Ground Control to Major Tom...

First of all I shall apologise for my lack of posting on this blog recently. If you're looking for regular updates and pretty pictures please visit my tumblr www.strangecharm94.tumblr.com :)

Today I want to talk about space exploration and why I think it's something we as a species should be pushing for and take an interest in. If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll realise I mention space a hell of a lot. Well that's because it is one of many things that remains important and close to my heart. When I was younger my Dad used to take me on astronomy courses at a local observatory, although at the age of around eleven/twelve I could never really contemplate the vastly complex science being discussed, it inspired me at this age to find out more and even now I'm desperate to get back into astronomy.

As part of this interest I watched a brief documentary version of the moon landings and longed to have been around when it had happened as it was such an achievement for mankind. You'd have thought by now we'd be pushing even more boundaries, trying to take that one step further into the frontiers of space but instead our united interest in space exploration has declined...we're all too busy worried about our own individual stability, which I completely understand but where on earth is the fun in that? Don't we want to do something historic this decade? Because that's what happened during the space race, so why can't it happen again? Who knows what we could achieve if we just had financial backing and the interest of the public once more.

Sure there are problems on Earth that we need to address such as poverty, cancer and AIDS however I am positive that there are plenty of potential financial backers out there...think about the millions footballers get paid just to kick about a ball by rich managers, or bankers who despite getting us into a recession still get their bonuses. Or how about events such as Eurovision (which in my opinion is pointless and already determined by political backgrounds), surely we could use funding for those projects to both help our Earthly problems and reach for the stars.

Basically I want to be a part of history. I don't want to believe that the days of manned space exploration are as good as dead. I don't want to believe that we don't care any longer, that it's just the past. Science can be developed through space programmes, society hooked and inspired, children given hopes and dreams... we shouldn't give up on this. The only limits are those we put in our own path.

Sorry I got passionate there and went off on one again! Anyway I'm off on D of E tomorrow for 5 days, carrying a rucksack over 16kg in mass...this shall be my own personal mission I guess! Wish me luck!

Allons-y Alonso.

I won't let you close enough to hurt me...

For me the past couple of days have been hard. Yesterday I spent the day lounging in the obscure heat with a picnic in honour of one of my close friends who sadly is leaving us. It was a brilliant way to say goodbye, and I'm convinced the goodbye is not forever, but you never really understand how much people play an important part in your life until they're gone and it's too late.

Also today I woke up, positive today would be another well-spent day. My mood was quickly ruined however by some a very stressing discovery. I don't really want to talk about the details as most of you who read this blog will probably know something about them. I just felt like saying, I feel completely let down by those who I put my faith in and trusted. By nature I'm a pretty anxious person and the news I've had today will probably bug me until everything has been outlined clearly. I'm so sick of things like this happening. Honestly, it can really make you realise just how precarious situations in life can be. Really hope things will be sorted soon, because if they are not, life will continue to go on...after all isn't life rather like a show where all the men and women are players?  I will but on my brave face and as usual if someone says "How are you?"
I'll place on that fake persona and reply "I'm fine thank you, yourself?"
At least if things don't work out as I want them to I will still have those amazing friends with me whatever happens, and their company I shall be glad of.

Sorry for this gloomy post.  I'll probably talk about one of the things I'm getting really into at the moment...
Astronomy and Cosmology.

I've been reading Wonders Of The Universe by Professor Brian Cox this holiday and its so inspiring. Seriously, I'm taking physics next year and this part of it excites the inner nerd in me. The universe is just so fascinating, reading about how rocks also have tides, the first space flights, how weight changes even of earth, and the false dawn make you contemplate just how vastly complex this universe can be. Additionally every time I try to think how vast space is my mind struggles to even imagine it, whilst causing me to recognise just how small we are in comparison to the solar system, milky way galaxy, the local group, and the universe. Perhaps human minds were never designed to envision these great scales...but that does not stop us trying. I seriously would love to get into astrophysics someday...unfortunately I'm not confident in my maths therefore I believe it would be a difficult struggle.
A quote from Carl Sagan at the back of this book sums up my feelings on both life and the cosmos, both with complex structures in their own right.

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."- Carl Sagan 

Hubble Deep Space Image

"

I didn't realise how bittersweet this could be.

Yesterday it was prom. The day I'd spent ages planning all the minute details for, looking forwards to it in the midst of exam season, researching possible hairstyles and make up ideas. Initially I didn't think I'd make prom out to be a big deal, but now I have realised its importance to me. This event fulfilled a part of me which secretly longs to dress myself up and pretend that there is nothing else of greater importance in my life, almost transporting me back to the ideas of historical court balls and such...I've been reading too much historical fiction recently. In addition it provided another excuse to celebrate with my truly wonderful best friends the end of an era, the beginning of a new one and the continuation of lasting friendship into the future.

It still hasn't hit me yet that this event was to mark the end of my years at Belvoir. I'm still not convinced inside that it is the end... I just can't imagine a different atmosphere next year, but I know I must. For me I guess when it will hit me is exam results day on the 25th August, because everything will have fallen into place, some people I will never see again and for some of them I won't really care, but then there are those who have always been there like background noise even if I did not know them well, providing some structure and regularity to proceedings each and every day for five years.

Prom was simply amazing. I only wished it had lasted so much longer, truly this was one of the few parties that I wish could have continued right into the early hours of the morning, as suddenly the lethargy of the days before disappeared, I felt incredible surrounded by the people who have helped to make my life so brilliant at the moment and everyone looked so stunning! My only regret for the night was that I didn't take money for a professional photograph, as our picture was truly beautiful...oh well, I'll have to get the photos I took printed off to keep them somewhere safe and special. It's not often I feel confident, but last night I got up and danced, took photos, smiled and laughed...I'm not used to such magical moments...

Anyway, enough waffle from me, I know you're secretly just wanting pictures :)

Ellen, Me and Charlie before we went to prom. Don't they just look so gorgeous!

Back of my dress and hair.

Front of dress and hair complete with tiara :) Thank you so much to my mother for making me this dress, it is simply lovely and felt so special. I hated when I had to take it off when I got home, near broke my heart. Also thank you to my mother for surprising me the day before prom by buying me that beautiful bag to match. If you haven't guessed I love my Mum she is simply wonderful and talented in so many ways.

The girles- Alice, Charlie, Me and Ellen

Sim Sim and me.

Again the simply gorgeous people I have met in my time at Belvoir.
Ellen, Me, Sarah, Charlie, Alice

Please don't drive me blind.

3 more exams to go then summer. That's about all that keeps me going when I'm buried beneath heaps of simultaneous equations, trigonometry, fomulae and everything else I despise about maths. Oh and I need to get back to some geography soon!

I'm already looking forwards to next friday when I shall be able to say I never have to take a maths exam ever again. On a side note, I've also painted my nails a TARDIS blue in preparation for the mid-series finale of Dr Who on Saturday, also to test out the nail polish for prom. I really like it, so it may just be staying a while :)

As for prom dress progress, it's going really well. My dress is nearly done, boning has been put in place for support, detailing added, lining put in and I've tried it on to ensure a nice fit. All that's left is to add the bow, find shoes and jewellery and learn how to apply make-up to the desired effect of a smoky-eye. I've never been one for finding make-up easy to apply. I'm not posting pictures just yet because I don't want to ruin the surprise just yet :D

That's about it for today. I have nothing more of much interest to say!
Allons-y Alonso.

Find a new way of seeing...

It's another day of sitting here doing basically nothing. I've spent the days mainly sat here catching up on some reading...a luxury I had to forfeit when GCSE's began. Oh and watching Dr Who episodes trying to figure out what the hell is going on with Amy Pond.

Additionally it's been a while since the last intellectual blog post. So now I'm going to go off on a tangent- feel free to skip to the end for milk and cookies (which will be virtual).

As the title suggest I'm thinking about the way we see things. It's been an interest of mine for a while now, the way we think and act...
In this little blog post I'll talk about how willing the media are to jump to conclusions that the end of the world is nigh, pretty much everyday. Everyone remember the Swine Flu scare right? When predictions were of thousands dead by the end of August, every story on the news was related, all those signs and adverts placed in countless lifts warning us that "coughs and sneezes spread diseases". I praise the government for their quick intervention, as if that had been an actual epidemic swift action would be needed, however in the end I believe the reason such widespread panic ensued was due to the portrayal the media made of a few deaths making a situation seem even more desperate.

And then there was the Large Hadron Collider which was going to cause a black hole and destroy the world...yeah right. Well I've since seen evidence which confirms the inpracticality of this conclusion. It isn't scientifically viable. Another story without a taken from a rumour and blown up into full scale mass panic.

What about all those foods that cause cancer then you see in the columns of various newspapers everyday. Half the time, you'll find these foods printed a couple of weeks later then claiming to be cures for cancer. The truth is that these things haven't been researched enough to come to an accurate, valid conclusion.

The rapture. Another example. All over the internet were comments of how the world would end, based upon one guys's predictions. Many people have predicted the end of the world, ever since early calendars were invented- has it ever happened?  So why should people choose to believe this obvious nonsense this time around?

Why print stories when we can't be sure the conclusions are true at all. My answer to this would be that it's because deep down, wired into our minds as human beings we love scary stories. We revel in the hysteria caused by a new threat in our stable lifestyles. It gives us something to gossip about in the streets or with neighbours. Draws us together as worldwide race of human beings (granted this may only be on twitter where we voice our concerns and poke fun at some ridiculous ideas), plus it sells papers. After all we secretly all love pouring over these stories even if to mock them.

Next time you read something predicting the end of our existance, think to yourself- how much of this is hype, research your facts and think twice before buying into the mass hype that will undoubtedly unfold.

But love is blind, and lovers cannot see, The pretty follies that they themselves commit.

Taking a well deserved break from the relentless schedule of revision, I decided to take a trip to Shakespeare country to see the RSC perform The Merchant Of Venice, and look around some of the pretty historical houses around there.

I've always been kind of a sucker for Shakespeare plays, I just love the drama of them and rhythm of the words when spoken. It's hard to explain to people who just see these plays as just to be studied in english why I love them so much, because although the language is old fashioned it's a reminder of our heritage, a lost past, and in fact many of the words we use every day were actually first heard in the lines of these plays. I guess I'm also a romantic at heart, I love these tales of ages gone and imagining how life must have been before society relied on technology. Not just this, but Shakespeare is still relevant and can be modern...

The Merchant Of Venice was actually set in Las Vegas, the characters wore modern clothing, played in a casino, there was an Elvis impersonator as one of the servants, the leading lady Portia and her maid in waiting even host a game show to decide whom she shall marry-popping up out of the floor on a sofa, on air signs, cameras and everything. The actors were fantastic, and made Shakespeare enjoyable and understandable. At one point there's a lads night out with the boys dressing up as Batman, Yoda and a giant teddy in order to rescue Jessica, one of the love interests. Oh and a bit of Babra Striesand playing in the car as the group drive over to "Belmont", head banging all the way. Seriously the best play I've ever seen, if you ever get the chance you should really see one of the RSC productions!

Afterwards I spent the rest of my time in Stratford checking out the historical buildings, including Shakespeare's birthplace, Anne Hathaways cottage, and Nash's House. They were all beautiful Tudor style houses and were so interesting to look around and see how times have changed.

Outside Shakespeare's Birthplace


Romeo and Juliet in one of the many gardens in Stratford Upon Avon

RSC Tower in distance and River Avon

Pretty Tudor gardens at Nash House



Anne Hathaway's Cottage- I wish I could own a house like this someday!

The best years of my life.

Yesterday was one of the toughest days in my entire life. Saying goodbye to a place that has become my second home and the people who have become my extended family was never going to be easy, but I had never imagined it would be as heartbreaking as it was.

Over the past five years I've spent at Belvoir High so much of me has changed, I feel more confident, more mature, more accepted and more able to make my own decisions about where I want this life to go. The circle of friends I met in my time there are the most amazing people I could have ever wished to meet, forget celebrities, meeting friends who are as true as mine is the real honour and pleasure. Unknowingly I entered the school seeking a great perhaps- and I think I found it and found myself. They say the high school days are the best in your life. Part of me wants to believe this is true because I've had an incredible time, the other half of me doesn't because my high school days are at their end now.

I'm ready to move on to the next chapter of my life, but this chapter has been the one with the twisty-turny plots, the time where the main character discovers how the pieces of the puzzle fit together, and the one you know will always be a key to the finished book. Some of my friends will join me next year at the same sixth and we shall continue in education with each other, but to those who have chosen to start the next stage separatly I wish them the best of luck and know that although our days together at Belvoir High are over our friendship is not.

I'll never foget yesterday. It will be one of those days close to my heart until the day I die, because the sense of unity so lacking in todays modern world was present in the hearts of every year 11. We laughed at the same memories, hugged each other in a fond reminder of friendship, cried at the same prospect of change, gave applause to those who had made our years worthwhile, and found happiness in the good luck messages of others. It was a rare moment...a moment that makes life valuable.

Away from contemplating the meaning of life which is a bit too deep for early saturday morning. I also had a great time celebrating the end of an era with all my best friends present. We went for a lovely meal and discussed a range of topics, rainbows actually being circular, the looks of a certain waitor, hot nerds, the possibitlity of alien life, and the rapture which is supposedly going to happen today (not!) It was the best send off for our time so far with each other possible.

Sorry for the length of todays blog, I just needed to express myself upon this monumental time.
To finish I will leave you all with this...

Good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant. - 11th Doctor

This quote basically sums up the memories of Belvoir, there were highs and lows-the lows never ruined the good memories but were not appreciated at the time, however the lows were needed to make me who I am today just as much as the indescribable highs.

Goodbye Belvoir, thanks for everything.
(Well okay I'll be back on tuesday to take an exam but things won't be the same!)