Trains

I love to travel, and I love to travel on the train; but every journey gives me a sudden sense of fear.

"Am I on the right train?" "Is this the right stop?" "I'm never going to make it to the other platform before my next train leaves."

These are only a few of the sudden doubts I have in my own capability as a functioning human being.

I sit on the train waiting for the voice above to state the train's destination with my fingers crossed, praying mine is among those mentioned. Never have I found myself on the wrong train but the panic sets in everytime.

Even sitting here now writing this. I dread the horrors that await me at Birmingham New Street, when boarding the train home. I wish my route from Derby avoided New Street altogether. Everytime someone makes me want to yell: "HELLO!! I am here, clearly you didn't notice my five foot eight build and bright blue suitcase until you knocked me over." The best is, these people then have the nerve to moan about me, even though I tried to avoid the oncoming crowds.

Then more panic; "has the time spent being trampled made me late for my train?" "Have I missed it?" Just the other day a situation similar to this nearly made me miss my connecting service. I sat in the seat by the door absolutely seething, trying to catch my breath before the fear set in that I had to remember when to get off.

I sit and stare at the beautiful countryside scenery flying past the window; noone can see the terror or imagine the whirlwind tearing through my insides. I sit here quietly, I take in everything around me; speak when spoken to, smile when smiled at, but noone can sense the fear.

On a trainful of people I can't be the only one worried about ending up in the wrong destination. It can't just be me.

The Job Market...

It is absolutely impossible to find a job in this day and age, especially if you're a student. Since starting university I have found it impossible. Yet in my local Poundland there are about 6 young people who work for around six weeks to get their benefits. Okay, so it's free staff for Poundland but the kids don't realise they're working for about £1.80 an hour.

Is it not obvious that the reason there are not any jobs is because there are scroungers being forced to work for their peanuts. Yet we have students looking for work because we can't seek benefits and are supposed to live off loans even though we're trying to better ourselves for future careers.

To top all this off, there are thousands of students graduating every year from universities up and down the country;but once graduated only a small percentage get a job in a career which their degree is suitable.

As a budding journalist I plan on not relying on just a degree but on my writing, enthusiasm and perserverance.

The competiveness for the jobs that are out their has made me realise, if I want to get where I want to be then I need to focus now; enter competitions, do as much work experience as I can and just write for the sake of writing.

But until then the search for a summer job continues.

Love or Hate? Music...

It's not very often you find a person who doesn't say that they are passionate about music or don't have a favourite music artist.

I love music as much as the next person but I hate being forced to listen to other people's crap loudly through the wall at stupid o'clock at night. Call me old, call me miserable, I really don't give two hoots. When I'm trying to sleep I don't want to hear your noise. Same goes first thing in the morning. I'm perfectly happy in silence, sipping my morning brew; I do not need someone to either be "blasting the tunes" next door or someone putting the music channels on the TV. If I'm sitting in front of a television set which is off then guess what...that is how I want it, OFF!!! First thing in the morning I do not want to see Rihanna shaking her booty all over my screen and I do not want to hear Akon exclaiming that he just had sex in the early hours of Sunday morning. And do not, I repeat, do not start me on people who blare their music out on the bus. If I don't like your music and the fact I can't, then the same goes for the 60 something lady two seats infront.

I, like thousands of others love a beat to dance to and there is a time and place for that. And it isn't in the quiet of night when normal people are trying to sleep or relax. On a morning I'd invite you to put on the TV if you so wish, just ask first and make sure it's something relaxing and simple, if not just keep it switched off. If you want to listen to your music, keep it to yourself, its why apple created Ipods.

All in all, I love music, but so long as it is what I want to hear, when I want to hear it.

Ballet Review- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Well, it's been a long time since I last watched ballet, and even longer since I went to the ballet. I remember sitting in the audience as a dance student a number of years ago and admiring the plies and pirouettes throughout the production of The Nutcracker.

Today I sat admiring the effort which went into the Royal Ballet production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland created by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. It was marvellous, spectacular and magical, but was made truly unique with the use of effects, especially when showing Alice's changing size after eating and drinking.

The stars of this production are truly amazing at what they do, although I personally missed the Queen of Hearts shouting "Off with your head" as depicted in many other performances of the Lewis Carroll novel, but as ballet as no speech I will let them off.

Any cultured individual, or anyone who fancies a change from their usual television viewings should definately take a peek on the BBC iplayer to see what they are missing.

DVD Review- Rhod Gilbert...

... & The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst.

Rhod Gilbert is once again phenomenal in his 2010 live show. There's just something about an angry Welsh man that gives you the giggles. Its rant after rant from the word go, just what you expect from the man of the hour.

The show is basically Gilbert explaining why he named the show this unusual title, general factors that anger him and the consequences of his anger.

Some how no matter what he says you can't help but laugh. He tears his audience apart, insults the Scottish, discusses how complicated it is shopping for hoovers, explains his split from his girlfriend, moans about washing machines and looks back at his childhood through hypnotherapy at anger management. It's impressive how he links all his stories together at the end, he's certainly one clever man.

I honestly don't think we stopped laughing for the whole show, typical day-to-day tasks are hysterical in Gilbert's life. Absolutely hilarious.

This follow his incredible "Award Winning Mince Pie" DVD, which included his infamous rant about duvets and togs. I recommend watching out for his work, just pop on youtube and catch a couple of minutes and judge for yourself.

International Women's Day

Its that time of the year again when we acknowledge that women should be treated equally to men. The rest of the year is what exactly? All Mens' Days.

The Suffragettes fought for what they believed in and got their voices heard in however way they could. They won the women's right to vote in 1928 and the gap between men's and women's salaries is still slowly shrinking. Although this is true, there are still many issues in existance that do not support the theory that women are now man's equal.

There are women all over the world who are subject to poverty. In many poorer countries young girls do not receive the privilage of education and many more women are illiterate than men, in fact around 66 per cent of the illiterate population are women. There are very few women in parliaments around the world and even at the home women still generally carry out the domestic tasks (not all homes of course).

It is not only freedom or power or money which will prove equality, but many women still experience sexism at work. Sexist remarks such as those made recently by commentators Andy Gray and Richard Keys are where society also fails to acknoewledge that men and women should be treated equally. In 2011 Women should not be downgraded.

Some will argue this is from a feminists perspective and that as a feminist I believe that women should be better than men, and have more power than men etc, etc, etc. This is not what it mean to be feminist. It is merely the belief that both socially, politically and economically women and men should be equal.

And to open up another can of worms altogether, in the media, when women do get air time, they are generally younger women, those who are supposedly more pleasing to watch. You rarely see older women hosting television programmes, unless its the middle of the day and your watching Loose Women. And why is Loose Women on in the middle of the day? Because it is a show aimed at women, and persumably due to the equality that doesn't exist women are more likely to be at home during this time of the day to watch women's TV.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled we can vote and can make nearly as much money as men, but there are still plenty of changes which can be made. It may be the 100th celebration of International Women's Day, but heres hoping that in the future we will have more to celebrate like education rights around the world and more female MPs, or in an ideal world maybe even be able to celebrate this equality all year round.

Film Review- The Pianist

Wow... What an emotional film that was. I remember watching it in like year 8 at school for a history lesson, it was not half as hard hitting then. The suffering and heart ache the Polish Jewish citizens went through was just shocking.

The film follows a pianist on Polish radio throughout the war, from when his family leaves for the ghetto to when their sent to work camp, followed by his escape and survival throughout the most terrfying 6 years imaginable. Szpilman (played by Adrian Brody) hides, works, escapes, hides, relocates and hides some more throughout the course of the war after being spared scenes of the Nazi death camps.

Directed by Roman Polanski, famous for directing 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'The Ninth Gate', has certainly captured the fear felt by the victims of the Nazi villians. It is definately on the list of war films to see before you die, but be ready to see the pain and torture people went through during World War Two.