ciao

I'm about to board a flight to Nice, where I will stay for three nights (Cannes here I come!) before getting train across the border to Italy. There I will begin what will hopefully be a whole summer of teaching. Wish me luck! More updates as soon as I can get on the internet. BYE BYE.

"The eyes of the world are upon you."

Today is the 67^th anniversary of D-Day.

The older I get and the more I read and watch and learn about World War 2, the more I understand – and if not understand, then at least begin to comprehend – the immeasurable bravery of the men who fought, not for themselves, but for their families and friends and children and grandchildren and country. So that we can grow up and go to school and say what we want and choose who we want to be. Both my granddads were there in Normandy on D-Day; they both landed on Juno Beach.

Thinking about it makes me want to be a better person; it makes me want to earn what thousands of men fought – and thousands of men died – for. It makes me want to prove, in their memory, that we were worth it.

Forever remember and appreciate what they did for us. To those who died, RIP, and to all of them: thank you.

Some more fascinating photos here.

peace was never an option

I have a thing for superheroes. And I have always had a thing for James McAvoy. So when I found out that they were making a Professor X/Magneto based prequel to the X-Men films, and that lovely James was going to be in it, I freaked out.

On Wednesday night I went to see X-Men: First Class. I have loved all of the X-Men films and I still think they're some of the best comic book adaptations out there, so I was, in an admittedly very sad and forever-alone kind of way, properly excited for First Class. And it was amazing. James McAvoy was perfect as Professor X; literally he was made for that role. Such swagger. And Michael Fassbender as Magneto was brilliant casting too. I genuinely think it's the best of all the X-Men films and I'm definitely going to see it again. The cheeky cameo appearance they slipped in there as well as the Professor X hair loss jokes quite made my day.

Also, last week I went to see The Hangover 2 and just, I can't even. Just go and see it. I think my body is damaged I laughed so much. It's nearly as good as the first one, and that's quite an achievement in itself. Bradley Cooper makes my eyes hurt he's so attractive.