As someone who teeters on the shorter edge of normal, I know all too well some of the problems that can arise from being... petite in stature. Highlights of this particular gene quality include:
1. Being an arm rest for anyone above six foot. If you do this, please remove your arm and exit my life ASAP.
2. Similarly, having your hair ruffled or being referred to as 'cute'. The five year olds are that direction, thank you.
3. Having to stand on the bottom shelf at the supermarket and jump in order to have any chance at reaching the ONLY product you want on the top shelf. Where are the steps when you need them?!
4. Not wearing heels on a night out and subsequently being on armpit height with everyone else...
5. That dreaded moment when you're told to 'stand in height order'. The only faint bonus is that you always know where you're going to be standing. Right. At. The. End.
6. The fun game in school called 'how many year sevens are taller than me this year?'. It loses it's appeal after the first five or so.
7. Your younger brother grew taller than you before he even hit puberty.
8. Your younger sister probably did too.
9. Having to adjust your car seat after someone who's six foot odd has driven it. And the steering wheel. (Try sharing a car with a twin brother who's 6"1!)
10. And finally, kissing. Enough said.
Hope you enjoyed! Have you got any short girl problems of your own? Or maybe even tall girl problems? Let me know!
Helena x
19 November 2014
15 November 2014
Coram Boy
I'm writing this at 11PM still filled with an incredible high... Can't get over how amazing the past three nights have been!
After 3 months of rehearsals, our school production was finally performed and it was great! It was such a good cast and we all worked together so well to pull it off, I'm so so proud of everyone involved. I especially loved the familial atmosphere and how we were making friends with people we would otherwise never have spoken to.
For four of my friends and I, this last night was particularly poignant. It's our last school show, ever, as we're in year 13, and we've all been taking part/helping backstage for years now. It's devastating to think there'll never be another fish and chip rehearsal!
Included below is a little photo of the five of us, after tonight's performance.
After 3 months of rehearsals, our school production was finally performed and it was great! It was such a good cast and we all worked together so well to pull it off, I'm so so proud of everyone involved. I especially loved the familial atmosphere and how we were making friends with people we would otherwise never have spoken to.
For four of my friends and I, this last night was particularly poignant. It's our last school show, ever, as we're in year 13, and we've all been taking part/helping backstage for years now. It's devastating to think there'll never be another fish and chip rehearsal!
Included below is a little photo of the five of us, after tonight's performance.
12 November 2014
10 Books That Changed My Life
I saw this on Facebook, and I thought it looked pretty interesting, so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm an avid reader and have read so many books in my lifetime, it will be tough to list only 10!
1. Enid Blyton's entire works - these pretty much sum up my childhood. I was obsessed by it all, the Famous Five, Secret Seven, Mallory Towers and the Magic Faraway Tree to name but a few. My brothers and two of our close friends made our own secret club to mimic the famous five, and my brothers and I watched the video over and over again! Enid Blyton was a huge part of my childhood, and it's something I look back on nostalgically as I come nearer my eighteenth birthday.
2. 'To Kill A Mockingbird' by Harper Lee. This might be a common one, but nevertheless I loved it. It's definitely true that the books you study at school stay with you, and I really enjoyed looking at this, and I loved the message it gave out.
3. 'Night Road', which is (as far as I know) a not very well known book. I picked it up on a deal in Sainsburys a few years ago, and it's haunted me ever since. It's the story of two fraternal twins, and their friend/girlfriend. It's literally my worst nightmare in a book as one of the twins is sadly killed in a freak car accident (her twin brother was supposed to be driving but was too drunk) so her best friend is to blame. Heartbreaking and beautiful, I can't read it without crying my eyes out as the thought is a little too close to home for me.
4. The Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling. Again, I'm cheating a little by listing a series rather than a book, but I kinda think it counts... The Philosopher's Stone was the first 'big' book I ever read by myself (aged 4), and it was instantly love. My dad used to joke about how I knew more about Harry Potter than JK Rowling, and I remember him ordering me my copy of the Order of the Phoenix so I could get it the day it came out - I read it in about two hours! When I was in year three, I got the Prisoner of Azkaban as a present for getting a good parents evening. And yet, I've still never been to Harry Potter Studios. The injustice is unreal!
5. 'A Prayer for Owen Meany' is another indescribably amazing book. My English teacher recommended it to us in December 2013, and I read the majority of it wondering when the action would start. I admit, I found the character of Owen Meany incredibly irritating, and the way that John Irvine wrote his speech all in capitals frustrating. There were quite a few points where I was wondering why the author was telling us this, but I did persist as my teacher had raved about it so enthusiastically. And then, literally in the last four pages, everything was revealed. It was the kind of huge jaw dropping bombshell that made EVERYTHING fall into place, and the sudden realisation of the masterpiece that I'd been reading for about a week suddenly hit me. The skill with which Irvine crafted that novel was immense and I recommend it to everyone I know!
6. 'Charlotte Gray' by Sebastian Faulks was another novel that I discovered in English GCSE. We were given an extract as part of our language paper, and it's war setting immediately intrigued me. I'm a huge fan of Sebastian Faulks' work, and I really wasn't disappointed by this. It's a thrilling book with many location changes, keeping it fast paced and fresh, and like so many of my favourites, it isn't afraid to get emotional and harrowing. One of my favourite aspects is that Sebastian Faulks writes from a female perspective, and this isn't the only book where he does similar things with the narrative, which is refreshing. It's Alexander McCall-Smith esque in a world filled with men rarely writing from women's perspectives, or with female central characters.
7. As an aspiring medic, I must admit that any scientific books not directly related to the human body, I find a little dull. I just prefer fiction to read. But, I read 'Human Genome' by Matt Ridley, and that was awesome. Sorry for the poor use of vocabulary, but it was seriously great. It held my interest throughout and I loved the unique division of chapters into separate genes - it was really clever. It was scientific, but allowed those not studying it at a higher level access to it's information by means of an explanatory prologue or introduction of sorts. It was definitely useful for me to make sure I'd covered it all.
8. 'Wonder'. It may be a children's book, but that doesn't stop it being one of the most heart-warmingly, heart-breaking WONDERFUL books I've ever read. So lovely, and a really great way to subtly teach children about acceptance. Seriously. It's divine.
9. 'The Girl You Left Behind' by Jojo Moyes. Love dem war books. I thought this was so unique and it beautifully intersected the past and present with a very clever link.
10. I saved this spot for one of my most recent favourite books, that I've already commented on in a review on my blog - 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' by Louis de Bernieres. Check out my thoughts on it for more depth, but it's incredible. Funny and sweet and tragic all at the same time, it reminds you of first love, and those familial relationships that you don't give much thought to, all hanging under the shadow of war.
Have you seen this tag before? Which books are on your top ten? I'd love to know!
Have you seen this tag before? Which books are on your top ten? I'd love to know!
05 November 2014
Winter Wishlist
It's November now, so I'm officially allowed to call it winter (and sing christmas carols!), and to celebrate I thought I'd do a winter wish list. These things will definitely be appearing on my Christmas list if I don't cave and buy them sooner!
The first up is this Nars eyeliner. I tried it out at the counter in John Lewis on a shopping trip with my mum, and it was the only time I've ever worn a cat eye and had it look good. Serious result.
I also love this bag from Accessorise; it's so versatile for all through the year, and I think it would go with nearly anything!
I've had my eye on the Daisy perfume by Marc Jacobs for quite a while, and I love the look of this little spray bottle. It's so handy for your handbag, especially as I find scent tends to wear off throughout the day.
Winter wouldn't be complete without a wintery scented candle - that's always when it starts to feel like Christmas! I love cinnamon on everything; French toast, hot chocolate and especially when it's in chai tea! The smell is just gorgeous so this Yankee Candle is perfect for the winter months. I've just got to finish my current blue linen one at the moment!
Finally, I've been looking at this book. For those who don't know, I'm applying to medical school this year, and I've heard so many great things about this book. It offers a really unique and humorous insight into what it's genuinely like to be a junior doctor, and I know I can't wait for my (hopeful) time to come!
How about you? What's on your winter wish list? Drop me a comment and let me know!
04 November 2014
Currently reading...
Hi all,
I'm a massive bookworm and always have a book on the go, so I thought I'd share something that I'm absolutely loving! It's actually a book for my A level English Literature, and I'd never heard of it before the summer, but I think it's amazing.
It's 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin', by Louis de Bernieres. The wikipedia page for the film advertises it as a 'war epic', but I can't begin to state how much I disagree with that! The war is a major background theme that impacts the characters, and this is emphasised by the sarcastic comments made by the doctor. But in reality, the novel is so much more.
Set throughout and after WWII, the war hangs in the background at all times, and we are never allowed to forget the different lives the two lovers hold, which in itself is heartbreaking yet beautiful. It also emphasises how bloody it was, and how even after it was, over, remnants still hung in the air; the destruction of towns, babies born out of wedlock, families being broken, and of course, the millions of deaths that ensued. De Bernieres is also not afraid to touch on the indoctrinated fear that the characters still have of their opponents, even years after the war has ended and their lives have altered hugely.
A prominent theme of course is love. Why else would we be studying it under the subject 'relationships that cause powerful emotions'?! The central relationships, both familial and romantic are beautifully set out, showing both the shifts in lust and passion, and the long-lived love that is established near the beginning and continues throughout. In particular, I love the character of Carlo and the way his homosexuality, as a soldier in the army is portrayed. Especially in earlier history, where many were nowhere as accepting, I feel that it was wonderfully conveyed and the character's bravery and sacrifice for the name of love were incredibly moving. Carlo's narratives were some of the most poignant and beautifully descriptive, and even though he wasn't a central character, his storyline was absolutely crucial to the rest of the plot. It would not nearly have been so tragic and passionate had his story been excluded, even though not always relevant to the rest of the events.
I will admit, this book did take me a while to get into. I read about three chapters a few months ago, and decided I should finish it this half term, and I'm so glad I did. When it gets going, it is outstanding and is not afraid to inflict pain or death on its characters, which merely emphasises the realism of their lives and how they suffered. The detail with which they think and de Bernieres comments on their emotions varies from humorous to devastating as the reader is allowed real insight into their lives.
I don't hesitate in saying that this is one of the best books that I've ever read, and I would recommend it to anybody in the mood for some deep reading. The only thing that I would say is that some footnotes or maybe some historical notes would have been handy. Maybe it's just me and my lousy general knowledge, but I was very confused when the Germans started attacking the Italians - I thought they were both on the same side in WWII? Mum clarified it for me, and apparently they were originally, but it shifted part of the way through the war. It would have been helpful to have that somewhere, although that may just be me, like I said!
I'm a massive bookworm and always have a book on the go, so I thought I'd share something that I'm absolutely loving! It's actually a book for my A level English Literature, and I'd never heard of it before the summer, but I think it's amazing.
It's 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin', by Louis de Bernieres. The wikipedia page for the film advertises it as a 'war epic', but I can't begin to state how much I disagree with that! The war is a major background theme that impacts the characters, and this is emphasised by the sarcastic comments made by the doctor. But in reality, the novel is so much more.
Set throughout and after WWII, the war hangs in the background at all times, and we are never allowed to forget the different lives the two lovers hold, which in itself is heartbreaking yet beautiful. It also emphasises how bloody it was, and how even after it was, over, remnants still hung in the air; the destruction of towns, babies born out of wedlock, families being broken, and of course, the millions of deaths that ensued. De Bernieres is also not afraid to touch on the indoctrinated fear that the characters still have of their opponents, even years after the war has ended and their lives have altered hugely.
A prominent theme of course is love. Why else would we be studying it under the subject 'relationships that cause powerful emotions'?! The central relationships, both familial and romantic are beautifully set out, showing both the shifts in lust and passion, and the long-lived love that is established near the beginning and continues throughout. In particular, I love the character of Carlo and the way his homosexuality, as a soldier in the army is portrayed. Especially in earlier history, where many were nowhere as accepting, I feel that it was wonderfully conveyed and the character's bravery and sacrifice for the name of love were incredibly moving. Carlo's narratives were some of the most poignant and beautifully descriptive, and even though he wasn't a central character, his storyline was absolutely crucial to the rest of the plot. It would not nearly have been so tragic and passionate had his story been excluded, even though not always relevant to the rest of the events.
I will admit, this book did take me a while to get into. I read about three chapters a few months ago, and decided I should finish it this half term, and I'm so glad I did. When it gets going, it is outstanding and is not afraid to inflict pain or death on its characters, which merely emphasises the realism of their lives and how they suffered. The detail with which they think and de Bernieres comments on their emotions varies from humorous to devastating as the reader is allowed real insight into their lives.
I don't hesitate in saying that this is one of the best books that I've ever read, and I would recommend it to anybody in the mood for some deep reading. The only thing that I would say is that some footnotes or maybe some historical notes would have been handy. Maybe it's just me and my lousy general knowledge, but I was very confused when the Germans started attacking the Italians - I thought they were both on the same side in WWII? Mum clarified it for me, and apparently they were originally, but it shifted part of the way through the war. It would have been helpful to have that somewhere, although that may just be me, like I said!
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