The Gathering

I've always been a fan of the New Year only recently the reason has become more solidified.

When I was a kid, it was because we could stay up late. Because people would come round. Because we would go out to London. Because it was the final concluding BANG to Christmas. 

But now it means more. A global gathering of people; races, religions, families irrespective. Something so mundane: the turning of the clocks - something that happens every year. But somehow it manages to captivate. 

I often envy the celebrations in London. It was always so magical and the flash of the media was just so special. 

But this year, watching them from the Burj Khalifa; half a mile of explosives and fireworks on the ground, was awe-inspiring. The cheers that radiate trough the sky. The patriarchy of course. 

It was a record-breaking attempt this year with a 6 minute spectacle using over 500,000 fireworks. 

As I sat, watching the vibrant colours fill the sky, so much was going through my mind. 2014 - I couldn't believe it. 2013 a it went so fast. But most of all I was making myself a pact. 

As soon was possible, I said, I'd travel the main cities of the world to watch the fireworks there. I've done London. Now Dubai - 3 times in a row. Now to plan the rest of the trip: Singapore, Germany, Australia ....

Obsession number 1

One of my BIGGEST obsessions in my life is this guy:

... my dog, Chester. 

He's absolutely gorgeous and I often find myself forgetting that he is actually a dog ... not a human. I get withdrawal symptoms on my lips when I'm away from him and I love how he smells in the morning. 

He was born on the Isle of Wight and we picked him up and took him home at 8 weeks old. He's now 4 years old. We were, probably, a family very unlikely to get a dog. I would often kid myself at the breakfast table patting an imaginary dog I called Jasper and thinking about what it would be like to have a dog. Our ownership of Chester came about when I scanned through a magazine on dogs and asked my parents if they'd like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and then bought 2 dog bowls from 'Conkers' garden centre.  

We didn't end up with a King Charles for everything we'd heard about their health problems, but we looked at 2 pregnant Cocker Spaniel mothers and then their litter of puppies when we were staying with my Nan. 

And that's this little fella! My babies! 

My 13 Top Picks of 2013

1. This hair style:

 

2. This CD:

3. This series:

4. This shirt:

5.  This blog:

6. These shoes:

7. This photo:

8. This book:

9. This event:

10. This video:

11. This song:


12. This film:
 and this one: 


13. This advert:

I will! I will! (I won't...)

New year's resolutions - why even bother?

"I will get fit, I will eat less, I will buy that gym membership in the January and not in the October!"

When most of us make our resolutions it always has something to do with our bodies. Over-indulgence at Christmas. A soft rim of turkey fat pushing out of our jeans. Tastes mulled sweet and yearning for the next bank-breaking, calorie bursting sugar fest.

There's too much pressure. Why even bother?! 

The New Year is mean to make us feel good about ourselves. It's a way to encourage us to continue. Or at least that is what it has become. As humans of this race we are dependent on markers. Things to push us through and we think that by setting ourselves targets on January 1st will make all the difference when we can't even stick to the ones we set ourselves weekly.

New Year's is more of a tradition. To awe others with your resilience by giving up chocolate and visiting the gym 5 days a week. But by January 6th, or thereabouts, we're just ready to give up and pack it all in. To go back and adopt our old habits. If anything, rather than being a joyous occasion, we become conceited and self-concious. We pick out our faults that, had the 1st not arrived, we wouldn't have sought until an emotional break-down later on in the year.

So we could all save ourselves the agro and just not make those resolutions we can't stick to and take life by the horns. Let's offer ourselves the ability to change when things are actually going wrong, rather than just in case they do.

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