Man Is A Universe Within Himself

Good Evening Bloggers :)

Alot has been batted around (Nice ashes pun) about this blog. Highly anticipated it seems :) This makes me happy... pressure hah i laugh in the face of pressure :p and i hope you enjoy this as much as i am doing writing it, i hope it bowls you over (Ashes pun number 2) :).

Why so much hype? Well maybe not from you guys in England, or in France or my beloved followers in Denmark (Hej) or the USA (Hey), Russia (Привет), and Israel (שלום). But here in Cadiz and hopefully around Spain there has been an event much bigger than Easter, much bigger than Spring Break, muuuuuuch bigger than Hannukah and the big bang (not quite as big as christmas!). This event was Granada '10 , the dual celebration of 21st birthdays. For within the space of 25-29 two dear friends on Natasha Pitt and one Michael A.V Mcpherson (better known to you guys out there as one half of Kike), turned the big 21. The last birthday that is looking, not quite up the up, more on top of the hill, you know, the one just before everything seems to start looking downwards, the days seem shorter and duller and the hair looks greyer, the beginning of the end! And to celebrate this epicness we decided, hey, why not hit Granada, visit the likes of Rob Coy, Bekki Chambers, Mairi and Kim in the meantime whilst hitting the likes of the Alhambra and Camborio and having a spiffing time.

I Hope you enjoy :).....

What do succssful writers write about?.... They write about great triumphs, great failings, great wars and great love. Of Romance, of Drama, of Humour and Sorrow. I cannot promise you everything, if i could i would promise you the heaven and the earth. However, as i am merely a Blogger, i can promise you one thing.... a bloody good read!

What is it that defines a man? It is not his successes, nor is it the failings of his life, but the actions which lead to said consequences. I swear i heard a dude say that once and i'v always wanted to say it myself :p Why is it that people judge success on the likes of money and career. I judge a man on his actions, the decisions he makes and follows, the paths that he not only follows, but creates through the life he chooses to lead. A proud man, for me, is not a man who prides himself on the clothes he wears and the cars he drives, but on the people he associates with and the fun times that he has. And this weekend, this hectic weekend, well ladies and gentlemen, you have made me proud.

I can safely say we expected as much as we got! We kicked off the long weekend with a thursday night 'Lash' for want of a better word, session i may use, we went out for a delicious dinner, tapas in Cumbres Mayores, for Tash's birthday. After which we hit the Old Town, Cuba, Nahu, Bhopal, the makings of a solid session in Cadiz. Also, im afraid, the makings of a jolly good hangover, uncurable it may seem in Spain, as there are simply no English Breakfasts!

SOOOOO the 12 o'clock bus to Granada was sure to be a hoot, headache in tow, bags packed, sarnies bought, journey.... dreaded! Group, unfortunately.... seperated. Drama? For sure! What kindof friends would we be if drama didn't appear at every opportunity? The 6 hour bus journey was a peach :-| 6 hours of pure torture, minimal leg-room, maximum Iphone diversion!

We eventually arrived in the wet, cold beauty that is Granada. A short taxi ride later we arrived at the Best Western Hotel in the centre of town, merely a 3 star paradise.

 Beds as comfortable as clouds and as big as the heaven they were made in! As we split off into our designated room groups we one by one lugged our luggage up to the correct rooms, myself and Kate in what could have been the royal suite, a beauty, nice sized, 2 huge beds, flat screen tv, 2 balcony styled windows, great bathroom with BATH woop and Pierre Cardin designed decor (One for the ladies ;p) and enough wardrobe space to fit the insane amount of clothes Kate and I had somehow managed to bring for the 3 day, 2 night stay in Granada!

3 hours later we were half way through an average at best meal in the pizzeria just downstairs from the Hotel, when who should roll up, but Tash, Sarah and Sam, fresh off the same torid bus ride! Let the drama commence :) A slight confusion in communication between the two bus groups led to 2 seperate tables for dinner and some rather cold shoulders, (gladly shurgged off by Saturday). After the meal, including the perfect pudding of Mikes;

We headed back up to the rooms and began getting ready for what was set to be a great first night in Granada.

Gustav Klimt was our first destination after some rather rowdy pre-drinking in the hotel suite; IPad Ring-of-Fire, Pirate Talk, Tinto Verano, Cheap Mixers and staff complaints gives you a vague idea of the pre-lash! After being offered to buy some weed, Friends styled photos and slippery surfaces we managed to get into Klimt, right after Mike got loooked up and down and almost refused that is! Chilling upstairs like the big cheeses we were set to be on Saturday night we were loving it! Meanwhile Tash and Sarah were knocking back the Shots at the Chupiteria with Mairi, Kim, and our newest acquaintence, Leeds lass Charlotte. As the night drew on, and the group remained split, me being, welll me, decided it was best if myself and young Sam-Wise headed over to collect the girls and hit Granada 10 where the night would end in fireworks. This however did not occur, we met up, i got beaten up by one Mairi Davies (Yes i have the neck scratch to prove it Mairi so dont argue yeah!?) and hit the hotel an hour after leaving Klimt with the whole night ahead of me :-/. What did i miss? Well only one Michael McPherson being thrown out of Granada 10 by the bouncers after being persuaded by the ladies to remove his shirt an 'Get on down' on the podium in front of a packed club! How could this get any worse... everyone understand the term Coño... if not, it don't matter, trust me! But the bouncer sure did, and a few arguments later, the group finally emerged to see Mike, Creditless and Hammmered, fliling around in a back alley, regretting listening to certain women!

The hangovers seen Saturday morning were memories to treasure! Breakfast, somehow, was too! Bacon, eggs, cereals, toast and fruit, the makings of a delicious treat to start what was supposed to be a aproductive day!... how did it end up? Being the begginning of a day where i saw daylight a mere 3 times and twice were me looking out of the bathroom window pre luxurious bath! Saturday became null, a few of us managed to emerge from the hotel and tour the city, me i made it as far as the cash machine at the top of the street to collect Alhambra tickets! However, Saturday night.... One to remember forever!

Lads suited up, shirts, ties, trousers, some jackets, some braces, me... Trilby of course

and others... well others, no names mentioned ey Sam Maloney, they wore pumps :-/. The Ladies, looking all lovely and what not in dresses, heels, jewellery and enough makeup, perfume and hairspray to bring down the chinese army and legs and boobs everywhere, gave us men a run for our money, but the Rat Pack reincarnated just pipped it! The plan? Champers in the room as we presented Mike with his present and the stragglers finished up getting ready, before heading to Alcazar for a sesnsational meal overlooking the Alhambra, lit up in all its beauty giving us the perfect backdrop to the perfect meal as we left all bad feelings, drama, money issues and relationship troubles behind us. The food... incredible. The service.... Tip Top. The wine.... delicious (supposedly). The night.... kicked off in true style.

After our mammoth meals we headed back to Gustav Klimt for drinks before heading back up the mountain.

The weekend was gradually catching up with a few of us and we needed a funsies injection. The suits, the dresses, the sheer style of the situation thrown to the wind... and rain as we headed first in taxi, and then by foot on the torrid journey up the mountain to Camborio, a club like no other. With stunning views overlooking the Alhambra and the downstairs club carved into the Cave, this seemed to be a great night in the making.... well guys, i can safely tell you.... it did not dissapoint.

We got there earlier than the likes of Rob, Bekki, Mairi, Kim and Charlotte and, in true Gaditan style, got both our Booze and Boogies on... renditions of Michael Jackson, Neyo and Beyonce making the night all that memorable. But did it get better, well of course it did! As the alcohol continued to flow, the fun and laughter back in our 'lash' filled veins the mood picked up and the crowd did too as Mairi, Kim and Charlotte came to escort us from the cave up to the 'happening' club upstairs, the one with the views, the one with the crowds, the one with the cheap shots, THE ONE! Boy oh boy oh boy, when i say this i means it... All the girls looked... incredible, but well, when one lil red dress walked in, the eyes in the room were in one place, the ghetto bootay somehow controlled, the abusive nature toned down, and the Lady in the red dress, jaw dropping gents, one more addition to the a) great night and b) brilliant mix of beautiful girls.

The night was a great one, as we moved up to the other half of the amazing club the guys and i went from tipsyish/buzzed/drunkish into drunk/crunk/hammered, some more so than others, Mike and Ashley taking his celebrations out on, what i presume was, a fridge full of beer and a bottle full of tequila. The odours of which were sure to hang around for at least the next 24 hours! An earlyish night was insitigated for some of us as we debated the prospect of getting up Sunday morning to not only pack and be out by 12, but have breakfast before half 10, and make it to the Alhambra before half 1... did we do it... of course we did! Room key drama, hangovers and tired eyes just adding to the hilarity of the situation!

The walk to the Alhambra, although bloody tiring, was also bloody beautiful. Mountain side views of the rest of the city in one direction, sensational views of the Sierra Nevada mountain range another. Although well and truly cream-crackered, everyone seemed still to be able to take in the sheer awe and wonder of the views we were looking at... a gift from god, a paradise on earth.

If you have been to the Alhambra i need not say much more, but if you have not, you simply must. I myself do not claim to be a lover of all things cultural, i would pick a seat at St James Park over a tour of the Louvre any day, but the Alhambra, well it was something alright! The 10 minute wait that lasted 55 minutes for myself and Mairi seemed not even to put a dent into my appreciation of the spectacular views and architecture around me. The christmas songs, cold bum and joyful banter over the longest 55 minutes of my life, in which i learnt that people in Devon are actually still living in the 18th century, and do tend to get "cross" with said ginger people, seemed to simply add to the enjoyment of what was panning out to be a surprisingly marvelous day. Photos can be seen on Facebook of the gloriously built Alhambra, there are simply too many to chose from, between the views, the gardens, the buildings and the ruins, you cannot simply stand there and say, yep this is the best, because, for me anyway, it is all pretty much perfect.

After walking around the Alhambra for a few hours, learning about the history of the wonderful place, learning how to read sign language;

with hangovers and hunger in toll, we finally left to get some pre journey home grub, where at well....

Of course! With no Dominoes or Pizza Hut in Cadiz, it was a cert that we had to hit it in Granada, and with value for money added in, a wiser choice could not be found!

Stuffed from the pizza and weekend glee we said our sad goodbyes. Goodbyes to mates, with whom strong friendships had been bound across the space of 2 amazing weekends. Friends who shall not be forgotten up in the Andalucian mountains;

Truly top lasses :).... pity they study in Brum ey! well some people just have to, i know, i dont get it either!

After the all the pizza was eaten, after all our goodbyes were said, and after we managed it back to the hotel in one piece, we headed in taxis to the bus station to catch our coach back to our Gaditan paradise. A far cry from the enormity and beauty of Granada, but our own, small, compact, sea-side, warm ...ish wonderland. And now 8 hours after setting off on a bus ride from hell, in which i had squashed legs, minimal IPhone battery and minimal grub, i sit here writing to you, my loyal readers, my friends, my family, my peeps :)

It is nice to get away every now and again, Cadiz can become claustrophobic sometimes, to be honest up until the ice skating rink was built over the weekend, there wasn't much to do but go to uni and play football manager! But i am happy to be back, to be back to our home, our cosy little flat, where after this weekend i can safely say, we all live in our little world, a bubble you could say. But it does not matter about the size of the bubble, because as i found out this weekend, as we shifted the bubble 6 hours north east, its not always about the place that you are, but its always about the people you are with.

Happy Blogging :)

P.S
Granada '10 Playlist

-Marry You - Bruno Mars. Dedicated to one Mathew Clarke and Kate Newman the roomies with a glutteny for Glee
-Single Ladies - Beyonce. Dedicated to all the ladies in our lives this weekend, single or not, partying hard through the alcohol and laughter and making it a wekeend to remember.
-Celebration - Kool and the Gang. Dedicated the Tash and Mike who both turned 21 this long weekend.
-New Shoes - Paulo Nutini. Dedicated to Sam Maloney.... get some!
-Don't Stop Believing. Dedicated to every person who added to this fantastic weekend, friends, randomers, even staff at the hotel, bars and attractions, couldn't have done it without you, and i just cannot wait for January to roll around and the 21st birthday celebrations to continue.

"An intense anticipation itself transforms possibility into reality"

Afternoon Bloggers,

Just a short one today i'm afraid. The only reason i really decided to write this entry was as a sort of bridge between my last one and the next one which is sure to have to you in fits of laughter, even histeria maybe. Why you ask, and i shall answer with one word and one word only.... GRANADA.

This weekend see's the celebrations of both Mike and Tash becoming, although they may try to avoid the fact, OLD! After Hotels and Coaches were booked the anticipation set in, and although money circumstances stipulate many peoples weekends will be extending the shoe-string to its furthest lengths, myself included, it shall be a brilliant weekend. The missing factor.... Wor Mateo, who is currently lapping it up in a plush suite in the Waldorf in New York, you know, that concrete jungle where dreams are made, no big deal like! I was just surprised our umbilical managed to survive the flights and transfers, i could tell you what he was doing right no... awww matty in the shower thats just gross :D

This week hasn't been anything extra special, Bingo on sunday where the 8 euros i won happily covered my nights spend and the combination of Sam's seemingly unlimited knowledge of Bingo numbering, Tash's inability to not win either a line or a house on each card, and the mixture of the interesting Bingo Calling by both Alcon, Mike and Richard, was perhaps the highlight of an otherwise dull week dominated by both the anticipation of the weekend ahead and the realisation that we indeed have an assignment to hand in next wednesday to Wor Billy, the Bearded Lord of Economia del Turismo. No biggy though it seems like we have that one cracked, a portfolio on the Circuito del Jerez and Moto GP there will suffice, one problem, the bloomin thing has to be written in Spanish :-/ One good thing did happen however.... we got our Kates back :) And planning can now begin on all things christmassy!!!

Rain has washed away all Cadiz joy at the moment, as money dries up so does the glee running through my usually ever-happy body. However the combination of Christmas closing in, the Ice-Skating rink being built on Plaza San Francisco and the realisation that in 23 days i will be sat in my house back in Doncaster 7 days away from what is set to be my favourite Christmas ever, happily back with all my family and Donny friends.... the day cannot come too soon :)

I'm not saying i won't miss being in Spain for those 2 and a halfish weeks i'll be home, but at the minute, i'm afraid, i am all Cadiz-ed out. :)

So for now my loyal fans i bid you adieu (no that was not another dig at you Kate! GAWWWWD), it is not goodbye, it is merely a farewell, until next time, probably monday when i will look to enthral you with frivolous tales of birthday beatings, hotel antics, freezing conditions, smartly suiting up and of course Sam.

Happy Blogging :)

You Don't Make Friends, You Earn Them.

Afternoon Bloggers,

I know it has not been bvery long since my last blog, but with the current roll i am on, i thought i would throw an entry in the mix which meant quite a bit to me.

Sat in a bar with 8 beautifu women as the sun set on another great day in Cadiz, i couldn't help but look at where i stand today, at what i have, and what i have become. It took my to wonder how i came to be so lucky? How, no why i had been given the opportunity to meet so many amazing people? And at how stupid i would be to let this opportunity pass me by. Making the most of every situation is very important to me, i believe life is there for the taking, life is there for living, and dreams, goals and ambitions are there to be reached.

Its been a fantastic week in Cadiz, along with the usual Uni based banter and boredom, the football manager escapades, work and wishy washy weather, we have seen so many people come and go. If I thought that i had met some great people already, well this week i have met a few more. Friends of friends brought in to fill the void left by the absence of Kate and Katie; Mairi, Kim, Charlotte and Jem. 4 beautiful and elegant English girls looking to thoroughly enjoy their time in this Gadetan paradise.

Of course i wouldn't be me if one didn't catch the eye! Rarely does at least one not catch the eye!! Who? Well all can be said is that; yes she was beautiful, however she was a bully (No James this does not mean she was a Female Rugby Player like your most recent conquest!!!!) and spiffingly annoying in equal amounts ;) How to overcome such obstacles?! Let Laurel and Hardy, the 'Ant and Dec' of Cadiz loose around her and watch the complexes blossom!! The bruises and wounds the result of a hilrious night in the presence of that bit extra 'Junk in the Trunk' and her sidekick Tinkerbell!!

Bruises how? Bruises and wounds from tumbles, thumps and trouble, of course all this can just be put down to one thing.... Friday night in Cadiz!

Friday night was chaos! Late starting pre drinks as we awaited the arrival of Sarah, Tash and their guests, perhaps we wouldn't have been crazy to think the night may have fizzled into a nothing night, and a hanging morning. However a bottle of vodka, visits to Persigueme and Origen later, La Punta time arrived, and just in time, the alcohol had more than hit the spot, Mat was on witty, charm-less, abusive, drunken form.

Saturday morning? A time to recollect. To regroup, recoup and revitalise. Also a time to look back at the night before and to think... where the bleeding helll did that come from. The graze on Tash's knee and bumps on Kim still remain an unsolved case (I plead innocent till proven guilty, i was falling and merely threw them to their safety!!!).

A hangover, beautifully awful meal and unhappy mood later came Saturday evening. A mere few hours ago from writing this entry i was walking along La Caleta beach front watching the sun set in the distance and in more than a pensive mood wondering simply..... how do i live here? Then came the bar situation, Cola Cao in hand i sat back and allowed the 8 friends to converse. All the time looking for inspiration for my next blog entry! Then inspiration hit me, the Iphone came out and the writing began.

But what insiration can one draw from sitting at a bar and being a 9th wheel? Well apart from feeling like the cheese and onion sandwiches at a grand buffet (left out if you didnt get that), the situation gave me time to simply appreciate all i have in life. I'm not a rich kid, i'm not a poor kid.I have no outstanding attributes or talents to shout about. I will not cure cancer and i will not become the prime minister. But what i do have, what i have that all the money in the world, all the talent or fame in the universe couldn't buy you, i simply have the best, no the greatest set of friends and family a guy could ask for.

What is most dear to me? Is it the Abercrombie shirt i wear or Aston Martin i one day hope to drive? Is it the laptop i write on or the blog i update week after week? It is not, they all ran a good race, but at the end of the day, when you strip life to the bare bone, when you uncover all the troubles, all the torments, all the tears and triumphs, the one thing that remains the constant, the one thing that is always there for you is your friends and family.

A wise man once said "Sometimes you pick your friends, and sometimes they pick you." It is the times when people walk into your life that you must cherish for it is "True friends who walk in when everyone else walks out." Why do i appreciate my friends so much? Well today that became very apparent to me. I appreciate them simply because they are there. Today, with all the talk of people going home to see friends and family back home and with people having friends come over to see them, i was hit with a sever bout of.... homesickness! A sad sight i was. Sitting sad faced and boring in a group of beautiful women, i must say my dad would be ashamed! But then as inspiration hit so did an improvement. I realised in that moment that

- the ability to laugh at Sam's ever impressive lack of common sense,
- the ever present chance to take a dig at Sarah's pretruding bottom,
- the fun that can be had by making a Kike joke,
- the hilarity found at some of Geff's english sentences and adaptation to our use of slang,
- the beauty found in the art of facebook raping Ash,
- the comfort of being at Kate and Katies flat even though they arent there,
- the haven found by abusing Tash's tolerance to BANTER,
- the brilliance in some of Mateo's one-liners,
- the chance to talk to the likes of James, Pieter, Zoe, Charlotte, Chris, Evans, Mellor, Simon, Luke, Mazza, Callum, Tori, Bekki through the miracle of Facebook chat,
- the opportunity to see the smile on my Grandparents or Dads face as they connect to me on skype,

These are the things that make me smile, get me over bad situations, and bring me to the realisation of one very important fact,

Friends are for life... not just for Cadiz 2010.

Happy Blogging :)

"If The Dream Is Big Enough The Facts Don't Matter"

Afternoon Bloggers :)

Knock Knock..... Who's there?..... Winter!!! Now this was going to be the title but i thought it may be a bit misleading!

How do you know that winter has arrived? Your laid in your bed at 11am in the south of Spain shivering! Not only do i fear putting my feet out of the covers due to Paranormal Activity, but now i have Jack frikin Frost to deal with as well. Trust me i didn't expect him to make it all the way down to Cadiz this year!! No Central Heating, big ass windows, marble-ish floors, no duvet, so what the bleeding hell can i do to keep myself warm? By writing to you lovely people who read my blog :)

Iv mulled and you could sayn even fretted about this entry to my blog. A quick look before i wrote this at the stats tells me that since i launched my blog at the start of October i have had some 1377 views. Wow! When i started out writing this i never dreamed of this many views, i thought that i'd get a few from friends back home, friends here in Cadiz, friends scattered around Europe and in Mexico, family around the world. However, there is a option on the stats part to look at where people are viewing this blog from, and may i say, i was gobsmacked. Of course Spain and the UK are the places where it is most popular, but you look further down and this week alone there has been 37 views in Denmark and numerous views in Russia, Germany, The USA, Singapore and Israel! I was shocked and i must say humbled! I thank you all so much for continuing to read my blog entry after entry and giving me the compliments i have been recieving from all sorts of people. But the pressure i have felt. How do i follow up the last two entries which have proven to be the two most popular since my first ever one, 'Ode to a Toad in the Hole' has rocketed over the 100 views mark!

Why change a working formula? You have responded well to me talking about my friends of late. Why? Well because i never started writing this blog to be repetitious and boring :) I could talk about other friends of mine, friends back home in Donny who i thoroughly look forward to seeing in December :). I could talk about my family, my family who i miss dearly, and cannot wait to get all together at Christmas :). But today, well today bloggers, i shall talk about lots of people including a guy many of you know, and seemingly many of you do not. A guy who, at this moment in time, all he cares about is keeping you reading. A guy who you cannot simply put a label on, or I hope not! A guy that you may want to label, it woulod seemingly be easy, a 6ft3, barely over 11stone wet through, ginger, paled skinned guy, living in Spain, what would you label a guy like that, well probably crazy! or an outcast! But you merely can label him Mathew Clarke, avid blogger, gentleman, and a Dreamer.

You may say everybody dreams, you may say dreams are for those who cannot face reality, James Dean said; "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today". You can look at the word Dream from two different angles;

- The first is a dream one has at night, dreams of magical worlds, famous people, of dragons wizards and dreamscapes. What you dream at night depends on who you are, it is safe to say i am a hardcore nightime sleeper, just ask Ash 'babyface' Milns who has to share a room with my sleeping self! If you thought Inception was warped, you should spend a night or two inside my dreams! Its an experience trust me! If i'm not kicking someone out of bed, singing a power ballad,  performing a musical, conversing in different languages, or locking myself out of my room whilst sleepwalking then i have let myself down!! Who needs Paranormal Activity when you have a sleeping ginger genius!!

- The second is the dreams we all hold so close to us. The dreams we do not always tell others. Dreams of fame and fortune. Dreams of performing on broadway and the west end to hundreds of people. Dreams of having a number one single and album. Dreams of getting that job you always wanted, or of seeing your name in lights. These dreams are the things that drive us forward in life, they are why we set the goals we do, and why we make the decisions we do. And it is these dreams i want to talk about today.

James Walsh is a dreamer just like me. He wants to go into the field of biomechanics and hopes to do a masters in it next year. However you've seen the videos such as; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVzxWZ9piiE have a gander at around the 46 second mark!! James dreams of being a performer, his dream is one of stardom and celebrity status so he can hang with his heroes like Usher. He dreams of that hit single and of packing out stadiums on his world tour.

This is an example of a dream. A dream that you hope, wish and pray will one day come true. A dream that if it did come true, you would be set for life. These are the dreams we have all had since we were a kid and the teacher asked us in primary school, "what do you want to be when you grow up". For people such as Mateo Stevens his dream was merely to be tall. Kate Newman dreamed of smuggling watermelons, at an age where she was still in a training bra and Kike was still a pipe dream at the back of the minds of Kellie and Mike.

Me you ask? I call myself a Dreamer because, and my family will verify this fact, i have had so many dreams. The professions i have wanted to be in, and these are just a few, are:

- Footballer
-Paleontologist
- Actor, supporting myself working behind a bar whilst at Acting school
- Fighter Pilot
- Forensic Anthropologist
- Football Manager (when i realised i really wasn't very good on the field! Only one Peter Crouch can make it by the laws of nature!!!)
- Reality TV star
- Billionaire business owner, how? No idea!
- Marketing manager
- Film Director
- Sports Agent

The list is endless! But the two thing that ties them all together is that;
a) They all involve me being mega rich :)
b) I was as driven to achieve the first as i am to achieve the last.

Whatever the dream, no matter how farfetched, i could picture myself in that profession, and i drove myself forward to get that goal.

But dreams need not just be about the career i see myself in. Before I came to Cadiz i dreamt about what this year would be like. But this was one dream i underdreamt!! Never did i dream that i would meet as many amazing people as I have done! I am however, having the time of my life, and that i did dream of!

Many things in life take you by surprise, many things happen out of the blue and you cannot put it down to anything but fate because you never dreamt up such a scenario. I never dreamt that i would get as many views of my blog from as many different countries around the world. I especially never dreamt that i would have people telling me that i should write for a living. I write as a hobby, i write because it makes me feel good, just like why i eat chocolate, why i watch films or play video games. Writing makes me happy. I purposely never included writing in the list above because it is something i have never really dreamed of, i have dreamt of writing a book, but not of writing for a living. When i was 16 i wrote a list of the things i wanted to do before i was 40:

1. Appear in a film
2. Visit New York
3. Live in a foriegn country
4. Write a book
5. Give blood
6. Skydive
7. Visit Paris
8. Earn a million
9. Get so drunk i could not remember anything about the night before
10. Have a family

Now as i grew up some of these became less important, i now live in Cadiz in Spain so number 3 is crossed off, and others i just see as being part of my future, only one on the list still remains to me a real dream, and that is to have a family.

If i can say as i grow old the same words Noah said in the Notebook; "I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough, then i will be happy. I will have achieved a dream. If i achieve the other dreams i have, any of the hundreds or even thousands i have, then they will just be great additions to my great life.

The dreams of my friends? Where do i see them? That i don't think i can tell you, i can try, of course i'll try :p But dreams are one of the most personal things to a man or woman. If you know a persons true dreams, then you truly know a person.

- I have already told you about James Walsh achieving fame and fortune on the back of his Number 1 hit single and Album, most probably entitled simply; Jumbo Jams.

- Pieter Lishman, oh if it were not for him being an injury prone crock he could dream of pulling on that South African rugby jersey and bombing up and down the wings and he breaks ever try scoring record in his country's history. However he is set to become the most famous Lawyer that ever practised law, you've seen A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise... nothing on our Lish!!

- Ashley Milns, a cert for a stock market future? Not after the 20p plummet in his stocks this week, where else to look, well second to starring in his own sitcom detailing his relationship with one Sam Maloney Ash will follow a business career, most probably not tackling logistics that have scuppered the Abercrombie delivery so far!!!

- Sam Maloney, If the sitcom never takes off Sam may look at busking, not the James Morrison kind, more like Santander Tramp styley, in a bid to put himself through stage school. Of course if he wishes to earn some money he'll follow his degree into business and most probably become a financial advisor or an accountant! Tight as a grasshoppers bumhole!

- Kate Newman Page 3? No don't be silly!! :-/ Kate perhaps is a bit like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz :p Like mentioned last time out Legally Blonde style Kate aims above expectations, i mean, she got into uni didn't she?! Kate will dream and will succeed, if not.... well she can always flash someone?! :p

- Sarah Bailey, what do tigers dream of when they take a little tiger snooze? The sexual predator Sarah... no i'm joking now lets be serious about her for once :-/ she dreams of a sober life with a family and a career. How she's going to get it drinking like Gazza i'll never no :D Again with the jokes gawd she's struggling here!!! ;) Where do i see her in 20 years? Living it large with a couple of rugrats and a successful husband.

- Natasha Pitt, More anti kids than Cruella de Vil! Natasha just dreams of Mowgli leaving the village and returning to the jungle ;) Jokes! Jeeez you guys are touchy today!!! Natasha dreams of there actually being a profession she can go into after passing her degree ;) Where can i see Tash in 20 years? Working for the man, part of the capitalist world, earning the big money, but not on common sense thats for sure. Maternal instincts will eventually take over no matter how much she denies this fact, she looks after the girls here too much to not have her own one day.

- Katie Bilton, Where does and Essex girl end up after uni? Rehab?! A housewife for sure, she'll have made plenty of money pre-marriage, but when that wedding ring goes on, the baby machine will be up and running, she may think not, but after all the success, after all the money, partying and loving, her cold heart will be thawed :P

- Mateo Stevens,  who knows? If he gets his act together and fit again, we could see him in the Cyprus or England squad in the next 5-7 years, if he doesn't he need not worry, fluent by the end of the year in 3 languages, and with plenty of business knowhow the money will start rolling in as he supports the ever -spending missus Sophie!! In 20 years if not football then owning a Casino i could see.

- Kellie Westerman, right so mummy Westerman is reading this hmmmm..... she's going to be rich and famous. Done. :-/ Oh how i jest :) it wouldnt be a Mathew Clarke blog if it didnt push the boundaries :) Kellie oh Kellie, where can i see you, well with your iron fist ruling and aggression as seen by Mike's twin black eyes, Management may ensue, Human Resource management would make sense, organisation is a bit of an obsession ay Kel?!

- Mike McPherson, after the very public breakdown of his first three marriages, the future owner of Nando's will continue searching for his next wife as he finishes off his last touches of Nando's world domination, seeing McDonalds fall behind. Sadly dead by 65, in bed with a heartattack, smothered in extra hot Nando's sauce leaving everything to his 3 children and nothing to his 19 year old 5th wife.

- Zoe Healy, shacked up in her north east love nest, Zoe will achieve success back home. A business tycoon, specialising in the distribution of Strongbow around the UK. Zoe will dedicate time to charities and hospices in her spare time whilst also working as editor on works submitted by one Mathew Clarke. All in a days work for the job juggler.

And me? Well i'll be happy to be earning 50,000+ a year, supporting my beautiful family in our New York apartment. But the dream. Well maybe it is to carrying on writing, maybe journalism, maybe novels or screenplays. Buying up properties on the Florida coastline for friends and family and apartments in L.A for the odd getaway, or work stay whilst at Hollywood.

Oscar Wilde once said; "The supreme object of life is to live. Few people live. It is true life only to realize one's own perfection, to make one's every dream a reality.” Take this on board guys, keep smiling, keep dreaming, but most of all, live the fantasies you dream, for that is how you make the most of the life you've been given.

Happy Holiday Blogging :) only 36 Days till Christmas x

A window to your life?

Afternoon Bloggers,

Firstly i would like to thank the 850 people who read my blog throughout October :).

In Cadiz it has been a pretty ordinary week, not alot has really happened, Uni, Drunk times, Chilled Times. However back home has been a different story. I have been saddened by the sheer ignorance of alot of people i thought i had the pleasure to know towards the end of this week. If you follow my goings-on on Facebook you will see the mass debates on the 'Poppy Burning Incident' on Rememberance Day this week.

It has been difficult for me to openly argue with people i have known for years and years, and to discover how truly different i am to some people i thought i could call friends. It is a strange feeling. But on Rememberence Day, before all the commotion i wrote a status, one that i felt embodied the meaning of the day, not only in the UK but around the world. It is a day for reflection, a day to stop and take account of your lives, and the lives of those we have lost, the brave men and women who fight and fought for our freedom, and to rememeber these people and their families.

In this blog i am not looking to preach to you about religion, race or war, i believe i have created a light hearted blog and i don't want to ruin that now :) so i thought i would take a diffferent approach to such topics as Rememberence.

If you remember last time out i wrote about my friends and how i felt they had soundtracks for their lives. Well this week i want to go one step further. I want to talk about my friends, in a rememberence sort of way. I promised last week that i would talk about films sooner or later, and so this week i am going to talk to you about my friends again, but about films too, and how when/if they die, what films will tell the story of their lives, what characters they remind me, and hopefully you, of and who i feel could play them in a film about their lives.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or actors described in the following reflect the appearance of my friends unless stated otherwise.

James Walsh: I hear James became Youtube famous again last week, as many of you who managed to read the last entry also managed to watch his infamous videos :p As i have said before Jumbo is very much a happy go lucky guy, and it was a conversation we had the other day that is at the front of my brain. The conversation went along the lines of how James and Myself ave a habit of finding a girl we like, getting close, and pushing them away, its a curse we both decided. Now James would love me to sit here and tell you how i could see the story of his life being entitled; The Love Machine with Brad Pitt playing him. But i simply cannot lie to my readers!! James has a perpetual habit of embarassing himself, he, to be frank, is a disaster waiting to happen. For me the film that encapsulate James's personality and Life would be Meet The Parents, The Ben Stiller character has James written all over, a nervous wreck, a disaster waiting to happen, but on the inside a truly good guy. Another wee present here for you loyal readers.... James's rendition of Sometimes by Britney Spears, with Sparky dancing for added enjoyment; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krJb8jeZq7Q .

Pieter Lishman: I'm sure there is nothing Lish likes more than to sit in front of his laptop and see himself praised on the intenet. But i have to say, the boys got swagger. Lish is one of those guys who thinks he has life sorted, he has it all down to a T. He'll never get his heart broken, but only because he won't let women close enough to it. He is one of the lads and loves nothing more than sport and drunken times with his mates. For Lish there could only be one character in one film... any guesses? Oh come on, you know it.... Will Smith in the one and only Hitch.  In the film Hitch is seemingly the ultimate dude, he has the whole life situation cracked, women, career, lifestyle, everything appears perfect. It takes the clumsyness, the desperation and geekiness of the character played by Kevin James (Another good shout for James Walsh) to make him realise how it is far from perfect.

Michael A.V. McPherson (One half of Kike): Now Mike isn't just your run of the mill guido, no matter how much Sam would like to think. Mike can speak 2 different languages fluently and is having a good ol bash at Spanish too with us guys here in Cadiz (he's pretty good too... when drunk!) Mike is a relationship guy on the inside but likes to put on a LAD front for amigos. He is majorly under the thumb with Kellie, but he cares not as long as the sweet loving continues. He is rather intelligent, a party lad and ok at football. I think the term is 'Rounded individual'. For Mike it was quite difficult to chose a character and film to pin him to, he isn't a guy you can just label with one label, but the best, and i think very accurate, crack at it was to chose Oz from American Pie. A sporty guy and very much one of the lads, but on the inside a mushy romantic, very much a relationship guy who simply loves to spend time with or talking to his girl.

Kellie Westerman (Other Half of Kike... durrr): Kellie is a wannabe party animal, a strong starter, but ultimately early finisher. She is a free spirit in appearance and attitude, but is very well organised and studious in manner. Kellie always looks for the best in people and rarely takes no for an answer. Seperating Kike made both decisions difficult as together you can label them whatever you want, but take them apart and they are two free souls. For Kellie it was always going to be Disney. And you may have now guessed from the description that i chose Belle out of Beauty and the Beast. I'm not in anyway saying Mike is a terrfyingly ugly beast (:p) but, like Belle, Kellie always likes to see the best in others and does as she pleases.

Sam Maloney: Sadly for Sam, the nicities of last week are long gone!! Jokes, but it has been difficult not to say that you could be Rob Schneider's character in Hot Chick, or other overly camp film roles or even liken him to Sam-Wise from Lord of the Rings, it was hard try and resist. But i resisited! woop! Im proud of myself!! For Sam it was a toss up between two film roles to define his life, and i still, as i sit here writing this, simply cannot chose between the two; Firstly is the character played by Kevin James in Paul Blart Mall Cop, a larger than life character, just looking to get by in his job, a job he feels gains him repsect, and a place where he can hopelessly dote on the girl he loves!! The other role is a more light-hearted, but equally accurate observation; Zazu from The Lion King. A loyal friend, but a complete but-job, Sam down to a T? I think you'll agree :)

Ash Milns: How do you know if Ash had read your blog?! Answer... Wait for the shout of anger as he reads that he has a 12 year olds face shoved on a 40 year olds body.... again... coochy coochy cooooo!!! Ash, like James, is a disaster waiting to happen! When Ash is drunk, he's crazy drunk... he's Crunk!! I think you could say at times he's like a bull in a china shop, but he also also the heart to match his 40 year old physique! He often (not always, if there food involved...run!!) puts others first, and is more than genorous. To label Ash is like labelling a star without a telescope, its pretty damn difficult. But i have to give thanks, because seemingly Walt Disney, in his now frozen state, saw this bog coming a long time ago, and created the character of Pumba in The Lion King. Who knew that when i was choosing the films of their lives for Sam and Ash that theyd be in the same one, awwwww :)

Mateo: Our Pint-Sized Princess, Sorry ehem Prince. Mateo is a big personality in a hobbits body, you can catch him in many different moods, but never one more happy than when he's been spending time with him missus, or football manager, the things that are precious to him. I guess i could say he could be remembered a tiny bit like Gollum in Lord of the Rings, but that would be just a little mean :p. Mateo reminds me of a guy that will make it, and will put everything into making it, no matter the obstacles, but the one thing he will always be true to, is the people he loves and cares for, he will never leave friends or family at the way-side. Because of this i chose; Will Smith's character in The Pursuit of Happiness.

Sarah: Oh Sarah! Sarah Sarah Sarah. A story all by herself. A blog entry unto her own. I could write a frikin book about this girl and iv only known her for 2 and a bit months!!! She's a character and a half! She's friendly, i'll give her that, and maybe intelligent, well maybe! I knwo one thing she is.... A pisshead!! :p, thats one slap i'm getting later on!! Talking to her is often like talking to a brick wall; 'Thud, Thud, Thud, Thud', but when you break through, its like a glass smashing next to your bed, its a shock and a half! No, i jest, she's a lovely girl, when you get her nice side :) But i wonder if she is one of those girls who are always the bridesmaid, never the bride. I told you in the last entry that she, to me, is a complex lass. A sort of rubix cube, you just(us) hope to get all the parts in the right place. But when i thought about how i would describe you, after you were gone, i thought of 3 characters. Each quite similar, but very different as well. The first is Miss Moneypenny from James Bond. Moneypenny is a beautiful, intelligent, flirty woman, but with the spark lacking to set off the fireworks. The second is Katherine Heigl's character in 27 Dresses, A successful, organised, kind women, hung up on a fantasy that means she ignores reality. And finally was Jasmine from Aladdin, A rebellious princess, defying family and friends in search for romance and fun times! Ok, looking back over what i have written, not all that sounds positive, but when do i ever apologise, bring those three together and i think we have a film for Sarah's life, a picture of a successful woman, living in a fantasy world, chasing dreams she is willing to rebel against expectations to reach.

Tash: I haaaaate being repetitious, but I must say, this blog has been hard work, chosing films to describe people and the lives they lead is much harder than first expected! None more-so than Tash. Last time out i chose her soundtrack to be The Bear Necesities from Jungle Book, now as you read in the disclaimer, no appearances, unless stated otherwise are being mentioned, and likening someone to Baloo may seem harsh, but he is one of the kindest characters in modern cinema. Baloo has a heart of gold and looks after others whenever possible. The same goes for Tash, she is loveable and kind and helps out others (yes you Katie hammered on Haloween and im guessing drunken Sarah often as well).  But i also see another side to Tash, the quiet side, not a recluse to any stretch of the imagination, Tash is not one for alone time, but she can sit back in a group and observe those around her, but within the same coversation she will speak up and not be ignored. The character i liken this side of Tash to is Hermione Granger from Harry Potter.

Kate: Our favourite big boobed bubbly bird, Crazy, Boozy, Funny, Intelligent. Kate is a package and a half, she needs a badge that says; 'Handle with Care' or 'Warning - Explosive'. She's a live wire and a cracking lass. You can look at Kate from two different angles, Above or below boob level, joking :) I chose two different characters to show the two different angles, you can make your own mind up which you prefer :) Firstly i chose Heather Graham's character in The Hangover, yes a stripper with a child but that is far from the point. A nice girl, easily led astray, looking for romance, and willing to help whoever she can :) I feel this represents her fun side, her party side, but also her kind side. The other side to Kate is her driven side, the side just looking to succeed and who will do, close to, anything to get it. Because of this i thought of Legally Blonde and Elle played by Reece Witherspoon. An intelligent girl who seems otherwise, driven by a goal and hoping to succeed.

Katie: Our loving Katie, a housewife in the making, if that is what will make her man happy, but if not, she is sure to succeed. She is a studious mess, she does well in academic aspects of life and then follows up with heavy nights out and afternoon McHangover trips. She is all about helping others and being there for her friends, in hope they return the sentiment. Katie reminds me very much of Truly Scrumptious from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang but i do not think it could define her life. She is far too strong a character for that, and because of this i feel she needs to be compared to Jessie the Cowgirl from Toy Story 2 & 3, a strong willed girl, but one who doesn't want to be alone.

Zoe: Zoe has an inquistive nature to her, she likes to know what is going on in the world around her and with the people, be it family, friends, or the man around the corner. This is a good thing, i think, i know curiosity killed the cat, but they never say how curious the cat was, or what about, i think it was that the cat was curious to see if it really had 9 lives, cats are dumb, Zoe is not. Zoe reminds me of a few characters from brilliant films; Vada from My Girl, Lex from Jurassic Park, and Tinkerbell. Characters who all have one thing in common, they are caring and curious. But to find the film that Zoe could be remembered by, you have to look at the rest of her peronality, the party girl, the braniac, the geek-chique northern lass. Now i could now choose between Julia Styles's character in 10 Things I Hate About You, or even Audrey Hepburn's character in My Fair Lady. But i decided to chose Zoee Deschanel's character 'Summer' in 500 Days of Summer. Summer is a strong willed, driven, quirky character who knows what she wants, and is sure as hell not going to let some office romance or dead end job stop her.

So once again i have showed my friends in another light, im guessing you guys now know almsot as well as me, some of you know them more and may disagree :)

To finish i would like to present a few Film Titles depicting the lives of some of the people above, made up titles, but titles that truly could be turned into films about their lives;

- Little and Large
TagLine: The story of two similar opposites - Starring Sam Maloney and Ashley Milns

- Back from the Brink
Tagline: What happens post domestic abuse - Starring Kike

- Chunk and Spunk - The Second Coming
Tagline: Uni just got polygomous - Starring Lish and James

- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Tagline: Who needs clothes to have a good time?! - Starring Kate, Tash and Sarah

A very personal thanks for continuing to read my blong guys, it does mean alot to me, and recent figures show you are enjoyng it, so i hope iv filled your life with a bit more sunshine and remember, how will people remember you when you're gone?

Happy Blogging :)

Ode to a Toad (In The Hole)

Afternoon Bloggers :)

So after a hectic week of English food I FINALLY HAD YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS!!! OKAY SO IT WAS TOAD IN THE HOLE BUT IT WAS SENSATIONAL!!!, Great nights out, Hanging McDonalds trips that followed the world's most ridiculous sleepover, Football that turned into an abomination as Mateo, Mike (Kellie let him out for an hour to play!) and Ash almost died from what was seemingly Alcohol poisining, turned out they were just humongous woofters! And losing Poker in epic fashion on what had to be the most unlucky table ever, (i mean how can you lose on two pair Jacks and Aces?!?!) followed by an wonderful late night Italian meal to wrap up a brilliant week with the guys and gals, I found myself here on Monday, my day off of Uni, wondering hmmmm, what the bleeding nora can i write about?! And then i thought to myself, as i sit in relative boredom awaiting the moment my doorbell rings and Mateo and I rejoin our computers with our Umbilical LAN Cord and Footy Manager 2011 kickstarts again, what are the two things that i could be doing which have the power to really change my mood?

The first of course is watch a film. Now if you really know me you will know that I pride myself in being a little bit of a film geek :) Films are important to me, they can define moods and if they are truly brilliant, they can define generations and cultures.

But sadly i shall leave my film lecture for another day, today i chose the latter, and that was Music.

I chose music for one important reason, and that is Art. Music is an Art, and a form of Art that i can appreciate, because to me, i see no importance in a painting hanging on the wall of some building in Paris, yes i understand the talent of said artists, the way they can toy with the imagination of people with a bit of paint and a blank canvas, i respect them on that point, but for me, Music is the purist art form, musicians, for me, are like gods, with their music they can and have defined cultures, generations and people.

Music can affect the mood you arein, if you are sad, music can make you happy, if you want to party, music can get you going, music brings people together no matter your situation, religion, language, gender or skin colour. Through music we can make friendships and relationships, we can overcome wars and borders and find who we really are.

I came to Cadiz expecting to experience a new country, a new language and a new culture, but the one thing that is always the same, the one thing that truly unites the world in Music. Wherever you go people are listening to similar things, dancing to the same beats and humming the same tunes. It is becuase of this that Music is so important to me. I see music as one of the defining factors in peoples lives. There is always a song to describe a situation, and there is always a soundtrack to somebody's life;

The Soundtrack to my Life; 10 Songs which define me:

- Skinny Jeans by Eliza Doolittle
- I Love Rock n Roll by Joan Jett
- The Writer by Ellie Goulding
- Mr. Bojangles by The Rat Pack
- Me and my Shadow by Robbie Williams
- Don't Stop Believing by The Glee Cast
- I Don't Want To Be by Gavin DeGraw
- Billionaire by Travie McCoy
- With You by Chris Brown
- Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson
- Bonus Track This Is Real, This is Me by Demi Lovato

These songs all mean so much to me and when i listen to them i feel a different way everytime, they all affect me or even infect me in their own unique way, and this is the magic of music.

To continue this idea i would like to go on to present some of my closest friends to you, now you may say i have already done this so many time previously, but you all know what friendships mean to me, Friends, like music, Mould a man into who he will be, and so i would like to present to you my friends, but through music, each friend will be presented along with different tracks which i believe defines them, and how i feel about them and who i see them as.

James Walsh: One of my closest friends, James and I have been on many an adventure together since meeting 3 years ago. I'd trust him with my life. James is a happy go lucky guy and a hopeless romantic. He is, to me, an Internet legend due to his brilliant debut videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFGn34vyj6c&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUn8q3c4kwI&feature=related . And so it would be very easy for me to use to westlife songs but for me there is much more to James than just his brilliant wit. Firstly i chose Tipsy by J-Kwon to descrbe the James everybody has seen before, on a night out, hammered and loving life. Secondly i chose Whats Luv by Fat Joe and Ashanti to describe his hopless romantic ways, he would be very happen to settle down with a nice girl but his need to be a LAD gets in the way!!

The Lish: Oh the Lish, a ladies man with a heart of gold. A loyal friend with a big heart to match his big ego. For Lish I chose two opposite songs, two songs showing the two opposite sides of Pieter, the LAD side is defined by Club Can't Handle Me by David Guetta perfectly showing Pieter's desire for it to be known that he is indeed a boyo, he is a big cheese and is there to party hard and shark his way around the club. But the other Lish you know if you are close enough to him is the one that cried to Marley and Me, the Lish that enjoys sitting with a Bargain Bucket and soppy film with his mates and for this what better song is there than True Colours by Glee Cast.

Kike: Two great individuals brought together by Galletan Romance and a helping portion of Sleaze from Mike, hey a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do!! For these two wonderful people, encapsulated in the single term Kike, i chose two songs, two simple songs that display two different sides to their relationship; Firstly we have the brilliant song that is I'll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men, i could have chosen Freak Me by ANother Level but i think this song perfectly explains the romance, the sickly romance we are submitted to day in day out instead of the x-rated passion we have to hear ;), but we all know that there is another song to describe this budding love, and that is, Its a Man's World by James Brown. Sarcasm? Of course! Kell definitely wears the trousers :) But who knows, maybe i'm wrong, maybe eventually the song that will in fact define this couple will be... hmmm..... The Wedding March!!!!

Mateo: The little guy with the big heart, Mateo is a loyal friend making the most of every opportunity thrown at him, for you Mateo 2 songs, 2 very different songs, but both very meaningful, firstly like for me i chose Billionaire by Travie McCoy, i did so because Mateo is driven to succeed, he recognises the value of money and, for me, i destined to earn lots of it! The second song i chose is true to its word and needs no introduction or really any explanation; Larger than Life by The Backstreet Boys, although he only ammounts to 5ft stretched out Mateo has a heart ammmounting to 6ft and a persoanlity to match it. He is never out of the loop and always seems to make us laugh no matter the situation, a valued memeber of the group and a great friend, hey and who knew that we only met 3 months ago!?!?

Ash: A 12 year old face on a 40 Year old's body. Ash is a whole lotta dude. A gym goer with a love for partying.... hard!!! Ash loves nothing more than to party the night away with his mates and being one of the lads. For you Ash i chose Evacuate the Dancefloor by Cascada, not only because with you on the dancefloor not much more can fit on, but because often you can be the life of the party and when your in a club, and on it, people better watch out because very little will stop you from having a great night!

Sam: A misunderstood midget, Sam makes us laugh day in and day out with his endless gayisms and campness, although we all know that somewhere, deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep down there is a red blooded male fighting to make it past his obsessions with Rihanna, Cougar town and Greys Anatomy!! For you Sam i chose 3 songs, 3 songs that each explain how much we love you and what i know you think and ponder; Firstly we have Somebody to Love by Queen a legendary song about ones long search for that special someone. Secondly i chose Naive by The Kooks, i chose this to explain your side that we all know and love, the gullable Sam-Wise, the Sam that goes looking through bins for flip-flops which are sitting on the floor beside me, the Sam that will fall hopelessly for a girl he's known two minutes, and a Sam that although very intelligent, has little common sense to account for!! Finally and probably most heart-felt is a song that, i feel, comes from everyone you know and who truly knows you, it is of course the smash-hit Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars because  i can safely safe, from us all, that we although we may tease and taunt you, although you may sometimes be the butt of the banter, in truth, not one of us we want to see you change!

Kate: The loveable ditz with a stroppy side and a large personality to match the watermelons she's smuggling down her top!!! Often misunderstood, Kate is a friendly girl to all, maybe overly to some ;) who loves to get drunk, eat nice food, film nights and gossip. For you Kate i chose Behind these Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson for one simple reason, there is so much more to you than first appearances :).

Katie: Our fave Essex lass, Katie is a major asset to every day and night we spend together, a truly great friend once you manage to overcome the horrific accent!! Katie hates to be alone and surrounds herself with friends and English Food (YUMMMMMMMMYYYYY Toad in the Hole!!) constantly here in Cadiz to fill the gap left by the absent Boyfriend, Best Friend and Family back home. For you Katie i'v chosen two songs each show a different side to your bubbly personality, Firstly we have You've Got a Friend In Me by Randy Newman, this song perfectly depicts your friendly nature and desire to always be with the people you care about. Secondly we have Lets Dance, Lets Shout by Michael Jackson, to show your party girl side but not just party with anybody, you party hard with those most important to you!

Sarah: With an evergrowing reputation in this Blog Sarah embraces every side to her and cares not what people think, in this blog alone she has been described as Boozey, Ditzy, and Whorey, but to set the record straight i shall use 4 tracks, each to show the real Sarah from a different angle, but each one as important as the previous. First is Pop by N'Sync because not only is it an upbeat pop song from the highest first week selling album of all time, (which if you were wondering shows Sarah's upbeat get it and go attitude) but its lyrics also show how it doesn't matter what other think about you as long as you realise that you only have to be what you want to be, and if you do, your real friends will love you still. Secondly is Miss Independent by Neyo, this song defines a generation of women who don't need or want men to be gentleman to them, girls who know they are equal and grab every opportunity given to them. Literally speaking as well the title describes another side to Sarah, the reclusive side to her which loves to sit in her room in alone time. Finally but by no means any less important is Nobody wants to be Lonely by Christina Aguilera and Ricky Martin. Now i know some will be wondering why i chose this, especially you Sarah, but i believe the lyrics, and no matter how much you make out that you are not looking for a relationship etc, one day it will hit you, and when that happens i'll say i told you so :) But for now i feel song 4 truly sums you up and that is Bad Reputation by Joan Jett the first line simply says it all... "I dont give a damn bout my bad reputation"!!

Tash: A Pint Sized Jack in The Box in the sense that Tash is a sort of unknown entity, and at any point she will come out with something brilliant, hilarious, inspired or just down right dumb and will make everyone stop and think, laugh or wonder what goes through her brain. An intelligent lass with minimal common sense most of the time, she loves nothing more than to be surrounded by her friends wether it is in person or on Skype, Tash yearns for human contact. It was perhaps one of the more difficult tasks to find a song to define Tash, but i feel there is 2 songs i feel describes you; The Bear Necessities by The Jungle Book because, for me, you seem to know exactly how you are going to live life, you surround yourself with friends to help do so, and these are your bare necessities. The second is Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Miley Cyrus, Yes i know the original was better, but i feel this song by this artist shows your fun side, the side that comes out when alcohol gets down your neck or when you are enjoying yourself like in a Poker Tournament, or on a girly night.

Zoe Healy: Zoe, Zoe, Zoe, little facts do i know about Zoe that goes past her Vegie ways, her desire to live her life in the North East, to learn French and Spanish, her LOVE for Matt Cardle and her enjoyment of my blog :) But getting to know you in the LRC and through Skype and FaceyB i feel i should have a shot here at chosing your soundtrack, and for you i thought it was necessary to chose 3 songs, 3 songs that together describe how i see you to be, and seperately disect different parts of your wonderful personality. Firstly i chose was an obvious song choice for me i don't know why but it just came to me and that was Maybe Tomorrow by Stereophonics. It is a song that i feel describes how i see you seeing the world, the world is passing on by and you want to make the most of it. Secondly is an old song, a classic some would say; My Generation by The Who. I chose this song because i believe that you are definitely a 21st century girl, living the high life in France and after xmas in Spain, and like us in Cadiz living it to the maximum. Finally, and dedicated to your desire to stay in the North East with your family etc i chose Never Forget by Take That. Now all 3 seperately as i described show 3 different sides to you, but all together i think these three songs show a young strong woman who knows what she wants and is doing everything in her power to get it, whilst at the same time enjoying life to the maximum with her friends and family. :)

Last but far from least is Charlotte Caley: One of my closest friends all the way in Italy, what could i possibly chose to describe her... hmmm well if she's not found partying then she's probably struggling to get into uni, hanging and looking rough, or sat at home with her friends eating chocolate and watching the tv or some trashy chick flick!! For you charlotte i chose My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson and Breakeven by The Script, these songs describe the two sides two our relationship, the fact that you are one of my best friends and i love you to bits, and the other the fact that you get yourself in stupid situations, silarious for me, upsetting for you, but how you always just get on with it and that is to what i love :)

I could go on and talk about many more friends but i don't think i have the patience or your concentration so i will simply finish by saying thankyou for reading, i hope you got what i was trying to get across, that no matter who you are, no matter what your taste or preference, music can help define you, it can help you find who you really are, and it can help unite people around the world, hey who knows what would have happened if Hitler would have heard the Spice Girls, maybe the world would be a happier place.

So whats the soundtrack to your life? Share the love.... Share music for free :)

Happy Blogging :)

Friends. A short Poem

Just a short poem i wrote a few years ago for the leaving ceremony at my sixth form. At this time of year in the run up to Christmas i think its important to remember how much your friends mean to you and where you would be without them, so i thought, as i'v only just stumbled across it again, that i'd share it with you guys :) Enjoy;

Friends
By Mathew Clarke

Fish without Chips, And Bread without Jam,
It is my friends who make Me who I am.
The descisions I make and the paths that I follow,
And the thought that they will still be there for me tomorrow.

Life without Breath, Land without Sea,
Without Friends would I have ever become me?
The person I am today as a result of before,
And knowing that I can be me and need be nothing more.

But when I wake up in the morning, feeling down,
It's my friends who will be there to alter my frown,
And lead me through my life on a journey together,
And the feeling that i will never be alone, not now, not ever.

It is my Friends who are with my right till the end,
There is never anyone better on a bad day, than a freind.
Or when i look at the future, with nerves all frayed,
I know they will guide me and I am never betrayed.

So God help my Friends, guide Them through their grief,
Because it is them, when I'm down, who gave me relief.
Let them be successful in all that they do,
And here's to them, to Friends, to Me, and to You.

A musing or Amusing?!

Afternoon Bloggers,

I have a topic to propose to you all today, not one which i'm afraid has much to do with Cadiz, some incidents may appear in here, but this overall piece, i feel, is my first attempt at a real article, i hope you all enjoy:

I'd like to talk about being a Gentleman. I do believe it was how i was brought up, and is surely what society expects from a young man. I mean come on, I know i was brought up in Doncaster, HIV and Teenage Pregnancy capital of UK and Europe at many points over the last few decades, but I was brought up in a good family, with good people around me, at good schools. I'm no Chav i can promise you this much.

I must admit i have done a few things in my time that don't warrant the label of Gentlemanly conduct, you know the deal, don't call a girl back, one night stands, pull friends, everday, sleazeball kind of crap, but i do believe i make up for my mistakes and besides, i rarely make mistakes! I am indeed one of those guys who lives by his word, my word is my both my sword and my shield. I will often speak without thinking, not because i am arrogant, ignoratn, or in fact stupid. But becuase my head is full of so many ideas, some good, several not so much!! Sometimes an idea will pop into my head and i will just need to get on here and tell you guys, sometimes i'll inappropriately blurt them out. Now i'm not saying everything i say is gospel, trust me, 8/10 times what i'll say will be just crap, but 2/10 and thats still alot, its something nice, something good, something maybe brilliant, and sometimes, and only sometimes, it will be romantic, sweet, or just down right charming, and it's these times, these precious times that i think to myself, damn, thank god i was brought up to think this way, because i would much rather be stood there and be reeling off romance, than just say to some young lady that i wanted some 'ows ya father behind the bike sheds'!

So this brings me to my conversation with the girls just the other day. Now we were reflecting on the goings on during our Halloween night out and the following day and they were trying, (like trying to get water from a stone!) to get gossip from me about the young lady i went home with, and when i refused to give them anything more than the basics they complained! They told me that 'Gentleman is so last year' and that 'being a gentleman is boring'. I was far from impressed by these comments! What has scoiety come to where women now do no look for a man who is going to tell them how beautiful they look in the moning, or hold the door open for them, or even offer to pay the bill?!? Am i dillusional to think this is mere politeness? Okay so these are girls from places like Leeds and Essex and go to Uni in cities like Birmingham and Nottingham, so i wasn't expecting much from the conversation, but even girls brought up in Doncaster can recognise the draw a Gentleman brings, it's a tradition passed along generations, kept alive in literature and film, and if you attend certain Universities around the Uk and the USA or hold certain employment, it is expected from you, so why is it all of a sudden this generation of women, this genereation of 'Sex and the City' girls, have come to expect men who are going to act in a whole different manner?

Am i mad to believe that Chivalry, Gentelmanly conduct and just down right politeness is dead?! Is romance dead? Has it been replaced by Booty Calls and One Night Stands?

Now i'm not going to lie to you and tell you i'm an all out romantic, i do like a good cry at the Notebook as much as the next guy, but i also like a good sloppy drunken pull as much as the next dude, and sadly, for many guys the latter is what is expected. Your friends will openly ridicule you on the Notebook, but will high five you and urge you on with a good old fashioned nightclub pull.

Sadly i cannot sit here and profess to have the answer, people like time, change as do traditions, culture and expectations. Semmingly long gone are the days of chivalry, the damsel in distress waiting for her knight in shining armour. We are now living in an age where you do not send a drunk girl home, but are urged to 'Blast it before she's past it' meaning too drunk. Now i can sit here and say i;m slightly perplexed. Maybe i can even sit here and say that maybe if i was less of a gentleman i'd get numbers in my little black book, maybe i should adopt styles such as sharking, or get the girl from downstairs to pop up for a booty call (she's about 90, if her hip didn't go on the way up she sure as hell wouldn't make it far through the night!!). But what i cannot do is sit here and tell you i have all the answers, i could sit here and tell you i know what's going on and what we have to do i mean come on i'm a barman surely i know everything? it's my job right? Wrong! Sadly i do not have any answers, and sadly i can merely say that this topic is on hold, for now anyway.

Happy Blogging :)