Christmas Holidays Part 1

Merry Christmas!

So I'm in an aeroplane.

On my way home! Yay! Finally!

I can't believe I've already been at uni for a term. It's an amazing thought really. I'm going to miss everyone a lot this month. I spend all my time with these people. I live with them for God's sake! So you get used to having them around. And suddenly I'm not going to have them around for a whole month...

Yesterday was INCREDIBLE!

I got up early to revise. Ended up changing the songs I was using for examples in one of the questions which meant re-doing my research, but actually I think the ones I ended up using where in fact a much better choice.

Though as Katie so kindly pointed out, this whole changing-things-at-the-last-minute thing is going to blow up in my face one day...

Everyone was really nervous about it, swotting up dates and names (and nationalities if you're Katie!) in the canteen an hour before starting.

Me?

I collapsed on a squashy sofa in the canteen and had a nap.

The exam went well though. I think the fact that we all love our subject helps A LOT.

Harry gave me a lift back to campus afterwards (with Dom, Lou and Evan) and we had a right laugh: singing Sister Act: The Musical at top volume, Harry giving Dom a drum lesson as he drove, wine gums, maltesers and all of us jumping up and down in our seats while singing Oliver!

Brilliant.

I joined Gemma, Lucy, Lizzie, Zoe and Ryan for pre-drinking at the SU and had an amazing time with them just dancing and singing along to Christmas songs and clubby stuff as well as cheesy pop like Barbie Girl and Macarena (oh yeah baby)

A few taxi shenanigans later (Gemma falling over...) we hit Sheiks. It was PACKED. I found Danny and Harry and Kat and Kirsty and Anna and Ben as well as a whole load of other people off my course and had a fab time with them.

It was Danny's birthday so Sambuca shots all round at midnight (and oh yeah I am SO blaming that shot on my hangover this morning...)

The best part of the night came when Alan and Harry and me left.

OHMYGOD IT WAS SNOWING!!!

Like proper settled snow! That you could throw and make stuff with!!! We got some chips/kebab and had an awesome chat with the bouncer from Mud about his life as a sergeant in Canada.

Then we got a taxi back and I lived my finest achievement so far at uni: hitting Harry smack bang in the face with a snowball whilst wearing heels and a pencil skirt. Boo yah!

Of course then I got attacked by about seven people all at once... But oh well. So worth it.

Made a snowman (his name is Bob) and then decided to get changed. By the time I got back down the boys had all wimped out and left, leaving me and Daisy and Louise to take photos in the snow with Bob and the snow angels.

Good times.

I was out there until 2am and after about 4h sleep cuddled with a hot water bottle, I woke up to finish packing/sorting my room out before breakfast.

I was going to get a taxt to the station but I was ready a full half hour before I had planned to leave so I just walked instead. I decided I wanted a last chance to see the snow.

It was SO beautiful...

And now I'm here. After three quarters of an hour waiting in the queue to check in and an hour's delay, I'm here. Somewhere over France on my way south and BACK HOME!

I know I said I wasn't going to post while at home, so this will be my last written update until January 16th 2010, but I'm going to post photos of my holidays so in a few years I can come back and see the photos and remember everything.

Once Daisy posts the snow photos on facebook I'll put some of those on here as well.

So all that's left to say is,

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

See y'all in 2010!

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
By the Sea – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

So it's been three days since my last post, and I though I should probably update.

I've been very busy the past few days with revising for my Intro to MT exam (which is tomorrow). My problem is the questions are very generic and could be interpreted and explained in a million different ways...but oh well. I'll get there.

Monday was Christmas pub quiz night. We came third. Again.

Sigh.

It was good fun though. We all got a 50p mince pie each and answered questions like who sang whatever line from Do They Know It's Christmas? in all three versions of Band Aid.

Yesterday was spent revising, except in the evening when I felt a bit funny. So I didn't go to the Christmas party at the SU but instead watched Oklahoma! (ohmygod HUGH JACKMAN), The Nightmare Before Christmas and part of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, before going to bed and having an early night.

And today was VOCAL ASSESSMENT DAY.

My group was at 2pm and I was going to sing MY BROTHER LIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO (from Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens) and WHAT MORE DO I NEED (from Marry Me A Little)...but I changed my mind.

At 11.30am this morning.

I didn't know the words to WHAT MORE DO I NEED, and I didn't like how I was doing it AT ALL, so I swapped to WISHING YOU WERE SOMEHOW HERE AGAIN (from Phantom of the Opera). I'm actually very happy with how it came out.

Danny and Ben and Sam and Dom and Harlie were all AMAZING and lucky me got to be last one to sing...Just build up the pressure why don't you!

And then when we came out...IT WAS SNOWING. Cue girly shrieks with Dom and Anna and Kirsty!!! It was quite pathetic snow. That sleet-y, rain-y snow that isn't really snow but actually is. But still...

SNOW!!!

It made me very happy.

Kinda makes up for the freezing temperatures and losing one glove so my hands were numb from the cold...

And now I'm gonna go do some more revision before dinner.

Ho ho ho!

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
Winter Melody - Donna Summer

Busy Busy Busy

I've been quite busy the last few days.

On Thursday I did actually watch MIRACLE ON 34th STREET but didn't really get an early night as Jemma then called to see if I wanted to go down to Tom's room to chill with her and the others and I was there until about half midnight...

Friday, I had a lie-in and then tidied my room and did some research for my exam questions (I am not impressed by them, by the way. They're hard to interpret)

I also did a LOT of washing which burnt a hole in my purse...Two loads ,wash and dry came to £5.20. It's freaking expensive!

After checking out Tom's new room (he had to move into an even BIGGER room for Health and Safety reasons...he's now got a DOUBLE room all to HIMSELF!) I watched a LOT of Sabrina the Teenage Witch on youtube.

Because someone mentioned it to me and I was in the mood for childhood memories.

Saturday (yesterday) was PANTOMIME DAY!

Steph and Katie and me (Katy with a Y) went to watch PETER PAN at the Regis Theatre. Good times!

Hello gang, it's Smee!...WE KNOW IT IS!! *shakes hands in air*

Lots of shouting and booing and singing and standing up/sitting down and my Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean and High School Musical and Bam Bam from The Flinstones.

T'was a great laugh!

Then we hit Morrisons for food and we spotted Smee in there. Considered stalking. Sang songs from the show instead.

And then Christmassy-ish karaoke in the evening at the SU!

Bit naff because the usual karaoke programme wasn't working so we had to use DVDs...

Steph sang I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL by Britney Spears. The video that came with the song might be the funniest thing I've ever seen: a couple skipping happily down a pavement.

Beautiful.

And now I'm stuck in my room revising. Which is not fun at all. Even the DVD I have planned to watch tonight is part of my revision...

Sigh.

Oh the joys of being a student...

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

PS. Check out my little sister's new fashion blog (designed by me!) here!!

Questions and Minis

I'm just about to go have dinner but I'm going to post this quickly before I do.

It's been a pretty quiet day really.

I woke up late, had breakfast, tidied my room (which was urgent and took quite a while...), had lunch and then got the inter-campus bus to BOC. Roadworks and traffic meant it was running over 20 minutes late, so that was fun.

Then when we finally got to BOC, we discovered that the Music Office wouldn't actually open until 3pm, so we were stuck waiting around for half an hour just to collect an exam question.

Let me explain that.

We do what's known as a "seen exam" for our Intro to Musical Theatre module, where we're given the exam question a week before so we have time to research and prepare it. You'd think that would make it easier wouldn't you?

Well haha.

There's actually a reason why we're given the questions a week before you know!

So Nick, Alan and me joined Danny, Anna and Andy in Holts cafe while we waited. I threw an orange juice bottle at Danny's head. I missed. It rebounded on the wall behind him and nearly hit a random girl sitting at the table next to us. I apologised profusely.

Finally managed to get our exam questions.

We then waited for Ben outside his halls while he fetched his car keys (he offered to give Nick, Alan and me a lift back to campus, Danny came along for the ride).

Danny and Nick made loud bird noises and imitated a strange laugh they'd seen on a youtube video. Nick is quite good at being a chicken. Ben is very good at being a pigeon.

We played BEEMER! and MINI! and YELLOW CAR! (complete with arm-numbing punches) in the car.

Ben's driving scares me.

I've sworn off the internet for tonight. I'm going to finish my room (yes. I haven't finished tidying yet. I know...) and then watch MIRACLE ON 34th STREET and then get an early night.

And I know I said that yesterday and then I (of course) didn't get an early night.

But today I mean it.

Time for dinner.

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
Evan Gardner (he's on my course!) - http://www.myspace.com/evangardner


PS.Just got back from dinner.

Ben Hall made a surprise appearance with Arthur Robson in the canteen.

Jem and I were wondering whether he knows about the Ben Hall Appreciation Society facebook group...

London and Procrastination

I am SUCH a procrastinator.

My plan for this evening is to tidy my room completely and then decorate. So far it's going badly.

Jem and I bought a mini Christmas tree each in Wilkinsons (£2.50: jackpot) and then hit the 99p Store for beads and baubles and tinsel and lights and a star to decorate it with (Yes I know I'm only going to be in my room for another week but I DON'T CARE)

So yeah. At the moment I'm putting off the whole "tidying" process by posting this and skyping Mei (WHO HASS PASSED HER DRIVING TEST!) while listening to FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. I've had that song in my head since yesterday. It's getting irritating.

London was good.

I loved the lights. And I got a kick out of knowing I wasn't a mere foreign tourist sight-seeing, I was a bona fide UK resident doing normal everyday shopping things. Tubing was fun also. I haven't done that in a while.

We got some Christmas presents out of the way, but we didn't find anything for me.
The vintage (no more caps and exclamation points...) turned out to be disappointing and everything I did like was in the £90 region. I apparently have expensive tastes that my heart/brain can't handle. Sandra reckons I unconsciously freaked out about the prices (actually, that bit wasn't unconscious at all) and then channeled that freaked-out-ness into the other more normally priced shops.

What can I say. I'm a Primark gal.


The musical was a bit of a let down. We went to see LITTLE VOICE. Starring Lesley Sharp, Marc Warren (Danny Blue from Hustle) and introducing Diana Vickers (Xfactor finalist)

This wonderfully funny, incredibly moving play tells the story of a shy, reclusive girl named Little Voie and her larger than life, out of control mother Mari.

Desperately missing her dead father, Little Voice spends her time locked in her bedroom listening to his old record colection and perfecting astonishing impersonations of famous divas, including Shirley Bassey, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Dusty Springfield.

When Mari starts dating small-time club agent Ray Say, she thinks he's her last chance for a better life. When Ray Say hears Little Voice sing, he thinks she's his big ticket to the big time. Little Voice just wants a normal life and to be loved.

Not everyone is going to get what they want.

Especially not the audience.

The show itself was good. I just wasn't impressed at all by the performers.

I'll shorten it for you: Ms Vickers is quite obviously not an actress. Yes, she's playing a shy, retiring character, but she should still be able to draw the focus, and she doesn't. Her voice is OK, but her imitations leave much to be desired, especially Judy Garland. And don't even get me started on her Julie Andrews...

Lesley Sharp is extremely loud, extremely over the top and very irritating by the end of it. She oveshadows everyone else (and not in a good way). And Marc Warren was disappointing. I adored him in Hustle, but here, he just seemed to have lost his charisma, and like everyone else, he was overshadowed by Ms Sharp.

Basically: we weren't impressed.

But the lights and set were amazing. I'll give them that.

What else to tell? Mmmm...

We had an interesting conversation at dinner tonight including Alan's camel tongue, salty-custardy-water, Christmas trees and a lot of fun loudness that got us stared at by every other person in the dining hall.

Fun times.

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
So Simple - Stacie Orrico

Christmas Songs and Fairy Lights

I am currently sitting in the dim light of fairy lights, listening to The Chipmunks (yes, those little animated chipmunks off Alvin and the Chipmunks) singing FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, eating a mince pie and drinking Nesquik banana milkshake.

OK. So the banana milkshake has nothing to with it.

My point is: I feel Christmassy.

I went into town this afternoon and bought two sets of fairy lights in Wilkinsons. One set is strung in my window so I can see them from my desk AND the world can see them too; the other set is above my bed, circling my safari animal calendar.

I used a lot of blu-tack.

I wanted to get a mini Christmas tree too, but they were all out of the small ones I wanted...

(Song change: I WANT A HIPPOPOTAMUS FOR CHRISTMAS by Lenny the Lion. Don't ask)


We came third in the Pub Quiz this week. Harlie's team won, which was cool because it wasn't the Third Years AGAIN (they've won three times in a row), but not cool because it wasn't us.

And I answered a question all by myself and got it RIGHT (I am way to proud of that...) - PATO! Be proud of me! The answer was HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER!!!

But the decision has been made. The Paxmans WILL be coming first in the Christmas Special Pub Quiz next week! (The Paxmans is our team by the way. We change the name each week but it nearly always has something to do with Jeremy Paxman. I'm not really sure why. But it's stuck.)

(Song change: NEVER DO A TANGO WITH AN ESKIMO sung by Alma Cogan)

So tomorrow is Tuesday. Which means LONDON. Yahoo! I am SO looking forward to it! Sandra's taking me to Carnaby Street to check out the vintage (VINTAGE!) stuff, and then if we draw a blank there we'll hit Topshop.

And then in the evening: musical time!!! (Which I still know nothing about! My most recent guesses are SOUND OF MUSIC or OLIVER!...)

So I'm off to get some beauty sleep before tomorrow!

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
The Wonderful Christmas Pig - Rolf Harris

Merry Nearly Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring -- Caramba! Que pasa?
Los niños were tucked away in their camas,
Some in camisas and some in pijamas,

While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado
To bring all children, both buenos and malos,
A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Outside in the yard there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world do you think quien era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero.
And pulling his sleigh instead of venados
Were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre
"Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Chucho, ay Beto,
Ay Chato, ay Chopo, Macuco, y Nieto!"

Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho
He flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chiminea,

Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala,
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,
He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos--
For none of the niños had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
And I heard him exclaim, and this is verdad,
Merry Christmas to all, and Feliz Navidad!

A productive(ish) Sunday methinks!

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

Weekends...Bleh

I hate Sundays.

I really do. Boring, depressing, lonely and most recently: rainy. And you know what makes it worse?

It's only Saturday.

I've spent all day on my own. Sad isn't it?

I customised the look of my blog (what do you think?) and listened to music.

I had special fried rice and a yogurt for lunch.

I watched P.S. I LOVE YOU.

I had a Pot Noodle for dinner (I am such a cliche...)

And now it's not even 8pm and I've got nothing to do. Karaoke at the SU's been cancelled due to lack of staff.

So here I am.

Yesterday was pretty similar to today.

I had rice and a yogurt for lunch.

I watched GUYS AND DOLLS (ohmygfreakinggod SKY MASTERSON)

I watched CRY BABY (ohmyfreakinggod WADE WALKER)

I watched Bridget Jones' Diary (OHMYFREAKINGGOD Daniel and Mark Darcy crashing through a window - I think that might just classify as one of my favourite movie moments ever).

Pretty boring stuff.

And tomorrow and Monday will be similar, the monotony broken only by Pub Quiz on Monday evening.

So the point is: I cannot WAIT for Tuesday...

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
Passing By - Yiruma (I like listening to piano solos a lot)

Hangovers and Fire Alarms

So yeah... T'was a good night.

Had a great time in Rosie's room with the girls and then Andy and Tom. Shvonne and Barney tried on their purchases (I personally think the thong as a hat is genius) and we had a good laugh just chilling with some drinks and a couple of pots of Ben & Jerry's.

I've fallen in love with my outfit. I can count the times I've worn my blue silky blouse on one hand. And not even use all my fingers. And I usually wear it with skinny jeans and heels. But with my black pencil skirt, belt and ballet flats, I think I hit the jackpot. I'll definitely be wearing that again!

Then Tom and I met up with Harry and Dom and we taxied over to Sheiks (because it was freezing!) Dom and I split the taxi between us (£2 each) and the guys then bought us drinks to even it up.

So. Harry and I had pinky-sweared to try a shot of Goldschlager that night.

Goldschlager is a clear alcoholic shot that has tiny bits of actual gold leaf in it. The rumor is that these gold bits scratch your throat on the way down and the alcohol gets into your system quicker. Lies. I just googled it. That's an urban legend.

But it is amazing stuff.

We had a few more drinks (OK. More than a few) and Dom got trodden on so we swapped shoes. May I just say that I'm quite impressed that I managed to walk quite well in her slingbeck stilettos (even though I did have to hang on to Danny)?

This morning, the first thing I hear? The fire alarm going off at 10am.

The uni administrators have a very sadistic sense of humor.

It was just a test, THANK SHIZ. If it had been a drill I might have actually hurt someone. Instead, as I couldn't get back to sleep, I got up and the hurt was transferred to me and my poor head.

And now I'm sitting in my bright pink uni sweatshirt drinking glass after glass of water and wishing I could find my paracetamol pack.

But I'm happy. It was a FAB night out! Even the hangover is worth it.

Have I mentioned how I love uni?

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
A Star Is Born - Hercules (Disney)

Lock-outs and Love Stuff

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

That's the show we're doing. Or rather, the song we're doing is FROM that show...

Yup. One song. OK it's a ten-minute-long one plus dialogue but still... People aren't very happy! Apparently we're not going to do a full-length show until the second year. Nobodies very impressed by that...

(But I bet nobody mentioned it in the Course Evaluation forms we filled in this afternoon!)

I locked myself out again this morning. It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the fact that I didn't realise until I got out of the showers and was clothed in little more than a towel...

Had a small panic attack when I realised. Then freaked out even more when I knocked on Rosies and Shivers' doors and they didn't answer. Luckily I saw the cleaning lady just coming out of the corridor cupboard and she let me in (even though she's not supposed to). She felt sorry for me because of the whole towel thing... That woman is a LEGEND.

So yeah...

Only 22 days left until Christmas! And I'm still waiting for my parents' Christmas lists! (hint hint if you're reading this, Mum!) I need to sort myself out. I'm currently in the process of writing/posting 20 Christmas cards to various family and friends spread over two countries (and slowly losing the will to live) as I wait for Mum to email me everyones addresses...

Christmas shopping next week with my auntie Sandra. Maybe after that I'll feel more organised! (By the way, apparently I'm not going to see SISTER ACT. Once again, Mum knows where I'm going, but I don't. I never get to know anything!)

Ooh! I'm going to post a video for you people to watch here. Just because it reeeeeally made me giggle. We were sitting in Andy's room waiting for dinner to open when he discovered it... It's pretty self-explanatory.



So once I finish writing these Christmas cards, I'm gonna go hang out in Shvonnes room with the girls and investigate Barney's (Emma B.) Ann Summers loot. She and Joey (Jodie D.) and Chonty (Chantelle) have become Ann Summers reps and are due to receive their merchandise stuff tonight. We stopped at Tesco's on the way home and stocked up on alcohol (and in my case, yogurts) so should be good fun!

Then I'll probably go out with Harry and Dom and Tom etc. I say "probably" because I'm not sure I will. I'm quite tired and quite fancy a few drinks followed by watching "Bridget Jones" and then bed.

But I'll blatantly end up going out.

I haven't gone to Mud/Sheiks for several weeks now and I won't go next week cos I'll be revising, and I might go out on the 17th, for Joey's birthday shindig, but if I do, it won't be for long as I've got a 8.30am train to catch to the airport!

And talking of going back home, I should mention I won't be writing anything here while I'm away. For the pretty obvious reason that this is a blog about my life AT UNI.

And I won't BE at uni. So I won't BE writing either.

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
Just A Dream - Carrie Underwood

A Night of Drama and Bananas

Yes! The assessment is over! We are FREE of Hired Man!

(And I bet you anything that now we don't have to sing it, we'll have it in our heads until New Year...)

It went well. A small group of the second years came to watch and they said it was good. I enjoyed doing Sweeney Todd very much!

There are rumours going round that that's the show we're going to be doing in May, which would be AMAZING seeing as Julian was Musical Director for the show in West End... But realistically, I doubt it will be that.

It's more likely to be a revue thingy, like the second years have been doing...

Whatever. We'll find out soon enough. We've got a course meeting with Julian at 3.30pm and he'll be telling us what show we're doing and other info about next term. I'll let you know.

Had a bit of a boring night really. Watched a film (Ella Enchanted), had a very quick chat with Marc, played a few (a fair few) rounds of Bejeweled Blitz...

I went into hysterics around midnight when I heard Steph outside shouting: I've lost my banana! I think I left my banana in the club!! Noo! I want my banana!!.

Then I had a very interesting conversation with her on facebook about it. She said the banana was her gun (yesterday was Army Night at the SU) and she'd left it upstairs and couldn't climb back up the stairs to get it. And I promised her I'd buy her a banana to replace it.

Steph. You are amazing.

Oooh! I know what else I was going to say! I have a new first-cousin-once-removed!! My cousin Alex had her baby girl last night: Ella Mae, weighing in at 7pounds 11oz. My mum forwarded me my aunt and uncle's email, they'd attached pictures to it, and she's huge! I'm looking forward to going to visit them all!

Welcome to the world Ella!

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
Give Him A Great Big Kiss - The Shangri-Las

CHOON!

YOUR WELCOME!

If there's one thing I've learnt today, it's that you should ALWAYS say thank you to Shvonne for opening doors. Because otherwise she is a scary person.

Love you Shivers!

Busy rehearsal day today: Hired Man, Sweeney Todd and we're back in half an hour for a full run-through. I am SO looking forward to kissing Hired Man goodbye and NEVER having to sing the damned thing again.

Sorry Mr Goodall, I'm sure you're amazing and everything. But that Opening number might just be the most complicated and horrible-to-sing thing I've ever heard. Sorry.

Changing the subject, I've finally managed to translate my posts. I've started another blog, EXACTLY like this one, except it's in Spanish. And the colour scheme is purple, not blue. Check it out if you can't understand a word I'm saying here (the link's in the list to the right)

WELCOME TO UNIVERISTY in Spanish

Cleaning day tomorrow. I need to go put a mountain of clothes away, so I'm abandoning with a very short update again. Sorry.

Rock on,

KATY xxxx

LISTENING TO:
Lucky - Colbie Caillat ft. Jason Mraz