Long time, no entry!

 

Wow! I can’t believe a week has gone by since I last wrote in this journal.  For the last three days I have been having problems connecting to AOL and the Internet.  I tried to connect on Monday evening to check my e-mails, but my DSL connection could not be found.

 

 

It was a very frustrating business!  I spoke with my mum, who said it was “very odd” I could not connect to AOL.     Then she remembered earlier that when she hovered behind the computer, “something may’ve popped out of the back”.

 

 

I noticed the phone line had “popped out” and put it back into the DSL filter.  I tried to connect several times following the steps suggested by AOL, with no success.  It was so annoying because I needed to do some research for school. 

 

 

I decided to try it again today.  I pressed “Connect” bracing myself for the warning.  Sure enough it came up, and I followed AOL’s suggestions to solve the problem.  It worked at 4p.m, I was online again! *happy dance*

 

I never realised how much I took the Internet for granted, until it had gone.

 

 

The Westlife concert was amazing!  I am so thankful to Jennie for inviting me to go with her.  The atmosphere was electric!  Before the show, a PowerPoint presentation was shown on the Big T.V.  The opening bars of “The Rose” played.  Then a picture of the boys was on the screen.  The girls screamed and cheered.  I thought to myself “If they are getting this rowdy over a picture, imagine what they’ll be like when the band is on stage!”

 

 

They sang all my favourites, plus one or two new songs.  They were amazing live!  I thought I would become bored because Westlife usually sing ballads, but no I had a fantastic time!  They put my dancing to shame on the balcony, as they paid tribute to the boy bands of the past: Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Bros, Take That and New Kids on the Block.

 

 

Everyone in the crowd was singing along and dancing in the aisles of the auditorium.  It was an amazing night and if the band were touring again, I would definitely pay £30!  It was great show, worth every penny!

 

Have a great evening!

 

Leigh

Tonight's the Night

 

L-R: Mark, Kian, Nicky and Shane.

Tonight, my friend Jennie and myself are going to watch Westlife live in concert!

Time has flown by very quickly since we booked tickets last December.  The night has finally arrived, and I'm really looking forward to a night out!

Westlife - 'World of Our Own' (Live)

Have a fantastic evening!

Leigh

The Day I Needed My Friends

Hi fellow J-Landers,

 

I hope you are all well.  On Mothering Sunday, it looked as if it was going to be a beautiful spring-like day.  The sky was blue, and there not a cloud to be seen.  I woke up, and gave mum her Mother’s Day card and present.  I bought her a CD called “Hats Off to the Buskers” by the View.  She had seen it advertised and had been hinting for a few weeks.  I kept thinking “Who? I’ve never even heard of them!”

 

In the afternoon, my friends Ross, Jennie and Joanne called to see me.  As it was a nice afternoon, we decided to venture out somewhere.  We caught the train to a local McDonald’s restaurant.  I don’t usually like the burgers from there. It had been over a year since I had last travelled on a train.  I was very excited because it was the first opportunity to use my new rail card.

 

We arrived at our destination and got off the train.  I felt strange.  I felt really hot but the others said I was shaking like a leaf.  Then after about five minutes, I carried on walking.  Then I was sick!  I was so embarrassed.  But it didn’t bother anyone.

 

I cleaned up at McDonalds and then Jennie bought me a bottle of water.  I sat down and chatted for a while.  I got a really weird taste in my mouth, like blood, and then I was sick again.  This time it was all over our table!  That WAS embarrassing!

 

My cheeks were burning with shame.  Everyone in the restaurant was looking at me and frowning.  I apologized to the man who had to clean the mess up.  It must have been something I’d eaten… mind you; I hadn’t eaten much that day!  I had felt fine before I left the house.

 

Jennie took my arm and led me outside for some fresh air, quickly followed by Ross and Joanne.  They all looked extremely worried for me.  As if he could tell what my thoughts were, Ross assured me “Leigh, don’t be embarrassed.  It happens to the best of us.”  Then he called my mum to pick us up.

 

Mum arrived and we got in the car.  Then I couldn’t help it, I was sick again.  I was so embarrassed by the situation, but the others didn’t seem fazed by it at all.  They are such fabulous friends and I’m grateful to have them.  Not a lot of people could’ve coped with me being ill like that.  I want to say thank-you for handling the situation brilliantly, and being there for me when I needed you.

 

Mum made me take the day off school on Monday, as a precaution, and I was fine.  I’m a little nervous when eating, but I’m recovered now and started back to school today.  It was very strange.  People asked lots of questions as to why I wasn’t in the previous day.  It’s not very often I’m off school, and it was nice to know so many cared.

 

Until next time,

Leigh

Let's Go Into the Red

 

 

Today is Red Nose Day!  It is a U.K wide fundraising event organised by Comic Relief.  The extravaganza was founded in 1985 by scriptwriter Richard Curtis in response to the famine in Ethiopia.  Now it raises money for countries in Africa and the United Kingdom.  It takes place every two years in the Spring, and cumulates in an eight-hour marathon of TV treats on the BBC.

 

On Red Nose Day everyone in the country is encouraged to throw caution to the wind, cast their inhibitions aside, put on a Red Nose and do something wild to raise money. In the country's schools, uniforms are replaced by fancy dress and teachers are auctioned off to pupils.  In offices across the nation, assistants take charge, not to mention their revenge, for the day.  On buses and trains up and down the land people plait their hair together, attempt to sit down while wearing a tutu or simply shake hands with their fellow passengers wearing a pair of pants on their head.

The most prominent symbol of Comic Relief is a rubber red nose which is given in various supermarkets in exchange for a donation to the charity.  People are encouraged to wear the noses on Red Nose Day to help raise awareness of the charity.  The design of the nose has been changed each year, beginning with a fairly plain one, which later grew arms, turned into a tomato and even changed colour. In 2007, the red nose was made of foam; this was to facilitate the "growing" of the nose (by rolling it in the user's hands) to keep in line with that year's tagline, The Big One.  Larger noses are also available and are designed to be attached to the fronts of cars and even buildings.

The money raised will help thousands of poor and disadvantaged people across the UK and Africa to turn their lives around.  40% of the money raised stays here at home and 60% works hard to improve lives in Africa.  Whether it be a woman living down your street who is being abused by her partner or a child struggling to survive on the streets of Africa, your cash is helping to improve, and in some cases, save lives.

If you would like to learn more about the appeal or donate some money, click the link below:

~ Comic Relief 2007: The Big One! ~

Join Lenny Henry and co at 7p.m on BBC 1 for an evening filled with lots of laughs, mischief merriment, and the LAST EVER episode of "The Vicar of Dibley".  On a serious note, let's hope they raise lots of money for the less fortunate.

Here is the official single for this year's appeal.  Two of the U.K's most successful girl groups have teamed up to cover 'Walk This Way' by Aerosmith and Run DMC. 

Girls Aloud vs. Sugababes: 'Walk This Way’

Have a wonderful day, everyone x x x

Hey Mr. DJ!

I can’t believe it’s already the 11th March!  So much has happened since I last posted an entry.  Spring is in the air, even though it is cold.  It’s nice to see some sunshine for a change, instead of depressing rain.

 

 

Do you remember an entry I wrote last year, where I was considering whether or not to join the school radio programme?  After a long discussion with my parents, I joined the team two weeks ago!

 

 

We have to attend a course every Monday, where we learn how to script and produce our own radio show.  At the moment, we are learning how to make a podcast, which is going to be played on the Internet.

 

 

The radio programme runs every dinner time.  Last Monday, I was asked to introduce the songs on a play list.  I had to make one up, which is very hard because either the songs have contain explicit language (obviously, we can’t play those), we haven’t got the song requested in the media library or, the team don’t want the song played because it is considered to be ‘cheesy’ or ‘un-cool’.

 

  

 

How childish is the last statement?  On a radio station I thought the presenter had to be universal about the music played, and fulfil the requests from the listener.  Surely it doesn’t matter if the song had been played a thousand times already?  I have said this to the team repeatedly over the last week.  I’m proud to have already made an impact!

 

 

I was very self-conscious about talking into a microphone about random subjects.  Things started well.  Then I forgot the date, so nerves crept in, and it went downhill from there.  It was my first time and I’m not very good at thinking on my feet, I’ve got to have a script in front of me.  I’m sure in time nerves will disappear, and I will get better!

 

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday and a wonderful week ahead.

 

"Diamonds are for Heather"

Hi everyone!

 

My mum is now online!  Mum is very new to the Internet.  She began exploring the world of AOL last Monday when she was bored.  She ordered a catalogue online, and it arrived by post a few days later. 

 

I’m so proud of you, Mum!  Now, you won’t have to rely on me to find websites for you.  You’ll be able to surf any time you want.  So everyone, please click on the link below, and welcome my mum to our wonderful community!

 

~ Diamonds Are For Heather ~

 

Hope you are all well, catch you soon!

 

Saint David's Day

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus!

Happy Saint David’s Day!

St David's Day is celebrated in Wales on 1st March, in honour of Dewi Sant or St David, the patron saint of Wales.  Little is known about him for certain.  What little information we have is based on an account of his life written by Rhigyfarch towards the end of the 11th century.

According to this Latin manuscript, Dewi died in the year 589.  His mother was called Non, and his father, Sant, was the son of Ceredig, King of Ceredigion. After being educated in Cardiganshire, he went on pilgrimage through south Wales and the west of England, where it is said that he founded religious centres such as Glastonbury and Croyland. He even went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he was made archbishop.

He eventually settled at Glyn Rhosyn (St David's), in south-west Wales, where he established a very strict ascetic religious community.  Many miracles have been attributed to him, the most incredible of which was performed when he was preaching at the Synod of Llanddewibrefi - he caused the ground to rise underneath him so that he could be seen and heard by all.  How much truth is in this account of his life by Rhigyfarch is hard to tell.  It must be considered that Rhigyfarch was the son of the Bishop of St David's, and that the Life was written as propaganda to establish Dewi's superiority and defend the bishopric from being taken over by Canterbury and the Normans.

From the 12th century onwards, Dewi's fame spread throughout South Wales and as far as Ireland and Brittany.  St David's Cathedral became a popular centre of pilgrimage, particularly after Dewi was officially recognized as a Catholic saint in 1120.  In 1398, it was ordained that his feast-day was to be kept by every church in the Province of Canterbury.  Though the feast of Dewi as a religious festival came to an end with the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the day of his birth became a national festival during the 18th century.

Now March 1st is celebrated by schools and cultural societies throughout Wales.  Many Welsh people wear one or both of the national emblems of Wales on their lapel to celebrate Saint David (the daffodil or the leek) on this day.

 

      

 

Males usually wear leeks or daffodils. The younger girls usually wear their Welsh costumes to school. This costume consists of a long woolen skirt, white blouse, woolen shawl and a Welsh hat.

 

Children take part in school concerts or eisteddfodau, with recitation and singing being the main activities. Formerly, a half-day holiday was afforded to school children. Officially this custom does not continue, although the practice can vary on a school-to-school basis.

Noswaith dda... cariad,

Leigh