Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Reasons why summer sucks

Everyone always seems to rave about how "awesome" summer is, and how they "can't wait for it to get here" because it's the "best season of the year". Frankly, I think that's just completely mental. How anyone can look forward to the summer is completely beyond me. Now, before you blast me with a million reasons why I am completely wrong, let me tell you that I have plenty of reasons to hate summer, and that I'm not being a summer Grinch. So this is my reasoning as to why summer simply sucks. 




Butterflies
Those horrible, winged balls of death have to be the worst thing about summer. They just fly around like they own the place, and then seem to take pleasure in dive-bombing my face. That is just not cool. Thank god they seem to go extinct in the winter months.

School holidays
Everything gets overrun by screaming, hyperactive kids. Not to mention teenagers who are too cool for basic manners. Don't get me wrong, we've all been there, but the older I've gotten, the more I find them infuriating. Summer means they're just everywhere.

Wasps
Me and wasps have an awful track record; they sting me, I end up swallowing them, they lead to injuries, bla, bla, bla. Bees are fine because those little things just want to get on with their lives, but wasps are evil little shits. 

Sleepless, stuffy nights
Summer always means that my room transforms immediately from an igloo to a sauna. I need a fan on continuously to prevent my room from melting in to a lump of material. It also means it's pretty damn impossible to sleep, and I like my sleep.

Hay fever
Anyone who doesn't suffer from hay fever will just never understand why we kick up such a fuss. Itchy, red, streaming eyes, persistent coughs, runny noses, and continually sneezing are all signs that you're approaching hell. If you don't suffer from hay fever then you should feel lucky!

Light mornings
On your day off, the bright light pouring through the curtains bang on 5am is so freaking annoying. At least during winter the sun finds some manners and doesn't appear until around 7.30!

Sticky heat
There's just no break from any sort of heat. If it's abroad then chuck all the heat my way, but UK summer heat is just honestly the worst.

Everything moves outside
As someone who doesn't particularly like the outside, summer is particularly annoying as absolutely everything suddenly becomes an outdoor activity. I am perfectly happy indoors where pollen cannot attack my eyes, and panes of glass separate butterflies from my personal bubble.

People going on holiday
Whilst some of us are in dire need of money and spend every day working to get it, others are off gallivanting on fancy holidays. Just to make matters worse, all their holiday photos get plastered all over social media websites, and I get instantly jealous.

Long days
Although some people find this great, when you're trying to sleep because you have work at 9am, and the sun is yet again pouring through the curtains it kind of sucks. In winter it gets dark at a more acceptable time of 3pm, so when you need to sleep it's possible.

Beds become too hot
I have that weird need to have to be completely covered by my duvet at night - it freaks me out that any part of me would be completely exposed to the scary night monsters. Summer is the worst time for this; I end up facing a huge nightly dilemma. Do I risk being eaten by crazy monsters, or boil to death under my duvet? I still can't decide.

Constant sweat
Everything gets completely uncomfortable; the smallest activity causes your body to imitate Niagara Falls, and everything needs to be peeled off. Yuck.

Melting makeup
Summer just makes me begin to resemble a waxwork left out in the sun. I mean, how exactly am I meant to be appealing to guys looking like that?

Thigh chafing
This is both a product of my not-exactly-thin frame, and summer. But it doesn't happen in the autumn/winter time, so clearly it's all summer's fault.

Bikinis
This definitely relates to the above point, and sucks equally. But also because some people wear bikinis that just aren't pleasant to look at, or queue the appearance of the green eyed monster. Fun, fun.

Hot drinks aren't cool
I am a huge fan of hot drinks, particularly coffee, and I drink multiple cups a day. When it's hotter than the sun outside, this becomes a teeny bit of an issue. Screw you, summer. I need my coffee.

Grass
Hay fever. Grass. Cutting the grass. Urgh.

Bright, sunny days
This is particularly annoying when driving and the sun pummels your eyes through strong sunglasses. I mean, there is absolutely no need for it!

Teenage girls
I must hear "best summer ever" come from groups of teenage girls more than 5 times a day. You say it every year, how can it be the best summer when next year you'll be saying the same thing. Flawless logic.

Steering wheel burns
I have an old car. Old cars don't have air con. I work in a cafe in the middle of a field. This means a lot of sun exposure. This is a little bit of a killer combination. The amount of times I have gone home with burned hands is ridiculous. 

Always being presentable
I hate having to always look good - girls, this means having to have silky smooth legs. Maintaining that is hell. At least in winter your legs are covered by multiple layers of clothing.

Lack of air con
We, as Brits, don't have air con in our houses; we have extreme heating. So when it gets warm we tend to melt a tad. 

Camping
I cannot comprehend what enjoyment someone can get out of sleeping under a sheet of plastic. Especially in summer when it turns into a portable greenhouse. Then there's glamping...what?...

Netflix days are frowned upon
Sitting on the sofa with headphones on, watching an entire season (or two) of a TV series seems to not be the norm in the summer. I am not sure why.

Winter seems an age away
A petition to shorten summer, and lengthen winter pretty please.


So there is why I don't enjoy summer.

What is your favourite season of the year, and why?

What's summer like where you live?





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Tuesday, July 08, 2014

The tattoo debate

In recent years tattoos have changed their social standing from something frowned upon completely, to being popular and mostly seen as a piece of art used to express oneself. Despite the fact that there is less discrimination against the tattooed population, can we honestly say that they are now socially acceptable?

As one of the tattooed population, I feel like this is a bit of a two-sided debate. Although having made the choice to permanently ink my skin, I do see the other side of this argument, but when does it change from a debate to pure discrimination? 

Despite the fact that many people seem to think that being tattooed means that you can't find a job and are a "chav", I have never been turned down from a job due to my tattoos, nor do I view myself as a chav. One of my tattoos is clearly visible on my wrist and is uncovered 100% of the time; yet this has not ever affected my chances of being offered a job or role. 

I had also never suffered abuse because of my tattoos up until recently, and this event truly highlighted the differences in those who accept tattoos, those who don't, and the generation differences. 

I was recently deemed "unacceptable for employment" and shouted at by an older gentleman after he saw my tattoo. Up until the moment he had seen it, he had treated me no differently to anyone else and had talked to me perfectly fine; yet when he caught a glimpse of it, it was as if I was talking to a completely different person. Although it made me feel absolutely awful, and I was really angry for the rest of the day, I understood that this was simply this man's way of expressing his opinion of my choice to be tattooed. No, I did not agree with his method, nor did I really appreciate being shouted at in front of many people, but I did see his point of view and calmly ended the conversation. I dread to think of what his reaction would have been if my visible tattoo was bigger! Just to add a bit of perspective, here is a picture of my tattoo:

Does my tattoo really give someone else an excuse to act in that way? No one else has the right to express their dislike, or sometimes hatred, for my own choices. What I don't understand is why people treat someone else differently due to a simple tattoo - it isn't on their body, so why should they be that bothered?

I am pretty sure I have used this analogy before, but take this doctor, for example.
 
Would you refuse treatment from him simply because he has tattoos? Why should a tattoo make any difference to someone's intelligence, social standing, or outlook? That is what I find disgusting about some people's behaviour towards those who have tattoos. 

Tattoos, although they have become more popular, seem to still have the stigma of being a "thug" or being "chavvy" attached to them. This still seems to be the case with even professionals and seems to also be unchanging. 

So I want to know, what is your opinion on people with tattoos?

Do you find them acceptable? Maybe you only like them on certain people? Or maybe you simply hate them full stop?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.