My mum's uncle passed away the other week. I hope he's getting his rest now - he deserves it. He was old, it was expected and probably for the best (not in a horrible way, at all), but there's still that emptiness.

Am going home for the funeral - so all you lovely people in Stockholm and around, clear your schedules for the 26-29 of April.

The job hunt continues... I don't want to jinx it so won't givve any details. Bah. Stylistics is one of the more uninspiring courses I've done. It's been easy enough so far though, so I should technically be able to finish this essay! Where is my motivation? Ah, the age old question. Who needs motivation when there are deadlines?

It's been so warm and summery lately, I'm loving it! Though I'm currently sat in a cardigan and Homer-slippers. It is, after all, half seven.

Aaand.. back to my essay I go, hey ho, hey ho.

Found this on the lovely Petra's blog...

Instructions
1.Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn't make sense.

Will it be ok?
The Gold Rush
How are you feeling today?
Blue American
How do your friends see you?
Moment of Clarity
Will you get married?
Blackened
What is your best friend's theme song?
Da Hui
What is the story of your life?
From Me to You
What was high school like?
Run Away (hahaha)
How can you get ahead in life?
Backseat Love (hmm... interesting...)
What is the best thing about your friends?
Crawling
What is tonight going to be like?
Centre of the Storm
What is in store for the remainder of this weekend?
No Roots
What song describes you?
Hangin' Tree
To describe your grandparents?
Can You Hear Me
How is your life going?
Complicated (pfft... yes, I'm an Avril fan, get over it XD)
What song will they play at your funeral?
For the Ladies
How does the world see you?
Tuna in the Brine
Will you have a happy life?
The Modern World
What do your friends really think of you?
Slipped Away
Do people secretly lust after you?
Action Satisfaction (heyheyheeyy
How can I make myself happy?
Desert Rose
What should you do with your life?
Bombtrack (haha...)
Will you ever have children?
Vice (guessing that's a yes... hehe)

Just watched this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2fUyJQgRuM&mode=related&search= (7 parts)

It scares me. It's a documentary about the "God hates America" congregation... I don't really have a lot to say about it at this time; I'm a bit to shocked. But I suppose I'll settle for being a fag lover, and maybe hell isn't so bad if that closemindedness and brainwashing is the alternative?


Came back from London the other day, had a really good time! Mainly walked around fairly aimlessly, spent far too much money! Good times. Then my parents came over and we got to spend a few days with them, which was fun:)

xx

"The three first words invented by the Anglosaxons were probably 'dear', 'stove' and 'cunt'." - Comment by my tutor in a discussion on the origin of the word cunt and whether it was used in the 1920's. She often looks at literature and language through a feminist view point, not surprising as she is a woman and I think most women do, consiously or not. It's interesting though, the etymologi of words. I know 'fitta', the swedish word for cunt, means marsh originally. 'Flicka' (girl) is an old word for cunt. Make of that what you want, I'm not going to start talking about patriarchy because I think we all know all we need to know about that!

Woody Allen is a genius. Quotes like "It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." and "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying." are just what will make him immortal. Good idea for a birthday present for Julia: Woody Allen books and films.

Spoke to Karin on the phone tonight, for ages. Not sure why, but my friends from home & myself seem to have forgotten the phone is a pretty good means for communication. MSN is handy, sure - and free - but it's not the same. Especially not with this internet connection... I won't say which ISP we're with because they might block me or something, but I will say it's the one with the really rubbish adverts on TV.

Nearly finished the dissertation now. Only need to work on the conclusion a bit, and add a couple of appendices. Still umming and arring about whether to use the extension or not. I guess I could do with reading it through a few times more, but I'm getting to the stage where I just want it handed in. Any suggestions? I could finish it tomorrow, leave it til Tues, read through and do the last, and get it printed and bound on Weds. Urgh, I don't know.

Too tired, hope you've enjoyed!

xx

What a day. I woke up at nine, ran into bathroom, had a shower, brushed my teeth.. and banged my knee into the bath tub. Now I have a massive bruise and it hurts to walk. Boo! I then hurried (I would say 'ran' but technically that would be a lie...) to the bus, walked along the canal. With my hair still wet. Then had to wait more than five minutes for a bus, typical isn't it? The days when you think you're doing good time, you miss the bus. The days when you're stressing, you're actually on time. Is that Sod's law?

Got up to uni and had a lecture, Stylistics. Spent half of it analysing the speech act of apology in A Fish Called Wanda, which also happens to be the lecturer's favourite film. Funny guy. Funny film, I used to love it. We used to watch it all the time. These days I don't watch much film, I guess my attention span isn't good enough. Did go to the cinema the other day though, we saw The Pursuit of Happyness. It was a very good film, I really recommend it! Even if you're not a Will Smith fan you should definately go see it!

After my lecture, I went to the library and prepared for my Creative Writing seminar, took about an hour. I then went to the doctor's for a blood test. Good fun, that! Although... I remember needles hurting a lot more; am I growing up or something? Went back to the library, prepared the presentation we have to do on Monday for Stylistics. The Speech Acts of marriage in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest. Good fun, that. I'm not joking. Well, I am. I then proceeded to write a covering letter for a job application before going to my seminar. Since I came home, I've written about 600 words on my dissertation (more on that later. Don't miss!), read a few articles, done some acoustic analysis, written the acknowledgements for the diss, cleaned the kitchen (well, a little bit) and now I'm sat writing this. I say sat, but I'm actually lying down. Nice nice. It IS half three in the morning, but for some reason I'm not sleepy at all. Anyway, I've had a pretty productive day and I'm very proud!

Urm.. I just managed to drop my laptop on the floor. Looks like it's working though. Eek.

The dissertation... have done about 7300 words now, only 2700 to go! And I can do most of them tomorrow I think! My only problem now is that I don't have enough phonetically trained people who have listened to my voice samples... And by phonetically trained I mean people who have done a PhD in a phonetics-ey subject... If I could get say... ten phoneticey people to do it, that would be the best thing EVER! So if you know someone... let me know:P The problem is that if I don't find enough people I'm going to have to slightly change my research questions, as well as remove a big chunk of what I've already written. It would set me back so far, not happy about that. Anyhoo. 7300!!

Hm, bored of writing now. Sorry:P

xx

I've just been prodded. Apparently I don't blog as much as I used to... Very true.

I'm also very intrigued - not even questioning the use of 'blog' as a verb. Verbalisation (no, not the process of putting a thought into speech) is brilliant. In one circle, we use 'frying pan' as a verb - after an emoticon bashing another over the head with a frying pan. It is very useful. It's also a lot easier to do in Swedish. Verbalising, not frying panning.

So... I've been ill. Like really really ill. Finally a valid excuse as to why I've not been doing work. Can't seem to get my ass into gear - I know exactly what needs to be done and I'm not really struggling with any of it. It's just a case of being sat staring at the monitor, not knowing where to start. I've split it up into small small sections - and will write a list of what needs to be done. But... what now? It's striking me that I have four more things to hand in, and one exam. Then I'm done. Then I have a degree.

Did I tell you we found a flat in manch for next year? Well.. we found a flat in Manch for next year. Can't wait to live with Mike:) And to decorate... I'm such a girl! Ah who cares. I want a spice rack. I want a clean kitchen! And I want people to stop using my spices... That's why we're living on our own;)

I have this story planned out in my head. I try and I try and I try to write it down, but all that comes out is clichés. I read too much in the genre? If only I could make the cliché clichéd enough for it to be good. Post-ironic, or something.

Mum's uncle had another fall, they think a stroke. Am very worried, I hope he is alright and not in pain... Keep him in your thoughts, people, and I'll be very grateful:)

Take care of yourselves, lovelies.
xx

So.. right. I'm sat here in the library, minding my own business and writing up some lecture notes. And what do I see? A comment on my blog. From my sister. Saying we are most definitely related. W00T! is all I have to say to that.

My sister, the apartment hunter. My sister, the we-have-minus-22-and-snow-here. I'm not jealous... I just wish it wouldn't be so cold!! It was so slippery this morning, walking to the bus. I don't know, it's nearly February, should be sprin by now! Durr.

I finished my lit review for my dissertation. Huge weight off my chest, by the way! So.. right. I get another email. From Paul Foulkes. I know, you have no idea who he is. But.. he's kind of a big deal in Forensic Phonetics (ooo.. I hope he reads this. And gets me a job!). Him and Helen Blatchford are publishing a paper on Identification of voice in shouted speech, he sent me a copy of it. Two other forensic phoneticians are also in the process of publishing a paper I could really really use for my diss, and Paul said he'd prod them into sending it to me (see... first name basis already!).

He also suggested.. that if all goes well, my undergrad dissertation could be possibly presented at the IAFPA in Plymouth this year! Now that's... scary. No pressure or anything, but y'kno.. if I do this well I could get a foot in the door, so to speak. Very excited now, can I do this that well? Probably not. But it's something to aim for, right? Although I'm not sure an undergrad paper would be of much interest to anyone? Just the fact that he even brought it up made my day! If he'd have just said 'let me know how you get on' I'd have taken it as mere politeness, a mild interest maybe. Ah I'm babbling now.

This is something I'm becoming more and more sure that I really want to do... Need some more experience though, not confident enough.

I'm so hungry.

Going oop north to the dales tonight, will be ace! Not been in a very long time.

Ohh ohh and also getting my new hard drive and RAM! As if I didn't write that sooner... Very exciting day indeed!

xx

Well so... as usual, I've not written in ages. You've survived! Amazing.

It's very very cold here in Sunny Lancaster. No snow though! Yey. Got lots to do what with a dissertation due fair soon, and creative writing after that. All fun though, be it very hard. Oh, and let's not forget Stylistics. I won't comment further on whether I enjoy that or not until I get my grades back from last term. Haha.

In the process of trying to find a flat in Manchester for next year. Anyone know anything fairly central and very cheap, do let me know! Can't wait to move in with my Mike... :)

Am considering applying for a Masters. Would love to do a PhD but I'm not at all prepared or confident enough of the subject at the moment so will wait and see what happens. Having a full time job would be good though - getting some money would, at any rate... Same there, you have anything good lined up for me, let me know.

This will have to be all from this Julia for tonight, I am a busy bee. Planning on completing my lit review tonight, and my methodology section tomorrow. And maybe even figuring out how on Earth to make that website I need?? God help me. And my computer is starting to lag loads, very frustrating. Needs a restart methinks!

Have a good one!
xx

Nick is a star!

I've now got a group of five people - could do with more but five is ace! Can mix in some unknowns, make it interesting. Haha. SO happy and relieve though, this means I can at least get half of my data collection donw before and during Christmas. Again, say it with me... he is a star!

And my stylistics essay is nearly done. And that pretty much concludes this term for me! Have one seminar, one lecture and two tutorials left - then I'm off home to sunny Sweden (it's like 10 degrees at moment and chances of snow for Christmas are slim - I blame global warming. Gosh darn global warming! I know I know, I don't really like snow. But at Christmas? Over Christmas Eve, Christmas day and Boxing day even I like it... Anyway, tangent! Sorry) for two weeks. I get to bake and open presents.. oh and, see my family. Haha. Going up to Joanna's for a night, get to meet her friends etc! Will be ace. So long as I don't embarrass her or something. Haha, no cance of that, I'm such a wicked person.

Ahem.

They wouldn't let me buy vodka in Tesco's today. What, do I suddenly look 17 again? It pissed me off to be honest... but I suppose they have to ask and all that.

Hm. I think my life has reached that point where it is so boring I can't even pretend it's fun. I have absolutely nothing to say. Oh, I did get paid in the end. Score!

Yeah I'm off now. Suggestions for what should go in my blog are welcome and dearly appreciated. And come on.. I know other people than my little sister reads this... Where are my comments? Eh? Eh?

:)

I am, yet again, slightly disillusioned with the Uni and it's ways. Still not been paid for the airport job - had to run my little legs off last week to get it sorted (AGAIN! This job was in SEPTEMBER and I did all the forms/time sheets back then) so now I'm finally getting it on Thursday. Fingers crossed!

As for my Monday job, my time sheet and my details were for some reason not given to personnel on time, so I couldn't get paid last week - again, I had to chase people and finally get promised to be paid on Thursday this week. Again, cross your fingers, good folks.

I don't see how these things always happen to me? Are they deliberately trying to screw me over? If so, why - cos they dislike me? Or are all the people who handle forms, taxes, time sheets etc incompetent? You have to consider that this isn't the mix-up of one department at the uni (personnel) but of two other ones. This time. Last time it was someone completely different. Ah I don't know. Tempted to quit you know. It's not a hard or demanding job, but they do take the piss a bit. And I'm not sure it's really worth the money. Will see what happens.

I'm ill again. Completely flippin' drained and just feel like I've got a bad bad flu. As every other Autumn/Winter of my life, I don't have time to get over one ailment before the other comes along. I know I know, it's the same for everyone. But this is my blog, so let me whinge.

Christmas soon. I can't tell you what I'm planning on giving people cos they all read this. Haha, I'm only giving stuff to mum, dad and Joanna. Cheap? Student!

Bored now. Any Christmas pressie suggestions very very welcome, answers on a postcard!

xx