ROOM (2)

Lack of blogging about university (or anything at all for that matter) this past year has made me very sad. However I had my hand-in’s today so I can proudly announce that I have got my life back! It’s already May and this afternoon I thought I better take a few photographs of my bedroom before I begin to move out. (Last year's post here)

Unlike last year’s post, this year I moved into a house with 5 other girls. I must admit, I like this room better than my room at home - you’ll see why now...

Reason 1: My room is GINORMOUS

The biggest room in the house. Although sometimes cold in the winter months. (Saying that, I’m usually too warm than too cold so it hardly bothered me.) But what's behind that door, you wonder?

Reason 2: A WALK-IN WARDROBE.

Reason 3: Posters everywhere!

Due to the generous wall space, both in wardrobe and out, I can have lots of posters on my wall! This room has 6 posters up! This little table area is where I keep my beauty stuff. The Doctor Who and One Direction poster was bought by my friends for my birthday, yay!

Reason 4: Double BED!!

I never had a double bed before but they are AWESOME! Fergus and Harold the terriers say hello, they live on the bed and make me feel better. :D And of course, the Andy Warhol cushions have returned.

Reason 5: Study Area

This desk has been a life-saviour this year as I worked. Although I miss looking out the window like last year in Cranagh, I ordered a big corkboard and decorated it with everything I love. Have a look:

Such things which may catch your eye here is my BIGBANG calendar, 16th Birthday Joe Jonas card from Jordan, a drawing of a Princess that a P.3 gave me in Tutoring for Schools, BIRDS, autographs and cute cards. c:

Short post yes, but I have returned, with many more updates of my boring life to come!

Talk soon,

Claudia

SHERLOCK [COURSEWORK]

Hello,

Sorry I’ve gone missing in action - yet again - but shall return to blogging after I finish up this semester at university.

This past couple of weeks I’ve been working on an Interactive Narrative on Adobe Flash. I based my idea on a BBC Sherlock episode, ‘A Scandal In Belgravia’.

(Funny how for two of my modules this year I’ve focused on BBC shows - I made a website on Doctor Who last semester!)

Anyway I’ve never created anything like this before so apologies if it kinda sucks - and to be honest it doesn’t follow the storyline fully but I wanted to base mine on Sherlock cracking Irene Adler’s code on her phone, rather than all the other fantastic things that happened in the real episode.

All drawings done by myself and as you can see from the image above, they have been based on the characters from the show too.

Feedback would be appreciated!

I tried everywhere but failed at hosting and embedding the ginormous sized swf, so please play here.

Many thanks and I shall return soon,

Claudia xo

20

Last Wednesday marked the unfortunate end of my teenage years, that’s right - I am now twenty! I find this very hard to believe, but believe me, I have no intentions of becoming a sensible and responsible adult anytime soon.

I was fortunate to have more than one party too! Since my birthday fell during the week I celebrated one with family, one with university friends and one with my home friends.

On Tuesday 5th, Hannah, Emma, Rebecca, Seb and myself went to Yoko Noodle Bar - a popular and delicious restaurant at Coleraine Jet Center. They didn’t disappoint, as my Crispy Honey Chili Chicken was amazing!

For desert, I chose brownie (they gave me two, wow) which was served on a plate which gave out steam?? We were amazed by this. 

Following that, we went bowling at the Jet Center which was so much fun, best bowling trip in ages! 

After Christian Union the next evening, I was finally allowed to open my presents! My housemates and classmates joined together and bought me a whole pile of gifts - which ranged from Sherlock on DVD, jewelry and One Direction merchandise- to a comb, M&Ms and a hot water bottle! 

On Saturday, my friends back home went to Italian restaurant, Villa Vinci in Newcastle. (Yes I have ate out a lot this week..) The 12 of us enjoyed a choice of pizzas, pastas, burgers and spaghetti bolognese. I was surprised by a birthday cake, with many thanks to Kerri and Elizabeth!

Outside I was target to the Birthday Bumps. Oh dear...

We returned to my house for a night of party games - probably the best games of Mafia, Fishbowl and Consequences played ever!

Thank you to...

Hannah St - for INCREDIBLE present choosing and organising.

Emma H - for choosing the ever-so-gorgeous One Direction poster.

Rebecca - for choosing the most amazing cracked nail polish.

Sebastian - for a wicked game of The Sims and Eyetoy on Playstation.

Alison, Danielle and Shannon - for an amazing meal cooked on Wednesday.

Charlene - for a lovely walk on my birthday with Hannah in Portstewart.

Rachel - for the really cute scarf!

Tina - for her impression of James Bond (I’m an actor...) haha!

Aimee - for such a pretty present, especially the little book!

Hannah S - for the most amusing conversation at dinner on Saturday.

Laura - for buying me a beautiful gift even though she couldn’t attend the party.

Elizabeth - for being absolutely wonderful all the time.

John - for creating the most disturbing consequences game ever played.

Mark - for making everyone laugh with his transvestite Beyonce impression?

Kerri - for deleting all my photos!! LOL jk - for buying me a beautiful hat!!

Kathryn - for doing the most hilarious impression of Stephen Hawking I’ve ever seen.

Alison and Hannah (for buying me the most beautiful bird ring!

Emma - for never failing at buying me the most disturbing and brilliant presents. AHH.

Thank you to everyone who made my 20th birthday one to remember! 

- Claudia

LIAM DAY

Hello!

Another quick update on my celebrity watching! Last Monday (28th January) famous actor Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List 1993, Batman Begins 2005 and Taken 2008 to name a few) took a trip back to his home town of Ballymena, County Down - which so happens to an hour away from where we study at University! Not wanting to miss the opportunity to see someone so famous (and Hannah to meet the man of her dreams), Rebecca, Emma, Hannah and myself travelled early Monday morning to see if we could catch a glimpse of the movie star.

Although we arrived in Ballymena at the ridiculous hour of 8am, after a yummy McDonalds breakfast and a few hours of retail therapy, we were excited to see Liam at the Town Hall. It rained horribly for the majority of the day but that didn’t put off a crowd of over one hundred people gathering.

Our early start did not go to waste! The four of us found a place at the front of the barrier which gave us a perfect view of everything that was happening. However it also appeared to be an opportunity for the local news too! We got interviewed four different times and posed for endless photos. Although it felt really awkward at first, it was a good laugh.

The weather magically cleared up and just after lunchtime Liam appeared! The camera men went crazy trying to get photographs and we were also snapping away, praying he’d do a round of the barrier. Unfortunately we didn’t get to shake his hand, never-mind get a photo with him! However it was very exciting and I took some photos with my new camera.

When we arrived home, we made sure to catch all the news and by 7pm my Facebook newsfeed was filled with notifications that I was on television!! I’m very awkward on camera but thankfully, they cut the majority of the interview out. We appeared on UTV (below), BBC Newsline and RTE and also some photos appeared in a local newspaper and the BBC website. Here's the clip from UTV - I am on at 0:28 seconds! 

All in all, it was a excellent day and a great way to start Semester 2! Many thanks to Rebecca, Emma and Hannah for making it so much fun!

Lots of Love for Liam,

Claudia

SUNNY APRIL

Helloooo,

I can’t believe I only have TWO weeks at uni left! Where has the year gone? It makes me sad - wish it could go on until June like school - I find summer long, tiresome and boring. Hopefully I’ll get a job sorted or else it’s going to be as unproductive as last year’s. Yes it’s lovely to have a break - but I like having a focus on something too, and I desperately need money.

Titanic Sounds

This month marks the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic - as you all should know, the Titanic was built in Belfast and the anniversary being marked as an opportunity to celebrate. I think the reason as to why it is being celebrated was because it was a magnificent and beautiful ship that Belfast men built, not the thousands of lives which were lost in it’s sinking. 

Belfast and MTV organised a small concert for the opening of the Titanic Quarter. This was called MTV Titanic Sounds and was held on the 13th April. Pixie Lott, Rizzle Kicks, Katy B, Sean Paul and Olly Murs performed. 

It was a great night and the atmosphere was fantastic. MTV were there recording the show because it is going to be featured on MTV World Stage later in the year.

Coleraine Holiday

I was back at university last week, but I didn’t mind because I had guests! From Wednesday - Friday, Emma, Kerri, Elizabeth and Amy stayed over - it was lovely to see them since we didn’t see each other much over Easter due to work, study and other commitments. 

When they arrived around 2pm, I gave them a tour of the campus and we went for a walk to the Daffodil Gardens. (I honestly didn’t know the place existed?!) They called the campus numerous names, including a train station, hospital and mental institute - but they admitted they liked the place. (Queens students...*rolls eyes*)

Elizabeth made the best spag bol ever and then we went to C.U.

After my seminar on Thursday, we took the taxi to the Strand in Portstewart. The weather was beautiful and we took some photographs. 

We walked to Morelli’s and got ice cream - yummy! 

That evening we went to the Jet Center and had a go at bowling - I didn’t do as well as I hoped. We had a wee meal after that but we were stuffed. However everywhere we went, even on campus, was incredibly empty - where was everyone?

It was like a holiday for me too despite being back at work - I hoped they enjoyed it as much as I did - Thank you for visiting! I’m glad you came do do do doo doo do do... ♫

EASTER POST

Some words which have come into my head which I want to write about, eh?

Easter

I’ve been off for Easter this past week and next week too. So far I’ve had a lovely time off - meeting up with people I haven’t seen and also creating my Motion Graphics Visual Diary. We’ve also got some Easter Eggs which I plan to tuck into tomorrow. Yummy!

Car

I like driving now - how hypocritical of me, but I when people say getting your test is so much more better than learning, it’s definitely true. I never thought I’d like it though. Although I enjoyed the craic with my instructor, learning did get very tedious after a while. I’m glad that part of my life is over. I’ve my whole life ahead of me and I am free. Driving alone is so much more fun!

Social Networking

Okay, okay this is the very very last time I will rant about this. In the past few months, Twitter - you all should be familiar with it - has been increasing in popularity. I used the Twitter sphere to ESCAPE from silly Facebook friends’ updates - and now they all are making a Twitter account and FOLLOWING ME.

GO AWAY. GO AWAY, I SAY. I miss my freedom of expression, where I could tweet whatever I wished - now I feel I must censor it according incase it offends any of my followers. Hogwash!! I will only follow my friends and a few special others - this includes people from my course, celebrities and interesting/amusing people. Oh! And finally, don’t say Twitter is better than Facebook - it certainly is not. They both have their own features unique to the site - so just, eh, just shut up....and now I will too.

Friends

I’ve met many fantastic people through university, but nobody understands me like my friends back home do. We’ve been through so much together this past couple of months and we still stick together. I actually love you guys. Let us have many more laughs and memories together.

Diet

My weight is the bane of my life. For a while it was great, I actually had kinda lost my appetite - still not sure why, but alas, it has returned to it’s all-powerful self. I miss last year...I want my confidence back.

University

Would I go back to school? Not in a million years. I adore university - the freedom, the opportunity to meet new people and to study what I love.

My Classmates: Hannah, Seb, Rebecca and Emma in particular,

The other IMA guys who have made us all very welcome to our course: Eoin, Wilson, Michael, Nick, Louise, Lance, Sam and many others too!

My Flatmates in Cranagh: Kerri, Deirdre, Joanne and Anne.

CU friends: Shannon, Alison, Rachel, Danielle, Hannah S, Jenna, Alannah and some others too...

You guys are all awesome!

Music

I’ve been trying to re-evaluate my life this past fortnight and I’ve been cleansing myself from some certain music. Sometimes you can get carried away and you don’t even realise. I need to get my priorities right and my music is a good place to begin. I told a few people I’m trying to sort myself out, and honestly I don’t think they took it seriously - but I feel in my heart it’s time to move on. Although it won’t be easy, sacrifices need to be made to make room for greater things.

Faith

Last Monday we were challenged by our Small Groups leader to wake early and have our Quiet Time in the morning before we get up. Normally I would do a quick Bible chapter and prayer and conk out at night. Some nights when I was too tired I wouldn’t even bother. I knew it wasn’t very effective but it was just a bad habit I was stuck in. So I took on this challenge, and seriously, it’s been the best choice I’ve made in a long time.

I’m most focused in the mornings - so it’s a perfect routine for me and I’m able to spend more time praying and understand what I’m reading easier because my concentration level is higher. It’s also affected my whole day - I swear I’ve had the most fulfilling days since starting it. I’m happier and I feel closer to God, which is incredible. I love it!

Time for bed,

- Claudia

BLUE

I was about to introduce this blog post stating how I haven’t blogged for a while etc. but decided that is not the way to go, since 1. it’s very boring and 2. it was only a fortnight ago.

I haven’t had any time to chill so have spent my evenings doing that instead of blogging. (That means pigging out in front of the laptop stuffing my face and staring at my Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr feeds all night)

The interesting thing now is because I’m at university, it is a lot more likely that one or more of these are someone a lot of you don’t know. Which means you can't guess them unless you live inside my head. Not trying to twist your minds or anything, it is fact.
I don’t compose these to bring attention to myself or my blog, I like having somewhere I can document and express my thoughts freely. Kaboom!

- Explosion of ponderings -

One.

I miss being close to you, I feel like we are drifting apart and I’m trying desperately to repair what we have lost but I genuinely don’t know what to say anymore. I feel like I’ve been cruelly left out - not intentionally though - and I miss the craic. I miss you more than anyone, because you are so lovely and genuine and you were my first friend. Can we please try and fix this because I’m at a loss of what to do. 

Two.

You are messing with my head, like seriously. Why must I fall so easily, especially of all people, why must it be you! I swore to myself I wouldn’t let this happen again, except this time it’s much worse because it is you and I can’t, and won’t, even tell anybody. I hope these feelings will go away because it’s all too confusing and I’m being silly and will therefore shut up.

Three.

I’m very glad you are back in my life. I know I am losing hope others and feel I am welcomed back with you. It’s comfortable and I feel so at ease talking to you. Just like old times. I really appreciate your company and hope we can become really great friends again. 

Four.

This is far too difficult, I want to help you but it is just too much effort. I physically can’t help you if you can’t help yourself. I have others and don’t need you either. Just don’t hurt yourself. Sorry.

Five.

I can’t kid myself, and I certainly can’t kid Emma. YOU ARE STILL MY KING OPPA.

(Honestly I think oppa is one of my favourite words ever. C:) Oppas make Claudbag happy, I need many oppas. I collect them and keep them safe. Hehehehehe.

I’ve been feeling very negative and sad lately, please someone cheer me up. I guess I’m feeling BLUE.

My boys are back. I love BIGBANG. ♥

DIGITAL IMAGING

Well lads,
Feels like a long time since I’ve been blogging properly. I’ve done a couple of memes but most of them were written a couple of weeks before posted because I knew I was going to be so busy.

However I am now FREE from the clutches of Digital Imaging coursework (but shall return to it with open arms in February.)

I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed working on this piece of coursework - it mirrors how Art is, except BETTER- research, experiment and final piece - except this time the final piece is not a painting or sculpture, but a photoshop piece.

Claudia + Art + Computers = ♥ LOVE

If that wasn’t fun enough for silly old me, we also were able to make a book!! Those who can recall my psychotic takeover on producing the Upper 6th Yearbook can imagine a similar behaviour which occurred for this project.

We used a company called Blurb to publish our book and mine should arrive in the post on the 5th January. 

I’m very pleased with the way mine has turned out - and although my class mates are cursing under their breath as they continue to work on theirs - I am now free to enjoy my Christmas holidays! 

Above is a .jpeg of the cover - and below is an embedded link if you would like to read or look at it.

Digital Imaging: Visual Diary by Claudia Green | Make Your Own Book

Merry Christmas everyone! I shall update with my goodies next week.

- Claudbag

ROOM

It’s funny, I’ve been at university for a month and I haven’t blogged about it yet. Anyway, I took some pictures of my room just to give you an idea of where I'm living, since it's unlikely my friends will want to stay over up here - there's very little to do. I completely adore it though, and it's probably a blessing there's no shops within walking distance or else I would be completely broke. 

Yes, this is my bed. I love my duvet, got it in Dunnes Stores. Also have my Andy Warhol cushions here too, making it as homely as possible. I wish I brought Flat Eric with me because I miss his smiling face.

Woo work area. I don't think you're allowed to put pictures or posters up on the wall incase it chips the paint, but I done so anyway because you all know I can't stand looking at bare walls. The Camp America wall planner came in our welcome pack and it's very very handy.

 A small selection of my many Snapfish photos I ordered in early September! It was difficult picking a selection which are my favourites but also don't make me look like a weirdo if anyone is ever in my room visiting.

Incredibly poor selection of DVDs up with me but I don't have any good ones at home either so I took ones I knew I would watch sometime on my own. Completely HOOKED on the Doctor Who series at the minute. It's so so GOOD! I don't know what I'm going to watch when I finish watching it all. Can't view any dramas down here because the internet is incredibly slow and dislikes buffering videos.

I bought this little guy at a fair in Belfast and I never have seen anything like it since. Think it's meant to be some kinda Japanese or Chinese dog? I never named him because I could never think of a one good enough, anyway he makes a cute decoration. 

This is my timetable! The highlighted blocks anyway. I'm very impressed with it - late starts on Monday, finish early on Fridays and off Wednesdays. It suits me perfectly. And it's screanings AKA film night every Monday which is just awesome. My favourite class is Digital Imaging - where I'm FINALLY being taught how to use Adobe. I LOVE it :)

Look! I bought this at the poster sale last week. It's so pretty and printed on amazing quality of paper. And it was 3 posters for £10, I'll show you the other two in a minute. Again, this probably shouldn't be up on the wall but I hope I shall get away with it.

This is the view out of my window. The place where I live is called Cranagh Village. I live in the top floor which means I can SPY on people!! Or.. people watch would be a better way of putting it. There's always a lot of activity round here, although on Wednesday nights I can hear everything that's going on outside, which is annoying.

Another view of Cranagh. 

My wardrobe - pitiful because I like hanging all my clothes up and that is difficult to do because it's rather small. I also bought a Bruce Lee poster - I might give this to Jared for his birthday but I haven't decided yet. 

Third and last poster - Japan - I think Hazel has this too? Anyway I thought it was very pretty. It might have to be moved though because inside the bathroom door is not a wise place to put stuff up. :/ 

- Claudia

SI SI SI SEÑOR!

Don’t read me - I am boring.

Yah!

Quick update, last Thursday I got my A-Level results! Y’know, the important exams that decide if I’m into university or not.

Well guess what! I’m going to University of Ulster in Coleraine! Hooray!

My results were CCC - which I thought very impressive since I consider myself as a bit stupid. I honestly thought I was going to fail English this year, although technically I did since I got DD in my two exams, but that’s beside the point because it’s a C overall.

I’m in no way disappointed with these results, because Upper Sixth, despite being my favourite year of school socially, was a nightmare studying for.

Seemed like everything I worked for went wrong, by the end of it I lost hope knowing it wasn’t going to go well anyway.

What puzzles me most is the fact that I received a D in my coursework part of my art, which I was convinced was the best piece of artwork to date. It made me rather angry, but still confuses me. It’s not the end of the world though, just is annoying because I slaved over it for months.

RealIy should praise God for the unexpected but pleasing grades I was awarded with. No complaining here, no sir!

Don’t think it’s sunk in yet. The whole university thing. Think I’m just gonna take it as it comes.

Like I said, boring post.

- Claudia