31 August 2010

Cos If You're Happy in Your Head, Then Solitude is Blessed

I'm always so pleased when Canadians do something awesome. Canada is the home of Linda Evangelista, Daria Werbowy, Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam, and Irina Lazareanu. It has given people the music of Leonard Cohen, Bryan Adams, and Sarah McLachlan. Designers like Mark Fast and Dan & Dean Caten also hail from Canada. So when I came upon "How To Be Alone", a spoken word poem by Tanya Davis, in a Youtube video directed by Andrea Dorfman, I smiled to myself, knowing that a Canadian had once again produced a diamond from the metaphorical rough.




Davis, a Prince Edward Island native, is an extremely talented wordsmith. It's not even just the way she put the words together, it's also the way she says them. Listening to her perform the poem is necessary if you want to get the full effect of it. She speaks in a quirky way that allows you to be comforted by what she is saying. Like she's a friend.


The idea of being alone is one that a lot of people are terrified of. The potential that a person might never find that significant other to spend the rest of their life with, or the difficulties you face after losing that person... for some, that is almost too much to bear. You hear stories of people taking their own lives, and you wonder what could have stopped them from doing so. You see depressed people on television and ask yourself how they came to be like that. Does it result from a mental condition? Did they lose a loved one recently? What if someone had just given them a hug every morning, and told them they were important?


That seems to be the problem with loneliness. When you are alone, when you have no one, you can't know if what you are doing is wrong, because no one is there to tell you. You have no one to confirm that you are funny, or beautiful, or smart. And the unfortunate truth is that the majority of people need that. They need the confirmation that what they think about themselves is true, because they do not trust their own opinions.


Davis' poem is like a training course. It teaches you quite literally, how to be alone. She shows you things that you can do by yourself. She assures you that you aren't the only one in the world who is alone, and who feels uncomfortable with that. But more than anything, she encourages you to embrace the fact. Because if you can embrace being alone, if you can realize that you don't need another person to feel complete and happy and confident with yourself, then being alone is okay.


Anyway, I really loved this poem and thought I'd share it with you, because it's great and also been recieving quite a bit of press in Canada recently. If you want more information on Tanya Davis, her official website is http://www.tanyadavis.ca/, and her Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tanya-Davis/8063194647?ref=sgm. The director of the video, Andrea Dorfman can be found at http://www.andreadorfman.com/ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrea-Dorfman-Films/110789945626226?ref=mf. Anyway, I'll leave you with the lyrics of the poem, in case you want a copy of reminders or whatever :)


***

HOW TO BE ALONE by Tanya Davis


If you are at first lonely, be patient. If you've not been alone much, or if when you were, you weren't okay with it, then just wait. You'll find it's fine to be alone once you're embracing it.


We could start with the acceptable places, the bathroom, the coffee shop, the library. Where you can stall and read the paper, where you can get your caffeine fix and sit and stay there. Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books. You're not supposed to talk much anyway so it's safe there.


There's also the gym. If you're shy you could hang out with yourself in mirrors, you could put headphones in.


And there's public transportation, because we all gotta go places.


And there's prayer and meditation. No one will think less if you're hanging with your breath seeking peace and salvation.


Start simple. Things you may have previously based on your avoid being alone principals.


The lunch counter. Where you will be surrounded by chow-downers. Employees who only have an hour and their spouses work across town and so they -- like you -- will be alone.


Resist the urge to hang out with your cell phone.


When you are comfortable with eat lunch and run, take yourself out for dinner. A restaurant with linen and silverware. You're no less intriguing a person when you're eating solo dessert to cleaning the whipped cream from the dish with your finger. In fact some people at full tables will wish they were where you were.


Go to the movies. Where it is dark and soothing. Alone in your seat amidst a fleeting community.


And then, take yourself out dancing to a club where no one knows you. Stand on the outside of the floor till the lights convince you more and more and the music shows you. Dance like no one's watching...because, they're probably not. And, if they are, assume it is with best of human intentions. The way bodies move genuinely to beats is, after all, gorgeous and affecting. Dance until you're sweating, and beads of perspiration remind you of life's best things, down your back like a brook of blessings.
Go to the woods alone, and the trees and squirrels will watch for you.


Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, there're always statues to talk to and benches made for sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute and these moments can be so uplifting and the conversations you get in by sitting alone on benches might've never happened had you not been there by yourself.


Society is afraid of alonedom, like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements, like people must have problems if, after a while, nobody is dating them. but lonely is a freedom that breaths easy and weightless and lonely is healing if you make it.


You could stand, swathed by groups and mobs or hold hands with your partner, look both further and farther for the endless quest for company. But no one's in your head and by the time you translate your thoughts, some essence of them may be lost or perhaps it is just kept.


Perhaps in the interest of loving oneself, perhaps all those sappy slogans from preschool over to high school's groaning were tokens for holding the lonely at bay. Cuz if you're happy in your head than solitude is blessed and alone is okay.


It's okay if no one believes like you. All experience is unique, no one has the same synapses, can't think like you, for this be releived, keeps things interesting lifes magic things in reach.


And it doesn't mean you're not connected, that communitie's not present, just take the perspective you get from being one person in one head and feel the effects of it. take silence and respect it. if you have an art that needs a practice, stop neglecting it. if your family doesn't get you, or religious sect is not meant for you, don't obsess about it.


You could be in an instant surrounded if you needed it.
If your heart is bleeding make the best of it
There is heat in freezing, be a testament.




***

Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

30 August 2010

'Focus On...' Feature

I have decided to create what in media terms is called a 'feature'. In this case, the feature is called 'Focus On...'. 'Focus On...' will essentially be an in depth look at anything I find interesting, you find interesting, or perhaps the world finds interesting. The topic can be anything, whether it be a book, a film, a person, a record... you name it. I'll try to do one a week, but depending on how much effort I end up putting into each one, it could be more or less often than that. I'm trying my best to make this blog as interactive as possible, so if you have any suggestions of things you want me to do some digging on, I'd be happy to have them!


Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

29 August 2010

Back In Black

As promised, I have finally gone through all of the gorgeous collections at Copenhagen Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2011, and as I said before, I am quite in love with what Scandinavia had to offer! I suppose the best way to do this would be to give a rundown of the trends I saw popping up most often, followed by some of my favorite designers this season. Here we go...


Trend #1: BLACK




You might not usually include it on your usual colour pallette for the warmer months, but if there was one colour that appeared in just about every show (and when I say 'appeared' I mean DOMINATED), it was black. Dresses, skirts, blazers; black was all over the runway. While there were few that didn't include black, it was rare that a collection was nothing but black (they lightened up occasionally with some greys and whites). I suppose that's excellent news for anyone wanting to recycle wardrobes... Perhaps the continuation of black into spring/summer collections is a helping hand in light of the financial crisis sweeping the globe? Either way, it's pretty clear: Scandinavia is forcasting dark times ahead.


Trend #2: BLUE


   

When a real colour arrived, the first one that really did it for be was blue. There were some pastels as might be expected for spring, but the blue that was used most effectively (in my opinion) were the darker shades along the lines of royal, as demonstrated here by TSH and Peter Jensen. Both brands were extremely colourful in comparison to the others, incorporating not just blue, but reds, greens, and yellows as well. I was a big fan of the boyfriend blazer at Munthe plus Simonsen, personally.


Trend #3: YELLOW


   


It wasn't as noticeable as the blues, but yellow also had a subtle influence on collections, appearing every now and again in full outfits, but also in minor details, including bags at the CIFF Press Show, skinny belts at the CPH Vision Press Show, and bows on shoes at Ils of Norway. A favorite seemed to be yellow dresses, with several appearing at Marlene Birger, Henrik Vibskov, and at the show featuring Designerskolen Kolding's BA students. On another note, Minimarket actually had a bright yellow runway for their show at City Hall.


Trend #4: STRIPES


   


Stripes were absolutely everywhere. They came in pants, they came in skirts, in dresses, vests, and comfy shirts... But seriously, stripes are in, no question. while most shows had only a couple elements in each collection, Bruuns Bazaar was noted for using stripes fairly frequently, as was the dark circus themed Moonspoon Saloon, and I don't think Ivana Helsinki's nautical themed collection had a single look that didn't incorporate them in some way (and usually a major one at that). Another thing about the stripes: it doesn't matter what type of stripes they are. You can have horizontal stripes, vertical stripes, big and little stripes, dual tones, tri tones, it doesn't matter. Just make like a zebra this spring and you're well off.


Trend #5: PRINTS


   


Prints were another important facet of the SS11 runways in Copenhagen, and often took over entire looks. Ivana Helsinki used a number of prints, and in most cases, combined them with her overriding stripe trend. Stine Goya had a major focus on prints in his collection, while TSH provided flowing gowns with multicoloured prints that sometimes recalled the colours of Alexander McQueen's SS10 'Plato's Atlantis'. For the most part, this trend was restricted to sun and maxi dresses, but as Goya asserts, if you want those printed harem pants, go ahead and rock them. Another thing you might want to remember is that the prints were rarely animal inspired. PETA take note.


Trend #6: HEAD SCARVES


   


Headscarves were an interesting edition to a number of collections. We saw Lady Gaga-esque draping happening at the glam rock inspired Bllack Noir show, while Margit Brandt favoured a sleek side knot for her safari girls. Every single one of the top heavy models at Ivan Grundahl teetered down the runway in massive black and white turbans (I suspect that this was the reason they were also wearing high-tops and loafers). Malene Birger topped her (also safari inspired) collection in a similar fashion to Brandt, but with the addition of a cute fedora.


As you may or may not have caught from my Gossip Girl post, I am very partial to the rocker chic at the present time. So as you can imagine, I was very pleased to see that black was so common in Copenhagen. I looooooved the collections at Bllack Noir, Karen by Simonsen, and S'nob de Noblesse. Spon Diogo was  also great in the LBD department. I was also quite taken by the safari collections at Margit Brandt and Malene Birger, and the looks at Munthe plus Simonsen were in no way dampening my spirits.






On another note, I would encourage you to check out the AMAZING SHOES at Moonspoon Saloon... Apparently they were each hand painted by Tal R, which according to Didder Rønlund makes them about as valuable as anything similar from the big Parisien fashion houses (dare I even mention McQueen?). Anyway, the shoes are essentially encrusted in these colourful pinecones, and amidst the blacks and dark browns and maroons of the collection, they really stand out:


   


Once again, CFW was excellent; it's surely only a matter of time before it becomes added to the seasonal rotation with New York, London, Milan and Paris. If you want to have a look at the runway shows yourself, you can visit the Copenhagen Fashion Week official site, where they list all the looks from each show. I'll also link you to the Gallery, where a huge number of designers presented their collections. The site lists the different brands they hosted the past month, and provides you with direct links to their official sites. If there are specific brands that you would like me to do an exclusive look at, please let me know and I'll get right on it. I'd also love to hear what you lot thought of CFW this year: what were your favorite looks? Did any brands in particular stand out to you? Why do you think there is so much black for a usually colourful season? And most importantly, how do you feel about Peter Jensen's pairing of athletic socks with sandal stilettos and flats?
 
Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford


All photos courtesy of Copenhagen Fashion Week®

28 August 2010

What's That Song We Used To Sing?

WARNING, TAKE THE FOLLOWING WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.


Looks like Miss Irina Lazareanu is going to FINALLY release her first album this fall after three or four years of development. If you don't remember, Irina performed a number of her songs at the Chanel Paris-Londres Pre-Fall 2007-2008 (which incidentally, was an excellent collection). Now, if you are looking for the next Billboard #1, I'll tell you right now that you aren't going to find it coming from Irina, because put bluntly, she's no Celine Dion. That said, I reckon she might end up enjoying a bit of underground success, with the conceptual, artsy folk thing she has going on. I remember seeing a video where she did a spoken word piece as well; if I can find that I'll post it for you all :).


The first single from the album (which has been available for quite a while now) is called 'Strange Places':




As I said, she's not everyone's cup of tea, with her breath-y, nasal-y voice. I remember when I first heard this song I thought to myself 'holy MAC, if she doesn't stop soon, my ears are going to start bleeding'. But about a week later, I caught myself wanting to listen to it again. Perhaps it's an acquired taste that grows on you, like wine or raw salmon? Anyway, I'm eager to see what the rest of the album sounds like... She's got some pretty big names collaborating with her on it, including Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono, so there's definitely a lot of intrigue surrounding the project. Okay, I'm also supporting her because she's one of my favorite models and ohhhh so hilarious, but still, I think she might come out with something interesting.


Just to give you a bit more of a rounded view of what we've heard from Irina, I'll post the Chanel show as well. Regardless of whether you're interested in Irina's music, I would encourage you to check these out just for the collection itself. Love, love, LOVE.


Part 1:




Part 2:


Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

27 August 2010

You Know You Love Me...

So, I was watching tv with some munchies on this rainy rainy day, and what popped on the screen, but a promotional trailer for my favorite fashionable soap opera... That's right folks, Gossip Girl is back in town. Well, not yet exactly, but you know what I mean.


As I'm sure we all remember, last season (season 3, for those who aren't keeping track), ended with Blair and Serena jetting off to Paris (!!!!), Chuck getting shot after leaving a brothel in Prague, and Dan finding out that he got Georgina Sparks (aka Buffy's whiny little sister) pregnant. Oh, and Nate was all 'it was the worst of times, now it's the best of times' thanks to Chuck's little black book. (You will all have to forgive me, but I'm so beyond tired of Archibald that I could die.)


Now, beyond all the ridiculous drama that we watch because it makes us feel better about our own issues, one of Gossip Girl's biggest draws is the fashion it incorporates. It's only to be expected of a show that takes place on the Upper East Side, or just in NYC in general, but like Sex & the City before it, this CW hit is mainstreaming the world of fashion very successfully.


Front and center, we have Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen. It's hard to say which is the more fashionable frontrunner, but one thing is for sure: they have legions upon legions of fans. For the last three years, the two (and their respective actresses, Leighton Meester and Blake Lively) have been duking it out for top spot at Polyvore, and there's no sign of a KO anytime soon. Blair, daughter of a wealthy and successful fashion designer mother, is noted for her classic, preppy look, and I'll tell you right now, if she's not credited with bringing back the headband and bow look in the history of fashion, I will not hesitate to eat my hat. When I think of Blair, Audrey Hepburn is rarely far behind. I imagine if we were to take Marc Jacobs' New York collections and meld them with Louis Vuitton and a dash of Chanel, we would get Ms. Waldorf through and through.






Now, as for SvdW, anyone who doesn't recognize the direct influence of Kate Moss is caught somewhere between unfortunately ignorant and flat out blind. The rocker chic thing she's got going on is something that I've personally been in love with from day one, though from a different perspective, it's unfortunate that they weren't able to be a little bit more original with Serena's styling. I mean seriously, Kate Moss? The one who half the world reckons invented fashion as we know it today, and the other half hates her for doing so? Regardless though, when something works, why bother changing it, right? My favorite part of Serena's wardrobe is the blazer element. It's a great addition to any outfit, but especially if you're not really dressed up. For example: denim cutoffs, ankle boots, an Alexander Wang pocket tee and a blazer? I'm all over that. Oh yeah, and the hair? For those of us blessed with gorgeous long golden locks, I salut you Blake Lively, on a job well done. Top points to you Kate Moss for being a fashion guru, and props to Gossip Girl for imitating it with excellent results.




Aside from our two leading ladies, the boho chic of Jessica Szohr in the role of Vanessa Abrahms has also turned many a head. I quite like Vanessa's style as well, she always looks very comfortable, but at the same time very feminine and fashionable. Vanessa's style has become a little more grown up recently; she seems to be favoring satin-y fabrics as well as her usual knits and prints, but hey, she's still looking great, so who's complaining?


Now we come to dear Little Jenny Humphrey. I say dear, but I'm still really mad that she slept with Chuck (biiiiiiitch). That said, Little J has undergone a drastic sartorial change since the beginning of the series, which is directly related to the change the character herself has experienced. Where she was initially hell-bent on becoming one of Blair's posse, we saw her trying to dress in a way similar to Blair. However, as she became more and more disillusioned with Blair, her style changed accordingly. Colours slowly started fading, and her  makeup grew progressively darker, and soon enough, we had a sixteen year old rebel bitch who only ever wears black. And we're not talking Freja Beha black, we're talking Lady Gaga black. Like corsets-garters-and-patent-leather-hooker-boots black. Taylor Momsen of course dresses this way every day herself, so I guess we know where the inspiration comes from. But who knows what's to come for Little J? Momsen is taking a break from the show to go on tour with her band The Pretty Reckless (who are actually a bit of a pleasant surprise, believe it or not). When she returns to the Upper East Side mid-season, will she have changed? Is the bitch truly dead? I'm not holding my breath...


As many of you know, the first few episodes were filmed on location in Paris. What you might not have known is that while shooting was taking place, couture week also happened. Both Blake Lively and Leighton Meester showed up at Chanel, Lively even got to spend some quality time with Kaiser Karl. Even though it's a long shot, I'm really hoping couture week is somehow involved in the Paris episodes... Fingers crossed!

If my eyes don't deceive me, Gossip Girl's newest guest star is none other than the beautiful French actress/model Clémence Poésy, who Americans might remember as Fleur Delacour in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (she will also reprise the role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). Poésy had an editorial/interview in Vogue UK the past April; her street style is adorable, like a preppy, menswear type look. Word is that she will be Chuck's French girlfriend on the show, and if the backstage photos I've been spotting are anything to go by, her storyline follows the gang back to New York... Really looking forward to what she brings to the show, both in terms of acting, and style.

Anyway, I have rambled on for quite long enough. Here's the preview!



Excited yet?


Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

26 August 2010

Men Who Hate Women... and the Woman Who Hates Them Back

You'd have to be living in a hole under a rock with Winnie the Pooh not to have heard of Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy. Not only have the books taken the world by storm (I hear The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has sold more copies in France than Harry Potter... and more copies in Denmark than the Bible), the films have also been received very well, not just in Europe, but in North America as well.


The other day, I decided it was about time I read into this monstrosity, because at the rate it's growing, I figured I would be better off. I mean seriously, who talks to that kid who never read Harry Potter, or at least watched a movie? It's like their opinions on everything are invalid because they never pined for a Hogwarts letter on their 11th birthday (PS, I'm still hoping my owl got lost or something). So anyway, I picked up Dragon Tattoo and read it start to finish in a few days, and I completely understand the fascination people have with it.


What Larsson seems to do is take all those elements of American commercialization and steeps it in a very European style. I feel as though The Da Vinci Code could take some notes here. Certainly, he's no Tolstoy, but he does an excellent job making you fall in love with the characters he creates, characters that you feel are so diverse that they must be real. The two leads, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are excellent, which is not always the case with main characters. Salander in particular is fascinating, and despite the ethical issues of her hacking job, she is one of the few characters one comes across in life that is completely in control of herself. In this I mean she appears very sure of her opinions of how things should be, and she holds to those notions while others all around her crumble under bribes and physical violence.


I loved the fact that Larsson handed out little hints along the way that gives you opportunities to figure out the mystery yourself; it allows the reader to become actively involved with the story and feel like as they read about Blomkvist and Salander's research they are assisting them in some way. So way to get the audience involved!


The English title of the book was invented, I assume, for marketing purposes (continuity of The Girl.......), but the original Swedish title, Män som hatar kvinnor, is much more appropriate to the story itself, translating directly to Men Who Hate Women. This concept is blatent throughout the novel, not just in the murder mystery part, but also in the characters' everyday lives. We see the ignorance of male characters towards Salander constantly (with a few exceptions), including her brutal rape by her sadistic guardian, the hatred of Harald Vanger for his daughter Cecilia, and many other smaller instances aside. That said, the book features a host of women in power roles, most notably our tattooed vigilante.


Salander seemingly dedicates her time to punishing misogynists, and when I say she punishes them, I don't mean just a simple knife in the belly... she'll twist it until the guy screams for his mother, and then look for an even softer spot to repeat the task. Salander has significant disdain for the police, feeling that they are not just incompetent, but also unsympathetic. So she takes all matters into her own hands, regardless of whether that puts her into extreme danger as a result. 


Another theme that I found interesting was that of responsibility. We see the responsibility of a reporter to not reveal his source, the responsibility of parents/guardians to care for their children, the responsibility to tell the truth or take action when something is happening that you know is wrong. Larsson makes sure that his characters do not always follow these in the way they should. In some cases, characters blatantly disregard their responsibilities, in others, they follow them even if it is detrimental to themselves. But the ones I find most intriguing are those that fall into a gray area where you do not know for sure what the right thing to do is. There are two situations in particular that stand out in this respect:


1) Is it right to lie if telling the truth will bring more pain and suffering to a victim?
2) To what extent do we hold a criminal responsible for his or her actions? (ie; the nature versus nurture question)


They are two fascinating concepts, and I will no doubt be looking at them more in depth at a later date, but tell me, what do you think? Should we tell the truth always, without fail, simply because we want to be honest? Or are there some situations in which telling a lie is completely justified, for example, because we are protecting someone? Is it right to classify a person as a criminal if their behaviours are the result of an abusive childhood, or if crime was all they were ever taught? Is it right to classify someone as a criminal if the reason they act the way they do is the result of a mental condition, thus giving them very little choice in the matter?


All in all, I really enjoyed Larsson's criminal thriller. I'm not going to tell you how it ends or reveal any major secrets, because I really think you should find out for yourself (this is also my clever way of escaping a lengthy summary... the chain of events stretches over 40 years..), but in a nutshell, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a story that, while revealing the thinly veiled hatred for women that continues to live in society, also preaches the age old feminist concept of women sticking together. So you hear that girls? Always pee in twos. And don't forget your whistle.




Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

Copenhagen Cancer City Kill

Now that the first official post is out of the way, I guess I should get this thing started...


So as you all may or may not know, we are fast approaching major fashion weeks. New York, London, Milan, and Paris will all come in good time, but for now, we are sitting on our laurels as September issues start appearing... Okay, so I'm kind of lying. One of my FAVORITE fashion weeks just occurred actually, running from August 11th - 15th in Copenhagen, and as always, the Danes reminded us why we love them oh so much.


As it happens, this year was a record breaker for the Scandinavian fashion capital; hosting over 50 shows in total, and featuring approximately 260 brands! It was to my complete and utter devastation that we were left hanging by two of my favorites, ACNE and the incomparable Mads Nørgaard (note the streaming tears), neither of whom showed this year. That said, we can all expect great things from Jonny Johansson, because ACNE is once again showing in London this year, and word on the street is that it's going to be bigger and better than before!!


One of the major attractions of Copenhagen this year was also a record setter, and perhaps one of the more lucrative ones we've seen in a while... A MILE LONG CATWALK. That's right folks, we're talking 1609 meters of pink, winding through the core of the city. I don't know about you lot, but the only times I willingly walk that far in six-inch heels is when I'm drunk as fuck and can't find the lou. So props to the 220 models that undertook that trek, may your next shows involve flats or trainers.


Now, you can all bet your asses I'll be back with my favorite looks from the week, but I need to finish looking through them all first... It would be exhausting if I wasn't so in love... let me tell you, there is NOTHING rotten in the state of Denmark. That said, I will leave you with two of my favorite fashion films by Mads Nørgaard, titled 'The Copenhagen Experience'. I've included parts one and two of the trilogy, as the third has yet to be released, and at this point I'm not expecting it at all :(. The films feature Danish models Freja Beha Erichsen and Eddie Klint, as well as covers/remixes of the song 'Copenhagen' originally by the Danish band Sort Sol for way back in the 80s. The song, here redone by Rework and Trentmøller (honestly, who else?) is a great track... the covers are available on iTunes.


Part 1:




Part 2:




I know right, that was a cornucopia of awesomeness. I'm telling you, Denmark is where it's at. They have a great fashion week, they have great music, and they have great models. Not to mention, they also own Greenland. Yeah, when I found out I was well surprised too. Everyone's talking about China and India and shit, but before you know it, Denmark is going to take over the world.


Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

Pilot

Hello World, and welcome to my blog, where you will find my many random thoughts and perhaps even some of my exciting adventures here in my home town and wherever the rivers take me. At the moment, I am in the grips of preparing for my grand return to university, where I will spend my days in class, or with my dear friends, the Hurricane Drunks. Let me tell you, it's going to be an excellent year, with a first semester of psychology courses, followed by a second term of my more eloquent past-times, embodied by the fine arts. Given the stresses of university life, I may not be able to keep you up updated on a daily basis, but I will do my best!


For those of you still following, I hope you will forgive me for my self-centredness: it's a Jekyll/Hyde situation. This blog will not be all about me. As a matter of fact, it will rarely focus on my own life, unless ridiculous things are happening and I have no choice but to share, for fear of robbing you of hilarity. No, for the most part, I will be commenting on various things that catch my interest, whether that be in the world of music, fashion, television... or just the world in general. Please feel free to suggest topics that you find interesting yourselves: I'd be glad to hear what you all have to say as well!


Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford