How important is a title?

So this is one of those many times when I have a wee idea and then start typing without much clue where I intend on going, so bear with me!

I suppose this is my own thought shower version of ‘What’s in a name?’ or ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. The idea sparked when I re-watched on of my absolute favourite films: ‘Stuck in Love’ starring Lily Collins and Nat Wolfe. I first watched this film maybe a year or two ago, and had sort of completely forgotten about it, until I saw it online recently, remembered how much I’d enjoyed it, and decided to re-watch.

I could have done a review I suppose but something changed my mind. The next day, a friend asked me for some film recommendations and I found myself suggesting this film, and then defending it by saying something along the lines of “I know the title makes it sound lame but I promise it’s really good and emotional and thought provoking.”

Now, I’m not slagging typically considered ‘lame’, girly movies- I was having a bad day earlier this week and ended up watching the Bratz movie for goodness sake!! But for someone reason I really wanted my friend to know that the film I was recommending to them was, in my opinion, pretty intellectual! Or at the very least, held a real message and featured some excellent performances from the cast.

Yet when I said the title I could imagine my friend writing it off as a chick flick.

Was the title a mistake on the creators’ part? Or is it my (our) fault for holding such silly connotations with perfectly normal words? Or, is it our attitude to so-called chick-flicks? When did it become embarrassing for a film to fall into that category? When they became mass-produced?

As I sit here I realise that I have no real answer to this question! Haha. But I hope I’ve intrigued anybody who’s still reading to at least give the film a go! Honestly, I love it.

And feel free to let me know your opinions on titles in the comments!

 

Catriona

"Good things come to those who wait"..... Hmmm

We’ve all heard the saying. Maybe from our Grandparents, who always have a cute wee meaningless moto to apply to every tough situation, or from our parents who want us to learn the art of patience.

I understand the idea behind it. If you hold on, aren’t impatient and continue to work hard and be a decent person, eventually the prize you’re after will be yours. Well, most of the time. It’s a saying designed to raise hope and spirits. To encourage perseverance and defeat doubt.

However, I cannot say I agree, on the whole, with this particular saying. As I said above, the truth is really that good things come to those who work hard, or at least do something other than the implied strategy of simply waiting.

I’m sure some of the people in the world perceived to be the luckiest had to do very little to obtain their good things, but most had to do lots. I think that, too often, we believe that things will be handed to us on a plate in exchange for patience and recently I’ve realised that, if everyone did nothing but wait, there would be no good things for anyone.

I’m not condoning rushing into every opportunity and demanding a positive result, hard work AND patience are required. In fact, patience is essential because, as another popular saying goes, “nothing happens overnight”.

But to only wait, and therefore fail to put effort into things seems to me to be greedy and undeserving. Surely we deserve what we earn!? Don’t get me wrong, I am the worst for waiting for things to come to me, instead of making an effort to aid their occurrence. But I guess that’s why I talk about these kind of subjects on this blog, to inspire myself as much as anyone reading.

So that guy/girl you like who hasn’t asked you out yet? Go ahead and strike up a conversation! That ability to play piano you begrudge your friend? Have a go practicing yourself! That part-time job you think you would be really good at? Hand in a C.V.!

“I’ll see what happens” is so easy to say, but the answer is nothing if you truly believe that “Good things come to those who wait”. Wait, sure. But that comes after. First, you’ve got to DO.

Raisin

 Yes, I have been absent for a month and a half. No, there's no excuse.

I return with more of a typical blog post, where I talk about an event in my life instead off just asking lots of questions and theorising about things..... Don't worry, more of that soon.

Over 3 weeks ago now (wow!) was probably my favourite weekend of University so far. I spent the Friday night and Saturday in Edinburgh at the Scottish Universities Folk Festival (SUFF) with my buddies from the Folk&Trad Society and stayed over at a school friend's flats which was a nice catch-up, but the element I especially want to talk about is a little St. Andrews University tradition: Raisin Weekend.

I'm not sure if I ever actually announced it on my blog, but the university I decided to study at is University of St. Andrews. I've been here for over 9 weeks and I love it. We all have good and bad days, but overall I definitely so far feel that I made the best possible decision for me.



My Academic Dad, siblings and I!

One rather unique thing about SAU is vast number of strange traditions, dating back many many years. One of the most exciting of these, especially for freshers, is Raisin Weekend.

In St. Andrews, we have academic families. During the first few weeks, first years are 'adopted' by 3rd years, until you have an academic mum, dad and often many brothers and sisters. On Raisin Sunday, you go to your academic mum's house in the morning for  'tea party' and games and then to your dad's in the evening for another party. And then on Raisin
 Monday you report to your mum's to be dressed up in whatever weird and wonderful costume she decides, and then to your dad's to receive your 'raisin receipt', which is most often an awkward-to-carry objects which you and your siblings transport to the Quad, where all the first years have the world's largest shaving foam fight! It's kinda mad but loads of fun!


Scavenger hunt with my sisters!

I'll admit, Raisin was something I was really quite nervous about, because, while it Amy sound all nice nicey, a fair amount of alcohol and drinking games is involved. I must clarify, it IS NOT a stipulation to drink, and you can still have loads of fun without drinking, but playing drinking games and getting a bit tipsy has become a large part of the tradition. Some academic parents can be more adventurous and mean than others, and of course you only hear the worst stories (mostly only rumours!)




Scavenger hunt fun with the fam (and some strangers haha)

But my raisin was soooo much fun. I was woken by my mum's with a tequila shot at 08:45- and I won't go on and on and list lots of drinks (and can I just confirm that I was very sensible about not getting really drunk or making myself ill!) but it's fair to say that my morning welcome set up pretty much what the day would be like! My mum's were very inventive, getting us to play drinking versions of popular children's party games: musical statues, pass the parcel, Jenga and many more! I found myself wheeling a shopping trolley around my accommodation block, playing water balloon cricket on the grass and running around town on a scavenger hunt, carrying out tasks such as the chariots of fire routine on the beach and imitating a lizard- all while attached to 3 of my siblings by string! I then proceeded to my dad's to play Weetabix dodgeball and eat lots of pizza!
All in all, it was a really funny exciting day and I urge anyone who chooses to study St. Andrews to really get themselves involved with the traditions because its something you'll remember for your whole academic career and beyond.


The raisin Monday foam fight was really very random! Myself and my siblings were dressed as Harry Potter, butt then of course we arrived at different our dad's houses, so we all met our other set of siblings and carried our raisin receipts to the quad (mine was a rather large flag!)  where there were lots of official people and police- I hadn't relished how organised and formal the foam fight was! So basically we all had this slightly hangover foam fight where we lost all our siblings and friends are were suddenly surrounded by strangers! Eventually I found some of playmates and friends and, when it was all over, we headed back, freezing cold, to get showered- there was nothing to do but to walk straight into the shower, fully clothed! The looks we got from tourists and passers by as we trudged home were hilarious!




My 2 academic mum's and all the Harry Potter's!!



Covered in foam!



All in different costumes with our raisin receipt!

I think Raisin is something which is, and should be, fun. Stay safe, give everything (within reason) a go and just enjoy. I had an essay due on the Monday so made sure I handed it in there Friday before which was the best decision ever because you just want to be able to relax and have a great time. As I said, Raisin is a memory forever and a definite selling point of St. A's haha!





To the quad we go!!

But even if you go to a different unit or just in life in general, I hope you take from this an idea of some of the strange traditions at SAU and an open mind towards trying new things and letting your hair down (I promise, I'm the worst for being negative, and the socialising of things like Raisin can seem haunting, but uni is about meeting new people and what better chance?!)

Catriona xxx