I'm back: 4 reviews

Hi! I'm back, I'm back.

Where have I been, you ask? I was writing my third year dissertation, otherwise known as my FYP (final year project). 10,000 words on a subject of my choice, worth 40% of my overall degree. Pretty important stuff!

I decided to question: "How is language abused in science fiction?"

My primary texts were Frankenstein, The Island of Doctor Moreau and Time's Arrow. The primary focus of my FYP was to examine the text of Sir Francis Galton's theory of eugenics, which suggested breeding a better race of people. The emphasis was the language he used in his theory, which was not to create a new race but to modify and improve the current race. This became particularly significant because the scientists in each text all attempt to create their own race, with disastrous consequences.

I took me 8 months to research and write this, and the last 6 weeks were ridiculous. I still feel physically exhausted, even though there was very little exercise happening. Unless eating Easter eggs count as exercise...

However, that said, I have lost another 1% body fat since February :) so now I'm 21.3%. I need to crack on now to reach my goal of 18% by July, but now I'm not living in the library or the learning cafe, I think I can do this.

So... to catch up, I'm going to write 4 little reviews.

 

Review #1:

Anna Karenina, 3/5

Starring: Jude Law as Alexei Karenin, Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina and Aaron Taylor-Wood as Count Vronsky (ginormous swoon).

Originally a novel by Leo Tolstoy and published between 1873 and 1877, this 2012 adaption is very theatrical. If you like Moulin Rouge and Romeo & Juliet, directed by Baz Luhrmann, you will probably like this film too. That said, I really like the aforementioned films, but I was disappointed with Anna Karenina. It starts as if the action is taking place on the stage, however this theme then becomes more sporadic throughout.

Anna Karenina is a complex character, and I read in an interview with Ms. Knightley that the viewer is not intended to simply like or dislike her. However, when she commits suicide, I felt nothing. I let out a genuine gasp of sadness and shock at the death of Vronsky's beautiful horse, yet when Anna throws herself in front of a train, I felt not a tiny bit of sadness.

The performances of the three main characters were outstanding, and the costumes absolutely gorgeous. Lucky Keira, getting to dress up all the time. However, the inclusion of a side-plot felt fragmented, and when the film switched between the two, I found myself just waiting to return to the plot surrounding Anna.

It was ambitious to turn 800+ pages into a 129 minute film, and I felt there was not enough time to establish the significance of the side-plot. I would watch this film again, and it is definitely worth watching, but I'm glad I waited to watch this on Sky.

 

 

Review #2:

Pitch Perfect, 2/5

Starring: Rebel Wilson, Anna Kendrick, and a lot of other people.

This film was predictable to the point of annoyance. And it took 90 minutes, out of 112, to reach an extremely obvious solution.

Beca, Anna Kendrick, goes to college and joins The Bellas, an all-female singing group. They compete against the all-boys singing group in competitions, and inevitably win at the big final.

The first annoying point about this is I've seen Kendrick play the same character twice now; that awkward, "quirky" character which somehow always comes out on top, when in fact is just plain rude. The second annoying point is that, for a comedy, this film isn't that funny. I love Rebel Wilson, and she's hilarious, but after a while I felt, "Oh here's Rebel Wilson, she'll say or do something slightly silly or rude and it's going to be funny." There were no unexpected laughs, and at points, it was just plain odd, like when one of the characters suddenly vomits in retaliation during an argument.

I won't watch this again, and I'm definitely glad I didn't go to the cinema for this!

 

 

Review #3:

Bastille, Bad Blood, 4.5/5

Believe the hype, this album is fantastic. It has two of my favourite things: intelligent lyrics and good harmonies. All of the tracks are slightly melancholy and thought-provoking, which remind me of albums such as Ed Sheeran's + and Lana Del Ray's Born To Die. Also, I had a listen to Bastille's live tracks on YouTube, and they are just as amazing live as on the album.

Top tracks: Pompeii, Things We Lost In The Fire and Bad Blood.

Tracks to avoid: personally, I find Get Home a bit irritating.

This is the perfect album for both quiet-time and sing-a-longs, and I strongly recommend buying this ASAP.

 

 

Review #4:

Taylor Swift, Red, 3/5

This album is very pop, with catchy sing-a-longs and a couple of ballads. I particularly enjoy the songs where you can hear Swift's country music influences, and the lyrics in her songs are (slightly) more grown up than her previous album, Fearless.

Top tracks: Red, I Knew You Were Trouble, 22, and Holy Ground.

Tracks to avoid: All Too Well and I Almost Do. These get very whiney.

This is a girly, fun album, with some real gems, but sometimes her voice is a little grating.

 

xxxxx

Happy Easter

Morning! Happy Easter Sunday.

 

I'm sorry my blog has been a sad and lonely place recently, once I've finished my dissertation I'll catch up with the million things I was supposed to blog about and explain exactly why I've abandoned my not-so-hideous progeny (that will make sense when I explain my dissertation).

 

Anyway, have a lovely Sunday, whatever you get up to.

 

xxxxx

The New Forest Running Festival, 9th March 2013

OK, so I know I owe two posts not about fitness, but I just want to tell you about the 10K Mark (running buddy) and I ran on the 9th March.

It was at Linwood in the New Forest, at the Red Shoot campsite; I know the New Forest reasonably well but this area is particularly beautiful. I ran the women's-only 5K last year (and won - which surprised everyone!) and enjoyed the atmosphere, set-up, and area so much I've decided I'm going to take part in this event every year I can.

The Sunday before the event, Mark and I had a particularly tiresome run; we managed 18 minutes before needing a walk. We both said we weren't ready to run a 10K (6 miles) but as it's such a lovely area and a well-organised event, it would be a nice break for both of us, and with no expectations, my father kindly took us down there on Saturday 9th.

The race started at 10.30, so we set ourselves up at the back and prepared for a casual, but challenging, run. We managed a successful 42 minutes before I needed a quick walk break, but we only gave ourselves 2 minutes before setting off again. The course itself was undulating, mostly on tracks, but there were no inclines longer than half a kilometre (according to the website). It wasn't particularly warm that day, which I prefer if I'm running longer than 3 miles, but we were soon sweating it out with another couple, who we incidentally paired up with because our paces were very similar. I've read numerous times that you should aim to follow a runner in front of you to keep a good pace, so it was helpful to know how we were doing because we seemed to be either slightly behind or slightly in front of this couple.

The final half mile was a killer; we had to run past the finish line, up a hill and back around. I needed another quick walk because of a stitch, no more than 30 seconds, but we still came in at 59 minutes 25 seconds!

We were both really, really 'chuffed' with this time; it was the first 10K either of us had ever run, and given our lack of training beforehand, we were really happy with this time.

I love this event for several reasons, aside from the fact I’ve done well the two times I've participated; it's really well-organised with a lovely, friendly atmosphere. There were dogs everywhere, as people could run with them, and I thoroughly enjoyed fussing a 9 1/2 week old black lab puppy (I took photos - dog nerd). My housemate even asked how I had time to run if I was busy petting everyone’s dogs.

I love dogs. So much. Mark’s partner has 9.

We were given a commemorative t-shirt, Clif bar, details of upcoming events, and a wooden medal for participating, and there were a couple of stalls where one could purchase running-related products. I did buy some Reflex energy drinks, which I’ll review in good time (after my final year project for University). My father also surprised me with a ‘Keep Calm and Go For a Run’ t-shirt and a ‘I <3 Running’ t-shirt. Thanks Daddy!

I would definitely recommend this event; there are several races suitable for every level, taking place over two days, including a women’s only 5K and half marathon, open 10K and half marathon, and ultra marathon. The organisers are really accessible over email if you have any queries and the atmosphere is perfect if you suffer badly from pre-race nerves. There’s a debriefing before each race and the Red Shoot pub is divine, so perfect bribery for spectators J

The event organisers are Naked Strength and the event is The New Forest Running Festival:

http://nakedstrength.co.uk/

The Last Time I EVER Ride A Bike

I'm back in France at the moment, visiting my boyf, although sadly only until tomorrow afternoon - cue uncontrolled sobbing for six hours on le bateau home.

 

He absolutely loves cycling and belongs to a club and competes etc. I, however, have never been a fan of the humble bicycle; outside my old house, I used to cycle up one end of the road, get off, turn the bike around, and cycle back. I learnt to ride a bike properly around 7, then a couple of years later was cycling with my brother and his friend Kevin, and they said:

 

"Take your hands of the handlebars, you'll be fine, it's really easy!"

 

FATAL ERROR.

 

I distinctly remember falling off. And going into the house with two very sore hands, probably in a sulk.

 

But today I thought it might be nice to go for a cycle, as boyf lives in a lovely area and I really wanted to move ma bodyy. How naive; I couldn't get on the thing at first, then boyf gave me a push which was scary enough, then I wobbled all over the road, then I fell to one side because I went off the road, then I couldn't stop because I wasn't holding the handlebars correctly (I mean, how hard can it be????). Boyf had to cycle in front of me and grab the bike, while I shrieked "Help me, help me, I can't stop, help me!". Tres embarressing.

 

I actually hate cycling. It hurt my bumbum, I had no control, I felt unsafe and I'm so bad at it. So, I'm never going to cycle again. Horse riding is much safer and a pony is much easier to control!

 

The next two posts are not fitness related, as I have two reviews to put up: Pitch Perfect and Anna Karenina.

Until then, au revoir

xxxxxx

Pulsin' Products

Morning one and all.

A couple of weeks ago, I went into my local GNC to pick up a couple of Bounce bars after one of the best and sweatiest workouts of my life (new favourite move: deadlifts. I'm only up to 20kg but my aim after 18% body fat is to be able to deadlift 50kg).

While browsing the vegan aisle, I came across Pulsin' bars. I picked up: Energy Bomb! Raw Choc, Maple and Peanut Protein, Protein Sport Maple Peanut Crisp and Raw Choc Brownie. I also picked up some Pulsin' protein: Hemp powder and Pea powder.

Here are my thoughts:

Energy Bomb! Raw Choc - Vegan

Super, super yum. Tasted similar to a Cocoa Nakd bar. I won't repeat the product description, because you can find that online (I'll upload the link at the end of this post), but the important details are:

188 calories, 3.2 grams of protein, 28.2 grams of carbs, 7.4 grams of fat and 2 grams of fibre.

I would, and have, bought this again, because even if you aren't exercising that day it's a healthier option for a cheeky chocolatey snack. It's delicious, and whether you're hitting the library for a hardcore dissertation session or hitting the gym, it's a really good snack for before and/or after. So if you break a mental or physical sweat, this is a good source of energy to have with you!

Maple and Peanut Protein - Vegan

I wasn't thrilled with this bar. It had a strange, powdery taste, which was disappointing as I'm sure you agree maple and peanut sounds like a winning combination. The details are:

226 calores, 12.1 grams of protein, 16.8 grams of carbs, 11.9 grams of fat and 4.5 grams of fibre.

This bar is probably better for a gym workout because of the higher protein content, and it is recommended as a recovery bar, however I haven't bought this again because it tasted quite bland.

Protein Sport Maple Peanut Crisp - Vegetarian

This bar was slightly less bland-tasting than Maple Peanut Protein, and had yummy crispy bits in which made a nice texture change from the other bar.

210 calories, 15.1 grams of protein, 18.6 grams of carbs, 7.6 grams of fat. There are no fibre details online, and as I threw the wrapper away, I can't inform you.

I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this again, mostly because I prefer the two chocolately flavours, but I wouldn't be sad if it was the only healthy snack option available post-workout. The high protein content makes it extremely viable for a workout snack, so if you're deciding between this bar and Maple and Peanut Protein, I'd pick this one.

Raw Choc Brownie - Vegan

The shop assistant raved about these to me when I was browsing, and I have to say he was so right - this is the single most delicious healthy snack I've ever eaten. Yum yum and thrice yum. I have already bought more of these, and they are another reason to look forward to Gym Mondays.

200 calories, 4.3 grams of protein, 27 grams of carbs, 8.8 grams of fat, 2.2 grams of fibre.

Everyone and their nan should try one of these. They are super delicious, and I love that there are whole almonds in this. A pleasant surprise when taking a bite is getting a whole almond with it, in my view. Unless you're allergic to nuts, in which case, not so good.

Hemp Protein Powder

I wanted to try a different form of protein; however, I will not be using anymore of this. I also intend to take the Pea protein back. It is pretty gross, and when I added some to my porridge, it looked like something Shrek sneezed out.

Annoyingly, when I went back to GNC, the shop assistant told me that the Hemp is mostly carbs anyway – the complete opposite to what I want.

Overall, I’m happy with my purchases, and would recommend Pulsin’ bars. I need to find my receipt to tell you how much I paid for everything, so I’ll come back later and append the prices J

xxxxxxxxx

http://www.pulsin.co.uk/

Drinking

So I was compiling a semi-interesting post this week about some new snacks I've been trying out, when an incident last night prompted me to write this post.

 

It's about drinking, and not the healthy water kind.

 

I'm not here to preach or pretend that I'm a perfect drunk, but after a couple of bad incidences with vodka, I've been successfully avoiding disastrous nights (caused by myself) by taking the responsible choice not to drink vodka anymore. I'm still at Uni, and drinking is obviously a big part of the culture; with a vodka lemonade around £1.50 at the Student Union, it's very easy for hard-up students to have a few whilst out partying.

 

However, after an incident last night with a boy (I hesitate to say man because, while an adult, his conduct defies being able to be defined as such) who consistantly behaves unacceptably while drunk. And I'm not talking a bit silly, a bit annoying, but otherwise manageable. I mean strange; taking photos of girls without them knowing, following girls around and standing uncomfortably close for no reason, being aggressive, being antagonist, and staring for long periods of time at girls without moving. Doesn't that sound like a horrible way to spend an evening, being targeted by someone who makes me feel that I would genuinely fear for the safety of myself and my friends if they were alone with him?

 

Unfortunately last night this is exactly what happened, and the worst part was the excuse:

"He's just drunk."

 

No, he's not just drunk. He's taken the decision to get drunk, knowing his behaviour is frequently criticised as being inappropriate, and I am yet to see him behaviour appropriately when drunk.

 

I won't say much more, except it's time that people stopped using this as an excuse.

If you know you can be a bad drinker, why do you still do it? You ruin your night, your friends night, and probably upset people you don't even know. I recognise from my own behaviour that I would rather keep my friends than have a few drinks.

 

I'm 23 this August, and I feel that the time really has passed for making stupid drunken mistakes. Of course I love going out on a Wednesday and dancing like a crazy person with my housemates, but I also know that I don't like the feeling of waking up and having to ask, "What happened last night? Did I upset anyone last night?"

 

So all I'm asking is that please, please be responsible when you drink. You're an adult, and no one else can take responsibility for your behaviour anymore, it really is down to you.

 

xxxxxxx

Quick post: Body Fat update

Just wanted to post a quick update to share my good news: had my body fat taken at the gym yesterday and it's gone down from 25% (taken in September) to 22.19%!

 

I'm so delighted with this result. It's taken nearly 4 months, but it makes me feel like my 18% goal for July is reachable.

 

xxxx