All Hallows' Eve

I read an article a few days ago about a woman who said her daughter had a dilemma; she had three Halloween costumes to choose from and didn’t know which one to wear, so what should she do?! (Hashtag first world problems!)

THREE?! It’s a bit much isn’t it? When I was young I wore a black plastic bag and a pointy hat and, for all intents and purposes, I thought I was a witch. But that was the 90’s and those were simpler times.

Today, Halloween is a celebration many people are deeming the ‘new Christmas’ and it’s easy to see why. Retailers are certainly benefiting from the increased popularity of the annual event and a recent report found that, on average, Irish people will spend an estimated €41 million on Halloween this year. That’s a considerable amount of money for a celebration we don’t even get a few days off for!

In line with this, a survey carried out by Webloyalty of 1,500 people found that 60% of people will spend €40 on Halloween purchases. Two thirds of people surveyed said they would be buying chocolate, sweets and confectionary for the occasion, while the survey also discovered that one third of households would be handing out sweets to trick-or-treaters, with traditional Halloween foods such as barmbrack and nuts remaining a must-have.

Cinemas also rake in the big bucks as Halloween fright films dominate the box office. Whether it’s the exorcism of a little girl or someone returning from beyond the grave, Halloween becomes the perfect time to screen the latest horror movies.

Sparkling fairy lights, pumpkins on display and spooky creatures hanging off windows and front doors  has also become a must-do in the weeks leading up to Halloween, with many people putting in much more effort with their exterior decorations in October than December.

In saying that, when compared to Christmas, Halloween spending remains relatively modest.

Undoubtedly though, Halloween has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years and, in some ways, it’s become a celebration much more for adults than for kids. In the past it was regarded as a holiday solely for small children, putting on wigs and masks, and going out trick-or-treating. Nowadays Halloween is just as much for adults as it is for children. Fancy dress themed parties, ‘Nightmare Realmesque’ scare houses and competition over who has the sexiest, funniest or most outrageous costume has now made Halloween a much more exciting time for the big kid in all of us.

Social media has also played its part in the sudden urge to embrace all things spooky and scary. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have all helped highlight the day known as All Hallows’ Eve as users share, tweet and post pictures of their costumes, decorations and whatever they may be getting up to on the night.

What will you be doing?!

A little German drink calld Jägermeister...

I read every day. In fact, I read lots every day. I read local news, national news, international news, sports stories, travel articles, how-to guides, blogs on what other people are getting up to in their lives and everything else in between. I also read features. Which brings me to this; my latest blog post. I was asked to write about my favourite piece of feature writing and nothing immediately popped into my head. I’ve read so many features, on so many different topics, yet many are forgotten about before I even close the computer tab and continue with my day.

There is one feature I read, many moons ago, that sticks in my mind. For all the right reasons. It is an excellent example of everything a good feature should be. It’s about alcohol. Jägermeister to be precise. And no, before you jump to any conclusions, I am not a raging alcoholic. Occasionally, I crave under peer pressure, and order a Jägerbomb. Four for twenty euro is the deal in the nightclub. But I don’t like Jägerbombs and, if the morning after the night before is anything to go by, the seemingly endless hangovers I’ve suffered through echo what I already knew: I don’t like Jägerbombs and Jägerbombs certainly do not like me.

But back to the feature I was telling you about, before I started reminiscing on Jäger-induced hangovers.

“How Jägermeister changed the way we drink” is a feature article written by British journalist Simon Usborne. I came across it in April 2013 on The Independent UK website while I was, presumably, procrastinating from college assignments. Although the article focuses mainly on Jägermeister, it also explores how the

German spirit has changed the face of drinking. It looks at the phenomenon of Jägermeister, its rise in popularity and how it has made binge drinking more acceptable.

Usborne’s writing encompasses everything a feature story should. It is journalistic; it is researched, descriptive, colourful, thoughtful, reflective and thorough.

He uses colourful descriptions throughout his article, accurately describing the “sticky dance floor” where he meets college students Paul, Polly and Andy, enjoying Jägerbombs.

His use of meaningful anecdotes really brings the piece to life as he recalls the nightclub and the people he met there. Significant quotes from some of these people drinking Jägermeister is also significant to the article. "It's my third, and I'll probably have another one," one is quoted as saying, while another recounts the night he drank one too many: "I did 12 of them in 10 minutes," he says.

Although it seems this feature may have originally stemmed from Usborne’s own observations from a night on the town, he uses this to his advantage and turns it into an excellent feature piece, giving readers information in a pleasing and entertaining format.

He provides us with fascinating statistics that highlight the popularity of Jägermeister: “Last year, Britain got drunk on 4.4 million litres of Jägermeister, equivalent to 6.3 million standard bottles (or almost 180 million shots). Five years previously, we managed fewer than 700,000 bottles, and only 70,000 in 2003.”

Usborne solidifies his feature by visiting the headquarters of Jägermeister and interviewing expert sources such as Marcus Thieme Jägermeister’s head of Western Europe, Daniel Wresinski, a master distiller, and Andrew Knowles co-founder of JKR. His research into the history of Jägermeister, it’s origins and how the company has developed over the years is extensive. He informs readers about the history surrounding the green colour of the bottle and the logo of the mythical deer.

Usborne makes some interesting points that readers, or even lovers of Jägermeister, may not even know: Jägermeister itself is trying to distance itself from the Jägerbomb as, the company believes Jägerbombs, usually mixed with a carbonated energy drinks like Red Bull, take away from the true beauty of the original Jägermeister.

For me, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from this excellent example of feature writing. The article exemplifies what exactly makes a good feature story: a human interest angle that focuses on particular people, places and events. It highlights the importance of carrying out background research and ensuring you have expert sources, in order to give credibility to the story.

It also shows how good features cover a topic in depth, going further than hard news coverage by amplifying and exploring the most interesting and important elements of a situation or occurrence. It highlights the difference between hard news by showing that feature writers have extra time to complete background research, interviews and observations; a privilege often denied to hard news journalists reporting on breaking news stories.


Here is a link to the original article: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/how-jgermeister-changed-the-way-we-drink-8577209.html 

The changing faces of celebrities

She was always unlucky in love, religiously kept a diary and wore those infamous granny pants during a rather flirty encounter. Yet the face of the much-loved Bridget Jones was barely recognisable as actress Renne Zellweger debuted a drastic new look on the red carpet last night.

The 45-year-old actress set tongues wagging when she stepped out at the Annual Women in Hollywood Awards and looked noticeably different. 

The Chicago actress’s skin looked completely smooth and line free while her eyes looked slightly larger. Her face also appeared slightly puffy causing the rumour mill to go into overdrive. 

It’s not the first time speculation has surrounded the actress and her ever changing appearance, in particular her fluctuating weight, which has been a talking point for many years. 

Zellweger joins a long list of famous faces who have had a little helping hand along the way in remaining pretty and youthful. However, surgeries do go wrong and some celebrities just don't know when to stop. I took a look back at some of the questionable plastic surgery decisions some celebrities made over the years.

Donatella Versace 

The Vice-President of high-fashion brand Versace, 54-year-old Donatella has had her fair share of plastic surgeries. Her trademark swollen smackers, as well as adjustments to her nose, have gained plenty of attention over the years.

Michael Jackson

The King of Pop only ever admitted to getting two nose jobs in his whole life, however a look at the difference in his appearance between the 1980's and the final years of his life suggests otherwise. The picture opposite shows the Thriller singer pictured in 1979, 1988 and 2005. 

Heidi Montag

Reality star Heidi Montag found herself dominating headlines worldwide when it emerged she underwent 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day. The Hills star reportedly had her breast implants increased to DDD's, a brow life, nose job and liposuction on her stomach and thighs, among other things.

Janice Dickinson

The self-proclaimed first supermodel of the world, Janice Dickinson, has, reportedly, had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cosmetic surgery done in order to maintain the beautiful looks that catapulted her to international fame in the 1970's and '80's. 

Jocelyn Wildenstein 

The New York City socialite became famous during her bitter divorce when it emerged she had spent four million dollars on her extensive facial surgeries and extravagant lifestyle

Facing the fear of final year

They say college years are the best years of your life and, after breezing through the first two or three years in a haze of parties, adventures and good times, the intensity of fourth year kind of knocked me for six. Now, over five weeks into my final year I’ve started to notice a couple of things.

1. Socialising has become a rare occurrence

Catching up with your friends and classmates now only happens on the walk in to college or on the walk home from college. Sneaky pints after class or heading out every Tuesday and Thursday night is, for the time being, a thing of the past.

2. Caffeine is my best friend

 The answer to all of life’s problems and stressful issues is, of course, to have a cup of tea. Or coffee. Or cigarettes. Just whatever gets you through the day as a functioning, intelligent college student.

 

3. Sleep has become a distant memory

A 24-hour-day just isn’t enough when you’re expected to attend lectures, labs and tutorials while also being bogged down with assignments, exams, presentations and final year projects.

4. There’s no room for procrastination

Although we’ve been good friends for the last few years and maintained a strong bond, I realised soon into fourth year that procrastination and I would have to part ways. I was quick to realise that watching re-runs of Friends episodes I’ve seen a hundred times or cleaning the house from top to bottom won’t write my 2,500 word essay for me.

5. Being healthy requires a lot of effort

Finding the time to make healthy snacks and nutritious meals as well as exercising every evening takes up precious time us final year students don’t really have. While staying fit and healthy is key to reducing stress and illness, finding the time to do that is not so easy. It’s all a vicious cycle.

6. The future is looming

As I edge ever so closer to finishing my degree the possibility of being thrown out into the big bad world scares the life out of me (and probably every other final year student). Thinking properly about what you’re going to do after college, applying for jobs and going for interviews are now all part and parcel of an already stressful year. That dreaded question being asked all too often; “So, what are you going to do after college?” instils the fear of God into me and probably will, until I figure out what the hell I’m doing with my life.

Although final year imposes many challenges and difficulties and, despite all the stress and pressure that the year inevitably brings, the important thing to remember is that it’s only temporary. Or so I keep telling myself. Yes it will be a demanding and tough year. Yes there will be tears and tantrums and thoughts of throwing the towel in but we will get through it, we will pass our exams with flying colours and next summer we will graduate (hopefully!)

Improving slowly but surely...

Just a few weeks ago I dedicated a whole blog post to my lack of Indesign skills and expertise. Anyone who read that post would know how much I despised the software, how inept it made me feel and how much I was longing to be free from ever looking at it again.

Then something inside me snapped and I decided I had to practice and I had to make myself better at it. It may never be a love of mine but for the sake of experience and (hopefully) a decent mark in my exam, I needed to practice.

After a few long, tedious and, at times, hair-pulling hours I began to improve. I didn’t panic as much when the picture box didn’t fit. I didn’t give a loud, exasperated and dramatic sigh when the headline was wrong. No. I copped myself on and I asked for help. My classmates, Amy and Lorna, who were both in the same boat as me, were on hand to help and so we gradually got our bearings with the software. I have realised that not panicking is one of the most important things when it comes to Indesign. In fact, it’s the worst thing you could do. Do the opposite. Play around with the tools and figure out what’s what.

Now, I’m not saying I’m ever going to master Indesign but I feel I’m improving slowly but surely. Today’s class was really good and I feel I benefited from it a lot. Although Photoshop goes over my head a bit, I decided to concentrate on my Indesign page. After seeing it as a PDF format I knew I had some changes to make to it and so I concentrated on those for the majority of the class.

I feel that with a couple more hours of practice I will be able to navigate my way around the software and be as ready as I can be for the lab assessment. Wish me luck!

Best of Both Worlds in Lovely Lisbon

As dilemmas go, it can be a tough one. For couples with opposing opinions on what a relaxing holiday should entail, choosing between a city break or a beach break is a tricky question. In the end our destination turned out to be the perfect compromise between culture and sun, activity and relaxation. Lisbon offers all the delights you’d expect of Portugal’s star attraction and strikes the perfect balance.

Like other cities, Lisbon is a hive of activity. The city is a flurry of activity and commotion and ensures that there is something for everyone. The city is easily accessible on foot but can also be explored through the cities affordable public transport system. The Lisbon Sightseeing hop on/hop off bus tour is a must do for anyone interested in capturing all the city’s most popular attractions in one open bus ride. The tour offers brief, but excellent, audio guide of the capital as it roams through different parts of the city.

We start our tour right in the heart of Lisbon at the Marques de Pombal Square where we first take in the modern side of Lisbon and the Baixa district, before delving back in time to some of the oldest most historical attractions such as the Se Cathedral and the Castelo de Sao Jorge, which overlooks the Portuguese capital from one of its highest points.

Included in the hop on/hop off bus tour is the option to explore the city in a totally different way; the GoCar. Voted one of the coolest inventions by Time magazine in 2004, the GoCar is a funky, yellow, mini convertible that takes you on a tour around the city while you drive. The GPS guided storytelling car takes you on an unforgettable journey around the city, through narrow alleyways and winding backroads, all the way into the heart of Lisbon and the hustle and bustle of city life. Renting out one of these cars allows you to see Lisbon as you want to and how you want to. You’re free to stop and start whenever and wherever you want. Although it was slightly stressful, it was also one of the funniest and exciting experiences I had while in the capital.

Once the sightseeing is done and dusted and you’re craving some tan time on the beach then the popular resorts of Estoril and Cascais are for you. The Mediterranean climate guarantees warm and blue skies for most of the year. The hottest summer months can reach blistering temperatures of 30 degrees and over, while even the winter months remain relatively mild compared to our harsh winters here. The average low winter temperature in Lisbon stands at 9.3 degrees making it a year round destination.

The Cais de Sodre train from Lisbon’s city centre will take you all the way to Estoril, in just over 20 minutes, where you can then hop off and walk the rest of the way to Cascais. The two beach towns are joined together by a promenade and so it’s just a quick walk from one area to the next. Both resorts look like a picture off a postcard with their warm sandy beaches that extend for miles and the glistening turquoise seawater. Estoril remains the quieter of the two while Cascais has more of a buzz about it with water sports activities taking place throughout the day and a range of small bars, restaurants and shops to choose from.

For the foody in you the Portuguese cuisine scene is largely dominated by seafood, although if that’s not your thing then there’s still plenty to choose from on the menu. One word of advice; in every restaurant we visited we were given a plate of bread and olives with our starter without us asking for it. This is added to the bill at the end of the meal so if you don’t like olives or simply don’t want it then just ask them to take it back. Sunday is also a bad restaurant day as a lot of places are closed so just make sure to plan accordingly.

So, if it’s beach time you’re hankering after, but your other half is craving a city break then Lisbon is the answer to all of your problems. The capital city strikes the perfect balance between the relaxation of suburban beach life and the rush of city life. Everyone wins.