Practically Alice

It seems that our lives are compromised of endings; lots of little chapters with some loose ends, some rather neatly tied up. Four years ago I left compulsory education to do my GCSEs, now I'm about to sit an exam that will mark the end of my second year at university. We seem to have this incessant need to categorise times in our lives. It allows us to look back at certain times and recall memories, whether fond or bad with a sense of reflection. Fifteen year old Claire was very different from now. I was about to embark on my first relationship, I was young and naive and also very, very ignorant. Luckily, I was ignorant in the nicest way possible; I was handled with care by all those around me. I drank for the first time with the best possible people I could have, my first kiss was much the same. I am so, so  lucky to have grown up the way I have. This year has also thrown some trials at me. I started second year thinking it would follow a very  different thread that it h...

When I came home this week, my sister surprised me with the chance to see Macbeth  at Harrogate Theatre. This particular production had been touring since February by Tara Arts and Black Theatre Live. The production has to be one of the best Shakespeare productions I have ever seen. Rating: 5/5 * Three outrageous drag-queens* cook up an explosive brew of treachery, ambition and passion, setting an Asian family off on a path of bloody self-destruction. Tara Arts brings Indian movement and music to Shakespeare's text, offering a powerful contemporary take on his darkest play. [ source ]  Never before have I seen a Shakespeare play that has evoked such emotion. I was very familiar with Macbeth , as most people are. However, I did not experience the strength of emotion in any previous production or reading of Macbeth  that I did in this performance.  Mountford portrays a deeply intense and crazed Macbeth who slowly and scarily descends into madness. Along with...

When life gets a little wobbly for me, when I look around me and there's this rather large mote of emotion or troubles or stress I begin to build myself a bridge. It takes time, care and patience; each book a brick that has to be selected carefully. Sometimes rain will lash down and threaten to flood my little island, but as yet the banks have held. With each book, I get closer to the mainland, and I get more determined to get there, a smile growing on my face. The books slot together perfectly, each adding a stitch to my patches until I become reasonably fully formed again. (No one ever is fully formed though, don't be silly!) Recently books that I wouldn't have dreamed of approaching have helped me more than I could've imagined. As cathartic as book shopping is, the real joy comes when you sit and fall into another world and then hit a passage or a feeling or a thought that reveals the sun to you. Out from a cloud, comes this clarity. And it's wonderful. Readi...

I am currently a second year English undergrad student and halfway through my second term. One thing people always warned me about was the level of reading that would be thrown at me and my fellow students - they were correct. In 2011 I made a commitment to read 100 books in one year and being a slow reader I didn't achieve that, making it to 65 instead. This past week alone I have read 9 books... nine . That's crazy for me because sixteen year old me felt like nine books in one month was an impossible feet! This is yet another thing that makes me chuckle at my past self and pat her on the back, willing her to believe that it'll all work out in the end. Reading weeks are a common thing in lots of universities and students often get slated for simply dossing about and doing nothing for a whole week. I am here to argue otherwise; I was glued to my reading for the whole week, as were a lot of my friends. I love my degree and without reading the texts, I can't learn and...

First term of second year completed and it's given me a lot to think about. Assessments have been written, tears have been shed but most of all I've grown as a person in ways I didn't really think I'd have to any time soon. These past few months I've found comfort in a lot of things; namely Gossip Girl , books, books and more books. But sometimes it has been the words of those around me, close to me that have been the most impressionable. Their understanding, kindness and trust has shown me how to act, how to feel and how to keep on going. I do make it sound rather dramatic but since November I have had to feel a lot of what I have't felt since I was thirteen years old, I've had to spend quite a bit of time on my own and I've had to learn to not drown myself in thoughts. It's been difficult but it's not down to me that I've not run away, or got stupidly stupidly sad, or that I've given up; it's due to my family, and my truly brillia...

Through various platforms I have always rounded up my favourite books of 20## because I read a lot and let's face it, there are some beauties in there. In 2013 I did a '13 things for 2013' and I may do something similar when my brain is more awake. For now, have some book recommendations: 1. 1984  by George Orwell -- having wanted to read this for years after my Grandpa gingerly placed a beautiful copy of Animal Farm into my small, naive hands, I am so happy finally to have got around to reading it. I think most people know of this book and all I will really say is this: r e a d  i t. 2. More Than This by Patrick Ness -- a dystopian theme is arising here. I read Ness' beautiful A Monster Calls a couple of years ago and it was nice to finally sit down and read this beautiful novel. Profoundly thought-provoking and such a page turner. It's been a long time since I've read any YA that I've loved this much. 3. Tigers in Red Weather  by Liza Klaussmann -- J...

As I humbly wave goodbye to 2014 from the recesses of the sofa, full of flu and masses of food and the belly to show it, I can't help but think that I'm a little too pleased about the oncoming year. It's not been a bad one - to say so would be to be rather woe-is-me but it certainly hasn't been the best. I have had good news and bad news. I've made new friends, met with old ones and had jolly good fun. I've been diagnosed with coeliac disease and proven that I am stronger than I seem, braver than I believe and smarter than I think (Oh Pooh, you silly old bear...) Ultimately though, this year has given me food for thought in that it isn't about me. It isn't about you or that random guy sitting next to you. Of course we are all stars shining brightly, we each feed off the glow of one another, breath life into the world and make mistakes. But really we're just tiny parts of a massive jigsaw and I truly do believe that working together is the way we ...