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Tales and traumas of a 'Teenage Drama Queen'

"If you want me, you can find me, left of center off of the strip" Suzanne Vega

I'm back

Ok, so I'm back, at last.

There's a lot of catching up needs doing. And I need to revamp my page, but I'm not going to delete my old blogs etc, since they're still a part of me. A different part, admittedly, but me all the same.

I'll do a 'catch up blog' sometime, but right now I need to spring-clean my corner of Opera.

xx

Need you.

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[update] excuse

I'm afraid I'm gonna have to postpone blogging and most opera-related activities for the forseeable future. My mum is ill in hospital, so obviously that's our main priority at the moment. I'll catch up again when I can.

xx

P.S read more for updates

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Monday October 23rd

She's been in hospital exactly 6 days, and in intensive care for 5. But, presuming she has a 'good night' tonight, she'll be out of intensive care and into the normal neuro-ward, which is great news =]

Tuesday October 24th
The operation was only 1 week ago, but this morning she came out of intensive care :D and her personality is completely back to normal!

Thursday October 25th
I couldn't get into the hospital today, so instead I called my mum (cause she now has a phone by her bed) and, provided tonight goes well and there are no complications, she could be out tomorrow!!!


xx

[photo] farming



xx

[photo] On the way to the theatre

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Last night we went to the theatre to see "Chicago"- which was great. We had to walk a little way from the car park to the theatre, and on the way I took a photo. Ironicly, the photo was taken in exactly the same place as a picture I took about 6 months ago. See if you can spot the difference p: :

Then:




Now:



hehe

xx

[picture] I...I...love you

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My friend said this statement appears in a lot of anime, I thought it was really cute, so I 'photoshopped' it.



xx

P.S One day I promise I'll get round to writing a proper blog, but right now I only really have time to upload pictures. Lot's happened though so I really should update :D

xx

[Photo] Pippa

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I used to look at (my dog) Smokey and think, 'If you were a little smarter you could tell me what you were thinking,' and he'd look at me like he was saying, 'If you were a little smarter, I wouldn't have to.
- Fred Jungclaus



[photo] Swing

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I was looking for a quote which would suit this picture but I couldn't find one. However, I did find this

Pearl S. Buck:

I feel no need for any other faith than my faith in the kindness of human beings. I am so absorbed in the wonder of earth and the life upon it that I cannot think of heaven and angels.



which I felt applied perfectly to the situation I was talking about a while back...

xx

[School] Trip

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I went to London today.

In July my music teacher mentioned that the British Army's Music Corps were organising a day called 'Rhythm Force', which would take place in September, for music students all around the country. Well the summer holidays came and went and I forgot all about it. Then, in our first music lesson when we came back to school someone asked what was happening with the trip. The teacher looked around and asked if we were still interested in going. Then he drew a big wad of papers from his bag and started telling us what would be happening, he'd obviously been planning it over the holidays!!!
He said that we'd be going to Twickenam, London, on Thursday September 14th. He explained that everything would be free (a huge bonus!) except for food. Then he handed around a leaflet which had been sent to him by the Army. It said that there would be some really great activities, including; Paintballing (YESS!), an obstacle course, a climbing wall and first aid. So, it didn't look particularly musical but what did we care? It was a day off school!
At the end of the lesson I went up to the teacher and asked if he had any spare spaces on the trip. He asked why and I explained that, although she is not musical at all, I'd been wondering if he's let Dani go with us. I fully expected him to say no straight away, but to my surprise he took out the pile of papers again and looked down his list of people going. Then he looked up, smiling, and said "You're in luck, I have 40 spaces available, and so far only 39 taken. Dani can go." That just made my day, I'd been looking forwards to the trip, but it was even more exciting knowing my best friend would be there too!
Over the week we were given forms to fill in and sign, promising that we didn't have asthma and wouldn't sue the Army if we died during the trip. And instructions on what (not) to where. And various pieces of homework that we didn't understand because we'd been to excited to listen in the lessons they were set...And then the day finally arrived.
Since the coach was due to leave school at 7.30 I had to wake up at 6am and my mum also had to get up early, so that we could drive to school and be there for 7.15. When I woke up, rain was pelting down, battering the window, and we got drenched just dashing the six feet from the front door to the car!
When we arrived at school I found Dani sitting on the wall outside school, thoroughly soaked, having been sat there since 6.20am! She'd refused a lift from my mum, arguing that "your mum gives me a lift everywhere!" and saying that she'd get the bus. Only it turned out that she'd read the timetable wrong (a mistake she often makes) and there were no busses that early. So her mum had dropped her in, even though it was so early.
We stood around outside school for almost an hour, waiting for the scheduled coach to arrive. When he did finally turn up we found out he'd been lost. Now, getting lost in this town is no easy feat, my school is a big ugly building on a huge roundabout- it's easier to find that than to find the Selfridges building in Birmingham!
Anyway, once everyone was loaded onto the coach we finally set off, only we immediately got stuck in traffic. It took us 40 minutes to travel from my school to a small turning 60 meters up the road.
By the time we got out of the traffic it was 9.15 and we were almost two hours late, we hadn't even left town yet and we were due in london in 1 hour 45 min. No chance of that happening!
We arrived at Twickenam at about 1.15, so so so late. But once we entered the area where the event was being held we found that the lack of time (the event finished at 2.30) was no big deal.
The thing we'd been looking forwards too was a hige dissapointment. It was simply a big field with a few tents and a bunch of army recruiters attempting to make the army inviting. And, as those of you who've read my Work Experience speach know, the army is no carreer for me! The paintballing which we'd been so excited about was not real paintballing, it was just people standing behind a fence shooting pellets at cardboard targets, and there was a huge queue. There was an even bigger queue for the obstacle course, which was not your traditional army style get-plastered-in-mud obstacle course, it was a safety-concious bouncy castle type obstacle course, which though it looked inviting was not worth waiting 45 minutes in a queue for. And there was no sign at all of a first aid course, unless you count the first aid tent for injured members of public?
On the plus side, there was a fairly good band playing covers of various rock songs, which we enjoyed singing along to. Or rather, Dani enjoyed singing and I croaked- my voice is rapidly dissapearing due to a cold that's been troubling me all week and is now morping into an irritating cough.
Once Dani and I had walked the perimeter of the field a couple times we decided that the most inviting option was queueing for the obstacle course. When, eventually, our turn came around we really enjoyed it, but it was too short!!! And then suddenly it was 2.30 and time to leave.
The return coach journey wasn't too bad, as with on the way, Dani and I spent the entire time listening to music and deciding what songs to swap. We also did a lovelly rendition (or so we thought) of Blink 182's 'Feeling This'.

Overall, although the event itself wasn't great, the day as a whole was quite good. I had a fun time on the coach :smile:

f you want to find out more about 'Rhythm Force' or if you want to read a more positive version of what was supposed to be happening, take a look here.

xx

P.S I'm questioning my apparent ability to write a 1000+ word blog in a half hour, yet complete inability to write a 2000+ essay in two days for school!

[school] That speach

I wrote the other day about my summer assignment for English, a speach about work experience. Well, this is what I've come up with. I have to read it out to the class in the first lesson back to school, but I really can't imagine myself reading this aloud! Please read, and tell me what you think... Thanks XD

Work Experience

When, over two years ago we were first asked to consider what sort of placement we would like for our work experience at the end of year ten I immediately put down Army. I didn’t say what sort of army job; officer, gunner or even cleaner. I simply wrote Army.
I didn’t understand what being in the British Army would entail. All I knew was that we had just had army day at school and half our year had been brain washed into thinking that joining the army was the thing to do. I think some of us were partially persuaded by the hot fitness instructor! Anyway, it wasn’t until I attempted to join a local cadet group that I realised joining the army was not really the career I wanted. So, when we arrived back after the summer I opted to change my placement to law. At least this was a field I had consistent interest in.
Over the next year I discovered that I would be ‘working’ for “--------------- Solicitors”, and that they were based in -------. Once I had their address and my Work Experience Pack I set about writing a C.V and accompanying letter of introduction.
We had also been told to ‘phone our placements and introduce ourselves. This I did, with a certain sense of trepidation. The woman who picked up was short and sharp. She corrected my question of “could I please speak to Mrs Pat Harris” saying that her name was “actually Miss Pat Harris”. The entire conversation followed a similar thread, and I felt distinctly out of place.
She told me that contrary to my expectations, I would not be able to participate in the day-to-day activities of the firm. All I would be able to do was watch court cases. This was a huge let-down. I had hoped to get experience in a solicitor’s office; I wasn’t overly interested in the court side of things, since I’d had that experience with Mock Trial. I was not looking forwards to my placement.
On Monday 10th July I arrived in ------- at about 8.30, half an hour early. I killed time by wondering around town for a while, but I was conscious of the need to make a good impression and at about 8.45 I began walking up to the office. The walk was longer than I expected, but even so I still arrived early. The office was closed, the metal blind down and locked.
I hung around for a few minutes in the faint hope that the blind might magically rise and let me in. I even tried a few “open sesames”! It didn’t work. So, I self-consciously sat on the wall outside, deciding that arriving at a locked up office was definitely not the best way to begin a week of work experience!
I was even more embarrassed when a door behind me, which I had previously ignored because it had on it the name of a different company, opened and a man looked out and asked if I was the work experience girl. Mutely, and with bright red cheeks, I nodded and followed him inside the building and through a door into the reception.
In films solicitors offices are always portrayed as sleek and ultra-modern. But this was about the shabbiest office I had ever set foot in. After taking my name the short sharp lady from the phone, or rather the secretary, ushered me into a chair in the corner and turned away to carry on with her work, which seemed to consist of an equal mixture of gossiping with her fellow secretary and being short and sharp to people on the phone. I was left to stare at the wall and literally watch paint peel.
After a while I got bored and so decided to vary the monotony by counting the minutes until something happened. At 9.05 Short Sharp Lady crossed the office and wound up the blind. --------------- was officially open.
Precisely two minutes later (I should know- I was watching the clock!) a young woman entered the office. She looked about 20-ish with mid length brown hair and a smart suit. I thought perhaps she was a member of the staff. I was very surprised when the secretary directed her over towards me and introduced her as “also called Charlotte” and “also on Work Experience this week”.
We both sat there uncomfortably for 40 minutes, staring at different parts of the same flaking wall and listening to the incessant chatter of the two secretaries. Eventually the side door by which I’d entered opened and a refined man in a dark suit came in. He introduced himself as David ----, one of the partners in the firm, and offered to take me into ------- Magistrates court.
On the way he asked me about my interest in law and explained what degrees would be needed to study the subject at university. I discovered that I would first have to take a 3-4 year law degree, in which I would learn the basics of the subject. I would then have to decide whether I wanted to become a barrister, and take a bar degree, or a solicitor in a particular field, either of which would entail a further year of hard labour. After this I would officially be working, but I’d still have to do two years of “articles”. Which I suppose is like paid Work Experience!
That first day was busy; I saw fifteen cases in total, fifteen! Mostly they were about breach of bail and failure to turn up at court. But there were a couple interesting cases, such as that of the man who was arrested for GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm). His crime was battering the owner of an off license with a wine bottle, and then, when the police tried to arrest him, running away and hiding in his garden shed! He was due to be in court to apply for bail, before his hearing, where he would be sentenced. But when the magistrate decided he would not be bailed, and would instead await his hearing in jail, the man got very angry and swore at the magistrate, who had him taken away “in contempt of court”. The man’s friends, who had been watching the proceedings also swore and stormed out.
After the first day the week seemed to spread out in a mind numbingly boring routine. I’d arrive at the office around 9, wait to be let in and then sit around until someone was ready to go to court, where I would stay for the remainder of the day. I saw just a few interesting cases, among hundreds of boring ones.
However, I did laugh when, on Wednesday, two men were brought in to be charged and one pleaded “guilty” and the other “not guilty”. The court was silent in astonishment. The second man looked around him and said, flippantly, “Oh, actually, I’ll have guilty too”!
Overall my week of work experience was not a bad one, at times it was boring, but the hours were good- the latest I finished was 3! Although, this was only because there was nothing I could do once court was over.
On the last day of the placement I arrived at the office with a box of chocolates, to say thank you. I had been intending to present them to one of the solicitors, who had all been very kind. But the only person about was Short Sharp Lady. So I was forced to hand them to her. I only hope that the rest of the staff received one!

xx
December 2008
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