An Extravagant Easter

Hello! I'm back! And only a month later! You should be proud! I feel like giving myself a pat on the back for this extreme motivation but... I'm too lazy!

I'm currently making use of this blog-writing time to allow my shockingly blue nail varnish to dry which was originally an activity implemented to put off updating my CV. Notice how doing something procrastinatory (not sure that's a word) i.e. painting my nails, lead to another procrastinatory activity: writing this blog. It's a vicious cycle! I need help, I really do.

However don't let this put you off from what I have to say, it's quite interesting, honest!
Let's get down to business. Be prepared to read what is most probably (although not scientifically proven to be) one of my longest posts... or maybe just give up now?

I'm on my Easter holidays! Ain't that a relief! I've been back home for a week and already university has become a far-fetched dream (although the very realistic prospect of revision is continually nagging at me and WEARING AWAY AT MY SOUL (Aaah! Sorry to get all dramatic).
So, I hear you ask, what have I done with myself apart from sleeeeeeeep and eat an extortionate amount of heavenly-good food? Well, I'm spending my time socialising (seriously not being an anti-social bitch is such hard work, it should be a full time occupation) with friends and family: the latter involving platefuls of home-cooked food and delightful dinners out, the former comprising of many gallons of alcohol or caffeine based beverages... or the two at once - ah! Jägerbombs I do love thee!

Unfortunately this sadly brief but lavish lifestyle has left me feeling just a little bit lethargic and dare I say it? FAT. My relatives appear to want me to roll back to university. So being a mad fitness freak (using this term lightly) I decided to go for a run... in zero degrees. It was not a good idea. After twenty minutes I thought my hands were going to fall off. Note to self: this is why gyms were invented.
We, the British, are too weak to face our favourite topic of conversation head on. It's true, isn't it? We love to moan about the weather (be it mildly hot or reasonably cold) but only from a safe distance, preferably behind a well insulated window pane whilst sipping a lukewarm cup of tea.

Returning to what now (worryingly) appears to be my favourite topic of conversation - procrastination - I would like to discuss Snapchat with you. You must have heard of it by now? Or possibly be addicted to it like me? If by some crazy chance you haven't the foggiest, let me explain. It's the new craze. All the cool kids are doing it. By that I mean taking horrendously awful photos of themselves, usually in bed eating cake and then send them to their friends who thus return the gesture. Now I hear you asking, "why would anybody do that? Aren't horrendous pictures why Photoshop was invented?"
Well, I guess it's because the photos will only last for a maximum of 10 seconds before they're permanently deleted. Or so they say... I think it's one massive conspiracy and in a couple of months time when this ridiculous trend dies down, the owners will rise up, proclaim their evil villain identity and thus live an outrageous lifestyle off all the blackmail money they would have likely made from their immense database of disgustingly, vile pictures.
Snapchat is popular because it's a light-hearted way of taking the piss out of one another whilst being yet another amusing method of communicating with your friends. I realised the other night that there are over seven different ways in which I could instantly contact one person, there's virtually no escaping social media.

So with all this Snapchatting, you might guess that I don't have any time to do anything else... right? Wrong! I also raided my dad's CD collection (Dare, I touch his vinyl).
I found a lot of dodgy one-hit-wonders, some questionable looking compilations and a NOW 33 CD. But if we ignore all that, I hate to admit it but my dad does have a pretty good music taste. I use this to my advantage. Giving myself a much needed education in David Bowie and adding some crucial albums to my collection including Nirvana's Nevermind and Fleetwood Mac's Tango In The Night (plus, dare I admit it? The Bee Gee's Greatest Hits) Anyway, a couple of vastly entertaining hours later and with over 200 new songs to listen to, I am feeling like a new woman! My library has so many classics in it you could dig it out of the ground and call it Latin.
However, apart from stinge-ing off my dad, I'm currently waiting on the postman to deliver Foals' new album and Muse's The 2nd Law, yes, I know I'm a little late but hey ho! And then it's just a count down until May when Vampire Weekend and Crystal Fighters' new albums come out! Very excited for these two!

Lastly, I keep meaning to finish off each post with a song and I haven't done so for a long time, wonder why that could be? Anyway the first thing that popped into my head when considering what to post was Mount Kimbie's new track Made To Stray which has been continually bounced around cyberspace for the past couple of weeks. So why not add to the hype and post it here so you can judge for yourself? (if you haven't heard of them then I recommend listening to their album Crooks & Lovers).



Much love for now x

Hmmm...pensive...

I just had a bit of an epiphany.  

Wouldn't it be really sad if in a hundred years' time people won't listen to some of the amazing songs around at the moment? Complete masterpieces will pass into oblivion - to the graveyard of lost music if you may. 

Some songs have been around for centuries. Greensleeves, for example, is a well-known ditty around half a millennia old. However this song was passed down lovingly from generation to generation, liked a treasured possession or an ancient tale elaborated and changed through every telling. Unlike today in which most forms of media seem to be discarded once they've reached a certain age.

Why is this? Do we simply lack the creative talent to make something truly inspiring and therefore are incapable of adding anything new to our magnificent repertoire of masterpieces? Or are we simply too fickle to appreciate someone's hard work and effort for more than a mere moment? Whatever the case our current contemporary music, literature and art won't last for long unless we're careful.

I think in some cases it's unreasonable to say that we lack creative talent, especially when I see inspiring artwork like this everyday.

Street Art in Bristol

I'm not much of a connoisseur in the field of art so maybe this isn't good enough to become a masterpiece?

But then I don't understand why some pieces like this hang in the Tate?

Please forgive me if this is meant to have some deep, significant meaning, as I'm sure it may but I find work like this so uninspiring. Of course this is just personal opinion but I can understand why art like this gets forgotten especially when comparing it to some of the greats that spring to mind; Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli. 

And what about classic literature, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen? Who do we have to compare it to? The most popular books of the 21st century appear to be Harry Potter and dare I say it...Twilight? Will these become classics in a hundred years' time? Will they be analysed for their poetry and philosophical meaning in a couple of centuries? I doubt it. However just because they're popular now doesn't mean they are or will become a masterpiece. It is often the hidden treasures which are unearthed years after their creation which become inspirational. Perhaps there is a potential classic piece of literature being written right now or a piece of art that is worth a fiver at present and a couple of million quid in centuries time. It seems that this is often the case. 

So what inspired me to start writing about this topic? 

Well...okay...maybe this is a bit of a let down for some but it was Foal's song, Spanish Sahara. Maybe it isn't a masterpiece or maybe it is; that's for the future to decide. However whilst I was listening to it during a very wistful mood, I thought; "It's a shame that perhaps future generations won't know about a song which personally holds a lot of meaning and emotion".

By the way; the introduction is beautiful but very quiet, so turn up the volume!

Dear anyone still reading, hi. I just would like to say that I have touched on a vast subject here and I suppose there are lots of stances to take, so if you have any opinions let me know. (And please let me know of any recommendations for classic/contemporary music, art, literature or even film which you think are inspiring and brilliant.)