Knackered Technology and Knackered Biology

Red Rover keeping me company as my laptop slowly dies

I have missed Photo Challenge days as I knew I would, but the end is near. The end of student life, so bear with me. I did not take this photo and it's just a test photo actually but I added a border. lol. Hope that counts for something! And it goes with my A to Z Challenge post which is about the word - KNACKERED.

I always liked that word knackered. For the non-Brits, it means "tired". Knackered - exactly how I felt yesterday evening when I got home. It was a full day, which included a lot of repetition, digging deep for emotions and delayed trains. These things on paper may seem trite, but over a 12-hour period, it can be exhausting. But still, it was an interesting day. My computer is also pretty knackered. This laptop has seen more words and been through more article reading, article searching, referencing, assignment typing and editing and emailing and turning in, skyping, blogging and surfing, than the average laptop. Between rigorous student life, where 80% of my time is spent on the laptop, and staying in touch with family back home and friends around the world, my laptop has really been working hard. So when I saw the blinking red light on my battery icon saying I should definitely consider replacing my battery, I was not really surprised. The timing was shit, as I am praying it does not conk out before I finish my proposal today. I have overworked it and also I have fallen asleep over this laptop enough times, with it hooked up to the main, to know that this battery would die pretty soon. I hopefully get my new battery in the post before this one dies. Kudos - another K - to my wonderful laptop battery for braving the academic storm with me!

Knackered - it's a pretty cute word, as is its synonym shattered. These Brits have some great words let me tell you - some of my faves include plonker, naff, wonky, twit. There are some others like wanker,which are less PG and which I try not to use too regularly. To me, it means absolutely nothing but I could not tell a dude I thought he was a wanker. lol.

I had finished the proposal and was just editing and as in usual trininista style, I found things I was not happy with and I am now adding words instead of taking them away. It will be another long day but I am sure less enjoyable than yesterday especially since it is grey outside. The 5 sunny days of spring have come and gone. Back to London as I know it. I hope I get at least an hour of sun tomorrow as I want to spend part of my day in the park, because tomorrow marks the end of structured student life. Celebration weekend!

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Impossibility... and Camera Emotions

It's been a long weekend, folks. I headed to campus on Friday, for an event that was clearly a waste of my time, and decided to make the most of the spring weather and take some London photos. Sadly, my bottle of water was not closed properly, and on the bus, the woman behind me said, Miss, your bag is leaking. Besides the fact that my bag was now a soggy, wet mess, my camera was also fully bathed in water.  I tried it up to yesterday and nada. My camera was gone.  But hope springs eternal.

The good news is that I have a replacement camera. My friend decided to give me his old one, which he was happy to get rid of, and I am now camera-happy once more. Friends are great!

The weekend was pretty good though. I had the most relaxing time - between meeting new friends, and having the best time over great Caribbean food, to spending a day yesterday cooking, watching movies and simply lying in bed, talking, then sleeping - it was a good weekend.

The bad news is, it is now Monday and I am almost 1200 words over the word count of my dissertation proposal.  I for Impossible!! Editing 1200 words out of an already abridged document will be a major challenge but one that will have to wait. I am going to take a shower and head to the mall - my eyebrows need to be threaded and no 1200 words can stop that from happening.

I also decided to pull out platforms this weekend and face the spring sun with style. Sure I looked good, but walking the length and breadth of London, chasing trains and buses in platforms is not fun. By the time I got to my last train, I pulled my ever trusty flat and comfy flip flops out of my bag and hobbled the rest of the way home. lol.. Will it stop me from bringing back another pair when I go home in a couple of weeks? Probably not. lol.

Photo challenge today - I do admit I am in a bit of a rush, but these are said platforms - both beauty and beast - and they fit in nicely with today's theme of lines. And these are my very first shots with "new" camera so will be testing it out over the course of the week. I will try to get some more shots later but 1200 words and neat eyebrows are priorities today.

SITS Photo Challenge - Lines and Repetition I

SITS Photo Challenge - Lines and Repetition II

And do you want a line of repetition? Here is my neighbourhood.

SITS Photo Challenge - Lines and Repetition III

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Exhaustion + Excitement Equal...

SITS Photo Challenge, Day III - Lighting

Exhausted. It's a rough week. I am struggling. Yet, I am bubbly today because I just spent an hour sitting on the lawn in the backyard with a glass of water, in a tank top, jeans and flip flops - no scarf, no jacket. Flip flops!!! The ecstasy!

The sun, high in the sky, did what a sun is supposed to do - give off heat. Friends, it is WARM in London today. Honest to goodness, Caribbean definition of WARM. I forgot how tired and annoyed I was with this mood board I am supposed to make, and just sat there - in the sun, never-see-come-see, baking my brown shoulders and chest and arms and face. I could have died from joy. So while E is for exhausted, it is also for excitement, enthusiasm and enjoyment - all in abundance in my world on this warm, bright,beautiful, sunny day.

And to prove it to you, my photo challenge today was about lighting and I think Pablo showed what he can do with some natural light indoors, but today it is all about the magical illumination in my backyard. I think the neighbours have absolutely given up on me now, cause I was laying on a towel in the grass, smiling, and then taking photos of a football. Yep. I won't be surprised if I see the NHS yellow ambulance pull up to get me later - to take me to the nuthouse. Envy. Another "e" word. Envious of my simple joy.

SITS Photo Challenge, Day III - Lighting
Football porn

And I had some water with me.

SITS Photo Challenge, Day III - Lighting
Bring out the lime wedges. The sun is here!

I used the photos I like the most in my collage.

SITS Photo Challenge, Day III - Lighting
I love photo collages

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The Letter D and Yummy Close Up Perspective

My portable laptop desk

So I am hard at it in the library, and I am trying to kill two birds with one stone with this entry - my A-Z Blogging Challenge and my SITS Photo Challenge. So on to the first one.

Today's letter is D, and here is my new laptop desk. Well, it's really not mine per se. I had seen the ad on tv for it, and thought, dude, I need me one of those! I spend a LOT of time on my laptop, doing research, assignments, and of course, skyping, tweeting and FB-ing. I sit on my bed 99% of the time, so the laptop lives up to its name and is usually on my lap. Laptops get hot and they burn. I use my blanket as an insulator but when I came home last week and saw the magic desk and knew the owner was NEVER going to use it, I swiped it. It's really great. I feel so productive now that I have it. And it's really cute. It has a night light and a beer holder - well, okay okay...a drinks holder. Yep. I love my stolen desk.

D is also for dinner, which also allows me to segue into my photo challenge photos today. Though it was pretty simple last night - pasta and minced beef - it was fun to cook, and even more fun to eat and always fun to make into a photo star. I thought I would share this one. Perspective wise, I think getting close up to food is great and really highlights the yumminess of it and creates longing. Are you longing?

SITS Photo Challenge Day II
Macaroni with lean mince, chock full of onions, garlic, chillis, sweet peppers and tomato and herb pasta sauce

But this, a re-posted photo, is one of my fave food close ups ever. I got low and tried to get the flesh-falling-off-the-bone chicken at an angle. I can only ever take photos of my dinner when I am home alone. It looks a bit odd to be getting on the floor or on the chair to get aerials, side shots and table level shots of my food.

SITS Photo Challenge Day II
Slow cooked curried chicken, with curried chick peas and potatoes and warm chapatis

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SITS Girls Photo Challenge - Pablo

I am deep into the books so going out to take photos was not an option. But, Pablo is the star today - both of my A to Z Challenge and my Photo Challenge. His sunny disposition is battling against the grey of the London outdoors. Poor thing, he is optimistic, and has been looking outside all afternoon - waiting for the sun.

SITSGirls Photo Challenge - Pablo

SITS Girls Photo Challenge - Pablo II

SITS Photo Challenge - Pablo III

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