From sun, sea and sand to the city life of a student.

I have a long list of work that I should be doing and limited hours to be doing it in but I thought I would take some time to procrastinate... This is what life has become like at university. Living away from home means that I've got so many more distractions and no one to make me sit down and study (although Callum does a pretty good job of taking my phone away and locking me in my room until I get "in the zone"). Regardless, I wouldn't change it for the world! 

Before I came to university I didn't want to get my hopes up and be disappointed so I told myself that whoever I live with will be really messy and we might not click and that I'd probably get really homesick. In reality, although the kitchen occasionally needs a tidy, my flatmates are better than I could ever have imagined. They have become like a second family to me and although I'm missing my parents and Betsy, I haven't really felt homesick at all. My social life has never been better (which is probably why I never get any work done...)

The only thing that has taken some adjusting to is the work load. Taking a gap year meant that I lost the routine of studying and having the motivation to concentrate and although it's getting easier as the term goes on, I still struggle to get work done after 4pm (strange, I know). Saying that, I don't regret my gap year at all. It taught me a lot about my self and it's a year of my life that I will never forget. 

A little high note to finish on: my first published piece of writing is in the Courier newspaper if anyone wants to take a look - there's a web link as they publish it online too. 

If you go to pages 14-15 the article is The Rules of Bitching.

http://issuu.com/editor.union/docs/courier_1296.compressed/0

10 pieces of advise for a happy and healthy holiday.

Seen as my last post mentioned products that don't really work because they are advertised by goddesses or whatever, I thought I would write about the products which I use, a normal (I guess), everyday person, which keep me healthy and happy in the sun. It seemed a good idea to write this now as it is that time of year where people are going on their holidays or at least, preparing to go on their holidays. 

1. No.7 Hair Protecting Spritz, £6.50 Boots. 

I use this for my hair. When you're in the sun all day, your hair becomes really dry so this keeps it really hydrated. I spray some on before I leave the apartment and then I top it up after swimming or after about 3 hours if you're just out and about. The bottle isn't huge so it doesn't take up much room in your beach bag either! 

2. Estée Lauder DayWear, £37.00

Sheer Tint Release Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer

For people who don't like to go out without makeup but don't fancy having foundation dripping off their face in 30 degrees heat, this one is for you. DayWear is a facial moisturiser which works with the pigment in your skin to give your face a natural tan. For people with very dry skin (like myself) I recommend using a tiny amount of your normal moisturiser first. DayWear also has SPF15 in it but I still use a small amount of sun cream when the temperature exceeds 25 degrees. I tend to buy this in the airport as it is a lot cheaper in duty free. 

3. MAC False Lashes Waterproof, £18.00

Waterproof mascara is an essential for me and a holiday necessity! Remember all the times you had black smudges after a dip in the pool? You can forget it with this little beauty. Once again, I prefer to buy this product in duty free at the airport as the price is lower.

4. Nivea Sun Protect SPF30, £3.29, Boots.

In my opinion, it is so important to protect your lips from the sun as the skin on them is so delicate. Nivea Sun Protect comes in SPF30 or 50 and is waterproof so you don't need to worry about it washing off in the sea!

5. A Hand Held Fan.

Ours is getting a bit old now but these are a life saver - especially if you get stuck on an over crowed bus while sight seeing. Small enough to fit in your bag or some even come with a string for you to wear it around your neck for instant heat relief. 

6. Always Carry Water.

Whatever you do, however big or small it is, however long you plan on staying in the sun for - always take water! The last thing you want is to suffer from dehydration on your holiday. It can also be used to wash any sand off your feet or to pour on your face if you're really feeling the heat.

7. Know your sun cream.

I'm not aware that one brand is better than the other but what I do know is that they ALL have an expiry date. If you're the kind of people who only go on holiday once a year and save any sun creams that don't get used up, be careful that it's not out of date. You can check your sun cream by the little symbol on the bottle, sometimes it's a number within a circle, sometimes it's a number next to a picture of an opened tub. Don't forget to top up your sun cream regularly after intervals of two hours or after swimming. 

8. Be Safe in the Sun.

Just because there's a slight breeze it doesn't mean it's less hot. The sun's rays are still strong, even if there is hazy clouds in the sky! Also, limit yourself to how long you spend in the sun. The sun is at it's hottest between 11am and 3pm. That doesn't mean you have to stay indoors for four hours but it's best to alternate between sitting in the sun and sitting in the shade. You have a whole week or two to get a tan - pace yourself!

9. Insect Repellent.

If you're venturing out into the wilderness exploring or going out at night time, invest in a repellent. Mosquitoes are at their hungriest during the hot season! I don't recommend wipes as I have been using them recently and I've been bit four times already. It's also a good idea to buy the electric plugs which keep them away from your room as the plug gives off the repellent. Try to keep your balcony door closed too, to stop them getting inside in the first place (although don't lock yourself out which is what my parents did...)

10. Learn the Emergency ServicesNumber. 

For those of you who always like to be prepared for anything, learn the number for the emergency services before you go to that country. Anything can happen at any time and the last thing you want is to be stuck somewhere, unable to get help. 

Most of all, remember to have fun! As important as it is to stay safe on holiday, it's also important to enjoy it. These little tips are just small things to remember to give your holiday that extra boost. 

Bon Voyage!

Summer-style Sadness.

It is 27 degrees Celsius at half past six in the evening. During the day, the sun is unbearably hot. My hair is frizzy and I have uneven tan lines. Then I go to the shops and see perfect looking celebrities in the magazines enjoying their also unbearably hot holidays, I watch television and see perfectly looking models advertising summer wear or make up specifically designed to protect you from the sun. I am getting irritated.
There's been plenty of discussion about the effects the media has on young girls about their weight, their style preference and just their general attitude towards their own body image. I am currently taking a ten minute break from getting ready for a BBQ to write down my frustration with the media today. After exploring different summer styles on Pinterest, the majority of the girls advertising said styles look flawless, their skin sun kissed and their hair down and wavy in that classic summer style. Then I get really wound up when I try to do MY hair and makeup in said style and guess what - I don't look flawless. My hair is sticking out all over the place and I have a really annoying tan line where my sunglasses have been on the bridge of my nose.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to look flawless, nobody is perfect. But what bothers me is that the media pretends that everyone can look perfect and to be honest, I'm starting to be put off by their products because of the perfect looking people advertising them. This is because I know for a fact that the product will NOT have the same effect on me. I would be much more likely to buy something if a less-perfect looking person advertised it. Then the media tries to represent a "real women" who still has flawless skin and perfect hair as a size 10 instead of a size 6. Real women aren't just larger versions of models. They don't always have time to do their make up or style their hair in a complex up-do. Sometimes they get spots and sometimes their eyebrows get a little bushy. Real women don't have enough time to constantly monitor their appearance, measure the length of every hair on their body and keep up with fashion trends.
It also worries me that some girls really do take this stuff seriously. I'm 19 years old but I've got past the I-care-what-other-people-think stage. I don't mind taking the dog for a walk in the clothes I was wearing yesterday, sometimes I wait a little longer than is socially acceptable before I wash my hair and to be quite frank, I'm wearing shorts tonight but my legs are a little prickly. Do I care? No. Do you care? No. Young girls need to realise that no one is watching them or criticising them for their body image because everyone is so worried about themselves, thanks to the delightful, false representations of women created by the media.
So have a little confidence ladies, that's the best style to wear!

12 Things to do in Malta that show it's not just for the elderly.

When I announced to my friends that I would be moving to Malta after year 13, as happy as they were for me, their initial response was: "What are you going to do in Malta? Isn't it for old people?"
Despite there being many elderly people who live in Malta, there is obviously a whole bunch of locals who were born here and are - believe it or not! - around my age. So yes, there are lots of things to do over here and here is my list:

1. Hit the beach This one is the most obvious because Malta is an island in the Mediterranean where summer begins in May and ends in October. (I was still swimming in early November last year to be honest.) There are plenty of water sports available around the island or you can just swim to heart's content in the many designated swimming areas.

Golden Bay

2. Splash and Fun Another water related activity except this one doesn't involve the sea for anyone who gets freaked out by fish. Plus it has awesome water slides, a wave pool and countless sunbeds for burning under the hot Maltese sun. 

3. Malta Marine Park Swim with Dolphins and make friends with Sea Lions, Parrots, Iguanas etc. Do I really have to say anymore? Who wouldn't want to swim with dolphins?!

4. Lazy Pirate Boat Party For all my alcoholic friends, there are plenty of these "excursions" to pass as a "cultural activity" - the Lazy Pirate just being one of them. 

5. Normal Boat Trips And by normal I mean ones that actually want to appreciate the culture, like sailing to Blue Lagoon, Comino or Gozo or around Malta. You will find plenty of people on the streets on the sea front scouting for potential bookings for boat trips. Prices vary depending on the company and the trip.

6. Eden Super Bowl Ten pin bowling complete with cafeteria and arcade games. Unlimited bowling - 14euros each Monday to Friday. Can't get a better deal than that!

7. Eden Cinemas Just like in most countries, Malta has a cinema - more than one in fact!

8. Paceville Malta's main area for bars and clubs, offering a diverse selection of music, fast food outlets and Gentleman's clubs. 

9. Shopping Despite Malta being small and, as everybody seems to think, isolated, the island offers a large range of shops where you can buy anything you want. Yes, my friends, we are not cut off from civilisation. We have New Look. We have River Island. We have Debenhams and many, many more. We have plenty of Italian shops too. 

Sliema

10. Horse Riding Open all day - I highly recommend going on a sunset ride. The route goes along the west side of the island, providing a beautiful view of the sun on the horizon. 

Golden Bay Horse Riding

11. Paintballing I'll admit that I haven't tried this one... Only because I'm scared of it hurting me! I'm sure it's fabulously exciting.

Paintball Malta

12. Go-Karting Another one sure to give you an adrenaline rush!

Badger Karting

To be honest, I just wanted to make a point, simply because my friends seem to think that there's nothing to do here when actually, most of what I've listed can be done in the UK too. (I wouldn't recommend going to the beach in November in Britain...)  

So don't assume that we're all going down to the local pub to play bingo. There's plenty to do so get yourselves on the next flight over and I'll show you how we have fun - Maltese style. 

Update June 2014

It has been a while since I have actually written a post about my gap year so I thought I would write an update for anyone who is interested.

First of all, the most important thing I MUST mention (which you probably have heard about already anyway) is my new puppy!! Don't worry, I'm not going to go on a bender talking about her because I do that enough already. (Just in case anyone wants to follow Betsy's journey you can read my mum's new blog ''If dogs could talk'' at www.ifdogscouldtalk2014.blogspot.com ) But I will say that she is the most beautiful and lovable creature I have ever met. So yeah, she's awesome.

Second of all, I started a new job waitressing, again, at the San Antonio hotel at the beginning of may. I lasted a month and decided that it was too tiring being constantly on my feet and then coming home to find I have no mental capacity left to study. So that was the end of that. I have been looking for somewhere that involves sitting down a bit more, like being a cashier or something, but no luck yet.
In the meantime, I've decided to start taking writing more seriously and I'm considering joining Ad Sense with Google. I wasn't sure whether to post snippets of my writing onto my blog - if anyone who reads this could let me know if it's a good idea or not then I would be very grateful!

The temperature here has dramatically risen within the last seven days and my sweat glands were definitely not ready for it although I am very happy that my tan is now returning.

I'm very excited about what the summer has in store for me. As always I'm missing my friends very much (and being very naughty not keeping in touch more often) but now that I'm not out working anymore, I have lots more time to Skype!

Hope everyone is well,

Char x

In-between believer.

Recently I have been very interested in the show Long Island Medium on TLC. If it wasn't being shown on the television, I would find episodes on YouTube because I have become so addicted to watching this woman who claims to talk to spirits.
Before I started watching the show, I didn't really have an opinion on whether people can actually talk to spirits or not but then this loud, funny and big-hearted lady came along and captured my attention. Having an open space apartment meant that my parents were also aware of this woman and, just like the rest of the world, their opinions were divided. My mum, a woman who has previously been to a medium, was as amazed as I was at the accuracy within her readings. My dad, on the other hand, was as sceptic as ever, refusing to be in the room when the show was on.
I threw myself into the life of Theresa Caputo and even considered going to see a medium myself. It wasn't until this morning when I was looking for her official website that I found a link ''Theresa Caputo: Real or Fake?" Normally when I like something so much, I don't allow myself to be aware of the negativity around it, yet I couldn't stop myself from reading the article. By the end of it, I was heart broken, knowing that I could never watch the show again without doubting everything she says. (Needless to say, I will still watch the show!) The article made general points that applied to every medium out there and I found myself associating those points with specific things that she says during her readings. People were posting comments, begging the author to expose what a phony she is, complaining about how she gains profit through conning innocent people. I disagree. I feel like life is a con. If I was a sales girl in a designer store, I would feel bad about encouraging people to spend an extortionate amount of money on something that should cost 10% of the price shown. Similarly, if I was a bank manager charging ridiculous interest rates - it's a con! We all have to make a profit in life and Theresa Caputo does it the way she knows best.
So let's not be too harsh on these psychics, I really believe that this woman is a genuine person. Regardless of whether or not she actually has "special powers," she provides people with the closure they need to move on and be at peace following the passing of their loved ones.

Re-write myself.

I love writing. The idea of having a successful blog or having my own column in a magazine or newspaper or even (and this is really dreaming big) being an editor of a magazine really appeals to me. When I first started blogging, my first few posts were about things that people could relate to. I used to try writing a post once a week, but that decreased to once a month and before I knew it I was stuck with writers block and I would go months forgetting about my blog.
Then I moved abroad and decided to blog about my gap year. I did this for a few reasons: 1) to keep my  family updated on what I'm up to; 2) so I could remember everything that I got up to on my gap year and  3) to keep up with writing.
But what am I really writing about? Just myself. I never wanted to be one of those writers where every post is about their every movement. Yes, I have to include myself a little when blogging about my gap year but I feel it has become too self-absorbed. Yet, what else do I have to write about? This is a small island and in all honesty (especially at this time of the year) there's not much to do. I want to find the writer I used to be. I want to blog about things that people actually care about.
I need to find something that interests me, something that will keep me inspired and something that I can be creative with. My gap year is about finding myself and this is a part of me that I really want to dive into.

Losing myself.

I have spent the past 14 years in full time education and now I find myself doing nothing. Granted, I spend time with my family and Sean but I don’t do anything productive with my days and consequently, I’m beginning to feel restless. At the same time, my mind is having a battle against itself. One part of it is reminding me that I will be starting a new job very soon and in the meantime, I have the resources to be doing some studying at home so that I’m not a complete idiot by the time I go to university. Another part is like the devil. It lacks motivation and is becoming increasingly lazy. Unfortunately, this part is winning. Some days I find myself staying in bed until ten thirty and spending all afternoon sat on the laptop, wasting time playing games or constantly scrolling on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I’m lethargic, I eat for no reason and the thought of a run feels more like a have-to than a want-to. I’m becoming a slob.

As I’m writing this, a part of me (the devil) is telling me I’m being harsh on myself but I’m hoping that reading it back and saying it out loud online will give me the wake-up call I need. Not many people I know chose to take a gap year but one person I know is definitely making more of it than I am. She is teaching children a skill in a foreign language and I am so happy for her yet envious of the opportunity she has been given. My teachers told me that my gap year would be one of the best years of my life… Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy living here and everything but I just feel like I should be doing more.  

I need some new batteries and some inspiration. So I think it’s time I got off my arse and found some.

Date night - Saturday 1st February 2014

All my life I've always said I never want to be a housewife. Staying home and cooking and waiting for a man to get home was never my idea of a life. And it still isn't but I have to say that that is what I'm doing right now - and I enjoy it! Of course I'm not actually married and I don't want to be doing this for the next 60 years but tonight I'm cooking and baking for Sean and it feels nice. I look forward to seeing him on an evening and making a fuss. What am I turning into!?

Tonight I'm cooking (with my mum as assistant chef for the tricky stuff) pork chops with potato, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and gravy, as well as baking a huge love heart shaped chocolate cake because i'm feeling extra soppy...

Top - New Look; Skirt - Miss Selfridge; Shoes - New Look

I also decided to make an effort in my appearance, seen as it's Saturday night. A girl likes to get dressed up!

And to finish the night off, a nice snuggle session on the sofa, catching up on Shameless. 

All in all, a wonderful evening!

It's time to grow up.

Is it just me, or was 2013 the fastest year yet? In my opinion, time seems to be moving faster than I can appreciate the days. Even though 2014 has only just begun, summer will have been and gone (although I get a much longer and better one living here on this sunny island) and the festive season will be back before we know it.

The start of the new year brings me the opportunity of looking for another job as hotels are beginning to reopen and vacancies are appearing. Another opportunity arising is the availability of places at The University of Malta. I recently checked my emails to find that The University of Liverpool had declined my application. Okay, I had no intentions of going anymore anyway because I want to start my life properly here in Malta but the rejection has knocked my confidence severely. Not only am I waiting for a call that should have rang yesterday from a job interview that I had last week, I'm terrified that The University of Malta will not want me either. To be honest, I don't think I can take much more and if it weren't so cold outside, I'd consider throwing myself in the sea.

These lack of options are forcing me to look at new options for myself. But what I am supposed to look at when I don't even know what other options appeal to me? How, at nineteen years old, am I supposed to know what I want to do with my life when a degree might not be an option anymore and most employers value either a degree or 'life experience' and I don't have either of those things?
Granted, I might be freaking out a bit too much but when all these things happen at once, it kind of hits you a little harder than if they happened six months apart. There are part time and full time courses available at a college here but if I don't know what career I want, how am I supposed to know which course to apply for?
There is also an extreme option which could help me get into The University of Malta if my application is rejected first time... I could go back to school full time and sit exams until I get enough credits to be accepted onto the course that I want. Why is it extreme? Ever moved to a new school where everyone is already friends and you're the new kid? Try doing that at nineteen years old. I can't just walk up to someone and say ''Want to play tea parties with me?'' like a brave five year old would. Children are brave and the older we get, the less brave we are. Social expectations and caring too much about what other people think stops us from saying what we really mean and doing what we really want - unless you're the kind of person who has the balls to do those things.

So maybe it's time to break my unfortunate chain of rejection, be headstrong about the person I want to be and grow a pair!