Chicken Alanna, Vintage Tractors and Progress at last

 Hello All,
As frequent readers of this blog may be aware, I have a tendency to talk about a load of nonsense. Usually this is as a kind of filler when nothing of any real interest is happening in my life. Because, as you'll also be aware, sometimes things happen, usually lots at once (something about boys and buses here...) and these events, though not particularly monumental tend to resemble Lemony Snicket's 'Series of Unfortunate(ly) (Awkward) Events. This entry, I am happy to report, is one with no needed nonsense. 100% pure real life happenings. I'm sure you cannot wait.

Iron Throne

So, June has been quite an eventful month, in almost entirely good ways. First of all, the Game of Thrones exhibit came to Belfast- this was very exciting as we never get any of the cool tours in this part of the U.K, and this time it was only us that got it!! This is due to the filming of a majority of the show being right here in this little piece of land. Apparently they're filming right now...the temptation to grab some buddies and try and encounter them while they're out and about is a strong one....watch this space.

I know, Keith, I can't believe it either

Secondly, finally some progress on the job hunt. And it's the best possible company ever. BBC. They've decided I've got something...I get to go to training in a few weeks with some really cool people and we are being given the chance to work as runners on sets. I couldn't think of anything more wonderful. Of course, this has reawakened a competitive beast. I want to succeed. I want to be good at it. I want to make it onto the next level. Now just to prove that although I don't have as much experience as the other 149 people, I really do have a unique me-ness to share.

Thirdly, my sister was over visiting and there were some random happenings. When we went for lunch in this cool furniture store in the next town over, we had one of those moments where you have to stifle laughter pretty unaffectively. While waiting to order, the couple in front of us asked what all food was in the display. The lady behind the counter replied in what can only be described as a Mickey Mouse voice- squeaky, cartoon like, totally worthy of frequent imitations. She proceeded to list the food and there seemed to be a frequent theme. Chicken. All the chicken in the nearby area must have crossed the wrong people. And they'd got their comeuppance...apparently.

This is what they had (imagine in a hilarious high pitched voice): Chicken curry, Chicken Alana, Chicken and Broccoli Bake, Chicken and Peach Bake...never fear Veggies, they had Quiche.

Broken Doll. Chic.

On Friday we proceeded to go for a beach day to Newcastle, N.I. A trip to Newcastle is never complete without a ramble around the boardwalk path, taking nutty pictures. We decided it was the perfect opportunity for an America's Next Top Model style pose off. Needless to say, we won't be qualifying for the show any time soon....

But boy did we have fun.

Two Pointers- dog passenger with red neck scarf

Brace yourself, all. The highlight of the Waringstown social calendar. Well, actually, it's pretty much the only event on the entire year long calendar. It's literally just this. Last Friday in June. Vintage car cavalcade.

Unfortunately, in rural Co. Down, the main specimen of vintage vehicle appears to be the vintage tractor. Over half of the 100s were tractors. Ah country life... There were some pretty cool things though and my sister and I came up with a bonus point scoring system. Extra point if your outfit matches your vehicle. Extra point if your baby is strapped onto your tractor. Extra point if you have a dog on board. Two extra points if both you and your dog match your vehicle. And so on etc. etc.

It really brought out all the glorious specimen of residents here. There were 99 ice creams, barely legal tail gating and almost the entirety of the Co Down Young Farmer's Club present. It's times like these that I really find myself thinking 'Gee, I'm glad I'm not away in Spain like I normally am this time of year.' You may detect some sarcasm here.

However, I have rather enjoyed June and I hope that July will bring me some equal delights. Tomorrow I am going hiking. Watch out, Mournes!

The 50th blog post/ The three things I really don't want to hear today

Here we are, readers. We've made it to the big 5-0. Not age, I'm not quite there yet. But my 50th blog post. In some ways this seems like a lot, but in others it  doesn't seem like much at all. Considering where I was when I wrote that very first post and where I am now, many things have changed. When I started the blog I was full of direction, inspiration, joie de vivre- surrounded by friends and family and full of excitement for all my travel adventures to come. Now, I am somewhat directionless and lonesome, being hundreds of miles from most of my friends and family, without a real job and without much changing. You've probably noticed the decline of the frequency of my blog posts. This is a sorry shame. I always thought when things picked up a bit I'd start writing again...but things never really picked up.

Now, that's not to say that some wonderful things haven't happened from the start until now, I've met amazing people, I've seen lots of new things and done lots of new things, I've experienced a lot of things both fantastically great and horrifyingly low. And I've grown (not just around the waist). But I can't help missing the optimistic girl at the start. And I'm determined to get her back somehow.

Anyway, I've made it to 50...and here's to another inspired 50 posts of embarassing dancing, and strange encounters, and new places and a bit of sunshine (hopefully).

The point of today's post is to highlight a few things that I, and probably a lot of you too, don't want to hear these days.

1) The Guardian did a survey of all current graduates looking for jobs. The results were as I expected. We're all going through the same depressing farce. 25% of us have lost out on jobs we want, due to 'lack of experience.' This brings me to the first thing I don't want to hear. Every single job, in the hundreds I've applied for in the last 6 months, has ended with the same inevitable result. I've passed tests (even numerical), I've submitted CVs. I've gone to interviews. The final feedback is always the same: "We liked you but another candidate was more experienced for the role."
This really frustrates me. These are jobs advertised as first job positions. Jobs geared towards graduates. Job advertisments which say 'No previous experience required. Full training provided.'. The sheer magnitude of applications mean, however, that they are able to add further boundaries because somewhat over experienced people are going for these jobs as well, due to a never diminishing over-subscribed job market. I get it, honestly I do. I accept the fact that others are more qualified than me and deserve the job more. What I don't get is how you go about getting the experience needed. Because nobody hires without experience!!! 'Internships?' I hear you ask. Alas, according to the Guardian, another sizeable chunk of us found that unless you know somebody in the business, or have a relative working there, you aren't going to get in. Brilliant.


2) The second thing I really don't want to hear is "The orchid's dead, move on." Since a very kind friend gifted me with some beautiful purple orchids at a dinner party in March, I've been caring for them like they are my child. I've been watering them with tepid water (the instructions said TEPID), I been monitoring their moistness (MOIST) to make sure I don't over-water, and I've been moving them from room to room, and climate to climate, to ensure they have variety in their day to day life. And so far, much to my immense surprise, they've survived and they're healthy. I think they've become a social experiment for me. Keeping them alive is proving that I am not incompetent. That I can do something successful. It's a necessary component for my remaining optimism. So the day I hear, "The orchid's dead, move on" will be the day I officially give up. Maybe it's like the rose in Beauty and the Beast. Except I'm less mean (and less furry). If the last petal drops, I'll be stuck this way forever! But does that mean I won't age?? Because I really wouldn't mind that.

3) The third thing I really don't want to hear is 'Looks like snow's on the way again'. I'm a patient woman. That's a fact. If you remember my post last year about our current weather being much colder than other countries at this time of year (http://au-where.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/here-comes-sun.html) I wrote my complaint last year while it was still April, so obviously things had cheered up by this time of the year. It's a week until June. JUNE. This time last year, because I remember it was when my sister was visiting for Eurovision (http://au-where.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/nil-pointsbut-big-love.html) for the last time I saw her before she became a Californian Girl, we were sunbathing. SUNBATHING. In shorts! In England! It was literally high 20s! This year- it isn't even scraping mid-teens. And according to the weather people (not to be mistaken with the Village People http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBXu-iY7cw- sorry, I have to sing that. Every time. Part of my own personal Constitution.) there could be snow in places in the U.K this weekend?? What??? I've gone so long without sun that my skin has become a dangerously white colour, the equivalent of Voldemort. Not an exaggeration.If I develop a snake's nose, you'll know something a tad more sinister is going on. It's gotten to that point that it usually gets to in mid-Winter where you think "I can't honestly imagine it ever being sunny again." Except that emotion has been continuing for about 8 months now. I haven't gone out without a jacket since mid-September. Wow.

What I saw when I smiled in the mirror this morning

So there you have it, crew. Sorry, that sounded a bit nautical, guess I shouldn't have watched the entire 'In the Navy' music video there
"I'm afraid of waaaater!"

Those are the three things I really don't want to hear today. What do you not want to hear? Do let me know. Unless of course it's "She's posted another blog, oh crud!"

QOTR