Self-Criticism and Positive Talk.

Hi,

<3

Bit of a deep one today.
I have been thinking recently on self-criticism and the way we use it.

I am imperfect. I am not going to lie and pretend that because I have a handful of good qualities and a handful of good situations in my life that I am a perfect person. I am ordinary and am not going to promote this twisted non-existent "Hollywood" sort of idea that we must strive for perfection.

Negative things will happen, or you will feel like something you have done has been negative or will cause a bad consequence.

We are humans. It sounds very boring and bland and obvious. It's very overused and it's effect is lost, but its only because it's so easy to forgot, we are born with little to no knowledge and must be taught everything. In every way we are always developing.

But we hinder ourselves but brushing mistakes we make aside with vicious self-critical excuses.
What actually comes of that? Do you or anyone benefit in anyway from saying something negative about yourself?
You're voicing something that is probably your own impression of the situation, generalizes and categorizes yourself and doesn't reflect what mostly everyone thinks of you.

Saying, "I'm such an idiot," when you make a mistake doesn't fix what happened. It doesn't change anything. It probably doesn't make you feel any better about yourself or the situation.

If you say it enough people will think it's unarguable and will give little or no effort into disagreeing with you, making you feel worse. Or at the worse they will eventually believe you, take it as "fact" and call you out on it.
Picking up on people's mistakes in a positive way is a good thing. Digging at someone for the way they behave is bullying.

If we take time out to say,
"Oh that was not really very clever, I could have done that differently, but I didn't. So I will accept it, learn and try again next time."

Rather than,
"I'm such an idiot! Why did I do that!?"

Most likely we will feel better and avoid it in the future.

If you've got enough mentality to say "I'm such an idiot,"
Then you are very clearly... not an idiot.

If someone said that to you, you might get angry at them or cry. That's what your mind is doing quietly when you say things like that to yourself.

Hope you liked this post,

Ruby-Leigh xx

Tesco Favourites!

Hi

<3

Oops; really hope this isn't too late to upload, had a slight problem with internet and time...

I went on my first shop to Tesco this evening.

I've ordered online from them, as I mentioned before, but never actually been inside the store and it is just as amazing as I had thought.

It may sound weird to be raving about, basically a grocery store, but honestly when you have no clue what you want for dinner, how to purchase toilet paper of how you will survive in a different country for at least three months on your own... supermarkets are your best friend. Anywhere. Anytime. Any kind.

Tesco is very different to the Australia ones I'm used to. Kind of combine Woolies and Kmart and you get the general idea...

Please do enjoy the very elaborate, extremely British Christmas Advert for the shop.

Things I've been loving from Tesco;

- Tesco Finest Cornish Custard.

As my friend and I discovered and spent six minutes raving about in the kitchen; it's filling, but soooo light :P

Basically a posh creamy Madagascan vanilla custard.

- Tesco Finest Yoghurt.

Billions of posh flavours, ranging from Hazelnut to Champagne Rhubarb.

- Tesco British Crumbed Ham.

Ham slices with golden breadcrumbs along the side. Yum!

- Tesco Organic Raspberries and Blackberries.

If you're from Sydney you know how expensive berries are. The climate here is perfect so they are so cheap and available I can't resist getting one too many punnets a week... 

- Tissues.

Don't even joke they are so important.

Hope you enjoyed this, 

Ruby-Leigh xx

Exploring Keele Grounds!

Hi <3

If you have ever watched anything remotely British; 'Harry Potter' to 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Doctor Who' to 'Midsomer Murders', then I'm sure you'll have a general idea of what the typical British country side looks like.

Keele is located north of London, generally central in England and is picturesque and idyllic. Before it started to really get cold, mid- late autumn, I went exploring the grounds of Keele with my roommates.

Favorites definitely include;

- Sneyd Arms Pub. I've been to this place almost everyday since late November....very unhealthy.

They have the best best cheesy nachos, literally only a walk down the road. Soooo tempting.

(Fun Fact: Sneyd is actually the name of the family that owned the manor/castle style house that was the first building of the university!)

- Clocktower Walk. It's just the most amazing little road and is almost completely overgrown in green moss and tall trees. The rocky walls that curve round the bend make it so much more mysterious as well.

- Keele Hall. Literally a mini Hogwarts.

So haunted. You can just tell. Exploring it at night gave me the chills....

Hope you liked this, let me know if you want to see more!

Ruby-Leigh xx

Moving Out And Learning The Hard Way.

Hi  <3

-Tunnel Vision. Doing my own Laundry.

Before moving to the UK for university I had lived at home my whole life.

It was more than a shock when I moved out and realized i had to suddenly organise my life. I had to make sure I would live, day by day by myself. Now thinking about it I don't truly know how I did it...

Suddenly you need toilet paper, soap dispensers, laundry baskets, containers, pots and pans. 

Things like can openers and cereal containers and lamps and blu tack and scissors are forgotten.

Some things I learnt the hard way;

1. There's no such thing as a top sheet in the UK. Yes, you know that boring (usually white) sheet that goes on top of your bed, just under the duvet/quilt? That's called a "flat sheet" and is the hardest thing to find ever in the whole country. I honestly thought I had a better chance of seeing Daniel Radcliffe, Benedict Cumberbatch and the Queen all having tea and scones before I managed to find one measly scuffy packet hidden on the shelves in Primark.

2. Keeping anymore than about 5-8 fridge required food items, excluding milk, is impossible. The uni fridges will either freeze them, squish them, or mould them up.

Do take my bread as an example of what not to do.

Monday it was beautiful, pure and white.

Tuesday it was 'left-in-a-small-remote-island-for-eight-years' kind of moulded and very very very green.

-Don't make the same mistakes I made, kids.

3. There's no excuse you could make humanly possible to say that online shopping at Tesco is not the best idea in the world. Honestly saved me so many trips.

-Popcorn and Cookies. My first shop...

There's probably loads more but more importantly I enjoyed the decorating, designing and shopping element of sorting out my room a lot. I've already figured out what to decorate future family house like!

Hope you enjoy your week!

Ruby-Leigh xx

Freshers Week!!! .... and Flu...

Hi !

<3

In Australia when we start university we go through something called Orientation Week. 

Essentially it is not really a week.

It's a day.

We attend a few welcome lectures go on a tour of campus and walk around a few stalls, advertising free food, societies and clubs and support at uni.

That's about it really. Very very very different to if you go to University in the UK.

They have something called 'Freshers Week'. Same idea but lost up amongst all the massive parties, socials and events they throw.

It's basically a week of clubbing and partying and you meet loads of people, see awesome events and shows and bands and generally, most people drink. A lot. Every single night. For me, it didn't really sound like my thing. But overcoming anxieties and trying new things and challenging myself is what this type of experience is for.

I had no clue what it was until the night it started. I didn't buy an entry band (sort of like the festival ones) or think that "Freshers Flu" was actually real.

 (Spoiler: it so is and its horrid...)

We had people like;

Chase and Status

Scouting for Girls

Kreptxkonan

S Club (4... not 7...)

Looking back on it; as at the time it seemed scary, overwhelming, challenging, exciting, new...

Freshers was truly one of the best weeks. I met so many people from all over the world at the international parties and so many amazing people from all over the UK.

The people I met in this week are now people I love and care about.

By far my favourite night (for so so many different reasons, I'm not even begin to list them, it was just amazing) was the Headphone Disco. I think the last night of the parties week. Basically a clubbing/disco event where everyone gets a set of headphones attached to a little radio thing and you swap back and froth from two channels controlled by two DJ's.

The room is silent.

But you can hear the DJ as though he's filling the room. It's amazing and just my kind of thing; everyone has the free will to sing and dance along and you can look around and see who's on the same channel, dance and sing with them and occasionally slip your headphones off and listen to half the room sing 'Wrecking Ball' or 'Let It Go' or 'Teenage Dirtbag' off key and intermingle in a horrible way!

The one downfall of course is, being in a small space with the same amount of hot, sweaty, drunkard, confused spluttering young adults seven nights in a row....you tend to breathe in some pretty rank air.

Freshers Flu is real.

You have been warned.

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think in comments :)

Ruby-Leigh xx

Interviewing Zoella and Brighton Funzies!!!

Hi,

<3

In February of this year I was lucky enough to do work experience with Dolly Magazine in Australia. It was the most amazing place and the one of coolest weeks of my life; the people and the work and the atmosphere was just perfect!

This October I was given the once in a life-time opportunity to meet and interview Zoella.

Zoella is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger/youtuber and with close to 9 million (if not more) subscribers. She is one of my role models and someone whom I look up to for inspiration and confidence. I was able to chat with her about her book which has just come out in stores!

My interview will be published in Dolly Magazine's January issue and I'm so excited to see it!

I was so amazed and thrilled to be given this opportunity. I was able to travel to Brighton and meet with Zoe in her flat and interview her for an hour or so.

She was the loveliest person and immediately made me feel relaxed and calm for the interview, which made it so much fun for work!

Not only was she amazing to interview and meet but she was also so lovely and gave me some advice about my blog and about life in general :)

(Brag Alert: I got to pet her adorable Guinea pig, Percy!)

Obviously until the article/interview is out I can't say much but I'm really really excited for you to read it!

After the interview, on Zoe's suggestion, I decided to explore Brighton and the lanes.

I found this very hipster chic style cafe, (that had opened the day before!) which served the most delicious sandwiches and brownies. I got one with a relish sort of sauce.

I've never ever liked relish but this sandwich changed me....

They served the milk for tea in a tiny little screw jar and the brownie was to. die. for. !!

Brighton was such a calm and lovely place to visit. The beach was exactly how I imagined it, smooth pebbles, crisp air, loads of seagulls and the sun shining off the water. I'll be returning late January and exploring a bit more then.

Thanks for reading!

Ruby-Leigh xx

Basically I Suck At Blogging.

Hi <3

Welcome back to my pathetic and forgotten (mostly by me), corner of the internet.

I had planned to keep everyone I love, my friends and family, updated on my life through this blog. In the last few months my life has changed. Very dramatic, yes. But true.

I am now living overseas at a University in Staffordshire, England. Trillions of steps away from my home in Sydney, Australia and vastly different.

This time last year I was in a position in life that I really really hated. I wasn't sure if I was happy with my choices, my future or myself. I felt very alone. 

In the last three months I have been the furthest away from the ones I love and know and have never felt less alone. I have never felt more supported, loved or happy.

I've met amazing people and made the best friends that I could have asked for. And if that's not worth sharing on this blog at least then I may as well deactivate it.

So I thought through December, personally one of my absolute favourite months I would try to blog the lead up to Christmas. 

Blogmas. 

Who knows I might even upload to YouTube a little snippet of my holiday, but don't hold me to that.

Here are some pictures from my first week of Uni!

 #student life :P

Welcome back :)

Ruby-Leigh x

Engaku Temple, Japanese Italian and Baskins Robbins!

Japan Day 3:

08/07/14

I slept in. Disney knocked me out.

In Japan you need to be ready to get up and go in seconds.

So I performed an unconscious social challenge and slept in. (Sorry guys!) We rushed to the train station and caught about 5 rails and a Shinkansen (fast rail) to the Engaku Temple, a Zen Buddhist foundation. Zen Buddhism is connected to harmony and peace and nature. I didn't feel this way for the three and a half hour hot trek around a mountainous temple and tropical garden.

But a live in cat certainly did. This beautiful creamy cat was lapping up all the sunlight and attention and cuddles from our group. Literally an enlightened Buddha cat if I ever saw one!

We had lunch in the cutest, quaintest little house/restaurant beside the train station. After lunch we went along to a few other shrines and temples.

Also congrats to me, my Shinto fortune says I will soon have an arranged marriage; just what I've always wanted!!! (sarcasm there, sorry...)

 I know I've already said it but the Shinto shrines are all about beauty of nature, purity and cleanliness so at certain points in the shrine they have this purifying water that flows from this well-like stone fountain structure. Copper or wooden ladles hang over bamboo bars above the water flow and you can spoon the pure water to wash hands and face. You cans rink from it too, and I was one of the "brave" ones to share lips with a billion others for a sip of spiritual liquid. But truth be told it was the freshest, smoothest (if that's possible), thirst quenching water I've ever tasted or felt even. Worth all the future mouth sores.

 

 

After a very long walk to a train station and a very long rocky train ride back to Shinjuku Washinton Hotel we split, refreshed and headed out for dinner and shopping. I took myself to try Japanese Italian food and some yummy Baskins Robbins, where they gave me a spoon to eat my ice cream cone with... :P

View from Restaurant.

While we at the intersection my friend and I were giggling about the "naught tissues" from the day before. And at the busiest intersection in the world you wouldn't believe how quite it can be! We said something inappropriate in Japanese at the exact moment the entire world goes silent and a business-business-posh-business man turns around and- the look was priceless. He wasn't impressed you could say...

My friend and I laughed the entire train ride back to the hotel!

It was very very hot, and something so far about Japan is that everything is always sticky. You're just constantly sticky and not in a fun way :/ It's kind of a supple skinned humidity; different to the melting kind of one in Australia.

Whist in line yesterday for "splashu mountain!" (Sugoi!!) we practiced our Japanese basics. I think I'm really staring to improve as remember things. Being surrounded by it all makes things easier.

That way I won't have to undergo te experience of "it's almost 12:30, I'm alone in Tokyo, where do I eat the dinner?" That happened on the first night. It would have been helpful to know a few more phrases so I didn't have to point at a bun and awkwardly say (translated) "excuse me, what? Chocolate?! What???" To a family mart worker.

(P.S. it was chocolate)

(P.P.S I didn't end up buying it, even more awkward...><)

Meiji Shrine, Kinokuniya and Disneyland!

Japan Day 2:

07/07/14

Needless to say I was confused (for better word) when I woke up today.

Last night I fell asleep quite late and heard (repeatedly) a little girl knocking on her hotel door and singing "Do you want to build a snue-maarn?!" to her sister. I kinda loved her little Japanese accent but once it ticked past 1:00am and they were still wordlessly dashing about the halls it started to feel a bit less Disney Princessy and a bit more The Shining...

Redrum!

-View from bedroom window, 10th floor.

Waking up to the background noise of talking and shuffling , felt like I was trapped in an anime. It was a bit scary...

I had breakfast on the 25th floor of our hotel, the Shinjuku Washigton.

It was a generic buffet according the the free breakfast coupon and upon entering and for the next 3 and a half minutes I loitered about and murmured "sorry" in Japanese (one of my many basic catch phrases and default mumbles for the trip) until someone spoon fed me how the breakfast joint ran. Line up here. Get food here. Eat here. This is your ticket. 

I was very tired.

I was excited to learn that I could understand what the child beside me was saying. "Hurry up it's raining!" Already my Japanese was improving.

View of my breakfast and the window.

This morning we caught a train to the Meiji Shrine; a place of worship for the Shinto belief.

From my understanding it is a simple belief, traditional to the Japanese and their culture and history. They focus their energy of peace, cleanliness, purity and nature. They have a well, filled with sacred and pure, cleansing water, which you spooned up from wooden ladles and poured over your hands and face. I was one of the very few brave enough to drink it.

Beer and rice wine containers at the shrine. And me.

Meiji is the name of the time period when the emperor Meiji was in reign. He and his wife were, as all emperors and aristocrats were, cultural and artistic. They both wrote poetry, in a particular tradition to Japanese style. It was really amazing to think I was in the place of dedication for a person of absolute significance to the Japanese culture and history as well as a writer increasing the beauty of these of a writer from the Japanese culture and history and his work and this experience will affect my own poetry.

We threw coins into a metal tank, made prayers in front of a priest, and watched a traditional wedding party. It was elegant and beautiful and gave us all a good giggle as the procession ended with a lanky guy with spiky gelled hair and coloured converse who looked like he reeally didn't want to be there anymore.

For 100 Yen I bought my fortune and found all the juicy intimate details about my fate.

"Some are fast, some slow,

But one thing never fails

To pierce through to the final goal:

It is sincerity."

Emperor Meiji knew his stuff. If I'm sincere at heart I'll reach my goals.

Later, we went through the Emperor's Memory museum and saw the most beautiful paintings ever. The artwork from traditional Japanese culture is gorgeous.

After lunch, we walked through Shibuyu in Tokyo and looked in the shops. I spied a Topshop but didn't get to go in which I was so disappointed by. There are all these amazing scents along every road. Infectious from all these restaurants and stores. The popcorn store was the most desirable; it leaked caramel onto the streets and all I could do was drool and use the most powerful willpower ever to not ram down the 80 Japanese locals in the line leading out the street and across the road (not exaggerating) to the front counter.

You're welcome starbucks.

We went to Starbucks and had the most amazing hot chocolate ever!!! On the way we were handed packets of tissues at the train station, assuming they were just like the free water or newspapers that we get in the city.

Apparently they were tissues plastered with advertisements for call girl volunteers. I didn't know this.

I know have at least three packets of tissues asking me to perform papyon jobs for good money.

We called these sex tissues for the rest of the trip.

We went into a bookstore; Kinokuniya. Not going to lie. Spent a loooot of money here. Really don't care.

Over lunch I had managed to rally up three of the group members for a trip to late night DisneyLand!

To say it was an intense experience is an understatement. 

Smells change every 30 seconds.

Curry popcorn.

Doughnuts.

Rice balls.

Cake.

Sweeties

Thick stir fries,

Soups.

Heavy delicious meats.

Crusty pastries.

Generic theme park food.

We went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (where they threateningly had "Dabey Jonesu Locker!!" over the loudspeaker).

The best and scariest ride was splash mountain. Psychologically confusing. Terrifying and yet eerily childish and wild. We befriend some Japanese school girls (...not as dodgy as it sounds) that we met in the line too.

 

It was hard to take it all in, the shops, rides, people.

Everything about the short time in Disneyland was exciting and full of sensory overload. Pastels and vivid colours, sights, sounds, smells!

Amazing!

:)