I can't live without my iPhone

"I can't live without my iPhone". The phrase that people are too afraid to say because they get so much stick for it. I can't live without my iPhone and I'm not afraid to admit it.

The majority of people from my parents' generation or older just don't get this obsession with technology: they even frown upon it. I'll tell you oldies why: it has always been there. We've grown up with the ability to find any bizarre nugget of information out with a click of a finger, get a message to someone instantaneously, press a button and get something shipped to your home. We've never been without it, so obviously we're going to be reliant on it.

We're not going to refrain from using technology just because you old folks did it a much more complex way back in your day. "Back in my day we'd have to go to the library and pull out an encyclopaedia to find out that information", "we had to meet up face to face or use the telephone and actually speak to each other". Alright nice one, give yourself a pat on the back. I'm sure if they had the opportunity to be able to Google or FaceTime someone, they definitely wouldn't say no. 

And as for the whole "it makes you young 'uns antisocial" thing, if, as a child, my grandfather had an X-Box One put in front of him with these amazing games and graphics, he definitely wouldn't turn that down for a hoop and a stick or whatever they played with. If anything, technology makes us more sociable. My parents have moaned at me for being constantly on my phone and being 'unsociable'. But I wasn't, I was socialising with my friends. Sorry I don't care about your documentary about steam trains.

As a self-confessed iPhone addict, I want to emphasise the point that I am not materialistic. I don't just love it because it cost (my mum) a shit tonne of money. I love the fact I can do pretty much anything on it. I don't wear designer clothes, I don't give a shit if my bag cost less than someone else's, I am simply addicted to my phone cause it got mad skillz bruh. 

Of course there are those little spoilt 13 year olds who will cry as soon as a new iPhone comes out because there's isn't the newest. Even though the only thing they use it for is to post shockingly inappropriate selfies and post "like and I'll say who's pretty" statuses on Facebook. But I'm excluding those little shits from all this. I also need to get rid of the 13 year olds off my Facebook really...

Unbelievably settled in

Now the first few weeks are done I am feeling so much more confident and happy here in Leeds. In fact, I absolutely fucking love it! And I feel like I am actually sleeping in my own bed now!

I have been SO busy but I have SO many things I need to write about so I will get to it next week!

I'm in a catch 22 here because I love writing, but when I'm happy I tend to write less because I'm out being a happy little nutcase, but when I seem to write more I'm not as happy.

University homesickness

I've been away from home for about two weeks now and the homesickness is kicking in. But the thing about this 'homesickness' is that I'm not missing home per se. I'm missing stability and familiarity that I had when I was back home.

As I went to uni last year and dropped out, all my friends are in their second year of university now, whereas I'm a fresher again. So this means I'm at the stage where I don't really know anybody, I don't exactly know my way around; it's all brand new. Although this is an amazing, exciting time and although I know everyone else is feeling like this, I still feel like a little lost sheep. I'm at the age, or maturity level or whatever, where I don't feel like an actual fresher. All of my friends have their solid friendship groups at uni, they have jobs, everything's sorted. I like stability. At home I had my long term boyfriend, my family and friends, my job. Now I have none of that on my doorstep.

As much as I love partying and the freshers lifestyle, I'm also looking forward to it being halfway into the year; when I'm settled, I know what I'm doing, and that my shitty little student flat feels a bit more like home.

1.5 weeks living away

I've been moved into my university accommodation for about a week and a half and here is how I am getting on.

I wasn't actually living at home before I moved to Leeds for uni. I was pretty much living with my boyfriend, Josh, at his parents house. I had all of my clothes and make up there. I even had a toothbrush, a razor and tampons there. That definitely means I made it- tampons! I saw my mum and dad now and then but I was almost 20, I didn't feel the need to see them everyday. Therefore I'm not homesick nor do I miss my parents that much. The one thing that I cannot cope with is not seeing Josh. I'm Joshsick. The worst thing is I have been with him the majority of this week. He lives in Sheffield for uni, which is about an hour away, so I've been to his twice and he's been to mine. And I miss him already.  When I first moved away to Chester, me and Josh were nowhere near as close as we are now. I missed my parents probably more than I did him. But now I feel pathetic. I want to be a strong independent young woman who can stand on her own two feet yet somehow I cannot bear to not be around him.

The fact I have no parents around doesn't concern me as I wasn't really living at home before I moved. I know how to take care of myself. I've avoided doing any laundry thus far- I know it hasn't been long but I seem to have gone through a lot of pants. I also appear to have forgotten all of my socks. So I'm probably going to just have to buy new ones instead of washing because the cost to use the washing machine and dryer is complete extortion. Really, a joke.

Fresher's week is obviously a time to get absolutely trollied with a load of strangers while finding out how much of a slut your flatmate is in "Never Have I Ever...". So obviously I have done that. Last night I managed to stumble into bed, get halfway through the process of setting my alarm and then fall fast asleep. I woke up this morning ten minutes after the ID check enrolment drop in session had FINISHED. Fab start really. But my alarm is now set for tomorrow and I'm ready.

University: attempt 2

I am so disappointed in myself. I have been too busy to even open up my laptop, let alone think about writing a blog post. I have been constantly working at one of the fancy, well hidden restaurants in Hull, and if I've ever not been at work I have been spending as much time as I can with my boyfriend before we part for our lives in separate cities.

But here I am. Finally at uni. Again. Wow.

Surely the fact I've already experienced university life would make me a lot less nervous at the idea of starting again? Nowhere near. In fact it completely terrifies me. I went once and hated  it. This is my last chance and I have to get it right this time. I do not want to have another bad experience, I do not want my passion for something to be driven out of me. Most of all, I don't want to let my parents down. I dropped out of my last uni. I was a d r o p o u t. Imagine my mum having to explain my situation to an old relative she was having a little catch up with. Imagine how many times she'll have wanted to just say "Aw yeah she's doing really well" and let the conversation pass over.

No, not this time. This is the time I'm going to get it right. Last year did lead me in the right direction, I just took a detour on the way. And I will look back and think it was a good thing. It has made me determined to really grab this year by the balls and make it work. I'm going to work as hard as I possibly can, make as many memories and friends as I possibly can and actually give my parents something to be proud of. Yes Mum, you tell Jane from work how well I'm doing and actually mean it.

British foods you HAVE to try

I'm from Yorkshire, the best county in England some may say...and those who don't, well they're just wrong. So, I am going to admit that I haven't tried some of the famous delicacies of other counties but if I had, they may well have made it to my list.

The Yorkshire Pudding. This is an obvious one, or maybe that's because I'm a Yorkshire girl. Yorkshire puddings are like a dough/pastry kind of thing made out of batter. Wow, I don't even know what they are but they are amazing. You have them on roast dinners with meat and vegetables and gravy. SO MUCH GRAVY. The best thing is: you don't have to be from Yorkshire to have one. People all over Britain eat them because, as lovely Yorkshire folk, we love to share our traditions in order to bring joy to the world. 

Also, in addition to this, Toad in the Hole is a glorious meal which I'm assuming is British, which is basically sausages in a giant Yorkshire pud, obviously accompanied by lashings of gravy, and usually veg too.

In the same kind of region I must mention the sausage roll. A sausage roll is basically a sausage, in a flaky pastry. There is probably a name for flaky pastry but I'm no expert. If you're in the UK and want sausage rolls, Cooplands is the place to be...I think that's only up north, but seriously, isn't that the best place to be? (Hint: yes)

Do you get cheese straws anywhere apart from Britain too? Maybe. But these are amazing, just cheesy sticks of pastry. Little swords of heartburn but my God they are delicious.

CRISPS - yes I know Britain isn't the only place you can find crisps or potato chips, HOWEVER, we have the best kinds. Monster Munch, Skips, Frazzles, Space Raiders. I live for this shit.

Some may say that these are crisps...some may say that these are little sticks of Hell...TWIGLETS.

I don't really know what I would categorise these as, but they are worth a try...you will love them or hate them. I've yet to meet someone who is indifferent towards Twiglets. I heard they taste like Marmite (if you've never had that you should you might be missing out), which explains the whole love it or hate it thing, but I've never actually tasted Marmite so I wouldn't know. Another person said Twiglets reminded them of soy sauce...I don't know, maybe.

Fizzy drinks/pop/soda, whatever you want to call it...again we have some hidden gems. Vimto, despite it being an anagram of 'vomit', it is absolutely beautiful, imagine the nicest, sweetest fruit punch, and probably some really tasty additives, let's be realistic, and that is Vimto. Irn Bru (English people pronounce this like Iron Brew) is a MUST! Famously Scottish, this divine beverage is like no other. I honestly could not tell you what this tastes of but all I can say is you should try it.

There is also an amazing range of Vimto flavoured sweets, you've got fizzy laces, bon bons, lollipops, chewy sweets, all in the beautiful flavour of Vimto. *heart eyes emoji*

                          

It is the most stereotypical thing about England: tea. Of course, we needn't mention it. But us Brits, when we have a cup of tea, all though for the majority, there are many cups of tea in a day, each and every cup of tea is special, and it is always a special and joyous occasion to sit down with a nice cuppa. So this is why biscuits are SO IMPORTANT. If you have shitty biscuits to go with your brew, it's a waste of tea really. You need to enjoy it. So here are a few biscuits you should try if you get the chance: custard creams and bourbons: classics loved by everyone, Jammie Dodgers and Party Rings, less sophisticated but delicious nonetheless, McVitie's (the rulers of biscuits) Hobnobs and Digestives...need I go on? My tip: EAT ALL THE BISCUITS.

This is an ongoing debate which I think was clearly seen as one of Britain's more paramount of issues, so much so that it was taken to court: The McVitie's Jaffa Cake. Is it a biscuit or a cake? After all it is a Jaffa Cake. These, to me, are not biscuits. They have a cake base, with a tangy orange jelly centre and have a top layer of chocolate. (For the record they are actually classified as a cake)

In the same vain...someone you must be aware of is Mr Kipling. I believe Mr Kipling is in fact fictional and it is the brand name but my God I have never eaten anything more incredible than a Mr Kipling Angel Slice. It's not a lie, Angel Slices were sent from heaven. It's basically sponge cake with vanilla icing...but it is so much more than that. I think this is the one British item I feel that everyone in the world should have a try of.

Personally, I think that you find better sweets/candy in the States, but I definitely think Britain does well for chocolate. The Crunchie and the Double Decker; two of my favourite chocolate bars, both made by Cadbury's. Crunchie bars are honeycomb coated with chocolate, and a Double Decker is kind of like soft nougat with a biscuity base, again coated in chocolate. And yet again, the description of these does not do it justice. I just wish the internet would be like those walls on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you know, the wallpaper where they lick it and "the snozberries taste like snozberries!"

Of course, you can't knock the British sweet collection though. Wham bars, despite giving me tooth ache just thinking about those sticky cavity inducing bars of lusciousness, they are a sweet that takes me back to my childhood. Sherbet Fountains are another classic: a liquorice stick you dip in a lemony sherbet. (I received a box about 100 Sherbet Fountains as a gift once, it was amazing. In fact I also received a cardboard box full of Space Raiders, the crisps I mentioned earlier)

Honestly, I could go on and on, and I know there are many that I will have missed out, so please if you think of any do let me know!

Cultural appropriation

Okay so after the last few Coachella's and the events of celebrities being slammed for the inappropriate use of sacred cultural symbols, we are aware of what is known as 'cultural appropriation'.

Of course we know that we shouldn't prance around in Native American headdresses, or sexualise the sacred clothing of a religion and so on, but is this going a little too far?

With that, I am not saying people shouldn't protect their cultures and I'm also not saying that calling someone out for cultural appropriation is wrong. What I am saying is that you can't go crazy at someone for sporting a certain item that related to a really specific group of people that they may never have heard of, not due to ignorance, but due to the fact they've just never heard of this small group of people that were around thousands of years ago? It can happen.

You can't expect that everyone knows the ins and outs of the history of every society, culture or religion. Someone could paint their nails in a pattern they've just come up with, out of the blue. But coincidentally, it could be the same or similar to a pattern used by a small religion or culture that was around once. Don't freak out at them.

Yes, we need to be aware of these issues, we need to be sensitive towards other cultures and we need to protect and honour sacred elements of cultures, but we can't be over the top about it.

Additional thought: if I wear a kimono at the beach to go over my bikini because it is useful and ideal for that kind of situation is that cultural appropriation? I'm not saying anything to change the origins, I'm not talking rubbish that I don't actually know about the culture. I mean it's not like living in England, a cold, rainy country, we would have any traditional garments for a beach, so to what extent can I use a kimono without it being cultural appropriation?