Burlesque

Love it – it’s that simple!

Its taken me  while to get round to watching the dvd – there’s always something in the way – and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to watch it.

This is a proper small-town girl makes it big film – but with some awesome track – and I can’t get enough of it!

The music is amazing – I knew that anyway as I have the album – but this is a whole different ball-game! Christina sounds – and looks – amazing, not that I’m ever so slightly jealous or anything!

Its not even finished it and I’m already thinking about watching it again!

Chilangos; Fleet Street, London

Who would have thought the very first Lab News office in Fleet Street would now be a Mexican eatery?

Since the magazine is celebrating it’s 40th birthday I’ve been doing a bit of research into it’s history – our first office was in Fleet Street; number 142 to be exact. We thought it might be fun to have a poke around there now – a quick search and we reveal it’s now a Mexican – Chilangos. Well, it was only right that we all went for lunch!

I was a bit concerned I might need my sunglasses – images we’d sourced showed lots of lime green and bright pinks, but the place was actually really nice. Its sort of set up like a Subway – you pick what you want and go along the counter while they add what you want. But you can eat in – there are a few benches, so we sat down and tucked in.

I’ve not really ventured into Mexican much – fajitas are about as much as I’ve tried but I went for a burrito…so tasty! Chickens, rice, peppers, tomatoes and cheese…so good.

Prices were fairly expensive – but that could just be the fact we were in Central London. It was well worth the £6ish, and it struck me that something like this would do really well in Croydon!

Well worth a visit if you’re in Central London, but check their website for opening times. They’ve also got a place in Bluewater, so another good spot for a quick lunch!

Bournemouth Air Festival

After last year’s wash-out – and the fact that it was chucking it down in the way – I was a bit skeptical about the Bournemouth Air Festival.

But the sun came out, the boys built their sandcastles and dug a hole, and we even had a swim in the sea.and then came the plane – Spitfires, Lancaster and the Red Arrows. The displays were amazing – just make sure you take your sunglasses!

Of course, this year was marred by the sad death of one of the Red Arrows pilots – its dreadful to think that we watched an amazing display and then this tragedy happened.

But the festival is more than just the air shows – there are displays and shows in the gardens, and firework displays in the evening. There’s plenty going on, but a nice relaxing time on the beach is also a perfect way to spend the day.

I would thoroughly recommend spending a weekend by the seaside if you get the chance. Check out the website for more info www.bournemouthair.co.uk

Inflight Science; A guide to the world from your airplane window

There’s a lot of science which goes into getting  a plane in the air – even more before you can sit in the comfort of your seat while you jet off on your holidays. Brian Clegg has packed Inflight Science full of interesting facts and experiments you can do mid-flight.

The book takes you on a scientific journey from airport scanners and security checks, to how your plane actually gets into the air. And he tackles some of the things you might see out of the window: the Uffington White Horse; crop circles or simply just the tides and even explains how an airplane toilet works and why you could never get sucked into the vacuum flush! And then there’s touch down and the science of friction.

This is a light and interesting read -  and perfect for those looking for some simple science. It’ll leave you marvelling at the science and engineering that goes into flying – something we all take for granted when we’re jetting off.

Just Dance; Wii

I absolutely love this game! I didn’t think I would, but I do. My sister-in-law has been raving about it for months and has graduated onto Just Dance 2, but I thought I’d play it safe and stick with the first one.

My sister-in-law had been threatening to have a girly night with us all having a dance – I couldn’t imagine anything worse as I just can’t dance, but my mum got Just dance for Christmas so I thought I’d give it a go. Irrelevant that she’d only just taken it out of the wrapper when we went to visit for Easter!

We put it on on an overcast Saturday afternoon and we sweating within minutes. Songs like Eye of the Tiger and Surfin’ Bird  are such a good workout and I’ve found myself putting the game on for 30 minutes when I get in – rather than putting on Wii Fit as it’s a much more enjoyable workout!

There are lots of great song on there, and one of the great things is you’re constantly striving to beat your best score – it’s like a personal competition!

My only criticism is that you can often be following the moves and it not register what you’re doing. Maybe I’m not doing it 100% correct, but it can be very frustrating. Perhaps it’ll be sorted out in Just Dance 2? It’s on my wish list…

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

To her family, she was Henrietta Lacks – a wife, mother, friend, but to scientists, she became known as HeLa. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks­ takes us on a journey of discovery about Henrietta; her life, her family and her cells.

Months before she died, cancerous cells were taken from Henrietta’s cervix – without her knowledge – and became one of the most important tools in medicine. They became the first immortal human tissue grown in culture – with a whole new generation produced every 24 hours – and have been used to develop the polio vaccine, uncover secrets about cancer and viruses and helped lead the way in in vitro fertilisation, cloning and gene mapping.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has won numerous awards – including the Wellcome Trust Book Prize in 2010 – so when it arrived on my desk at work I was really keen to read it.

It looked plain and simple, but the image of Henrietta Lacks – one of the only ones her family had – all battered and crinkled drew me in. I have a passing interest in all things cancer-related – my gran died aged 54 from metastatic breast cancer and I thought it would be interesting to read about the origin on cells that had been used in cancer research.

It was interesting to learn about Henrietta and her family but most of the book focussed on what happened after Henrietta’s death – what happened to her cells, how they were used in science and the lives of her family afterwards.

I like the way Skloot becomes a character in her own story as she becomes intertwined in the lives of the Lacks family while sifting through medical and research records and conducting countless interviews with Henrietta’s family and friends

The book was clearly instigated by curiosity, but became a labour of love and took the author 10 years to research and write, but the picture she painted of Henrietta’s sad story and the struggle of the family she left behind is touching.

It was really heart-breaking to read about how her children suffered while they were growing up – dropping out of school and coping with the loss of their mother when they were all so young. All the while, science was progressing thanks to the aggressive cancer cells of their mother – not that they knew about it. When the family were told about the existence of HeLa cells, they didn’t really understand what they were or how they were being used – which only added to their misery.

I did enjoy the book, but for me it didn’t live up to the hype surrounding it. Maybe – because I’ve never worked with the cells they don’t hold as much meaning for me as those more involved in science. A girl I work with who has worked in a lab with HeLa cells absolutely loved the book and has been recommending it to everyone left, right and centre. Its an interesting and heart-wrenching story and I would recommend it.

Fashion Fix; summer shoes

Summer’s coming and I never have any decent shoes to wear – what is a girl to do…go shopping!

First dilemma: its my best friend’s wedding in June – I’ve got the dress, but no shoes. On a chance visit into Croydon I spot a beautiful pair of wedges in the window (right). They’re Red Herring – £18 down from £28 – well I just had to have a look!

They’re black canvas with a strap around the top – which I’ve taken out  – and a lightweight wedge. I had to have them in size 4 as the 5 was too big, but they’re so comfortable. I wore them at work the other day and I already know I’m going to be in them all summer long!

Next problem – I have no ballet pumps to wear in the in between too-warm-for-boots-too-cold-for-flip-flop period. I’d have got to Primark but I can’t stand their ballet pumps – they’re so plastic and uncomfortable. I don’t really like spending too much on them as I know I won’t wear them that often. A chance glance over at Shoe World (a little cheap shop down Surrey Street) and I spotted some suedette studded pumps. Again, I had to look, and for £6 I really can’t complain. They’re really comfortable and it took all day before they started rubbing – Primark ones it’s about five minutes. I think I’ll be in these for a while.

Fashion fix; Bargain bags

Most of may bags seem to be falling apart at the moment, so I’ve been on the hunt for something new. Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that I’m a right pain when it comes to shopping and it takes me forever to find something I want.

Well I’ve been lucky enough to pick up not one but two new bags – both studded obviously, but neither black!

The first is a light gray studded bag from Tesco (left) – picked up in the sale for a mere £10. I’ve always been wary of light bags as the colour from my jeans tends to rub off onto the bag, but even when this happened it cleaned up really well. The bag is synthetic leather, and as well has having the draw-string top has a magnetic popper inside and the usual pockets for phones and keys.

The second smaller clutch bag came from Ebay. It’s a real bargain – used only once and therefore in great condition – and cost me only £1.99 plus P&P. It’s another Tesco’s bag actually, and is the perfect size for all the essentials. Again its synthetic leather, and has all the usual pockets etc. I just love it.

I’ve been shopping on Ebay quite a bit recently I’m trying to buy fewer things that I know I’m not going to use, and to buy certain things second hand. After all, everyone has stuff in their wardrobes they don’t wear anymore, or have never worn – I know I do – and there’s no harm in making a bit of extra cash out of your unworn clutter.

Rihanna; loud

I’m not really a big Rihanna fan – I wouldn’t say I dislike her and I actually liked a lot of her earlier singles, but I’d lost interest, particularly after Umbrella. But there was something about Loud that I couldn’t shake off – I’d been hearing the songs everywhere and couldn’t seem to get away from them so thought I’d better take the plunge and download it.

I put it straight on the ipod and then listened to it at work the next day. I quite enjoyed it – its a nice mix of ballads and more up-beat tracks and I was bopping away at my desk (God knows what I looked like!).

I particularly like the first track – S & M – and the last track, Love the way you lie (well I was going to – Eminem is on it!). There’s also the fabulous What’s my name and I was pleasantly surprised with some of the other tracks on there too, although I have to say I’m not too keen on California King Bed and Man Down.

All in all I was pleasantly surprised and would definitely recommend it if you’re not sure about it!

Hype Clothing Croydon – avoid like the plague

Don’t shop in Hype Clothing in the Whitgift centre, Croydon – it has the worst customer service and is a nasty place to shop.

I don’t usually shop in there as it’s a bit cheap looking, but I noticed something in the window and bought it. When I got home and tried on it was too big and the detail on it was falling off, so I took it back for a refund. That won’t take long I thought – wrong!

“It’s a sale item so you can only exchange it,” I was told. It wasn’t on the sale rack, nor did it have a mark-down sticker with original price, I explained.

“No its a sale item,”  I was told again, so I asked to be shown where it said it was on sale. “The whole shop is on sale” I was told, so I pointed out they might want to make that clea. I saw behind the till a note saying no refunds on sale stock – maybe it should say on all stock!

I was still adamant I wanted my refund – it wasn’t a sale item no matter what they said. I think it’s a clever scam, they just mark everyone’s receipt as sale so no-one can get a refund.

I gave up arguing and picked another top, but the difference was £2 owed to me.

“You can have a credit note for £2″ – how is that useful to me when I’m never shopping there again, but I had to accept it as I had to get back to work.

As I was leaving, a girl was on the phone to Trading Standards complaining about the exact same thing I was. They obviously have no idea how to run a shop properly and their staff are rude- I hope they get closed down.