Have you heard news? - GP series

Evening citizens of Middle Earth!
Gi Suilon!

Guilty pleasures! Everyone has them but finding out what they are can be hard for some. I can tell you now that I am not one of those people. In fact I have so many that I've decided to make a mini series out of it. I'm not sure yet how many posts it will consist off yet but I'm going to try and do one at least once every two months.

So my title as usual is related to an obsession of mine. This one being a song lyric from Cliff Richard's Summer Holiday which brings me onto my guilty pleasure for this post. I was first introduced to Cliff Richard musicals around two years ago when my auntie gave me a box set for Christmas after I told her I'd never seen Summer Holiday before. I watched it with my mum and my dad shortly afterwards and although it really is extremely cringe-worthy I discovered that I really enjoyed it! This led to a downward spiral of learning all the songs off by heart by repeatedly watching the sing-along version however there was a point where I became slightly bored. That's when I decided to watch the young ones which was another of the movies my auntie had given me. If it was possible, I loved it more than Summer Holiday. I'm not sure if it was down to the plot or the songs but I became even more obsessed than I'd been before.

After a while the novelty died down and even though I still loved the movies, I no longer watched them at every opportunity; well that was until recently. When I came back from my holiday this summer I still had a few weeks left of school break and being the lazy person I am, I spent that time binge watching my DVD collection. This is when I stumbled upon Summer Holiday once again and re-watched it. It wasn't as great as I remembered it to be, perhaps because I'm a bit older now but I still enjoyed it and preceded to watch the young ones as well. This is when came to the realisation that I'd never watched the third film that had been in the box set which was " jjjj and the shadows".

This going to be my task for this month (that is if I can find the time) because I plan to set myself a challenge with each of the posts in my GP series which will help me to love what I'm writing about even more than I already do. Goodbye for now and I will see you next week with another blog entry.


That's all until I next post so...
Tenna enta lúmë - May we meet again!

SitC favourites August 2015

Evening citizens of Middle Earth.
Gi Suilon!

Although I'm not a beauty blogger, I do enjoy watching or reading 'monthly favourite' posts. I thought that seeing as I recently went to summer in the city (the biggest YouTube convention in the UK) I would combine an August favourites with my convention hall. Hopefully this will give you an insight into how this particular convention works along with what to expect if you're planning on going in the years to come.


1) Merchandise:
Although I've been wanting a llama hat for years and finally managed to get one at SitC, it surprisingly wasn't my favourite purchase. That title would have to go down to my stuffed mine turtle which has a voice recording from the asdf movies inside it. I also managed to get it signed - BONUS!

2) Guest
Tomska; without a doubt. He was the only creator I met due to lucking out in the ballot system and I most likely wouldn't have been able to if he hadn't given up his spare time to do an impromptu meet up at his merch stand. Tom was one of the first people I watched on YouTube and quoting the asdf movies has become a common pastime for my dad and me. He has made me laugh so hard when I've secretly been watching his videos at 3 in the morning, sometimes too hard resulting in my antics being discovered by an annoyed mum. I think he's extremely talented and I'm so privileged to have met him!

3) New person
I met a lot of cool people on that Sunday - people who I believe I will keep in contact with for a long time. Although I came with my friend Katie, meeting new friends just made the whole experience more enjoyable.
The first people we met were called Karly and Caitlin and they had come all the way from Dublin! We watched the Mario Kart competition in the screening room with them then lost them, only to meet up with them again later in the day at Tomska's meet up.

In the queue for the meet & greet Katie and I had met this girl called Izzy who was really awesome. She'd met loads of creators over the weekend and had gotten them all to sign a card for her birthday which was the following Friday. We were right at the very front of the line when Izzy fainted! She was ok after half an hour or so which was good and Tom kept coming over to check on her which was sweet. Once Izzy had recovered she got a massive hug from Tom who then proceeded to write "Stop falling over!" in her card.
Whilst we'd looked after Izzy, her friend Georgia had joined us (she has a YouTube channel which I will link at the end of this post). That pretty much completed the SitC friendship group of 2015!
I think all four of the girls I met were really cool and if they ever read this I want to thank them for completing my convention experience! :-)

4) Moment
As I've already mentioned, I had the chance to meet Tomska! Now you may be thinking that my favourite moment is going to be the hug but no - it's not... There was this girl near to the end of the line who just ran and jumped on Tom! It was so funny and so cute at the same time; in other words, a perfect way to sum up the day.

5) Event
The best vent had to be YouTuber honesty hour simply because of Emma Blackery's witty, opinionated comments. They were hilarious and I agreed with a lot of her views. Even though I'm not a massive fan of her or her content I do think she's funny and she definitely made that panel the best for me.


If you head over to my travel blog, there is a similar post (favourites/hall crossover) related to my summer holiday to Italy.

That's all until I next post so...
Tenna enta lúmë - May we meet again!

Quenya, Sindarin, what the heck is that endin?

Evening citizens of Middle Earth.
Gi Suilon!

Those of you who do read my blog or did 6 months ago when I posted regularly will most likely know that each post and title is based off of a particular fandom/quote/subject of interest. For instance 'Amatulya', my first post is elvish for 'welcome' and 'Start of something new' is the name of a high school musical song. Although you may have know this, what I haven't told you is the meanings behind my post beginnings and sign offs. I will now relay that information for hose intrigued!

Middle Earth as any literary fan will know, regardless of their person interests, is the name of the mythical world JRR Tolkien created for his infamous trilogy 'Lord of the Rings'. This being one of my oldest obsessions means that the next line, 'Gi Suilon' is translated to 'I greet you' from Sindarin which is a dialect of Elvish.

My sign off comes again from elvish (the Quenya dialect however instead of the Sindarin) and a classic quote from one of my favourite TV shows 'The 100'. 'Tenna enta lúmë' directly translates 'until that time'.

Hope this was interesting or at least educating (on how much of a Tolkien geek I truly am) for you reading and I will see you next week. Perhaps I will do a post regarding the new school year or even an august monthly favourites?! We'll see :-)

That's all until I next post so...
Tenna enta lúmë - May we meet again!

Awkward.

Evening citizens of Middle Earth.
Gi Suilon!

So the title has a double meaning this time round... First would have to be the obvious fact that my last post was in March and it's now mid-August. Kinda justifies the awkward statement. I'm posting this entry from my iPad seeing as the reason for my MIA status has been blogger refusing to love my laptop. This isn't my preferred device when it comes to blogging however which is why I haven't thought to use it before. Now I've finally decided there is no other choice, most likely I will be posting more often than once every 5 months but I guess we'll have to see won't we?!

I also haven't been able to post on my travel blog which is annoying seeing as I've been visiting a lot of cool places recently. If you want to check that out (I will hopefully be posting soon) head over to jemmagoldtravels.blogspot.com.

On to the other meaning behind the title which happens to simply be the name of a favourite TV programme of mine. Usually I'm one to go for the action/supernatural/dystopian genres but 'awkward.' fits into none of these. In fact it's a teen comedy about a 15 year old girl who basically has a messed up love life, interesting school teachers and immature parents. It's very funny, fairly relatable and great entertainment but I do understand it wouldn't be for everyone. In a way it's Glee without the singing. Typically American. I'm at the beginning of  season 3 for the third time in 2015 and still don't find the content boring and am consistently invested in the characters (Team Matty btw if you've watched or are planning on watching it) so of course recommend it which is really a given if I'm mentioning it on here.

Anyway another apology for my absence is owed and thus given.

That's all until I next post so...
Tenna enta lúmë - May we meet again!

The nine muses

Evening citizens of Middle Earth.
Gi Suilon!

I have an obsession with Greco-Roman mythology! It all started in year 6 when we studied ancient Egypt and the beliefs facinated me. From there I discovered Rick Riordan's 'Kane Chronicles' and then the 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' series. Since then I have acquired multiple mythology books; including some more of Riordan's work (Heroes of Olympus series and Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods).

A subject that isn't touched on much in his writing however are the famous nine muses. They and what they represent have always intreged me, being an artistic person. Here are descriptions of each:

1. Clio: The Muse Clio discovered history and guitar. History was named Clio in the ancient years, because it refers to “kleos” the Greek word for the heroic acts. Clio was always represented with a clarion in the right arm and a book in the left hand.

2. Euterpe: Muse Euterpe discovered several musical instruments, courses and dialectic. She was always depicted holding a flute, while many instruments were always around her.

3. Thalia: Muse Thalia was the protector of comedy; she discovered comedy, geometry, architectural science and agriculture. She was also protector of Symposiums. She was always depicted holding a theatrical – comedy mask.

4. Melpomene: Opposite from Thalia, Muse Melpomene was the protector of Tragedy; she invented tragedy, rhetoric speech and Melos. She was depicted holding a tragedy mask and usually bearing a bat.

5. Terpsichore: Terpsichore was the protector of dance; she invented dances, the harp and education. She was called Terpsichore because she was enjoying and having fun with dancing ( “Terpo” in Greek refers to be amused). She was depicted wearing laurels on her head, holding a harp and dancing.

6. Erato: Muse Erato was the protector of Love and Love Poetry – as well as wedding. Her name comes from the Greek word “Eros” that refers to the feeling of falling in love. She was depicted holding a lyre and love arrows and bows.

7. Polymnia: Muse Polymnia was the protector of the divine hymns and mimic art; she invented geometry and grammar. She was depicted looking up to the Sky, holding a lyre.

8. Ourania: Muse Ourania was the protector of the celestial objects and stars; she invented astronomy. She was always depicted bearing stars, a celestial sphere and a bow compass.

9. Calliope: Muse Calliope was the superior Muse. She was accompanying kings and princes in order to impose justice and serenity. She was the protector of heroic poems and rhetoric art. According to the myth, Homer asks from Calliope to inspire him while writing Iliad and Odyssey, and, thus, Calliope is depicted holding laurels in one hand and the two Homeric poems in the other hand.

My favourite has to be Clio as she combines two of my passions that I still have yet to pursue. I have begun learning the guitar but haven't found the inspiration to take it further and my ancient history studies relate to the mythology. I see Clio as hope for my future and therefore (it is my belief) I choose to worship her above the other nine.

That's all until I next post so...

Tenna enta lúmë - May we meet again!

Bookworm Quiz

Evening citizens of Middle Earth.
Gi Suilon!

This is a bookworm quiz I took with the honest answers I gave. My score will be shown at the end.

1. In "The Lightening Thief" (Percy Jackson) who is Percy's father?
    Poseidon      [x]
    Apollo          [ ]
    Ares              [ ]
    Hades            [ ]

2. Who is the author of "To Kill a Mockingbird"?
    Jane Austen            [ ]
    Emily Bronte          [ ]
    Harper Lee             [x]
    Charlotte Bronte     [ ]

3. Who is/are the protagonist/s in "Divergent" by Veronica Roth?
    Tris                       [x]
    Four                      [ ]
    Caleb                    [ ]
    Erik and Lauren    [ ]

4. What is the fifth book in the "Little House" series by Laura Igalls Wilder?
    Little House in the Big Wood    [ ]
    Little house on the Prairie          [ ]
    By the Shores of Silver Lake     [x]
    Little Town on the Prairie          [ ]

5. Who is the protagonist in "The Giver"?
    Jonas                        [ ]
    Gabriel                     [x]
    Both                         [ ]
    None of the above    [ ]

6. Who is the author of "The Hunger Games"?
    Susan Collins        [ ]
    Suzanne Collins    [x]
    Suzanne Colins     [ ]
    Suzanne Collinns  [ ]

7. Was "The Hobbit" a good book?
    Yes                                                     [x]
     You'll get it wrong if you say "No"   [ ]

8. In "Les Miserables" who did Marius love?
    Cosette                     [x]
    Eponine                    [ ]
    Fantine                     [ ]
    None of the above    [ ]

9. For Harry Potter fans: who were Harry's friends? (choose the most accurate answer)
    Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley   [x]
    Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Hannah Abott, Cho Chang                       [ ]
    Ron Weasley, Dean Thomas                                                                                                    [ ]
    Hermione Granger, Pansy Parkinson                                                                                       [ ]

10. Did you enjoy the quiz? (pick the first Yes)
      Yes   [x]
      Yes   [ ]
      Yes   [ ]
      Yes   [ ]

I got a score of 9/10 and when I looked it up I found out I got question 5 wrong. Jonas is the protagonist of "The Giver" not Gabriel (I haven't read it)! I hope to do more fun quizzes in the near future.

That's all until I next post so...
Tenna enta lúmë - May we meet again!

Hermione, Draco and Sirius

Evening citizens of Middle Earth.
Gi Suilon!

So first of all I apologise for my absence, blogger decided to crash on me so... Anyway here's the post I was meant to have uploaded the day after my Birthday on the 5th of February. Enjoy :)

So it was my Birthday yesterday and I'd like to share with you our new addition to the family. This is Sirius (Siri for short), so named after the character Sirius Black in Harry Potter for reasons that will soon be revealed. First of all I'd like to take you through all my previous pets.

My parents already had a three year old border collie puppy called Bryn when they had me. He wasn't so good with people he didn't know who tried to stroke him so many of my early memories are of him biting me. That may seem horrific to some people but I loved him all the same, then after I turned 8 he suddenly started to trust me and the biting stopped. We grew really close and when the day came where he had to go from my life I sat by him for hours as a way of goodbye. That was 3 years and 4 days ago now and even though I still miss him and will continue to do so I am no
longer upset over his death.

When I still had Brynnie, I also got two Goldfish called Summer and Goldie. They didn't last that long, maybe two years, but they were still my first pets that were completely my own however I was a terrible owner. I don't remember ever once cleaning the tank and I rarely fed them myself, often begging my Dad to do it for me so after their death, as you can imagine, it was hard for me to persuade my parents to get me another pet.

Eventually they let me get a hamster for my 9th Birthday, which I called Hermione after a character in my favourite book series at the time (Harry Potter). She was a villain of a pet, even going as far as escaping for 13 days over the Christmas period only to turn up one night scurrying along my bedroom floor. On top of that she disappeared behind the bath when I followed her meaning we had to unscrew a bath panel to get her out. Hermie lived for 2 years and then we had a break from hamsters until the following October.

That's when we acquired Draco. So named after Draco Malfoy because he looked like the ferret in Goblet of fire. He was a small, white haired ball of fluff and I he was the most adorable little thing ever. Draco outlived Hermione by around half a year and was my company when I lost Bryn. When Draco passed away it was the first time in my life without a pet which lasted a year until last Sunday when I got Siri for my Birthday.

Keeping with the theme I sired my new hamster after a Harry Potter character and so my throwback has brought me right up to now. I hope you enjoyed this semi-nerd (It was related to Harry Potter) insight to my life.

That's all until I next post so...

Tenna enta lúmë - May we meet again!