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ajoblotofjunk · 4 years

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I was going through my first outline for HFoG and wow that is some wild shit. It was so different! For fun I thought I’d share some of it so you can see where it veered dramatically off course.

The first couple of chapters are the same, the first differences really start in March.

March (Yr 1) - Two weeks later in mid-March is first race - Did you declare the oil?/Of course I did, gods, Jaime, I know what I'm doing. /I saw you studying the regs again.; pit stop argument, etc.; Early pit stop, Jaime thinks they're too slow, is watching the racers pacing him, zooms off a bit too soon and Brienne is FURIOUS with him for putting them in danger, they have a huge fight and it's the first time he backs off a little and apologizes. She says 'if you do it again, I'm done.' I promise I won't. 'There has to be trust, Lannister.' 'Jaime's shorter, you know. You'd save a whole syllable. Could be critical in the pit.' She rolls her eyes. 'Fine. Jaime.'; Brienne in response makes Jaime learn how to stop exactly where he needs to; she stands in front, knowing he'll hit her if she doesn't trust him. I'll be the front jack. He makes a comment and she's like “this is serious, Jaime.” He swallows and nods by her use of his name. “Okay then. Let's practice.” He's still wounded from his team betraying him, he doesn't trust them, but he trusts Brienne. (This is all between the preseason and first race)

(Ed. note:That thing about the syllables shows up in the wedding night sex as my own personal shoutout TO MYSELF because I always loved that line and it never made it into the fic in the end and I’m an enormous dork.)

May (Yr 1) – Bronn places dye in Jaime's gloves so when he shakes hands they're blue (but Jaime laughs, he's the happiest he's been in years, he's driving loose and confident and reckless but he's winning for now); Martyn's payment comes due & almost fucks up Brienne (he's on tire duty, he is slow on the pneumatic during a practice and asks for her help and she comes over and he releases it as she's going for it and it almost breaks her wrist. It's obvious he did it purposefully and the crew swarms him, Bronn goes to get Jaime, who comes back FURIOUS and fires him; Arya joins the crew (Willem cleans up his act)

(Ed. note: I forgot Arya was supposed to join in year one. Hah.)

June has most of what ended up being in July, and July has most of what ended up being in June. Then:

August (Yr 1) – Two weeks in he shows up, middle of a hot, lazy summer; they have a great time; he drives the F1, they grow closer

(Ed. note: No sexytimes at all on Tarth. No sexytimes at all until the second year, which is one of the best changes I made.)

September (Yr 1) – Wins a race, shirt off, spray w/champagne; they kiss first time before crash ('for good luck' he says; realized he felt like he always did at the start of a race day, blood pulsing with the need for action and the roar and vibration of the engine under him); BEFORE he loses his hand, he's about ready to have sex with her on top of the car but he's got his celibacy thing and he's like “after the race”) and then he crashes the next day so their first time takes awhile. (He's glad she didn't know what he was like with two hands, he's worried he couldn't compete with that Jaime.); crash happens at Griffin's Roost end of Sept. (he hit Red before that for talking shit about Brienne; does Vargo Hoat cause the crash (Martyn gave him secret access to the info & the building w/Connington's help - oh snap)); she's watching, he takes the corner too fast and then in the second between watching live and turning to the screen, his car is flipping. She sees his car and her brother's car superimposed on each other, when she'd snuck out to see it at the impound after.

(Ed. note: The original reason they don’t get together in the first year was because Jaime had a celibacy vow during the race season that he kept as sort of a ‘good luck’ thing, which I’m super glad I dropped. Not my finest plot device. 😂)

Oct (Yr 1)– Brienne convinces Selwyn to start a team and signs Jaime based on Brienne's belief in him; She ends up driving him fast to get that feeling back. But he's a complete disaster, drinks too much and makes a fool of himself, cruel as a defense mechanism, obsessed w/Brienne but doesn't want to bring her down

(Ed. note: This was a period of time where the Arctic Monkeys’ “Do You Wanna Know” was influencing everything I was writing and I wanted him to be very sweaty and wrecked and this is also a thing I’m glad I dropped. Brynn and I actually talked about this a lot - whether Jaime being cruel to her after they’ve started getting together would be a dealbreaker; at one point he was so mean to her she just left for Tarth and that kickstarted him into wanting to get his act together, but a lot changed and so did that, thankfully)

Nov (Yr 1) – Brienne tells him the news after the World Championship when he's super down on himself and that she will be his race engineer and have Bronn as his chief mechanic because she blames herself for not paying attention (which she doesn't reveal until later); and Pod and Arya and most of the crew; she says no December break, you have to work for it. “Why?” he asks. He starts rehab. They start fixing up Selwyn's F1.

(Ed. note: Oh I forgot she surprised him with the news they were starting a racing team for him. Hah. Wow this version was SO DIFFERENT.)

Dec (Yr 1) – She surprises him by bringing in Arthur Dayne to motivate him; they get FIA to agree that he can have a modified steering wheel. Jaime has conversation with Selwyn – you have more money than you let on. 'I wanted Brienne to have a simple life.' 'Then why did you let her come with me?' 'Because you were the only one who didn't look at her like she was a freak.' Jaime is- OOF.

(Ed. note: I knew I wanted Arthur Dayne to show up, but he was playing a more active mentoring role in this version, and then once I really started getting into Jaime being left hanging alone with the ‘Kingslayer’ stuff, I was pissed at Arthur and realized it wasn’t okay for him to just show up. Heh. Also - that line is actually in the final version of HFoG, so some things do stay!)

Jan (Yr 2) – (they don't have NEARLY as much money as with Lannister Corp – look at this for ideas of how that will play out: https://us.motorsport.com/f1/news/tales-former-f1-chief-mechanic-952404/3045945/)

(Ed. Note: I did end up using a TON of the reading and research that I did throughout the story, even in the final version. Races were especially helpful for me to see the wild things that COULD happen - like Brienne coming in to pit with two flat tires. However, the Evenstar team having a much smaller budget never came in to play as much as I thought when I first started. There were some hints of it - their meager ‘cafe’ in the paddock, only having one wing at the end, not having all the extra parts teams normally would, but that article is actually pretty interesting for other ways the really shoestring budget teams have to cope. The LanCo LST was really helpful for me to get around the reality that having a car that can compete at the top level requires an absurd amount of money.)

Feb (Yr 2) - Oberyn Martell had won instead, his first championship ever, and he had not seemed happy when he took the trophy. Brienne had been touched when he'd dedicated it to Aerys and he'd had the trophy sent to Aerys' family; Rumor hinted they'd melted it down and sent that to Jaime Lannister with a note calling him 'Kingslayer,' but it seemed so medieval and cruel Brienne couldn't believe it.

(Ed. Note: Oh geeze I totally forgot about this subplot! There was a whole thing where the Targaryen’s HAD done that and Jaime held onto the trophy as sort of a self-flagellation and then he ends up throwing it away before he proposes to Brienne. Hah.)

Mar (Yr 2) – how he loses one race: https://www.dw.com/en/f1-sebastian-vettel-loses-his-cool-as-lewis-hamilton-wins-canadian-grand-prix/a-49120669

Apr (Yr 2) – he gets really frustrated and shoves all the tools off the table; “I'm not cleaning that up,” she said and walked out on him.

(Ed. note: Honestly a little sad I never kept this scene in some form. It could have been good.)

Jul (Yr 2) - (He puts the old-school lollipop sign in her hand. You tell me when you're ready.)

(Ed. note: this would have been ~symbolic~ because the lollipop signs were what the pit crew used to use to stop a driver in the pit lane and then released him back on the track, but it would have taken too much to explain and it never felt worth it.)

Aug (Yr 2) – She says he needs the rest; he wants to be with her; they have sex; she admits she's been reluctant she didn't want to curse him and he thought she just wasn't interested though he adored her. He says “you're the best luck I ever had.” They finally get together for good.

(Ed. note: I held onto that “best luck I ever had” line for far, far longer than it deserved. I mean it almost showed up in the actual proposal scene and luck had ceased to be a thematic thing between them.)

Oct (Yr 2) – He shows her the interview from their first week – this moment, and he paused right after her story, when he'd stared at her with what she recognized now as adoration; this, he said, is when I first fell in love with you. (That's how he tells her he loves her.); Bronn gets sick, she has to be Chief Mechanic again, she's terrified about Jaime crashing but she works a couple of races and everything is okay. Bronn comes back.

(Ed. note: So - this was going to be Brienne’s big emotional subplot in addition to the relationship. Her being Chief Mechanic again after she was his mechanic during his crash. That was why I ended up changing everything, because it wasn’t enough.)

Nov (Yr 2) – he wins the World Championship; they get fastest pit time record; they find each other in the crowd, Jaime pushing through the media scrum and other racers and everyone and he sees her tall and blonde and tears in her eyes and they find each other and hug and kiss and he doesn't care.

(Ed. note: He had been the more reticent one which was absurd. So many good changes from this version.)

January (again) - He retires to work with her and Selwyn on Tarth; they start a racing school with a focus on underprivileged and disabled kids, as well as girls; Brienne keeps getting calls to be a mechanic for another team (will she?? No, she loves being home mentoring girls interested in being mechanics)

(Ed. note: The karting school was there from the beginning!! But again I didn’t really understand Brienne in this initial outline, and I’m so glad I spent the time thinking more about her and what she wanted. I think the balance between them really worked to give the story so much more depth.)

#heart full of gasoline #my fic #writing life #behind the scenes #long text post #i really did forget HOW different this early version was #i'm glad i kept all these old notes

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tazwren · 5 years

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The Price of Vindication - Who Pays It?

05.Jul.2019

I've been wanting to say this for a while now, but always stood down from doing so. However, recently, I've seen an increase in the number of instances of bullying of writers and artists from within the fandom, Reylo or otherwise, and it's become difficult to stay silent, to stay divorced from the situation.

We may all tell ourselves that it doesn't really matter what we say or do in an online forum, whether through our tumblr posts, or tweets or Instagram comments or Ao3 comments, or whatever your brand of poison is. After all, it's all virtual, words in the ether, no harm done, no-one getting hurt. Or maybe we just don't care if does end up impacting someone.

The reality is, there is no separation of self. Not for you, not for me, not for anyone who creates an avatar to front us on here. Every single one of our online presences carries the essence of who we are as people. Which means that everything on here is us - good, bad or ugly. And we are all flesh and blood and real. And absolutely capable of being hurt by, getting angered or saddened by, being triggered by solely virtual incidents.

This isn't a game of SIMs.

When we say or do something on here, intending malice, it has very real repercussions on a real, live person at the other end of that screen. And sometimes, those people are incapable of dealing with that malice, the toxic words, the poison that is thoughtlessly spewed at them.

It doesn't matter whether the diatribe was valid or warranted or 'he/she asked for it with what they said' or 'how dare they do that'. It doesn't matter.

Why? How can I even say that?!

It doesn't matter because none of us know what the other is going through. Or in what state of mind and body they are. Or what blew up in their real lives. It doesn't matter because you have no way of knowing whether your words, written to show your anger or dislike or self-righteousness, will be the final straw or not.

Are you willing to live with being vindicated if the outcome is someone being so affected by it they try to kill themselves? Is the price of being right worth paying? And who really pays it?

I'm sure you're thinking: Oh, come on, surely you exaggerate! All of this 'I have mental health issues' talk is a play for attention!

Is it?

Do you know that for sure?

Would you stake your life on it?

Then, why are you willing to stake another's?

So what if someone is being what you think of as immoral, or an 'attention-whore', or likes the wrong ship, or is just plain wrong? So what?

Did you or a loved one lose blood over it? Are you losing money over it? Did someone get physically hurt? Did your house burn down? Did you lose your job because of it? Did they take your food away from you and leave you starving? Did they?

Then, why does it even matter?

Why are you, we, all of us so willing to jump on the first thing we can to attack the other person? Oh, the words needn't be aggressive for them to do the job. Why are we so willing to give in to the baser impulses that bay for another's blood? Why are we so willing to be our worst selves, online, as though it has no bearing on who we are?

Am pretty certain many of you are wondering why I even care, why I'm lecturing you, and boring tf out of you when all you want is something spicy on your timeline.

If the stronger of us don't stand up for those who can't, those who feel weak or attacked, then what even are we as a society? So-called friends who are so willing to drop likes and tweets and heart GIFs and 'OMG, ILYSM's all over social media, but are unable to stand for those who really need it, when they need us?

I have spent too much time on suicide watches, too much time talking people back from depressive states, from self-harm, from tanking in their very ability to function, to think that words have no impact.

It is more important to do right than to be right. It is more important to have empathy for a faceless stranger than to have the last word. It is more important to understand that everything you say and do has a consequence than to go 'I have a right to say this, idgaf what you think'.

It's highly possible this post is going to be scoffed at, ignored, passed on by. However, I do hope it makes atleast one person stop and think before firing off the next hateful message - what if someone you know is at the receiving end of something like this? What if one of your own was receiving anon hate? What if your friends or family were being hounded by poisonous posts, anon or otherwise? What if it was your skin in the game?

It costs nothing to do nothing. It hurts no-one to be kind. The price of vindication, on the other hand? It may be more than you're willing to pay.

Think about it.

27.Oct.2020 Note :

It's come to my notice that this post, which was I originally posted almost a year ago, maybe more, is being perceived by some to be targeted at them personally or as an attack on them and whatever they may be involved in currently. I want to underline that this was written as a public statement, to people in general and a fandom at large. It was never targeted at any one person and was instead meant to help open all our eyes to some the offline life consequences of our online actions. I would also like to say that if you felt this was pointed at you personally for any reason, it may be worth pausing to think about what made you feel that way. This piece was and is intended primarily to make everyone think and is not a commentary on any one person.

#im serious #no bullying #anon hate #anonymous #words have power #reylo fam #reylo #star wars #fandom #be kind #don't like don't read #kindness #kindess costs nothing

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checkoutafrica · 4 years

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Twitch; The Romantic Gangster

What a great time to be alive! Right now we are in the middle of a revolution, African music is slowly taking over and finally receiving the attention it deserves. Even in a pandemic, no one can stop greatness!

All eyes are on us but more recently, all eyes are on rising African star, Twitch, as he releases his highly anticipated debut EP, Lost. The Ghanaian singer and songwriter manages to mix elements of Afrobeats, RnB, and Pop to produce a sound he likes to refer to as Coastal Music and I have to say it’s quickly become one of my favourite sounds – his song chaskele has been on repeat non-stop since the release of Lost.

The punchy, four-track offering centred around the theme of “love”, Twitch shares: “It’s been a long time in the making. A lot of effort went into the music in this project. I wrote each song to capture the emotions I feel and hopefully leave a piece of me with every verse.” His EP for me is a true representation of what it means to be young and the emotions we feel as we transition from young people to actual adults, so many of us are lost in love and so many of us are lost in life trying to figure out the people that we truly want to be.

This is literally only the beginning for Twitch – there’s a lot more that the continent and global music community can expect from the 22-year-old in years to come and I can’t wait to see his career blossom!

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What song are you listening to?

A post shared by Twitch 4EVA (@twitch4eva) on Aug 13, 2020 at 3:58am PDT

When did you first discover your passion for music?

I’ve been singing since childhood, I grew with my grandmother, mom and little sister so we didn’t have electricity at the time and she didn’t want me going to a neighbours house or anywhere else really so she would teach us how to sing in parts. I’ve been singing since childhood, I was a choir director at my primary school and the secondary school too – I’ve always had this passion for music!

Would you say that your sound/ vibe has changed in any way from when you first started making music to now?

Yes because I started making music as a normal ling man who knew nothing about music. It was just me, my voice and vibes. Then when I met up with ground-up chale, that’s when things sort of changed – they’d give you songs to listen to and then they’ll nurture you – give you a couple of videos to look at, really help you move out of your comfort zone. I really think they’ve helped me to develop a lot as an artist. Then me, myself I listen to a lot of music, I’m always trying to better my sound- right now my favourite artist is Burna Boy. I feel like he talks to me all the time, as a musician, I would want to preach what he preaches as well, I feel like he says things that I would love to say but he makes it so perfect.

What would you say is your biggest achievement so far in your career?

When it comes to streams we’ve done well for quite some time because I think I’ve streamed more than a million on apple music, Spotify and youtube etc. I am very grateful for that, I’m still trying to connect people and bring them into my circle musically so I am doing that bit by bit.

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Really appreciate the love and support from you guys so far Chale. Pre add LOST EP by tapping the link in my bio

A post shared by Twitch 4EVA (@twitch4eva) on Jul 26, 2020 at 1:14pm PDT

How did you come up with the term coastal music to describe your sound?

Coastal music is more of like music, let’s say from Africa but mostly from ghana – so music from like highlife but at the same time I’m also trying to get influence by other parts of Africa as well, I listen to Nigerian music, South African music and I fuse it all together. So coastal music can be music that you listen to with your girlfriend in your room or music that you listen to at the beach, in the stadium, when you’re sober when you’re happy – it fits every mood and you can listen to it literally anywhere. It’s just vibes; mainly Ghanian but also fused with other parts of Africa.

Tell us more about your ep lost.

It’s called lost because I feel like I’m lost in love and then, on the other hand, I’m lost in life – when I say I’m lost in life, I feel like this applies to everyone because people don’t know the right or correct formula to be successful, everyone is just coasting through life trying their best not to mess up and find their own paradise.

Then I’m lost in love – I’ve been in certain relationships and it happens all the time that I end up broken-hearted and I don’t know what the problem is because I am a very emotional person and I try to love people a lot and it never ends well.

Lastly, like I mentioned before I grew up with my mom, grandma and little sister so me witnessing arguments between my mom and dad before my dad finally left her at the age of 6 made me realise that maybe sometimes love is not real but it still is real – the whole thing is so fucked up.

How would you yourself describe the feeling of being in love?

Being in love for me is being in a moment where you can’t think of ANYONE ELSE but your partner, you’ll be in a position where anything and everything you do, you’ll be thinking about that person 24/7 – you just think about that person all day every day, it’s like your brain just stops multitasking. That’s love.

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No Returning

A post shared by Twitch 4EVA (@twitch4eva) on Jun 4, 2020 at 12:20pm PDT

Which song from the ep holds the most significance in your life?

Every single one of them, I feel like I needed to say a lot but I was able to say enough on just 4 songs because if I had said everything, it would’ve been a whole album, you get me? I tried my possible best to say everything on those 4 tracks.

On the first song, I talk about the distance between my and my partner, at that time she wasn’t in the country but I was trying my absolute best to make her feel like I was with her and I don’t really give compliments in person, I’ve got this gangster thing about me so I put all my emotions in a song and be like “yo, just listen to this song, I’m trying to speak to you” I was trying to let her know that I’m always with her no matter the distance.

Then with the second song baby, at that point, I didn’t think about anyone else. It got to a point where even if she did wrong, I still didn’t have a problem with it, so I was just trying to exaggerate that I love her with that song.

The third song Chaskele, is when I was broken-hearted and I also drew inspiration from my mom and dad, my dad left when I was 6 and I didn’t understand the fact that my mum loved my dad so much and then they parted ways, I felt like I came into that position too when my partner left me.

Lastly, the fourth song on the EP which is dada and that’s me trying to motivate the youth and trying to tell everybody that you should know yourself and you should know the purpose that you’re meant to serve in life, once you know that, no one can ever lie to you because you’ll know your worth.

You call yourself a romantic gangster but not a romantic person, what do you mean by this?

Naturally I don’t talk too much and I am a very straight forward person, when I see you going wayward I will tell you directly and when I give out compliments I don’t say a lot so I feel like people don’t really feel it but I really do mean it, luckily for me, God has blessed me vocally so I’ll put all the vibes in a song and make you feel emotions through my music so you know what I’m trying to say.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a girl?

I once travelled 6 hours to surprise a girl – I just texted her like “yo, what are you doing?” she was said she was in her room and I told her that I was in front of her gate. I didn’t even catch a flight, I was on the bus for 6 hours with my hoodie up because I didn’t want anyone to see me, I was just waiting patiently to meet her.

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4EVA @lelewan__

A post shared by Twitch 4EVA (@twitch4eva) on Apr 26, 2020 at 1:23pm PDT

What is your favourite thing about growing up in Ghana?

Ghana is a very beautiful country you know? Compared to other countries I feel like it’s very relaxed, there’s no pressure from what I see. This country allows you to sit and think about how you can be successful in life, there’s pressure but there’s no pressure – the love is more than the hate, no matter how gangster someone may appear they still love their people. So I love being Ghanian.

If you could collab with anyone dead or alive who would it be and why?

Dead I’d have to say Michael Jackson or Bob Marley for obvious reasons! And alive, without a doubt Burna Boy, him before anyone else.

Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

In the next 10 years I see myself being the topic of African music!

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Have You Watched The Video for BABY yet?

Check link in my bio!

A post shared by Twitch 4EVA (@twitch4eva) on Aug 15, 2020 at 10:27am PDT

Listen to his EP lost Now;

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terribleco · 4 years

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Skaters Who Shaped Us - Part 6

It’s a bit of a “video game” theme this time: The two people contributing in this entry are video game developers Alex Darby and John Ribbins.

Alex Darby (also known as Darbotron) is a long time member of the games industry within the UK's game dev capital, Leamington Spa. He was the co-creator of the DJ Hero series, and is a BAFTA member! He is also a lifelong skateboarder, with an intricate knowledge of ramp construction and skatepark design. As a long standing member of Warwickshire's skate scene and games industry, I was curious to see who influenced him.

John Ribbins is the creator of the OlliOlli series of skateboarding games, and is Creative Director at London-based studio Roll7. As well as developing games, he runs DownRiverSpotGuide - an Instagram account about London's most obscure and interesting places to ride the magical stunt wood. As a skateboarder who has worked on a game about skateboarding, I was curious to hear who influenced him early on in life.

Alex Darby - The New Deal team in "Useless Wooden Toys"

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For me it wasn't one skater, it was a video. Available for the bargain price of £9.99 - less than half the price of other skate videos in shops at the time - it embodied everything that the company which made it did: skaters doing it for themselves, shoving it to the corporate man without any of the rockstar nonsense that Powell were trading on at the time.

Every single day after school, rain or shine, I'd shove Useless Wooden Toys into the video player and watch it end to end (including the super-long bonus section after the main thing) whilst messing with my fingerboard.

At weekends I'd hook up with my friends, watch it again, and then go skate around the local spots (a 30 foot long waxed curb, a two-step-set, a disused knee-high railway platform at the back of a train station carpark, and a janky decomposing 7 foot mini with coping that stuck out like 4 inches from the transition in the middle) all day until we literally couldn't even ollie anymore.

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One of the highlights of my skate pilgrimmage to California in 1996 was skating Fort Miley where some of the tricks from the video were filmed. And there’s a clip of Justin roughly at the 6 minute mark that was a Birmingham skater meme before the internet!

If I had to pick out someone from the team it would be a tie between Ed Templeton (making the ollie impossible cool!) and Justin Girard (b/s tailslides of the gods).

I delammed more boards than I'd like to admit nailing impossibles, but it was totally, totally worth it; sadly I doubt I'll ever do a b/s tailslide as good as the ones Justin Girard did in Useless Wooden Toys…

John Ribbins - Daewon Song

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I thought I would be able to bash this out in no time, but thinking back to skateboarding as a kid I realised it's really hard to figure out if there was a central person or persons that influenced me as a skater. I've never really been that good. Skating is just something I really really loved. In my early teens I was encouraged into football and hockey, but I wasn't great at those and never really made the cut to be on a team. The nice thing about skating was that you could suck at it, as much as you wanted and it didn't really matter because it was just you.

I grew up in Plymouth, which at the time had no skatepark of any sort. For the first 5 or so years of owning a board I just went in the road outside my house and tried to manual as far as I could down the hill, or roll up a curb cut to slappy 5050. I didn't really even know what an Ollie was. I think the person who really got me into the scene properly was Martyn Orme. He went to the same youth group as me, could kickflip and ollie and hung out at the civic centre, which was the hub of the Plymouth scene in the 90s. I started going there with him every Saturday and Sunday and just hanging out.

There were so many rad people there at that point: Derek Beer, Simon Kay, Gaz etc were all older guys with great style and tricks. The people I'd spend my weekends with were the people that pushed me to be better and try new stuff - Alex, Jono, Ryan, Colm, Josh. Everyone was into different stuff. It was before we all had mobile phones, so you'd just show up and hang out. Those were the people that made skating fun, made it a community and something that I wanted to keep doing, every week.

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In terms of Pros, I remember getting Rodney Vs Daewon 1 somewhere around 1998, and just being enthralled. Manuals were my thing, and that video was just next level for that stuff. Outside of the weekends, I spent a lot of time skating the industrial estate down the road from my house in the evenings on my own. I remember going there and setting up stacks of packing palettes and bits of wood into manual pads and just trying to do the stuff I'd seen in that video.

Obviously Rodney is amazing, but for me Daewon was the inspiration. That phase where he'd just make his own spots out of benches and manny pads really spoke to me, because it was what I was doing on a smaller (and way less proficient) scale at the factory near my house.

While my other favourite skaters have come and gone over the years, Daewon remains a constant inspiration. Now that I'm an older skater, it's awesome that he's still out there being creative and learning new stuff. It's like, when I was 14 I was watching him in Rodney VS Daewon and getting inspired to learn Nose wheelies and now, 21 years later he's still out there doing crazy new shit on Instagram and letting me know that despite being older, there's still years left to keep doing and loving this thing.

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A post shared by Daewon Song (@daewon1song) on Jul 24, 2020 at 6:54pm PDT

I think it's fair to say too, that I always feel like Daewon has had fun with what he's doing. Whether it's making crazy Picnic bench combos, or Cheese and Crackers with Haslam, or even now making weird Adidas adverts on Insta, he's always done his own thing. As someone too scared to jump down big stuff or do rails, it's nice to be inspired to go have fun, do what you want and push yourself the way you want to, regardless of what others think.

#skaters who shaped us

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the-7thlegion · 5 years

Text

AFTER A LIFE

If I were to die today, I cannot help but wonder where I'd end up. Some people say that I am a reasonably good person, while others might maintain that a person I am not, let alone reasonably good. My life over I have tried to understand myself, and have yet to conclude anything worth saving. People might read, or hear what I am writing now, and think to themselves that I am stukk in a depressive state, caused by all the things that have been going on in my life lately, and on some level, I can say that it is so, but in actuality I have felt this way since early childhood. A boy concieved through an act of deciete, (so I've been told) and one might suggest that it would be a burn scar imprinted on my personality trait through out the progression of my life. I cannot say at all that this is not so, nor that it is what it may be, and I can't even say much else to add to that point of discussion, but my own feelings at heart.... I am that what has made me. For what seems to me, a lifetime of heartache ago, I thought to know a life of goodness, but I was masked and clouded through the confusion of heavy substance abuse, and in turn pushed everything that was pure in my life aside to indulge in my habitual "journeys," if I may use the term. I have been to beautiful places within the poluted confines of my weary mind. Places of colour, beauty, and sound. I was content in losing myself there, and at times hoped to not return to this drab world of falsified reality, and when the real beauty finally vacated my life, I finally saw that it was all that I really wanted, and my ventures to far off imaginations within, were only a waste of the true pulchritude that I had finally achieved. I have loved for the loveless, and lain with the impure, thinking all the while that I knew life as it was supposed to be known. I have grown, and in turn have became corruption, and so thought that these were the ways of humanity. Violence, anger, and distrust were my comforts, and as uncomfortable as it was to travel with them, I pledged an allegance to their purpose, vowing to walk in the shadows of what they did stand for.... and I never did stand on my own, or at all for myself. I have waisted all that is good in my life in doing so. My daughter is 9yrs. old, and does not know me for that which I am, and in some ways I think that it might be for the best, because of who I have become. I have impregnated another girl, and seperately we await the arrival of this wonderfull little person, and as the time continues in this darkness I have created, I find that my grip is loosening, and do so worry if in the event that I slip, to what measures will I fall?! They say that rokk bottom will be your salvation to change if you recognize it, but here I stand looking up at rokk bottom, thinking, "Oh how I wish I were there with those so lost." I once thought that the worst thing that I have done my entire life, was bring innocence into this world of disgust, and I pleaded through verse for forgiveness from my daughter. I do so much enjoy the moments I get to spend with her, as few and far between as it may be, but knowing the life I have been introduced to, I fear she will succumb to a cycle that I continue to walk in, and now that fear has doubled. They will say, "change," and I will retort that, "that is another great fear of mine." Maybe that's my problem. My love is lost, seeming to never be found again, and I'll admit to feeling broken, and discarded. I'll admit that, though I know it is untrue, I feel wronged by her departure, and tell myself that I am what she, and our child need in their lives. I understand where the real fault is held, and realise that there is an undesirable shade that darkens a demeanor, already clouded with neglect, and contempt. I continue to dispose of those who profess their cares to me, venturing furthure into the obscure corner of my own social circles, wondering of my lonliness when everyone around me has grown exhausted of my "attitude." This though, is the one bond broken that I deeply regret, and pain deeply for its return. To think only means to allow confusion to a puzzle best left for someone befitting of its task, and I fear that I am a great distance from able. To speak is only a far off hope that seems to break me more each day it is unmet, and I lose myself to the silence she lends me. I am unforgiven today, and tomorow I know that still. I have great troubles in coping with this loss, and it consumes my every waking thought, driving me deeper into this well of despair. Failure has often met me through out my life, and so I have grown accustum to the lowly feeling that follows after its passing, and yet here, still I cannot think to continue on my walk, because of who I once strolled along side of. Simone. Unkept promises, unmet needs. Unfullfilling breaths, taken too short for any sort of reliefe. A lost cause, violent and ready for destruction, warned against at every angle. A failure to bring down all that allow his company, to hinder any hope of growth and purity. Savage to taste the name on your palate, this monster carries his beast on his bakk, proud to be all that is accused. Nothing to speak of, this is nobody.... no one of any good. What have I allowed to consume my whole entiriety?! L.... O.... P.... X.... Yes, I am not the most desirable man. I have less than nothing to offer. I am without moral and remorse in most acts I commit. I have lost my way many times in my own mind, and forever will I find difficulty in returning to sanity. Limitless in error, and yet I will maintain that I am free of any culpability. Though this is many, only a few of my iniquities to mention, and through all this, I can see clearly why I am left alone at the end of my road. So then, if all I can do is provide ample reason for what has become of our relationship, perhaps a better query is what can be said to change such? I am a child in mind, and action. Not to speak by means of innocence, but rather in behaviour and psychological definition. I am lost and astray, desperately needing guidance by the hand through consistancy. I cannot function on my own behalf, lest we give in to the ways of the inner beast. I am helpless without that love I seek, from the woman I strive to hold once again. Because love is what has braught us this far, and thus love shall overcome any differances there may be between us, and finally.... because of one promise made. So, I'll ask again, where I might fall to on the day of my passing? If I may once again know the love of my loss, I will lie rested for knowing that I wasn't alone when I left. After that, the question deems frivolous in itself. Written By: Jec Geurough Trhelle-Jul.2011 First Posted: September 05th. 2011 6:03pm.AFTER A LIFE WRITTEN BY: J.G. Trhelle If I were to die today, I cannot help but wonder where I'd end up. Some people say that I am a reasonably good person, while others might maintain that a person I am not, let alone reasonably good. My life over I have tried to understand myself, and have yet to conclude anything worth saving. People might read, or hear what I am writing now, and think to themselves that I am stukk in a depressive state, caused by all the things that have been going on in my life lately, and on some level, I can say that it is so, but in actuality I have felt this way since early childhood. A boy concieved through an act of deciete, (so I've been told) and one might suggest that it would be a burn scar imprinted on my personality trait through out the progression of my life. I cannot say at all that this is not so, nor that it is what it may be, and I can't even say much else to add to that point of discussion, but my own feelings at heart.... I am that what has made me. For what seems to me, a lifetime of heartache ago, I thought to know a life of goodness, but I was masked and clouded through the confusion of heavy substance abuse, and in turn pushed everything that was pure in my life aside to indulge in my habitual "journeys," if I may use the term. I have been to beautiful places within the poluted confines of my weary mind. Places of colour, beauty, and sound. I was content in losing myself there, and at times hoped to not return to this drab world of falsified reality, and when the real beauty finally vacated my life, I finally saw that it was all that I really wanted, and my ventures to far off imaginations within, were only a waste of the true pulchritude that I had finally achieved. I have loved for the loveless, and lain with the impure, thinking all the while that I knew life as it was supposed to be known. I have grown, and in turn have became corruption, and so thought that these were the ways of humanity. Violence, anger, and distrust were my comforts, and as uncomfortable as it was to travel with them, I pledged an allegance to their purpose, vowing to walk in the shadows of what they did stand for.... and I never did stand on my own, or at all for myself. I have waisted all that is good in my life in doing so. My daughter is 9yrs. old, and does not know me for that which I am, and in some ways I think that it might be for the best, because of who I have become. I have impregnated another girl, and seperately we await the arrival of this wonderfull little person, and as the time continues in this darkness I have created, I find that my grip is loosening, and do so worry if in the event that I slip, to what measures will I fall?! They say that rokk bottom will be your salvation to change if you recognize it, but here I stand looking up at rokk bottom, thinking, "Oh how I wish I were there with those so lost." I once thought that the worst thing that I have done my entire life, was bring innocence into this world of disgust, and I pleaded through verse for forgiveness from my daughter. I do so much enjoy the moments I get to spend with her, as few and far between as it may be, but knowing the life I have been introduced to, I fear she will succumb to a cycle that I continue to walk in, and now that fear has doubled. They will say, "change," and I will retort that, "that is another great fear of mine." Maybe that's my problem. My love is lost, seeming to never be found again, and I'll admit to feeling broken, and discarded. I'll admit that, though I know it is untrue, I feel wronged by her departure, and tell myself that I am what she, and our child need in their lives. I understand where the real fault is held, and realise that there is an undesirable shade that darkens a demeanor, already clouded with neglect, and contempt. I continue to dispose of those who profess their cares to me, venturing furthure into the obscure corner of my own social circles, wondering of my lonliness when everyone around me has grown exhausted of my "attitude." This though, is the one bond broken that I deeply regret, and pain deeply for its return. To think only means to allow confusion to a puzzle best left for someone befitting of its task, and I fear that I am a great distance from able. To speak is only a far off hope that seems to break me more each day it is unmet, and I lose myself to the silence she lends me. I am unforgiven today, and tomorow I know that still. I have great troubles in coping with this loss, and it consumes my every waking thought, driving me deeper into this well of despair. Failure has often met me through out my life, and so I have grown accustum to the lowly feeling that follows after its passing, and yet here, still I cannot think to continue on my walk, because of who I once strolled along side of. Simone. Unkept promises, unmet needs. Unfullfilling breaths, taken too short for any sort of reliefe. A lost cause, violent and ready for destruction, warned against at every angle. A failure to bring down all that allow his company, to hinder any hope of growth and purity. Savage to taste the name on your palate, this monster carries his beast on his bakk, proud to be all that is accused. Nothing to speak of, this is nobody.... no one of any good. What have I allowed to consume my whole entiriety?! L.... O.... P.... X.... Yes, I am not the most desirable man. I have less than nothing to offer. I am without moral and remorse in most acts I commit. I have lost my way many times in my own mind, and forever will I find difficulty in returning to sanity. Limitless in error, and yet I will maintain that I am free of any culpability. Though this is many, only a few of my iniquities to mention, and through all this, I can see clearly why I am left alone at the end of my road. So then, if all I can do is provide ample reason for what has become of our relationship, perhaps a better query is what can be said to change such? I am a child in mind, and action. Not to speak by means of innocence, but rather in behaviour and psychological definition. I am lost and astray, desperately needing guidance by the hand through consistancy. I cannot function on my own behalf, lest we give in to the ways of the inner beast. I am helpless without that love I seek, from the woman I strive to hold once again. Because love is what has braught us this far, and thus love shall overcome any differances there may be between us, and finally.... because of one promise made. So, I'll ask again, where I might fall to on the day of my passing? If I may once again know the love of my loss, I will lie rested for knowing that I wasn't alone when I left. After that, the question deems frivolous in itself.

Written By: Jec Geurough Trhelle-Jul.2011

First Posted: September 05th. 2011 6:03pm.

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discoveringjuls-blog · 6 years

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7 Sept - 17 Sept

Entering & experiencing your world with youI genuinely cannot believe I have the chance to fly half way across the world to see the love of my life. 7 Sept: Sitting on the plane for 10 hours wasn’t the best thing in the world, but knowing I was going to land and see you was such a blessing for me. I remember seeing you standing there and being kinda shy, but so so comfortable already. Driving from the airport to your house, catching up was genuinely the most amazing thing I have experienced in 7 months of not seeing you. When we got to your house, it felt so unreal to me that I was actually there. Meeting your parents for the first time was truly so special- they are amazing people. I will never be able to thank them enough for everyting they did for me. I remember that evening, just catching up & chilling. It was far too good to see you again.

8 Sept: This morning we took Kaia for a walk in the woods. I heard you play piano for the first time, and was truly amazed. I never knew you could play that well. It made my heart melt (just a little). We then went to the pet sotre to get dog food. After that, we went to Den Haag shopping centre and drove around for a while after that. Seeing Holland, in my opinion, was beyond unreal. After the morning went by and afternoon approached, we headed to the farm and saw so many animals. I was so comfortable with you by my side. We did so much on this day. Continuing further in the day, we took the scooter down to the beach and walked along the pier. The weather was crappy, but as long as I was with you, it could have been snowing & you still would’ve been the best view. This was also the evening I relaised you were also a super good cook. I really loved this day. I appreciated you so so much, and so thankful that you were willing to drive me around & allowed me to be a tourist.

9 Sept: This morning, you made us an omelette for breakfast & we sat outside and ate when it was done. You took to me to the see the Hoek van Holland. It reminded me of Sea Point Promenade, but on another level. Seeing all the World War II bunkers & trenches was a first. Walking along with you next to me made me feel so much better. We had a family lunch with your mom’s family & it was so lovely. We walked Kaia in the evening. Relaxing with you in the evenng, watching a movie & talking about everything is my new favourite night time routine. I love you so so so so so so so so so much!

10 Sept: Today we went to “Mini- Holland”, which I know isn’t the real name, but that’s how I remember it. It was so much fun seeing all the sights Holland has to offer, and you were the best tour guide anyone could have asked for. Afterwards, you treated me to a movie at Omniversum. It was the coolest place I have ever watched something before. Thank you so much for treating me & being to kind. 11 Sept: Let’s just say, this day was the buggest adventure yet. You took my on your grandfather’s boat, and although it was pretty cold, I had the most fun. Going the the canals, on the boat, in the rain was so interesting. Afterwards, we chilled in the boat & got warm again. On the way home, we stopped for a salmon roll, which was so delicious. Thank you for showing me these hidden gems. After getting home & throwing clothes in a bag, we headed to Akersloot. This is where the fun really began. After checking into our room (note: the first room - Chamagne suit), we headed down to the pool and chilled there for a while. We then headed back to the room, got dressed real quick, and went to a small supermarket to stock up on snacks for the night. After getting back from the shop, we got ready for dinner. Juls, it was such a treat & I am so gratefu for you. Thank you for being the most handsome date of the night. Spending time like this with you is so special & I wish we could do it more often. My heart misses you so much. After dinner, we headed back to the room & began to fill the bath. After chilling in the bath for a while, you tried the steam cabin, only to find out it wasn’t working. Between the people fixing the room and me laughing so so much, we were offered an upgrade (to a room with a working steam cabin). The Japanese suit was absolutely perfect. It was the most amaxing night. I don’t think I have ever had that much fun in my entire life, and I honestly believe nothing willl top that night, ever. Even though you broke the steam cabin (note: this was the second one), we still had the most romantic evening & I couldn’t have been happier. I was at my happiest. I love you so so much. Thank you for taking me to Akersloot.

12 Sept: Waking up to you this morning was so refreshing. Even though I was crazy to want to swim at 8am, you followed shortly. After our morning swim, we had a quick shower & headed back home. We took the bike to some shops to find a laptop charger (note: this was my fault because I broke it when I sat down). The sunset on this night was out of this world. We drove down to the pier & admired it for a while. 13 Sept: This morning, we chilled in bed for a while before walking down to fetch your van because they were busy putting stickers on it. Half way there, we caught a life with your dad. The van looked stunning & I was so proud of you for all the work you had done. You drove it home, where it was admired by your mom, dad, gran and granpa. I was so fortunate to meet them too! Once everyone was finished looking at the stickers, we headed to the Zoo for the day. This was the most chilled day in one of the biggest zoo’s I have ever seen. Thank you for taking me here. I never thought a zoo could be this stunning!

This is the letter I wrote to you half way through being in Holland: “I just felt like writing something to try and show you how much you mean to me. Even though it was a long 7 months of longing to see you, the wait was definitely worth every second. Arriving here last week, I have to admit I was nervous of things being different, but you definitely proved me wrong. I appreciate you showing me around your town and going out of your way to make me feel so so so welcome here, in less than a week. I honestly feel like I could have been here for years already. I am so glad we picked up where we left off, even better than the way we left off. I know it’s only been a week, but you have showed me and taught me things I never knew existed within myself. You have taught me to always looks for a reason to stay, and not to go. That means everything to me. It gives me the chills and melts my heart all at the same time. Since seeing you, I feel we have moved forward- and moving forward is the best feeling when experiencing it with you. You push me to feel so many things I have never felt before, and that’s really amazing for me. You make me scared because I am so used to having something bad happen, but you are genuinely too good to be true. Despite all my fears, I never have a doubt in my mind about you. You make me feel dafe, secure and comfortable all at the same time. Thinking about leaving you and this country breaks my heart into a billion pieces because I genuinely feel at home when I am with you. I know you like to live in the moment and experience all things at present, but I really want you to know that you are my future. Juls, I love you so much. You have filled my life with so much and I genuinely am so grateful I get to experience so many new adventures with you. I know I still have a few days here, but I just wanted you to know how much this whole adventure has meant to me. To see you and to see how you have grown as a person has made me the happiest I have ever been. PS. You drive me crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!” 14 Sept 2018: Today we went to the most beautiful little town, Delft. This town was so so small, but I loved it so much. We walked up 100′s of stairs to get to the top of the prettiest cathedral’s I have ever seen. The view from the top was absolutely breath-taking, especially because it included you & I wouldn’t want to have anyone else with me, besides you. I love you. After climbing back down that narrow stair case, you took me inside one of the windmills. We both got ice-cream (which we never finished) that was so goooooood. You showed me all the skew towers and buildings. Today was so so good & I loved exploring with you. I could do this every day for the rest of my life. I appreciate you so so so much Juls. You’ll never understand how much you mean. 15 Sept 2018: Belguim was a treat. I never expected to be going here, but walking down the ‘shopping street; and seeing central station was so cool. Sitting outside that cathedral, having lunch & a smoke was so special. The view was unreal - it was just like a movie. I never know how to tell you how amazing you are. All the time we spend together is so special to me. During this time, I discover to many things about you and end up loving you even more. I am so lucky to have you. Even though I am so far away fron home, you make me feel so safe and secure. I really like that about you. Honestly, I never wanted to leave you. 16 Sept 2018: This was my last day before heading back to Cape Town (which I really wanted to avoid). Despite this being my last day, we still adventured all the way to Rotterdam. The food market so was well set up & going up the Euromast was defintely one of the best decisions we made. Seeing these places are so cool. I am so grateful to have explored so much in so little time. After getting home from Rotterdam, we changed, showered anf got ready for dinner. Let’s just say, it was the most amazing dinner I have ever had. I was so so so full, but it was so good so spend a chilled evening here with you before my flight tomorrow. I remember feeling so so sad on this night, but was so happy I had the chance to come and see you. After dinner, we walked, one last time, alomg the pier where you asked me to be your girl friend. I still remember responding “no” sarcastically, but inside my heart genuinely nearly stopped. I then said “yes, definitely” because I knew I had no doubts in my mind. You were the person I was waiting for, for so so long. You don’t know how much I love you, but i hope one day you’ll realise how amazing you have been for me and how much you mean to me. I wish I could put it into words, but there is just no way. I think I am more nervous now when I see you than I was the first night we met. You give my more than a million butterflies in my stomach & no one has ever ever ever made me feel the way you do. I am so in love with you and everyting you have given me. I love you so much my Juls. You are my whole entire world and everything beyond. 17 Sept 2018 Farewell Holland & you. Waking up early and driving to amsterdam was the most bitter sweet, but painful thing ever. I remember how beautiful the sunset was this morning. I remember getting out the car and you telling me how beautiful I looked. I rememeber sadly walking to my gate and feeling so hollow and empty inside. After what was the best week I have ever lived, I had to make the trip back home. I realllllllly wished you were coming with me, but i know you couldn’t. This became the worse day for me. Not knowing when I am going to see you again killed me so much, and it probably will until I see you again. My boy, thank you for the most incredible week ever. You made me feel so comfortable and truly at home every second I was in holland. Thank you for treating me like an absolutel princess and for being so kind, loving and caring towards me all the time. This week and a bit was priceless & so special. I will keep these memories so so so close to my heart & remember them for as long as I live. See you soo my angel baby. I adore you till the ends of the Earth. This is what I wrote on the plane: “Juls, I am sitting on the plane going through really shitty turbulence and thought I would take this time to write about these past few days. I know you hate long messages but this one is worth it, I promise. I was so nervous to meet your family, and even though you said they were chilled, I was still a bit scared. After meeting them and spending the last week and a bit together, I have realized that not only are they such lovely people but also could so easily be my second family. I will never be able to thank them enough for having me and for allowing me to stay there. Juls, I am also so happy to have met bother your mom and dad’s side of the family. For me, it’s really important to feel comfortable and I did. Juls, your business is going to do so well. I can see how happy you are and how proud you are of what you do. Just push through the hard times and the next few months because it will all be worth it, I promise. I am here, right by your side, all the way and I have your back no matter what. I know you can do it.

Moving onto you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for treating me like an absolute princess and for giving me the world. Thank you for being a tourist with me and for really going out of you way to make time for me when I was there. I appreciate that you took off work for while I was there. Seeing ‘Mini- Holland’ and going to Omniversum was such a treat! Thank you for holding my hand as we walked along the Hoek of Holland. Thank you for making me get on the boat on the windiest day possible. Despite the cold water and being wet, you are the only person I would share these memories with. Thank you for taking me to Delph to see the most amazing churches, to Antwerp for shopping, to Rotterdam to see the food market and Euromast and as well as to Akersloot for one of the most exciting two days of my life (even though we both know you have bad luck with stream cabins). Being able to swim and go in the jacuzzi with you was so sick. Laughing with you comes so easy and I love seeing you that happy. Let’s just say, after this week, I am not afraid of heights anymore, haha.

There are so many memories I never want to forget and I know I have them in my heart. Walking on the pier and seeing the whole of Scheveningen was so good because I really felt like I was home. Even though it was cold and windy, being with you made every second worth it. Riding a scooter for the first time was fun and it’s something I will never forget. Also, thank you for taking me to the Zoo to see turtles fucking. It was the best.Yesterday evening and last night was so bitter sweet. Thank you for taking me for supper (and for making me try duck). I am so lucky to have had the best looking date of the evening. Walking along the beach in the sunset was genuinely the most perfect way to get together. I really am looking forward to so many more adventures with you as my boyfriend.

Juls, I promise promise promise to trust you with all my heart and I promise to look out for you the way you looked after me. You are my entire world and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us. I know leaving is shit and being so far away from you is even more shit, but seeing you and spending time with you makes he waiting worth every second. Thank you for all the late night smokes and conversations. Thank you for always making me feel safe with anything I tell you. Thank you for listening to all my stories and secrets. I know you won’t tell anyone and that’s really amazing. I am glad I get to share things with you, good or bad. I can’t wait to come back to Holland and to live life with you. I really am not kidding when I say I love you more than words can explain. There really is so much I want to say but this message will never be enough to explain everything. Lastly, thank you for loving my body and for respecting me so much.

I appreciate it more than you could ever imagine. You are so special to me. Thank you for being gentle (even though my back is broken) and for always giving me kisses before bed and when I wake up. I am going to miss that so much. Juls, you’re one in a million and I am the happiest with you, 100%. I love you, always. P.S. Thank you for fueling my coffee addition every day. I love you for that.”

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fayeburnsus · 6 years

Text

Exclusive interview: Love Island solicitor Rosie Williams says she’s not ruling out a return to the law

‘Legally Brunette’ Rosie shares insights into her very glam life

Image credit: Instagram (@rosieawilliams)

Since leaving the Love Island villa, Rosie Williams has been rubbing shoulders with reality TV’s finest, making club appearances and has even done an interview with Piers Morgan. It’s a long way from her old life before she shot to stardom in the hit reality TV show.

Williams trained with Manchester law firm Just Costs Solicitors and was only three months qualified before she entered the Spanish villa in June — a decision fuelled by her search for romance.

Indeed, studying law gave her little time to find love. She didn’t have much luck either; having been dumped by the man she was seeing only a few months prior to joining the show. So when the chance to go on Love Island came about she grabbed it — strutting into the villa in the first week of the fourth series.

Growing up, law was “embedded” in Williams’ family. Both her parents studied law at university and her aunt is a barrister and uncle a solicitor-advocate. They were naturally supportive of her decision to study law and Williams went on to complete the first two years of her undergraduate degree at Swansea University and spent her final year at the University of South Wales. She then started the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) before switching to the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at The University of Law in Chester.

Having completed a training contract, why then did she decide to put her fledgling career on hold? Speaking exclusively to Legal Cheek, she explains:

“I was putting everything into my job to the point where my salary was not worth the hours I was working. My focus on cases meant that my social life dwindled and I was just not reaping the rewards. It’s a bit of a shame that what I worked towards my entire life and dreamt about didn’t match up with the reality.”

But Williams isn’t ruling out a possible return to the law. “My heart’s still in it — it was a lifelong ambition I harboured since I was 12-years-old. I’m still very much a legal eagle,” she adds. Williams is hoping to meld her legal knowledge with her newfound fame. Her appearance on Love Island might not be the last we see on our screens. The Welsh-born lawyer tells us she’s currently in talks to appear on a new legal TV show later this year. Could Rosie be the new Rinder? “I hope so. I love Rinder, I think he’s great,” says Williams, who has also been approached by a media law firm about a possible job since her departure.

When she was lounging around in her bikini soaking up sun rays in the villa, Williams says she did miss the day job and “getting dolled up” each morning to go to work — more than she thought she would. Yet she conspicuously avoided talking about her life as a lawyer — unlike the medic contestant Alex, who frequently references his work as a doctor. Why did we not hear more from ‘Rosie the lawyer’ in the villa? “I was very careful about what I discussed in the villa. Solicitors’ regulations meant that I had a code of conduct and ethics to adhere to and client confidentiality meant I couldn’t discuss my caseload,” she explains.

Viewers did, however, get to see some of Rosie’s advocacy skills when she confronted “sneaky” Adam Collard, who she was coupled up with, for flirting with fellow Islander Megan Barton-Hanson.

The fiery showdown was entirely “off-the-cuff”, contrary to members of the public thinking it was “staged” or that she had written down and rehearsed what she planned to say. “You can’t plan an argument,” says Williams, likening the experience to the courtroom where “the judge or your opponent will throw something up” and it’s down to you to bounce back.

A post shared by Rosie Anna Williams (@rosieawilliams) on Jul 27, 2017 at 3:11pm PDT

Had the offer to appear on Love Island not come through, the 26-year-old thinks she’d still be in her job. “I loved my job, but I’ve never been the girl to sit around and I’m always looking for something more,” she says. Williams has plans to complete her higher rights of audience and train as a solicitor-advocate, following in her uncle’s footsteps. She’ll also be taking on activities to maintain her practising certificate.

Since exiting the villa, Williams has managed to find the time to visit her former colleagues at Just Costs. They didn’t know that she was entering the villa, so seeing her on TV was a bit of a “shock” to them. However, they were “very supportive” when she saw them and admitted they knew “she was never made to sit behind a desk”.

The 2018 Firms Most List

Now having amassed over 650,000 followers on Instagram, Williams is hoping to use this platform to “make a difference” and already has a list of charities she wants to work with.

Her influence doesn’t stop there. Williams, who refers to herself as “Legally Brunette” in several of her Instagram posts, says she’s received messages from young women in law school seeking her advice. They’re keen to hear from someone who does not fit the average solicitor-mould.

That’s something this self-confessed party girl prides herself on. Williams counts Legally Blonde and TV series Ally McBeal as two of her favourite legal dramas. “I was drawn to the glamour. I loved their outfits,” she says. For likeminded law students Williams offers some practical advice:

“Never change yourself to fit a stereotype. We all sit the same vocational exams and it’s practically the same route for everyone looking to become a solicitor. So why should I be judged if I like to wear a pretty dress and post bikini photos on Instagram. I’ve had to work a lot harder to be taken seriously in my job but if I can make it as I am, there’s no reason why others can’t either.”

With newfound fame comes dangers. It has been widely reported that Williams received a series of threatening messages from an online troll. Never one to back down, Williams says she will be using her legal knowledge to make a stand and show this behaviour is not acceptable.

Commenting on her interview with ITV Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan where Williams was forced to justify her decision to appear on the show, she says:

“I think Piers was under the impression that the job is very well paid and glamorous across the board. He mustn’t read a lot about what’s going on and there is a lot that people outside the profession don’t see. I think his opinion was ill-informed and don’t think he can really have one unless he’s been in my shoes.”

Since then, research by a leading economics consultancy has been released that shows appearing on Love Island boosts your lifetime earnings more than an Oxbridge degree, further vindicating Williams’ decision to go on the show.

In that Piers Morgan interview, the junior lawyer described working 18-hour days getting sleepless nights. So what advice can she give others experiencing the same? “Make sure you’re happy otherwise there’s no point staying in your job. But if you want more out of your job — go and get it. A law degree opens up many paths and it’s not only about making it as a lawyer.”

Williams was evicted after two weeks in the villa, but with the final airing on Monday, she’ll be watching to support fellow housemates, Jack and Dany, the “down to earth” duo she’s hoping will win.

The post Exclusive interview: Love Island solicitor Rosie Williams says she’s not ruling out a return to the law appeared first on Legal Cheek.

from Legal News And Updates https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/07/exclusive-interview-love-island-solicitor-rosie-williams-says-shes-not-ruling-out-a-return-to-the-law/

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davidchanus · 6 years

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Exclusive interview: Love Island solicitor Rosie Williams says she’s not ruling out a return to the law

‘Legally Brunette’ Rosie shares insights into her very glam life

Image credit: Instagram (@rosieawilliams)

Williams trained with Manchester law firm Just Costs Solicitors and was only three months qualified before she entered the Spanish villa in June — a decision fuelled by her search for romance.

Having completed a training contract, why then did she decide to put her fledgling career on hold? Speaking exclusively to Legal Cheek, she explains:

Viewers did, however, get to see some of Rosie’s advocacy skills when she confronted “sneaky” Adam Collard, who she was coupled up with, for flirting with fellow Islander Megan Barton-Hanson.

A post shared by Rosie Anna Williams (@rosieawilliams) on Jul 27, 2017 at 3:11pm PDT

The 2018 Firms Most List

Now having amassed over 650,000 followers on Instagram, Williams is hoping to use this platform to “make a difference” and already has a list of charities she wants to work with.

Commenting on her interview with ITV Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan where Williams was forced to justify her decision to appear on the show, she says:

The post Exclusive interview: Love Island solicitor Rosie Williams says she’s not ruling out a return to the law appeared first on Legal Cheek.

from Legal News https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/07/exclusive-interview-love-island-solicitor-rosie-williams-says-shes-not-ruling-out-a-return-to-the-law/

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irenedonati · 7 years

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About "Grind Day”, Remixes and Big Bros.

Grind Day is one of the Ghanaian songs of 2017. I don't know if it will be "award-winning," like many other overrated songs and artists, but we don't need an award to recognize the power and the greatness of the song. Producer Kayso did an incredible job on it, and he's another talent no one should ignore. Kwesi Arthur is, no doubt, one of the artists of the year, and he also doesn't need any award to confirm it. Kwesi, who I have the honor to know personally, is like a King Midas: everything he touches becomes gold. We have loved his EP; we enjoyed all his features, his live performances and we love even more him as a person: authentic, humble, real. I will not stop to say beautiful things about him because I have experienced him on and off stage. A Grind Day Remix was in the air for few months; if you are in the music business in Ghana you've probably heard the rumor they were working on it and you probably also knew the people involved. In the end the new video with the Remix has been released:

youtube

I am not a Medikal fan, I don't know much about him, so I will not talk about him, because. I met Sarkodie once in the past, I think he's a cool guy, we all know he's a talented artist, and no one can deny his contribution to the Ghana music scene whether you like his music or not. All that said, the central question is: did we need a Grind Day Remix?

CulartBlog has been much more politically correct than I am and simply said: ‘Don’t remix an already banging song unless you are going to make it better’. This has been a sermon I’ve been preaching for a while. But, as it is with artists, a hot song is one they often can’t resist laying a verse(s) on for a variety of reasons.

The remix concept is not something that belongs only to the modern music. It has always been there. It just had a different name. I have a classical music background: I have studied piano, theory, and history of music for years. As we know, in classical music, a remix is called variation. What makes a variation relevant is that it's not merely an ornamental change of the theme, but it's a transformative process: it requires an observation and a deep comprehension to change the form without altering the nature of the composition. It means my judgment on Grind Day Remix cannot be completely objective because I should interview Kwesi,Kayso, Sark, (and Medikal) to understand the process and the intention behind the work to be able to express an accurate comment. But, I can give my emotional reaction to the Grind Day Remix. I understand everyone in the music business in Ghana could have thought "Damn I wish I've written that song," "Damn I wish I could be able to be part of that song." So why choosing Sark? And who made that choice, the upcoming or the established artist? I guess it is what I call “The Big Bro Complex”, and we will talk about this later. It doesn't matter if you are upcoming, established male or female: Grind Day is one of the most meaningful songs for an entire generation and if you are in the Ghana music scene you wish you've written that song. I wish I were Kwesi Arthur; I can imagine how does it feel if you are a not so young male artist who just released an album that was supposed to be the highest point of your career, and it wasn't: if you can't be Kwesi Arthur you want to own Kwesi Arthur. But let's go back to the emotional reaction to the Remix: Kayso and Kwesi have been able to add something compared to the original version and make a real variation: consciousness. My comments come entirely from my gut, but that "Get it, get it, get it, get it, Get it, get it,get get it" at the beginning of the song comes from the comprehension of what that specific transition in the song meant for most of the listeners. So when you find it now at the beginning it makes you want to scream: I swear I did scream. And I don't know how he does it all the fucking times, but Kwesi was able to make a different version of a better himself that sounds like a kick in the stomach (in an entirely positive way): breathtaking. My gut still thinks Kwesi Arthur is the best thing of the Remix of his own song.

Now, did we need Sark (and Medikal) on it? My gut says no, but it could be a yes if I knew that presence has contributed to Kwesi Arthur's music career with visibility, support, recognition, and last but not least money.

Definition of Big Bro Complex: an older and more established artist, generally a male artist, asks you to perform for free at his/her shows or hijacks your songs or asks for a hook or a beat ( still for free ), and then you have to thank them for "exposure." In most of the cases, he/she should thank you for bringing a bit of your light in their old-fashioned careers. The Complex might not be involved in this specific song, but the remix helps me to start this conversation and another one attached to it. I don't know if Sark will read this. Sark if you do I hope you understand where I am coming from and maybe you will want to join in trying to figure out how can we make the Ghana music industry a real industry and, most of all, be sure upcoming artists with such talent survive. Obviously, Sarkodie on a song can be a boost to your career because radio stations or people who snubbed you now will probably pay more attention to your name. What would make that presence more relevant tho, would be if Radio Stations paid royalties to the upcoming artist who owns the song they are now playing because Sarkodie said it's worth pay attention to it. Sark if you are reading I hope you get me: the responsibility is not just to give your blessings to someone like Kwesi Arthur, the responsibility of someone established like you is to protect a treasure like Kwesi Arthur. And the only way to protect him is if he makes enough money from your remix so he can continue to make music and be the amazing artist he is. Sark, when you became established the music business was different: the digital era has changed everything, and there's no way to survive in Ghana as an artist if we don't pay royalties for the use of their music or we don't pay for their performances or their hooks or their beats. And it would be an excellent start for established artists to thank the upcoming ones for their contribution to their songs, concerts, videos, dinner parties, birthday wishes, WHATEVER, not the other way around. I have seen too many new incredible artists coming up this year I am overwhelmed by it, I can't watch them not getting the recognition they deserve because an old-fashioned industry is not able to keep up with the rest of the world and start paying them what they deserve. And, as you can all understand, I am not talking about Grind Day Remix anymore. I am talking about a system built on the idea that if you are old, you deserve respect ( even if you are full of shit ) and if you are young you can't even contribute to a conversation with older people because it's disrespectful. I am talking about a society built on the idea that age, not merit, gives you the right to do things and that's why change never comes. Music can be the mirror of the society we live in, but most of all music, like all art forms, can create the revolution needed in that community. That's why Grind Day should be the song of the year: because it's the cultural and musical manifestation of the Ghanaian life and it's revolutionary. If you are a Big Bro and you are part of the problem, maybe you can think about it and make the first step saying "Thank you, Kwesi Arthur, for giving a breath of fresh air to the industry. We all owe you." And then continue... thank you B4Bonah, Worlasi, Ria Boss, La Meme Gang, Adomaa, Spacely, Robin Hues, King Promise, Amaree, Akan, Ayat, Kayso, Nxwrth, Cina Soul, Bryan the Mensah, Poetra Asantewa, Ebony, Kidi, Juls, Darko, ... please help me go on... there are more and more and more and we’ve just started...

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londontheatre · 7 years

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Claire Goose & Tom Moutchi in Twitstorm at Park Theatre. Photo by Darren Bell

Social media. Two rather innocuous sounding words that when put together are more powerful at taking over the world than an army full of crazed generals marching their troops over borders as though they didn’t exist. Like it or loathe it, social media is here to stay. The two biggies in the social media world are of course Facebook and Twitter. And it is the latter of these two that is at the centre of Chris England’s new play Twitstorm at the Park Theatre.

Guy Manton (Jason Merrells) has it all. He is the presenter of the successful show ‘Arguing the Toss’, written by his best friend Neil (Justin Edwards). His wife Bex (Claire Goose) is a successful author in her own right and the couple are at that level of wealth that they can afford to send a monthly direct debit to sponsor a child in Africa, without it causing them any hardship. Guy’s Manager Rupert (Chris England) is looking at taking the show, along with Guy, to the USA and, really everything in Guy’s garden is, as they say rosy. And then, one day, Ike (Tom Moutchi) turns up on Guy’s door claiming to be one of the African children the Manton’s had sponsored, now grown into a man. The family welcome Ike into their home – Bex happily, Guy reluctantly – and life carries on until one day Guy makes a rather inappropriate ‘joke’ at Ike’s expense. Although he doesn’t ‘do’ Twitter, Guy does have an account which is looked after by Neil and, through no fault of Guy, the ‘joke’ gets tweeted out to the world causing, to use the current vernacular ‘Twitter to go into meltdown’. As his attempts to calm the storm fail dramatically, Guy is soon up the proverbial creek without a proverbial paddle. Can his salvation come with the ultra PC online journalist Daniel Priest (Ben Kavanagh) or has Guy gone 140 characters too far.

So, confession time. I am a really dedicated Twitter user. I tweet about my bus journey to work, my random thoughts and every Sunday sees me joining the #Marr and #TheArchers tweetalong – yes it’s a real word – with gusto. I have therefore seen plenty of these Twitter storms when blow up when someone tweets something that gets up the nose of other Twitter users. We only have to look to the USA where @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS are constantly managing to upset people in 140 characters. I think that Chris England has really captured the feel and flavour of a Twitter storm extremely well, particularly the speed at which the online world will turn on someone they consider has offended them. However, I did feel it took a long time coming. The offending tweet didn’t get sent until the end of Act I and a lot of time was spent establishing the characters and their motivations before that. I also think, and remember this is a personal opinion, it would have been better not to discover who had sent the tweet until later in Act II. If you hadn’t seen them do it, there were three really good suspects with the means, motive and opportunity to ‘stitch’ Guy up. Having said that, I did enjoy the play and the writing was first rate with some real belly laugh moments. And Guy’s rant in the second act at Daniel Priest was really spot on in every respect. And speaking of Daniel, a quick mention for Ben Kavanagh here. His portrayal of Daniel was perfect. Without saying too much, Ben conveyed all the small minded, narrow opinion and general disdain of everyone else that the ultra-righteous PC brigade manage to convey when dealing with those not as enlightened as themselves. A great piece of acting from Ben there. Overall, this is a very talented cast. All of them played their parts beautifully and, Justin Edward’s Neil was a really lovely piece of acting, particularly as he started binge eating snacks while staring at the offending tweet with a face that literally said a thousand words.

Jonathan Lewis’ direction was on the whole really good, though there was a point, when Guy was doing his rant, that from where I was sat, Bex was completely hidden by Rupert so I wasn’t able to see her reaction as Guy really went for it. I loved the tweets appearing on the screens above Anthony Lamble’s set though the timing was occasionally out with the tweet appearing before the writer had finished typing. And, I have to say, whoever was responsible for the music choices during the scene changes – Bravo, absolutely Bravo.

Overall, then Twitstorm is a good show that nips at the ankles of the PC brigade and those ready to take offence at the slightest provocation. I thought the story was good and the acting first rate. I would have liked a bit more meat on the bone of the story and am still not 100% sure about the ending, though it made me laugh. But ultimately I would say Twitstorm is something worth seeing for a fun and funny night out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to tweet about it from @Terry_Ea – #pleasefollowme

Review by Terry Eastham

Cahoots Theatre Company in association with Simon Fielder Productions and Park Theatre present the World Premiere of

Twitstorm By Chris England Directed by Jonathan Lewis

Guy Manton is a national treasure, the much-loved host of a caustic television panel show, until a throwaway remark is inadvertently shared with the whole world and, before Guy knows what is happening, he is being battered by the Twitstorm.

A hilarious exploration of what can happen when the self-righteousness of social media gets out of hand. From Chris England author of the hit comedy Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson and co-author of the acclaimed An Evening with Gary Lineker.

From the producer behind Park Theatre hits Dead Sheep, An Audience with Jimmy Savile, The Roundabout and Deny, Deny, Deny.

Cast includes Jason Merrells (Emmerdale, Waterloo Road, Cutting It, Casualty), Claire Goose (The Coroner, Unforgotten, Waking The Dead, Casualty), Justin Edwards (The Thick Of It, Skins, Love and Friendship), Ben Kavanagh (Closer To Heaven, Boy Meets Boy), Chris England (Harry Enfield’s Television Programme) and social media star Tom Moutchi.

Design by Anthony Lamble, Costume Design by Sarah June Mills, Lighting Design by Tim Mitchell, Composed by Matthew Strachan and Sound Design by Chris Packham.

PARK200 Time2 hours 15 mins approx. Age16+ Plays: 31 May – 1 Jul 2017 http://ift.tt/1NQfsF7

http://ift.tt/2rrLbcX LondonTheatre1.com

#IFTTT #LondonTheatre1.com

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