The Random Ramblings of Lauren

Well hello there! So, I'm trying to keep a little bit more up-to-date with my holiday posts... I'll write a general update and upload some photos when I get the chance, but for now I just HAD to share our experience of the Boracay night-life the other night. Because on Saturday, we had one of the truly most epic (ironically) nights out ever. It was honestly beyond imagination. Here's why... We began the evening watching the sunset with daiquiris and drinking games by the hotel pool (which resulted in me being pushed in the pool, but I was too happy to care!). As the cocktails got stronger and our moods got giddier, we skipped on out on a bar crawl across the breach front bars and enjoyed all our favourite drinks at dirt cheap prices. And I'm talking like, 60p for a spirit and mixer. Insane. After that, a stop off at my favourite bar of the whole island - Victory Divers Bar. The guys there were so cool and we had such banter. After a few drinks they had ...

Hey there, fellow readers! So, as I mentioned in my previous post, this month I've been off broadening horizons and richening my appreciation of cultural diversity, through travel! And it has been AMAZING. It was my intention to take some time out each day, to write a little update of what was happening and how we were getting on. But, to be quite frank, I got so captivated in the beauty of the landscape, fascinated by the culture and lost in the lifestyle over there, that it completely slipped my mind! So this is just a suuuuuuuper quick post, cos I have a little spare time whilst my best friend (who is almost more of a girl than me) finishes doing his hair. We are in Boracay at the moment, which is the most stunning little island in the Philippines. And we're off out tonight to a party on the beach which promises to be quite unforgettable. And then off quad biking around the island tomorrow. Busy busy! So, instead, here are just a few little snaps of my trip ...

Hello bloggersphere! For this month's post, I was unsure what to write about. My upcoming holiday, maybe. Or the pro's and con's of my flatmates. Or even a post on a sport I'm currently involved in. I wasn't sure. But then the decision was made for me when I checked my inbox and saw that - hurrah - someone had messaged me about my blog a while back and I never realised! Which made my day, cos it means that people are actually reading instead of just clicking on it accidentally, which is what I tell myself sometimes. Anyway, this is what it said: "Hi lauren. I like your blog! My friend knows you and showed it to me. You write really well its interesting to read. You should talk about your own life some more though they are your best posts. The PR stuff isn't as interesting. Keep it up Joan." Thanks for your message Joan! Here's a little background... The PR element of this blog was actually a requirement of my university ...

If anyone reading this is currently buzzing with the excitement and romance of Valentines Day spirit, then I would advise you stop reading now. Because this next post is my attempt to point out exactly why Valentines is a load of hype over what is actually, a very average day. If you're reading this and either single, in a crummy relationship, or have little hope for plans tomorrow, then you're not alone. Welcome to the dark side. So it's Valentines Day!!! But wait, because I'm sorry to be a scrooge but I'm not sure I understand this hype. Valentines Day is one day a year that couples are forced to show their partner that they still care about them, while masses of singletons sit around sobbing in self pity and surrounded by constant reminders of the fact they are incapable of sustaining a stable relationship. I have a major gripe with the over-importance and pressure placed on partners to make that 'extra effort' for their loved ones. It become...

Ahh, Lostprophets. If like so many of us, you went through a stage in the last decade of listening to angsty punk rock music, wearing more than your fair share of black eye-liner and considering yourself ‘misunderstood’, then the chances are that you will have heard of the band Lostprophets. In their prime, the Welsh punk rock band were adored globally and enjoyed sold out tours. They achieved two top ten UK singles alongside several awards for best British band, best single, best live act, and best album, to mention a few. And if somehow you hadn't heard of the Lostprophets then you probably will have now, thanks to the recent media craze over lead singer Ian Watkins and his appalling criminal behaviour. In late 2012, Watkins was charged with a number of sexual offences against children. Up until recently the artist has furiously denied such allegations, insisting in May of this year that he would “fight to the bitter end to clear his name.” (The Guardian...

Toronto mayor Rob Ford is quickly earning a reputation worldwide for being a bit of a trouble maker. In the past two weeks the politician has been under constant fire from the media with accusations of alcohol and substance abuse, as well as his poor ethics in handling the matter. Rob Ford’s lack of filter around the press and public has become a news sensation, leaving many of us at the edge of our seats waiting to hear of his next big blunder. But love him or hate him, it has to be said he is not your conventional politician. Ever since the story exploded onto the news a fortnight ago, Rob Ford has relied heavily upon tactics of avoiding blame in order to portray an honest and innocent persona. The mayor claims he had no recollection of his actions as he was in a “drunken stupor” at the time. As if being extremely drunk as well as taking drugs, somehow makes things better. Surely if anything that makes matters worse… Throughout the scandal his ethics and behaviour in han...

So today I want to talk about something serious. Something that isn't going to be light-hearted reading - and for that I apologise. This isn't going to be a funny little philosophical blog about my thoughts or grumbles about life or observations about society. And if that's the type of post you are looking for, my dear readers, then click away now. Because today I need to talk about something that has destroyed thousands of lives, homes, families and livelihoods. A disaster of record scale. A tragedy. I am talking of course, about Super Typhoon Haiyan. Even before Super Typhoon Haiyan struck on Friday morning, forecasters warned it might be the strongest storm in recorded history. Predictions were made that it would be 3.5 times more ferocious than Hurricane Katrina -- and big enough to stretch from Spain to Sweden. And they were right. The typhoon hit the Philippines on Friday the 8th of November, affecting over 11.5 million residents. It is estimated to have...