You said it, Lewis!

Since last we spoke...

After having a quick read over my blog this afternoon, I am appalled at how long it's been since I wrote a blogpost with actual words! My last 'proper' blog post was written in November and a LOT has changed since then! Since November the 6th, 2011:

One new job, one magazine internship, one graduate diploma of education and one Wednesday night bible study have been started

Four weeks and eight distributed days have been spent on prac, seventy-four lesson plans have been written and one play about three little piggies has been performed

Two exams have been written and far too many assignments have been cried over

One chilly Saturday morning was spent horse-riding and one sweet sixteenth has been celebrated, as well as two Christmases in July and one mexican fiesta, which wasn't really a celebration but really an excuse to eat nachos and wear ponchos.

An embarrassing amount of Beverly Hills 90210 episodes have been watched and far too many karaoke Thursdays have been spent at Paddy Malone's.

Nine reviews have been published, one book festival has been covered, three authors have been interviewed and one extremely uncomfortable hob-nobbing writers event has been attended

One Bruno Mars concert has been attended as well as one James Blunt, one Belle and Sebastian, one The Apprentice and (nearly) one Chris Brown.

One MacBook Pro has been purchased, as well as one box set of The Office (English version, of course), one pair of pirate boots and one nifty little fire pit which will be toasting many marshmellows in the last few weeks of dreary winter weather.

A measly nine books have been read, including The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which reminded me how infinite it feels to be young and One Day, which reminded me of how finite youth really is.

New friends have been made, some friends have left and many have been sorely missed but family have been a dependable constant.

That's about all I can think of for now.  I promise to be better at keeping in touch.

Lots of love,
Miss Manship
xxx

In case you were wondering why I don't live in Africa anymore...

Manic Monday

Can you guess where I spent the past forty-five minutes of a very manic Monday morning? It's only my first week back at uni and it's nothing but rush, rush, rush!! Eek!! :-(

A feast of words



Media Pass!!




Gillo's Bookshelf




Joanne Harris (Chocolat) & Jeff Lindsay (Dexter)



A jumble of words

Just a few of the guest authors

One of my fav books 'The Lollipop Shoes' signed by Joanne Harris

'Dexter in the Dark' signed by Jeff Lindsay

New books!!

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places." ~~ Roald Dahl

Youthless

Anyone free in Perth this Sunday should head down to the Bird from 2pm onwards for youthless, a youth arts showcase exhibiting our local talent! Free entry and amazing art, clothes and music!

Song of the Week - Love! Love! Love!

Book Review - Atonement by Ian McEwan

I’ve always wanted to like Ian McEwan’s novels with their bleak brilliance and unorthodox subject matter. I love black humour and gothic novels but the books that I’ve read of McEwan’s in the past have never been relatable to me with their bizarre characters and unbelievable circumstances. In Atonement, I finally got a glimpse of the eloquence of McEwan’s writing with how convincingly he portrayed the self-obsessive preoccupation of a thirteen-year old girl. So much of the novel lies in the belief in Briony’s romantic dreaminess and heightened self-awareness that if her character were not believable, the entire story would fall to pieces.


Although McEwan is known for impeccable timing and flawlessly paced writing, I found the story dragged during the war years of part two and was difficult to trudge through after the intensity of part one. Even though part two was well researched and very detailed, it seemed to ramble on aimlessly for pages at a time in contrast to part one where every moment was very obviously leading up to a dramatic event.

Despite the lacklustre mid-section of the novel, I can’t help but admire any man whose writing leaves me gloomy and melancholic for days afterwards. While the main events of the novel take place in the English summer, this is not a light, sunny read to flick through in a deck chair with a cocktail in hand. This is a book for reading by candlelight in the bath on dark, brooding winters nights. I’ve had mixed feelings about Ian McEwan in the past after reading The Cement Garden and First Love, Last Rites, but Atonement completely won me over with it’s compassion, contriteness and despair.

http://colosoul.com.au/atonement.php

Song of the Week - Barry White!

In honour of my aunty Lisa's special birthday last Saturday and for the girls at work who I know are just dying for me to play this to them just one more time...

Foolish

Song of the week - Eliza Doolittle - Pack Up

I needed a little quirky randomness this week and the only songstress who can give me that right now is Eliza Doolittle.  This song reminds me of driving in the rain, jangly bangles and sparkly cider fizzing up my nose.

From Paris with a Colosoul Amount of Love

I have recently started working for a new Perth-based magazine called 'Colosoul'.  I absolutely love it and am so lucky to be writing about what I love: travel and books.  Here is my very first travel review on Paris called 'From Paris With Love'. Hope you enjoy!

xxx

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE

LOCATION

The city of Paris lies in the north-centre of France and lines the Seine River on both sides for a length of approximately eight miles. Paris is the transportation hub of France and hosts six major railroad passenger stations with lines of the national railroad system fanning out in all directions from Central Paris.

HOW TO GET THERE
Air France flies daily to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris from Perth via Singapore.

Prices start at around $1,400 for a return economy flight.

ACCOMMODATION
The city of Paris is separated into twenty districts called arrondissements. Each arrondissement has its own unique culture and flavour and it’s entirely up to you whether you prefer the lively, jovial festival atmosphere of the Latin Quarter, the quaint romantic charm of Montmartre or the trendy hipster culture of Le Marais. Before arranging accommodation in Paris, first work out which area best suits your holiday plans and from there seek out accommodation that matches your needs and taste. Wherever you plan on staying, you are guaranteed a wide assortment of accommodation options ranging from the cheapest of hostels to the most glamorous of hotels.

TOP THINGS TO DO

For the Art Lover

The Louvre

Paris is home to more than 170 museums so whatever your taste in art, you are guaranteed to find something that will appeal to your artistic temperament. Most recently portrayed in Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’, The Louvre is the world’s most famous museum and boasts an unrivalled collection of over sixty thousand accumulated riches that spans thousands of years. This ‘museum among museums’, which once housed the kings of France, is now a centre of learning and enlightenment and is a recognised authority in art, history and culture.

For the Romantic Soul

The Eiffel Tower
More than any other landmark in the world, the Eiffel Tower is the symbolic representation of the romance capital of the world. Built for the 1889 World Exposition by Gustave Eiffel, the iron tower boasts two impressive restaurants and observation decks on the first and second lever. At night, the tower puts on an impressive show of glittering lights from dusk until 2am, the illuminated icon of the City of Lights.

For the Bohemian

Montmartre

The name ‘Montmartre’ comes from the name ‘Mont des Martyrs’ which means ‘Mountain of the Martyrs’ because it is here that the first martyrs of Paris were decapitated by the Romans in 250 A.D. Steeped in a history of religious persecution and pilgrimage, this part of Paris has a reputation for non-conformity and it is perhaps because of this rebellious past that Montmartre became a refuge for Parisian artists and was the home of the impressionists at the end of the 19th century. Today, Montmartre boasts a thriving artist community and tourists can observe artists at work around the area of the Sacre Coeur church and buy their paintings.

For the Traveller on a Budget

The Seine River

Paris is undoubtedly one of the most expensive cities in the world but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to experience the vibrancy of Parisian life. Paris was made for people watching and there is no better way to soak up the ambiance of the city than to take a stroll along the Seine River. Here is where you will see the true heart of Paris, with blushing lovers walking hand in hand, businessmen riding bicycles with baskets holding briefcases and baguettes, and buskers playing can-can tunes on rusty accordions for a few euros.

For the Fashionista

The Champs Elysees

No self-respecting fashionista can justify a trip to Paris without taking a stroll down the Champs Elysees, one of the most famous avenues in the world for upmarket shopping. Running for two kilometres, the avenue is lined with theatres, bistros, restaurants and luxury boutiques and ends at the Arc de Triomphe, the monument built by Napoleon Bonaparte to glorify his victories.

For the Literature Lover

Cathedral of Notre Dame

What lover of the written word has not longed to clap eyes on the inspiration for Victor Hugo’s famous novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame? French for ‘Our Lady of Paris’, Notre Dame de Paris is a Catholic cathedral and is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in all of Europe. The cathedral is free to the public and for a small fee visitors can climb to the Towers of Notre-Dame which offer a panoramic view of the city.

For the Time-Pressed Globetrotter

Open-Top Double Decker Bus Tour

For those who want to get the most out of Paris in the shortest amount of time, an open-top double decker bus tour is the way to go. Not only is this a good way to take in all the major tourist attractions of the city, it’s also a good way to get oriented with the city. One or two day passes can be purchased which allow unlimited bus access and the buses drive by over 50 major sites around Paris.

Colosoul Newest Independent Youth Magazine Perth Western Australia Reviews Lifestyle Travel - From Paris with Love