Christmas Traditions

Today was the day of my old school's carol service - but was I there? No, I was writing a biology exam. This time of year is one of the times when I really miss being at home - around now, we would be doing chritmassy things in school on the wind up to the last day of term, then after school on the last day, my family would go and buy a christmas tree and decorate it together. Since I will be here at university until the 19th, we have pushed back the tree decorating, but I don't really mind that. What I do miss is the school carol service in the nearby church.

Up until last year, the carol service had been a part of my Christmas every year for something like 12 years, and I loved it! For the last 9 of those years I had been in some kind of choir (I ought to point out here that when I left school, there were 6 different choirs), and it was so much fun! Each year, we would look forward to the first choir rehearsal when the music teacher would bring out the battered sheet music for all the favourite carols, and we would still be singing on the way to class afterwards. I really miss belting out all the descants, and just singing alongside my friends and getting all festive, so I will try to relive the magic here by listening to the carols that the choir would sing every year, year on year.

Of course we sang all the carols that traditionally go with the 9 lessons - it always starts with Once in Royal David's City, and ends with O Come All Ye Faithful and Hark The Herald Angels - and of course, as a soprano in the senior choir, I got to sing all the descants (brilliant fun). We would sing a selection of congregational carols, and the various choirs would sing on their own of together.  There were a few carols that the choirs always sang (sometimes with the help of the congregation), with the same arrangements, that I really miss - so here they are:

(some of the arrangements are a bit different - just bear in mind that I went to an all girls school)

Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
This was always the first one that we would start rehearsing in November




In the Bleak Midwinter
I loved singing this one, especially the last verse - that "give my heart" bit is really satisfying to sing




See Amid the Winter's Snow
The different choirs and the congregation sang different verses of this one - some old girls would always come back for the service and sing the fifth (I think) verse




Sussex Carol
The descant on this one is so much fun




Personent Hodie
One of the big finales, when the lower school choir moves up to the front of the church to join the older girls - I remember when I was in the lower school choir, I couldn't wait to be in the senior choir so that I could sing the third verse, it always sounded so beautiful with the three part harmony and without the organ. So much fun, and everyone would always be singing at the very tops of their voices by the end!

(Imagine the harp is an organ and the choir is 100 strong)

Remember, Remember

Yesterday was Guy Fawkes' night, and a time when I really miss being at home. I miss bonfires and fireworks displays and bonfire night food and that particular feeling of coming inside after watching fireworks on a cold, frosty night and the smell of gunpowder in the air...

On bonfire night, I semi-re-enacted burning the Guy by starting a month of unlimited hot yoga at Bikram Yoga Commercial Drive. If you don't know what hot yoga is, it is when you do yoga in a room heated to 40C. It warms the muscles so you can stretch deeper than usual, and it can burn up to 1000 calories a pop. It is also very hard work! My first class was terrible, it inched by so slowly and I couldn't do half the postures because every time I stood up I almost fainted, but afterwards I felt amazing. I knew I wanted to go back and get better, so this evening I went again and it was so much better! It's amazing how much has changed after only one class - bring on the whole month!

I may not be posting as often this month, because I will be doing yoga as often as possible, and it can take over an hour to get there depending on the traffic. I will try to post when I can.

College Survival Tips - Staving Off Homesickness

Homesickness is something I, along with many of my friends, had problems with last year.  If you are close to your family, leaving home is always going to be hard, and for many people homesickness is unavoidable.  As someone who survived being 9000 miles away from home, I certainly know what it feels like to be homesick.  Keeping this in mind, I want to share five things which helped me to get through the tough times.  Hopefully someone out there might find these tips helpful!
p.s. I know nothing about psychology, these tips are just little things that help me.  Obviously everyone is different, and this is by no means a professional guide to combatting homesickness

An illustrative diagram of my desk, which is actually looking abnormally tidy

Tip number 1: Make yourself at home

Something that makes me feel a lot better when my parents leave is having a little space that I have made my own.  Little things like picking out bedclothes that you like make a surprising difference to how you feel in your room.  Obviously having a room to yourself gives you a lot of freedom when it comes to making a room feel homely, but even when you are sharing a room (as I was last year), there are still many ways you can personalise your own space.

some examples:

• Bring some mementos of home.  Pictures of friends or little souvenirs (see the postcards behind my laptop) help you to remember that you aren't alone in the world - home still exists when you aren't there, and you always have old friends you can talk to.
• Decorate! Posters and little knicknacks help a room seem more lived-in. New places, especially college dorms can seem a little soulless when you first move in
• Find some greenery. It's very surprising how much a plant can make a difference to how homely a room feels.  Plus, if you look after them properly they will pump a little extra oxygen into your room - just the thing your brain needs when you are studying!

Tip number 2: embrace similarities, celebrate differences

Hmm... She looks familiar...

If you moved away from home, you must have been looking for a change - otherwise, why didn't you just stay where you were?  Sometimes new places can feel overwhelming, so it is comforting to look for similarities between what is familiar, and what is new, whether it is the colour of the taxis or the fact that they sell your favourite foods in the supermarkets.  Just remember that change can be fun, and living somewhere lets you see exciting things that could be missed by the average tourist.

Tip number 3: Keep in touch!

Homesickness makes you feel lonely, and it helps to have a link to home that you can go to for a feeling of familiarity.  Whether it is talking to your parents on skype every day or just keeping up with the news from your home town, it is important to feel that you aren't completely cut off.

Tip number 4: Home comforts

I love it, in case you were wondering

Having the comforts of home really help you to feel better about being away from it.  Go out and find your favourite foods, or bring your special teddy or comfy slippers with you when you pack up. If you are in a foreign country, there is bound to be a regional speciality shop somewhere near you - ex-pats get everywhere, believe me!

Tip number 5: Keep yourself occupied

If all else fails, break out the period dramas!

Homesickness is always at it's worst when you are alone. Obviously you can't be hanging out with your friends at all hours of the day, and there are bound to be days when you are sitting at your desk but you just can't face doing work.  When you feel like that, try not to wallow in misery, tempting as it is, but rather keep yourself occupied.  Bring your favourite dvds from home, or books that you know cover to cover and can dip into whenever you want to.  Make playlists of relaxing music, and find websites and blogs that take your interest.

Overall though, the most important thing to remember is this: you are not alone.  Homesickness is tough, and can leave you feeling lonely, like you are the only one feeling this way.  You are not.  Leaving home is hard for everyone, and if you talk to other people in your situation, you are bound to find that they are going through exactly the same emotions as you!