Comfortably Academic

For the first time in a long period of time, I am feeling suitably comfortable academically. But of course, from the moment I hit "publish post", this little hypothesis will begin to disintegrate as I will begin to start pulling my hair out and scrunch up notes yelling "where is my pen?!"

I really hope that doesn't become the case. I'm finding it incredibly relaxing to be doing my work right now, and surely that must be a sign that I probably am not trying hard enough? And perhaps I should not judge so soon, considering I have only been back for a month.

Teamed with my hot chocolate and my copy of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, I just stormed through note-making and hot beverage sipping at complete ease. Unfortunately, during breaks I am still thinking of what work to do next, how I can make my grades better, how I can balance my work. Surprisingly, I'm not feeling claustrophobic from the work at all. I don't know, perhaps an explanation for this relaxed atmosphere will come to me at 3AM and that is when I will feel the need to wake up and come here and explain myself immediately.

I'm doing work just for the sake of it. I like it.

Read More

Love & War & The Sea In Between

There's just something incredibly atmospheric and soothing I am getting from Josh Garrel's album Love & War & The Sea In Between.

There's just so much variation in the album, it's surreal. I am really happy that I decided to browse around Bandcamp and this was the first artist that I clicked on. Some essence of Florence + The Machine, along with (surprisingly...) Linkin Park and hints of Bon Iver. The album art really drew me in as well!

I know exactly what I will be listening to all week. You can download and listen to his 18-track album here on Bandcamp. Consistently, it's the most underrated musicians that impress me the most.

Read More

Song of the Day: "June Gloom" by The Like

Despite it being quite far off from June, there is some gloom today. But that gloom has been kept outside, so today has been that equivalent of a Nigella Lawson day on the inside.

I've been making cupcakes and had books cluttering my study, and I know that music mends any sort of gloomy weather. Hot chocolate is up next!

Today I present to you..... The Like! They're currently a band of four, but during "June Gloom" we have three members of the band. This video was before they adopted their 60's style, here known for their elfin, folk-like fashion sense and Elizabeth Berg's slightly raspy voice. Anyway, if anything, this song reminds me of Christmas... anyone else agree?

Read More

Steve Jobs: Visionary.

Despite always waking up in a rather groggy wake, I'm always capable of automatically find myself at my computer to check my mail and Twitter. The first tweet I saw today wasn't the nicest and most settling one. The death of Steve Jobs.

Yes, as we all know, Steve Jobs (computer entrepreneur, co-founder of Apple Inc. and FT's Person of the Year 2010) died after his long battle struggling with pancreatic cancer last night. My instant reaction? Shock. We all know cancer has taken away many people we love and adore, but my reaction was similarly that of a stomach punch. It was almost the same feeling I had felt when Michael Jackson had passed away too.

Although Jackson and Jobs don't exactly come from the same branch of industry, there was something similar in both of them: they were incredibly influential and they pushed the boundaries.

I feel as if Steve Jobs was an auteur of technology or the auteur of technology. Apple was built in his own image, and it successfully carried through in all his products. Funnily enough, I was just researching the Auteur Theory for my music video project for school, and I know for sure that Steve Jobs would definitely be placed in the auteur category.

I'm glad that he passed away peacefully, almost as calm as the man himself. It would be awful to know that someone had died in an inconsiderate amount of pain like my own grandfather's death. Still, 56 is young in my books, and it's an awful shame.

RIP Steve Jobs, may your legacy continue.

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it, and that is how it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new." - Steve Jobs

Read More