From 30 to 90 in the blink of an eye.

So, I was thinking a couple of nights ago – we all know that’s potentially bad for myself and the world, but I did it anyway – and I took a couple of minutes to contemplate this blog. It was meant, primarily, to be a catalogue of my life at Disneyworld, but now it’s turned into a series of 30 day challenges as, well, unfortunately I’m no longer working at Disney. I really wish I was, but nothing on Earth short of US citizenship at this point is going to change that.

So, it’s gone from Disney, to a mild contemplation of my dislike for Paris and it’s dog poop, to a series of 30 day challenges which has lead me here, 2 days out from the end of the third challenge, 4 days out from my departure for a 10 day Mediterranean Cruise (with Disney), 24 days out from my departure from France, and 37 days until I’m finally back home in Dunedin.

Now, the 30 day challenge came from something to do with Lent. Which is Catholic, which I have nothing to do with. Except having a lapsed Catholic as a boyfriend. And I’m not even sure on that lapsed bit – he might never have practised – but I do remember a conversation about baptism, and I lost on that one. I wasn’t even christened, so in terms of getting into heaven I’m kind of screwed on those two counts – but then again I never really believed that a couple of drops of water on my head, or a dunk in an oversized bath hidden under a church stage (that’s how it was at my last church) were going to save me. If anything, it’ll be Faith that saves me, and I’m not really sure where I stand on that – but it’s closer to believing than non-believing, so we’ll leave it at that.

In any case, I was thinking about the challenges. Now, for my part it was an attempt to actually kick start myself into doing actual blogs on this site. After all, that was why I set it up. For the most part, it’s worked, but it’s also made me confront things in a strange kind of way. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t really like to take a stand on things (especially politics, things like the death penalty etc), but I’m surrounded by people who let me know what their opinion is – generally inadvertently, but they let me know. I like fence sitting – it gives me the chance to abstain in conversations where I feel uncomfortable or out of my depth, but it also allows me to look at both sides of the topic without too much bias – and I think I do it quite aptly.

What have I learnt most from this whole challenge thing, though? Well, I’ve learnt that I can make a decision and not really care about what other people think. Granted it’s only about movies, songs and photos, but I think I could get used to making decisions solely based on what I think and not what others around me think. It’s not that I operate under peer influence all the time, but I have in some major areas of my life, and I think maybe, just maybe, it’s time I struck out for myself. We’ll see how things go, huh?

Days Twenty-Nine and Thirty

Day 29 (5/04/2011) – A picture that can always make you smile

This is a picture of my birthday festivities during my exchange in Glasgow 🙂 I don’t exactly know how I got to be picked up and swung around in the air, but this picture always makes me smile.

Day 30 (6/04/2011) – A picture of someone you miss

Miss you sunshine 🙂 See you on Sunday!!

Day Twenty-Eight

Day 28 (4/04/2011) – A picture of something you’re afraid of

I hate fire. I don’t know how this came about, but when I was a kid I used to have dreams about burning houses and people (not so yay for a vivid imagination..), and ever since then when I see fire I kind of tend to walk (and or run) the other way. I wouldn’t touch a lighter until I was about 12, hated bonfires in Girl Guides (the only good thing about them was the marshmellows), couldn’t stand bunsen burners in High School Science and I’ve only just started being able to light candles with matches since I got to France. I kid you not.

Good thing my boyfriend’s a firefighter, huh?

Days Twenty-Four through Twenty-Seven aka I’ve been slacking!!

Day 24 (31/03/2011) – A picture of something you wish you could change

I wish I could change the view out my window. I’d like it to be either the lake at Vista Way again, or Carisbrook and South Dunedin like it is back home.

Day 25 (1/04/2011) – A picture of your day

Study, study and a bit more study.

Day 26 (2/04/2011) – A picture of something that means a lot to you

This is a pic of Sam and I at the Disney Graduation back in 2010. There are two things that mean a lot to me in this photo – my friendship with Sam, and my time at Disney. Both are things that I absolutely adore and will never, ever forget.

Day 27 (3/04/2011) – A picture of yourself and a family member

Well, I’ve played the parent card before, so I’m going to have to go off the beaten track with this one. Unfortunately although the family on my dad’s side is huuuuge, I have no photos with them. And I don’t have any photos of me and my grandparents at hand, lol. So, here we go – the girl in the above pic with me is Kat, and she’s probably the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sister. We’ve had our ups and downs, but long story short, I’d still trust her with pretty much anything and Kat being Kat, I believe she’d keep it a secret or help me if she could.

Day Twenty-Three

Day 23 (30/03/2011) – A picture of your favorite book

For those of you who know me (and you really don’t have to know me that well to know this), I love books. This post is, therefore, a very hard one, because I have a LOT of favourite books. I am a re-reader.. that’s to say I won’t just read a good book once. I’ll go over it again and again and again because I just can’t help myself. I’m like an alcoholic, except not with alcohol. I just can’t get enough of a good thing. Anyway, before I step up and name my favourite book of all time (do I really have to choose just one?!?!?!), I’d like to name a few on the runner up list. That way I’m mildly appeased.

– The Deed of Paksenarrion, Elizabeth Moon (ok, it’s three books.. so sue me..)
– Battle Royale, Koushoun Takami
– Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
– Persuasion, Jane Austen
– The Hunger Games Trilogy, Suzanne Collins
– Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand (this book made me cry more than once, and I’m totally not afraid to admit that)
– The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
– We, Yevgeny Zamyatin (the one book I was forced to read in University that I actually came to love)

If you’ve read all of these books you might discover a little theme running through a good part of them.. if not, well.. get reading 😉

But my all time favourite book would have to be..

Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This book is amazingly written, the plot twists and winds and you can never really see what’s going to happen. It’s just a beautiful piece of work, and I would give anything – anything – to be able to write with Zafon’s skill.

Days Twenty, Twenty-One and Twenty-Two..

Day 20 (27/03/2011) – A picture of somewhere you’d love to travel

This is a fjord in Norway. Part of my ancestry is Norwegian, and I would really love to see the country of my forebears. I’m hoping to go there before I leave Europe in June.

Day 21 (28/03/2011) – A picture of something you wish you could forget

Enough said.

Day 22 (29/03/2011) – A picture of something you wish you were better at

I used to be quite good at drawing – or passable, in the least – and as with all things you don’t really practice, I’ve lost any skill I had over the years. I keep meaning to try it again, but I just don’t know what to draw. I envy friends like Tash and Lizzy who have such immense talent and keep it up to date!!

Day Nineteen

Day 19 (26/03/2011) – A picture and a letter

Dear Orlando,
I miss you a lot. I miss your theme parks, and your people and your amazing, wonderful warm days with sunshine. Paris may have its charms, and the Eiffel tower, but you, Orlando, have my heart. And my boyfriend. Please relinquish him soon, I would like a hug.
I would also like to see you again soon, so if you could get in touch with the world and see that that happens, I’d be pretty grateful.
All the best,
Ebony.

Day Eighteen

Day 18 (25/03/2011) – A picture of your biggest insecurity

Body image (in particular my thighs) is probably my biggest insecurity. Especially in France, where women’s legs seem to be stick thin, and I swear they sew themselves into their jeans every morning. I can stand my own in an intellectual field for the most part – so long as we’re not talking rocket science.. or any form of science for that matter, lol – but when I compare myself to some of the slimmer people around me, let’s just say as anybody who compares themselves to the likes of Heidi Klum or Claudia Schiffer I feel a little inadequate.

Day Seventeen

Day 17 (24/03/2011) – A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

This is my apartment building at the moment. It’s had a large impact on my life in that it’s pretty much separated me from any contact with humanity. People party in the laundry room every now and then (and annoy the hell out of other residents while they’re at it), but nobody really says anything much beyond ‘Bonjour’ to one another. I’ve made one friend here, but she works most of the time and studies the rest.

So, in essence, my living situation has made me a loner, lol. Fun times!

Days Fifteen and Sixteen

So, because WordPress was down yesterday evening..

Day 15 (22/03/2011) – A picture of something you want to do before you die

So, I vacillated between two things for this one, and I couldn’t really decide between the two.. then I figured I was a day late with the reply so I owed you (my oh so dedicated readers) a little ‘extra’. Here goes..

I want to go as far North as possible (or as I dare) and see the Northern Lights for myself.

And I want to have a family of my own. 🙂

Day 16 (23/03/2011) – A picture of someone who inspires you

Edith Piaf’s life story is amazing. If you haven’t seen La Vie En Rose, you should. Then you’ll know inspiration. She bounced back from a broken heart, from addictions, from temporary blindness, from the worst childhood you could imagine.. she came through.