january / february 2020

As I only started my blog mid-february, I thought I would combine both monthly favourites into one. Although I am fully aware that nobody necessarily cares about which TV shows, songs or clothes that I tend to like each month, this is more for me to keep track of my year.

Subconsciously, I attach memories to when I first listened to an album or a tv programme, providing flashbacks of what was happening at the time. I remember my mood, the weather, the time of year and any other miniscule details that flood back when I listen to those songs again. Therefore, I find it interesting to remember why I liked a particular thing at that particular time.

January consisted of endless essays and plenty of well-deserved naps. Despite the fact that it is already April now, it feels as if it was yesterday when we were all home for Christmas cramming in work for our deadlines.

All week I have been reminiscing on nights out and seeing friends after months apart, which is pretty apt considering that all the pubs and clubs have recently closed. Conveniently, the first two months of 2020 consisted of regular trips to bijoux.

Below are a few of the outfits I loved throughout the months.

(DISCLAIMER = these are not sponsored in any way and if they were they would be signposted)

Can you tell that there is a dragon theme coming along?

1st picture = pretty little thing

2nd picture = h&m

3rd picture = shein or urban outfitters

The pictures above are from rather eventful nights out over the past two months. Considering that half of my friends are dotted all over the country, moments like these make you appreciate making memories to look back on (and laugh at). Even without the nights out, we thrive when we are all together, especially with those who give you all of the gossip.

Although these are only a handful of my friends, they are all unforgettable in their own ways.

Contrary to what my friends will say, nights out aren't the only element of my life that I enjoy. If I am not with them, I am binging an entire series in one night.

Just before Christmas, I started watching Waterloo Road for the first time since it finished in 2015. Pairing it with my atrocious memory, it was almost like starting a new programme from scratch as I only remembered random scenes.

Without revealing any spoilers, this show gives an interesting insight into British schools, especially in the North. As I grew up with Waterloo Road, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it from an 'adult' perspective as the issues raised didn't particularly affect me in my adolescent years.

With a few more years of experience added, it was quite refreshing seeing social and personal issues explored throughout the series.

It doesn't hold back on challenging and disturbing storylines, as they catch the essence of everyday life of working class pupils, without the need for tokenism. Topics such as bullying, abusive households, sexual assault and various other problems youths face are acknowledged in a way that demonstrates the raw emotions entangled with it.

Therefore, I think that this show is a great eye-opener for those who don't understand that there are deeper meanings behind people's behaviour, rather than judging people on face value.

Another example of this was the second series of Sex Education, which was released in January. In particular, I liked the scene where the girls discovered what they all had in common - sexual assault/harassment.

As much as this was a heart breaking scene to engage with, it subtly demonstrates how even the smallest of things that people wouldn't think about can affect others. Ranging from cat-calling to the distressing scene on the bus (no spoiler), proves just how common these experiences are.

I could write an entire essay on how TV shows portray sensitive topics such as these, but I personally think that Waterloo Road and Sex Education nail them on the head.

Even if you don't over analyse the portrayals of people's behaviour, these shows are still an interesting watch, but in very different ways.

Now let's see what March brings. In hindsight, when I originally started this post, the possibility of isolation was a merely joke. I really took these past few months of normality for granted.