I'm back in England now after enjoying the last few weeks in France with friends (which apparently left you guys to rip up the place). While I was there I realised something about what this blog became in its first weeks. In my excitement over starting my course and having focus for the first time in years I may have gone a little blog happy.
I guess it was similar to those times when you find a new band that you fall in love with. You listen to every song again and again as if each one of them is the best song since Boys Don't Cry. This can be kept up for weeks as you listen and love every chord and every lyric but one day you listen to Dreaming of Manhattan and realise that, while this is from the same band that gave you Do Better, not every song is golden.
And so, this is where I am. From now on I'll screen my thoughts, reconsider my views and make an attempt to improve what gets placed here. Hopefully I'll find my way to a better writing style but if not, at the very least, there'll be less random thoughts from my head that a surprising amount of you seem obliged to read (a fact that I thank you for endlessly).
Of course, there is a secondary reason for this change and it is somewhat more personal. It came from a separate realisation during my time away and it may surprise a few of you that it has taken me this long to get here but, in essence, I want to yell less.
Now, this isn't me saying I want to argue less. I love arguments as well as my passion for politics and pop culture but something does need to change. I want to be able to maintain a sense of composure while I argue rather than going on the aggressive as I so often do. This change won't be easy but maybe in considering my views more in my writing I can start to bring that into my real life too.
From now on you'll be hearing slightly less from me but what you hear should hopefully be slightly more thought out. In this vain I wanted the next thing I write to be something I've thought about a lot and so it will be a piece on British identity (if there is one) called Who Are We?.
Wednesday 24 August 2011
Friday 5 August 2011
Top 5 Holidays
In the ungodly early hours of Sunday morning I'll be leaving the country via ferry with ten friends to stay in France for two weeks. As always before a trip like this I'm unreasonably excited and thinking back over all of my best holidays. Here are the Top 5...
Number 5 - Devon 2008
Before we were brave enough to leave the country, my friends and I went on our second holiday to a beautiful house in Devon. The week fell in one of the happiest but most confused times of my life and was one of those situations where everything just seemed to come together and I could ignore any issues because I was surrounded by the best people.
What I remember most is that this week was a complete example of everything I had wanted from my friendships. The days were spent either travelling around the local area (which took a long time to get to) when the rain let up and sitting around playing games when it didn't. At night people drank which led to large amounts of running around, singing and unexpected henna use.The holiday also gave me the chance to start building the incredible friendship I now have with my first girlfriend after a long time of distance between us.
I won't say any more for a reason that will be made clear later, but for now I'll just finish with that fact that this week and the holiday before set a trend that I hope will last for decades to come.
Number 4 - New Zealand South Island 2002
One of the things I loved about living in New Zealand was how the country managed to contain two completely different identities. I lived on the north island in Wellington and much of life around there paralleled life in England with the exceptions of some cultural changes and a far more relaxed attitude to life. However, when we spent a few weeks travelling around the south island we found something entirely different.
The natural sights of beautiful forests and lakes that were so still they acted as mirrors for the surrounding peaks are carved into my memory clearer than anything I've ever seen. We took a cruise down through the river where parts of Lord of the Rings were filmed and I got to touch seals as they swam where the sea came inland. Past all the beauty and spectacle of the trip I loved travelling with my family. It was a family that had left everything we knew behind and journey across the world together. It was this holiday and the whole New Zealand experience that brought me closer to them.
Number Three - Ischgl 1996
While I was growing up my dad spent a lot of time working in Germany which led to some great holidays that I can barely remember. What I do remember (in vague pictures built up in my mind) are several trips to Austrian mountains where I learnt to ski. I love skiing and Austria as a country but one of my favourite memories of these holidays is having my dad read The Hobbit to myself and my brother as we went to bed.
Number Two - Norfolk 1998
I don't have a huge amount of memories from when I was a child. It's kind of as if some terrible event happened that I'm blocking out but I know that isn't true (well I think I know it isn't true). My favourite memories of growing up were the new years. Every year after Christmas my family would travel to Norfolk with two others and we would have the most amazing breaks.
What really sticks in my mind about the whole thing was the tradition of it all. It obviously took a lot of work from all of the parents to keep it going but to me it just seemed to happen ever year and I would get to have fun with other kids and parents without any stress or hassle. It was my first experience of just enjoying something without having to fear losing it.
The most important thing about those holidays is that it's where I realised what I wanted from my friendships and my life. My parents had these amazingly close bonds to people that had been built over time and so much of what I've done since has been in the hope of one day having equally strong bonds and spending new years with old friends and our children, just having fun and not worrying about losing it.
Number One - Devon 2010
Devon 2008 was incredible but Devon 2010 was the realisation of a dream I'd envisioned since I was a boy. You just read about the formation of that dream but when a slightly different group of us went away for a week last year I found all those things I'd wanted. It was the most relaxed and enjoyable week I've ever had. There was no drama and no arguments. Everyone got along and I loved every single day we spent there (even the one I spent cleaning up the results of an horrendously drunk night).
One highlight was a day spent at a place called The Big Sheep which we had driven past and ignored every year to the dismay of Champagne. There were lots of cute animals and things that I probably should have found more interesting, but the awesome outside laser tag thing was the main surprise. The whole week was so great because it wasn't about creating friendships or starting traditions. We had the friendships and the traditions sorted already and it was time to just enjoy them.
That week made a dream come true decades before I expected it to and set a benchmark for all other holidays I'll go on in the future. For awhile I even worried that other holidays would be found wanting in comparison to this one but the fact that I'm this excited about leaving on Sunday lets me know that even something as great as this holiday can be topped.
An honourably mention goes to the awesome weekend at Alton Towers for Brian's birthday. I thought two nights wasn't really enough to count as a holiday but it really was a great way to end an incredible year.
So I'll be gone for a few weeks now, but I'll try to have something interesting to say when I get back. Bye.
Number 5 - Devon 2008
Before we were brave enough to leave the country, my friends and I went on our second holiday to a beautiful house in Devon. The week fell in one of the happiest but most confused times of my life and was one of those situations where everything just seemed to come together and I could ignore any issues because I was surrounded by the best people.
What I remember most is that this week was a complete example of everything I had wanted from my friendships. The days were spent either travelling around the local area (which took a long time to get to) when the rain let up and sitting around playing games when it didn't. At night people drank which led to large amounts of running around, singing and unexpected henna use.The holiday also gave me the chance to start building the incredible friendship I now have with my first girlfriend after a long time of distance between us.
I won't say any more for a reason that will be made clear later, but for now I'll just finish with that fact that this week and the holiday before set a trend that I hope will last for decades to come.
 |
| Devon Crew 2008, minus Champagne due to life threatening illness. |
Number 4 - New Zealand South Island 2002
One of the things I loved about living in New Zealand was how the country managed to contain two completely different identities. I lived on the north island in Wellington and much of life around there paralleled life in England with the exceptions of some cultural changes and a far more relaxed attitude to life. However, when we spent a few weeks travelling around the south island we found something entirely different.
The natural sights of beautiful forests and lakes that were so still they acted as mirrors for the surrounding peaks are carved into my memory clearer than anything I've ever seen. We took a cruise down through the river where parts of Lord of the Rings were filmed and I got to touch seals as they swam where the sea came inland. Past all the beauty and spectacle of the trip I loved travelling with my family. It was a family that had left everything we knew behind and journey across the world together. It was this holiday and the whole New Zealand experience that brought me closer to them.
Number Three - Ischgl 1996
While I was growing up my dad spent a lot of time working in Germany which led to some great holidays that I can barely remember. What I do remember (in vague pictures built up in my mind) are several trips to Austrian mountains where I learnt to ski. I love skiing and Austria as a country but one of my favourite memories of these holidays is having my dad read The Hobbit to myself and my brother as we went to bed.
Number Two - Norfolk 1998
I don't have a huge amount of memories from when I was a child. It's kind of as if some terrible event happened that I'm blocking out but I know that isn't true (well I think I know it isn't true). My favourite memories of growing up were the new years. Every year after Christmas my family would travel to Norfolk with two others and we would have the most amazing breaks.
What really sticks in my mind about the whole thing was the tradition of it all. It obviously took a lot of work from all of the parents to keep it going but to me it just seemed to happen ever year and I would get to have fun with other kids and parents without any stress or hassle. It was my first experience of just enjoying something without having to fear losing it.
The most important thing about those holidays is that it's where I realised what I wanted from my friendships and my life. My parents had these amazingly close bonds to people that had been built over time and so much of what I've done since has been in the hope of one day having equally strong bonds and spending new years with old friends and our children, just having fun and not worrying about losing it.
Number One - Devon 2010
Devon 2008 was incredible but Devon 2010 was the realisation of a dream I'd envisioned since I was a boy. You just read about the formation of that dream but when a slightly different group of us went away for a week last year I found all those things I'd wanted. It was the most relaxed and enjoyable week I've ever had. There was no drama and no arguments. Everyone got along and I loved every single day we spent there (even the one I spent cleaning up the results of an horrendously drunk night).
 |
| Devon Crew 2010, minus Rosanna due to early leaving. |
One highlight was a day spent at a place called The Big Sheep which we had driven past and ignored every year to the dismay of Champagne. There were lots of cute animals and things that I probably should have found more interesting, but the awesome outside laser tag thing was the main surprise. The whole week was so great because it wasn't about creating friendships or starting traditions. We had the friendships and the traditions sorted already and it was time to just enjoy them.
 |
| A good game of Shoot the Greek. |
An honourably mention goes to the awesome weekend at Alton Towers for Brian's birthday. I thought two nights wasn't really enough to count as a holiday but it really was a great way to end an incredible year.
So I'll be gone for a few weeks now, but I'll try to have something interesting to say when I get back. Bye.
Tuesday 2 August 2011
Not Quite My Favourite Post Secret of the Week
Unfortunately there wasn't anything I connected with on a particularly personal level this week on Post Secret so instead I got thinking about how odd it would've been if the person who sent in the secret I wrote about last week was one of the people who viewed the blog. I would love to know if I interpreted it in the right way and if not, what they thought of what I said.
But anyway, here's a couple of funny pictures...
I wish I could say I made these but I didn't. They're from the internet. There are a lot of them out there, Post Secrets that have been messed with (or improved) and these are two of my favourites. They show one of my most feverish beliefs, that everything should be mocked. No matter how much you may care about or enjoy something, never forget the funny side of it because that's when you disappear into arrogance and pretentiousness. Also, I do still think about how awesome Arrested Development was.
So yeah, short blog today. Blame the people who sent in less interesting secrets (unless you're one of those people, in which case I apologise profusely). The next one I put up will be my last before a few lovely weeks away in France with my friends, so it will be a Top 5 Holidays.
But anyway, here's a couple of funny pictures...
I wish I could say I made these but I didn't. They're from the internet. There are a lot of them out there, Post Secrets that have been messed with (or improved) and these are two of my favourites. They show one of my most feverish beliefs, that everything should be mocked. No matter how much you may care about or enjoy something, never forget the funny side of it because that's when you disappear into arrogance and pretentiousness. Also, I do still think about how awesome Arrested Development was.
So yeah, short blog today. Blame the people who sent in less interesting secrets (unless you're one of those people, in which case I apologise profusely). The next one I put up will be my last before a few lovely weeks away in France with my friends, so it will be a Top 5 Holidays.
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