SUMMER-ARY (JULY/AUGUST)

I’m actually dying of the cold right now and have been up for 3 hours feeling restless. I feel disgusting but since I’ve been a slob all summer, I might as well write a blog post.

Usually I would write posts late at night but to be honest I haven’t been staying up as late as I used to, I’ve also been busy during the day and kept putting it off. So here you go...a SUMMER-ARY of my holidays. 

Aaron and Diane’s Wedding

Highlight of my summer was of course, Diane’s wedding. Diane is like a family friend/sister to me since we were both young, and I was privileged to be asked to be her bridesmaid back in July. This past year and a half, you’d soon see the wedding was all I talked about - it was fun having days out for bridesmaid dress shopping and the like. The wedding itself was superb - it was wonderful to see so much planning come together so beautifully. 

The couple got married at our church, a lovely service complete with flowers which coordinated with our dresses and a pretty little bicycle outside.

The weather was perfect, probably the warmest day of the summer. We went to the Silent Valley and took photographs there. Then we headed to the reception in a LIMO! (One of my favourite parts) And enjoyed a delicious meal after more photographs at Canal Court Hotel in Newry. After a video and slideshow, we danced the night away. I can’t seem to put into words how perfect the day was. Many congratulations to Aaron and Diane!

Fused

I took part in Fused Summer Scheme again in Newcastle this year. This is the 3rd year I’ve been a leader and I was involved working with P.4 - P.7 age group. It was different than previous years due to having no American team from Lexington, Kentucky, so it was originally meant to be made up of Northern Irish leaders. However God provided us with a team of 11 Americans from Washington and Oregon. It was really fun to work with different people, plus a bonus was that some were Doctor Who and Sherlock fans! As usual it was wonderful working with the children, some familiar faces, and also some new people too. A great way to spend two weeks of my summer.

Art

Remember last year I worked on a mural in my local village? Well this year I helped create a big fish at our Village Fete. Ashley and Susan created the structure beforehand and during the fete, we encouraged children to glue tissue paper and get a photograph of themselves taken to stick inside the fish. We only had a few hours to decorate this one, so it was rewarding to see the fish ascend down the steps and around the fete. It was so much fun, I love working on creative projects like this!

Friends

I’ve had a number of awesome days spent with some incredible people. Rebecca and Emma came to my house for a sleepover and tour of Mourne. A group of us also celebrated Hannah’s 21st birthday on Cranfield beach with a BBQ and singalong. I met with Seb, Dave and Becca in Belfast for a catch-up and Cosmo. I had a housemate meet-up and saw Uncle Gordon a few times too. I also caught up with James last week and had many, many Container Parties.

It’s been excellent, however I’m losing three of incredible people - Kerri, Rebecca and Emma! Kerri and Rebecca have headed to U.S A to study for the year and Emma is leaving for Spain in a few weeks! I shall miss you all dearly but good luck and have a wonderful time. :D

- Claudia x

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

SUMMER TO-DO LIST

In case I lose the note Kerri created, here is the list of Summer activities and events we have planned. Add more in the comments if you can think of any!!

Oh, and Mary-Jane vandalised the sheet by adding her own ideas. (I don’t even know what Dothaki is!)

• Kilbroney Forest Park 
• Pudding/Baking day 
• Cinema Crawl (MayJay edit: Illegally watch films) 
• Get Arrested (?) 
• Bonfire on the beach 
• Ultimate Game 
• Beauty Night 
• Make a Youtube Video 
• Picnic 
• Coneing 
• Beach at Dawn 
• Geocaching 
• Come Dine With Me 
• Movie Marathon at Home 
• Disney Day 
• Arty Night 
• Carboot Sale 
• Fancy Dinner 
• Take part in a Photoshoot 
• Play old Birthday games 
• Singstar 
• Dye someone’s hair (??) 
• Play with fire 
• Learn Dothaki 
• Theatre 
• Hobo Night (??) 
• Road Trip 
• Go Camping 
• Fishing/ Rock Pool 
• Stone Place 
• Learn a new skill 
• Send a random person post 
• Teach a new skill 
• Typography 
• Break into someone’s house (May-Jay once again) 
• Knit something 
• Make bracelets 
• Feed ducks/birds

HERE WE GO AGAIN...

And so begins my first week of Slimming World. Again.

I think this is the fourth time I've joined since 2010. And there have been numerous reasons why I've had to quit and start again.
I'd say I've lost about a stone and a half in total since the first time I've joined. I've managed to keep the stone off, but that half stone has crept on since Christmas.
I'm joining this time because of Diane's wedding - I'm one of the bridesmaids and I'm getting the dress fitted at the end of the summer, so at £4.95 a week, there's going to be no messing about.
A bit excited this time, I must admit. I feel confident. I know it works for me, all I need to do is stick to the plan. 

I have 18 weeks until I return to uni, that's 18 weeks to lose...hopefully a stone?
Wish me luck.


(LOL even I know this isn't going to happen.)

LOVEFILM

I was given a free two month trial for Lovefilm, a U.K online renting website. Here are the films I managed to rent in the past two months and a short review.

Aladdin ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

What can I say? Absolutely wonderful! We all say about how we grew up with Disney films, but watching them again as an ‘adult’ helps relive the memories (and allow us to understand the story which we probably didn’t grasp the first time round.) Aladdin is a classic, a beautiful film, well-written and the characters are charming. I adore it.

Mean Girls ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Another classic. I’ve seen Mean Girls a dozen times but it still is very funny. It definitely does not have a deep picture or any life-changing, but it’s clever, witty and hilarious.

The Tourist ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

I think the critics were just nasty about this because it isn’t as bad as it is. Yes, it did star Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp which ultimately means it could have been amazing. I admire them both, but, no, it didn’t live up to the action-packed thriller the audience was hoping for. However I thoroughly enjoyed it, and saw few flaws to the film. I love Depp and Jolie which perhaps makes me biased though.

Little Miss Sunshine ✮

Is this meant to be a feel good film? I found it miserable and extremely over-rated. I actually cringed at some scenes and although I stuck it out to the end, I swore to myself it was something I could never watch again!

Love and Other Drugs ✮

Extremely disappointed and appalled at this film. It’s very frustrating and was hard to follow. A different side of Anne Hathaway is revealed, and it’s not pleasant. Note to readers: Do not watch with your parents.

Letters to Juliet ✮

Appalling acting from the leads in this. Amanda Seyfried was so dull I wanted to rip my eyes out. It’s not romantic or funny, just very VERY boring!

Amelie ✮

I only wanted to see this because of the hype that it’s known for, and I must admit I only watched the first half hour. I felt uncomfortable and wasn’t sure where it was going. Perhaps it does get better but I had enough.

The Social Network ✮✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Perfect in every way. Been dying to see this film for months and it was beyond my expectations. Very entertaining, thought-provoking and fascinating. Loved both Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield’s performance. I recommend it!!

Never Let Me Go ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

More Andrew Garfield in this one, if your a fan like me. A beautiful but twisted and heart-breaking story. I was aching throughout. It’s a heavy downer and I recommend it highly but it’s so haunting. Watch it and weep.

Dear John ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

I did not read Nicholas Spark’s novel but I understand that the film is not as good as the book. I enjoyed this film greatly but did not cry (much.) Amanda Seyfried’s acting was much better here and the relationship between her and Channing Tatum works well. 

Spirited Away ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Lost for words for this one. Again, I rented this one out because of the hype. I was so impressed. It’s magnificent, enchanting and persistently fascinating. Definitely a film not to miss. 

The Emperor’s New Groove ✮ ✮ ✮

Slightly let down by this one? It was not as good as I remembered it being when I first saw it in the cinema in the year 2000. It’s smart though, a great script, just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought it would.

Oliver and Company ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Seen it before but wanted to watch again for old time’s sake. I am very fond of this film, perhaps more for nostalgia’s sake rather than it being a brilliant show. Love the songs in it and think it’s so sweet. One of my favourite animations ever.

The Hurt Locker ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Not my type of film at all, because it was originally rented for Dad and Mum to watch. But surprisingly, it’s incredibly powerful, exciting and I’m not gonna lie, the suspense was GOING TO KILL ME in some parts. Fantastic!!

The Princess Diaries ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Really took to the classics this month. It’s a sweet, delightful comedy which you can watch with little concentration. Very predictable, but it’s nice.

National Treasure ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

As ludicrous as it all seems, it is entertaining, captivating and funny. I’ve seen this many times and it doesn't get old. Think Riley Poole makes it for me.

Driving Lessons ✮ ✮

Truthfully only watched this for the luscious Rupert Grint but that didn’t even do it. Didn’t enjoy this much, I didn’t even finish it. It was not what I was expecting I’m afraid.

It’s a Boy Girl Thing ✮ ✮ ✮

Seen this a dozen times but still continue to enjoy it’s cliché but hilarious acting from both the guy and the girl. The story line isn’t anything new but it’s worth a watch.

Super Size Me ✮ ✮ ✮

A fascinating documentary on an American man who only eats McDonalds for every meal for a month. Didn’t learn anything that I didn’t already know: McDonald’s makes you obese. Through the use of other video clips, art work, facts, figures and visual images makes Super Size Me very informative and interesting.

The Bucket List ✮✮
I was encouraged to watch this but I didn't enjoy it as much as I was expecting to. It was fine watching it once but wouldn't want to see again.

Hercules ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Wonderful film! Again it was nice to actually understand the story properly. Love Love LOVED it.

101 Dalmatians ✮ ✮

Rather disappointed with this one, as it was a childhood favourite and did not live up for my maturity. This is the live version starring Glen Close as Cruella - which may I add, looked very scary. The script is poor and it’s very tedious to watch.

I’m A Cyborg, but That’s OK

This looked much more appealing than what it was. I didn’t watch it all, but later I realised that Korean Pop Star Rain has a role. Now that’s just annoying. Think I’ll attempt to watch it again.

-----------------

I did watch it. It was very weird indeed. I found Rain unattractive. Yeah, that weird. 

It was based in a mental hospital, where a girl was sent because she thought she was a cyborg. I don’t really know what to say about it, it was bizarre but was interesting and endearing too. I will give it ✮ ✮ ✮ stars today.

Coco Before Chanel ✮ ✮ ✮

I think this would be much more interesting if it focused more on Coco Chanel’s career than her life before it. Not very enlightening either, Audrey Tautou isn’t very convincing. It was only in the last few scenes did I actually enjoy it.

24 films in two months. Not bad.

Also note I watched films that were not part of my LoveFilm subscription too, so indeed, I watched many films this summer.

I wanted to watch more but I’m afraid to say I ran out of time.

- Claudia

I LIKE.. er..watching movies

So one of my plans for this summer was to cram watch as many films as possible. My last record, from Summer 2008 was 28. This year I broke that record to 32! Here are these films, some I watched twice.

Killers ● Prince of Persia ● Deathnote 1 ● Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ● Breakfast at Tiffany’s ● Deathnote 1 (2) ● The Good, the Bad and the Weird ● Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ● 500 Days of Summer ● The Twilight Sega: Eclipse ● Miss Congeniality ● The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ● Bride Wars ● Fame ● It’s A Boy/Girl Thing ● Toy Story 2 ● Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ● Toy Story 3 ● Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ● The Karate Kid ● Inception ● The A-Team ● Sabrina (1969) ● Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 ● The Blind Side ● The Last Airbender ● Valentine’s Day ● The Bounty Hunter ● Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ● Inception (2) ● All About Steve ● Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ● Dinner with Schmucks ● Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2) ● Juno

Useless piece of information you needed to know. But that's how I spent my 3 months off.

I started back to school today. All was well. It was nice seeing everyone again, plus a few faces that have been there before. We showed the first years round, which I thought, was rather fun.

Tomorrow we are going to the Ulster Museum in Belfast, then to the shops. Really looking forward to it!

- Claudia