A trip to see the seals

Today, my lovely friend took me to the Norfolk coast to see the seals on the beach. This was a truly magical experience with the fluffy new pups and parents 'lounging' on the windswept beach. With a count of 291 pups the seals here are doing well, even with the storm surge that hit last week causing devastation to many of the families. It was incredible to be able to get so close to such a wonderful creature, at moments we were just a meter away from some and I managed to get some beautiful pictures.

After a busy term of university work, it was a lovely break from my dissertation and a perfect, not too cold, morning to visit and I'm so glad the volunteers and locals have worked together to protect such a wonderful group of animals in such a natural site. I learnt a lot today about seals, something I've never had a particular interest in, and I'd recommend taking some time to find out about something new, I've had a wonderful day! Now for a nice cup of tea!

Who would of thought a glove could make one think so much...

A few days back I forgot to put my gloves on (the ones from my boyfriend), had them in my pocket and cycled home. I got home to find only one glove in my pocket it was very dark and cold that evening. But I set out to find the missing glove :p I started walking all the way back to where I cycled from, searching in the road and leaves for the lonely glove, shining my bike light on the ground, almost crying my eyes out, all because of a glove, a glove I suddenly realised meant so much to me. The first valentine gift I'd ever been given <3 (soppy, blergh, vom :p ) <3 I walked for what seemed like ages, freezing cold and getting more and more sad, seeing leaves that looked like a glove. Then I got to where I got on my bike, THERE WAS THE GLOVE!!! I was so happy, smiling, talking to myself about how happy I was, suddenly I didn't feel cold, I'd bothered to go out to find the lonely glove and I had done it:D

So this got me thinking, if I hadn't had the initial sadness of losing the glove in the first place, then it wouldn't have made me so happy to have it back. You look at things in your life every day and take them for granted really, it's only when you lose them and then are lucky enough to find them again that you can be really happy. It's a shame that this is often the way. 

Why can't we just see what we have and be happy and grateful for it every day? So I've decided to try extra hard to be thankful for all the things I am lucky enough to have in my life. My friends are certainly some of these things.

Why should you need the loss in the first place? It's easy to take things for granted, I promise I'll try my hardest to never ever take people, possessions or anything for granted 3

Fuel Duty (my views!)

(I do not own this picture)

So, yesterday it was announced that the proposed increase in fuel duty of 3p has been postponed, yes postponed, not completely scrapped as was stated on the BBC news this evening, it has simply been moved to become an issue in the future, probably rearing its head again in January. So we're not out of it yet!

As someone who cares about the environment, most people would think that I would be against this being postponed, surely a rise in tax would ultimately reduce car usage and therefore be of benefit to the environment. However, this is not my opinion. Car usage is 'in-elastic' and demand does not decrease with the increased price! This has definitely been seen recently with the soaring prices but the still ever growing number of cars on the road. Has anyone else noticed a drop in traffic? No, I didn't think so! Maybe if this tax was going to be directly used to tackle environmental issues then I would be more for it, but I don't believe it would be really used for anything other than helping the government tackle their deficit.

(I do not own this picture)

Also, increasing a tax on fuel only really hits the poorer people in society really. These people are generally not those who are aimlessly driving around town in expensive, gas guzzling cars but the people who require a car to get to work, to earn money for their family etc. A tax like this would not tackle consumption on the level it needs to be!

Haulage companies would also be hit dramatically by this tax increase and that is hardly fair! They are providing a vital service that everyone in the country requires. When you begin to think about it, it becomes scarily clear how much we rely on these companies to stock the shelves in our local shops etc. This increase in tax would probably cause an increase in other goods, especially if they require movement around the country by these haulage companies, cascading problems could arise, you only have to think a little to see this!

There needs to be a serious look at why and how people are consuming, there is a definite need for a reduction in all transport usage, one day, and in the not too distant future, we are simply not going to have enough oil to produce the petrol we need. What will happen then? The whole structure of society will have to change.

Okay, I know that the tax isn't all about the environment and stuff, but it's clear how much just a simple rise in prices could have dramatic effects on the country! What I think is that it's definitely right of the government not to set the increase yet, but unfortunately I don't think it will last, they will put it off for a while and suddenly we will notice the prices beginning to rise again, this it seems is how our country and economy seems to be working nowadays. Personally, I think that they should be cutting petrol prices! It seems all nice of them to stabilise them now, but the fact is that petrol is hardly ever under £1.30 a litre and this is ridiculous, most of this is tax and playing on the fact that people are very reliant on private transport in this day and age, but this is wrong and should be challenged!!! We are being pushed towards private transport as public transport is frankly inconvenient and expensive, but then private transport is becoming ever more expensive too! It's a no win situation really.

Maybe I will just walk everywhere instead!

Lets get back to blogging!

I'm not a natural blogger, and I know I only have one person who might actually possibly read this blog, but I've decided I don't mind! I'm going to try my hardest to be interesting to anyone who wants to read this, and I'm not offended if everyone thinks everything I say sucks! It's not going to be all about me, because, lets face it, who would want to read that?! I'm going to just include my opinions on interesting things I come across in my life. I hope anyone who does read this finds it at least a little bit interesting! I'll be back more often from now on!

To day I met a real positive thinker... QUOTES!

"If you look outside that window (grey sky and brown trees) and imagine that the grey is bright blue and the leaves on the trees are actually bright green, it could actually be summer again!" :)

"You know the other day when people were complaining that it was raining... well, how I see it is that everyone wants to be able to touch a cloud. When it's raining it's like a cloud is coming and touching you. So really it's just a cloud giving you a big hug!"

What a brilliant mind he has!

Challenge negatives and think of positives...

This is to be an on going blog based on one of the basic principles I want to be able to live my life by. I think to a certain extent we can choose how happy or sad we feel. Taking something that happens to us and looking at it in different ways can completely change our feelings. As a person who over evaluates every situation for hours I have found this to be true. A simple thing said to me can make me feel so many different things. I also over evaluate things I say to others - something said as a joke, a spur of the moment statement can haunt me for hours replaying over and over in my head. Sometimes it can go as far as make me want to cry, then suddenly I want to laugh. Every action has a reaction (wow Newton) but what this reaction is can be different and change a lot over time. I think over things that have happened, whole conversations days after they occur. Often I think of things I should have said to make the situation better, make me seem like a better person. But the fact is, you can't go back and change conversations; missed opportunities stay missed. You can live in the past and worry about what was done/said (I do this wayyyy too much!) or as I am trying to do, you can look forward. Yes you may have had a fail of a conversation with someone but if you want to you have the power to talk to them again, have a joke, have a laugh and fix what was may have been lost.

Today's negatives changed to positives:

Not going out with my whole flat last night left me feeling like I missed jokes and fun memories. BUT I did have a great night catching up with my best friend (this was in much need of doing), I wasn't tired with a hangover this morning and talking to people in the kitchen I found out all the good stories so could joke and be part of their night.

People I like to hang out with at the weekend have all gone home - BUT this did mean I had a great chance to walk into the city (45 min walk so no one would have wanted to do it with me), window shop and find my way around the back streets exploring (only really works on own) and enjoyed myself with my music in my ears (although it did leave me with a lot of thinking time so the amount of conversations I replayed in my head weren't too good!)

I cooked way to much for dinner (ok not a big issue!) - NOW I have lunch for tomorrow too!!! :O

I didn't understand my coursework so instead of fretting I took initiative and emailed my lecturer, she realised that a lot of people would be having the same problem and emailed everyone on the course, now I feel I have helped others out.

...

to be continued

Clubbing

First off, as a non-nocturnal animal who likes to sleep when its dark and wake up to see the morning, the idea of heading out into the night at 10/11pm is crazy. This is probably too early for most people too so when, as last night, we arrived at the club at 10:30 there were literally no one on the dance floor (we used this as an embarrassing but fun lets dance crazily while we have space) and 3 people propping up the bar looking shady in the corner! People begin to turn up in various stages of drunk; you have the guys who turn very homosexual with their mates, the guys who think its funny to dance in the middle of your group and randomly touch your friends, girls who fall on the floor, girls who seem not to care when they are exposing themselves and the random strangers who are practically having sex in the middle of the floor. Also, what do these girls think they are doing wearing the sluttiest, I was going to say dresses but lets face it they are tops, tops and their highest heels. Ok, I admit it I have twice worn just a top clubbing, but it was a longish top and I had leggings on so that doesn’t count!

The dancing and singing your head off is fun when you are not thinking about it and not acknowledging your surroundings but pretty soon you notice the guys all around and feel like you should dance to show off to them. So you dance around doing the most peculiar moves and desperately try to attract the attention of random strangers whom at any other time on any other day you would not want anything to do with. If none of these guys (who realistically you want nothing to do with) approach you, dance with you or even look at you in some cases you are left feeling worthless, ugly and unwanted – yes I know this is ridiculous as I previously stated these guys are disgusting anyway, but if a disgusting, drunk guy doesn’t want you… who would???

Taken at Project - Norwich. Greg James DJ-ing
(Propoganda October 2011)

As the night progresses everyone gets more and more drunk, fights break out, it gets scary. I also feel that there is always an anti-climax to evenings out. You spend a while getting dressed up and ready with your friends and a few pre-drinks (‘prinks’) which in my opinion is the best part of the night then you have the journey to wherever you are going, here you can have nice conversations and fun times before someone gets off their face. In the clubs you can’t have a conversation, people pour drinks on you all the time (well that was worth me straightening my hair!!!) and your feet start to seriously hurt! At some point you decide to go home, there will be a reason for this: a) people (yourself or others) are too drunk/tired, b) the club is dead (everyone seems to have given up) or c) (as happened last night) someone pours a drink all over your friend, she gets really angry, starts swearing and saying she’s going to leave (and you can’t let her walk home alone). I started ‘composing’ this rant on the way home last night as I walked the 15 minute walk home yesterday (this morning) without shoes on, freezing cold and trying desperately to catch up with my friends who are walking very fast, one because she is angry and the other because if she stops apparently she wont start again. My feet were in agony (from my heels and the cold) and I just wanted to sit on the floor but I had to keep going. An evening of fun in my opinion shouldn’t end like this. This wasn’t a bad ending to a night out by far but it got me thinking. I don’t think I am a clubber!!!