Good Friday? Glorious Week

In the end alcoholic drinks were started as close to 12 as possible. Else and I spent the morning wandering the Northern Quarter before heading to Slice pizza for an excellent slice of pesto pizza and an aperol spritz.

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We then took the tram to Didsbury where we bought some gins in tins before walking to one of Else’s friends’ flat. We chilled for a little before being joined by some more of her friends, buying some snacks and driving to Fletcher Moss park where we spent the afternoon enjoying the sunshine. After the sun disappeared and it started to cool down we went for some food before going to some of the boys’ house where the plan was to play board games but after quickly falling asleep we decided it was probably best to return to Else’s. We spent the evening watching A Knight’s Tale while laughing at how ridiculous it actually is.

We filled Sunday with culture and spent a few hours at the Manchester Art Gallery before stopping for some lunch at the Teacup.

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We then walked around Josh Ryland’s library before heading back to Else’s for some gin – we made it 3 which seemed like an achievement after Saturday.

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We drank and listened to music on Else’s balcony before meeting some of her friends again for a drink and some food at Almost Famous. Else and I decided to share a Big Bitch which the guy who served us seemed to think would be too much for us – it wasn’t.

We returned home and continued gin drinking and spent the evening watching 50 Shades while again laughing at how ridiculous the film is and repeating Jamie Dornan’s lines with a Northern Irish accent.

I woke up on Monday feeling a little worse for wear but after some water, a shower and a bagel I was feeling better. We had planned to visit Chetham’s library but after it was closed when we arrived we decided to go for some lunch at Pita Pit before wandering around Waterstones – 3 floors and an absolute dream – where Else bought a few books. We then returned to Else’s where after she had a little nap, we drank a bottle of glorious bottle of Rioja and Else made a pasta bake. She then introduced me to Black Mirror before I introduced her to Raised by Wolves – amazing TV, excellent wine and glorious friends make for a perfect evening.

We got up early on Tuesday as I had to catch my train and Else had to go to work. The train journey was pretty quiet and it passed quickly while listening to music and watching more Skins. Rebekah collected me from the station with Mamie and after driving home I watched a little Zootropolis before unpacking and repacking my case ready for a few days in Newcastle with my Mam. Once my Mam and Dad were both back from work we set off where we checked into our hotel. We then set off for the Hilton where we enjoyed a G+T before our meal. After we’d finished eating we headed round to the meeting area and stood in the queue waiting to meet Brian McFadden and Keith Duffy AKA Boyzlife.

They were lovely and after grabbing some seats close to the middle and not too far from the front we decided to start again on the drinks and bought a bottle of prosecco. They wouldn’t let us bring the bottle in so Mam had to keep going out for more – pretty sure we ended up with an extra 2 glasses as Mam was convinced there was too much out of the bottle before he cracked open another. The singing wasn’t perfect but the stories were funny and the atmosphere was excellent.

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After the show was finished I was also able to meet Val from Emmerdale  – she loved my blouse and i am defnitely as drunk as I look in that photo – before we walked back to the hotel.

 

After getting up on Wednesday we walked up to the Alchemist for an excellent breakfast of waffles, bacon and maple syrup with a cup of tea that was served with dry ice.

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We then had a wander through Eldon Square before heading to the cinema to see Beauty and the Beast – absolutely joyous, loved it. We went to Pret A Manger for a little lunch before Mam went to get her hair cut and I went to the Laing Art Gallery for a Quentin Blake exhibition. It was full of original Quentin Blake illustrations, had tables for children to draw their own stories and had a corner full of armchairs and loads of books written and illustrated by Quentin Blake – it was perfect.

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I would highly recommend Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, so heartbreaking but so beautiful. Once back in the hotel I showered and got dressed and we walked to the Slug and Lettuce for some food before walking to the Sage ready for Aljaz and Janette’s Remembering Fred – despite a technical glitch where half of the lights stopped working it was glorious. We took the bus back to the hotel and very quickly fell asleep.

We got up on Thursday and after packing our stuff together, we checked out of the hotel and went to Cafe Rouge for pancakes for breakfast before walking to catch the bus home. I then spent the rest of the day catching up on TV and trying to nap the day away.

On Good Friday my Dad and I ventured down to Saltburn. We played on the 2p machines and won enough tokens for a How to Train Your Dragon bubble wand and a green ring – definitely worth it. We then walked along the pier, blowing bubbles all over the beach before having excellent fish and chips and getting an ice cream to eat while walking back to the car.

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We then spent the rest of the afternoon binge watching the West Wing.

Today has been pretty chilled out and after a trip to see my Grandma and Grandad to wish them a happy anniversary and spent a good half hour sitting on Snapchat with Aodhan and Joe. I’ve then spent my evening watching Sister Act and Moana.

This week has been exceptionally busy but so worth it and absolutely excellent – definitely going to need to detox once I’m back in Vigo next week!

Women of the World, We Have A Voice

I have had it with this week, and it’s only Thursday. 

The last 2 days I have been overwhelmed with sexist bullshit from each and every angle with it all getting too much yesterday evening. The afternoon began with discussions about Girl Up with Katie. We had open and frank discussions about victim shaming and consent, talked about individual experiences and continued our overflowing love fest for Girl Up. I had also spent the afternoon catching up with the latest Broadchurch – for anybody who hasn’t been watching, this series has been dealing with a serial rape case and it is gripping. The thing I have loved is the way they are shining light on the way victims are treated by their peers and people who should be helping them. Since the first episode they have had characters ask the same preposterous questions that people ask all the time “was she drunk? What was she wearing? She had been very sexually active so maybe she was asking for it?” AKA victim-blaming bullshit. The victim should never be blamed. 

It was after this that I started to notice that my Facebook was loaded with misogyny and sexism. The daily mail front page focussing on Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon’s legs instead of the very real possibility of Scotland becoming a completely independent country. United Airlines not allowing a group of young girls onto a flight as they weren’t dressed “appropriately”. The man who abused his wife, hitting her with a cricket bat and forcing her to drink bleach, being given a suspended sentence as the judge didn’t think the victim was vulnerable as she was an intelligent, educated woman with a lot of friends. 

Everywhere I looked I was surrounded by stories of sexism and misogyny and it infuriated me. Each one of these stories is yet another reason why we need feminism. We live in a society where inequality for women has become the norm. So normal in fact that people don’t realise when they are being sexist or they refuse to believe there is inequality at all. The best way to try and move forward is education, it needs to be discussed in schools with children and teenagers who are still trying to work out who they are in this world. But it needs to start even before that so that young girls aren’t being told they can’t play football and they aren’t strong, while at the same time young boys aren’t being told they can’t like princess films and playing with dolls. 

The world is full of inequality, a lot of it is difficult for us to change but every thing starts small and every little thing helps to contribute to the bigger movement. So let the small discussions become big discussions and let’s try and help gender equality move forward. 
The title of the post comes from Lessie – Daughters which you can listen to here: https://youtu.be/xqmEInn9pKc 

February – Anne of Green Gables, Scrappy Little Nobody and The Sister

Yet again last month all of the books I read were written by a woman with a female at the centre of the story – or stories – and they have been excellent once again. Two have even centred around red headed females which I found strange as they were chosen by chance to read in the same month. With the weather being so good, reading between classes was a joy in the sunshine meaning that again I finished 3 books last month – success!
Lucy Maud Montgomery – Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables is one of those classics I knew very little about until I started using Pinterest. I was forever scrolling through screenshots from the film but it wasn’t until I watched an adaptation with my Mam – it had Martin Sheen in and I feel like it was potentially on Hallmark – that I decided to give it a read. As it’s a classic the book was free on my kindle – winner – so while trying to expand my reading horizons I downloaded it. I found it very easy to read and it was a perfect accompaniment to my cups of tea at the beach during my breaks at school. It’s also always nice to read a book with a redhead as the main character – even if she spends the first half of the book complaining about it. As with other books I have read recently I thought it seemed to end quite quickly – although maybe it just feels that way when I’m enjoying a book so much – and after all the posts on Pinterest I’d expected a lot more Gilbert Blythe. All in all I liked the book a lot and am definitely enjoying reading more of the classics that I feel like should have already read. 
Anna Kendrick – Scrappy Little Nobody

I knew I wanted to read this as soon as Anna Kendrick posted a picture on instagram saying it was going to be a thing. I got it for Christmas and managed to stretch reading it over a good 5 weeks by reading a little everyday before going to sleep. I loved it. I laughed, I cried, I cringed – it was exactly what I expected and I loved finding out a little more about an actress that I love so much. It was split into sections and contained anecdotes about her love life, career, family and friends. Before reading it I hadn’t realised she’d been a child stage actress and found it interesting to read about how she had grown up while working. I’ve already lent the book to 2 of the other girls here so I think it will be well and truly read and enjoyed. 
Louise Jensen – The Sister

I decided to give this a read after it came up as a recommended read after Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects. It was labelled as a “psychological thriller with a brilliant twist you won’t see coming” which – without giving too much away – would have been more believable if the book wasn’t named The Sister. That’s not to say the book wasn’t good or that I guessed exactly how it was going to end but another name may have been a better choice. When I first started I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to finish as Jensen does have a strange writing style which I found a little irritating at first. However once I got halfway through – and the plot began to thicken – I was gripped and finished it in a few hours. I have since downloaded her other novel in the hope that it will be as easy to read and help to fill the time.

Feminist is not a dirty word

Today is international women’s day – yass women. However my joy over the day was somewhat stilted when I saw a quote from Katy Perry posted by some man on instagram which read “I’m not a feminist but I believe in the strength of women”. Great, so you believe in the strength of women but don’t believe they should be given equal opportunities, given equal rights, treated equally. That, in its simplest form, is feminism. The oxford dictionary defines feminism as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of equality of the sexes”. It isn’t the idea – that is held by many – that feminists hate men, have to grow their armpit hair and live in a commune with other feminists. Maya Angelou once said “I’m a feminist. I’ve been a female for a long time now. It’d be stupid not to be on my own side”. That is what feminism is – supporting other women in the fight for equal rights for all women. And that’s what it is, it’s a fight. And this is the time to come together and keep pushing for equality. Women should be able to live their lives the way they want to. Girls should be taught that they can do anything they put they mind to, because they can. Want to be a architect? Great. Want to be a hairdresser? Excellent. Want to be a world leader? You go for it girl. 
Women are fantastic. We are strong, intelligent and brave. We should be supporting each other so that when we’re faced with misogyny and sexist bullshit, we have each other for support and encouragement. 

I am a feminist – because feminist is not a dirty word. 

Galentine’s Day

Galentine’s day has very quickly become one of my favourite days in the year. It was created for the TV show Parks and Recreation in 2010. It is best described by Leslie Knope as ” the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and boyfriends at home and just come kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies.” I first watched Parks and Recreation in 2014. “Watched” is probably putting it quite lightly – for a month or so at the beginning of my final year I watched little else and I was instantly obsessed.

With my obsession in full flow by February it was decided that we would celebrate Galentine’s day and it was excellent. I had only spent time with Else once or twice prior to the 13th but when Briony asked if it would be cool if she joined I of course said yes. It was the evening that Else and I became Facebook friends and the evening we became a trio, the Clan. It was also the evening that caused my first two day hangover but it was definitely worth it. Between us we drank a bottle of cava followed by 1l bottle of Gordon’s turned into a range of cocktails, we ate pasta bake – before Briony went full gluten free – and we discussed our lives. It was 100% the best evening of my university life in Hull.

Last year was when I became seriously committed to Galentine’s card making. I made and sent 6 cards – some with a load of heart shaped chocolates and other treats, all full of glitter confetti. Hannah and I then went for belated Galentine’s celebrations at Hop and Cleaver and I ate incredible chicken and waffles and we drank cocktails. Friends and cocktails; there is no downside to Galentine’s day.

This year i’ve sent 8 cards as my love for Galentine’s and my fave gals grows.

It has unfortunately fallen on a Monday this year meaning I can’t get ridiculously gin drunk but it will no doubt include some wine and waffles, and is sure to immensely improve a Monday.

My best friends and I rarely need an occasion to share our appreciation for each other. It spills out when one of us is a little drunk, sad or just feeling the love and turns into a fountain of compliments, reminiscing and joy. But the thing I love about Galentine’s is it’s a day dedicated to empowering, embracing and generally just loving your female friends. Women often forget how incredible close friends are; we get caught up in our daily lives, distracted by men or allow some little thing to break up a friendship. Female friendships are essential. They’re the people who are there for you when you’re upset, celebrating or having yet another breakdown about what you’re going to do with your life.

So next week appreciate the gals in your life, tell them what they mean to you and shower them with the love – and glitter confetti – that they deserve. Share the Galentine’s joy ❤️

January – Little Women, Sharp Objects and I Left My Tent in San Francisco

For those of you who regularly read my blog you’ll be aware that one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to read at least one book a month. This month I have actually finished 3 since returning to Spain in the New Year. While trying to think of a title for the post I realised that all 3 books were written by women and have female protagonists. This wasn’t intentional but after the way this year has started – and after the inspiring Women’s marches across the world – it does seem quite fitting. It is also not that surprising, I am halfway through another book by a woman and many of the books loaded onto my kindle are by women. So here’s to a year full of fascinating, exciting and heart-breaking stories by incredible women, and men.

 

Louisa May Alcott – Little Women

I started reading Little Women before Christmas, and after a break while I was at home, I finished it in my first week back. I feel like I had maybe started to read it at about 9 at my Grandma’s house while unable to find anything else but had given up after a few pages and watched CBBC instead. I read the entire book in my breaks and thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the characters’ lives while drinking cups of mint tea and listening to the waves. I definitely found myself getting caught up in their lives – I quite often would rage to Else about what I’d read that day – and was intensely disappointed when the ending wasn’t as predictable as I’d first thought. It has, however, showed me how many of the classics I’ve yet to read and has given me the push to download a lot more onto my kindle ready for the next time I need some more sentimentality in my life.

 

Gillian Flynn – Sharp Objects

This has been on my kindle since the last time I was in Spain after I was blown away by Gone Girl and decided to read anything I could find by Gillian Flynn. However after reading Dark Places and its depictions of satanic rituals and intensely gory murders I had to take a break and never managed to convince myself to go back and read Sharp Objects. After finishing Little Women I knew I wanted something a little more gritty and some more suspense and twists so I decided to just get over it and start. I am so glad I did. It reminded me why I had started with my Gillian Flynn obsession in the first place – enough hints to keep you guessing but not so many that the ending is insanely obvious. The one thing I disliked was that the ending seemed a little rushed – most of the book is spread over the space of about 2 weeks but in one chapter towards the end they squeeze in a few weeks of what’s happened. Reading crime novels again has reminded me of one of my favourite modules at university and has prompted me to download a lot more to keep up the suspense.

 

Emma Kennedy – I Left My Tent in San Francisco

I decided to read this as I felt like I needed something lighter after Sharp Objects and knew Emma Kennedy would pull it out of the bag. I read another of her books The Tent, the Bucket and Me last year after watching The Kennedys, which is based on the book, and cried laughing from start to finish. The Tent, the Bucket and Me recounts her disastrous childhood holidays while I Left My Tent in San Francisco details her summer in USA with her best friend, Dee after graduating from Oxford. As with The Tent, the Bucket and Me they face a number of hilarious disasters along the way as their trip does not go at all as they had planned. One of the biggest problems Emma faces is the decision about what to do with her life now that she’s finished university – Dee is going to be a Doctor so has her life mapped out. I have never identified with someone more. When I graduated a lot of my friends were heading straight back to University- or had just finished their training – in order to become a teacher. Meanwhile all I knew was that I didn’t want to become a teacher- great Erin, that’s one job out of 1,000,000 that you can cross off your list. A year and a half later and I’m still no closer to a decision. What I enjoyed about I Left My Tent in San Francisco is that despite not having a clue about what she wanted to do Emma Kennedy has gone on to write 9 books and a TV series. Not everyone knows what they’re going to do at 22 – or 23 in my case – but that’s fine, we’ve got our entire lives to figure it out.