Hey.

Oh my god. it’s  nine oclock and I’m like, out of my mind. I was just on Facebook and V have just added a video! I’ve been keeping up with all the madness. I’ve been listening to campers go absolutely nuts all through the day and the video proves it! Campers are arriving now–actually, they’re probably completely drunk and high and mad by now! What about festivals just get us excited beyond belief? I’ll tell you guys, I am absolutely 100% in that mood right now. i’m in that mood where tomorrow is all I can think about…because, well, it’s the most exciting weekend of the year, no doubt about it. I’ve been looking forward to this since March. And tomorrow it arrives. To days of bad weather, eating crappy food, destroying my hearing, friends, having beer thrown all over me, and most of all…Kings of Leon, The Prodigy, Paloma Faith, Passion pit, Skunk Anansie, Editors, Kasabian, and all the rest. I’ve said it time and time again, but shut up I will not. V is upon us and it’s just too exciting.

Continuing from where I left off, Monday was an interesting morning. A calf was born in the field near where we’re staying, which was quite awesome,  and then I saw my old friend in the afternoon. My sister came along, too. the boy never seems to change. Except he loves The Prodigy now–saw them live a few months ago, too. My friend group had a lot of bullying problems at the end of primary school which have apparently smoothed out. He’s going to the same school as several other friends which is going okay. Everyone’s getting ready for their GCSEs* at the moment and seems to devour half their life. I’m not sure my system of schooling is good, but thank God I don’t have those. His sister is about nine now and she seems the same, bar a new room dedicates to Cheryl Cole of all people. They’re not going to V this year, but France instead, which should be cool. We played garden chess and made smoothies–our tradition. We also used to pick apples off his apple tree and sell them which was fun(except I fell out of the tree!) but they weren’t ripe enough this year. their sister filled me in on the goings on in my old school. they got a new principal the year before I left and the overbearing psychopath is sending the whole place into ruin. People are constantly fleeing to the new school open close by! It’s apparenty okay, but nowhere near as good as it used to be. Right on. We also flew a kite and went out into the field behind his house. it’s enormous and can go out there whenever at the moment. he’s so lucky. it’s beautiful when the sun sets! See, open space; THIS is what I miss most about where I live. A sort of natural prettiness that can’t be found in Massachusetts ’cause it’s too busy with commercialization and industrialization and all things bad in the world. Days like that are so so wonderful, and so fun to catch up!

Tuesday was a day into London because London is simply wonderful no matter how you look at it. says the guy from Editors. Any who, the place was typically cold but also quite wonderful. When we got there we first took a walk over the Millennium Bridge to the Globe Theater. Let me tell you, that place is so worth the money. They replicated it well and knew their facts and it was just fun to hear about the history of it. It’;e specially brilliant if you’re lucky enough to get one certain tour guide, who I am pretty sure is actually, genuinely, The Doctor. Like, I’ve never seen anything like it. Call me a creep for talking about him over the internet…but he’s got the poshest English accent imaginable, and is totally eccentric and outspoken, gesticulates too much, talks the whole time, is obviously very intellectual, walks a lot, smiles too much, appears slightly off-kilter and insane in his geniusness, and is slightly adorable. Yeah, I know. I’m kinda gonna love him in Doctor Who’s absence. Um, anyway, I got a poster there and had lunch in the cold London breeze outside. We took a tube(can I just say I love the tube?) past Parliament and Westminster Abbey and stuff, which was cool, then walked down Pimlico towards Tate Britain. We’d popped in Tate Modern to see if there was a decent cafe, but i’d never been to tate Britain before. I can’t say I was terribly impressed. All it was was Holier Than Thou modern ”changing the perception of” art crap. Hate that stuff, although there was a Damien Hurst thing which was nearly entertaining. my mom wanted to see the Rude Britannia display. I did, too, to be honest but it was too expensive. but they had cool posters. And a big gift shop. We went along Regent and Oxford Streets which seem to have like five H&Ms for no reason, and into the Apple shop for my sister. Then we went out for dinner and everywhere was packed but the food was very nice. After that was a Peter Doherty-fuelled train journey home at night which was amazing to say the least.

Wednesday was amazing. We had a quick food trip in the morning, and in the afternoon my mom had planned a trip out with three of my old school friends. One, the same as on monday, the other tried to ignore me for two years but now seems relatively unchanged and comfortable, the other the same but has outgrown me. Sigh. And their overcomnpetitive, cray, rude brother and my sister. My mum went off with one of their mums. we’d gone to the bowling place. We got two games and before long, we were right into the swing of how things used to be. Admittedly, it’s difficult to talk to someone after a year, especially at this age where one’s world can vary so greatly in the space of a year. they did talk amongst themselves quite a lot. But it’s okay, they didn’t hate or seem to forced to be there! Which must be good! I haven’t bowled in years but miraculously I won(but only just) both times. One time my friend threw the ball really slowly and it got stuck, half way down and it took us like five minutes of throwing other balls at it to get it out! Their brother had frequent monents if madness, couldn’t through the ball, and then screamed and jumped up and down when he got a spare. They played Florence and Kasabian and it was quite amazing. We had lunch. Also, there were a family bowling beside us with a overzeaulous three-year-old daughter. At one point I was grabbing for a ball and she shouted at me “It’s mine!”. I hear my face was priceless. What three-year-old does that? I’d have gone running a mile if I saw teenagers near me. But that’s probably just me. It was sad to see them go, and we only had a few hours there, and it just reminded me how painful it still is for me to leave this wonderful place and how little I belong where I do actually live right now. It’s so hard to talk to these people online, they’re just not the same. and it was great seeing them, but at the same time, it was so depressing. I hate that I can’t be actual friends with these people anymore.

Yesterday was an alright day. We had a slow day and my sister went to a friend’s in the afternoon. To waste time, me, my mom, and my dad went into a close town. My mom didn’t find whatever she was looking for and neither my Dad, but my dad figured he needed some festival-going shorts so we went into some clothes store or another. Then we drove through my old town. Got a drink at the local store, drove past my old house, looked again at the new playground. took the scenic route back to pick up my sister. the people who live on the farm we’re staying at got back. Including their dog. He says hi and goes for walks with us, as well as the Boxer of the people next door. basically, we’re taking care of everyone’s dogs for nor reason. It makes for a fun walk.

Today was a day of madness and preparation, be it quiet madness. In the morning we went out food shopping for the weekend. One tends to go the whole two days with eating almost nothing andnot  notice it. But we got sandwiches and drinks and too many sweets and we looked like such festival-goers! To top our festival-going attitude we’d noticed rain might well be a possibility tomorrow so we went into town for rain jackets. this happens to me the town the festival is held in, so the place was dotted with the slightly out-of-it looking teenagers with the tell-tale wristbands and lineups swinging from their necks. I did find a rain jacket but naturally the place was out of wellies. Guess I’ll just have to wreck my Converse tomorrow! We found a new camera memory card, too and walked around time, the excitement building the whole time. And after dinner we had a lovely evening walk around the farm. Beautiful south-east England yet again!

But with all this wonderfulness going on recently and certain to go on tomorrow, amidst my obsessions with Paloma Faith and the Prodigy and Hurts(yeah, fuck my credibility! Europop, woooooo!), the real highlight of living here is, without doubt, the TV. I keep Dave on all day and love Top Gear all over again, as well as Mock the Week, my new favorite the wonderful Getting On, Simon Amstell’s new show(which is lovely and guilty pleasure to the extreme), Argumental, Nevermind he Buzzcocks, and, oh yeah, Shooting Stars! Every single person watching this now needs to watch Shooting Stars. I <3 Angelos. And his variety showcase. And his bag. And the Dove from Above. Ummm. It’s sort of the weirdest show conceivable which means it will suit anyone’s tastes. I kinda love it. You must watch. But, most importantly, in five minutes, the lovely Would I lie to You is about to start. You should watch that, too. And you know what? I only have like a week left. So I’m gonna watch it too. Blog, you have been discarded for music festivals and David Mitchell. Jealous? you should be. So, until next time we talk and I’m feeling slightly dizzy and deflated at the same time, have a good weekend, and a great last few days of summer! Hope everyone is having a great as time as I am!

Bye!

- Naomi

*Speaking of GCSEs and tests in general, my cousin did his A Levels this year. He got like four As and three A*s. He’s off to some highly repsectable university to study science. What is this, another Newton in the family? Sigh. The pressure continues to increase for the not-so-intelligent yours truly.