"You can`t always get what you want"

I`ve never had any desire to go join the masses in the mud at Glastonbury festival but having just read that The Rolling Stones might be headlining this year, I would possibly reconsider.

As one of my all time favorite bands, I may have to reside myself to the fact that "you can`t always get what you want". Last year November, the tickets sold for up for £950 and as much as I would love to see them, this is an exorbitant amount of money to cough up, for anyone, let alone a student.

I then found myself asking... If I had the money, would I pay that much for a ticket? I still can`t come up with an honest answer. On one hand,I think I would feel quite guilty spending that much on a few hours of bliss, yet on the other hand, it would be an experience that I could keep in heart and musical mind forever.

And then I become skeptical and pessimistic, because there is the possibility of disappointment, which was precisely the case with Bob Dylan at the Feis Festival at Finsbury Park in 2011. Having grown up listening to Dylan, it was a dream come true to see him, but alas no dreams came true that day, as I left feeling completely cheated. I remember reading a Telegraph article which reviewed the day and was convinced that the author had attended another show. Everyone seems to have excused the disappointment by the fact that he is 70 years old. I understand that he might not be "forever young" but if Rodriquez could play the most beautiful set i`ve ever heard, after being helped on stage, then surely Dylan could at least pretend to be enthusiastic?

The impression that I got from Dylans presence on stage was that he was just completely uninterested in what he was doing and who can blame him? How many times has he played the same songs? According to http://hisbobness.info/, he has played over 3000 concerts!

Even if I changed my mind, had the money to spend and overcame the thought of sharing toilets with 135,000 people, it still wouldn`t happen. Tickets sold out in a record 100 minutes.

In the mean time, singing "Brown Sugar" into a bottle of beer, usually with my sister, "Angie" (which is really her name), is more than good enough for me.

Dislocated idolization.

Creep from Matthijs_Vlot on Vimeo.

I`ve had numerous arguments about the Lance Armstrong doping scandal in the past few weeks. It infuriates me, the amount of news coverage that this story has received and the amount of people that feel personally hurt and betrayed.

Yes, he is a cheat. Yes, he is a fraud. Yes, the cycling community has the right to be outraged and yes, suing people to protect his pride was wrong. But seriously, how has this impacted your life, well-being and lively hood in any possible way?  

It is so easy for us to pass judgement, call into radio station and publicly berate his actions. It is interesting that people (especially those wearing the Livestrong bracelets) are so quick to forget that some good has actually come from him. Since 1997, when the Livestrong organisation was founded, they have raised $470 million, with 81% of those proceeds going to the organisation, which focuses on cancer support and research. 

I understand that he has disgraced the sport and himself (although you wouldn`t say so if you watch the Oprah interview) but how does that change peoples impression of him as an inspiration - he beat cancer didn`t he? He continued living and doing what he loved (albeit he had some substance support) but he didn`t give up and he tried to help others.

The road to hell might be paved with good intentions and if those good intentions finance advances in cancer research or inspire people not to give up, why not?

This is just one of the dozens examples of how society places sportsmen and women, celebrities and political figures on a pedestal, and are then so disappointed when they learn that in fact, they are actually human beings, capable of mistakes. 

Maybe if we stop looking up and start looking around, we will find that inspiration and idols can be found anywhere. How about a single mother, working day and night to support her children? The founders of not-for profit organisation(that don`t pocket the money)? The students that stand up and protest for their future? The Big Issue seller who lost everything and is slowly getting his life back on track? The list goes on and on.

I`m tired of hearing about, reading about this Armstrong story, surely there are more important things going on in the world, that we can kick up a fuss about? 

Small joys in life!

It is easy to get pulled into this idea that good, healthy food is expensive and to conserve the pennies in you purse, you have to resort to buying frozen food, fast food or anything that does the job with minimal effects on your finances.

The first time I gave into this was when I moved to London. A tight budget made Iceland chicken kievs a staple and cheese sticks from Waitrose a luxury. 

The second time I gave into this was when I became a university student and without a doubt alcohol became the main priority, followed by pesto and pasta.

However, my eyes have been opened to a great tasting and money saving experience. The end of day sales at supermarkets! Ingenious! The shop can`t sell food that has exceeded its `use by` date, therefore, they dress it up in a red label, decreasing its price and off the shelf it flies.
It makes me wonder... There are so many `Easy Student Meal` books and blogs, but this without a doubt is the best option. 500g of mushrooms for £1, King Prawns and Marie Rose sauce for £1.20, Chorizo for the quarter of the price and my tasty dinner - Lemon Rasam for 70 pence. I almost feel like i`ve won something.

Whilst a frozen meal or £3 Subway deal might be cheap and easy, the joys of cooking a healthy and delicious meal at a low price is possible. It might require a daily venture to the shops, just at the right time but in my books it is definitely worth it. 

However, not everyone is so enthusiastic about this golden nugget of information and it is surprising how many people will not eat food if the `use by` date is even for that same day and this is not even mentioning the amount of food which gets thrown out, because a label advisers its expiry - even though it smells and tastes perfectly fine. It is quiet shocking but comes as no surprise that  "According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about one third of global food production (around 30 to 40%), is lost or wasted annually".

I might not be reducing global wastage but I am making my money stretch further, my meals far more enjoyable and my trip to the shop much more exciting.

21st Century Journal

Growing up I became accustomed to receiving the same gift for both my birthday and Christmas. It was a much awaited gift, one which I would use to confess my innermost secrets, dreams, ambitions and mundane gossip.This gift was a journal but more importantly it was a gift of expression, freedom and honesty.

When you`re younger, your pride has not evolved into something which holds you back. On the contrary it is something which propels you to dream BIG. You are not ashamed of your ambitions and would often talk about them to your family and friends, you know that saying; "One day when I`m all grown up..."

However, as you hit your preteen/teenage years, secrecy begins to play a much bigger role in our lives. Your body and mind begins to develop, you think about things and become concerned about matters which you might be too embarrassed to share with anyone else and it is at this stage, that for most, a journal can become your best friend.

For me, my journal became more and more hidden as the years went by. Hidden from nosey siblings and eventually hidden in the depths my cupboard and mind. No longer would I fantasize about what I wanted to do and wanted to be. Now it was time to live it.

It has been many years since I actually put pen to paper and truly expressed myself. Yet, in this midst of `living` and not `dreaming` you lose a sense of that fascination with the world, that addiction to expression and the attention to your surroundings and feelings.

It might not be the traditional journal, but this blog will have to be a platform. A platform for anything I feel enthused enough to make the effort to write about. Yes, it is a university assignment but it is said that you can learn a lot in this institution of education and maybe whilst I`m at it, I will learn or relearn a thing or two about myself.