Ode To A Cocktail

Last Monday night saw a night of general debauchery at a cocktail bar in Shoreditch named 'The Shoreditch' (I haven't worked out quite yet if I appreciate the possession this cocktail bar seems to take over the place it resides in or if it is a brilliant marketing ploy). Anyway, many Shoreditch Martinis and Gin Gardens along the track we ended back up on the Tube home and pretending to pole dance on the hand rails. I am sorry East London Line but the poles are just there and no matter how little we have had to drink and how busy the carriage is or how long we have lived in London in our minds the poles are there for one thing and one thing only: entertainment. Tuesday, surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), saw more cocktails, these were, luckily for my bank balance, not for my head, bought for me. That certainly made me feel better about the 'cocktails two nights in a row' thing. Maybe I just need to go on more dates?
If this week has taught me anything it is that cocktails always make things more fun, the cans of Red Stripe 'Jamaica's finest' that I then had to drink for the rest of the week as I couldn't justify spending any more money on cocktails or find someone who was willing to buy them for me, tasted extremely bitter. This, combined with me finally discovering 'Sex And The City' this week, has not made a good mix. How am I meant to watch people drink what seem like bottomless Cosmopolitans all day, seem to never be at work and yet manage to buy such expensive clothes and then not wonder why I can't do the same thing? The answer is simple: I am a student. This is not a time for cocktails and designer clothes. This is a time for thrift store shopping and cans of 99p cider bought from the off-licence across the road. The thrift store shopping I can deal with but the sooner that someone creates a delicious cocktail comprising of White Lightning and Red Stripe the better.
In other news I have decided that it is going to be Spring. Listen up everyone, you have me to thank for the sudden increase in temperatures. I have resolved that if I stop wearing a coat and start drinking ice tea again (homemade I'll have you know) then the temperature is guaranteed to rise and I will be the Spring saviour. I don't know if it is simply my mind playing tricks on me but I swear it has actually got warmer since I began doing this and I am sure the mornings are significantly brighter this week than they were last week.

Snowy Greenwich

Sunday saw the most snow I have ever seen fall in London. Naturally whilst my sensible flatmates decided to stay in the warm and drink hot chocolate I just had to go and explore Greenwich in the snow. I already have such a connection to this part of London, for me it conjures up memories of Summer holidays spent with my grandparents in Lewisham and going to see the Cutty Sark. More recently it has been a place where I go to be on my own. Wandering those streets with so many memories is perfect for clearing my head after a particularly heavy lecture. There are also some incredible coffee shops which do amazing cakes. I always come back from Greenwich feeling very full!! Anyway, here are some of the photos I took. It was so beautiful and reminded me of those Regency postcards and William Thackeray's 'Vanity Fair'.

Myspace in, HMV out.

It's been an odd week for music, first of all we heard of the demise of HMV, yet another institution to leave our high street. To see it leave will be a great shame. Ironically in the same week that HMV, blaming digital music, has gone in to administration Myspace has relaunched. As someone who missed out on Myspace the first time round, (let's face it who would have wanted to see me listening to B*Witched online?) I was keen to give it a go and my verdict is that it is what my life has been lacking. These days the majority of my Facebook posts and comments end up being about music. I share videos I like, sum up my day with links to YouTube music videos and debate with friends over whether the new Destiny's Child song is actually any good. Now I can do this in a place where people aren't likely to get annoyed by my constant music posts and for that I am eternally grateful. Anyway onwards to the music of 2013. This is by no means the be all and end all for 2013. It is purely what I think I will be listening to in 2013 and what I think you should listen to too. 

∆ (ALT-J)

Yes, they were around last year but 2013 is going to be the year for them. Coming off the back of winning the Mercury Music Prize last year. Apparently their official title of  "∆"  has something to do with a shortcut on an Apple Mac, neither owning a Mac or really caring about their name when it's pronounced Alt-J anyway that doesn't really matter, I just know that I really, really, really like their music. 

LILY ALLEN

Is 2013 going to be the year that Lily Allen returns to music? We've had all those teasers on Twitter 'in the studio' so we know something is brewing but is it just a single track for a film or are the rumours about a full album to be believed? I certainly hope she'll be back. I want more music to run around East London to on a sunny Sunday.

HAIM

Finally a girl band that will hopefully fulfill the promises of the Veronicas from a few years ago (remember them?!) Haim are 3 sisters from California but don't expect daisy dukes bikinis on top a la K Perry. These girls mean business. They play guitars, kick ass and ride motorbikes. Shove that in your pipe and smoke it Katy, these are real California Girls. 

LANA DEL REY

If you have read this blog before then you will know I love Lana Del Rey, and that love hasn't waned in 2013. There seems to be a new Del Rey song appearing on YouTube virtually every week and for that I love her. In this age of instagramming I think Lana is a musicgrammer. It is like she makes a song and then has an app on her phone (which is probably made to look like it's from the 70's) which applies a filter to her recording like 'Nashville' or just plain old 'Sutro'. If anyone has captured the whole vintage craze it's Lana. Still my favourite song of hers is National Anthem. I want more in 2013. 

ST VINCENT

I first saw St Vincent on Later With Jools Holland and she was insanely good. This video wins the award for weirdest. It's amazing though, don't get me wrong. St Vincent comes from America, you know the one. Stars And Stripes, cool president, land of the free and not so free healthcare. The video is apparently about sex objectification, I just like the music and her hair.  

That's the end of part 1. More about 2013's music soon. 

      

Back to London, back to reality.

So I have now been back in London over a week and it is fair to say rather a lot has happened. Last week seemed to be a week in which we celebrated being back in London by not actually doing much about London and instead mostly bopped around a club to probably the least cool music East London has ever seen (forgetting Chas and Dave), naturally, therefore I loved it. Whilst waiting for the Tube on our way to said club we started talking to a man who said that he had got out of Belmarsh Prison that same day for a multi- million pound fraud and that he was now a billionaire. I found it hard to believe as he was holding a blue plastic bag and rather crumpled looking. He seemed nice though and he offered me a cigar. I politely refused and said that I would let him celebrate his release with the one he wanted to give to me.

This week I have discovered that I am good at writing on mirrors in toothpaste, that Brazil is a beautiful country and that cheese and wine nights aren't as innocent as they seem. Especially when I get a half price magnum of sparkling wine from Gateway 'supermarket' across the road. All in all I feel like this past  week has been the best week since moving to London. It was like another freshers week but with the knowledge that you can grind on down to ridiculously urban music you have never heard before in an East London club, in front of your friends and that instead of never wanting to see you again they will probably join you. For that I salute my new-found urban family. Tomorrow it is meant to snow (the Met Office have advised against anything but essential travel so the 1 minute walk to my lecture may not happen) and as I maintain that there is no more beautiful sight that a London boozer, fire blazing and punters laughing I will probably spend most of my evening in the Royal Albert, said 'Royal' provided by yours truly, obviously.

On the subject of royalty, one that I rarely ever mention, I would like to celebrate the
pure boldness of the Royal Family's press office. Today Princess Beatrice and Eugenie drove a Union Jack mini right through the centre of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Press office I applaud you for providing me with a laugh at your unbridled patriotism and disregard for political relations.
Anyway bed awaits and a pile of books as high as a premium race horse. Better get started  now. As they say, "Every Little Helps".

MIRACLE AT 34,000 FEET

On Thursday evening I flew from London to Cork, Ireland. This journey used to be full of happiness. It brings back memories of summer holidays spent on beaches, which, without wanting to sound like Visit Ireland are the most beautiful I have ever visited and visiting what seemed like endless family and always being offered a strong cup of Barry's tea and a slice of cake (ah go on, go on, go on), you know the drill. The weather used to be beautiful too, or maybe that is my memory looking at everything through rose-tinted glasses. This flight was different, however, it has now come to that time when I visit Ireland more frequently for funerals than holidays. Naturally I wasn't in the happiest of moods on the flight and quickly settled into the stack of magazines and books I had to read, I always forget the flight is only an hour. Just as the pilot turned the fasten seatbelt sign back on, the plane banked left and and although it was pitch black in my mind I got the view I was so used to seeing as a child. The beauty of Cork harbour, row upon row of brightly coloured houses in Cobh, sailing boats heading out into the Atlantic and onwards to the city and the towers of St Finbarr's Cathedral from which my confirmation name is taken and my favourite sight of all. It was upon remembering this that a sudden mood change came over me. I realised as I gazed down on the city so small below me me and the lights twinkling along the River Lee that we ourselves are so small and yet so great at the same time. Looking down on Cork Harbour, which I believe is the largest harbour in the world bar Sydney, I was surprised to find myself marvelling at humanity's beauty. If we as humans can build such beautiful buildings and create such amazing places that I find the harbour only as breathtaking then we must be doing something right. The most important thing is that we make our mark whilst we have the chance. Landing in Cork I had a completely different view on the funeral I was to attend the following day. Yes it was to be a sad occasion but also a day of joy, remembering a loved member of our family and celebrating the mark we make with just the second we have on earth.

Rorie's Big Fat Review Of The Year (In tweets)

Right, when I say year I actually mean 'The Olympics'. I started scrolling back through my tweets and realised that there were so many in the months of July and August that I might just stick to those two months. I think the following tweets show that I provided the service of 'Someone tweeting about sport who knows nothing about sport'. Here goes.

Opening Ceremony. 

My first tweet of the 30th Olympiad set up the standard for those to follow. 

"Just shouted "COOOOWS" at the TV. #OpeningCeremony#London2012"

I can't even remember cows in the Opening Ceremony but apparently at the time they were a big deal? did they parachute out of something, I really can't remember. The only other tweet I made during the Opening Ceremony worth mentioning was this: 

"Anyone else playing 'Olympic outfit borrowed from Easyjet' bingo?"

I think I was so busy playing Olympic outfit bingo that I forgot to tweet. Something that certainly didn't happen over the next two weeks. 

DAY 1

"If there was a gold medal for drinking wine during the opening ceremony, it would go to me. #London2012 #OwMyHead"

I quickly realised on the first day of competition that I was not going to be able to comment on the actual sport much and quickly coined the hashtag "Fashionlympics". 

"The USA's swimming team jackets make them look like penguins.#London2012 #BBC2012"

I must admit, I do think Alan Carr was choosing the music: 

"Now they are playing Madonna. Campest Olympics EVER#London2012"

DAY 3 (Day 2 was obviously boring)

To start day 3 was a tweet from 'Prince Charles' 

"Camilla's gone to Greenwich Park to watch #Equestrian. Have stuck 'Number 5' on her back for a laugh."

I also found the diving most enjoyable and, wanting to do my bit for the economy, got some free advertising in for the tireless work the eyebrow threaders do in Lakeside, keeping the South East free of uni-brows. 

"The Mexican divers need to get down Lakeside and get their eyebrows threaded. #Fashionlympics"

DAY 4

Day 4 began with another update on the incredible music being played. 

"She Bangs by Ricky Martin #nowplaying at #London2012 Archery.#Campolympics"

My feelings towards Ian Thorpe were also made clear on day 4:

"If Ian Thorpe says 'look' one more time though, I might bop him round the head with my goggles and armbands. #London2012 #Olympics"

Also on day 4, a limerick from Jessica Hynes: 

"There was an old man named Mitt, who said our Olympics were s***. He wanted attention for his upcoming election but ended up looking a twit."


DAY 5

This was the infamous day that will be etched in our minds forever, yes, the day that Boris Johnson, BoJo himself got stuck on a zip wire.

"Swing low, sweet Boris, whiff whaff is coming home!"

I think that is enough said about day 5.

DAY 6

By this stage full Olympic hysteria had taken me over.

"Giant pringle. BBC One. Now."

I think I was referring to the Velodrome. Not entirely sure though.

"Christina Aquierlararrara blasting out over the velodrome. Carrying on the #Campolympics. #TeamGB #London2012"

DAY 7

A stroke of genius from their headline writers.

"Headline of the morning goes to 'The I' "Anything you canoe I canoe better" #TeamGB #Gold #London2012"

"It gives me great pleasure when the #BBC camera hits the angle that gives Gary Lineker Olympic Stadium floodlight devil horns.#London2012"

"If #Phelps melted down all his medals he could bail out Greece.#London2012 #Euro"

"This Olympics is seriously lacking some Tessa Sanderson punditry."

"I've got Bert Le Closemania"

DAY 8 SUPER SATURDAY

"First sailing results in: Great Britain take gold, Australia take silver and Somalia take a middle aged couple from Weymouth.#London2012"

"If only we'd kept my old trampoline. I could have been on the red button now. #GardenTrampoliningChampion#SomersaultAndTripleHeadFlip"

"Just organised my 'entrance' for my birthday party. I can safely say it's going to knock that parachuting bitch's one out of the water."

"*Whispers* Could we really get 3 gold medals tonight? Really?#London2012 #TeamGB"

"He must have an onboard MOtor.#London2012 #PunLympics"

"I like to think that Greece is paying off all its debts in Vangelis royalties."

DAY 9

"Can't wait for the Rio Olympics now. Must get my carnival costume ready. *Ram-raids sequin shop*"

"I'm loving the leggings on arms look Sanya Richards-Ross is rocking. Totes bang on trend. #Fashionlympics #London2012"

"SOMEONE HAS A FACE-JAZZLE IN THE WOMEN'S 400M!!!!!!!#LONDON2012 #FASHIONLYMPICS #GYPSYCHIC"

"If there's a glass of white on a bar I can do the 100 metres in 9.64.#London2012 #Olympics"

"FACEJAZZLE WOMAN GETS A BRONZE JUST FOR HAVING A FACEJAZZLE!!!!! #London2012"

DAY 10

"IT'S GONE TO A JUMP OFF FOR GOLD IN GREENWICH. This is all a little bit X Factor deadlock. #London2012 #olympics"

"The thing that holds the chalk for the pole-vaulters looks like Dizzy from Bob The Builder. #London2012 #Olympics"

"I threw a wish in a well. *Waves ribbon* don't ask me I'll never tell *triple somersault* #London2012 #ClosingCeremony"

DAY 11

Still no actual sport content in my tweets:

"Look how glam Denise Lewis is now. LOOK AT THAT BEAD NECKLACE. #Fashionlympics"

"It's a 10 from Alesha, 8 from Bruno, seveeeeeeeeen from Len and a 4 from Craig (booo) #StrictlyComeDressage #Dressage#London2012"

"I really dislike this arrangement of the national anthem. They don't leave the bit where everyone drunkenly yells "Der ner NER NER"

"We'll give the Aussies that one. They only have 3 golds, bless them. Stick it in a jiffy bag and send it off #CashMyGold #London2012"

"I'm cheering on Muriel Ahoure in this because she's got a brilliant surname. #London2012 Muriel Aprostitute."

Doing my bit for international relations:

"Jesus, I thought Darth Vader was going to storm in at the start of Grenada's national anthem!! #London2012"

DAY 12

"Do you have to have a double barreled name to be a female sprinter and/or wear arm leggings? #London2012"

"horses dancing to music is my new favourite"

"#DressageSongs Hoofs upside your head."

"#DressageSongs "I set shire to the hay" by Adele."

"already excited about Sochi 2014."

"Today: The greatest show on earth is on BBC1. Mum's watching 'Flog It' on BBC2. #London2012"

DAY 13

"Do you think they'll get the Sugababes to perform at the closing ceremony? The old 3 and new 3 could do a Hackney urban sing off#London2012"

"If I don't get 3 hours of Spice Girls tomorrow I will be bitterly dissapointed. #ClosingCeremony."

"I really want to be a speedwalker. It's always been my dream.#London2012"

"This bit of the "Modern Pentathlon" is just laser quest. The IOC isn't kidding anyone. #London2012"

DAY 14

At the #Olympic marathon. Very disappointed that the runners haven't got in to the spirit of things. Not a lion costume or mankini in sight.

Closing Ceremony 

"Can you see my sequinned baps everyone? I'm on top of the umbrella mountain. @cassie_draycott #London2012"

"VICTORIA BECKHAM CAN STILL MOVE HER FACE!!!"

"Did Grandma put LSD in my tea? #London2012"

"Every time Emili Sande sings a song, Heather Small looks in a mirror to check that she still exists"

"Grandma just shouted "Ku Klux Clan" at the TV. I think she was referring to the Pet Shop Boy's outfits and not One Direction#London2012"

So there we go, London 2012 in a collection of my tweets. Unbelievably I did manage to live tweet the entire Olympics and not mention sport at all really so WELL DONE TO ME! I wish you all the best for 2013. I'm hoping for round 2, London 2012 version 20.13?