Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Alcohol

I've had several alcohol related thoughts going through my head lately.

I suppose to summarise my general thoughts on alcohol I'd have to say I'm against it. Because I'm totally against the fact that people drink it to get drunk and make themselves feel more uninhibited. I do understand why at parties and things people would WANT to feel less reserved, but I think it's wrong. If you're not outgoing enough to be free and wild at a party, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's just not in your nature. There's no reason why that is a bad thing so why should we use a drug to change it? Changing your personlity for such a reason as to feel more free-minded is never necessary or acceptable.
On top of that, the thought of not remembering what I did for any length of time is terrifying to me. Anything could have happened. ANYTHING. Replace that "anything" with all the horrific things that go on these days. I kind of think that if you've intoxicated yourself and then get raped and pregnant, you've asked for it. You put yourself in a vulnerable state. And that is what comes from it. Your mistake, no one else's. I'd never say rape is OK, but in situations like that, it's hardly suprising.


So those are my opinions on alcohol as a recreational substance.

However, I have another point of view aswell, which has caused me a lot of mental dilemmas lately. Basically, I've been brought up drinking alcohol. My dad and my grandpa are very much into fine wines and beers and I've grown up having sips of theirs. I have even developed a taste for it and am getting better at identifying wines by sipping them the right way. Now, at parties, I am more than happy having one drink, but this will always be beer. And the reason for this is that it tastes like alcohol. All these spirits, spritzers and "designer drinks" literally are alcohol for the sake of it. You can't taste it; you drink it for the effect. Whereas I drink it because I genuinely like the taste. I don't drink to get drunk, tipsy or mentally affected at all which I think is proven by the fact that I will have no more than one drink.
My problem is that my friends are very, very different to me. A lot of them drink more than I'd ever dream of. How this offends me because they evidently need the alocohol to have a good time when we're together is a whole other story...
Anyway, I'm not going to sugar coat this in any way which is why I'm going to say this as it is: People who I thought understood my morals have tried to pressure me into drinking more than what I wanted. Luckily, I am sensible and level-headed enough to know that this is their insecurity and not mine, so I did not cave in the slightest. Quite the opposite actually; I stopped drinking entirely. Since February, I have not drunk alcohol once, even sips of my parents' wine. And this is because I thought that it sounds much more impressive to say "I don't drink" than "I will only drink one". And indeed, many people seemed to be impressed by this. Obviously, I've also had a LOT of negative attitudes towards this, because most teenagers are idiots. I'm not going to lie though, I found it hard. Hard to hear people being so horrible to me and hard not to drink alcohol when I would usually be having my own small glass of wine or beer. But I stuck it out because I wanted to impress.

However, this evening, my mum said something to me that made me change my mind on all this. I told her that I missed alcohol and she asked me why I stopped drinking it. And I said "Because I need to set an example to my friends." And she replied "But you can set an example by having one and saying no to a second." Which is very, very true.
So I am no longer depriving myself of a drink I enjoy; it's like not drinking apple juice if you like apple juice. You don't drink it to get drunk, you drink it to enjoy the taste. Which is my attitude to alcohol. I feel much happier knowing now that at the next party I can have a beer with everyone. But when it comes to round two, I'll have had my glass of "apple juice" and that will be fine until next time.

Monday, 19 May 2008

Some YouTube related stuff

Avast new YouTube project! Will give you more details when we have them. But as of now, we're just a few people who want to talk about different issues and topics in the form of a weekly collaboration video.

I'm so excited about this because it's giving me the opportunity to vlog with some really, really established and talented YouTubers. And on top of that, I'm making new friends too. Doesn't really get much better than that.

This seems like a good time to approach a topic that I've been wanting to for a while: How YouTube Has Changed My Life. It would be too easy for me to go on for ages and ages but I suppose the short and short of it is that it has brought out the best in me. I've always been sociable, but since I've been making vlogs, I've become even more so. I've got the confidence to make friends with anyone and everyone. I suppose it's because at the back of my mind I've always got "You might not like me but 542 people on the internet do." And put it like this, if last year you'd have told me to go and meet up with a load of people from the internet for the day, I'd most probably have gone and hid in a corner. All I can say, is that I went to the YouTube gathering on a high from excitement and I came back on even more of a high from excitement. Just knowing that I'm a part of such a friendly, inspirational, entertaining community makes me feel honoured. The friends I've made, the people I've met and even the people I haven't met and have just watched, they've all changed my life for the better. Becoming a part of YouTube is no doubt the best decision I've ever made. I recommend it more than I recommend Tootsie Rolls. And that's saying something.

Jocy xoxo

Sunday, 6 January 2008

My 2007

My 2007

For me, 2007 has been incredible. The places I've been, the things I've done, and most importantly, the people I've met and the friends I've made. Before I do a summary of the year, I'm going to do people mentions.

Firstly, there are the people who have been with me for a long time now, and who are still with me and who always will be with me.
Eleanor
Becca
Becci
Nici
Sarah
Oli
Megg
Beth
Nicole

Then there are the people who I've known for a while, but who I have become close friends with this year.
Eliot
Kate
Rachel
Charlotte
Nick
Charlie

Then, are the new friends I've made; people who have only really had to put up with me for 2007, but who have a lot more of me to come :P
George
Joe
Jenna
Meera
Paul

Everyone in the above lists, I cannot put into words what you all mean to me. I'm afraid that you're stuck with me for life now, because there's no way I'm letting any of you go. I'm the happiest I've ever been and it's definitely thanks to you lot. Whenever I'm upset about something, I just have to remind myself that I have decades ahead of me with you all, and it really cheers me up, because I know we're going to have many more amazing times with eachother. Each memory I have collected this year is down to you all, and I can't wait for us to complete all the plans we've made. Every problem I've had this year has been made easier to cope with by you lot, and no amount of bloggage can truly show how much I appreciate you all. I genuinely feel lucky to have you all as my friends. If you ever try to get away, I will have to tie you down. Sorry.

And lastly, I think all the friends I made through the internet definitely should have a mention.
Jack
Frederick [He got bored of James]
Julia
JP
Alex
Kenneth

The people in the above list have really made me truly realise how amazing the internet is. It's just so cool to be able to talk to people who come from all over the world, and so interesting too. Thanks to MSN, MySpace and YouTube I'm sure we will stay talking for years to come now, and one day I'd love to meet up with you all!

Now, I am going to summarise the year by telling you the parts of each month that stand out for me. I will attempt to keep it brief, but am making no promises.

FEBRUARY
Ski trip - this was a truly incredible experience, one I will never forget. I made some amazing friends and became closer to people I never thought I'd be close to. I'm so excited about February 08, because Becca, Becci and Nici will be there with me and Saz in Austria for the ski trip! Going to be incredible.

MARCH
Wicked trip - we went on a school trip to see Wicked with the drama department. This isn't a special memory because of the musical; to be honest I didn't think that much of it. To me, this is special because of Charlotte. We'd been friends for a while before but on the way there I was looking at photos on my phone and I said "I love him so much!" Charlotte said to me, "Wanna know who I love? FRANK IERO!" And amazingly enough, that is who the photo I was looking at was of! Turned out we were both insane My Chemical Romance fans and we never even knew! So that was where our friendship really stemmed from. We also discovered our shared Harry Potter obsession through this trip. And more importantly than the obsessions, this was also when I first got to know George, who is now one of my best friends and a pretty darn amazing one at that :)
My Chemical Romance concert - following mine and Charlotte's revelation, she got a ticket to see MCR at Wembley with me, Becci, Nici, Becca, Eleanor, Sarah, Conor, Izzy, Charlie, Emma, Charley and Jake. It was the best night of my life and the icing on the cake was me catching Bob's drumstick at the end of the concert.
Kaiser Chiefs concert - me, Becci, Nici, Jake and my dad saw Kaiser Chiefs at Shepherd's Bush in March. The best bit by far was when Ricky stage dived and landed on top of us. We all fell on the floor and he hit me in the face. That's my claim to fame: the lead singer of Kaiser Chiefs whacked me!
MySpace - I first got MySpace in March! God alone knows how I coped before then :P

APRIL
Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy - saw them at Wembley. This was the day I discovered how horrible the beer they sell there is. Don't say I didn't warn you.

MAY
Maximo Park - I saw Maximo Park with George, Becca, Becci, Nici, Saz and Eleanor. Was the third time I saw them, and am pretty sure that was my first front row concert. Was brilliant, and this is where me and George as tramps first emmerged. Oh, and in the queue this bus with a load of foreign boys went past and I waved at them. It was funny!
CenterParcs - I went away with Charlie and her family to CenterParcs. Possibly one of the most HILARIOUS weekends of my life! We went all the way with Charlie on top, had a threesome on the Rapids with an old, fat, bald guy, stalked hot emos and followed MCR fans until they ran away. Only Charlie will understand any of that :P
Yorkshire - Eleanor came to Yorkshire with me and my family. I shouted abuse at some chavs and we went rowing. It was a larfandenarf! And on the way we saw Blyth and Wetherby. Haha!

JULY
Mika - I saw Mika at Somerset House with Becci, Nici and Jake. It was brilliant and we also got to see Patrick Wolf. At the end of the concert I caught I gigantic red balloon that Mika threw into the audience! The gig was televised and we saw us on TV!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Probably one of the most special nights of the year. After 10 years of waiting, the last Harry Potter book was finally released. Me and Eleanor queued up outside Smith's at midnight, dressed up as Harry Potter. When we got back to mine we stayed up all night to read it. It was incredible.
Keane - The day of the release I went to see Keane at the o2. It was an amazing concert and the fact that I had just found out *SPOILERS* Ron and Hermione got married *END OF SPOILERS* it was made even better :D
YouTube - The week after Keane, something amazing happened. I got featured on the front page of YouTube with my Harry Potter review. I didn't really appreciate this at the time because I didn't understand it properly, but now, I realise how incredibly lucky I was for this to happen to me, and I wanna thank all my YouTube people who have subscribed and who watch my videos. I still can't quite get my head around it.
Camping - I went camping with Eleanor, Izzy and Emma. We all had a brilliant time and we ate sooo much ice cream! It was such a laugh, even the scary moths, and I loved it. Especially my giant spoon xD

AUGUST
Greece - We went on a family holiday to Greece and it was the best ever. I went snorkelling, which I have always wanted to do, and it was brilliant. The beaches were unspoilt and the water was see-through. And another thing that made it so awesome was bumping into Scott, my friend from school! We spent lots of time together and even went fishing :P It was so much fun and I'm going back next year which I can't wait for!
GCSE's - In August I got my English GCSE results, as I took it a year early. I got an A in literature and an A* in language, so it was a pretty good way to end the summer really!

OCTOBER
Maximo Park - Maximo Park take 4! This time with Nick, Eliot and Becca, The whole day was perfect. And I mean that. It was just brilliant. I really did have the time of my life and I will remember it forever. I was so proud to take Nick to his first concert, and judging by the size of hug he gave me after the gig, I think he was rather pleased too :P
French Day trip - It wasn't anything outstanding in theory, but it reminded me of how much I love Becca to bits and what a fantastic time we always have together. Especially when French guys ask us about the tightness of our jeans and give us condoms!
Grease - Seeing Grease at the West End was something I'd always wanted to do! The casting was amazing, not only did I get to see Danny and Susan, I also got to see Siobhan from Maria! Plus, we were second row from the front. It was amazing and I want to go again!

NOVEMBER
Birthday - My 16th! Need I say more?
My Chemical Romance - Saw them at the o2. I don't really want to go into it because it isn't an entirely happy memory, but the bits that were good, were other-worldly good.
Arcade Fire - I saw them with my dad and we queued for 2 and a half hours in -4 degrees in the pouring rain. IT WAS WORTH IT. We were center barrier and when Win Butler leaned into the audience, he was right in front of me! So I poked him. Lots. *Beams*.
Julia - On a trip to London with my friends, I saw a familiar face at Holborn station. The face happened to belong to one of my favourite YouTubers...FROM NEW YORK! So we chatted for a bit and it was a mind blowing experience! I had to pinch myself afterwards, I mean, what are the chances of that?!

DECEMBER
Kasier Chiefs - Me and Becci and Nici and Saz went to see Kaiser Chiefs! It was insanely good, we never expected to be at the front and we were! Plus me and Becci made some really cool friends there, including Jack and Loz who we are in contact with still. Yay for concert friends!
Hawkwind - My dad and Jake and Eliot and me went to see Hawkwind. It was...an experience to say the least. We were the youngest people there, the rest being fat, bearded, smelly, pot-smoking old men. We laughed :D
Party - Eleanor and Oli and me had our joint 16th birthday party. It couldn't have gone any better really, and I had the time of my life.

So I suppose that is my year in a nutshell. This doesn't really give an accurate representation of the sheer level of fun I've actually had this year, but it's the best I can do with MySpace as my tool :) I really hope you've all had memorable years, and I hope you have even better 2008's! I'm going to wrap up this blog with some of my aims and plans for next year, and things that I am looking forward to.

AIMS AND PLANS FOR 2008
700+ subscribers on my YouTube account, www.youtube.com/AccioJellyBean
Get featured again on YouTube
Have a well known YouTuber subscribe to me
Go to a YouTube gathering
Start up a music journalism website
Send an article to a music magazine and get it printed
Get a job for a paper/magazine
Get good GCSE results
Go to London with my friends 10+ times
See Green Day
Read more books
Start a fansite
Not fall asleep in a cinema
Get a Gryffinor tie
Do more homework and revision

I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2008
Plain White T's concert
Mindless Self Indulgence concert
Ski trip
Italy trip
Barcelona
Greece
Rome
Summer holidays
Sixth form
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal snogging film
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince film
and finally...
NEW YEAR 2008!

So that really is my 2007. Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have a fantastic New Year! x x x

Wednesday, 12 December 2007

Oh the sheer joy and excitement.

Ok so the title may have come across as sarcastic. But it's actually not, I proper love blogging! I have a MySpace blog and an MSN Space blog so I thought it was about time I got a Blogspot blog too :) Because the other two aren't actual bloglikeblogs. They just have blogging as extras but really I wanted a real blog andnowI'mboredofthissentence.

I think I should do a bit of an "About Me" here. I know there is one for me to fill in that comes ready templated, but I much prefer writing in paragraphs and having a bit of a ramble.

Righto so my name is Jocy, (which is pronounced JOCY as in BOSSY with a Y, not like JOSIE) and I am 16 years old. People say I look older, which is ironic, because I have the mental state of a 6 year old. I don't mean I'm stupid and I wet myself, I mean that I wear Busted pyjamas and dance around to Westlife and watch Pokemon and Rugrats. But I am mature when I need to be. I'm very trustworthy and have a big problem with liars. I like helping people out and enjoy a deep conversation about something geeky like philosophy from time to time :D.