lk-writing-blog

[lk-writing-blog]

usually only post writing but making an exception for kasabian. definitely a moment for life when sergio gave me a belter of a high five. genuinely would relive this night over and over and over

[lk-writing-blog]

The Spotting of Trains

Trainspotters have a very dull hobby. Imagine spending hours on end watching train after train go by, taking notes and spotting rare ones with your pocket sized binoculars. Imagine wanting to watch each train pass by you and never have the urge to get on and travel somewhere new and exciting. Well take this metaphor, switch the trains passing by to life passing by and you have the basic plot of the tragic but sadly relatable tale of Scottish culture. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh is a story about the working class people of Scotland, albeit overdramatised for the sole purpose of a good story, but generally, we Scottish people can feel a real connection to the lives of Renton, Spud, Sickboy and at a push Begbie. It is a dark comedy that discusses the real issue of poverty stricken Scotland that is still relatable even in 2017. What has urged me to talk about this tale of drugs sex and scandals? Well I recently went to see the play rendition of Trainspotting and immediately became immersed into the lives of these people. I fell in love with the dark, dark humour all over again. I felt a stronger connection to these characters than ever before while watching the events unfold before my eyes. I realised how much I can sympathise and relate to these characters in my own unique way. No, I do not have a heroin addiction, nor have I ever fucked a schoolgirl, but it was on a deeper, emotional level that I could relate to them. We had the same issues, take the infamous scene with Ali and the baby for example. Renton has no idea how to react, so he cooks up heroin and pushes the problem down. I can relate to that, I think everyone can relate to putting on a mask and acting like everything is just dandy when you know deep down your entire life is a shitstorm waiting to explode. Watching this almost gave me a sense of satisfaction. A sigh of relief and a ‘Thank God I’m not the only one.’ The actors portraying these deeply complicated and troubled characters were so talented and they created something almost tragically beautiful to watch. They made me feel so passionate about their lives and did a damn good job of making me feel their emotions like they were my own. The use of lights, sound and a minimalistic set engaged the entire audience into a world that Scotland can relate to only too well. At this moment while we watched this stage performance, the audience became a family. Cringy as it sounds, there was a sense of familiarity in the room. We all could say, hey I know how that feels. Coming out of this performance I feel like a different person. It made me want to choose life (and I wouldn’t mind a big fucking telly while I’m at it). It made me want to change the way I view things, made me want to be on the train joining those people on an adventure and find a new lease of life. Instead of being a bystander and watching my life and everything that goes along with it fade into the distance. I want to choose life, not trainspotting.

[lk-writing-blog]

My Multiple Personalities

This is a piece written for my own sanity. It’s self centred and ignorant but you know what? I’m at a point in my life where i dont even care anymore. I need to be selfish instead of putting the entire world before myself and do you know why? Because being the nice girl means you get treated like dirt. So i am giving up. My life has fallen down a slippery slope in a blink of an eye, before i could even get the chance to stop it. I’m shy and have critically low self esteem, I’ve never felt true happiness and you know what? On top of that i have no friends. no one i can confide in, not a single person on this planet knows the true me and its pretty damn hard. I keep my feelings bottled up inside until something makes me snap and then everyone feels they have the right to have a say in the way i act. If people actually took the time and effort to get to know me, i wouldn’t be like this. its so damn hard trying to be someone else all the time just to make a friend. In all honesty i dont even think i know who i am anymore. I just really think its about time i give up trying to adopt this different persona. Maybe i should try another...

[lk-writing-blog]

My Trip to Camelot

This summer holiday, I went on an adventure. I went back in time, all the way back to the days of ‘Merlin and Arthur.’ This year my family and I didnt want your traditional lazy day holiday where you sit by the pool with a book in hand, trying to tan when you know you’ll end up looking like a tomato. We wanted a holiday with adventure, thrill, somewhere with culture thats small and hidden. So my mum was feeling spontaneous one night, with her mug of tea in one hand and her trusty ipad in the other, logged into the wonderful world of air bnb and scrolled for hours on end until she came across ‘the one.’ A small farmhouse in the beautiful village of Pierrefonds. We all felt an instant attachment and so it was set, we would travel to this mystery town and spend 10 days there. Now of course we didn’t actually travel back to the Arthurian times, but we got as close as we could. When we booked the little house, we had no idea about where we were going to but when I spoke to a friend about the gorgeous petit village, she informed me that the place I was going to was the castle that featured in the BBC show, Merlin. At this moment I felt like I was in the dark having never heard of such a show, so being me I did some research. I discovered that this show was pretty popular and I had no idea of its existence. But as I researched I realised that the tv show sounded really unique and interesting. So there we were on the ferry travelling from Dover to Cali. All of us looked like dead men walking but I can’t deny that we all had a look of excitement and curiosity on our exasperated faces. The drive was tiresome but enjoyable, we finally arrived and my breath was taken away, looking at the castle that was portrayed as the heart of Camelot was before my eyes. It brought joy to my heart and I felt it swell. Our first night there was spent curled up on the sofa with blankets and popcorn, the rain hitting the windows with such a force I thought they would break. The occasional lightning was seen lighting up the castle in all of its glory and we decided there and then that we would hop on the bandwagon that the rest of the UK had done many years ago and decided to watch this medieval show. We instantly fell in love with it, but maybe that could be because the love we had for this small, small place was blinding. The show is not super intense or dramatic nor are the special effects incredible but it was the characters and the setting that really brought this show to life. From that moment on we couldn’t wait to visit the ‘home’ of the Once and Future King. Finally the time came to take a step in side this breathtaking château. So we queued up and paid the cheap price to get in and then we stepped inside. I was instantly transported back in time and nothing could wipe the jaw breaking smile I had on my face. Since we were new to the show, I felt that this allowed me to appreciate the beauty of the castle rather than what the place was seen as in the show. My dad took pictures of everything, from the intricate animals carved into the side of the building, to the pristine clean ‘throne room’ containing the nine worthies. We explored every inch we could, feeling excitement when we recognised bits and pieces of the show. It made me want to have met King Arthur and his trusted associates, oh how wonderful it would have been. I would have loved to be in that time with the beautiful dresses and handsome strong knights, it opened my eyes to what really mattered in life. Those wonderful people back then had no technology, everyone knew everyone and there was an element of trust present throughout the whole citadel.

It made me realise that the world we live in now, this modern world is very different, they didn’t need phones to communicate, they talked to each other. I spent the ten days living like the medieval folk, minus the gorgeous dresses sadly. I found I enjoyed myself a lot more not having to feel the constant pressure of checking my phone. I became fully immersed in the absolutely breathtaking small bits of France. When it was time to leave and I was transported all the way back to modern day, I was heartbroken. It made me want to live in the Arthurian legends with swords, sorcerers and all things Merlin. From now on, I know I will have a special attachment to this childrens show and I only have the castle to thank. I hope to travel back there some time in the future to be transported back to those wonderful times all over again.