Gung Hei Fat Choy.

So, I've been feeling low the last few days, the job situation is pretty dire at the moment, with not even a sniff recently, so I'm in total slump. However, things are a bit better, I've landed a temp job for the next couple of days, it's only stuffing envelopes, but the money will be good and it's much better than JSA. So I'm feeling a bit more motivated.

And it's Chinese New Year, Happy Year of the Dragon. I spent most of today in my pyjamas (see above) but had to pick up my job spec from Kingston in the late afternoon so took the opportunity to browse the shops afterwards. It have meant that I practically lost a day of job hunting but I'm feeling positive about the next two days so the pressures not as 'on' as it was when I woke up this morning.

Here is what I wore today:


Cardigan: Primark
Shirt: Primark
Necklace: Found
Brooch: Gemma Correll
Belt: eBay
Skirt: Dorothy Perkins
Socks: Primark
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins


Thanks to a marvellous cock-up by New Look, I got money back on the voucher that Moon's mum bought me for Christmas. I spent it online on Boxing Day but sent it to my old student house, so it's entirely my fault but I wasn't able to get it re-delivered so got refunded, which is better really as I had changed my mind about most of the items anyway.

I ended up buying socks, to make up the money and went £1 over but I'm quite please with my purchases. I bought a pair of (boring) grey wide-leg suit trousers, that need taking up because I'm too short and this red dress, which looks better on and was marked down to £12 from £39.99! I can see why it was reduced because the petticoat is a bit annoying but I think I can live with it, for a half-Chinese girl I don't have much red in my wardrobe so this will make a bit of a change and I thought it would be nice for Valentine's Day (yes, I'm sopping-out over it already).



I actually kind of love Valentine's Day, I know it's lame and pointless but it's also kind of great, because what's more great than love? So, I popped into Paperchase to check out the cards and picked up a lovely one, but it's a secret.
I also picked up this mat, which is actually a cutting mat but would obviously get ruined if you were to use it as such, so I'm going to put Dolly's food on it because she makes quite a lot of mess when she eats.

I also got this great paper. I got the reindeer one because it was a bargain and might come in useful next Christmas. I thought this world map was pretty neat and far too nice to be wrapping paper, if that is what it's meant to be, so I'm stuck it on my wall and hope to frame it eventually.

So, hopefully I'll be able to find some inspiration/time to post some 'real' photographs soon. I have a lot of stuff to share for tomorrow though, just need to get the motivation I had at the beginning of the year back, January has been such a long month.

Valentines and Chinese New Year.

As I mentioned before, Chinese New Year is a holiday that is much more important to me than Valentines Day, which isn't even a holiday and the only reason people like it is because they get to put lovehearts everywhere. I had a nice day embracing the two together nonetheless.
I'd imagine this is due to the large Chinese population within Portsmouth but regardless, Gunwharf had their own Chinese New Year celebrations this year, featuring three Chinese lions. Chinese lions really scared me as a kid and I could definitely see why from seeing them yesterday, a creature that actually looked like that is unimaginable, yet there they were, it's all their terrifying blinking glory.






After seeing the display, for which we luckily had a good spot, we headed over to Giraffe for lunch, I'd never been to one but had heard good things. Being in Portsmouth, from experience of chains round here, I thought it would be a bit sub-par, but it was delicious and the service was good, I will definitely be going there again. I had nachos, ebi-katsu and ribs, nom nom nom.





We finished in time to see the tail-end of the second lion display, which went around the whole of Gunwharf with a trail of people behind it, unlike the first show, I feel kind of lucky.
My Valentines gift to Moon was half a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts that I got on the way home.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Today has been a bit disappointing really, I could have had a long lie-in, but instead walked into University to get there for half 9 only to be told that the timetable was wrong and we were not to come back until 2. Not only is it really annoying generally due to the fact that I got up early anyway, but it's also annoying because my sister is coming down today and I was supposed to meet her and my Gran for lunch after the lesson, instead it is now just a quick visit and my Gran has to drive home again straight away so I can get to my lesson at 2. Any other week this would have been fine because it's a lie-in every other week, but I'd made plans. I mean I sorted the situation straight away, but the fact that the whole timetable stated we were to be in at the wrong time is kind of borderline unacceptable, especially when considering the fact that had we been in at half 9 anyway but turned up 10 minutes late, we would be shouted at like children. Huff.

Actually.

It doesn't feel like it yet but I think that I'm going to have a lot of work to do this semester, I think I was starved from doing nearly nothing. Maybe the stress will make me less fat.
I'm really looking forward to it, and talk about dissertations, I'm vaguely looking forward to the introductory lecture tomorrow, once I know what I can do, I think I will be straight on it. I'm also really pleased about The Body unit, although I can't do the dressing up idea that I wanted to - it can be kept on the sidelines for now - I do get some more practical skills experience and it sounds like it will be a lot more energetic, meaning I won't get in a slump mid-project like I usually do.

So The Body is now an editorial-based project and split into five smaller briefs, culminating in a final brief which will be a magazine spread - for an existing magazine - featuring at least four images and one advertisement (the advertisement should be lifted/existing too). I thought I should mention this now as it's probably one of the main things I'll be blogging about and featuring images from from now on, if I actually have the time that is.
I am really enjoying taking photographs again at the moment though, I'm completely into the habit of taking one everyday for my 365 project, even if it is sometimes only on Photobooth, I think it's a sign of things to come and perhaps my work ethic improving slightly, just hope that the research doesn't bring me down.

I'm so pleased that my mum was pleased with my results, I am also looking forward to my sister visiting next week, I really like it when she comes down, hopefully work won't be piled too high by then, I get the whole of Tuesday off to do something with her though.

Valentines day is this weekend, it's joint with Chinese New Year so I'm going to try and overcome my fear and go down to Gunwharf to see the dancing dragon, I think I prefer Chinese New Year as an event to Valentines, despite the dragon. Valentines is so contrite, even with a boyfriend, it feels so silly, I like presents as much as the next person, but this is so forced, and it's not like I get nothing the rest of the year anyway, my relationship has plenty of romance without chocolates and flowers throwing up all over it. I'm not rejecting it, Moon and I always have a nice day together, but then there are lots of days like that, I just wonder whether there are other couples who are then only nice to each other because it's Valentines Day, that must be rubbish.
I'm still looking forward to this weekend and the days that follow though, even if by the end of it I'll probably be pulling my hair out from the stress of my invisible (so far) neglected work.

I wonder if I could relate any work this semester to the upcoming Vice documentary, Swansea Love Story, it's looking like it's going to be pretty badass. I loved the photo essay, I can't wait to see it.

Photo credit to: Adam Patterson
Swansea Love Story is a film by Andy Capper and Leo Leigh