If I may reflect...

2009. An eventful year (isn't it always?), at least in my private yet ever expanding world. Though it's never been quite as terrible as I thought at the time, it's a wonderful relief to look back on some of the things I've done this year and think, well at least that's over. For example, half of my Science GCSEs, half of my Maths GCSE, part of my English Language and Literature GCSEs, 30% of my Drama GCSE, a quarter of my Spanish and French GCSEs, a bit of my History GCSE and, oh, a large amount of that preposterous ICT qualification that neither I nor my fellow academic peers agreed to.

Well, anyway, I suppose I'll wish readers a pleasant, prosperous and ultimately happy New Year (and I hope it's good when the year's old, too).

I've never really made resolutions (though at the age of 10 I did become rather enamoured with growing a giant vegetable that year - one day), however I have some goals:

• Achieve the best grades that I possibly can in my GCSEs
• Start giving more money to animal charities on a regular basis
  
• Learn to play a musical instrument, maybe
• Master French and Spanish so I'm fluent
• Learn a new language - choices: Italian, German, Irish, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese
• Start going clothes shopping again - I love clothes and fashion, but I can never bring myself to buy anything and only want to look
• Audition for a proper play/musical and maybe the National Youth Theatre, not just amateur youth theatre clubs
• Go to see Avenue Q again, hopefully twice
• Go to Harrods (and Harvey Nichols again, maybe)
• Write an article for a newspaper and send it in
• Start a few art projects that have been in my head for a while
• Reach the tenth generation on The Sims 3 (I'm on the fifth now which is huge for me)
  
• Go to a house party
• Actually buy some makeup, particularly from MAC, instead of just gazing longingly (this relates back to the clothes thing)
• Spend some of the money I have saved up - not a lot, but it's just sitting there growing and never gets to have fun
• Get my hair cut into a completely new style (I think two and a half years is a bit ridiculous)
• See some really good films at the cinema
• Start reading fashion magazines in French
• Expand my music tastes (of course, never forgetting Regina Spektor, but I know there's a lot out there that I sometimes miss out on a lot)
• Read more fiction (I can't help my love of Science textbooks and French grammar books!)
• Dress up whenever I feel like it, oh, and go to a costume party
• Do more photography
• Submit some of my photography to, er... somewhere important!

So, I'm fairly ambitious. But hopefully in the summer holidays when GCSEs are finished I'll have some time to do at least a few of these things. So, I hope your tonight's good!

I wouldn't say life is 'good', but browsing Jedward websites, looking at pictures of delicious food and listening to Regina Spektor is fun

And that's a quintessential part of me, right there

I think my faith in Drama has been restored

Every effort in I made GCSE Drama seemed to be in vain. I could achieve good marks, but I wanted something better, something more - it wasn't fulfilling or rewarding. My hunger was insatiable, and I didn't know how to solve it.

Today, I had to perform Juliet's speech from Romeo and Juliet. Of course, it was the 'O Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?'. Most of my class hadn't learned their lines beforehand and only performed the first four lines, but I remembered the whole speech which amounted to 16 lines in total. I just threw every last bit of naive, young girl in forbidden love that I had inside me, and hopefully it paid off. It was filmed so one of my teachers who wasn't in the lesson will be able to watch it. I really enjoyed the whole experience and it just felt like the most natural and apt thing I've ever done, even though I haven't been in love.

I really love performing Shakespeare - it's one of my favourite areas of Drama. I think my accent and demeanour are rather Shakespearean. It's literal, it's indulgent and heady and somehow still relevant today. Now I'm seriously considering auditioning for the National Youth Theatre.

Je le ferai

I think that I'll do it. I'll take at least one language (probably French) along with my sciences/maths. Then, part way through my A-levels, I can decide whether I'm going to pursue sciences or languages in life. I love both areas so at this stage I can't possibly dedicate my future to one of them.

Childrenm's films (I haven't done one of these in a while so it's about time)

[X] High School Musical
[ ] Brink
[ ] Motocrossed
[X] Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
[X] Pocahontas
[ ] Pocahontas 2
[X] Lady and the Tramp
[X] Lady and the Tramp 2
[X] Cinderella
[X] The Parent Trap (original)
[X] The Parent Trap (newer version w/ lindsay lohan)
[X] The Little Mermaid
[X] The Little Mermaid 2
[X] Mary Poppins
[X] The Fox and the Hound
[X] Dumbo
[X] Pinocchio
[X] Bambi
[X] Bambi 2
[ ] The Great Mouse Detective
[X] The Rescuers Down Under
[X] Toy Story
[X] Toy Story 2
[X] Lion King
[X] Lion King 2
[ ] Lion King 1 1/2
[X] Peter Pan
[X] Fantasia
[ ] The Three Caballeros
[X] Alice in Wonderland
[X] Sleeping Beauty
[X] 101 Dalmations (animated)
[X] 101 Dalmations (real version)
[X] 102 Dalmations
[X] The Sword in the Stone
[X] The Jungle Book
[X] The Aristocats
[X] Robin Hood
[X] Oliver and Company
[X] Beauty and the Beast
[X] Aladdin
[ ] Aladdin: Return of Jafar
[ ] Aladdin: The King of Thieves
[X] Finding Nemo
[X] Monsters, Inc.
[X] Hercules
[X] Mulan
[ ] Mulan 2
[X] Tarzan
[X] Lilo & Stitch
[X] The Hunchback of Notre Dame
[X] The Emperor’s New Groove
[X] The Nightmare before Christmas
[X] Bedknobs and Broomsticks
[ ] Pete’s Dragon
[ ] Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
[X] James and the Giant Peach
[ ] Mighty Ducks
[X] A Bug’s Life
[X] The Incredibles

Dear Lucy,

Today's your birthday. Well, it should be. You should be having a party at the weekend, opening all your rainbow-coloured pencils and generally being incredibly happy. But you're not.

Five days after your 14th birthday, you fell victim to a baffling and rare ear problem. This Monday you will have been ill for two years. You've missed some of the most dramatic, stressful yet amazing times so far. It just hasn't been the same without you.

In reality, it's not your 16th birthday tomorrow. You haven't even had your 15th birthday. Chronologically, you may be 16, but I know that really you haven't even had the chance to live your life properly as a 14 year old.

When you get better, I promise you I'll make both birthdays special. We'll have a huge party, celebrate your new lease of life and get you back on track. I'll be here for you throughout, always. I'll do everything I can to help you repair this.

I just hope you're not too upset today. Remember: today isn't your birthday, it's just another day. But some day, with any luck in the near future, it will be. And things will all be on their way to being okay again.

Sending you love, happiness and good health,
Abby
xxxxxxxxxxxx

Is this not quite amazing?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8337341.stm

I think so, anyway.