Camille

I’d entered a French creative writing event at university and won second place for a short story I’d written called Camille. Unfortunately, I handed in the story and didn’t keep a copy for myself so I thought I’d convert whatever I remember from it into a flash fiction.

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Un homme, Monsieur Baudelaire, qui habite pres d’une boutique de fleurs  la visite tous les jours pour acheter une bouquet. La floriste lui reconnais et lui donne des fleurs-de-lis comme toujours et chaque jour, ell voit Monsieur Baudelaire marche vers sa maison. Mais elle ne sait pas qu’actuellement il va au cimitiere ou sa femme Camille reste. Parce qu’il ne peut pas oublier.

4 Must-see Romeo and Juliet Film Adaptations

All literature students know that William Shakespeare is as close to the holy grail of literature than any one could possibly be . His plays are phenomenal, ranging from comedies like A Midsummer Night’s Dream to tragedies like Macbeth, appealing to one and all while some certainly pretend to appreciate the bard.

While studying Shakespeare is challenging (thy, thine, what’s the difference), watching the film adaptations of his plays is certainly more appealing to students and audiences alike. After all, he had written for the stage so they were always meant to be performed.

To read my whole article click here!

Romeo x Juliet

 

Inspired by the anime 🙂

-VD

Day 14: A Song that Reminds you of your Boyfriend

Well, considering I don’t have one, I thought that this song would be appropriate for today:

Sure there’s some flirting here and there and guys that offer to buy drinks but so far no one actually interesting.

An Open Letter to the Monster Under My Bed

Dear Monster under the Bed,

There are times when I just sit in the dark and my thoughts turn to you. I know that the more I think of you, the more you think of me.

You’re the only form of company I have and it seems as if I’m yours. We’ve been sharing the same bed for too long to be anything else, nothing but two sides of the same mattress.Though, I’m unsure which side is murkier… I’ve gotten to be quite close to the demons dancing in my mind.

And you’ve heard all my dirty dark secrets, the words I whisper to myself and the things I can’t say beyond the four walls of my room. Sometimes it’s as if someone is listening but it’s always been you. Only you.

The tears I’ve cried into the pillow have seeped below my bed till you soaked it up like a blanket. You must be intoxicated from the sadness like I am  when I’m drinking my time away.

We’re a dysfunctional pair that can’t live without the other. We’re more alike than you think. You know me better than anyone else. There may be a reason for that.

Because we’re not enemies. We’re not friends.

We’re the same.

sincerely yours,

The Monster above the Bed

p.s See you on the other side (pun intended).

a/n: I’m obsessed with The Monster. Eminem and Rihanna seriously need to record a whole album, I swear.

-VD

An Appreciative Open Letter

Dear all,

To those teachers that have taught me everything I know and who aren’t appreciated by society or students themselves, I salute you and your hard, dedicated work because to teach you must learn twice. Some of you have changed my life and you deserve a  round of applause. *clapping*

To that guy who delivers my pizza, thanks for sparing me the trip to the mall when all I want to do is lounge around at home in my pajamas binge-watching TV show seasons. I hope you think I tip well enough.

To struggling musicians who have to put up with people calling them unemployed, don’t give up. Your music has the ability to transport someone into another world just by plugging in their ear phones and that’s a gift you shouldn’t waste.

To single parents who manage to raise their kids to be wonderful human beings, I respect and admire the courage it takes to do that, sometimes by choice and sometimes due to unfortunate circumstances. Your kids are proud, let me tell you that, because there are times when we don’t say it but by god do we mean it.

So to everyone I don’t thank enough, thank you and god bless all of you.

Love,

A thankful pessimist who feels suddenly optimistic

-VD

BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend

I absolutely love European music acts and I guess this is just another reason why I need to move there (especially the UK) because with such an amazing lineup, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Glasgow looked and sounded amazing. It was my dream music festival with all my favourites sharing the stage. However much I really wanted to be there, I was content to watch via Youtube. Check it out 🙂

One Direction opened the gig with You and I

Ed Sheeran performed the loop pedal version of Don’t

 

The 1975 belted out their hit Chocolate

 

Katy Perry is captivating singing Dark Horse

 

Tinie Tempah’s performance of Children in the Sun shows just how awesome the crowd was

 

I have to say, they’re all amazing live.

6 Ways Music Influences You

In John Dryden’s ode to music Alexander’s Feast, Alexander the Great returns to his kingdom after defeating his enemy King Darius and at the celebration feast his bard, Timotheus sings his praises and in the end inspires the victor to burn down his Persian palace. How? Well that’s just the power of music.

Now here are 6 ways music influences YOU:

1. It  influences your shopping tendencies. According to a few employees, supermarkets tend to play music slower than a human heart beat so that customers linger around for more time and this causes them to buy more items than they initially wanted to. It’s advised that you go shopping listening to your own music with the help of headphones and preferably up beat fast-paced music so that you buy what you want and leave.
2. It influences your emotions and mood. Obviously listening to happy music makes you happy which has been effectively proved whenever Meredith and Christina on Grey’s Anatomy dance away their problems. But negative music can also help those coping with a major loss like the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship  while frustrated people tend to listen to angry music.
3. It influences your health. Did you know that certain types of music can boost your immunity? It can also reduce blood pressure and intensity of head aches. Patients in hospitals find music therapy to be incredibly effective in their recovery because it provides them with a distraction, gives them a sense of control and music can possibly result in the production of endorphins (feel-good hormones).
4. It influences your performance. Ever been so mind-numbingly bored by a task that you put it off till the last minute? Try finishing bit by bit by listening to music as you do. Listening to up beat music not only quickens your grocery shopping but also speeds up your performance in disinterested activities by fighting fatigue. Athletes also listen to motivating tunes to get in the zone and helps improve their physical performance.
5. It influences your personality. Psychologists say that your music preferences say a lot about who you are and they are definitely onto something when they say your playlists are more revealing than you think.If you love those Top 40 hits, chances are that you are an extroverted and honest person. If indie is more your style, then you’re likely to be introverted and creative. Rock and roll lovers are surprisingly more gentle than  expected.
6. It influences your learning.  if your parents ever tell you to switch off your iPod and get started on your work, then remind them that listening to music can enhance intelligence and learning. it certainly helped when I worked on my trigonometry and no wonder, since it particularly helps in learning math.

So don’t ever think that listening to music is a waste of time because it’s actually symphonic catharsis!