Okay, so I have a bit of a rant to post. I apologize for the length, but I feel incredibly strongly about this!
I am a Sherlockian. A fangirl. I am completely and utterly obsessed with the BBC's Sherlock and honestly, I don't care who knows it. Sherlock made me fall in love with film all over again. The writing, the acting, and the technical side, I find, are absolutely superior. The calibre of the show is way above anything I've ever seen, and I just really, truly, love it.
And the fandom. Oh, the fandom. So full of dedication and creativity and just absolute love for the show, the actors, the writers, and anyone who has anything to do with it, is just above and beyond.
Sometimes, there are people who ruin it, as with anything. And that sucks. But there are always those that rise far above it, and who give so much to the fandom, and they are the reason I stick around.
Yes, part of the fandom is the fanfiction. Fanfiction is nothing new. Gay fanfiction is nothing new. People were writing Kirk/Spock fanfiction for Star Trek decades ago, and yet I've never seen actors have fanfiction as forced upon them as the cast of Sherlock. Now, I've read my fair share of Sherlock fanfiction, and yes, some of it is incredibly weird, smutty, or as far removed from the show as you can get. But who cares? It's fanfiction. The point is that you can write whatever you want! If we're going to be totally pedantic, we can say that Sherlock itself is fanfiction. Seriously, it's a modern-day Holmes AU (alternate universe) complete with new characters and altered cases and everything! The only difference is that it has been made into a TV show. Yet journalists and interviewers alike think that the most amusing thing ever is to show the cast (namely Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) fanfiction and fanart to make them squirm and laugh awkwardly (Graham Norton I'm looking at you).
Today it really all came to a head.
Today was a big day for the Sherlock fandom. Not all of us directly, but it was the premiere of Season 3 Episode 1: The Empty Hearse at the BFI, which is pretty exciting, since it's been almost two years since Season 2! The episode is set to air on BBCOne on the 1st of January 2014 at 9pm in the UK, and the 19th of January on PBS Masterpiece in the US. So it's coming up pretty soon after a very long wait, and as you can imagine, those who follow the show are rather excited. The premiere today, though only open to a select few, is sort of the sign that it is all finally happening. After the showing, there was a Q&A session with Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Sue Vertue, and Jeremy Lovering, the new director. Caitlin Moran was the one doing the interviewing. This is where problems arise.
Up until now, I've never had a problem with Caitlin Moran. I've read some of her work before, and she did write a wonderful interview with Benedict for The Times, but what she did today was unacceptable. But what did she do?! You're probably screaming at me at this point. What she did, was get Benedict and Martin to read John/Sherlock fanfiction out loud- which she assured them was clean but of course, wasn't -making them, and everyone else on the panel incredibly uncomfortable, humiliating the lovely writer of said fanfiction, especially when she calls it 'clumsily written', and just generally putting a dampener on the whole occasion!
For those of you who are curious, here's the link to the video of the whole debacle. There are no spoilers for the actual episode, I wouldn't be that cruel! You can see Benedict's and Martin's very polite but disgruntled reactions to what they are reading- rightly so too. I can't imagine it is particularly comfortable reading a steamy love scene between you and a close friend out loud to press, friends and fans alike!
Moran tries to cover it by saying, "It was so much better in my head!", but the damage is already done. Benedict does give her a very polite but clear telling off, firstly asking, "Is there a punchline? Is there something you wanted to say after we read this? Are we ruining the joke?", to which she replies, "No, this was the great bit!". It seems pretty clear that he did not find it particularly funny. He then continues on to say, "It's just the point- fans can do what they like, but there's a point, we do what we do with it and that's the fun we have with our fiction of it- is to point out that that is ludicrous in our universe of its storytelling. So, sorry to be all 'nyeghhh' about it but..."
Moran does graciously apologize, "It was an inappropriate thing to do, I abused my power and I'm very sorry," before quickly moving on.
And yeah, I get it. She made a mistake. We all make mistakes. But why she thought it was a good idea in the first place is beyond me. Benedict had a very valid point in what he said. It is ludicrous in their universe. Fanfiction has absolutely no bearing on the show, and there was no need to bring it up, let alone have them read some out. The point of the premiere was to celebrate Season 3 and the fact that it is finally airing; to celebrate all the hard work that they had put in! It did not have to be another opportunity to make the fandom look creepy, or obsessed with John and Sherlock as a couple.
Quite frankly, the fandom often gets portrayed as deranged (for want of a better word) or laughed at, which is rather unfair. Yes, we are very enthusiastic about Sherlock, but why would you want to discourage that? Without fans, the show wouldn't be successful, harsh but true. Also, often overlooked is all the good that the fandom does! Things like raising thousands of dollars for charity, or uniting people all across the world because they share a common interest. The disdain they receive is becoming very old, very quickly.
This leads me to a point about the author of the fanfiction. Caitlin Moran did not ask her permission to use it, and frankly, just humiliated her in front of the entire fandom and anyone else who watches the video. Because as well as saying it is 'clumsily written', she also says that the piece itself was 'the great bit', that it's the punchline, particularly poking fun at the last line. What right does she have to pick a random piece of fanfiction off the internet, and use it for the pure purpose of mocking it? She's a writer, surely she would know what it's like to have people critiquing your work, and what is constructive and what isn't? Just because it's fanfiction does not make it lesser. Here's the response the author of the fanfiction. Short and sweet, it's appropriately indignant without being rude.
Unfortunately from what I've heard, on top of all this, Caitlin Moran made some other mistakes in that interview, including repeatedly pointing out a mistake the director made (I don't know what this is as I am avoiding spoilers), asking about Martin casting his wife (which is totally not true, we know the part of Mary Morstan was written for Amanda Abbington, and she has received enough hate about her part without Moran making jibes) and generally being rude and not asking questions relevant to the premiere. Ultimately, it sounds like Moran had little clue of what she was doing, had poorly prepared, and for some reason thought that mocking the show and the fans would pass as humor among those who are heavily invested in the show.
Humiliation is not okay. Mocking a fandom and disparaging the works that come out of their enthusiasm for the show is not okay. I hope Caitlin Moran has learnt a valuable lesson today- people will fiercely protect that which they love. Don't you dare think that what you did was acceptable. It was unnecessary, hurtful, and incredibly rude. I hope that you never have anything to do with Sherlock again and that you get a thorough reprimand from the BBC. We are Sherlockians. Don't mess with us.
Monday, 16 December 2013
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Holiday Guilt
It's that time of year again... Summer holidays!
Mine have come around much earlier than usual this year because uni finishes so much earlier than high school, and it is glorious. But whilst I am enjoying my newfound freedom (did you guys know it's possible to get more than 6 hours sleep in a night?), I am also racked with this unusual sensation of holiday guilt.
This year has been a good one. Being my first year of uni, it was all very exciting, what with the promise of the future and education and all that uni brings. I can now confirm it has been eye-opening (in more ways than one), I've worked hard (apart from those times I didn't), and gotten good marks (most recent exam results pending). But for all but a short break between semesters, it's pretty much been non-stop work! Of course this was expected, I was under no illusions that university would be free sailing. However, now that it's over for the year I find myself faced with my biggest decision yet: what do I do with my spare time?!
The morning after my last exam I woke up and immediately had the sense of 'you should be doing something constructive'. However, that was just left over anxiety from exams and the guilt of not studying. It wore off quite fast, especially as the rest of the week came around and I actually went out and was social (shocking!). Now I am facing my first week of no expectations or commitments, and I don't know where to begin! I finally have the opportunity to watch all those tv shows and movies, to write that novel, to actually finish one of my drawings or that scarf I started knitting, to read the entire Game of Thrones series that has been sitting in my room all year, or to actually deal with all the clutter that covers my room and sits in the back of my closet, and I simply don't have the desire to. What is wrong with me?! They sure were sufficient distractions when I was supposed to be studying. The last thing I want is to spend my summer mucking about and not doing anything useful with my time. Which leads me to an even bigger question: what should I actually be doing with my time? As much as I would love to just laze about all day and do all those things listed above, I feel as though almost four months of it would be just a little bit greedy. As a result, I end up thinking:
I know for this week at least, I will be kicking back and enjoying my free time, as well as getting some serious planning done. I refuse to let summer pass me by! Hopefully I can reread this post at the end of it on my new laptop, with an impressive tan and a sizable sum in my bank account, as well as some awesome memories. I'm sure whatever happens, you'll hear about it here!
Evie xx
Mine have come around much earlier than usual this year because uni finishes so much earlier than high school, and it is glorious. But whilst I am enjoying my newfound freedom (did you guys know it's possible to get more than 6 hours sleep in a night?), I am also racked with this unusual sensation of holiday guilt.
This year has been a good one. Being my first year of uni, it was all very exciting, what with the promise of the future and education and all that uni brings. I can now confirm it has been eye-opening (in more ways than one), I've worked hard (apart from those times I didn't), and gotten good marks (most recent exam results pending). But for all but a short break between semesters, it's pretty much been non-stop work! Of course this was expected, I was under no illusions that university would be free sailing. However, now that it's over for the year I find myself faced with my biggest decision yet: what do I do with my spare time?!
The morning after my last exam I woke up and immediately had the sense of 'you should be doing something constructive'. However, that was just left over anxiety from exams and the guilt of not studying. It wore off quite fast, especially as the rest of the week came around and I actually went out and was social (shocking!). Now I am facing my first week of no expectations or commitments, and I don't know where to begin! I finally have the opportunity to watch all those tv shows and movies, to write that novel, to actually finish one of my drawings or that scarf I started knitting, to read the entire Game of Thrones series that has been sitting in my room all year, or to actually deal with all the clutter that covers my room and sits in the back of my closet, and I simply don't have the desire to. What is wrong with me?! They sure were sufficient distractions when I was supposed to be studying. The last thing I want is to spend my summer mucking about and not doing anything useful with my time. Which leads me to an even bigger question: what should I actually be doing with my time? As much as I would love to just laze about all day and do all those things listed above, I feel as though almost four months of it would be just a little bit greedy. As a result, I end up thinking:
- I should have enrolled in summer school (to get just one step closer to my degree)
- Or maybe I should get a second job (my student allowance payments end on Tuesday and Christmas is coming up fast, plus I'd really like a new laptop before we start back)
- How many extra shifts am I willing to take on? How many before I go mad?
- How tan can I get before I burn?
- At what stage should I start doing some Spanish study to ensure I don't forget everything I've learnt before next year?
- Seriously, WHEN IS SEASON 3 OF SHERLOCK COMING OUT
It does not help when people constantly ask what you are doing with your summer. Answering "not a lot" is only acceptable for so long. Thus, holiday guilt. I know I am on holiday and therefore am allowed to relax, but to what extent should I be working towards something more... accomplished? Ultimately, I suppose it all comes down to that age old question: how do I find that balance? It seems that may be an appropriate goal for summer: finding my balance.
I know for this week at least, I will be kicking back and enjoying my free time, as well as getting some serious planning done. I refuse to let summer pass me by! Hopefully I can reread this post at the end of it on my new laptop, with an impressive tan and a sizable sum in my bank account, as well as some awesome memories. I'm sure whatever happens, you'll hear about it here!
Evie xx
Friday, 25 October 2013
Cory Monteith: Death and Re-Evaluation
I swore I was never going to watch the Cory Monteith memorial episode. I didn’t think I could handle it.
Well, I just did. And yes, I cried solidly for the 44 minutes.
I haven’t watched Glee in forever, but when it started, I loved it. I never thought Finn was the most attractive character, but I’m fairly sure I loved him the most. His death hit me in a way that I found quite unexpected- it's not like I knew him personally. I'd only ever seen him in Glee. But it rocked me, that such a talented, young, guy, that I guess I felt some connection to through my love of the show, could die so suddenly. And he was so loved. Watching ‘The Quarterback’, it really hit me how all those tears would have been genuine. And it really makes you have a good solid think about life and what you’re doing with it.
My whole life I’ve been relatively sheltered from death. I never had any friends or family members die, the worst I ever experienced were my pet fish and bird. Then, almost 2 years ago now, a girl from my school- that I knew relatively well- committed suicide. She was 14, and I was in shock for a few hours after I found out. I cried. I went to her memorial at school, and I cried some more. Even now, whenever I hear ‘Paradise’ by Coldplay, I pause and remember her, and a tear will come to my eye. Rest In Peace Ceri, precious girl.
This year, about 2 months ago, a lady that I used to babysit for died in a car crash. I had not seen her for a while, but I babysat once or twice a week for her every week for the better part of a year. Her boys are 6, and 10 (I think). I went to her funeral, and cried really hard. Knowing the family was hard, especially since for a while I had been part of their routine. She was turning 40 next month. Still so, so young. RIP Tracy. You will always be missed.
But both these deaths were somewhat removed from me. While I knew both people, I was not especially close with either of them.
Then, a few weeks ago, I got a text from one of my best friend’s mum, telling me that said best friend had been in a bad car crash. Her car was written off, and she’d broken her collarbone badly. One of her arms is immobilized for 6-8 weeks. I cried for an hour, just so incredibly thankful she was alive. Because she so easily could not have been, and that thought terrified me to my core. She is one of my oldest and closest friends, who, even though we don’t see each other very often, when we do, it’s like no time has passed. She’s a lifelong friend, one you know you’ll have forever.
And that definitely made me re-evaluate my life. Because all it takes is a second to lose someone. What am I doing with the time I have with the people I love? What am I doing with my life? And never have I been hit as hard with this before:
Life is short. Too short to care what others think, to be afraid, to do what you hate.
Watching the Glee episode made all this come back. I’ll never forget where I was when I heard about Cory’s death. It is truly tragic, and something that, along with Ceri, and Tracy’s deaths, will always serve as a reminder to me to not let life pass me by.
What are you doing with your line?
Friday, 17 May 2013
The Emotional Journey of BBC's Sherlock.
Yes I am back again. I said I would expand more on Sherlock in the future, and what kind of person would I be if I didn't? Please don't think less of me after reading this, but I will give you fair warning that I may come off sounding a little crazy...
So. Sherlock. As I said in my last post, it is a BBC drama created by Steven Moffat (writer and producer of Doctor Who) and Mark Gatiss (who plays Mycroft Holmes). So far there are two seasons, each with three episodes. Each episode is 90 minutes long.
Now, I like to culture myself. In the short 18 years of my life, I like to think that I have read a lot of books, and watched a lot of movies and t.v. shows. I've had obsessions before. I remember finishing Eldest, the second book in the Inheritance Cycle (aka Eragon) by Christopher Paolini. I adored it, and the wait for Brisingr seemed to stretch on forever. Don't even get me started on Inheritance. Likewise, when I first started reading Harry Potter at fourteen, I dived headfirst into that fandom and am yet to surface. How I Met Your Mother and Castle were also met with much enthusiasm, I think I finished all four and a half seasons of Castle within 3 weeks. Clearly you can see I get attached to good stories.
But Sherlock has far surpassed any past obsessions. I cannot see any faults with it. The writing, the acting, the set, the soundtrack, all of it comes together to create something that can only be described as art.
I know that not everyone feels this way. I watched the first four episodes with my fifteen-year-old sister, but after that, she really didn't care. One of my best friends also watched all the episodes, and although she enjoyed them, she's not nearly as crazy about the show as I am. Maybe it is because, having taken drama all through high school, I can truly appreciate great acting. Or, because I love to write, especially scripts, I know the minds of creative geniuses when I see them. Who knows? Art is subjective to tastes and everyone's own perception of beauty. I guess this show just ticked all the right boxes for me.
Aside from that, I think it should be hard for anyone to deny the intelligence behind the stories. Yes, they are based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories, but Moffat and Gatiss are the ones behind the script. Each episode made me awe at the cleverness behind the crimes and Sherlock's deductions, laugh at the fabulous comedic timing, grow to know and love each character and all their individual quirks, sob at some of the more emotional moments and just generally appreciate all the little things worked into the script.
There is so much depth to everything that happens, I can spend hours just picking each moment apart. Character development and relationships (especially Sherlock and John) are fascinating to watch unfold, and are spread out along the episodes so you never get too much. There are some really profound moments, especially whenever Sherlock lets some of his human side show. I do not want to get into details because there are just far too many, and I do not want to spoil the show if you haven't seen it.
However, it's not just the writers and creators to thank for the show's genius, but the actors too. Benedict Cumberbatch has Sherlock down pat. I will never be able to imagine Sherlock Holmes another way. He owns the character of the sociopath, right down to the sarcasm, arrogance and coldness, but also the innocence, naïvety, and childish nature of Sherlock. He's captured him perfectly, and let's not even mention the cheekbones.
Martin Freeman is the perfect match for Benedict. Moffat and Gatiss have said that Benedict became more of a Sherlock when Martin started playing Dr. John Watson, and they couldn't see anyone else taking the part. It is obvious as soon as you start watching that Martin and Benedict have great chemistry, as it really comes through in Sherlock and John's friendship. Martin gives the perfect balance of strength and charm to John, and you can sympathize with his confusion and frustration every time Sherlock goes off track.
Aside from these two, all the other characters are also fantastically portrayed. Mark Gatiss is a brilliantly cold Mycroft, Rupert Graves a loveable Detective Inspector Lestrade, Una Stubbs an absolutely darling Mrs Hudson, Louise Brealey an adorable Molly Hooper, and Andrew Scott an incredible Jim Moriarty. He is the epitome of terrifying, and it is obvious why he won a BAFTA.
Of course, everything has it's bad points. Sherlock's seems to be purely the waiting time. I am very lucky, because I only recently hopped on the bandwagon. I cannot imagine how those who have been with the show from the beginning feel.
Season 1 was released in 2010, Season 2 in 2012. Season 3 is currently being filmed, and is due for release at the end of the year. Unfortunately, as the fanbase has grown bigger, many more people have turned up to filming, and some spoilers have gotten out. The internet has been a dangerous place for those who wanted to avoid them, although after several messages from the creators about respecting the story and the actors (the crowds could be very distracting while filming), the 'setlock' hype has calmed down somewhat. There is currently only five more days of filming (Season 3, Episode 2) before they take a break. Episode 3 will be filmed in August.
So it is a horribly long wait before the adventure resumes and we can finally deal with the horrific cliffhanger of Season 2. And there are many, many questions to be answered.
Well, that is my brief overview of Sherlock. And yes, I say brief, because there is so much that I have not addressed! In short, go watch it. It is well suited for just about everyone, and it's only getting bigger and better as time goes on. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
"I'm a consulting detective. Only one in the world."
Evie xx
So. Sherlock. As I said in my last post, it is a BBC drama created by Steven Moffat (writer and producer of Doctor Who) and Mark Gatiss (who plays Mycroft Holmes). So far there are two seasons, each with three episodes. Each episode is 90 minutes long.
Now, I like to culture myself. In the short 18 years of my life, I like to think that I have read a lot of books, and watched a lot of movies and t.v. shows. I've had obsessions before. I remember finishing Eldest, the second book in the Inheritance Cycle (aka Eragon) by Christopher Paolini. I adored it, and the wait for Brisingr seemed to stretch on forever. Don't even get me started on Inheritance. Likewise, when I first started reading Harry Potter at fourteen, I dived headfirst into that fandom and am yet to surface. How I Met Your Mother and Castle were also met with much enthusiasm, I think I finished all four and a half seasons of Castle within 3 weeks. Clearly you can see I get attached to good stories.
But Sherlock has far surpassed any past obsessions. I cannot see any faults with it. The writing, the acting, the set, the soundtrack, all of it comes together to create something that can only be described as art.
I know that not everyone feels this way. I watched the first four episodes with my fifteen-year-old sister, but after that, she really didn't care. One of my best friends also watched all the episodes, and although she enjoyed them, she's not nearly as crazy about the show as I am. Maybe it is because, having taken drama all through high school, I can truly appreciate great acting. Or, because I love to write, especially scripts, I know the minds of creative geniuses when I see them. Who knows? Art is subjective to tastes and everyone's own perception of beauty. I guess this show just ticked all the right boxes for me.
Aside from that, I think it should be hard for anyone to deny the intelligence behind the stories. Yes, they are based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories, but Moffat and Gatiss are the ones behind the script. Each episode made me awe at the cleverness behind the crimes and Sherlock's deductions, laugh at the fabulous comedic timing, grow to know and love each character and all their individual quirks, sob at some of the more emotional moments and just generally appreciate all the little things worked into the script.
There is so much depth to everything that happens, I can spend hours just picking each moment apart. Character development and relationships (especially Sherlock and John) are fascinating to watch unfold, and are spread out along the episodes so you never get too much. There are some really profound moments, especially whenever Sherlock lets some of his human side show. I do not want to get into details because there are just far too many, and I do not want to spoil the show if you haven't seen it.
However, it's not just the writers and creators to thank for the show's genius, but the actors too. Benedict Cumberbatch has Sherlock down pat. I will never be able to imagine Sherlock Holmes another way. He owns the character of the sociopath, right down to the sarcasm, arrogance and coldness, but also the innocence, naïvety, and childish nature of Sherlock. He's captured him perfectly, and let's not even mention the cheekbones.
Martin Freeman is the perfect match for Benedict. Moffat and Gatiss have said that Benedict became more of a Sherlock when Martin started playing Dr. John Watson, and they couldn't see anyone else taking the part. It is obvious as soon as you start watching that Martin and Benedict have great chemistry, as it really comes through in Sherlock and John's friendship. Martin gives the perfect balance of strength and charm to John, and you can sympathize with his confusion and frustration every time Sherlock goes off track.
Aside from these two, all the other characters are also fantastically portrayed. Mark Gatiss is a brilliantly cold Mycroft, Rupert Graves a loveable Detective Inspector Lestrade, Una Stubbs an absolutely darling Mrs Hudson, Louise Brealey an adorable Molly Hooper, and Andrew Scott an incredible Jim Moriarty. He is the epitome of terrifying, and it is obvious why he won a BAFTA.
Of course, everything has it's bad points. Sherlock's seems to be purely the waiting time. I am very lucky, because I only recently hopped on the bandwagon. I cannot imagine how those who have been with the show from the beginning feel.
Season 1 was released in 2010, Season 2 in 2012. Season 3 is currently being filmed, and is due for release at the end of the year. Unfortunately, as the fanbase has grown bigger, many more people have turned up to filming, and some spoilers have gotten out. The internet has been a dangerous place for those who wanted to avoid them, although after several messages from the creators about respecting the story and the actors (the crowds could be very distracting while filming), the 'setlock' hype has calmed down somewhat. There is currently only five more days of filming (Season 3, Episode 2) before they take a break. Episode 3 will be filmed in August.
So it is a horribly long wait before the adventure resumes and we can finally deal with the horrific cliffhanger of Season 2. And there are many, many questions to be answered.
Well, that is my brief overview of Sherlock. And yes, I say brief, because there is so much that I have not addressed! In short, go watch it. It is well suited for just about everyone, and it's only getting bigger and better as time goes on. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
"I'm a consulting detective. Only one in the world."
Evie xx
Friday, 8 March 2013
Another post?!
So I know I said I would write more often, but this is me we're talking about, of course it hasn't happened. But I am currently procrastinating drying dishes and getting ready for work, so blog time it is!
Much has happened since my last post, which was two months ago now (I'm getting better!). I've said a lot of goodbyes to a lot of special people as my friends have gone off to other parts of the countries (and other countries) for the next stage in their lives. It's been sad to see them go, however I know that I'll see them soon enough (mid-semester break woop!) and that I can talk to them pretty much whenever so it's all good. We're a tight bunch, our friendships won't dissolve that easily!
ANYWAY moving on to more exciting things, I finally turned 18- HOORAY! -which means I can do cool things like buy scratchies and get married and stuff. It also means stupid things like more expensive bus fare and paying board but hey, you win some you lose some...
I have also officially started at the University of Canterbury which is muy cool and incredibly busy. Sometimes I feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day to attend all my lectures, tutorials, do readings, assignments, essays, homework, plus sleep, eat and be a helpful member of my household, but I'm managing okay so far (ask me how I'm doing in a couple weeks). In case you are wondering, history and classics are my majors, and I am also taking spanish and linguistics. I am LOVING it. My courses are super interesting and I'm learning heaps, although it does hurt my brain sometimes and I'm always hungry.
BUT I've already managed to procure two A+s in Spanish (YAY!), and have done 4 other tests across my other subjects, but I'm still waiting for those results. Although I was super clever and missed my first linguistics quiz. All our quizzes are done online, and for some reason I had thought the cutoff was 9pm... it wasn't. After my unfortunate discovery that it was 9am, I emailed my lecturer explaining my short comings and 'was there any chance I could still sit it?'. She was gracious enough to extend the deadline to 9pm, but unfortunately I missed her email and therefore the second deadline. I was kicking myself, but at least I've learnt that lesson! It was only worth 5%, so it could've been worse!
Outside of the work, uni life is great (apart from being poor)! I love the freedom, and being able to be home during the day. Motivation (as always) is proving a little hard, but I've only missed one optional tutorial so far, so it hasn't been bad. It is definitely a step into the adult world!
Not much else has been happening, uni has pretty much taken over my life at the moment. Although I have developed a new passion... SHERLOCK.
If you are already thoroughly confused, first of all, "Dear God, what is it like in your funny little brains? It must be so boring!" and secondly, I am about to educate you, so keep reading.
Sherlock is a BBC drama featuring the incredible acting talents of Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) and Martin Freeman (John Watson). It's special in the way that it is less of a tv show, and more of a mini series. So far there are only two seasons, and each season only has 3 episodes. This sounds really horrible until you realise each episode is an hour and a half long. The stories are based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works, and they are truly amazing. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, the creators and writers are the most fabulously evil men ever to walk the earth. I was addicted after the first 15 minutes. I have never loved any movie/show as much as Sherlock, and am dying (along with the rest of the fandom) whilst waiting for season 3. I'm sure I will expand more on this topic in the future, but currently I MUST go get ready for work.
In the meantime: http://streamallthis.ch/watch/sherlock/
There's the link. Watch them. I hope you become as thoroughly addicted to it as I am.
Evie xx
Much has happened since my last post, which was two months ago now (I'm getting better!). I've said a lot of goodbyes to a lot of special people as my friends have gone off to other parts of the countries (and other countries) for the next stage in their lives. It's been sad to see them go, however I know that I'll see them soon enough (mid-semester break woop!) and that I can talk to them pretty much whenever so it's all good. We're a tight bunch, our friendships won't dissolve that easily!
ANYWAY moving on to more exciting things, I finally turned 18- HOORAY! -which means I can do cool things like buy scratchies and get married and stuff. It also means stupid things like more expensive bus fare and paying board but hey, you win some you lose some...
I have also officially started at the University of Canterbury which is muy cool and incredibly busy. Sometimes I feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day to attend all my lectures, tutorials, do readings, assignments, essays, homework, plus sleep, eat and be a helpful member of my household, but I'm managing okay so far (ask me how I'm doing in a couple weeks). In case you are wondering, history and classics are my majors, and I am also taking spanish and linguistics. I am LOVING it. My courses are super interesting and I'm learning heaps, although it does hurt my brain sometimes and I'm always hungry.
BUT I've already managed to procure two A+s in Spanish (YAY!), and have done 4 other tests across my other subjects, but I'm still waiting for those results. Although I was super clever and missed my first linguistics quiz. All our quizzes are done online, and for some reason I had thought the cutoff was 9pm... it wasn't. After my unfortunate discovery that it was 9am, I emailed my lecturer explaining my short comings and 'was there any chance I could still sit it?'. She was gracious enough to extend the deadline to 9pm, but unfortunately I missed her email and therefore the second deadline. I was kicking myself, but at least I've learnt that lesson! It was only worth 5%, so it could've been worse!
Outside of the work, uni life is great (apart from being poor)! I love the freedom, and being able to be home during the day. Motivation (as always) is proving a little hard, but I've only missed one optional tutorial so far, so it hasn't been bad. It is definitely a step into the adult world!
Not much else has been happening, uni has pretty much taken over my life at the moment. Although I have developed a new passion... SHERLOCK.
If you are already thoroughly confused, first of all, "Dear God, what is it like in your funny little brains? It must be so boring!" and secondly, I am about to educate you, so keep reading.
Sherlock is a BBC drama featuring the incredible acting talents of Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) and Martin Freeman (John Watson). It's special in the way that it is less of a tv show, and more of a mini series. So far there are only two seasons, and each season only has 3 episodes. This sounds really horrible until you realise each episode is an hour and a half long. The stories are based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works, and they are truly amazing. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, the creators and writers are the most fabulously evil men ever to walk the earth. I was addicted after the first 15 minutes. I have never loved any movie/show as much as Sherlock, and am dying (along with the rest of the fandom) whilst waiting for season 3. I'm sure I will expand more on this topic in the future, but currently I MUST go get ready for work.
In the meantime: http://streamallthis.ch/watch/sherlock/
There's the link. Watch them. I hope you become as thoroughly addicted to it as I am.
Evie xx
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Wow. It really is amazing how quickly time goes by. Last time I wrote was July, where I said I would write more... so much for that!
We are now in a new year - 2013. And, like every other year, it began with a promise of new beginnings, second chances, and a fresh start. But this year is the first in a long time that I truly get to have a fresh start- university! I am so incredibly excited and nervous and just a bundle of many different emotions whenever I think about it! It was heart-wrenching leaving Riccarton. I already miss everyone there; the comfort of it all. But at the same time I can not wait to really get lost in my passion for history and classics, to make new friends, and discover life! It truly is a bittersweet feeling.
I think the hardest part of it all is saying goodbye. While I'm staying in Christchurch, I am losing friends to Dunedin, Auckland, Hawkes Bay, even Fiji, and the thought of not being able to flick them a txt and say 'hey, wanna do something today?' makes me incredibly sad. Even the people who I'm not particularly close with, but I saw every day- some for 15 years! -it's really hard to come to terms with. I was so ready to leave high school, but not ready to say goodbye.
The promise of 2013 changed that. Saying goodbye is going to suck heaps, but I know that it's not for forever. I think being able to party in the new year with heaps of friends helped- it was a crazy good night! Seeing everyone was great and I wouldn't have wanted to start the year off any other way. Thank you to all those who made it so special, I send you much love and blessings for the year ahead and I hope I will see you all again! As big as the world is, it's also very small.
We are now in a new year - 2013. And, like every other year, it began with a promise of new beginnings, second chances, and a fresh start. But this year is the first in a long time that I truly get to have a fresh start- university! I am so incredibly excited and nervous and just a bundle of many different emotions whenever I think about it! It was heart-wrenching leaving Riccarton. I already miss everyone there; the comfort of it all. But at the same time I can not wait to really get lost in my passion for history and classics, to make new friends, and discover life! It truly is a bittersweet feeling.
I think the hardest part of it all is saying goodbye. While I'm staying in Christchurch, I am losing friends to Dunedin, Auckland, Hawkes Bay, even Fiji, and the thought of not being able to flick them a txt and say 'hey, wanna do something today?' makes me incredibly sad. Even the people who I'm not particularly close with, but I saw every day- some for 15 years! -it's really hard to come to terms with. I was so ready to leave high school, but not ready to say goodbye.
The promise of 2013 changed that. Saying goodbye is going to suck heaps, but I know that it's not for forever. I think being able to party in the new year with heaps of friends helped- it was a crazy good night! Seeing everyone was great and I wouldn't have wanted to start the year off any other way. Thank you to all those who made it so special, I send you much love and blessings for the year ahead and I hope I will see you all again! As big as the world is, it's also very small.
It helps that over the last few months I have truly learnt who my friends are- who will keep in contact, who will make the effort, and who actually cares. I know that I won't be wasting time or effort holding on to these relationships, because they are just as invested in them as I am! They are the best group of friends I could ever ask for and I love them all dearly (even if sometimes they drive me up the wall)! I know that wherever this year takes us, or whatever it throws at us, we have each other to ground us and build us back up when need be (cheesy as it is!). I am truly blessed.
And after all: C'est pas adieu, mais au revoir. <3
Evie xx
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