Tag: Personal Space

My favourite moments of 2018

Hola everyone.

Can you believe that it’s already December? I can’t. Although I’m practically surrounded by christmas decorations and fairy lights and christmas trees here in Brighton, I can’t seem to fully get this christmassy feeling. Probably because the weather is still a bit too nice outside for my brain to think that it’s winter. And maybe it’s because I’m not at home, which, speaking of that, will thankfully change this Saturday, as I’ll be flying home then, for a whole month. I. Can’t. Wait. Honestly.

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But although I might not have the christmassy feeling yet, and whether I want it or not, the year is really coming to an end. And holy moly, what a year that was. Not to be dramatic or anything, but I really feel like so far this has been the most eventful year of my life. Not just because I moved to the UK and began to study music journalism at BIMM, which is like the biggest step in my life so far. Also because during the whole year I got so many things done and could tick so many boxes on my “things I want to do in my life”-list. And I’m so damn grateful for that.

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And as I’m a huge fan of photography, as you all know, I thought I’d make a little compilation of my most favourite moments of this year. I could actually capture most of them, which is a pretty cool thing, and I’m so happy I get to share them all with you. You’ll probably already know most of the pictures, but please know that these photographs right here hold a really special meaning for me, even if they’re just my favorite picture I took in a month. Some are from the beginning of the year, from a concert, from a vacation with my family, from my home, from my time here in Brighton.  Some were taken with my camera, some with the phone, some were meant to be this way, some are what we call candids nowadays. Heck, one was even made with an analog camera. Together they make a big mix of moments and memories of 2018, but as a big picture they are my 2018. And I dearly hope you enjoy them. I won’t specifically tell which story belongs to which picture, as I’ve always loved how a piece of art and photography can have a different meaning for every single person that looks at it. So, I invite you all to make up your own stories. But if you want to know the “real” ones, just hit me up and I’ll let you know.

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As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below and let me know what you think. And, of course, I hope you’re all doing good and wish you a nice week. And thanks for reading. x

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Welcome back home

Hola everyone.

You guys aren’t gonna believe how long I’ve been waiting to finally be able to write this special post right here. Yes, this one. The one you’ve just decided to read. Speaking of that – hey there, thanks for checking by. Buckle up, it’s gonna get magical today.

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So, as most of you, who have been following me for quite a while, will know, I am a huge Potterhead. If you’ve ever imagined the typical Harry Potter fan, then that’s pretty much me. I’ve grown up watching the movies, always being the same age as Harry, having this magical boy as my first crush, dreaming about going to Hogwarts and loathing Snape until the last two movies. I know which house I am – Ravenclaw, obviously -, I’ve read or more like let myself fall into all of the books and watched the movies way too many times. I’m one of those people who call Hogwarts their home (hence the title of this post), plainly because it feels like home whenever I see it. It’s a part of me, a part of my childhood, a part of my youth and thanks to the Fantastic Beasts series it has now become a part of my adulthood too. Which is also exactly what I want to talk about today. Because this Ravenclaw girl right here finally got to watch The Crimes of Grindelwald and holy moly, I’m still shook. I nearly fell off my broomstick while watching it, no joke.

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But, before I get into this – Muggles and fellow wizards and witches, please beware, from this moment on there will be crucial spoilers floating around in this post. If you have already had the chance to see the movie, I’d love to hear your opinions and start a discussion in the comment section, but for every magical reader right here that hasn’t, please only move on with caution and at your own risk. Though this post will not start moving by itself like the stairs in Hogwarts, the spoilers will indeed take most of the fun out of watching the movie afterwards. I’ve now done my duty as a good Potterhead and warned you all. So, off we go.

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First of all, like every single Harry Potter / Wizarding World movie, Crimes of Grindelwald starts off with the Warner Brothers logo floating towards you, surrounded by dark fog, while the beginning of Hedwig’s theme is playing in the background. These 3 seconds, that short melody we all know so well, was all I needed to get into the movie. And I think it’s all any Potterhead really needs. I got chills and from that moment on I was captivated by the story. I might have to mention that I watched it at the BFI IMAX in London (biggest screen in the UK, heyooo), hence the whole being captivated part, but honestly, from that moment on I just forgot everything around me. It was just me and the movie. Me and my home.

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I’m not gonna talk about the whole story of the movie, because first of all, we all pretty much know it, don’t we, and second, if I did that, we would still be sitting here on our brooms until tomorrow. Might not want to miss the next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson because of that, right? So, I’m just gonna shed some light upon the parts that I loved the most and that plainly stood out for me and made me love the movie. Lumos.

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Where should I begin? Maybe at the most important one – the story. In my opinion, this movie was made for fans and Potterheads. The ones who watched every single movie before Crimes of Grindelwald, the ones who read the books and know the stories. Because if you haven’t, you won’t get anything. You could be the best wizard or witch in the world, heck, you could even be smarter than the one and only Hermoine Granger and you would still not get a thing if you haven’t read the books. Because if this movie doesn’t do one thing, then it’s telling you what’s going on and what Grindelwald is actually planning on doing. You wouldn’t know that he hates Muggles (sorry, guys) and that he thinks wizards and witches, pure bloods especially, are way better than them. What he wants is a wizarding domination and it won’t be easy to stop him from achieving that. Which is also why Dumbledore parted ways with him once he noticed how radical his so dearly loved Gellert had become. Lets just hope that he can break the blood pact they made and will be able to fight him sooner or later. And while I know all of this because of the fan I am, other people might not do. You just have to know to know.

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And this leads me to all the questions I now have stuck in my head and of course the mind-blowing ending and the twist that left me shaking long after the credits had rolled down. I told you I nearly fell off my broom. What happens to Queenie? Why didn’t she manage to understand that Grindelwald doesn’t care about Muggles at all and would gladly kill Jacob if he could? I’m actually creating this theory now that we will have a showdown between them in the future where Grindelwald will probably kill Jacob and Queenie will finally understand. My heart is already breaking for them.

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And what will happen to Nagini? She doesn’t seem like a bad person, so how will she end up being Voldemort’s most treasured Horcrux? And when will Newt and Tina finally get together? These two are literally so in love, I could see sparks flying around me during their scenes. And those weren’t coming from my wand, I promise. Also, Newt is literally the cutest character ever and I’m now making the decision to say that I’m literally him and he’s me. Quirky, weird, smart, awkward and with a heart that is way too big for all the darkness in the world – “You never met a monster you couldn’t love”. I’m already so excited to see how his story is going to continue. I know many people criticized that the focus shifted from him in the second movie, but I actually like that. It’s called Fantastic Beasts and not Newt Scamander for a reason.

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The only thing that is for sure now is that there will be a focus on Dumbledore and his old nemesis Grindelwald because, as we witches, wizards and well-informed Muggles all know, there will be a big battle between them, which Dumbledore will win, leaving him with the famous Elder Wand, only the most powerful wand in the wizarding world. But hold your on to your brooms, owls, cats, toads or whatever creature you’re about to set free right now – as we also all know, at the end of the literal end, Harry destroyed the wand. Nobody should ever have so much power in his/her hands, right?

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But, speaking of Dumbledore – and we’ve now reached the big twist and also the end of the movie – WHO IN THE NAME OF MERLIN IS AURELIUS DUMBLEDORE? And since when was it okay to just decide that poor Credence was the brother of Albus? And who is that Phoenix he has with him? It’s Fawkes, isn’t it? So many questions and no book in the whole Hogwarts library can give us an answer, not even the ones in the restricted section. But, here’s my theory: Grindelwald totally lied to him and Credence isn’t a Dumbledore. And there will be a scene in the future movies where Credence, or now Aurelius, and Dumbledore will be fighting each other, just to see that Fawkes will come for Dumbledore’s help. It is him who decides who is a true Dumbledore, just like Albus said in the movie: the Phoenix comes to help only a true Dumbledore in great need. But that is just my theory. I’ve also read another one on how Credence is actually Ariana, Dumbledore’s younger sister, who died in a battle between Dumbledore, Grindelwald and Aberforth Dumbledore. At least everyone thought she was dead until now. As it is believed that she was also a Obscurial, just like Credence, it could be that she never truly died, but that her Obscurus moved on to another host, which now could be Credence himself, which would indeed make him the brother of Dumbledore. Is this as exciting to you as it is to me? Even my wand is spraying sparks now.

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So yeah, there we have it. So many open questions and still three movies (or even more) to go. Honestly, I know so many people didn’t enjoy this movie as much as the first one, but I loved it. The actors are amazing, Johnny Depp is beyond magical as Grindelwald and Jude Law just guaranteed Dumbledore the title as the hottest professor at Hogwarts. Watch out, witches and wizards. I’m utterly in love with the score – as with all the Wizarding World movies -, which I’m funnily enough listening to right now. And oh my god, the imagery. So so good. Like I said, I felt like I was in the movie. There is a scene where get a glimpse of the different universes and areas Newt created for his beasts and creatures and holy Merlin, to say it was magical would be such an understatement. I now want to own a Bowtruckle. Is it allowed to own two pets/magical creatures at Hogwarts? I hope so.

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And last but not least, the one scene that really melted my heart away and probably my favourite scene in the whole movie – the scene when they showed Hogwarts for the very first time with the beloved theme playing in the background. I suddenly felt like I was coming home again, after all these years since the last HP movie ended. And yes, I had tears in my eyes and I’m not afraid to say it. Hogwarts is and will always be my home – as it will to every single wizard and witch out there. It will always be there to welcome us all home.

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So, there you go, guys. These are pretty much all my thoughts about those magical two hours I got to spend at my even more magical home again. I know this movie is kind of polarizing right now, but I’d still love to hear all your opinions. As always, I hope you enjoyed this post and wish you all an amazing rest of the week. And, of course, thanks for reading. Nox. x

My first interview

Hola everyone.

I know I know, what an exciting title. And I’m not gonna lie, the story behind it is even more exciting than just the pure thought of it.

 

So, you might have guessed by now that I recently had my very first interview. You’re probably gonna ask yourself now how I managed to never have an interview until now, looking at my past. Of course I’ve already done interviews, they’ve pretty much become normality to me by now. But this one, this one special interview wasn’t just a plain, simple, every day interview. No. It was an interview with a musician. One that I’ve been totally in love with the past months. One that I’ve been totally obsessed with due to the amazing music. One that I can’t believe I really got to talk to.

 

But before you get all fuzzy and excited – please still do, seriously – a small disclaimer first: I am not going to mention any names and I’m not going to say who I interviewed or when or where or why. I choose not to because, first of all, I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. I mean, it actually is one of the biggest deals in my life so far and a step in my life where there is no turning back again – not that I would like to go back. Ha. Never. Thank you. To the actual interview? Yes please, take me back. Now. But to my life before it all? No thanks. But besides that, I also don’t want to share any names or details because I think that that wouldn’t be the right thing to do. It was such a special moment for me, but I want this post to be about what I felt and what I feel now and not about how I got to interview someone and oh my god, how crazy, blah blah blah.

 

Actually, I want to use this post to kind of share my happiness and gratefulness. You know, the past few years I wasn’t quite sure what to do with my life. I mean, at the end of the day I was, but according to what many professors told me at uni, my chosen path wouldn’t be an easy one and definitely not one full of money and happiness and basically survival. I think, nowadays, people like to think really badly about the job of a journalist. Because we have the internet now, so why should we even need people who write about stuff we can easily google? Well, that’s a really troubling thought right there, but not one I like to share myself. I think journalism is and will always be something very very very important for our society. In the past, journalists have brought some great changes into our world and I am hundred percent sure that it will continue to be this way. And even though I don’t want to be one of those investigative journalists who reveal those great and big stories, just the thought of one person reading my article about one of their favorite artists and smiling because of it nearly makes my heart burst with happiness.

 

And now that I am here in Brighton, essentially studying my dream job, it just makes me even more determined. So determined that I managed to get myself an interview with one of my favorite artists within the first two months of being here. Yes, I know. This is like uber-crazy. I still can’t get my head around it and I think I never will. Those few hours I got to spend at the interview and at the show have probably been one of the craziest in my entire life. And let me tell you something. People can tell you whatever they want, but those people who work in the music industry are literally the nicest people ever. I am just at the start of my journey and got treated like I have been part of their team, a part of their world, my whole entire life. And for that I am endlessly grateful.

 

I am now sitting at home in Brighton, in front of my laptop, writing this post right here, while knowing that, for that one big goal in my life that I set for myself in the past, I have literally made it. My dream has always been to go to concerts and write about them and that essentially being my job and I did exactly that just a few days ago. The feelings trapped in my body, I can’t describe them. Have you ever been at this point when you’re just so happy and thankful that you can’t even put it into words? That’s where I am right now.

 

I am not going to lie. In the past, I did question my decision of moving to Brighton and studying at BIMM. It was a huge step in my life, but even more so a huge risk. But now that I am here and having this deep feeling of happiness in my stomach every time I wake up and know that I get to go to uni on that very same day, I don’t question it anymore, not one bit. And this doesn’t even include the interview and everything that happened around it. Honestly, apart from getting my cat Peaches and my dog Molly, this may be the best decision of my life. And now that I know how this one crazy path I chose for myself actually feels like, I never want to do anything else ever again. This is exactly where I need to be and this is exactly what I need to do. I am now literally living inside my dream and it couldn’t be any realer.

 

Again, I apologize if you read this post hoping to see some names and maybe getting to hear some tea, but this seriously wouldn’t be the right thing and surely nothing I would want. I want this post to live on forever and to always remind me and you guys that dreams do really come true, no matter how crazy they sound. I would’ve never thought that I would once actually reach this point, let alone in that short period of time. But I made it and if I can do that, you can too. I honestly believe in all of you. You can make your dreams reality, please never let anyone tell you something else. Please never stop believing in yourself and your dreams.

 

And now I’ll end this super positive and motivating post. But please know that I really mean all the things I said. If you guys have got any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and also please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. As always, I hope you’re all doing good and I wish you an awesome weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

What’s Up

Hola everyone.

I can’t believe the weekend is already over and a new week has started again. Can you believe that? Feels like time is just flying past, right? Which I guess is kind of a bad and a good thing, as it means that I’ll be home for the christmas break in the blink of an eye. But it also means that my time here is passing by real fast and I can tell you, it’s such an amazing time that I don’t even want that to happen.

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Which is also what I want to tell you all about today. Actually, I was just working my way through possible ideas for my this post right here and kind of remembered that it’s been quite some time since I just talked a bit to you guys and told you about all the stuff that’s happening in my life here in Brighton. Which I why I decided that it’s time to change that. So, get ready and buckle up for some babbling.

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As always, let’s start with the most exciting part – my life here in Brighton. It won’t surprise you that, honestly, uni has just been amazing so far. Guys, I just love it so so so much. Maybe it’s because I already have a degree in journalism, as it means that I get to actually chill and listen in class, as I’ve already heard about most of the stuff we’re talking about. But it’s just so nice to simply sit there and soak it all up. All the music related stuff I’ve never heard about. It feels like I’m refining my own knowledge and also possible career path right now. And it’s so cool that my course is as practical as it is, because I get to actually do and write stuff and not just sit around and write down facts I’ll probably never need again in my entire life. Which, speaking of that practical, is also a quite big deal for me right now, as I may or may not have an interview scheduled for this week. Saying that I’m overly nervous and excited at the same time would be such an understatement. I’ve basically been at the edge of my seat the past few days.

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Also, music-wise, I can’t wait for 2019 to come flashing around the corner. Honestly. I’ve already got so many concerts planned. Hippo Campus in February, Saint Raymond, Tom Rosenthal (which I still can’t get my head around) and  Twenty One Pilots in March, Ed in June and again in August. I may have actually forgotten a few right there. It’s just so so crazy. And I can’t wait, seriously. Just one of those perks when you live in the UK – every single band comes here. Every. Single. One. This is like heaven, no joke. My personal heaven.

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And last but not least, there’s one other thing that’s quite new in my life. Believe it or not, but I actually started doing yoga. Can you believe it? Me? Doing yoga? Sounds like something out of this world, doesn’t it? But I guess I just felt like I had to incorporate a bit more exercise into my daily routine, as the typical English weather has just full on hit us now and it’s basically either windy or rainy or plain both. At home I usually stick to the indoor-cycle as soon as it’s getting cold out, but as I don’t have one here in Brighton I had to find something else. Something cheap and easy, preferably. So I just thought about trying yoga and so far I’ve really enjoyed it. I love how it really calms my mind down and makes me focus on myself and my body. Which is just what I need right now. I’ve actually just started this 30 day yoga challenge on YouTube, which is amazing, so if you want to check that out too, here’s the link.

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And yeah, I think that’s it. So far, my time here in Brighton has been the best it could’ve possibly been and I’m so excited for everything that’s still to come. If you guys want to know anything or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop me a message. And that’s all I’ve got. But how about you guys? What’s going on in your life? Please don’t hesitate to share your stories. And yeah, I hope you’re all feeling well and wish you a nice week. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

The English Way

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to a new week. I hope you’ve all had an amazing weekend and that you’re feeling well. I, for my part, had a pretty good weekend, especially as the weather here in Brighton thought it would be a good idea, to spend us a bit of warmth again. Which I thought I’d make the most of and thus took my camera for a little stroll around the city. And the pictures I am now happy to present you are the result of exactly that walk.

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Honestly, I have to say, I’m falling for the English architecture more and more every single day. I mean, just look at these houses. How cute are they? And I just love how elegant and also minimalistic they are, which just adds even more to their cuteness. So yeah, I’m a big fan. But I’d also love to hear your opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And I really hope that you enjoy the pictures. As always, I wish you all a nice week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

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Halloween à la Capaldi

Hola everyone.

Happy November and belated Happy Halloween to you guys. You know, I’ve always been quite in love with this special holiday – although, is it really a true holiday? – but unlike here in the UK, this night of the dead was never a big deal in my country. No trick or treating, no little kids strolling from house to house. Just people dressing up weirdly and drinking and eating way too much stuff. But here in the UK and Brighton it’s like Christmas, only there’s no Santa, but vampires and witches and hundreds of Michael Myers. Less scary than you would think, but definitely fascinating.

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So, you could say that this year’s Halloween was a bit more unusual and tons more special than my past ones. But not just because of all the craziness of the people in this town. More because I got to spend this Halloween with a very special person – the one and only Lewis Capaldi. And yes, you guessed it right, I spent this year’s Halloween at a concert. Couldn’t get more on brand, right?

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Most of you guys will probably know this Scottish guy with the raspy voice, but if you don’t, what are you doing with your life? Okay, no, I’m just joking. But honestly, you’re truly missing out if your ears haven’t yet been blessed by Lewis’s amazing voice. He’s actually only been around since the beginning of last year, when his song “Bruises” basically blew the metaphorical roof of the internet off. It was everywhere. Even I heard it, without knowing who this guy was and having even less of a clue that I’d be seeing him live twice the following year. Since then he’s been touring Europe countless times, the headline tour he’s doing now even selling out for most of the dates, which is completely crazy. I mean, he hasn’t even got an album out and is already at that stage of his career. Which he’s fully aware of himself, as he joked on Wednesday in his funny Scottish accent: “I just realized, I only have like seven f*cking songs”. A singer-songwriter with a unique voice who doesn’t take himself too seriously, what a catch.

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Actually, I would describe the show as an amazing party, sprinkled with raspy screams, raw voices, tons of goosebumps, some very emotional tears, only the very best selection of dirty jokes and minutes filled with laughter. So, overall, I have to say I pretty much loved every single second of it and actually never wanted it to end. Lewis’s voice is something special, that completely draws you into it. It totally fills you up and cuddles you like a blanket. Which is something that especially got noticeable when he played some of his newest tracks, which, by the way, I can’t wait for to be finally released. His new album is definitely one of those musical pieces that I’ll be eagerly looking forward to.

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If I had to choose my favorite moment of the set, I would say either those few minutes when Lewis played one of his new songs and the whole crowd just went completely silent, letting his voice float through the room and fill it up. Or the very end, when he played “Bruises”, which is the one song he’s most well-known for. That’s the song everyone knew and every single person could sing and scream. Suddenly the whole crowd morphed together into one huge choir, which, not to be dramatic or anything, was rather magical. Those are exactly the moments I love the most at concerts – the most quiet and most passionate ones. It’s live music at its finest.

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For me, Lewis is one of those people you can go and see live over and over again, because he’ll always make you crack up with his jokes and dream for a bit with his songs. He just knows how to turn the evening into something special. And I’m more than happy that I got to spent Halloween at his concert, because it was just so different, in the best way possible.

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If any of you have a bit of money left and an intense urge to spice up your playlist with some new, amazing music, I’d highly recommend going to one of Lewis’s shows. I think he’s touring the UK and Europe for a bit now over the next few months, so it’s worth to look out for him. And until then I’d love to hear your opinions on his music, I really hope you like it. So, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. As always, I hope you’re all doing good and that you enjoyed this post. I wish you all a great weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x