9th August 2015

I was worried about my first visit to Greece being this summer. If you can’t think of why then you need to watch the news… Seriously. Stories of Greeks stuffing money in frozen chickens to hide it from their government and queues of monstrous lengths forming outside banks haunted me as I was making my way to Gatwick for my 8.40am flight bound for: Zante.  

 

However, I came to find that no matter how much financial trouble Greece was in, it could never faulter the beauty of the island. As we cruised in our open-top jeeps towards the Peligoni Club it was hard to imagine the scenes I’d seen on the news happening in this picturesque landscape.  

 

Without a bite to eat all day and after getting a bit lost, we finally arrived at our villa: Anna’s House. They did it up beautifully while still keeping the Grecian feel. The infinity pool was incredible and nothing was coming between six kids and that pool! We all dove in and played Marco Polo for about two hours, our hunger quickly forgotten amidst the excitement of starting a holiday.   

The first meal of the holiday had to include seafood. England has many culinary specialties, but never seems to produce quite the same, fresh prawns as other countries. So, sea food spaghetti it was; and what a good choice I made! However, it was hard to tell whether my satisfaction came from the chef’s skill or 24 hours without food. 

The restaurant

The rest of the week was a blur of pools, watersports, socialising, tanning and our much loved siestas. The weather was an incredible, cloudless, dry heat for the duration of the week and the nights cooled to a comfortable temperature (although the air-con in our villa was still definitely needed).  

 

The general daily routine we followed was: getting up early and going to ‘The Club’, tanning and watersports until lunchtime, lunch followed by a much needed siesta, then more swimming, dinner, then a cheeky appearance at Tony’s Bar for us teenagers. A place where we all socialised and made some hilarious memories (that some of us can remember more than others!) 

Sundecks looking out onto the crystal clear water

And who could write a diary entry about Peligoni without the mention of their famous party nights? This week the theme was ‘Beach Party’ so I wore some denim shorts, a bright green bikini and a see-through, white, laced top. The 15-18 year olds went to Tony’s to get cheaper drinks then went  back to Peligoni to dance the rest of the night away. Best. Night. Ever. And a great way to spend my last night at the Peligoni Club. 

After that week I could only come out with two complaints. 1: Wasps everywhere. Could barely step outside without my life being threatened by a wasps or hornet as big as my face. 2: The price of Peligoni was ridiculously high. Was it worth it? Yes. Would I be willing to pay it again? … I hesitate a bit  on that, mainly because it was such  an amazing week and if I went again I’d be anxious about it being disappointing!    

 

All in all, a very enjoyable trip and a definite recommend.

~B x

28th September

I had a conversation with some of my friends the today, and it somehow came onto the topic of wolf whistling.

Wolf whistling is embarrassing, degrading and overall rude. The first time I was wolf whistled at I was almost 14. I was in Australia and walking down to the beach with my surfboard when some 18 year old teenagers leaned out of their car and wolf whistled at me. With my dad just out of sight behind me, he heard and saw the whole thing. I felt incredibly intimidated by the guys who were obviously so much older than me displaying that kind of reaction towards me, and my Dad hasn’t let me live it down since. Constantly bringing it up in embarrassing situations. Embarrassing teenagers, that’s a Dad’s job right?

5 of my friends and I were watching TV, and at the age of 15 we can all admit to being wolf whistled at multiple times. Since then, I have brought it up with other friends and they can also say that men had sexually undermined them in the same way.

I wonder if I asked a group of boys the same age as me if they would say the same thing? Would an 18 year old girl lean out the side of her car and whistle at a boy 5 years her junior? I find it hard to believe they would.

I also came across a saying the other day, which is shockingly relevant to my gender: “What men fear most about going to prison is what women fear most walking down the street.” It may just start with wolf whistling, but where will it end? If we met again and had the same conversation in 2 years time what will the things be that are afflicted on us then? Sexual harrassment? Rape?

I’m sure many of you saw Emma Watson’s speech about feminism, but I want everyone to know that these issues (even though on a much bigger scale) are not only happening in third world countries. Even though I come from one of the best backgrounds possible, my friend can’t even go on a run down her local high street without being honked at least 3 times. Sexism effects all women, even though all men are not at fault for this. Guys may think they might be flattering me as they lean their head out the side of their car, but I couldn’t feel more uncomfortable.

04.08.14

We are now well into the summer holidays and I have been having a great summer. I spent the first week in Peligoni club in Greece and had an amazing time waterskiing, sunbathing and going to greek restaurants in the evening.

Yesterday my family went to celebrate my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary which was amazing I can’t imagine living with someone for that long. They had invited everyone there from their original wedding and the bridesmaids brought along their bridesmaids dresses it was amazing to see how the fashions have developed. We also looked at the wedding bills and were amazed to realise that the total cost of the wedding reception was £102.89 this included a 4 course meal with bottles of wine and champagne.

I hope your all having a good summer

~J

Fun and Games | Fact of the Day

~J

Interactive Video Production

When someone tickles you, your laughter is a form of panic response. You cant tickle yourself because your body doesn’t sense any danger.

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2nd April

I have recently arrived in Hong Kong where I attended the Rugby 7’s on the weekend.

For those who don’t know, the Rugby 7’s is a massive event in Hong Kong where rugby teams from all over the world come to participate and try and win either the cup, plate, bowl or shield. It started off as something only big rugby fans watch, but now it has turned into a social event where there is lots of dressing up, singing and especially drinking. I will highlight some of the key points of this year’s 7’s.

Rankings:

New Zealand- Cup (not much of a surprise)

South Africa- Plate

Scotland- Bowl

Kenya- Shield

Celebrations:

My favourite celebration also went to the All Blacks, with a very nice end to the 7s when they all took their shirts off in the pouring rain and started to do the Haka. (A bit of eye candy is always appreciated)

Best Dressed:

These babies were very impressive. I almost screamed when I turned around and saw them behind me! Their faces were extremely realistic and they even drooled when they spoke (which was absolutely disgusting)!

Streakers:

Only one (unfortunately fully clothed) which I missed because I was in the bathroom. Very bad timing by me!

Mexican Waves:

A total of zero, with countless attempts and lots of drunk people getting very frustrated. Drinking and people not cooperating usually doesn’t mix.

Here are some adverts that sum up the sevens well:

• HSBC 2014
• Cathay Pacific 2014
• Cathay Pacific 2012

 

~B x

25th March

Why do we say people “commit suicide”? 

I mean, the word commit usually comes before a negative act someone has done e.g. He ‘committed murder’ or ‘committed treason’. So why do we use this word to describe someone who was so desperate to escape his reality that he felt like he had to take his own life? I have only realised today the connection between the two words, and how I usually say it without giving the term I am using a second thought. It’s a bit like using the word ‘gay’ to describe something you don’t like. I don’t have anything against gay people, but I have just grown up in a society where people associate these two subjects together. It is a hard habit to shake. 

Suicide isn’t a crime which people commit, it is a way of escape into a better world in which they don’t experience the pain of reality.

~B x

15th March 2014

In our drama unit at the moment we are approaching the topic of outsiders. Within this topic we have been studying a man called Joseph Merrick, a man who existed during Victorian England and went through his life with terrible suffering and discomfort (as you can read in the link attached). Which has got me to think ‘Why are people outsiders?’ I mean, in every aspect of society there is some kind of outsider or someone who isn’t as ‘in with it’ as others… Why is this?

Why do we exclude people in our society? In each aspect and context of society this idea of ‘normal’ morphs into something different. For example, if you were talking to your best friend you wouldn’t address the prime minister in the same way. ‘Normal’ also changes with time, ‘normal’ in the 80’s is different to the ‘normal’ now (God just think of how our parents dress when they go to those 80’s reunion parties… *shudders*). When you see someone who is not in this fantasy boundary of this ‘normal’ ideal we have in our minds, we exclude them. It could be for their skin colour, physical attractiveness, personality, voice, almost anything. As humans we aren’t one person that stays true to themselves in every environment we are faced with, but many different personalities morphing and changing depending what social situation we are faced with. 

‘Normal’ isn’t something that is physically there. It isn’t a manual that you can look at and find out how to be ‘normal’. It is this ideal that is being fed into our subconscious, an imaginary thing that keeps humans separate in the hierarchy that are social situations. I know I try not to judge people on how they ‘fit in’ and are normal, but I do. Everyone does. And it is these people that find it harder to keep up with the ever-changing idea that is normality the ones that are left out, bullied, harassed.

****

Anyway, just I thought I felt like sharing. 

~B x

13th March

So everyone around me is asking me what I have given up for lent… Truth is, people, NOTHING!! And I love it! I just don’t understand why people would starve themselves of their favourite food or facebook or reading for no reason other than that everyone else is doing it. Most of them aren’t even religious and simply spend 40 days complaining and looking longingly at the cookie in my hand, or desperately counting down the days until Easter. So maybe ‘they feel really good about themselves’ afterwards but this is usually to try to convince themselves it was worth it – I see it more as a form of torture. Most my friends have quit or broken already; this just leaves them feeling worse, so why start in the first place? I say, don’t succumb to social customs and make yourself miserable just because everyone else is. ~z