tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70291391117160698442024-03-05T07:31:12.096+00:00Reasons To Be CheerfulWhat makes us tick? Hey, don't look at me. It's what I'm trying to work out. One thing, though: I'm pretty sure the answer isn't 42.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-76361134319813168522015-01-06T16:23:00.000+00:002015-01-06T16:23:34.537+00:00Nothing going on here<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Someone pointed
out to me that my Twitter links directly to this beast which hasn’t been
updated for a solid twelvemonth, so I’m going to sort that out. I considered
various options for how to do this, including paying a ghost-writer to bang out
a post for me as well as just deleting the goddamned thing, but actually doing
this seems to be a sensible form of procrastination from my dissertation, which
for some unfathomable reason has not written itself yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">First, as
usual, here’s a quick explanation as to why I haven’t been writing my blog. To
be honest, I haven’t been writing anything. I haven’t been a very happy bunny
for the last year or so and I’ve barely been meeting work deadlines, let alone
updating a blog that no one bloody reads anyway (if you are reading, though,
cheers – my semi-efforts are not in vain). I’m going to try and do more of
everything over the next few months, including working, writing, exercise, and
student radio, in which I am trained but uninvolved. I’m not setting New Year’s
resolutions. When I inevitably break them I’ll grow despondent and stop trying.
I’m just going to accept any external engagement or reflection as a success and
be done with it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">I considered
telling my life story in this post but I don’t really have the energy right now
and anyway it’s probably not that interesting for anyone apart from me and my
therapist. I suppose I’ll write it all down at some point so if you do want to
hear about misogynistic bullying, drug abuse, self-harm and lonely meaningless
sex, stay tuned. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">But on a
lighter note, and considering that no one is going to read this, I thought that
today I’d focus on my true love, cheese. I’ve written a poem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><br /></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Ode to
Cheese</span></u><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">My darling is fair, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Pale gold like sunlight glinting off
flaxen hair<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Skin creamy like milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">As smooth as purest silk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Her breath at once pungent and sweet,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Her figure tidy and neat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Behold! How my archaic English
degree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Has managed to subtly influence me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Into declaring my love through
antiquated, patriarchal stereotypes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-17942183054530879452014-01-02T16:19:00.002+00:002014-01-02T16:22:57.818+00:00Ten Ways to Make New Year’s Super Exciting and Fun for Everyone (researched and experienced by the writer herself)<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Go to your ex’s party, despite your natural misgivings. An especially good idea if New Year’s was the night he asked you out two years ago and the fact that you’re no longer together is therefore particularly stinging.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Take two bottles of cheap wine (I recommend Echo Falls for a flavour truly reminiscent of urine) and be well aware of the fact that you’ll probably drink most of it yourself. For seriously hard-core party-goers, hide it all under the coffee table. Then you can get well and truly hammered without too much interference.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Drink said wine out of a large mug. Be surprised when people think you’re weird when you joke that it’s tea and that you’re three years sober.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Insist that you’re bloody excellent at pool – and do a good job at aggressively beating someone you don’t know, until you pot the white on the black. Then lie on the floor in shame whilst everyone laughs at you.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Forget resolution not to smoke at parties. Completely destroy your lungs.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mistime the countdown and try to get everyone started at two minutes to midnight. Be scathingly hushed by several people.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>At actual midnight, get with your friend’s brother. Your friend’s <i>seventeen year old</i> brother.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
8.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lie under the Christmas tree in the living room. When your best friend, understandably concerned by your behaviour, tries to help you move towards the sofa, struggle and angrily refuse whilst declaring that you’re a present “waiting to be unwrapped”. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
9.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Get into a drunken screaming argument with your oldest friend. This should occur in your ex’s bedroom. Make sure that there is plenty of snot running down your face whilst you’re crying, and make sure that everyone can hear you howling from the other side of the door.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
10.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Be sure not to get so drunk that you forget anything. You must remember everything. Yes. Everything.</div>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<br /></div>
Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-92065029419309320352013-09-25T03:15:00.001+01:002014-01-02T16:22:41.651+00:00Loneliness and being unhappyRight now I'm missing someone. Like seriously, badly, achingly lying-in-bed-full-on-crying-because-I-can't-stop-thinking-about-it missing someone. To be honest I actually feel weird that I can formulate sentences to explain it because I don't feel like I'm thinking in straight lines. But I don't really know what to do and I'm more unhappy than I have been for a long, long time.<br />
<br />
To be fair, it is the middle of the night and I am massively overtired. But even my usual happy thoughts (country gardens, libraries, London early in the morning, <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) aren't really enough right now because my brain won't let me distract myself. The missingsomeoneness is all-consuming and violent and miserable.<br />
<br />
I think I should just turn out the light and wait to fall asleep and accept that I'm going to feel bloody lonely all night. There's not really much else I can do, apart from wake up my mum to cry on her shoulder and I think that's a terrible idea because it's three in the morning. I wonder if there's a site on which I can chat to other people who are lonely and can't talk to the person they're missing. That should definitely be a thing.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-38991161127651801082013-09-23T16:51:00.002+01:002014-01-02T16:21:22.761+00:00George The Poet<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello, internet. It’s been a while. Year 13 was tough but I’ve done my A levels and am off to university in two weeks. (Yes, I know I’m not mature enough. No, I won’t forget to do my own laundry.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The thing that inspired me to write today – apart from reading a message from one of my favourite childhood writers, Caroline Lawrence, that she sent over a year ago to tell me she’d read some of this blog – was the fact that on 25th October I will be going to see a George The Poet performance in Cambridge. George The Poet is a spoken word artist from North-West London, where I also live. He went to Queen Elizabeth School in Barnet, where my brother goes, and then to the University of Cambridge to study Politics, Psychology and Sociology.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I think he really is one of my literary idols for a few reasons: firstly, because he uses his poetry to convey real ideas and opinions which many artists do completely fail to achieve; secondly, because his use of language and rhythm and dialect is innovative, gritty and engaging, and manages to portray personality and emotion together whilst maintaining an air that is somehow aloof and cold; and finally, because I am completely obsessed with the spoken-word genre. There is something very inspiring to me about being able to perform one’s own writing. It engages in a different, more experiential way than reading does. That’s not to say that I love it more than reading – but watching a spoken-word performance is often just as intense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As much as I’d love to go into detail about his philosophies and experience growing up (because most articles online imply that it wasn’t easy), I don’t think I really understand him enough for that. To be honest I just wanted to spread the word about him and show off that I’m going to see him perform. Watch this space: I think, if I have the nerve, that I’ll try to have a chat with him, and he’ll probably be too busy but it would be great to ask questions et cetera. Otherwise I’ll just write a review and tell you how spectacular he was in the flesh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here’s a pretty good interview that he did with the Observer in February, which explains more than I can about his educational manifesto: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/feb/03/george-the-poet-rappers-power-educate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And here's my favourite of his beat poems. It's about London and I feel that I understand it.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1zVhSKsMnok?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-31061293454891807202012-11-11T13:59:00.001+00:002012-11-11T13:59:41.297+00:00Poor Charlie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I hope you all know who this guy is.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/_56nx3eHK4c/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_56nx3eHK4c&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_56nx3eHK4c&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In case you don't know, he's Charlie McDonnell, he's 22, and he's from Bath, although he now lives in London. He's also one of the UK's most famous video bloggers with over 1,600,000 subscribers on YouTube and billions of video hits. I've been following his channel for nearly two years, as well as listening to his music: he's been in the bands Sons of Admirals and Chameleon Circuit. I'm half in love with him for a few reasons: firstly, because he's just as obsessed with <i>Doctor Who</i> as I am; secondly, because he's hilarious and adorable; and thirdly, because he is just so creative and talented when it comes to videos. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It makes me sad that the confidence he's gained since joining YouTube has dwindled, especially as I think the videos he's been making this year have been his best yet. There is just no need for his anxiety - he is an exceptionally talented entertainer and he certainly does make me happy. I giggle in almost every single one of his videos. He is intelligent, articulate and engaging. What more could anyone wish for?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Charlie thinks his problem is that he worries what everyone thinks of him. He says that it's other people's perception of him that boosts his confidence, and when he feels unappreciated or unsupported he loses self-esteem. But I think it goes deeper than that; I think that really he's terrified of what he is himself, and his own lack of self-esteem forces him into some paranoid state where he is terrified of what other people think of him. If he can only find a way like himself as much as such an artistic, bright, friendly guy deserves, he won't feel judged because he'll have his own way to be comfortable. I think this is his problem because it's mine, too, and it eats me every day - but I'm learning to recognise it and deal with it without it disrupting my relationships with people who are my friends. I just hope Charlie can learn to do the same. </div>
Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-31744520236096688372012-11-07T23:47:00.001+00:002012-11-07T23:47:23.319+00:00Laughing at RepublicansObama won. Thank goodness – for a minute there I thought that a racist, sexist homophobe might actually become the most powerful leader on Earth. It’s nice to know that people have some sense. Just though I’d post a few of the gaffs the Republicans have made – and some responses – so we can all have a good English chuckle at right-wing Americans. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joxny3rco_4">Here's something pretty massive</a> that had folks all riled up recently. It made me despair at humanity. Luckily for the planet (and women who are victims of sexual abuse), Todd Akin lost the race in Missouri to unseat Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill. Clearly female voters have ways to shut that whole thing down. <br />
<br />
One of Romney's idiotic moments had him cracking <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w__h260a_2E">racist jokes</a> on national television. Here's a pretty good <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVIrNxba0ls">response </a>to the comments.<br />
<br />
And last but most <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCWDc4jpauM">certainly not least</a>, he's been telling people that climate change is a joke. There's one way to look at it - and then <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZENtH3psXl4">there's another</a>. <br />
<br />
And here's just <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TwRmX6zs4">something obscenely funny</a> to cheer you up if you've had a bad day. Hope you're all well :)Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-16803443012349237632012-11-04T00:44:00.001+00:002012-11-04T00:44:53.463+00:00Some handy life tips, Sun Tzu-style.Hello children. It’s been too long.<br />
<br />
That looks really creepy written down so I probably won’t greet you like that ever again, but, honestly, it has been too long. It’s NOVEMBER. I love November. Such a good month. And I wish I could put my lack of contact with you fine people down to copious amounts of work and university applications, but that would be lying. I’ve been partying and drinking and generally wasting my youth like the hoodlum that I am. Ah well.<br />
<br />
Anyway. Let’s keep this short so that I can return to that History essay somewhere that I’m supposed to have been writing. Here’s the inspiring quote for the day:<br />
<br />
If you know your enemy and you know yourself, you will not be defeated in a hundred battles.<br />
<br />
Or something like that. I translated it from the original Chinese myself, of course. Essentially what this ancient sentence from <i>The Art of War</i> is saying is, “When you have a problem, be strategic. Use your strengths and the problem’s weaknesses; figure out where you may have an advantage; don’t rely on brute strength, use the brain that you possess”. I’d like to make several popular culture references to illustrate my point.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuIdFzcoDjAPNa2gOppwlDIctzctnmndzmUtoJiw3m1gWUGU2TMldlal0bhYrUn5GCV_ZYgZYbKg1Tkg4s6f6odi0awErC3tCPF_qqLPC13OyIF6-n-NIGidKToHOTpemwQ7lSu-sPl3e/s1600/Gladiator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuIdFzcoDjAPNa2gOppwlDIctzctnmndzmUtoJiw3m1gWUGU2TMldlal0bhYrUn5GCV_ZYgZYbKg1Tkg4s6f6odi0awErC3tCPF_qqLPC13OyIF6-n-NIGidKToHOTpemwQ7lSu-sPl3e/s200/Gladiator.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Firstly, the opening scene in <i>Gladiator</i> when Russell Crowe totally takes out the German horde and it’s pretty epic. The Romans carefully plan their attack: they choose their position well, they begin with flaming arrows to disorientate and damage their enemy, they charge from an unexpected angle and take the Germans completely by surprise – not to mention an epic motivational speech from the man himself. Basically they know that they can be organised and their enemy is not, and they use this to their advantage. In that scene, Maximus wins an almighty victory.<br />
<br />
Another example that occurred to me is the moment when Harry battles the Hungarian Horntail in <i>The Goblet of Fire</i>. Mad-Eye says to Harry, “Play to your strengths”, so Harry flies. Harry also knows that the Horntail will chase him if provoked, so he lures her away from her eggs. Finally, Harry has the advantage of speed and slightness over the dragon’s bulky weight, which means that if he dives for the Golden Egg it’ll take her a minute to work out where he’s gone. He pieces together this knowledge and BAM he’s tied in first place for the Triwizard Cup.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W-3WqREL-PWxET2thSboXLXDC4xCi1w91P1g6yqtntpuAtIxJYFOIpIJQKlTUpBkoiG0OuHVzPIeYaw4jTmS41TcOzSWiNZN9A8Y0EkFftA4wgjwxDtubpjEiQ8cuSv8DHG2CyjDswEc/s1600/image4_1224875566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="238" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W-3WqREL-PWxET2thSboXLXDC4xCi1w91P1g6yqtntpuAtIxJYFOIpIJQKlTUpBkoiG0OuHVzPIeYaw4jTmS41TcOzSWiNZN9A8Y0EkFftA4wgjwxDtubpjEiQ8cuSv8DHG2CyjDswEc/s320/image4_1224875566.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Finally, I’d like to point out the concluding scenes from one of my favourite childhood movies, <i>The Princess Diaries</i>. Mia’s monsters are internal: she lacks self-confidence, mistrusts her friends, and is incapable of choosing the most sensible and pragmatic approach to situations. However, throughout the film, she begins to recognise these weaknesses as well as learning to find her strengths: she is bright, kind-hearted and determined. By knowing her own faults and assets she is able to overcome her fears, address the problems she faces, and eventually becomes Queen of Genovia. And she gets the hot prince.<br />
<br />
So really what I’m trying to say is, when you have a problem, don’t stress out or behave like a crazy person. Step back, chill out, use your brain and deal with it carefully and rationally. If more people did this there’d probably be fewer wars. And fewer divorces. <br />
<br />
Speak to y’all soon – I hope. I may get dragged back under the dung heap that is Year 13, but I’ll try to keep writing anyways. <br />
Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-4162097865016405342012-07-15T18:31:00.000+01:002012-11-11T14:19:26.279+00:00Why is a creative writing course like a seesaw?Tomorrow, at seven o’clock in the morning, I shall be setting off for Luton airport from where I shall fly to Inverness and then take a taxi to a remote farmhouse near Loch Ness. The purpose of this lengthy journey will be to immerse myself in a truly creative environment and spend time with people who, like me, wish to improve their creative writing skills. For a week, I will be tutored by three published writers (Meaghan Delahunt, Linda Cracknell and Kirsty Gunn), and attempt to produce some work worthy of the title ‘fiction’. <br />
<br />
I’m quite nervous about this little escapade I shall be embarking on. This will be the first time I’ve been away from home for longer than one night with literally no one I know, and what’s more, this is a proper grown-up course: I’m pretty sure I’ll be the youngest person there by quite a way. I’m really throwing myself outside of my comfort zone – but of course everyone will be perfectly friendly, and even if I have a terrible time it’s only for five days, so really there’s nothing to be worried about.<br />
<br />
My dad has a nice metaphor for doing things one doesn’t initially feel comfortable with. He says to see it as a seesaw, and you are walking from one end to the other with no one at the other side. As you walk from the low end upwards, you’re probably fine until you get to the middle, where you’ll probably freak out from the tipping and want to turn around and go back. However, if you stay and manage to keep your balance, once the seesaw has tipped all the way it’s not so scary anymore, and in fact running down the other side might actually be fun. The trick is to just push yourself that little bit further over the scary bit and after that you’re laughing.<br />
<br />
I’ve found that a useful metaphor from time to time when faced with something I don’t really want to see through. Right now, I’d rather spend the next week at home chilling out rather than in the Scottish highlands with a bunch of strangers – but I’ll throw myself into it and it’ll be one more inner challenge that I’ve conquered.<br />
<br />
For details of the course I'm going on go to <a href="http://www.arvonfoundation.org/">www.arvonfoundation.org</a>.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-31325229240729659702012-07-12T11:28:00.001+01:002012-11-11T14:18:56.034+00:00“Achievement brings its own anticlimax” ~ Maya AngelouI’m not going to pick apart the quote like I intended to do, but I thought I’d post it anyway because it’s sort of how I’ve been feeling for the last few days, in terms of the massive school show that I waited for six years to be my turn to do and now it’s done. Maya Angelou has comforted me. It’s true – after any big event that you build up in your mind, an anticlimax is inevitable. But I think the word to focus on is ‘achievement’; look at what you did and celebrate that, and look forward to more achievements to come, rather than regretting the passing of those that have already been enjoyed. I have a fantastic summer ahead of me (I’m going to Scotland and Singapore), and I refuse to sit and mope and wish I still had other things to look forward to. What I do have is more than enough, and I’ll enjoy the memories of things that are in the past. It would be a shame to waste the summer living in the past.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-68948253697218118312012-07-07T17:10:00.000+01:002013-12-26T20:05:20.734+00:00IthacaI thought I would write about university open days today as that’s basically all I’ve been doing recently, but that’s boring and seeing as I tortured you with my own writing a few days ago I thought I’d make up for it with someone else’s excellent poetry.<br />
<br />
If you know me, then you probably know that I’m a Classics student and am just as obsessed with ancient literature as I am with modern. This poem itself was only written in 1911 by the Greek poet Constantine Cavafy who lived between 1863 and 1933 and spent much of his working life in Alexandria. However, it was inspired by Homer’s epic poem, the <i>Odyssey </i>(if you haven’t read it I really recommend it – it’s fabulously exciting and the Penguin translation isn’t tricky to get through), and the theme of return and voyaging that reoccurs throughout. I love this poem because of the morals it represents: living to enjoy life, living to learn and discover, and defeating one’s inner monsters to become a better person. This is my favourite translation from the original Greek, and it is by one of my most beloved childhood authors, Caroline Lawrence, the genius who taught me that Classics is brilliant through her seventeen hilarious and gripping novels called <i>The Roman Mysteries</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When you set sail for Ithaca<br />
Pray that the journey will be long<br />
Full of adventure, full of discovery.<br />
Don’t be afraid of Scylla and Charybdis.<br />
The sirens and the harpies<br />
And even the Cyclops hold no danger for you.<br />
You won’t find such creatures on your journey<br />
If your thoughts are high and you have a noble motive.<br />
You won’t find such creatures<br />
Unless you erect altars to them in your heart.<br />
Pray that the voyage will be a long one<br />
With many a summer’s evening when,<br />
With such pleasure, such joy,<br />
You enter harbours you have never seen before. <br />
May you visit Phoenician markets and Egyptian ports<br />
To buy pearls, coral, amber, ebony and gems of wisdom.<br />
As you sip heady wines from the west<br />
And inhale sensual perfumes from the east<br />
Always keep Ithaca in mind.<br />
Arriving there is what you are destined for.<br />
Better if the journey lasts for years<br />
So that you are old by the time you drop anchor there,<br />
Wealthy with all that you have learned on the way.<br />
Ithaca will not make you rich.<br />
She gave you your marvellous journey.<br />
She has nothing more to give you.<br />
Without her you would not have set out.<br />
So if you find her poor, it’s not because she fooled you.<br />
You will be so rich with experience<br />
That you will finally understand<br />
What Ithaca really means.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-14179854437136909082012-07-04T13:06:00.000+01:002012-11-11T14:17:42.946+00:00The Beetle in the RainI’m not going to search for an excuse for my silence, but to be fair I have had exams. Although they did end over a month ago now. <br />
<br />
I haven’t thought of anything to say but I wanted to break the awkward silence, so I’m going to post a dreadfully depressing short story that I wrote a while ago, for your perusal. I don’t know whether or not I like it but it’s short and (not particularly) sweet, so it is well-suited for a quick, unplanned blog post. When writing it I attempted to emulate the style of Ernest Hemingway (I also may have stolen the idea and the title from him too, although this is based on a real experience) – I’d just finished reading <i>For Whom the Bell Tolls</i>, which by the way is EPIC. However, I did find the ending a bit of a letdown. Anyone else read it? Anyone else find it a pretty rubbish way to round off a fantastically told story? Let me know. Anyways, without further ado:<br />
<br />
<b>The Beetle in the Rain</b><br />
<br />
The three girls sat in the pavilion, bedraggled hair framing tired faces, crooked cigarettes dying slowly between tired, crooked fingers. The rain fell from the grey sky upon the grey patio and the grey path, and upon the waterlogged lawn. The trees dripped. Their leaves were as heavy and as limp as numb limbs. The rain beat a steady drum upon the stone and soil, and upon the roof of the pavilion. The girls huddled beneath denim jackets. Their cigarettes burned, dry and smoky. The smoke danced through the pavilion and out into the rain where it sank into the grey sky. Ash fell upon the stone.<br />
<br />
A beetle dragged its dying form from the rain into the pavilion. Its wings hung useless from its abdomen. Its legs trembled under the weight of its waterlogged, swollen body, and from the effort of searching for dry ground. The rain fell upon the patio and the grass outside, the steady finger-tapping, narrow fingers tapping on the roof, on the grass. The beetle dragged itself in and out of puddles, and the three girls watched. <br />
<br />
Eventually the beetle curled up on the floor, twitching. The girls watched the beetle, and looked out at the rain, and watched the beetle again. They watched as it died slowly, soaked by the rain. One of them stood up and took a long drag of her cigarette. Slowly she lifted her foot and looked away as it fell once, twice, three times upon the dying creature. It crunched and she winced. As she lifted her foot again and saw what she had made, she felt a lump in her throat. She threw down her cigarette beside the beetle and stamped it out. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Gosh, that is gloomy. Not really fitting for a blog on reasons to be cheerful. I promise next time I’ll devise a happier theme. Until then, adios amigos. Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-71405360095788849352012-02-04T00:25:00.002+00:002012-11-11T14:17:22.332+00:00Feel free to shoot me.Yes I know. I'm SORRY okay. But the thing is, since New Year's I have been a really, really happy person. <br />
<br />
Apart from the work and the inevitable fighting with my folks and someone I used to know bitching and UCAS creeping up on me, I've basically been smiling non-stop since the beginning of 2K12 (am I still allowed to say that . . . ?). BUT. I don't want this to become one of those annoying teeny life blogs that just talks about A-levels and exes and parents and says "Oh Lord I'm so tired 6th form is hard I need coffee all the time". <br />
<br />
SO. I hereby renew my marriage vow to you, O Holy Reader, that I shall give you a post TWICE A WEEK. I did so well in December. January was crap. I'm sorry, but every relationship has its ups and downs and I'm hoping we can just put that one behind us. <br />
<br />
I'll even agree to go to couples counselling, if you want. <br />
<br />
Just please, stay with me. I need you. <br />
<br />
You are the mother of my children. <br />
<br />
Oh dear Lord. That's how tired I must be. I'll probably regret posting that in the morning, like those drunken texts you make which seem witty at the time but are really just embarrassing . . .<br />
<br />
Okay I need to go to bed. And so goodnight unto you all. Lusms.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-15303190172999000782012-01-01T16:50:00.003+00:002012-11-11T14:16:45.982+00:00Happy New YearWell, I don’t know about you, but I certainly had an eventful New Year’s. Here’s the bit when I awkwardly throw in the bit that says, “Today I’m happy because I have a boyfriend”. Okay cool. Now that’s out of the way, we’ll be moving on.<br />
<br />
Anyways, it’s 2012. How weird is that? I don’t really have much to say about it, to be honest. Just thought I’d wish you all a year better than the last one. Remember to keep smiling, look for the happy things, and go to the gym. Naah, screw the last one. Who really cares.<br />
<br />
And since that was a very short post, here’s a Bloody Mary recipe, nicked from the BBC Food website, because I bet most of you need it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients </span><br />
1. 2 ice cubes<br />
2. Vodka, double shot<br />
3. ½ lemon juice<br />
4. 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce<br />
5. 3 dashes Tabasco sauce<br />
6. 150ml tomato juice<br />
7. Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Method</span><br />
1. Place the ice in a tall glass and add the vodka<br />
2. Add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and tomato juice. Stir well.<br />
3. Season to taste and serve straight away.<br />
<br />
I have to say, that sounds absolutely disgusting. My mate Wikipedia reckons that other ingredients include Piri Piri sauce, beef consommé, horseradish, celery, olive and cayenne pepper. Thank goodness I do not have to resort to that right now. If you yourself do, I offer my deepest sympathy. Don't get so drunk in the future. There's your lesson for the start of 2012.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-44620264951082764642011-12-31T16:52:00.004+00:002012-11-11T14:16:21.791+00:00New Year's EveTonight I shall see in the New Year in the traditional British way by severely punishing my liver with copious amounts of alcoholic beverages. Hopefully there will also be some chocolate involved. If not, then never mind, as I’m sure the Tesco’s Value whiskey will see me through just fine.<br />
<br />
The New Year is a chance to start again. But I think that in this day and age people forget to work on the most important things, and instead aim for grand revolutions that are simply unrealistic and overly ambitious. Alternatively, people set themselves a challenge, but forget to think about how they could go about accomplishing it in little steps, thus making it much harder for them to achieve their goals. Every year, when I write my New Year’s Resolutions, I think to myself, “I’m never going to manage this”, and, of course, I’m right. This year, when I make my plan, I shall try to focus on how I will actually fulfil each resolution. Here they are.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Stop biting my nails.</span> Here’s one grand sweeping statement. But what I will do is cut down slowly, by first of all limiting it to my left hand, and then limiting it to my middle finger, and then stopping once and for all. If I manage this I can literally do anything.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Go to the gym.</span> I hate exercise. I prefer books and chocolate. But I hereby vow that on Mondays, after games, I will go to the gym at school and read whilst on the treadmill. If I have an incentive to go, like a quiet half an hour of Hemingway, I may be able to convince myself that exercise is fun.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Eat an apple a day.</span> No way am I going to say that I’ll eat five portions of fruit and veg a day. I will eat an apple. But only if it’s crunchy and green.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Do my homework on time.</span> Dear Lord. The essays simply pile up. But, if I break them into little sections, for example making the plan when it’s set, writing the introduction the next day, and then the next paragraph the next day and so on, I may be able to keep on top of it.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Stop fighting with my family.</span> When they are annoying, leave the room. Or do breathing exercises. Or something. And bear in mind that if you tell them to shove the hell off, they could ground you, and that would be sad. <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Don’t overuse Facebook.</span> I may find a way on my PC to limit myself to half an hour a day on certain websites (I shall include YouTube in this). Alternatively, block it until after 10pm so that I have to do my homework first. Or just delete my account . . . oh no, wait, sorry, not going to happen. <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Read more.</span> I suppose this will be one of the side effects of less Facebook. Instead of staying up on the computer every night, I shall read a nice story. Simples.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Practise cello more.</span> Oh my days, how shall I accomplish this one. I hereby set myself the challenge of half an hour a day, ESPECIALLY on Wednesdays when I have my lesson, as if I don’t do it then I shall leave it in its case all week.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Drink less alcohol.</span> Starting from tomorrow, of course. Tonight is New Year’s Eve. Give me a break. But when I get very drunk I do very silly things that I later on regret, so I shall limit myself to one beer at parties and be done with it.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Don’t stab stupid people.</span> Nuff said.<br />
<br />
I reckon 2011 has been my best and worst year yet. On the downside, I’ve had GCSEs, bitchy friends, a screw-up of a love affair, a hell of a lot of family drama, and disappointment left, right and centre. On the other hand, I did bloody well in my exams, made some excellent new friends, started a really quite nice love affair, have some good times with my family, and went to Israel and Greece. I don’t think I’ve done too badly. And neither has the world, which may have struggled through a mighty financial recession and had millions of people being murdered in uprisings all over the Middle East and Africa, horrible violence in the riots in the UK, an earthquake in Japan, a massacre in Norway and demonstrations all over the place, but still managed to chug out a political revolution, independence in South Sudan, a treaty between India and Pakistan, water on Mars, the homecoming (finally) of Gilad Shalit, the end of the Iraq War, seven billion people on the planet, and a royal wedding to boot. Plus Dougie from McFly won I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, and Little Mix didn't get the Christmas No. 1.<br />
<br />
When things look shit, just check the Wikipedia page, and you’ll find a million happy things that you’d forgotten about. We gravitate towards the gloomy. It’s in our nature. Learn to fight it. There’s my lesson for the New Year.<br />
Happy New Year, and see y’all in 2012.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-52032885220679066782011-12-23T23:46:00.002+00:002012-11-11T14:16:00.672+00:00I am ancient.Well, not ancient, but quite old. Seventeen, to be precise. I promised you a nice post full of delight and excitement but, to be honest, I'm so exhausted right now I can't really be bothered. I properly turned seventeen about twenty minutes ago, at half past eleven, and now there's only ten minutes left of my birthday. Boy have I had a lovely day. And now I am tired and needing to pack because I'm away again this week. Much love, have a lovely Christmas et cetera, and speak to y'all on Thursday. BYE.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-85452552858042860642011-12-22T22:36:00.002+00:002012-11-11T14:15:47.567+00:00Well, I've been on holiday.Just thought I’d let you know I’ve been away. It was fun. I went to Kent for a four-day residential with my youth movement Noam, and the aim was to reassess the policies and ideology for the coming year. We do this every December and, if I’m honest, we spend more time arguing about how to make the decision than actually making any decisions. Even within the tiniest group of people who all want the same thing, bureaucracy gets in the way. People become so bogged down in the details that they forget what really matters, and all they can focus on are standing orders and petty legislation. If an agreement can be reached, why not make the effort to reach it, rather than hiding behind stacks of paper?<br />
<br />
Also, guess what. Tomorrow’s my birthday. Expect an excitable blog post from me.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-18705029073263080412011-12-16T22:33:00.010+00:002012-11-11T14:15:14.300+00:00It's a Wonderful Life<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/Its_A_Wonderful_Life_Movie_Poster.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/Its_A_Wonderful_Life_Movie_Poster.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 350px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 236px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"</span> <br />
<br />
This is officially the best Christmas film ever made. Made in 1946, it tells the story of a guy called George Bailey, played by the ever-dashing James Stewart, who reluctantly spends his life in the little town of Bedford Falls in New England and contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve before being distracted by his guardian angel, Clarence. George tells Clarence that it would have been better if he’d never been born, and of course Clarence decides to show George exactly what the world would have been like had he never existed.<br />
<br />
The film touches on many Christmassy themes, but what resounds most with me is the idea that a man who never achieves his goals or gets what he wants can still have a wonderful life. George spends his whole life making sacrifices because his conscience tells him to: he never goes to college, he never travels, and he does a job he hates because no one else will do it. In every instance he kicks himself for giving in and letting himself get dragged down, but he’s so generous and kind that he sees everything through and makes an awful lot of other people’s lives much happier as a result of it. And what this means is that when George regrets ever having lived at all, Clarence is able to convince him of how important he is in the grand scheme of things.<br />
<br />
It’s an uplifting movie. It ends with a family reunited, a happy little angel and a rendition of Auld Lang Syne. It’s the sort of movie you watch with mulled wine and a box of tissues. Or, at least, I do, because I’m disgustingly sentimental about old Hollywood films. It’s the sort of film that tries to change your perspective of life, and says, “Look carefully; it isn’t all that bad.”<br />
<br />
Nearly every Hollywood movie made these days has a common theme: achieve your dreams. <em>It’s a Wonderful Life</em> is the story of a man who never achieved his dreams, but was still a worthwhile human being and managed to change the world for the better. Now there’s a happy message if ever there was one.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">"You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?"</span>Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-32052652018928928552011-12-12T18:38:00.003+00:002012-11-11T14:14:05.807+00:00Ten reasons why the last week of the autumn term is fabulousIt’s my favourite time of year. This week is set to be the best week of the school year. Here is why. They’re not in order because some things just can’t be put in order of preference.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Christmas lunch</span> Every year I get the black forest gateau and every year it’s disgusting, but somehow Christmas lunch is still wonderful<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Christmas assembly</span> The head of music playing Jingle Bells in the style of Handel, year 7s in reindeer headdresses, the Twelve Days of Christmas NLCS-style . . .<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Secret Santa</span> More chocolate than you can possibly eat shoved into your pigeon hole. What’s not to love?<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Less homework</span> The teachers have basically given up by now, which is good, because so have we (a long time ago).<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Shorter week</span> Last day of school is Thursday. Major excitement.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Half day on Thursday</span> And after school on Thursday I’m going to <a href="http://www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/">Winter Wonderland</a> in Hyde Park with friends, which is a delightful prospect.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Food in every lesson</span> Tis the season for putting on weight, so we have biscuits, chocolate and cake in every class.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Christmas decorations</span> Most classrooms are decorated at least semi-festively with a paper chain or too. We used to go all out with Christmas fairies with our faces on them.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Games in lessons</span> In Latin we had a quiz on Ancient Rome (which my team just happened to win) and in Classics we played “What would Cicero do on a blind date?” Brilliant.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Auld Lang Syne</span> Holding hands in the last assembly and singing really loudly. Nothing beats it. <br />
<br />
This post definitely makes me look like a massive Christmas fanatic. I’m not. It’s just fun to get into at school. Honestly.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-45843156693094641322011-12-11T00:04:00.004+00:002012-11-11T14:13:34.591+00:00I can upload photos!This excites me hugely. Watch:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIftUxegF5ijpT7qS1Vi-KOejqZ_1dkXvVpsSsmEHQdF3SMmUhnJ2T_DHsZsgi5vuyUWONQIsyoKoomUEYL8lBusHgjc4EoC6HhAk5WW9viA8Nhf9Bpy6eJcAht0y0ZQwWRLxzgN56ULyi/s1600/Wolves.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684656221828047618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIftUxegF5ijpT7qS1Vi-KOejqZ_1dkXvVpsSsmEHQdF3SMmUhnJ2T_DHsZsgi5vuyUWONQIsyoKoomUEYL8lBusHgjc4EoC6HhAk5WW9viA8Nhf9Bpy6eJcAht0y0ZQwWRLxzgN56ULyi/s320/Wolves.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Honestly didn't know I could do that. Thought I'd show you a picture of a wolf because I love wolves. Best animals ever. Anyways. I shall include pictures in my posts from now on.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-60303031280855262722011-12-07T20:08:00.004+00:002012-11-11T14:13:06.817+00:00Best songs to listen to when you're feeling blueA tiny selection. This is by no means definitive, but I have essays to write so I’m not going to make a longer one.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppJAAC69uE8">Highly Evolved</a> – The Vines</span> This is the one I jump on my bed to. <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuMLpdnOjY">Poisoning Pigeons in the Park</a> – Tom Lehrer</span> One of the funniest and darkest songs you’ll ever hear.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2UoxlVSvcA">Better Than Revenge</a> – Taylor Swift</span> She literally sings about my life and I adore her. This one is nice and angry.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4&ob=av3e">Sweet Child O’ Mine</a> – Guns N’ Roses</span> TUNE. Enough said.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tTju-MQv9I&feature=related">I Can Do Better</a> – Avril Lavigne</span> It’s a dreadful song, I must say, but the chorus does go “I can do better, I can do better” so it’s on the list.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">6. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_jWHffIx5E&ob=av3e">All Star</a> – Smash Mouth</span> What a song. It is a lovely lively pick-me-up. Try playing air guitar along with it.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">7. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4-16zxVMw0">Roll Over Beethoven</a> – The Beatles</span> Love ‘em.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">8. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bate_tvVUpk&feature=related">I’ve Got a Dream</a> – Tangled</span> One of the best songs from one of the best Disney movies ever made. Watch the clip that goes along with it too, it’s really funny with dancing rats.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">9. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MznLU4USbA">Year 3000</a> – Busted</span> I grew up to this song and it still makes me feel happy.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">10. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I-SbwCHJ80">Don’t Stop Believing</a> – Journey</span> Ooh it’s fantastic. Dance around and cheer up.<br />
<br />
Just so you know, when I post these lists they’re not necessarily in order of favouritism. I could never be so unfair to the poor music.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-12710435622827038542011-12-04T12:59:00.003+00:002012-11-11T14:12:17.612+00:00That massive book list I promised you ages agoI said I'd make you one so here it is. Sometimes I've put down more than one book per author because I think it is vital for you to read both of them. For example, you can't read Twain's Great American Novel without reading Tom Sawyer first. And some of them, like Philip Pullman, have one major work for which they are particularly famous, but other little ones too which are mind-bogglingly brilliant and should also be read. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<br />
1. The Outsiders – SE Hinton<br />
2. That was Then, This is Now – SE Hinton<br />
3. Mrs Dalloway – Virginia Woolf<br />
4. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman<br />
5. Clockwork – Philip Pullman<br />
6. I Capture the Castle – Dodie Smith<br />
7. Finn Family Moomintroll – Tove Jansson<br />
8. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome<br />
9. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen<br />
10. Mansfield Park – Jane Austen<br />
11. Emma – Jane Austen<br />
12. Howards End – EM Forster<br />
13. Where Angels Fear to Tread – EM Forster<br />
14. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis de Bernières<br />
15. The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien<br />
16. The Silmarillion – JRR Tolkien<br />
17. The Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis<br />
18. Harry Potter – JK Rowling<br />
19. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald<br />
20. Artemis Fowl – Eoin Colfer<br />
21. The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank<br />
22. Sexing the Cherry – Jeanette Winterson<br />
23. Tanglewreck – Jeanette Winterson<br />
24. The Tidewater Tales – John Barth<br />
25. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee<br />
26. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time – Mark Haddon<br />
27. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett<br />
28. One More River – Lynne Reid Banks<br />
29. The Princess Bride – William Goldman<br />
30. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall-Smith<br />
31. A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini<br />
32. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini<br />
33. The Book Thief – Markus Zusak<br />
34. The Midnight Folk – John Masefield<br />
35. The Railway Children – E Nesbit<br />
36. Kiss the Dust – Elizabeth Laird<br />
37. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll<br />
38. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain<br />
39. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain<br />
40. Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo<br />
41. The Sword in the Stone – TH White<br />
42. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M Pirsig<br />
43. Ballet Shoes – Noel Streatfeild<br />
44. Life of Pi – Yann MartelNoa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-73447743519286989192011-12-01T20:40:00.011+00:002012-11-11T14:14:19.177+00:00DecemberBeing awake at midnight isn’t an irregular occurrence for me, but last night it was particularly special because I got to turn over my calendar onto the last month of the year, which excited me because the picture is of a bowl of jelly babies and I am a big child. December is my favourite month of the year by far, and 1st December always gets me very excited. I ran around school today telling everyone that it’s twenty two days until my birthday. <br />
<br />
All the good stuff comes in December. We, of course, have the birthday of Noa, but we also have the birthday of Jesus, who is a somewhat more significant international figure. There’s also the end of term, really lovely cold frost on the windscreen of the car in the morning, New Years Eve, Channuka, and the way your breath twists up into the air in smoky curls. When you walk along the Southbank, there are grills of roast chestnuts that are so hot when you buy them you have to blow on each one for a good two minutes. We get Christmas television (It’s a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, A Christmas Carol, The Holiday, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, not to mention the Doctor Who Christmas special). Plus my winter treat every year is a trip to the ballet with my grandma. This year we’re doing <a href="http://www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?itemid=1437">The Nutcracker</a> by the English National Ballet, and I am ridiculously excited. Last year we saw Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella, and it was magnificent. <br />
<br />
One of my favourite things about December is that it is the month of sparkles. Each year, on the roundabout at Highbury Corner, the trees are draped with strings of little white stars, and as I walk past they look like star dust has fallen on them. Up and down Oxford Street, great glittering decorations dangle from shop to shop, and every window display is filled with Fair Isle sweaters and candy canes and stockings and enormous sparkly trees. The Hamleys window display is always particularly spectacular at this time of year, as are Fortnum and Mason’s, Selfridges’, and Harrods’. <br />
<br />
And to top it all off, December is the only month of the year in which I allow myself to listen to Christmas music, including that giant among Christmas songs known as Fairytale of New York, and possibly the most excellent moment of my day was when I sat down on the bus on my way to school and clicked on that title in my iPod. The music is just sublime and the Pogues are geniuses. <br />
<br />
A famous December motto is “In December, keep yourself warm and sleep”. I totally disagree with this. I think that in December we should all keep warm and go outside and soak up the cold air. Go for a long walk on the Heath and be healthy and bright. The ponds freeze over, the sky is white, and the robin redbreasts are out. Wear thick woolly gloves and walking boots, and go to Kenwood House afterwards for hot chocolate. Feel the winter spirit. It’s the best time of the year.<br />
<br />
Happy December!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Some extra stuff . . .<br />
<br />
Today my lovely friend <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heal/dp/B0068AE4FI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322764889&sr=8-1">Saachi Sen</a> released a song, Heal, because she is splendid. Click on her name to buy it on Amazon. <br />
<br />
Plus, the marvellous <a href="http://alexdaymusic.com/">Alex Day</a> wants a Christmas no. 1. Click on his name to hear his song Forever Yours.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-43804950310349220692011-11-27T16:13:00.003+00:002012-11-11T14:10:05.203+00:00"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them" ~ Mark TwainI feel that this post has been staring at me crossly for a long time like the cats of the people I babysit for when I don’t let them sit on my lap. Time to get it out in the open. The Book Recommendations. Some are new reads, some are old favourites, some are pretentious classics and some are derisively mocked. But they’re all brilliant. These are just the top ten, but beware that I shall be sending y’all a great long list of everything I love sooner or later.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. The Outsiders by SE Hinton </span>You will laugh, you will weep, you will want to keep reading after you have finished reading the last page that has brought you and the characters right back to where you started. Don’t be put off by the odd names such as ‘Ponyboy’ and ‘Sodapop’. The story is compelling and emotional, and the voices of the characters are just so likable, even when they do the most terrible things and break your heart.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf</span> I read this just last month and it is simply beautiful. The language she uses is so decadent and generous, yet she still manages to convey every motion and concept in the most concise, sensible manner. The narrative covers just one day of Clarissa Dalloway’s life, full of tangents and delicious details, and by the time you reach the end, and read that last line, you’ll just want to cry with relief and misery and pity and joy all at once.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman </span>I should hope you’ve all read this already, because it’s just one of the best stories you’ll ever come across. It’s poetic and lyrical, full of rich, vibrant description with some quantum physic science fiction fantasy thrown in. Plus the characters, plot, challenging philosophical questions and armoured bears do rather help.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith</span> Oh this book. When they ask me on Desert Island Discs in fifty years which book I’ll take with me, it’ll have to be this. I really did cry through the last three pages. The story is told by Cassandra, honest and naive, who writes in her journals the account of her sister Rose’s engagement, and the misadventures that befall them. Poor Cassandra. She doesn’t deserve what she’s left with at the end; she’s good and kind, and you will just want to bundle her up and cry with her.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson </span>So sue me. This book is hilarious and charming, even if it is aimed at eight year olds. Ah it’s just so funny and cute and well-written and adventurous and quiet and imaginative and full of lovely characters and loaded with wit. The ultimate banter-fest. Seriously. Give it a try.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome</span> Don’t be put off by their weird old-fashioned names. Arthur Ransome wrote books about the holiday adventures of children in the Lake District, most of which involved boats and tents, and Swallows and Amazons was the highlight of his career, in my personal opinion. Remember when we used to play war, and we had bases and battles and tactics and things? That’s what these kids do. Now read the book.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen</span> Being the educated bourgeois dog that you are, you’ll have read this already, possibly for your GCSE English Lit coursework. Lots of people find Jane Austen tricky to get into, but Pride and Prejudice is the easiest way in. It’s witty and beautifully told, and Lizzy-and-Darcy is just so perfect a couple you can’t help but feel delighted and desperate all the way through.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Howards End by EM Forster</span> I just finished reading this last week, and it is totally brilliant, right up until the last word. What makes it so sublime and worthwhile is how it is full of seemingly unrelated events, each important in their own right, but each mundane in the course of the novel itself; however, by the time you hit the last chapter, you truly see how everything fits together perfectly, and the sense of relief that everything has ended as it should is just overwhelming.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières </span>A tragic and beautiful love story set during the War. Antonio is an occupying Italian soldier, Pelagia is a local Greek girl on the island of Cephalonia. The book begins with a sweet anecdote telling how Dr Iannis managed to extract a dried pea from a patient’s ear. Nuff said.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">10. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien</span> There are no words. I actually chose this one for the list over Harry Potter, and that tells you something. This is the ultimate adventure story, and, being the fantasy junkie that I am, this is probably my favourite of all. It’s not just the books that make themselves worth reading, although the story is exciting and wonderfully crafted; it’s the fact that the whole world and it’s many languages and cultures have been intricately constructed by one man. A truly magnificent feat of fiction.<br />
<br />
Harry Potter is not on there. I apologise, but if you haven’t read it already, I don’t think that even I would be able to persuade you. My next post will be an extra long list of my must reads. Then we shall go back to happiness and the meaning of life. See ya later.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-75595895287439254762011-11-24T22:01:00.001+00:002012-11-11T14:09:00.528+00:00DeteriorataHaving posted one of my favourite poems on this blog, I realised I didn’t really know very much about its background. I opened up a new window and typed in the address of my good friend Wikipedia. And at the bottom of a lovely little history of the poem, which included some nice stories about how it was found in a church and making the top four, there was a solitary little line that simply read, “Many parodies exist.”<br />
<br />
How could I resist.<br />
<br />
Within seconds I was googling ‘parodies of Desiderata’ and clicking on the first result. “Deteriorata!” it declared. I read. I wept. I laughed. I recommend.<br />
<br />
It’s the chorus that really does it for me. If you haven’t already heeded my recommendation and read the poem, it goes like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
You are a fluke<br />
Of the universe.<br />
You have no right to be here.<br />
And whether you can hear it or not<br />
The universe is laughing behind your back.<br />
<br />
<br />
In a way, it’s even better than the original, because it’s just so flawlessly human: sarcastic, dry, and morbid. For all my nattering about seeing the beauty in life, laughing at shit is a lot of fun too.<br />
<br />
And the bit that goes, “For a good time call 606-4311; ask for "Ken"” is also really funny. <br />
<br />
P.S. In case you were wondering, I’ve decided on minimum twice a week, once during the week and once at the weekend. Plus anytime I am inspired in between. Seem reasonable?Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029139111716069844.post-1434611398440991912011-11-21T18:49:00.008+00:002012-11-11T14:07:44.414+00:00DesiderataPost every two days? Too often? Not often enough? Remotely possible or unrealistic (I see you all there shaking your heads doubtfully . . .)? <br />
<br />
Anyways, I promised I would post y'all a little bit of my poetry. You're lucky I was lying because my poetry is atrocious and I don't think I shall let you see any ever. However, I would be delighted to share other people's with you. This one is a particular favourite of mine. It's by Max Ehrmann, written in the late 1800s, and it's sort of a life lesson in how to keep yourself cheerful. (Enter Noa and her blog on how to be cheerful. Violently grabs poem and posts it all over the internet in an annoying and preachy way).<br />
<br />
<br />
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,<br />
And remember what peace there may be in silence.<br />
<br />
As far as possible without surrender<br />
Be on good terms with all persons.<br />
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;<br />
And listen to others,<br />
Even the dull and the ignorant;<br />
They too have their story.<br />
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,<br />
They are vexatious to the spirit.<br />
<br />
If you compare yourself with others,<br />
You may become vain and bitter;<br />
For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.<br />
<br />
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.<br />
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;<br />
It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.<br />
Exercise caution in your business affairs;<br />
For the world is full of trickery.<br />
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;<br />
Many persons strive for high ideals;<br />
And everywhere life is full of heroism.<br />
<br />
Be yourself.<br />
Especially, do not feign affection.<br />
Neither be cynical about love;<br />
For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment<br />
It is as perennial as the grass.<br />
<br />
Take kindly the counsel of the years,<br />
Gracefully surrendering the things of youth.<br />
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.<br />
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.<br />
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.<br />
<br />
Beyond a wholesome discipline,<br />
Be gentle with yourself.<br />
You are a child of the universe,<br />
No less than the trees and the stars;<br />
You have a right to be here.<br />
And whether or not it is clear to you,<br />
No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.<br />
<br />
Therefore be at peace with God,<br />
Whatever you conceive Him to be,<br />
And whatever your labours and aspirations,<br />
In the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.<br />
<br />
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,<br />
It is still a beautiful world.<br />
Be cheerful.<br />
Strive to be happy.<br />
<br />
<br />
I could basically stop writing this blog now. That poem literally sums it all up. But I shan't, because I've been enjoying writing again. Until next time, my darlings.Noa Lessof Gendlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14491394879633233837noreply@blogger.com0