Photos of May

Here is a selection of pics from the last few weeks. I’ve had some fantastic times recently. The long weekend in May was spent on an island called Geoje. I met a lot of great new people and took in my surroundings the only way you can, by playing drinking games and rounder’s on the beach. (We broke the bat about ten minutes after playing but we still had a fantastic time)

Here are also some photos from my School sports day. I love photography but I’m not a natural and I fall down every time at the editing stage. I have a lovely friend here who is going to come out for a photo day with me and then show me the secrets of editing. Her photos are brilliant and it’s definitely something I’d love to do in the future so any help is welcome.

Enjoy x

Currently

Reading

I have finally started to get into my Cecila Ahern book ‘100 names’. I love her books so much but I’m trying to not devour it too quickly as I have a holiday coming up and no other English books to occupy my time. You can’t have a beach holiday without a good girlie book after all.

Listening

Although I’m not a fan of the film I have been listening to a lot of the Gatsby album. Normally this just leads to me listening to ‘Big Band’ music for hours on end. I love big band music. It’s such a full and enjoyable sound. It makes me wish I was on a stage somewhere singing my heart out.

Eating

Rubbish! Cooking here is so expensive compared to eating out. It makes a lot more sense for me to just go to take away places but near my house I only have one or two and I’m completely sick of it. I am craving Chinese food from home. Mmmmm actual black bean sauce !

Drinking

Anything but beer. One on a Friday is fantastic but after a long weekend of nothing but Cass and Hite (two bottom of the rung Korean beer brands) I am craving Sangria, wine, cocktails and anything that’s not ass flavor. Plus I have put on so much weight since arriving in Korea. All the girls have and I’m sure it’s the beer effect. Most girls here like beer but would get something else at home whereas here its so cheap that it’s the main option (plus the excessive amount of going out we happen to do doesn’t help).

I have been dreaming of pretty champagne floats filled with prosecco. I am planning that my summer holiday will be filled with prosecco and coconut cocktails, well a girl can dream.

Watching

I’m still well and truly hooked on ‘Louie’. I think Louis C.K is one of the funniest men around and definitely the greatest dad on television. All kids deserve a dad that funny and switched on.

I have also become addicted to ‘How I Met Your Mother’. The people here love the show so it’s been hard to only slightly understand their references (as I’ve seen it on telly a lot but never dedicated myself to the ‘mother’ cause). It’s really romantic and silly but a great evening viewing.

Doing

Trying and failing to get my Iphone to work in Korea. The hassle I have had has been stupidly ridiculous. I have a contract now but it still isn’t working. I know there’s a fix out there somewhere but hell if I can find it. I have already wasted a good few hours making it work and I’m almost ready to call it quits. Fingers crossed I will crack it this weekend.

Thinking

I am trying to stop thinking. I have spent the last few years forever worrying. What about this person? What will happen? Are they ok? It’s exhausting. I have spent a great deal of time over the last few years with a knot in my stomach that makes me feel ill so I’m happy to finally feel I’m letting go of all that stress. I haven’t made everyone happy and I definitely haven’t always known my own mind but here I am happy and ready to relax so thinking is being pushed to the back burner. I am a here and now person (well at least for this week).

Looking forward to

BUSAN! It’s a Korean beach city that was my first choice of location when I was moving here. I decided on Daegu as a 2nd choice and I’m so glad I did as I love it here but I can’t wait to see the famous beach city. We are all going for a long weekend that we have coming up here in Korea. (Long weekends. I love you.)

There is a sandcastle festival and a concert on the beach in the evening as well as some fireworks. I think its going to be a great weekend.

Undecided

There are few things in this world that make me happier than listening to old music and getting dressed up in vintage clothes (except maybe drinking fancy cocktails and dancing my socks off with friends to said music).

Charleston done right!

Greta the original 1920's beauty

  

So when I heard that the Great Gatsby was being made into a film I was over the moon. I was annoyed that the decks would be filled with 1920's lovers who had never known of its existence before the movie but I would put up with it for an excuse to sit in a cinema and listen to some big band tunes.

 

Polaroid of my favorite person and I dressed for a 1920's party

 Unfortunately that's not what happened.



In Korea this film has just come out so I understand I am slightly behind on the times but...It was so bad!

It completely missed out on its greatest asset. The environment. It took an elegant yet crazy time and turned it into a modern hip hop rave.  The flash colors and tacky gold made the strong art deco look tacky and blingy. I understand where Baz Lurman was trying to go with this but unfortunately I think he missed a trick.



The saving grace for this film was some great acting from Leo (who I'm normally not a fan of ) and this one song:

GATSBY

 





If the whole film had been modern music done by big bands I think it would have been perfect.
I'm not saying it was the worst film in the world or anything as films are quite rare in cinemas out here but I was disappointed that I didn't get to see some of the things I associate with the beautiful 20's. You did get to see men in impeccable suits which is always a reason to stare at a screen.

I suppose you might have to tip your hat to Baz Lurman for some how making the Charleston look like rave dancing. I still don't really get how he did that?! It was an inventive film but slightly missed the mark.

My advice to anyone who liked this film would be to read the book and start researching the actual 20's as you are in for a treat.





I have to admit though that I did leave the film wanted to cut my hair into this 1920's bob. A little extreme but amazing if you could pull it off (damn you Mulligan).

A beautiful moment continued....

A few months ago before leaving for Korea I was at home packing when I had a few missed calls from my brother.

My brother is 4 years younger than me and a fantastic guy. He has managed to look after my little family and put up with all of us girls for years. He has probably seen more girlie films than a man should have.

His missed calls worried me instantly as I worry anytime I have a few calls from a family member so I urgently rang him back. He has his cheeky voice on which has been reserved for Christmas mornings when he gives me crazy presents. When he was 12 he gave me a box in a box in a box ending up with just a light bulb.

Anyway this cheeky brother of mine gave me some exciting news. He was going to ask his girlfriend to marry him.

I am not married myself and I don’t think it will happen any time soon but I was over the moon. My heart leapt into my throat and I danced.

Meg his girlfriend is the loveliest lady. She is from Seattle and has been loved by my family from the second we have met her.

I think we knew we loved her when she accidently hit a toy sheep and whispered ‘sorry; to it. She was instantly good enough for my brother.

I had dreamed of things like this moment. I think you imagine the day your brother or sister will be married or what the person they are with will be like so to have that phone call took my breath away.

I had only dreamed he would care enough to tell me. Let alone ring me and tell me in advance. I have spent months excitedly waiting to hear the details. I knew he was going to hire a photographer, that he’d asked her Dad’s permission and that he was flying to Seattle. Her visa to move to Britain should be finalized in July and I can’t wait to hear how she spends time with my lovely family.

That email (at 3am) ‘She said yes’ made my heart sing and I couldn’t have been happier.

I know that the future is unknown and that the world can be hard on people but I am so glad they have each other. I hope they spend every day remembering that they wake up for that other person and that they are made stronger by that other person and never put down or made to feel small.

I hope my brother makes her as happy as she deserves to be and vice versa. Life’s to short to not spend every day making someone happy.

I think my brother will be a fantastic husband and Meg will make a fantastic Mrs Vincent 

My brother and I

The beautiful Meg and Craig

The sweetest couple

A Beautiful moment

This is the smallest post in the world to say something I can't hold in anymore.
My brother sent me the best email I've ever recieved last night.

It said:

"She said Yes"

I cried and danced . I just had to share with you all this happy news.
I will write about it all in more detail but to one of the greatest men I know on this earth, my brother, I couldn't be happier for you and my soon to be sister xxxx

So long 26

As I near the end of what has been a whirlwind of a year it is easy to forget how much has happened in a such a short time.

I think this year has been one of the biggest upheavals I’ve ever faced and yet it has felt smooth.

This time last year I was living in North London. I spent my evenings in an office animating my heart out and praying that my contract would be extended. I spent my weekend absorbed in pretty vintage clothes shops and lazing around in parks but I still pined for travel.

Moving to live in Korea was obviously one of the biggest choices I made in the year but so much amazing stuff has happened.

I thought I would spend a little time recapping some of my favorite moments of my 26^th year on this lovely planet:

 

. Moving to Korea

. Visiting Rome

. Visiting Scotland
. Brighton

. Drinks at the London Piano bar

. Drinks on the Thames

. Burlesque classes

. Kpop classes

. Making new friends from all over the world

. Snow Day

. Picnic’s in Regents Park

. Seeing the Queens jubilee

. V&A costume exhibition

. Grease Future Cinema with my girls

. Celebrating Steph’s engagement

. Leaving party with the Bridgend boys

. Random night in London with Bowditch

. House party in Kentish town

. Learning to bake a chocolate cake

. Learning to bake fudge

. Seeing the Crazy Horse

. St Patricks day for the Grand Slam

. Christmas at home.

. Driving to Wales with a very full car

. Can I list Rome again?

. Turning up to a run down ruin of a hotel in Greece

. Buying my camera

. Drinking Prosecco alone in heels at Heathrow airport.

. Boxing classes with my Norwegian power house of a friend Randi

. balling my eyes out at the Casablanca future cinema

. Dinner with Jacky before leaving Wales

. Sunday dinners and hugs with my Grampy Jack

. Cupcakes with my sister

. Dancing all night with many crazy Italians and home made prosecco

. Dying hair blonde for 3 days

. A very special and important phone call I had from my brother

. Watching ‘It’s a wonderful life’ in the cinema.

. Drinks in the Savoy

. Learning to wear skyscraper heels

. Embracing red lipstick

.Getting massive glasses

. Being a published writer.

. Interviewing a Dreamworks director.

.Seeing Danny Devito

.Finally feeling happy in my own skin.

Favorite film: It’s a Wonderful Life

Favorite song: either ‘Call me maybe’ or ‘Gangnam Style’ (just because you can’t not smile when they are on)

Favorite drink: Prosecco or homemade eggnog

Favorite food: Crumbly fudge or Stuffed crust salami and cheese London local pizza

Saddest moment: walking away from Jess in the tube station or realizing I’ll miss Christmas this year...also my camera broke so I have a lack of pictures for the year.

Happiest moment: too many to count but dancing in that Roman bar with my favorite person to Nat King Cole ‘quesas quesas quesas’ is up there.

Main thing I’ve learnt: It’s okay to be me.

26 was a great year and I learnt a lot.

Namly that I am a stress head, travelling isn't hard once you commit and also that squid goes well with wine.I can't wait to see what 27 has to offer.