Snowed Under

I have been neglecting my journal. Bad OctoberPoppy.

The reason is simple:

Inbetween rehearsals at Cuths Choir, Mandarin Class, Debating Society, French Society, trying to find inspiration to write something (anything!) for the uni newspaper, the mountains of reading I have to do, the piano practice I'm supposed to be doing, washing laundry, ironing, shopping, cooking, washing up, lectures, seminars and tutorials, socialising (networking is very important - the friend of a friend of Timothy's daddy with an indoor pool, flat in Knightsbridge and second country home may just be my future employer one day)- oh and doing the work I'm set every week for the degree I'm reading (and English, French and History is a pretty hefty work load) and finding time to sleep, my day isn't exactly packed with available slots to sit down and write a journal.

See that picture? See that picture? See that? Do you see it? THAT'S how I'm feeling right now.

No longer do I have time to watch the television or surf the web (I log on, check my emails maybe twice a day for five minutes and then log off). But I think this is a good thing. Not so good is the fact that ALL my reading is now 'literary criticism', 'Native Americans in Revolution', 'A Longman History of the United States' and a plethora of weighty French Grammar textbooks. I haven't read a SINGLE novel since I got here. I haven't done a piano practice in two weeks and I haven't warmed up or done any singing practice other than what I do in choir since I got here (!)

Despite my neglect in certain departments though, I'm enjoying myself. I'm going to a Halloween Party tonight at 24 North Bailey Club, complete in my witchy ensemble of extremely big pointy witch hat, all black and red vamp lipstick. *Cackles* Seriously, here I find you can just about wear anything and no-one will stare. On Saturday I went to Cuths Halloween Night at the bar, thinking I was being daring and 'out there', only to find no-one batted an eyelid at my admittedly outrageously over-the-top makeup (I think I was outdone by the person who went as Spongebob Squarepants in a room full of people brandishing plastic axes, wearing pretend fangs and dripping with fake blood, or maybe it was the guy wearing a tiny red tanktop, red tights that revealed everything and flashing red devil horns. Yeah, that's pretty much Cuths). We did admittedly get a few stares when we ventured into DSU (Durham Students Union) and our oddly dressed ensemble (it was only Halloween Night in Cuths, so everywhere else= dressed 'normally') proceeded to play pool and scoff chips and tartare sauce complete in hooded capes and Darth Maul rubber masks (although to scoff said chips masks obviously had to be removed- attempting to eat chips with masks on would just be plain silly *tosses mane with distain*).

Well anyhow. I have the thrilling topic of 'Gothic revival' to research (no really, actually- it IS thrilling, or at least I think so; while everyone around me snores gently and drools onto the desk I seem to scribble away). I am also going to go and make myself a peanut butter sandwich before my stomach ravenously eats its way throught my spine (or at least that's what it feels like) and who can argue with peanut butter?