"There once was a little sausage called Baldrick..."
This is how my boyfriend suggested I started my blog today and I suppose that speaks volumes about where my head is at in terms of writing. Faced with a blank page I honestly couldn't think where to start or what to put down.
It's not that I'm suffering a bout of writers block. On the contrary, I was up last night until 1am furiously scribbling down amazing, revolutionary sex feature ideas and potential topics for my column. Turning my brain off and managing to fall asleep took real effort. Not even my favourite method of, er, a bit of quality "me time", was able to send me to the land of nod.
Anyway, this morning although I felt a bit bleary eyed, I was ready to go. I was ready to take on my next load of sex features and had plenty of new ones I was ready to pitch. Sex world, prepare yourself for a revolution and my fingers are itching to write it!
The problem though is that freelancing, pitching and getting commissioned takes time. A lot of time.
*Sigh*
Granted, this isn't news to me, I'm just feeling all enthusiastic and like I've got a lot to say, but no where to put it at the moment. Think this was mostly spurred on last week when I met a lot of interesting, sex industry related people. Writers, kinksters, swingers, mag editors. I'm just feeling "meh" today because I want EVERYTHING to happen now.
Guess I'm just having one of those days where creativity and patience refuse to go hand in hand.
Monday, 11 March 2013
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Further [sex] Reading
It's funny how a series of events all come along at once, that are so perfectly linked. Following on from my last blog post, Sex Education, I've come across a couple of other articles and events that tie into it nicely and further highlight the importance of writing sex right.
The day after my original post I attended a Critical Sexology talk held at Queen Mary University, London. The theme of the lecture was Sex and Pedagogy. Unfortunately, I was only able to stay for the first two speakers as other deadlines and work commitments meant I couldn't go for the whole afternoon.
The first talk was titled, “More than Words? Erotica, Sex Education and Responsibility: How Adult Media Can Provide Adult Advice” Massively interesting; in brief it discussed how far do the materials adults use for sexual satisfaction (erotica, porn, magazines), and in some cases inspiration, need to include particular messages to promote greater sexual awareness and how can it be used positively to further adults sexual education. Although I haven't got access to the lecture, the chair of the event was tweeting, so you can get a fair idea here and I strongly encourage you to take a look and have a read.
The second talk was at the other end of the spectrum and looked at how sex education is received by young people. Again, all the tweet links are here so you can look into it. What struck me about this talk was a model sex educator Jen Hazel, was putting out there that in the UK we still teach sex ed on quite an archaic model working on the basis of what's considered "normal" and what's "other". For example, being heterosexual is "normal", therefore most sex ed for young people will be taught from this p.o.v. Other sexualities such as gay, bi, asexual may be touched on, but would fall under the "other" category.
What Hazel suggests is finding a common starting ground for sex, something that everyone will at some point experience and then branching out the education to fulfil the needs of the audience you're dealing with. She called it an 'Inclusive Pedagogy' - I think from what I remember - and means that you start with shared experiences and then work outwards to cover all angles. I'm doing a really bad job of explaining this so briefly, but I don't want this post to get bogged down with me regurgitating the whole lecture. Seriously, read the Tweets.
Ok, so this then links in with another blog article I came across and about how in the media we're still getting it so wrong and looking at furthering our sex education in a sensationalist manner, rather than a positive or practical one. Rewriting The Rules discusses how we're still framing important debates around sex and sexuality in a very narrow minded manner and asking the wrong questions.
Finally, if this has in any way tickled your fancy and you're starting to question whether the sex ed you're reading is good for you or not, or you're a writer in the media and concerned that you're not doing sex writing justice, there are a couple of upcoming events you may enjoy/benefit from.
The first is Eroticon 2013. This is all about 'writing sex right' and ideal for anyone from amateur sex bloggers to sex researchers and professional authors. Short notice, but it's taking place this weekend (March 2-3) in London.
The second is another, new, lecture evening on March 17th called 'Birds, Bees, Please' and has been organised by adult performer Johnny Anglais. I urge you to find it on FB by doing a quick search of the title as it's set to be a really interesting evening of sex positive talks from professionals across the sex industry.
Phew, right, I think that's it. Hope you find some of this useful. I certainly have and am only just realising how much of a questionable impact some of the material out there is having on the sexual progression of adults. Sex ed certainly DOES NOT end at high school.
The day after my original post I attended a Critical Sexology talk held at Queen Mary University, London. The theme of the lecture was Sex and Pedagogy. Unfortunately, I was only able to stay for the first two speakers as other deadlines and work commitments meant I couldn't go for the whole afternoon.
The first talk was titled, “More than Words? Erotica, Sex Education and Responsibility: How Adult Media Can Provide Adult Advice” Massively interesting; in brief it discussed how far do the materials adults use for sexual satisfaction (erotica, porn, magazines), and in some cases inspiration, need to include particular messages to promote greater sexual awareness and how can it be used positively to further adults sexual education. Although I haven't got access to the lecture, the chair of the event was tweeting, so you can get a fair idea here and I strongly encourage you to take a look and have a read.
The second talk was at the other end of the spectrum and looked at how sex education is received by young people. Again, all the tweet links are here so you can look into it. What struck me about this talk was a model sex educator Jen Hazel, was putting out there that in the UK we still teach sex ed on quite an archaic model working on the basis of what's considered "normal" and what's "other". For example, being heterosexual is "normal", therefore most sex ed for young people will be taught from this p.o.v. Other sexualities such as gay, bi, asexual may be touched on, but would fall under the "other" category.
What Hazel suggests is finding a common starting ground for sex, something that everyone will at some point experience and then branching out the education to fulfil the needs of the audience you're dealing with. She called it an 'Inclusive Pedagogy' - I think from what I remember - and means that you start with shared experiences and then work outwards to cover all angles. I'm doing a really bad job of explaining this so briefly, but I don't want this post to get bogged down with me regurgitating the whole lecture. Seriously, read the Tweets.
Ok, so this then links in with another blog article I came across and about how in the media we're still getting it so wrong and looking at furthering our sex education in a sensationalist manner, rather than a positive or practical one. Rewriting The Rules discusses how we're still framing important debates around sex and sexuality in a very narrow minded manner and asking the wrong questions.
Finally, if this has in any way tickled your fancy and you're starting to question whether the sex ed you're reading is good for you or not, or you're a writer in the media and concerned that you're not doing sex writing justice, there are a couple of upcoming events you may enjoy/benefit from.
The first is Eroticon 2013. This is all about 'writing sex right' and ideal for anyone from amateur sex bloggers to sex researchers and professional authors. Short notice, but it's taking place this weekend (March 2-3) in London.
The second is another, new, lecture evening on March 17th called 'Birds, Bees, Please' and has been organised by adult performer Johnny Anglais. I urge you to find it on FB by doing a quick search of the title as it's set to be a really interesting evening of sex positive talks from professionals across the sex industry.
Phew, right, I think that's it. Hope you find some of this useful. I certainly have and am only just realising how much of a questionable impact some of the material out there is having on the sexual progression of adults. Sex ed certainly DOES NOT end at high school.
Thursday, 21 February 2013
Sex Education
I'm a great believer that sex education doesn't stop when you leave school. Biology, sociology or personal development - if that's what they're calling it these days - can teach a lot of the basics, but it's not until you're a consenting adult and actually putting sex into practise that you really get to grasp the whole 'what goes where?' and 'what happens if?...Oh, that's happens, right'. Not to mention the intricacies of sexual relationships; the workings of those are often more complicated than the act itself. There's just some stuff that you can't learn in a classroom, or you definitely wouldn't want to hear from a teacher.
Having said that, even when you've been doing it for years, practise still doesn't make perfect. Many couples, myself and my relationship included, look to more adult teachers, professional sex educators and what we read in books, online, in magazines and newspapers. Inspiration is everywhere, but what if what we're reading is an archaic message and is actually doing more damage than good to our sexual relationships?
What really spurred this post was a great column by Tracey Cox, titled 'He can't tell if you're faking it after all! Tracey Cox bursts eight bedroom myths.' What I really enjoyed about this article was it's honesty that sex has moved on. By her own admission she writes, 'I've written a lot of sex books over the years and given a lot of advice. Most of it, I still standby 20 years on. But there's been an enormous amount of research into sex since I started out and we understand more about our sexual systems and responses now, than we ever have. This means original theories need to be reconsidered - and maybe completely rethought.'
Tracey then goes on to critique and correct dated theories and sex advice - like how to tell if your wife or girlfriend has come, or how much time we should spend having sex - that is still 'doled out' constantly, I assume she means mainly by the media. At least that's how I would read it.
It's refreshing to hear a 'sexpert', for lack of a better word, admit all this. For a long time I've thought there are still so many outlets that preach and regurgitate old advice, because it's safe and unimposing on readers. All they do is try to find a slightly different slant on it, usually by throwing an extra taboo word in there, or more recently, just adding handcuffs and a whip seems to be the order of the day.
How we do 'it', who and how we form relationships with sexual partners and the acts we perform with them are constantly changing and so should the adult sex education messages that these platforms present to us. I just wonder if they should be a bit more careful in what they put out and that they take on board the changing attitudes both men and women have towards sex.
One magazine hasn't really changed their message in their long old history of publication. I know this from having read every sex article published (hurrah British Library) and still their message is the same: know how to please your man. "Fuck fun, fuck your pleasure - oh, no, wait, we can't say that, because women are actually admitting they like sex these days - ok in that case, yay to female pleasure, but it still has to be the passenger during this ride."
It actually scares and angers me that there's still such a desperation to understand men and how sex works for them that, actually, we're forgetting about our own pleasure, or we have to come up with tactics in order to really get what we want. How in any way is this promoting sex positively, or encouraging couples to explore new things, or tackle obstacles they may be having? Personally, I think it instills a sense of fear and pressure.
At this point the best sex tip I can offer is to just ask him for it. You might not get it straight away, but hey, least you put it out there.
It's not just magazines that deliver mixed sex ed messages, it's sex manuals as well. Imparting advice they think is wise, but actually end up preaching in a manner that can leave readers with more of a feeling that their sex life is inadequate.
There's an endless number of these 'Improve Your Sex Life NOW', type titles out there, I have a dick load of them on my own personal shelf. Not all of them are bad, some are actually really interesting, well thought out, up to date in their advice and research, practical and inspiring. Often if I'm considering trying something new, my books are where I go to learn.
At the moment, if you're interested, I'm reading a great book called How To Be Kinkier, which has opened my eyes to the dynamics of Dom/sub relationships, all they entail and how to approach more sensitive kink practises. There's also loads of really fast tips and ideas throughout the book. I'm actually learning something and extending my understanding in an area of sex that's previously been unfamiliar to me. Hell, at the end of it, I might even try some of it.
Anyway, I digress, this isn't a book review, I just wanted to give an example of a text that is well written, informative and sexually thought provoking. I want to make it clear that I'm not hating on all sex manuals, but I do fear that a lot of these books all look and sound very similar. They suggest similar tactics from cover to cover:
The above is a generalisation, but if you've read even a handful, you'll know what I'm getting at. Usually, they're written by people that don't work in the sex industry, aren't themselves educated in sex and adult relationships and are just jumping on a Sex And The City style bandwagon thinking that anyone under the sun can write good sex.
they can't. Some of the suggestions are wholly ridiculous and impractical to the point that no one is ever going to try them, but the problem is that sex writers/educators are so pressured to reinvent sex in more exciting ways to keep it "new" that it ends up going down the impossible route, just to try and make it more interesting and give it that edge.
I know this, because I've been there. Don't worry, the hypocrisy of some of this isn't lost on me, having written a sex advice feature or two of my own. I know how exciting it is to be able to suggest something amazingly, wildly, animalistically new, but know really that less than 1 percent of my readers will ever actually try it.
However, I write these things, other sex writers that are much better versed that I write these things and for the readers they're left with a whole heap of ideas that they'll probably never implement in their actual sex lives and will leave them wondering if they're having good sex at all because they can't practically do these thing, or if they're "doing it right" compared to everyone else.
I'm of the opinion that even though there is so much information out there, and we're better versed on sex research than we ever have been before, that actually we don't know what to do with it? We're adding pressure and stress to ourselves for fear of missing out on "good sex". The sex education we sought out to help us is actually hindering our pleasure, as we try to orgasm while in impossible positions, or withstand a flogging because we read it in a book and it's "kinky fun".
There certainly is a place for all of the books, reports, stories, news articles and research and they should play a part in furthering our sex education. However, it shouldn't form the basis, or be read as gospel, for your sex life. Take or leave whatever works for you and your partner, use it as a starting point for further inspiration. Bottom line is the best way to learn is from each other. Everything else is just an added extra.
Having said that, even when you've been doing it for years, practise still doesn't make perfect. Many couples, myself and my relationship included, look to more adult teachers, professional sex educators and what we read in books, online, in magazines and newspapers. Inspiration is everywhere, but what if what we're reading is an archaic message and is actually doing more damage than good to our sexual relationships?
What really spurred this post was a great column by Tracey Cox, titled 'He can't tell if you're faking it after all! Tracey Cox bursts eight bedroom myths.' What I really enjoyed about this article was it's honesty that sex has moved on. By her own admission she writes, 'I've written a lot of sex books over the years and given a lot of advice. Most of it, I still standby 20 years on. But there's been an enormous amount of research into sex since I started out and we understand more about our sexual systems and responses now, than we ever have. This means original theories need to be reconsidered - and maybe completely rethought.'
Tracey then goes on to critique and correct dated theories and sex advice - like how to tell if your wife or girlfriend has come, or how much time we should spend having sex - that is still 'doled out' constantly, I assume she means mainly by the media. At least that's how I would read it.
It's refreshing to hear a 'sexpert', for lack of a better word, admit all this. For a long time I've thought there are still so many outlets that preach and regurgitate old advice, because it's safe and unimposing on readers. All they do is try to find a slightly different slant on it, usually by throwing an extra taboo word in there, or more recently, just adding handcuffs and a whip seems to be the order of the day.
How we do 'it', who and how we form relationships with sexual partners and the acts we perform with them are constantly changing and so should the adult sex education messages that these platforms present to us. I just wonder if they should be a bit more careful in what they put out and that they take on board the changing attitudes both men and women have towards sex.
One magazine hasn't really changed their message in their long old history of publication. I know this from having read every sex article published (hurrah British Library) and still their message is the same: know how to please your man. "Fuck fun, fuck your pleasure - oh, no, wait, we can't say that, because women are actually admitting they like sex these days - ok in that case, yay to female pleasure, but it still has to be the passenger during this ride."
It actually scares and angers me that there's still such a desperation to understand men and how sex works for them that, actually, we're forgetting about our own pleasure, or we have to come up with tactics in order to really get what we want. How in any way is this promoting sex positively, or encouraging couples to explore new things, or tackle obstacles they may be having? Personally, I think it instills a sense of fear and pressure.
At this point the best sex tip I can offer is to just ask him for it. You might not get it straight away, but hey, least you put it out there.
It's not just magazines that deliver mixed sex ed messages, it's sex manuals as well. Imparting advice they think is wise, but actually end up preaching in a manner that can leave readers with more of a feeling that their sex life is inadequate.
There's an endless number of these 'Improve Your Sex Life NOW', type titles out there, I have a dick load of them on my own personal shelf. Not all of them are bad, some are actually really interesting, well thought out, up to date in their advice and research, practical and inspiring. Often if I'm considering trying something new, my books are where I go to learn.
At the moment, if you're interested, I'm reading a great book called How To Be Kinkier, which has opened my eyes to the dynamics of Dom/sub relationships, all they entail and how to approach more sensitive kink practises. There's also loads of really fast tips and ideas throughout the book. I'm actually learning something and extending my understanding in an area of sex that's previously been unfamiliar to me. Hell, at the end of it, I might even try some of it.
Anyway, I digress, this isn't a book review, I just wanted to give an example of a text that is well written, informative and sexually thought provoking. I want to make it clear that I'm not hating on all sex manuals, but I do fear that a lot of these books all look and sound very similar. They suggest similar tactics from cover to cover:
- Do something different, dress up sexy and do a strip tease for your lover.
- Reignite that flame by trying out some roleplay and living out your naughtiest fantasies.
- Missionary is so last season. Instead try throwing her over your shoulder while you lick her from behind, kiss her neck and play with her nipples, but you must keep telling her how much you love her to reassure her and affirm your feelings while you're in such an intimate position.
The above is a generalisation, but if you've read even a handful, you'll know what I'm getting at. Usually, they're written by people that don't work in the sex industry, aren't themselves educated in sex and adult relationships and are just jumping on a Sex And The City style bandwagon thinking that anyone under the sun can write good sex.
they can't. Some of the suggestions are wholly ridiculous and impractical to the point that no one is ever going to try them, but the problem is that sex writers/educators are so pressured to reinvent sex in more exciting ways to keep it "new" that it ends up going down the impossible route, just to try and make it more interesting and give it that edge.
I know this, because I've been there. Don't worry, the hypocrisy of some of this isn't lost on me, having written a sex advice feature or two of my own. I know how exciting it is to be able to suggest something amazingly, wildly, animalistically new, but know really that less than 1 percent of my readers will ever actually try it.
However, I write these things, other sex writers that are much better versed that I write these things and for the readers they're left with a whole heap of ideas that they'll probably never implement in their actual sex lives and will leave them wondering if they're having good sex at all because they can't practically do these thing, or if they're "doing it right" compared to everyone else.
I'm of the opinion that even though there is so much information out there, and we're better versed on sex research than we ever have been before, that actually we don't know what to do with it? We're adding pressure and stress to ourselves for fear of missing out on "good sex". The sex education we sought out to help us is actually hindering our pleasure, as we try to orgasm while in impossible positions, or withstand a flogging because we read it in a book and it's "kinky fun".
There certainly is a place for all of the books, reports, stories, news articles and research and they should play a part in furthering our sex education. However, it shouldn't form the basis, or be read as gospel, for your sex life. Take or leave whatever works for you and your partner, use it as a starting point for further inspiration. Bottom line is the best way to learn is from each other. Everything else is just an added extra.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Boss's Annual Review
There's something worth celebrating this month: my business, 'Straight Out Of Crompton', is a year old!
Officially I've been self-employed as a freelance journalist for a whole year. How exciting, especially because I can count myself as one of the 200,000 that registered as self-employed in 2011/2012 and said a big "Fuck You" to the system and recession. That's as far as I can relate to the stats though, as I definitely don't fall into the age bracket they're talking about...nor do I look it! (Yeah, I know you were thinking it.)
To celebrate the 1 year anniversary I had an extra glass of red wine at the end of the day. Unfortunately the boss said I couldn't bring cake into the (home) office for fear of getting sticky fingers and making a mess of my laptop keyboard. She tells me that even though 2013 so far has been a productive year, company funds are still not able to support the costs of technical repair work should anything go wrong with the laptop due to cake damage.
Really though, I set this blog up as a place to document how easy or hard it would be to go it alone in business, or more specifically journalism, because to be honest the other job options and lack there of that were presenting themselves left me feeling little more than despair.
So, a year on and am I better off? Yes, mentally I think I am. Panic attacks and the dread of getting out of bed to go to a job that seriously sucked arse are signs of days long gone. I actually enjoy getting up at 7:30am, putting on the coffee and sitting down to my desk. I feel, dare I say, "professional".
Oh, wait, you meant better off in a monetary way? Well, all I'll say is it's probably best to wait another year before you talk to my accountant about how profitable it is to be a freelance journalist.
I do seem to be getting better with this whole getting work = more money thing though. All I'm saying is bollocks to any superstition about 2013 being the year of bad luck, because so far I've managed to score two new monthly commissions - one of which sees me getting my own column, so I can properly call myself a columnist which is mega exciting and professional - and I have on my plate the chance of four regular days work that will pay me an annual salary and progress my skill set in journalistic techniques I've so far not touched!
This is good, stuff is coming together, so I suppose what I'm trying to say to any HMV workers out there that may be reading this, is that perhaps taking the jump, going self-employed and picking to do something you love isn't so scary after all.
A year on and I'm not living off just beans on toast. Result.
-x-
Officially I've been self-employed as a freelance journalist for a whole year. How exciting, especially because I can count myself as one of the 200,000 that registered as self-employed in 2011/2012 and said a big "Fuck You" to the system and recession. That's as far as I can relate to the stats though, as I definitely don't fall into the age bracket they're talking about...nor do I look it! (Yeah, I know you were thinking it.)
To celebrate the 1 year anniversary I had an extra glass of red wine at the end of the day. Unfortunately the boss said I couldn't bring cake into the (home) office for fear of getting sticky fingers and making a mess of my laptop keyboard. She tells me that even though 2013 so far has been a productive year, company funds are still not able to support the costs of technical repair work should anything go wrong with the laptop due to cake damage.
Really though, I set this blog up as a place to document how easy or hard it would be to go it alone in business, or more specifically journalism, because to be honest the other job options and lack there of that were presenting themselves left me feeling little more than despair.
So, a year on and am I better off? Yes, mentally I think I am. Panic attacks and the dread of getting out of bed to go to a job that seriously sucked arse are signs of days long gone. I actually enjoy getting up at 7:30am, putting on the coffee and sitting down to my desk. I feel, dare I say, "professional".
Oh, wait, you meant better off in a monetary way? Well, all I'll say is it's probably best to wait another year before you talk to my accountant about how profitable it is to be a freelance journalist.
I do seem to be getting better with this whole getting work = more money thing though. All I'm saying is bollocks to any superstition about 2013 being the year of bad luck, because so far I've managed to score two new monthly commissions - one of which sees me getting my own column, so I can properly call myself a columnist which is mega exciting and professional - and I have on my plate the chance of four regular days work that will pay me an annual salary and progress my skill set in journalistic techniques I've so far not touched!
This is good, stuff is coming together, so I suppose what I'm trying to say to any HMV workers out there that may be reading this, is that perhaps taking the jump, going self-employed and picking to do something you love isn't so scary after all.
A year on and I'm not living off just beans on toast. Result.
-x-
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Notebooks. No, not the gizmoey kind.
As a journalist it is imperative that you always have a notebook to hand. You never know when that amazing, rare brainwave for an awesome feature might hit, or that big news breaking story that will propel you into the stratosphere of media fantasticness. I am still waiting for both of these things to happen on a regular basis, which is why I have several notebooks strategically positioned so I'm prepared at any given moment.
Thinking about it, I do have a lot of notebooks, but each one has a different role and I use it for a different purpose. They are as follows:
There was a time when I only ever had one notebook, which was my diary. I'd write in it everyday, but then I guess life starts to demand more and more so keeping order of it all invariably means adding to the clan. Understandably, you wouldn't want to pen your inner most thoughts next to a list of groceries. Sort of detracts from the importance of it really.
Anyway, between these many notebooks I somehow manage to organise myself and it's funny how it's gone from that one diary, in which I used to organise my thoughts, to being sprawled out everywhere.
There was a time when I only had one Internet, computer, social profile too. I think the first ever one I signed up to was on Freeserve chat. Is Freeserve still even a company? Well, whatever, in order to organise my online life now, I have Twitter, Facebook, Blogger (thanks for stopping by, by the way), two email addresses so an MSN identity too, Gmail or GooglePlus account, I believe I have a LinkedIn as well but I'll be damned if I know how to figure that out and I haven't even got round to understanding what Pintrest is. However, for me, more recently I have started to jot in a new electronic notebook:
http://www.rosemcrompton.com
That's right, I now have my own freakin' website with my name in it.
Now, you may be thinking, "what point are you trying to make here Rose?" Well, it's a simple one: on scale I think it's safe to say that in comparison to how I spread myself all over the Internet, it makes my crazy obsession with notebooks look pretty damn tame. Also, I just really needed to get a post in here bigging up http://www.rosemcrompton.com and this seemed like the simplest way to do it.
If you feel duped, I'm sorry. When I first thought of doing this post there was some profound connection I made and thought, "shit yeah! That'll make for a really poignant post and be a great way to tell people about my new portfolio site http://www.rosemcrompton.com "
I've slept, twice, since I had that original idea though. Sorry. But, hey, you know. All's not lost! At least now you know about my site, right?
Rose -x-
Thinking about it, I do have a lot of notebooks, but each one has a different role and I use it for a different purpose. They are as follows:
- Handbag notebook - for shopping lists or jotting down notes when out.
- By the bed notebook - for quickly writing down randomly brilliant ideas I have when half asleep in bed, or when I wake up in the morning.
- On the desk list notebook - this little fellow is an A5 size pad and is simply used for making my 'list of the day' or taking notes when I'm on the phone. This notebook did actually used to be my autograph notebook and contains the signatures of Simon Pegg, Jessica Haynes (then Stevenson) and Edgar Wright. For this reason it's very valuable, but I went through a severe dry patch of meeting celebs and so now it's a list notebook.
- Feature pad - possibly the most important of all. A4, lined note pad, upon which I plan, sketch, jot out, draft all of my features/writings so I have some physical sense of what I'm actually doing/writing about.
- My diary - yes, I do keep a physical paper diary and have done ever since I was a child. This is obviously the most important of all my notebooks.
There was a time when I only ever had one notebook, which was my diary. I'd write in it everyday, but then I guess life starts to demand more and more so keeping order of it all invariably means adding to the clan. Understandably, you wouldn't want to pen your inner most thoughts next to a list of groceries. Sort of detracts from the importance of it really.
Anyway, between these many notebooks I somehow manage to organise myself and it's funny how it's gone from that one diary, in which I used to organise my thoughts, to being sprawled out everywhere.
There was a time when I only had one Internet, computer, social profile too. I think the first ever one I signed up to was on Freeserve chat. Is Freeserve still even a company? Well, whatever, in order to organise my online life now, I have Twitter, Facebook, Blogger (thanks for stopping by, by the way), two email addresses so an MSN identity too, Gmail or GooglePlus account, I believe I have a LinkedIn as well but I'll be damned if I know how to figure that out and I haven't even got round to understanding what Pintrest is. However, for me, more recently I have started to jot in a new electronic notebook:
http://www.rosemcrompton.com
That's right, I now have my own freakin' website with my name in it.
Now, you may be thinking, "what point are you trying to make here Rose?" Well, it's a simple one: on scale I think it's safe to say that in comparison to how I spread myself all over the Internet, it makes my crazy obsession with notebooks look pretty damn tame. Also, I just really needed to get a post in here bigging up http://www.rosemcrompton.com and this seemed like the simplest way to do it.
If you feel duped, I'm sorry. When I first thought of doing this post there was some profound connection I made and thought, "shit yeah! That'll make for a really poignant post and be a great way to tell people about my new portfolio site http://www.rosemcrompton.com "
I've slept, twice, since I had that original idea though. Sorry. But, hey, you know. All's not lost! At least now you know about my site, right?
Rose -x-
Thursday, 10 January 2013
4 Crap Holiday Truths (because there always has to be a downside)
1. Pre-holiday cleaning
Despite the fact you're going away for a week or two, the urge to clean your house before you leave is overwhelming. As if you don't have enough to sort out already. The reasoning behind this is beyond me, but it's undeniable that as you pack up your things the need to leave the house spotless even though you're not going to be living in it for a fortnight and therefore can't enjoy the fruits of your labour, is a pre-holiday duty that's hard to leave off the 'to-do list'. By the time you get home the dust bunnies will have returned again anyway.
2. Be a fashion disaster
Again, this is a pre-holiday bug-bear that can cause all sorts of strife, but it's fact that the week before you go away your clothing options are cut by 90 percent because you need to keep everything clean for when you go away. "Oh, I can't wear that because it means I'll have to wash it again before holiday." This means that public social engagements prior departure must be limited so you don't have to showcase the dregs of your wardrobe.
3. Not wearing socks
Being away on holiday in a hot climate means that socks can firmly remain in the draw. This is a good thing and not what makes it a crap holiday aspect; it's the fact that you get to loving not wearing socks as you don your sandals and flip-flops around the beach resort. Gone is the sweaty foot problem and your feet actually get to feel sand and the air, so they look less ugly.
The problem arises when you come home and have to slip back into your boots and trainers. Once again socks are needed so you resign yourself to wearing them, which in turn means washing them, which in turn means pairing them and we all know that is one of the most boring jobs in the world.
4. Printing photos
While you're away you get to experience tons of amazing things that you never get to try at home, so the urgency to capture every event on film is paramount. The problem is when you get home and realise that you HAVE TO PRINT THEM ALL - an expensive task -, because obviously every moment on that holiday was just as important as the other.
There's no way you can say that the photo of you bungee jumping off a bridge or hugging a koala was any more life defining than the photo of you sitting in a random bar you can't remember the name of, drinking a universally loved Bacardi and Coke looking sunburnt to within an inch of your life. It would be photo descrimination not to get the latter printed too, regardless of the fact that you won't remember a thing about when, where or why it was taken when you look back at it a month later.
Despite the fact you're going away for a week or two, the urge to clean your house before you leave is overwhelming. As if you don't have enough to sort out already. The reasoning behind this is beyond me, but it's undeniable that as you pack up your things the need to leave the house spotless even though you're not going to be living in it for a fortnight and therefore can't enjoy the fruits of your labour, is a pre-holiday duty that's hard to leave off the 'to-do list'. By the time you get home the dust bunnies will have returned again anyway.
2. Be a fashion disaster
Again, this is a pre-holiday bug-bear that can cause all sorts of strife, but it's fact that the week before you go away your clothing options are cut by 90 percent because you need to keep everything clean for when you go away. "Oh, I can't wear that because it means I'll have to wash it again before holiday." This means that public social engagements prior departure must be limited so you don't have to showcase the dregs of your wardrobe.
3. Not wearing socks
Being away on holiday in a hot climate means that socks can firmly remain in the draw. This is a good thing and not what makes it a crap holiday aspect; it's the fact that you get to loving not wearing socks as you don your sandals and flip-flops around the beach resort. Gone is the sweaty foot problem and your feet actually get to feel sand and the air, so they look less ugly.
The problem arises when you come home and have to slip back into your boots and trainers. Once again socks are needed so you resign yourself to wearing them, which in turn means washing them, which in turn means pairing them and we all know that is one of the most boring jobs in the world.
4. Printing photos
While you're away you get to experience tons of amazing things that you never get to try at home, so the urgency to capture every event on film is paramount. The problem is when you get home and realise that you HAVE TO PRINT THEM ALL - an expensive task -, because obviously every moment on that holiday was just as important as the other.
There's no way you can say that the photo of you bungee jumping off a bridge or hugging a koala was any more life defining than the photo of you sitting in a random bar you can't remember the name of, drinking a universally loved Bacardi and Coke looking sunburnt to within an inch of your life. It would be photo descrimination not to get the latter printed too, regardless of the fact that you won't remember a thing about when, where or why it was taken when you look back at it a month later.
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Great Lunchon Ambitions
It's not often I do something wildly spontaneous. Even though I like to think I'm a hip(ish), free and easy, laid back 20-something, the honest truth is that I'm actually quite an organised individual. I like to know plans in advance, I enjoy looking ahead and making plans. Leafing though my diary at the end of the day to see what exciting, planned, events are penned in for the following week is very satisfying.
Honestly, I don't feel ashamed about this and actually enjoy it, but every now and then I surprise myself by doing something a bit out of the blue. Usually it turns out to be a hell of a lot of fun and reminds me that, actually, I am still in my twenties despite my enjoyment of listening to Classic FM and turning in for an early night.
Sometimes it's nice to say, "Fuck it. Lets do that!"
This week included one of those impulsive moments when the boyfriend and I decided to go to Edinburgh. Just for lunch.
Arranging to meet at Kings Cross station at 8:30am (the only actual plan we made all day), we then looked at the departure board to see where we could head. York was an option, neither of us had been there for years and there would be lots of historical, parent-y type attractions we could see. Unfortunately, after a quick look on the old smart phone, it was set to rain there all day and parts had been hit by flooding.
Looking at each other, we thought, well if it's north we're headed where's the most north we can go from here? Scotland. Yes! Hell, lets do it! We should have just enough time to have lunch before turning around and making it back to London at a decent time. And while we're at it, lets travel first class too. Well, if you're going to be on a train for four and a half hours, you may as well do it in comfort.
Today was set to be full of life-firsts for me. I'd never been to Edinburgh - or Scotland for that fact - , I'd never seen the North Sea, which you get to do on this journey, as well as The Angel Of The North when you pass through Newcastle. I'd never had a complimentary hot meal on a train before, which you get when travelling first class on a train all that way, as well as free alcohol after 11am (don't worry, I behaved). How splendid all of this was turning out to be.
As the journey progressed it became very apparent that it was set to be wet and rainy throughout the UK. Watching the news the day before, we were aware that much of the Midlands and Northern part of the UK were under water and flood warnings were in place. Never did we imagine quite how bad it would be though!
Passing through the British countryside we saw the extent of the flooding. Whole series of fields were totally submerged under water and the rain still fell as rivers continued to swell and burst their banks. It was bad, but so exciting! I've never seen a spectacle quite like it. Even part of the train track started to flood, meaning we had to slow right down to get through it causing our train to be 20 minutes late - it was to be a whole lot worse on the way home, but I'll get to that later.
Chugging our way through Northern England and into Scotland, it really was a beautiful journey. Even though I've lived in the UK for 26 years, I don't think I've ever seen so much of the country as on that journey, as I said before there were a lot of landmarks we passed that until then had been nothing more than images on the TV. I was excited, possibly because of the amount of free coffee I'd consumed, but also because this day of chance and random decision making was turning out to be quite the adventure!
Pulling into Edinburgh, I don't think I've ever arrived in a city with such instant impact. There's a fucking cliff, that looks like a small mountain, with a chuffing castle on top of it, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY!! I know this is common knowledge, that Edinburgh Castle is there, but fuck me, it's damn impressive. I just love how they've built a city around a cliff. With a castle. That's hardcore. I challenge you to suggest an English city that has quite the same natural landscape impact as that. I was impressed.
I was also impressed that we'd travelled through rain all the way to Scotland, but there wasn't a drop of drizzle in Edinburgh. The streets were bone dry, which made my need for wearing wellies quite redundant, which I'd donned because England was wet. That should hopefully silence those that say, "It always rains in Scotland." Well on this day, it was raining everywhere but. What a stroke of luck.
There had been rumblings on the train that the weather was getting worse around Darlington and York and that trains were being cancelled and delayed up to an hour and half due to flooding. We were the last ride to make it through more or less on time. Uh oh. This could be a very short visit indeed.
Checking in with the information desk, they advised us to get on the next train asap (but we'd only just arrived) lest we get stuck in bonny Scotland. Taking note of the return train times, the chap and I agreed we'd go for lunch then make our journey back to be on the safe side.
There's not much I can say about our actual time in Edinburgh. It was so brief.
We took a quick stroll around the castle and it's gardens and headed to a pub called The Red Squirrel for lunch. They did amazing burgers. Finishing up, paying the bill, we headed back at a brisk pace to the station. There was just enough time to send a postcard to the parents to gloat about my extravagant day trip.
In total I think we spent about an hour and a half in Edinburgh. Literally, we went for lunch. All the way to Scotland for a burger. Now that's impulsive!
Making it onto the 4pm train, we then spent eight hours crawling our way back to Kings Cross. Sadly it was dark by that time, so I couldn't see the extent of the flooding after a whole day's rain south of the Scottish boarder. Still, it was all very, very exciting not knowing if we were going to make it, slowly edging through flooded bits of track, seeing train managers hurrying through on their phones trying to sort it out and get us through the worst effected areas.
Arriving in London at midnight, we were grateful to have made it back and even though it was a long journey, it was at least a comfortable one *cough*First Class*cough*. Yes, I am feeling smug.
Throwing the diary schedule out of the window proved to provide me with one of the most exciting days of adventure I've experienced in ages. It's too easy to become bogged down with work, thinking about budgeting for trips like this, circling around the same little area of city or town that you live in. I'm not saying it's simple to go out and do things like this all that often, but fuck it, heading off on a last minute adventure now and then is essential to remind you that there's more out there and it is possible to escape the daily grind.
I was about to type, 'I'm already looking forward to the next one,' but then I suppose that totally defeats the point...
Honestly, I don't feel ashamed about this and actually enjoy it, but every now and then I surprise myself by doing something a bit out of the blue. Usually it turns out to be a hell of a lot of fun and reminds me that, actually, I am still in my twenties despite my enjoyment of listening to Classic FM and turning in for an early night.
Sometimes it's nice to say, "Fuck it. Lets do that!"
This week included one of those impulsive moments when the boyfriend and I decided to go to Edinburgh. Just for lunch.
Arranging to meet at Kings Cross station at 8:30am (the only actual plan we made all day), we then looked at the departure board to see where we could head. York was an option, neither of us had been there for years and there would be lots of historical, parent-y type attractions we could see. Unfortunately, after a quick look on the old smart phone, it was set to rain there all day and parts had been hit by flooding.
Looking at each other, we thought, well if it's north we're headed where's the most north we can go from here? Scotland. Yes! Hell, lets do it! We should have just enough time to have lunch before turning around and making it back to London at a decent time. And while we're at it, lets travel first class too. Well, if you're going to be on a train for four and a half hours, you may as well do it in comfort.
Today was set to be full of life-firsts for me. I'd never been to Edinburgh - or Scotland for that fact - , I'd never seen the North Sea, which you get to do on this journey, as well as The Angel Of The North when you pass through Newcastle. I'd never had a complimentary hot meal on a train before, which you get when travelling first class on a train all that way, as well as free alcohol after 11am (don't worry, I behaved). How splendid all of this was turning out to be.
As the journey progressed it became very apparent that it was set to be wet and rainy throughout the UK. Watching the news the day before, we were aware that much of the Midlands and Northern part of the UK were under water and flood warnings were in place. Never did we imagine quite how bad it would be though!
Passing through the British countryside we saw the extent of the flooding. Whole series of fields were totally submerged under water and the rain still fell as rivers continued to swell and burst their banks. It was bad, but so exciting! I've never seen a spectacle quite like it. Even part of the train track started to flood, meaning we had to slow right down to get through it causing our train to be 20 minutes late - it was to be a whole lot worse on the way home, but I'll get to that later.
Chugging our way through Northern England and into Scotland, it really was a beautiful journey. Even though I've lived in the UK for 26 years, I don't think I've ever seen so much of the country as on that journey, as I said before there were a lot of landmarks we passed that until then had been nothing more than images on the TV. I was excited, possibly because of the amount of free coffee I'd consumed, but also because this day of chance and random decision making was turning out to be quite the adventure!
Pulling into Edinburgh, I don't think I've ever arrived in a city with such instant impact. There's a fucking cliff, that looks like a small mountain, with a chuffing castle on top of it, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY!! I know this is common knowledge, that Edinburgh Castle is there, but fuck me, it's damn impressive. I just love how they've built a city around a cliff. With a castle. That's hardcore. I challenge you to suggest an English city that has quite the same natural landscape impact as that. I was impressed.
I was also impressed that we'd travelled through rain all the way to Scotland, but there wasn't a drop of drizzle in Edinburgh. The streets were bone dry, which made my need for wearing wellies quite redundant, which I'd donned because England was wet. That should hopefully silence those that say, "It always rains in Scotland." Well on this day, it was raining everywhere but. What a stroke of luck.
There had been rumblings on the train that the weather was getting worse around Darlington and York and that trains were being cancelled and delayed up to an hour and half due to flooding. We were the last ride to make it through more or less on time. Uh oh. This could be a very short visit indeed.
Checking in with the information desk, they advised us to get on the next train asap (but we'd only just arrived) lest we get stuck in bonny Scotland. Taking note of the return train times, the chap and I agreed we'd go for lunch then make our journey back to be on the safe side.
There's not much I can say about our actual time in Edinburgh. It was so brief.
We took a quick stroll around the castle and it's gardens and headed to a pub called The Red Squirrel for lunch. They did amazing burgers. Finishing up, paying the bill, we headed back at a brisk pace to the station. There was just enough time to send a postcard to the parents to gloat about my extravagant day trip.
In total I think we spent about an hour and a half in Edinburgh. Literally, we went for lunch. All the way to Scotland for a burger. Now that's impulsive!
Making it onto the 4pm train, we then spent eight hours crawling our way back to Kings Cross. Sadly it was dark by that time, so I couldn't see the extent of the flooding after a whole day's rain south of the Scottish boarder. Still, it was all very, very exciting not knowing if we were going to make it, slowly edging through flooded bits of track, seeing train managers hurrying through on their phones trying to sort it out and get us through the worst effected areas.
Arriving in London at midnight, we were grateful to have made it back and even though it was a long journey, it was at least a comfortable one *cough*First Class*cough*. Yes, I am feeling smug.
Throwing the diary schedule out of the window proved to provide me with one of the most exciting days of adventure I've experienced in ages. It's too easy to become bogged down with work, thinking about budgeting for trips like this, circling around the same little area of city or town that you live in. I'm not saying it's simple to go out and do things like this all that often, but fuck it, heading off on a last minute adventure now and then is essential to remind you that there's more out there and it is possible to escape the daily grind.
I was about to type, 'I'm already looking forward to the next one,' but then I suppose that totally defeats the point...
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