Spend-a-holic

It's official, exams are making me lose my mind to the extent that I no longer have any rational monetary awareness. Luckily, because of this, I thought I would do a tiny 'haul' blog post (inspired by Tanya Burr, Esteé and alike).

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs Amy Ladies Watch, £165.00

I've been eyeing up this Marc Jacobs watch for such a long time- and finally today I plucked up the courage to buy it. The strap is black leather, with little gold circlet detailing on the holes- and the actual face itself is really thick and shiny, with a lovely weight to it. Alas, it wasn't cheap, but I have exam season lying on my conscience to justify it.

2. Clinique Stay-Matte Oil-Free Makeup, Foundation shade 2 'Alabaster', £21.00

I'm always a little bit scared about approaching 'high-end' makeup counters, especially because I don't know an awful lot about the stuff I slap on my face. This embarrassment is only then furthered by despite trying every cream, gel, wash, tablet on the market, I still have incredibly oily skin- which I often feel isn't catered for in makeup. However, I feel like i'm on to a winner with this Clinique number- as the lady on the counter assured me that it 'controls oil breakthrough and keeps skin shine-free'. And, of course, I had to get the shade one up from albino (sorry, it doesn't look amazing on the swatch picture!). 

Oh, she also said it was ideal to wear to the gym...

to which I responded, 'Oh yes, I do hate it when I'm shiny on the rowing machine'. 

Pah, as if I go to the gym!

Have you bought anything nice recently?
Or have exams made you go a bit spend-crazy?

p.s I also bought my Year 13 prom dress today... but you will have to wait to see that!

Laura Mvula - Green Garden

Such a wonderful, and beautifully original, summery and feel-good song! The video is also delightfully innocent and positively shot. I can't wait to hear more from young soul/jazz musicians like Laura Mvula!

'Dance in my garden like we used to'

A-Level Dance - Nederlands Dans Theatre, Jiri Kylian

'Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world' - Voltaire

'Bella Figura' - Jiri Kylian, 1995

'Sleepless' - Jiri Kylian, 2005

'Sleepless' - Jiri Kylian, 2005

As I am nearing the end of my secondary education, and exams are looming- I thought I might do a short post about one half of my A-level dance course- (please suppress your yawns!). Alongside choreographing a 2-3 minute group piece, it's natural to study a contemporary dance practitioner, a list of which are provided by the exam board. 

I am studying Czech-Dutch choreographer Jiri Kylian, whom is known for his modernist, avant-garde approach to movement exploration and use of theme. Now, not only is his work astoundingly technically challenging- but the dancers he chooses have limbs like giraffes and flexibility to rival a pipe-cleaner: daunting to say the least, when you have to perform a solo that reflects his choreographic style. 

As is standard, I have chosen two of his works to inspire my solo: 'Bella Figura' (1995), which is an exploration of the human mind and the subconscious 'performance' to which human nature conforms, and 'Sleepless' (2005), which focuses upon the state between being awake and asleep. From these, and with the help of my teachers, I have created 'Somnus'- a 3 minute solo dealing with the concept of consciousness. 

 

Here is my solo!

 I know, my technique isn't flawless, nor do I have the NDT 'beanpole' physique; but this was only a rehearsal, and I am still pretty proud of this piece.

Oh, and sorry about the poor video quality- it was filmed on my crappy phone!

Traffic Jam with Animals

In my opinion, the Easter school holidays should equal the beginning of spring: i.e the tentative disposal of knitwear and coats from my wardrobe, balmy mid-day sunshine, and perhaps not having to wear thermal long-johns out in public. WRONG. It's sodding cold, and even the animals at Longleat Safari Park thought so. 

Yes, I know that I am 18- and perhaps I should act more like the legal adult that I really am. But honestly, what is wrong with a group of adult women attending a children's safari park for the day? Correct, nothing. Sometimes amid the stress of exams, UCAS applications, relationship-anxiety and maintaining a healthy work/social dynamic, some general idiocy is required. 

So today, donned in our thickest socks, myself and 3 other like-minded half-wits clambered into my tiny car and obediently listened to Sheila the sat-nav as she guided us toward what was, effectively, a trip to the zoo. AND IT WAS FUN, OKAY? We looked at Lord Bath's phallic art work, saw the real ghost of Lady Louisa, held a large spider, rode a tiny train, complained at the stench of ferrets, lost each other in two consecutive mazes and I didn't run-over an antelope in the safari: success. 

Alt-J (∆) - Taro

I just wanted to share this song with you all. Based upon the life of 1940/50's war photojournalist Gera Taro, who died in her line of field due to a tank collision, Alt-J have crafted a simply magnificent fusion of styles. The song is soothing, melancholy and beautiful; with a poignantly touching video; reflective of the sheer wonder of cultural diversity.

Right now, I just want to jump on a plane somewhere.

Indochina, Capa jumps Jeep, two feet creep up the road
To photo, to record meat lumps and war
They advance as does his chance, very yellow white flash
A violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags

Burst so high finally Capa lands
Mine is a watery pit Painless with immense distance
From medic from colleague, friend, enemy, foe
Him five yards from his leg, from you, Taro

Do not spray into eyes, I have sprayed you into my eyes
3:10 pm, Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes
All colors and cares glaze to gray, shriveled and stricken to dots
Left hand grasps what the body grasps not, le photographe est mort

31415, alive no longer my amour, faded for home May of '54
Doors open like arms my love, painless with a great closeness
To Capa, to Capa, Capa dark after nothing, re-united with his leg
And with you, Taro

Do not spray into eyes, I have sprayed you into my eyes
Hey Taro

Antonio Lulic - The City of Austin, Texas

When listening to Antonio Lulic, it's tricky to articulate the feature that is most captivating about his voice.

His vocal tone possesses an alluring sense of course richness; which paired with highly evocative lyrics, can be quite a heady mix.With a range suited to both strength and subtlety, his performance style is one of stark contrasts- spanning from songs of intense melancholy, like Now it's Cold, to ones of infectious vibrancy, such as Boozehound. 

Having toured relentlessly over the last year with artists such as Ed Sheeran, Ryan Keen, Nova's Basement and Kal Lavelle  his freshly honed folk-rock style has wowed audiences alike. 

See him live @ Komedia, Bath on 4th March 2013. With performances also from Joshua Porter, Joshua Luke Smith, Dani Miche and Dominik Sky. 

My 3 Wonders of the World

It's fair to say, I've been about a bit... and not in the licentious sense, (cheeky!), in the globe-hopping, aeroplane sense. This makes me incredibly lucky. Not only has traveling broadened my outlook of the earth we inhabit, it has also made me genuinely appreciative of other cultures, foreign cuisine, history and sheer natural beauty.

Thats the gushing stuff over with.

So, here are 3 places which I have visited, photographed and loved. It's quite simple really, enjoy!

p.s All pictures are un-edited and have been taken by me, on my trusted Olympus Pen.

1. Yosemite National Park, North America 

In the summer of 2012, my family and I embarked on our biggest adventure of all: a 3 week road-trip across California. Not only did we have to get to grips with driving, and parking, a 32ft R.V- the challenges of Bear Lockers (seriously, to stop bears breaking in and stealing your cake), sewage pipes and falling pine-cones proved somewhat of a struggle. However, after abandoning Gladys (our trusted motor-home) in a rickety and dusty campsite we were rewarded with Yosemite. Nothing can prepare you for the sheer natural sublimity of this place. With a scale beyond imagination; tumbling waterfalls, dense forestry and softly domed mountains greet you upon entry. Few places have reduced me to a similar state of awe. 

2. Pompeii, Italy

School trips, for me, have scarcely stretched beyond the mundane. Usually involving cramped coach journeys, travel sickness, feigned illness and mashed potato, they are hardly my fondest memories. But clearly A'Level Geography has it's perks, as this cheeky jaunt to Sorrento has got to be one of the highlights. Pompeii is eerily quiet. With twilight encroaching as we wandered the crumbling, dusty streets, you feel not only stunned by the absolute quality of that which remains, but an overwhelming sense of sadness for a society which lost everything. Preserved in ash, entire corpses, mosaics and buildings remain. Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all? ... Sorry, couldn't resist a Bastille quote.

3. Hua Hin, Thailand

Hua Hin, a beach town, south of Bangkok has long been a destination for my family. Embarking on my 11th trip there this summer, it's safe to say my experiences of this extraordinary country have helped to mould my cultural outlook. A first trip to Thailand is a little like an assault on the senses; immediately you are stuck by the pungent, aromatic odours; resplendent colourings and the invasion of a thriving community in full, noisy cry. Embrace it, and you will certainly be hungry for more.