There's a whole genre dedicated to superhumans, which is great for the huge fanbase that is really into exceptional people. Surprisingly I am not a member of that club. A few months ago someone I know found about my love of comics and said something along the lines of "That's really cool. So I gather you are into superhero comics...like deadpool."
First of all. Heck no! I go hours out of my way to the only shop that I currently know of that does non-superhero comics. Second of all, if I have a sudden urge to dive into the deep end, I am only going to read Harley Quinn comics because I find villains more interesting and she is quirky.
There is more to the graphic genre than superheroes!!! I cannot express this point enough!! It seriously annoys me how closed-minded some comic-devotees can be. Let me educate you...
1. Representation is EVERYTHING. I'm talking body types, race, sexuality, gender... Seek out Moonstruck, I can guarantee it will change your life, at the very least it will teach you more about the way the world works even though it is very heavily fantasy.
2. Comics don't have to be serious. I'm looking at you disney princess comics. For those of you who would like to argue about how certain ages can't enjoy that stuff, don't. Just don't.
3. Comics about serious topics don't have to be serious. Kim Reaper is hilarious and sensitive at the same time.
4. Comic transcend fandoms. The Life is strange comic series does justice to the fandom.
The list goes on and on and I'm getting sidetracked....
Comics deserve more respect than they get. If I am crazy tired (as I usually am), sometimes I find books taxing and I want to chill out with something as mindless as watching a TV soap opera. Sometimes a story is better as a comic. Let's not forget how great an opportunity for artists to reach a wide audience. Bonus: comics are less time consuming than books and significantly more affordable than both graphic novels and books. Double bonus: You can read some out of chronological order and if you don't like issue 1, you don't have to keep reading it.
I cannot tell you how many times I have been pulled up for reading comics and graphics. Seriously, sometimes my brain needs multiple breaks from wordy things and tech! I understand that they may not be your thing, but they are mine so let me have this.
I know that my comic habits could probably do with some tweaking. I have this thoroughly annoying habit of getting issue 1, enjoying it immensely, going to the comic shop to buy more issues...and buying yet more issue 1's of various other comics. Currently, the only series I have actually kept up with are Moonstruck, Life is strange (though I recently lost track of the second quarter of comics) and Brave chef Brianna (simply because there are only 4 issues in the entirety of the mini-series).
I know that in theory, the graphic novel collections of comics make a sort-of-sense. I just happen to prefer the actual comic version and try to avoid graphic collections unless they chose to switch from the comic format to the graphic format (I'm looking at you Moonstruck). I get very irked when they make the switch!
Side note: comics can bring people together. A story for another day.
I was supposed to be talking about how life-changing books can be, but I've ended up going on a comic rant (nothing wrong with that). Thats life lol, most plans don't work out. Today is not the day for seriousness...
I would like to talk to you about the environment. I know that that sounds like the environmental activist/annoying environmentalist film stereotype but rest assured, I'm not here to call you out for fly-tipping (even though I don't particularly agree with it) nor am I here to tell you to try and become more like Infinity Jackson from The Politician season 2. This isn't going to be a guide like the book from The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy,which says "Don't Panic" even though it knows that everyone is panicking.
This is going to be about how many geeky/teen references I can fit into a single post...just kidding. In all mock seriousness, it's my usual thing of telling you weird stories that have actually happened for the sake of my enjoyment and your amusement/confusion.
My first encounter with the fact that we humans are killing the Earth was in year 5. I watched a David Attenborough documentary in class, learned about overfishing and suddenly decided to stop eating fish. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but at the time it was because my mother started letting me pick out fish at the fish counter at our local supermarket a few times a month. Needless to say she was a bit annoyed. It wasn't long afterwards that some distant relatives of mine decided to invite us to go on a boat trip with them. My mother, seeing this as a prime opportunity to renew my taste for fish, accepted. BIG MISTAKE. We went "Jigging" (google it) and I managed to catch mystery fish. Me, being young and naive, thought that we were going to keep the fish for a while and then set it free. NOPE. I watched it being gutted on the deck with the handle of a winch and vowed never to eat fish again. Long story short, I thought prawns were okay so I only ate those if we were having seafood up until the point where I decided to go vegetarian (even longer story short, it is practically impossible to stay vegetarian in Germany).
I haven't eaten fish since.
The year afterwards I was in a geography lesson. I didn't know that tax is added to stuff, heck I didn't know what taxes were (I still don't), I also didn't know that you have to pay for the water that comes out of your tap. Naturally I got freaked out when a teacher talked about how we were going to have to pay more for water. I had an idea that I genuinely believed was genius. I was going to fill up as many bottles as I could with water and put it in the freezer so that we would get free water when the government decided to make us pay for it. One of these bottles happened to be a brand-new metal bottle my mother got to take with her to work. I learned 2 things that day:
1. Water isn't like vegetables or meat, it expands when frozen. Trust me, having that conversation about how you managed to break the bottle beyond use because of a severe lack of common sense is VERY AWKWARD ON BOTH SIDES.
2. You have to pay for most things. Capitalisim Yo!
Funnily enough, this was the same year that I joined my middle school's "Eco Group". It only lasted a year because of lack of membership and all I learned was how to make button badges and how to convince people that it is cheaper to buy from the school shop than it is to buy from somewhere like Tesco. It was not cheaper in any way, shape or form but the stuff was impossible to break, looked cooler and the money went to a good cause: environmental conservation.
Secondary school: became a fulltime vegetarian for a year because I saw a silent protest in London about animal testing whilst I was on my way to see a show. Quit for various reasons.
Last year felt like a final straw for my environmental awakening. I met up with a friend in the morning so we could hang out for the day then go to a party in the evening, when I got there she told me that we were going to take part in an environmental protest before doing anything else. I hadn't seen that many people in one place since Comic con and it was honestly intimidating. I held up a protest sign for the first time in my life, I learned a chant that wasn't about feminism (I accidentally came across a feminist protest in London a few months earlier) and I sat down in the middle of the road with an insane amount of people my age, blocking traffic, with the police protecting us on one side and various adults shouting at us things like "You should be in school", "Screw the environment" and "I fully support you all!" Confusing much. I didn't end up staying for long, it was too hectic and loud for me although I still consider it to have been a great experience because of what I learned about firsthand activism.
Having had various experiences with environmental ideas, I have come to my own conclusion. I don't need to be outspoken or go to a protest to be an activist. Being outspoken or even voicing my thoughts anywhere except on this blog feels majorly intimidating, so I generally avoid it where possible. That doesn't mean I don't have ideas or believe in things strongly, it just means that there are other ways of being an activist.
I educate myself in my own time and listen to other people's point of views. I occasionally re-post on instagram but I take the time to read and save posts. I look through social media as well as read books that people who understand more have written. I read fiction and non fiction. Recently I wrote an essay about the art of rhetoric in environmental speeches. I sound like I'm boasting (I probably am) but these are various examples of what any quiet activist can do, there are probably a lot more things that I don't even know about yet.
What I am trying to say is this: just because you many not want to be loud doesn't mean you can't whisper from the sidelines. It certainly doesn't mean that you can't/don't quietly support a cause in your own time. Activism isn't just about spreading the word, it's about navigating it and understanding it for yourself in your own way.
On that note, I'm going to head off and read my current book "Queenie", which I recommend for anyone who is interested in gaining a better insight into Race and Sexisim.
If you say "pack a bag, we have a long drive ahead of us", out of the blue, understandably, I'm going to be...
A. very confused.
B. Curious about where we are going.
C. Anxious because I have no idea what's going on or how to pack.
Don't get me wrong, I love spontaneous road trips as much as the next person does, but anyone who has studied/has an interest in history or politics knows that spontaneous things lead to questionable things 8/10. Not to mention that I absolutely suck at packing at the best of times (I make a list and still manage to forget basics, like socks, but somehow always remember to bring at least 3 books), I especially suck when I don't actually know where we are going. Heck, you would be too! Wouldn't want to pack denim skirts for a mountain hike or trousers and leggings for Mimosa.
Speaking of Mimosa, I went to PGL there once as part of a water-sports residential (the full story we can save for another time) I didn't have the time to pack for this particular adventure as I had been staying at my relatives and was literally only coming home for an evening before leaving for part 1. Ardeche. I made a major mistake in trusting my parents to pack: they didn't check the weather or properly understand the kit list, so they packed long sleeve t-shirts, trousers, leggings and jumpers for what would turn out to be THE HOTTEST WEEK OF THE ENTIRE YEAR. I had no opportunity to buy shorts in Ardeche, so I had to wait until part 2. Mimosa and ended up paying an exorbitant amount for the ugliest shorts on the planet.
Moving on...I somehow managed to pack an overnight bag for most eventualities.
My top tips:
1. Pack T-shirts. Long sleeve tops absolutely suck in hot weather, pack short sleeve tops so that if you get cold, you can easily put a jumper/cardigan over the top
2. Shorts and leggings are an amazing combination. Keeps your leggles warm and if you get too hot, you can just wear shorts. Either that or pack a pair of trousers and a pair of shorts.
3. Always pack a pair of shoes you don't care about
4. Spare socks are a must!
I only had about half an hour to grab everything and then we were off. I think I love long drives because I don't get travel sick thus I can read lots, watch "Gravity falls" and "Brooklyn 99", listen to music and get a ton of sleep. Basically I zone out.
About 3 hours later, we arrive at Premier Inn in a place called Solihull and guess what? I still don't have a clue what we are doing or where we are going. Getting up at 6am will forever be unreasonable, 7am is the earliest I will wake up without turning into Oscar the grouch...
(that being said, before C-19 I was doing 5am starts every weekday. The only cure was Greggs breakfast or caffeine).
Much to the dismay of stepdad, we ended up driving to Pendle. Another thing to mention: I am not exactly great at geography, which meant that I was shocked to learn that Pendle isn't a village, it's an area in the North. Pendle actually has places inside of it and the place we arrived in was called Barley. After a lunch stop at the most useless tourist information I have ever been to, we set off on our expedition: The "walking with witches" trail I managed to find on the interwebs. Thank you Google. I wanted to do the short walk but mother insisted that us non-walkers take on the long walk. It was only supposed to take us 2 hours yet it ended up taking us 3 and a half hours.
Hill walking decidedly isn't my thing. I'll admit, the first hill wasn't too bad, although I was suitably annoyed to find that the ground was boggier than it looked and therefore ended up doing the vast majority of the walk in muddy shoes and wet feet. When we got to the top, we had some trouble with figuring out where we were and which direction to go in, Shackleton would be ashamed, luckily we saw some witch signs and headed on our way...only to find a goddamn cow field!
I hate cows. They are terrifying and they will charge at you as well as try to steal your food, as I found out during my Bronze DOFE practise walk, I honestly think they want revenge on us carnivores. Suffice to say I was really freaked out and decided to shimmy up a stone wall in an attempt to avoid the devils. Annoyingly, there was no escape. At some point I had to re-climb the wall and jump down into Cowmageddon without breaking my ankle. I was successful in that I didn't break any bones, however when I landed I found a black and white freak lying down on the ground across from me, staring into my soul as if to enchant it. In this scenario, I did what any rational person would do. I legged it.
Eventually we reached the halfway point- Newchurch. This was the best part of the trip! I bought a mystery poster from a shop called "Witches Galore", found Alice Nutter's grave at St Mary's church and saw the most beautiful valley views.
Shortly after travelling down a flat gravel road, we came across another hill. I'm pretty sure Chanctonbury Hill is a challenge for most experienced walkers. Somehow this particular hill was steeper than Chanc. I didn't think that was even possible, apparently it is. It was also covered in sheep. Having checked for horned sheeps, we decided that it was safe to climb and spent what felt like an eturnity edging upwards, downing strawberry water and taking stops to catch our breath. I think I actually wanted to cry when I saw that going downhill was equally as challenging as going uphill.
When we arrived back where we started (the joys of a circuit walk), we re-entered the car and drove up the road to stop for a picture with Alice Nutter's statue. I was in full zombie-mode by this point, I was beyond tired and wanted to sleep. Yet I couldn't because humans need to eat and it's easier and nicer to get food in the area than it is to get food at a service station on the road. We,unintentionally, ended up eating at the oldest pub in the area :The Anchor Inn. To be honest, I'm surprised we were able to eat at all considering how much of a nightmare the digital ordering system was. The beef pie and mash was heaven and the hot chocolate was just right.
Then we drove 5 hours with a single stop at Starbucks.
Needless to say, the trip was awesome if a bit hectic and muddy. It really made the witch craze- which, major surprise, I am decidedly not interested in- come to life. I will forever recommend road trips, they are the best!
In response to both this post and Twitter, I have decided to take on the challenge so without further ado here's my mid year book tag...
Note: some of these have multiple answers because I change my opinions about books too regularly for me to write a single answer, so these answers are as-of-this-day/week. Ask me in a weeks time and it is very highly likely/almost certain that my opinions will have changed dramatically.
I would also like to point out that I rate books (on goodreads and in general) using a 5 star system.
1. Quality of language, 2. Character development, 3. Plot-line intrigue and continuity, 4. Overall impact, 5. Emotional connection
1. Best book you've read so far this year
Q by Christina Dalcher or An Absolutely Remarkable thing by Hank Green (AART)
Let's talk Q first. It is harrowing as heck but it is crazy vital that you go and give it a read. I had no idea that disgusting thing that is the Eugenics movement even existed before reading about it. Not to mention that the book focuses on a society which is centred around IQ. As I was reading this book I began to think "this is terrifying and could absolutely happen in our current society/ in the future- especially considering the way in which British education is handled", which is what makes this book so genius! The characters felt real and Dalcher did what she does best, only better this time- making morally ambiguous characters. To be honest, I think this book should be a compulsory read for teachers and politicians.
I've been a member of the Nerdfighteria for a fair few years now. I follow vlogbrothers religiously and Crash Course got me through some exams. I am also a John Green fangirl so I was curious to see what his brother (notorious science wizard) had to offer to the world of adult speculative fiction. Safe to say that I jumped ship very quickly and became more of a Hank fan. Don't get me wrong, if John decides to write any more books I will be more than happy to get stuck into reading them, however if Hank decides to write more than AART and ABFE I will absolutely devour them in the space of an afternoon.
I am not even kidding, AART is the first book I have ever had serious fan theories about. I'm not talking english-class-geek level theories, more hardcore-existential crisis level theories. Did I spend over 4 hours looking at Discord fandom chats to uncover the current theories? YES. Did I then proceed to spend the rest of the morning making mind-maps about the theories? DEFINITELY. Did I then create an A4 sheet about predictions for ABFE? ABSOLUTELY. This book was my first experience reading speculative fiction and I was hooked (if you couldn't tell already). So yes, go and read it. Though be warned, the sequel (ABFE) is good but isn't as tremendous as AART.
2. Best sequel you've read so far this year
The Testaments- Margaret Atwood
I know what some of you may be thinking- Margaret Atwood, really? I'm fully aware that I have previously argued that Dalcher is a better writer (and still maintain that view), but it is indisputable that The Testaments isn't a sight to behold because it bloody well is. I don't read series books anywhere near as much as I read stand-alone's, so it really does say a lot when I say that this is perfectly crafted. The knot is tied flawlessly between this book and The Handmaid's Tale, both of which are deeply haunting, morally questionable and (lets face it) tremendously fucked up. But there's the brilliance. They linger in the mind, they really make you question your own ideals/morals and challenge you to see if you say them or actually put them into practise. Needless to say, this book aligns with my 5 star criteria.
Reminder to anyone who chooses to give Atwood's books a go: Read the Historical Notes, it will change your perspective entirely. I didn't think to read them and learned the consequences when I attended a lecture about the book and sequentially discovered that I either needed to re-read the entire book again (not a hardship) or read the notes and Youtube a book summary and analysis.
3. New release you haven't read yet. but want to
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Matt Haig is in my list of heck-knows-how-many top writers. This book honestly looks soo appealing and I intend to grab a copy once I have finished the 3 stacks of books which reside on my bedside table. The cover is beautiful and the synopsis is really interesting- girl makes a mistake and wants to find out how she could do things differently as well as the consequences. Sign me up! Maybe my interest comes from my love of anything Life Is Strange related. Who cares? I want to read this book so badly.
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
Earthlings by Sakaya Murata (translated by Ginney Tapley Takemori)
I have to admit, the picture of the sad cuddly toy hedgehog was the thing that caught my eye when I went browsing through the Waterstones website for up and coming releases. I usually need to read the blurb and the first page before I can even entertain the idea of reading a book, but I think this time I know that I will love this book. Is it aliens? Probably (I have a minor fascination with space). Synopsis: Girls has to reunite with cousin who was taken by aliens. I don't even care that it's translated (I tend to overlook those books because heck knows they aren't advertised enough), I want in on that alien action! Conclusion. I will own a copy the moment it is released (1/10/2020)
5. Biggest disappointment
Alice by heart- by Steven Sater
I'm deeply sorry but WHAT THE FUCK?! I have been listening to the musical, which came before the book, solidly for over a year. The soundtrack was breath taking. The musical synopsis I read (thanks to being unable to see it because it only played a limited run in America) was more sinister than anticipated, yet it worked. The trailer felt like a perfect combination of beautiful and what-the-hell-am-I-watching.
I recently found out that Lewis Carroll was on magic mushrooms when he wrote the original (which honestly explains a lot), I am going to presume Sater was clean, in that case how on earth did he write such a disgrace to the book world? It reads as if it has been written by a four year old. It is as if he handed in a half-arsed first draft! I was furious with how poorly written this book is, especially considering how high my expectations were! My thoughts: Generally, what works on the stage or in a script doesn't work in a book. It needs to be carefully crafted and altered in places. Look, if you want to find an example of a great book that makes the transition from stage to page, go and read the book versions of Dear Evan Hansen or Be more chill.
Overall do I recommend the book? No, I wouldn't even touch it with a barge pole. Literally the only reason I still own my copy is because the cover is a majestic thing. Do I recommend the show/soundtrack? Hell yeah. Give it a listen, it will blow your mind.
6. Biggest surprise
This is going to hurt: secret diaries of a junior doctor by Adam Kay.
I remember when this book dominated various Waterstones displays. More recently it has come to dominate many charity shops, which is great because it meant I was able to pick up a copy with limited funds (thanks to the 3 large stacks that have taken up residence on my bedside table). I will admit, I was sceptical. I'm generally not a non-fiction reader and I tend to be incredibly picky when it comes to books- let me put it this way, I'm very decisive and impulsive when it comes to things like theatre shows and drinks but I could easily spend an entire afternoon in a bookshop picking out a single book.
OMG this was an incredible surprise. It balanced the kind of medical humour you only pick up when you've had contact with St John's Ambulance Cadets or literally anything medical related, with sensitivity regarding patients and utterly tragic situations. Casual writing that felt ultimately very human and led to many a conversation with strangers who also happen to have read the book. 20/10 would recommend. I also recommend You-tubing some of the interviews Kay has done with various people, he is a very captivating speaker.
7. Favourite new author (debut or new to you)
Jaye Robin Brown, author of The Meaning Of Birds- Paperback released 2nd June 2020
I decided to order in some new books to celebrate Pride because it couldn't be celebrated in the usual way (thanks to a certain killer virus). It was honestly refreshing to read about a healthy lesbian relationship and gain knowledge about how some people deal with grief. I felt really impressed by Brown, her ability to carry out a double narrative story is something that we should take note of and aspire to. Her story didn't feel forced either, it felt like she really got inside her character's heads and fully understood everything about them. The story ended in exactly the right place and I really look forward to hopefully reading more from this upcoming star.
8. Newest fictional crush
Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee).
Sorry Nick Carraway, you've been pushed to the wayside, there's a new dude in town who is actually honest and has an admirable amount of modesty as well as strong morals. For starters, he isn't racist. He says one of the most memorable lines in literature: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." He also cares about his children more than you might initially think- just look at the last chapter and you will understand what I mean. He's just a good, kind and empathetic person, that's what the world needs to be filled with- kind, empathetic people who can make excellent conversation.
Verity Wolf (Poemsia by Lang Leav) .
She's a poet who learns a harsh lesson about the industry and her personal relationships. The way she speaks is flawless and her poetry is enchanting. She is a siren of the poem-book crossover world. She is...a breath of fresh air. Crushing on this one hard. No more said.
In case you were wondering why I haven't mentioned the appearance of either character, I honesty don't care about appearance. Outward beauty within living beings is fleeting (as Dorian Grey will eventually find out) and I generally find the essence of a person more attractive. #theperksofbeingpansexual
9. Newest favourite character
Hatcher- Alice (The chronicles of Alice) by Christina Henry or Dorian Grey- The picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
Both of these characters are undoubtedly the most morally questionable in this list (I mention morals a lot because they are absolutely vital to me). They are both incredibly impulsive and dangerous and I love the thrill. However the main difference is this: Hatcher will defend and protect you to the ends of the earth if you get on his good side, Dorian will use you and ultimately get jealous of your good side. Ultimately Hatcher is more likeable but Dorian has better conversational skills.
10. Book that made you cry
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
I wanted to hug Charlie so much throughout the entirety of this book. His journey is important as it pits empathy/people skills and intellect against each-other. Charlie's deterioration was difficult to read, especially when he found out what happens to regular lab mice and consequentially what will happen to him. The part that had me sobbing my eyes out was the ending. The last page. It is so gorgeous and tragic- heck I'm even crying as I'm writing and thinking about this moment. This moment being when in his final letter, he asks his ex-lover to put flowers on Algernon's grave. He not only chooses to bury the mouse of whom he has an immesurable with, but of all of the things he could have asked for in his last moment before going off to the school/farm/placey thing, he actually asks for flowers to be put on Algernon's grave and I think he does this as a way of showing Algernon that he won't be forgotten, that their connection is undeniable and transcendent of all human relationships. It reminds me of the song "I remember you" from Adventure time. It is linked below, give it a listen (read the last page of the book whilst you do if possible) and you will understand exactly what I mean.
11. Book that made you happy
The Gentleman's guide to vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Historical LGBT fiction with a reckless protagonist and strong female characters. Heck yeah. This book made me laugh, smile, cry, all of it. Reading that book felt like recieving the longest, warmest, best hug ever. Absolutely would read again! Can't wait to read The Lady's guide to Petticoats and Piracy and The Gentleman's guide to getting lucky. Before you ask, yes, it is saucy at times but that's the point of a great romance. Unless it is about the actual trying to find a date in the first place, a great romance should be hot and steamy in place, though IT MUST AVOID ENTERING FIFTY SHADES OF GREY TERRITORY AT ALL COSTS!
12. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or recieved)
1933 edition of Alice in Wonderland and Through the looking glass.
It was a gift from my mother, who has a friend, who has a father who was a rare book collector. Her friend happens not to be a book enthusiast let alone rare books collector, so when he received an impressive collection of rare books he was perfectly happy to let my mum borrow the book. At some point we intend to make an offer on this book- fingers crossed that this book can transition from loan to own.
13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
So many- ideally I need to reach my goal of 100. I also need to read books that my teachers have advised me to read (2 books on literature theory, an e-copy of The Sea and Sardinia and a book about Othello) and the 3 miniature towers that I mentioned earlier, as well as work through all of the unread books littered about my 4 ceiling-high bookshelves. Long story short- I have a heck ton to read. Knowing me, I will probably be still working through the list well into next year because I have a habit (albeit an annoying one at times) of buying books wherever I am able to get hold of them i.e. charity shops, car-boot sales, Waterstones and Amazon.
There are only 13 questions but I can't stand odd numbers so I'm going to add in a 14th one
14. Best Graphic novel
Hyperbole and a half: Unfortunate situations, flawed coping mechanisms, mayhem and other things that happened by Allie Brosh
This book was a gold find at the local charity shop. Utterly hilarious with some of the best artwork I have seen (no. it's not a Picasso masterpiece, but it doesn't need to be. A chalk drawing on a page works just as well if not better). Reading this book resulted in me spending 2 weeks reading every single post on her blog, discovering that she's become somewhat of a recluse and highly anticipating her announced second book.
All in all, so far this has been an amazing year for books and I can't wait to read whatever I fancy next.
Book challenge update: I'm still in the midst of my book challenge, although I suspect I might actually beat it this year, as of 16/8/20 I have read a total of 81 books so far!
I think the sound of music is an okay film with very catchy songs. Let's face it, most of us have heard do re me or the hills are ALIVEEEEEE with the sound of children running to safety. When I was told we were going to Salzburg my first thought was "damn I haven't seen that film in ages, I'll have to watch it before we end up on a bus full of people who have", my second thought was pretzels....because pretzels, ya know?
7th of August, one hell of a drive led us from Ersperding (I will be very impressed if anyone knows that this place exists) to Salzburg. Around 9-10 ish in the morning we parked in a car park near the centre, opposite a plaque talking about Einsten. *This and the fact that I was the only one out of the 3 of us that can speak German will be important later so keep it in mind
There was a sign on the far corner of said car park, my mother expressed her stress over the fact that she thought that this car park was not a safe haven to house literally everything we brought with us but my step father insisted that it would be fine. I offered to translate the sign and he still insisted that it would be hunky dory. So that was that. We entered a cafe and did the healthy thing of eating cake for breakfast and balancing it out by drinking mango juice, as well as coffee. Then we skipped along our merry way, wandering doe-eyed through mirabel gardens and Salzburg in general.
Top tips:
1. Don't wear a traditional Dirndle or for that matter ANY dirndle on one of the hottest days of the trip. Yes, it looks thin but it. Has. So. Many. Layers
2. If you don't have time to look at literally anything to do with Mozart's home town, eat a Mozart Pretzel. It's the Pretzel version of Terry's chocolate orange
3. Be prepared! We stumbled across a music festival and spent a fair amount of the day listening to various buskers, my favourite being the guy who made music out of glass cups
4. SLEEP!!! I cannot stress this one enough. I was really looking forward to The Sound Of Music tour and I was completely fine the first half, belting out kareoke with a group of strangers on a long bus with the worst air con ever invented. Heck, I even got to take a selfie with the lonely goat. But I fell asleep on the bus and woke up just as we reached the wandery bit where you can leave the bus for half an hour and stretch and eat ice cream in the pouring rain whilst riding on a mini train.
My last tip is this: ALWAYS READ CAR PARK SIGNS. Salzburg was the monopoly Go square on the start of our mini food and drink tour around Europe. On the 8th we woke up very early, ready for a day stopping off at various places, such as Hofbrau Kalt Haus, on our way to Abtenau. Between us we lugged 2 suitcases and 3 duffle bag thingymagigs from our hotel in the centreish to the outskirts, where our car was supposed to be to find a market. A MARKET. Let me re-iterate, there was no cars in the car park, just a hoard of stalls selling who-knows-what.
Naturally we were a bit freaked out. Step dad O mine decided to head to the car park's "office" (I still have no idea what you call the places in the car parks with the help desk and the person who looks bored with everything) and inquire about where the hell our car was. As it turns out, both me and my mother were right. If we had translated the sign, like I suggested, we would have known that any cars left in the carpark at 4am on Thursday morning get towed to make way for the weekly market.
The guy at the help desk must have thought we were idiots or that we were very gullible tourists because he proceeded to say something along the lines of "Don't worry, your car is about a 5 to 10 minute walk from here." Naturally we took his word and decided to walk. 5 minuites became 10, became 15, became half an hour. By the time we reached the car we were all tired, sweaty messes and, added bonus, incredibly pissed off. To top it all off, we had to fork out €100, possibly more simply because it got towed in the first place.
Moral of the story, be careful where you park.
Side note: Watch National Theatre's Amadeus if you can. It's incredible even if you hate opera.
How would you like to spend 2 weeks in a car, with enough space to fill half a lift and 2 parents "having fun" navigating crazy European roads? Yeah that's what happened a fair few Augusts pre-2020. I also have some really random stories from the time when I wasn't scared of the giant metal death trap that goes from Heathrow.
Every holiday, my mother, step dad and I like to make jokes about what will go wrong with the car whilst expecting nothing to actually happen and being crazy surprised when it does.
The first time this happened was back in Australia. My mother has relatives out there so we actually have a legit excuse to go yet we've only been there twice, the first time I was too young to remember, but the second time was about 7ish years ago.
After spending some time in Sidney, we decided to rent a car and go travelling in what I think is referred to as "the outback". Me being still a relatively small child was happy chilling out in the back of the car watching The princess and the frog for probably about the 5th time on the trip so far.
In case you were wondering, on every single holiday we go on I have a single bag full of films and a mini dvd player.
Back to the mini story. We stopped off at a service station to pick up sustinence because humans, much like plants, need food and water. It just so happens that I decided to get BANANA MILK. Most of you can probably see where this is going to go.
On the way to our farm stay we smelled something...sour/weird in the car, so we opened the windows. The smell refused to leave. Next we tried air con. It absolutely sucked. We then pulled over the car and started searching and searching until we found the culprit. The lid of my banana milkshake hadn't been screwed on properly and milk was soaking into the seats.
We really tried to clean out the smell but the damage was done. The smell lingered like month-old unwashed laundry for the entire time that we used the car. Made worse by the furnace that was Australian weather.
At the end of our trip, we dropped off the car...and left step dad to tell the dealer about the smell. Was it a stupid decision? Probably. Do I still like banana milkshake? 100%.
SIDE STORY!
Our tyre went flat in Italy....that's literally all I remember about it :)
In this post I'm just going to chat about life stuff and random quarantine stories for your enjoyment.
So books have been a major lifesaver. I generally have been trying to get through 1-2 a week and it's been amazing! I got super into Christina Henry's "Alice" books, which was especially awesome because I never really saw myself as a fantasy horror reader until now. I have always been into jump-scare horror games like "Five nights at Freddy's" and more recently "Bendy and the ink machine" so I'm honestly shook by how long it took me to read this genre. I highly recommend Christina Henry's books, they are seriously imaginative, have a fair amount of gore and have the most surprising twists. I generally don't read series books (there are some exceptions) so it feels weird recommending a (soon to be 4) part series. Oh well, sometimes the best things are the craziest things.
On that bookish note, I have currently read 56 books so far as part of my "100 books in a year" challenge. It's actually insane. If you are curious to see what I've been reading, head on over to Goodreads, I log every single book I read (starting from last year) on there. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/90323109-bookish-hound
Games have also been a heck of a lot of fun! I stopped gaming around January last year to focus on revision for exams and I never got back into it until last week. I am back into "Cuphead" and found out that you can play co-op which is freaking awesome! I also re-booted a minecraft server I created and have been playing with some friends. Despite these new ways to play with other people, I am still very much a solo player. It is actually stupid how many hours I have poured into games like "Papers please", "911 operator" and "the sims 4" but as a fair few gamers will point out, solo games are better for that sense of achievement that seems to have gone missing since lock-down. "The sims 4" recently had a sale and I was able to get the university expansion pack, I am actually hooked, this pack is addictive. Even though I have played a grand total of 479 hours of sims over the past 4 years (I can't believe I've actually just said that) I spend the vast majority of my time on there creating sims, Only recently have I had the patience for home design. Suddenly the university pack comes along and gives you objectives for actual game-play. What does this mean? Whereas my free-time used to be taken up with books and playing my acoustic guitar, it is now entirely dominated by the family of highly-intellectual sims I have created. I know that "animal crossing new horizons" has somewhat blown up over the internet. Admittedly I don't get it. You see for those of us who don't have the privilege of owning a switch, we have to make do with "animal crossing new leaf" on some form of DS or just not play "Animal crossing". I know that "animal crossing pocket camp" exists on the app store but I really don't understand it. Basically I don't understand the big "animal crossing" craze, although the character design is so so so cute.
Aside from games, another great thing that has come about is fandom. I have been a member of various geeky/nerdy fandoms throughout the years and up until now, I've not had the chance to fully explore the full power of fandom. I have loved it so much. I finally have the time to watch theory videos and general discussions on Youtube, I have been able to label myself as a "nerdfighter" despite having watched "crash course" and "vlog brothers" for a fair number of years and I've been able to discuss fan theories on discord servers. I was a huge member of the "Gravity falls" and "Steven Universe" fandoms whilst episodes were still being released and consider myself a forever fan in the sense that both shows had a major impact on my life. However it's been great uncovering new shows and going back into fangirl mode 24/7. So what have I been watching? "Amphibia", "The owl house" and "Infinity train" as well as re-watching old favourites like "Adventure time", "Bea and puppycat", "we bare bears", "over the garden wall" and "Milo Murphy's law". If you couldn't already tell, I am really into fantasy horror cartoons as well as shows with major plot lines and quality character development. So what shows do I recommend? If you are looking for something with a deep plot line and a lot of things to analyse, I would try "Over the garden wall" or "Infinity train". If you are looking for more character development then I suggest "Amphibia" (pre-warning, Anne isn't very likeable at the beginning) or "Steven Universe". Currently the show I am digging into the most is "The Owl House", it has strong "Gravity falls vibes" and interesting lore.
Theatre online is better than I thought it would be. "Frankenstein" with Benedict Cumberbatch as the monster, has been by far the best digital performance I have ever seen. End of discussion.
Music has also been great. Once or twice a week, a friend and I pick a soundtrack to listen to, we text each other lyrics from the songs and/or discuss the plotline and really dig through the layers. Basically it's a once a week serious geek out session. So far we have listened to: "Hamilton", "A new brain", "Dear Evan Hansen", "Gallavant", "Steven Universe", "The rocky horror picture show", "Portal 2 the unauthorised musical", "Be more chill", "The little shop of horrors musical" and "Undertale the musical. I honestly love these sessions because it brings us closer together as friends as well as helps us both uncover new music. My favourite has been "The little shop of horrors musical" and I listen to it a lot, highly recommend. It's creepy and quirky and...just give it a listen.
Quarantine actually sucks and everyone is going to get through it in their own way. I was an absolute mess for the first 4 weeks, I found out the hard way that some days are going to be doable and others just aren't. Don't beat yourself up for being "unproductive". In fact I would like to ban that word from the English language, the game has changed completely so who the hell is to say what's productive and what isn't? It is such a difficult time right now but some good things are coming out of it. We are learning how be more patient and empathetic, mental health is finally being seen as a priority, we've been learning new ways to communicate, there's time to do things there wouldn't otherwise be time to do and we are all learning how to be more resilient.
So what am I trying to say? Everyone will get through it in their own way and we really shouldn't judge people for how they chose to cope in this crazy time period. There are things to do and there is time to stop, chill out and take time for ourselves. There are ways of supporting other people and there are ways of supporting ourselves. There isn't such thing as a "small achievement" anymore, every single achievement, including getting out of bed and eating is a major achievement and we should all feel proud of ourselves for simply being. We should feel proud for letting ourselves feel how we feel. We should feel proud for staying at home and staying safe. I am aware that sounded borderline preachy but it needed to be said.
That's all for now, I hope this blog and these kinds of posts feel like a warm hug and I'll see you in the next post.
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