Getting up

Anyone who knows me, knows that you generally won't see me before 11, or even 12pm since I sleep lots and feel like I need about 10 hours. It's an unfortunate trait that I received from my father, who can sleep through screaming alarms. My sister used to punch my mother every morning in thanks for waking her up for school. My mother dealt with this by grabbing the duvet and running away. I can honestly say that I have never punched anyone for trying to wake me up but I am extremely grumpy in the morning and can't stand any cheeriness. I have become well known for this issue and am laughed at constantly by my mother, boyfriend and friends.

I really do want to break this habit - it's not a serious one like an addiction or anything, but I feel like I am losing a lot of my life by just sleeping all the time. I have tried to break it several times but it doesn't help at uni when lectures start at 12 or 1 and you don't have much structure to your day. Next year I'm starting a PGCE and will be teaching in primary schools so I will have to be getting up at 7 (if not 6) everyday. But I don't want it to be the huge, cruel shock that I feel like it's going to be and have been looking up tips on how to get up, which I am going to attempt in the next few weeks. So here are the ways that I am going to tackle this thing:

1) My alarm will be across the room (I tried this once and I just jumped straight back into bed, but still).

2) A glass of water by said alarm to drink (apparently it makes you feel more awake).

3) Wind down in the evenings by turning off all electronic stuff half an hour before bed.

4) Try going to sleep earlier (maybe 11/half 11).

5) Getting up at a consistent time every day, regardless of whether it's the weekend.

6) This is the last one - I will have a to-do list of things so that I HAVE to get up and do them during the day.

With the last one in mind, I made my own to do list, based on this tutorial here, I didn't have a ruler and I made mine on paper, but I kinda stuck to the picture, rather than following the tutorial:

Sorry for the poor quality - I've only got my iPhone camera at the moment. I can't afford a new camera at the mo and my last one died a while ago! The good quality photos on here come from the boyfriend's DSLR. Anyways, how do you get up in the morning? I'll be posting pics from my weekend soon.

Classics and Mary Beard

I'm writing this while waiting for my boyfriend to turn up this weekend. I'm too impatient to actually do any work, besides now I've finished one section of revision I really don't want to start another!!

After hearing about the hullaballoo about Mary Beard's appearance on her latest programme on the BBC and also being a Classicist, I thought I'd check out the series. For those of you who don't know, Mary Beard is one of the known faces of Classics - she's written several books and lectures at Cambridge University (I think at Newnham College). Along with Bettany Hughes, she is doing a great job at reminding the world why Classics is such an important subject to study and how much they affect our lives even now.

Not sure if I'm allowed to put this up - Mary Beard in her documentary on the BBC.

I'd like to say I actually do like that red coat.

Anyway, instead of criticising the documentary itself, some reviewers have turned on her appearance and many have said that she is too 'ugly' for TV, while I know that she can fight her own battles , I still have something to say about this subject. I watched the programme and was shocked to find that she looks absolutely fine, I mean, sure she's no fashionista, but that's not her job description. Instead of her appearance, what came across was her love for the subject she was talking about and her enthusiasm to make the general public understand the culmination of her life work. I think it's time to stop judging these people for what they look like and actually listen to what they're saying! She is NOT too ugly for TV and even if she was, I wouldn't care. I'd listen to her words, enthusiasm and review the content of her documentaries.

Being a Classicist myself (although I'm obviously nowhere near her stage of intellect) I knew quite a lot of what she said already, but this is not the point. A lot of people wouldn't know this stuff - sure we've heard about the gladiators, the bloodthirstiness and the Empire, but the question that this series is tackling is what was the everyday Roman like? That is something that IS an interesting question and one which isn't explored as much. To me, Mary Beard looks like a perfectly lovely, enthusiastic and mature woman whose programmes make the Classics available to the average person.

Documentaries, not hers in particular, was one of the reasons I took up Classics. I remember watching a programme with my mother about Alexander the Great, which made the whole expedition seem extremely exciting. Now that I'm actually studying him, I've come to realise that I enjoy writing about the literature way more than the history. I love Greek Tragedy in particular and would recommend anyone to go and see one if they can because you don't need to know anything intellectual about them to make them move you. Oedipus Tyrannus at the National Theatre was one of the saddest and most moving things I've ever seen.

We made a promise, we swore we'd always remember

As you can see I'm still listening to Springsteen - the Born in the USA album! I know that everyone is doing pastels/colour blocking and whatnot, but I don't really care. My 'fashion aims' are not to be ground breaking, I just want people to comment and say that I have a good fashion sense (because I think I do - though you can feel free to disagree!). You can have a good fashion sense without trying to be different all the time. The whole point of fashion, for me, is to look nice and feel comfortable in my own skin. I don't like having masses of attention so if I like an aesthetic or something that everyone is doing at that moment I won't not do it just because it's everywhere. I will still be wearing these jeans in a few years time, when people are less bothered. I'm really good making good use of my wardrobe and making sure things I generally only buy stuff I like! (That said I have bought things that are lying at the bottom of my closet...oh dear). Anyway, the point is to have fun and not let stuff get to you!

H&M jeans and sunglasses, Charity shop shirt

Tuneful Tuesdays

I was in Oxford at the weekend, visiting the lovely boyfriend. We did a lot of drinking, hanging out and watching Game of Thrones and Mad Men. Mad Men is literally the best thing on TV right now - everyone should watch it!! I have more issues with Game of Thrones than the boyfriend does, at least in the last season, but this season is actually going pretty well so far. We also went out for dinner last night at a pub called The Red Lion, near the station, which does good mojitos and good food.

Anyway, this week, music wise, I'm going for an old American favourite by the name of Bruce Springsteen, but I didn't want to one of the songs everyone knows - like Born to Run, so I've decided on a  track from his new album. The whole album is pretty great (me and the boy are obsessed at the moment) but I thought I'd go with Jack of All Trades, which is a bit melancholic but then Bruce does tend to go from being proud of being American (with Born in the USA) to criticism of the USA. It's a weird dichotomy that seems to exist in America - patriotism mixed with frustration or maybe that's just me being judgemental or whatever? The English are much more cynical, sure you get patriots but generally we like to moan about everything, which means that patriotism is less of a trait.

I also find it interesting that Americans see the road and driving as being synonymous with freedom (like in Born to Run for example, sticking with the Springsteen theme) because it's such a huge country so you can just drive and drive. Here in England you are always surrounded by people, towns, houses etc, so it's not really a thing. Enough of my rambling though, I'm sure I'm the only one who finds it interesting! Here is the track:

I hope you enjoy it!

Thursdays

Hey people,

This morning I was so bored of being cooped up in the house that I decided to go for a run. A good idea some might say, since it relieves tension and stress (not that I am stressed, just bored). However, every time I go running something awful happens - usually I feel like I'm going to faint, but today I just was sick. As I came into the porch - I'm so classy like that. So anyway, I decided that running is definitely not for me and that I'll stick to swimming, or badminton. I'm never sick when I do either of those things and they're way more fun. At least I feel graceful swimming and you don't get all hot and sweaty. Badminton is also better because you can have fun with friends (or father, if you're like me) while exercising! What is your favourite sport?

Anyway, rant over. I don't have much more going on in my life except for the endless learning of texts for exams in about a month. I have settled into a revision pattern, even if when I started I got slightly hyper and the only successful thing I did was peeling an orange. I did paint my nails a pretty colour to amuse myself though - ohhh the levels of boredom one descends to. Anyway, I am actually revising pretty well at the moment and am writing this in a ten minute break (which may turn into twenty). I am also steadily getting through the X Files, which is amazing! Season 2 is off to a great start and apparently it gets better and better so yays. I hope you're all having a better day than me!

Nail Fun!

From my run this morning (before I was sick...).

Tuneful Tuesdays

Anyone who knows me, knows that this would be inevitable since it's one of my favourite songs:

So good! Also, just for the funsies, here's a picture of me in my new sunnies, yeah I'm cool...:

Hope you all have a lovely day!

Monday Evening

Hi guys!

I haven't really been up to much these past few days - just revision (moved on to Alexander the Great, the joy...). I also came back up to university. Me and my parents went for lunch in a pub and then for a walk in some wood looking for bluebells, before I got dropped off at my uni house. I have already made a revision nest. I am surrounded by easter egg chocolate, mandarins, coffee and notes. My browser has about ten tabs open with all the stuff I should've read during the year but never got round to! Term hasn't even started and I'm sooo looking forward to the end of finals, when me and the boyfriend can go punting, drink and party!

As I mentioned last time, I'm going to India in the summer and I bought a sari last week to wear to it. It's from some random shop in Southall. I'm really excited about going because I've hardly been out of Europe and never to Asia! I'm going to be just north of Delhi and it's going to be 45 degrees, so I'm not sure what I'm going to wear - cue fashion crisis. I need to get some cotton shirts/tees and some long maxi skirts/dresses, although I'm thinking about making my own skirt when I get home from term. I really need to actually start using my sewing machine and a maxi skirt is a good thing to ease into it all again.

 I made my first clothes purchase in months today to cheer me up, since yesterday I was feeling a bit depressed about being back here and having to revise for like two months solid. The mint trousers and the sunglasses are from H&M.Tonight I've kept myself busy by revising and watching Made in Chelsea (guilty pleasure) so not feeling too bad and it's bed time soon anyways cos I've really got to learn how to do early mornings (by which I mean getting up before ten hah). I also bought a badminton racket because me and a housemate will hopefully be playing sometime this term and I forgot to bring one from home.

Sunglasses and trousers from H&M

Pub for lunch!



What are you up to this week?

Tuneful Tuesdays

Hey guys, here's another taste of the music I am listening to. I'll give you something that's slightly more accessible/easier on the ears because I know that The Minotaur is a bit hard listening, though I still love it. This time I'll give you something from Mumford and Sons, who I saw live last summer at Glastonbury!! They were so so good and they are releasing a new album soonish, but in the meantime here's one of their songs from the first album:

I hope you enjoy it! I'm off to go shopping with my mum to get a saree for an Indian wedding I'm going to in the summer! More on that next time.

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying all the chocolate you received! (I personally have a headache, even though I'm trying to restrain myself!). I've been a bit out of the loop in the blogging world this week because I wanted to spend as much time with my boyfriend as possible before he went away on holiday (lucky sod!) to Marrakech. That and revision has been taking so much of time that I haven't really had a chance to do anything else. But I have finally finished going through most of my texts for the exams now, just got to revise Alexander the Great, which is less fun that it seems and some other texts in English. Whoop whoop!

Today we, in true tradition, got our easter eggs, painted our own white eggs and then had an Easter egg hunt around the house! Fun times. We also watched Pygmalion which was very good and then Mary Poppins. I have finally got an iPhone again after about three months, so you can follow me on instagram now :). My username is chescah so please add me!

Here are some of my instagram photos, cos my iPhone is an old make, slightly broken and sothe lock button doesn't work, so I can't take a proper screenshot, boo.

Easter fun, I did Jesus on the cross, with Mary Magdalene, if you can't tell what the right one is. I'm not religious - I just thought it would be thematic:

 

Random shots from Instagram:

What are you doing this Easter Sunday?

Tuneful Tuesdays!

Hey there,

It's time for the second installment of sharing my musical interests with you guys. Just a quick post cos I need a bath and then I'm meeting my mum at the National Portrait Gallery so we can hopefully get in to see the Lucien Freud exhibition! It's all sold out online and I don't know how much chance we have of getting in (waaah).

 Anyway, this week's music is rather long, so you don't really have to listen to it, but if you have time to spare/are revising etc then I would look up Birtwistle's The Minotaur. I wrote my dissertation on this opera so it's a very personal entry for me. The music is quite hard to get to grips with but it's so worth it because it's completely amazing! I could tell you lots and lots about the piece but basically have a go and don't be scared of not understanding it, just let it wash over you!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Hey there!

I'm supposed to be revising the Antigone by Sophocles (/translating the bits I didn't do in term) but instead I'm procrastinating on facebook, pinterest and other things. I do think that students learn more about creative ways to procrastinate than they do about their actual degree/A-levels or GCSEs. There is always something better to be doing!

This weekend was all about procrastination, my friend came over on friday night and we watched the X-files, which everyone should watch cos it's awesome. Although this led to a discussion as to why they put Gillian Anderson (Scully) in those terrible pant suit things. It's so bad cos Dana Scully is too cool to be wearing shit clothes. We also watched a '60s horror called Peeping Tom, which I would recommend. How is your weekend going?

Anyway, here is a spring outfit and a hairstyle I was experimenting with, plus one more from Scotland I stole off the boyfriend (denim shirt was a present and the skirt was from a charity shop. The hat I randomly picked up off the floor after a fancy dress night out. Judge me all you want but it was clean, obviously unwanted and I was drunk - I think it might have originally been from Primark, which makes it even more classy:

By the way, follow me on pinterest here!