Happiness =?

For me happiness can be a lot of things, such as:

Going shopping with my best friend
Finding that LBD I’ve been looking for for AGES
Ice cold ice tea on a hot summer’s day
Citytrips
Starbucks Caramel macchiato
Dinner with my boyfriend
Visiting my foreign friends
Watching my favourite show, all curled up under a blanket
Reading that amazing book all curled up in bed
Not having to set the alarm in the weekend
Mojito’s
Random laughs with my friends
Playing with my boyfriend’s dog
…

When I think about it, many things make me happy. Life is good, if you want it to be. However small the things are that make you happy, they make your life worthwile! <3
I just find it such a shame when I see people moan about “not being happy” because they can’t see their favourite band for the zillionth time. Sure, there’s more to life than just that. Don’t they have friends then? Or a favourite TV show? Other past times? A favourite drink? Other places to go? It kinda makes me sad for them…

A lifetime is not enough…

If you followed this blog before, you may have noticed that I *love* reading. Every day, before bed or whenever I have some time, I’ll be lost in a book, living in another world. This morning though, when I was browsing my Goodreads account and found loads of interesting, new releases, a rather depressing thought struck me:

A whole lifetime is not enough to read ALL the fabulous and great books that have ever been published!!

Doesn’t that scare you a little bit?

I’m always writing a story in my head

It’s true, I am… It’s just getting it on paper that’s the problem!

Time flies!

I cannot believe my last post was in April! Summer has literally flown by and a new school year has started again… Yes, I am still teaching Just a shame that summer holidays have flown so fast even though tthis summer was not my favourite. So many terrible things have happened and apart from that, weather was really terrible too! I did have a fabulous trip to Ireland though, and I really hope to go back soon! <3

So this is just a little post to let you know that, I have not forgotten about this place! Far from even! I just didn’t realize how fast time was going. And to be honest, it kind of scares me…

Summer has completely gone now and winter is on its way! Only positive thing about that is: Christmas will be here soon! I hope to blog again soon, people! and I want to thank you for the 6,000 views that I’ve had since I started this blog! I was very surprised when I found out! Hope you’ll all stick me!

And even though summer has gone and it’s raining a lot, I hope you will all find sunshine through the rain…

Daydreaming of…

The hot weather, the Easter holidays, the happy people and the summer feeling really make me want to long for a place like this

Just me, the sun, the beach, a cocktail and a good book
*dreams*

Review: Ian McEwan – The Daydreamer

The Daydreamer by Ian McEwan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In one word: Brilliant!! Ok, Ian McEwan is no Roald Dahl, but I’m sure kids will love these stories just as much like they love Matilda. I especially loved the meaning behind the different stories which is, according to me, “never judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes”. Ian McEwan is a genius in my eyes and I love his work. This book, of course, is a bit different from his usual work because it’s really about fantasy and imagination, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as good. Sure, it’s no “Atonement”, but it is as amazing. Kids will love it because of the daydreams and the fantasy and adults will love it because of all the symbols and metaphors for life and living that life. I recommend every teacher of English to put this book on the reading list. It is a gem!

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Review: Richard Yates – Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! It took me a while to really get into it, but after the first 50 pages I got sucked into April and Frank’s story. Richard Yates paints a perfect picture of American life in the 50′s and of people trying to get out of life’s strains. I’d seen the film (which is brilliant btw!) so I knew how it would end, but that didn’t stop me being curious and wanting to read more! While reading though, I kept on thinking “I hope my life doesn’t turn out like this”!

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Want to travel through time? Read a book!

And no, I am not talking about reading books about the Middle Ages or something (even though, they as well will make you feel like you’ve travelled through time and are now a handsome court lady – when they are well written that is!) but I am talking about reading a book that you’ve once read before. I buy so many books, that I hardly ever have the time to re-read my favourite books. Which, I believe, is a shame.

I just finished reading “The Horse Whisperer”, a book I read AGES ago and which I now re-read again due to one of my pupils reading it for a book report. (yep, I am the kind of teacher that wants to read as many books as possible chosen by pupils so I can properly mark and comment the book reports. Call me a geek, but I love it!) As I was reading, I suddenly went on a trip down memory lane… It was like I was 16 again (not THAT long ago, but sill!). I could remember exactly where I’d been sitting while reading that book, I could almost smell the summer again and it was like I could remember exactly how I’d felt right at that moment in time!

You see, I’m the kind of reader that will remember what’s happened in books, but I’ll easily forget the details. I will, however, remember perfectly well whether I loved or hated the book, which mood I was in, or how the book made me feel. Re-reading a book will then bring me right back to that spot, to that time, to that mood, to that feeling. It’s what I love the most about reading to be honest… Not the story itself, but the feeling I get when reading a book.

So if you ever wish you could go back to that time when you were a kid, pick up one of your favourite kids’ books and I promise you, you will again feel like that happy kid you once were !

I’m too old for this

On Thursday, I went to see McFly in Brussels. It was their first time in Belgium, so I just *had* to be there! Since my friend and I both work as teachers, we could not be there early, so when we arrived, we had to stand at the back. I did not mind this at all though. When I walked in and saw the mass of people at the front and fans needing to be taken to the back because they’d fainted due to all the pushing, I was so glad I wasn’t standing there! Granted, being front row is AMAZING! I’ve queued for hours in the past , I’ve stood front row at gigs and it was always indredibly amazing to be so close to your favourite artist! However, call it growing up, I now rather take my time to get ready so that when I arrive at the venue, I can just walk in easily without being pushed aside by angry & stressed out fans!

Standing at the back though, wasn’t bad at all. It was actually great fun because we had a great view on the entire stage, we could see all four McFly members (although, admitted, my eyes were mostly fixed on the sexiness that is Harry Judd ), but most importantly, we had enough space to move around. We could breathe and we didn’t have sweaty armpits in our face. Heaven!

To be honest, I think I enjoy music and gigs in a different way now than I used to. It used to be all about the people in the band themselves, being close, collecting every single interview and knowing every single thing about the them. That has changed though. I still consider myself a Westlife fan, it’s the band I “care” most about and I’ve been a fan ever since they started. They mean a lot to me and without them, I wouldn’t have met so many great people. But whether I’m front row, or in the far back, whether I missed a certain interview or a new picture, I really don’t care that much anymore. It’s always been about the music, but today, it really is the music and my friends I care most about.

What kinda makes me think though, is the stories I read on this website, www.westlifetards.com. I’m only 24, and I already feel ‘too old’ for all the crazy fan stuff, so I am always VERY surprised to read about mature women in their 30′s, 40′s and even 50′s who act like teenagers around this band, who fight over petty little things and who have competitions going on about how many front rows they have or how many times they’ve met a certain member. I won’t judge them though, if that’s their way of having fun and enjoying life, sure, go ahead! If it makes you happy, that’s good. But isn’t all the screaming and queueing for hours teenager/twenties behaviour? Sure, family, friends and just having a good time should be more important? Or is that just me who thinks like that? I wonder…

Song of the Day: Enrique Iglesias – Tonight

Because this is the song I use right now to get rid of all my frustrations from school. I listen to this full blast when am cycling back home and believe me, I feel SO much better when I’m home!

You know my motivation, giving my reputation, please excuse me, I don’t mean to be rude, but tonight I’m lovin’ you!

And tbh, if Enrique sang to me like that, I wouldn’t say no! HOTness!
<3