You are my medicine

Listening to: Radio 1

Quick mini post 'cos I'm in the middle of a productive day. I'll blog about the Gorillaz gig later, but for now, treat your ears to 3 minutes and 14 seconds of pure awesome.

I ♥ Admiral Fallow!

Listening to: 'Taste the Coast' by Admiral Fallow [Boots Met My Face]

I heard these guys on the radio during the T in the Park coverage, and today on the insanely cool Fearne Cotton's mid-morning show. I am in love with these songs!


I know I've been rubbish at regular blogging...will try and find something to blog about soon.

I live a very, very, very wild lifestyle

Listening to: 'Pass Out' by Tinie Tempah [The Disc-Overy]

Can I just say...oh boy am I loving this tune! Tinie Tempah is the latest grime artist to reach the mainstream airwaves...and his first offering is impressive, to say the least. I was listening to Nihal's review show last night and Jay Sean said that this could be the track to take grime to the US. I dunno if I'd go that far...I mean, "I've been Southampton but I've never been to Scunthorpe"...?! Most people outside the UK don't even know that Scunthorpe exists! But I agree that the combination of jungle beats, Soulja Boy/Kid Cudi-esque melody and (omg how awesome) drum n bass ending give it a broader appeal than your average grime track.

And there's a funky acoustic version he did for 1Xtra's Live Lounge here!

But erm yeah, back to what I meant to talk about in this post. I did three consecutive hours of teaching today. It was supposed to be two, but due to a certain lack of foresight on everyone's part, I spent three hours running from whiny student to whiny student, trying to mark off their coursework. I know procrastination is part of the undergrad experience, but this is just taking the piss! I mean did each of them seriously think they'd be the only student needing help during the last session? I felt bad that the kids that just needed to get signed off had to hang around for so long...but what could I do? I'm not Superwoman. I think as students, it's easy to forget that teachers/supervisors/demonstrators are human too. In fact I ended up snapping at a few of the kids who were whinging a bit...and they were the good kids! They just happened to grumble in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anyone who knows me well enough to have been on the receiving end of my wrath...you know it's not pretty. I hadn't lost my temper in a very long time, and while this was a whole lot calmer than past episodes, I still felt pretty shitty about it. So I just sent those students an email to apologise. Is it normal for teachers to apologise to students? I dunno. I did what I felt was right at the time. Hopefully they'll appreciate it. Even if they don't, my conscience is clear.

But you know what the weird thing was? After the three hours, I was knackered, dehydrated...and totally fired up. It was the biggest adrenalin rush I've had in a while. Some people get their kicks from falling backwards into the sea, others from embellishing their job interview stories (to hilariously epic proportions, mind you)...and I get mine from teaching? Evidently so. With every incident I'm more and more convinced that this is what I want to do in life...if only I can find a place that'll suit my 'master plan'!

Anyway, after that session, there was lunch with the labmates, writing up coursework for my teaching course, a visit to M&S for some chocolatey snacks for the lab, a cycle home via Sainsburys, and playing the role of agony aunt while I had my dinner. And now this post. I probably should've done some work on the thesis today but my brain has gone to sleep. Tomorrow eh? (Yeah, procrastination isn't just an undergrad affliction.)

So yeah...'very, very, very wild lifestyle'? I think not, Mr Tempah. But that suits me fine.

Bullyproofing my 16 year old self

Listening to: Radio 1

I've been tagged by Scrumpy and Whacko in the latest blogging tag, and 1720GMT today is the big moment for BBC's anti-bullying campaign, bullyproof...so I've combined the two into one mega post...

-----

Hello chuti^[1] PR,

What?! Don't tell me I'm disrupting your precious O/L revision...we both know you were napping. Ammi^[2] doesn't know yet...but as usual, she will soon. No, I'm not the Ghost of Christmas Future...this is November, fool. And can you please stop trying to explain this in your usual painstakingly logical manner and shut up so I can impart you with a few pearls of wisdom? Not that you'd listen to me anyway, you stubborn little...ah, thank you.

OK...since you're supposedly studying, let's start with that. O/Ls will be fine (yes, even your 3 month crash course in Lit.). Ignore the self-righteous bigots who love to trash international schools, you'll survive. You'll love your A/L subjects...except Physics, which you'll just 'like'. A/Ls will seem easier than O/Ls. Yeah you're weird like that...accept it. Embrace it even! More on that later.

FFS don't worry about all those people trying to turn you into a mini Thaththi^[3] (you look like him, that's enough)! Do what appeals to you. Remember when you were 7, you told Ammi you'd study at Oxford? Screw that, you're going some place far better ;-)...don't let that horrendous mock interview faze you. At university, your grades will be marginally above average, which'll take some getting used to. But do your best, that's what counts. Oh and you know that desire to help others understand stuff? Keep that at the foremost of your mind...it'll be motivation for some serious shit you put yourself through. Your PhD (yes, you do a PhD) will be one heck of a rollercoaster ride...better toughen up your stomach!

Hmm what next? Ah yes. The PMS will improve...no more puking and fainting...oh except for this one time when you faint at freshers' fair and the ambulance crew have to escort you out of the hall with loads of people watching. But yeah, the worst is over. You'll lose about 5kg over the next decade. People will continue to give you dagger looks and say you're anorexic...meh. Don't bother with the high protein/high calorie diets, they won't work for you. And I admire your resolve but not eating chocolate won't reduce your pimples, so just get back to the good stuff, k? Oh and LOOK AFTER YOUR TEETH!!!

Now the personal stuff. The easy bits first: your love life will be pretty uneventful for the next 10 years...unless unrequited infatuations count as 'events' (please don't waste your time). You will make some amazing friends, but you'll still keep in touch with the gang. You'll be two continents away from SS but you'll still be as close as ever.

Lastly, the most important part. How can I put this gently...all the times people said nasty things about your accent, your skin colour, your country, your weight, your opinions, your preferred language, your hobbies, your social class (I know you remember every instance)...the bullying has affected you. I know you think it hasn't, and you (and a lot of other people) think I'm being a dramaqueen...but it has. Greater people have turned to alcohol, drugs, self-harming etc., but you've channelled all the negative energy into your studies and you're doing ok. You're doing the right thing, and I'm very proud of you! The bullying won't stop though. People will continue to judge you by your social class (albeit from a different perspective)...they'll also be hurtful about your career choices, your gender, your life choices, your body, your race...and more. We both know that these things don't really matter, and you're principled/stubborn enough not to change simply because you're in a minority of one. But it will hurt. A lot. You will cry. A lot. And when the studies get difficult, when you get stuck and realise you can't do everything on your own...your world will fall apart. The wall you built to protect yourself from the bullies will crumble, and every ugly insecurity you can imagine will surface. You'll hate your body, your mind, your work, your personality, your friends...you'll hate every aspect of your life.

Now dry your eyes for the good news - you turn things around. You start writing a public journal (that's this thing) and vent your thoughts. You find people you can confide in. You take the extremely brave step of opening up to your parents. Slowly, but surely, you make your way back. Clichés aside, it really is a voyage of discovery. But remember this...every part of you, the good, the bad and the ugly...they're all you. And you are perfect in your imperfections. You are a good person and you live your life by the Dhamma^[4]...with that, you can't go wrong. You'll be bruised and battered by people's harsh words, but you must nurse yourself back to health. Don't let anyone belittle you, your hopes or your fears. Love and accept yourself unconditionally. Please. If not you, then who?

OK I'm outta here. Know that I'm very proud of you, and you don't turn out so bad ;-).

With Blessings of the Noble Trip Gem, and the biggest, warmest hug ever,

Loku^[5] PR

-----

Sorry for the long and unfunny read; it's stuff I've been wanting to blog about for a while. One person's bullying is another person's banter and sometimes it's hard to tell them apart, but please try. A little sensitivity goes a long way.

Tagged: Sabby and Lady Divine

1 - little; 2 - Mother; 3 - Father; 4 - Buddhist teachings; 5 - big

Have you met Phil the badger?

Listening to: Radio 1

I couldn't not blog about this. So there's this awesome drum n bass track by J Majik & Wickaman called Feel About You. Chris Moyles seems to think that it sounds like they're singing 'Phil the Badger'...and now every time I hear the song, I have this urge to sing "Phil the badger, Phil the badger"! Some people are saying 'feel the badger' but I think 'Phil the badger' sounds a lot better.

Isn't it funny how we sometimes think we know the words to songs and we sing along, only to find that we're singing something completely different?

4 Chords

Listening to: Radio 1

So I'm listening to Scott Mills on Radio 1 at the moment, and he's broadcasting from the Edinburgh Fringe. There's just been a live performance by Axis of Awesome, and I just had to share the recording of their song '4 Chords'. Enjoy!

Eargasms

Listening to: Radio 1

So I've been at the new place a week now. All unpacked, photos up on the wall etc. - it's great! I'm actually liking chilling out at home, which is more than I can say for the previous place. I won't be getting internet until BT sorts out the phone line though, so there's been some heavy duty radio tunage going on. I usually listen to daytime radio and then switch off when it gets to the specialist shows, but I've listened to some of them in the past week and I'm actually enjoying the music they play! Yes I'm still more into the mainstream stuff, but the specialist shows do play some mainstream music, which is good for me. I've got a few new favourites, which I thought I'd share. I haven't included vids for all of them, for whatever reason, but feel free to snoop around on the internet if you fancy. Hope you enjoy!

No Sleep Tonight - Enter Shikari

So wikipedia says these guys are 'post-hardcore'. I'm like 'huh'? I don't usually like shouty songs, but there's something about this song that makes me wanna close my eyes and spin around in the rain with my arms stretched out...erm yeah.

If you like that, also check out Biffy Clyro's new track 'That Golden Rule' if you can find a decent-quality version.

UPDATE: here's the video to That Golden Rule

Rock It - Sub Focus

I appear to have developed a fondness for mainstream electronic drum n bass. This version takes a while to 'get going' compared to the radio edit, but I still like it :-)

If you like this, try anything by Pendulum or Chase and Status.

Blue Skies - Noah and the Whale

Total wind-down. I tweeted yesterday (I think) that this song makes me want to hug some one. They (evidently) haven't got a video for it yet, so here's a live version. You can listen to the studio version on their myspace page.

If you like this...hmm...Kings of Leon. Anything off 'Only By The Night'. I need to get me that album.

Oh and check out Muse's United States of Eurasia (with Collateral Damage, unless you don't like classical music).

Climb every mountain (or maybe just one really big one)

Listening to: '9 to 5' by Dolly Parton [9 to 5 and Odd Jobs]

So if you've noticed my twitter updates, you would've seen some of my tweets being addressed to RedNoseClimb. If you haven't spent a considerable time living in the UK, you may not be familiar with the whole concept of Comic Relief/Red Nose Day and the Red Nose Climb, so I'll give a brief intro.

Comic Relief is a British charity set up in the '80s by Richard Curtis of rom-com fame. Every year, the UK celebrates Red Nose Day - the main fundraising event for Comic Relief. The idea is that you raise money doing fun/interesting things, and every single pound raised goes to charity (i.e. none of the donations go towards admin costs). The money goes towards long-term projects in the UK and overseas (primarily African nations), and the BBC is one of its main supporters.

I usually donate 50p or something, but this year's different - I've already given £3 and I'll probably end up doubling that. Not to Comic Relief in general, but specifically to the Red Nose Climb. Why?!

The Red Nose Climb = 9 people climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for insecticide-treated mosquito nets (to aid in reduction of Malaria cases) in the African continent and mental health awareness in the UK. OK, climbing the 4th highest mountain in the world is pretty good, but it still doesn't explain why I'm infatuated with it. Here are the 9 people (you may not recognise some, but still...):

Cheryl Cole - from Girls Aloud and X Factor
Chris Moyles - Radio 1 breakfast DJ
Kimberley Walsh - from Girls Aloud
Fearne Cotton - Radio 1 weekend DJ
Gary Barlow - yes, from Take That
Alesha Dixon - formerly of Mis-teeq (the one who did the rap) and now enjoying solo success
Ronan Keating - yes, from Boyzone
Ben Shephard - TV presenter
Denise van Outen - TV presenter and actress

These are not people like us. Apart from the DJs, they spend their days being pampered, and dancing around on stage and TV with make-up and bright lights. They're the ones in the celeb mags, stumbling out of nightclubs and into taxis in a drunken stupor. They're not the type to go climbing mountains. I mean even Chris Moyles...have you seen Chris Moyles?! He doesn't look like he can climb a set of stairs, let alone a mountain!

But they're doing it. They're leaving behind the make up and the hair straighteners, the aftershave and the snazzy outfits...heck they haven't showered since Sunday! They're putting aside their diva lifestyles and putting up with the altitude sickness. All to raise some money for people who need it.

So far, people have donated over £1 million for the climb...and there's still two days for them to reach the summit. One could argue that they could've donated the money themselves between them, but I prefer it this way. It makes them more human.

I hope they all make it safely to the top, back down again and back home.

If you're in the UK and would like to donate £1 to the Red Nose Climb, text 'climb' to 88808 :-)

New(ish) music (perhaps?)

Listening to: Radio 1

So this was supposed to be my 200th post. I've fallen in love with three pretty different songs recently, and I wanted to share them.

First is Chip Diddy Chip by Chipmunk. He's a British grime artist who'll hopefully follow in the footsteps of Dizzee Rascal and Kano. This song is getting tons of airplay on Radio 1 (obviously my main source of music).

Next up is something totally different - Fleet Foxes. Very folksy. From Seattle. This one's called Mykonos.

Finally, something more upbeat. Red Light Company are from, well, all over the place - US, Aussie, UK. This is their latest single Arts & Crafts.

Enjoy!

Blast from the past

Listening to: Radio 1

I *heart* Chris Moyles for playing this a few mins ago.

I am such an early '90s girl. Sigh.

T minus 7hrs for the journey home

Listening to: Radio 1

So much for my "I'm a student and therefore too broke to buy presents"...

Mother: Can you get a gift for Aunty A? She always cooks for you when you come
Me: Ah yeah no prob
...
Mother: Aney darling better get something for Aunty B also no?
Me: Hmm ok
...
Mother: Ah one more thing, can you get something for Akki X as well? She likes those [blah blah blah] things
Me: Erm...I'll see if there's something small
...
Mother: Oh and another thing, so-and-so was saying [insert random ailment]...you remember those things at Boots? Aney bring some please
Me: Mother! I only have 20kg allowance...these things add up
Mother: Ah then ok...don't worry about it...I was just saying because she was finding it really difficult...but never mind
Me: *Sigh* Ok ok I'll try and bring it
Mother: No no don't worry if it's a hassle, you just come will you
Me: [pregnant pause] No I'll bring it
Mother: Aney thank you baba. I can't wait to see you!
Me: I can't wait to see you too, Ammi

Ugh my bag is so heavy. I should say here that the above dialogue wasn't an exercise in emotional blackmail by my mother. It's just me being unable to say no to her.

But enough of the grumbling. I'm so bloody excited (yes I think I've already mentioned that quite a bit). It's a bit weird 'cos while I'm really looking forward to seeing family and friends, the weather and the food...there's also stuff I'm gonna miss from here. Like the music - I have no clue what they play on Sri Lankan radio any more! I've become so addicted to Britpop and Brit Indie that I think I might die without them. And how am I supposed to live for a month without Chris Moyles, Sara Cox and Scott Mills?! Sigh.

And another thing. I don't know if I'll have time to blog from home. My parents are social butterflies and yours truly will probably be fluttering around with them most of the time. So here's wishing the entire blogosphere a very merry Christmas and festive season in general, and all the best for the coming year. See you in 2009!!!

Run was written by Snow Patrol, and don't you ever forget it

Listening to: 'Run' by Leona Lewis [Spirit]

Yes, Leona Lewis of X Factor 2006 fame has made it to Numbero Uno again, this time with a cover of Snow Patrol's Run.

Don't get me wrong, I love the new version. When I heard it first, sung live as a feature on Jo Whiley's Live Lounge on Radio 1, I had shivers down my spine. Truly haunting. But then I fell in love with Run when I first heard it being performed by Snow Patrol. The song was already amazing.

It's annoying that Leona gets a #1 hit with Snow Patrol's song, when they haven't received the same honour yet. But seeing as Leona's a product of the Simon Cowell production line, it's hardly surprising.

Which is better? I don't know. It's like they're two different songs to me. Snow Patrol's version sounds more raw and melancholy...something which Snow Patrol do perfectly. Leona's version is a ballad being sung by a diva. Nothing wrong with that, but I'm just sayin'.

So congratulations to Leona, but I think it has to be said that if you have an ounce of talent (which she definitely does have) you can't really go wrong with something as flawless as Snow Patrol's Run.

So many thoughts, so little energy

Listening to: nothing

Ugh. Just as I recover from freshers' flu (well not totally, 'cos I've been sniffling steadily for the past few weeks), I manage to catch the bug that's doing the rounds in the department. Two and a half days of moderately high temperature followed by a stomach that can't digest anything. Why is my immune system so absolutely - for lack of a better word - shit? Sigh. Maybe I need to start taking my vitamins again.

I'm going to try and pen down the things on my mind, just so that I don't feel completely useless (in reality, I just want to curl up in bed).

So first of all, the Black Kids concert. Oh wow, what an experience. They were excellent (as was Ladyhawke, who was supporting - she's so shy!). The crowd, on the other hand, was nothing like I'd ever experienced before. Now I've been for a grand total of 4 concerts (including this one) so I'm not the most experienced out there, so please excuse my ignorance...but moshing? crowd surfing? I thought these were the stuff of legends? Apparently not. And worst of all, the partakers were all under the age of 16. Yes, sixteen. I felt so out of place. There were some others who looked like they remembered the 80s, but not many. The funniest part (in a tragic sorta way) for me was during the changeover, when they had music playing in the background. All the kiddies were singing along to the Mystery Jets' "Two Doors Down"...but when that was followed by INXS' "Need You Tonight", it was the senior citizens' time to shine. And yours truly knew the words to both songs. Talk about being in limbo! But yes, the concert was fab, and I even splashed out on a fancy Black Kids t-shirt!

Next up is the Brand/Ross phone call fiasco. I'm not gonna explain the whole thing but the link gives a time line that should explain everything. Personally, I can't stand Russell Brand. I don't think he's funny. And I definitely don't see anything attractive about him, so I just don't understand the hype. Jonathan Ross, I dislike to a lesser degree. I've seen his chat show a few times, and while I don't find it as entertaining as Jay Leno, it's not unbearable. Does he deserve the rumoured £6mil salary? Probably not. But then I don't pay the license fee that contributes to that salary, so it doesn't overly concern me. What does concern me though, is the furore that this prank call thing has caused. As many people have commented before me, aren't there bigger things to be worrying about right now? The UK economy has shrunk over the past 3 months and if it continues to do so over the next 3 months, we'll officially be in a recession. In 3 days' time, the citizens of the USA are going to poke around in the future of the Western World. The UK apparently has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe. Aren't these the things people should be worrying about, rather than whether some overpaid DJ should get the sack for talking about his sexual escapades on the radio? Sigh I don't get it.

Third, is Quantum of Solace. Yay I saw it yesterday! Spent the entire afternoon trying to get my fever down so I could go. It was worth it :-). I guess I kinda miss the cheesy Bond, but in a way I think he's best where he is - in the past. The new Bond is more mysterious, more uncontrollable, and definitely more believable. Daniel Craig doesn't really push my buttons, but he's excellent as an enigmatic 007. And there's something about Olga Kurylenko that's quite cute. So yes, thoroughly enjoyable.

Hmm what else. Oh Snow Patrol tickets are out next week. I can't wait! And I have so much X Factor to catch up on, it's beyond funny.

OK now I'm pooped. Time for my soup :-(.

How Bored Thou Art!

Listening to: 'The Promise' by Girls Aloud [-]

Yes, still listening to GA...but it's no longer the dog's bollocks in my book. My newest addiction is...BeckyCam.

Let me explain. So the absolutely adorable Scott Mills hosts Radio 1's drive time show, with a team comprising himself, Chappers, Becky and 'The One That Doesn't Speak'. Scott's been recently obsessed with Pandacam, and decided that, well if people can spend ages watching giant pandas do nothing, they can surely spend ages watching a desk in the Radio 1 office. So a webcam was installed on Becky's desk, and it runs live from 6am - 7pm every day, and will do so until the end of next week. And there's a dedicated email address for people to get in touch with whoever's sitting at the desk at that time.

I haven't laughed so much in ages. DJs and various other employees of Radio 1 take turns to sit at the desk and scribble 'hello' messages (and other random comments, such as "yes I do need a haircut") on a whiteboard to whoever emails in. From a marketing point of view, it's an amazing ad-machine, with all the DJs making use of the whiteboard to plug their respective shows. Also, the webcam's only been running for 3 days and we've already had the Pussycat Dolls, Dita von Teese and James Morrison doing 'BeckyCam' sessions. Pamela Anderson was a right royal cow and refused.

Some people have commented that it's similar to the 24/7 broadcast of Big Brother, but I don't find Big Brother addictive at all...in fact I find it repulsive. BeckyCam, on the other hand, is A-MA-ZING. I've emailed in a few times now, and it's quite exciting when you can see somewhat famous radio personalities responding to your email. Yes I know, I'm easily pleased.

Anyway you can catch BeckyCam here. As far as I'm aware, the live stream is only accessible within the UK, but the highlights are accessible from anywhere.

Braindump

Listening to: 'Honeycomb Child' by Natalie Imbruglia [Counting Down The Days]

DISCLAIMER: I am very tired and stressed and my head is all in a muddle, so this virtually unedited post might not make much sense. It is what it is: a braindump. I'm hoping it'll help me get some sleep. You have been warned.

Sleep. Where has it gone? I used to be able to fall asleep in 5mins flat and the next thing I know, it's morning (and way past the time I'm supposed to wake up). No such luck any more. Toss, turn, flip, curse, over and over again until the alarm goes off, and then I'm so tired I can't get out of bed. I do get some sleep, just not as much as I need.

Why did Rafa lose? Waaaaaaah. And I couldn't even watch. Stupid bloody PhD (more on that later). At least it was Andy Murray. Only Federer and British players (and Sri Lankan of course, but let's not kid ourselves here) should be allowed to beat Rafa, if at all.

I'm sick of Sainsburys microwaveable meals. I want a nice steak with chips and peas. Or maybe mash instead of chips. And it should be on a plate. Not in a stupid floppy plastic container which looks too much like a bedpan.

Who was the bright spark who decided that some girls should feel the fires of hell in their lower abdomen every month? Must be a man. And why the hell can't other girls understand? Aren't women supposed to be beacons of empathy? What nonsense. You asked me how I was feeling, woman...don't roll your eyes when you don't like the answer. Grrr.

Why aren't the computers in my lab connected to the internet? Is our IT officer that scared of chemicals? They won't bite, you know. They might burn, asphyxiate, and maybe with careless usage, kill you, but they won't bite. Yet.

Pumps. I hate pumps. Actually scrap that. I love pumps. Especially HPLC pumps and peristaltic pumps. They might just save my life. Or they might not. How many weeks of work have I lost because of this stupid HPLC pump? It's a stupid piston pump, how complicated can it be? Very, by the looks of it, and very expensive! So whatever you do, PR, don't break it! Erm....too late.

What I definitely hate, is PVC. It's absolutely useless! What relevant experiment could I possibly do at room temperature? Oh and silicone tubes aren't designed to withstand any pressure...says the manufacturer. Um dude, if a tube can't withstand pressure, it can't be used. Ah right...that explains why my experiment wouldn't work.

And my supervisor. My glorious supervisor. Actually he's being a gem so I won't diss him. But my supervisor meetings could easily be uploaded on youtube with the following subtitles:

"There's a fault in my rig, dear Supervisor, dear Supervisor
There's a fault in my rig, dear Supervisor, a fault.
So fix it, dear PR, dear PR
So fix it, dear PR, fix it."

AAAARGH yes I know it needs to be fixed, but I was kinda hoping you'd help me figure out how!

And who is the annoying, selfish, ignorant housemate of mine who's been raping our bandwidth so much that the ISP has decided to throttle our connection to silly slow speeds until 11pm every day? I can't believe I have to wait till I'm supposed to be going to sleep to catch up on X Factor.

I am bloody sick of that new Verve song. I wish they'd stop playing it on the radio. And what is with Katy Perry's faux lesbianism/let-me-turn-every-guy-on-with-a-stupid-song-about-snogging-another-girl? It's the same processed bubblegum pop that got Britney into the limelight. Big deal. But omg live lounge tour. Can't wait to hear Snow Patrol. And Girls Aloud, seeing as I'm Cheryl Cole's newest biggest fan. Oh and the new-ish Black Kids song...what's it called...something like "look at me when I rock witchoo". So American Apparel, it's ace! And I'm liking MGMT too.

Oh and I wish Sarah Palin would shut up. "I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this great country." Yeah whatever, woman...like anyone outside the US believes that. The same way no one outside the US believes that you were not made VP candidate in an attempt to steer Hillary groupies away from Obama. I can't believe these people are some of the most influential people on this planet.

And apparently the world will end tomorrow with the LHC experiment. I can think of plenty of reason why that would be a good thing. Why are people so scared? We're all gonna die at some point. If we all die, then no problem no? No war, no famine, no AIDS, no need to fix my experiment...see, all good!

I'm tired. And no I'm not PMSing. I'm just stressed. Work is consuming my very being. I don't feel sociable. This is my only outlet. I just want to crawl under a rock until I've figured out how to fix my experiment. I'm scared to try out my ideas 'cos I'm scared they won't work and I'll be disappointed. And I've got a cold. Hopefully not flu. I don't think I could deal with falling sick right now.

Oh wow this is a long ramble. I'm gonna go try and sleep now. But now I'm hungry again. I wanna cry. I want my mummy.

The fun just never stops

Listening to: 'Take Back The City' by Snow Patrol [A Hundred Million Suns]

Oh yeah. They're back. While I missed the world exclusive first play on Zane's show last night (I was stuck in the lab sans my radio, trying to glue together a polypropylene syringe and a PVC tube...don't ask), I've been fortunate enough to hear it thrice on the radio since then. The new Snow Patrol single will be available for download on the 13th of October, and the album will be released on the 24th (I think). The website has a audio snippet which I'm playing on loop at the moment...and I love it more with every listen.

Not satisfied with joining the Snow Patrol mailing list and subscribing to the website RSS feed, I'm checking the website every day for news of tour dates. I was too lazy to get Coldplay tickets, I am not missing Snow Patrol!

BTW n, this is all your fault :P

I'm turning British, I think I'm turning British, I really think so

Listening to: 'Those Sweet Words' by Norah Jones [Feels Like Home]

I know, I know, it doesn't work as well without 'Japanese'...ah well.

So yeah. I'm feeling strangely patriotic towards Old Blighty. I realised it on Friday when talking to someone at work about Team GB's amazing performance in Beijing. I recall saying...

"Yeah I heard the 11.30 news and [...pause...] Britain's gold medal tally has gone up to 12!"

Why the pause? Well I was going to say "our"...but it felt weird. So I had to say "Britain's"...but that felt weird too. Nothing like it should've felt, because I am truly proud of Team GB. Not just happy for Britain like I'm happy for Jamaica that Usain Bolt is superhuman, but proud, complete with the warm fuzzy feeling in my heart.

It's been a weird Olympics for me. The Olympics just don't feel the same without my grandfather around...he used to be glued to the tv from start to finish (understandable, considering he was at the Munich Games in '72), with me by his side. So I wasn't expecting to be all that keen on this one. But then I read about Blake Aldridge's disgraceful post-dive comments, and I felt a pang of sympathy for Tom Daley. But then I thought maybe that's just 'cos he's a cute kid. But then the medals started coming in thick and fast, and I found myself grinning at my computer screen while reading the news (yeah, don't ask). Maybe it's because I think the UK lets itself down when it comes to sport. Maybe it's because I think the UK is too quick to criticise her sportsmen and women. Maybe it's just glory supporting. Or maybe it's because I'm starting to really think like a Briton.

I think Radio 1 has also had a lot to do with it. Listening to the radio every morning provides a brilliant insight into the life of the average British adult. The obsession with BB and X Factor, summer festivals and the weather...all part of British life, and I've come to appreciate it. I don't think I can ever bring myself to say 'cheers' when I want to say 'thank you', and you won't see me downing pints any time soon, but the rest, I can manage :-).

I think too many international students pass through the UK without being able to appreciate the life here...especially in Cambridge, where you can go for days without seeing someone who qualifies as being 'British'.

Six years is a long time to settle into a place, but I think I've finally settled in enough to call Britain 'home'. And no, don't worry...I'm as Sri Lankan as I always have been, and nothing will change that. But I am feeling a lot of love for Great Britain right now. I could end with Hugh Grant's monologue from Love Actually, but that might be a bit too cheesy :-).

Worth the wait

Listening to: Radio 1

Coldplay have got their first #1 in the UK and are now at the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Wing is the new William Hung

Listening to: Radio 1

Who remembers William Hung? Or rather, who doesn't remember him? American Idol's most famous non-talent by far, he shot to fame by performing an absolutely atrocious version of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs". You can check out the original audition here. America loved him a hell of a lot more than Simon did, though...and he ended up with this -

Well now Radio 1's Scott Mills has decided to champion another would-be idol - New Zealand's Wing. She performed on the Introducing Stage at Radio 1's Big Weekend a couple of days ago. If you can't be bothered navigating to these links, here's a video clip for you to savour -

Sigh. I hope you enjoyed that. My sides hurt. And while I'm on the topic of Scott Mills...is it normal to have a crush on a voice?

Lovin' the Live Lounge

Listening to: 'Valerie' by The Zutons [Tired of Hanging Around]

It's Easter Monday (read: bank holiday) and I'm back from London. Laziness took over this morning and I decided to do some reading at home instead of making the 20-minute trek into the department. To make the reading less laborious, I had the radio on, and I had the pleasure of listening to Jo Whiley presenting the best of Live Lounge '07. They were all quite good, and if you've got time, you can listen to the whole thing online for the next week or so. The highlights though, were by Amy Winehouse and Corinne Bailey Rae. Amy Winehouse doing a soulful cover of The Zutons' Valerie is expected, I guess...but Corinne Bailey Rae doing JT's Sexyback?!?!?! Wow.

Thankfully youtube is a treasure trove, so here are the links for Valerie and Sexyback.