Oh noes! I have fallen out of the lj loop! But this is because I've just spent the past couple of days sleeping on the floor of my sister's University accomodation, so this is okay. :) May I never forget how totally freakin' awesome she is. I made American pancakes, stroked an axolotl, got in with the Zoology jokes, was handed down all my sister's Pirate Party Gear (cap included), watched Garden State, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Winged Migration, had my hair straightened, was taught all about the girly world and am currently in the process of burning all the CDs and DVDs that she lent me. Yay sisters. &hearts

I also got to infiltrate the Zoology Department, and stumbled upon the following, which I hope may be of some amusement. May I present The Defender of Biological Sciences and Statistical Significance:

( What Oxford students really get up to... )

Anyway, I just wanted to say, thank you for the most excellent shoe advice of the highest calibre! I'm going to look for the shoes of dreams tomorrow, armed with so many good suggestions, and hopefully I'll be able to find a pair that has aspects of everything. They are going to be hawt.

PS- mayhaps I am taking advantage of my wonderful, lovely friends in pestering them with fashion advice, but I think I've inherited my mother's distinct lack of fashion sense. Is there any way at all to wear Lolita subtly...?

Okay. X) I update way too much for my own good, but I was wondering if anybody could please help me with some advice. I'm going to a murder mystery party next week, which is totally freakin' awesome because I've always wanted to go to one. The instructions so far are:

You are a pop singer who has recently split from her girl band 'Angels'. You have launched your solo album but it's struggling in the charts and you are fast losing money. You are best friends with the bride, Belinda and introduced to her husband to be. You are a talented girl, who is quiet and pensive throughout the evening.

( ANGELES! )

Who'd have thunk dressing up could be so much fun. :D I have John Lennon glasses to go with it, so I think I'm almost sorted, it's just the bottom half that I'm struggling with. I don't think I have the appropriate shoes, though my dad said that white tights might be a good idea. What kind of thing should I look for? I've no clue. @___@

It would appear that our birthday girl is not in the motherland at the moment, and indeed shall not be able to see this until after its day of relevance due to a decided lack of internet.. but what the heck:

( HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZZY! )

Wow. You're such an ickle baby. The more I look at it, the more it seems to me that it's a wannabe-Lottie-illustration, but hey, it was my first try! I'm sorry it's so sucky, but maybe by next year once I've put in some practise, then I'll be able to make you a much more handsome birthday greeting.

So, much love &hearts, thinking of you, have a great day, eat lots of cake, receive heaps of beautiful presents and welcome to S-Club 17! Just, don't learn to drive before I do, because that would be verily embarrassing. ^___~

La France is cool. Lots of pain au chocolat, manga, Frenchies, holiday time, "merci, au revoir!" and, most importantly of all, supermarket assistants get to wear rollerskates. That's it. I've sorted out what I want from life. I want to learn to rollerskate, so I can hop over the channel, and work in a French Carrefour.

Inspired, I bought my very own super cheap rollerskates from said supermarket. Skateboarding and I have had a somewhat difficult relationship, whereas rollerskating seems verily more promising. While in the former the main issue is concerned with the concept of moving, with the latter, it's very much a case of learning to stop. I have a very sizeable bruise on my backside from where I most stylishly wiped out. Nice.

But, once I've spent 15 minutes putting on all my safety gear and I'm struggling down the drive, arms and legs flailing around in all directions, I feel like Sakura from Cardcaptors and that makes me feel really cool. Especially since I'm back into Tsubasa fanmode right now and ZOMG KUROGANE AND FUAI ARE SO GAY. HAHAHA. HA. HA.

I can even fall as gracefully as a swan with its trainer's shoelaces tied together.

w00t!

The skating posibilities are endless. You know those big exercise ball things they have in the gym? (Though I'd sooner eat my own foot than be seen associated with such a place.) Try playing dodgeball with them. On rollerskates. Aim at younger siblings. Or alternatively, I intend to introduce a new sport to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. I call it MicroSkating. Very simple really, you just race around on a microscooter, with rollerskates on. Zooooom.

I am actually obsessed. Anyone want to rollerskate with me? I can teach you. Oh ho ho. :3

I pass on a message from Trisha, who cannot say hello on account of the fact that lj has been blocked at St. Edward's in Oxford, where she is currently residing and will be doing so for the next week. Nevertheless, she sends her love to all!

I'M BACK. w00t! I'm so sorry for having a panic attack on everyone a fortnight ago. My China Trip started of as a pile of pants, but did a 180 revolution and turned out to be the most awesome 1.5 weeks, like ever. I got a bit carried away with my camera, hence the overdose of photos but I just have to remember and document all the crazy people I've met and all the totally insane things we did, because we're having a reunion in October, and hey, it's not everyday that you get an all-expense paid holiday given to you by the Chinese Government.

First off, the population of China is 1,306,313,812 and rising. I've always wondered where all that taxpayer money went. I soon found out: paying for 5000 Chinese students to stay in 5-star hotels in Beijing on their 'Root-Seeking' mission. Free buffet breakfast, movie channels, and hotel goodie bags? Oh yes. The Chinese Nation were also paying for our tickets, travel, meals and even VIP karaoke. Sa-weet.

( Photo Album! )

So strange. For the whole two weeks, I had this nagging feeling that I wanted to return, but now that I'm actually home, I wish I was still in China. Life is a funny thing. Yo, Jamie, if you're reading this, you'd better give me your address yo! I have stuff to send you. =^___^=

Can somebody give me their address, please?

Agreeing to go on this trip was one of the dumbest things I've ever done. I'm so homesick, any and every brief allusion to England makes me want to cry, and the only thing holding me back is that I won't cry in front of people I don't know. There was steak on the menu, I wanted to cry, I was listening to Coldplay, I wanted to cry, I think about my family and sometimes I can't help blubbing. I can't call home, seeing as I've already racked up a phone bill of over 20 pounds, and it's useless anyway, because my dad can't do anything to help.

I just need to go home. I want to ask if I can go home today or tommorow, because once we leave Beijing in a couple of days, I'll be stuck here. But this would cost my parents not only a very expensive air ticket, but also waste the 600 they've already spent for me to be here, and another 100 that I'll waste by missing a music festival. I don't know what to do. If I leave now, mum is going to be so disappointed, and she's worked so hard for me to come on this trip, I don't want to upset her. But I don't know if I can take 2 weeks of this.

But I shouldn't be here. The only reason I got onto this 'Chinese Root Origins' scholarship programme in the first place was because my mum knew the organiser of the trip. I'm the only one here who isn't Chinese. And it seems like I'm the only one in this whole country. I know I'm a foreigner and it shouldn't be a big deal, and I'd always thought I could pass off as Asian, but I'm the only one in a group of over thirty genius kids, all oxbridge prodigies and off to play in the Paris Conservatoire- who can't speak Chinese. There's this very nice guy who's been looking after me, translating all the Chinese, helping me to find this internet cafe, and it's really sweet, but I hate having to depend on other people. I can't do or go anywhere by myself, because here, I'm powerless.

I just want to go home. I'm sorry to post this, I'm sure it will get better very soon, just like Laura's French trip did. I've made some awesome new friends, and I'm really lucky to be here. I just need to talk to someone and let it all out, because I can't break down in front of anyone here and I can't call anyone. If you could give me an address though, that would really help. I don't know if I'll get the internet again, but if I do, if you wouldn't mind me writing you a letter, drawing you a picture or something, it would mean an awful lot.

I miss you all so much.

Things are a lot better now, thanks for the support. :)

( Last warning: 56k modems, this is the point of no return. >) )

Sums up my holiday so far, really. I tried. ^^;; Can I draw anything, for anyone? I have very little skill, and if it's quality illustrations that you'd like may I point you in Lottie's direction. But, please? Drawing makes me happy. Plus, I've got colour, and lots of it. :D

Went to the wedding of Mark Thatcher and Amy Wong, I have no idea who they are, nor did they know who I was. I was seriously considering walking up to them and saying "hey, one day you could have kids just like me!" just for laughs, but then realised that I'd rather not be an advocate of divorce. The story of their life is rather sweet though, so I wanted to share it. :) They met when they were 13, teenage sweethearts, and have been together ever since then.. which adds up to a lot of years. At school, Mark used to have to carry her books, he hand fed her at break and had to put lipbalm on her lips when they were chaffed. Aww.

Laura and Juliette gave me some very good advice on how to survive a wedding, so I hope you don't mind if I call on you again! Does anybody have any babysitting tips? We have new neighbours and without my knowledge, the pater has volunteered me to offer babysitting services. This is a novel experience. It should be quite fun, and hey, there's monetary matters involved! Only problem is, one of their kids screams so loud that I can hear her bawling from next door, even when I'm playing Muse, and very, very loud at that. Is there any way to stop kids crying, aside from sticking a sock in their mouth?

Geek brothers are so much love. I now have the New World on my ipod, and soon to follow suite is Roswell Season 1. <3 But, have you guys heard? A new ipod has supposedly been released today! ZOMG! 6th Generation! It's going to have a touch-screen like the smart boards. Oooo.

Going to go gawp at Captain Jack Sparrow's hawtness tommorow with Izzy, then a bit of ice skating too which is most exciting. Today I rediscovered how much fun it is to play in a band, I met a boy who can play Muse's Hysteria on bass and have been invited to go to his band's gig in Camden next week. Life is good. :)

I have these urges to become a hippie.

Problem is, I don't have long, dreadlocked hair, I can't play Bob Dylan on the guitar, none of my clothes are Hippiesque, nor do I drugs. Or have any intention to do so in the future, thank you very much.

Anybody got any pointers?

Hello, Trisha. :)

I'm giving up private posts and worrying for Lent, so there's no need to check up on me anymore. This'll be here to deter me from posting anything at all.

And thank you for today! The Management conference had the potential to be abysmal, turning up late didn't exactly help, but I'm just so happy that I got to be in your group. Brilliant.