My favourite place

I love the countryside.

Listening to the birds' dawn chorus in the mornings
The wind rustling the leaves
The silence of the empty roads
The clear, starry, night skies

The different plants and animals
Sounds and aromas
The differences of countrysides around the world
The similarities

The fjords and mountains of Norway, equally beautiful at any time of year.
The snowcapped mountains in winter
Everything coming to life in spring
The lush greenery of summer
The fiery colours of autumn

The rolling hills of the UK countryside.
The hedges and old dry stone walls separating the fields
The little old villages that time forgot
The ruins of civilisations that was.

Instant celebrity

If you could be a famous person for a day, who would you be? - The Daily Post

As it doesn't stipulate that it has to be a live person, I would want to be Jane Austen.

Why? 

• see how people lived back then
• to see how much of herself she put in her books
• get to wear some really pretty clothes
• find out what went through her mind as she wrote her books/where she got her inspiration

Verbal ticks

Is there a word or a phrase you use (or overuse) all the time, and are seemingly unable to get rid of? If not, what's the one that drives you crazy when others use it? - The Daily Post

Erm, I start pretty much every sentence with "erm", like I'm not really sure about what I'm about to say.

Erm, and after Australia I tend to say "no worries" a lot. If someone thanks me for helping them out I always to say;"'yeah, no worries".

Erm, when I was younger I said "like" a lot. And now it just like really annoys me when people like say "like" all the time. You know?

Erm, I also think I say "you know" a lot. You know?

Erm, there are probably other words and/or phrases that I use a lot, but, erm, it's all subconscious you know? Erm, like, people don't really think about the words they actually use when they speak, we just talk.

Erm, this was an interesting question, I think maybe I'll notice more about how people actually speak now, which could help in creating different characters when I write.

City planners

If you could clone one element from another city you've visited - a building, a cultural institution, a common street food, etc. - and bring it back to you own hometown, what would it be? - The Daily Prompt

I would import something I've seen in a few cities. And I would want to bring it to all cities and towns. An outdoor skating rink. They have one in Oslo, they have one in New York, they even had one on Bondi Beach in Sydney! I haven't been skating since I went to school, but if I knew there was always one there in winter, maybe even a free one, I think maybe I would get some skates and go more often.

Spikersuppa, Oslo, Norway

Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia

Rockefeller centre, New York, USA

Another thing I think would be really nice to clone is the street art culture in Melbourne, Australia. I wouldn't want it on the old historical buildings of course, but in alleys between newer buildings it can really liven it up, make it seem less scary.

Antique Antics

What’s the oldest thing you own? (Toys, clothing, twinkies, Grecian urns: anything’s fair game.) Recount its history - from the objects point of view. - The Daily Post

Who are you calling an antique!! I’m not that old, in fact I’m not old at all! 6 years. How is that old? I might be one of her oldest things in this house, but I am not OLD! You’d think something as “old” as me would have a nice place to live wouldn’t you? Where do you think she keeps me? Come on, guess. Hidden away in a wardrobe, that’s where you’ll find me! I’ve not even been out of the wardrobe in over a year! And I only came out of the wardrobe that time because she was moving houses, I’ve not been WORN in 4 years! 4 years! What kind of nonsense is that?!

I remember the start. She was so happy to find me. Said I was perfect. A few days after she bought me I was gently put into a suitcase, and I got to travel on a plane! I was a bit upset when she got me out of the suitcase, I had gotten all wrinkly. But she gently ironed all my creases out and hung me up in front of a window so I could look outside until she was going to wear me.

The first time she wore me was at a wedding! I was so excited! There were so many other pretty dresses there, we all had so much fun! I am loose over her belly so she could eat as much as she wanted to, and trust me, she ate a lot! Mostly cake. I am just glad she didn’t spill any food or drink on me. After the wedding I was put into the suitcase and put on a plane again, but this time she didn’t hang me up in front of a window, I went into a wardrobe. Which was fine, I didn’t expect to stay there long.

I hung there a while. I became great friends with the others in the wardrobe.  I was really happy for them when they got to go out and be worn, some of them were worn so much they started falling apart! I was happy I wasn’t worn that much, at least I got to stay pretty. I am 100% silk, I am nice and soft, I am so pretty I shine!

After a while I started getting jealous of my friends, I started thinking of them as cheap cotton glad rags. Why did they get to be worn so often and not me? I thought she liked me! Every time she opened the wardrobe I tried to stand out with my lovely colour. My lovely turquoise-y blue colour. She had said she loved my colour when she bought me. Now she ignored me. Every time. One day she took me out of the wardrobe and I got really excited. Finally I was going outside again! Finally I could make some new friends! But it turned out she was just moving me to a different house.

She finally wore me again on new years eve. A year and a half after the wedding. It was cold. I prefer summer. I didn’t feel I did a very good job of keeping her warm, but she didn’t seem to mind. She had a lot of alcohol. I met a lot of other lovely dresses this time as well, most of us wished our ladies had put a coat on as we all prefer the summer. None of the ladies seemed to mind though. As the night wore on and the ladies drank more and more we all got more and more nervous about getting drinks spilled on us. At least she doesn’t drink red wine.

I didn’t get my hopes up when she hung me back in the wardrobe this time, I prepared myself to see my friends go in and out while I just hung there for who knows how long. But then something happened. I got put in a suitcase again! I was very excited. Maybe we were going to another wedding! She hung me up in a new big wardrobe and I made some new friends, young friends, a little smaller than me. Just as I was getting nervous that she had only taken me out to move me again the most amazing thing happened! I was worn for another wedding! I was so excited! It had only been a few months since the last time she wore me. Maybe this signalled a new start!

The wedding was so much fun! I showed off my best side as she danced with me. I wanted to make her love me again. Wanted her to see how pretty I am so that she would continue to wear me. I allowed her to eat as much as she wanted again. I wonder if she eats that much cake in the other clothes? When I was put back in the wardrobe I was hopeful. I had done everything I could to show her how great and pretty I am.

I have not been worn since. It is very depressing. I am a piece of clothing, I am supposed to be worn. The clothes that are not silk are worn much more often. She said I’m special because I’m silk, but if I’m special why won’t she wear me?

She is trying to sell me now. She says it’s better. Says I will get another she that might appreciate my prettiness and wear me more often. I hope that’s true.

Terminal Time

You’re at the airport, your flight is delayed for six more hours, and none of your electronic devices are working. How do you pass the time? - The Daily Post

Hang on, that’s my flight! I just registered the voice on the tannoy saying flight VA528 is delayed. 6 hours delayed! Well, that’s annoying! At least I don’t have another flight to catch on the other end. I grab my phone to let my mum know about the delay. The phone is dead. Of course. I already used all the battery on the coach, and the charger is in my suitcase. Smart move. There has to be a payphone or computer nearby.

As I walk past the help desk I see the long queue of angry people. I don’t blame them, what if they have another flight to catch? I wonder if they’ll get on another flight. I feel sorry for the staff, it’s not their fault the flight is delayed but they’re the ones that will get shouted at.

I find the computers tucked away in a corner of the terminal, it seems a lot of people has had the same idea as me, there is only a couple left. I check my purse, no coins. Of course. I think I saw a bookshop close by.

I spend about half an hour choosing a book, at least I will have something to read for the remainder of the wait. I rush back to the computers, hoping there is still one available. One left. I hope it’s not been left alone because it’s not working or something silly like that. I sit down and put a coin in, I’ll only need it for 5 minutes. Yes! It’s working! I log on to Facebook and shoot off a message to my mum, hoping she sees it right away. She shouldn’t have headed off to pick me up yet but the longer it takes for her to see the message the more nervous I get. Drumming my fingers and the table and staring intently at the screen, I probably look like a mad person. From the corner of my eyes I can tell the people next to me keeps looking at me.

Only one minute left on the computer time. I might have to put some more money in. Finally! I see the little tick sign and it says my message has been seen. I have just enough time to read my mother’s reply and log off before the computer times out. At least that’s sorted.

5 hours to go.

I grab some sweets and a drink in one of the shops as I head back to the waiting area. I find a seat where I can still see the departures screen and I settle down with my new book. Disappearing into the world between my hands, the time passes quickly, I glance up at the screen occasionally to see if there is a gate for my flight yet.

1 hour to go.

I’ve nearly finished the book, I glance at the departures screen and notice there is a gate for my flight. I grab my things and head over to the gate before it gets too crowded. The gate isn’t open yet so I sit down outside it and open my book. I can’t focus on it. I’ll finally be able to board soon. I give up and put the book in my bag, I’ll finish it on the flight instead. I people-watch until the open the gate. We have all had to wait for so long, everyone looks as fed-up as I feel. Our movements are slow, there are only a few people running to the gate when it opens, the rest of us sigh and slowly lumber through.

Lift off!!

Writing fiction?!

Wikipedia

I've just started an Open University course through Future Learn called "start writing fiction". 

I used to love writing when I was a teenager, I always wrote about 10 pages more than I had to on story writing assignments at school. I still have some of the stories I wrote, although looking at them now the writing style is very childish. The stories themselves are fairly good, just needs a bit of a polish.

The first writing assignment on the Future Learn course sounded simple enough; write two paragraphs between 50 and 100 words, one with 1 truth and 3 fictions, the other with 1 fiction and 3 truths. I think I spent between half an hour to an hour trying to write the one with 3 fictions! I have gotten so used to writing the truth on this blog I don't know how to write fiction anymore! So of course I am really looking forward to getting back into writing fiction through this course.


Can you tell the facts from fiction?

1 fact, 3 fictions

I remember when I went to school; in every new class we had to sit down in a circle and every person would introduce themselves to the rest of the class. I loved it when I had to repeat the name of all the people introducing themselves before me, I was usually within the 5 first people so I didn’t have to repeat many names. Although I did struggle remembering the names the year I was an exchange student in China, they were just so different from the names I’m used to hearing.

1 fiction, 3 facts

Sometimes it can be quite nice working shifts. Like now, I’ve got 4 days off in a row, that doesn’t happen very often. I can go shopping when the 24-hour supermarkets are almost completely empty, I can go to the zoo, or the Blue John Cavern, or Chatsworth and other places when children are at school so it’s nice and quiet. In addition, daytime TV shows are the best!