Hello!

So. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but a few months ago, I was given the opportunity to give a keynote speech at a conference about languages, run by the Open University at a conference centre in Edinburgh!

This opportunity was given to me by my college, who wanted those of us studying Mandarin to explain why we'd chosen to study it. Such an incredible opportunity, which I'm extremely grateful to have been given!

So. A keynote speech. I'd argue that this was the highlight of my 2016, and given that I have a history of anxiety, it's one of the most impressive things I've ever challenged myself to do - and it went so well. SPOILER ALERT, I had a bunch of people come up to me afterwards to congratulate myself, and Lauren (who I gave the speech with.)

Megabus Gold (Belated) Review

Hello!
So. This is a post that I've had planned for a while. It was meant to go live in February, but I'd lost my SD card with all my pictures on it... Then I found it again a few while ago so I thought to myself 'ya know what? I'll just write the post now!'... Promptly forgotten about again for a few months. I SWEAR THE NEXT POST I UPLOAD WILL BE A NEW ONE.

This hasn't been sponsored at all, I just thought that it would be something nice to add to my aspiring little travel blog. Ready? Let's go!

Behind the scenes at Kkochsongi's!

 

Hello!

So ... A few months ago I spent a weekend with my best blogger bae - Jasmine! I got to meet her, her fiance Stuart and they're adorable little girl, Rinoa (who at the time I visited was one month old!)
This has taken me a while to post, mostly because I didn't take much pictures or take many notes on what happened. I was being a good blogger for my first two days where I updated as the day was over, but then I just got hit with so much life change! So I apologise for that.

My Trip To Ayr

Hello!
My mental health has recently taken a dip. It's all a mix of uni, social life and work and its finally gotten to a point where, you know, enough is enough. So, I booked myself a wee hotel in Ayr.

My Uni Experience So Far

Helloooooo.

So. Been a while. I'm so sorry about that! Things have been a weeeeee bitty hectic for me. I've had a lot to wrap my head around, and I'm in a brand new environment so it's a little bit overwhelming, but I'm getting there!

Pokemon Trainer Harley Quinn

Hello!

So many new and wonderful films are coming out in recent months, and if you know me through twitter then you'll know I've been super duper excited about the recent release of Suicide Squad - featuring the first live action appearance of the wonderful Harley Quinn. (EDIT 25/8/16 this is not the first live action Harley but is the first cinematic performance.)

I won't post any SS spoilers in this post, but I will say that I got so excited that I asked my friend Ross if he could help me out with a photoshoot to celebrate the occasion.

However, before I go any further I do want to clarify that this post does contain a paid for link.*

Life Update

Hello!

It's been a while, hasn't it? I don't know why I took a month or so off from blogging, it just kinda.. happened.

I asked you on twitter what post you'd like to see, and the winner was a life update, so here we go.

Why I Study A Foreign Language

Bonjour!
Ni Hao!
Hello!

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, because I've recently been given the opportunity to be a keynote speaker at a conference coming up all about why I choose to study a foreign language. I'll try not to rant a lot in this post, but I can't 100% promise that, so I apologise now.

I want to say though, that if you don't study a second language, don't worry, I don't hate you for it, I just want to explain my reasons for why I do. This is my view.

Cocktail Class At River House Stirling | Review

Hello!

On Sunday, myself, and couple of bloggers (Lauren and Ashley) were invited along to the River House in Stirling for an evening of cocktail making and a meal, who could say no?!*

I've never made cocktails before, and when I drink I don't always drink very much so I've never had very much experience with cocktails (except my ultimate favourite; a long island iced tea!) However, two of my friends work as bar tenders, and I thought it would be nice to find out what it's like to try it out.

This post might be moderately photo heavy, however I will be posting all photos on my Facebook page if you want to check them out! I'll endeavour to have them all up shortly after this post goes live, though it might be Saturday.

I'd never been to the River House before. I'm not from Stirling, I'm from the town right next door, but upon arrival I was taken aback by just how incredible it looked. First impressions count, and they definitely hit the nail on the head. They're sat right next to a beautiful little loch, and at the foot of Stirling castle which is perfect for those sunny days where you feel like sitting outside and admiring the scenery with a glass of wine.

She Reads Comics

Hello!

On the 9th of May 2016, Forbidden Planet in Glasgow hosted the first monthly meet for female comic lovers, called "She Reads Comics". This event was organised by Kirsty and Nicola and was basically a lock in/drop in evening that ran from 6pm-8pm inside Forbidden Planet with a 20% discount (AND CAKE.)

I, of course, had to be there. The event was for ladies who simply enjoy comics - whether totally new to them (basically like myself) or those who've loved them for years. And everybody was super friendly.

Gail's Dating Profile

Hello!

Have I used this picture for a post before? Oh, probably.
I had the idea for this post two, nearly 3 months ago, but I've never gotten around to actually typing it out. I thought it would be a bit fun, but no, this is not meant as a serious dating profile. I am single but .. C'mon.

Name: Gail Leslie
Age: 22
Occupation: Unemployed/Student/Blogger/Queen

Let's Get LondonReal | Danny Jones

Hello!

Okay, so it's been a while since my last post and I apologise, my graded unit took its toll on me so I ended up taking a break. Like I was dead to the world, essentially haha.

Anyway. So on Monday 25th April 2016, my favourite band in the whole world dropped a bombshell on me - they were having a comeback gig! It couldn't have come at a better time, I was feeling like complete shit and I was heading towards a "dip" (I was heading into anxiety territory.) but this news completely lifted me up - I'm sure you'll agree if you have me on Facebook or Twitter. I was devastated because I don't have any money, so wouldn't be able to buy any concert tickets, and within two minutes I had two people who had offered to buy me a ticket so that I could go - and this ended up doubling as another friend and my mum also offered. In the end, I got tickets for all three Glasgow nights thanks to my mum (thank you!)

Two Weeks Anxiety Free

Hello!

There isn't much I can really talk about in this blog today, I had a plan but it will have to wait until Tuesday. However, yesterday marks two weeks that I've been anxiety free! (Today obviously being 15 days) which is a massive achievement and I'm not quite sure how I've managed to do it... But it's something I wanted to mark on this blog, and to commemorate in case I go back into a dip!

Harley Quinnspired | Comic Book Review

Hello!

So.... For years I said that I wasn't going to read comics. Ever. Not because they were crap or anything, but I have the kinda personality where if I start something new, especially if its seen as 'nerdy' then I tend to get hooked on it. And I spend all my money on the thing... Yeah.. But then I was in town and I thought to myself 'okay, there's a comic book store here. I'm just gonna do it.'

Yeah. I now have maybe 20 comics. It's been just over a month. Most of them as Superman ones, but then I decided that because I've been dying to see Suicide Squad and I know that Harley Quinn is a character I'll really like (I think I'm a lot like her, which is why I've avoided her for so long) that I was going to by a Harley Comic.

Noughts & Crosses Series | Book Review

Hello!

I promised y'all a book review in this post and this is exactly what you're gonna get! So for this week, I have sat and read 4 books. Two of those books also featured a short story. I repeat again, it's been a week. A week. This has been the most I've read in a long time, I was staying up until nearly 4am at some points because I was so gripped to it!

Closing Statements | STW2016

Hello!

Overview

Reflection and the Future for Scottish Tourism

Selling Scotland in a Digital World

Flying into the Future | easyJet
Yo! It's An Audience With Simon Woodroffe | Motivation

This post will be relatively short but I wanted to give my own closing statements to the Scottish Tourism Alliance conference.

It was an incredibly opportunity to get to go, and I can't thank Gail and my college enough for allowing me to get one of the few tickets they had. And I can't thank the attendees and speakers enough for accepting us students into see the conference, and treating us as equals. I want to thank Terri Scriven for speaking to me when I got the chance to talk to her, and essentially giving me the nudge that I should continue to go for the career that I want to do. I won't forget "you should be working for this lot, telling them what to do!" when I talked about my blogging and vlogging experience.

Yo! It's An Audience With Simon Woodroffe | Motivation

Hello!

So, if you've been following me recently you'll know that I have been really struggling with my MH recently. But I know my triggers, I know the signs and I know how to get the help I need when I need it, so don't worry about me. And right now I am okay, I had a great day out with my baguettes yesterday and a few days ago I walked almost 10 miles for no particular reason.

At the Scottish Tourism Alliance conference, the final speaker was Simon Woodroffe - the founder of Yo! Company. Tbh, I expected a lot of talk about what makes Yo! Sushi so great... But what I got was something far greater, and something I really wanted to share with you guys, regardless of how I got through these posts. Turns out, that aside from owning Yo! Sushi, Yotel and Yo! Homes, he is also a motivational speaker. And that is exactly what I have been needing.

Flying Into The Future | easyJet

Hello!

Again. Yes, I know I got bad at posting again. Let's just put it down to lots of stress in my life and having to prioritise, it's hard! Haha, but I have two more posts from the Scottish Tourism Alliance to get written up, and then I have my reflections on the experience so all in all this will all be over next week and I'll go back to more fun travelly and lifestyle posts!

Overview
Reflection and the Future for Scottish Tourism
Selling Scotland in a Digital World

Selling Scotland in a Digital Word

Hello!

So you will be aware that I went to the Scottish Tourism conference two weeks ago and I'm writing a couple of posts about what was talked about, two posts a week.

Overview
Reflection and the Future for Scottish Tourism

Malcolm Roughead is the Chief Exec. of Visit Scotland, and he started this segment off by giving a brief overview of the work Visit Scotland do with marketing Scotland, before going on to introduce his "co-speakers" who I will shortly introduce to you as well.

Reflection and the Future for Scottish Tourism

Hello!

So, if you read my last post which was an overview on my blogging series for the next couple of weeks, you'll know that last Friday I attended the annual conference for the Scottish Tourism Alliance - a thank you once again to my college for allowing me the opportunity to go!

I'm aware this is not Friday, this will not happen again. In this post, I'll be talking about Fergus Ewing's address as well as the reflections and what the future may hold for Scottish Tourism. Please stick with me through this, I will endeavour to keep the posts short and interesting but informative. Thank you.

Scottish Tourism Week 2016 Conference | Overview

Hello!

Recently I was given the opportunity to go to the annual Conference held by the Scottish Tourism Alliance. It was in Edinburgh on Friday 18th March. This opportunity was provided to me by my college - Thank you, Gail for letting me go!
I took about half a notepad full of notes at the conference. (That is not an exaggeration) and so I've decided to split up my posts about it in the next couple of weeks, with the aim to post a couple of times a week to prevent this from dragging on.

Speakers I listened to at the event included:

• Stephen Jardine - who presented the event.
• Fergus Ewing - the Minister For Business, Energy and Tourism
• Stephen Leckie - the Chair of the Scottish Tourism Alliance and CEO of Creiff Hydro
• Paul Gallagher - Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC)
• Ufi Ibrahim - CEO of British Hospitality Association
• Bernard Donoghue - Director ALVA and Chair of Tourism Alliance
• Malcolm Roughead - Chief Exec. Visit Scotland
• Terri Scriven - Industry Head for Hospitality (Google)
• Anna Watkins - The Guardian
• Cathy Craig - Commercial Director (Abellio Scotrail)Graeme MacFarlane - Calmac
• Sophie Dekkers - UK Country Director (easyJet)
• Simon Woodroffe - Founder of Yo! (Yo!Sushi, Yotel, Yo!Homes)

I found the experience presented by being able to go to this conference to be incredible. On the day I arrived at 8.45am, I initially left Haymarket station and walked the wrong way (I'm an idiot, really. FOLLOW THE CROWDS OF SUITS, GAIL!) and I had to use Siri to get me to the right place! But I arrived, and registered, got given my lanyard, then bumped into my lecturer, Gail. I then went to the STA (Scottish Tourism Alliance) area and waited on the girls from my college. Once they arrived, we wandered about a little and took in the stalls that were in the room - Visit Scotland, Digital Scotland, Historic Scotland.... There were a lot of businesses set up. There was also a spread of food (YASSS!)

The announcement came over the tannoy to announce that the conference was due to start, so that all for the STA conference were to make their way to the Pentland suite. Where we went, and got seated.

How I think I'll split this up for you over the next few posts is as follows:

• Fergus Ewing's address, Reflections and The future in one post
• Selling Scotland in a Digital World in another or possibly two depending on how much notes I have (I took a lot on this because it interests me)
• Flying into the future in a third/fourth about aviation
• Yo! it's an audience with...." because I might sidetrack a little as Simon Woodroffe, was deeply motivational
• Lastly I will reflect on my experience.

Please stick with me throughout this, I will make it as interesting to you as possible. This doesn't strictly impact on Scotland, because tourism is a global industry. Having this alliance means that all the industries that are a part of tourism, or impacted by tourism can collaborate together in order to support the overall industry growth and therefore support the economy. Whilst competition is obviously needed for a healthy economy, having this alliance kind of illustrates the interdependence all aspects have on one another; no visitor attractions to an area mean no hotel developments, which mean no jobs, which means high unemployment, which means no spending in the area, which means the area becomes unappealing to potential visitors, which means no new transport routes.... You get the idea. the economy works like a cycle - or a multiplier. Am I getting sidetracked?

So I hope this gives you an overview of what I hope to do with this, I hope you stay with me to read about what happened at the conference because it was honestly really incredible and exciting to listen to. A lot of good points were made.

I'll go now before this needs to become a two parter post!

Until next time, be excellent to each other.

A Twisted Fairy Tale

Hello and yes! Yes, I'm okay!

Oh, you mean the picture? Yeah. That's a thing that's happening. Let me talk to you about it.

I Was A Functional Human

Hello!

I'm really sorry that my blogging and tweeting have all gone downhill recently, I'm not even 100% I even gave a shoutout to Saira who was my Facebook shout out last week.

Basically my mental health took a dip on Valentines day and got rapidly worse for the following week and a half, to a point where I've seeked out help from my local MH clinic and I'll be hopefully starting counselling sessions again just to make sure that I'm okay. Anxiety is a bitch, but I'm gonna fight it right to the end.

I Went For A Walk

Hello!

I went for a walk.

Wow, big deal. Four for you, Gail. You go, Gail! Yeah, I know. It was kinda a nice walk though. 

Basically I had been up for about 6 hours when the boiler fixers appeared (sidenote: we have hot water again -  YAAAS!) and once they left at 2pm I decided that I'd go for a walk. The sun was shining, but it was still pretty cold! I wore my 'Yoda one for me' tshirt, a pair of jeans and my light jacket and locked up the door.

Letter To My Ex

Hello...


Okay. So this post is a really hard one for me to write. Not so much for the topic, I have talked about this topic to a few people with ease, but the idea of putting it out into the world in the form of a blog post that people will read - and some people, such as my mum, might read kinda scares me. I don't want my mum to read this post because it might make her upset to read and I really don't wanna make her upset.

I'm also scared that the person involved may find it, and for that reason I'm changing his name to John* and I wanna add this disclaimer: these events happened from my POV. These are my thoughts and feelings. These are things I never brought up to him because I felt like I couldn't. I don't believe he's a bad guy. I don't believe he realised how what he was doing impacted on me or that what he was doing was a bit not okay. And I don't hate him.

* = names have been changed.
TRIGGER WARNING: EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION

Okay! Let's dive right into this thing then!

The Lush Tag

Hello!
I was tagged by Chris over at His Lifestyle Blog to write some answers to the Lush tag. I don't want to end up forgetting to do it so let's get right in there!

10 Things I've Noticed About Train Journeys

Hello!

I feel like most of us have been on a train at least once. They're quite a big part in daily life. At least in the UK. I commute by train on an almost daily basis and I've noticed some things while I sit silently on my 30 min, one way journey...

Mini Paperchase Haul Solo

Hello!

So recently, I took a trip into Glasgow (um... like I always do...) and decided to take a little trip into Paperchase. I love Paperchase! Thank you for showing me it like two years ago, Racheal!

Now, I do love stationary. Maybe not as much as others, but I often struggle to afford to buy cute notepads. I like to have nice designs on the things I choose to write my college notes in, and I adore going to Paperchase just because the designs are always adorable!

I also quite like to have a different design on every notepad I own, I mean, it helps to distinguish what notepad goes with which subject, right?

Anyway, lets get on with my mini haul!

#ShortProblems

HELLO.

I AM SHORT. AND I AM DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BECAUSE OF IT.

The Liebster Award!

Hello!

I have been nominated twice to do the Liebster award, so I guess I'd better get started!

First of all, thank you Kia and Kirsty!

What is the Liebster Award? It is kinda like a chainmail, but a nice one, it's sent from blogger to blogger in order to show support and to, almost promote, other, small bloggers. I think it's a great idea, I really love it! You answer 11 questions asked by the nominator then tag 11 more smaller blogs who you want to carry the flame! Because I've been nominated twice, I have double the questions. I'll start with Kia's because she nominated me first.

The rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.

2. Display the award on your blog - by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a "widget" or a "gadget". (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post)

3. Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you. 

4. Provide 11 random facts about yourself.

5. Nominate 5-11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have less than 1000 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!)

6. Create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.

7. List these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here.) Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominate that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!) 

Okay! This is a long post so make sure you have some snacks at hand! Ready? Let's go!

Microdermal Surface Piercings

Hello!

Excuse my nails... and hands... and existence I thought I'd write a little bit about Microdermal Anchors today, because I'm not sure if you've noticed but I have three!

....Okay, two rejected so I have one, but I did have three and I got them done at the same time! I'm sure you're wondering all about them, and the most important question - do they hurt?  All will be answered... Or I will try to get them all answered. It was a little bit spur of the moment when I got them done. Anyway, okay.

They're made of two parts: the anchor itself, which has three holes in the bottom, and what I am going to refer to as 'the gem'. I'm calling it 'the gem' because I didn't get to change my one. I had it almost a year when it rejected. I was always too scared to try and change it, and I really struggled even with the rejected one.

Get To Know Me!

Hello!

Okay so this is a fun post, isn't it! I recently hit 500 followers on Twitter (Oh. My. God. Thank you so much I'm still kinda, very, pretty much in shock! I never though I'd reach a number like that!) And it made me think... How much do you know about me?

I thought it might be interesting to tell you a bit more about myself. Facts, general information... That kind of thing.

So without further adooooo!

Watching Star Wars Was A Horrible Decision

Hello!

I'm obsessed with Star Wars. I'm glad we've got that out the way and cleared the air.

Hello 2016 | Hogmanay Walks

Hello!