Okay, so my life over the last 24 hours:

Attended work Christmas party. Wore selected outfit (thank you all for your input!). I met up with some work colleagues before we arrived at the banquet hall, and we got a taxi there. Drunk quite a lot of different things, as it was all free, and I kept putting my drink down or leaving it somewhere so then I'd just go get something else. Lots of dancing.

Weirdness ensued when the guy (let's call him Mr Kiss-and-Run) who kissed me at my last work function started talking to me (and we haven't spoken since that night - not intentionally, we just don't really work in the same area) about how he was trying to fix his friend up with a girl he knows in another department. That friend? The Crush. Yuh-huh. I mean, sure, I have a crush on The Crush, but I'm not heartbroken or anything and to be honest, I'm no catch and I never pretended it was a real option. So hilariously, I end up talking to the Crush about his crush (she doesn't know he exists?), and he figures out who told me, and said that Mr Kiss-and-Run only meddles in other people's love lives because he is unhappy with his own. I didn't know what he meant by that, so asked, and he said, Kiss-and-Run had a long term girlfriend, but "hasn't realised he is unhappy yet". LMAO, you guys. My male work colleagues are so deep. Also this whole thing is a bit too close to the bone, so I need to stay well away from this one!

Went out for a little while afterwards, but it was kind of boring, and we mostly just ended up wandering around Tower Hill looking for somewhere to go, and it was wet and raining and most of the people I wanted to hang out with had gone home, so I got the night bus home. But of course, I drunk dialled my mother while waiting for the bus. I AM SO PREDICTABLE. I don't really recall much of what we talked about, but whatever.

ANYWAY

I'm kind of glad that I wasn't out super-late (or early really) last night (I did get home about 2.30am), because I had to get up this morning to get to Twickenham to see the All Blacks play the Barbarians. Went with Julie and her brother John.

Of course, the All Black team was pretty blah, because they were playing all their second/third string players, and so there were pretty much no first line All Blacks playing, apart from the captain (ahh Richie McCaw ♥), and one or two others, so unsurprisingly we LOST. Which is not cool because New Zealand rugby fans are not used to losing, and we're not good at it. I'm from a generation of kids that grew up with an All Blacks team that never ever lost, and even now, they are the number one team in the world. The Barbarians did play well, I admit, and we did play like rubbish (second string, I tell you!) and we were surrounded by English people who had basically come to take glee out of the fact that a team had beaten New Zealand. Because the Barbarians aren't even an English team - they are like a "Rest of the World" that featured maybe one English player, so the rest of the stadium basically just enjoyed the novelty of saying "haha, someone beat New Zealand". SIGH. I've never attended an All Blacks game where they have lost, and I DO NOT LIKE THE FEELING, CLEARLY.

However, watching the haka in person is always amazing. Seriously. It always looks fabulous on TV, but seeing it is person is ten times better. The English guy beside me said to me afterwards "I had no idea it was so loud". LOL.

If you haven't seen the New Zealand/All Black haka, you really should watch it. Or I could say you will be watching a video of buff men in tiny shorts. It's awesome.

I totally want to go home for the 2011 Rugby World Cup though. ♥ Am seriously considering planning a holiday home around that time.

Anyway, managed to get home this evening after the epic train journey back, and now have plans to curl up in bed for the rest of the night for some friends list reading, TV show watching, etc. I'm kind of not in a great mood, for various reasons, so I think I just need the chill out time.

This week's questions were suggested by versailles_rose.

iTunes Five

1. What song do you play the most?
2. What song do you play the least?
3. What's the last song you added?
4. What's your favorite playlist?
5. What kind of iPod (or MP3 player) do you have?


Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers.

If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so here:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/thefridayfive/1466.html

Old sets that were used have been deleted, so please feel free to suggest some more! Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going.

Excuse this entry, because I'm just going to dork out a little bit!

Just spent the last hour and a bit enjoying Jim Parson's webcam chat, where he sat in front of his computer and answered questions that were being typed at him at a million miles per hour by fans. He was very patient and sweet, and just as lovely and charming as he always appears to be, and tried to answer as much as possible, despite some of the crazies!

I got to ask him a question about what show he could like to guest star on (he couldn't decide), and at another stage he confirmed (although I missed this part - my internet was being wacky) that he had been directed to jimparsons.net and that he really loved the site. Which made my fangirl/co-webmistress heart go all squishy inside. It was never a big concern of mine that he knew of its existence, because it is a fansite, however it is the only one out there, and the most comprehensive, so it is really cool to know that he's visited and liked it. :D

Yeah, I'm fangirling, but I'm trying to hide it.

He also sung us 'Soft Kitty'. Yeah, he is just that awesome.

I feel like I am behind in everything. I have lots of little things to get done tonight (including... dying my hair), but instead I'm here checking my flist and just letting myself chill out a bit.

Last night, I went with a group of friends to a play/musical that Dani's friend was performing in. It was some sort of sixties music fest thing, and it was kind of simultaneously hilarious (bad wigs), and kind of fun, with lots of groovy sixties dancing and some really good singing. I kind of ended up enjoying it, even though I find it intensely uncomfortable watching someone I know perform like that. I don't know. I guess because although I'm a confident person (relatively), I'm not that kind of confident, and so I feel mortified on their behalf, even if they are really good (which he was). It did mean we got home super late because it was on the other side of London.

Tomorrow is my Christmas party, and I'm all sorted. Obviously just have to do basic beauty maintanence tonight as I'm not going to have time to do it tomorrow, considering I have to get home and get ready and am meeting my friend at 7pm. So hair must be washed and blow dried, nail polish touched up, eyebrows plucked - you know, all those girlie things. But at least I'm all sorted with the shoes, and the bag, and the jewellery and stuff. I hate leaving that stuff until the last minute. I've also found a way of injecting some colour into my predominantly black/gold outfit. I bought this awesome patent deep red clutch with gold studding which matches amazingly, and gives me the little bit of ZING I think I was needing. Am happy! Also am clearly turning into a British girl, because I've never put this much thought into an outfit before. At home, girls like to dress up but we are much more relaxed about compiling an "outfit". British girls (or the ones that I've mostly known) tend to buy complete "outfits" rather than working with what they have. I feel I'm getting the hang of the culture!

Also, I still have to watch Glee, and do a few other things online, so it is all getting added to the list. I'm probably going to be somewhat AWOL until late Saturday or even Sunday, considering I have to drag myself out of bed on Saturday to get to Twickenham to see the All Blacks. But hey, it was an opportunity that couldn't be missed.

I also have to eat at some stage. How inconvenient.

Last night I went to see Speaking in Tongues with dexterette and lama_not_llama at the Duke of York theatre. I didn't know much about the play going in, because hello, John Simm - I'm sold - however, I was impressed with both the cast and the narrative, and the intriguing duplication of key scenes where two stories would be going on simultaneously between two couples, about almost the same situation and scenario, and how the dialogue dipped and weaved and mimicked and came together. Really clever stuff.

Got to get the four main cast members' autographs after show (Ian Hart - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Dirt, The Virgin Queen), Kerry Fox (Kiwi actress, An Angel at my Table, Bright Star), Lucy Cohu (Torchwood, Becoming Jane, Cape Wrath), and of course John Simm (Doctor Who, Life on Mars, State of Play, The Devil's Whore). They were all really lovely, and obliging, which was great. The play is about to finish its run soon, but I'm very glad I got to see it.

I'm super super excited to be seeing The Misanthrope soon as well. To be honest, I'm more excited about seeing Damian Lewis, than Keira Knightley, and I'm one of those rare people who actually like Keira Knightley, heh.

Bought some shoes to go with my dress today - I ended up buying the ones I linked in the entry. I did honestly go looking for something funky and brightly coloured, but I couldn't find anything! Everything I found in store was mostly really muted colours, or silver - there was nothing really vivid at all. Clearly not the fashion at the moment. Otherwise they had that awful stacked heel effect, which I hate. I'm tall enough and don't need the addition of that added part, thanks. Either way, these shoes look pretty damn awesome on, so I'm pleased actually.

Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to see another play - a musical - but tonight I'm just enjoying being able to chill out. Although I'm annoyed because practically ever show I watch is on some kind of hiatus at the moment. SIGH.

Sorry, guys. I didn't love Glorious 39.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad or awful or anything. I think I was just expecting something different and/or better. Firstly, the trailer gives the impression of a film about war conspiracy and government secrets, which it is in part, but ultimately this aspect ends up feeling totally unexplored and rather shallow, and not even all that threatening. I really didn't feel the atmosphere or tension that I expect from a war-era film, and I guess that let things down for me.

Secondly, the end of the story felt way to far fetched, strange, and too heavy handed. I like Stephen Poliakoff's work a lot (Perfect Strangers, Friends and Crocodiles) but Glorious 39 just felt like it was trying too hard to "twist" at the end, and overall that part didn't work for me, because it just really wasn't all that convincing.

When it comes down to it, the main reason to see this would be for the excellent cast which reads like a who's who of great British working actors, and I certainly can't fault anyone at all in that regard. Romola Garai was especially wonderful, but the characters suffer at the hands of a disappointing script and strange almost jarring narrative. I was however very impressed by the cinematography and definitely the costumes. War-era costuming is just beautiful if done right, and this was very visual in that regard.

As I said, it certainly wasn't bad by any means, but I found it difficult to make much of an emotional connection to the story or the characters. Probably didn't help that the last movie I saw at the cinema was Bright Star which was gorgeous on every single level.

I'd say go and watch Atonement again instead.

[trailer]

My thought pattern over the last few days has been terribly predictable:

"I should go do something. I should go and do that shoe shopping I've been meaning to do."
"Oh, but it is so cold looking outside. I'll stay in bed a bit longer."
"Okay, I should get up. It is getting kind of late."
"But I need to watch White Collar."
"Okay, I'll watch White Collar, and then I'll go out."
"Mmm, Matt Bomer is gorgeous."
"Oh hi people on MSN! It is awesome to talk to you too! I guess I could go shoe shopping tomorrow. I have no other plans, and it is warm inside."
"Good idea!"

(next day)

"Yes! I will be productive and awesome today, and get up and get ready to go."
"Oh no. It is raining. I'll wait for the rain to stop."
"It doesn't look like it is going to stop."
"But you promised yourself you would go and buy shoes!"
"But I'd have to go out in the rain to get there, and that is just totally undesireable right now."
"You could do your shoe shopping next week?"
"But you're just being pathetic and unmotivated and just keep postponing it!"
"Yeah, but look: RAIN."
"Okay fine. Watch Merlin instead."
"Score!"
"Mmmm, Bradley James is pretty."
"True dat."


To be fair, I am going out later, but not shoe shopping. I'm going to meet up with Jules in Leicester Square for coffee and then we're going to see Glorious 39 (Nighy! Christie! Tennant! Northam! Garai! What is not to love, right?). I can motivate myself for that, but not for shoe shopping. Go figure. The thing is that I know I have a couple of days next week where I can shop for shoes, so it is not all bad.

Although speaking of next week, I am quite busy! This is a change for me!

Monday: I'm off to meet up with dexterette and her friend and we're going to see Speaking in Tongues at the Duke of York with John Simm. Oh yes.

Tuesday: Aforementioned assigned shoe shopping today. Also accessory shopping. And no, haven't made definete decision on shoes. Will mostly look for style I like in either colour or black/gold option and go from there. Am keeping in mind awesome linked shoes from previous entry.

Wednesday: Dani's hot Italian friend Anto (sadly gay) is in a play, so we are going to go watch it. Don't know much about it. Maybe it is a musical? Should be fun!

Thursday: Free day! Doing any last minute stuff for:

Friday: Christmas work function! I think we'll finish slightly early and it starts at 6.30pm. I'm going to come home and get ready because I live close, and no one likes to be the first to arrive anyway. This will bleed into Saturday, depending on the awesomeness of the night, but this is my work function and those boys (and girls) know how to party (and as I'm sure you are aware, are a bad influence on me).

Saturday: I'm off to see the All Blacks play the Barbarians at Twickenham. It is an afternoon game, so I have to be careful not to be too hungover and/or tired. I have a horrible feeling I'm going to be both, so the challenge is ON.

Sunday: DAY OF REST. AND CATCH UP ON TV.

Hahaha, I kind of love how my life is super-boring for ages, and then I pack everything in to one solid week. Go me.

Also, Merlin this week was hilarious. Sure, storyline felt really recycled but was more comedic rather than dramatic so it was pretty fun. Bradley James, since when did you get so awesome? I never felt this way about you in Series 1.

OH LONDON WEATHER. WHY MUST YOU CONSPIRE AGAINST ME SO.

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving if you were celebrating. The interwebs has felt a bit like a ghost town because of it. Come back my pretties!

Firstly, thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes, and such. You are all very sweet and lovely and managed to stop me being quite so grinchy about everything. kousuke_blade even made me a birthday video because she is a crazy thing, and all in all my day was pretty good. I actually went to work, and took in a whole heap of New Zealand food (sweets, and crisps and biscuits and things) and they were a massive hit with my workmates, and then some of the boys (including The Crush) took me out for a drink at lunchtime, and it was nice. I'm all about lowkey really. My family called, and a few other people called, and Dani made me cake, and yes, it was suitably pleasant, and now I can forget about it for another year.

Question time!

My work Christmas function is a week away, and as I've posted before this is the dress I'll be wearing. Lots of you thoughtfully weighed in on how I should accessorise it, all of which I have taken into account. however, I have done nothing in regards to this yet, and I only have a week, and two of those nights are going to be busy with other (awesome) things.

As far as I see it, I'm keen on two options:

1. Gold. I like the combination of gold/black. It is warmer than silver/black especially in winter. I find all gold in shoes, however, kind of blah, so I was thinking black shoes but with bold GOLD detailing. I think ultimately the shoes I get have to be quite striking in style (not neccessarily in colour). I spotted these in a store near work, which I kind of love and think could really work. Thoughts?

2. COLOUR. As in, a really vibrant coloured pair of shoes: I'm thinking a vivid red, green or blue. It livens things up a bit. I'm a bit unsure of coloured shoes with a mostly all-black outfit, so that is where you all come in:

Poll #1491167
This poll is closed.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 33

accessorise me!

Ahh, what would I do without you all?

Lack of updates (again). I am improving though, one can not say anything else about it? It's only been two days after all!

Christmas cards: I see that some are already talking about sending Christmas cards and so on, which is something I definitely approve of. However, since I've been away for some time, I don't have a faintest idea about where all of you have posted your posts so; if you want a Christmas card from me or want to send one to me (which would be extra lovely since I don't get a lot of mail here in Glasgow!): POST in this post!

Cravings: I am having a really bad Amazon-craving! I desperately want "The Big Bang Theory: Season 1" from Amazon.co.uk because it's so cheap! £10! Not to mention that I want my "Merlin" fix and I have sort of got hooked on "Spooks: Season 7" as well! Me want but student budget does not allow! Why is universe so cruel?! ;)

Off to read for my essay! Adios!

Oh god, guys, I apologise for my outbreak of emo yesterday - totally uncalled for. I'm not turning fourteen so there is no reason for me to act that way. Sure, I'm not going to be singing from the rooftops about my birthday - to me it is just a big fat reminder of mortality - nevertheless, I've noticed it does fall on American Thanksgiving this year, so the hint must be there for me to just shut up and be thankful, right?

Hope you all have a good day :)

This is my third post, here at thefridayfive. I'm glad to be a part of it.


This week's questions were suggested by amguynes

1. What would you do if a random stranger gave you a bouquet of roses?
2. What is the most commonly used color in your house?
3. What color is your favorite t-shirt?
4. If you could go back in time, what time would you live in and where would you live?
5. If you could have any ONE thing in the entire world (not including money) what would it be?

Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers.

If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so here
Old sets that were used have been deleted, so please feel free to suggest some more!
Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going.