Why Rats Make The Best Pets

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a dog lover and a dog lover I will always be, they are THE best pet in my opinion. But right now for me to have my own four legged maniac of a best friend, it’s just not an option.

You know, I actually forget that some people fear rats. I’ve learnt that more whilst having them. I’ve met more people who are genuinely scared of them, or turn their nose up at them, than I have people who are open to the idea of rats as pets. The first part I can understand, we all have fears, I’m not one to judge. I’m terrified of a lot of things, spiders being the most common one! But as for the second half, will now send me in defence mode and make me instantly   Want to crack out the PowerPoint presentation on why these creatures are nothing but a bundle of joy. You don’t want to make me do that. We will be here a long time.

We’ve had Shadow and Link aka ‘the boys’ for a about two months now and don't get me wrong, it’s took a lot of patience when trying to win over their hearts, but slowly it’s starting to show that it’s  all worth it. Their personalities are starting to finally come out and both have individuality.

When we first got them they were waaay to scared to even come up to the cage to say hello. They would sit in their house and make a quick dash out now and then for food. Eventually, they started to come around, and every few days they would do something new that shows they have a little more trust in us. They are still doing things now and learning new things which is the fun part! 

I think the best part about rats, is they have their own personalities. Both our rats are starting to show their own individuality. Shadow loves to cuddle and for you to chase and tickle him, which is so adorable you have no idea. Link on the other hand is a bit more of a lone wolf, he's constantly trying to cause trouble, and never sleeps. He literally doesn't leave his ledge that he sits on and patiently waits for attention. Or to be let out so he can run around, which is funny in itself. Though he always lets Shadow win in their play fights. 

The reason I think these guys make such great pets, is because like I said to Dan yesterday, they are quite unique animals. For an animal so small and dismissed by many, they are smart and intelligent, fun, loving, and adorable. Adorable may be a personal observation, but smart and loving you can not disagree. 

x

In Hearts Wake // Birmingham Asylum // 06.10.2016

It's only been about 6 years since I first started listening to In Hearts Wake, and a band I've always missed out on seeing for one reason or another. They are on of my favourite bands, and one of which unlike many, I've never really 'grown out' of, like I have many other bands that I started listening to around the same time. So this was pretty exciting for me.

I'm gutted I missed Gideon, but I've only recently started listening to them, the more I do the more I'm becoming a fan. Sound wise, I love the Ghost Inside feel they have to them? It's annoying when you enter the room and a band is LITERALLY just finishing; anyways, I only have myself to blame.

In Hearts Wake did not disappoint, they lived up to every expectation I had of them. What makes me sad is the fact I've missed out on so many years where I could have gone and supported them; even if they were a support band. I failed you IHW, and for that I am sorry haha. One of the main points to mention here, was how damn tight they sounded live, and I'm talking so good that if you had your eyes closed you would think you're listening to them on an album. 

I think for a band to sound almost identical to what they do on a CD, is pretty special. 

I also praise them for playing a selection of songs. If there's one thing that grinds my gears, it's when a band starts forgetting about their oldest material. And I know there will be reasons for some bands who do this, but I don't think that's really an excuse. They played a mixture of both old and new, and in this case the new was just as good live as the old. 

Last but not least, aside from what you normally expect for a gig; sound, setlist, etc, you could tell that they actually enjoyed it themselves. I think that's a big thing too, they are a band who aren't afraid to have fun. I'm talking crowd surfing on a rubber dingy during Survival and playing 'Capture the Flag' sort of fun. This is what makes these guys special as a band, and I know for a fact that their journey has only just begun.

Roll on the next tour, let's hope they don't make us wait too long for another!

x

New Found Glory // London 06.10.2017 - 08.10.2017 // 20 Year Birthday Celebration Tour

I'm sad. I'd spent so long looking forward to this weekend, that it felt like it way over way too quickly! 

It's no big surprise to know that my favourite band, ever, in the entire world is New Found Glory. I've seen them more than I have any other band, but when they made the announcement of playing 6 of their albums entirely, over 3 nights in London, I knew that this would top every other time I have seen them before. 

So if you're reading this you're probably a dedicated NFG too, and know the drill. But to recap, NFG played 3 shows in London, each night the venue got smaller. Friday was albums Sticks and Stones and Self Titled at The Forum, Saturday was Catalyst and Not Without a Fight and Sunday was possibly the coolest of them all, they played The Underworld, a tiny venue, with a capacity of just 500, where they played Coming Home and Nothing Gold Can Stay. This was the smallest venue I have seen them play at (I guess seeing them soundcheck to a few of us back in 2014 doesn't really count) but BOY, did this feel surreal.

Friday - Kentish Town Forum - 06/10/2017

I'm not going to lie to you. First things first, i'm a bit bored of seeing Roam. They seem to support every pop punk band I ever go see at the moment, and though they aren't a bad band, they aren't really my cup of tea anymore. I'm not so much into Pop Punk nowadays, unless it's the golden oldies. 

Starting off the weekend seeing my favourite album of the NFG back catalogue, was pretty epic. That being Self Titled. Sticks and Stones I have already seen played in full twice before, the last time they came over to play this in full, but I'm never going to say no to a chance to hear it in full again. 

The Forum is where they filmed their live DVD; This Disaster back in 2004 which was just before the time I started going to gigs (parents still in the years of parenting / not allowing me to go to gigs / deprived me), so I never got to go the first time around. Rest assured I have had my moneys worth through playing the DVD about 9873927 times. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is this is a special venue to them. This is also a special venue to me as It's where I went to their meet and greet back in 2014, and where I got to watch them soundcheck. 

One complaint I do have though is the sound quality at this venue lacks a bit. I found it hard at times to make out what song they were playing, as the setlist was all jumbled up. I have mentioned this before about this venue. 

Though I'm by no means a McFly fan, I appreciate what they do and have respect for them as they seem like decent guys, a more suprising moment was seeing Dougie Poynter from McFly join NFG on stage to play Hit or Miss. As a fellow NFG fan, I'll give him the respect and take my hat off to him, as he did a good job!

Saturday - Camden Electric Ballroom - 07/10/2017

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE VENUES EVER!! I have no idea why, It could be the bands I've seen there in the past, it could be the grubbiness of it, I'm not sure, there's just something about it I love. 

I have to say, this was my favourite night out of all three. I know it wasn't the smallest of venues, I know it probably wasn't their most desired of albums to see, but the energy from Not Without a Fight and Catalyst is something you just cannot beat. It was the most fun I had.

Other than the energy of the songs, there was something about this night that stood out from the other two. The crowd felt more like a family. This is something that's hard to explain and understand unless you are in with it yourself. And as I am getting older now, there's something nice about being in a crowd surrounded by people your own age? You know, kids like yourself who grew up listening to the same music you did around the same time, who have come out of hiding to relive a part of their childhood? That in itself is priceless.

I came home that night and saw Chad himself post a few videos on Instagram. One being the crowd seeing along to The Sound of Two Voices, he said how we sung it as if it was one of their old songs; I felt that too at the time, he basically said what I had noticed whilst there. Another was a video of Jordan singing Papa Roach lyrics during / at the end of Failures Not Flattering, which was another moment that sticks out in my mind. It's silly moments like these that you remember most.

Sunday - Camden Underworld - 08/10/2017 

So when these tickets went on sale, The Underworld sold out like hot cakes, which was predictable, so having a three day ticket had it's advantage too. I think had I have tried to get a single ticket for just the Underworld, I wouldn't have been so lucky.

If you haven't been to the Underworld before, or heard about the Underworld, let me tell you, it's pretty legendary. It's basically the equivalent of being at your local; a small pub, with a tiny little stage, pretty awesome if you ask me! You know if a band you like is playing the Underworld that it's going to be a hot sweaty mess, it's more intimate and always pulls a great crowd.

It's not the first time I've seen NFG where someone from the crowd has shouted a song of theirs that wasn't on the setlist and they have randomly started playing it, which is one of the things I love most about them. That happened at the Underworld, a guy decided he wanted to hear Certain, a song which was beyond Nothing Gold Can Stay, and in their surprise of hearing someone actually knew that song, they started to play it. 

I have to admit my favourite moments of this night, was when they played songs that required more singing than jumping around and losing your shit! Such as Make Your Move and Boulders, hearing the crowd sing at the top of their lungs is something that will forever give me goose pimples.

So, after all of that, apologies about the terrible pictures. There's only so much you can do with an iPhone camera, and I hate to be one of these people constantly with their phone out. Not to mention that's one of the last things you think of when you're in the moment! If anyone else has any photos, videos, please share! I need to sit and relive the moment now, as it's going to be one that stays in my heart for a long time.

x

The Adventures of Rome August 2017

It's a little late, try two months to be exact, but I guess some things are better late than never. In fact I may struggle to piece the whole experience back together, due to A) it was two months ago, and B) it was a short stay, and cramming so many activities into such a short period of time, is more difficult than what I had anticipated.

I'm lucky enough to say this is my second time not celebrating my Birthday in the UK. This was my gift from my Boyfriend, it was something we had both wanted to do for a long time and along with a lot of saving, we finally managed to pull it off!

Day 1

We left for the airport at 4am on the Sunday, and eventually made it to our hotel around 1pm, we were exhausted but we wanted to make sure we got another whole day there. The lady on the desk instantly became by best friend ever, due to her telling me we share the same Birthday, though to be honest I never saw her again after that.. She seemed to disappear. 

We did manage to have a nap before we set out to explore our surroundings. It was needed, I was getting very grumpy at this point (me and a lack of sleep combination is a challenging prospect. We took a walk to get our first glimpse of the Colosseum from outside, it was absolutely breathtaking. My first thought was it looked an awful lot bigger in the real world than it did on the holiday brochures.. 

Walking around the area was surreal, we took routes down alleys so we got a glimpse of the places tourists don't really go to, because we wanted to get a taste of Italy for what it really is. I guess you could say we kinda cheated the first night though due to the fact we got a McDonald's and took it back to our room. Did I say I was tired? Mcdonald's is where I discovered something about Italian people; they don't queue! Everyone just pushes in front of one another, they don't really seem to understand 'the system'.

Day 2

We planned our trip before we came, being with someone who lives life by an itinerary is like having your own tour guide, which makes my life a bit more organised as I'm the opposite. I'm more of a 'let's see where the wind takes us' kinda girl, which never really works. We started off at the Colosseum despite being warned about the waiting times, we actually got in within about 10 minutes. Inside was even more breathtaking than the outside. This was followed by going to the Forum and all the Roman ruins. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but once we had decided we'd had enough, it took us an hour to find an exit, it got to the point we actually said to each other we accept the fact we were stuck in there for good. 

When we had escaped, we headed back to freshen up and get ready to go for dinner. This is where we found a lovely quiet restaurant down one of the alleys I mentioned. It had an outside area, where it was just the two of us, no one around, and it was probably the most romantic meal we've ever had. I'm not one who likes going for meals so this part of the holiday was particularly challenging, but I felt very comfortable here. This is where I tried my first Italian pizza. Where now I have become a pizza snob, because no pizza has ever compared to this one.

Day 3

It's my Birthday!!

So, today was the day Melanie gets to call the shots. We spent the day exploring places like The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, Sephora, (of course!) etc,  and this was by far my favourite day of the trip. We found another place to grab some lunch, this is where I discovered fact number 2 about Italians, in some restaurants the staff like to literally stand over you whilst you're eating. This was probably the most uncomfortable meal I have ever had in my life.

  

We did some awesome things that were on our to do list. We went to a little ice cream place which we found as the most recommended place for ice cream on trip adviser. Not i'm not really mad on ice cream, but this was something else. I can honestly say that this puts Ben & Jerry's to shame. We sat in this cute little street next to the ice cream parlour, in the shade, where I got most of it down myself than I did in my mouth. That's my inner 5 year old emerging. 

It wouldn't be a Mel and Dan adventure though without some form of challenge..

(see my Paris post here). Dan took us for about a 5 mile walk, which took twice as long in the heat, I don't think we were quite prepared for the weather. Don't get me wrong it was beautiful, but for a vacation that is made up of mostly walking, I wouldn't recommend this if you're British and anti heat. 

This is the cool part, because for my Birthday meal we went to the Hard Rock Cafe, where it's become 'a thing' now for us to go to Hard Rock Cafes on my Birthday. (Last year we went to London, year before Paris). They had some Elton John memorabilia on the walls, so I was snapping away to show pictures to my Dad. He's always joked he has a thing for Elton. 

Day 4

It was our last full day in the beautiful city, and today we planned to go to the Vatican. I'm not sure what I was expecting to be honest. This wasn't really something that interested me as such. But it was a pretty stunning building. I have a thing for buildings.. Dan however would happily spend hours looking and reading every little detail. 

If you go to the Vatican I recommend not eating in their cafe, it was overpriced and for the money totally not worth it. I had the most expensive cheese and ham toastie I've ever had in my life and it was two pieces of stale bread with a slice of ham and a slice of cheese. This is where if I was at home I would have wrote an email and complained as I'm really good at that. 

The evening was dawning on us so had to fulfil part of our to do list before we called it a day, this was to get coffee! We found the coolest little coffee place ever, where next door was a man outside another restaurant signing to a band, like you see in the movies, it was surreal. So with the sound of his beautiful voice in the background and the cheapest but best coffee I've ever had, we sat outside and looked back on our adventure before we went to get dinner for one last time. 

We went back to the first place we went, the lovely little quiet restaurant with the lovely, friendly, Italian man. We sat inside this time as the outside bit was closed. Can I just say that I managed to have pizza four times whilst being out here, but that still wasn't enough! The decor inside was even more awesome than the outside. This was probably the time I felt like I was most in Italy, because it felt like the culture was all on the walls and surrounding us. 

The 3rd thing I learnt about Italians was they are not afraid to have ice cream parlours open at 11:30 at night, this was the coolest thing ever! Were doing it wrong over here. Forget bars and clubs!!

Day 5

All we were interested on the day we had to go home, was making sure we didn't miss the flight again. We had planned to get the airport way before we needed to be there, just because we didn't want to relive the last time.

We packed up our things and headed to sign out. This is where it's confusing, but to get to the room you have to go through  3/4 different doors, which are all locked, and the same if you want to get out, it's quite a nightmare but I guess you can be assured that you are safe. We headed to reception and went through the four doors to hand the key to the lady at reception who didn't understand we wanted to hand the key back, went out the front door which locked behind us, for Dan to discover he left our passports in the room. You can only imagine the nightmare it was to try and get back in to explain the the lady who didn't speak English that we needed the key back to get our stuff. 

We made it home eventually, without missing any flights! I would say that's a mission accomplished. People have kept asking me would I go back, the honest answer is, I wouldn't say no.. I mean I would probably go in winter months if I was to go again. But I've seen it all now, I would rather go explore somewhere new. Though one day I will return to somewhere in Italy just for pizza alone.