ATTENTION: BLOG IS MOVING

Hello beauties,
I've decided to move my blog to an easier site - Wordpress
I will be moving all of my blog posts here

Adios!
Bea

Getting to know Me Tag

So, I've decided to properly commit to this blogging...thing, and hence think it's high time to write about me personally. I know my early posts were a bit of an insight into my life, but not fully. People on the internet are nosy bastards and, unless they feel like they're your roommate, no information into your private life will be enough. But  I hope this helps.
(Questions taken from here)

The Basics:
Name: Beth Rose
Nicknames: Bea/Bubbles. I know, cheasy, right? I have my father to thank for that one.
Birthday: 20/08. August baby! Making me the tallest and youngest in School.
Star Sign: Fierce Leo.
Occupation: Writer/English Teacher/Blogger

Appearance:
Hair Colour: Brown
Hair Length: I'm trying to grow out my pixie cut, so my hair is at this weird, shaggy stage right now. Attractive, I know.
Eye Colour: Azul. Which is blue in Spanish (see, I'm educational)
Best Feature: Probably my boobs, I have big boobs. You thought I would be PG, didn't you?
Piercings/Tattoos: Oh most definitely, I'm contemplating doing a whole blog post purely on my beauties.
Righty or Lefty: Lefty and proud, bitches.

Favourite....: I have to say, these are the hardest one's to answer, because my favourite __ changes daily.
Film: Of all time, I'd have to say the Lord of the Rings films, or maybe Pirates of the Caribbean. Anime wise, definitely Howl's Moving Castle, which was the first anime I ever watched and continues to be one of the best in my opinion.
TV Show: Sherlock BBC. Without a doubt. Supernatural and Merlin both come in close second but Sherlock is my ultimate favourite.
Colour: I've been called Grell Sutcliffe before by my friends because of my obsession with the colour Red. If you could see my apartment right now, you would say the same thing. And, if you don't know who Grell Sutcliffe is, shame on you. Go educate yourself.
Song:  I physically cannot answer this question because it changes daily. I'm very impulsive and therefore my favourite song of the day changes depending on my mood.
Restaurant: There is this beautiful Tapas restaurant in Barcelona, where I am currently living, called Cuidad Comtal. It's beautiful and won't break the bank! (More on Barcelona here)
Book: I'd have to say Peter Pan. I've loved it ever since I was a child and cannot stop rereading it every few years. There was also an unofficial sequel called 'Peter pan in scarlet' and I've read that almost as much as the original. It's written for a younger audience but I love the feeling of nostalgia I get when I read it.

Currently:
Feeling: Good. Next weekend I am taking a weekend trip with my roommate. We are going North from Barcelona to a lovely area called Costa Brava. Maybe you've heard of it. Bring on the beach!
Single or Taken: Ain't nobody got time for a relationship with the job I'm in, I hardly have time for myself!
Eating: I've started to experiment more in what I cook. I love my mother's recipes but, because we have such little time to actually cook, we are looking for quick yet yummy recipes for dinner at 1am when we get home from work.
Listening to: I am a premium member of an app called Deezer. I love this app, not only can I download songs for when I'm offline, it has a feature called Flow which is a never ending playlist of songs recommended for you. It's an amazing way to discover music in your favourite genre. I love it.
Thinking about: Travelling. We'll get to that later, I promise
Watching: RuPaul's Drag Race. Consider me addicted. It's amazing!
Wearing: Pajamas. What else?

Well, I hope you're satisfied with that little insight into my life.
There are some things that I've mentioned that I'm planning to make future blog posts about.
Comment below and let me know what you thought of this!

Adios for now!
Bea

10 Youtubers you should be watching

Being addicted to watching Youtube, you would obviously become attached to certain Youtube channels. Here is a list of 10 youtubers I would definitely recommend you watch. Some are very well known, while others are incredibly under appreciated. (Note: I have linked all of their Youtube channels in their titles) Enjoy!

Markiplier 

Caring, Hilarious and downright lovable, Markiplier is one of the Greats. He is well known for his Let's Plays, although he sometimes branches out and does different genres of videos, with over 12 Million subscribers. Mark is just hilarious, there's no doubt about that. Whatever game he plays, he manages to make me laugh out loud with his reactions and commentary. He is loyal to his fans and very consistent with his content, putting out a video every day without fail. He is great fun to watch, even if you aren't an avid gamer, like myself, he is still very enjoyable. One of my favourite gaming channels. 

Todrick Hall

Todrick is by far one of the most talented Youtubers out there, and is finally growing a well deserved following. He makes music videos and parodies of well known films, usually always Disney. He puts effort into every video that he makes and it shows. His videos are a mix of all genres, and normally carry a deeper message, whilst keeping it's upbeat and catchy tone. One of my favourite videos of his is called 'Alice in WeHoLand' and is a Public Service Announcement about staying safe on the roads. Go check it out, you won't regret it. 

ThreadBanger

ThreadBanger is the Youtube channel of Rob and Corinne, a married couple from America with an quirky and hilarious channel. They have been posting on this channel for years, first starting out as a DIY Channel, they then changed to a YouTube Series entitled: 'Man vs. Pin', which changes to 'Corinne vs Pin' when she posts videos. The show is all about testing DIY Pins from the website Pinterest to see if it actually works or not. Now, I know there are a lot of channels who do the same thing, but what makes ThreadBanger stand out is the way they do it. Not only do they post a video every week, but they are almost on their 100th episode of 'Man vs Pin'. Now that's dedication. For me, I love this channel because I love the people. Rob is immature and a bit crazy, making him hilarious to watch. Corinne is a bit more chilled, but still really enjoyable to watch. I love her sense of style and the way she actually puts effort into testing the Pins (if you watch their series, you would know how much Rob just throws himself into the testing without actually reading the instructions, you can see how hilarity ensues afterwards). They both have private channels, where they have started more Youtube Series, and I would highly recommend giving them a watch too...after you've become totally addicted with Man Vs Pin and watched all 80-odd videos. 

AmandasChronicles

Now, this crazy human being is the one to watch. Amanda is an up and coming Youtuber that has a lot to offer. She's sarcastic and genuine and has the ability to make me laugh even on my worst day. She posts videos about whatever she wants, basically, which range from hilarious thrift store hauls to dying her leg hair purple (yes, really). Even with little less than 500,000 subscribers - which I think should be a lot more - she continues to post videos every single weekday without fail, and all keep her comedy and quality. If you need a little pick me up after a bad day, I would definitely watch this amazing specimen. 

Billschannel

Like AmandasChronicles, Billschannel is another one of the lesser known Youtubers. If you enjoy mystery solving, then you will love this channel. Bill is charming and always gets me smiling with his personality, which shines in every video. He does a Series called 'Real or Fake', where, every week subscribers send him a lot of things from the internet that they find unbelievable, and Bill investigates to find out the truth. He is really captivating in the way he does these videos, and keeps up a level of professionalism and quality throughout. He is never vulgar or rude, but rather all smiles and sometimes a good chuckle. Some of his videos are quite surprising, especially when he finds out a video or photo that seems impossible is actually real. I'm not telling you which ones, however, you'll have to go to his channel and find out yourself. 

TeamEdge

Another under appreciated Youtube channel, TeamEdge consist of Matt, J-Fred and Ryan, three funny guys that team together and become a hilarious force to be reconed with. TeamEdge is all about challenges, or rather, the three guys competing against each other to win said challenges. They are very enjoyable to watch and usually very funny. These boys are creative in their videos, sometimes doing a very popular Challenge that is trending on the internet but mostly making up amazing challenges of their own. These guys keep their videos very professional and upload quite regularly, sometimes even collaborating with Markiplier. 

JustBetweenUs

You may know these two beautiful ladies from 'Buzzfeed', but now, going solo, or rather, duo, Allison and Gabby now run their own Youtube Channel. With two completely different personalities: Allison the OCD, nervous, good girl and Gaby almost the complete opposite, these girls create amazing and creative skits about their lives as roommates and best friends, which are amazingly filmed. They write all of their Comedy Shorts and star in them too. Over the time I have been a fan of JustBetweenUs, I have come to love their friendship, which is shown in their videos. These two comedy geniuses are able to bounce off each other perfectly, which never makes for a dull moment and a very enjoyable watching experience. 

Annika Victoria

Quirky and brilliant, Annika creates videos in a different genres to the others I have mentioned. This adorable lady runs a Series called 'Make, Thrift, Buy', a show where subscribers send her high fashion garments or accessories and she tries to recreate them for a much cheaper price. As a DIY nut myself, her videos are incredibly enjoyable to watch, and she is very professional in making them. She uploads consistently and has recently started another Series on her channel where she gives us tutorials about sewing techniques etc. She's fun to watch, and creates the most amazing things you can't help but wait in anticipation for what she makes next. 

FSoundStudios 

Probably the channel with the least amount of subscribers in this list, do not let that deturpe you into thinking this channel isn't amazing, because it is. The genius behind FSoundStudios is a man called Jake. Sweet and funny, he creates hilarious videos about almost everything, and puts his all into every one. Even with a small following, Jake keeps up his level of professionalism in every video, with amazing equipment and editing ability too, might I add. Having personally worked with Jake, I can tell you that his videos reflect his personality perfectly. He's funny and quirky and just a good laugh all round. I would definitely recommend watching his videos, because he's going places. 

Ellko

This beautiful lady is the genius behind an adorable little Youtube channel called Ellko. Ellie runs a Series called 'Fail or Holy Grail' where she tests out Pinterest Beauty Hacks to see if they work. I love the way she films her videos, which makes her Pinterest Tests stand out from the crowd. She's sweet and charming, never rude in her videos making them available to watch for any age. She's captivating in her presentation and just very enjoyable to watch. 

So, there you go, 10 amazing youtubers that I think you should start watching. Now. 

Comment if you know any of these lovely people, and, if you don't, let me know which one's you've started watching!

Adios for now!

Bea.

Greyscale

The first thing I saw as my eyelids fluttered open was blue. I'd never seen the sky so blue, I had gotten used to it's rolling grey clouds, it's bright flashes of lightning and roar of thunder. But the sky was quiet, and so perfectly blue it was surreal. I tried to recall the last time I'd seen the colour above. It was years ago, I was at home, surrounded by my loved ones. Then the clear skies turned to ash and the world turned upside down. There was no sunlight, no trees or flowers. I think the thing I missed the most wasn't my loved ones, but the trees. The beautiful deep greens of summer, slowly turning from orange to brown when the year grew colder. You were lucky to see a living tree these days, all that was left of the breathtaking forests and woodland was a sea of ash, pieces of grey matter floating in the non-existent breeze. If you squinted you could pretend they were leaves...

It started off as a war between countries. Flashes of white and blue flags buried underneath the blood of their fallen soldiers. Soldiers perished and soon everyone forgot how it even started. All there was was blood and tragedy and destruction, even the red poppies on the mourning's lapel couldn't brighten the day. The ash began travelling from the ground to the air, filling it with thick clouds of death, that spilled into even the smallest of places. 

The years rolled on, as did the war, sucking the colour from the once beautiful world, people started calling it Armageddon. I didn't call it that. For it wasn't an apocalypse; it didn't involve aliens or zombies taking over the world, it was our own fault, our own doing. 

My family and friends had all died off, leaving me alone in this crumbling world. I tried to travel, to go to an island that wasn't affected by the destruction, but after a year I gave up, for everyone was affected by it. I met people along the way, some still filled with hope and light in their eyes, others were empty shells, like the world had sucked the colour out of them. Their once pink skin had turned grey and the colour of their eyes matched it. They had given up on life, praying for disease or bombshells to take them to a better life. Some even still believed in God, but how could they trust in him when he did this to us. Or us to him. The ones that still believed said that the free will he had given us we grossly mistreated, and for once I agreed with them. I wasn't religious, I didn't believe that there was a higher power that could save me. I had to save myself. And I did.

After a while, the authorities didn't care what gender their soldiers were, just that they were healthy enough to hold a gun. I joined them. The pitiful men and women who thought there was still a world worth fighting for. I guess I still did too.

But now, as I lay here, the screams of my fallen allies faded to a low hum, and the world seemed to stop for a moment. Just one moment, to show me the colour I had been dreaming about, just for a second, so that I may finally die in peace.



Author's note: I published this on my secondary blog but I am moving all of the posts to this blog. ^^

Souls

I sighed, glancing down at the worn leather watch wrapped around my wrist, 10:54PM. It was almost time. As I perched on top of the high stone wall I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the tried story window beside me. So I was a male this time, interesting. I wasn't bad looking either; I had soft black hair that fell to my jaw and bright blue eyes with cheekbones that could cut you. This guys got taste, I thought. Talking of the man in question, the room behind the window I was looking into burst into light. I watched a tall, thin man stumble in, shrugging off his coat and leaving it piled on the wooden flooring. The room itself was basic, with simple furniture that hardly looked lived on. I flipped through the folder of documents in my lap. Ah, so that was why. This man - Archie Leaffeld, his name was- was always at his long-term boyfriends residence. The blond before me slumped into the bathroom adjacent to the visible room and I could hear the faint splash of water in the bath. One last glance at my watch told me it was time to make an appearance. I easily hopped off the wall and onto the balcony that belonged to Archie. Sliding the door open, I walked through the room to the bathroom door. I cleared my throat and looked down at the documents in my hand.
"Archie Leaffeld. Time of death: 11:02PM on Saturday, 17th of July. Cause of death: Suicide." I looked up to see the man in question staring at me with wide eyes.
"Wh-Wh-Who are you?" He spluttered, the only sound in the silence that followed was the bath slowly filling with hot water.
"I am here to escort you into the beyond."
"Did you just say I was going to die?!"
I internally rolled my eyes. "Yes."
Archie started shaking, wrapping his arms across his chest for protection. "I...I want to die, but I didn't know I'd actually do it this time"
I frowned, surprised that this man had accepted my presence to easily. Then it hit me. "This isn't the first time someone like me has appeared to you, isn't it."
Archie shook his head, closing his eyes as tears threatened to escape from them. "H-He...He used me....2 years and he used me. He never loved me."
I tried to act like I was listening.
"That's....unfortunate."
The other man's head suddenly shot up, fire in his eyes. "I loved him!" He almost shouted, his whole body shaking now, "And he used me! I can't do this anymore."
I felt something move inside me. This man had so much passion inside of him, it was almost a shame he was going to die soon. In four minutes, in fact.
"Well, there is always a loophole with suicides. I cannot do anything if you decide to live." 
Archie put his hands over his eyes, sinking down to sit on the edge of the bathtub. "I have nothing to live for anymore" His voice was weak, but still full of passion. I sighed and sat down next to him.
"Sure you do-"
"How would you know" His response was almost immediate. I raised my eyebrows and leant forward, my elbows resting on my knees.

"I don't know how much you know about us, but we were once human. We are all souls that have died one way or another. And, although none of us can remember being human, we can still feel sympathy for your kind. I have seen countless people die, some were accidents, some were not, but I could tell that everyone had something to live for. Every single one had passion in them, and every single one would rather live in a world without their passion than know what happens after death"
"What does happen after death?"
I smirked, glancing sideways at the man who was staring curiously at me. "I can't tell you that"
"Why not?"
"I don't know"
"You what?"
"I only know what happens between death and the afterlife, because it's my job to ferry souls. I don't need to know what happens afterwards"

Archie looked down at his clasped hands between his legs. "Do you think it's good? The afterlife?"

I thought for a moment, "My opinion is that you have the choice to live your life on earth the way you want and then get a new chance in the afterlife. Make your life worth living."

The man next to me nodded, "Yeah, I suppose so...you really think I have something worth living for?"

"I believe everyone has" I checked my watch, "You have two minutes to decide"

Archie tensed, "Oh god..." He breathed. "I never thought I'd have to make this choice, I was so set up to do it when I came home, but now..."

"If you chose not to, you won't remember me. Or any of this" I commented, making him look up at me. 

"But you...you're the most understanding." I frowned, I really wasn't. I was just doing my job. But I kept quiet, whatever floats his boat I suppose. "What if I want to remember you? Remember that there is actually an afterlife, a reason to live?"

I shrugged slightly, "It's the rules I have to live by. No human is allowed to remember us"

"That must get terribly lonely"

I lowered my eyes, "It really does"

I felt a weight on my leg and looked sideways to see Archie's hand. I raised my eyes to his; they were sad, but not for him, for me. I felt something move inside me, no one had ever considered my emotions, not in this job, we were meant to be distanced from humans to stop us getting attached and not do our jobs correctly. 

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head, "There's nothing to tell. We are beings purely made to ferry souls to the other side. Nothing else."

"That's shit. Everyone deserves a life of their own"

I let his words sink in. Was that true? Were we allowed to have a life? Apparently, my silence became my answer because Archie's hand began to gently rub my knee. 

"One minute" My quiet voice interrupted the silence. 

"I want to stay" Archie replied in an even softer voice. "But only on one condition"

I raised an eyebrow and looked sideways, "Which is?"

"You don't erase my memory"

"I have to-"

"No you don't"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "You're very stubborn, aren't you"

"I've been told that before, yeah"

That made me smile, "...Fine, you'll be able to remember this. I'll make an exception" I don't know why I said it, but the thought of one person being able to remember me made me feel happy. 

Archie's face lit up, "Really?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Then I have another condition"

I rolled my eyes, "What now?"

"I get to see you again" 

I stopped, he...wanted to see me again? "Why?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Because." He smiled and I found myself smiling back, "You saved me. And you need to have a life of your own"

I smirked, liking the idea regardless of the consequences. "I will when I have the time"

I was beginning to love Archie's smile. "Good."

"I need to go." I said, seeing the typing on my documents fade to blank sheets of paper. I looked up again to see Archie's face has fallen. "I have a job to do, you know"

"At least let me know your name before you go"

"I don't have one"

Archie's face was laughable. "What?!"

"Because my appearance and gender changes every time I ferry a soul, I don't have a fixed name"

"Then what was your name when you were human?"

"I don't remember"

Archie scrunched up his nose in thought, "Then, how about James?"

James...It was simple, but the fact that Archie had picked it made me fall in love with it. "I like it"

"Alright then, James, I'll see you next time"

I stood, brushing myself off as Archie followed suit, "Yeah-" I was cut off as Archie pulled me I to a hug. In this appearance, I was shorter than the other man, the top of my forehead coming level to his eyes. After Archie clearly wasn't about to let go, I wrapped his own arms around his middle, hugging him back tightly.  

"Thank you" I heard him whisper. I smiled, pushing my face into the crook of his neck. "You're welcome"



Author's note: I published this on my secondary blog but I am moving all of the posts to this blog. ^^

Things you need to know before you go to Barcelona

At the beginning of 2016 I made the bold move to pack up my stuff and move to Barcelona, Spain. Bear in mind at this point I had never lived on my own before, and I had only celebrated my 18th Birthday the August before, so it was a huge step for me. And very frightening too, might I add. So, being the highly organised person I like to pretend I am, I decided to document everything that was different in Barcelona to little ol' England. Here is the list I made in my first few months of living here, as well as some more I will add from my, now, five month living experience here. Hopefully, if you are planning to visit Barcelona, this will help you.

• First things first, it's hot. Especially for a pale, English girl like me. I arrived in January and, while it was admittedly an extremely mild winter in Spain, I was still surprised with the weather difference. Although, the longer you stay, the more acclimatized you become to this beautiful way of living. I flew home for a few weeks in March and let me tell you, while everyone was in t-shirts and sunglasses, enjoying the small amount of sun rays the British weather gave them, I was constantly wrapped in 3-4 layers, plus hat and scarf. Acclimatized, indeed. If you are holidaying in the colder months, I would pack medium thickness jumpers and one thick-ish coat, just in case. (It gets chilly at night). But, after March, the thick coat won't be needed.
• The fashion in Barcelona isn't much different to that in England. Mostly casual, a pair of jeans and a top. Even with my line of work as a Teacher, we still wear jeans. 
• Coffee is super strong and gorgeous, and you will get a black coffee if you don't ask for a 'cafe con leche' (coffee with milk). It's usually quite cheap as well, the cheapest in the 1-1.50€ range. Take note, however, that a 'small' coffee is an espresso. And always say 'cafe'. A 'coffee shop' means something completely different in Spain. 
• A good tip is to always have cash on you, not just your card. I still don't trust using my card in smaller shops, especially the multiple bazaars that are everywhere in Barcelona. Although, maybe I'm just paranoid. 
• I've never taken the Underground in London, but the Metro in Barcelona is very cheap. It costs 10€ for a 10 trip card, which I think is very good, especially since the moment you use your card to enter the Metro station, you can take as many Metros as you like without paying extra. However, the Metros are rife with pickpockets, so it's a good idea to bring a bag that you can keep close to your body and/or are able to keep hold of the zipper. 
• On Sundays, most of the Museums are free entry after 3pm, however, I have a feeling they get very crowded in the summer. But it's a brilliant activity to do if you're holidaying on a budget. 
• Compared to British cities like London, Barcelona is such a peaceful and green city. Sure, it still has it's crime and crowds, but the locals here are laid-back and more often than not, very friendly. Trees line every street, which makes my country-born-heart smile.
• Crowds. Crowds everywhere. My best advice is to avoid La Rambla at all costs. It's ridiculous now, and it's only May. Not only are there Tourists everywhere, but locals trying to take advantage of said tourists. For a 6" English-speaking girl, I don't blend in with the local Spanish crowd, and therefore I'm an easy target for the men on La Rambla. Some try to sell you beer (these guys are absolutely everywhere, you can't stop them. So Annoying), some try to take you to a party and others try and sell you illegal drugs. They are never respectful to women, and I have had to be extremely rude to some of them when they've come too close and even grabbed my arm. 
• Related to my previous point, if you do a little digging, you'll find some amazing places that aren't on La Rambla, and therefore saving you from the onslaught of those people. There are many bars, cafes, and even clubs that aren't in the typical tourist area that have quickly become my favourite places. Not only do you escape the river of crowds, but also a cheaper deal. One big tip is to never eat or drink anything on La Rambla. Bloody rip offs. 

So, these are just a few bits of information and advice if you're planning to visit Barcelona. I know some of these are quite negative, but I love this city and it's atmosphere. I only came over for a 3-month internship and now I can't imagine moving back to England. Maybe after I have traveled the world. Maybe then. 

Anyway, I hope this helps,

Adios! 

Bea.

Photo Credit: http://2015.phpconference.es/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/barcelona-spain-1.jpg

Don't Grow Up

       You know that song from Tangled where she wonders when her life will begin? Well that's me. Except I'm not stuck in a tower away from the world, I'm stuck in my life. See, my generation has grown up with all these amazing dreams and aspirations that we hoped would happen in our lives. All the way from preschool to the time we start our exams when we were 16. 
       But now, a few years later, everyone is slowly seeing that our dreams will never become a reality. All those plans we made, all those visions of our future become blurred when the reality of the real world hits us for the very first time. We realize that we will never become the successful artist that we once thought we'd be. We realize that we couldn't just begin our life after College had finished. We realize that, if our dreams could actually come true, there is a big possibility they won't.       You ask why teenagers are so angry? They are angry at the world. It is around that time when the picture perfect glass smashes and, in front of them, lies a world of hard work, low pay, and crushed dreams. They say that you become an adult when you turn 18, but I disagree. I think you turn into an adult much younger than that. You may still be young or immature at heart, but the teenage boys you see acting out are just trying to cling onto that childish fun until it's ripped from them.
      I think that was the reason why I have loved Peter Pan from a young age. Wendy was me, not wanting to grow up and face the grown up world of etiquette and taxes. I wanted to stay young and, most importantly, free. That is one of the reasons I am writing this. I don't want to grow up. 18 is the age when everyone around you expects you to start the amazing journey into achieving your dream, no matter how impossible it may seem, and are therefore disappointed when they find out you cannot do so. I am at that age, too scared to leave the Waitressing job I have now in fear I will run out of money, and too paranoid that I will become stuck in a dead end job that will ruin any chances of my dreams becoming a reality. People can very easily do this, become too comfortable only working for the money they earn, simply just...being.
      Don't do that. Don't be one of those people who wakes up in their fourties and realizes they have wasted their life being unhappy in a job they needed for income. Break free of the negativity and realize that you can make your dreams happen. Even if you are working a small job on the side until you build up enough experience for your career. Do it. Don't think you can never do it. Stop Listening to everyone's opinions around you because it's yours that counts. Take small steps towards it. Start from the bottom and work upwards, but let me tell you one thing. Do not surrender to the society we live in. Earn a small living from doing the career you love rather than a paycheck from a job you hate. And, most importantly, Don't Grow Up.