So on Friday, I went to a Mother and Daughter photo shoot which was a very weird experience for us both I think but it was great fun.
We arrived at the studios completely bare-faced as they had asked us to put no make up on. I really did not like walking through town with no make up on, I always have at least mascara on but never mind. I didn't see anyone I know so it's fine.
We then went up to the make-up studio bit and had all our make up done professionally. There was a lot of foundation due to the lights and the camera but I loved my eye make-up! It was more than I would usually wear but I thought my eyes stood out and looked quite blue with it on which was really nice. My mum looked amazing when she'd had all of hers done.
We also had our hair done. We both went for curls because it suits us better than poker straight hair and looks a bit more natural too. Once all the hair and make up was done we got our outfits and went into the photo shoot room.
We wore about 4 different outfits and it was actually quite fun once you got over the initial awkwardness. Afterwards, we packed up our stuff, booked in for our viewing and then walked back to the car. Once we'd dropped off our stuff, we started looking for somewhere where we could have a late lunch (very late - it was about 4 o'clock).
We ended up at the Pitcher & Piano and had 3 grazers and a drink each. We were going to have cocktails but we thought we better not. We had halloumi cheese, chicken and chorizo skewers and mini fishcakes which were all really nice and the lunch was really lovely.
As we were all dolled up, we went out as a family for a meal and went to Ask Italian in Ashby which was lovely, mum's food definitely looked the nicest though! We did take off the foundation before we went out though as it was a little too heavy for normal wear.
To finish the day off, I went to the pub with some friends to celebrate an 18th which was a great way to end the day.
I don't know if we'll buy any of the photos but it'd be nice if I had one just for the memories.
Monday, 21 July 2014
Sunday, 6 July 2014
Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars
So I finally read The Fault In Our Stars (now I need to go see the film!) whilst I was on holiday last week and I thought I'd do a mini book review type thing. You will have to let me know if this is the sort of thing I should keep doing or just never do again because it's terrible (constructive criticism is totally welcome here!)
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Okay so I was never bothered about TFIOS but since the film came out, it has resurfaced on my social media sites (mainly Twitter) and everybody has been talking about it again therefore, I decided to give it a try and see if it was worth the praise and hype it has been receiving.
TFIOS is a ridiculously easy book to read; I think I got through it in about a day and a half (I am a fast reader but that is speedy for me especially as I haven't really been reading too much recently). You become integrated into the book very quickly and easily, the transition between reality and fiction whilst reading this is pretty seamless. It's a real-life book too which makes it easier, it's something people can relate to and as the plot is around "Cancer Kids", it is relevant because at the moment, almost everyone I know has had some form of cancer affect their lives in one way or another over the years.
Hazel Grace Lancaster, the main character, is a relatable character in some ways. What with the obsessions with terrible TV that you can't help but watch, the interest in boys but being convinced there's no chance in hell of having a boyfriend. Augustus is your typical charmer, the type of boy every girl wants in her life so a tad less relatable as the majority of us girls are yet to find our Prince Charming/Mr Darcy/Augustus Waters.
However, Isaac has that strength and happiness and despair that shows through in anyone's life. Personally, he was my favourite character in the book, the strength of his mind despite all he went through and endured was certainly admirable and I would love to have the same kind of inner strength that he does. Despite that strength though, he is completely aware that it is totally okay to break down and flip out sometimes and that it is actually very healthy to do just that which I think is ace.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away to any of those who have not read this book so I'm not going to talk too much about it but I will say the ending was far better than others I've read. It was emotional, not tear-jerking for me as it seems for so many others, but it was raw and was written exquisitely I feel. It was something that not many teens would ever experience.
The one thing I could criticise is the depth of the story, yes it was well thought out and thought-provoking and a beautiful story but it was so quick to read that I felt as if I didn't get enough, that there wasn't enough for me to get my teeth into so to speak.
Was it worth all the hype? Almost I think, the book is fab but the story didn't quite live up to expectation for me. But kudos to John Green for writing an incredible book, I would still recommend it to anyone.
What are your guys thoughts? On TFIOS, my book reviews and on life in general - I would love to know :)
x
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Okay so I was never bothered about TFIOS but since the film came out, it has resurfaced on my social media sites (mainly Twitter) and everybody has been talking about it again therefore, I decided to give it a try and see if it was worth the praise and hype it has been receiving.
Hazel Grace Lancaster, the main character, is a relatable character in some ways. What with the obsessions with terrible TV that you can't help but watch, the interest in boys but being convinced there's no chance in hell of having a boyfriend. Augustus is your typical charmer, the type of boy every girl wants in her life so a tad less relatable as the majority of us girls are yet to find our Prince Charming/Mr Darcy/Augustus Waters.
However, Isaac has that strength and happiness and despair that shows through in anyone's life. Personally, he was my favourite character in the book, the strength of his mind despite all he went through and endured was certainly admirable and I would love to have the same kind of inner strength that he does. Despite that strength though, he is completely aware that it is totally okay to break down and flip out sometimes and that it is actually very healthy to do just that which I think is ace.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away to any of those who have not read this book so I'm not going to talk too much about it but I will say the ending was far better than others I've read. It was emotional, not tear-jerking for me as it seems for so many others, but it was raw and was written exquisitely I feel. It was something that not many teens would ever experience.
The one thing I could criticise is the depth of the story, yes it was well thought out and thought-provoking and a beautiful story but it was so quick to read that I felt as if I didn't get enough, that there wasn't enough for me to get my teeth into so to speak.
Was it worth all the hype? Almost I think, the book is fab but the story didn't quite live up to expectation for me. But kudos to John Green for writing an incredible book, I would still recommend it to anyone.
What are your guys thoughts? On TFIOS, my book reviews and on life in general - I would love to know :)
x
Friday, 4 July 2014
Uganda
A year ago on Wednesday, I spent the day travelling to Africa after a whole year of preparing and waiting and after 5 years of wishing on every star that I could become a part of the team of pupils that get to travel and work in Uganda.
I was a part of a team of 24 pupils (only 23 flew to Uganda, the 24th has a heart condition meaning she can't travel), affectionately called the Tiggers, who prepared from October 2012 to July 2013 to become the best brickies and the strongest team we could be so that when July the 2nd came, the day we finally got to go to Uganda, we would be ready for any eventuality and we would be ready to build on a second floor above the dormitory built by the team before us and we would be ready to create a school. A place of learning for over 100 children of all ages.
It was so hard to say goodbye to my parents as I was going away for a month and would probably have very little chance to communicate with them (no phones and no Internet) but I managed it and I also managed not to cry until about midnight, sat on the airplane writing my diary. Luckily, I don't think anyone saw me because everyone was trying to sleep.
When we arrived in Uganda, it was raining! And thundering. But it was very refreshing after the plane journey. We got quite a few odd looks walking through the airport in our bright orange team kit (orange and black were our team colours, hence Tiggers). We met our lovely, bubbly and hilarious tour guide Lukia along with our 2 drivers Meddie and Hassan and one of our bodyguards, Hassan outside the arrivals building and we headed to the bus. We had another bus ram-packed with our suitcases (we had 3 each and there was 30 of us - you do the maths).
We got to meet our 2 other bodyguards Robert and Walter too and the 6 of them became part of our family so quickly. We also got to meet all of the kids at the 2 orphanages we would be working at. The school I go to owns one of the orphanages (The John Dickens' House/M-Lisada) and it is in partnership with the other (MYDEL).
We built the school at the MYDEL (Mengo Youth Development Link) site and we had 17 site days in which to complete the building and then paint it. We also painted the girls dorms at M-Lisada (Music, Life Skills and Destitution Alleviation) and the outside of the main building there on the last few site days.
After day 8 on site, we had finished the 4 classrooms on the second floor and we were all chuffed to bits. We managed to go from this..
To this..
To finished, rendered walls with windows in like this!
So that was pretty mad. In between all the building, rendering and painting we did have some fun too (saying that, site was great fun at times - the team all got on so well!) We attended a Church service - weirdest Church service I've ever been too - and had some African drumming and dancing lessons. We went to Uganda's second city, Jinja and went to Main Street Primary School and taught some lessons, visited the Source of the River Nile, went white water rafting, did a bungee jump (amazing fun!) and visited a baby orphanage. Towards the end of the trip, we also went on a 3-day safari at Murchison Falls National Park which was an incredible experience despite the fact I was ill and couldn't keep much food down.
As well as building the 4 classrooms at MYDEL, we also renovated the main building, transforming it into a Head Teacher's office, a medical room, a library (with computers) and a 5th classroom.
After 4 long weeks, we opened the newly re-named MYDEL-McQuilton Academy, presented the children who lived there with their brand new uniforms and watched with pride as the kids swarmed their new school.
Uganda was an incredible experience and I met some absolutely amazing people who I would've happily sat and chatted to for hours on end to listen to their stories about the lives they lead. The team I went out with there were the best people I could've hoped for to share those experiences with and we are all still really close, over a year later. I am still so proud of what I achieved in that month and wish I could go back again this year to see all of the friends I made whilst I was out there.
So my message, as well as sharing some of my experiences in the beautiful country of Uganda, is that you need to dream big, be kind, be inspired and keep your eyes open and your ears to the ground for any opportunities that might present themselves to you.
Do something you don't think you have the inner strength for and surprise yourself when you realise that you can do it.
Do everything with a smile on your face even if you feel like you can't keep going for much longer, look for the positives in every situation you find yourself in and surround yourself with a group of people who you know you can rely on no matter what.
And remember to feel proud of whatever you have done, no matter how small and know that you have the power to change somebody's life for the better.
Let me know what you think of this post and I'll see you again soon!
Charly xx
I was a part of a team of 24 pupils (only 23 flew to Uganda, the 24th has a heart condition meaning she can't travel), affectionately called the Tiggers, who prepared from October 2012 to July 2013 to become the best brickies and the strongest team we could be so that when July the 2nd came, the day we finally got to go to Uganda, we would be ready for any eventuality and we would be ready to build on a second floor above the dormitory built by the team before us and we would be ready to create a school. A place of learning for over 100 children of all ages.
It was so hard to say goodbye to my parents as I was going away for a month and would probably have very little chance to communicate with them (no phones and no Internet) but I managed it and I also managed not to cry until about midnight, sat on the airplane writing my diary. Luckily, I don't think anyone saw me because everyone was trying to sleep.
When we arrived in Uganda, it was raining! And thundering. But it was very refreshing after the plane journey. We got quite a few odd looks walking through the airport in our bright orange team kit (orange and black were our team colours, hence Tiggers). We met our lovely, bubbly and hilarious tour guide Lukia along with our 2 drivers Meddie and Hassan and one of our bodyguards, Hassan outside the arrivals building and we headed to the bus. We had another bus ram-packed with our suitcases (we had 3 each and there was 30 of us - you do the maths).
We got to meet our 2 other bodyguards Robert and Walter too and the 6 of them became part of our family so quickly. We also got to meet all of the kids at the 2 orphanages we would be working at. The school I go to owns one of the orphanages (The John Dickens' House/M-Lisada) and it is in partnership with the other (MYDEL).
We built the school at the MYDEL (Mengo Youth Development Link) site and we had 17 site days in which to complete the building and then paint it. We also painted the girls dorms at M-Lisada (Music, Life Skills and Destitution Alleviation) and the outside of the main building there on the last few site days.
After day 8 on site, we had finished the 4 classrooms on the second floor and we were all chuffed to bits. We managed to go from this..
 |
| We had scaffolding put up around the edge so we didn't fall off, don't worry! |
 |
| The wall with the dint in the middle is the one I was working on |
 |
| This is actually one of the walls I helped to build. |
So that was pretty mad. In between all the building, rendering and painting we did have some fun too (saying that, site was great fun at times - the team all got on so well!) We attended a Church service - weirdest Church service I've ever been too - and had some African drumming and dancing lessons. We went to Uganda's second city, Jinja and went to Main Street Primary School and taught some lessons, visited the Source of the River Nile, went white water rafting, did a bungee jump (amazing fun!) and visited a baby orphanage. Towards the end of the trip, we also went on a 3-day safari at Murchison Falls National Park which was an incredible experience despite the fact I was ill and couldn't keep much food down.
 |
| Going backwards over a 3m drop waterfall! |
 |
| 3..2..1..BUNGEE!! |
After 4 long weeks, we opened the newly re-named MYDEL-McQuilton Academy, presented the children who lived there with their brand new uniforms and watched with pride as the kids swarmed their new school.
 |
| The Medical Room |
Uganda was an incredible experience and I met some absolutely amazing people who I would've happily sat and chatted to for hours on end to listen to their stories about the lives they lead. The team I went out with there were the best people I could've hoped for to share those experiences with and we are all still really close, over a year later. I am still so proud of what I achieved in that month and wish I could go back again this year to see all of the friends I made whilst I was out there.
Do something you don't think you have the inner strength for and surprise yourself when you realise that you can do it.
Do everything with a smile on your face even if you feel like you can't keep going for much longer, look for the positives in every situation you find yourself in and surround yourself with a group of people who you know you can rely on no matter what.
And remember to feel proud of whatever you have done, no matter how small and know that you have the power to change somebody's life for the better.
 |
| When we arrived back home on the 2nd August 2013 |
Let me know what you think of this post and I'll see you again soon!
Charly xx
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Year 13 Leavers Day and Prom!
So I've taken a bit of a break because of revision and lack of general internet use over the last month (minus checking Twitter in the morning) but I feel I should probably post about my last day as a Sixth Former which was on the 23rd May..
On the last day of Year 13, traditionally people at our school dress up, play a few harmless "pranks" and then settle down for a two hour assembly before going out playing on the inflatables on the field then getting ready for prom. We did just this and it was the most amazing day and night.
My friends and I decided to dress up as hippies on the last day so we all bought a tie-dye t-shirts and accessories and then we thought in one free we could do a hippie protest! So we organised a date to make some protest signs, begged my Chemistry teacher to lend us her pop-up tent so that we could block a corridor between form time and period 1 with a mini-protest and got to work.
After the usual "Woo last ever Maths/Physics/Further lesson!" on Thursday, Friday morning finally arrived and naturally waking up at 5:30 from excitement started the day. We all met at a friends house for a champagne breakfast before school for pictures and so we could all arrive together. After pictures and luscious cakes made by our host we headed to school in our fancy dress, excited to see everyone in their fancy dress costumes.
After bumping into a load of Breaking Bad guys in full yellow hazmat suits, we got our signs and our tent and went to set up in the main corridor of the school for our protest. As the bell rang to signal the end of form time, we were ready.
The first trickle of kids and staff moving about the school started to pass us and we started our chant "Say no to nuclear! Make love not war!" with the occasional "Save the penguins!" thrown in there too. Most people looked a little bemused by the whole thing but we got a few people joining in (Make war not love was very popular amongst a group) and I'm sure a couple of people turned round and walked back past us. We were a little worried when the deputy head walked past not that we stop chanting or anything but he smiled and chuckled to himself so we got away with it.
We then moved to go see our friends briefly before I had to go to my Chemistry lesson which was basically just cake and goodbyes. The other half of our friendship group (basically, the boys) came as penguins and between 1st and 2nd period they decided to huddle in the main corridor where we were previously and block the way which was very funny until they got disbanded by a grumpy teacher.
Then we settled in for our assembly and we got a good look at everyone's costumes. We had superheroes, Red Indians, Pink Ladies, a swat team, escaped convicts, cowboys, pimps & hoes (with the girls as pimps) and a few other odd bits scattered around.
We went through all of the awards and some funny/embarrassing videos and I was very happy to be nominated (with 6% of the vote!) for Best Smile which was lovely. We then had some burgers, hot dogs and Coca-Cola provided free of charge by the sixth form before heading onto the field to the inflatables for some fun.
On the field we had a bouncy castle, an inflatable assault course, a bungee run and the sumo suits for wrestling. It was great fun going on all of the things and after lots of pictures with all my friends, we started to disperse to get ready for prom!
I again went to a friends house for a few glasses of champagne before prom and it was so great to see everyone in their dresses and suits and we had a few photos and then we headed up to school so we could get the buses to prom. The entire year gets onto a couple of double decker buses and we travel together to prom.
Once we were there, we got a professional photo taken at the door and a free glass of champagne and we then found a seat after looking around to see where things were. We had a professional photo booth in one room and then a silly photo booth at the bottom of the stairs with all sorts of props that you could use.
The night was full of dancing, laughter and photos interjected with a buffet dinner spread. We eventually managed to get even the most stubborn people dancing and watching the whole year doing the Cha Cha Slide and the Macarena in a tipsy state was highly amusing.
At the end of the night, some buses went into town and some went back to school. Being 18, I went into town which was filled with some more drinking, dancing and laughter.
I eventually got back home at 5:00 on Saturday morning and finally, after 23 and half hours of being up and on my feet, I closed my eyes on the best day of my school life with the most amazing people.
Chellaston is the school I've been at since Year 7 and in Sixth Form I made so many new friends who came from different schools and it really is the end of an era leaving there. I won't forget the thousands of memories I have from my time there.
I have 9 exams to go now so back to revising I go!
On the last day of Year 13, traditionally people at our school dress up, play a few harmless "pranks" and then settle down for a two hour assembly before going out playing on the inflatables on the field then getting ready for prom. We did just this and it was the most amazing day and night.
My friends and I decided to dress up as hippies on the last day so we all bought a tie-dye t-shirts and accessories and then we thought in one free we could do a hippie protest! So we organised a date to make some protest signs, begged my Chemistry teacher to lend us her pop-up tent so that we could block a corridor between form time and period 1 with a mini-protest and got to work.
 |
| Our protest signs |
After the usual "Woo last ever Maths/Physics/Further lesson!" on Thursday, Friday morning finally arrived and naturally waking up at 5:30 from excitement started the day. We all met at a friends house for a champagne breakfast before school for pictures and so we could all arrive together. After pictures and luscious cakes made by our host we headed to school in our fancy dress, excited to see everyone in their fancy dress costumes.
After bumping into a load of Breaking Bad guys in full yellow hazmat suits, we got our signs and our tent and went to set up in the main corridor of the school for our protest. As the bell rang to signal the end of form time, we were ready.
The first trickle of kids and staff moving about the school started to pass us and we started our chant "Say no to nuclear! Make love not war!" with the occasional "Save the penguins!" thrown in there too. Most people looked a little bemused by the whole thing but we got a few people joining in (Make war not love was very popular amongst a group) and I'm sure a couple of people turned round and walked back past us. We were a little worried when the deputy head walked past not that we stop chanting or anything but he smiled and chuckled to himself so we got away with it.
We then moved to go see our friends briefly before I had to go to my Chemistry lesson which was basically just cake and goodbyes. The other half of our friendship group (basically, the boys) came as penguins and between 1st and 2nd period they decided to huddle in the main corridor where we were previously and block the way which was very funny until they got disbanded by a grumpy teacher.
Then we settled in for our assembly and we got a good look at everyone's costumes. We had superheroes, Red Indians, Pink Ladies, a swat team, escaped convicts, cowboys, pimps & hoes (with the girls as pimps) and a few other odd bits scattered around.
We went through all of the awards and some funny/embarrassing videos and I was very happy to be nominated (with 6% of the vote!) for Best Smile which was lovely. We then had some burgers, hot dogs and Coca-Cola provided free of charge by the sixth form before heading onto the field to the inflatables for some fun.
On the field we had a bouncy castle, an inflatable assault course, a bungee run and the sumo suits for wrestling. It was great fun going on all of the things and after lots of pictures with all my friends, we started to disperse to get ready for prom!
I again went to a friends house for a few glasses of champagne before prom and it was so great to see everyone in their dresses and suits and we had a few photos and then we headed up to school so we could get the buses to prom. The entire year gets onto a couple of double decker buses and we travel together to prom.
Once we were there, we got a professional photo taken at the door and a free glass of champagne and we then found a seat after looking around to see where things were. We had a professional photo booth in one room and then a silly photo booth at the bottom of the stairs with all sorts of props that you could use.
The night was full of dancing, laughter and photos interjected with a buffet dinner spread. We eventually managed to get even the most stubborn people dancing and watching the whole year doing the Cha Cha Slide and the Macarena in a tipsy state was highly amusing.
At the end of the night, some buses went into town and some went back to school. Being 18, I went into town which was filled with some more drinking, dancing and laughter.
I eventually got back home at 5:00 on Saturday morning and finally, after 23 and half hours of being up and on my feet, I closed my eyes on the best day of my school life with the most amazing people.
Chellaston is the school I've been at since Year 7 and in Sixth Form I made so many new friends who came from different schools and it really is the end of an era leaving there. I won't forget the thousands of memories I have from my time there.
 |
Friday, 9 May 2014
Reflection
Hi again,
I hope you've all had a lovely week. I was looking through some old posts I did the other day and found this saved in my drafts, never posted. I thought it was probably worth a share but maybe not. I will add some extra on the bottom for the last two years at Sixth Form. Enjoy...
I looked back over my years (all 16 and a half of them) the other day. Not sure why - I was in a thoughtful mood - and I thought about how nothing has really stayed the same until recently. School has obviously been a massive part of my life and before that I can't really remember all that much.
When I was in primary school, (Aston-on-Trent Primary School - a tiny local village school where everybody knew everyone) everything was a big game. My imagination ran wild and I was argumentative and unbelievably stubborn. I had a couple of steady friends I called my best friends for the first half of primary school. Then we all drifted apart and I found another 2 girls who I called my best friends but we were much closer. One was a closer friend than the other but at that point in our lives we were both a bit on the fiery side and we had huge heated arguments where we ended up screaming at each other and refusing to talk to each other. The other girl was lovely and really quiet and always ended up walking away from us both to stop the other shouting at her (she was wise and clever even when we were 7). We always got over the fights though - not that we ever apologised to each other. We were both too proud for that. Looking back, I should have apologised, we both should have. It didn't ruin our friendship but it would have saved a lot of frosty silences. So Caitlin, I apologise for all those stupid arguments - not that I can remember what any were about, petty things I'm sure.
Then we all moved to secondary school, Chellaston Academy (or Chellaston Foundation School and Technology College as it was then) and got split up. I was in a form with 3 boys from Aston Primary and I didn't know anyone else. But as you do in situations like these, I made friends and soon I had a best friend who I sat next to in all our lessons except when the teacher had a seating plan. However, this didn't really last that long as halfway through year 7 she announced she was moving to Singapore at the end of the school year. By this time, I'd made plenty of new friends, through people I met in form and people I met by joining clubs and sports teams (netball predominantly)
So on we moved to year 8, where I became closer with Katie, a tall girl from netball who I shared some classes with as in year 8 we were 'set' slightly more than we were in year 7. By year 9, my friendship circle had grown once more and I was socialising with lots of different people. I had another best friend in addition to Katie and the three of us were close.
Once we moved into Key Stage 4 (years 10 and 11), the two halves of the year we were originally put in disappeared and I was in classes with Ellen again (the quiet girl from Aston). Katie and I moved away from the other friend and she started to talk with Caitlin and Ellen and the four of us have been steady friends from then on.
Everything was very jumbled until year 10 for me, then it started to settle down. It's taken a while to find out who those real friends are and what things are for me and which things (for example English and Art) most definitely are not. School is a hard time I think and a lot of people don't give much credit to things they've learnt whilst being there. People say they hate school but without it, where would we be? I wouldn't have met half the people I know if it hadn't have been for school. You learn much more than your ABC's at school I've found.
Year 11 was a super busy year (or I thought it was, turns out it was a bit of a doss compared to Sixth Form really) with GCSEs and having my first proper 'serious' boyfriend. But I came out of it quite happy and confident I had more than the required 5 Bs I needed to get into Chellaston Academy Sixth Form.
August came and I did, I was chuffed to pieces with my results and I got where I wanted. September came and suddenly I was in Sixth Form where the staff treated you very differently to the way they did in lower school. You were an adult, they understood that you were there because you wanted to be, not that you were forced to be like you perhaps were in lower years. I found myself again with a different jumble of people whilst still being close to Katie, Ellen and Caitlin. Externals from different schools also joined our Sixth Form but the majority of people were from Chellaston and I had known them for 5 years already.
I imagine it must've been hard being an external, I tried to make any that were in my classes feel welcome and I made some more friends through classes, friends of friends and stuff like that. So once more, my social circle widened. I'm lucky I think to have been part of such a big group of people that all get on so well. We are the second biggest, maybe even the biggest, group in school but we're all quite close still, even there are smaller factions within the main group.
Year 12 contained some great memories, the most prominent of which is the Uganda 2013 trip which was the best month of my life and holds such a special place in my heart and always will. (I will be writing a post about Uganda soon as my blog sort of missed out on this development!)
Now I'm two weeks away from finishing year 13 and under lots of pressure from myself to do well in my upcoming A-Level exams and get into university where I want to study Chemistry. I identify with having 8 best friends who are all my best friends in different ways. Despite drifting away from Katie a little, this year we became closer again and are as strong as ever. My two girls from Aston are still here with me, 11 years later! I can't thank those two enough for the amount they've done for me over the years. A boy I met in Chellaston is also there and he is the one person I can rely on to cheer me up no matter what, he just gets me. Then there are 4 'externals' who I only met in September 2012 but play such a big part in my life now that they had to be included.
A rollercoaster ride that has lasted 14 years is quickly approaching its end and I feel like I have made some lifelong friends and some fantastic memories along the way. With more ups and downs than I think I could ever process, school really has been good and I have loved it. Even those terrible Monday mornings.
I hope you've all had a lovely week. I was looking through some old posts I did the other day and found this saved in my drafts, never posted. I thought it was probably worth a share but maybe not. I will add some extra on the bottom for the last two years at Sixth Form. Enjoy...
I looked back over my years (all 16 and a half of them) the other day. Not sure why - I was in a thoughtful mood - and I thought about how nothing has really stayed the same until recently. School has obviously been a massive part of my life and before that I can't really remember all that much.
When I was in primary school, (Aston-on-Trent Primary School - a tiny local village school where everybody knew everyone) everything was a big game. My imagination ran wild and I was argumentative and unbelievably stubborn. I had a couple of steady friends I called my best friends for the first half of primary school. Then we all drifted apart and I found another 2 girls who I called my best friends but we were much closer. One was a closer friend than the other but at that point in our lives we were both a bit on the fiery side and we had huge heated arguments where we ended up screaming at each other and refusing to talk to each other. The other girl was lovely and really quiet and always ended up walking away from us both to stop the other shouting at her (she was wise and clever even when we were 7). We always got over the fights though - not that we ever apologised to each other. We were both too proud for that. Looking back, I should have apologised, we both should have. It didn't ruin our friendship but it would have saved a lot of frosty silences. So Caitlin, I apologise for all those stupid arguments - not that I can remember what any were about, petty things I'm sure.
Then we all moved to secondary school, Chellaston Academy (or Chellaston Foundation School and Technology College as it was then) and got split up. I was in a form with 3 boys from Aston Primary and I didn't know anyone else. But as you do in situations like these, I made friends and soon I had a best friend who I sat next to in all our lessons except when the teacher had a seating plan. However, this didn't really last that long as halfway through year 7 she announced she was moving to Singapore at the end of the school year. By this time, I'd made plenty of new friends, through people I met in form and people I met by joining clubs and sports teams (netball predominantly)
So on we moved to year 8, where I became closer with Katie, a tall girl from netball who I shared some classes with as in year 8 we were 'set' slightly more than we were in year 7. By year 9, my friendship circle had grown once more and I was socialising with lots of different people. I had another best friend in addition to Katie and the three of us were close.
Once we moved into Key Stage 4 (years 10 and 11), the two halves of the year we were originally put in disappeared and I was in classes with Ellen again (the quiet girl from Aston). Katie and I moved away from the other friend and she started to talk with Caitlin and Ellen and the four of us have been steady friends from then on.
Everything was very jumbled until year 10 for me, then it started to settle down. It's taken a while to find out who those real friends are and what things are for me and which things (for example English and Art) most definitely are not. School is a hard time I think and a lot of people don't give much credit to things they've learnt whilst being there. People say they hate school but without it, where would we be? I wouldn't have met half the people I know if it hadn't have been for school. You learn much more than your ABC's at school I've found.
Year 11 was a super busy year (or I thought it was, turns out it was a bit of a doss compared to Sixth Form really) with GCSEs and having my first proper 'serious' boyfriend. But I came out of it quite happy and confident I had more than the required 5 Bs I needed to get into Chellaston Academy Sixth Form.
August came and I did, I was chuffed to pieces with my results and I got where I wanted. September came and suddenly I was in Sixth Form where the staff treated you very differently to the way they did in lower school. You were an adult, they understood that you were there because you wanted to be, not that you were forced to be like you perhaps were in lower years. I found myself again with a different jumble of people whilst still being close to Katie, Ellen and Caitlin. Externals from different schools also joined our Sixth Form but the majority of people were from Chellaston and I had known them for 5 years already.
I imagine it must've been hard being an external, I tried to make any that were in my classes feel welcome and I made some more friends through classes, friends of friends and stuff like that. So once more, my social circle widened. I'm lucky I think to have been part of such a big group of people that all get on so well. We are the second biggest, maybe even the biggest, group in school but we're all quite close still, even there are smaller factions within the main group.
Year 12 contained some great memories, the most prominent of which is the Uganda 2013 trip which was the best month of my life and holds such a special place in my heart and always will. (I will be writing a post about Uganda soon as my blog sort of missed out on this development!)
Now I'm two weeks away from finishing year 13 and under lots of pressure from myself to do well in my upcoming A-Level exams and get into university where I want to study Chemistry. I identify with having 8 best friends who are all my best friends in different ways. Despite drifting away from Katie a little, this year we became closer again and are as strong as ever. My two girls from Aston are still here with me, 11 years later! I can't thank those two enough for the amount they've done for me over the years. A boy I met in Chellaston is also there and he is the one person I can rely on to cheer me up no matter what, he just gets me. Then there are 4 'externals' who I only met in September 2012 but play such a big part in my life now that they had to be included.
A rollercoaster ride that has lasted 14 years is quickly approaching its end and I feel like I have made some lifelong friends and some fantastic memories along the way. With more ups and downs than I think I could ever process, school really has been good and I have loved it. Even those terrible Monday mornings.
Monday, 5 May 2014
Fresh Start
Okay, so I've taken a 2 year break from this which I realise is quite bad but I've decided to start up again. I've done some minor design changes and set up changes (like the actual address because that was a mouthful and a half!). Hopefully my posts will be quite regular but with final year A-Level exams coming up, I might be taking a few breaks where I don't post because of high amounts of stress and work!
Hi!
For any of you who don't know me, here are 10 quick facts about me:
1. My name is Charly
2. I am 18 years old
3. I live in the East Midlands in England
4. Next school year, I want to go to university to study Chemistry
5. I am currently studying Chemistry, Maths, Physics and Further Maths
6. I am obsessed with music
7. I am an only child and have no pets
8. I ride a motorbike
9. I play netball 2-3 times a week
10. I really hope you enjoy this blog and I can keep it up!
Please feel free to leave any comments, I greatly appreciate them all :) x
Hi!
For any of you who don't know me, here are 10 quick facts about me:
1. My name is Charly
2. I am 18 years old
3. I live in the East Midlands in England
4. Next school year, I want to go to university to study Chemistry
5. I am currently studying Chemistry, Maths, Physics and Further Maths
6. I am obsessed with music
7. I am an only child and have no pets
8. I ride a motorbike
9. I play netball 2-3 times a week
10. I really hope you enjoy this blog and I can keep it up!
Please feel free to leave any comments, I greatly appreciate them all :) x
Monday, 11 June 2012
I've left.. why are you still overtaking my life?
It's been a month since I last posted but I am happy to say the majority of my exams are now out of the way and over with. I have 2 left - Statistics and Resistant Materials (Tech). The other exams went ok I guess. Except English. English was hell - I'm so glad I never have to do that again. I've split up the exams into days which is why there is a group of 3 - this day I labelled 'Hell Day'. I was in isolation all day - it was tedious but never mind, we got cake at lunch.
Citizenship - easy. Over in an hour, simple question. Good start
Biology - ok. Best it could've been. Questions about Olaf the farmer.
Spanish Listening - not good. Everyone came out of that and went "what was that?". So hopefully they'll lower the grade boundaries. Questions on Olga. Made me laugh as Biology and this were on the same day.
Chemistry - nice exam, nothing too difficult, didn't finish but never mind, I answered all the high marked questions and I only had one question left so I don't think it'll affect my grade too much
English Lit - awful questions in a stuffy sports hall full to the brim of bored year 11s with aching hands. But at least I never have to look at 'Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha' ever again.
Spanish Reading - much better than the listening exam. Hopefully I will have pulled it back from the depths of awful to the the acceptable.
English Language - a resit from year 10. I think it went ok but the texts were some of the most boring you have ever read. I mean, seriously, who cares about Urban Foxes? The writing section wasn't too bad so hopefully it'll all balance out. The best mark goes through so if I do really bad, I can always use last year's mark. Which is a positive at least.
Business Studies - surprisingly ok. Some decent questions and not too many long essay ones. I reckon I did ok and a definite bonus is no more Business Studies!
Physics - again, a nice one. I think I did well but I'm worried that it seemed a little too easy. I'm hoping the grade boundaries aren't too high so I'll get a good grade in Physics overall - I am taking it for A-level after all
Additional Maths - could've gone better but what can you do about it now? Some very tricky, complicated questions but in the past boundaries have been low so maybe that'll continue this year. I suppose, in the end, it's just an extra qualification - I've already got Maths in the bag, Ad Maths is just an added bonus.
There's a quick rundown of the exams. Most of this was crammed into 2 weeks with lots of full days at school. This is part of the reason I haven't posted since I left school. Exams and revision.
Now, on a less academic note, I have found my prom dress! It's really pretty but now I have 17 days to find shoes, a bag and transport. I'm cutting it a little fine but I've got some free time now so hopefully it'll all come together.
This whole post has been about school and school-related things. I've left school so why is it still overtaking my life? After the 28th June, I've got 2 whole months off to do whatever I want before returning to sixth form. Exciting. Until next time - hopefully the gap will be shorter this time.
Citizenship - easy. Over in an hour, simple question. Good start
Biology - ok. Best it could've been. Questions about Olaf the farmer.
Spanish Listening - not good. Everyone came out of that and went "what was that?". So hopefully they'll lower the grade boundaries. Questions on Olga. Made me laugh as Biology and this were on the same day.
Chemistry - nice exam, nothing too difficult, didn't finish but never mind, I answered all the high marked questions and I only had one question left so I don't think it'll affect my grade too much
English Lit - awful questions in a stuffy sports hall full to the brim of bored year 11s with aching hands. But at least I never have to look at 'Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha' ever again.
Spanish Reading - much better than the listening exam. Hopefully I will have pulled it back from the depths of awful to the the acceptable.
English Language - a resit from year 10. I think it went ok but the texts were some of the most boring you have ever read. I mean, seriously, who cares about Urban Foxes? The writing section wasn't too bad so hopefully it'll all balance out. The best mark goes through so if I do really bad, I can always use last year's mark. Which is a positive at least.
Business Studies - surprisingly ok. Some decent questions and not too many long essay ones. I reckon I did ok and a definite bonus is no more Business Studies!
Physics - again, a nice one. I think I did well but I'm worried that it seemed a little too easy. I'm hoping the grade boundaries aren't too high so I'll get a good grade in Physics overall - I am taking it for A-level after all
Additional Maths - could've gone better but what can you do about it now? Some very tricky, complicated questions but in the past boundaries have been low so maybe that'll continue this year. I suppose, in the end, it's just an extra qualification - I've already got Maths in the bag, Ad Maths is just an added bonus.
There's a quick rundown of the exams. Most of this was crammed into 2 weeks with lots of full days at school. This is part of the reason I haven't posted since I left school. Exams and revision.
Now, on a less academic note, I have found my prom dress! It's really pretty but now I have 17 days to find shoes, a bag and transport. I'm cutting it a little fine but I've got some free time now so hopefully it'll all come together.
This whole post has been about school and school-related things. I've left school so why is it still overtaking my life? After the 28th June, I've got 2 whole months off to do whatever I want before returning to sixth form. Exciting. Until next time - hopefully the gap will be shorter this time.
Friday, 11 May 2012
Leavers Day at Chellaston Academy
Today was a happy but sad day for me. Today was the day I "left" Chellaston Academy. I've made so many friends over the five years I've been there but I'm hopefully going back in September for Sixth Form.
Form was definitely the worst. It passed so quickly and although I have complained about them in the past, I've seen them every day for 5 years and that creates a bond whether you like it or not so it was sad knowing that it was the last time we would ever be a form. Long live SBK! (SBK is my form tutors initials - her name's Miss Starbuck)
My shirt is full of signatures and messages. I've taken a ridiculous amount of photos and been in a lot more above that. It was a lovely sunny day all day and only ruined by a small group of immature people. But no need to dwell on them.
Now all I've got to do is pass my exams. No pressure then. Until next time people.
Form was definitely the worst. It passed so quickly and although I have complained about them in the past, I've seen them every day for 5 years and that creates a bond whether you like it or not so it was sad knowing that it was the last time we would ever be a form. Long live SBK! (SBK is my form tutors initials - her name's Miss Starbuck)
My shirt is full of signatures and messages. I've taken a ridiculous amount of photos and been in a lot more above that. It was a lovely sunny day all day and only ruined by a small group of immature people. But no need to dwell on them.
 |
| The whole of Year 11, Class of 2012 |
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
The Grand European Tour
If any of you follow me on Twitter (@charly_sedici), you'll have some idea what this is about but if you don't, I'm going to explain.
However, before we get onto that I need to quickly warn you that posting over the next few weeks may be a little on the sparse side due to lots of revision sessions, exams etc. but the majority of exams (10 out of 12) will be completed by the end of May so it should go back to normal after that. And now on to the point...
The Grand European Tour
My parents and I have decided our holiday for the year will be a bike holiday because they are amazing fun and a lot more interesting than sitting on a beach for a week. We'll be going in August but we are fully booked for the three ferries and train we have to take.
We'll be gone for 15 days and get back a few days before I get my results for my GCSEs. We start the journey at Portsmouth and take an overnight ferry to Santander, Spain. After arriving in Spain, we'll be riding across Spain passing and potentially stopping (dependant on how long we want to ride for, light) at Jaca before crossing the Pyrenees into the South of France, passing through places such as Narbonne and Nice.
We will then cross over the border into Italy for a brief period, past Milan for a quick stop at Venice hopefully. After the brief crossing of the northern part of Italy, we intend to enter the edges of Switzerland before heading south through Zagreb, Slovenia to Croatia where the final destination is Split.
From Split, we will take another overnight ferry to Ancona, Italy. We will then ride around central Italy for a couple of days. We are hoping to visit and ride through Pisa and Parma (it all sounds rather food-y doesn't it?) before heading to Livorno.
At Livorno, we will be catching an overnight train to Den Bosch in the Netherlands. We will then ride from Den Bosch to Rotterdam where we will catch a final overnight ferry to Hull, England and ride home from Hull.
If this all goes to plan and we don't have to cut any of the proposed route out because we want to stop somewhere because it looks really nice or we just can't be bothered to do any more riding, we will be crossing through 7 countries, excluding England. We wanted to go further, however we had certain time constraints and my parents didn't feel that they could close the business for any longer than two weeks.
They sell soft motorbike luggage and accessories if you were interested. (www.windingroads.co.uk - this is the website, if you're looking for something, we'll try our best to help you find it) and being a small business that ships out all over Europe, we can't afford to close the business for too long but I think the route looks good for what it is and it should be a good holiday.
I'm planning on taking lots of photos to provide a pictographic representation of our trip as we go - Europe's scenery is beautiful so I reckon it'll make a great collage.
Anyway, I'll try not to post about motorbikes for a couple of posts unless something major comes up that I really want to post about. I hope that you enjoyed your long bank holiday weekend (if you live in England; if you don't, I hope you had a good weekend) and I'll post as soon as time allows. Until next time..
However, before we get onto that I need to quickly warn you that posting over the next few weeks may be a little on the sparse side due to lots of revision sessions, exams etc. but the majority of exams (10 out of 12) will be completed by the end of May so it should go back to normal after that. And now on to the point...
The Grand European Tour
My parents and I have decided our holiday for the year will be a bike holiday because they are amazing fun and a lot more interesting than sitting on a beach for a week. We'll be going in August but we are fully booked for the three ferries and train we have to take.
We'll be gone for 15 days and get back a few days before I get my results for my GCSEs. We start the journey at Portsmouth and take an overnight ferry to Santander, Spain. After arriving in Spain, we'll be riding across Spain passing and potentially stopping (dependant on how long we want to ride for, light) at Jaca before crossing the Pyrenees into the South of France, passing through places such as Narbonne and Nice.
We will then cross over the border into Italy for a brief period, past Milan for a quick stop at Venice hopefully. After the brief crossing of the northern part of Italy, we intend to enter the edges of Switzerland before heading south through Zagreb, Slovenia to Croatia where the final destination is Split.
From Split, we will take another overnight ferry to Ancona, Italy. We will then ride around central Italy for a couple of days. We are hoping to visit and ride through Pisa and Parma (it all sounds rather food-y doesn't it?) before heading to Livorno.
At Livorno, we will be catching an overnight train to Den Bosch in the Netherlands. We will then ride from Den Bosch to Rotterdam where we will catch a final overnight ferry to Hull, England and ride home from Hull.
If this all goes to plan and we don't have to cut any of the proposed route out because we want to stop somewhere because it looks really nice or we just can't be bothered to do any more riding, we will be crossing through 7 countries, excluding England. We wanted to go further, however we had certain time constraints and my parents didn't feel that they could close the business for any longer than two weeks.
They sell soft motorbike luggage and accessories if you were interested. (www.windingroads.co.uk - this is the website, if you're looking for something, we'll try our best to help you find it) and being a small business that ships out all over Europe, we can't afford to close the business for too long but I think the route looks good for what it is and it should be a good holiday.
I'm planning on taking lots of photos to provide a pictographic representation of our trip as we go - Europe's scenery is beautiful so I reckon it'll make a great collage.
Anyway, I'll try not to post about motorbikes for a couple of posts unless something major comes up that I really want to post about. I hope that you enjoyed your long bank holiday weekend (if you live in England; if you don't, I hope you had a good weekend) and I'll post as soon as time allows. Until next time..
Monday, 30 April 2012
My Top Ten... Films
I chose to do another list type thing today, much like the post entitled 'My Life in Letters' posted on 19th March (in case you were interested). But today I have chosen to do my top ten films which is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever done because I've watched and loved hundreds of films and been moved by others too. So I'm not sure how this is going to work but here goes, I'll put an explanation after each and I'll write it in reverse order, so the tension builds - not really, I just thought it'd be a little more interesting.
My Top 10 Films.
10. Love Actually. It's the classic chick flick, what more can I say? It's a brilliant Christmas film too, all about people finally getting together (which is cute)
9. Never Been Kissed. I love this because it's about a journalist who goes back to school and changes from being a nobody at her original time at school to a 'popular' when she returns but she realises it's not all that and pulls through at the end. There's a little bit of a chick flick twist. This film is good for teenagers I think because it shows that being super popular doesn't really amount to much in the end despite everyone pining to be someone is secondary school.
8. Step Up. I just liked the cross over between ballet and street (personally, I think street dancing is much more impressive) and the determined attitude of Tyler (the main male role) to turn his life around and actually make something of it.
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I hated the end to this film but it was so moving. I almost cried and that's saying something because I never cry. Well not never, but not at films and books and things.
6. Mean Girls. The ultimate sleepover film. Every time me and my friends have a sleepover we watch this film. We've seen it so many times, I'm pretty sure we all know the majority of the words. Another great sleepover film is Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
5. Grease. It has to be the cheesiest, most feel-good musical ever and that's exactly why I love it. The songs are all really catchy too. Apart from the two when Danny and Sandy are being all sad and mourning the loss of the other one.
4. Monty Python's Life of Brian. Funniest film ever. 'He's not the Messiah, he IS the Messiah' Cracks me up every time. Hat's off to the Monty Python crew. It's a different look on religion but you can't take it seriously, it is a comedy after all.
3. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Another chick flick but my mum and I watch it all the time.
2. Top Gun. The opening sequence to this film is the best I've ever seen and my dad agrees (it's the only part of the film he likes - he hates chick flicks). The rest of the film is a little patchy admittedly but I still think it's good.
And finally, number 1 on my top 10 films list is...
Harry Potter. I would name a specific film out of the eight but I can't. I love the series as a whole, I've grown up with the books and the films and have been one of hundreds, maybe even thousands, who have eagerly awaited each book and film release. When I went to the cinema to see the final instalment (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II), I found it immensely annoying that there was small children there who clearly just didn't understand the pure magic that J.K Rowling created for us all growing up, they just thought it was a merely good film. I doubt that they'd seen the whole series or even read one of the books.
But there you have it, I am a Harry Potter fan - and a proud one at that. It is a film series that has captivated me since day 1 and even though it is all over now, the films (and books) still hold a place in my heart which is why they, as a whole, made it to the number one spot on this list.
My Top 10 Films.
10. Love Actually. It's the classic chick flick, what more can I say? It's a brilliant Christmas film too, all about people finally getting together (which is cute)
9. Never Been Kissed. I love this because it's about a journalist who goes back to school and changes from being a nobody at her original time at school to a 'popular' when she returns but she realises it's not all that and pulls through at the end. There's a little bit of a chick flick twist. This film is good for teenagers I think because it shows that being super popular doesn't really amount to much in the end despite everyone pining to be someone is secondary school.
8. Step Up. I just liked the cross over between ballet and street (personally, I think street dancing is much more impressive) and the determined attitude of Tyler (the main male role) to turn his life around and actually make something of it.
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I hated the end to this film but it was so moving. I almost cried and that's saying something because I never cry. Well not never, but not at films and books and things.
6. Mean Girls. The ultimate sleepover film. Every time me and my friends have a sleepover we watch this film. We've seen it so many times, I'm pretty sure we all know the majority of the words. Another great sleepover film is Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
5. Grease. It has to be the cheesiest, most feel-good musical ever and that's exactly why I love it. The songs are all really catchy too. Apart from the two when Danny and Sandy are being all sad and mourning the loss of the other one.
4. Monty Python's Life of Brian. Funniest film ever. 'He's not the Messiah, he IS the Messiah' Cracks me up every time. Hat's off to the Monty Python crew. It's a different look on religion but you can't take it seriously, it is a comedy after all.
3. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Another chick flick but my mum and I watch it all the time.
2. Top Gun. The opening sequence to this film is the best I've ever seen and my dad agrees (it's the only part of the film he likes - he hates chick flicks). The rest of the film is a little patchy admittedly but I still think it's good.
And finally, number 1 on my top 10 films list is...
Harry Potter. I would name a specific film out of the eight but I can't. I love the series as a whole, I've grown up with the books and the films and have been one of hundreds, maybe even thousands, who have eagerly awaited each book and film release. When I went to the cinema to see the final instalment (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II), I found it immensely annoying that there was small children there who clearly just didn't understand the pure magic that J.K Rowling created for us all growing up, they just thought it was a merely good film. I doubt that they'd seen the whole series or even read one of the books.
But there you have it, I am a Harry Potter fan - and a proud one at that. It is a film series that has captivated me since day 1 and even though it is all over now, the films (and books) still hold a place in my heart which is why they, as a whole, made it to the number one spot on this list.
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