Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Thirty Four

'Your vibes speak louder than your words'

(The Universe Has Your Back - Gabrielle Bernstein)

This week's post is a weird one, because for once I am sitting writing this on a Friday morning, as I am off to Leeds Festival later (woohoo!) so I will update the post with this weekend's antics when I return, very much worse for wear I imagine, on Monday afternoon. Track for this week is taken from the new Coasts album which is a cracker, check it out.

The week thus far has been glorious, as Aum has been at cricket camp, meaning I have had the day times to myself, very much needed in amidst the seemingly neverending summer holidays. I've been able to fit in some gym sessions, clean the flat, do a food shop, and all the other niggly jobs that get put on the back burner when working full time.

On Tuesday some of the fam were over at my parents' from Derby, so I went to Dunham Massey to meet them for a little picnic and dog walk before the monsoon style rain made its appearance, and then we had a corking spag bol and garlic bread for tea back at the house. On Wednesday I had S to my flat for tea, and showcased my culinary skills by making slow cooked beef bourguignon with dauphinoise potatoes, and serving a baked camembert for starter, which all went down well. As this was date number seven and after a month is still going swimmingly I will reveal his actual name is Moj; I use the initials for a degree of anonymity for the poor souls (or lucky sods) who don't last very long. It appears this one is sticking around for a while so privacy is out of the window. 

Yesterday evening (Thursday) I caught up with some of the girls for takeaway sushi from Osechi One at Ellie's house, and we got to ogle Abi's beaut engagement ring and hear all the details from her holiday in Croatia. Although I know I am super lucky to have been globetrotting all summer, I really miss my girlfriends when I am away, so I was grateful to get the chance to listen to their stories and fill them in on what I had been upto, and have a gossip of course!

This morning has been a mad dash to buy last minute festival supplies and pack my mammoth rucksack (thanks to my gal Natasha for lending me one!) and I am off straight from work to try and find my sister and Frankie in the fields of Bramham Park... wish me luck and check back for all the deets on Monday!

UPDATE: Leeds you have ruined me!! I arrived to Liam Gallagher's drawling on Friday eve after work, but as I was directed to the brown car park which seemed to be the furthest trek away from yellow where we were camping I arrived about forty minutes later, sweating my ass off, curls having dropped from my hair and in desperate need of a drink. Jasmine and Frankie had battled to the front of the main stage to see Muse, but I wasn't so bothered having seen them before so went to watch Haim. The girl trio were so enthusiastic and electric live, and Marshmello who I went to afterwards managed to get me dancing despite being alone. We rendevous'd back at the tent once the bands had finished and were knackered so we were totally rock and roll and were in our sleeping bags by 11.30pm!

Saturday started bright and early as is always the case at festivals; we ate food that we had brought with us and grabbed a coffee before starting to get ready with copious amounts of glitter and gems. I had a three litre bag of white wine with me, so made a start on that interspersed with the occasional shot of apple sours, keeping up with the majority of 17 year old other festival goers around me! 

The first act of the day was Oh Wonder, which set the perfect tone for lounging on the grass with some ciders in the sun, followed by a bit of old school in the form of Jimmy Eat World who attracted quite the crowd. 2 Door Cinema Club performed next, and it was so funny to see the development of their lead singer from an awkward gangly teenager on a tiny stage on opening night of Glastonbury 2010 when I last saw them, to the leopard print coat wearing cool-as-all-hell frontman with swagger by the bucketload that he is now.

Bastille followed and then the headliners, Kasabian took to the stage. Safe to say they absolutely smashed it, I am regretting not buying tickets to their arena tour in December now! I can totally appreciate the famous sex appeal of Serj since watching them as well, his charisma and presence is so quintessential rock star. After topping up our bags with booze back at the tent, we queued and went into the silent disco for the night - so much fun as everyone is pumped from a day of drinking and buzzing from all the amazing artists they have seen. I think it was around 4am when we got to sleep!

Yesterday the lack of sleep was starting to catch up with us, so we tried to have a bit more of a lie in and went in search of a caffeine kick at about 10am. The first act we wanted to go into the venue for was The Pretty Reckless at 3pm, so it was chilled getting ready and predrinking. After them it was my ultimate faves PVRIS, then Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes who I had never seen before but they rocked it, one of the highlights of the weekend for me. Then we met up with our friend Laura and her boyfriend Otis and went back to our mosher teen days with Korn (yes the lead singer still wears a kilt), and ended the night dancing along with Everything Everything, Major Lazer and Eminem. Eminem put on an admirable performance, including all his old classics and collaborations to really bring the whole weekend of music to a fantastic closure. After he exited the extent of our sleep deprivation hit and we were pooped, so retired to our tent to start packing up a few bits  to leave the next morning. (see next week's post for continuation!)

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Thirty Three

'I've never found sin in pleasures of the skin

Not when I've never been with a man that did not worship me in his hands.'

(Lauren Eden)

This week started in Pelican Hill with another lazy day by the pool, and the news that one of my besties had got engaged; a fabulous beginning to a Monday, congrats Dave and Abi! In the afternoon we went for a drive to Huntington Beach and for tea at a beautiful seafood restaurant called The Cannery overlooking Newport Beach. I had the crabcake to start with, followed by a shrimp pot pie and shared some delicious rose, it was quite pricey but one of the best meals I had whilst in the area, I would totally recommend it to anyone heading that way.

On Tuesday we checked out and drove to the airport to fly to Vegas. It literally took an hour, and it was like stepping into an oven when we arrived, over forty degrees. We then got a taxi to our hotel, The Cosmopolitan... oh my goodness, best hotel ever! It is all very modern with a sexy twist, the lobby has huge screens with naked silhouette illusions on, but they were abstract enough that it wasn't lewd, more Bond-esque. They changed constantly to include different scenes and styles, I could have watched them all day. 

The second floor has a chandelier that encases the whole level with jewels, the restaurants are all very avant garde - one is called Rose. Rabbit. Lie. and looked to be Alice in Wonderland themed, my fave! In my room, the little cubicle where the toilet was and inside the wardrobe had the coolest printed wallpaper in metallic and with Victorian womens' heads respectively, and there was a massive bathtub with a blind that could be raised so it could be seen from the bedroom. All that doesn't even start on the incredible view from the balcony, which had a round sofa on to take it all in. It literally felt like I'd stepped into a dream!

We had reservations for tea at Yellowtail Sushi in the Bellagio hotel, so after unpacking and getting changed we walked there (it was the hotel next door). It is one of my boss's favourite places so she ordered for us all, as well as a few of the specials that the waiter recommended we had tuna 'pizza' (tuna tartare on super thin flatbread), seafood 'dynamite' (scallops, shrimp and mushrooms in a spicy citrus sauce) and the 'Mile High' roll which was tempura crab with avocado and asparagus with assorted sashimi on top. I am a sucker for sushi anyway, but this was up there with the tastiest I have ever had, and the uniqueness of the dishes added a wow factor.

After the food I was 'released' as Aum was staying in his parents' room that night, so I took advantage of a free evening, put my glad rags on and went for a cocktail in the hotel casino on the ground floor. Although I didn't fancy a flutter, mainly due to having no idea what I was doing and not wanting to look like a knob, I ordered an espresso martini, which was an eye watering $20 once I'd added a tip. It was fun to watch the world go by for an hour before the jet lag hit me like a shovel to the face!

On Wednesday Aum's parents were at a conference all day, so after a ridiculous buffet breakfast in the hotel (it had chocolate truffles, a carvery and even sushi available from 6am!) we had a relaxing time sunbathing by one of the two pools - the other was for over 21s only as it had a DJ and copious amounts of booze, so I very reluctantly had to give it a miss. Whilst we were there they played The Strokes track Games which is one of my favourites, and is one of those that transports me back a few years ago, so I have picked that as my song for the week, check it out below. The temperature soared to the early forties so we went back to the room to escape it at around 3pm to get ready for an early tea at Hard Rock Cafe. Afterwards we walked to the MGM Grand, to watch their Cirque du Soleil production, KA. 

Now I am not a huge musical theatre goer, I much prefer watching more traditional plays, but my God, KA was out of this world. There was zero talking in the whole piece (they used a make believe oriental based language to communicate) but the choreography, special effects and costumes made it a visual feast that kept me open mouthed yet silent for nearly 2 hours, and those that know me will confirm that is a rare occurrence! At one point they created a shipwreck scene where acrobats seemed to sink underwater by being suspended from the ceiling, there were fireworks, fight scenes with huge scimitars, and a double upright centrifuge where the actors ran across the barrels without harnesses 25 feet in the air! Mind blown.

On Thursday we decided to walk along the strip to have a gander at some of the different hotels. They all have their own quirks and are like a mall within themselves, with casinos, theatres, multiple restaurants, shops and attractions inside each one. We started at The Bellagio next door, which has a huge fountain and light show outside every night, and inside has a chocolate fountain of Willy Wonka proportions, a botanical garden that changes theme every season, and a stunning glass sculpture all across the lobby ceiling designed by artist Dale Chihuly.

Next up was The Venetian which, as the name suggests, was decked out to feel like the canals of Venice, complete with gondola rides available on the waterways throughout the interior, and loads of swanky Italian designer shops. It was so collosal inside we got lost quite a few times! We had another couple of hours chilling by the pool after the hectic morning, soaking up the last hot rays of 2017!

That evening we went for tea at Paris Hotel which, you guessed it, is Parisian themed. We ate in The Eiffel Tower Restaurant, which overlooks The Bellagio fountains so we had a great view of the show whilst dining. As it was our final night I treated myself to three courses, which Aum helped me out with. I opted for the slow cooked octopus with beluga lentils to start, followed by crusted sea bass with a clam jus and finally we pre-ordered the special, a blueberry lemon souffle, which was the lightest thing I have ever put in my mouth! 

After our gorgeous meal we caught a taxi to Hershey's Chocolate World and M&M's World so Aum (and I!) could buy some sweets and presents for people back home. Satisfied with our zany coloured M&M's and Hershey's Kisses we took some photos of the strip all lit up on the walk back, especially New York-New York with its replica Big Apple sights, our last night in Sin City!

 

On Friday we were up and packed bright and early as our flight was just after 10am. We ate breakfast at The Henry in the hotel (a proper waiter service restaurant open 24 hours), where I had a doorstop sized French toast with berries and syrup - seeing America off in style for another year! We landed yesterday morning after nearly 24 hours of travelling but headed back to bed for a few hours as it was still night time in the US and we were like zombies. 

In the afternoon I went back to my flat to unpack and repack a bag for a few days as I am staying at Aum's to look after him until his parents return on Tuesday. S came round for a coffee to say hello, it was nice to see him, I've actually missed being able to talk to him so often because of the massive time difference. He came to Aum's that evening later on and we had a bottle of wine and chatted for ages; he'd bought me a really unique wooden phone case from a trip with his family to Cardiff which I thought was super thoughtful (and exactly my taste, impressive for such a newbie). It put the little token gifts I'd brought back for him from Las Vegas to shame!

Today I got to be reunited with my doggy! We took her for a walk to Sale Water Park with my mum, stopping for ice cream as the sun made an appearance. We went back to hers for a roast dinner with the family and my Aunty, and I am now back at Aum's waiting for S to come and visit again - it seems I have found a boy who actually wants to make an effort and see me often, hallelujah!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Thirty Two

'He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss also gazes into you.'
(Nietzsche) 

On Monday I put a new poem up on Instagram - read it here - and took Aum to Old Trafford for his (and my) first ever cricket match - England versus South Africa. I didn't have a clue what was going on, but it was something different to do, and Aum seemed happy to be there so I was content reading my book in the sun! 

On Tuesday I had date four (furthest I've got since being single again oo er!) with S; we went into Hale so I could show him one of my stomping grounds. We had a couple of drinks in Victor's which he really rated, and then one more in Piccolino, which was disappointingly quiet, it felt like we were being ushered out! It was the last time I could see him before coming away to America, so was glad I got to spend some more time with him before disappearing for nine days, I feel quite confident that we'll continue talking/messaging until I get back.

My track for this week is by a young girl band from Norwich that I hadn't heard of before, but I was sent it for Candid and I liked how badass they were, and the song reminded me of something Paramore would come out with so I thought I'd give it some airtime. Also love the homage to Miss Havisham in the video.



Wednesday and Thursday were pretty dull days spent prepping for California - I had my hair cut (free cake at the hairdresser's!) and Mum dyed it afterwards, I took the dog to the parent's, packed my suitcase - and I got a taxi to the airport at 10am on Friday ready for the absolutely mammoth journey to Pelican Hill, the resort I am staying in with Aum and his parents in Newport Beach.

We arrived late that evening (this place is amazing but more on that later..) though the eight hour time lag meant it seemed like super early morning to us. Yesterday morning we had the most INCREDIBLE buffet breakfast at the resort, fruit and yoghurt parfait, freshly made pancakes, waffles and french toast, cheese blinzes, muffins and pastries, meat, cheese, four types of sausage, I was in heaven! I have literally never stayed anywhere like this before, our 'apartment' has a posh coffee machine, sea views, marble floors, a huge open fireplace, a balcony with iron sun loungers and enough miniatures in the bathroom to start a shop, which have of course worked their way into my toiletry bag to take home... 

We spent the day by the pool sunbathing and relaxing, and in the evening we went to Fashion Island, a gorgeous outdoor shopping centre with fountains and cute little striped awnings over the shops. We ate at Cheesecake Factory there, where we all shared crabcakes to start and then I chose jambalaya pasta for main course which was delicious, if big enough for three people!

Today after another morning by the pool we headed to nearby Laguna Beach for a wander around. It had some lovely little boutiques, including a French macaroon shop where we sampled flavours such as white chocolate and basil, matcha green tea and Earl Grey, and an awesome second hand designer clothes shop that I could have spent a fortune in! I resisted though and instead opted for a quirky straw handbag as I have wanted a new beach bag for a while. 

We ate that evening at a Mexican seafood restaurant on the beachfront called Las Brisas that had been recommended. I had their signature cocktail, an orange margarita, and after calamari to start I then went for sauteed prawns with mushrooms, asparagus and rice. The view of the sunset was absolutely perfect, with the backdrop of the cliffs, and palm trees hanging over the sand in the foreground, it has definitely been one of those evenings that will stick in my mind for a long time. 

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Thirty One

'Communicate with me, no matter how dark, no matter how strange or deep it may be. I love when people can be raw and direct. Share with me, the corners of your heart that others have been too afraid to stand on. Be you, all the time, & let me in so I can understand you.'

(Sylvester McNutt)

This week has been a good mixed bag. On Tuesday I got a new Instagram poem up (read here) and it was the next Matter of Sound Band & Bean event; we skipped one in July due to lots of the team being busy or away on holiday (myself included). Yet again there were more people who attended, it is always such a boost to see it grow from month to month, and the bands that played this time were really high calibre. Halem, whose song I have chosen as my track of the week below, are a duo from Liverpool/ Manchester, and singer Katy's voice is just insane. Etches are a very talented multi instrumental band managed by Hattie who created Matter of Sound with my friend Emily, and Satyr Play are a four piece with great on stage energy and presence (and even better dress sense).

The following day Aum and I went into Manchester for some brunch at Alabama's, which was pretty much up to American standard! I had bacon and maple syrup french toast and a skinny latte, whilst Aum had chocolate and peanut butter waffles with ginger beer. The menu is extensive and reasonably priced and all the servers are super friendly, I shall be heading back there for sure. Afterwards we had a wander around the Museum of Science & Industry for a few hours, they had some cool exhibitions and experiments for the kids to do with it being the summer holidays.

On Friday I went bowling with Aum at Parrs Wood (I lost, but he did have the bumpers up so I'm not counting it!) and in the evening I had my third date with S. We met in Brezo Lounge in Cheadle for a pre dinner drink, which I have driven past loads and always wanted to sample, it is dog friendly, and very eclectic and kitsch inside which I adore. We then ate at Indian Tiffin Room, which has been on my go-to list since my bosses recommended it a couple of years ago. It serves South Indian street food, so we ordered a few dishes to share -  palak paneer (spinach with Indian cheese), samosa chaat (crushed samosa), chicken lollypops and rava masala dosa (a thin and crispy crepe filled with masala potato). It was all tasty especially the palak paneer, and the restaurant is quite compact so it feels like a hidden gem, as opposed to the much bigger branch on First Street in the city centre. We went back to Brezo afterwards for an espresso martini before I got a lift home, and then whilst getting ready for bed the phone rang and it was Lydia, who I then chatted to for 3 hours until 4am!

Yesterday I drove Emily and I to Lancaster and we met Lydia there at my parent's student rental house that is empty over the summer. I took the dog, and we had a leisurely amble up to Williamson Park, home to Ashton Memorial, a beautiful monument that stands on a hill with stunning views overlooking the town and rolling countryside of Lancashire. It was warm enough for an ice cream, and on the way back we stopped at The Borough for some prosecco in the courtyard and had a hanging chicken and chorizo kebab with a sharing platter of nibbles for a late lunch.

That evening we had a casserole for tea that I'd pre-prepared and then got ready for a good old school Lancs night out. We had bubbles with Chambord before heading into town to Sphere, where we had a couple of cocktails - Lancaster is so much cheaper than Manchester! We then went on to The Study Room for some more fizz and ended the night with jaegerbombs and dancing in Dalton Rooms. It was loads of fun and took me back to my uni days - we even got cheesy chips at the end of the night!

This morning we were all surprisingly lively, think the chips and cups of tea at 4am sorted us out. We drove back home and then I met Mum at Dunham Massey for a wander around before calling in at hers for a roast dinner. I have relished spending a full week at home for once, it makes me appreciate the little perks of being back in my own space, I need to make the most of it as back off to the U.S again next weekend!