Merry Listmas! (I know, comedy GOLD)

Well, the festive season is finally upon us, and what better way to spend my long, snowed-in  holidays than by running up a list of my favourite Christmas simple pleasures?

1. The smell of the Christmas tree
Nothing beats walking into a room and smelling pure, unbridled CHRISTMAS. I noticed the other day that you can get air-fresheners in  'festive scents' like this. This is surely for people who a) have an artificial Christmas tree and make a sneaky effort to pretend it's real or b) want it to be Christmas every day. But even I would not purchase Christmas tree flavoured air freshener in an attempt to fit into either  category-it screams desperation.

2.  Real Christmas trees
None of this "Oh but I hate how it drops needles all over the carpet, an artificial tree looks just as good and is so practical" rubbish. Also, Christmas trees should be green. Not white, not  pink, and especially not 'sophisicated black with moody silver undertones'.
If you are the (shameful) owner of one of these, I apologise. I am a traditionalist at heart.

3. Slightly tacky Christmas decorations
Going through the decoration box on Friday, my sister and I discovered remnants of my parents' awful taste. I think the best one is a scrawny green tinsel garland with tiny shiny red holly leaves and a big red bauble in the middle. Trust me, it's hideous. My mum has finally admitted defeat and banned it.
When I was younger, the highlight of this time of year was driving back from school in the dark and seeing 'The Gingerbread House', which was, funnily enough, not made out of biscuits, but an actual house covered in what must've surely been the world's entire supply of Christmas lights. Giant sleighs, flashing bells, blow-up snowmen...you name it, they had it. In an attempt to be the Christmassy-est, they managed to make their house look like it had survived some sort of fairy-light tsunami. To my horror, those owners must have moved because now The Gingerbread House is no more! Cry.

4. Christmas Biscuits
I made these for a Secret Santa present...and ended up eating half. But they are so delicious. You know the ones I mean, with the boiled sweet in the middle? I left out the sweets, to get a massive spice-fest. Mmmmmmm :) In French we also had German (yes, I know, but I don't think LIDL go in for French cuisine) special biscuits. I now find out the are actually called Lebkuchen, but I  like to think of them as "those gingery-chocolately-buttery" things. If you happen to be in LIDL, or indeed any other non-German biased supermarket, try some. You won't regret it.

5. Carol Singing.
Abby invited me to go carol singing this year with people from the Scott's Project, who work with adults with learning disabilities. On turning up at the pub in the blizzard, I was promptly issued with a festive hat, a folder of words, a tambourine and I was all set. We made what can only be described as a joyful din, but very joyful and festive it was too. Never have I felt so Christmassy as when I was belting out Little Donkey for the third time, shaking my tambourine, surrounded by others doing exactly the same to half bemused, half appreciative diners. It also gave me the opportunity to meet my apparent Number One Fan (Hi, Elaine), who also bought me a lemonade, so thank you very much! A true simple pleasure :)

6. Christmas cards from people you never, ever see
I  have a large extended family, with lots of complicated second-cousin once removed-s, adoptive second cousins and fake aunties and uncles. My parents also have a whole multitude of university friends who only get in contact at Christmas. This of course, gives way to SO many mistakes. There is one Canadian relative of some sort, who each year without fail addresses her card to "Katharine, Rodney, Katie and Elizabeth." Those of you who know my family will notice the many, many errors in this. For starters, there is no Elizabeth in my house. Last time I checked it was my middle name, not a mysterious second sister. My mother is called Kathryn, (note the spelling Canadian lady!) and I am Katie (not Kathryn Junior), which also creates a plethora of spelling/mother-daughter name confusion opportunities. Those who opt for the slightly safe but still personal option go for 'Kathryn, Rod and the girls'. Confirms you know the parents' names, and know they have...a certain number of daughters, but without specifics. Safe. I advise people with no clue at all togo for 'To, all of you' to avoid embarrassment.

7. Round Robin Letters
It's always good to hear everyone's news at Christmas, but some families take it to extremes, hopelessly exaggerating their little darlings' signs of brilliance. "Not one to follow the crowd, this year, Alfred has taken up the accordion and made an appearance in the Junior School Christmas Nativity play which can only be described as Oscar-worthy. There was not a dry eye in the house as Innkeeper 2 spoke his one line with an amazing level of sensitivity and maturity"
Nothing makes me laugh more than the family who try to create the ultimate Christmas family newsletters. Every year for a long time we got one family who must have forced their middle son to write a rhyming, may I point out, poem describing what they'd got up to in the year. They certainly got points for originality.

8. Christmas stamps
You know it's nearly Christmas when the shops start selling festive stamps. I believe this year's offering feature Wallace and Grommit. YES! The best thing is when you receive non-Christmas serious letters with a Christmas comedy stamp. Or, be like one of my relations and make your own stamps with pictures of your grandchildren pulling horrendous faces. Just a suggestion.


9. Advent Calendars
My family has never gone in for the chocolate variety so my sister and I get our excitement from putting on the characters onto our wooden one. WOAH. No seriously, it's great.  No one ever gets what it is when it's not full, and I've never seen anything like it, so here is a picture of how it stands at the moment.

Basically, you put on a shepherd, a cow, an angel etc each day and eventually create a nice nativity scene. The only issue is that they all tend to fall off rather dramatically when you even so much as breathe on it.

10. Watching rubbish Christmas telly
A family tradition in my house is to spend the run up to Christmas slobbing around, cooking, eating and watching horrendous films with a blanket on the sofa. Last year I think my mum and I watched Jump In! It's awful, don't watch it. It's like High School Musical but with, wait for it, skipping. Bad times. But it didn't matter, it was a bonding experience.


That's the end of my list, but before I go back to my roots in York to spend Christmas en famille, I'd like to take the opportunity to say a massive thank you for all your views and lovely messages this year. I will soon be writing for Kent Online (http://blogs.kentonline.co.uk), which I  never would have even considered without you. Who knows, maybe this is the start of great things?

Have a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2011. 

See you soon!
Katie xxx

Curtain Up for Japanese Play

Weald of Kent Grammar School in Tonbridge experienced a taste of the Land of the Rising Sun last week when year 7 students put on a production of a Japanese folk tale.

The play was the brainchild of Abigail Harris, 17, a student of Japanese in her final year at the school. As part of her Extended Project Qualification, and on top of her A levels, Abigail planned the production from start to finish. She researched Japanese theatre, auditioned, choreographed and rehearsed her cast and finally directed a production of ‘Momotaro’ for over a hundred parents and pupils.

Explaining why she chose the subject for her Extended Project, Abigail said, “I have taken part in lots of plays, including ‘Momotaro’, before, but I wanted to explore how to direct. At university I hope to study Japanese and Drama, so this seemed a good combination of my interests. The experience was more challenging than I anticipated but it was very rewarding to work with the year 7s and see them develop their skills.”

‘Momotaro’ or, the peach boy, tells the tale of an old couple who discover a giant peach floating in the river near their house. They are about to slice it open, when a little boy jumps out. The childless couple decide he is a gift from the gods, and decide to raise him as their own.

Years pass, and Momotaro grows up big and strong. One day, his village is attacked by monsters, who steal a young child. Momotaro knows he must go to Oni Island (Monster Island) and fight them. On the way there, Momotaro is joined by a dog, a monkey and a bird, who promise to help him in exchange for a rice ball.

Once at Oni Island, Momotaro and the animals defeat the monsters, who apologise and return everything they stole, including the child.

Momotaro and his friends return home, where the villagers celebrate and the chief offers his daughter’s hand in marriage.

This age-old tale was delivered entirely in Japanese with an English translation: no mean feat for a class who had been learning the language for just one term. The play also featured other elements of Japanese culture, as the class were dressed in kimonos and performed a fan dance to traditional music.

Connie Dobson, who played Momotaro, said that the experience was “really, really fun” and had boosted her confidence in speaking the language. Vanessa Languillier, who played the monkey, added that learning the lines had sometimes been difficult, but that she would love to do a similar production on a larger scale in the future.

Abigail decided to run a raffle at the performance which raised £125.42 in aid of Hospice in the Weald, a charity close to the school’s heart.

Mary Murayama, teacher of Japanese at the school said that the play showed the “Weald spirit” of the students to get involved and tackle new challenges.

Photography by Jack Grand

PUBLISHED! Well, kinda...

Abby recently put on a play in Japanese as part of her Extended Project, and, being the lovely person that she is, asked me to write an article on it.
I of course agreed and  went to see the folk tale of Momotaro (The Peach Boy). I must say it was wonderous :) The article I wrote got sent to the Kent and Sussex Courier, and to my great surprise, a short extract was published! Whilst they may not have credited my journalism, I am still amazed that so much of my writing has survived their cut-throat editing.
Abby did a such a good job organising and putting on the play, I wanted everyone to know about it, so I'm going to put up my full article...and it will also be proof that I did write what was printed in the paper!
So, thank you Abby, and thank you Courier!

Simple pleasures

Today was an INSET day, a day off school for those of you who aren't in with all these technical terms. My 13 year old self would have probably gone shopping with my mum perhaps progressing to seeing friends by the time I got to year 11.
So what did I do today on my day of freedom I hear you ask? Wild 24 hour party? Trip to a theme park? Go up Laaandaaan?
No such luck.
Today, I worked for THE WHOLE DAY. That's right, on a day off, I did more work than I would usually do in a normal school day. There is something wrong here.
To keep my spirits up, I left the house briefly for about 20 minutes at lunchtime, and rewarded myself after a 2 hour History marathon with a magazine. This cheered me up no end, although some school girls did pinch the last copy of 'Look', and I had to settle for 'More', which is in danger of being confiscated by my mother because of the rude bits at the back.
But it is simple pleasures like these which make life better, so here is a list of some of my favourites.

1. Finding money you didn't realise you had. 

The best thing that happened to me once when  I was tidying and when I lifted up a book that I'd got for my birthday but had never read.... and £5 dropped out from my Grandpa! It made me feel loved and rich at the same time! I also love it when I put stuff in the secret pocket bits of my purse and discover a cheeky ten pounds about a month later. I should probably do this more often to save my money for a bit...

2. The song you actually want coming up on Shuffle.  

In my world, this is a sign from above that the day will be A Good Day. 

3. Finding leftovers in the fridge and making a veritable feast out of them. 

 My personal best is when I was confronted with: a packet of feta cheese, some chickpeas, butterbeans, a lettuce and some frozen sweetcorn. I produced a mean couscous-Greek-salad thing. Sadly today, my only choice was baked beans, but I can't wait to be a student and have a whole host of leftovers to make crazy meals with.

4. Getting a train you thought you'd missed.  

I almost get a rush of happiness when this happens on the rare occasions when I arrive at the station at 16.01 and still manage to make the 16.02. Most days, however, I get down to the platform, the train is STILL THERE, but the doors are shut. Swines.

5. Having the exact change for something.

Especially when you can use up all those pesky coppers

6. Fairy cake French Friday. 

 A phenomenon known only to my small but perfectly formed  French class. Last year, we had French every Friday before lunch, and it became a tradition for our teacher to bring in biscuits for the five of us. We adopted this ourselves for this year, and so far I have twice had the lovely surprise of rolling up (late) to class on a tedious Friday afternoon to discover a box of beautiful cakes. When it comes to my turn to provide cakes they will definitely NOT live up to the high standards set by the other two. The day I manage to position a sugar-paper flower or use crystallised violets or make a ginger fairy cake is the day when I will also magically become able to sew, paint, take beautiful photographs and generally morph into a domestic goddess.

7. NOT being late to French.  

Carrying on the theme, I made the rookie error of arriving late to our first class with the new teacher, thus earning myelf the nickname Latie [Lay-tee]. Previously, I considered myself to be a very puncutal person, but sadly I am now living up to my nickname. These days it is a nice surprise if I am not found trying to subtly sneak round the door while Mademoiselle's back is turned...never going to work in a class of five. 

8. Coming home to find tea in the teapot. 

 Saves the hastle of having to boil a kettle, and seems very homely. Even better if it is actually a drinkable temperature and not lukewarm.

9. Waking up before your alarm.  

This is about as likely to happen to me as someone asking my advice on Physics. So, when it does, it is a thing to be celebrated.

10. Clean sheets.

Guaranteed to erase worries and ensure a good night's sleep.

I was going to stop at ten, but there are just too many!

11.Finding a pair of tights without holes without having to raid someone else's supply.  

I constantly enrage my family and myself by getting 90% ready and then going off and doing something else. In the mornings I usually get completely ready except for tights and start making a cup of tea or having another slice of toast...and then have a manic two minutes trying to find a pair which do not have gaping holes in inappropriate places/ are not navy blue/bobbly/nail varnished beyond belief.

12. New socks. 

 I have no idea why, and this will definitely fix my reputation as a granny, but there is something about wearing new socks that are all soft before they get a hole in the toe or lose their elastic or get stolen by members of your family.

13. Tidying your wardrobe.   

When I get round to it, I always feel super efficient when I've had a good wardrobe clear out.  I class myself as superwoman if I separate my winter and summer clothes and put the unused ones into one of those vacuum bags under the bed.

14. Getting home just before it starts to rain

Phew.

15. Coming home when someone has done the shopping and the house is full of FOOOD!  

Shopping day is Thursday in my house and you have to be quick, because by Saturday, most of the good stuff is gone. In the same way, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, even Thursday afternoons if my dad is preoccupied, can be desperate times.

16. Because I just thought of another one. Unexpected bargains

One of these can transform my mood. The other day I bought what I thought was going to be a rip-off sequinny hairband, but turned out to be a steal at just £2.70! What a nice surprise at the till. But the ultimate bargain was when I bought a collection of Jane Austen books in a very pretty box (quiet you), which was labelled £30 reduced to £15. 'What a good price for five books', I thought to myself, only to get to the till and pay just a fiver for it! That is £1 per book! RESULT.

Before I destroy the limited street cred I ever had, I think that is enough for now. I'm off to go and watch one of my favourite programmes, The Apprentice-another simple pleasure!

Old age sets in...

Although I have just turned 18, I feel like old age is already upon me. I realised my true age when one morning, my sister had put on Radio 1 at breakfast and I came down and demanded that the radio be changed to Radio 4 because it was "too early for boom banger banger FM". I then proceeded to listen to the Today programme over a bowl of porridge.
See?
I'm ready for retirement RIGHT now. I might as well start claiming my pension.
Continuing the list theme, I'll start with a list of my favourite elderly things to do. But, it's going to take a computer form, because...yeah I won't lie, I can't be bothered to scan in a written one.
So, here are my guilty pleasures. Possibly the most uncool things ever, but they make me happy. Please don't laugh.
Here goes:

1. Radio 4. Obviously the best radio station. Who needs pop music when you have the comforting voices of the newsreaders to ease you into the day? And, apart from the horrendous Archers, there are some gems of programmes. Trust me.

2. Earl Grey tea. For when normal tea just won't do, the lovely added lemony taste is perfect, and feels very sophisticated.

3. Drinking tea, of any kind, at every opportunity. It seems that cool kids drink coffee. Yuck. Give me a cuppa anyday and I will love you forever.

4.Baking. My cakes may look to the untrained eye, like they have been made by a blind four year old, but to me, they are perfectly formed.

5. Wearing  pyjamas or bedsocks at every opportunity. So. Warm.

6. Reading the newspapers on a Saturday morning. I like to know what's going on in the world, and what better way to do it than with a paper as big as your whole armspan stretched across the breakfast table, resting on the marmalade?

7. Doing the crossword. My Granny once came second in the Yorkshire Post crossword competition, and I am obviously following in her footsteps. During study leave, I got into a routine of taking a break with some tea (Earl Grey, naturally) and the easy crossword in The Times, and always felt very pleased if I managed to finish it.

8. Arranging my bookshelf in height/colour order. To be fair, I am not as bad as my sister, who has arranged hers alphabetically.

9. Costume dramas. My absolute favourite thing about Sunday nights. Lark Rise to Candleford, Cranford, Downton Abbey-you name it, I've watched it and loved it. And the best thing is my late night texts to Abby discussing the relative benefits of each episode.

10. National Trust houses.  Perhaps the worst sin of them all, I actually ENJOY being dragged round stately homes by my parents. Shocker. But it's just like Pride and Prejudice, Miss Bennet.

Any other suggestions of granny things I should do are gratefully received, as are assurances that I am not the only one who enjoys one, or all of these things!

Listmania

I stumpled upon this beautiful blog, with my head in the clouds, where the girl (I presume it's a girl) has put together a collection of photography, book quotes and just general cool stuff to look at.

Iida (she's Finnish) has done two things that really caught my eye. She's put together a list of her favourite quotations from books, and done a really cool thing here where she's written down lists in one of those leather notebooks that I really want!

I am, if i say it myself, a mistress of lists. As we speak, I can see four lists papering the walls of my room, of various shapes and sizes. One of them is on a mini-whiteboard with a really cute picture of a little girl having a picnic with a rabbit, one is on the back of a letter from school, one is one some crazy French squared paper I stole off my dad, and one is on a horribly luminous pink Post-it. I do not know what I would do without my lists. I just need to write stuff down to remember it, otherwise it just gets lost in the soupy UCAS-dominated mess of my thoughts. I admit I have been know to write down things that I have already done just for the satisfaction of ticking them off. Ssssh...some may call it O.C.D-I call it organisation!


The bad thing is that recently, I have begun to forget my lists! When I wrote a list, it seemed to mark itself indellibly on my brain, like that horrible quill of Professor Umbridge's in Harry Potter, but without the blood. But now I can write a list, and forget I've made it, let alone what's on it. I blame the stress of Year 13...

To get back to my original point about with my head in the clouds, I am going to take her idea of lists, and add it to the idea of favourite book quotes to make what I hope will be a series of slightly different blog posts. I will take photos of my scrappy to-do lists as well as making new ones of my favourite things: book quotes, song lyrics,  French words, things about winter, cakes or er, socks? You name it, I will make a list about it!

So, keep your eyes peeled as my list obsession makes itself know on here. Let me know your suggestions via the Facebook Page. Enjoy!

Carly Evans has left the building!

Just did a quick check to see if I could find out any more on Carly Evans, and it appears that her Facebook page has been deleted!
Did the teacher involved realise how dodgy it looked? Have the police now got enough ammunition for an assembly or 6? Did a real person get fed up of all the abuse? Who knows...
I guess we will soon know who's behind it...