Howdy!
You know so little about me so let me fill you in on the details!
I was born in the beautiful country that is Northern Ireland in a small rural town. I've lived there all my life and couldn't ask for a better place to live; I live with my wonderful parents, my younger brother and my smelly dog. My home is so cute and is super close to a park full of lots of ducks to feed. Both my primary and secondary school were in my town, but at opposite ends of it. I was at school for 15 years, taking 10 GCSEs and 4 A-levels; Biology, Chemistry, Music and Physics (until AS).
One of my major loves in live, beside my family and friends of course, is music. I've played the flute for 13 years and the piano for 15 years. I've been a member of far too many musical groups and ensembles and completed my ATCL diploma on flute in 2014 and I am trying to continue my piano until I can hopefully reach the same level. Another love in my life is animals. I am very lucky to have a pet in the house; a mad lhasa apso called Archie. I've loved animals all my life: I'm almost certain that I have my amazing grandfather to thank for that, after watching various westerns with him, talking about animals and always being around animals when we visited him. I started riding horses when I was 9 and haven't looked back; it is one of the best things I ever did (thanks mum and dad!). I've had a number of falls, a few worse than others, but I have always got back in the saddle; even if it has taken a year to do so!
Science is something that has always fascinated me. I was always that annoying child that questioned everything. I have to know why things work, including within the human body. This love of knowledge stems from the vast majority of my family due to their various occupations in healthcare and engineering. Listening to them explaining anything was almost hypnotising for me. Getting to learn something new was always exciting. Due to this love of science and everything to do with the mammalian body, I decided to do a degree in Biomedical Science. The course is a challenging one but it is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. Getting to learn even more about the invisible processes that happen within and around us is brilliant, and getting to do modules on physiology and diseases, well don't get me started on how great that is!
If you're interested in finding out more, tell me in the comments what you would like to know, or what other things you would like to appear in my blog.
Until next time,
Catherine xxx
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Sunday, 1 March 2015
Run Forrest Run
Mornin'!
It's such a beautiful day. seeing a blue sky and having the sun shine in the window always puts a big smile on my face!
Again it's been a while since my last blog, apologies yet again. The past week has been rather relaxed, a nice change to the usual!
I've been rather lax with my exercising this week having missed all of my classes (one due to having other plans and the other due to feeling poorly) but I did take a physical training session on Thursday and amazingly, went running! If any of you know me well, I am the most unfit and laziest person about so this was quite a revelation for me. My housemate Kirsty had been trying for quite some time to convince me to go running with her so I finally gave in, completing 2.4 miles in under half an hour. Not bad for someone who can't run the length of herself!
Thursday also so my first event with Kent Marrow; a recruitment event. Kent Marrow do some ground work for the charity Anthony Nolan, trying to get people to join the stem cell register. I feel it is a great organisation to be involved in and I actually signed myself up for it, even though I'm terrified of needles. If I can manage to put myself through a couple of injections and a needle in my arm for a small fraction of my lifetime so that someone else can live, then I don't see why I wouldn't do it. If you're interested to find out more, then have a look here to visit the Anthony Nolan website.
I'll keep this blog short and sweet but stay tuned for more interesting and exciting posts to come.
Until next time,
Catherine xxx
Shuffle of the week: Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
It's such a beautiful day. seeing a blue sky and having the sun shine in the window always puts a big smile on my face!
Again it's been a while since my last blog, apologies yet again. The past week has been rather relaxed, a nice change to the usual!
I've been rather lax with my exercising this week having missed all of my classes (one due to having other plans and the other due to feeling poorly) but I did take a physical training session on Thursday and amazingly, went running! If any of you know me well, I am the most unfit and laziest person about so this was quite a revelation for me. My housemate Kirsty had been trying for quite some time to convince me to go running with her so I finally gave in, completing 2.4 miles in under half an hour. Not bad for someone who can't run the length of herself!
Thursday also so my first event with Kent Marrow; a recruitment event. Kent Marrow do some ground work for the charity Anthony Nolan, trying to get people to join the stem cell register. I feel it is a great organisation to be involved in and I actually signed myself up for it, even though I'm terrified of needles. If I can manage to put myself through a couple of injections and a needle in my arm for a small fraction of my lifetime so that someone else can live, then I don't see why I wouldn't do it. If you're interested to find out more, then have a look here to visit the Anthony Nolan website.
I'll keep this blog short and sweet but stay tuned for more interesting and exciting posts to come.
Until next time,
Catherine xxx
Shuffle of the week: Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Saturday, 21 February 2015
Love is in the air...
Good evening!
It's been quite some time since my last blog; apologies! I've just been kept so busy with practical write-ups and various other assessments that I haven't found the time to blog.
Since my last blog on 10th, quite a few fun and exciting things have happened!
One of the first big things I want to talk about in this blog is Valentine's Day. A day I always detested as teenager due to always being single. The past two V'days I haven't been which is lovely due to getting lovely roses both year, chocolates last year and being cooked a three course meal and taken out dancing this year. Valentine's Day was special to me this year due to it being mine and Tal's first proper date due to being in a long-distance relationship for the first year and a half; anytime we did spend together we did just normal couple things like going to the cinema or walking around the park or museums so it was nice to be able to have him (as he is rather old-fashioned when it comes to things like this) 'pick' me up from my door for our first date and a beautifully cooked three course meal. But enough of the soppy romance. As much as I enjoyed our romantic and adorable day together, shouldn't everyday be like this with your significant other? Why must we only have one day a year to appreciate what we have? Valentine's Day is so commercialised and, I feel, rather sad at times. I feel we should show our love and affection everyday, but that's just how I was raised.
In addition to this, I think that anyone who was down about being single on the 14th of February shouldn't be. It may be called Couple's Day but it's really a day of love; a great day to love your self!
I'm going to stop with all the V'day stuff but I will add that the first people I said Happy Valentine's Day to were my beautiful and wonderful friends from school (big shout out and cuddles to you lovely ladies!)
The next big day was pancake day, which was amazing! Tal made such yummy pancakes, some of which we had with maple syrup and others were covered in chocolate with little mini marshmallows on top! I actually didn't take any pictures of them as I eat them so quickly I only remembered to take a picture after I had eaten them!
Wednesday brought the start of Lent. For the second year running I thought I would try and give up junk food. It was going well until now...when I've just eaten cookies and more marshmallows! I appreciate and admire people who are able to give up something, whether it be for religious, health or any other reason, it's great that people have such amazing willpower! My Lent may not be going terribly well but I'm hoping that I can try to at least eat try to continue with healthier eating (with the hope of cutting out some junk food) and build towards a healthier lifestyle.
I have become good friends with a girl called Katherine (I know, how typical) on my course and I spent the night at hers on Thursday, with her school friend Steph. It was such a great night that entailed so many laughs and giggles and lots of facebook stalking old pictures of each other! We had a Chinese take-away as of course it was the Lunar New Year and it was delicious. Staying at Katherine's also allowed for us to complete our Statistics assessment which we both got 100% in! Getting that results this morning really put a smile on my face! Another thing that put a big smile on my face was the fact that Katherine actually got me a small present, which I wasn't expecting. Due to my love of pugs and her recent trip to Tesco, she saw and got me a pillow with the most adorable little pug on it. I love it so much I actually cuddled it in my sleep that evening!
The coming week looks busy yet again for me as I will be out three evenings and will be kept busy for four to five hours with Kent Marrow (you'll have to check out my next blog for that!). And now after just looking at my timetable for the next few weeks I have realised that my last chemistry lecture is actually this week...how sad...not!
And on that, I shall leave you with a quote:
You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection ~Buddha
Until next time,
Catherine xxx
Shuffle of the week: Snow Patrol - Run (so many great memories of singing this song)
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Another Day, Another Deadline...
Good evening dear readers!
I sit here at my desk after an exhausting day, having only finished lectures an hour ago. I've been feeling rather ill over the past few days and that combined with very little sleep is never good!
It's been just over a week since my last post, and a number things have happened over the past few days.
On Tuesday we carried out an experiment which involved using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), something I've only learnt about at school but never actually carried out the technique of carry it out myself. Thankfully all went to plan and I personally feel I did a pretty good job (if I do say so myself!). The overall aim of the experiment was set out in a 'who done it' situation where DNA was found at a crime scene and we had to essentially match up and work out who, if any of the three main 'suspects', had committed the crime. This set-up was perfect for me as I was finally able to put the many hours of watching CSI and NCIS to use; I felt like a real forensic scientist and maybe got a little bit too excited about it!
Thursday and Friday were the Refreshers Fair which entailed putting names down for various societies just so you could get sweeties, chocolate or other various freebies! I had previously become a member of Kent RaG and BioSoc, but decided to put my name down for Kent Marrow, Forensic Society, Kent Foodians and a few others that were, shamefully, just for the freebies (especially chocolate!). Kent Marrow are a fundraising group (I'm a member as of Saturday) that I am so excited to be a part of as they work on behalf of Anthony Nolan, a pioneering charity that saves the lives of people with blood cancer. ForensicSoc and Kent Foodians are rather self explanatory: the first about forensic science and the latter all about food! Both rather perfect groups for me to try and join.
Yesterday was a very exciting day as I managed to complete my essay! I'm glad to have my first essay out of the way and done but I've been told by a few of my housemates and my mum, who is a lecturer, to leave it for a week or two, come back to it and then go over it again. And I thought I would just be able to do it and then not have to worry about it...it goes to show that I haven't done very many essays before!
Today's practical involved enzymes and the effect of differing the pH on their activity. It involved using a spectrophotometer and 8 different pHs that had to be measured every ten seconds for three minutes each and then all had to be repeated. It was a very long, tedious practical that we now have various tables, graphs and averages etc to complete for next week.
I hope you've all had a great week!
Until next time,
Catherine xxx
Shuffle song of the week: Aaryn Doyle - What it Takes from Camp Rock (cringe!)
I sit here at my desk after an exhausting day, having only finished lectures an hour ago. I've been feeling rather ill over the past few days and that combined with very little sleep is never good!
It's been just over a week since my last post, and a number things have happened over the past few days.
On Tuesday we carried out an experiment which involved using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), something I've only learnt about at school but never actually carried out the technique of carry it out myself. Thankfully all went to plan and I personally feel I did a pretty good job (if I do say so myself!). The overall aim of the experiment was set out in a 'who done it' situation where DNA was found at a crime scene and we had to essentially match up and work out who, if any of the three main 'suspects', had committed the crime. This set-up was perfect for me as I was finally able to put the many hours of watching CSI and NCIS to use; I felt like a real forensic scientist and maybe got a little bit too excited about it!
Thursday and Friday were the Refreshers Fair which entailed putting names down for various societies just so you could get sweeties, chocolate or other various freebies! I had previously become a member of Kent RaG and BioSoc, but decided to put my name down for Kent Marrow, Forensic Society, Kent Foodians and a few others that were, shamefully, just for the freebies (especially chocolate!). Kent Marrow are a fundraising group (I'm a member as of Saturday) that I am so excited to be a part of as they work on behalf of Anthony Nolan, a pioneering charity that saves the lives of people with blood cancer. ForensicSoc and Kent Foodians are rather self explanatory: the first about forensic science and the latter all about food! Both rather perfect groups for me to try and join.
Yesterday was a very exciting day as I managed to complete my essay! I'm glad to have my first essay out of the way and done but I've been told by a few of my housemates and my mum, who is a lecturer, to leave it for a week or two, come back to it and then go over it again. And I thought I would just be able to do it and then not have to worry about it...it goes to show that I haven't done very many essays before!
Today's practical involved enzymes and the effect of differing the pH on their activity. It involved using a spectrophotometer and 8 different pHs that had to be measured every ten seconds for three minutes each and then all had to be repeated. It was a very long, tedious practical that we now have various tables, graphs and averages etc to complete for next week.
I hope you've all had a great week!
Until next time,
Catherine xxx
Shuffle song of the week: Aaryn Doyle - What it Takes from Camp Rock (cringe!)
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Essay. Essay? ESSAY!?
Mornin'!
I'm still currently in bed on this wonderful Sunday morning (it is only 10am!) but I've already been out and done three loads of washing. I'm such a great little housewife!
Over the past week, I've just been continuing with lectures and the general day to day things that come with uni life. I had my first group meeting with my academic advisor of the term on Thursday. This brought about what I was fearing the most about uni: essays. We have been set a compulsory essay which isn't due in until March but I'm still rather worried about it. I've never been one for words. One reason I started this blog was to try and improve my communication. I know, how silly using the internet! I've also never had much practice at essay writing as chemistry and physics, and partially biology never required me to write essays. Music A-level did require me o write essays but I just liked to list all the information I had in my head into one giant paragraph.
This week brought the return of the fitness classes I had taken part in last term. Monday was the start of kettlebell, which I only did once last term, and I remember why! My legs and arms were killing me after the workout but it is so worth it. Wednesday was my favourite boxfit. Our instructor seriously worked us, I honestly was not ready for it! Thursdays will be my favourite though with both Tal and I starting swimming. It's been months, possibly years since I've been swimming. I had been told in 2013 after my accident the year previous to partake in swimming as it would really help build up my muscles again without having a adverse affect on my back. So I'm finally, 3 year later, going to start; I'm so excited! A new class called 'self defence' has also started up this term which I thought would be good to try but unfortunately there isn't an instructor for it yet. Though maybe that's for the best...
The highlight for me this week has to be booking flights back home. As much as I love being away learning about what I'm passionate about, you can never beat being at home with your own bed, family cooking and my little cuddly pup Archie. It's 72 days until I'm home...not that I'm counting!
My close friend Megan lists her song of the week at the end of her blog so I thought that I would grab my iPod classic, put it on shuffle each time I write a blog and post the song that pops up, no matter how embarrassing. My hope is that some of the major throwbacks will put a smile on someones face and hopefully make their day!
Until next week,
Catherine xxx
Catherine's iPod song of the day: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (what a song to start on!!)
Also thought I'd post the Muppets version because I absolutely love it.
The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody
I'm still currently in bed on this wonderful Sunday morning (it is only 10am!) but I've already been out and done three loads of washing. I'm such a great little housewife!
Over the past week, I've just been continuing with lectures and the general day to day things that come with uni life. I had my first group meeting with my academic advisor of the term on Thursday. This brought about what I was fearing the most about uni: essays. We have been set a compulsory essay which isn't due in until March but I'm still rather worried about it. I've never been one for words. One reason I started this blog was to try and improve my communication. I know, how silly using the internet! I've also never had much practice at essay writing as chemistry and physics, and partially biology never required me to write essays. Music A-level did require me o write essays but I just liked to list all the information I had in my head into one giant paragraph.
This week brought the return of the fitness classes I had taken part in last term. Monday was the start of kettlebell, which I only did once last term, and I remember why! My legs and arms were killing me after the workout but it is so worth it. Wednesday was my favourite boxfit. Our instructor seriously worked us, I honestly was not ready for it! Thursdays will be my favourite though with both Tal and I starting swimming. It's been months, possibly years since I've been swimming. I had been told in 2013 after my accident the year previous to partake in swimming as it would really help build up my muscles again without having a adverse affect on my back. So I'm finally, 3 year later, going to start; I'm so excited! A new class called 'self defence' has also started up this term which I thought would be good to try but unfortunately there isn't an instructor for it yet. Though maybe that's for the best...
The highlight for me this week has to be booking flights back home. As much as I love being away learning about what I'm passionate about, you can never beat being at home with your own bed, family cooking and my little cuddly pup Archie. It's 72 days until I'm home...not that I'm counting!
My close friend Megan lists her song of the week at the end of her blog so I thought that I would grab my iPod classic, put it on shuffle each time I write a blog and post the song that pops up, no matter how embarrassing. My hope is that some of the major throwbacks will put a smile on someones face and hopefully make their day!
Until next week,
Catherine xxx
Catherine's iPod song of the day: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (what a song to start on!!)
Also thought I'd post the Muppets version because I absolutely love it.
The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody
Monday, 26 January 2015
Finding our pet for next year....
It's been 20 days since my last blog post...terribly sorry about that.
I've completed my first week back at uni and boy has it been busy! I've start two new modules: Human Physiology and Disease and Enzymes and Metabolism. These modules are the two I've most been looking forward too. Most people won't actually know this, but I am actually very inquisitive and love to know how things work, especially inside the human body. I've spent the past two days completing a Genetics and Evolution practical write up and it has really gotten me to dislike this subject very strongly...well I say that, but I really just don't like transduction (what the practical was based on); the use of bacteriophage P1vir to transduce a drug-resistance marker from one strain to another.
Myself and my three future housemates for next year went into Canterbury on Friday with the intention of only going in for a few things and only staying for an hour or so. We arrived home roughly five hours later with very full and satisfied bellies! My friend Kirsty had a wonderful voucher that gave you a free, yes free, 200ml tub of body butter from the Body Shop. I am obsessed with this stuff so being able to get a free tub made me exceptionally happy; I love a bargin! I ended up getting the Honeymania, which smells divine.
After reading an article about places in Canterbury to eat/drink in, I noticed a place called Chocolate Cafe. As the name suggests they obviously do hot chocolate, and claim to do the best in Canterbury. I gave it a try and they are correct. It was the thickest most delightful hot chocolate I have ever had (well apart from the hot chocolate my mum makes with cream and marshmallows!).
We decided to walk by our future house just to have another look (because we are all far too excited about it) and to also see what shops were along our street. We ended up spending what felt like hours in an exotic pet shop filled with the most beautiful snakes, lizards and some other creatures. I finally decided that the boa would be the perfect pet for next year; they didn't say we couldn't keep snakes! After admiring the wonderful animals, we had sushi in a sweet little restaurant along the road of next years house; it was so tasty. We all had very happy tummies afterwards!
The wonderful Chocolate Cafe hot chocolates!
Tal's yummy tiffin
If you have a spare moment and fancy an interesting and, I hope to you, an inspiring read, check out my dear friend Megan's blog. Observations of a Fictional Girl
Until the next time,
Catherine xxx
P.S. I thought you would appreciate these pictures from back in Northern Ireland last week.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
New Year, New Me?
It's the start of a new year. A fresh start, a clean slate.
I know it's seven days into the new year already (I'm just terrible at keeping up to date with what day it is!), but I thought it would still be a great idea to think up my new years resolutions. I for one am terrible at sticking to them so thought that, after seeing what a friend of mine did last year, that I would make a list of different things I would like to do this year. The list will comprise of some personal things but I'll give you the 'normal' new year new me resolutions, all with (I hope) good reasoning behind them.
1. Get fit
For the past few years I've been trying to get myself into shape. I wouldn't be the kind of person who would obsess about my weight or how I look, but I've found (especially now with living up three flights of stairs), that I am seriously unfit. I had started boxfit classes and a tried a few others whilst at university before the Christmas break but with deadlines approaching at the end of term, I just didn't have time to attend the classes. But this year shall be different. I will get myself moving, get the heart pumping and do some exercise!
2. Be more organised
I always thought I was quite an organised person as I would always have my desk sitting perfect with every item having it's own place but now looking back, that's not the organisation I needed then or even need now. I want to have deadlines pinned on my board, have a schedule worked out for when work is due in, when I have different activities etc. Being more organised with my university work and other activities will have such a great affect in reducing any stress that I may have encountered by continuing with my 'I'll do it in a little bit' attitude/style of doing things.
3. Be healthier!
This is a major one for me, though I am currently typing this section whilst eating a small packet of Wine Gums!
Being a student and living away from home, I had got myself into a way of being so lazy with food that I would just have pizza or beans or something else simple and not incredibly nutritious for dinner because I really didn't want to make anything as it would take too much effort or time. I need to become more adventurous with food and just eat more fruit and veg. (will help with my getting fitter too!)
4. Love more
Telling someone you love them, be it a member of family, a spouse or a best friend, could mean the world to someone and really make their day. The end of October/start of November was a very difficult time for my family as my maternal grandfather ended up in hospital and unfortunately passed away. I struggled and continue to do so as I was in Kent (my family all live in Northern Ireland) and I just wasn't able to see my grandfather at all when he would have needed me the most. I never would have thought that just before I headed off to university in September that me saying goodbye to him would be forever: it will be something I will never be able to get over. But this year I'm going to start being more appreciative to the people who help me, telling my friends and family just how much they all mean to me and also to start spending more time with them (though that may be easier said than done at times!).
Those are my main goals of the year but I have other smaller things I would like to do this year and I will keep you posted of when I get everything I have on my list completed!
Hope you all had a wonderful and happy New Year!
Catherine xxx
I know it's seven days into the new year already (I'm just terrible at keeping up to date with what day it is!), but I thought it would still be a great idea to think up my new years resolutions. I for one am terrible at sticking to them so thought that, after seeing what a friend of mine did last year, that I would make a list of different things I would like to do this year. The list will comprise of some personal things but I'll give you the 'normal' new year new me resolutions, all with (I hope) good reasoning behind them.
1. Get fit
For the past few years I've been trying to get myself into shape. I wouldn't be the kind of person who would obsess about my weight or how I look, but I've found (especially now with living up three flights of stairs), that I am seriously unfit. I had started boxfit classes and a tried a few others whilst at university before the Christmas break but with deadlines approaching at the end of term, I just didn't have time to attend the classes. But this year shall be different. I will get myself moving, get the heart pumping and do some exercise!
2. Be more organised
I always thought I was quite an organised person as I would always have my desk sitting perfect with every item having it's own place but now looking back, that's not the organisation I needed then or even need now. I want to have deadlines pinned on my board, have a schedule worked out for when work is due in, when I have different activities etc. Being more organised with my university work and other activities will have such a great affect in reducing any stress that I may have encountered by continuing with my 'I'll do it in a little bit' attitude/style of doing things.
3. Be healthier!
This is a major one for me, though I am currently typing this section whilst eating a small packet of Wine Gums!
Being a student and living away from home, I had got myself into a way of being so lazy with food that I would just have pizza or beans or something else simple and not incredibly nutritious for dinner because I really didn't want to make anything as it would take too much effort or time. I need to become more adventurous with food and just eat more fruit and veg. (will help with my getting fitter too!)
4. Love more
Telling someone you love them, be it a member of family, a spouse or a best friend, could mean the world to someone and really make their day. The end of October/start of November was a very difficult time for my family as my maternal grandfather ended up in hospital and unfortunately passed away. I struggled and continue to do so as I was in Kent (my family all live in Northern Ireland) and I just wasn't able to see my grandfather at all when he would have needed me the most. I never would have thought that just before I headed off to university in September that me saying goodbye to him would be forever: it will be something I will never be able to get over. But this year I'm going to start being more appreciative to the people who help me, telling my friends and family just how much they all mean to me and also to start spending more time with them (though that may be easier said than done at times!).
Those are my main goals of the year but I have other smaller things I would like to do this year and I will keep you posted of when I get everything I have on my list completed!
Hope you all had a wonderful and happy New Year!
Catherine xxx
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