the way I like with a tea bag, but hot and iced versions from the coffee shop are tasty and extremely addictive.

• Nutella Sandwiches - Partly a symptom of being skint, and partly because I don't have to ask my mum to buy it and suffer her judgemental stare when she notes that it's the 3rd new jar in 4 weeks.

• Blogging - Can you tell? I've actually found BEDA to be surprisingly easy this year. With only 4 days left (including today), I have to say I think I will actually miss it. Uncultured Critic has suffered a little in the process, but there have only been a few days where I really didn't feel like blogging. Great success!

• California - I was meant to be here for 4 weeks, now it's going on 7. Sincere thanks to Eyjafjallajökull, the Icelandic volcano responsible for keeping me here. Seeing palm trees, sunshine, and my boyfriend every day makes me happy.

At-home addictions:

• Tea - A home-made mug of classic English Breakfast tea with a splash of milk. Deeelish.

• Cinema-going - I can't wait to get home to my Unlimited card and friends who want to see all of the films that are currently out! There are a few out at home that I missed here, and a few releases in the coming weeks that I want to catch.

• Coffee Dates - My friends are making a mass emigration into the city centre and west end, so I think the number of these can only increase once I return home. There's nothing I enjoy more than sipping a tea or coffee and having a blether, and accompanied with a wander around town and the bookshop complement these outings perfectly. I have loads of people to catch up with so hopefully there will be lots of these to come.

Other little things: Twitter; Google Reader; watching Gilmore Girls re-runs; Glee; baseball (for now); taking the train; In-n-Out burger; comedy shows; pub quizes with friends.

What are your addictions?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #24: Favourite Childhood Books

 

I was a pretty voracious reader as a kid. From picking out big shiny picture books at the library to holding my battered paperbacks up to the window to catch rogue rays of streetlight after bedtime, I was always reading. Even if it was the same thing over and over. I was oddly picky - reading only Chapter 20: The Vixen in the Animals of Farthing Wood, or preferring The Giraffe & The Pelly & Me a fourth time over to the newest Goosebumps. Some stick out in my memory more than others. These are some of my all-time favourites.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
This is one of those books that has all sorts of pull-out sections and folding parts to enhance the story. It has had a recent surge of popularity in recent years and seems to be re-appearing at a lot of bookshops. There are new versions, but I like to think that mine was the original and best (despite the fact that it was first published in 1969). It still gets quoted in my house, "but he was stiiiiill hungry!"




The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr

I'm not sure I ever actually owned this book - maybe I loaned it from the library a lot. I love tigers and I love tea, so perhaps this book shaped me in more ways than I will ever truly know. The artwork is absolutely beautiful, and I love the simplicity of the story despite the inherent implications in inter-species dining. This book is currently on sale at Fopp; I've been meaning to pick it up. For old times' sake.


Everything by Roald Dahl
My favourites, in rough order: Danny, The Champion of the World; The Giraffe &; the Pelly &; Me; James &; the Giant Peach; Charlie & the Chocolate Factory; Fantastic Mr Fox; The BFG; Matilda; George's Marvellous Medicine; The Twits. There are only 3 of his children's books that I haven't read. I've been meaning to revisit his autobiographies, which I didn't understand growing up: Boy - Tales of Childhood and Going Solo. I don't have to tell you why Roald Dahl was amazing.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
I've read this book tens of times and never tired of it. I must have started young, because I remember feeling much younger than Fern's 8 years, and thinking back on it when I read it again (and again and again) when I was 9 or 10. It's an undisputed classic and I have some great memories of reading this book. I still have the same old battered copy, of which I tried and failed to find a representative picture. This is one of the film posters, but it's modelled on the cover I own. What a great book.

Anything by Jacqueline Wilson
The Illustrated Mum; The Bed &; Breakfast Star; Double Act; Girls...; The Suitcase Kid… the list goes on. Pretty much anything published by ol' Jacquie up until the third "Girls" book, when I graduated on to Louise Rennison's classic Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series -- which I count as being too old to be considered children's books. The best thing about Jacqueline Wilson books was that they were often published with two novels in one physical book. Result!

Also, you should check out this fantastic new children's book blog called Book Scout by Andrea, a former librarian children's bookseller.

What were your favourite books growing up?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

[Images from weheartit, Wikipedia & here.]

BEDA #19: Timewasters

I've been a total internet addict since I was about 12. Needless to say, it's where I spend most of my "wasted" time. I've always been pretty into social networking, even though the term has so many diverse meanings now. I used to frequent the message board for my favourite band (where I met a lot of my first, and current, e-friends and people who are important in my life), and updated my LiveJournal multiple times a day for about 2 years. I'd like to say that my online participation has dwindled since then, but it would be more accurate to describe it as having proliferated.

Some of my favourite online time-wasters. The sites will be nothing new to you, but I hope you enjoy the links!

• YouTube - I used to spend a lot of time watching make-up tutorial videos, before progressing onto vlogbrothers (still an obvious favourite!) and a bunch of other collab channels. My current favourites are news/entertainment channels like Rocketboom, PhilipDeFranco, and communitychannel.

• Twitter - Despite all of the press it has been getting and its exponential growth, Twitter still seems to be pretty misunderstood. I remember almost signing up a long while ago when there was a small surge in popularity. I've been a member and user now since July 2008. It's a great tool for meeting people, sharing funny/interesting thing online, and - this week especially - for news. I started following HeathrowAirport and got a lot of crucial updates these past couple of days. Awesome. You can find my Twitter here.

• Tumblr - Tumblr, like Twitter, seems to take some getting used to. I haven't been using it a great deal for the past month or so, but it's amazing for finding images, interesting news articles, following bloggers (particularly photo-bloggers), and sharing. There are a few users I follow who are really sweet and always reblog or like posts and give comments and feedback despite the lack of a comments page, so that's always amazing. Especially this guy. Some other favourites: fuckyeahscottishconanguy, whytheyrehot, oldfilmsflicker, papertissue, filmquotes, scout, & 52 Books. You can find my Tumblr here.

• Blogs! - If you ever catch me squinting at my iPod, I'm probably reading blogs. Naturally, there are my BEDA buddies, who are all listed in the blogroll on the right. Some of my other regular favourites are: 
• I Heart Strangers - A photographer in Denver who photographs a stranger every day.
• Not That Kind of Girl - This young lady decided to do 250 out-of-character things for a year and blog about it. She's hilarious and brilliant - I can't recommend this blog enough.
• Misfortune Cookie Blog - Lots of intelligent film discussion.
• Yes & Yes - Sarah Von pretty much takes on the world and wins.
• Secret Society of List Addicts - A collab blog with a pretty self-explanatory title.
• Book Travellers - 2 friends, again, pretty self-explanatory!

Offline, I watch a little TV (primarily Gilmore Girls, 30 Rock, & Glee); read books and magazines (especially Empire, Sight & Sound, & Nylon); write; watch films; sleep in; go to the cinema; ride trains & planes, & see my friends.

What are your biggest or favourite timewasters?

'Til Tomorrow (Dreams)!
Nicola x

BEDA #10: Shopping Kryptonite

I can resist anything… except temptation to impulse-buy books, Moleskines, souvenir t-shirts, coffee, more books, special edition magazines, cute pouches, handbags, and anything that involves upgrading my computer, iPod, etc. Naturally, plane tickets and travel insurance make a pretty big dent in my finances.

I have a system when it comes to buying things that I know I shouldn't allow myself to buy. It's the cost-per-wear argument, adapted to entertainment. I buy far more books than is reasonable, so I need to find a way to justify my purchases. It breaks down like this: a cinema ticket costs around £6 - £7; a book at Fopp (or anywhere else that sells below RRP) tends to be in the region of £3 - 6. There is also added risk, since I may not actually read it when something better comes along or I lose interest in reading for awhile. However, I estimate that I read about 50 books per 1 hour, so a 3-400-page book tends to be around 6-8 hours entertainment, at 50p-£2 per hour. My math may be more than a little bit dodgy, but it works for me!

How do you move the goal-posts to allow yourself a little somethin' somethin'?

'Til Tomorrow (Wrap-up Sunday)!
Nicola x

BEDA #1: Introductions

 

Oh, hai!

Name: Nicola

Age: 22 (oh, woe, I so liked being 21!)

Where I live: Glasgow, though I'm currently in California.

Where I call "home": Glasgow. California has become something of a home-from-home, though.

Why I blog:

• I've had blogs since I was about 13 or 14, so it feels natural to write online. I blog for fun, self-expression, and because it seems redundant to type and save files on the computer rather than getting them out there. It's also a great way to connect with people and make e-friends; I love the social aspect of blogging.

What part of BEDA I'm most excited about:

• I'm really pleased that we came up with so many themes and ideas this time around. Last year, we fed off one another for ideas and inspiration, but i feel a lot more prepared this time around. I also love that we have so many friends involved - I can't wait to read everyone's posts.

Why I'm doing BEDA again:

• Last year I didn't quite manage every day, but it did force me to think up ideas and sit down to write every day, even when I didn't feel like it. I like that, and I've been trying to blog frequently, so I know BEDA will keep me motivated!

How I first discovered Maureen Johnson & BEDA:

• I think I was following MJ on Twitter at the time and thought, what the hell! I'm always jealous when NaNoWriMo rolls around because I don't write fiction, so I must have seen BEDA as a sort of blogger's version of that. I'm so glad I did it!

Something other BEDA people might not know about me:

• Gosh, I haven't the slightest! I feel like I say a lot about myself on this blog, and I use Twitter, so I'm never sure. 

Another blog I follow:

• Sarah Von's Yes and Yes is a must-read.

A writer who inspires me:

• Not That Kind of Girl is a fairly new blog to me, but she's an absolutely incredible writing. Really sharp, witty, and endlessly fascinating.

A YouTube channel I love:

• Rocketboom! I'm addicted, it's like the Wikipedia page of the day and the wackiest news stories imaginable rolled into one. It's also associated with Know Your Meme. Enough said!

A favourite quote:

• "Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof & instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards; to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives… and to the "good life", whatever it is & wherever it happens to be."
  -- Hunter S. Thompson

Fel free to post this in your own blog & send the link in a comment!


'Til tomorrow,
Nicola x

50 Books: Mission Accomplished!

A symptom of failing to write in one's blog until 25 days into the new year is that now you'll have to put up with end-of-year recaps such as this one. But don't let that put you off.

So, in 2009, I successfully read 50 Books! My mission was originally to read as many authors as possible, but as the year wore on I found myself hooked on certain authors (Jeffrey Eugenides, Ernest Hemingway, and a couple of brief flirtations!) Allow me to bore you with a long, but not wholly unnecessary, list. (The ones in bold are my favourites, and highly recommended!)

1. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

2. Bird by Bird - Ann Lamott

3. Animal Farm - George Orwell

4. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson

5. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz

6. Franny & Zooey - J.D. Salinger

7. Neither Here Nor There - Bill Bryson

8. Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

9. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi

10. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

11. Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie

12. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

13. Violet & Claire - Francesca Lia Block

14. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

15. Naive. Super - Erland Loe

16. The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

17. Moab Is My Washpot - Stephen Fry

18. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

19. The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett

20. The Geography of Bliss - Eric Weiner

21. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote

22. Drown - Junot Díaz

23. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

24. The History of Love - Nicole Krauss

25. Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates

26. Between the Bridge and the River - Craig Ferguson

27. Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen

28. The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga

29. My Booky Wook - Russell Brand

30. Into the Wild - John Krakauer

31. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

32. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

33. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides

34. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides

35. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

36. Getting the Girl - Markus Zusak

37. A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway

38. The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

39. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

40. Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell

41. American on Purpose - Craig Ferguson

42. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction - J.D. Salinger

43. A Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers

44. The Demon-Haunted World - Carl Sagan

45. When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris

46. No one belongs here more than you. - Miranda July

47. Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim - David Sedaris

48. Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberg

49. The Best Creative Non-Fiction (Vol. 1) - ed. Lee Gutkind

50. The Old Man & the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

So that's...
24 Novels
1 Graphic Novel
5 Novellas (in 4 books)
9 Autobiography/Memoirs
9 Other Non-Fiction
2 Short Story Anthologies

Books left unfinished at the end of the year:
Wicked - Gregory Maguire
My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead - ed. Jeffrey Eugenides

So far, it looks like this year will be chock-full of humour memoirs, travel books, and other non-fiction. But I'll throw in a novel once in awhile to mix things up.

Well that was fun! What did you read this year? Do you have a mission statement for this year?

Further reading: Stereotyping People By Their Favourite Author (made me giggle!)

Things I Love Thursday

California Dreamin'

What a week! The road trip down to San Diego and lack of internet connection scuppered my attempts at Tilt last week, but this past week has brought lots of Things to Love.

• Comic Con - But of course! It was my first time, and since I had a press pass I had all the more reason to go to the big events and have a nose around the press rooms. I had an amazing time, met some people in lines, met up with a UCSB friend, and hung out with a bunch of new people. It reinforces John Green's comments that the difference between nerds and everyone else is that nerds aren't afraid to get excited about "stuff". Although I'm not into comic books or video games, the film panels were amazing and I saw some incredibly awesome people, including John Lassater (you know how much I adore Pixar), Hiyayo Miyazaki, Tim Burton, Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, David Tennant... I could go on!

• The Press Experience - Yes, I do go on, but it was pretty exciting. I've done interviews for student films and things before, but this was a new experience. I had an awesome one on one with the creator of lonelygirl15 that was so amazing to me, and I definitely feel like I got into the swing of things.

• San Diaaaago - What a beautiful downtown you have! I'm always comparing cities to each other, but San Diego was, for me, a smooshing together of Glasgow and Vancouver, plus lots and lots of sunshine. It's a very modern city, the bar and restaurant culture is vibrant, and the weather is amazing. Who can argue against California's coastal cities? I loved it.

• Sunshine! - OMG I got a tan! I. Got. A. Tan! Well, okay, technically I'm mostly burnt, but lots of moisturiser is turning it brown. I know, I'm very proud too.

• Home Sweet Home - Even if it is 105F, sometimes the best thing a long trip can do is remind you how great it is to sleep in your own bed, grab food out of the fridge and sit in a comfy chair for hours with no regard as to the time. Brilliant.

• Tweeting away all week; phoning home; snickers ice-creams, animal-style fries; watching the guys play century; heaping bowls of fresh fruit; long walks; good food; "callammmayyy boyyy"; baseball tonight; midnight film releases; late-night; failing miserably at Jeopardy; feeling completely and utterly happy.

How about you?!

Awesome.

As I settle back into life in California, there are a number of things I love that I can't get back home. Since I've lived in the UK for the past year I had kind of forgotten how much I missed them. Now that they're back in my life, I realise how awesome they are all over again. Quite often it's part of an old routine (Late Night Shows, local eateries), and other times it's fresh discoveries.

These new blog-post celebrations of awesome might be a TV show, a website, a personality, a writer, a restaurant, a book, a person I saw on the street... anything! This series of posts will say "f*ck it!" to consistency, wave goodbye to originality, and share whatever my inner child is squee-ing about this week. And how!

What's awesome this week?


Photo.

Tosh.0 & Daniel Tosh

You may know the brilliant and hilarious Daniel Tosh from his Comedy Central special, Completely Serious. His new show, Tosh.0 is all about internet viral videos. I know, right? I, for one, have always considered it a truth that internet and television do not mix. E4 even produces a similar show, Rude Tube, in the most unimaginative of ways, lumping videos into categories and counting down in the manner of You've Been Framed or America's Funniest Home Videos.

Yes, internet content is cheap and yes, it handily fills half an hour, all the while creating the illusion that television is still on top of popular culture. Tosh.0, on the other hand, is so much more than that. Rather than stage an off-camera interview to fill another 5 minutes of dead air space, Tosh invites viral victims into the safe haven of Web Redemption, where they are allowed a do-over. It's fresh, it's funny, and Tosh's writing and delivery are perfect.

You can watch one of his video responses, Is It Racist? here.


What did you find awesome this week? Celebrate it in a comment!

The Formidable To-Read List

Photo.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
I recently purchased this one, having loved The Virgin Suicides when I read it aged 16. Side-tracked by an impatient re-read, I pushed Middlesex into the background for a while. Having returned to Middlesex, I have to say I miss his misty, nostalgic and vibrant prose: That sense of adolescent awe trapped in a perfume bottle and saved for decades. However, one has to commend Eugenides on his constant journey of self-improvement, as he discusses in this interview for the New York Times. It's my first Pulitzer-winner and I'm sure it will not fail to impress. I'm about a fifth of the way through and while I wasn't too enamoured with it at the beginning, it's growing on me more with every page.

Infinite Jest
I get the sense that Infinite Summer is going to be hard on the eyes and the arms. Its appearance is more like a manual with a friendly cover than a novel. You can read more about this and the Infinite Summer project in my previous blog post.

My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead: Great Love Stories from Chekov to Munro edited by Jeffrey Eugenides
A great chasm of knowledge appears when I attempt to discuss books and someone brings up all but a few books published prior to, say, 1990. I know, it's terrible. While I have read a few of the "important classics" (Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Picture of Dorian Grey, and The Great Gatsby, to name a few); I am more than a little bit embarrassed. So when I read about My Mistress's Sparrow from one of my favourite bloggers, Laura over at 52 Books I knew it was the book for me. That old rule that one never judge a book by its cover was made to be broken. If the contents of this book are anything like as beautiful as its cover art, I will fall deeply and appropriately in love with it.

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
I may have mentioned this previously, but there is something about stuffy upper-class prose of the early/mid-20th century that I absolutely adore. The Bell Jar, Franny & Zooey, The Great Gatsby, The Picture of Dorian Grey, all of it! It completely inexplicable, and I don't seek it out too often. I have a feeling that eventually it would wear me out, but in small doses it's simply amazing. I've been meaning to read Brideshead Revisited for the longest time, and when I finally found it for a good price I snatched it up. While it seems to continue to be pushed down my to-read list, it will get there eventually. I can't wait!

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
Another Pulitzer prize-winner, another recommendation from 52 Books (isn't it great when you find a fellow reader who's on the same wavelength, despite living 3000 miles apart and having next-to-no contact at all?!) While I know that it has something to do with comic books, I'm going into this one completely partially-sighted. Sometimes it's the only way!

What are you planning on reading? What books are you dying to read that you can't seem to get around to?

Things I Love Thursday

(Image found via observando.)


Helloooo Thursday! It's been a bit of a dead week but I have some glorious things for which to be pleased - so let's get to it!

BEDA Buddies - These girls are awesome, I tell ya. Maureen set us up together to encourage each other throughout BEDA, but we Tweet together constantly, have an epic Facebook chat on the go, and have been gradually kindling our own little blogging circle. We've decided to make TiLTs a weekly commitment from now on, and I'm super excited to read all of their posts every week! Check them out via my blogroll! They are Autumn, Christina & Becky.

BOOKS - I ventured into Fopp today, which is always a dangerous game. I spent a total of £6 on books and came away with Russell Brand's biography (loooow-broooow! For some reason I suddenly realised-- I kind of like him. He's smart.), Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (respectable, for a change!), Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (why a Glaswegian hasn't read it while her Californian boyfriend managed it continues to allude me!), and Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. The last two were packaged together for £2 in total - I couldn't resist!

OMGah! - My boyfriend is coming to visit in order to attend my graduation, and then we're flying back to California together on the 29th to begin my Trans-Atlantic Adventure 2.0. He arrives on Tuesday, I can't wait!

Midday Catch-ups & Afternoon Drinks - I am a teensy bit tipsy after a couple of large glasses of wine this afternoon. I met up with my good friend from uni and we chewed the fat for a few hours. Always makes for a good time =)

Old Habits Die Hard - Lately I've been nurturing the old magazine junky inside me, and she is grateful. I just realised that this month's Empire has a quote on the spine:
"John Dillinger was killed behind that theatre in a hail of FBI gunfire. And do youk now who tipped them off? His f***king girlfriend."
Oh, Empire. You are too much. The Classic Scene is "There's no crying in baseball!" Brilliant.

Hard-Work Paying Off - Recently I've heard a couple of people describe post-graduation life as a series of accidents. I recently decided that I'm ready to put myself out there, and the results seem promising so far. Waiting to see what happens next is pretty damn awesome.

Honourable Mentions:
Also buying The Weather Man, the most hilariously dry film ever; cleaning out Gmail and seeing how many meaningful messages actually come through; BEDA Buddies, again!; lots & lots of awesome books (please please please go read Water for Elephants!); Skype chats, especially in the morning; Having lots to look forward to; compiling my personal hell (less scary when you don't believe that it will actually happen!); happy-dancing, and seeing the awesomeness in life.

What made you do your happy-dance this week? (Literally or metaphorically!)

The Perfect Carry-On Bag

(Image by aknacer.)


Carry-on bags are a fickle business. What you put in there can stay on your back and about your person for days, so it's important to pack well. Except for a couple of heavy valuables, I think I've just about cracked it. Aside from the super-obvious, I'm always sure to pack the following:

Laptop - A necessity, due to its valuable nature. But it isn't too hard to find a backpack with a sturdy laptop pocket to make this less cumbersome. (I use a Dakine).

iPod & headphones - Headphones and earphones are desirable, so as you can change it up. I like ear-buds with adjustable sizes as they block out a lot of outside noise without costing a fortune. Stock up on podcasts and a couple of new albums. I like music that tells a story, so I'm saving The Decemberists' Hazards of Love for my next long-distance traverse!

A book & A magazine - I'm guilty of lugging 2 or 3 books on board for one journey, and much of the time don't even get around to reading. Paranoia sets in: What if the writing is hideous and I can't concentrate? What if I finish the last 150 pages 4 hours before we land? Chillax. Get a good recommendation and stick with it!

Notebook - As a lone traveller it's easy to get a bit lonely, so grab a notebook and get scribbling! Extra points for 140-character, Twitter-style remarks on your eccentric aeroplane buddies.

Passport & documents - Keep them safe, in one place, and always know which bag/pocket you put them in! I once thought I'd lost my passport after a 15-hour journey and they wouldn't let me connect without it. It's not fun, so keep it together! Etsy is bursting at the seams with cute travel wallets. It's also a good idea to print your itinerary and keep it handy for picky airport staff.

Toiletries - Toothbrush, toothpaste, some moisturiser, and a couple of face-wipes. It helps to land feeling clean and refreshed. My hands dry out something terrible on long-distance flights. A dab of powder and a lick of mascara can really uplift your mood after sitting next to a grump for 11 hours!


A couple of cheeky travel tips:
- Drink lots and lots and LOTS of water! You'll feel better on the other side-- trust me!
- Sign up for frequent flier miles (and treat yourself to a free upgrade once in a while).
- Spare socks and hand sanitizer are your friends.


What items are top of your to-pack list? Where in the world are you off to next?

Travelogues

(Image by bloom-grow-love.)


My favourite places:

California - North, central coast, central valley, wherever! I lived in Santa Barbara for a full school-year and I adored it beyond sensible explanation. I did a lot of growing up there: the people are so friendly and open compared to Brits, and the weather is something to behold. Although to has its faults, I was all but blind to them. When I re-visited this January it was sort-of like being in The Sixth Sense. Everything was exactly how I had remembered it, but I didn't quite belong to the student community any longer. It has the best food joints - the best burrito of my life and my favourite breakfast. I think I'll live there again sometime, but I'm in no rush. I will however be moving back to California this summer, and I simply cannot wait!


Vancouver - I usually get the travel jitters whenever I land some place new. But not in Vancouver. We stayed for a long weekend and the whole time all I could think was, there's so much more I need to see! It's definitely somewhere I can picture myself living and working someday. Who knows. I've been talking for at least six months now about how I want to get a 1-year Canadian visa and ship my ass over there. Whether I have the guts or not, only time will tell. I love the clean, vibrant streets; gorgeous Stanley park; the simple, clean and modest North Shore; the people, the harbour, the weather, and the beautiful cityscape. That's my idea of home.



Places I want to visit:

Gibraltar - It only struck me today that I want to visit Gibraltar. I'm not even sure where it came from. It's kind of ironic, really, since my aversion to Spain in general is that most places are Brit tourist favourites; although I'd really also love to visit...


Barcelona - For the art, the culture, the weather, the food, the Sagrada Família. I'm taking Almodóvar at his word and seeing for myself what the fuss is about!

Australia & New Zealand - All of it! The drudgery of long-distance travel is the only thing that puts me off. I'll get over it eventually. Until then, the antipodes are out-with my grasp. When I finally make it over there, I swear it will be epic.

USA: East Coast - I've deigned to plan this trip on numerous occasions, and funds have always failed me. I want to do the whole sha-bang: Niagara Falls, NYC, New England in its autumnal dress, Chicago and The Bean, Boston, DC, the lot! Hopefully I'll make it farther south and finally visit Disney World, too!

Where are your favourite places in the world? Where are you simply dying to visit?

50 Book Challenge

(Image found here.)

I finished my 50 book challenge! I haven't quite decided whether or not the last two constitute substantial literature for a 21 year-old. But either way, I'm pleased and chuffed with myself for seeing it through! The starred titles are my absolute favourites of the lot, and I recommend them. Here's what I read:

1. *The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Jean-Dominique Bauby

2. 13 Little Blue Envelopes - Maureen Johnson

3. Candy Girl - Diablo Cody

4. *Looking For Alaska - John Green

5. 24 Stories - Haruki Murakami

6. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer

7. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

8. A Place Called Here - Cecelia Ahern

9. After Dark - Haruki Murakami

10. This Lullaby - Sarah Dessin

11. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea - Chelsea Handler

12. Sex & the City - Candace Bushnell

13. My Horizontal Life - Chelsea Handler

14. *Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer

15. Sputnik Sweetheart - Haruki Murakami

16. *Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer

17. The Film Club - David Gilmour

18. South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami

19. *The History Boys - Alan Bennett

20. Slam - Nick Hornby

21. Dance Dance Dance - Haruki Murakami

22. Choke - Chuck Palahniuk

23. Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho

24. * Paper Towns - John Green

25. * The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

26. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

27. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

28. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ - Sue Townsend

29. * On The Road - Jack Kerouac

30. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

31. I Am the Messenger - Murkus Zusak

32. Let it Snow - John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

33. Life of Pi - Yann Martel

34. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

35. Bird by Bird - Ann Lamott

36. Animal Farm - George Orwell

37. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson

38. * The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz

39. Franny & Zooey - J.D. Salinger

40. Neither Here Nor There - Bill Bryson

41. Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

42. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi

43. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

44. Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie

45. *The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

46. Violet & Claire - Francesca Lia Block

47. *The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

48. Naive. Super - Erland Loe

49. *The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

50. *Moab Is My Washpot - Stephen Fry

(51. The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories - Tim Burton)

(52. Esio Trot - Roald Dahl)


Some statistics, just for fun:
Haruki Murakami - 6
John Green - 4 (er, all of his published novels so far!)
Bill Bryson - 2
Translated to English from another language - 12
Non-fiction - 11
Memoir/Authbiographical - 7


What are you reading? Recommend me some stories!

BEDA #30: Things I Love Thursday - BEDA Edition

(Image found via weheartit.)



Today's post is the final day and entry for BEDA 2009! The month has flown by at an alarming speed, for which I am glad because it means it was fun, and very much worth it. Here are my BEDA highlights:

+ All of the wonderful people I've met through BEDA! Over the course of the month, some of you have been such fantastic readers and commenters, and we've had some great discussions. I've loved all of your blogs too, and it's been great to build up a wee community. So thank you Lo, Roberto, Becky, Autumn, and Christina for being awesome BEDA buddies (assigned and non)! I'll be continuing to read your posts and you all know where to find me!

+ The Motivation to Write Daily. While it may not always be worth reading, it has forced me to come up with ideas and write them down, even when I didn't feel like it. Getting words down when you don't particularly feel like it is a big part of writing, and I'm glad I've had this to force me to use my brain. Quite often, I'll think of something I'd like to write about, but brush it off with the excuse that nobody will read it. Knowing that people have read and appreciate my blog has really helped on this front.

+ The Ning. It's been a great home to us, and has made me feel a bit less "exposed". Browsing the ning makes a nice break from google reader and there are a few posts on there that I haven't cross-posted because I was happy to keep them there.

+ Enjoying Blogging Again. I had kind of given up on my blogspot and started using Tumblr more and more often - mainly for reblogging pictures and posting quotes that I like. But I missed writing and didn't really know how to jump-start this blog, so BEDA provided the perfect opportunity to do so. I'm going to decide on a regular posting schedule and try to stick to it from now on.

What have been your favourite parts about BEDA? Has it encouraged you to blog on a regular basis?

Please comment with links to your permanent blogs - I'd love to follow them!

Until... next time!
Nicola x

BEDA #26: Creative Content

(Image by Clark Little.)

Today's post is brought to you by all of the things that make me go, "I wish I could do that!"

- It's no secret that cute girls playing ukuleles are a MAJOR vice of mine.

- Music videos with awesome concepts and excellent direction captivate me.

- I can't help but look at weird voyeuristic content. (This doesn't apply to the "I wish I could do this!", but it interests me more than it perhaps should.)

- Someday I hope to run a blog that's as interesting, thought-provoking, and fun to read as John Green's.

- If only we could all think of 1000 Awesome Things and fuel the awesome with such stupendous commentary.

- How could I (almost) forget Paul Rudd as Planet Earth?!

- & finally, no-one I know can paint a scene quite like this girl.

What online content makes you green with envy and squeal with delight?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #25: A List Addict's List of Addictions

(Image found via f*yeahandysamberg)

A list post inspired by the Secret Society of List Addicts.

Since they class list-making as an addiction, here's a list of more of my...

Addictions!

- Andy Samberg: (Pictured above!) I love him. So much. He's my beautiful Jew-crush. A couple of days ago I found this beautiful piece of user-generated internet content and - to put it simply - my life is pretty much complete.

- E4: For non-UKers, E4 is a channel that's pretty much aimed at students and the 18-30 age group in general. On weekdays they play about 5 hours of shows in three cycles (or thereabouts), and I'm hooked on Scrubs & Gilmore Girls, as well as being partial to some Friends re-runs and the odd episode of One Tree Hill. Paired with my parents' DVR? Deeeelish.

- Pixar: Could you tell? Apparently our lovely independent (but not quite as independent as it used to be) music & DVD shop, Fopp, has lots of their DVDs for £3 a pop. I need to get over there. I'm dying to watch Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc.

- Slowly Becoming Liz Lemon: This began without intention but it's becoming more and more true. I've always done the big hoodie when I'm stressed, dealing with people who have faaar too much self-importance, being physically thin but grotesquely gluttonous, & etc. Today I realised the extent to which this is happening, when I found myself buying 6 bottles of wine for £17 and a massive back of cheese puffs, all the while wishing I had a treadmill to walk slowly on and make drunken & dramatic phone-calls. (If you don't watch 30 Rock, this all made negative sense. I apologise.)

- Buying Books: I can't help it. I really, really can't.

Havering Over What to Do With My Life: Should I stay or should I go? I have a work visa for the USA for the summer, but now I think I should do a Masters while I can get the funding and am in the way of learning and writing. I don't knooooow where to go or what to do or why. But at least that's keeping my mind occupied, right?

What are your addictions?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #6: 50 Book Challenge

(Image found here.)

I've noticed one or two posts about this already so I expect recommendations! Oddly, I began my 50 books challenge last May sometime, but concentrating on this year is simpler. So far I've read...

1. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn
2. Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott
3. Animal Farm - George Orwell
4. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson
5. * The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz
6. Franny & Zooey - J.D. Salinger
7. Neither Here Nor There - Bill Bryson
8. * Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
9. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
10. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
11. Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie
12. * The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
13. Violet & Claire - Francesca Lia Block

The starred ones are my favourites of the year, I recommend them all. This year I've been trying to move out of my comfort zone a bit and read more classics - or, rather, what Penguin tells me are classic. My to-read list has increased at a frankly frightening rate. I think if I didn't finish up at university in May I'd never find the time.

My current read is Stephen Fry's autobiography - Moab is My Washpot. It's so interesting and entertaining, I doubt I'll ever look back on my school days so fondly, although it has made me think about them a little differently. Some people you meet in life are so fascinating and you don't realise it until years later.

One of the most inspiring 50 book challenges I've come across is 52 Books on Tumblr.

If you're doing a reading challenge this year and have blogged about it please link me!

Until tomorrow,
Nicola x

BEDA #5: List Addicts Anonymous

Image found here.


One of my favourite blogs is the Secret Society of List Addicts. Now that I've credited them, it's time to duly rip them off. Just kidding. But really.

All Those Things I Said I'd Do But Haven't... Yet.

+ Read Nineteen Eighty-Four. Okay, seriously now. At one time, back in high school, I was actually jealous that another class were privileged enough to be assigned anything other than The Cone Gatherers (seriously, look it up!). So much so, that I set out to read it. I made it about two-thirds of the way through & gave up, swearing I'd never touch it again. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the first lecture of my second English class at university, you can imagine what they had assigned.I got to about the same point and gave up all over again. I passed my copy onto my unwitting boyfriend on a long train trip... and he loved it. Fortunately, he lent it on to someone else & never saw it again. But now my brother has lent me his copy, & insists I read it before Brave New World. I'll get around to it...

+ Learning to drive. Is it really a necessary skill? I can understand the freedom and all but... so far it has only brought me hassle. I chose not to learn for financial reasons - I can get by taking the train, thank you very much. In order to have a spare ID, however, I got a provisional license (a permit, basically), to save me from having to carry my passport around. But now they don't even accept that as an official form of identification. WHAT?! It went through the same system as my passport. So now, rather than being unable to drive causing issues for transportation, it's causing lack of intoxication. Can't drive? Can't drink. I'll get around to it...

+ Taking up yoga/pilates/hooping/walking... The list goes on. To be honest, I'm happy enough sitting around & eating easter eggs.

+ Catch up on my blog/YT subscriptions. Well, this one is doable. It's a question of whether or not I fancy getting enough sleep. Ahhh I'll get around to it.


A Token Thing I Have Finally Done

Just for fun. . .

+ Do something about my tendinitis/carpal tunnel. So these silly excercises? Turns out their not so daft after all. They do help. Highly recommended.

Maybe now I'll get around to doing one of those other things. In the meantime, show me your lists?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x