Hiyi Blogger

I've made a blog and now I'm blogging.

If you care to look below you'll see a whole heap (5) of blogs. These are ones that sat in my Facebook Notes section for a long time. (They're dated) I wanted to air them a bit, and let other folks than my friends read them. I've not touched them, made any corrections or even added pictures (to be honest the only one that was hard no to do was the last of those, so they are as authentic as they day they were typed.*

A quick introduction to me: I recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh, which you can see in my 'about me' I am still working in my summer time employment that is due to end soon.. so I'm trying to sort out what I want to do with the rest of my life. Hence the blog. There, sorted. And the best thing is I had all those posts just waiting to be ctrl-C'd up here. great. job done. I'll write something when I have some news.

Quick question - does the return key mess up your blogs too? This text box can't handle it when I enter.

But to my news, I have some, the most exciting thing I have done recently is make a film, a mocumentary no less on the workings of a society within an insular community. The society within the film 'The Society' is 'The Adam Hart-Davis Appreciation Society'. You may know who he is, you may not, for now it does not matter, but I urge you to seek him out, he is one of the most informative and delightful presenters I have had the pleasure to watch. As ridiculous or harrowing as 'The Society' gets it is a homage to Mr Hart-Davis, whom I really am a fan of. I'll even go so far as to label myself an oik, again. (see video)

First aired at Screeplay's 'Home Made In Shetland' on Thursday 1st September 2011. "It was very funny" - Mark Kermode. (approached during his second tin of Tennents. Clever)

Clipping from 'Home Made In Shetland' programme. Thanks BB.

Directed - Marjolein Robertson & Willem Cluness
Edited - Willem Cluness & Marjolein Robertson
Filmed - Willem Cluness, Annie Mckee & Marjolein Robertson
Written - Marjolein Robertson, Willem Cluness & John Haswell
Original concept - Dirk Robertson & Marjolein Robertson
Thanks to - Shetland Arts Trust & The Gruting School

 Now watch The Society- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6UiYU_hmmU




*I didn't even add 'Labels' which was probably a stupid idea and I'm going to do that as soon as I finish this post.

I don't really want to do this but.

by Marjolein Robertson on Friday, May 20, 2011 at 9:14pm

I thought I should spend one last moment of my degree procrastinating, just to write this note you know, otherwise I'd actually be working.

 Usually there is something on my mind to prompt me to write something like this, like my thoughts on Eurovision last time.

It's all cool I did get to see it. Although THE Netherlands weren't actually in the final so I looked pretty stupid in my Dutch strip and flag painted face. But then I probably looked more ridiculous in Niki's bright blue tights and Angry's orange XL long tee in Prow. I'm not sure. And to be honest after watching the Eurovision Song Contest I've been left with many more questions then I'd started with. Also everytime I'm guessing the countries of Europe on Sporcle now I try Azerbaijan at least three times. God bless Eurovision.


To be honest I have nothing to say. Nothing at all. In fact I want to go back to my desk, away from a computer and read. I suppose this is it, I've finally grown up at 22 and a day with over 19 hours of my degree to go. Going to sign of then and carry on revising.




But first I think I'll go for a really long plank in a corridor somewhere.

I'm revising and these are my thoughts:

by Marjolein Robertson on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 9:11pm

 Woah woah woah woah have I missed this years Eurovision Song Contest?
No. Thank god.
Jedward for Ireland?
Anyone, ANYONE can actually send in their own song.
Why is Holland under 'T'?
'The Netherlands'. The.
Fuck this Eurovision you've already blown my mind.

11 years old

by Marjolein Robertson on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 5:58pm

Yes. 11. We've all been there, unless you are 10 and under and then why are you on facebook? Why?


But yea, being 11. I don't know what you were into then but I'm going to presume most of you were massive Harry Potter geeks and were all patiently waiting on your owl from Albus. And I bet most of you too hoped that secretly you were at least half witch/wizard, your parents just decided not to let you in the know until it was time to head down to Diog-A and see Ollivander for your wand and then learn to use your (force) magic responsibly under the watchful eyes of the Hogwarts professors.

Yea I waited for that letter. And then when September arrived (by this time I was 11 and 4 months) I ran out my house, up the hill, and shouted to the heavens (pretty fitting because seeing as this was now 2000 that is where old Alby was by then residing) "I'M READY DUMBLEDORE, I'M READY TO GO TO HOGWARTS AND BECOME A WITCH!"
I bet you all did that too.


But that's not what being 11 is all about. No it is not.

Another wish I had, I prayed for, albeit, a little less realistic, was to leave home with a rucksack on my back full of empty Pokéballs and the ambition to become the world's greatest POKÉMON MASTER!
Achievable.

I really hoped by then they would have harnessed technology with the ability to capture and store animals electronically, cocooning them until it was time to release them purely to fight the opponent. I already had a little menagerie of three able bodied animals, lucky pets. The ultimate dream of course to head over to Japan and step into Pallet Town and realise, in a wash of grey scale and 2-D vision that this was what life was.

The premise of the game is actually as crazy as many other Nintendo story lines. Think of Mario, a plumber who on getting sucked into the pipes he's trying to fix ends up in a world of evil turtles and dinosaurs who keep stealing the Mushroom Kingdom's Princess, who is luckily a babe, otherwise it'd be pretty awkward when you FINALLY get to the right castle to bag her yourself and you discover she's a mushroom.

Yea now think of Pokémon - at the age of 11 any kid who wants to can leave home and travel from town to town, sleeping rough, capturing wild animals, training them, making them fight and hopefully earning some cash in the process.
That shit is messed up. And that shit is what I wanted to embark on when I was 11.

Thoughts when writing my dissertation

 by Marjolein Robertson on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 5:17pm

I've been thinking about faces a lot recently, no not faces, poses, people's face poses. THANKS ALOT EUSA ELECTIONS.
I'm so distracted.
So anyway, I was thinking a lot about people's common photo pose when on Guardian website and I couldn't help but look at Charlie Brooker for a long, long time.

I don’t mean to poke fun at Charlie Brooker no it’s just that he is a prime example of having ‘a face’. From picture to picture, book cover to book cover.. or is he only on ‘Dawn of the Dumb’ whatever it is he always looks serious, but a bit pissed off and then slightly confused, as if he quite likes that shit that he's hating on so much on tv. Which I think he is getting at in every write up he writes up (imaginative english skillz)

Perhaps though, having ‘a face’ is a good idea. Think of Marilyn Monroe, yea, exactly you have no problem remembering her face, it’s iconic, probably through Warhol garishly (not that I don’t like it) repeatedly burning it into our retinas (which I’m not complaining about).

In fact, take someone like, say, no actually. Let’s take Lady Gaga. Everyone knows her. Or at least they know her costumes, you can sort of imagine her face, pretty sure she is (usually) blonde, has a distinct nose and huge black voids for eyes. I think, the problem with her face is it changes too much/hidden more often than not with all manner of things. Wait I forgot my point... SKIP TO THE END:

‘the face’ (if a good one): is great, it will create an image of you for all time, think about that EUSA candidates
Lady Gaga: I will never remember what she looks like, in my head is a mix of raw meat (waste) netting, telephones, Beyonce (hawt) and messsss.



Actually no, scrap everything I just wrote - I will remember what she looks like for eternity because I just remembered she looks like an egg.

You think you procrastinate?

by Marjolein Robertson on Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 7:55pm

 

So I have taken to writing a ‘note’ this is a new form of procrastination I have not experienced before (save my ‘facts about me’ but those along with questionnaires have been filling my time since I was 13.) No today I’m writing about how I feel the coming to the library is pretty much (if not exactly) the same to as climbing a mountain, say Everest.

Now I have never been up Everest but I’m pretty sure the process is all pretty much the same as the steps in this analogy. Oh and I saw a documentary once, a while back, on some mountaineers up Everest. So I’m sure enough qualified in the matter. So, on I go with my analogy of the similarities between climbing Everest and studying in the University of Edinburgh library.

(Sorry about my poor introduction, but you’re going to have to get used to my rubbish writing style!)

Firstly, you have to travel to the library, you may live close to it, and you may live far (as in bus ride’) away. I live a decent length of time by walking and I have to accommodate my time to get to the old bibliotheque carefully; as I would if I was travelling to the Himalayas. (Spot any differences thus far? No, I thought not.)

Next you need your student card to get into the library; or in the Everest expedition case: your passport. This whole process is similar to customs – you try and smuggle anything into this building (a grande caramel latte with 3 shots of coffee) and you will get caught by the security.

Then we have to stock up supplies. Oh we’re not total idiots (all the time) we (usually) arrive at the library with our most essential needs, the usual list is:
LIBRARY CARD
Pens
Paper
Water
Mobile Phone
Slippers (seriously try it once you’ll never go back)
Pen drive

However the library too provides us with necessities:
HUB RESERVE BOOKS
And
MALTEASERS
(You will need money for the latter)

So before we can begin the ascent we have to make sure we have what we need. However as soon as we have our supplies we must make sure to complete this epic voyage before they run out (3 hours) so onwards and upwards with our journey!

(There are also library/mountaineering experts at ‘ground base’ who will help you. And if you’re lucky you may meet them on your way should you ever need assistance.)

One of my favourite aspects of travelling is meeting other visitors and discussing our experiences, sharing travel tips and generally laughing (often remorsefully) about the drunken night before. So as we journey up through the bases remember to allow time for chatting to all the other students.

Now I’m not sure how computers fit into my analogy but I’m pretty certain you couldn’t go the whole 2 weeks* it takes to get up and down old Everest without Facebook… you need to update your status about it, and profile picture, and comment on your friends page about your ‘super time!’ and then look who else has commented on their page. Then check those people out and oh! They have new pictures of their puppy! – Didn’t even know they had a one! Well I do know, and how enriched my life is for looking at an unfocussed photo of their 7 month old Labrador looking away from the camera!... I wonder if my crops are ready to harvest on Farmville?
God bless facebook.

Where were we? Ah stairs. There are lots of them. You could get the lift. Yeah I get the lift when I’m going to fifth but it’s not the same. You don’t get that feeling of how awesome you are if you simply get the lift. So in this, this lift is no longer going to be mentioned. Stairs, like Everest there are base camps and these are the floors between the stairs. First we have to get to a computer to print off stuff to read on fifth, in other words, go to base camp.

First floor –No free computers, I could stand here for a bit longer but I’d rather just try second.

Second floor –Under construction, try third

Third floor – No computers free, maybe fourth?

Fourth floor – No, there are ones free but they are macs and I’m a PC and I’m just not compatible, but never fear, there a group of computers on fourth known to few and there’s usually several free.
By now I’m way too tired, I log in print off what I need but the pressure is getting to me (or in Everest terms ‘lack of’) I have to move down to a lower altitude, there I can get some more supplies. I head back down now and wonder then this analogy switched to first person?

The folio section. There is no way I can relate this to Everest so I will just say I get my journal; by first checking the library catalogue and much searching between the shelves. After travelling to a lower altitude and thus curing myself of my mountain sickness I am ready to make my way to fifth.

Fifth – the heavenly peak
(This is assuming there is no sixth because I went up there once and was asked what I was doing by the receptionist and so never returned)
I walk into the quiet, tranquil room, peacefulness, sit down at a desk and survey the wonders outside. And like Everest it’s been snowy lately. (Will the comparisons never cease?)

And so, at the top, I try to remember what Morgan Freeman said in the Bucket List about the stillness/music of the mountain or something but I don’t remember. Instead I look out the window to Arthur’s seat and thank fuck the library isn’t up there.




*Once again I’m no expert but I will make it up as I go, 2 weeks sounds like plenty of time to me.