Suzuka under duvet

Dropping like flies!

Exciting to set the alarm for 6am and get up in the dark for this Japanese Grand Prix.  Felt like it had been a while since I've done this and I had lots of flashbacks to the 'olden' days in Thornhill Road getting up and going down to the lounge, like looking into the garage to see if the rabbits are really asleep at 3am.  I think it's partly that I have actually got up and headed downstairs, where as in recent times I've probably watched on my laptop from my bed.  But here I am in the lounge having brought my duvet down.

This was an interesting race before it even started for several reasons.  There was no qualifying yesterday at all - it was deemed to wet!  How exciting and glad I hadn't got up!  It reminded of the time back in uni when quali was delayed till Sunday morning due to monsoon conditions.  So quali was 2am UK time and I actually rather confused myself by waking up and hearing grand prix commentary and wondered if I had overslept.  I remember hearing Buemi mentioned and working out it was qualifying when I checked the time.  Was awake from 5.50 and downstairs at 6.

And then, again before the race actually started, we lost one driver to quite a big crash at seemingly low speed as he was driving to the grid!  Poor Di Grassi.

Then Lap 1 - Off the line Petrov seems to do a left turn and straight into the pit wall...  made me realise there hasn't been a start crash in years.  And then it just kept showing cars parked in the run off areas and the safety car was out.

And then Martin and Jonathan started mentioning that Kubica, in 2nd, was falling a long way back from Vetel behind the safety car and I looked at the driver tracker to confirm it too.  And then it cut to him going slowly and pulling off the road.  Mysteriously, until a minute later and it showed a replay and this was Martin's observation:

Lap 4 - Missing the right rear wheel - that's where it's gone wrong.

So we're down to 18 runners...

interesting - there's now an 'original size' button when loading photos.  How nice! Hmm, turns out that original size is too big and doesn't really fit in the blog!  But I'll leave this one so you can see ;-)

Lap 7 - Safety car has come in and we're racing again!  Well, 'again', more like for the first time!

It's good being back at Suzuka.  though can't honestly say whether we were here lsat year or not.  But I do just love the old circuits that have corner names and its not just 'turn 8' - though actually turn 8 is the epic one in Turkey isn't it?  But hearing 130R and dunlop and spoon is good!  [whilst Wikipedia-ing to find out if the race was here last year - it was - I discovered that 130R was so called because the corner originally had a radius of 130m but that had to be changed for safety reasons into a double apex in early 2000s.]

So the restart has had the top five in the championship in the top five places:

Lap 23 - pit stops happening.  Hamilton first of the top 5.  Ed is saying it's looking good for McLarens but I'm not feeling convinced.  Button is on a different tyre but I'm failing to see how that helps!

Lap 25 - Alsonso comes out of pits quite a way ahead of Hamilton still.  Hamilton is storming and looks like he's going to take Button when Jens pits.  Fastest lap for Hamilton:

Lap 32/53 - It's 8 o'clock.  Eyes starting to close.  Weber and Alonso are putting in fastest laps.

Lap 38 - Jenson putting now from the lead and back out in 5th.

Lap 40 - Hamilton on radio saying he's lost some gears, but still seems to be going alright.  But ironic that he got a 5 place grid penalty because he changed the gear box!

Lap 44 - Jenson has just driven past Ham.

Lap 49 - it's all go in the lounge.  Picture froze for a bit and I just thought it was our tv being it's usual silly self!  and then the picture came back but no sound.  again, just thought it was silly tv.  But then sound came back but I thought it was odd and then realised it was the five live commentary instead.  Just as that happened Rosberg crashed off and there was talk of safety car but didn't come out.  Kobayashi is absolutely charging past people.  Martin and Jonathan back on lap 50.  Almost disappointed and tempted to switch to five live as they were so much more animated! 

Lap 53 - and there we go, Red Bull one two.  Looking like the champtionship is heading their way.  Three races to go!

I know I've noticed this in at least one previous race, but I was struck again by how entertaining the chair set up in the top three press conference.  They look so funny leaning back in the chairs with their legs open!  And they're wearing little mikes attached to their faces.

Photos of the year - week 33

Monday 20th September

 Tucking into my favourite cake - Huffkins toffee cake.

Tuesday 21st September

More maths - probably lesson I take photos in most often.

Wednesday 22nd September

 running out of excuses!

Thursday 23rd September

Open air cinema at Castle with sibling to watch Sound of Music - brilliant!

Friday 24th September

 Open air cinema at Castle with boyfriend to watch Grease - brilliant!

Saturday 25th September

Performing at Royal Albert Hall - wow!!

Sunday 26th September

I started this post on Sunday 26th, but as hadn't taken a photo yet, I didn't post.  Then of course, I never took one!

Royal Albert Hall

Yesterday I had the great excitement of dancing in the Royal Albert Hall.  Early on in the year, an email went round the Scottish Dancing Uni mailing list asking if people wanted to dance in the Royal Albert Hall in September.  I had heard in my early days of dancing about people doing this.  I thought it sounded rather exciting, and when else would I get a chance to perform at the Hall?

I rather forgot about it for a while and it wasn't until recently that I looked up just what the event was.  It was called On Show and is a collection of dance groups performing their own number.  Apparently 25 different dance groups and over 900 performers.  There were 2 Sunday rehearsals for us in London in September and then the actual day yesterday taken up.  As I was putting the dates into my new school diary I was slightly regretting it as it was reducing my weekend time.  And then during rehearsals and right up to the actual performance I was alternating between enjoying the whole experience and wanting to get out of it.

Yesterday involved getting the 7am train to Paddington.  I was fairly stressed on Friday night thinking of all the things I had to remember in the morning.  In fact on Friday morning I leapt out of bed with my alarm thinking I had overslept for my 6am Saturday alarm (for once being pleased to realise it was a school day and not the weekend!).  I decided to treat myself to a taxi from Paddington to the Royal Albert Hall, rather than go some complicated route on the tube due to weekend engineering work. It was a gorgeous early morning drive through Hyde Park and almost made me wish I was walking.

Made it to our dressing room under ground in the Hall.  Finished doing my getting ready - hair and contacts!  I was quite pleased to arrive relatively early when the changing room was quite empty so able to put my dress on a peg.

When everyone was there we went upstairs to outside the Hall to do a walk through of the whole thing.  I rather liked the square we found to dance in.  We did get quite a lot of strange looks from people walking past at 9.30 in the morning.  It was good to get the practise in as I didn't have it all clearly in my mind yet!

Dress was the biggest uncomfortableness of the day.  I had put the drees on that I had borrowed from someone in oxford, ready for the dress rehearsal when we came back inside and gone off to the bathroom to do make up (we had been encouraged to wear make-up, more than normal because of the lights, so I had been practising all week applying a bit more each day and feeling highly unnatural) when the producer/teacher of our number came in and to be fair to her, in a kind way, said my dress was too short and went off to borrow another from someone else for me.  I just felt like a loser but managed to hold myself together and deal with it without too much gut wrenching dismay.  The other one fitted and I managed to forget about it pretty much.

Then it was our dress rehearsal slot in the hall.  We were all taken through the corridors and kitchens (?) underground to get to our appropriate starting entrance doors.  Though actually for this rehearsal we just waited in the seats watching other groups which was fascinating.  It was great seeing people in costumes and there was such a variety of dancers and dances.  The ladies fitness league (on the right) particularly amused me, though in the real thing they actually looked quite good!  Our rehearsal was a little stressful and we didn't actually get to run through the whole thing. So there was some uncomfortable comments about that.  Then it was group shots from the professional photographers.  And back changed out of our dresses.

Then we headed outside into actual Hyde Park to run through the dance plenty of times.  Again the day was looking absolutely gorgeous and I quite enjoyed this bit - even the bit when all the dancers laughed at me because I went back to my walk on position when no one else did!  I feel we really managed to nail the dances here but it was still going to be anyone's guess how it was going to work out in the hall!  Definitely lots of passers by stopping to watch us here and take photos.  And a few dogs running amongst us!!
We were then allowed time to go and eat lunch so I ate the things I had bought at the station, in the spot by the hall we had done our morning walk through.  It was here I got the wonderful phone call that John was coming to watch me - he made a spur of the minute decision to go get the train.  It was very exciting and I was very touched.  Lizzie had always said she was coming to watch which was very touching.  Walking back I passed some other Scottish Dancers eating lunch, and they offered me a glass of red wine, so I thought, why not, totally adds to the surrealness of it all!!!

Time to change again into white dresses and I was definitely starting to feel nervous by this point!  Went up with some of the others in the end to watch the first half from the circle.  Ended up seeing Lizzie walk in further round the circle.  Was sure it was her when she got out the hand sanitiser!!  Managed to attract her attention just as it was starting which was nice.  First up were cheerleaders.


Here are some photos of other groups.

Dancing with cloth (?) and 18th Centrury dance.  Both second half so I didn't see those.

Ladies dancing in formation again.  I enjoyed the Irish dancing.

I actually fell asleep during the Indian Dancing somehow??  Interesting-ish Eastern European dancing.

Some peculiar Tai Chi representing Ying and Yang.  Then a nerve wracking one with balls and wood blocks - just on edge waiting for them to drop them!!


At the interval managed to meet up with Lizzie and John which was lovely :-)

Didn't return to the circle for the second half.  Just tensely got more ready in the changing room and watched a little of the show on the tv in our room.  Headed round to our starting door with a few dances to go - through the maze of kitchens and all sorts.  Was probably the most nervous hanging down there.  I spent some quiet time by myself running through the moves for the whole dance.  There were some young ballerinas chattering comically who were going on before us.

When it came time for us to walk on, I did, still feeling nervous.  But as the music started everyone started clapping along which instantly made me feel good and smile and I didn't feel nervous again and totally enjoyed it!  Such a delight!!! Even my dash between the first strathspey and into joie de vivre went ok and looks fine on the video!

I'm the second form the left facingish the camera.

First dance.

A ceildh dance that begins with a C!

The grand finale was rather chaotic - as it had been during the rehearsal at lunchtime!  It involved some West End actor singing the Lambeth Walk and then all the dancers joining in dancing it.  I was over the moon to be learning it, though I am not quite sure I fully got it!  We put on sparkly baseball hats and then a surprise to us as well, silver 'confetti' came down from the ceiling!

What an experience!

More photos, taken by another dancer's brother, can be found here. 










12/2/11  And not sure why I didn't put it up before, but here is the tremendous video that Lizzie took - so you can really see I did it - well except you can't tell it's me, although some of my kids spotted me when I showed them at school!!  There is also a video up on the OUSDS website taken from a different angle.  Also to be found there is a video of me doing the whiskey dance from an engagement dance I went to in the summer.

Photos of the year - Week 32

Monday 13th September

Pop Art time.  I love this module.

Tuesday 14th September

 Ill day - but perked up with my fame on my radio 2.

Wednesday 15th September

Blame the lack of photo on the recovering stakes!

Thursday 16th September

Important part of most of my maths lessons

Friday 17th September

Look how lovely

Saturday 18th September

 First visit to Portobello Market.  What a cool long street.

Sunday 19th September

From John.

Blogger has just gone back to that multiple photo uploader that it did once months ago and very much excited me then never came again... wonder how long it will stay this time??

'Under Arrest' or 'Norovirus Avoidance'

Bars 1-6     Reels of three on the sides, every couple crossing down at the top.

Bars 7-8     1s finish facing 1st corners.

Bars 9-20   'Gothemburg's welcome': 1s dance to corners and set.  MEANWHILE 1st corners dance in and pass each other right shoulder and dance out to second corner position.  MEANWHILE 2nd corners set and dance in passing each other right shoulder.  Repeat from new positions.

Bars 21-24  All chase clockwise (?) half way round set.

Bars 25-30  2s and 3s petronella into a line up and down the middle.  set, petronella back to own sides. MEANWHILE 1s set (?) cast pulling back right shoulder, dance through 'gate'. 

Bars 31-32  All set - holding hands optional!

While at summer school having just been on the cruise getting completely used to the constant hand sanitising, I was realising what a hot bed scottish dancing is for spreading germs!  It got me thinking (during one of the morning classes when I should have been concentrating, but enjoying the mind wandering a lot more, and then consequently messing up!) whether there were any dances where none of the formations involve holding hands.  So then I decided to try make one up.  I sat on the floor in my room with coins.  And then later a friend gave me some help and advice - much more fun with two!  And this is the dance we came up with.  We tried it out on the final morning and had to make a slight variation.  I really quite like it I think, though it you were really dancing it, there would only be 2 bars where you're not dancing!  The 'under arrest' name is due to the fact you could dance it wearing handcuffs!

Photos of the year - week 31

Monday 6th September

What a beautiful start to a week, seeing this magnificent specimen as I walk into to school.

Tuesday 7th September

Date night!  Picked up fish and chips and heading to port meadow to eat.  Highly entertained to spot a bag of gravel that our morning's assembly had all been about!

Wednesday 8th September

 The building site at the end of the road.  Watching the change.

Thursday 9th September

Lucky girl - I was bought a boost during our supermarket shop.  We discovered we both love them!  What a pair.

Friday 10th September

 Guitar making again!

Saturday 11th September

Punting on the Isis.  What an interesting photo I think.

Sunday 12th September

Am not doing well on Sunday photos at the moment!

Ill

Warning - this is quite a gross post - not entirely sure why I'm writing it!

 It's the middle of the day on a Tuesday in term time and I am at home.  I am ill.  It is just my usual sort of cold.  I feel bad when I have days in bed because of a cold, but I like to think my colds are on the bad side.  I am feverish and achey and my head is just heavy and feels like it might fall down.  Plus my nose is runny and sore and my ears are itchy.

My colds used to have a fairly well defined pattern.  It would be the start of the holidays and in the evening my throat would start to feel itchy.  Then the next day I would spend on the sofa with a box of tissues taking paracetamol 4-hourly generally feeling sorry for myself and alternating between ready salted crisps and ice cream.  Then the next day my head would have cleared and I would just be left with a blocked up nose for a week.

Well, this time, John had not been feeling good at the end of last week and I had enjoyed taking care of him.  At the weekend I began to feel like I was suffering and Sunday wasn't a good one.  I thought/hoped that might be my bad day.  But then yesterday I definitely felt worse but made it in to school apprehensively.  I made it though, a lot better than expected.  Only maths did I struggle a bit in.  Last night John looked after me very well and I did no work or preparation at all.

This morning, in the first second of waking up I thought I was going to be ok, but in the next 2 seconds I decided I was feeling worse than yesterday.  I really wasn't sure what to do.  I got up though, managed to shower and wash my hair, get dressed, eat breakfast and pack an outfit to wear for the staff meal out tonight.  John picked me up from the station, but while in the car, before setting off, I was still totally not feeling sure.  I'm so pleased that John persuaded me not to go in.  I rang up the school office and spoke to the head who was really nice and told me to get back to bed and get better.  I also texted the head of my side of the road who sent a really nice text.  John loaded me up with paracetamol, and I got out the car and walked back home, crying the whole way.  It was such a strange scenario.  I was sobbing like a small child.  I think partly it was because I wasn't well, and also because I haven't taken a day off school before and it was quite a big decision to make and I was feeling somewhat of a failure.  I came straight back into bed, taking my clothes off and sobbing all the way.

I txted ma and she phoned me back.  I love my mum and the way she can still make me better even remotely and at the age of 25.  For the first 15/20 minutes of the conversation I still felt like I was about to burst into tears the moment I hung up, but then I started to feel more with it.

I was asleep again by about 9.30 and woke up at 11.30 - spot on the next paracetamol time!  Although my head wasn't necessarily feeling any better, I felt so much better mentally, realising that my decision to stay at home was justified.  I very very rarely go to sleep during the day (except on coaches!!).  All the time spent off school on the sofa, I'd be resting, but not actually asleep.  This mornings sleep made me believe I really wasn't right and school would have been a very bad idea.

And then my day was made by the top tenuous!  While lying in bed having spoken to mum, I was listening to the Radio 2 Chris Evan's breakfast show - something I am particularly keen on at the moment.  About 8.50 the top tenuous was announced by Jonny Saunders as being Vanessa Feltz.  I did think that I had a link to her, and so after a while texted in thinking it would be unlikely for me to have another opportunity.  Then close to 9.30 I realised I must have fallen briefly asleep after 9am and missed it.  So then when I started this post at lunch time I listening out and there low and behold, I was at number 7!!!!!!!!!!!!  Excitment no end.  And I have even tried to record it to have on here :-)  Now I just have to remember how to share on drop.io ...

   

  Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io 

 

So I worked out how to do it (I hope) by looking back at my last post using drop.io but then the critical thing to remember was that I needed to click on and play the file, before I would be able to find the embed button.  So there we go!

6/11/10 Drop.io is on it's way out :-(  I guess this means this file will no longer work, so I have found out how to do this otherwise.

Top tenuous


Goodness gracious!  The cleverness of google.  So look at the advert that appeared when I pressed publish post!