Merry Christmas and all that jazz.

I've just realised I have no idea what the words to Auld Lang Syne are. Hmm, best learn them before New Year's. Curious thing to sing, really. Here's a music video.

Enough with the cryptic posts!

I am (following a messy birthday) full of festive cheer and such, therefore my blog posts shall *I hope* reflect this and become generally far more upbeat!
This weekend, I shall be playing my first (and second, I believe) games of competitive hockey representing the uni team- I'm rather hyped, to say the least. My goal for this year is to get a good few games under my belt and kick on, hopefully with a view to pushing to get into the A team next year. Realistic? Perhaps not. But I feel like aiming high is what I want to do.
No more of my former attitude of 'aim low and you'll never be disappointed'. I should not be trusted as an advice-giver.
Wish me and the Cardiff Redhawks, good luck!!!

Reminds me of the film 'Up'

Had an awesome opening few scenes, that one. The picture gives me mixed feelings, but I quite like it on balance!

So, 20. Maturity? Still some way off.

I miss reading Dr. Seuss stories when I was younger.

Here's a quote from its creator, convenient as I leave my teenage years in the coming days...

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened"

-Theodore Seuss Geisel

Simply can't get this out of my head

'If only'

Two little words which can wreak havoc with your mind if you let them...

No words

Normality, as I've been reminded, is dull.

"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must leave."

-Charles Bukowski

Question

Head or Heart?

Islands... The xx

Insomnia

So I find myself sat up at 2 am again, unable to sleep. It's very unlikely I'm clinically insomniac, but sometimes it sure feels that way. In reality, I'm sure it's just my body clock which has permanently shifted, meaning I should be pro-active about this and start at least attempting to go to bed at reasonable hours, and cut out the lie-ins. However, I really think that this isn't happening any time soon. Especially when one considers, as my previous post points out, that many peoples' most productive hours come either at this time or early in the morning. For me, it's definitely not the latter.
Anyway, I may as well have a bit of a gloss over some stuff happening in my life. Since my last mega-post, I have indeed partaken in what is known as a 'moot', or what most people would term a mock court trial. Needless to say, I didn't do particularly well, and was absolutely shredded by the stand-in judge. Bit demoralising, but what doesn't kill you and all that jazz. On the subject of jazz, I've also discovered I'm a bit of a fan. It's ideal Sunday evening listening and relaxing above anything else I can think of. I should have realised this earlier really, having played saxophone for a good portion of my life.

Yes, I'm fully aware that's not a saxophone, I'm not an idiot. That's Miles Davis, the late great jazz musician.
Not that I've been looking into it or anything.

Anyway, having fallen at the first hurdle in this mooting competition, (might not have mentioned it was competitive...) I have taken up another law related pursuit outside mandatory university work: the Innocence Project. I'll post more about this later, for any of you interested readers. However, I get the feeling my next post about an attractive actress/ model will get far more hits, as my most popular post selection suggests. To keep it short for now, I'm getting involved in real casework for convicted criminals. It's serious stuff, and indeed I had to sign a confidentiality form before I started. So no details, I'm afraid. But as I said, I'll let y'all in on some general bits and bobs from what I'll be doing.

What else is new? I just watched the new Gerard Butler film 'Machine Gun Preacher', which was actually pretty inspiring. I think I'm going to do Human Rights law next year though, rather than shooting up Sudanese LPA members. I won't spoil the story for you, but I'll do a film review at some point soon.


On a concluding note, girls mess with your head an awful lot these days. Such is life.

Hasta luego, readers.

Pretty much sums up my working pattern, anyhow!

"Writers tend to work early in the morning, or late at night, when brains are naturally able to focus deeply on one thought. In the middle of the day, distractions are unavoidable. I wonder if anything worthwhile has ever been written in the afternoon.” 

~Scott Adams

Law student's life

I wanted to be an architect!

Profound.

"Don't be yourself. Be someone a little nicer."

— Mignon McLaughlin

Manic place, La Paz

My commitment to the blog has faltered. For this, I can only apologise.

It's not as if I've not had much to talk about, but more a lack of time in which to do the talking. Ironically, the moment I decide to make my reentry to the blogosphere is not one in which I have a lot of time to spare...
In fact, it's very early in the morning and I have a lecture in several hours. But, I've only just finished my work for tomorrow, leaving it to the last minute as is my tradition and I really don't feel like sleep yet. I have far too many thoughts and musings to simply bottle them up and go to sleep, so here I am.
I thought I should briefly summarise events in my life from my last blog post (mid-september) until now (late october). Strangely, this period of my drought of writing has coincided with my return to university. Of course, I brought far too much stuff with me to my new house, which by the way has 13 people living in it. So, not only was my room jam-packed full of unopened boxes and such, it was like this for 2 weeks because the house was wonderfully manic the entire time!
It's around now I feel I should bring in a certain statistic I'm rather proud of- the fact I went out 13 nights in a row. Yes, I hear you cry, you're wantonly destroying your liver and making a fool out of yourself with no real purpose! Well, to that I reply; I had fun, and that's all that matters for now. The fact I'm still alive today shows that not too much harm must have come from it.
Anyway, other than the inevitable flurry of fun fiascos which accompanies freshers', I've dipped back into the wonderful world of law. Here's a picture, in case you need a reminder about something that has legal connotations. Mainly, it's to break up this enormous essay of text, which I apologise for:
Yes, stereotypical scales of justice etc. But the background is what I wanted to mention. Already, a month in, so so much reading. The books I've had to buy so far have cost in total close to £200. A depressing figure, to say the least. Otherwise, there have been some interesting developments, including the fact that in 3 days I shall be partaking in a moot (a practice court trial, but with the less exciting bits). What this means is a terrifying bit of public speaking, being torn apart by an (admittedly not real until the latter rounds) judge and most importantly, a chance to suit up. I do love suits.
Here's a suit. 
Anyways, I should probably catch a bit of sleep, but I'm sure I'll return soon with more stories of law and such... Perhaps even an insight into the murky depths that is my personal life!


Not really. Until then!

Fantastic picture

Yes, it really is!

You and I, let's conquer the world together.

Just superb.

Scientology and Dianetics

When I was recently in London, I was stopped on my way back to my hotel by a man. This man asked me and my friend to come inside and watch a short film.
Hesitant, I decided that this large, expensive-looking set up of televisions could not be overly dangerous; but I was still reluctant. I asked as to what exactly the video was about and he replied: "Dianetics". I've had previous experience with people trying to flog me this idea of unlocking the potential of the mind, and to be frank, it's complete and utter bollocks. I'm also still confused as to the link to Scientology as all of these quasi-salespeople seem to infer between the two.

Seems to me, it's a massive scam simply to make these people some money- and fair play to the people who started them, it seems to work in their favour. Still, how does any *religion* start these days. I mean belief, obviously, but I simply wanted to highlight (no matter how ridiculous the idea is) that any system such as this is likely to be scoffed at by people who blindly cling to their ancient faiths, simply because it's new. Food for thought.
So, I decided to give this video a go. I must say, it seemed to have been professionally done and was a decent enough effort. On the other hand, I remain convinced that it's completely, ridiculously, ludicrously, false.
This man who brought us in to watch the video seemed almost disappointed we weren't interested after watching the video- he even offered to show us another video, on another expensive screen. But, it's probably because he works on commission rather than through any meaningful belief in what he's preaching. Sceptical?
Yes. Justified? Probably. We left.

 I apologise for the Americanised spelling on the picture.

Made me giggle

"Anyone can be passionate, but it takes true lovers to be silly."

-Rose Franken

Excellent work

This looks like it would have been quite fun

Why I hate reading maps

I have unrolled a map

onto my kitchen table
and put one finger
where you are and
another where I am.

The space between
is only inches. That close,
I could feel you breathing.
I could reach out and
run my fingers through
every strand of your hair,
touch your lips and
barely need to move.

In the corner of the map
there is a guide for judging scale:
every inch a hundred miles
full of roads and rivers and trees,
the guide a sharp reminder
that you are where you are
and I am where I am,
inches apart.

-Gabriel Gladfly

It's true!

I'm looking forward to freshers' week.

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading"

- Henny Youngman

Lads.

Lightheartedness...

"Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese"

- G.K. Chesterton

I am partial to a touch of RW

Little bit of Bill.

"All days are nights to see till I see thee, 

and nights bright days when dreams do show thee to me. "

-William Shakespeare, Sonnet XLIII

This made me giggle. Might make you chuckle a bit if you're into your football

Another picture for the enjoyment of anyone who's actually reading

During the Llares trek- snowed off after the first day!

Quotations for the nation.

"I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realise that what you heard is not what I meant"

-Robert McCloskey

I haven't posted anything about my views on the recent riots in the U.K.

Nor do I intend to. Instead, here's a picture of one of the looters who clearly made the most out of the opportunities presented to him...

Since I never really properly updated my blog during my travels, I've decided I could start posting a photo selection from my voyage. Enjoy...

My fellow travelers and I at Machu Picchu

I'll be working here for the next few weeks. It makes me happy.

Did you know..

If you say Jesus backwards, it sounds quite similar to sausage. Just thought I'd pass on the knowledge.

Lack of effort on my part in this post. But, since I've developed an affinity for trekking this seems rather ideal.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/tasmania/travel-tips-and-articles/76228?affil=twit

Everyone loves a bit of wireless banter. (Credit to trueLAD.com)

A very disturbing short film... Enjoy!

The struggle to find a summer job...

I posted a little while ago about how my ideal job right now would be as a barman. However, looking for a job has proven to be slightly more difficult than simply wandering into a bar and presenting myself. It would be nice if it was that easy...
As it is, I've realised I don't have much choice in the matter but have high hopes for something at the Odeon (an english cinema/theatre for all you international readers), which is this friday. If not, I may have to swallow my pride and return to my old summer job selling ice creams. If they take me back. Hmm. Wish me luck for the cinema job, I'm actually pretty certain I'd really enjoy working there/ any discounts I'd get on cinema trips. As I'm sure most of you know, I'm massively into my films. I might do some more reviews soon.

Quote frenzy.

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page"

-St. Augustine

I'm caught in the clutches of mild insomnia- is this a bad thing?

"Insomnia is my greatest inspiration"

-Jon Stewart

I've been told that unless my next few posts are quality, I'll lose a potential blog follower.

In response to this, I present this: a completely pointless blog post. Here's an aardvark.

I like this song. Why isn't there more french music, or indeed of any other language in our chart music?

How many wonders of the world are there *really*?

I was just having a ponder about whether there was an official list of the wonders of the world.. so I did a Google search, and that almighty behemoth that is Wikipedia sprung an enormous list of potential wonders on me.. who knew? If you're reading this; sure, you could just go search it up right now. But I'm interested... So I'll speak about it a bit. If you don't mind.

There are apparently 7 Ancient wonders of the world:

1. Great Pyramid of Giza
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
5. Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
6. Colossus of Rhodes
7. Lighthouse of Alexandria/ Ishtar Gate

Of course, the only one of these that still exists today is the Pyramid(s) at Giza [which I'm desperate to see, as Egypt is rather high indeed on my list of places I want to go]. It's a little bit depressing to think that there was all of this incredible stuff around as recently as a few hundred years ago, and yet we'll never see them. History's great for a variety of reasons, but as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. Now I know about all of these ancient monuments, I have an irrational craving to see them. Maybe my true calling in life is as an archaeologist...

Anyway, those are only the ancient wonders; next, the 'later wonders':

1. Stonehenge
2. Colosseum
3. Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
4. Great Wall of China
5. Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
6. Hagia Sophia
7. Leaning Tower of Pisa

(others including Taj Mahal appear in other versions of this list)

This group is rather more recognisable to the modern onlooker. But, as I browse them myself, I realise I haven't seen any of these sites despite the fact they do still exist... So what am I doing with myself? I live near Stonehenge, yet I've never even contemplated going! What's wrong with me!!!

Next, the most complicated part... I'll just give you a list of some of the many 'wonders' of the modern world according to different sources:

• Great Wall of China
• Petra
• Christ the Redeemer
• Machu Picchu (YES, I'VE SEEN THIS ONE)
• Chichen Itza
• Colosseum
• Taj Mahal
• Pyramid of Giza

On top of these, there are wonders of the natural world, modern wonders of the world, underwater wonders of the world... The list is seemingly endless

Other than making me realise I want to visit a heap of places in the near future, these lists really do put things into perspective a bit. I feel a bit small.

So, I'm back from my voyage as you may well know by now- yet I think I left part of me behind...

I get the feeling my latest expedition has changed me somewhat- and I think it's for the better. Even before my month away I definitely had that 'travelling bug' phenomenon which so many gap yah folk rave about, but now things have moved up a notch.
I feel altogether a lot more restless, and sitting about, looking for a job and watching t.v. all seem a lot less fulfilling compared to before (although I must admit two things- these weren't necessarily the most exciting things to begin with, and also not much time has passed since my return). All in all, there's still time for me to resettle at home, but I somehow doubt I'll ever be quite as happy staying in one place again...

I find myself constantly thinking about where I want to go next, what I want to do there, how to get there, how to fund all of it... I've found a bit of an identity, as silly as it sounds, as a nomad. And I like that image of myself, more than any previous opinions I've had.

When I was away, I was living in the present.
When I got back, I was living in the past.
Now, I live for the future.


Yes, I sound pretentious. No, I couldn't care less. Peace.

Wingman (or mouse...) of the year

Surely the greatest (drinking) game ever invented

I present to you: BANANAGRAMS.

There's a distinct lack of time on this trip to make a half decent effort at updating this

For that, I apologise. Although I'd like to point out the layout of the keyboards here in South America is far from ideal for typing with any level of speed. They always have sticky keys, have all of the letters worn off from overuse and almost everything is in a completely different place that can only be accessed using a bizarre combination of the Alt and Shift keys. Anyway, enough about the keyboards, as I'm sure I have better things to talk about from the last month other than this. It's be a pretty boring post otherwise. Here's a good picture to lighten the mood.

Right now, I'm in Sucre, which is the constitutional capitol city of Bolivia. La Paz is generally recognised as the capitol,but Sucre retains this role, albeit in a more dignified sense. I feel there's far too much to talk about in one blog post, as I haven't managed to keep this updated as I go, but there's definitely certain parts that be mentioned in due course; of course, the part of my trip that I'm arguably looking forward to most is yet to come, but I'll have plenty of time to regale my adventure down Death Road in the coming days.

Here's a picture of me making a fool of myself:

Suffice to say, I'm having an incredible time,I've met some very bizarre yet wonderful cannibalistic Americans and I really don't want this to end any time soon! Here's a picture of a bunch of us at the salt flats,which are southern Bolivia. It's not too bad at all during the day, but at night it's one of the coldest, most inhospitable places you could imagine. We stayed in a hotel made of salt, which was pretty cool, but it had no heating. Less cool (or more, if you want)

Peace, all.

Casual musings.

"Of all Sad Words of Tongue or Pen, the Saddest are these, "It Might Have Been." "

-George Ade (More Fables)

My South American adventure

Here's a vague idea of where I'm going y'all.

Day 1 Arrive Lima

Day 2-3 Nazca / Night bus (D)

Day 4-6 Arequipa / Night bus

Day 7 Cuzco

Day 8 Ollantaytambo

Day 9-12 Llares trail (yes, no inca trail. Boo-hoo etc.) MACHU PICCHU

Day 13-14 Cuzco

Day 15-16 Puno

Day 17-18 Isla del Sol

Day 19-20 Sorata

Day 21 La Paz

Day 22 Uyuni

Day 23-25 Uyuni / Salt Lakes Excursion

Day 26-29 Sucre / La Paz

Day 30 Depart La Paz

This is more or less my plan. I've got a  couple of days floating about which i'll spend in Lima and La Paz but WE SHALL SEE.

Farewell, blog-readers x

These are good. I have too much time on my hands now uni's finished.

Although, I'm sure the fact uni has finished hasn't made too much difference in that respect....
http://animalsbeingdicks.com/post/6489431456/terrier-headshot
Boom. Headshot.

Lesotho

In Lesotho, apparently people wear blankets as everyday clothing. This makes me really want to go, to be honest. I'm odd like that.

There's a certain mystique around being a barman.

I hope I can get some bar work this summer- it's my ideal summer part time job. I can see myself mixing some crazy cocktails. No, really! Ideally in a beach bar somewhere exotic, but you have to be realistic with these things you know...

Oh monty.

"If a blancmange is prepared to come 2200000 light years to purchase a kilt, they must be fairly keen on kilts"

-'Angus', Monty Python's Flying Circus

A couple of days filled with luckiness...

I don't mean to complain, but bad luck seems to be plaguing me at the moment... Not only did my old car get written off while at home and not under my control, but my replacement has been vandalised- meaning I have to get in through the boot now, which is a little bit of hassle, to say the least.
As well as this, my train journey back home the other day was littered with small delays, but overshadowed by one incident of an individual killing themselves on a traintrack in Southampton. Obviously, this person had some cause for their actions, but it meant I had to wait at Eastleigh for 2 hours, which was bad enough before forcing my way onto a coach after arguing with incompetent national rail staff. I then had a joyful wait, at the station of basingstoke, with noone having any idea what was going on for a further hour. And then I was forced into a cramped small compartment on a train for the rest of journey, with a short woman repeatedly elbowing me.
Rant over.
Hopefully that's it for now, though.

The best sport of all time.

FREEDOM!

That's right, I had a Shawshank moment.

Salutations

I would like to cordially extend an apology to all for the lack of blogging in the past few days. I have hit utter panic about exam stage, and as such somehow justified not posting here while still procrastinating heavily. Some accomplishment.
So, here I am, with less than 9 hours to go until the start of my final exam of the year, having revised a lot more than for my others and yet feeling utterly unprepared in every sense of the word. I've worked out I know over 100 cases, and yet barely know half of what I would have liked to know for this exam. Tort law is truly, truly difficult.
Wish me luck.

A childhood hero, who taught me much

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind"

-Dr. Seuss

When I'm in Bolivia this summer, I fancy doing something a little different.

I may mountain bike along 'El Camino De La Muerte', or the 'road of death', which was deemed such a dangerous road that it was closed to motorists. The stones lining the road are graves or memorials for those who have plunged from the edge of the road to their deaths below. It's a 38 mile downhill track with hairpin turns and all!
I'm fairly sure the insurance I bought won't cover it but.. you only live once!
Here's a few photos of it:

This is not a promising sign, but I'm sure a mountain bike has less likelihood of sending me plunging to my doom than a large cargo truck...
It's amazing. I'll upload the pictures I take, of this and the rest of the holiday when I get back. In fact, I may post my itinerary on here. If anyone's interested, that is!

Cannot wait for this.

This man is a hero.

I've decided a husky would be a sound investment.

Alas, I wish I actually did have some Canadian heritage...

What's that? 2 days until summer?

I want it now!!

Film Review: 'The Hangover Part 2'

There's a common saying: 'Don't change a winning formula'.
This very much applies to The Hangover, easily one of my most enjoyed comedy films of recent years. A definite sense of anticipation has been growing for some time about the sequel to the highly popular original, but the question that remained on my lips was along the lines of 'how can they possibly match it?'
Happily, they have just about managed this. Although the plot clearly resembles the original throughout, the jokes still stir a laugh- and I found I laughed a lot; it's even made me want to go to Thailand more than I did previously, something I wasn't sure was possible.
On the other hand, I wasn't convinced by certain parts of the film. Zach Galifianakis was less impressive than I had hoped, and the reappearance of a certain figure from the original felt contrived and dare I say mildly cringe-worthy. To be frank, despite the introduction of a couple of new characters, I felt that the film did overall try too hard to replicate the original, without seeking success in its own right. This is a common pitfall with many sequels, but it doesn't make 'The Hangover Part 2' an unenjoyable film in any way! Hopefully, however, the next installment (as there clearly will be at least one) will have a little more novelty, yet retain the elements which make this, and the original so popular.
So, to sum up, I would recommend seeing this as it would be ideal for a laugh, and shows off some of the best (and worst!) of Thailand. However, for those expecting anything groundbreaking, don't raise your hopes too high.

It's too true.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the places and moments that take our breath away"

-Anonymous

Student budget stretching...

I have no money, yet I'm still drawn to look on ebay and amazon for the most unobtainable things... For example, I'm convinced a Kindle would be the best purchase ever... for those who aren't aware, the Kindle is an e-reader or electronic book, which can save entire books from the internet at little cost for reading at a later date...
However, at least I have some basis for wanting one of these, because it's so useful for travel when you have limited packing space but love reading... Other things I tend to absently check for lower prices include a red leather jacket, purely as a result of this actor
and, of course, a casual hammock. Not sure why, but it might be something to do with this picture: