The End of an Era

Today I left my child and teenage years behind me as I turned 20. I can't believe it's been 20 years, they seem to have gone so fast, as everyone keeps telling me. And as one family relative told me: "this time in another twenty years you'll be forty". Yeah, great!

I'm not sure how to feel. Physically, I don't feel any different. But I do feel different mentally, and not in a psychotic kind of way. But in my mind set and the way I'm viewing things at the minute, even though I've only been 20 for, like, 19 hours. But I feel quite a few things have been put into perspective for me.

In just over one year I will complete my final year of University, after crafting a 10,000 word dissertation and passing several more modules and feeling like my head is going to explode with information overload. Then after that, I'll officially graduate from University with, hopefully, a credible degree. (I'm aiming for a 2:1. A 1st would be great but the higher you set your sights, the faster they can come crashing down around you) Then I need to start looking for full-time employment and utilise the degree that I would've spent three years studying for. But in the current job climate, jobs are hard to come by, so I've decided I want to, hopefully, gain an internship within a company so that I can train 'on-the-job', as it were. Which means I need to start looking at possible companies to work with so I can start applying this time next year when the end of my final year is upon me. I may also consider becoming a freelance writer for various publications as writing is a passion of mine and once I'm settled in a full-time job, I'd like to write a book. Crazy, yes, but a goal to work towards, and by becoming a freelance writer I am gaining experience in writing for different genres and publications and evolving my writing style as at the minute I have no clue what type of book I want to write.

I've also been considering studying for my Master's degree, which means I need to also look at possible universities to study with and I also need to find a university that offers the Master's degree I want to study. That said, I'm considering putting that on hold for a year or two and gaining experience in a work environment and then maybe study for my Master's in a few years time but as a part-time student.

Professionally I have a lot of obstacles to overcome and decisions to make, but personally I have a few challenges, too. Once I graduate I would love to gain my degree, get a high-paid job, move to London or New York and live in a luxurious apartment and live happily ever after. However, a dream like that takes a lot of hard work to make a reality. In order to move into my own house or apartment, I need to get my finances in check and assess my financial situation before I even consider leaving home. Also, if I am lucky enough to gain a job in a city which requires me to move from my current city, I will need to look for accommodation near that city so I'm not commuting on a regular basis. Also, I would love to remain close to my family and friends but this may not be the case as after studying at University for three years, I must go wherever my degree takes me and be selfish rather than selfless.

When I write a prose of obstacles opposing me in the next few years, it's quite daunting. But I'm going to live for the moment and strive for the best I can give. I have no doubt that the next twenty years could be the best of my life if I apply myself fully. And this is exactly what I need to do. When I become complacent or lazy, I need to remind myself of what I'm working towards.

Sometimes I just wish I could freeze time and remember parts of my last twenty years forever, but I'm not gifted enough to bend time. So, to mark the end of one era and the start of another I'm getting a new tattoo on Friday - two feathers behind my left ear. Two feathers to represent strength, ascension, independence and the end of one era and the start of another.

STILL Jenny-from-the-Block?

Years ago when Jennifer Lopez first burst onto the music scene I was never really affected by her. Admittedly, she had some good songs, such as Love Don't Cost a Thing, Play, Jenny from the Block and Get Right, but I never really connected with her music in anyway as it was so conventional - it was an R&B tune with a Latino edge. Boring.


Saying that, that WAS almost ten years ago and at that age, the only music I connected with was whatever fluffy pop song was riding high in the charts. Fast forward ten years, though, and J-Lo has come back with a vengeance and a killer new song, On The Floor.


After a tough few years with giving birth to twins, getting married for the third time, leaving Sony Music and her 'comeback' single failing to impact on any charts worldwide, it looked her career could be over. Yet now she is one of three judges on American Idol, her profile has rocketed both in the UK and the US and she is currently number one in the UK iTunes chart. It appears that signing a contract with American Idol was one of the best things she ever decided to do.


With a net worth of £150 million, J-Lo need never work again if she chose to. Yet she is the perfect example of an empowered female - mother, actress, reality TV show judge, entrepreneur, model and dancer. She proves that even when it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, keep your head held high and keep pushing. Now, J-Lo is in the best professional shape she has been in in years and no doubt that her career will go from strength-to-strength now that she has solidified herself in the world of mainstream music, once again. The Cheryl Cole effect has affected J-Lo, and thank god; welcome back!

it was acceptable in the 90's...

The 90's were the best, and not JUST because that is the era that I was born in.

I remember the days of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers; I felt like the biggest fan EVER back then, I was addicted to the programme. There were various other substitutes such as VR Troopers and Masked Rider, but nothing quite compared to the six teenagers that were chosen to protect the world from the forces of evil.

And the music. Well, I still say to this day that the 90's was when the era of 'cheese' music materialised. There was S Club 7, N*Sync, B*Witched and, of course, the Spice Girls; the biggest and most successful girl band in the world. Ever. Those were the days.

However, upon reflection, it's quite interesting to see how much the 90's had an impact on the present day. The Power Rangers paved the way for a generation of Power Ranger spin-offs, such as Power Rangers ZEO, Turbo and, more recently, Dino Thunder. The Power Rangers revolutionised the realm of children's television. They allowed children escapism from their dreary day-to-day routine of school, home and then bed and allowed children to believe that they could change the world the way they had; they were a source of inspiration and still, to this day, the Power Ranger legacy lives on.

Yet it's interesting to see how some people, like myself, will openly admit to liking a bit of 90's pop music every once in a while, yet others will act like it's the worst kind of music in the world. But the ironic thing is that ten years ago, THAT music was the only music and everyone was a fan. When pop music was the norm, music such as rap and hip-hop was deemed devil music and artists such as Eminem, 2 Pac and Notorious B.I.G were branded outcasts in the music industry. Yet, fast forward a decade later, rap and hip-hop has finally garnered the recognition it deserves and pop music is the outcast.

The Spice Girls kick-started the notion of 'Girl Power' - a lifestyle of female empowerment allowing females the freedom to do as they wish, regardless of their gender. The Spice Girls gained commercial, critical and worldwide acclaim, proving that even in an industry dominated by male musicians, females are no exception to achieving success on a global scale. Today the charts are dominated by female musicians such as Lady GaGa, Jessie J, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj showing that 'Girl Power' is still very much alive.

It's satisfying to feel part of a revolution. In the same way that the 60's, 70's and 80's influenced the 90's, it's interesting to see how the 90's has influenced the noughties. In ten years time I wonder how the revolution will have evolved even more. Now there's a parting thought.

"Stomp, Stomp, I've arrived!"

Jessie J (2011)

The opening line of the intriguing Jessie J’s debut single, ‘Do It like a Dude’, is most certainly correct – she has well and truly arrived.

Bursting onto the scene in November 2010, big things were to be expected from Miss Jessica Cornish. With her quirky style, distinctive voice and killer beats, Jessie J made sure she was stuck in our heads right from the start. In December 2010, Jessie won the coveted BBC ‘Sound of 2011’; an accolade given to the artist to watch in 2011. Shortly after, it was revealed that Jessie had won the BRIT’s Critic’s Choice award - another award given to artists who are expected to be huge in the coming year. This award has previously been won by Adele, Florence + the Machine and Ellie Goulding, and look at the success they have each achieved.

‘Do it like a Dude’ was an infectious club anthem that speaks about girls acting like guys, and being just as good at it. With very little promotion, other than her very much publicised award winnings, the single eventually peaked at number 2 on the UK singles chart. Not bad for an artist who has been around for just over two months.

However, it has been just over two months since Jessie J garnered mainstream success. For many years, Jessie has made a living as a songwriter to stars such as Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown. Jessie also penned the anthemic Miley Cyrus track ‘Party in the USA’ which achieved commercial and critical success worldwide. With acts like Christina Aguilera chasing her writing talents, Jessie dedicated many years to writing her upcoming debut album ‘Who You Are’, which is guaranteed to be an album of the year.

With her new single ‘Price Tag’ featuring American rapper B.O.B already sitting firmly and comfortably at the top of the UK iTunes chart, we can expect Jessie J to be around for many years to come. She needs to watch herself though; with similar artists like Cher Lloyd and Nicki Minaj all vying to be at the top of the music industry hierarchy, Jessie J will need to be at the top of her game. And I have no doubt that she will be. Watch this space, Jessie J’s arrived!

Black Swan (2011)

Everyone knows the classic story of ‘Swan Lake’, and the story of the gracious White Swan and the sensual Black Swan. What everyone didn’t know is that such a classic story could be turned into such a dark, psychological blockbuster film.

The film is based around a New York ballet school that is producing an adaption of ‘Swan Lake’ with all of the dancers wanting to be cast in the role of the Swan Queen, none more so than Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman). However, there is one problem – the dancer that is cast as the Swan Queen must be able to dance both the part of the gracious and perfect White Swan, as well as being able to dance the part of the sensual and seductive Black Swan. Nina Sayers embodies the technique and personality associated with the White Swan, yet lacks the passion and free will of the Black Swan. With fellow dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) possessing the traits and personality of the Black Swan, Nina must fight for the part of the Swan Queen, as well as having to fight for her sanity in this dark, psychological thriller about the lengths a dancer will go to in order to obtain what she wants.

With Natalie Portman cast in the lead role, this film had promise right from the start. Portman plays shy, frigid Nina Sayers and is perfect in the role. Given that Portman is best known for her role as Padme Amidala in the Stars Wars movie franchise, she delivers a stellar performance as the tormented dancer. Although there are times when timid Nina becomes quite unbearable to watch, Portman holds your attention throughout. Even when you are forced to watch the more gruesome scenes, you can’t help but watch, even though you know you should be looking elsewhere. Portman has won a plethora of awards for her role, most recently winning 'Best Actress in a leading role' at the 83rd Academy Awards, and rightly so; it’s hard to imagine any other actress playing the role of Nina.

Fans of the original ballet production of Swan Lake will not enjoy this film. They will be disgraced at how such a classic piece of art has been turned into a film about a dancer wanting to kill anyone that dares to hinder her chances of becoming the Swan Queen. But for me, that was what I enjoyed most. In a masochistic kind of way, I enjoyed seeing Nina lose her sanity over the role as this showed how much the part meant to her; the conviction Portman bought to the role, and the torment Nina suffered was fantastic to watch. Although it became difficult to differentiate between what was real and what was not by the end of the film, as a member of the audience, I felt exactly what Nina felt – confusion, frustration, relief, plus more.

My main criticism was the ending; Nina dying was the worst way to end the film, yet fitting as the Swan Queen dies at the end of Swan Lake. I personally would have liked to see Nina embrace her dark side sooner than she did as this was when Portman was at her best. Still, a great film, nonetheless, and Portman summed up her performance with her closing line in the film: "I was perfect".

8/10

Cher Lloyd - human Marmite...

I’ve been glued to the X Factor since it returned to our screens in August this year; although the auditions are my least favourite part of the process, it is the part that determines whether or not an act has the ‘X Factor’; if they can turn the 3000 strong audience into a screaming, applauding frenzy then they could go the distance.

In my opinion, each year the same types of artist’s step onto the stage and sing the same predictable songs. This year, a new type of artist was found, and this new artist came in the form of 17 year old, Cher Lloyd from Malvern in Worcestershire. As soon as she stepped onto the stage, she commanded the arena with her edgy fashion and quirky looks. When she unveiled her song choice, Keri Hilson’s version of ‘Turn My Swag On’, the judges looked puzzled; firstly, I doubt they even heard the original, and secondly, they knew that the audition could go one of two ways...

Cher Lloyd’s audition was, personally, my favourite ever X Factor audition; she was fresh, edgy, and young and she oozed confidence. Although she’s not the best MC and sometimes tries a bit too hard when she raps, she CAN sing, and the singing and MC’ing work well together – it sets her apart from the other acts in the competition. And my thoughts were reflected in the judge’s comments too with all four judges being impressed by Lloyd’s audition. Cheryl Cole commented, saying: “Cher, you are right up my street!” and Simon Cowell said: “That was a great, great audition!” However, although most loved her, other parts of the nation began to form a hate campaign against her.

The further she progressed in the competition, the harsher the scrutiny was from the public, yet the judging panel still favoured Cher and her talent. Cher was labelled ‘fake’, a ‘copycat’ and a ‘mini-Cheryl’; with many saying that Cher was trying too hard to be like Cole. Lloyd also came under fire for using another artists lyrics that she tried to pass off as her own. Admittedly, that was stupid; she has the talent and shouldn’t need to use someone else’s work as her own. Although the British public appeared to slowly be turning against her, A-List artists such as Usher and Keri Hilson were praising her.

Inevitably, Lloyd made it to the live shows of the competition, amidst the ‘Gamugate’ drama, and once securely in the live finals, Lloyd came out each week proving she deserved to be in the competition. Below is her week one performance from the live shows where she sung ‘Just Be Good to me’, originally made famous by the SOS Band.

That performance is a sign of things to come; as the weeks progress, Cher will prove why she’s in the competition. Although she may not win the X Factor, she’s going to be around for a long while yet and people are just going to give themselves a migraine if they keep hating on her because, eventually, she’ll change all the hater’s opinions and the hater’s will hate admitting to that. At the end of the day, the X Factor is a talent contest and Cher Lloyd IS talented; wasn’t it the British public that kept tone-deaf twins Jedward in the competition last year? They had no talent but didn’t get as much bad publicity as what Cher has received. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

So, the original question I had was ‘Cher Lloyd – cheap impersonator or the next big thing?’ My answer: the next big thing.

should University student's have to pay for higher education costs?

Everyone has a guilty pleasure, and my guilty pleasure is the daytime TV programme ‘Loose Women’. You may mock, but its good TV! On today’s episode, a topic of debate amongst the ladies was whether it was fair to ask students to pay for higher education. As soon as I heard this, my ears soon perked up. I thought it’d be interesting to see what the loose ladies made of this...

From what I can gather, only Lynda Bellingham had been to University, but Andrea McLean had been to a Polytechnic College to study and Jane McDonald had left school, gone into full-time work and funded herself through a night school college course. Carol McGiffin remained silent; presumably she never went to University or college. The ladies were all aware how expensive tuition fees are, and they seemed almost shocked that Universities could charge their own tuition fee rate, dependent on what the University itself wanted to charge. Lynda felt that by upping the tuition fees to an even more extortionate rate, that is only discouraging students to go to University as they won’t be able to afford it. Andrea said that we need more doctors, medics, lawyers, etc, but seeing as they are such academic courses and only certain Universities offer those courses, those Universities will charge as much as they like just because they know students will pay the amount they charge because they can’t go anywhere else to study. Carol highlighted the fact that if students do proceed to go to University if the fees increase then when they graduate, they will be coming out with £40,000 worth of debt, which gives no incentive to attend at all if that’s all they have to show for it.

As a University student myself, I’m 50:50 with the points the loose ladies made. It is true, that even now the University fees are expensive. I mean, it’s £3,225 for a year at the minute, and I’ve already applied to Student Finance for the year 2010/2011 and the yearly fee has increased to £3,290. I do agree with the point that was made about it discouraging potential students to attend University due to how much the fees are, but the Student Loans Company pays for your three year study at the University, and yes, you are left with debt, but nothing happens until you’re earning more than £15,000 a year and even then you just have it deducted from your wages. So it’s never really there, in a way. I do agree that if Universities are given the power to charge as much as they want for tuition fees then they will abuse this and charge silly amounts for certain courses, particularly the academic courses like medicine. But relating back to the original question posed, yes, I do think students should have to pay for higher education. At the end of the day, you don’t have to attend University; you choose to go off your own back. I mean, if you apply to University and pay nothing, but then decide to drop out mid-way through, and then money is being wasted on someone who doesn’t want to be there, but that money could have been used on someone who was desperate to attend University and better themselves in the future. If someone drops out of University too far on in the academic year, they’re charged the full yearly fee, which I think is fair. That said, if the Universities do get the power to charge their own tuition fees, and they are too expensive for students to afford, then I do think a contribution should be made on behalf of the University so that the fee is subsidised. I mean, if once a student graduates they’re left with a nice big debt worth £40,000 and come out with a rubbish degree, then yeah, all they have to show for it IS the £40,000 worth of debt, what do they have to show for the last three years?

Rant over. But I was just so shocked that Loose Women were having a debate over student’s tuition fees and I was so interested to hear their opinions, especially from four women who have such diverse education backgrounds. Like I said – Loose Women makes for great TV.

Oh, and one final thing. I was wrong about Andrea McLean not attending University; she attended a Polytechnic College – COVENTRY polytechnic college! Oh yes, I’m attending the same University that Andrea McLean attended, and look at where she is now!