So I'm sat looking at my packed rucksack and empty bedroom, and I'm even thinking that I might be a little mad this time. Tomorrow I head off for 4 months around south America. All I know is that I fly into Costa Rica and fly out of Rio. My parents don't want me to go. They don't think it's safe. Some of my friends think I'm running away from things again. There probably right. I don't really speak any Spanish and I haven't got a clue of what I'm going to do over there. What I do know is, that I'm not a happy person right now and I don't think I have been for a long time. So there are only two options when you feel like this, and they are: OPTION ONE
Stay in London, work to much, have no life, suffer in the cold, get more burnt out, party to hard in the little spare time you have, keep falling for the wrong guys and keep getting hurt, keep being disappointed, get a cold, get the flu, be constantly tired, thus, keep going round in the same old endless unhappy cycle you have been going round in for far to long.
OR OPTION TWO
Head off to exotic climbs, see new countries, feel the sun, get a great tan, learn a new language, learn to surf, meet new people, pull some hot guys, eat great food, go trekking, crash a moped again, get totally lost, relax, have a life, have an adventure, come back to London and feel recharged.
I'll take option two please.
Don't worry I'm not going away thinking that going travelling will give me all the answers to life, it never does, but if your not happy with things then you should try and do something about it, because I refuse to sit here and mope around in it, that's just not my style, because I'm a good time girl and life is for living. Besides I want to be one of those mad old women with loads of stories to tell, and believe me I'm going to have lots of stories from the next 4 months. Keep logging into this blog for the next couple of months and I'll give them to you.
Just a quick one. Another crazy Christmas at the the Griffith household. Only 22 this year for dinner instead of last years 28. Snow, ice, my mum with stitches in her eyebrow after the car boot fell on her, my sisters alcoholic dog running around dressed as Santa in a bling collar, Anthony surprised us all, coming home from Afghanistan, Phil swearing lots still, Joe still wearing short dresses, Chris in a lace sling after falling and breaking her wrist in the snow, My nephew Leo blowing out every candle in sight (its his thing), me running around in the snow in leather hot pants trying to stop the dog escaping, Chris's dog pissing on my mum, Paul my step dad got pissed on the only day of the year he is allowed too, Paul saying the F word!, Paula and Nicole winning the quiz (they must of cheated!) and me at 31 years old being undressed and put to bed by my mother as I was really drunk (not good)! And people wonder why I'm crazy. Just look at my family!
Well 2010 was always going to have something going for it? It had to be better than the train wreck that 2009 was for me: and I was right. It was, though to be fair it wasn't hard, to better last year, I was mental and reckless as a person. Not anymore though (Well I'm always going to be a little bit, but that makes life more fun)! Here's the best of 2010:
TRAVEL I got there eventually, to Barbados, after that little incident of that Volcano exploding in Iceland. I don't know whether anyone heard about that one? The first time in the Caribbean and the first family holiday in 10 years; and just to ease me into it there were only 40 of them!!!! Now that I'm getting older its actually quite cool hanging out with my family and I really like being around them: I realise where I get my craziness from. I chilled, swam, drank lots of Rum and got an addiction to Macaroni pie. A great trip.
My sister Paula turned 30 this year, so because she was in complete denial about this fact, she decided to go as far away as possible and head to Las Vegas for her Birthday. Trashy, big, and bold, I loved it. Paula and her friends shopped till they dropped in the malls and me and Paul got an gambling addiction (another addiction to add to my list, then)! I also got to see the Grand Canyon. Beautiful.
WEDDINGS
There were 3 this year, two of which I was bridesmaid for (Always the bridesmaid, never the bride! Actually not arsed really)! First up was my cousin Nicole in Barbados to the lovely Andre. Great wedding, didn't have to worry about the weather and I have never seen dancing like that, at a wedding before. The people of Barbados sure do know how to get down.
The second wedding was that of my Mum and Paul, and guess what? I only had to wait 25 years for it! Yes! Many said they would never do it, but they proved us wrong and we were all very glad of it. It was about time they did something for them selves instead of looking after everyone else. Emotional but beautiful day.
Lastly it was the turn of my old house mate and fellow costume girl Ali, to the first AD Steve. Its really funny going to an industry wedding, especially when its the ADs being left in charge of organising people. Its like being back on set. One thing I will say about industry people though is we work hard but we can play hard too, as the end of the night seemed to turn into some sort of rave party. Excellent!
WORK
I haven't stopped all year. Its been mad, which is good because last year was a slow one with the recession. I think in total, between jobs I have had only 3 weeks off this year. That's probably why I feel so burnt out right now. I started the yearwith Summer in Transylvania, which was a kids show for Nickelodeon, with my usual team of Howard and Fraser and a great new addition to our family of Kat Cappelazzi, who I love and adore and had a right laugh with, on set.
Now there was that Bollywood film called Patiala House, but I find it too painful to talk about it. All I can say, was it was three weeks of the maddest film making I have ever seen and probably will ever see, that took me to the limits of sanity. It did give me the chance to do the greatest exit from a job ever, by having a screaming match in front of the crew and the England cricket team, in Lincolns Inn fields with the stupid costume girl, while throwing all my kit off the truck. Classic!
Next up, was a trip to Yorkshire to do the "Accidental Farmer" with the lovely Ashley Jensen. It was more like a holiday than work, as we were filming during a heat wave in the most beautiful locations. I even got a sun tan (Yes! It is possible in Yorkshire)! The best of all was the cottage the BBC put us up in, as it had a hot tub, which me and Fraser spent many a good evening in, getting drunk on wine.
There was a small job in Bristol called Permanently Excluded or as the crew started to call it, "Permanently retarded" as it was some of the most stupid filming making we have ever seen, and it was all done as cheap as possible. So just to top it off it was a big success and got great reviews, so the BBC will probably be making more jobs like this in the future to make their crews suffer even more. Nice one BBC. I was lucky though to work with lovely Bryan Dick again and meet the great young George Whitehead.
The job of the year for me though was Secret Diary of a Call Girl, just for the sheer fun factor. Billie Piper was a dream to work with, I got to supervise properly for the first time, the costumes were great and we got up to stuff on that job you would never get away with on others, believe me. I came away from that job with memories that will stay with me for a long time. I didn't want it to end, but end it did, like all my jobs do. I was still sad though, I still am.
PARTIES
There are always lots of parties but the best were:
Josephine's roof top dinner during the heat wave that turned into a bit of a roof top rave, until the police came and shut us down at 2am. Boo!
The Jane Fonda Vs David Carradine party, just because of how stupid we all looked.
And finally Rob's and Ian's Halloween party because it gave me and Hannah the opportunity to wear rubber!
MY FAVOURITE ALBUM 2010
The XX with X
MY FAVOURITE SONG OF 2010
Laura Marling: I speak because I can. Totally beautiful song writing.
MY FAVOURITE TV PROGRAMME0F 2010
The Trip, even if Steve coogan is meant to be a c**t! The most clever comedy I have seen in ages. MY FAVOURITE FILM OF 2010
Welcome. This French film was so moving, I couldn't stop crying.
MARGARET
I lost my Grandmother earlier this year, so I dedicate this section to her. She was a lovely warm woman, who never thought anything bad of anyone and was always full of life. I will only ever have fond memories of her. I miss you Margaret.
So this Saturday my friends arranged a leaving meal for me, as I have been so busy and too tired with work to do anything. Well when I said arranged, they told everyone to come round ours for a meal on Saturday which I would be cooking! It turns out I'm more popular than I thought, as I was cooking for 18 persons! People who know me well, know that I hate cooking. I get freaked out if I have to do anything more than warm up some soup in a pan. Luckily Angus came to the rescue by helping me and suggesting we cook his much loved butternut squash risotto, which would also cater for all the bloody vegetarians ( I hate vegetarians, there a pain in the arse!) He also went to Billingsgate market first thing to get oysters and scallops for the starters (What a star!) Actually the cooking thing I don't mind once I get into it, and I'm surprisingly alright at it! The only stress of the night in the end was finding enough places to sit everyone. Everyone brought a bottle and I proceeded to get more drunk and open the Moet from Billy Piper and drink my new favourite, expensive Whisky, given to me by the West (Dominic West) as a leaving present. Alex was her usual crazy self by dressing up in Sophie's fox fur and roaming round the house pretending she was an animal for the cats to play with (the girl doesn't even drink really, imagine if she did!) I was given a special early Crimbo present from Debs, which she got on her job Benidorm. Its a vest that says "Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go to Benidorm." I have now been laid down the challenge by the girls, to take it traveling with me and have my picture wearing it around as many well known sites in South America as possible; so basically making a tit of my self again. Luckily I don't care, never have. That's the good thing about being an exhibitionist. The night ended with a trek in the snow to a house party on fish island, which we returned from a 5.00am, very cold and slightly bruised, after falling over in the snow so much. Thanks guys for my a great last supper and making my last weekend in London for a while, such a special one. I will miss you, even though I like to tell myself I won't.
If it wasn't for my housemate Alex, most of us in our house would not have a social life, due to the fact that we are crap at organizing anything, so its a good job that Alex is so bloody good at it. Actually! she has too be! Its her job for God sake! Anyway the other weekend was another group outing organized by Alex. Of course it was arty and different, and gave us another opportunity to dress like complete East London Dick heads (Its what we do best)! This time we dressed in country attire, which we have lots of, as the country look is so East London right now, even though we live in a huge urban mass with the only bit of green being Victoria Park? The night was called Poachers Pocket, and is a pop up restaurant in Hackney central run by artists that can cook. Its decor is old sacs as wall paper, deer heads on the wall and hale bales as seats. The food is amazing and I had the best venison stew ever, topped up with warm cider as my drink. Unfortunately I had to leave before dessert as I had to be up early for work, because I don't seem to have a life anymore doing this job. My only regret of the night, was that I couldn't stay longer and dance the night away with the band that played. I wonder what Alex's next event will be?
I've started a new job and its heavy going. Its called The Hour, and is a 1950's drama for the BBC, starring Ben Whishaw (I love him!) and Dominic West. Its going to look bloody amazing, but the hours (see what I did there) are a killer and after coming straight off the back of Diary of a Call Girl,
I'm completely knackered. All week I have been getting in from work and going to straight to bed, so that lights are off most nights at about 9.30pm. Its ruining my party girl reputation! So when I parked my car after work on Thursday after another heavy day, I was prepared to go straight to bed, but instead I bumped into my good Friend and neighbour Laura May. She was all excited and started telling about the event they had organized in there unit that night. Helen our friend and her flat mate had arranged for a night called Sofar: songs from a room, to be held in their house hold. Sofar is a night which has different bands playing from some one's own front room. Thursday there were four bands playing and probably a lot bigger audience than usual, as the warehouses can fit a lot more people in. I got to sit in the VIP area at the top of warehouse looking down on everything, as I was in there with the crew. It was a great evening with some great music ( my favourite band of the night was the third, Ex Libras). Of course it being the wick, there is always something strange going to happen, and it did. I had the best chat up line ever, or worst depending on which way you look at it. So I was stood in the corridor having a drink when this guy waltzes up to me and said:
"You look rather nice and your breathing. Fancy a fuck!"
Well what do you say to that? "Piss off of course!" Why do I always get them. In fact another guy I know asked me if I wanted sex with him that night! Whats going on? I had to ask my house mates if they had written on my back "I want a shag!" They laughed. Apart from that it was worth staying up for, and was really nice to have a bit of a life for one night. I paid for it the next day at work though. You win some, you lose some.
This blog is about a northern English girl displace her roots, and travelling the world usually solo and all the adventures and stupidity that comes with it!
