Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. (Gandhi)

It's been another long week (hence the late-night blog update!) in which I have been to the theatre twice to see Les Miserables and Trojan women. I know, cheerful stuff, right? Anyway, not much else has happened aside from the usual, except for some reason I seem to have spent a lot of time thinking about the brevity of life (ironic, surely thinking about this sort of thing defeats the purpose of living life to the full?) which may or may not have something to do with the fact that I only just learnt that YOLO is not actually some kind of African greeting, it means "You Only Live Once", which I'm guessing most people already know.

The only thing that annoys me about that saying is that recently people my age have been doing stupid things and then justifying it by tagging YOLO after (publicly advertising) whatever (usually reckless) thing that they're doing. Why can't YOLO be used in the context of "I'm helping a friend", YOLO or "I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing", YOLO. I guess the problem with humans is that we are attracted to things that don't conform.

The casual collage above however, has many objects in it that are completely normal, and seem very ordinary. That's the point, the things in my collage are what they seem to be, and the style is determined to be "mainstream" which is paradoxically the opposite these days, that is to say, it's a rarity, it feels like everyone is trying too hard to be "different" or "edgy", and due to this they loose sight of themselves. Speaking of which, I wish I owned half of the objects in the image, especially the vintage suitcase, badges and butterfly pictures, but that's just me.

In the true spirit of YOLO (although I prefer the above quote, captioned on this post) I'll be temporarily abandoning this blog to revise for my final exams, which mean a lot to me. My first exam is in 2 weeks, and I really don't want to keep staying up so late to fit everything in, so I'm cutting a lot of stuff out of my life for the next month and a half or so. I'll be back around the end of June, before I go on holiday (can't wait!:D) but life goes on in the meantime, and I think it'll be over quicker than I realise - especially with the last day of school approaching so soon :o

Don't forget me and I won't forget you! Have a nice few weeks - I'll be back ASAP- wish me luck! ;)

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful.Times are hard for dreamers.

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful.

This week has been randomly hard for some reason, I don't know why, everything has just felt like it's taking more and more effort to do the things that I would normally do anyway. Strange. Anyway, it's the end of the week now so I'm going to start completely fresh tomorrow, "a new leaf" as it were, and that goes for revision too :s

However, in a strange kind of way, time is on my side. 46 days until my exams end, so that's a month and 2 weeks, just long enough to really focus on revision, but the end is definitely in sight, if you see what I mean, school doesn't feel endless anymore, and I know that soon my life will be completely different. That's motivation enough I guess, only 46 more days of waking up and feeling guility every minute that I'm not studying, and to be honest, I started revising in March, so around 68 days ago, so I've officially done more revision than I have left to do (if that makes sense!)...

So this collage, it has all the usual in it (well, usual for me) icons of Paris, pink, cupcakes, tea cups, flowers, blossom, pink, books, some slightly vintage looking things and...the pocket watch in the top left hand corner. I think the watch is important, it shows that things don't go on indefinitely (revision :( ) and serves as a reminder that "come what may, time and hour run through the roughest day".

There you are, that's a very appropriate quote from Macbeth, and therefore I have successfully found a way to intergrate revision and blogging :D

28.04.12

  by nikigirl on polyvore.com

Well, the April showers have continued, and here we are a week later...I wish I had something more interesting to report, but aside from preparing for exams, schoolwork, and hearing people complain about the weather, this week has not been that eventful. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily, but there you have it. I created this image ages ago, and for some reason having gotten around to publishing it before now, I think I've just had it saved somewhere and forgot about it. I hope that how my memory works, you know, during an exam when you can't remember something but then it appears really randomly, as if it's been "saved" somewhere, just waiting for the right thought to trigger it.

I think one of my favourite quotes that I have come across this week is by Mary Waldrop, she says;

"It's important that people know what you stand for. It's equally important that they know what you won't stand for."

I think for me this is a definite target, I have a horrible habit of saying yes to things, usually work, or something someone else wants, just for the sake of keeping peace. Although helping people constantly is a good thing, and let's people know that you stand for kindness and helpfulness, I think that there is definitely a time and a place to say no, otherwise you end up with nothing left for yourself!

Another quote I found (Einstein's extension of Parkinson's Law) is one that I'm writing up simply because it describes my life so well at the moment; "A work project expands to fill the space avaliable", it's the same with my revision for the next 6 weeks, it's not about getting a certain amount of revision done, it's about filling all the avaliable space I can with revision, and subsequently re-remembering and learning things constantly, rather than sitting down and saying "I have to do 5 hours a day" or something.

Wish me luck.

April Showers!

April Showers!

Decided to update this today, unusual for a friday night but it means that I have less to do on the weekend! I thought that the title seems appropriate considering the weather in England at the moment, as soon as they declare an official drought it always rains non-stop for days afterwards!

Anyway, the run-up to exams is really speeding up, in fact in 2 months time/ 8 weeks today I will (hopefully!) leave school forever, after my last A2 exam! :o Insane isn't it? Scary times.

Thought I'd share a really great quote that I saw a couple of days ago and really made me think;

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power".
- Abraham Lincoln

It's true, or it seems accurate to me. Well, the saying is true enough for women too, of course...

So this collage has a vintage/ Parisian/ floral look, which suits the current season, Spring, and also reminds me of 2 years ago when I went to Paris for the Easter holidays, and had a really great time! We stayed in an apartment and everything...have to say, since looking at this, I can't help wish that I was back there, away from the rain, and back in time, away from the stress of looming A2 exams.....

Every cloud has a silver lining!

Music is a moral law.

Music is a moral law.

Music has also been described as "the art of thinking with sounds", which I'd argue is accurate for some songs, but much less for others!

So, I've had another good week off school, spending way too much money, restaurants, clubs, clothes, that sort of thing, going out with friends and doing everything except revise properly, which I WILL start in earnest later today. Or maybe tomorrow ;)...NO, definitely today. I promise.

Anyway, it seems my last half-term at school has almost arrived 0.0, I know, when did that happen? It's something I'm strangely apathetic about, actually. It's as if, I should be sad or worried, but actually, although I will be upset on the "last day" of school and everything, at the moment I just want this term over with, so I can do my exams and start summer. Which is an entirely irrational thought, considering how much revision I still have to do, but there it is, my mind is as illogical as ever.

100 years since the Titanic hit that fateful iceberg tonight. I'm sure I'll be watching some of the memorial on television, but the problem I find with things that happened around 100 years ago is that they don't seem real yet. I say "yet", because things that happened say 300 years ago, like the French Revolution, that seems real, and things that happened around 10 years ago, like September the 11th, I remember that, but for some reason a century is just the wrong amount of time for me to imagine, it's like it's just out of living memory and hasn't quite made it's way into history yet. Maybe that's just me. Anyway. I'll be thinking about that this evening, although I can't promise that the whole sentimenality of the event won't be slightly overshadowed by my sadness that Leonardo di Caprio dies in the film, which is historically inaccurate anyway...

Happy Easter 2012!

Cherry Blossom

Thought that I'd do something different this time and attached a photo I took myself of the trees outside the front of my house, which look great at the moment, but will only last for a couple of days...

The photo captures a moment, the same blossoms in this picture have probably fallen off the tree and died by now. Not to be pessimistic,but just to point out that nothing lasts forever, and that nothing seems as good as it was, or as it is remembered.

Equally though, the best things in life are not things, or at least, not in the material sense. I'm not even sure the best things in life are moments, to be honest. Feelings are a more accurate description, I think the best moments in life are defined by the feelings we attach to them, rather than the events themselves, therefore buying an ice cream or getting a new job or getting the exam result we wanted can all be linked due to the feeling we get from it.

Although, just for the record, I prefer the "I-just-got-the-exams-results-I-wanted" to the "I-just-brought-an-ice cream" feeling, but I do love ice cream :p

I think this rant is my mind subconsciously telling me to get back to revision, and re-focus on the long-term benefit that this will have...when I actually do something...

"The amateur practises until he gets it right; the professional until he never gets it wrong".

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. No one is entitled to their own facts.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. No one is entitled to their own facts.

Half term! :) I have survived, once again, until the holidays. Now the word "holiday" is debatable, considering I will probably do as much work at home as I would in school, in preparation for exams, and in light of the work that teachers actually set :/, but hey, I'm at home, and that's about as good as it gets for now.

Strange to think that when it gets to the next holidays (May half-term) I won't be returning to school other than to sit exams! :o Where have my school days gone?

Anyway, this image is spring-like and therefore appropriate, especially considering the hot spell of weather we've just experienced here in England, if only it would last!

I guess all good things come to an end.

Dublin/ Ireland trip

top to bottom: Maynooth College (campus accomodation) cloisters, the view from my room at Maynooth,front of the accomodation building, pond/ garden in the middle of one of the buildings at Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin, Kilmainham Gaol

Got back from the Republic of Ireland (Eire) this evening! Had a hectic great few days staying at Maynooth Seminary/ University Campus (Nui Maigh Nuad) with a school History trip, and we went into Dublin (Baile Átha Cliath) to see some of the many sites of historical interest (and also the Guiness Factory :p), including;

Maynooth College, Kilmainham gaol, Croppies Acre (memorial to those that died in the 1798 Uprising) National Museum of History, Military cemetery, the General Post Office (1916 Easter Uprising), Great Famine memorial (An Gorta Mor), Trinity College Dublin, National Musuem of Archaelogy (Ard-Mhusaem na hEireann).

Also managed to fit in shopping trips, eating out and looking around some other generally famous areas in Dublin (Customs House, St. Stephen's green) which is pretty good considering we left school midday Thursday and returned home Saturday evening! I'm exhausted now but it was so worth it, really reminded me why I want to study History at university.

So hyped + happy right now! Give it 12 hours, after I've slept, and I'll remember how much work and catching up I have to do (not to mention unpacking...) but right now I'm still happy to be home.

Gaelic (Gaeilge) I've learnt:

agus --> and

lana --> lane

geata --> gate

geatai --> gates

aerofort --> airport

bear --> bar

biolanne --> restaurant

lathair shui pholbli --> public seating area

tascai --> taxi

mhusaem --> museum

caife --> cafe

siopa --> shop

failtiu --> (information) office

* apologises for the accents I've missed out, I honestly don't know how to get them on my keyboard!

So as you can see from the vocab, I've been living like a tourist these last few days and must now attempt to get back to normality, wish me luck!

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.

by nikigirl on polyvore.com

Only 10 weeks left at school. Slightly disorientating considering I've been in school the last 12/13 years, and can't really remember not being at school. Scary times. Anyway, I thought this image was relevant to this week, it's Spring-like, floral, and has a kind of natural beauty, so it suits upcoming events like Mother's Day this sunday. This week wasn't too bad :p

Next week I'm going to Ireland! I keep forgetting :s which is bad, because it's a foreign country, and I'm getting a plane, and I have to pack...and get some euros (I'm going to Dublin, so the Republic of Ireland), I am excited though (when I remember that I'm actually going :)

Sorry for the short post, but I'm tired (it's been a long week/ I was out late last night for one of my friend's 18th's) and as you can see, I have a lot to organise! Happy St.Patrick's day for tomorrow everyone, and make sure your mum has a nice Mother's Day!

As scarce as the truth is, the supply has always been in excess of demand.

As scarce as the truth is, the supply has always been in excess of demand.

Insane week! Well, not quite insane, but you know what I mean, March is really starting to gather pace! To be fair, next week looks busier than the last (Mother's Day, various birthdays and outings etc.) but that's not a bad thing I guess, I just need to be prepared! There seems to have been quite a melancholy atmosphere around these last few days (possibly due to Jan. results day at school + coursework deadlines approaching?) so I'm glad the weekend has arrived, although I feel pretty good at the moment :) I have this calendar with daily quotes on, and somehow, it always manages to put the day in focus for me...

You know what the worst thing is? I made this image [above] so long ago I can't even remember the reasoning behind it, so I'm going to do what I always do, and interpret its meaning according to my current mood: the Audrey Hepburn quote = self-explanatory and 100% true, the camera/ postcard photo (I realise these items seem to feature in absolutely everything I make...maybe it's a sign?) are another reference to travel/ exploration, and the outfit shown is simple, no patterns, ordinary colours, blue jeans, just a classier version of something I would wear really :)