My Guilty Pleasure (and Everyone Else in Britain's)

Hello dear readers, 

May I present to you a post entirely dedicated to that wonder of wonders; that programme of programmes: the Great British Bake-Off. If you, like me, watch this religiously every week and enjoy every single mouth-watering morsel, then please proceed to be my buddy. If not, or if, heaven forbid, you haven't even HEARD of it, well... Let me say to you, yes you, kindly sir or madam I say to you, yes that's you: please... do watch. Then you'll understand our obsession with it. Then therefore, thereby, forthwith, you can be my buddy. Yay!

Moving on... It may just be a stereotype, but - in fact, it IS a stereotype, that - Britain is associated with tea. Tea in the morning, tea in the afternoon, tea in the later hours (if you're feeling particularly daring). Just tea, tea, and yep - you guessed it - tea. BUT - and this is a very big but indeed - tea cannot go unaccompanied. Oh no, one must pair tea with one of the greatest partners-in-crime of all: cake. And this is where Bake-Off fits in. 

Fun fact: apparently the National Grid has noticed that energy usage increases very suddenly around 8pm on Wednesdays. And the usage from each user (of electricity that is, naughty!) amounts to how much usage you'd need to boil a kettle. Essentially, most of Britain's inhabitants agree that the age-old relationship between cake and tea should constantly be re-kindled. 

So now we've established Britain's association with tea, what next, you ask? Well, dear reader, I answer: British humour. Another age-old tradition. And that's where these two lovely ladies fit in:

Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins are honestly one of the highlights of my week. The dymanic duo, the punny pair - whatever you wish to call them, they're brilliant in my opinion. Recently, they've been criticized for being too smutty. Personally I think this is ridiculous, as what kind of jokes do you expect them to make when their job is to be funny and entertain whilst presenting a programme where there are frequent soggy bottoms? I rest my (very sugary) case. 

Talking of dynamic duos, another worthy pair is these two: 

*drum roll pls*

May I present to you (this is the second time I've used that phrase, I must be feeling particularly dramatic this evening) the wonderful king of bread and the delightful overall queen of baking, fashion, and everything. Paul Hollywood may have his rough edges, but we all know he's secretly all soft and squishy and nice on the inside (punny baking pun, thank you, thank you). As for Mary, well - another fun fact, which I think shows her amazing influence over people despite being the grand old age of 80 this year (so is my grandma actually - as of Friday - so yay to that) is that a jacket she recently wore in an episode sold out within half an hour on the shop's website. She is an absolute style icon. And she bakes great biscuits too - what more could you want?! 

But hang on, let's not forget some very important people here: the contestants. Some of my favourites have been John (who won a couple of series back), Norman (I mean, how could you not adore him), Martha (unfortunately *SPOILER ALERT* she went out this week, but it's amazing how she got to the quarter finals aged only 17), and so many others who have all outdone themselves in the baking department. The irony is that I can't bake for my life, so I guess it's natural in a way for me to extra-admire all of the contestants, who have to be so talented at baking to even get on the show in the first place. 

The bake-off family (not forgetting the hilarious Jo Brand, who does the spin-off programme 'An Extra Slice') is just fabulous - there's no other word for it. I think it's wonderful how it's such a popular programme when all it really is is good old baking puns, many soggy bottoms, and a lot of amazing concoctions on the side. The nation has truly been betwitched the by the power of... Cake. 

So now you're all probably thinking, what's my opinion on who's going to win? Well, to your thoughting thinks I do say: I have no idea.

Hmm... Maybe I do. 

But that would be telling! 

I hope that if you haven't already been immersed in the world of Bake-Off, that you do soon. After all, it's great for the soul (although not the stomach - I find it makes me incredibly hungry and, naturally I must fulfil this hunger with the most unhealthy thing I can lay my hands on... Ah well)!

Thanks for reading, 

The (very) happy blogger

Monday Moans - Bathrooms

Hello dear readers, 

Firstly, I'd like to congratulate Scotland on making the right decision - well done, and I'm sure that we'll all benefit from it. 

Secondly, this is my first proper Monday Moan - how exciting!

Thirdly, you're probably thinking that this particular post, however, has a very odd title. Let me expand...

Ok, so picture this: you're at an event: say, the cinema, a theatre, an airport, or something. Nature calls, so of course you head towards the right toilet according to gender (or the wrong one, if you're having one of those days). When you enter the bathroom - how quickly you do this depends on how long the undoubtedly extensive queue is - you're usually met with the awkward issue of awkward doors: is there a person in this one, or does it just look closed? Is the person in front of me waiting in the line or just waiting around for a friend or no particular reason at all? And does all this pondering make me look weird? So you naturally walk towards said problematic door, and if you're in luck, then you proceed. 

On a good day, this should be the easiest part of the whole tricky process. But oh, if the various bathroom tables have been turned against you, then you're left with one of the world's greatest dilemmas: the lack of toilet paper. If you're female, you've most likely gone to the loo with a friend, or even a sizeable group, and so you may be lucky enough to be able to do the psst-please-pass-me-some-under-the-cubicle-gap trick, but if not, then oh, how one suffers. Especially if you hadn't noticed as soon as you came in, thereby leaving yourself in a rather difficult and unsanitary situation. 

Well, if you've managed to deal with this issue before, I commend you. 

Now, having completed said issue management, you now must actually flush the toilet. But with new obsessions over hygene, you may encounter the dreaded automatic flush, and the horrors which therefore ensue. Let me share a lovely anecdote: my first impressions of America (on another note, as much as I love the country itself, its cubicles perplex me - the gaps between the cubicle doors, ceiling, and floors are so sizeable that I wouldn't be surprised if most Americans are just used to seeing each other on the loo - but maybe I'm just being very fussy and Surrey-esque) over summer involved an automatic flush, as the toilets at Atlanta airport were fortunate enough to have them. Yes, they're fast, they're clean; all that is very well. But what if you're having a deep thinking session with yourself? Or checking up on the networks of socialness? What if, quite simply, you're not done yet? But oh no, said flush does not comply with your wishes, and so it very suddenly flushes, rudely catching you unawares, and leaves you wondering what just exploded behind you before realizing that this is not a mine or incoming meteorite, it is simply (well, not really that simply) an automatic flush. Hmpf. Now you're all flustered, getting out of the almost certainly claustrophobic cubicle will add yet another issue to your already commendable list of issues. 

In a state of high frustration, you now proceed to the sinks. This is where the real problems start.

Call me old fashioned, but when did washing your hands get so complicated? I get how it's more hygienic to be automatic and sense when hands approach instead of spreading loads of germs, but some of these supposedly helpful taps don't turn off for ages. Surely that's bad for the environment? Then others don't run for long enough, and you constantly have to thrust your hands back under them until it looks like you're trying to complete a particularly difficult move of the foxtrot using only your fingers. Next, the dreaded soap dispensers. I like to think of these as people.

In some instances, you have the indecisive people: "I may give you some soap... But I may wait for a few minutes, just until you're walking off then I'll relinquish a few squirts... In fact, I may time it so that there's just enough seconds for everyone to realise it's basically your fault that the entire sink area is now drowning in disenfectant-smelling foam". As you can see, this crowd can be pretty mischievous.

On the other hand, one can also encounter the more laid-back people: "I'm quite laid-back actually,  yes, I like to consider myself vintage as I have one of those dispensers which you pull forwards, but I like to laugh at how people frown and squint over where they place their hand to collect my soap - when I decide to release it of course". In short, they're all spiteful, indecisive, malicious things. 

What next? You face the no-win challenge of hand drying. You either have your hands sucked into a monstrous monstrosity of a machine which seems intent on pulling the very skin off your bones, or you're faced with a feeble mouse of a dryer which leaves you with no option but to wipe your hands on your lower region of clothes, hoping desperately that no awkward wet patches will show up on your outfit and look thoroughly suspicious. Overall, bathrooms seem to be full of extremes, and no reasonable in-betweens (unintended rhyme). 

Phew, you're done! Now all that's left to do is to make a run for the exit without forgetting your handbag, and/ or knocking someone over in your frantic pursuit of freedom. 

So there it is! My very long-winded, long-awaited, much moany, moan. Featuring the many charms of the humble bathroom. 

Thanks for reading, 

The (very frantic as this brings back bad bathroom memories and) happy blogger

A Much-Needed Catch-Up

Hello dear readers,

Oh how I've missed this!

Understandably, you'll all be thinking either, "oh God she's back again" or "what took her so long" (don't worry, I know that you're all far too kind and wonderful to be this abrupt).

Well, dear readers, my excuse for this prolonged absence is quite simply my settling into sixth form, which has actually taken longer than I thought. 

At first, I didn't really know what to think, as everything was so new yet fabricated out of what we were used to. Let me explain... I don't know if you remember, but I think I explained before that the 6th form/ college part of my school is in a different building, which is odd as I rarely go in the senior school one anymore; that will take some getting used to!

Essentially, I'm not good with change. Change of work amounts (gah), change of uniform (none now - woohay! - although outfit choices have made me late on several mornings), change of people (I talked about this quite a lot in my last post - although the wondrous, amazing, fabulous and all-round good news is that one of my best friends came back to school on Monday, after she changed her mind about college choices post a week and a bit of another one).

Overall, I'm really happy though. The teacher-student relationship is so much more informal now, and I feel like I can talk to many different members of the year who I didn't really get to see that much before, and having new girls is exciting too. So much change. 

On the subject of change, I'm sure you're all well aware of what went on today. And if you're not, then... Well...

I never intended this blog to be a political blog as I wanted to keep it a bit lighter than that. However, I think I'm going to gently express my opinion by saying that I've never found this song more appropriate:

 

And I'll leave it at that. Apart from saying how scary it is that when I wake up tomorrow, I, and all the millions who live in the UK, will see things differently, no matter the result of the vote. If it is a yes, then I worry about how something we can't (not if you're not I'm Scotland anyway) control, will impact the lives of generations to come (again, I reiterate that this is only my opinion, and I don't want to be politics-y for too long!) And if it's a no, I still don't think that this whole thing will be laid to rest, so it won't be the end of it all either way you look at it. I only wish that as many people as possible will be happy tomorrow. Or even if they're not necessarily pleased, then at least satisfied, or prepared to put up with the result. At the end of the day, everyone has a different opinion on the situation, and they're more than entitled to have that. 

Anyway, I better get some sleep now, as not only is tomorrow a big day for Great Britain, it's also a big day for my grandma. It will be her 80th birthday, and I hope that it will be as enjoyable as possible for her. 

Night night, and I hope that you're all enjoying life at the moment too. 

Thank you for reading,

The very (slightly nervous as I feel too helpless meh and) happy blogger 

Ps: hopefully I can get back into good habits soon and have a more regular blog schedule!! Well, at least I've suggested it now... Let's see if I carry it out... Hmmmm...

Tuesday Thoughts

Hello dear readers, 

So, tomorrow I start sixth form (last two years of high school if you're not from the  UK!), which I always saw as inexpressibly old when I was younger - and now it's a reality. 

I've got all the stationery and outfit (how am I going to do these every morning?!) planned and ready for the big day, but I still feel unprepared for what's to come. 

It's quite a big change - both academically and physically - the Sixth Form at my school is set apart from the rest of the school; in a separate building (although on a positive note, the common room has a toaster, kettle and microwave - woohoo!) 

But the biggest change for me won't be location, uniform, subjects, or work - it's the change in the people around me. My three closest friends are all leaving, and I'm excited for them in all their new pursuits and know that I'll still see them as much as possible, but it makes me also feel slightly empty - small, seemingly unnecessary things like who will I walk to assembly with, or who will I sit next to at lunch, are just pestering me constantly. Of course, there are so many other wonderful people in my year and I'm sure that existing friendships will grow, and new ones will form with people I've never even properly talked to. It's almost certain that when I'm all settled and into the swing of things, I'll feel a lot better - and the same goes to anyone else feeling this way too, as I'm sure we're all a bit nervous! 

But for now, I think a face mask session is required (for some reason, just being at school gives me spots!), paired with an early night - one of my three main sixth form goals is to go to sleep earlier (as well as not be late for school, but I'm not so sure that that one will happen!)

If it's alright, I may not write another post for a few days, as I kind of just want to concentrate on settling in to Lower Sixth Life (necessary capital letter there). 

So I bid you all farewell, and good luck to anyone starting something new this week - I know you'll be absolutely fine! 

Now for an unusual ending for my blog posts - a quote from the amazing Mahatma Gandhi: 

Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.

Monday Moans

Hello dear readers, 

Today, or rather, this evening, I had my belated birthday party. I wanted it also to be a class thing; so the members of my old class (apart from three sadly) turned up to celebrate our last big moment together. It was so lovely to spend time with them all, especially as we spent the evening eating loads of pizza and dancing to some old classics. 

This isn't a moan, I know, but that's because I have nothing to moan about!!

The (very) happy blogger