2015 Resolutions: Doing More of What You Love

I've spent the afternoon curled-up in a snowflake-decorated Christmas blanket, a new notepad and pen scattered on my desk and - for the most part - Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein clutched in my hand. Whilst I had set aside a few hours for some productivity, and was prepared to take pictures for a book haul and write a few articles, time was spent almost drooling over the cupcake section found in the Hummingbird Bakery recipe books I bought after a visit to the shop in London. From the lack of school textbooks in sight and few less post-it notes covering my desk, it's quite clear that exams are over for now. After weeks of reading only Of Mice and Men - in preparation for an English Literature paper - and revising rather than writing, I'm welcoming a weekend of no work with open arms. And by writing my first post of 2015.

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With the foreknowledge that I would have to wake at 7am for school, and that it was already approaching midnight, I still sat awake for a while reading Wein's novel after exams came to an end on Thursday. In fact, when the fatigue hit Friday mid-morning, I didn't mind. That hour of reading, until the words were literally becoming a blur, had been completely worth it. Having just worked my way through my Goodreads archive, I know that I haven't finished a book of my choice since November(E. Lockhart's We Were Liars), and most of that was devoured in one-sitting on a Friday evening. I'll admit that over the past few weeks, I've almost forgotten what I love to do. When there have been a few hours free, all I've wanted to do is settle in front of the TV, rather than spend more time in my room(where I would usually like to sit quietly and read). I've realised that the stresses of school have meant that any other hobbies have been non-existent; that the fear of failure and disappointment meant that exams have been the only things that have mattered. I didn't want the nightmare scenario of looking at my results and being disappointed.

 

In fact, now that the weeks of consecutive exams are over, the thought of sitting down to write was a daunting one. As soon as I started to type, the sound of the keypad became familiar again, along with the need to alternate between the draft and my Twitter notifications! It's been an instant mood-changer. The stomach-churning feeling that's had it's hold on me these past few weeks, almost threatening to suffocate me, is now starting to be replaced. I've noticed that reading isn't merely a pastime or hobby: it's a necessity. The escapism is something I've come to crave, even for a short while being able to experience the world from another perspective. I've missed the freedom that simply a notebook and pen provide; the time I used to spend updating a diary and writing to-do lists had been replaced had lost out to revision. By not doing these things, I've managed to lose a little piece of myself. I've not had a current read to freak-out about to friends, or a reply when someone has asked me about books I'd enjoyed recently. Opinions I've had on news stories or topics have had to be held-back, rather than written about and shared in a discussion. For the first time in months, my email inbox has also been very empty.

 

Rather than, as planned, writing out a list of resolutions for 2015, I've decided to pick one: to do more of what I love to do. This might not be the easiest goal to achieve, since I now have a countdown detailing the number of days until I finish school, but it has to happen. There won't be days spent studying inside, crammed in a corner of my room, slowly becoming a caffeine addict from all the coffee I've consumed. What I'm hoping for is evenings spent drinking Frappuccino's at Starbucks, weekends where all I do is read and weeknights where I come home to blog. Then some revision - when the time comes. There's a handful of smaller goals, such as reading more of the books I own and accepting a few less review copies, but I'll share them if I stick with them!

What are your goals and resolutions for the year?

Tell me in the comments!

Sophie
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Yearly Wrap Up: 2014

As midnight approaches on New Year's Eve, I always like to spend some time contemplating what has happened within the past twelve months, or curl up with a notepad and write a list detailing the few things I have achieved; those that, if experienced by anyone else, would not have resonated in quite the same way. I also tend to read through the blog posts and my diary, remembering the events that took place in the first few months of the year, and trying to not correct the words I've learnt how to spell since!

 

2014 has included months spent in my room revising for the first of my GCSE exams and less time for reading and blogging than I had anticipated; the books I had last Christmas are still sitting on my shelf, unread. But, it's also included trips to Buckingham Palace and Journalism Award wins, all of which I will never forget. In fact, it's been a year crammed with life experiences and lessons to learn. Now it's coming to an end, I'm feeling a little nostalgic!
 

That's me with the ponytail!

At the beginning of the year, I decided to take on the challenge of setting up my own news team within school as part of the national BBC News School Report project. Having had to use the promise of biscuits as a bribe to encourage those in the younger years to join, and stand on a chair to be listened to, I didn't have high hopes within first few weeks. I was piecing together presentations, preparing practice scripts and organising groups at the weekend in an attempt to be ready for the annual Report Day - when all of the work should be uploaded. What I didn't expect when I held that first 'brainstorming' session was for it to result in interviewing poet Benjamin Zephaniah for the BBC, author Bryce Thomas agreeing to take part in the Q&A with those who were part of the team and a trip to the local radio station. And I couldn't have been prouder. Admittedly, it was stressful, but seeing a team I had managed to put together on TV and hearing us featured on the radio made it all worthwhile.

 

Book-related things in 2014 included heading to the Hay Festival(once again!) and the first YALC in London. Since I first heard of the annual Hay Festival, I've absolutely loved taking a tote bag and some wellies to a few author events there! 2014 was no exception, and although I was disappointed to hear that there was no signing after the event, I did find myself in the same room as Jacqueline Wilson! It was incredible to hear Wilson speak, as she was the author that inspired my love of reading, and whose magazines I would read each month when I was a slightly younger. In an audience of those between aged around seven-to-ten, I sat there awestruck. She was exactly how pre-teen me had imagined her! Although I was a little bit loss during Cassandra Clare's event, as I had to try and avoid spoilers, I did manage to meet her after the event and get my books signed! Despite spending a huge portion of the Saturday at YALC hiding from the Comic Con crowds and cosplay in the toilets, I loved meeting up with some of my favourite bloggers and just seeing those I recognised from social media walk past me. It felt great to be surrounded by people who were all passionate about books - although it was really claustrophobic!
 

Whilst I visited London for the first time in 2013, this year I've been a tourist on the tubes three times, and I'm still just as excited every time I arrive. In fact, the most recent time I went involved a check-list of what I needed to bring, now that I'm feeling a little more experienced as a Londoner for a day! 2014 was the year that I learnt which way up the ticket goes when trying to go through the barrier on the tube system, how to navigate the different lines(and realised how many different ones there are!) and discovered that, if a bus is running a minute late, it will terminate and leave you at the next stop. It was also at the Royal Society this year that, after arriving a few hours late to the Finals due to traffic, I won a Journalism Award! The highlight of my year was walking in to the briefing late and being told that, in a few minutes, I would be interviewing a member of the Royal Family. The one thing I remember most clearly from that day is the few crazed minutes that followed, where I attempted to look presentable after five hours in a car and tried to scoff a cereal bar within seconds to make sure my stomach didn't rumble! 

 

What I've loved about this year is that it's taught me to never underestimate myself. And, when walking through the gates of Buckingham Palace in October, I also realised that where your from or the school you go to doesn't matter. Being the only person with a Welsh accent, and a schoolgirl who had just typed up a short article in a rush, I was worried that I would feel out-of-place. It was the first time I had ever worn a shirt and tie, and the blazer I wore that day will never be making a re-appearance! Though, everyone was so friendly! I'll say it lightly, but I felt 'at home' and welcomed. I was able to leave my fingerprints on the window(sorry!) and talk to the teacher who was with me like it was an ordinary lunchtime. I've always struggled with my confidence, and have always had a slight camera phobia, so it did merge a few of my once-worst nightmares together. And I probably looked extremely vulnerable, standing there attempting to form a coherent sentence, but I did it. I was okay.

 

It's been a tiring - but good - year.

 

I'll be posting some of my not-so-goals for next year in early January...when I manage to escape from the pile of revision I have to do!

 

What are your own favourite memories of 2014?

 

Make sure to tell me in the comments!

Sophie
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Post-It Notes, To-Do Lists and Crammed-Full Notepads

Those afternoons spent attempting to find a matching set; the thrill I get when I walk into Staples; the anticipation for the back-to-school shop. It's taken me a while to realise that I have an obsession. In fact, it was only a few weeks ago when I paused to take a picture of the multi-coloured post-its I found whilst out shopping that I noticed. Perhaps the caption - "Definition of Heaven?" - that I wrote as I sent it to a friend was a sign? Maybe the multiple times I pulled out my phone for the purpose of showing a family member or friend the picture? If not, it could be the to-do lists stuck sporadically over the front cover of my current-read, written in a scrawl that suggests I was half-awake at the time. Which, at 1.30am, I was. Or the colour-coordinated revision notes and highlighted quotes inside the school text books I own, doodled over with arrows, hardly any room to analyse another word. Now, I don't even use those that are littering the teacher's desks in class but rather bring my own; swapping with classmates over the table when I notice they have hot-pink post-its. That's a colour I never seem to own. The post-it colours I own match the highlights I have and this is how it should be.

Yes, I have a little stationary obsession.

This was my definition of Heaven.

When using post-it notes was first mentioned, whilst discussing the worries that haunt me in the latest hours of the night, I was told to simply keep a few beside my bed with a pen, no longer having to crawl out from under the covers to write a reminder down. And I did that. I'd wake in the morning to post-it notes stuck to my bedside table, and a quick scan over what I had written - most of which was incoherent - I knew what I was doing that day. With more control over my senses than in the early hours, when I could be found contemplating escape-routes after hearing the click of a door handle, I could see that those things I had needed to write down were not such a problem. That, in fact, I could solve them in a few minutes. Or wouldn't need to at all. Unsurprisingly, things are a little  different now, but I'll blame that on the person who introduced me to the world of post-it notes in the first place. The next step? A noticeboard.

Without a notepad, I can't begin to contemplate writing any posts. In the corner of my room, kept in a neat stack, a collection of notepads sits next to my review-copies. The pile consists of last year's diary, notepads filled with novel ideas that will never be used and a blog book that does not have a single clean page left. One that is crammed with more lists, those that details everything from the posts I want to write to the places I want to visit, has a permanent place  on my desk, and I can't help but say I've spent time admiring the pastel-coloured ribbons for page-markers. There are several things I couldn't live without - a notepad being one of them - but an ink-pen is another. I'll forever be in debt to Bic ballpoint pens or Papermate for dragging me through English exams, but without the flow of an ink pen across the page - the freedom that it gives me when I'm planning out posts - I can't handwrite at home. The slightly cursive style I seem to adopt when holding my latest favourite in my hand...it's the closest to calligraphy I think I will ever manage.

Are you a fellow stationary collector? Notepad hoarder?

Tell me in the comments!

It's possible I got a little carried away...

Sophie

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Lifestyle: Being a Vegetarian(FAQ)

I remember first asking to become vegetarian and being told, quite firmly, that I would have to wait until I was sixteen. At the time, I must have been eleven or twelve, and after a few days of moving any meat to the side of my plate, eating-habits returned to normal. I'd never had an obsession with meat, and would rarely eat more than chicken nuggets, so it's no surprise that within a week of deciding to try again, I had switched my entire diet to vegetarian. When I first mentioned it, it's safe to say that everyone thought I was experimenting; that it was simply a "phase" I would soon overcome. In fact, along with all of the usual animal welfare reasons, the want to prove some friends wrong has driven me the most to stick to a veggie diet. I realised that I didn't need McDonalds or that bag of Haribo Star Mix sweets, although many people still can't contemplate why. Or how I don't miss the taste of meat. In celebration of being meat-free for a year, I thought I'd address these in a little 'Veggie FAQ'! Getting to include a little chick in the graphic is just a bonus!

 

 

Why did you become vegetarian?

I'll blame this on a poster we had to analyse in English class. I was already considering becoming a veggie, but this gave me a reason to actually join the club. If I had my book at home, I'd probably be able to flick through a few pages and find it, but it's hidden away in a cupboard at school. The poster featured a lamb called Lucky, and I completely understood the irony PETA was trying to imply. The close-up shot making sure you can read his emotion; the false-impression of freedom; the reality of what is really happening. I think, at that point, I realised that being vegetarian is not just what we would expect from a member of the popular cliché on a Disney movie, but rather a way of expressing your opinion on quite a controversial subject. At fourteen, I was old enough to make my own decision on what I wanted to eat and couldn't wait those extra few years. It's been a year!

 

Do you miss the taste of meat?

Nope! I'm at a point when just the aroma of mince cooking will churn my stomach, so I'm definitely not craving it. The likes of Quorn also have such realistic products, with almost the exact texture and taste, that most wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Since my diet mainly comprises of foods like these, I still - to a certain extent - know what meat tastes like. Just not the real thing.

 

Do you eat diary products?

As a veggie, products like milk and eggs are still part of my diet, although I'll admit not as much as before. When I can, I like to substitute yoghurt for the soya alternative - as it's really difficult to find a low-fat gelatine-free yoghurt - and I sometimes drink milk alternatives that are out there instead. Vegan snacks are favourites of mine, especially when there are filled with nuts and fruits, and they tend to have a high amount of Protein in them. Also, I'm obsessed with carob-topped cereal bars or flapjacks at the moment, and these are usually vegan anyway.

 

What do you eat now?

Not eating meat does mean I have to find what I need elsewhere, and it's taken me a while to actually realise this. Living on a diet of Quorn isn't recommended, and I spent quite a while doing so. Now, I eat a lot of salads, sandwiches and wraps along with soups. I love couscous so any meal I can have with that is a bonus and will try to combine chickpeas with everything. If you haven't, you must try chickpea burgers, veggie or not!

I'm an incredibly fussy-eater and go through phases where I will like a food one week and not eat it again. For this reason, I try to stick to pasta dishes as I can always swap some a sauce or the vegetables I have used before to turn it into something I will enjoy.  I eat a healthier than I did before I was a veggie, as there are more fruits and vegetables in what I eat now, and have stopped having takeaways as I can't ask for the people at Subway to change their gloves. I don't feel like they will take me seriously!
 

Would you ever go back to being a meat-eater?

I doubt it. Having read so many articles on the treatment of animals and clicked on links that I've received by email from PETA, I think I'd find it difficult to kick-start with meat again. Switching to a veggie diet happened within a few days, but it would be much harder to begin eating chicken or pork again. I've also spent a huge amount of time talking about the pros of being a vegetarian to friends, so it would be pretty embarrassing to have to admit defeat and try to return to 'normal'. As far as I know, I wouldn't go back to being a meat-eater, but I'm only fifteen at the moment. I've spoken to a lot of people who have said they were once a vegetarian and circumstances changed, so maybe I'll find myself in the same position?

 

What if it was a life/death situation and eating meat was the only option to survive?

This is one of those questions that friend will constantly challenge you with as a veggie. Or , swapping the "eating meat" part, when it comes to any life choice. What happens when you're put into a life/death situation and the only way to survive is go completely against your moral views? Is it just me or do those types of friends just love winning debates? We've had this discussion, in Maths class, countless times. And this question has come in varying different forms. I think people just want to see me say I may try bacon again!

 

If it was a life/death situation, I think the choice would be out of my hands. Answering "Of course not!" to this would only be me trying to be a martyr. Which I'm never going to be. I don't think I could sit there, knowing there was a way to survive, completely ignoring the fact I could avoid a now imminent death. And, if I was thrown into the Hunger Games, I wouldn't have another option!

 

So, are you a fellow vegetarian?

Would you like to see more lifestyle posts?

 

Tell me in the comments!

 

Sophie

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A Morning at Buckingham Palace

After three months of waiting, last Monday I was approaching Buckingham Palace in a taxi, trying to make myself look presentable after less than three hours sleep the previous night. The train had left at just before four in the morning, and I had been up since half-past two re-checking my bag - making sure I had packed the invitation(which I was very likely to forget) - and working out the best way to keep a shirt from creasing during the journey. After winning a Journalism Award in June(blog post here!), having written an article on our obsession with technology, I thought I would talk about if for a few weeks before it would almost be forgotten. Instead, we received an email with information about a Prize Giving hosted for the winners by the Duke of York, followed by the itinerary for the day and invitations detailing the dress code in the months after. The idea of walking through those gates was one I couldn't contemplate, as I had only just seen the Palace from the outside.

Even before I walked through the gates, the morning had proved to be eventful. Arriving a few hours early - not willing to take another risk after we were two hours late for the finals - the time was spent at a cafe inside Paddington Station, overlooking the platforms as they became packed with commuters. London must be the most interesting place to people-watch! I tried to calm my nerves, phoning a friend to tell them I had just met Prince Harry as a distraction, but this failed to work. The tube lines had closed and we were a half-an-hour tube journey away. Every time there was an announcement I froze. We did - when London's tubes must have been at their slowest - arrive on time, with about ten minutes to spare. 

During the prize-giving

Inside, what I loved the most was how 'at home' each of us there was made to feel; encouraged to talk as we took our seats ready for the ceremony and the room descended into silence. We were able to draw back the curtains and look out at the gardens, where I noticed a lamp with a crown on top, and I may have left some fingerprints on the glass! Even when the Duke of York was stuck in traffic, they simply played a video about the Judging Day to fill the time. I was surprised at how relaxed the whole morning was! My teacher and I were in the first row of seats, where I couldn't help but be thankful for the short walk up to collect the award, convinced that I would have fallen if it was any further away. What we both agreed on was that it didn't feel like we were actually inside Buckingham Palace, all of us there talking like we were having a conversation on the street rather than at the Queen's house. It was so great, though, to see the sense of camaraderie we all seemed to have, where the teachers were sharing perfume in the toilets whilst I tried out all the different hand soaps.

I'm the one with the ponytail!

Since my piece was about technology, when it came to collecting my award, I spoke about how journalism gives scientists a voice and the importance of this to the public. When I had realised I was next, a few minutes had been spent rubbing my palms into my trousers, knowing I would have to shake Prince Andrew's hand. I don't think he noticed how sweaty they were! Instead, I was handed the framed certificate ready for the pictures, certain that they wouldn't be the best when printed. I couldn't help but be a little scared when, as I returned to the safety of my seat, he pointed to me and said he was going to ask some "very tough questions" afterwards. And, as he spoke to all of us there individually, I'll admit I struggled to answer! I had to question what our lives had become when we finally went to find some food. I'm convinced I almost committed a crime by spilling some of the tea I had over the edge and onto the plain-white table cloth. After that I kept to orange juice. I'd noticed that BBC Presenters Dallas Campbell and Liz Bonin, and before we all had to leave the Palace I was able to sneak a picture with them in the courtyard. Or ten pictures, as this was the time my teacher's camera decided not to work properly.

I'm not the type of girl that finds herself in Palaces every day. Or one that belongs at any sort of event that involves public-speaking and photographers. Between the walking to the men's toilets rather than the women's and the not being able to hold a china cup, I probably did appear a little vulnerable. But, I can't say I'll ever forget it.

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This is the part where I thank you for all of the support over the past two years of running this blog! Knowing that people are taking the time to read what I've written and to post comments continues to make my day. What is said in comments and on Twitter has given my the boost to continue writing and to fall in love with blogging/journalism. Thank you so much for helping me get there!

Sophie
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Volunteering For The SRC 2014

A few hours ago, I finished my volunteer work for the Summer, handing it my library service lanyard after the afternoon's event, the small space crowded with children clutching teddies. For the past six weeks, I've been involved with the Summer Reading Challenge 2014, a project that was set up by the Reading Agency; encouraging children to read over the holidays with prizes handed out at certain stages in the challenge. Libraries organise events based on a theme, this year's being 'Mythical Maze', with the characters that feature on posters and stickers designed by Sarah McIntyre. I guess that's a little bit about the background of the Summer Reading Challenge covered!

 

I've wanted to be a volunteer for a while now; desperate to find something productive to do throughout the summer holidays, when otherwise I would be curled up in my bedroom online. I remember when I saw the advertisement for volunteers last year, but after starting to complete the form, I realised I had to be fifteen. That Summer was spent watching those older than me, in their volunteer t-shirts, help the librarians before events at my local library whilst I chose books from the teen section. One year on, and I'll admit that I was the youngest volunteer for the 2014 Challenge in my area, being one month into the required age, not knowing until I arrived at the introduction to see those much older than me walk in. I must have seemed out-of-place; struggling to continue the conversation when another volunteer asked me a question. Luckily, after that one evening, I could return to the safety of the library where I already knew the librarians.

 

There were a few similarities between volunteering and work experience(where I spent time at a Primary school), one of these being that I was covered in glitter. Constantly. Along with the glitter, there was glue and pencil sharpening's. And food during a Teddy Bear's Picnic. What I didn't do during work experience, though, was watch a Balloon Man show and love it, pretend to be a dragon or design bead-bracelets. I hadn't designed a fish out of a paper-plate and tissue paper or made a fairy wand out of card since the times I used to take part in the SRC; collecting stickers and wristbands.

Being a volunteer reminded me of what I loved doing when I was slightly younger. I spent time preparing resources, helping children make their own golden snitches or mazes, and then cleaning afterwards.

 

There were times when I wished I would have been able to scan books out or use the online database. I wanted to give out the Reading Challenge prizes to the children or return finished novels. Maybe, experiencing the day as a librarian, rather than a volunteer, at times - spending more than five hours there a week - would have been interesting? Or being at another library where I wasn't as relaxed? I would have liked to have done more. But, I can't say I haven't liked being part of SRC 2014, the most rewarding part hearing children scream with delight when they were told that they could take "more than one book" home. I listened to parents reading to their children, and to my relief, this proved that those articles about how there's no time to read anymore are not true.

Did you volunteer for the Summer Reading Challenge this year?
Have you volunteered at a library, or elsewhere, in the past?
Would you like too?

Tell me in the comments!