Saturday 31 August 2013

#7 - Go to Hogwarts


Hogsmeade was awesome as were all the sets. My heart pines for the merchandise. The dragon coaster was fantastic (I went on the red side) and the hippogriff ride was very good as well. The forbidden journey was... underwhelming. But I do now have a packet of bertie botts every flavour beans and a pygmy puff called Hercules. He's pink.





Friday 30 August 2013

#6 - Go on a Plane

I went to the US for the last three weeks so here are pictures akin to those you can find on instagram.
I hope I've used akin correctly (I'm trying to expand my vocabulary).




Is that New York I spy? Why yes, it is.

Thursday 29 August 2013

100 things update - #4

1. Go to London
2. Go to Brandy Melville
3. Go on a train
4. See the Bling Ring
5. Wear my swan skirt
6. Go on a plane
7. Go to Hogwarts
8. Get my results
9. Get easily into my next school
10. Buy some music for my ipod
11. Feed the ducks
12. Finish the 52 book challenge
13. Read 2 books a week
14. Go to a festival
15. See a band/singer I really love
16. Go to Thorpe
17. Try Churros
18. Go to Disney
19. Ride expedition everest with my eyes open
20. Go on the swarm
21. Finish catch 22
22. Do a video for my collab channel
23. Finish all my books before the US
24. Start Moby Dick
25. Take more photos
26. Buy all my clothes for school next year
27. Find a leather alternative bag
28. Buy a new school bag
29. Do something childish
30. Go to the zoo
31. See Now You See Me
32. Do New York research
33. Go to the Strand
34. Go to the 9/11 memorial
35. Drive something exciting
36. Learn the entire theory book for my exam in September
37. Buy the Naked Palette
38. Watch more films
39. Read the Cuckoos Calling
40. Buy a book I've never heard of before in a store
41. Buy something in Barnes and Noble 
42. Buy the new Sarah Dessen
43. Buy a Disney pin and trade one
44. Write everything in my stuff that happened to me book
45. Organise an event with someone I don't usually go out with
46. Write a song
47. Write a book of lyrics
48. Write more
49. Get a henna tattoo
50. Learn a safety announcement in spanish
51. Make a 9/11 video
52. Have a read-a-thon
53. Go to a waterpark
54. Play with a toy
55. Reread the entire pj series
56. Be migraine-less for a whole week
57. Read all my BMJs cover to cover
58. Do something good for my career
59. Run in some sprinklers
60. Go on a roller coaster I have never been on before
61. Go to Kew Gardens
62. Go to somewhere new in London
63. Read a non fiction book
64. Talk to my friend Julia more
65. Write every day
66. Get better at guitar
67. Learn a guitar solo
68. Learn "1000 miles" on the piano
69. Get a decent book idea
70. Craft the spoon mirror
71. Redo my magnetic boards
72. Keep my room tidy
73. Go for a whole day without moaning about the temperature
74. Draw more manga
75. Make my Alan Curnow poem video
76. Go fruit picking
77. Become more adventurous with my clothes
78. Write a letter to somebody
79. Leave more nerdfighter notes
80. Avoid burning myself
81. Climb the rocks in central park
82. Go punting
83. Buy American stationary
84. Wear my Dorothy shoes
85. Get a stronger core
86. Go through airport security without beeping like a terrorist
87. Cry with happiness
88. Have my photo taken with Mickey
89. Blow bubbles
90. Go to Birmingham
91. Fall asleep before midnight
92. Win a competition
93. Play with sparklers
94. Be in London after dark
95. Put up all my pictures
96. Clear out my clothes
97. Buy some smart shoes
98. Read a book for next year
99. Use my diary
100. Draw illustrations for a book

Done: 67/100
Blogged 27/67

Tuesday 27 August 2013

I want to be a doctor #1 - charging for the GPs

On Friday 26th July GPs announced in the newspaper that they would like patients to pay £25 for an appointment. However, why should we pay when we already pay tax towards the NHS? Is it right to charge? Who does this give an advantage to?

The NHS is a fantastic service. Our government gives everyone medical treatment regardless of age, race and, most importantly, wealth. Everyone can get medical help without having to pay the price of private medicine or insurance. Admittedly, tax is payed to fund the health service. However, often people in lower economic groups get healthcare that they would be able to afford. The NHS has its problems, I won't deny it, but I believe it is a much better system than the heavily right-wing US system. So should we pay for the GPs?

What you may not know about the GPs is that they purchase appointments from other departments in the health service. For example, if you have a lump in your breast they purchase your appointment in oncology and it comes out of their budget. Paying £25 would  help the doctors you see get more people referals. With this extra money leads to growth in the NHS, leading to shorter waiting times for procedures and appointments so you would get an all round better service. However, why can't we stick with the system we have now? Why do we need a reform? And who does this system hurt in the long run?

I want you to think about who are the most ill in our society. Who is it? It's the elderly, children and people in lower economic groups because frankly, staying healthy is expensive. The elderly are retired. Children are in school. Both of these groups have no income. With the cost of everything rising and a deeper dip in our recession can the majority of the patients afford to pay for health care? Four out of five prescriptions are not payed for. These are patients who wouldn't benefit from paying for the GPs. So in the end we end up hurting the people who are most in need. So that makes paying wrong, right?

I went on work experience and I worked with a GP who was astounding at his job, he really was. However, if you live in the UK you know that GPs are not always the best service. Sometimes you have to go to multiple appointments because the doctor is initially dismissive or wants to "play it by ear". Let's think of a sinario. You go to the GPs complaining about being very tired all the time. £25. So the GP makes you have a blood test. £25. The results come back positive for anaemia. Book an appointment. £25. So now, best case sinario, you've spent £75. What if in your first appointment the doctor said there was nothing to worry about? What if they blamed it down to stress, having your kids home for the summer or just being run down from your last cold? "It's probably nothing." "Let's play it by ear." When you go back to tell them you're not getting better, you spend another £25.

What gives people the best chance of surviving cancer? Catching the disease early. People don't like going to the doctors now; it's scary because you don't know if you're really ill and acknowledging that you have a problem is terrifying. What if you make patients pay £25 for this appointment? Will people actually go if they have symptoms for something serious? Will death rates increase because patients will only go when it gets really serious? Paying would hurt the patients.

I don't believe paying will help our nation's health. It will discourage people going to the doctors. I think that because of this reluctance to go to the GPs people will leave symptoms and cost the patients and then health centre more. So if we have to start paying everyone will pay. That's not right. 

Friday 23 August 2013

#52 - Have a read-a-thon



Over four days I read 6 books.

It was mainly because of this:



It's new and I love it. I love read-a-thons.

Thursday 22 August 2013

#56 - Be migraine-less for a whole week

I can't do photos for this one but I HAVE BEEN MIGRAINE FREE FOR A WEEK AND IT'S AWESOME.

I have found a land where the fluorescent lights don't give me migraines.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

100 things update #3

1. Go to London
2. Go to Brandy Melville
3. Go on a train
4. See the Bling Ring
5. Wear my swan skirt
6. Go on a plane
7. Go to Hogwarts
8. Get my results
9. Get easily into my next school
10. Buy some music for my ipod
11. Feed the ducks
12. Finish the 52 book challenge
13. Read 2 books a week
14. Go to a festival
15. See a band/singer I really love
16. Go to Thorpe
17. Try Churros
18. Go to Disney
19. Ride expedition everest with my eyes open
20. Go on the swarm
21. Finish catch 22
22. Do a video for my collab channel
23. Finish all my books before the US
24. Start Moby Dick
25. Take more photos
26. Buy all my clothes for school next year
27. Find a leather alternative bag
28. Buy a new school bag
29. Do something childish
30. Go to the zoo
31. See Now You See Me
32. Do New York research
33. Go to the Strand
34. Go to the 9/11 memorial
35. Drive something exciting
36. Learn the entire theory book for my exam in September
37. Buy the Naked Palette
38. Watch more films
39. Read the Cuckoos Calling
40. Buy a book I've never heard of before in a store
41. Buy something in Barnes and Noble 
42. Buy the new Sarah Dessen
43. Buy a Disney pin and trade one
44. Write everything in my stuff that happened to me book
45. Organise an event with someone I don't usually go out with
46. Write a song
47. Write a book of lyrics
48. Write more
49. Get a henna tattoo
50. Learn a safety announcement in spanish
51. Make a 9/11 video
52. Have a read-a-thon
53. Go to a waterpark
54. Play with a toy
55. Reread the entire pj series
56. Be migraine-less for a whole week
57. Read all my BMJs cover to cover
58. Do something good for my career
59. Run in some sprinklers
60. Go on a roller coaster I have never been on before
61. Go to Kew Gardens
62. Go to somewhere new in London
63. Read a non fiction book
64. Talk to my friend Julia more
65. Write every day
66. Get better at guitar
67. Learn a guitar solo
68. Learn "1000 miles" on the piano
69. Get a decent book idea
70. Craft the spoon mirror
71. Redo my magnetic boards
72. Keep my room tidy
73. Go for a whole day without moaning about the temperature
74. Draw more manga
75. Make my Alan Curnow poem video
76. Go fruit picking
77. Become more adventurous with my clothes
78. Write a letter to somebody
79. Leave more nerdfighter notes
80. Avoid burning myself
81. Climb the rocks in central park
82. Go punting
83. Buy American stationary
84. Wear my Dorothy shoes
85. Get a stronger core
86. Go through airport security without beeping like a terrorist
87. Cry with happiness
88. Have my photo taken with Mickey
89. Blow bubbles
90. Go to Birmingham
91. Fall asleep before midnight
92. Win a competition
93. Play with sparklers
94. Be in London after dark
95. Put up all my pictures
96. Clear out my clothes
97. Buy some smart shoes
98. Read a book for next year
99. Use my diary
100. Draw illustrations for a book

Done: 33/100
Blogged 27/33

Tuesday 20 August 2013

#60 - Go on a roller coaster I have never been on before


This is Logger's Leap at Thorpe Park. It is a log-flume drop and is totally awesome. It goes round the lake and it's really amazing.



Sunday 18 August 2013

#29 - Do something childish



I may have gone on a giant bouncy castle obstacle course. It was amazing. I may have done an unintentional backflip because I have mad skills.

Friday 16 August 2013

What-was-intended-to-be-a-fashion-post-but-ended-up-as-a-freak-show



Heather trying to pull of my camo jacket by acting hard


Catie and Heather are the theatre faces






Catie's awesome henna tattoo



Wednesday 14 August 2013

#39 - Read The Cuckoo's Calling



So I read The Cuckoo's Calling by "Robert Galbraith" which is a pseudonym for JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books. It's really, really good. I don't usually like crime but this was superb. I would definitely recommend it


If you want to see the book haul this photo comes from click here.

Saturday 10 August 2013

100 things update #2


1. Go to London
2. Go to Brandy Melville
3. Go on a train
4. See the Bling Ring
5. Wear my swan skirt
6. Go on a plane
7. Go to Hogwarts
8. Get my results
9. Get easily into my next school
10. Buy some music for my ipod
11. Feed the ducks
12. Finish the 52 book challenge
13. Read 2 books a week
14. Go to a festival
15. See a band/singer I really love
16. Go to Thorpe
17. Try Churros
18. Go to Disney
19. Ride expedition everest with my eyes open
20. Go on the swarm
21. Finish catch 22
22. Do a video for my collab channel
23. Finish all my books before the US
24. Start Moby Dick
25. Take more photos
26. Buy all my clothes for school next year
27. Find a leather alternative bag
28. Buy a new school bag
29. Do something childish
30. Go to the zoo
31. See Now You See Me
32. Do New York research
33. Go to the Strand
34. Go to the 9/11 memorial
35. Drive something exciting
36. Learn the entire theory book for my exam in September
37. Buy the Naked Palette
38. Watch more films
39. Read the Cuckoos Calling
40. Buy a book I've never heard of before in a store
41. Buy something in Barnes and Noble 
42. Buy the new Sarah Dessen
43. Buy a Disney pin and trade one
44. Write everything in my stuff that happened to me book
45. Organise an event with someone I don't usually go out with
46. Write a song
47. Write a book of lyrics
48. Write more
49. Get a henna tattoo
50. Learn a safety announcement in spanish
51. Make a 9/11 video
52. Have a read-a-thon
53. Go to a waterpark
54. Play with a toy
55. Reread the entire pj series
56. Be migraine-less for a whole week
57. Read all my BMJs cover to cover
58. Do something good for my career
59. Run in some sprinklers
60. Go on a roller coaster I have never been on before
61. Go to Kew Gardens
62. Go to somewhere new in London
63. Read a non fiction book
64. Talk to my friend Julia more
65. Write every day
66. Get better at guitar
67. Learn a guitar solo
68. Learn "1000 miles" on the piano
69. Get a decent book idea
70. Craft the spoon mirror
71. Redo my magnetic boards
72. Keep my room tidy
73. Go for a whole day without moaning about the temperature
74. Draw more manga
75. Make my Alan Curnow poem video
76. Go fruit picking
77. Become more adventurous with my clothes
78. Write a letter to somebody
79. Leave more nerdfighter notes
80. Avoid burning myself
81. Climb the rocks in central park
82. Go punting
83. Buy American stationary
84. Wear my Dorothy shoes
85. Get a stronger core
86. Go through airport security without beeping like a terrorist
87. Cry with happiness
88. Have my photo taken with Mickey
89. Blow bubbles
90. Go to Birmingham
91. Fall asleep before midnight
92. Win a competition
93. Play with sparklers
94. Be in London after dark
95. Put up all my pictures
96. Clear out my clothes
97. Buy some smart shoes
98. Read a book for next year
99. Use my diary
100. Draw illustrations for a book

Done: 29/100
Blogged 14/29

Friday 9 August 2013

#31 - See Now You See Me


Now You See Me is a "thriller" about magicians committing crimes. Do you know the best part? The ending wasn't predictable!


Wednesday 7 August 2013

Tuesday 6 August 2013

#62 - Go somewhere new in London


Shoreditch Road Market - Notting Hill

I love Notting Hill but I'd never been to Shoreditch Road and it was amazing. If you're in London visiting on a weekend I would really recommend it.