Sunday 24 February 2013

Zeit für eine andere Stelle, die ich denke...

First and foremost I would like to start with a disclaimer with regards to the title of this post.  I popped my would-like-to-be-German title into Bing translator and got given this in return.  I know that these programs can be a little too literal at times with their translation.  On the other hand, if the title does indeed make sense in German, then I wrote it myself!! :D

The reason I have gone all Germanic in this blog post is that I decided my new thing to learn is going to be learning German.  I have always been interested in language learning.  I will always regret that at Uni I did just Chemistry and not Chemistry with French.  I still have an ok grasp of French, which makes it difficult to decide which level I should pitch my learning of it at should I have decided to continue with my French.  So instead I decided to start afresh with a new language and German was what I went for.  There are a few reasons why I picked German as my language to learn, and obviously language prettiness wasnt one of them.  Reason 1. all my older friends got German as their language and I was devestated when I got French.  They were always singing to each other and speaking in German and I could not join in. They still do it sometimes actually. Well I will have the last laugh when I can join in, and then repeat it all in French also.  Reason 2. I have a few German friends and my boyfriend actually did do Chemistry with German at Uni, so I have several people to ask for help and to make sure I get stuff right.  Reason 3. Germany is fucking cool.  Berlin is definitely one of my top cities I have visited, so why not learn the language I speak there.  Plus, my learners pack is all modern and shit, so I can put the modules on my pod and learn on the go.  I would like to go to a German class, but between ice skating, yoga and running I don't have too much free time for another commitment.  Plus they're expensive and I am a cheapo.  Maybe if I really enjoy it and complete it all before getting bored with it, I will have a bit more time to go to a class and get a real qualification for my CV. 

In other news, I shopped! Not so much for clothes, that is a lie I bought a new top from Topshop.  It's quite nice.  There was a top I wanted for aaaages, it was really pretty. A waterfall back top.  And I tried it on, and it was a good look.  But I didn't buy it.  Then I almost bought it and almost bought it, but didn't.  And then I was ready to buy it, and it was gone.  Talk about devestation.  So I bought an alternative, and while I quite like it, it's just not the same.  But I kept it anyway, and wore it on Sats. I even managed not to spill on it! But it's defo not the same.  I include a picture of the good top in pink (but I am not interested in the pink version and the white one I ended up with.


Some of my other purchses this week have been included in the following photo.  In the interest of my laziness, I have lumped them all into the one photo.  I hope you don't mind.  I don't really care if you do.


Note the teapot/cup combo.  For, let's face it, tea is much better when it is from a pretty set.  Love me a cup and saucer.  Plus, if I use it when learning my German it will become an infinitely prettier process.
I also purchased a tribal-esque necklace and some rings as I am going through a 'must accessorize more' phase.  Lastly (technically I didn't purchase these) my boyfriend brought down some butteries and I was super excited so I wanted to show them off.  Yum!  Tea/butteries/learning German ahoy!

Till next time, where I will hopefully have HD'd by eyebrows and potentially won the lottery or some kind of award or something. Gute Nacht!

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Thank f*** January is over....

Well now the most depressing month of the year is finally over, I am ready to blog again about the latest week of my boring existance.  As far as first timing goes, not the worst week.  I finally managed to get over the fact I couldn't find anyone to go with me and headed to my first yoga class.  I picked a class at the 'Yoga Garden' concentrating on 'Iyengar Yoga', partly because it sounded like a good type for what I was looking for partly because it gave me time to go home and have tea first.  I have to say, I wasn't disappointed.  When I went in, after I got over the initial embarassment of everyone staring at the newbie, I noticed the smell of incense and the dimmed lights and instantly felt more relaxed.  I felt even better when another newbie came in, so I wasn't the only yoga dunce there. The class went really well, I certainly felt my muscles got a good workout.  Think I still feel it when I move certain ways, in fact.  My breathing still needs a bit of work, and I don't get some of the things the teacher tells me.  When I should feel certain bones going certain ways, considering bones don't move.  But hey, I enjoyed it and I want to be bendy so I think I will stick with it.

I went for my first run of the year on Thursday night, not a big run but, seeing as my first 10K of the year is booked for May (which is actually only 3 months away now), it really was about time I made a start.  It was kind of a functional run - I ran down to the cycle path to see if the flooding had disappeared and I could get to work the easy way again (it had).  And to be honest it was more of a run/walk to be fairm but my boyfriend dragged me out and I did a lot better today.  I only had to stop once.

I decided it was time I did myself some clothes shopping, seeing as I haven't bought myself any since roughly October or something. I treated myself to a few Topshop bits and pieces, some of which can stay some of which are going right back.  I have been desperate for a while for some awesome everyday wear flat(ish) ankle boots.  I was thinking of something tough/bikery but I haven't come across anything suitable.  I purchased these - but I hate them.  I don't know if they're terrible or that I just can't pull them off but they look like some kind of 17th Century man shoe.  Not the look I was going for.  So my search will continue.


ARLENE Western Side Zip Boots -
I am keeping this dress however.  It's cute - I have been wearing it with tights and biker boots.  Want to jazz it up a bit as its a bit monochrome currently but a snazzy scarf and a coloured satchel will do the job nicely.

Bouquet Floral Flippy Dress - GOLD


This is about as excited as my first timing week has gotten - I went to Reading for shopping for the first time.  Shithole.  So I won't talk about it anymore.  Got some good stuff coming up though - going to try HD brows see if they can give me the eyebrows I have always dreamed of.  There is an aerial yoga class I want to try on a Sunday afternoon, so I will try and book onto that the next Sunday I am here I think.  I stole this picture from google to give you an idea of what its about.



That will be an absolute lol as I am sure you can imagine.  And I intend to join the local running club, although I chickened out of yoga for long enough.  So who knows when that will happen.

I will leave you now as I have several letters of complaint to write before bed (BA/Newlook BEWARE!!) Ciao for now peeps!

Wednesday 23 January 2013

A new year, a new me....blah blah blah

Well in true first timer style my foray into blogging didn't last longer than a couple of posts.  And perhaps predictably enough, I have returned with good intentions in the New Year to continue with this pointless blog giving an unwanted insight into my non-eventful life.

So what have I tried new in the last 2 months since I updated my blog? In a word - nothing.  I don't think I have done anything at all of note since November.  Let me double check my diary. Nope nothing.  But fear not, I am back to make 2013 the 'Year of the Fad' starting now.

I guess the most obvious one to go for would be to start 2013 on a healthy eating kick.  I guess I am not too bad compared to some, but I am really trying to cleanse myself out a bit.  In fact I am drinking a Pukka detox tea as I write this (half price in Sainsbury's - instantly attractive to a fad dieter such as myself).  I have definitely increased my fruit and veg intake markedly (it makes up most of my diet currently), ditched the milk (thats a lie, I can't resist a latte on the weekends but I was drinking up to 2 a day before Christmas), ditched the meat (especially red meat, I don't know if I will ever touch the stuff again actually.  Really doesn't agree with me.....) and am tempted, but scared, to try myself on the green smoothies.  I know they are fantastic for me, but the thought of drinking one makes me dry heave in my mouth a little.  On the plus side it would give me reason to head out and purchase a blender, which is always an attractive prospect to a money burner such as myself.

I just purchased on Amazon a book called 'Honestly Healthy' - a recipe book dedicated to vegetarian recipes using alkaline vegetables to balance out the pH of the body.  Victoria Beckham is a fan so it must be good, right?  Perhaps my nutritionist friend will have something to say on the matter when she reads this blog post, but I have to say there are some pretty yummy recipes in the book.  I purchased it on my kindle as I didn't have the patience to wait for the book to arrive but now I have it I can tell you my dinner for tomorrow will either be Tomato and Mushroom Dahl or Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew.  I probably won't make it till I have someone to make it for but there is a recipe for an amazingly rich looking Raw Chocolate Mousse - its vegan actually and a major component in it is in fact avocado.  It would be wrong not to give it a try!

Exercise wise I am not doing too great, I still ice skate once a week but haven't really been on my bike due to the snow.  I am supposed to be racing my brother at a 10K race in May to decide which one of us is better.  I have already proven I am better than him academically so sport is the only thing left to challenge on.  It is my dream to do a sub 50 minute 10K. It's possible I think if I was to pull my finger out and begin.  But it's soooo cold and the pavements are dangerously slippy at the moment.  My boyfriend will drag me out over the weekend to do a little run, should Heathrow not screw me over again this weekend, and hopefully I will find my inner Paula Radcliffe (minus the pissing on the street).

The only other thing I really got into over Christmas was tv programme 'The Middle'.  Sue Heck is an absolute hero with her never give up attitude. I just purchased the DVDs on Amazon and unfortunately I do have to wait for them to arrive.  But as soon as they do, I am prepping myself a green smoothie and spending a day on the sofa watching the shit out of those DVDS.  I will leave you now with an inspirational Sue Heck photo to remind you to stay optimistic and never stop trying at something till you make it!