Sunday, 31 May 2009
Don't do a Delia
In the last few days I have painted and scrubbed clean our veranda. It looks as good as new. Well, the ancient wisteria that is creeping up it gives the game away.
This is my 96th post, therefore, not my next post, nor the one after that, nor the one after that, BUT the one after that will be my 100th post. That is scary. I hope I have something better to say than my usual drivel.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Boycott or Bust
Nestle
Why: It's the old Baby Formula story. Nestle promoted their baby-milk products over breast feeding in impoverished countries, resulting in a lot of infant deaths. Every body thinks Nestle has cleared up its act, but it hasn't. It still aggressively markets Baby Formula, resulting in more deaths in babies.
What: Nestle owns, or has shares in, a lot of labels. From the obvious Nescafe, to the less obvious Herta Frankferters. They own lots of bottled water companies, and if they don't Coca-Cola do. Full the full list, see here.
Coca-Cola
Why: They have an appalling human-rights record. This includes associations with the Nazis, or sponsoring the apartheid government in South Africa. However, this also has not stopped. There are cases of violence against Union workers, especially in Colombia, and has resulted in a dozen or so deaths.
What: This list isn't quite as long as Nestles, but still long. Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Lilt, Dr Pepper, Oasis, Kia-Ora, Schweppes, Five Alive, Minute Maid, Rose's, Poweraid, Relentless, Malvern, glaceau vitamin water.
Today I also sent them an email saying I am boycotting their products. This is perhaps the most important part of the boycott. There is no point in trying your best to avoid these products if the companies don't know you're doing it. They'll just think you've lost interest, or like something else, and try to lure you back with marketing or new products. If you tell them you're boycotting then they may change their ways.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Dreams
One of them involved riding on the back of a giant, but I don't remember that one too well. The strangest one was, well, odd. I was at Banana Club and there were hundreds of kids. Hundreds. And they were all running about causing havoc (not unusual), but then my jaw went weird. I couldn't open my mouth and it was excruciatingly painful. I went from the doors in the Castle Rooms (where Banana Club is) too the toilets and ended up in a duty free shop of an airport. I felt myself worrying about my jaw, and the fact I had somehow bipassed all security checks. I was trying to communicate with an ugly manager at the shop (who was destinctly similar to the aforementioned giant), but could only manage 'Humm, mmm mmm mmm.' Then, I reminded myself it was just a dream and told myself to open my mouth. I did and woke up.
If Freud was alive, well, I think even he would struggle with this one.
Monday, 25 May 2009
Procrastination Station
I really want to start a new blog, which focuses on Global issues etc. However, I have yet to think of a name, and I won't start it without a good one. So ideas are welcome.
I need to tidy my room, but I CANNOT BE BOTHERED. If you happen to have contact details for Mary Poppins, the Fairy Godmother or any other such person (or mythological being), please inform me. I expect there's a waiting list though.
Friday, 22 May 2009
Unwell and Apocalyptic Visions
I enjoyed Paris though. I just thought I'd mention apocalyptic visions. In the same square where the parrot incident occurred there were paintings of the Paris skyline in red, to resemble a sunset. However, they more resembled a burning sky so made me think of Revelations. A much more beautiful interpretation of John's dreams was the Rose Window in La Sainte Chapelle. It has to be one of the most stunning buildings in the world.
Thursday, 21 May 2009
WordLab
WordLab
This is quite a fun website for those who are thing of naming something (i.e. a band, a website or even a drug). The best bit is their naming tools. You can just come up with random things. So here is a little game. I have used the Drug-O-Matic, the Band Name generator and the ACME generator and written down the first generated word. Your job is to give a description of them. (i.e. the drug cures foot odour problems, etc.)
Drug: Renthoco
Band: Folds and Boils
ACME: DirectPrimary
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
One man and his parrot
My mum, brother and I were sitting in a cafe in Monmatre, watching the world go by. We ordered kirs and we got kirs. Huge kirs, a whole wine goblet of kir. So we got slightly tipsy as our family are notorious lightweights. Then a man selling his 'wares' came up to us hoping we would buy something and reduce his poverty. Unfortunately, he was selling a toy parrot and in my tipsy state I found the episode hilarious. I tried to stifle my laughter but on catching Stephen's eye, it became all too much. I just let out a huge snort and the man subsequently left. Probably to drown himself in the Seine.
I did observe, though, his poverty was probably a result of his business acumen, or lack of. Who would try to sell a stuffed toy to a group of adults? Really. Imagine 'here darling, I went to Paris and bought you this: a toy from the French equivalent of the Early Learning Centre. No, no wine or not even a beret, a toy. A stupid, stuffed toy.'
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Experience
Umm. Every week for the last year nearly, if not two years or more.
Gone
There are so, so many people that I will miss. There are some that I only just started getting to know, there are some that have been such good friends. Okay, less of the gushing. Also, the Church in Oxford emailed to confirm my suspicion. I did not get the job. However, as all the other candidates were really cool, I'm not that disappointed.
Friday, 15 May 2009
Famous Bloggers
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
Digging
I had a lot of things to write about, but probably won't get a chance. Well, I'll do a quick summary. Tuesday, I had people over for a meal, which was really good fun, and then Becca, Lee, Rachael and I watched Changeling. That was quite good. Wednesday I slept until late, went to the CU photo, did first aid (to use the term loosely, more helped get him to hospital) on someone who crushed their leg in the silly boys' photo. Went to Lord Beechings, then did ChristianAid collecting, walked up two very steep hills, watched Finding Neverland and said goodbye to my friend Sam. Yesterday, met up with Steve, the St Mike's Youth Worker, at 10am for tea and coffee; then met up with Jenny, my longest friend at uni, and had quite an intense chat. Went to Banana Club, where they gave me a book, Why do farts smell like rotten eggs?, as a leaving present. Finally, I went to Le Casablanca and Salt with Rachael. I am exhausted. Luckily I can sleep on trains.
Steve is one of those people that comes out with sagical advice when you don't expect it. He said to me yesterday:
There are two types of people in the world. Those who dig for dirt and those who dig for gold. The media and society tend to dig for dirt and shame people. Those of dig for gold look for the best even in the most difficult of people. And when they find that gold they don't just leave it but they need to polish it up and show the world how beautiful it is.So that struck me quite a bit. Which one am I? I wonder. Which one are you?
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Waiting
Monday, 11 May 2009
Anticlimaxical
My parents came up this weekend to collect all my belongings. Rachael and I went with said parents to the Tynllidiart Arms in Capel Bangor. It holds the World Record for being the smallest commercial brewery in the world. We ate lots of nice food. Very nice food.
Sunday, my friend Jenny got baptised and confirmed, so that was really nice. She was so nervous, bless her, but it went fine. Also yesterday, Rachael started her own blog.
So I'll just impart some words of advice to Rachael. It will ruin your life. Not really. But you do need to change which timezone you're in. So head over to her blog and say a great big 'HI!'.
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Awesome
Speaking of Jesus, I'm getting really anxious about my job situation. What has that got to do with Jesus? I hear you ask. Well, probably I wont actually hear you because a) you're probably out of earshot and b) you possibly already know about the job interview I had. I applied for a job at a church in Oxford, and I want to know if I've got it. I don't think I have. I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. I'd be cool but I did like the other candidates. They were nice. Okay, less of the random ranting. I have a habit of verbalising my random thought processes, now I've begun to type them.
I'm tired and ill and I have a random ironing board in my room. It is a rubbish ironing board. As a matter of fact, I'm going to save this post as a draft, take a photo of said ironing board and post it up. Because I'm cool like that. Note the fiendish holes in the cover. That was how the board was when we arrived, and I had to iron my shirt on it. What you can't observe is that it also likes to collapse. Okay, this has got to be perhaps the most random post ever in the history of blogging.
Friday, 8 May 2009
Websites
Random Website
A mention needs to go to randomwebsite.com. Basically, this website redirects you to a random one. You click on the link and you find yourself in a new and fascinating (well, um, new) part of the web. Be warned, although I haven't had any bad experiences, the potential for them is there. So that's the random website of the day.
World Saving Website
Whenever I go shopping with my mum on a highstreet anywhere she always says, "let's pop into the charity shop." There is one charity shop in particular that I love, and that is Oxfam.
So I'm directing you to their website. Also, if you have twitter, follow them. They give ways of using twitter to let your voice be heard. The website has brilliant resources and is often up-to-date with world issues. So just have a browse.
Please, if you know any good websites, for either category, let me know.
Count Down
In the meantime I have to iron my shirt for tonight, pack up my stuff for when my parents come, tidy the house and the garden, sleep a bit, meet up with various people for pretty much the last time. Possibly shed a tear or two. This last hurdle is going to be the hardest. But I'm quite excited about moving on.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Nearing the end
I'm quite touched at the outrage and the threats of kidnap (what is more moving than someone wanting to kidnap you?). I'd like to add that Kaylee likes this only because she is from home, and is not looking to get rid of me.
So I think I owe people an explanation. First, I'm going to Paris the week after next to help my brother take things back home with him. Second, I have no money. After I've sorted out my rent, I wont actually have that much. Third, I need a job (as a consequence to number two), and I'm hoping that I'll beat all the rest of the students by returning earlier. So they are the reasons why I'm going home so soon. I may return for a few days for the CU leaver's party (especially as I came up with a possible theme).
At the moment I have a cold. Rachael gets annoyed if I call it swine flu. Mind you, she has heard me tell countless people that I have swine flu, so it must be wearing thin by now. Tomorrow is the May Ball.The Zutons are our main lineup, which is really cool. They probably wont cancel like the last two years as it is on their website.
Now I need to reduce the number of words until I've finished my degree.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
Scared and sushi
I had sushi for dinner. Nothing fancy, but £4 from Tesco Express. It was a crazy buy for someone who doesn't like fish. Or didn't. I quite liked it, but it was a bit ambitious, so I only ate 1/2 of it. £2 down the drain. I'm having money worried (aren't we all?), and have worked out that by the time I've paid my rent for March, April and May, I'll only have about £100. Eeek.
I walked down to the church I'm being interviewed at to see how far away it was, gaining a lot of interest from cats (I smelt of fish). That scared me a lot. Not the cats, but seeing the church.
Anyway, to prays and Bible-reading.
In Oxford
I'm not at all nervous about my interview at the moment, but I soon will be. I'm going to got out, get some dinner and look like I've been ditched in some cafe, come back, read through/correct/improve/cry about my presentation for tomorrow. The B&B is really nice, it is called Lonsdale Guest House, so if you're ever in Oxford (visiting me after I got the job...a bit presumptuous) it's a good place to stay and with a bus route right to the city centre.
I forgot to bring the girly magazines I bought. But I learnt something new about women's sanitary products. You really don't want to know.
So off to get food...but first Molehill Empire calls. Yes, I am a loser.
Friday, 1 May 2009
Things to do
- Finish my presentation
- Find out my train/bus times
- Call my B&B to tell them what time I'll be arriving tomorrow
- Aquaint myself with St Andrew's Church child protection policy.
- By girly magazines
- Sort out my rent
- Find somewhere where heat-stroke isn't a distinct possibility
- Get off the internet.
I'm in the university computer rooms by my Church at the moment and nearly dying. It is obscenely hot in here. I just met with the wonderful Hannah Nelson to discuss my interview and as usual she gave good advice.
In other news: I burnt my face today. Well, actually, my lunch burnt my face. It was a Wensleydale and BBQ sauce toastie, and the gloop fell out and stuck to my face like napalm. Now I have a red mark on my face. The reasoning behind the odd mix of Wensleydale cheese and BBQ sauce is that I have decided that like without bricks and mortar you don't have a house, without Wensleydale and cranberries you don't have a pleasant culinary experience. So to get rid of the offending cheese I smothered it in BBQ sauce and put it in a toastie. Just so you know it was Rose's idea. So I blame her. A rather dubious example to go in the 'recipes' tag collection. But aren't all of them?
Also, while writing this a girl asked me to help her to photocopy something. Bless her. Now to do number 8 on my list.