The 365th Day...

I love New Years. Everything about it, from the evening and night before, to the clock striking midnight and the start of the first "day" of the next year- just everything. It's fair to say I look forward to it with easily equal (if not more) anticipation as for the C-word that comes at this time of year as well. Of course, why wouldn't I? Because taking away the turkey (that poor, pescetarian little me can't eat anyway...) and the presents (that, let's face it, aren't the point anyway,) and the family arguments, excessive chocolate consumption and drinking at 10am, you're left with a national holiday that - to be honest - I don't think is anywhere near as good as New Year's Eve.

 

 

I love - clichéd and hated though this is - the feeling of a clean slate. A new year; a fresh start; a blank and empty page ready to be filled up with all the stuff that's going to happen to you over the next months and weeks. This year could be the best one yet - you can make it whatever was lacking from the last, make it full of amazing experiences and say yes to everything. You could finally quit smoking, start running or taking more photos or spend more time with your family or be nicer to everyone around you. Whatever you decide to do, the possibilities are endless and potentially life-changing. I love making my resolutions for the months ahead - as well as looking back at last years, reflecting on what I made happen, the things that were good ideas as well as the ones that turned out to be better off forgotten about. Seeing how much has changed in a whole year can be terrifying - but also a reminder of how far you've come; the things you achieved that would have seemed impossible only 52 (sometimes very long) weeks ago. Some years you feel like a completely different person, a whole new version of yourself, and other December 31sts you feel exactly the same.

 

 

I love celebrating NYE with my family, friends and whoever else turns up at our house. We always end up having a traditional *everyone just gets pissed* type of party with small children asleep on sofas, adults dancing in the living room and a kitchen full of bottles and glasses to clear up the next morning. When me and my sister were little our favourite thing was being allowed to stay up past midnight for once, and even now I'm older I still prefer "our" New Years to going out anywhere else. I love the countdown, the excitement, watching the fireworks at midnight and hugging everyone in the room. I love being dragged into a circle of my family, being forced to sing something Scottish that after 18 years I'm sure I still don't know the words to. These days, I even don't mind the first hangover of the year either...

 

 

So, whether its your favourite night or the one you dread most of all; if you were out for the night, watching fireworks in Edinburgh or London or someone's back garden or curled up on the sofa, drink in hand watching Jools Holland (this is how I always secretly suspected my dad would prefer it to be...) I hope you had a very happy New Year's Eve and a lovely first day of January.. *cough, Sherlock...*. It may be known as "amateur night," the worst one of the year to go out on, you may simply long for it to be over and just go to bed and sleep through it, but however you chose to spend it, to celebrate or endure the start of 2014, I hope you enjoyed it and the next 364 days to go.

 

Oh, and this is the best New Years-y song in existence. xxx

 

LES MIS

Ever since I first heard of Les Miserables, I have been fascinated and a tiny bit obsessed with it. I sobbed my way through it more than once in the cinema, insisted on helping out with every show when my school performed the musical - just to get to be there and watch it each night - and was given both the film soundtrack and a copy of the original book for my 17th birthday. Although at the moment the (huge) chunky text is sat being quietly ignored on my bookshelf - its about 7,000 pages long, okay?! - I've definitely been inspired to attempt to read it now. Maybe when I've watched the movie once more...

 

Anyway, yesterday, December 23rd, I was lucky enough to go and see the musical in the West End. I've been hoping this would happen for about two or so years now so it was a completely amazing experience. The show recently moved to Queen's Theatre and is now the longest running musical in the world. We booked tickets really last minute so ended up being sat at the back of the stalls, which isn't ideal as you can't really see the top of the barricades from there. However, the singing, the actors, costumes, sets and everything else about it made it so incredible that I stopped noticing the fact that some of the characters looked like they didn't have heads and I'm already planning to go again sometime.

I think the reason so many people all over the world love this show so much is because of how relatable it is. That may sound strange, given that the whole thing is set in revolutionary France, and we like to think the world has moved on since then. But all of the different bits of plot, the complicated lives of all the characters, mean that whatever you have experienced in your life, you can see a little bit of it in Les Mis. There are so many different relationships, so many themes going on, and the story is universal, ending with a message of hope, even when surrounded by death.

It's fair to say that Les Miserables isn't the most "happy" musical you could imagine - it's name is basically French for: "The Miserable Ones" after all - which is why the comic parts of it are so important. The audience sat up a bit straighter when the Thenardier's came on stage and their songs are the most entertaining by far. The contrast of laughing at them and enjoying the humour in their scenes makes you appreciate the sadness of the deaths of several characters and feel that you are on an emotional rollercoaster - everything from danger, fear, love, anger, redemption and finally hope are explored throughout the nearly 3 hour running time. It might be a long musical but it seemed to go by seriously fast. I felt like the curtains had only just risen when the actors started taking their bows to a standing ovation. My eye makeup was cried off down my cheeks by the middle of Act 1, I literally had to force myself not to start singing along and I can honestly say I hoped it would never be over. If you ever get the chance to see Les Miserables, definitely say yes! It's an experience you will never forget; you'll find yourself humming the songs weeks later, wishing you could see it for the first time all over again.