Tinkerbell's Pages

On things that go bump in the night...

Happy Halloween! Tonight's the night to watch out for all those hoodies with ASBOs who might come knocking at your door, threatening to vandalise your home if you don't give them money, drugs or alcohol! Or maybe that's just what it's like where I live - not really! Am sure I freaked out loads of kids in my class today by telling them the school is haunted and that I will soon be sued by their parents for terrorising them, but never mind! Teacher has to have a little bit of fun with her class sometimes!

On the subject of spooky things - went to see The Mousetrap for Mum and Aunt's birthday at the weekend. It was a really good bit of old-fashioned murder mystery and the venue (St. Martin's Theatre) was really cool. I didn't guess 'whodunnit' and I'm afraid I can't divulge the answer because it's in the tradition of the play to keep the indentity of the murderer to youself once it has been revealed to you! The play is about a group of strangers stranded in a boarding house during a snowstorm - and one of them is a murderer. The suspects include the newly-married couple who run the house, a spinster with a strange background, an architect (who in this particular production was extremely camp), a retired Army major, a strange Italian man who claims his car has overturned in a snowdrift and a judge who makes life miserable for everyone. It's only when a police officer arrives at the house that the mystery is eventually uncovered. Excellent stuff that will confuse you and keep you guessing right up until the very end. Highly recommended if you haven't seen it. The play has been performed over 22 thousand times and is the longest running play in the West End, so don't miss out!

On attempting to relive our student days...

1996 - Ten years ago. Everyone thought they had Mad Cow disease. Dolly the Sheep was created. Take That finally decided to call it a day. As did Charles and Diana. The USA was controlled by Bill Clinton. The UK was controlled by John Major (and the Spice Girls). Happy days *sigh*. This was also the year that I started university and met some very special girls. We decided to celebrate this anniversary by returning to our local student club, which had been the highlight of our week every Wednesday night during our student days. Scary, but once it had been mentioned, we all just knew it had to be done.

So on Wednesday night, six girls set off in an attempt to relive those lazy, hazy student days of our past. Despite being ten years older, we were still mistaken for students (well, let's face it, who else in their right mind would bother going to the student club?!) and no one looked at us as if we were too old to be there. I thought I would feel really old seeing all the students there, but my first reaction was of shock that there was no one there when we arrived. Not one soul (apart from bar staff) in the bar downstairs and about ten people in the club upstairs. AND NOT A SINGLE SOUL ON THE DANCEFLOOR! Not like it was in our day (this became our catchphrase for the evening, as we were inevitably comparing everything to how it  had been in 1996!)

A lot had changed about the place - the downstairs bar had definately been revamped, now with food served during the day and disabled access which it had never had in the un-PC late nineties. The special stage blocks with flames painted on them (cool!) that we used to spend many a happy hour strutting our funky stuff upon, were no more. The playlist was DJ and playlist were different - the Spice Girls, Jamiroquai, Prodigy and the like of our youth were replaced by a combination of Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Artic Monkeys, Kooks etc. The DJ didn't take our cheesy requests very seriously and just continued to play what he wanted to, apart from towards the end of the evening when he decided to humour us. One of our group had requested that he play House of Pain's Jump Around for me which had been my weekly request back in the old days. The pure joy was indescribable. OK, so I had consumed a few drinks by this time, but as I dutifully jumped around (as the lyrics insist you do), I was immediately transported back to 1996. No thoughts of careers, paying rent, saving up for mortgages and all those grown-up things anymore. I just imagined what I might have been thinking about back then. Do I really want to get up for my Romantic Poetry lecture and seminar in the morning? and Have I got enough money left to buy some chips on the way back to halls? The nostalgia was very powerful and I know that those days are well and truly gone now, but the happy memories will be with me forever : )

On having too much time to think...

The thing about being on half term is that it is a break from the usual hectic routine of everyday life and it can at times, give you too much time to think. To think about things you have been pushing to the back of your mind and you can usually pretend aren't really happening. So now I am thinking about the impending birth of my nephew/niece. My younger sister is now on maternity leave and due to give birth this time next month. I guess if I'm really honest I still haven't really come to terms with it because the initial emotion I feel is anger. Anger about the way she has treated everyone. Anger at her arrogant attitude and feeling that she has made the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons.

My family is dealing with the situation in different ways. My older sister has put on this front of false happiness as if she hasn't a care in the world and now that younger sister has moved out her her flat, there is never a mention of her, never mind the pregnancy. My older brother seems to have taken up the role of the father figure (since he is the only male role model in her life), making sure that nothing can upset younger sister in her 'delicate state' and making sure she gets her way 100% of the time. Poor Mum has done everything she can to help, accepting that the situation is real and that this is really happening. Mum has been bullied out of her bedroom at home (because younger sister and baby need more room) and has ferried sister around to hospital appointments, ante-natal yoga classes etc. She has rearranged things and put her own plans for her house on hold because of sister and baby. Mum had arranged for a decorator to come tomorrow to paint the rooms to suit younger sister. She has waited around for hours for baby stuff to be delivered while younger sister has been at work. However, today out of the blue younger sister announces that the local housing association have found a flat for her and she's moving out next week. She hasn't once thanked my Mum for everything she's done for her over the last few months. I just hope that her own child turns out to be more grateful than she is.

On feeling a woman's work is never done...

Well, it's the first day of the half term holidays and I am KNACKERED! The boyfriend decided yesterday afternoon that it was time to pull everything out of the cupboard in the spare room and sort it out. This stuff is mostly comprised of odds and ends that we haven't got round to throwing out yet. Most of it was stuffed in the cupboard in the spare room when we moved into our flat (in July last year) because we didn't really know where to put it and hasn't been touched since. However, once he had finished pulling all the stuff out, it was time for us to go out for dinner, so it has been left for me to clear up today while he merrily skips off to work. I have got lists of jobs all around the flat to do this week, so this was not exactly what I had in mind!

Anyway, I don't mind too much because the weather is crap so I was going to stay in anyway. I did actually end up finding a couple of things I have been looking for for the last couple of months, so it hasn't all been in vain! I even managed to get the tumble dryer we were given in the summer working, so now we can have warm fluffy towels and undies straight from the dryer this winter, which is something that I haven't had since I left my mum's five years ago!

On a wickedly sparkling night out...

Big sis and I went to see Wicked last night and what a fantastic night it turned out to be! Firstly, since it was the beginning of half term, we both managed to escape from our schools a little bit earlier than usual. We thought we'd go and grab a bite to eat before the musical started at 7.30pm. However, since we were quite early and since there were several shops to be investigated, I ended up getting some really cool bargains. Two pairs of pink sparkly shoes (different styles and different hues of pink of course!) which I thought were going to cost me a grand total of seventeen pounds (in the sale), but actually cost me a mere eight. Yes, that's right, a mere eight pounds for two pairs of shoes! Somehow I knew this was destined to be a really good night!

The musical itself - well, what can I say?! There were some belting numbers which sis and I are now planning to spend our half term learning and performing as a duo (she's going to be Elphaba and I'm going to be Glinda). It was all very cheesy of course, but great fun and the special effects and costumes were really cool. The atmosphere was unlike anything we had experienced at a musical before - it seemed like 90% of the audience had been to see it before and were American (cue lots of whooping, whistling, screaming and clapping before it had even begun and at several key points all the way through). I was quite surprised to see how many men had turned up to see it too (and they weren't gay either, they were with their wives or girlfriends) and even they seemed to be enjoying it. There's no way on earth the boyfriend would have been seen dead there, although I think he would have secretly enjoyed it if he had gone. After all, he likes the original movie.

Anyway, would thoroughly recommend it if you haven't seen it. A great night out which is a lot of fun and spectacular to watch. Now big sis and I have just got to get hold of the soundtrack and warm up the vocal chords. Apparently, next Sunday (October 29th) in Covent Garden it's Wicked Day and it's the final round of a big Wicked singing competition! I fear it is to late for us to showcase our talents now. Check it out at: http://www.wickedday.co.uk/wickedday.php

On time for a break...

Well, I've been back at school for almost six weeks now, so surely it must be time for a break?! Next week is half term and I can't wait. Now that I'm finally shifting the most persistant cold ever known to man or beast, it's time to start planning my much-deserved week off school! Here are some of the activities I shall be partaking in (apart from catching up with all my marking, planning and other random paperwork for school of course!)

(a) I will be cleaning the flat from top to bottom - the extremely keen lady from the rental agency is coming round to do yet another inspection of the flat sometime at the beginning of November (the old rental agency showed absolutely no interest in the state of our previous flat, despite the fact that it was literally falling apart around us!); (b) I will be going to see Wicked with big sister - going on Friday night after school finishes which should be a laugh; (c) I will be going to see The Mousetrap a week on Saturday for mum and aunt's birthday - haven't been to see a 'proper' play for ages, so should be good; (d) I will be getting my hair done - even though I can't really can't afford it, but it's getting really desperate now!; (e) I will be attending my university girls celebration of ten years of meeting - next Wednesday night, bound to be a great night out, will update you here; and loads more that I'll decide on nearer the time and won't bore you with now!

I'll probably need another week off once I've packed all that lot into my half term...

On going to see Russell Brand...

The boyfriend and I went to see Russell Brand's live stand-up show at the Shepherds Bush Empire last night. What an interesting night it turned out to be! We somehow didn't manage to get home until almost 1 o'clock this morning and I was up for work at 6.30am, so am feeling a little bit tired today. Still haven't got rid of this damn cold either. Anyway, I digress...

The show was 'interesting' to say the least. The warm-up guy was a man called Trevor 'Cocky' Locky who apparently co-hosts a radio show with Russell on BBC 6 Live. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that he was the unfunniest stand-up comedian I have experienced in my life (and I have had experience of quite a few!) I was not the only one who thought this either. Out of the audience of what must of been at least a couple of thousand people, there were literally only two people laughing at his pathetic jokes and it just so happened that they were sitting in the seats next to me! And they were very, very pissed (more of which later!). It was embarrassing. Some people were walking out to get drinks from the bar. Other people were just sitting in their seats chatting, yawning or looking thoroughly unamused. His punchlines were met with a stony silence (apart from the pissed birds who cackled their way through the whole thing) and I'm sure at one point I even saw a tumbleweed rolling past me ... When his 'act' (mercifully) finished he was greeted by applause, but that was only because the audience were so pleased he was leaving  the stage. Someone actually shouted "Get off the stage" - I didn't think things happened like that in REAL LIFE!

Russell Brand, however, was in a totally different class. He is skinnier and has even bigger hair than it looks like on TV. I laughed at him until it hurt, but then again, that didn't take much because each time I started laughing I was overcome by a powerful coughing fit! That's what you get for going out on a school night when you're not well (and a Monday come to that - very naughty of me). Right at the beginning of his act the pissed birds somehow managed to get into a 'confrontation' with a very aggressive girl who was sitting in front of them and she was threatening to fight them and 'take it outside'. The boyfriend and I honestly didn't know where to look - with such a variety of entertainment going on all around us! In the end, the pissed birds and very aggressive girl were all thrown out and they were still arguing with the security guys as we were coming out of the theatre about two hours later!!! Class.

Oh and by the way, the audience were being filmed for the DVD which is being released later this month (unfortunately none of the pissed birds v. very aggressive girl fight footage will be on there!), but I'm going to look out for the boyfriend and I on it - you never know : )

On experiencing horrible nightmares...

I had a night of bad dreams last night. In the first one, someone took three children from my class and kept attacking them to suck up their blood from the floor. In the second one, it transpired that over the years my mum had been regularly attacking my sisters and I to weaken us, while someone (probably the same 'someone' from the first nightmare), took out all of our teeth. Curious to know about bit more about the causes of nightmares, I found this out from a website called http://www.lucidnet.co.uk/sleep/nightmares.htm: "Up to about the eighteenth century, nightmares were often considered to be the work of demons, which were thought to sit on the chests of sleepers" (hence the painting at the top of this page, The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli, 1783). So much culture for a Sunday morning!

Apparently, nightmares occur for several reasons. Obviously, they occur more often in children, but I also found out that they occur more often in women than men. I found another website called http://www.heall.com/sleep.html, which suggests that: "In adults, eating sugary, spicy or exotic foods, drinking alcohol or taking drugs before bedtime often precipitates nightmares." Although I did go out and have a big meal and a few drinks last night, it was quite a long time before I went to bed, I only had about four drinks and the pasta I had in the restaurant wasn't particularly spicy or exotic! I think it could be something to do with the fact that my cold stopped me from breathing properly as I slept!

On feeling ill and a bit sorry for myself...

I am not feeling very well today. Most of the teachers at school have got this stinking cold and there is no money left in this year's budget to pay for supply teachers, so we are all having to soldier on. At 6.30 this morning I suddenly thought, why do they make cold and flu tablets so big?! They're difficult enough to take at the best of times, but even more so when your throat is swollen up and you can hardly swallow anyway! I managed to escape from school soon after the kids went home today, so it's a night curled up on the sofa in front of the telly for me. Thank God it's the weekend and only two more weeks of school until half term!

The boyfriend and I are supposed to be going out for dinner with friends on Saturday night and then to see Russell Brand at Shepherd's Bush Empire on Monday night, so I need to be recovered enough to go out by then. The torrential rain we've had over the last few days hasn't really helped matters either. I just want to get into bed and hide under my duvet at the moment : (

On the pros and cons of autumn...

I have mixed feelings about autumn which I am going to share with you lucky lot here. Although I was freezing cold when I went to bed last night and again when I got up this morning and I know that we are now in for months of freezing cold and depressing weather, I actually quite like this time of year. I believe that the pros outweigh the cons. Here goes: CONS - (a) it's cold and dark when you get out of bed in the morning; (b) you feel ill most of the time (most of the staff at schoool are already coming down with colds and one kid managed to projectile vomit all over the classroom yesterday - nice!); (c) you can't go out anywhere without wearing about five layers of clothes; (d) I usually spend most of October completely broke because it's my brother's birthday on the 16th along with my mum and aunt's on the 28th (they're twins).

Ahhhh, but it's not all bad: PROS - (a) when the sun shines it doesn't matter if the wind is a bit chilly; (b) it's time for Halloween and Fireworks Night; (c) it's nice to snuggle up and watch TV or a DVD on a cold evening; (d) it's half term in just over two weeks' time! I've decided to look on the positive side and embrace autumn with open arms this year. I've got a lot of fun things to look forward to, more of which you will undoubtedly hear about right here as the season progresses : )