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Lomography

Collected my prints yesterday, here is one of the shots. Actually took 8 but some of them were bad.. there were 12 shots on the film. I just decided to stop. fml.

Took me a while to actually work out where these shots were from as they were taken more than a year ago (at my first placement interview, cringe). This one is of Westminster Abbey and is the best one that was on this roll.

2 more to collect tomorrow wheeee exciting. I have new-found passion for photography as I can take pictures of mediocre things (like a pigeon) and make them look interesting (ish). YAY.

Also planning a trip to NYC and Chicago at Easter, taking advantage of the many bank holidays on around that time 8)

It's all about making life happen...

So I thought January was going to be pretty shit..

.. but them I remembered student loan comes in next week! Kerching, all that to be saved :)

2011.. it's been awhile.

Thought I'd rejuvenate this blog after almost a year of MIA... Let's see how 2010 was for me.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Work full time, one night stand, lose my mobile phone, travel to the African continent, join and go to the gym etc.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yes, apart from #4 (take up piano again).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No…

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
Morocco. Hmph.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A summer internship, more money (unlikely with work ending in May), stronger friendships.

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
28 June 2010 - placement started! The beginning of a wonderful experience and opportunity.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Performing so well at work so far, I couldn't have asked for better colleagues, managers and friends.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Probably not getting a first.. so close (68!). And no summer internship so far :/

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Many colds, the flu. Nothing life threatening.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Gah, I've spent so much money, especially after Christmas.. no massive purchases. But let's say it's Jamie Oliver's cookbook which I hope will whip me into a culinary whiz.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Anyone who has done anything charitable.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Those bombers in Egypt recently. And whoever abducted Joanne Yeates. Students rioting about tuition fees.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, eating out, clubbing, drinking, clothes, travel.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Morocco and the start of placement :)

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier!
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter.. :( probably.
iii. richer or poorer? richer :)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Get to know some people I never really got a chance to share time with.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Not a lot... worrying is always on the list though.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent Christmas at home with the family. Though Xmas parties at work and otherwise were amazing.

21. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
Went to Madame Jojo's for a burlesque cabaret and club night, and what a night it was! Half 7 til 5, truly knackered on NY day.

22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr no.

23. How many one-night stands?
one. gross.

24. What was your favourite TV program?
Didn't discover any new shows, though Gossip Girl has been pretty amazing this year.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word. Strongly dislike/do not talk to anymore? Yes.

26. What was the best book you read?
1984, finally got round to it!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Got into some new bands like Two Door Cinema Club, then into more club music. Not really with the hip new indie music these days.

28. What did you want and get?
Some amazing people, great placement, new friends, more money, holidays.

29. What did you want and not get?
Summer internship for 2011..?

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Oooh toughy. Toy Story 3 was quite amazing.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 20. Not a biggie, just went to Spoon's and got drunk woo.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not being single at the end of it, and having a summer internship in the bag.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
More work gear..

34. What kept you sane?
Making new friends and keeping in mind that it's all about LDN this year.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
UM. meh.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Tuition fees I guess, but mostly due to the riots.. just gives students a bad image, and most of them probably weren't even that bothered.

37. Who did you miss?
Friends in Bath who I haven't seen in a while :(

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Ohhh probably someone at work. Grad on my team! We bond over being asian and ting.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Make change in the present, as there is no point regretting anything in the past.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Took a little time to make it a little better, it's only going out, just one thing and another.." - Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club.

Wow, I've seen so many amazing films this year that I feel kind of sad that I haven't really written anything here in so long. Will try to start up again! Maybe to add to the resolutions, which right now look like this -

1. Get a summer internship.

2. Gym at least twice a week.

3. Save more than £100 a month (whilst still on placement).

4. Practice more photography (inc. lomo!)

5. Lose 0 friends.

6. Watch Star Wars. All 6. :X

7. Go on some dates etcetc.

8. Go travelling in South Asia in June.

9. Undergo some kind of image change.

10. Maintain writing blog/diary.

So glad that I've taken this week off to chillax.. going to go home on Thursday and hopefully propose the idea of going to New York to the parents and hope they pay for some of it 8) Also looking to meet up with some friends I haven't seen in a while so the outlook so far is good!

Placement really is amazing right now, I'm still loving my job and the people there just make it an ever richer experience. Can't believe it's already halfway through, I'm going to miss this year so much..

This time last year was positively the most depressing.

However this year is definitely a marked improvement upon 365 days ago. Mainly because I have something to look forward to for the next year or so starting June. Placement! Also, spent the first week of two this Easter flat hunting in London which was exciting yet stressful. Lost an amazing place on Monday, but then saw another one on Wednesday and our very-much-below-asking-price-offer was accepted on Thursday, unexpectedly.. It was a bit of a steal. And we got the mortgage mostly sorted, so things are definitely taking shape, can't wait til it's all finalised and I get keys, and get to decorate! And host people overrr. Wakaka, it's going to be great. Just over 2 months, seems like nothing.

And yet there are 3 exams, revision for those 3 exams, an Econometrics project, a group presentation and one last Macroeconomics coursework standing inbetween me and that tiny prick of light at the end of a moderately hellish tunnel of work. Oh, and then all the emotional crap that comes with university thrown into that, what a pleasant mixed selection of goodies.

Back to Bath already tomorrow, 2 weeks really does fly by.

2 months, 2 months!

I want a flat in London.

Now.

I hate how everything changes so quickly.

Last term I was so happy, I literally had everything going for me. And then this year after exams everything just seemed to fuck up a little bit. And that all adds up to life being quite screwed up. Gah, I just want my placement to start in June now so I don't have to deal with anythinggg. Also it's a bit depressing when I'm down and it's amazingly sunny outside. I just feel worse for being in a bad mood. Ahaha. I guess one good thing is that friends separate from being real friends to not-so-real friends so I know who I can really count on.

Some happy news

Morgan Stanley Assessment Centre on Saturday morning.. at half 8! Chose the earlier time so I could get some free hotel action on Friday night.. wooo! I hope it's a posh one! However, the AC consists of a group exercise and two ONE HOUR interviews, my god that's torture but hopefully I will have enough to say :/ I want this more than anything right now and I just hate waiting. Fingers crossed that things go okay :D

Bath is still really snowy, my road is all slushy with black shiz so I don't really want to go outside and get splashed. Thus I have not gone food shopping yet, will probably survive on pasta, cereal and olives for a while. Or take out. Nomnomnom. No, not take out, Healthy eating remember?!

It's amazing to be back though, great seeing friends and chatting and catching up. I need to go out take more photos.. kept saying I needed to take photos of Bath in snow when I was at home and now I'm here there is no action! Lots of stuff on the mind though, creativity is not one of them! A little update. :)

I don't know what's gotten into me.

But it's like lately all I do is just stress out about so much shit. I really cannot wait for all these exams are over and I can just chill out for a week. Ughh, why can't things every be more straightforward? GUYS SUCK.

No Country for Old Men (2009).

Hey look, it's Javier Bardem, from Vicky Christina Barcelona. But instead of a charming charismatic Spanish-artiste-lover, he is now a greasy haired psychopathic killer-hitman in 1980s Texas. This Cohen brothers adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) has been hired to recover $2m left in a satchel at a drug deal that has gone wrong. Whilst out hunting, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles across the aftermath of the drug deal - dead bodies of humans and dogs, blood, and guns. Later on, he finds a man in the shade of a tree out in the desert, dead from blood loss, and with a satchel containing $2m. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is soon to retire, but comes across this case. After finding the money, Llewelyn tells his wife to leave their trailer park and to move back in with her mother whilst he goes and takes care of whoever is trying to hunt him down. Little does he know that the satchel has a tracking device, to which Chigurh has the receiver, which he took off some Mexicans who returned to the crime scene. Thus begins a cat and mouse chase towards the Mexican border, lots of guns, lots of blood, lots of cleverness.

To be honest, the role of Sheriff Bell isn't hugely significant as I would have liked. He is mainly used to represent the lack of law and order and has some great lines which Jones' delivers in a real gritty yet wise way. The development of Moss's character after he finds the money is magnificent. Before: a cowboy in a trailer park; After: a determined man-on-the-run who is intent on his and his wife's survival. It's like he's been possessed. Suddenly he is sharp-thinking, knowing how to deal with the situation given. However, I think Anton Chigurh's character steals the show. And Bardem plays this role amazingly - forcefully creating a chilling, deadly assassin with a weirdly dark sense of humour; and armed with a silenced shot gun and a cattle gun. The scene at the old Texaco gas station I liked especially, telling the man to call a heads or tails flip of a coin. The audience knows he is calling for his life, though he is oblivious. There's a huge sigh of relief and sudden pleasantness from Chigurh after the old man calls correctly that makes you think whether or not Chigurh has any conscience.. that the coin was the only reason to justify not killing the innocent man. Bardem's character is left quite mysterious too, no mention of where he is from or his history, just that he leaves no trace, like a ghost. All you really learn is that he likes to keep clean from the blood of people he kills - he'll ask his victim to step out of the car; and will be careful not to tread on any blood spill on the floor. The attention to the latter point actually reveals the fate of Moss's wife at the end of the movie. The way he carefully and precisely makes every move emphasises his deadly nature and just how practised he is.

Cinematography is great in some of the earlier scenes in the desert. The barren landscaping and heat is wonderfully emphasised when Llewelyn is out hunting and whatnot. The action scenes are great at building up tension. Notice that the camera follows each of the three main characters one by one, and they rarely appear in the same shot together. I think this really builds upon each character separately so that you can link it all together yourself. The score is at times empty, which I find rather fitting to build tension. Sometimes silence is the best music. All in all, an excellent crime-murder chase film.