New Year... Same aims - Blog Update #3

G.O.A.L.S: Reaching the Crossroads

"The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book. waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals." (Melody Beattie).

Hey everyone and welcome back to my Blog in 2016!!! I hope everyone had a good Christmas and an awesome New Year, I know I did. So as promised from last year, I wanted to start the year off by doing a quick and informative update regarding on what to expect in the coming weeks on this Blog, to briefly go through my personal summary of 2015, how I want to go and tackle a big year in 2016 and also to talk about what to expect in the coming weeks in this Blog and the U.K. Blog awards 2016. I know looking ahead, this could be one of the best years of my life if everything goes as planned and to do that, I know I have to work hard. It's definitely going to be a year of change that's for sure. Anyway, before I get down to 2016, I want to briefly summarise my year of 2015!! So without further delay, lets go!! 

The Year of 2015 - A year of Transition

Now I'm not going to bog everyone down right from the start of this Post and go into detail about my year of 2015, because simply that's just outright boring. Instead I'm just going to briefly summarise 2015 which all in all, it was definitely a year of transition and ups and downs. When I say transition, what I mean by this is simply that, it was a routine year; a year that pretty much revolved around me working hard to get into my final year of University at Salford. I know putting this way sounds kind of lame and sad, but getting into my final of year of University is something that I'm very proud of achieving. I've said this before, but back when I was in High-School, I never would have imagined myself going to Uni and getting a degree simply because I thought I wasn't good enough to get to that level. As times have gone by however, I've realised that hard-work, focus and determination have been key for me in getting the grades I want in the subjects that I've done. Now that I'm coming into my final stages of university studying film, it's important that I use all the help, experience and advice that I've received in the past few years and use all this to get me over the finish line. The word of transition is also applicable to describe last year as I have commendably, lost weight. The ironic thing about me losing weight is that, I honestly didn't go to the Gym at all and in general, I hate it when people say that you have to go the Gym to lose weight. That frankly is non-sense. With the weight loss as well, I know this might be a cliché thing to say, but I do generally feel better and lighter! and I can put it down to a few exercises I do each day and not eating as much as I need to. Simple. As the summer blew away in which I focused on script/film/T.V. ideas and enjoyed a nice break, I once again went back to Uni where I began my third and final year which so far, is going rather well. I know in the end, going to Uni will be worth it. Now I am not going to into specifics with the down ships that I have faced during last year, since some of the things that happened are very personal and it would be unacceptable to go into detail in. Plus it's depressing to even talk about as well. All I will say is that, even if it's something bad that has happened, you'll always find a way to take experience from those dark moments which will make you become a better person in the end. As we moved into the final stages of 2015, it was more or less routine as usual; do essay work over the festive year and have a laugh with the best brothers and the best mum that are genuinely the best. Moving into 2016, I know things are going to be different, and things are going to change... I just have this good feeling that all of it will work out for the better.

The Year of 2016 - Meeting the goals and Metamorphosis

I'm not going to lie, it's a bit weird thinking about the fact that were in the year of 2016 at this moment in time. I think the main reason for that is simply down to the fact that I'm into the final stages of my third and final year of University (even though I still have to do essays from the 1st semester). Going into the new year and the final stages of my University time, I'm genuinely feeling good on what could happen this year, and I don't normally have this sought of optimism going into a new year. The obvious reason why I'm feeling good is the simple fact that hopefully, I'll be getting my film degree from Salford University in the summer which is a bit crazy to think about. I know it's a bit cliché, but it only feels like yesterday since I started University, which actually on the first day, involved an old hag starring at me in the morning at the bus stop and being really awkward, as everyone was, in meeting the other people at Media City (which is where one of the few Salford University campuses are located at).

It's certainly going to be weird not coming here for Uni anymore...

I know in the end I'll be forever grateful for the people I've met on this course since they're not only great people who I know they'll go onto do different and bigger things, but I have learnt a lot from as well which I guess is a good piece of advice you and I should take, Even if it's something minuscule, you can always use any sort of information and advice and add that to your experience which will benefit in the end. Now it's all fine and dandy saying that I'll pass this course, but I know full well that one of the biggest things I'll ever conjure is coming up in the form of my thesis/dissertation and like with everyone, I'll need to muster all of what I've learnt and get as much as help as possible. Looking back at High-School and College, while I'll admit that I wasn't the smartest kid around the block, one thing that I've tried to do was to work hard and focus on the work that I've been handed. I know if I can keep focusing on the thesis idea I have, I know things will turn for the better. The one positive I have already with the potential idea I have for this thesis is the fact that I briefly got some useful information/references which I hope will be useful in terms of the idea that I want to cover. I'm not going to talk about University too much, so to end talking about University, I just want to say good-luck to the people that I know who are going into their final stages of University, It's for certain cause that you'll all pass with flying colours :). Not only am I happy about potentially finishing University, but there also other things that I am looking forward to doing, even if it's something small. So the obvious one that sticks into mind at this moment when I'm typing this, is the eventual start of leaning how to drive. It's a travesty really how I haven't actually started any driving lessons at all whilst I see people I know who have already passed their driving lessons and theory and so on. If I don't get myself into learning how to drive, then it would be a massive disappointing stain into the year which obviously, I want to avoid. This probably goes under one of the smallest things that I want to get out of in 2016, but I really want to start collecting film/T.V. posters for my room, Again, I know what you're thinking, how don't you have anything attached to my bedroom wall. Yeah, it's just bad isn't it. I don't really know why I have never had posters of any kind in my room haha. The reasoning behind collecting a few now, is simply the fact that I've seen my older brother collecting a few nice artistic posters from films etc. and it got my thinking, 'why don't I just do the same'. Obviously, I'm not going to get the same exact posters as he's got, that would be weird. But it's something overall that sounds fun to me and yeah... I'm just bored of looking at my bedroom walls ahah (yeah I don't know ahha). One thing that I am keeping up from last year is the exercises that I am doing. Not to say that I'm fat or anything which there really isn't anything wrong in being fat, it just feels good when you have a regime of keeping fit and it will benefit in the end. A new exercise, If I can say this, that I want to try is general running. Although this was back in High-school and wasn't necessarily long distance, I used to like the times in P.E when we did 100m sprints or 200m sprints since well... I was in the fair share of being fast heh. But on a serious note, it would be nice to change up my routine a bit in terms of the exercises that I do, and I think running would be something that I would like to do once or twice a week. Another kind of big thing that I would like to do would be just to get out of Salford and go on holiday somewhere with either friends or family. As much as I am proud to say that I live in Salford/Manchester, it honestly is becoming stagnant and is kind of boring in the summer to stay in Salford. As long as it's somewhere with culture and history, then I'm gone!! Ever since I started my film course at University, one thing that I've always promised my self to do each year, was in fact to keep watching as many different films as I can, even if it's a film that I've not seen in a while. It's a cool experience when you completely watch something that is out of your comfort zone and ends up being a film that you like which enables you to watch more films like that one. I kind of had a similar thing when I was doing a film essay when I had to talk about British Rom-Coms for my British comedy film module and honestly, I don't mind watching the classic Richard Curtis comedies of 90's as although they are cheese-ball to death, the comedy is just funny to me now. I definitely want that feeling again and to try and explore maybe a different genre of film that I don't normally watch. One general thing that I want to try and get myself into, is to do random events around Manchester. Knowing that I won't have much to do as the year will end, I really want to explore and try and do different things. A good example of what I mean is when last year, there was an event around my birthday where in Manchester, there was this big pillow fight which anyone could take part in for free and in the end, I didn't force myself to do it. I really want to this year do events that just look fun instead of just doing nothing. To summarise what has been said here, overall I think looking ahead to 2016, I am genuinely excited about the things that can happen for me this year. I know that if I continue to knuckle down my University dissertation, then everything will be good. But I have to remember this, sometimes you have to expect the unexpected, you never know what lies around the corner. And on that note, time to talk about my Blog for this year and what should be coming your way soon.

The Things to expect - Upcoming Blog Posts

So continuing from what I started last year around the same time, the first proper Blog Post that I want to do of this year is a Post that goes through the films to be excited for. Although I don't think no film this year will live up to their own hype and expectation unlike Star Wars from late last year, there are still some interesting films to at least mention and be wary of as the year goes on. Plus I did enjoy doing a similar kind of Post last year where I went through the films of 2015, and I know it will be equally enjoyable to do it again for this year. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I still have to do essay work for the previous University semester, the Blog Post which will be of the films to be excited for in 2016, could potentially be posted around after the 20th of January. It might be Posted earlier than that, but don't get your hopes up too much. The next Blog Post to do after this one is the long and awaited review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I know it's a travesty that I haven't reviewed the film yet even when I last watched near the end of last year, priorities again have to come first and I didn't want to take the risk of putting out a good or rubbish review of Star Wars and completely mess up an essay that was due in near the start of year. That would have been unacceptable. But it's a review non-the less, that I want to desperately write up and there multiple things I want to say about the film, both good and bad. After that I should be back to normal again with regular weekly posts of films that I either review or talk about as a news segment. One film in particular that I'm looking forward to that comes out in cinemas soon is The Revenant which is something that all of you should expect to see on this Blog. Something that I want to talk about regarding/referencing Blogging is that firstly, besides film reviews, I really want to do more Game reviews which I've only ever done one to date. These game reviews I think, will specifically be reviews of old games that I used to play in the good old days with my brothers on the PS2 and to this day, stand as some of the best games I've played. I don't care if it doesn't have amazing graphics like PS4 or Xbox One, they were just fun in every-way!! What I can also assure everyone, is that when I do get myself up and going with regular weekly Blog Posts, expect to see some fresh Anime reviews as well. I'll be reviewing the likes Sword Art Online (season 1), The Seven Deadly Sins, Ghost in the Shell and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children which I'm really eager to review for you all. Now although the next thing I'm going to talk about isn't strictly to do with the Blog itself, it's an idea that I've been weighing up in my head for a while now and I'm still unsure where to go with it. The idea itself, is in fact a YouTube channel which would consist of vlogs, film reviews, general film news talk and the occasional skit here and there. I think some people who are reading this, know that I did have a YouTube channel which focused on Gaming. But due to the fact that those videos consisted a lot of editing with clips and the actual game footage, it took a lot out of my time. The benefit I feel by doing a vlogs channel, if you will, is a prospect that to me, sounds a lot easier for me. Who knows, The YouTube idea could potentially work and I don't think I would ever get bored of making those videos. It just depends on how much time I have I guess. But before I make a decision, I want to know if YOU think it's a good idea. I'm open to criticism or feedback... so long as it's not a rant that includes swear words and unnecessary language. Anyway, let me know what you guys think about me doing YouTube again.

Awards Time!!

The last thing I want to talk about before I go on to conclude this Post, I wanted to let everyone know, that this Blog - 'The Rabbitte Perspective' is nominated for an award in the U.K. Blog Awards 2016. To get myself and the Blog into the final stages of the awards, I need your guys' help. So basically, if you want, you can vote for me and my Blog on the Blog Awards U.K. website where I am situated as an individual entry under the Arts & Culture section. It would be much appreciated if you guys could vote for this Blog which would grant all of us, an awards finale in London. While you should vote for me!! haha, I do want to stress that there also some other great Blogs that you can vote as well. The public vote ends on Monday 25th January 2016 at 9pm!! so make sure if you want to vote, than start doing that ASAP. I mean, it would be awesome to be in the final of the awards in which I would get to go to London and hopefully, I can share that experience with you guys. I genuinely hope so. Anyway, as stated just then, it would be much appreciated if you guys could vote for 'The Rabbitte Perspective' and get ourselves to London. I'll leave a link below where you can vote for me!!

VOTE!! - 'The Rabbitte Perspective' - http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/ukba2016/my-entry/rabbitte-perspective


Right, and that about wraps up everything I wanted to get off my plate. I hope you enjoyed the read, even though it's a boring update Blog haha. So to reiterate what has been said, 2016 for me, I think is going to be a good year with lots of positives and change. I know, if I can just keep my focus with what I have to do for University, then everything should be good. While the next step after University is a complete mystery, I know eventually, things will sprout out from the ground. Make sure as well, you all vote for this Blog in the U.K. Blog awards, that would be the icing on cake for this year if this Blog made it into the final stages!! The next Blog Post you might see will probably be around in 2 weeks time or so. I know it's a bit of a while, but you have to know that I currently still doing at least one University essay and the Post that I intend to do, will be a biggie, with the films to watch for 2016, which should be a good read for you all. So be sure to check that out in a couple of weeks time. Until then, I'll see you awesome people later. See ya!!! :)

(Just wanted to share this Coldplay song as well from their new album A Head Full of Dreams called 'Birds'. The more I listen to the new songs from this Album, the more I get addicted haha. Anyway, go check it out!!)

"Be yourself: everyone else is already taken."