A Memory Cherished and Shared

Good evening, readers. Hope all is well with you!

Okay, the summer is almost drawing to a close, so I thought I’d share with you a few treasured memories of my summer holidays in 2010. This entry is a little different, I realise, to my previous entries, but I enjoyed the holidays so much that I could not resist sharing it with you.

In the month of July, I had my very first visit to England. Yes, my FIRST visit. Crazy, right? I’m not exactly far from it. But I had no real reason to go to England, until now that is. My boyfriend is from there, so it was a must that I go see him. I am not one to turn down opportunities to visit new places :D
So, there I am on the plane, ready to take off. I was ridiculously excited. The journey was only an hour long, but seemed so much longer because I just wanted to get there already. Just as we were landing, I could already feel the difference already in temperature, clammy almost. I could not actually believe the heat of the place. Good sign so far! My hair did not like the change in temperature so much though, ha-ha.

Now, let’s skip to a day of beautiful sites and fun all around! That place I am referring to, by the way, is Brighton! I visited Brighton a few times on my trip so I’ll just sum up all my experience there, in one. Brighton Pier is such a lovely place to be at during the lovely summer days. Everywhere you look around there are people with smiles on their faces, simply because they are enchanted by the features that surround them. There is nothing quite like a simple walk along the prom. It is, without a doubt, one of the most relaxing times I have had the pleasure of encountering. It may seem like quite a boring thing for some people, but like I have said, numerous times before; I appreciate the little things in life.
In Brighton I also visited the sea-life centre. That too, was lovely. It’s amazing how a few exotic and rather simple fish can allow you to smile from ear to ear. That’s the effect they had on my anyway.

Now, onto nightlife! I had been told by so many people, that Brighton offers excellent nightlife. So, it goes without saying, that my expectations were pretty high. Now the big question; were they met? Yes. Definitely. Brighton has an awesome nightlife! I was most impressed with one club, Oceana. It is massive and I got lost more times than I would have preferred, ha-ha. That didn’t really take away from the fun though. I still got to dance the night away!

If I were to sum Brighton up in three words, they would be; memorable, happy and exciting. I will certainly look forward to my next visit there.

Now, onto… London! A place that I have always wanted to visit, ever since my brothers told me about it. I always thought that it looked quite impressive on the television. I visited London twice on the trip. The tube was a new experience for me altogether. Of course I have been on trains before, but not on one, then onto another two minutes later and so forth. Certainly handy though! I’ve never seen so many business people on one mode of transport. My first experience of London was Camden Lock and market. Such a great atmosphere! Busy, busy, busy. Camden market is loaded with open-air and indoor markets, each with its own distinctive flavour, lined with a street of shops, bars and restaurants. If you really want to have a proper look at Camden Market, you would definitely need to spend the whole day there. But this was my first time here, so I wanted to see what else London had to offer, of course.

Another memorable moment was my visit to Harrods. I’m sure most of you know that Harrods is a high-end department store, located in Knightsbridge. One word; wow. This place screams elegance. I actually felt underdressed in my jeans! I felt like I should be wearing a dress along with my pearls. It was crazy. This store was simply beautiful, but you would want to be armed with no less than five-hundred pounds. I wanted to buy something from there, so I settled for a few little gifts for my parents and an adorable little pen for myself. This is another place you would want to spend the day. I think I fell a little too much in love with the furniture department. I’ve never seen such beautiful bits and pieces.

A great way to see the sites of London is of course, via the London eye. It’s half an hour long and even better if you have someone to experience it with and for them to tell you about the various buildings you are looking at. Be prepared for a very long wait in a queue! But it is well-worth it. Also during my time in London, I went on the sightseeing bus and a boat, which was beautiful!

I really did not want to leave England. There is so much to see and do, but just not enough time. I loved every second of it, from the beautiful pier and beach to the busy streets of London.

My holiday was not yet over though. I was now going from England to Ireland! I know I’m from there, but I had to play the role of a tourist guide this time for my boyfriend. It was his first time to Ireland so, even better.

The majority of the holiday was spent in the South, except from the first night, which was spent in the North; Belfast. We landed at Belfast Airport and now had the task of phoning a million different places trying to find a place to sleep for the night. I had given up hope, but a kind lady who worked at the airport suggested a place for us and yay, we got a bed for the night! I must say, our accommodation was absolutely gorgeous. It was like a bachelor’s flat actually! I wanted to stay for the week. Oh well.



So, the next day we travelled practically the length of Ireland, via bus. Not so much fun! Anyway, we finally arrived down South (Tipperary) and rested at my mother’s house for the rest of the evening. There isn’t exactly much to see in the tiny little village where we were staying so I suggested a trip to Dublin. I, myself, have only travelled through Dublin and have never taken the time to explore the cultural, fascinating city. But now I had an excuse to do it! Yay. A good way of seeing Dublin is via the sightseeing bus. I learned a lot about Dublin on that bus. One of the most interesting facts I learned was that the MGM Lion at the beginning of movies, was from Dublin Zoo! Awesome, right!? The tour lady was just lovely as well!

My favourite thing we did at Dublin was the visit to the Guinness Factory (Dublin’s number one tourist attraction). We learned how Guinness is made, learning the details of every stage to get that perfect ending taste. We also poured our own perfect pint of Guinness and have certificates to prove it! It was so much fun. There are numerous floors of fascinating information. It’s a must see.
Dublin is another place where you need a purse or wallet filled with money and a place you need to spend the week, not just a day. There is countless things to do in the historic city.

I loved showing the Emerald Isles off! We did various other things including taking in the sites of Fethard (which took all of five minutes) and shopping in Cork!
We had a really great time in Ireland and I hope to show more of it off another time!
All in all I had such a great and memorable summer! I met some amazing people, saw amazing sites and learned so much that I’ll never forget!

I hope summer 2011 will be just as good. It just allows me to appreciate things even more. Thanks to everyone who made it a wonderful summer. You have no idea how much it means to me.

With Love,
Lisa xx

Turn the page! It isn't over yet...

Afternoon all! How are you keeping? Very well I hope!



I realise, after looking back at my previous posts that I really haven’t written as many as I would have liked to, at this stage. My new aim is to write at least two posts a week, so stay tuned! I’m taking the advantage of writing as much as I can before the new semester starts. So, I’ll be a busy blog bee :D

Anyways, today’s post is about how we should use our free time, for the better. I hate feeling really lazy. Though, I will admit, I can be stupidly lazy at times, especially during these summer months. For example, yesterday I stayed in bed until 4pm. I wasn’t asleep all that time. I actually wrote my last post and did various other things during that time. But nonetheless, I was still ‘lazy’. So, my point? I feel, as I’m getting older, the years are definitely flying past me quicker, and although I’m only twenty, I know the years won’t be long catching up… as my mother so kindly reminds me. I don’t want to waste every day where I have some free time doing absolutely nothing (duvet days are great though and will forever be part of my life, ha-ha). I want to‘broaden my horizons’. I love that saying.

I do have talents, but I don’t embrace them as much as I should. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been crazily in love with art and being creative in general. I have a kista (a sea chest) beside my bed, literally full of arts and crafts materials. My heaven! The problem is, I just don’t open the lid enough to make good use of the stuff and to overall work on my love of art. I sketch now and again and doodle constantly, but not nearly enough as I used to. The only real arty thing I do nowadays is make cards for all occasions, which I adore doing. Some people have asked me, why I bother taking so much time. I simply answer, “Art is not hard work for me. It’s a hobby. People wouldn’t have hobbies if they didn’t enjoy them, would they?” My aim is to take the sketch pad out more often and wear the pencils down to the last millimetre of lead! (Ha, of course, by lead, I mean graphite.) If you watch QI, you will understand this reference. Whoops, blabbing now. So, all in all, I want to draw pictures, and lots of them. Besides, I need something to put on the bedroom walls in my new flat. Great excuse!

Now, another hobby of mine, is dancing. I do this a lot, but not many people know about it. It’s such a great way to keep fit, especially when it’s pouring outside, meaning a run is out of the question. The bedroom is the best place and in fact the only place I see possible to do it, besides the clubs of course where I love to spank the planks (Shallow Hal reference, but it’s awesome!). Belly dancing is a great one to practice in the bedroom and is one I’ve been doing a lot of lately, because the weather in Ireland isn’t being very nice, meaning I’m stuck in doors a lot. But seriously, (girls), give it a go! It’s so much fun! I’ve also always wanted to try ballroom dancing and wear the most elegant of dresses, accompanied with pearls, a clutch bag and shoes to die for! Any takers? Ha-ha. It just seems so lovely and romantic to me. I’ll be on a ballroom floor eventually!

So, there is a short list of just two things that I love to do. One that I need to do more of and another that I need to develop and expand upon. Plenty to keep me busy! Right? Maybe. Art and dancing are only two ways of keeping the mind active. So, another area I’d love to develop is language skills. By language skills, I mean learning to speak a foreign language of course. I think French would be my favourite to learn, because it flows, beautifully. What a fantastic way to spend your free time and so worthwhile.

Oh, another thing I just remembered. I guess this could fit in with art and creativity but let’s not be overly pernickety. CALLIGRAPHY! My father bought me a stunning calligraphy set, along with great books on how to do it, a few years ago and I promised myself that I’d learn how to do it. Did I? No. Do I regret it? Yes. Luckily enough, I still have it here, in the kista of course! So, it’s not too late for me to do it. It also means I can have stunning handwriting to accompany my homemade cards.Perfecto!

In essence, I feel that I cannot take each day for granted. When I become a teacher I won’t have much free time to myself. I’ll have 6am starts five days a week. So people, take advantage of having some free time. Have the odd lazy day in bed watching boring day time television. But take time out to do something for yourself. Practice an instrument you haven’t played in a while, decorate a room or simply visit an old friend! The list is endless. I confess to being sentimental! Can you tell? :D

Anyway lovely people, work on your talent or take up a new one. Remember, life is shorter than you think.

‘Til next time,

Lisa xx

To Watch or Not to Watch?

Good evening, readers. I hope you are all doing very well and are currently having a lovely summer.

A few nights ago, I could not for the life of me get to sleep, so I went online to find a film to watch. I found ten movies that were listed under “the ten most disturbing movies of all time”. Now, I am a girl who does like weird movies, to an extent. I was bored so I thought I’d give one of them a whirl. That movie was, ‘Salò o le 120 Giornate Di Sodoma (Salò or the 120 Days of Sodom), but it is most commonly referred to as Salò. I know, straight away, that some of you may be thinking that you’d never watch a film that has the word ‘Sodom’ in it. I thought the same, until I read previous viewers comments. Firstly, Sodom in this film also refers to ‘any location known for vice and corruption’.

Some people commented on this film, stating that it is sick with no point to it whatsoever. I however, disagree with that rather blunt statement after watching it in shock from beginning to end.

So, let me tell you a bit about the film itself. Salò is a controversial Italian film, made in 1975, by the director Pier Paolo Pasolini. This film is based on the novel ‘The 120 Days of Sodom’ by Marquis de Sade. This film depicts four extremely wealthy fascist Libertines in Mussolini’s Italy era in the year 1944 (The Duke, The Bishop, The Magistrate and The President). Accompanying these hideous mean and four middle-aged prostitutes, also collaborators, whose function in this wicked ritual is to recount erotically arousing (I use this term lightly) stories for the men of authority, who, in turn, sadistically exploit their victims. The story consists of four segments, which are loosely parallel to Dante’s Inferno. These include; The Anti-inferno, The Circle of Manias, The Circle of Shit and The Circle of Blood.
Here is a breakdown of the segments that will give a clear and detailed account of the film itself.

The Anti-inferno

The masters kidnap nine teenage girls and nine teenage boys. They are held captive in a palace near Marzabotto, a small town and commune in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, part of the province of Bologna. The boys and girls are inspected, in public to make sure they are the perfect specimen, in perfect condition to meet the needs of the people in power. Their reason for kidnapping these innocent teenagers? They simply wish to indulge in ultimate physical pleasure and to explore the extremes of evil through sadism and various depravities. They do this because they can, and believe that because they are fascists, they are allowed to exert absolute power to create complete anarchy. The President founds a set of rules which are never to be broken under threat of execution.

The Circle of Manias

The masters of the palace, when craving sex, mainly focus on anal sex. Vaginal sex is forbidden because it is not depraved enough to meet the libertine morals which are set in place. The teens are forced to take part in various sexual acts while the collaborators act as voyeurs. The masters are free to rape the teenagers, whenever and wherever they want, mostly in front of the entire palace. Believe it or not, this circle is relatively tame compared to what the teenagers have to undergo in the remaining circles.

The Circle of Shit

I’m wondering if the readers can guess what exactly this circle entails? I’m guessing that the majority of you can. Here, begins this spiral descent into one of the most hideous acts of sadism. The sexual acts begin to grow more monstrous. The masters force teen males to take part in homosexual relations. This film at this point is even more difficult to watch from here on, mainly because of what the teenagers are forced to eat (referring back to the title). In the words of the masters, “We will kill those who waste such delicacies.”

The Circle of Blood

This is the final, most repulsive circle of the story. The teenagers at this point begin turning on each other in order to try and survive. They also begin to get involved in sexual relationships with one another. They tell their masters rules their fellow victims have been breaking, to escape punishment. For the last ten minutes of the film, I could not help but turn away from the screen. It was just a little too graphic for me. It’s quite strange because I can quite happily watch Saw without turning my head, but in my defence, if you watch this film you will see that it seems just that little bit more real and more stomach churning. Brace yourselves for the punishments awaiting those who have broken the rules; scalping, branding, having they eyes poked out and tongues cut out as the rest of the group observe and to my disgust, laugh.

The film's final shot portrays the complacency, myopia, and desensitisation of the masses: two young soldiers, who had witnessed and collaborated in all of the prior atrocities, dance a simple waltz together. Quite a strange scene and although not a graphic scene, just as depraved as the rest of the film.

Now, if you have taken the time to read through this post, you may be wondering, ‘Why on earth would any one watch such a horrible, graphic movie?’ Well, until you have actually watched it, I cannot explain to you exactly why you should watch it.
Hmm, let me try and convince you to give it a go.

I am a big horror flick devotee. After watching Salò it made me question a lot of things about former favourite films. The problem with most movies is that the violence is not portrayed violent enough, and horror isn’t portrayed horrible and evil enough. The majority of the thriller/horror films soften these ingredients so people can enjoy it and not flinch. So, for example, Jason X, Halloween and various other movies of the same genre (films I still do enjoy) do not provide the necessary shock-reality check needed. Salò shows horror and violence exactly how it is, that being revolting and disgusting, unlike the horror movies produced in Hollywood.
I could not watch this film in comfort. I was uncomfortable for one hour and forty minutes and felt somewhat ‘bad’ for watching it. It really did sicken me but I understood why this film is good and has an important message. It gives a sane perspective on violence, as opposed to Hollywood-action where nobody raises an eyebrow for the duration. There are no explosions in this film, no masks, no heroes and no ridiculous storyline. A low-budget film that takes a look at the darkest side of human nature and forces us to question the true meaning behind the terms horror and violence.



After watching this film, you will understand why it was one of the most controversial films ever released. It is not surprising it was banned in many countries upon its publication. For example, Australia banned it for seventeen years - a little too late if you ask me. But now, it is available for everyone to watch. I think people should watch it at least once. It isn’t a film to curl up to beside a loved one. In fact, my advice would be to watch it alone. I can imagine people watching this film together and turning away from a particular scene because they would feel wrong for watching it and may fear being judged by their friend who has turned their head. Watch it alone and don’t turn away. You will understand what I mean when you watch it, in order to really understand its importance.
Anyway, the decision is yours. You may decide to watch it or never feast your eyes upon it. I guess it’s all down to personal opinion. I know I won’t watch this film again, but at the same time, I’m really glad I did watch it.

Take care,

Lisa xx

You Dare Underestimate the Power of a Red?

Good evening readers!

It has been too long since I last posted an entry. Many apologies but I was busy with placement, lesson planning, essay writing and exams. Well, I have now completed second year, meaning my holidays have officially started! :) Really excited about this summer. I'll speak about that in another blog. Now, I know in my previous blog I said I would be doing something creative for my next entry, but change of plans. The creative blog will be here eventually. I promise.

This entry has arisen from what I heard a teacher say in the staffroom today during placement. She said "Aw, he was an unfortunate boy. He was born a ginger". Now, any decent person would have looked across the room and realised that comment would have been an insult to me, seeing as I was the only redhead in the room. In fact, any decent person wouldn't have said it in the first place. I was, as you would expect, very annoyed with this comment. But, I brushed it off. I'm more than used to hearing pathetic comments like that. Ever since I was a little girl, I was tormented over my hair colour. It's a copperish colour, by the way. I was called carrot top, fireball, and ginga, among many others. "Gingerism" has been compared to racism, although this is widely disputed, and bodies such as the UK Commission for Racial Equality do not monitor cases of discrimination and hate crimes against redheads. Gingerism should be monitored because people are bullied due to the colour that rests on top of their heads. I have personal experience of this, therefore I am passionate about the need for the monitoring of this type of racial discrimination. If you're not a redhead, then you simply wouldn't understand.


What many people don't realise, is that redheads are fabulous.

Approximately 1% to 2% of the human population has red hair. It is associated with fair skin colour, lighter eye colours (grey, blue, green, and hazel), freckles, and sensitivity to ultraviolet light. Cultural reactions have varied from ridicule to admiration; many common stereotypes exist regarding redheads and they are often portrayed as the “fiery-tempered redhead”.

Hmm, I guess I agree, to an extent, with redheads being "fiery-tempered". But deep down, we are softies at heart. At least I am anyway. The fiery temper makes us... interesting, to say the least. Ask anyone who knows me.

A found a few fabulous quotations from various people, regarding redheads. I enjoyed them, a lot.

"Once in his life, every man is entitled
to fall in love with a gorgeous redhead!"

- Lucille Ball, 1972



"While the rest of the species is descended from apes,
redheads are descended from cats."

- Mark Twain

(Perhaps this is where we get our fiery temper from? Seeing as cats do tend to have outbursts at people that annoy them) Miaow.


" If you want trouble... find your self a redhead."

“A face without freckles is like a night without stars.”

(How cute)

"Gentlemen may prefer blondes,
but it takes a real man
to handle a redhead."

(Very true, hehe. Kudos to those who can be placed in the "real man" category)

"Only two things are necessary to keep a redhead happy.
One is to let her think she is having her own way,
and the other is to let her have it."

"Be whatever you want, you're my redhead."

- Dexter from the movie - Philadelphia Story (1940)

“We redheads are a minority, we tend to notice each other – you know, and notice our identity.

-Juliann Moore

“I am strong. I am invincible. I am redhead.”



I simply adore these quotations! It would make any redhead smile, laugh or grin.

Now, a few facts;

Did you know that Queen Elizabeth I of England was a redhead, and during the Elizabethan era in England, red hair was fashionable for women? Well, redheads may have been discriminated against, (and still are discriminated against) however, they are once again "in" this season, according to a fashion magazines. I didn't learn this myself. I was told by a friend. So, if you're looking for a summer love, make sure you have a redhead attached to your arm. ;)


I have read many sources and articles related to redheads but I did laugh when a particular source stated that 'redheads who have green eyes were viewed as signs of being a witch, a werewolf or a vampire. I'm glad this was only the view during the Middle Ages, or I'd be screwed! Or, you know, if this was still the view of people today, I could just rip people apart with my vicious claws, or sink my teeth into the neck of a rude individual. Right? Ha.

A (redheaded) friend of mine once told me that she was on holiday. I cannot remember where it was but it's a place where there are no redheads. Probably because it was too hot, therefore redheads would simply disintegrate without their factor six billion. Anyway, she was walking through the market and a lot of men came up to her and asked if they could buy her! No joke. They simply had not seen a redhead before and were mesmerized by her. Funny, but crazy stuff!

Now, admittedly, I used to despise my hair colour because of the passing comments or the outbursts of horrid names. But now as I have become much more mature and confident, I LOVE my hair. We are more unique than your everyday brunettes and blondes. Let's face it; in a crowded room of people there is on average two redheads, among a sea of brunettes and blondes. We stand out. It's always better to stand out. So, if you are lucky enough to have red hair, then embrace it and PLEASE refrain from dying it black as so many redheads tend to do. It's not a good look.

The gene for red hair is dying out, so start loving what you possess. I have.

Well, my aim of this blog was to show you how unique redheads are to give a message to those who seem to still hold a grudge against redheads; Grow up. :)

Much love to the lovers of redheads!
Ciao! Miaow. ;)

Lisa, xx

Another Eggscuse For Chocolate

Good evening folks!

Happy Easter! I hope you are all stuffing your faces with lots of lovely Easter eggs and glorious roast dinners. I know in my last blog I said I would be sharing something creative with you today... change of plan though. I've been a busy bee today, so it'll be here for you to read eventually.




Just thought I'd keep you all updated. Anyway, goodbye for now!

Lisa xx

Latte Art!

Hey there lovelies!

I found these pictures on some random website as I was browsing, so thought I would share them with you. They are very impressive! Ahh, the wonders of coffee. Enjoy!

Oh, my next blog entry will be tomorrow (hopefully)... Get your creative hats on people!






















Fab stuff huh? If only I could do latte art. Anyway, ciao for now!

Lisa, xx

QI : Learning at its best

Hi everyone,

How are you all? Hope you are fabulous and are enjoying the well deserved spring break (those of you lucky enough to have a few weeks off). I had such a nice day yesterday. Firstly, I woke up to the sun beaming through my bedroom window. Secondly, I went downstairs to be handed a traditional irish breakfast with massive mug of tea and thirdly, I spent the day in town shopping with my mum. This may sound like your average, not so special day to a lot of people, but once you hit university (if you happen to move away) the little things help make you smile from ear to ear.

Once I got back from town, I made some coffee, accompanied with some lemon cake and lazed on the sofa for the rest of the evening. As I was browsing through the channels, I came across a repeat episode of QI : Quite Interesting. The episodes of QI, no matter how many times you've viewed them never get boring. Seriously. I only started watching QI at the beginning of last year and I wondered why the hell I hadn't started watching it when it was first aired on tv in 2003. I loved it and I still do. Basically this blog is about QI... believe it or not. My aim?... to tell you lot just how awesome this programme is and hopefully convert you non-QI viewers into QI fanatics! Stephen Fry's voice is just like a lullaby ; relaxing and soothing. I could listen to him all day and night.

Okay, so there a few things you need to know before I rant on ; Mount Everest is not the tallest mountain on Earth, Kilts are NOT Scottish and QI is not a quiz show. In fact, it is an anti-quiz show which entails asking impossible questions, where points are only awarded for the most 'interesting' answers. Get it? Trust me, this is a great idea for show and is entertainment and learning at its best. QI is hosted by the absolutely fantastic Stephen Fry. It is a perfect blend of intellect and comedy. What more could you ask for? Oh yes... Alan Davies of course. (best recognised from the series 'Jonathan Creek'). Alan is on the panel in every episode and brings an immense amount of humour to the show... particularly because he doesn't mind getting the piss completely taken out of him every 2 minutes! Other guest to appear on the show are Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Jimmy Carr, Phill Jupitus, Sean Lock and many, many more.

So, you think you know your stuff? We'll just wait and see. I guarantee you will learn something new... if you read on.

Contrary to what people believe, females DO have adam's apples. I don't remember learning that in biology class. Do you? They are a lot smaller and less noticeable than the adam's apples guys possess, simply because of the high levels of testosterone males have. I know a lot of people will be aware of this fact, but you would be surprised just how many people still believe it's abnormal for a woman to have one. Instead, they believe it's a tumour... Silly people.

Anyone been to visit the Eiffel Tower in their lives? If yes, then I take it you noticed the 72 names engraved on the sides of the Eiffel Tower just beneath the 1st balcony... Right? No? Me either. Unless you know the names are there in the first place then you will not notice the names. Gustav Eiffel incorporated these names onto his infamous sculpture, which honour French engineers, scientists and astronomers that many people have never heard of. Look out for these the next time!



Now some interesting facts on animals and insects ; Enjoy!

A centipede (horrible looking thing) has between 30 and 382 legs. Nobody has ever found a 100-legged centipede. Anyone think they should rename this creature?



An African animal which kills more humans than any other is the hippopotamus, other than other humans. A hippo's skin weighs a ton, is an inch-and-a-half thick and is bulletproof. The whole hippo weighs 4 tons. (Holy crap)



Bees are smart little things (even though I'm not their biggest fan). They have the ability to recognise human faces. Now this is quite something, when taking into consideration that humans struggle with this once they reach a certain age. Also, bees have a brain the size of a pinhead so this is more than impressive.



Now onto catfish. These badboys are literally like swimming tongues (not the nicest thought, I know). The reason for this is beacuse they have more taste buds than any other creature on the planet. Their entire bodies are covered with the things. A six-inch catfish has over a quarter of a million taste buds, found on the mouth, gills, whiskers, fins, back, belly, sides and tail. A channel catfish is even more awesome. It has the best sense of taste of any vertebrate and can detect less than a hundredth of a teaspoonful of a particular substance in an olympic sized swimming pool of water.



Did you know that a rat can swim for 72 hours, non-stop? I sure as hell didn't. Well there's a lot of things I didn't know about these sewer creatures. They can jump down 50 feet without injuring themselves, they can squeeze through a half-inch gap, walk along ropes and climb vertical surfaces. Rats can survive longer than camels without water and they eat edible and non-edible things such a soft concrete, aluminium, bricks and wood.



When a flea jumps, its rate of acceleration is twenty times that of a space shuttle during launch.

A FEW RANDOM FACTS

The dot over the letter 'i' is called a tittle.

The well known expression "paying though the nose" comes from an Irish tradition in the 9th century AD of cutting open the noses of people who failed to pay their taxes... Lovely :/ I'm glad times have changed.



During the year 1994, almost 35,000 Americans insured themselves against... wait for it... alien abduction. *rolls eyes*



Ever been in the predicament of composing a poem and thinking "Crap, nothing rhymes with purple." Well I have. But what some don't know is that purple rhymes with 'hirple' and 'curple'. Yes, they are real words. Hirple means to hobble along ; a mix between a walk and a crawl. A curple if a strap that is placed under the tail of a horse, which is attached to the saddle to stop riders from slipping foward.



Soldier ants were used as stitches after operation in Ancient India.



In Thailand, red ants are poured into open wounds because they secrete an acid which acts as a painkiller and an antiseptic. (Don't get injured in Thailand...)

Not once in the Bible does it mention what fruit was eaten in the Garden of Eden. It was merely assumed to be an apple.



The largest living thing on the Earth is the honey mushroom (not the Blue whale as many people believe).



The first man to make the claim that the Earth revolves around the sun was Aristarchus, not Copernicus.

The telephone was invented by Antonio Meucci, not Alexander Graham Bell. Bell actually only patented the telephone.



(I couldn't find a decent picture of Meucci with the telephone, so Bell will have to do).

Anyway, there are soooooooo many more 'quite interesting' facts out there. I suggest you watch QI. I've only told you some things I've learned. QI is comedy genious. You won't be disappointed. There are still many more series of QI to come, so watch out and embrace your learning, in a new and different way.

Now I have one final question ; Did you learn something new?

From the gang of QI and myself, I bid you farewell. Until next time :)

xx