Friday 29 August 2014

Out of Africa - Great Zimbabwe

This summer I was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to make a trip I have been dreaming of for a very long time. Since studying African wildlife as a child at school I have longed to go on a safari; I have always gobbled up any nature documentaries on the continent and daydreamed about going there one day. J (my boyfriend and partner-in-crime) is originally from Zimbabwe and in July he and I took a two week trip over there: definitely a dream come true.

Zimbabwe is perhaps not the first country people think of visiting when they think of Africa, the political and economical climate has suffered greatly in recent years and many are anxious about its safety. However I can honestly say I had no problems of that kind at all. It is truly a beautiful country, nearly unspoilt by tourism, and full of life. Yes it has its many issues and I saw poverty of a kind that is a shock to the system having never ventured beyond Europe before but it is currently safe to visit and could really benefit from more tourism.

There is so much to see and do and the national parks are full of amazing wildlife. J worked as a park guide for a few years so it was like having my own personal guide with me. I am beyond thankful to have had the experience and I will treasure the memories forever. I thought it would be nice to share some of the many photographs that I took with you so that you can see the beauty too. As I took so many I am going to split them into several posts to stop them becoming overwhelming. I hope you enjoy!


One of the places I was really excited to visit was Great Zimbabwe. A beautiful World Heritage site, Great Zimbabwe is the ruins of an ancient city which was first settled approximately a millennium ago in the 11th century. The Hill Ruins are made up of a huge granite structure and are so impressive to behold. You have to climb many many winding stone steps up the hill which is a fair hike but the views alone are worth it.



Once you have reached the royal city at the top you can gaze over the kingdom down below. The stone structures are so impressive when you consider when they were built. The Great Enclosure is an equally amazing sight when you gaze down at it, it was constructed in the 14th century and is also made of granite.



The sky in Zimbabwe is amazing, it was early winter there and the skies were the bluest I've ever seen. These photos don't really do the bright colour justice but they were so wonderful, not a cloud to be seen.



Just look at these double walls, it's impossible to imagine them being painstakingly constructed manually all those centuries ago. It was so clever too as these passages between the walls are actually pretty chilly and were used to keep food, almost like an early fridge!


Stay tuned for more Zimbabwe posts, the next one will involve a dream come true for me and a rather large mammal with a very precious horn...

Thursday 28 August 2014

Currently in August


On my old blog, Love Live & Learn (which is still up online if you do ever feel like reading it, I couldn't bring myself to delete it) I used to write a series called 'Currently' which detailed everything I had been doing and loving for that month. Personally, I always enjoy hearing what people are currently into and monthly favourites are some of my favourite videos to watch on Youtube. Who doesn't like getting a little inspiration from others?

It's a simple concept but as I enjoy both writing and reading these posts I thought that I would start it up again on here. I'm a girl who loves her routine and a bit of continuity never hurt anyone. I know August is almost over but here are what I've been loving this past month:

Reading...

I've just finished reading The Story of Childhood: Growing Up In Modern Britain by Libby Brooks which is one of the texts on my preliminary reading list for my course. It's a really interesting and enjoyable book to read. Split into nine chapters, each one dedicated to a different child following their lives over a few months, it is made up of a mix of personal stories and childhood and education studies which the writer approaches with a refreshing lack of bias. I've just started reading Donna Tartt's The Secret History which I've been meaning to read for a while, there will be a review up when I've finished it!

Listening to...

Cara Dillon's album Hill of Thieves. My parents recently attended The Cambridge Folk Festival where Cara Dillon was performing. My dad thought I'd like her music and he was spot on. I know folk music is not everyone's cup of tea but she has such a light pure tone and I find her music really gentle and relaxing to listen too. I think The Parting Glass is my current favourite song from the album.

Watching...

Anyone who knows me will know that The Great British Bake Off is possibly my all time favourite TV show. I love pretty much everything about the programme, it is so quaint, the setting is so pretty, the judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are brilliant (I have most of MB's cookbooks), Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc are hysterical, and lets face it who doesn't like a good bit of cake? As much as I love the Bake Off though, there has been something I watched which has joined my list of favourite films. I can't quite believe I had never watched The Dead Poet's Society but with the passing of Robin Williams, a wonderful man and actor who was a real part of my childhood, I felt like it was the perfect time to watch it. I really enjoyed it and the ending had tears streaming down my face.

Loving...

I know we are not supposed to admit to this but I'm quite enjoying the autumnal feeling in the air. Please don't think for a second that I enjoy being cold, I definitely don't! I will miss the warmth of the summer we had this year in the UK and I love the long days and the bright blue skies. But I adore the changing of the seasons, that ever forwards movement as the months pass by. I like the change that they bring and I like the feeling of a new season. I also have a soft spot for autumn and winter clothes; chunky knits, soft jumpers, scarves, cosy hats, coats and boots. I like that warm feeling you get from drinking a mug of hot chocolate, or those days when evenings are spent curled up in a blanket reading a book.

Looking Forward to...

With this being the last weekend of this month and the last weekend before I leave for Norwich, J (my boyfriend and partner-in-crime) and I are taking a little trip away to Northern Ireland which I have been getting quite excited about. We wanted to take some time away together before I leave and this seemed like the perfect solution. It'll be a long weekend of country walks, plenty of photography and pub lunches and I can't wait.

It's hard to imagine what my currently in September will look like as I'll be in a completely new place doing completely new things but check back in a month to find out!

Wednesday 27 August 2014

A New Step


So, if you have keen eyes and have read the bio on the right-hand side of my blog you'll have noticed that I refer to myself as a primary school teacher-in-training. This is because this September, (on the 8th!) I will be embarking on my year of teacher training through my Primary PGCE in Norwich. Having completed my undergraduate degree in June this is the next step in becoming a real 'grown-up'. Scary.

I have always adored working with children and this summer when I had an eight year old boy turn to me and say "I think you'd be a really good teacher. I'd like it if you could be my teacher" it confirmed that I am going down the right path.

Children are hilarious, children are fascinating and they are just so rewarding to work with so what better way to start than teaching them and filling their little heads with knowledge? 

New starts are always exciting but for me this year feels more exciting than usual, I finally feel like I'm finding my feet and setting myself up for the future! I'm excited to explore Norwich and take you with me, and I'm thrilled to start teaching.

Introducing...

 
Ernest Hemingway once wrote:

“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.” 

I have no lofty aims or great expectations but this new blog is like the blank pages of a book and I want to fill it with anything and everything that inspires me. I'm not a fan of confining a text to a genre, I find that writing nearly always straddles several categories and to confine it to one specific genre is to impose limitations on it. In a similar way this blog is kind of genre-less. It is a smattering of lifestyle, a pinch of book review, and a dash of food blog. You can expect to see posts on places I've been, books I've read, restaurants I've eaten in and food I've made alongside my experiences learning to teach, my reflections on life and anything that takes my fancy. Is that too vague a description?
 
Writing makes me feel fulfilled and I love having the opportunity to share my life with my friends and family as well as hopefully lots of new friends. 

I can't wait to start sharing posts with you and developing this blog into a space I can enjoy with my readers. I hope you join me and keep reading!

p.s. I am usually quite uncomfortable with photos of myself so posting a close up of my face is a little like ripping off a huge bandage but I want you to know who I am!