10 reasons why I love my mum

So today is Mother’s day and all around the world people will be celebrating their mum. Showering her with gifts, flowers, cards, perhaps a meal out or a spa day. I don’t think there needs to be just a day where you tell your mum how much she means, you should show it all the time. Everyone has lots of reasons why there mum is special but I have decided to say the top 10 reasons why my mum is so amazing.

10. She knows when you’re telling the truth and when you’re lying.
No matter how big or small the lie your mum will always know when you’re telling the truth. Oh the memories of when I was small and saying I had cleaned my teeth only to find myself being told to go back upstairs when I could conceal the smile anymore.

9.  She will always be the best advice giver on any situation.
Whether its about clothes, friends, work or boys your mum will always give you the best advice. Sometimes it may seem like rubbish advice at the time and you may simply ignore it but it will be the best advice in the end. This leads me onto the next point….

8. She is always right (not 99% but 100% correct all the time).
Mothers know best. That statement is so true. The amount of time you hope that it’s not but then have to admit ‘Ok Mum you were right’.

7. She knows you better than any other person in the world.
Having carried you for 9 months and being the one to hear your heat beat and feel every movement before anyone else it’s safe to say your mum know you better than anyone else.

Skiing in the Alps – 2014

6. She will always tell you you’re beautiful.
Never mind if you’re wearing the ugliest dress, have no make up or when you’re laying in hospital really poorly. You’re mum will always tell you that you look beautiful. 

5. You’re mum will always fight your battles for you.
No matter how old you are your mum will always fight your corner. Ever since that first fight in the school playground she will always have you’re back even if secretly she knows you were in the wrong.

4. She will always forgive you when you have been a moody miserable little brat.
Everyone has those days where they just want to scream and shout and most of it is usually taken out on one person – your mum. But she will take it on the chin, knowing that you don’t mean it. Instead she will be your punch bag and wipe away any tears.

3. She makes you proud to know that she is your mum.

2. No matter where I am, what I am going through she will always be there for me.
Your mum will always protect you, no matter what you do, what you say, how much trouble you’re in, whatever the situation, whether your close or not – your mum will be there for you. 

1. She isn’t just my mum she is my best friend.

A message for my mum: 

Mum, I want to thank you for not only being the best mum in the world but for helping me through some of the hardest times in my life. To me you are the most special lady in the world, no matter how you are feeling you always put me first. When I was in hospital last year you were the one that got me through it, you held my hand when I cried and you stayed strong when I was at my weakest – putting on a brave face even though you too were hurting inside. Whenever I asked you simply replied:

“I’m your mum – it’s my job to look after you”

So although today is Mother’s day and I hope you like your presents. I want you to know that no matter how far apart we are, how moody I get or those days when we don’t talk. You are the best part of my life and no one can ever replace the special bond that we have, I want to thank you for all the times you have been there for me and will be in the future and to know that I will be there for you too. You really are my best friend.

In life you have taught me to be the person I am today. One day when I have children I hope that I am as good a mother as you have been to me as that is when I know I’ll have made it in life. I Love you mum.

xxxx

me and my mum

For the love of food..

Food is something everyone loves – whether it’s just eating it, or perhaps cooking and experimenting with it. My love for food is in the kitchen. Nothing satisfies me more than the smell of home made food in the oven and knowing that it was made with my own fair hands.

From cakes and cookies to stews, soups and three course meals I love the power of being able to change recipes and play with flavors and tastes to create something simply mouthwatering that will leave everyone asking for more.

Read my blog to find some fun, simple recipes and the passion behind my cooking.

Nothing is impossible..Birmingham Half Marathon

On the 19th October I did something 7 months ago I thought I’d never achieve. I ran the Great Birmingham Half Marathon. The moment I crossed that finish line will remain with me for the rest of my life, it was incredible!

 

I’m not saying it was easy it wasn’t but my whole journey hasn’t been. For the last 6 months after losing the use of my legs and becoming paralysed I have gone from strength to strength. It started by walking a few metres to running for 5 minutes to then build up to 13.1 miles. I have achieved something that doctors and physios said would be impossible to ever achieve. But now its confirmed one thing in my life…nothing in this world is impossible.

Training was hard.
I often found myself doubled up in pain after attempting a long run as my muscles just weren’t going to play ball. The cramps were so painful but I reminded myself why I was doing it and it kept me motivated.

So why was I doing it? In life they say you don’t realise what you have until its gone. It’s true. One day I could walk and the next I was in a wheelchair unable to feel my legs. In 24 hours my life changed and something so simple as walking that I once took for granted was gone. When I learnt to walk again it sparked something inside my mind.

I’m lucky I can walk again…but what about the thousands of people who face a lifetime in a wheelchair?

So therefore I decided up on the snowy mountains of France that I would give something back and make light of my situation. I wanted to help people who face muscle wasting diseases and a life of paralysis. This thought helped me through training, it helped me through the long endless miles in the cold, it helped me through the pain and finally it helped me on the day. I was helping other people. It was my mantra.

Race Day was here…

I honestly didn’t know what I had let myself in for when I stood on the start line surrounded by hundreds of people. As everyone began moving forward I held Jess’ hand (my brothers girlfriend and an incredible friend who was crazy enough to run it with me) and we said: “come on let’s do this!”

The moment the horn sounded everyone rushed past and at one point I felt as if I was going backwards but I knew that pacing was crucial. The crowd was incredible, the cheering, the support kept you motivated as you braced yourself for the route ahead.

At around 9 miles it started to get tough. My legs were hurting and I didn’t know if I had the energy to continue. I said to Jess why am I doing this and she replied: “because you were paralysed and you thought you’d never walk again”. The one thing that kept me going was knowing the pain and frustration I had faced 7 months earlier when I couldn’t walk and the fact that I was doing something that thousands of people who suffer with lifetime paralysis will never do. Again it was my mantra that made me run.

The last mile was probably the most emotional. As we reached the 12 mile mark me and Jess picked up the pace – and kept repeating why we were doing it. We got to the the last 200m sign and said “run” just as we could see a glimpse of the finish line. That 200m was probably the fastest I have ever ran in my life. Somewhere inside myself I found the last piece of energy and hand in hand we sprinted towards the finish line.

2 hours 38 minutes we had ran 13.1 miles. I know it’s not an Olympic time but for me it is an achievement I honestly thought would never happen. I went over to my family and threw my arms around my mums neck in complete exhaustion and said:

I DID IT MUM! I DID IT!

It wasn’t just me who my illness affected – my family and friends were my lifeline and I hope that seeing me do something like this made them proud. After everything they have all done for me I just wanted to make them proud.

In total I have raised £931, an incredible total that will help to research into conditions like mine and help change peoples lives. I want to personally thank everyone who donated – your generosity has been simply inspiring. Jess I want to thank you for being crazy and accepting to run it with me – I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else to be by my side! Finally, Simon my personal trainer who has put up with me ringing him with questions and who is now helping me train for my next event!

In life you constantly choose yourself goals, some are realistic like getting a job or buying a car, others are more impossible like going to space. For me this never seemed possible and so many times I was told to put my dreams on hold. But it goes to show if you want something that badly and are willing to put 100% in to achieve it then you CAN and you WILL. It’s not easy and you have to be determined. But don’t let anyone tell you it’s impossible I wouldn’t be here today if that was the case.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The photos used are all my own and must not be copied or used without permission from myself.

I don’t want too grow up..

Sometimes don’t you just wish that you could go back to the days when you were a little kid again. So when life hits you hard you can just play pretend. It would be so much easier to go back to the days when Santa did exist. When the only scary thing in life was the monster in your cupboard. When your daddy was the only man you had ever kissed. Or when the biggest problem in life was Pokemon cards, when everyone was your friend and people didn’t change. And most importantly when every time you were sad you would run to your mummy and everything would be okay.

People spend most of their childhood dreaming of growing up, when you’re a kid you want to be a teenager, when you’re 16 you just want to be 18. But then you reach that age where you realise that being a child is actually the best part of your life. You look back at that  famous Disney film and realise why Peter Pan really did never want to grow up.

I was once told by my mum that I should treasure my school days because they really are the best days of your life. She was right, back then there were no cares, the hardest thing was getting out of bed. Life was simple, homework was easy,  food was brought and cooked for you, money wasn’t an issue and boys well they were just smelly!

But now its getting scary. The reality of growing up is slowly getting closer. And for a minute you just want the world to stop so you can stay in your little bubble. The idea of finishing uni, getting a job, seeing your best  friends leave to go and find their place in the world, buying a house, finding a man/woman, getting married, having children, growing old. It’s exciting – yes. But at the same time the idea of being an adult seems a lot more scary than my current  life right now.

Uni life consists of sleeping, eating, alcohol, partying, friends, gym – its easy except being poor – oh wait and the uni work of course! If you ask any student about there life at uni I think they will say its great except always living with no money and adapting to the Tesco value lifestyle (especially the litre of Tesco value vodka!)

They say your youth is the best time of your life, so whilst you’re young go out and make the most of it! One day not so far away  you’ll be stuck in a 9-5 job working 5 days a week for 50 years until your old and wrinkly and you suddenly realise that your life is slowing down. So if you want to travel – go travelling! If you want to have a gap year – take a gap year. If you want to run a marathon – run a marathon! Have fun..you’re only young once!

So if you’re reading this and you’re still a kid, then look at your life and take a step back and see how care free it is. Don’t keep wishing your life away by wanting to be a year older. Because one day you’ll be 21 and being forced to grow up and enter that big wide world that once only seemed as far as that bus ride to school. Enjoy your childhood because even though at times it may seem tough it is honestly the best time of your life!

And if you’ve already hit that mark where its time to move on to that next stage in life or if you are in that adult world. I want you to think for a moment, if it was just for a day and you could revisit you childhood..which part would you go to? Would you act the same? What makes that event so significant? Did it change who you are today?

 

 

3 Weeks. One video. My walking progress.

A month ago I lost the use of my legs, I lost around 70- 80% of the muscle in my legs, face, hands, respiratory and core muscles.
After being diagnosed with an extremely rare condition known as ‘Acute Corticosteroid Induced Myopathy’, (that basically causes profound muscle wastage as a result of IV steroids) I have been teaching myself to walk again, with physiotherapy and rehabilitation I am slowly re gaining control and stamina. This video shows my progress over the last 3 weeks. Having this video to look back on the progress I have made is amazing.

Learning To Walk Again…

So one minute everything is fine and your at uni and life is going good and the next minute you find yourself in hospital, having a major operation and then next you wake up not to feel your legs. It sounds crazy I know. Almost unbelievable. Well I wish I could say it was. But I am currently having to learn to walk again. I didn’t want to blog this for attention or to be noticed or whatever but when something so scary and frustrating happens you might as well  write it down and you never know someone else may be able to relate to my story too.

1. The Beginning

I was admitted to hospital on a Sunday evening with severe throat pain, not being able to drink, eat and also looking like a swollen ogre (yes despite my moon face), my jaw had completely locked which made the following process pretty much impossible. A (not so lovely doctor – one who is newly qualified and thinks they know everything) tried to shove a 3 inch needle in my tonsil to drain it but instead managed to tear it, so left me spitting up blood and in more pain. Two more attempts – no success. It was decided I needed IV antibiotics and a drip for dehydration so the nightmare began. Little did I realise what was heading my way.

2. A hell of a night

After a night on IV antibiotics, being pumped with steroids and fluids and so much morphine I had hallucinated I was a fish (literally) no improvements had been made. I laid in bed praying that my body would just kick start and get better. I just wanted my mum and dad but being in Nottingham I was alone except of course those friends who stood by me everyday (who I literally cannot thank enough).

3. The third day

So after being on a drip for 4 days, antibiotics and steroids galore I was still making no improvement. No food, no drink my body was on shutdown but still they didn’t know what was happening. A doctor (another useless one) turned round and said that he believed that it was just an infection caused by stress and I had muscle spasm in my jaw (yeah I know – that’s what I was thinking – he even gave me some muscle gel – idiot). However, it wasn’t until this doctor (my hero) said that he wasn’t impressed with my progress and wanted to send me for a CT scan of my throat, jaw and head so we waited for the scan.

4. The CT Scan

A CT scan is the weirdest thing ever, basically you lie on this long table and you move into this doughnut ring, your attached through IV to this drip that puts some liquid into your blood and then your told you may feel like your wetting yourself but your not. After the ring moves up and down and your told to breathe, hold your breathe etc. Then after about 2 minutes it’s all done and you can leave (well in my case back to the ward) and the results are awaited. It’s like one big long waiting game.

5. The results

So after what was described by a previous doctor as tonsillitis and jaw spasm turned out to be a lot worse. It turned out I had quinsy, a complication of tonsillitis, for every 100,000 people with a sore throat, 96 may develop quinsy.However mine was slightly more serious, the quinsy had inverted meaning it was growing on the inside of my tonsil into my jaw and to make matters worse it was sat right on the main artery in my neck. So the prognosis had been made now for the plan of action. The only option was an operation. They wanted to remove the abscess and the infected tonsil all whilst being careful of the artery. It wasn’t going to be a straight forward operation. Everyone was on tender hooks. I was petrified.

6. The operation

So at 7 O’clock the next morning I was told I was nil by mouth and the operation would be at some point during the early afternoon. So I waited. And waited. At 4 O’ clock a man turned up with a wheelchair and said we are ready for you in theatre now. So off I was whisked. But no it didn’t quite stop there. I was put onto a trolley bed and given blankets and told that someone would be with me shortly. So I waited. Time kept ticking, no one came. All of a sudden I felt really strange. A nurse came over and checked my observations and before I knew it I found myself in being wheeled off to recovery (before the operation had even happened) to be wired up to a sats machine and a drip. My blood pressure had dropped and my pulse had gone through the roof. I just remember laying there hearing noises and movement around me but nothing else. Finally, at around 8.30pm (or so I’ve been told) I was taken to theatre. Ready for the next hurdle. Obviously when you go for surgery your put to sleep so you don’t remember anything but my time in theatre didn’t go straight forward. Because of where the lump was doctors wanted to put a tube down my nose and into my windpipe to breathe for me. They tried to put the tube down my nose but couldn’t as the bridge was too small. So instead i was given muscle relaxant to try and prize my jaw open to get the tube into my windpipe. I remember the tube going into my mouth. I then fell asleep.

7. Recovery

Waking up from an operation is so weird. All I remember is opening my eyes seeing a blonde woman dressed in green overalls sat next to my bed and saying “where am I?”. After that I was so drugged up on Morphine I was out like a light. So after a 2 hour operation (that should usually take 30 mins) and 4 hours in recovery after me not wanting to come round, I was taken back to the ward. The operation had gone well. Thank God. Are things going to start looking up?

8. The day I lost my legs

So when you think the worst is over (or pray it is anyway) something else just has to go wrong. The day before my operation my legs had gone slightly weak (everyone called me Bambi as when I walked it looked like my legs were giving way a bit) this could be expected as I had been in bed for a few days but what wasn’t normal was what happened next. The day after my operation my legs had become so weak I couldn’t walk, to touch them felt strange, I called a nurse to help me walk to the toilet and as I went to stand up my legs just gave way and I was on the floor. Fear. I couldn’t walk. I sat and cried. My body felt like it was lifeless and it just wouldn’t get up. After about 10 minutes and the help of the nurses I managed to get enough strength to get back on to the bed. What was happening. I was so scared. Thoughts were running through my mind: what if I never walk again. What if I’m paralysed. That day I saw several neurologists who kept performing tests to see if I had any neurological problems. It all came back clear. No answers. I have never been so scared in all my life.

9. Going home

So after 5 more days in hospital although my legs had got worse and now walking was impossible my throat had got better and doctors decided that I would actually be better off at home. I was so happy. 9 days in hospital had been enough. However it still didn’t explain why I couldn’t walk. I had seen 5 neurologists who all had performed neurological tests and they had found no evidence of any serious problems. After talking to doctors I decided that going home may be the best thing to start using my legs and hoping they would start working. It still left the main unanswered question – why I had lost the use of my legs in the first place.

10. It gets worse..

Well getting home seems the best thing ever when you have been in hospital. Dad carried me through the front door and it was literally like a sigh of relief. I was so weak and frail. I was like a 90 year old woman. The best way I can describe it is I felt like my body was eating itself. So on waking up the next morning, bang (if it’s even possible) my legs had got worse. Walking was so painful, my knees cracked and the joints in my hands were throbbing. It had got to the stage where I couldn’t sit up without support, hold a glass without shaking and walking was physically impossible. Something still wasn’t right. What if it gets worse? What if I’m paralysed? These irrational thoughts kept running through my mind! I was worried. I was scared. Who wouldn’t be? Deep down I kept thinking, what if they re-admit me. I had to be brave.

11. The doctor brings results

So with being too weak to walk and no progress being made, instead things getting worse, a rash appearing all over my body and face, and having muscle spasms (what can only be described as involuntary fitting of all your body muscles – it looks as if your having an epileptic fit – scary and painful as hell) mum phones for a doctor. The doctor came and performed some tests, she looked at my rash and I explained about my muscles how they had literally wasted away (which was visible to see) and she said: “This is steroids”. I was like what?. She explained how because I had been on such a high dose of steroids, these were all side affects. The condition is called’acute corticosteroid induced myopathy’, which causes the weakness and wasting of muscles. Its an extremely  rare condition, which doctors in this country have no clue about. I had my answer. Its frustrating to think that it is all drug induced and that if i hadn’t been given the steroids I would be able to walk but you have to think of the fact that I was given the steroids to stop my airway closing up because of the swelling, so without them I could have died. So you can’t look at it like that. What has happened has happened. But we have an answer.

I know something I have to face is the fact time is only going to heal it. I have to remember that I am lucky, I will walk again and there’s so many people out there who are less fortunate than me. But it’s going to take time and that is one thing that I have to face. For now I’m completely dependent on my family and friends and without them I don’t know where I’d be. My mum (or should I say full time carer), dad, brother, his girl friend, grand parents and friends are my rocks, They are amazing and I don’t think words can say how much I appreciate and love them. Without them I don’t know where id be. They keep me smiling and prevent the tears from falling. So for the time being I’m learning to walk again, and everyday is a few more steps my goal is in 5 weeks ill be skiing down a mountain! CRAZY but determination is key. Unfortunately my wheelchair is my best friend at the moment and does accompany me on outings as distance is not possible just yet. But hopefully not for long. As everyday I’m getting a little stronger.

This whole experience (although far from the end) has changed me. It is said that everything happens for a reason, but I have to say I haven’t quite found my reason yet. It makes you appreciate life though, so many people take the small things in life for granted. Don’t. It could be taken from you at any point. I’m lucky I can get mine back. Love those around you and appreciate those in your life as they are the ones that stand by you.

Food glorious HOSPITAL food

Being in hospital is not exactly the best place in the world. The broken sleep after having your obs checked every few hours or your drip changed, the smell of illness, the bright lights, the coming and going of people, the screaming and shouting of patients, it’s enough to drive anyone mad. But then there’s the food. If you have been in hospital you will know exactly what I’m on about. You’d think that the food would be nutritious as people in hospital are ill and they need nutrients and goodness, but I can honestly say I don’t think what your served up is quite as delightful as you may dream. 

 Breakfast

So at around 8am you can hear it coming up the corridor; the trolley. It turns up and you have a wonderful selection: Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Weetabix (my favourite as I was on a soft food diet due to swallowing), porridge etc. To be fair breakfast was probably the best meal of the day and you can’t exactly complain as cereals satisfy most people. However, the toast was on a different level. Imagine being given 2 slices of thin, cold, bread that was most probably toasted about 1 hour ago. The butter doesn’t spread on it and it looks and tastes like cardboard. Yum.

Lunch

Yippee it’s lunch time. What’s on the menu? There’s always some sort of sandwiches, which I can’t say I had due to having swallowing issues they wouldn’t have been the best choice. As for the ‘hot’ selection, there would be a delightful array of available meals. Just kidding, you could have minced beef with mash. Well this would consist of beef in a thick gooey gravy, with small attempts of diced up carrots and a couple of peas if your lucky, all served with a creamy mash potato. This mash potato is like something never tasted before. Its thick texture, light yellow colour and having flavour resembling nothing all served up in a perfect ice cream scoop is enough to put anyone off.

Dinner

6.30pm comes round and the smell starts to linger in the ward. You know what time it is..dinner time! What delights are served up at dinner? You can have chicken curry (more like a couple of bits of chicken in a watery sauce with rice that just sticks together), soup (straight from a packet – you’d think that needing vitamins and all that it would be freshly made but no watery and out of a packet with floating lumps of ‘mushroom’), you can have fish and chips (on a friday), this is more like a stodgy piece of fish that has been warmed through and has gone soggy served with a couple of peas and mash or ‘chips’.

Pudding

When your poorly you crave something sweet. It makes you the happiest person ever when people bring you chocolate, biscuits, sweets etc. Pudding in hospital is another thing, you don’t expect the ritz quality but something a little more than stodgy reheated treacle sponge with lumpy custard would be nice. Due to my throat the offer to me was always ice cream, well lets be honest it isn’t ice cream. I even said to the porter one day “have you even tried the ‘ice cream’?” The so called ice cream is (wait for it)..gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, lactose free, and anything else free, it may as well be ice cream free as the runny gloop is like water. I have no clue what is actually in it but one thing is for sure its not ice cream.

Hospital food is something that people complain about everywhere. Its in the news, it’s in programmes on the TV, it’s in general conversation. There’s no surprise to why people have their family and friends bring in food such as the famous ‘grapes’ or why so many smuggle in home cooked meals.

Half way across the world a country is struggling

A country is freezing to death but will you be thinking of them this Christmas?

Half way across the world a country is struggling. Storms are brewing as bitter cold winds hit the fragile towns of Lebanon, in Syria. 800,000 people have sought refuge in a camp in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley; a place that has been transformed into a never ending wasteland, brimming with handmade shelters for Syrians for are desperate in seeking refuge.

A large proportion of these suffering are children, its been reported that six million young people in Syria and across the country are in desperate need. So many of them have been caught amid the fighting which has cut off supplies to smaller villages. It has been reported ‘that in countries like Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, more than a million child refugees are struggling to cope in heartbreaking conditions’. Many of these children have nothing yet the clothes on there backs and no one to support them. Despite the freezing cold temperatures, these children are experiencing a long term impact of the conflict that is crippling their country.

At this time of the year children should be getting excited about the time ahead; Christmas. Children all over the world have written their Christmas lists asking for all kinds of things from Computers and Game Consoles to Ipads and Mobile phones, But the only thing that Syrian children are praying for is shelter, warm clothes on their backs, shoes on their feet and a blanket to keep them warm.

It’s a strange thing to think of the fact that on Christmas Day hundreds of people will be sat round the table, the heating on a Turkey in the oven, plates brimming with every vegetable under the sun, presents under the tree and families coming together when a country across the world has been attacked by conflict for so long and now faces a hard winter as a severe storm hits. So maybe this Christmas when you’re about to tuck into your Christmas dinner, or putting your feet up by the fire spare a thought for those who may not be celebrating Christmas and are instead are thanking God they are still alive.

A man who changed the world: RIP Nelson Mandela

Today, South Africa saw thousands of people come together from across the globe to celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela.

Whether they were family, friends, political leaders, prime ministers, presidents, everyday citizens, no matter what their skin colour, they stood in the pouring rain at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium to remember a truly great leader.

Nelson Mandela was a man who was known for changing the path of history. After spending 27 years in prison, he became the first black South African to hold office. His work in government focused on dismantling the legacy of the apartheid through tackling the major issues of institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality.

Nelson Mandela died aged 95 on 06/12/2013

Mandela worked hard to unite black and white South Africans and to bring about the transition from minority rule and apartheid to black majority rule. He used the nations passion for sports as a focus point to promote the reconciliation between the races, encouraging black South Africans to support the once hated national rugby team.

In 1995, South Africa came to the world stage by hosting the Rugby World Cup, which brought further recognition and prestige to the integrated country. In 1996, Mandela signed into law a new constitution for the nation, establishing a strong central government based on majority rule, and guaranteeing the rights of minorities and the freedom of expression.

The ceremony brought people together of all walks of life, each and everyone one of them flocked to the stadium to pay their respects and honour his life. Mandela’s family watched quietly in their silent grief as they heard stories of their loved ones courageous life and how his actions impacted so many.

Barrack Obama was amongst many who stood before the thousands to deliver a speech praising the life of Mandela.

Obama gave a poignant speech at the ceremony expressing his gratitude towards Mandela’s actions and what he fought for. His final words spoke out to the nation:

“Over 30 years ago whilst still a student, I learnt of Nelson Mandela and the struggles taking place in this beautiful land and it stirred something within me, it woke me up to my responsibilities, to others and to myself and it sent me on an improbable journey that finds me here today. After this great liberator is laid to rest and when we return to our cities and villages, let us search for his strength and when the night grows dark and when injustice weighs heavy on our hearts and our best laid plans seem beyond our reach, let us think of Madiba and the words that brought him comfort within the four walls of his cell: It matter not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. My God bless Nelson Mandela.”

Nelson Mandela was a man who brought ‘freedom’ to so many, he managed to impact not only his own country but the rest of world by bringing forward his beliefs and his name will go down in history.

Mandela’s funeral cortège will make its way through the South African capital of Pretoria for three consecutive days ahead of his funeral which is to take place on Sunday December 15.

Mourners and well wishers are expected to come in their thousands to honour the former South African president and pay respects to his life.

Welcome to the World of Blogging

So I have decided to enter the big wide world of what is known as ‘blogging’.

As a student journalist I hope to write about everything and anything, whether it be news, music, fashion, uni life, life in general, love, hate, family, big events..basically anything intresting (well, I hope you’ll find it interesting).

So lets make a start…