Exploring Paris

Although the hotel wasn't perfect, we did wake up to a pretty beautiful view - the balcony, the entwining railing, the curtain blowing in the morning breeze. Perfect.

We got ready and made our first trip on the metro (which is so much more confusing than the tube!), heading straight for the Notre Dame.

We arrived to a snake-like queue and after stopping to take a dozen photos, eagerly joined it in order to get a peek inside. However, I got a bit panicky (eugh, only I could get panicky and wimp out of exploring to my little heart's content) and decided I'd take a walk around the Notre Dame as Yasmin went inside. I got to oggling the crepe and waffle stalls as well as all the cheesy souvenir shops. I stopped off to buy myself the traditional tourist-y t-shirt and a couple of presents for people back home!

When I met up with Yasmin again, not long after, we headed next to the Pantheon, through winding cobbled streets and an abundance of beautiful old shops, convinced we could see our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

The Pantheon itself is stunning inside and out, filled with long passageways, mosaic high-ceilings and long floors with a handful of pillars and statues to keep you entertained. We even went down to the chilling tombs where our voices echoed and our footsteps slapped loudly against the stone floor.

After our morning adventure we went back to the hotel to have a rest - meeting up with a couple more friends later in the afternoon. Once they had settled in we went to a little cafe and ordered tea like the civilised Brits that we are and had a good old natter.

Later on, the others went to the Eiffel Tower - I chickened out again, saying I was too tired. I honestly can't remember what I did instead, but I wish I had had the courage to go and see the Eiffel Tower! They even stopped off for dinner and had snails!

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Belle Paris

One year ago, me and my friend Yasmin decided to go on our first adventure - no parents, no solid plans and no boundaries in this beautiful city. Paris.

We hopped on the Eurostar around lunchtime and headed off into the depths of France. A couple of hours later and we were faced with the challenge of finding our hotel - which actually wasn't a very long walk from the hustle and bustle of Gare du Nord.

Our hotel, Faubourg 216-224, was actually on a street full of a whole variety of culture, from Asian cuisine to fashion. It felt more like we were in India than Paris to begin with. The hotel itself was under a lot of construction, split over two buildings not far apart on the same street, and was okay for our short four-day stay.

The room was tiny (how do they make the rooms look so much bigger in the pictures?!) and it seemed a little worn but we weren't planning on staying in the hotel for huge amounts of time, so it would do.

After unpacking and settling in for a bit, we thought we'd head out in search of something to eat. We considered going further afield but in the end found something locally and familiar. Buffalo Grill - serving huge American-sized portions, with heaps of friendliness and a whole abundance of atmosphere. The staff are even happier when you try and speak a little French!

After stuffing ourselves and receiving this cute note from our waiter, we headed back to the hotel, ready for a good nights sleep and eagerly planning our next day in the city.

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Stopping Negativity

I read a post the other day that said something along the lines of "you should own your successes" and that got me thinking about the way I've been handling things.

I am so negative in general that I get on my own nerves at times. I always see the bad side and, well, I can be way too serious. I haven't even taken credit for getting my current job. Yes, it was partly luck or fate or whatever you call it with the timing that I got picked for the work experience out of all of the candidates in the first place that led to my job. But even so, was it a coincidence or did something on my CV stand out to grab their attention?

Even so, just me applying in the first place was through my own initiative and no one else's. Plus, the working super hard to make a good impression during my work experience evidently paid off, setting me up in the future for this job.

Every time I have spoken to someone about my job, I made it out to be a "lucky break" and that doesn't do much to help my confidence. I applied for the job, I worked hard, I got the job. I am responsible for my own future, not luck.

I've also been pretty negative in the past about my other job opportunities. Although waitressing (I was actually a food runner, but who even knows what they are unless you've been in that industry?!) wasn't the best fit, it was ideal at the time. I earned money and valuable skills whilst doing so. I'm not one to particularly enjoy a whole group of peoples company, especially tourists, but that job definitely helped me to gain confidence, strength (physically and mentally!) and a lot of patience. Plus, I occasionally got some tips and not all of the shifts or my colleagues were terrible. Free food with a beautiful view at the end of my shift was also a nice bonus.

And where do I start with Photography? Although I may have thought the teacher's methods were a pain in the ass and I didn't enjoy the majority of the projects or my classmates (what is it with the arts and stuck up snobs?), I think pursuing photography - even if just at academic level - plays a huge part in who I am and where I am today. If I hadn't of studied it I wouldn't have met the people I have done, and those ones are some of the most important ones. So, no, I wouldn't change that for the world no matter how aggravated I got repeatedly with all of my photography teachers over the five years of college and uni.

Now, the one I'm still struggling with at times - house sharing. This is constantly a battle for me sharing with multiple tenants. Especially when there's a partial language barrier between some of us. I can't stand mess and the tiniest of things get on my nerves, but at the end of the day it's a roof over my head, plenty of opportunities to meet and socialise with people I wouldn't normally have done so with, new languages to learn, new friends and a home in London. Having said all of that, I can't wait for September when I can move in with Adeel - and that's when all the fun begins and we have to learn to put up with each other's annoying little habits full time!

So here's to positivity - may I try harder to be a better, happier person, to enjoy life instead of moaning about it and to appreciate everything I do have.

And what better time to start it than my birthday month ☘

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Jurassic Park

By Michael Crichton

[On a remote jungle island, genetic engineers have

created a dinosaur game park.

An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning

dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now one of

mankind's most thrilling fantasies has come true

and the first dinosaurs that the Earth has seen in

the time of man emerge.

But there is a dark side to the fantasy. And after a

catastrophe destroys the park's defence systems,

the scientists and tourists are left fighting

for survival...]

I can't believe I didn't know this was a novel and by Michael Crichton too! (my love for E.R. is unreal❤)

Although a few details were a bit different from the film (I know this came first, way first, but can't blame a girl when the film is amazing?!), it was mostly all the same up until the T-Rex attack. Then it changed, a lot. Some details in the latter half did match up to the film plot line again though - the crucial scenes which was all that mattered!

It was definitely a lot more in depth scientifically and mathematically, which at times were difficult to follow (but I don't know whether that's because I insisted on reading it in an office full of people and late at night when my eyes could barely stay open). I loved how it switched back and forth between the control room and the park - it really gave us an overall view of the story unfolding, bits we didn't get to see or were skimmed over in the film.

I adore Alan Grant's character. He manages to stay mostly the same - although he loves kids in this version (felt the film version was slightly better, although maybe it's because I've grown accustomed to him and his grumpy ways with the kids!) Lex was a younger child, younger than Tim which was different - so she obviously wasn't a hacker that could save the day at the end. Tim came across as a lot more mature and shared a great deal of interests with Alan which was sweet. Ellie's "relationship" with Alan is explained - finally!! Malcolm is hilarious and very, very mathematical. Hammond is actually vicious and manipulative and nasty, not caring a great deal about his grandkids at all. Nedry we learnt a lot more about and definitely had what was coming to him (the scene in the film where he gets poison shot in his face, yeah, not even the half of it in the book) and Arnold and Muldoon were spot on, or Samuel L. Jackson and Bob Peck were for portraying them!

I did find that, at times, the plot got a little too repetitive - Alan and the kids would be faced with danger, would narrowly avoid it and continue on their paths, etc, etc... I can see why they changed it for the film as it was more dramatic, but I did enjoy the book and I feel we learnt way more about the characters and why they did what they did.

How it ended though, that I was not expecting. Two characters DIE. And then they just sort of skirt around it and trail off for the ending leaving you wanting more but not sure if there is going to be any more on that subject. Needless to say, the second one is in my grasp and I will find out what more it can tell me!

Absolutely brilliant.

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What I'm Loving Right Now

As I'm writing this, I'm sat here with a mountain of scrunched up tissues, sniffling away with a red-raw nose. You gotta love having the flu, right?

So I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for a little pick-me-up in the form of What I'm Loving Right Now.

1) Converse - my sister bought me this glowing pair for Christmas (they're almost as white as my pale, pale legs... I joke, sort of...). Because they're white I've been putting off wearing them for fear of getting them dirty. I know they're going to get dirty eventually but with it still being winter with rain and squelchy mud everywhere I'd rather not take the chance. But I did wear them for the first time a few days ago, and I love them.

2) Pretty Little Liars - my new obsession. I've been meaning to start something new for ages and just couldn't decide, so settled for One Tree Hill, again. PLL was recommended to me ages ago by a close friend and I'm happy to say I have finally started it! Well, when I say started I mean I'm already 17 episodes in. In four days... Whoops. To be fair, I have been pretty much bed-bound since Saturday. Thank God for Netflix, ey?

3) Goodreads Challenge - after setting myself the challenge to read 30 books this year, I've definitely been pushing myself to read a bit more in my spare time. Yanno, when I get a spare second from trying to figure out who A is (God damn Pretty Little Liars). It's going well though with me just finishing my third book so far. Currently reading The Lost World, review on Jurassic Park to come soon!

4) March - with the arrival of a new month, many good things are on the horizon. I turn 22 in 2 weeks, Adeel turns 22 a few more weeks after me, we have a few days out and weekends away planned and Spring is on its way with lighter evenings and more sunshine! The sunsets from the office are absolutely stunning at the moment. I have to refrain from taking a snap every time.

5) Work - who would have thought I'd be one of those people to enjoy a nine-to-five office job? But I do, I really really do. It's probably because of what I do though. I can't see myself being so in love with any other office job if it wasn't for the fact that it's in publishing.

6) Donating to charity/having a clear out - although I've read that you're supposed to go through with a clear out all in one go; I've found myself doing it slowly, parting with my items a few at a time to ease the adjustment. The fact that I'm donating them to charity feels pretty great too. I realise I moan about not having enough clothes a lot, when I should be thankful that I have those clothes at all. I'm also thinking about donating my textbooks from Uni, I just don't know who/where would take them.

7) Creativity - now that Celebrity Big Brother isn't occupying all of my evenings, I vowed to myself that I would do something I love instead. Whether that be scrapbooks, writing, editing, reading, colouring, or just taking a quiet moment to reflect or chat with my boyfriend on the phone - anything to spur on my creativity again.

P.S. Check this beauty of a view out from the office!

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Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens

After only watching the first six instalments a few weeks ago, I thought I shouldn't leave it so long until I see this one.

Image from Pinterest

I thought it got off to a bit of a slow start, which I suppose is fair enough when they're introducing the new characters, but still. It didn't really get going for me until Rey and Finn met up and then it got good. Really good.

I enjoyed Han Solo's obvious sarcastic distaste towards Rey and Finn, especially when Rey joins him as co-pilot. It was nice that, although the story includes the original characters, it didn't revolve around them. I equally liked Rey and Finn as new characters and more so that they are just friends - it's too common for everything to blossom into a romance these days. Although there is still the chance of that happening in one of the next two instalments.

Image from Pinterest

I didn't like, however, Kylo Ren. I'm not sure what it was, whether it be the actor or the character, but I definitely thought they were trying too hard to make him look and act like Anakin.

I also didn't like that obvious scene with him and his father (you'll know the one if you've seen it). If he were really torn between the light and dark sides, he really couldn't have done what he did. Just saying.

Wasn't a fan of the final scene either. Too extended and dramatic for no apparent reason. Beautiful location though.

Overall, much better than the "prequels" and on a parallel to the originals. Loved it.

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Rating:

★★★★☆

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