Moving house

I shouldn't really be writing this, I have a massive list of things to-do before I get my train at 3pm. In all honesty though, I managed to wake up at 8.20am, so that's enough activity for me to be proud of myself.

My parents are moving house today. I'm quite excited, when I get home I'll have to get on a different bus, a totally different route and live in my new house. Which I refuse to call a 'home', yet. It's a house of utter '70s decor. Always hideous. I'm excited to have a room that isn't a loft at home, as I was going mental in that loft, I'm far too tall. So yes, new house, so excitteeddd!!!!!

Easter holidays mean assessed essays. I have 4 essays to do, total of 14,000  words. I've written about 2000 words so far, so I lie when I say 14,000...obviously it makes no-fucking-difference, as 12,000 is still shitloads. However, my essays are interesting, it could be worse, I could be writing one on some biochemistry related sequence thing like Marc. How depressing.

I would just like an Easter egg, please.

I took this on one of those "I've never voted Tory before, but..." billboards.

Oh, and I've decided who I'm voting for, at long last. I've also registered now too, so it's all official. 

MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER TO VOTE.

Realising why I do this degree (...half way through 2nd year, ha)

I've always thought, 'I love Sociology, but my god, sometimes I do think it's useless.' The past few weeks have TOTALLY changed my view though. I've been doing a lot of reading - for essays, not fun, annoyingly - and I just know so much more (I say so much, but that's probably/definitely a lie). I know this is the point of a degree, and I sound absolutely ridiculous writing this, but I don't care. I've been reading about various topics, such as: disability from Marxist and feminist perspectives, consumerism, food policy, food banks, social capital, health policies, racial and gender discrimination. These topics are hardly 'fun', but they're all so incredibly interesting. Especially the social capital part. I love Pierre Bourdieu, but his work is a wee bit heavy. I say a wee bit, it's a lot heavy, but so very worth it when you've finally understood a whole page :|. Great minds sometimes mean great difficulty when trying to read their work, which I do find very annoying. But Bourdieu is French, so I'll let him off....

Anyway, yes, the point of this blog! Why I like my degree. Sometimes it helps to write these things whilst you like whatever it is you usually dislike/have a weird relationship with...I know I'll read this blog at exam time and be like "REALLY SOPHIE, REALLY?!?! COME ON NOW!!!" I know this, and I will cope with my annoying self, as per usual.

Reasons I like my degree :)

- It's actually relevant to my life. I can use the knowledge gained from it in everyday situations. When I watch the TV, read the paper or a book, or read blogs online, I always look at in a sociological way. Which sounds geeky and annoying, but I like it, I appreciate whatever I'm watching/reading on another, slightly cooler, but still weird, level.
- It gives me something to talk about. Sociology is everywhere. It's not like a book that some people have read and some haven't, and those who haven't are completely excluded. You can talk about sociology to anyone, and make anyone understand. If you don't do sociology, you can still understand it and I like that.
- It makes me care about things I used to never give a shit about/didn't know about them to be able to give a shit about them.
- It's made me realise a lot about my own situation in life and the situation of other people. I just feel more informed about the society we live in, and how it programs us, and vice versa.
- I only have 9 and a half hours of contact time a week. BOOM. (That had to go in this list, sorry)
- I've never met anyone who is a twat about sociology. I say this because a lot of people are snobby about the degree they do and it says a lot about them as a person. Especially at this uni, urgh.
- Sociology involves lots of other things, like history and politics. I like this, stops me from being bored. Bitta variety.

I'M DONE WITH WITH BLOG NOW. 

Writing this blog hasn't given me any encouragement to do my essays though...ha. Typical.

For those of you who understand what this picture means...

This is how I feel when I get a book out, take it all the way home and it's useless.

Caitlin Moran

This woman is amazing.

She writes a column for The Times :)

This little snippet is one reason I think I love her <3

"But what I find absolutely intolerable is people who claim that she’s [Katie Price] a feminist role model — simply because she has earned a lot of money. The reasoning is this: men still have all the power and money. But men have a weak spot — sexy women. So if what it takes to become rich and powerful is to sex-up the blokes, then so be it. That’s business, baby. You might be on all fours with your arse hanging out in “glamour” calendars — but at least you’re making the rent on your enormous pink mansion. Well, there’s a phrase for that kind of behaviour. It is, to quote Jamie, the spin doctor in The Thick of It, being a “mimsy bastard quisling f***”. Women who, in a sexist world, pander to sexism to make their fortune are Vichy France with tits. Are you 32GG, waxed to within an inch of your life and faking orgasm? You’re doing business with a decadent and corrupt regime. Calling that a feminist icon is like giving an arms dealer the Nobel Peace Prize."

Volunteering, Teaching + Plan B

I've been volunteering with a group of people at a local boys comprehensive in Coventry. It's part of an Aim Higher scheme to teach kids about further and higher education. I love going there and discussing stuff with the kids, they're in Year 9, but they're doing their GCSEs a year earlier. They're all really smart but seriously know nothing about uni. We've had a few sessions with them now and I think they're finally starting to get that uni doesn't just mean constantly working and reading and being with strangers. It's taken them quite a while to understand the huge social and extra-curricular activities involved in university life. There faces when I told them I only had 9 hours of contact time was just like this :| then this :D. They still ask the usual questions though "Can I bring my Xbox?" "Can I have a fridge in my room?" "What if everyone I live with is an idiot?" They seem to assume they are going to spend ALL their time in their rooms. Madness. Hopefully after Week 10 they shall want to go to carry on in education :). A few kids have said "My parents don't have degrees and they have good jobs" and it's so hard to answer that in a way they can understand. Saying they're a different generation and times are different now isn't really an answer to them, I just sound all pompous. I have managed to explain it in normal people terms now though :)

Volunteering has just reinforced how much I want to be teacher. Teaching someone something gives you such a sense of achievement. I seem to be good at shushing children, which is ALWAYS helpful. I think it's because I'm really chatty and I doubt any child could be bothered trying to out-chat or out-argue me. We'll see. That's probably a reason I want to teach, I'll get to talk SO much. Yeeeesss! Nice. At the moment I'm filling in the form to get some teaching experience at a local school at home, I'm hoping to maybe do it in September when school has started, as it'd probably be better to do it then, rather than mid-July when they just want the summer holidays. I'm excited and so incredibly nervous.

I've been looking for Sociology based PGCEs and my God. It is haarrddd to find one I like. So far I have Leicester. That is it. I'm just not going to anywhere I know I'll hate/strongly dislike. It's only for a year, I'm very aware of that, but shush. It's a very important year!

If all fails I'm going to try and get a job like Lil' Jon's. That is my Plan B. He just says a few words in each song he ever appears on and he must get paid a fair amount for them. I find this so weird when all his music with the Eastside boyz wasn't even that good. But whatever. Lil' Jon, your job will be mine. YEAH! WHAT?! OKAY!

Cheeky bit of music now :)

Really good song, I didn't like this even slightly at first. But it's grown on me :D



Jake Gyllenhaal is in the video, in tennis shorts. Enough said. Also look at the video for 'Cousins' if you haven't already. It's also amazing.

___________________________________________________

No more F.R.I.E.N.D.S on E4? SAY WHAATT?!?!

I also went to see Cat's documentary on The Rotary Club this week. It was so good. I'm really proud of her :)

Ahhh, sexist little pricks. How you fill my day with anti-joy.

I feel this small, but important, rant is necessary. Fan pages on Facebook are obviously quite funny, everybody likes to join, have a laugh and never really bother about it again. However, since the change of Facebook my newsfeed is clogged with a nice bit of sexist shite :)

Reasons when it's acceptable to punch a woman in the face
If you spell 'Woman' backwards it spells 'Kitchen' (There's a lot of these "women get back in the kitchen" ones)
"Hi. I'm a girl. I don't play COD, but that's what my gash smells like." (That's just grim)

I know these are all meant to be funny and light-hearted. But when it's guys you genuinely like and are friends with, it's just a bit disheartening when they join them and are like "lol women, dey r silly n should be bringin me beer n steak whilst i watch da football den play on COD".
It pains me that some people I'm friends with think that having that attitude is funny. It's not funny, and all you do is look immature and twattish.

Also, whilst I'm ranting about the male of the species...I may as well complain about the copious amount of girls that join the following groups.
Behind every untrusting girl is a boy who made her that way. (URGH)
24 Reasons why men are happier people (This is just dim, written by someone who knows very little about life)
Hi, I'm a boy and I ignore decent girls and choose sluts instead. (Just to throw it out their...they're probably not very good guys anyway :|)

This one is beautiful. Girls should stay away from boys who have a GIRLFRIEND. I find this one funny purely because it's the whole "omg u iz tryin ta steal my bf" thing. No-one can be stolen, love. You're boyfriend has a say in the matter too, don't ya know.

I think my Facebook rant is over now. I just get angry at how many twatty things people think are funny/true. I'll shut up now. This blogging malarky is turning into something emotional and it was never meant to be that way, SORRY BLOG!

When my wardrobe looks like this, I'll shut up. (look! I like a stereotypical female thing, lolololol *sigh*)

Lent. How about no.

A couple of years ago I gave up all chocolatey goods for lent. It was suprisingly easy, but never again, thank you. This year I'm giving up nothing, I genuinely hadn't even thought about it until today...which is a day too late. It did make me think of a few things I should give up/should get round to doing for now.

1. Use facebook less.
2. Work more.
3. Get out more.
4. Be more motivated.
5. Actually care about my degree more :|
(total overuse of the word 'more' I know)

I bought this book the other day, it looks amazing.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Foucault-Reader-Introduction-Foucaults-Sciences/dp/0140124861

I'm currently in Leeds visiting Jack. I love it here, it's so nice. His housemates are all lovely and I shall definitely visit more often :) Valentine's Day was lovely too :)

 

<3

Shampoo

I was washing my hair today, and I always buy shampoo that gives me volume. I was reading the bottle in the shower and it's for "lifeless and dull" hair. It's quite offensive really. Why is hair is always referred to as being boring. I'm quite happy with my boring hair, thanks.
Even Cheryl Cole's adverts are against my supposedly "lifeless" hair, but if boring means not straightened to a crisp and not full of extensions, then I guess my hair is boring. Soz'ard.

Paperlilies <3
"Five problems, one solution. Seventeen stylists and a lot of fake hair"

...and such is life.

I'm currently listening to The Hush Sound, drinking tea and enjoying the end of my ridiculous week. I love being busy though, keeps my mind from over thinking trivial shite. I say I've been busy this week....I haven't done anything since Jack came here on Thursday evening, but from Monday to Thursday evening it was just a wee bit more than I'm used to. I'll give a nice run through of my week now :)


This week I had to do a presentation on Biotechnology and Agriculture for my Politics of Food and Nutrition seminar. Usually presentation are about 10 minutes long...this one was an hour. Oh joy. So reading and working for that took a hefty amount of time. I spent most of my Monday chatting with Cat and Danni and enjoying a cup of tea. Cat & I discussed outfits for Wednesday as we were going to the Houses of Parliament and a feminism event held by Object and we wanted to look funky. Well...smart funky.
Tuesday I made notes all day, ALL DAY. Except for the two lectures...obviously. It was so boring.


Wednesday was amazing. I got to Marylebone at 12ish and sat with Cat in a café called Paul (which I think is a weird name for a café) and discussed the days events. We got the tube to Westminster and had lunch in Portcullis House with some of Cat's politiciany family. It's such a pretty building, and there's loads of men in suits, which is always a plus point to any place. We then met up with Alan Duncan's PA and went to his office. I can't even explain how pretty it all is. There were old painting and so many books, the green couches and the green lamp on the table, the whole place was just steeped in history. When you looked out the window you could see the rest of the parliament buildings and I just felt really cool being there. Cat interviewed Alan for her documentary/dissertation on the Rotary Club (I didn't know what it was either, wiki it). We had tea and took some pictures for his website, it was all really informal. He did the odd impression of John Major and Tony Blair which I think stopped me and Cat being as nervous (well definitely me, not so sure about Cat). Oh, I forgot to mention, I was the technology girl and helped with the microphone and behind the scenes crap :). Alan then asked if we'd like a tour and we were like YES, OF COURSE. We had a wander around the rooms of the shadow cabinet, it's such a nice building, all old and pretty. We saw a few offices and lots of portraits. I was having a poltics fan girl moment.

We then dossed about London for a bit, abusing Paperchase and Oxford Street. The Paperchase toilets have these blue lights in that made them the scariest toilets ever, I know they're for people trying to shoot up (so they can't see their veins), but seriously, it was dark in there :|. After a couple of hours we made our way to the Edelman offices, but stopped for a cheeky glass of wine on the way, then headed for the feminism event which was titled "A Decade of Porn Culture: Is it Time to Put Feminism back into Public Life?" Susie Orbach (writer of Fat is a Feminist Issue), Caitlin Moran (The Times columnist), Diane Abbott (MP) were speakers at the event. It was so interesting. They were all funny women, especially Moran, she was painfully funny. She also wore the coolest outfit ever, I would quite like to be her. The talk lasted until 8ish, and I made my way back to Marylebone to get the train back to Leam only to be greeted by the joyous knowledge that I had my presentation the next day and it still had to be finished. Oh life.


Thursday my presentation went well, statistics remained all that is wrong with the world and I cleaned my room....again. I have issues.

Oh and why do little sisters have to grow up?

Why can't they just stay cute and annoying?

Oh and I watched the first episode of Glee. YES PLEASE.

It's all swings and roundabouts.

Happy New Year! I figured I should blog, as it's all go now.

Hello Term 2, Year 2.

I've started this term in a much more productive manner. I have a to-do which pains my eyes. I will be smart this term, I MUST. I didn't come to this uni just to scrape a pass. The word scrape is horrible. I think that's probably because it has the word "rape" in it....just sayin'

Anyway, more importantly. I'm in a very good mood now it's towards the end of the week. I really didn't want to come back to uni, but now I'm back in to the swing of things, it's nice :)

These pictures sum up all the millions of thoughts I'm having at the moment.

Sometimes there are just some things you need to stop moaning about and get on with.

It will all be worth it in the end.