ABOUT ME (MEME TIME!)

Post a picture of yourself and introduce yourself:

This was taken today so it’s as recent as it’s gonna get. Hello I am Claudia - but you all should know that by now. I’m hoping to get these new glasses, do you like them?

List 10 random facts about yourself:
♦ I really, really love baked beans.
♦ I have OCD when it comes to matching and arranging things.
♦ I always have my nails painted.
♦ I’d say I have about 300 photos up on my walls at home.
♦ I love doing the weekly grocery shop.
♦ I get really excited getting post.
♦ I fall for people far too easily.
♦ My pet-hate is when someone has the same stuff as me or copies me.
♦ My favourite time of year is between October - December.
♦ I only got my ears pierced last year - when I was 18.

List 3 people who have influenced you and describe how.
I shall only list one. This person is my Mother - who has been continually loving, positive, realistic and helped me make many important decisions in my life.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
Invisibility! #stalker

Describe your most embarrassing moment/An awkward moment that happened today or in the past:

I slipped and fell on stage in one of my high school’s musicals a couple of years ago - I usually say this is my embarrassing moment but the funny thing is I don’t remember it happening. 

Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

Spiders - This is a rather obvious one because so many people don’t like spiders. They are gross.
Dark, enclosed spaces - I think have a problem because both my Granny and Mum are claustrophobic in small enclosed places. I go weak at the knees and panic a lot when I’m in the dark and I’m ten times worse in a dark, small closed-in area. So I think I am claustrophobic. :(

Dying in a car accident - When I’m out on my own driving I always think of Jordan and it scares me if something like that happened to me. I mean this in the least selfish way possible. 

Describe your relationship with your parents.
Really good actually - which I’ve always been very thankful for. Mum and I would be very close - we would have a lot in common and would talk a lot. She’s like an older sister in a way because she’s more modern than most women her age. She expects good behaviour from Jared and I and would discipline us fairly, not that we’d do much wrong anyway.
However she talks too much though, and always thinks she’s right, even if she’s wrong. Both these can be very tiresome and causes problems in the house, more with Jared than me. (Because he also thinks he’s right, so there is conflict.) Having said that, she’s good fun to be with and a brilliant mother because I can’t imagine I would be the easiest person to live with either!
Dad’s more quiet around the house - he always looks like he is deep in thought. He can be very amusing and talks a lot when he’s in the right notion. He is very, very kind - his gruff exterior makes that difficult to see sometimes though. That’s not a bad thing though, I know his heart is in the right place. Me and him have had good laughs.
He works hard, probably too hard. Sometimes I wish that he would spend more time with us - and just abandon what must be done and take the opportunity when it’s here. Yes I understand work is important but it saddens me. That’s what annoys me most about my parents. I almost need to kick them up the ass just to get a day arranged to do anything. Dad can’t take off work often. We haven’t had a holiday for years. Surely we should make the most of these precious times together before it’s too late? It’s so difficult to get them motivated to do something extravagant or out of the ordinary - they are so set in their ways! It’s very frustrating.
However they both work hard and want to thank them for being amazing parents, sending and funding us to do everything from swimming, music lessons and speech and drama, prevailing us to do things we thought we could never accomplish and finally always always supporting, loving and caring for us.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

*Shrugs* I really don’t know - I can’t imagine myself living anywhere in particular and the idea of living far away never appealed to me. Sorry, I am terribly boring.

Favorite Quotes:
"When looking for a husband or wife, here’s my advice: Run towards the Lord as fast as you can. If someone can keep up with you, introduce yourself." - Professor J. Jung

I read this quote frequently because there’s so much depth and wisdom in it that applies to my own life right now. I’m at that age where I maybe, maybe have or am about to meet the man I will marry - imagine that? Although this concept constantly meddles with my mind, I need to remember that God is in charge, and he will provide if the timing is right. This quote is perfect when my mind gets carried away and I forget that it's all up to God what happens.

“She is out there. My Cinderella. She is real. She exists. I pray for her constantly. May God satisfy the desires of her heart, draw her close, consume her. May He claim her passions, her identity, her refuge, her hopes, her strengths and weaknesses, every fiber of her being. May she treasure and cherish her Saviour more than anything of this world and cling to His will with every ounce of her stamina. By all that she is, does, and strives to be, may He draw near to her and she to Him.” - Adam Young

This is another encouraging quote and messes with my emotions quite a lot when I read it. Maybe this is another #Claudiaisfussy moment but wow, to find a guy that would think of his future wife like that would be glorious. I simply don’t want to waste my life on other guys if I knew he cared for me like this! It gives me goosebumps.

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
I would like to be a parrot because they are colourful and can fly. 

What is your dream job, and why?

I have a number of jobs that I secretly would like to do - I don’t tell many people of these plans because I don’t know what I’m meant to be doing with my life and I’m not really a career-ambitious person. However I shall spill the beans with you today since it’s part of the meme:
Teacher - Believe it or not, I’ve always had it in my mind to be a teacher. I love kids - they are so cool and I want to inspire them! The whole idea of teaching something I like really appeals to me though - like even teaching others to use photoshop or computer programs would be class, because I would be passionate at what I’m teaching - and that’s important.
Boss of a Big Business - I’m a good leader when I know what I’m talking about. I would love to be a boss of a magazine company or something I actually care about. Y‘know, just looking good and bossing people around - a bit like Miranda Priestly. Power is fun. And I may have money too, which would be a nice bonus. But most importantly I would have a career at something I’m good at and know what I’m talking about.
Part Time Graphic Designer - Although I love the idea of a big office job, I would be just as happy (actually, probably happier because I wouldn’t be dying of stress) being a housewife and doing some part-time graphic/web design and animation. Like my own little mini business. So I’d have a bit of income but can work when suits me, and also would be able to keep house and spend time with my children.

Yey.

TIMING

Right, it’s time for another catch-up post. 

Fused:

Team Adventurers!

I was reading old posts of mine and saw how I was unsure if I was going to do Fused, the Summer Bible Club which runs for two weeks at the end of July in Newcastle. Now, I am SO GLAD I did! It was absolutely marvelous! I met lots of cool people on the team and felt I fitted in so much better than last year. I even used my talents to help Jo to make t-shirts for our team, the Adventurers. (left) They look so class, is it weird I feel proud? Also the fortnight helped my walk with God; which I was worried about before I left because I felt I wouldn’t be able to teach others if I was neglecting my own faith.
The kids were little sweethearts, we helped with the Primary 4-7s, so they were old enough to listen and behave but still were young and easy to talk to. The girls loved my jewelry and wanted to try on my rings - it was so cute. I had my own Small Group this year - a group of round 7 or 8 girls. This really boosted my confidence because I usually turn into a big, nervous mess when I have to lead anything. By the end of the two weeks, three of the girls gave their life to Christ, two of them which I prayed with. I was so emotional when I came home I sobbed - it’s such an extraordinary thing to witness and share in someone’s life. Other kids made professions too, please keep these kids in your prayers.

With some of my Small Group

If that wasn’t enough for my brain to handle - I SPOKE at the front during the two Josh’s talk...VOLUNTARILY. If you know me at all, there’s no flipping way I would want to speak in front of a crowd unless I had to - but I just felt the timing was right, or else I was losing my mind.
Jeremy, Jo and myself were asked to speak about how God transformed our lives.
Even as I was standing up, I was still unsure what I was going to say, and as I look back on it, I hardly remember what I DID say - basically I spoke about settling into university - having to make new friends and rely on God when alone. I couldn’t have possibly constructed all those sentences in my head logically and articulate them clearly without the power of the Holy Spirit. God is so good. 

So glad I filled in that form back in May time - or else I wouldn’t have be involved in two of the most wonderful weeks of my summer! Time well spent!

The Dark Knight Rises:
Haha I’m very late with this one! I am a massive fan of great GREAT films - like blockbuster films - I guess most people are but it seems to be that most of my favourite films are legendary ones (the other genres would include Classics, Disney or Asian cinema) So naturally The Dark Knight trilogy is included in this legendary list. (Other films include Inception, The Social Network, Slumdog Millionaire and Harry Potter.)
I was very, very excited about this one from geeking out so much in 2008 after seeing the second of the series. It was later I also realised that Batman Begins was the first of the trilogy - not sure how I didn’t realise that before, whoops! 

It was outstanding as expected - it was like a big yummy sandwich with all my favourite actors - Christian Bale (with his amazing sexy mouth) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine. Then to top it all off with a small cameo of the wonderful Cillian Murphy as Dr. Crane. (I actually love that man - he’s very charismatic and so striking, could watch him for hours.) So yeah, amazing. I hope to see it again before I go back to university - so if anybody wants to go... hit me up.


The Amazing Andrew Garfield:
Let’s put it this way - it was a mistake seeing The Dark Knight Rises before The Amazing Spiderman. I was very excited because I am a long time Andrew Garfield fan and have waited two years after hearing he was cast as the lead. I really did enjoy this though, it was better than I was expecting... but maybe I’m just being biased. No seriously, it’s worth a watch.

Granny Gordon:
Unfortunately I have even more bad news since my last update. My Great Granny, Ethel (also known as The Granulator!) passed away at the grand age of 93 on the 11th August 2012. The pain was pretty raw since Granny Green’s death so it was horrible that we had to go through it all again. She had fell and broke her hip a few days before, but wasn’t well enough for an operation so she was in hospital. She also suffered from dementia and other health issues, so it appeared she was getting worse each day.
Thankfully I took up the opportunity of visiting her in hospital the day before she died. Even though her condition was deteriorating, I wanted to see her, I was kinda scared though. Astonishing to us all, she was her usual witty, humourous and slightly forgetful self! It was a joy to see her like that, and being able to remember her that way is something I’m incredibly thankful for. She will be sorely missed. 

Family:
Despite losing two members of my family this summer, I feel like I’ve built many new relationships with other family members. Here the impact of death has brought the Green family/McCullough family closer. To be honest, before I wouldn’t really have called my relatives family - because I never saw them and they knew very little about me, same vice-versa. Poor Granny Green would have done anything for the four of us to socialise with the others, but it was only through her death did that become possible. Same with the McCullough family - it was through Granny Gordon’s death brought us altogether as one. Hopefully these relationships will last. It was God’s perfect timing that Charles (my cousin), his wife Kate and 1 year old Stanley arrived from England and were able to see Granny Gordon for the last time, the weekend before she died. It was also my first time meeting Stanley, this was exciting because we haven’t had a baby in the family since Jared was born. My other cousins Gregor and Gareth and their ladies, Sharon and Kirsty also arrived down that weekend too so it was a big get-together for all of us. Above is a photo of us all that weekend, hoorah.

Titanic:

I visited the Titanic Belfast last week with my Parents and Jared. This is a new building opened this year to mark the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the world’s biggest ship. This is situated in the Titanic Quarter, beside where the Titanic’s was built. The building has 6 floors of galleries containing a variety of interactive media including CGI, film, audio, artifacts and replicas. This was interesting for me. Each gallery was well designed and used varied ways to display the historical details of the ship’s construction, launch, maiden voyage and tragic end.
It certainly was a visitor experience - the whole place was packed too. It was a great day out, but wouldn’t be something you’d return to for a few years at least. I think if you’re really interested in history it’ll be very enjoyable to read everything (like my dad), otherwise it’s a great day out - recommended!

Yay,

- Claudia

CELEBRITY CRUSHES

Meme time again!! Today it is Celebrity Crushes - this one can't be too difficult...

Not in order.

1. Darren Criss - Actor/Singer
   
2. Choi Seung hyun - T.O.P of BIGBANG
   
3. Andrew Garfield - Actor
   
4. David Tennant - Actor "Doctor Who"
   
5. Jay McGuinness - The Wanted
   
6. Benedict Cumberbatch - Actor "Sherlock"
   
7. Harry Styles - One Direction
   
8. Robert Downey Jr - Actor
   
9. Johnny Depp - Actor
   
10. Josh Peck
    
11. Adrian Grenier
    
12. Joseph Gordon Levitt - Actor
    

Lol it’s actually difficult to create a list of men I actually would *fancy* over ones which are just incredibly hot. (Saying that I did manage to include 12 people lolz) Guys which missed the Crush list but just hit the Hot list would include men like Lee Joon, Enrique Iglesias, Rain and Jared Leto.

Oh, and for the lulz here’s more of my weirder crushes:

Cillian Murphy, Bruce Lee, Jesse Eisenburg, Colin Firth, Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Cera, Alan Rickman, Michael McIntyre - I actually can’t even continue this list - it’s odd....

byee.

K-POP MUSIC VIDEOOOOOOOOOOOS

Okay, so I’m getting a bit tired of the other blogging meme. I’ve had lots of work to do lately which involves spending endless hours on the computer, so blogging hasn’t really been my favourite thing to do. Big deadline is just before Christmas and I can’t wait to get everything handed in. I started this blog post a few weeks ago and decided to finish it on my night off.

---

So I started listing my favourite K-Pop music videos - I can’t actually remember what made me want to do this but it seemed like fun.

Then I realised that 25 music videos were a bit much, so here I’m trying to list my ULTIMATE favourite music videos. Like, the absolute BEST. Yes, that’s a very difficult thing to do! And I’m inviting/forcing you to watch them. *o* ENJOY.

In no particular order...

Sorry Sorry - Super Junior

This song and music video was the culprit which introduced me into the world of K-Pop. I’m not sure if the overall music video is anything fantastic or is it just a mixture of affection and nostalgia for me. However it’s unarguably Super Junior’s best comeback and it’s one of the last videos where all 13 were together. (Yeah, 13 members.) Also it’s very, very catchy.

Haru Haru - Big Bang

First of all, it’s Big Bang. If that doesn’t instantly eradicate your conscious into mindless fangirl/boy squealing like it does for me, watch this one and follow a beautiful but soul-destroying story about two guys’ relationship with a girl. I’m not going to give anything away but get tissues.

Go Away - 2NE1

Okayy this video stars my all-time favourite female k-pop star CL, leader of girl-group 2NE1. (To Anyone or Twenty One). 2NE1 are like a sister group to BIGBANG because they are part of the same company, YG Entertainment. 2NE1 are my in my favourites because they are bold, quirky and haven’t the typical pretty appearance like most female artists, see Girls Generation or Wonder Girls etc. They stand out and aren’t afraid to be different, and also their tunes are CLASS! I could talk about them all day, but I need to remain focused and examine the video. I chose this one because it shows how badass they are, especially CL’s fierceness and individuality which I was trying to explain before. Also, their style is amazing.

This video was released in 2010 as part of their To Anyone album - so if you’re looking something new to listen to, I highly recommend it because I love every song.

Soooo, basically CL breaks up with her boyfriend (lol he looks female) and she is devastated. She seeks revenge and attempts to beat him in a race and fails, then she visits him at her house and he beats the living crap outta her (seriously), then she races him again... and then you can see what happens after that. I don’t want to give anything away. Incredible video but still...frustrating.

Roly Poly - T-ARA

Okay this one is so much fun. “Roly Poly” is an utterly addictive retro track with a fantastic music video to match. This M.V effectively imitates the seventies’ trend and T-ARA looks fabulous moving to the groovy choreography. You’ll have it on repeat.

Ring Ding Dong - SHINee

I initially heard this song about two years ago now and I still spontaneously sing a bit of it every day. This will be, without a doubt, the most catchy song you will ever, EVER hear. Like it or not, with one listens only once, it will be trapped in your head forever. To ensure this is permanent - the music video must also be viewed, meaning you can dance along. SHINee are, dare I say it, the One Direction of Korea - they have a band member to suit every girl’s taste. Except SHINee can dance with coordination and resilience! And in water too! Yes, SHINee are probably the best boyband out there at the minute. I lovvee this video. Fantastically elastic.

Mirotic - DBSK

If you like nakey men dancing sexy watch this. This was DBSK’s last comeback before they dissolved and WHAT A SHAME that was!! This video is captivatingly beautiful - it’s passionate and to put it bluntly, arousing. Yes, it’s rather sexualized with all their sexy moves and provocative outfits....but none of us really mind...good job SM Entertainment, good job.

Gee - Girls Generation
Just to point out the obvious comparisons between 2NE1 and every other girl group, here are Girls Generation - in other words, the goddesses of Korea. I find Girls Gen, or SNSD for their Korean name (So Nyuh Shi Dae) too skinny and fake, but most other boys in the world think otherwise. Despite this, I still like them and like their music too. This was the first music video of their’s that I watched but still think it’s one of their best. It’s cute and endearing and so typically asian. And, believe it or not, it’s catchy - I wish there was another word for catchy but I can’t think of one. But that’s exactly what it is. Ladies, prepare to hate your figures.

Butterfly - G-Dragon

In case you didn’t know, I’m very much YG biased, so I totally adore and support BigBang and 2NE1. As much as I love SHINee, I struggle to like SM Entertainment because they treat their artists like slaves, and I feel they have no freedom making their own music, unlike YG. Can’t remember why I started writing that sentence but G-Dragon, incase you didn’t know, is the leader of BIGBANG. In 2009, the members took a break and released individual singles. GD released the wonderful Heartbreaker album, another one of my favourite CDs which I could listen to the whole way through. He released this pretty song in late October. If you are into Anime and all that, I highly recommend this, because this MV is breathtakingly beautiful. GD is propelled into an animated world and meets a girl who falls for him. (Probably because of his gorgeous smile, how is he so pretty...) The odd thing here is how he’s the only one not animated, but his whole appearance makes it look like he is? It boggles my mind. Anyway it’s super cute and if you’re into the whole Anime art it would be worthwhile to have a lookie, I know Mary-Jane adores this.

Lucifer - SHINee

More SHINee - don’t be surprised. These guys released a Korean version of Lucifer in 2010, then a Japanese one a couple of months ago in 2011. My advice here is to watch the Korean first and take that in - it’s not as catchy as Ring Ding Dong - but after many listens I love it too. The highlight of this one is definitely Taemin’s hair - surprisingly gorgeous, and I want it! The outfits and hairstyles are a bit off (cough, Minho) but the choreography is fierce.

Having said that, in my opinion, the Japanese one is a TRILLION times better! Yes! You may wonder how SHINee could get ANY better but like, wow, the stylists actually got the hair and style 100%. It’s been like 9 weeks ago since they released it and I’m still geeking out. They look FLAWLESS. The cinematography is stunning - the varying pace in the speed of the image is absolutely perfect - I say this because it would be so complicated to get accurate in a fast-paced song. These impeded shots can reveal breath-taking close-ups of the boys’ singing and their movements - AND equal screen-time too, oh it’s faultless!

So I hope you are now thinking “Wow Claudia, that was fantastic! Thank you for recommending such wonderful and beautiful music videos to me!”

And if you don’t feel that, watch them all again.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS 2012

Hello, yes I’m a bit late posting, as usual, but I had an exam there so had to focus on it. Now it is completed and before I need to start work for the next one, here is my plans for 2012.

Oh yes, Happy New Year everyone! 

Diet

As usual, I need to diet. I am excited to inform you all that I have been asked to be a bridesmaid at a friend’s wedding! :D I’m very excited about that so will need to prepare and look my best for Summer 2013. I have a weight chart in my room and would love to be able to accomplish it, I find it unlikely though.

Photo Diary

My main priority this year is to take a photograph every day of 2012 to remind me of what I done on each day of the year. Here is the blog that I’m uploading my Instragram images to. It’s simple but fun.

Don’t Complain

I hear too many people from different parts of my life complain about every possible occurrence in their life. I don’t want to be like that and want to be positive in everything I do. I’ve learnt last year of how precious life really is and feel I need to make the most of everyday that I’m given on earth. A good start would be to stop complaining about the small things.

Work Hard

This time last year I would never have expected that I would be in University of Ulster Coleraine doing the course which was actually my 5th choice in my UCAs application. Now I totally adore Interactive Media Arts and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I want to work extremely hard and achieve good grades because I’ve been so blessed to be chosen for this course.

Save money

I was given a fair sum of money for Christmas and I don’t want it to go to waste, unlike the money that I spent in first semester (which was colossal) - where DID it all go!? I want to keep it safe and use it for something important. Example: If SM or YG decide to put a show on in London, I will use it then!

No stressing

I’ve forbidden myself from stressing to the point of crying when exams loom. Unfortunately I’m one of those people who just can’t handle it, and eventually break down from the amount of stress and pressure. I’ve tried so many options but still crack. Alas, I’ve already broken this one... silly Claudia.

Look it's me - okay no it's not... but it could be. No I'm not like that. Really.

Get a boyfriend

This one has been added as a joke between Rachel and I! Of course, it’s unlikely I’ll meet T.O.P this year, but perhaps I’ll settle for someone else? 

(What hashtag is appropriate here? #Claudiaisfussy or #Claudiaiseasy?)

YEAR OF THE G-DRAGON.

- Claudia out!

PHOTO POST (3) ...

One food you could live of:

Rice Krispies!

Share the other sites you’re on:

One thing you’ll never do in your lifetime:
Own a cat. I'm a bit afraid of them, to be honest.

One thing you’ll definitely do in your lifetime:
Fall in love and get married! (I hope) I LOVE this picture, it's so adorable.

Biggest Pet Peeves:

THIS.

Favourite and Least favourite colours:
My favourite colour is purple, and my least favourite colour is BEIGE! And any other tan colour.

Favourite male and female name:

Florence isn't my all time favourite girl's name, but it is on the list.

Top five celebrity crushes:

Choi Seunghyun, Andrew Garfield, Lee Min Ho, Siva Kaneswaren and Rain.

One thing you hate about your favourite series:

Crazy fans. This applies to most fandoms actually. One thing to say:

One celebrity you need to meet:

Daesung - because he just keeps getting cuter and is such a sweetheart. Welcome back Daesung, you BABE!