Of Squeaky Shoes and Perfume Baths

This entry is by now several days late, considering what its subject is going to be. You can blame that on my own laziness and the fact that I've been distracted by the super special awesome shiny win that is Ouran High School Host Club - an anime series that I didn't think I would like quite as much as I apparently do. Having watched approximately twenty episodes in two or three days, all that is left to do now is read the manga; I've just been informed that a new chapter has been released, meaning I must read in the region of 61 chapters PDQ(*). A challenge if ever there was one!

Anyway, back to the point of this entry. I have now pretty much completed my first year of university. I say 'pretty much' as I still need to collect two assignments once they have been marked. It's not the fault of the tutors who are meant to be marking them that it's taking so long, but I can't help but wonder if they will be done by the time I go home.

My second and final exam was on Wednesday (gotta love the fact that we only have the two exams). As readers will probably remember, my entry following my first exam was a bit all over the place; I didn't quite know what to do with myself. Luckily this wasn't the case this time, as once the exam had finished I exited the building to find my group of friends who had finished earlier were waiting for us slowpokes. We then stood around and talked for a while before heading off in our mostly seperate direction, i.e. a couple of people went home, the rest of us went to Pizza Hut to celebrate! Yum ^_^

The exam itself didn't go quite as well as last week's Poetry one, I don't think. I certainly found it more difficult to start and my flow of writing wasn't as good, but I still had plenty (enough?) to say. Luckily Saiyu and I had had another revision evening the night before (which as you can see from her journal, consisted mostly of us comparing The War of the Worlds to various animes. While this may seem pointless to others, it was actually quite useful in helping us keep the facts in our heads. To each their own~) and we'd happened to discuss some of the themes we were meant to be writing about in the exam. The only one I had particular difficulties with, everyone else had been miffed by too, I was pleased to find out afterwards.

Also unlike last week, I was writing for mostly the whole two hours. The rule of exams is apparently that no one can leave in the first hour of it starting, and no one can leave in the last 15 minutes. Last week I was particularly unimpressed as I finished with 17 minutes to spare, however by the time the invidulator had checked that I'd filled in everything correctly and I'd glued down the anonymity flap, the main invidulator was informing us that we were down to the last 15 minutes and no one could leave until the very end. Brilliant. I decided to get my head down on the desk for some z's, which resulted in a lady coming up and asking me if I was okay, worried that I'd passed out or something.

This week's, I finished writing with about 3 minutes to spare, so I took my time checking I'd filled in everything I was supposed to. This still meant I had a minute and a half to waste, which in real life may not seem a big deal. In exam-time however, it feels more like hours. And have you noticed that when it gets to the finishing time, in this case 11am, the invidulators take forever in announcing the end of the exam? I could see that all the clocks read 11am and I'm sure everyone else could too, but the invidulator insisted on watched the clock for a while. Like he'd actually checked the position of the second hand when he'd started the exam. GAH.

And another thing: there's always an invidulator with squeaky shoes. In this case, one man had had the genius idea of wearing trainers in a gym hall. A++ And the females always, without fail, decide to bathe themselves in perfume the morning before the exam. Why!? Seriously, if all you're doing is wandering up and down an exam hall making sure people aren't cheating and answering any questions, it is not necessary to wear that much perfume.

Anyway that should probably conclude this entry. I have been monopolising Saiyu's laptop for I'm not sure how long now (long entry is long!) plus I'm getting pins and needles in my foot ¬_¬

(*)Pretty Damn Quickly

Feed the birds / Tuppence a bag~

I've come to the conclusion that in many, many, many years to come, it won't be humans or robots that rule the world, but pigeons. That's right, pigeons. Why is that? Well think about it; they already crap all over our houses, our cars, us and what do we do about it? Whine and complain. We don't do anything to stop them from doing this, and indeed there's very little we can do. Those pigeons are crafty buggers.

Not only that, but we give them right of way in the street. Well...I do anyway, as I actually have a fear of things fluttering around my face and pigeons are very good at bird-flailing right up in your personal space. But yes, we see pigeons on the ground in front of us and we move to the side and go around them, 'cause they sure as hell won't move until the last possible moment if we continue walking towards them. And if we spot them suddenly flying at us, we stop walking! Again, because they are arrogant little shites and only swerve upwards mere milliseconds before flying into your face.

If you're still not convinced about just how much of a hold pigeons have over humans, how about this: the other day I was walking a couple of friends to the train station when a car driving down the street stopped and started tooting its horn. Confused, I looked up to see what the fuss was, and what do I see? The man leaning out of his window, tooting his horn at...yes, you guessed it. A pigeon. He clearly didn't want to run it over, but being the cocky pain that it was, said pigeon refused to get out of the way. I had a chuckle at this and continued on my way. Not even a minute later the same car starts tooting again; the guy had managed to drive a few more yards up the road before being delayed by another suicidal pigeon who had decided that the road was far more interesting than the pavement.

Really, why not just run the damn thing over?? (I know, I know, that's not a very nice thing to say, but really, they are just flying vermin!!) I have been informed that they apparently pop when you do so, which is pretty amusing, you gotta admit.

I think this is a very valid argument, proving the point that pigeons will one day TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!1!one! Although I might just be biased, as my next door neighbours back home own homing pigeons (why!?!?!?) who enjoy making my life hell by sitting on my window still and staring at me with their creepy little soulless eyes. Little sadists. I fecking hate pigeons.

Too lazy to think of a decent title :|

I don't know if it's just because I'm still insanely tired, or if my hormones are a bit out of whack at the moment or something, but my emotions are all over the place today >:

The nervousness this morning was understandable - I was walking into an unknown building to take my first exam as a university student and didn't know what to expect at all. I'm not a big fan of change, so obviously I was a bit uneasy as the way it was out set out was very different to the types of exams I've taken in the past, which admittedly we were pretty much spoon-fed the information for.

Next came the euphoria of feeling like said exam actually went well for once. Of course, the nasty, paranoid voice in my mind was still making snarky comments along the lines of "that probably means you've failed, it usually does..." but for now I'm ignoring him/her/it. For the most part, I've been in a good mood all day because I had plenty to say for the exam and more or less knew what I was talking about.

Wasn't quite sure what to do with myself, so I decided to lay in bed and watch some DVDs. Watched The Emperor's New Groove just because I haven't seen it in a while. I'd planned to watch some others when I remembered that my dad had sent me a few Bones episodes on DVD that he'd taped for me (it's pretty much the only tv show I watch), so I watched them instead. They made me laugh (maggots in a blender and someone getting squashed by some american school bleachers...what's not funny about that!?) and strangely enough, tear up a bit when one had a happy, sappy ending! This never happens, so I figured LOL HORMONES. >:

Theeeen after that I came online as my mum said she would be online at some point and I didn't want to miss her. I ended up finding something that made me feel irrationally, insanely jealous which also makes me feel a bit silly. Then there was more happiness when I found out that my mum got us both places on the Somme trip someone at her work is organising, so I'm looking forward to going on that. Then she gave me some news regarding a club we're part of in the summer that pissed me off. Thing is, it's one of those cases where I'm annoyed at a possible scenario. It hasn't actually happened, and it won't necessarily happen, and yet just the idea of it irritates the hell out of me. Why is that??

Anyway. To end the emotional rollercoaster that is today, I'm now feeling really lethargic. Can't be bothered to eat, can't be bothered to watch this anime episode, can't be bothered to watch another dvd, can't be bothered to rp, can't be bothered to revise...it's going to be a slow night...

So after all is said and done / I know I'm not the only one

I wouldn't describe myself as a particularly superstitious person. I don't care about walking under ladders, I don't see what the big fuss is regarding black cats, and I'm of the opinion that the only thing you should be worried about if you break a mirror is that you don't cut yourself on the glass.

That being said, I have just received a parcel from my mum, containing among other things a purple beaded bracelet. You know the sort, they were really popular in the nineties and the different coloured ones meant different things. I had several, but my favourite one was my amethyst one (because that's my birth stone), and because it means 'intelligence', I decided I would wear it for good luck when I did the 11+ exam in my last year of primary school. And I passed. Since then I've worn it in every exam I've taken. The only times I've forgotten to wear it? I failed the exams I was sitting.

Needless to say I've become quite superstitious regarding this cheap piece of jewellery, and upon realising I hadn't thought to bring it to uni with me, there was a frantic email to my mum requesting that she send it up to me asap. Part of me feels kind of silly about the whole thing; deep down I think I know that whether I'm wearing a particular bracelet or not won't really affect my performance in an exam, but I'll wear it anyway to be on the safe side.

And as for the relevance of the song I included...way back in, I think it was year 10, my friend and I discovered the cheesiest thing that ever cheesed, aka "Not Too Young, Not Too Old" by Aaron Carter. If you listen to the lyrics, it really is a pretty naff song, but it's also incredibly catchy. My friend and I found ourselves actually coming to like it and for some reason, although I don't remember why now, we started singing it one time when we were waiting to go in for our mock English exam. After that it became something of a tradition; we would always make sure we sang it because it was funny and kept us relaxed. Again, the one time we forgot to sing it, for our mock English A Level, neither of us did particularly well. Coincidence? I don't know...

I don't understand why people get so upset by things like breaking a mirror, but I'll tolerate their superstitions because I can relate to them, silly as it may be.

I'm afraid of 24/72 common fears...

[x] the dark
[ ] staying single forever
[ ] being a parent
[ ] giving birth
[ ] being myself in front of others
[ ] open spaces
[x] closed spaces
[ ] heights
[ ] dogs
[x] birds [mostly just pidgeons...]
[ ] fish
[x] spiders
[ ] flowers or other plants

Total so far: 4

[x] being touched
[x] fire
[ ] deep water
[ ] snakes
[ ] silk
[x] the ocean
[x] failure
[ ] success
[x] thunder/lightning
[ ] frogs/toads
[ ] my boyfriends/girlfriends dad
[ ] boyfriends/girlfriends mom
[ ] rats
[x] jumping from high places
[ ] snow
Total so far: 10

[ ] rain
[ ] wind
[ ] crossing hanging bridges
[x] death
[ ] heaven
[ ] being robbed
[x] falling
[x] clowns
[ ] dolls
[x] large crowds of people
[ ] men
[ ] women
[ ] having great responsibilities
[ ] doctors, including dentists
[x] tornadoes
Total so far: 15

[x] hurricanes [don't know the difference between tornados and hurricanes, so I'll tick both to be on the safe side!!]
[x] incurable diseases
[x] sharks
[ ] Friday the 13th
[ ] ghosts
[ ] poverty
[ ] Halloween
[ ] school
[ ] trains
[ ] odd numbers
[ ] even numbers
[ ] being alone
[x] becoming blind [guess it depends on how I go blind...]
[ ] becoming deaf
[x] growing up
Total so far: 20

[x] creepy noises in the night
[x] bee stings
[ ] not accomplishing my dreams/goals
[x] needles
[ ] blood
[ ] dinosaurs
[ ] the welcome mat
[x] high speed
[ ] throwing up
[ ] falling in love
[ ] super secrets
Final Total: 24


If you get more than 30, I strongly recommend some counseling
If you get more than 20, you’re paranoid.
If you get 10-20, you are normal.
If you get 10 or less, you’re fearless.
People who don’t have any are liars.

LOL PARANOIA.

95% sure we're going on an adventure~

So. Armed with a spoon and a bottle of water, I set out on what was to be a highly exciting adventure to find the gym, where our exams are being held! In theory, anyway.

First stop - uni building to get my Novel assignment back! Just like last time, the "tutorial" lasted all of 2 minutes; the tutor (who wasn't even the one who marked my essay) read out the feedback and asked if I had any questions. And as I didn't, there wasn't anything to discuss so I was sent on my way. Next stop: the entrance, to meet Saiyu so we could move onto the next stage of our adventure, i.e. to the food court for nummy lunch.

I had to get some money out first, but the first ATM was broked and there was a huuuuge queue for the other one :/ So we ended up standing around in the sun for like, 10 minutes. BORING. I hate the sun DX And I only wanted £10 but the machine was like "lol no, I don't have any £10 notes. Enter the amount you want in the box below" ONLY THE KEYPAD WAS BROKEN. So although I typed "£20", the amount that showed up in the box? £2220. I was like WAIT WHAT NOOOOOOO *cancelcancelcancelcancel* *deep breaths*

So yeah. I eventually got my money, then it was onto the foodcourt~ Mmm, pizza baguette. I haven't one in aaages, I'd forgotten how yummy they are ^^ Then after that, to the shop for Ben & Jerry's! We'd already decided that ice cream was a must, as Saiyu put in her journal:
It'll probably be an adventure. We'll probably get lost. There'll definitely be ice cream involved.
I realised this morning that there was a slight flaw in this plan. Where exactly did ice cream fit into our adventure? Then Saiyu had the genius idea of going to the museum and eating it in the gardens there. The best thing about this museum? FREE ADMISSION! \o/ Srsly, I didn't even know such a thing existed. So yes, went and sat in the garden of the museum (it was a very nice garden) and ate a whoooole tub of Phish Food ice cream :3 I'm such a piggie lolol.

After that we explored the actual museum. Usually I'm not that interested in museums - only certain points in history interest me so general museums (or the dumb Roman museum in CB) are boooring. However Saiyu pointed out that this one had a reconstructed WW1 trench :3 :3 :3 Basically the museum focuses on the city, and in particular the army regiment, so there were loads of different sections. It was well exciting! They also had a reconstructed 1930s (or was it 1940s?) highstreet with an actual cobble pavement. It was epic . Oh and the WW1 trench? Was AWESOME. Obviously it's not the first one I've been in, but it was one of the best. I went into the dugout, and was nosing around, checking out the bunks and stuff, and near gave myself a heart attack - there was a mirror half behind a curtain (to give the effect that the dugout is even deeper, apparently), and when I moved to the side I saw my own reflection and jumped about a mile in the air, thinking someone else was there! This is why I don't like small, cramped areas; they make me jumpy! D:

Oh, and another thing that made me jump - I was looking at the various display cases, looking at the medals and gas masks and other such interesting artifacts, when suddenly LOL STUFFED DOG. DDX It made me jump so bad, it was staring at me, and I thought it was real for a minute D: WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO STICK A STUFFED DOG IN A DISPLAY UNIT??? Just because soldiers 'adopted' dogs as rat catchers doesn't mean you need to show an example! I'm sure we're all perfectly capable of imagining a dog. >:

There was also a tiger skin cloak thing :/ Poor tiger. OH AND, this was in the Boer War section (I think) - Saiyu was lol-ing at me going "ewww!" over this tiger head that was in the display cabinet, and then I read the note next to it: blahblahblah hunting was a favourite pastime blahblahblah this tiger head has been made into a snuff box. And indeed, it was on wheels, and had a lid in its head!! GROOOOOOOOSS. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT.

So uh yeah. Museum was funky! Now to the actual point of this adventure...finding the gym. There was much panic the other day when Saiyu asked me where it was, as I'd assumed she knew and was going to tell me. Lol no. I remembered one of other friends mentioning that it was near-ish her accomodation, so I told Saiyu to get me there, and then we would wander around until we found it. Rather disappointingly, we found it in about 3 minutes. What an anticlimatic end to our adventure! Oh well, at least we know where we're going now ^^

And then after that we went to Iceland 'cause I needed some stuff. I now have ketchup, which means I can have pasta again! \o/

And to end this ridiculously long post, a couple of Vampire Knight AMVs that Saiyu made! They were a joint effort, in that I suggested some songs/spammed her with music and audio clips and told her to include them XD They make me lol, anyway.

It seems like all I ever do it post memes...

Nothing interesting to update with, I'm afraid. Watching anime and doing revision doesn't really result in an interesting life. But anyway, found this meme, thought I'd fill it in ^^

Two Names You Go By: (other than your given name)
1. Laney
2. Setsugay, I guess. It's an in-joke between me and a friend

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. Grey strap top
2. Black 3/4 lengths

Two Things You Would Want in a Relationship:
1. Er. To be loved?
2. To be appreciated

Two of Your Favorite Things to Do: (other than being with kids, family, or dear friends)
1. Sleep! XD
2. Um. RP?

Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:
1. Pizzaaaa
2. Cooler weather

Two Pets You Have:
1. A big fat fluffy white cat called Riley
2. A ginger fluffball of a cat called Tara

Two People Who Will Fill this Out: (Uh, maybe?)
1. I...do not know.
2. Saiyu, maybe?

Two Things You Did Last Night:
1. Took forever to fall asleep
2. Rewatched Vampire Knight

Two Things You Ate Yesterday:
1. Mushrooms on toast
2. Chocolate

Two People You Last Talked To:
1. Saiyu
2. Um. Shiro I guess, if leaving a comment on her blog counts?

Two Things You're Doing Tomorrow:
1. Revision, woop woop~
2. More revision

Favorite Holidays:
1. Easter :3
2. Err. Christmas I guess

Favorite Beverages:
1. Water?
2. Dr Pepper