I went to see Hostel last night. I won't post a picture to illustrate this fact, as I already have enough images from the film going around my head, many of which I'd rather forget, and I don't really want to add fuel to the fire, as it were. I am currently in the process of erradicating several scenes from the film from my mind through sheer willpower.

Yes, folks, it was that bad. Some readers who have seen it may disagree with me (men, I'd hazard a guess), but in my opinion, it was horrific. Now, this doesn't neccassarily mean it was bad. Yes, there were several scenes where I had my coat over my head, my hands over my ears and was actually crying with the horror (what can I say? I've never really been a fan of torture). Yes, there were at least two points when I actually thought I was going to have to leave the screen and sit out the film in the foyer. However, unlike most other gory horror films, this one actually made me think. Not to spoil it for those of you who still want to go and see it even after reading this, or indeed those of you who have now been spurred on to go and see it, but the circumstances that surround and result in the torture and gore could really, actually, probably already are, happen. Yes, thought-provoking indeed. But still very, very horrible.

Needless to say it took me literally hours to get to sleep last night. Even more than when I saw The Hills Have Eyes a few weeks ago. Why do I do it to myself, you ask? Well, after four years of making Tim see fluffy chick-flicks and romantic comedies it is, I suppose, the least I can do. And also, scary movies are a bit like rollercoasters. You know its going to be scary, and you hate feeling scared, but at the same time the scaryness is also really quite fun.

In other news, I am indeed at home in Wales at the moment for the Easter holidays, not that it'll be a holiday (see second to last post). I have spent the past two days finishing off my dissertation notes and then staring at the computer screen hoping it will throw some inspiration at me. The thing was, I knew exactly what I wanted to say, but it was the actually starting it that was proving the problem. However, today I just thought sod it, sat down at my computer and just typed whatever came into my head. I then went back and deleted the random crap I had just written, but the barrier had been broken and I was off! However, the barrier didn't break until approximately 9pm, so I have only written about 500 words so far, but I am confident that from tomorrow the writing of the other 11,500 words will be, I really, truly hope, easy.

Here's hoping.

I went out for a meal with some friends the other night and the conversation turned to which was better: Neighbours or Home and Away? The sort of conversation that could happen to anyone, you see, whether I am there to instigate it or not, I imagine.

But anyhow. Neighbours or Home and Away.

I said that, at the moment, H&A is the better of the two top-quality Australian soaps, for the following reason-

*deep breath*

Hayley used to go out with Kim (a boy), briefly. She then realised she was in love with Scott so started going out with him instead. Three months in she finds out she's pregnant. She doesn't know if the baby is Scott's or Kim's, so a paternity test follows. Someone, I can't remember who or for what reason, swaps the results, and while the baby is actually Scott's, everyone thinks it is Kim's. Scott can't handle it, finishes with Hayley, who then goes out with and gets engaged to Kim. Meanwhile, Scott starts going out with crazy Amanda, who, somehow, finds out that Scott is actually the baby-father, realises Scott and Hayely are still in love with each other, so pretends to be pregnant by Scott. So. Scott is actually the father of Hayley's baby, but thinks he isn't, and thinks he is the father of Amanda's baby, which doesn't actually exist.

My friend's response?

Neighbours is better because Harold's gone mad.

So, I pose the question to you, dear readers, which is better, H&A or Neighbours?

Perhaps next time I shall try and think of some things to write about that don't involve telly or Jakey.

Ah, last week of semester 2. Four weeks of Easter holidays are stretching ahead. Four weeks of fun days out, fun nights out, leisurely telly-watching until my eyes develop right-angles, lots of lie-ins, no uni work or money worries, oh, and spending ridiculous amounts of money on unnecessary but luxurious hair products.

*And then she wakes up*

The reality of Easter will be as follows-

Four weeks of getting up at NINE O'CLOCK to make sure I use the whole day to write my dissertation, scheduling my lunchtime to coincide with Neighbours so as to kill two birds with one stone and not take too much time out of writing my dissertation, days out consisting of walking the dog round the corner so I can get some fresh air and a view differing from that of the four walls in my bedroom and not spend the money I don't have, nights in so I don't get up late the next day and don't spend the money I don't have, and not buying hair products of any kind, luxurious or otherwise.

Did I mention I have no money and a dissertation due in the first day back after the Easter holiday?

I'm off home this weekend, and when I'm home I rarely think to sit down and post, so I'll do this meme thing now. I quite like memes. I know they can get a bit boring, for reader and writer, if they get done all the time because a lot of the stuff that's in them can be quite samey, but I haven't done one for ages, and I was specifically tagged for this one, which is always nice as in my own little self-obsessed way makes me feel quite special.

Blimey though, 3 posts in 3 days? Thats practically unheard of for me these days!

Right. Down to the meme ...

... oh wait. Before I forget, I got an essay back yesterday and I got a first! For the same type of assessment last semester I only got a 55 and it dragged my whole average for that module down, so that 70 I am now the proud owner of is a good start to this semester's module and I'm well chuffed.

Right. Yes. Meme.

Seven things to do before I die:
1. Have babies. Cute ones.
2. Find a career I enjoy.
3. Learn to play the guitar.
4. Live in Italy for a time.
5. Travel everywhere I want to go (the list is endless).
6. Conquer my fear of fish (wild - goldfish are tame so not scary) so I can swim in the sea without having a panic attack.
7. Buy designer jeans.

Seven things I cannot do:
1. Miss a meal - I need to be fed every 3 hours.
2. Get by very well on less than 9 hours of sleep.
3. Not set the video to record my favourite programmes if I know I'm going to miss them.
4. Maths of any kind.
5. Sing.
6. Wear stilletto heels - they hurt.
7. Fit into my beautiful black boots I got for my 18th birthday. I was thinner then.

Seven things that attract me to blogging:
1. Contacting people from all over the world.
2. The fact that I must interest some people (check out my hit counter- and I'd say only about half of those are me).
3. Reading about other people's lives - I'm a naturally nosey person.
4. The possibility of one day getting recognised in person from my profile photo.
5. Hmm. Can't think of anymore ...

Seven things I say most often:
1. Only a little bit of milk please. I like my tea to be proper tea.
2. Sorry Dad, that's too weak, I can't drink that (see above).
3. Timotheee!!
4. Can you put Corrie/Eastenders on please?
5. I can't afford it.
6. Mmm. He's attractive.
7. I'm going to the library.

Seven books I love:
1. Anything by Sharon K. Penman, but especially Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow, and The Reckoning.
2. Anything by Barbara Erskine.
3. Anything by Catherine Cookson.
4. Little Women.
5. Death of a Salesman.
6. The Secret Garden.
7. The Loop, by the bloke who wrote The Horse Whispere, but I can't remember his name.

Seven movies/DVDs I watch over and over again:
1. Pride and Prejudice (BBC version).
2. Legends of the Fall.
3. Last of the Mohicans.
4. Grease 2.
5. Stage Beauty.
6. Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow version).
7. Bridget Jones' Diary.

Seven celebs I would be friends with:
1. Liv Tyler.
2. Kate Hudson.
3. Jake Gyllenhaal (we'd be good friends).
4. Bono.
5. Fern Britton.
6. Jeremy Kyle (if he promised never to shout at me).
7. Reese Witherspoon.

Seven people I want to join in:
Oh God. Anyone who wants to.

I know I said that a meme was going to be my next post, but I am afraid it is going to have to be my next next post.

Behold -




Stolen from Pink Is The New Blog, this is a present for Ms. Mac. Not for me at all. Nope. Not one bit. Because I am totally selfless like that.

(As beautiful as Jakey's face is, perhaps we should ignore it in this photo, and just focus on the chest. I know I am.)

A week since my last post! Terrible. I have been very busy though. This is what I have been doing.

Friday afternoon I was at a demonstration at the Leeds Home Office building against Section 9 of the Home Office's asylum policy, and detention of destitute asylum seekers - when it started snowing. I have been waiting for snow for ages, jealous of the inches of snow they were having at home, while we just had rain here.

The snow at home last week.

And then, when I am standing outside for hours on end, it bloody snows. What timing. But later in the afternoon, Tim arrived for the weekend, so, suitably attired this time and within bolting distance of home in case of extreme coldness, I enjoyed the snow.





Saturday night, we went to Rock of Ages again. It is officially my new favourite night. Two of my requests got played (Rainbow's 'Since You've Been Gone' and Bon Jovi's 'Shot Through The Heart', in case you were wondering). There was a fight, I'm not sure what about, and it was quite amusing to watch as I couldn't tell male from female apart in the struggle - there was just a lot of long, permed hair flying about.

Sunday night I finally made it to see Walk The Line, number 1 on my 'I can't wait to see ...' list. I can confirm it was every bit as amazing as I just knew it would be, and maybe a little bit more. When we got home, Tim wanted to see what Johnny and June really looked like so we did a bit of Googling. I didn't want to show him this post as I knew he'd laugh at me. Whilst Googling, we came across this famous photo of Mr Cash-


I said I'd seen the photo recreated by Joaquin Phoenix somewhere, but couldn't remember where. Then followed literally hours of frantic searching to find said photo, but to no avail. Tim thought I was making it up. But then! I found it! That'll teach him to doubt my celebrity knowledge. It never fails.

I have been busy doing lots of other things as well, of varying degrees of importance, mostly involving eating food and watching the telly-

• ER is fabulous as always
• Home and Away is very good at the moment, what with Flynn's cancer story and crazy Amanda. I also really like the new Hayley. She's a lot less annoying than the old one and actually quite sweet.
• Neighbours today - *sobs*. Poor Susan. She just can't keep a man. And you can tell that that Katya is going to be trouble.
• I absolutely love Eastenders' Bradley. He is so cute. Friday was the best episode in ages. Jake on Friday - 'I've been molested by a teeny-bopper and attacked by the ginger-ninja. I only came out for a pint!' Honey's dad is hilarious as well. And Rosie has finally broken free from that fat, hairy slob, who is actually exactly the same in real life. Really. I saw him on This Morning.
• The Oscars. I am very glad that Reese Witherspoon won best actress, and also that Rachel Weisz won best supporting actress. I am disappointed that Brokeback Mountain didn't win best film - I have never heard of Crash before. I am not suprised Heath Ledger didn't win best actor, as I though Jakey was just as good as him and he was only nominated for best supporting actor. Philip Seymour Hoffman looks revolting, but I suppose good acting and good looks don't always have to go hand in hand. Although, in my opinion, they should.

Hmm. I think that that is all.

Oh, and Amy has tagged me for a meme - I will do that for my next post.

Dydd Dewi Sant Hapus!