Tuesday 30 August 2016

It was going to be a thoughtful post.......

I was feeling a bit creative this week. 

Decided to write a something about new creations from the old,
though nothing came out of it. 
Decided to make a poem,
though did that last week,
Decided to making something in the kitchen,
though I just didn't had any spark to do anything.
Decided to write about getting ready for September,
Though i'm still on holiday.
Decided to do a photo walk,
Though here is the pictures!!!!

Maybe you could count above a small poem. But I was really intending to make a thoughtful post about life as I was feeling so creative this week though I typed some words in it was making no sense. There is no way I can upload something on this blog that make no sense. Anyhow you can have a look at my photos that I did this week. Which is my first ever photo walk I done up north.












Maybe next week would be more of a thoughtful post.

Monday 22 August 2016

Long time, no see

I am going to try an upload something on this blog every week.  A lot of people got an interest to Rodger (teddy bear) so he maybe doing some appearance here and there. When it fancies him. Today he is eating cake and on the camping chair. Can't be bad to have a bear life!



I looked through my previous post and no poems in sight. Very sad indeed. I don't know what to write about. So I thought I might else well you know write a poem about moving.







It may not be a palace
Full of finery and bling
With mirrored halls and chanderliers
And rooms fit for a king



It may not be a cottage
With slates upon the floor
And wooden beams and thatch
And climbing roses round the door



But what I have is special
A place to call my own
Where I can turn a simple house
Into my perfect home



Even though this house (pictured above) is only mine for a short while. Well its not really mine as we are renting. But hey ho, I can still make this house special and welcoming. Surely?


Friday 19 August 2016

Our house, in the middle of the street

As you are aware, I have moved house on the 1st August to Newcastle upon tyne or shall I say Gateshead. Anyhow, I am no longer living in Sandhurst I am living in a village called Ryton for a few months. As I won't be living in this house that I am currently living some of you won't be able to see it. I thought I can get the house all clean and sparkly to take lovely pictures and have no unpacked boxes lying anywhere.  Or random stuff placed in here and there. Though that is not going to happen. You might as well come in and have a tour guide to show you around, and that would be Rodger my teddy bear.




Pretty standard stuff with terraced house just no garage and no off parking. Which Dad is very unhappy out. Though Mum and I say to him, it's only temporary. And this is the front Entrance. How was you journey? Managed OK! That's good.

This is Rodger, welcoming us in the house. So please do go in. No need to take your shoes off. Yes honestly. While you are looking at the house, would you like a coffee or tea? Maybe hot chocolate!


This is a bit of of a small hallway and mind the lamp we only put that that there as all three of us walk into it. As you will gather on the tour with Rodger and I this house is smaller than the one we had back in Sandhurst. But hey ho, that might just teach us not accumulate so much stuff. Probably not. And yes Rodger isn't on the naughty step he just wants to see you and not get in the way! A nice gentlemen you know.


As you enter the hallway, you have the living room. Mum and Dad sits on the black sofa and when I can persuade Rodger to get off the camping chair I sit on that and use the beanbag as my foot rest. But if I can't get Rodger to come off the camping chair then I use the bean bag. Doesn't Rodger look so comfy!? 


Leading from the living room you have the kitchen dinner. It's got more cupboards than the other house but little workspace. While we are in the kitchen can Rodger and I attempt you in anything, maybe a yogurt or even a cake!


Leading from the kitchen you have the utility room. As you see it's where we have the coffee selection of,teas, a washing machine. Not forgetting about the mircowave nor towels. Rodger also informed me there is a shoe cupboard. Yes honestly no need to take your shoes off! Rodger is showing his amazing skills, by managing to get in the washing machine all by himself.


Rodger welcomes you to the bathroom. This is our only bathroom, so you can't take long for the bath as you get kick out as someone is need of the bathroom. Or you can't come in because Rodger is using the toilet as a seat. Don't look at me like that! Where else I can sit in the living room? Oh, I could always sit on the floor. I should apologise to our Tour guide then. Now I have apologised to Rodger and he forgives me by giving me a big bear hug!


As you leave the bathroom, to the utility, living room, back to the hallway, up the stairs. Sorry Rodger forgot to tell you the stairs is a bit steep. Anyhow, as you have managed to climb the steep stairs you are now on the landing, 


The first bedroom you see, is mine. It's a bit of a mess, hope this photo doesn't give the impression of that. I am doing the last job of unpacking of tyring to put things in the right home. While Rodger as got the pleasure of reading books. 


The next bedroom along is the master room, also known has Mum's and Dad's. Rodger is getting very tired and fancy a nap. I don't blame him, been a busy day for him.


Behind you, is the our secret storage space. Rodger didn't fancy being in this one. For some reason.


This our spare room, but it's where we put things that are not needed in there. Just don't tell Rodger that, as he may just be a bit annoyed at me. As we need Rodger. Though Rodger did fancy being in the box and playing BOO!! with you. 


If you wish to leave  the house after your hot drink or a bite to eat. Or even both. No rush, because Rodger and I love your company. You got two doors you could leave from. You could leave from the front entrance or the back entrance. The back entrance is where the utility room is and then turn right. 

Rodger loves to see you again and wishes you a good journey back home. 



This is the back view of the back entrance. 

If you have an accurate picture of our new houses Rodger and I congratulate you on your exemplary spatial awareness! Feel free to come and compare your pictures with reality. Rodger and I cannot wait to see you!! 

Friday 12 August 2016

Just feeling creative


Where I belong


I read two books in four days one of them is called where I belong by Catherine Ryan Hyde which is what I am going to write about as it was such a good book. The other book was called the year with the rat by  Clare Furniss which is another good book. Though I got some outstanding assignments to do, really push my limit here with time. Though I thought I would make an excuse to post something.




Imagine being 14 year old with a 7 year old sister on the Autism Spectrum and at-the-end-of-her-rope mother who cannot cope. No father. He beat feet when he found out just how affected his daughter Sophie was by the Autism. Very. Sophie does not talk, seems to pay no heed to what it said to her, makes no eye contact with others and screeches incessantly, for hours on end, which forces the family to be asked to leave place after place. They finally land with a sister of a grandmother who is recently widowed. But Sophie's screaming becomes intolerable and she asks them to leave. Now, with nowhere to go, and no money, they are homeless.

Can you imagine this life?

Imagine that the fate of this family is constantly falling on your young shoulders.

But before they have to leave Aunt Vi's house, Sophie falls in love with a great Dane who belongs to the next door neighbour, a grouchy curmudgeon singly guy only 7 weeks away from retirement as a bank officer. When around the dog, Sophie is silent, and learns that the dog comes and goes and is silent waiting for his next appearance.

When the man retires and moves to a house several hours away in the mountains, Sophie has a complete meltdown, thereby causing the family to have abrupt heave-ho from their temporary home. With almost no money, to nowhere else to turn, the mother has the idea of following the man to his new town and getting the teen's dog walking job back so Sophie can see his dog again and perhaps settled down once again.

It is a story of a family struggling to stay together without having to resort to a 'placing' Sophie in a home. It shows you what happens when you are out of options, money and hope.

A wonder read. Really!!

Saturday 6 August 2016

Monthly musings: July




I won't start this blog with an apology otherwise I would sound like an old record player or a very old YouTube video that gets played and played until you know what is going to happen before it does or you know the lyrics inside and out.

As I am writing this, I have boxes surrounding me. I have finally moved to Newcastle the town called Ryton. So let's talk about July. Shall we?

So July was here and there and shake it about quite literally. So the first week in July Dad and I went up to Newcastle looked at the rented houses well more like my Dad. I was at Newcastle college doing summer college and having fun being creative with a sharpie taking portrait and compiling the doodles on the portrait. Meeting lovely people though don't ask me to speak Geordie as that I haven't got my head around. Though ask me to take photos anytime. Dad and I had fun at Newcastle though something was missing and that was my Mum unfortunately she had to work. Annoyingly!!!!!!!!!!!

I had less than a half a night had home. Then I got an early flight from Gatwick to Berlin my first flight on my own well in a way is not really. I have always flown on my own since the age of seven by the sky flyers you always have a person that takes you through the security and on the plan the best thing about it is you can have many biscuits and cookies and no parents telling you "Come on that is enough." In fact no parents had all. I got to see lots of celebrities by flying on my own. I must say I was about upset when my Dad told me I will be flying from Gatwick to Berlin with Easy Jet as I am so used to flying with British Airways.

I staying over with my Grandparents who was cat siting for my Uncle Chris as he was working in the states in a town called Rangsdorf which is the eastern part of Germany. Rangsdorf will capture your imagination and it's not all because of its beauty and exciting culture. There's a valiant piece of history attached to this little town dating back ti World War II. You see, it's from the local airfield here that Claus Schenk Graf Von Stauffenberg set off in his bid to assassinate Hitler in what Tom Cruise has now made famous as Operation Valkyrie. Of course, as we all now know he was short dead for his pain. How history would have been changed if he had not failed in this valiant bid.

Day in Berlin


I'm not going to tell you the ins and outs and my adventure in Berlin otherwise I would be here for days trying to rack up my brain and remember. But here are the highlights. So enjoy the ride!

I had a day to Berlin. The firth thing you should do when you get to Berlin? Take a deep breath and understand this: you will not see it all in a day. Berlin is huge, as in nine times the physical size of Paris. There is no downtown area per se, but several, and no two neighborhoods have the same look and feel. So what to do? Step back, understand, and come along for the ride. Even more reason to come back to Berlin.

Please excuse the photos to be a bit different quality I was on a bus doing most of these photos.

Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most well-known landmarks in Germany, but did you know that it once stood without its Quadriga statue at the stop? Stolen by Napoleon in 1806, the famous chariot by four houses was kept in Paris until was returned to Berlin upon his defeat in 1814. An impressive theft for sure, but if the Quadriga had been of gold, it would have been one of the biggest thefts of all time

Top of the Brandenburg gate

Reichstag

First let's clear up a few thing. The German word Reichstag means "imperial parliament" (das Reich, empire + der Tag, diet.) The term Reichstag acutally refers to the historic series of governing bodies in the German realm, and the former Prussian/German legislative body that was created in 1867 (for the North German Confederation). However, the term is often used as shorthand for the building in which the Reichstag met for many years.



Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

Alxenderplatz also known as the Eiffel tower in Berlin!!

The central square in the heart of Berlin was brought to life in the early 19th Century. The former Trade Square Ochesenplatz was renamed by the Russian Tsar Alexander the first (1777-1825). Over the years, the square had several different purposes. First, for a quite a long time, the square was known as a cattle-market where people came together to do business. Later, during the Second World War, Alexanderplatz was used for its underground bunkers and unfortunately this also meant that it was one of the main targets for the enemies of Adolf Hitler. 


Berlin Wall
Can you imagine waking up in one morning to find that soldiers were building a wall across your town? Can you imagine what it would be like to not to be able to go your work or college in your neighborhood because there was giant wall in the way? That was what happened to some people in Germany in August 1961, when East Germany started raising the Berlin wall to Separate itself from West Germany. 

Checkpoint Charlie

A visit to checkpoint Charlie is a bit like time travel. There are only few sights in Berlin that are still in the original shape they were during the Berlin Wall Era-only few details left of Cold War Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie is kind of one of them. Checkpoint Charlie was one of the series of different Checkpoints between East and West, some of them named after the "Army Alphabet." I guess it's worth mentioning that the West Allies did not really check on the regular people-only military personal and officials had to show their papers-their credentials.


A sunny day in Potsdam


Grandparents and I wanted to change the scenery, we decided to make a day-trip to the neighbouring city of Potsdam. Although still quite busy in its own right (we even spent 30 minutes finding a park that has a space for the car), Potsdam has long been touted as a favorite place of residence for the Prussian and German royal family until 1918 and now attracts visitors with its charming dutch influenced city center, beautiful architecture, and extensive Sanssouci park and palaces. 

After exploring Potsdam by car trying to find a parking. We made our way to the main reason that most people head to Potsdam-Sanssocuci park. We wandered through the grounds build by Frederick the Great before finding our way to the highlight of the park, the Sanssouci Palace (the park is actually home to two palaces, the Sanssocui palace and the "new" palace. Although relatively small for a "palace", the Rococo masterpiece was built in the likeness of Versailles, complete with a sculpture garden, fountains, and a beautiful terraced vineyard. 

Sanssouci palace






After admiring the architecture and snapping many photogrpahs, we stumbled onto a small cafe and had a lovely cup of coffee and cheese cake and more cake.



So that is the end of my Berlin trip. Well for this blog post. As I said I'm only writing the highlights on this blog. My intention is to upload all my photos on a blog post. 

Quotes

Dad: Why is Dishwasher not done Rebecca?
Me: Well, I didn't know where to put the clean dishes  as you packed everything up. I didn't want to forget these few items. Do you?
Dad: Haha  

It;s a shame, I can't use that excuse again.

Now if you excuse me, I better start unpacking my boxes. Oh wait, I only got one more box left ah it can wait. Surely!