Childhood Games
April 29, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
As a child, we would rarely play games. It was just me and my brother, and we lived in a town where it wasn’t very safe to leave the house to go outside. We were stuck with computers and toys so we’d create our own games. I would pretend my Barbie dolls were prisoners of war, trapped and nowhere to escape, and my brother would use his Action Men dolls to save them. One of the first consoles we were bought was a Nintendo. We’d play Super Mario Brothers or Bubble Bobble, but it would always escalate into an argument. Every year a new console came out, we’d get one to share between us for Christmas and a few games. We’d play board games at Christmas times, or whenever the family got together. Monopoly was a favourite but we’d rarely finish, and Cluedo was often out even though several of the murder weapons had been replaced by pieces of paper with their names on.
The Book That Changed My Life
April 26, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Image via Wikipedia
After losing two grandparents within 30 days, and still not recovering from redundancy plus a terrible break down of my relationship, I was struggling to get by. Everything was a little bit more difficult – getting up in the morning was a task, washing took more of an effort, and smiling felt like a chore. I found articulating my feeling impossible and internalised everything, it was my own grief causing this and the more I blamed myself, the harder I found it to mourn for my losses. I felt inadequate and greedy for wanting attention and for someone to ask if I was okay when my grandmother lost her husband of 50 years and my father lost his mother – it was as though their grief was greater than mine and I didn’t want to take anything away from them. I was browsing through the philosophy section at my local bookshop, trying to find something to take my mind off of everything, somethng to help me escape, when I found the Consolations of Philosphy by Alain de Botton. It was a brightly coloured, thin book. It caught my eye so I paid the £10.99 and took it home to read. I didn’t put it down for the next 4 days. De Botton pinpointed exactly every emotion I was experiencing and validated me, I finally felt free of the prison I’d created for myself. Now if anyone I know is suffering internally, but is too proud to say, I lend them my copy. Not only did this book change my life, it saved it.
What I’d Choose to Watch on a Slow Evening
April 21, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
If I had a free evening, and no housework or paperwork to catch up on, I’d most likely choose a medical drama to watch. I love the fast pace and the concept (created by Edgar Allen Poe but perfected by Wilkie Collins) of one educated outsider (in this case, a doctor) solving the mystery. The US have established some of the best medical dramas, my favourite being House as it’s more than just a one dimensional show. Another reason why I probably watch medical dramas is my own personal dream to be a doctor. I missed out on university and enjoy living vicariously through the characters, and find that I can empathise with them and their patients.
How I’d Spend $500
April 18, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Image by The U.S. Army via Flickr
If I were to receive $500, I’d first of all buy a new charger for my mobile phone. I’m always breaking mine through being too rough with them, and a spare one would always be handy. I’d have a look at dresses and pick something for the Summer months. After finding that perfect dress, I’d check out what new albums had been released and if any DVDs took my fancy, I wouldn’t spend too much on those, probably around $50. The rest I’d spend on some gadget-y and unnecessary but useful – maybe something like a tiny, handheld camera or something exciting like night vision goggles.
