COMPULSORY: End of '11!

(Okay WARNING this is actually really long. As in over 4300 words long. I can't even read through the whole thing myself without getting bored so if you actually do you probably deserve a prize or something contact me for more details~~~)

This HAS to be done. It's always done. Even before I had a blog I was doing this, so bear with me. Time to review and look back and ~reflect~ (God, I thought all the self-reflections and evaluations were over once I left high school...) on the year and myself and all that stuff.

In retrospect, 2011 was a really, really good year for me, as well as the one with the most change thus far. (Awful grammar gods accept the previous sentence as an offering...) I have, in this year, moved across the country, met new people, left my hometown behind forever, legally become an adult, taken my life-determining exams, somehow managed to pass them, and tried a whole range of new things, going from trying (and almost failing,) to take a bus in England, to strawberry bubble tea, (also known as my crack because it's the most beautiful thing ever and I would solely exist on it if possible.)

Let's do - and here's the warning that this may be a bit of a long-winded entry - a month by month recap. I'll try and keep it brief.

So it'll still be long.

(This will be even easier now that I keep a blog and can just flick through past entries like some kind of awful cheater because my memory is so shit!)

LAURA PROUDLY PRESENTS: DODGE & BURNS OF 2011

(Just shoot me now, I did just make a Photoshop joke.)

JANUARY

(1) I don't remember what I did for New Year's because I didn't blog about it. I think I just sat at home with a balloon in my room ...

Okay, I found a picture, that's apparently exactly what I did.

It's cause the 1st is my momma's birthday, and since she and my dad usually go out to a party, me and my sis set up a surprise for her when she came back, with balloons and cake and presents. Daughters of the year award.

(2) I don't remember too much of this month. It was quite cold. I walked up to the peak a lot. I remember I walked to the ~super amazing candy store~ and bought loads of candy to take pictures with - I was in my experimental photographer phase okay. Can't believe I'm writing this down as a 'highlight,' of 2011. Can't believe I even kept this in my memory jesus christ my life is so sad.

(3) Blogged about this one but I'd probably remember anyway because it was ridiculous: Skittles vodka night #1

PAISANO'S! Biggest pizzas ever. Still distinctly remember trying to navigate rush-hour MTR with this thing artistically balanced on our heads.

It was actually... a ridiculous amount of alcohol, now that I come to think of it. I have video footage of that night, but that's the closest anyone's going to get with hearing about it :)

FEBRUARY

(1) Cheung Chau trip. Now that I look back on this, it just seems so weird, because this was my first time meeting a lot of these people, and now, I'd spent half my summer with them and have seen them so much since.

I didn't stay overnight, but I remember most of our exploring and shopping. The school building with the faded paint, the church we joked about sending Aubin into. The oranges and bananas in the market and the apple that Megan bought.

The ferry ride back when it was Hong-Kong-Cold, (around 10 degrees,) and watching the shapes the lights made when I took pictures on long shutter.

(2) I remember going to the Flower Market, with all its inflatables and flowers and Chinese New Year glory. I went by myself and took my camera. I didn't buy anything but I looked at all the stalls full of stuff I'll never need. I went by myself, which was a first, as I usually go with Ali. I remember briefly that I had to pick something up, and just thought I'd continue on and go into the very crowded flower market. I probably got very frustrated with the crowd, but I don't remember that now.

(3) There was Chinese New Year, which is usually in February - although it's early 2012 and is late January, apparently. We went to Hollywood Plaza in Diamond Hill to have lunch with the relatives and I made my sister watch the Lion Dance for a bit because I knew it'd be the last one I'd see properly for a while.

We went to Lamma with all the father's rugby friends as we usually do. I took off by myself and took loads of photos and lost my ipod and then came home and edited my photos black and white so they would match my traumatized soul.

(4) February - and a lot of March - had me so preoccupied with my film. I remember stressing and writing angry Tumblr posts and literally almost pulling my hair out. Planning and storyboarding and sitting on the grass downstairs filming and staying up late - not that I don't do that anyway, - just editing and putting everything together.

MARCH

(1) Okay the big one here was when I went gallavanting off to England for my interview with Warwick - OH, THOSE MEMORIES, - which is amusing to me whenever I read the blog post, because I remember fretting and falling in love with the campus and wow, weird, I'm there now. In fact, half my blog posts this year contained some form of concerned or excited thought about uni, and how I was worried my expectations were too high and whatnot.

(2) We finally had our school's fashion show - I did the graphics and stuff remember - which was a pretty fun night. For me at least, since all my work was done so I just spent half the time backstage bothering the models and chilling with the photographers.

Here's the stage. WOW this brings back memories hehe.

(3) I got my offer from Warwick and spent ages faffing around that and planning out all combinations of my predicted grades to see if I'd be able to achieve it slash planning out how hard I'd have to work.

(4) Rugby 7s! Remember when I was a cat because yeah I was.

This year was okay... I skipped Saturday - took me a while to figure out why I couldn't remember Saturday - and went Sunday instead after Friday turned out disappointing. I dunno, not much to say - it's almost the same most years. I like fireworks.

(4) I think we had our last day of school here too? Sometime around here. We sat in the assembly hall and it was actually quite nice and chilled and we ate lots of food and everyone talked about how much they'd miss school and everyone except for me because I hated school and everyone and I still do and don't really miss them.

APRIL

(1) Man... I can't find anything here for April. April was pretty much study leave. I did some studying. I did a lot of not-studying.

(2) Speaking of which: I beat Final Fantasy XIII here SHUT UP, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT EVENT TO ME, and I ended up wandering around in a state of sadness for maybe two weeks because I didn't know what to do with my life after the depressing ending. If I had a dollar for every time I got too emotionally attached to fictional storylines, I would have enough money to get the psychiatric help I clearly need.

(3) I think I also replayed all of the Ace Attorney series which probably didn't help even more. I remember being quite depressed in April and this is probably why.

MAY

(1) I had my exams!! This was a dark and depressing time in my life (year,) because I realised that if I mucked up I was mucking up the rest of my life etc. That fact still didn't help me study, perhaps due to the fact I have the attention span of a ferret on meth and had just spent a whole month doing nothing in particular and therefore had become accustomed to that.

(2) This isn't too significant but man I love these photos. Lizzy's mom's bday dinner at Dharma Den when we decided to be all cute and hippie-ish but not really.

(3) We had our dinnerdance - like prom - and I'm not really even going to bother updating on that because blah blah it was mediocre kinda fun after never have to see these people again a great celebration and so on.

JUNE

(1) June was an exciting month full of many trips!! Technically schools were out yet so we had the nice freedom of being free whilst other people weren't. First up, went to the happiest place on Earth on the ugliest day on Earth!

It actually got really nice and ugh I just remember this being such a perfect day!! It was busy-ish and hot but we danced around and the lines weren't long (Space Mountain 4 times, was it?) and how we fangirled over Tarzan in the Golden Mickeys and sang along to the Lion King...

(2) We "camped," (appropriately enclosed within quotation marks because we slept inside due to threat of rain,) at Allira's house way out in Sai Kung. This was with a crowd I didn't know massively well, but it was still freaking brilliant. We went on a midnight excursion up the mountain, (and consequently lost the drunk bunch,) light painted, scared ourselves, fought over sleeping arrangements, (remember when Hamish slept in the dog bed because I do,) went for swims, and had dance-offs in her backyard.

(3) Macau (Trip 1, because there were 2 this summer,) with our Friendly Neighbourhood Magician Anson, Roman, Esme, and Tom. I'd met Roman once before - at Allira's - and we'd both never met Tom - who we ended up sharing our room with in a bizarre turn of events. Free (upgraded to suite~) rooms and late night wanderings. We braved the casinos, the streets, and room service at 4 in the morning whilst watching a documentary about sharks.

(4) Went to visit a waterfall! We clambered up a mountain - okay fine, it took like 10 minutes, - and then went over rocks and marveled at the view, and then spent the rest of the hot day chilling in the cool water. We also had rainbow cake. And I should probably mention the alcohol, ruining the idea of an innocent waterfall trip but um it was just beers and Lian made a can explode by throwing it at the waterfall.

JULY

(1) RESULTS. July 6th, I'll always remember that day because it was the most terrifying day of my life thus far. I was actually sick from about July 2nd onwards because I'd anxiety'd myself into getting ill. Bed rest for nervousness, that was a bit depressing. I also planned out my entire day so I wouldn't be sitting at home just waiting, and it turned out I had to because the results were an hour late because the server crashed. When they came out and I was both happy (UNIVERSITY, YAY!) and disappointed (Could've done better,) and then we all went out and celebrated although some people were probably drowning their sorrows, which was a bit of a buzzkill.

(2) Went to Thailand with the family which was nice at first, but then got boring after a while. I've realised, as I tend to get bored after a while in every place I go to, that it's really just me and my shitty attention span. There were loads of beaches - which inspired my quite well read Why I Hate The Beach article.

Wandered the night markets on the streets half the night, waved at the Ladyboys, ate at seafood restaurants on piers, bought fairylights - god, the obsession started here I see - and learned to rap Nicki Minaj songs with my sister whenever the internet went down.

Ran around a massive, gorgeous golf course we were staying on. Took pictures in the grass and ran from golf carts. Almost drowned in the pool from laughing too hard and almost killed each other fighting over the laptop charger.

I wrote a lot of articles.

(2) Watched the final Harry Potter - okay, this series has been with me for a decade of my life so FUCK YOU if you're judging me for including this... don't have much to say on the subject that I haven't already said. Such a good viewing experience. Shall never forget that cinema, NOR the hour we spent looking for our parents who seemed to have forgotten the important part about letting your kids know where you are in a foreign country.

(3) Went to Vietnam. Still can't believe I survived it because crossing the road is the scariest thing ever. When I say 'When I was in 'nam,' as a reference, I mean it, because I was quite convinced I was going to die on those roads.

This isn't even Vietnam, it's Bangkok, where we went afterwards (because of the flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong to get home,) but I don't need to write about Bangkok by itself because i'm too lazy to press enter and write (4) so I'll just say: complained when mom and sister took me shopping and went on the skytrain and ate food and lay on the floor in our hotel room and whined.

AUGUST

(Dear god, I wrote 15 blog entries in August. How or why?)

(1) Went out loads this month... they've all sort of collapsed into one big night though, and I can't really separate them all - this is not, I swear, a side effect of drinking too much. It's actually just my shit memory when it comes to chronological separation... - we went all around Lan Kwai and Wan Chai and practically lived in Carnegies.

(2) Esme's birthday! Of course I remember this - I'd spent almost 15 hours making her birthday book, I better freaking remember. We went paint balling and I was able to throw in some Metal Gear Solid and do a few tuck and rolls, because I'm clearly just a really cool person...

We went to have the most amazing Mexican food ever at Coyote's - I had cheese quesadillas, BAM, they were that good that I still remember... I mean the fact that I have the same thing everytime clearly isn't a factor here - and then went out. I remember - okay, no I don't, but it says so in my entry on this and that's jogged my memory - being rejected from Carnegies and then sulking but I still stayed out blah blah.

(3) Photoshoot with Sav!!! This was an adorable day because we went and bought props for our photoshoot and FRUIT. And then we turned the fruit into fruit salad and watched half of A Bug's Life...

(4) Dear English Friend Portia came to visit this little hellhole I call home, (I'm kidding... that was affectionate... sort of.) She loved it and we got to play tourist which was really fun. This place really is like no other place on Earth, so I do have this strange sense of hometown glory when it comes to showing people around.

Especially when you see shit like this all the time. ~hourly hotels oOoOOoo~

We went out a few times - most notable is the very first night when Portia, although warned about the strength of the drinks here, had a bit too much of the lovely $10 vodka at carnegies. I remember being tipsy and sassing off some guy who was trying to chat her up who then high fived me because at least I was being bitchy in a witty way. Strange nights. We went visiting all sorts of places and did all sorts of things and met all sorts of people (well no, I just introduced her to my friends but I liked the syntactic parallelism I had going on there,) and I would write way too much here about her trip if I didn't stop, so I'll stop now.

(5) Lizzy's last day with us!! Man this was sad. But cute. We took adorable photos and watched Hairspray and danced the chicken dance and just talked and sat on her bed and rewrote 'shots,' (yes, the one by LMFAO,) into CATS, (as you do...)

AWWWWWWWW.

SEPTEMBER

(1) I barely remember September because I all I remember from it is moping around wanting to go to Uni already... I spent a lot of time inside (lol what's new,) and drew a lot. MAN, I MISS DRAWING EVERYDAY. New Year's Resolution is to start again!

(2) Chilled on the peak lots... (bit near my house where i go lots because there's Froyo - or there WAS. R.I.P

(3) Macau Trip 2!!! This one consisted of Esme winning 900 FREAKING DOLLARS FROM 20, surprise limo rides at 3 in the morning, visiting all sorts of clubs and casinos - hey did you guys know that the playboy club is actually really boring - eating in a chinese restaurant in the middle of a casino cause we were just hungry, and lying in the suite listening to Megan sing the song from An American Tail, (yes, the cute animated film about mice.)

(4) My Cute Leaving Gathering! We had Mariokart tournaments and then played football in the dark - SCORED 3 GOALS YEAH STILL HAD IT - and then the most amazing game of 40-40 home where I performed a ninja maneuver by hiding in a bush and then darting out to reach base. I also got scratches and dirt everywhere. Aidan came in useful because he was in charge of the BBQ - remember how everyone laughed when I said I was having a bbq just because i'm vegetarian god guys I wouldn't deprive ya'll of your meat... that would've been mean.. - and it was just such a lovely chill night.

(5) DISNEYLAND! The final visit. Everything was up for Halloween - Disneyland haunted houses are SCARY man, - and it wasn't so crowded and it was adorable and just nice. The Lion King show wasn't as good but we went on Space Mountain and took photos on that so that made up for it. AND THEN WE STAYED FOR THE FIREWORKS.

Okay I'm going to write a future blog post SOLELY on how much I adore fireworks. I WOULD, right? Fairylights queen and a magpie to anything light and glittery and shiny - the Disneyland ones are just so pretty with all the colours and lights and SIGH. Best things ever.

OCTOBER

(1) Going to uni! okay this was like the highlight of my life not just my year. Left my poor mother crying as I got into the cab and we went to the airport and I called Esme before I got on the plane. I was jittery and spent the entire plane ride considering every scenario. Spent a few days buying loads of stuff - and consequently spending loads of money - for uni and then I finally moved in and decorated my room.

(2) Met all my lovely hallmates and went to my first event at the SU - the fresher's party. I lost everyone because I'm useless, but I found a guy in another block in my accommodation and he escorted me back because he didn't know the way and I am obviously a fragile and delicate little flower who must not wander the streets alone at night in England.

(3) Met my coursemates!! It's weird to look back on this now, because there are roughly 40 of us, so it's a small course and a lot of us are quite close. I remember how I found Josh wandering around - I'd met him on the Saturday when we VERY coolly went 'HEY YOU'RE MY FRIEND ON FACEBOOK~' - and we managed to both - lately, may I add - find our first introductory lecture together. I remember having to have our photos taken and matching names to faces when we were forced to line up against a wall and have our photos taken like some weird mug shot.

(3) Skittles Vodka Night... ha... first super drunk uni night. (And probably the worst as well, ~being a good girl now~) this was for the paint party. Which I stayed 10 minutes for. This was eventful because we had a lecture the next day too and I was still fairly drunk. At least I crossed off 'turn up drunk to a lecture' off my uni list VERY early on (the third day, hah.)

(4) I made over 100 jello shots. Attended a fair few more student u events - this was before they said I wasn't allowed in, heh - and had loads of chill nights ~bonding~ with my lovely hallmates. Got quite close with a lot of them and just had a really nice chill time.

NOVEMBER

(1) I got a job, so was officially allowed back in the student U ~sneaky, huh.~ Did a few shifts and actually had a lot of fun. Met my colleagues who were - and still are - lovely people. Got to attend events I otherwise wouldn't be able to.

(2) Went to London, for the first time since I was 9. Stayed with my Aunt and caught up with my cousins which was really nice. Did all the tourist-y things. Had my first bubble tea in a long time and it was so beautiful that it made my eyes water.

(3) Started watching a lot of Horror films and making a lot of forts. This is significant because I now consider myself almost a professional in the art of fort building. I'd also collected about 6 sets of fairylights at this point - current count is at 8!!! - and generally it just started the whole trend of watching 1, or 2 films a night, which is lovely because I'm a film geek. (No way!)

DECEMBER

(1) My 18th birthday hahahah... I still stand by the fact that I did not pass out. I was in my bed. I fell asleep. Plus I woke up again so technically it was a powernap! I spent my actual birthday making Friendly Robot Companion and baking thank you cookies cause I'm damn considerate and grateful.

(2) Got my housing sorted! Well, due to the change of events, I actually didn't. I sat there and nodded my head and sometimes I spoke and then I signed a sheet of paper and then I paid. My housing arrangements had changed quite a bit so I just went with the flow, but it did take quite a big ~burden~ off my shoulders because now I do not have to worry about having to live in a cardboard box next year! (Although it would be a very nice cardboard box.)

(3) Our winter ball! This was a cute night and I took many cute photos. FIRST LEGAL NIGHT IN THE SU, WADDUP. Most people went as well, which was a nice change and we all just chilled and it was my last night out with everyone and it was just really fun, because I also saw my film people and Megan so it was like a lovely catch up, even as me and Sophie stood in the corner and frantically had a serious discussion concerning dramatic updates in both our lives.

With my bff Jordan who I miss dearly!!!

(4) And then I flew back home via the Journey From Hell. It feels weird writing about this in the past although it was in the past it's just because I'm still here. I went to Clockenflap and then I went out and went to New York Fries. Apart from that, I did not do much.

(5) Christmas!!! Most exciting because I got Arkham City - which I can't PLAY YET as my ps3 is in England!!! - and Skyward Sword - which I haven't played much because my TV broke and my dad likes to hog the one outside... It was just nice even though I had to go to lunch and go on a long journey to find Skyward Sword. I also got permission from my sister to bring the wii to uni - although I was planning to anyway - but it's nice to know i don't have to be sneaky and rude about it. This is a big deal for me, okay? I have big plans for next year.

(6) Made a campfire on the beach!!! If you know me in real life, you probably know that I really want to go to Alaska and have a campfire there. However, due to restrictions - like money - we decided to do a tester one on the beach in the day, before our cute one at night. Very successful! Me and Izzy also made Horchata - Mexican Rice Milk Drink - FINALLY, as we'd been planning to make it for like 2 years and just never got round to it.

So, that brings us pretty much to about here. Ya'll will notice my uni highlights are quite sparse and few and not detailed - the whole last 3 months were really a highlight and I've just been so happy. (Rather uncharacteristically so, actually. I hope this lasts...) And of course, I've written quite a bit, even if it's over the last few days and I'm getting fed up already AS I ALWAYS DO, SIGH.

This doesn't even really cover the highlights because there were a lot of highlights. 2011 has been a good year, one full of change and trying new things and meeting new people and breaking off bad friendships and going to new places and just coming to terms with a lot of things. I really liked this year, it gives me high hopes for next one.

Wanted to post this - BY THE WAY, PROPS TO YOU IF YOU READ THROUGH ALL THIS JUMBLE, HA - actually before New Year's Eve so I could do ANOTHER New Year's Eve post, which will typically be a ~sentimental deep meaningful~ thing, so because I'm me, it'll just be me trying really hard to be funny and trying to come across like I have something important to say.

The Saga Of How I Acquired Skyward Sword

YAY, CHRISTMAS POST. I love Christmas posts. Here I would insert a photo of my present stash this year, but I'm too lazy to take one...

(imagine: image - Sweaters, t-shirts, arkham city, skyward sword, a pokéball, dvds - including Spirited Away & Howl's Moving Castle 2-Disc Editions - books, etc. etc.)

guys guys I got a pokéball guys i'm a pokémon trainer now yay 2012!!!

I actually have another post I'm half working on, which is, of course, the New Year's End-Of-The-Year post so that'll be a long one. Yay, self reflection!!!

But for now, since my life is 90% occupied by my recent purchase of Skyward Sword, I'm afraid this entry is going to get very nerdy very quickly, so take your leave or hold on tight..

MY BABY. I know it's upside down, I was too excited to notice or really care.

QUESTION: Why aren't you playing Skyward Sword now, Laura?!

ANSWER: My dad is hogging the big TV outside!!! :( He took my (smaller,) room TV and gave it to our helper because hers broke so now I have to deal with his TV hogging on public holidays and sundays. Talk about a first world problem!!

It's okay, not long now, because I officially have permission to bring my wii to uni! It involved some groveling in public before my sister - "Oh my god you're so embarrassing, stop!" - acquiesced.

And behold, below lies the Saga Of How I Acquired Skyward Sword.

So, let's rewind to yesterday morning - oh god, this is getting dramatic!!! - when I noticed the presents dwindling under the tree and a lack of game-box-shaped presents. I already had Arkham City and my DVDS open, and thus, Skyward Sword was not my presence. Let me try and justify my seemingly spoiled brat mentality: I'd gone and bought the wii motionplus the day before. And therefore, without the game it was meant for, it would just be a waste of money, no?

So, when momma explains that they only had the Japanese version in HMV, I quickly come up with a plan to depart straight from Christmas lunch and head to buy Skyward Sword.

My mission, however, was foiled as I struggled upstream through waves of people - JESUS CHRIST, DO PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO ON CHRISTMAS THAN TO WANDER AROUND CAUSEWAY BAY WITH THE SOLE INTENTION OF GETTING IN MY WAY (Ignoring the fact I was wandering around Causeway Bay. I had a purpose okay. An important purpose.) Upon arriving at the ~computer center~ (checkpoint reached,) I found that they didn't have any in stock. In. All. Of. The. Stores.

Disheartened yet determined, I fought my way back to the MTR station. There I stood, as I prepared myself for another great challenge. I decided that I was as well-equipped as I'd ever be and stepped down into the throng of rushing people. (This dungeon is dangerous! I sense the aura of many strong enemies down there, such as the Slow-Dawdler, the Massive-Bag-Carrier, and the Pushy-Bitch.) I was, I'd decided in that moment when I realised I would not be able to find what I was searching for in the Causeway Bay computer center, going to have to head to Golden Arcade, (objective updated!)

And that is how I ended up in Kowloon side, in a densely populated area, on a public holiday. To say Golden Arcade was busy would be a euphemism; I was literally being swamped by people buying wiis and psps and whatnot - really? Christmas presents are supposed to be bought before, guys, - in a small, cramped area with dozens of stalls everywhere. Despite that, I had high hopes, because there are literally at least 20 stalls all in a condensed area. Surely, one of them must have Skyward Sword in stock!

I already had the +1 ADVNTGE of being female in the midst of millions of guys so it was easy to get served - although that just might've been my increasing frustration enabling me to just shove my way past people and demand attention, - but after 10 stalls or so, it was looking like a group of awful people had come and swept Hong Kong of all english Skyward Sword copies. As I approached each stall with hope and enquired, I was met with a "No, sorry," or "Sold out, sorry. We'll have them tomorrow."

As I was just about to give up, I swore I saw I light shining down on one stall. "One last one," I thought to myself. I went up and asked, expecting the same answer. When I was met with a "Oh, English one yeah?" and a pointed finger, I may have snatched the game up and clutched it to my chest, hearing a chorus of angels somewhere singing. "YES," I'd gasped, before literally flinging money at the clerk and departing Golden Arcade with a newfound love for living.

And that brings me to last night. Now to really boost my cool levels, I'm going to do a brief summary of my thoughts so far. I'm not too far in, I've just reached Skyview Temple - well, I've gone in, opened a few doors and then decided to head back up to the sky and pick up more heart potion, which is where I am currently - but here are my first impressions. (Minor spoilers.)

I like the starting place. I like skyloft. It feels completely new from any other Zelda game which is nice and all innovative, y'know? Like Twilight Princess just felt so much like OoT - not that there's anything wrong with that, both are amazing games I mean - but it was just so exciting to explore and talk to everyone.

Zelda is so cute ah I love her.

Okay, it took me a while to figure out how to properly fly the loftwing because I'd forgotten I was on a wii. As in, there are motion sensors. I was confused until I realised, Oh, I have to lift the wiimote. Oops.

I was enjoying the peace and quiet without Navi following me around until I met the second coming. I really, like the sound of Fi's voice, but jesus christ, way to tell me things that are just really, really obvious.

85% chance! 85% chance! WHY IS IT ALWAYS 85 SHUT UP SHH I KNOW.

My shield keeps breaking because I keep getting overexcited with Octoroks and using shield bashes to kill them. Nothing is more satisfying, except perhaps slingshotting Bokoblins as they're trying to walk tightropes over to you.

I want a kikwi so bad, they're so adorable ugh. I was actually squeeing at the screen. I clearly need to get a life.

I've really missed Zelda temples. I love the temple as opposed to a normal dungeon. I know they're essentially the same but they're so pretty. I know the graphics are wii and obviously not top-notch in comparison to other consoles, but man, it's still prettyish and I'd still love to live in Skyloft. Just saying.

I got a little too excited when performing a fatal blow and almost actually created a real fatal blow when the nunchuck flew out my hand and hit the window. Oops, that wouldn't have been too easy to explain. "I WAS PERFORMING A FATAL BLOW OKAY MOM? IT WAS REALLY FATAL."

Okay, I think it's about time to go and see if I can push in and grab the TV and play another few hours before I have to head out. Sigh, promised Ali and James I'd go out for his birthday although I really - my fault, - can't afford it. I'll just have to watch what I spend really carefully. And of course, that cuts into my Zelda time. I suppose I could always drink little, leave early, and then I can technically play Skyward Sword interruption-free all night! I should really go for a run too, but with the manic dancing around I do when playing wii games, it's probably more than sufficient exercise...

Homesick.

home·sick

   [hohm-sik] Show IPA

adjective

sad or depressed from a longing for home or family while awayfrom them for a long time.

- Dictionary.com

The word 'homesick,' really seems to imply more that you're sick of home. Which I am.

"Home," is a dumb word because I throw it around so much. "Oh yeah, I'm going home for Christmas." "I'll be home in April." "Back home..." But really, home is transcendent. Home - (God, the word looks so funny now. Reaching the point where you type/say a word too much and it starts to seem like to should not exist.) - is wherever I want it to be, and in my case, I'm far too detached from this place to really consider it home.

Oh no, I really should - I grew up here. My family live here. I've lived here. Half my material possessions in the world are here, as is my dog. Despite all this, my irrational hatred for this city has just meant that I've never felt really that happy or comfortable here.

Home, for me, has become a small room in the corner of a building, decked in fairylights and with curtains that don't match the bedsheets. Home has become an entirely new place - it's no wonder that someone like me, who has felt such detachment from the-place-I-grew-up-in, would latch onto wherever I go next. And I've decided that my own definition of home is the place where - boom, clichés galore - I'm happy/where the heart is blah blah etc. I swear the last 3 months were the happiest I've ever been.

Knowing me, I'll be sick of the UK soon, and will latch, like a leech, onto a new 'host.' (Okay, taking this parasite simile a little far now.) So that'll be wherever it takes me, I guess.