I might not have missed a Eurovision Prediction deadline this Eurovision national final season (yet), but my dedication to the various preselections has waivered a fair amount, in so much that I've only watched 2 of them in full. Those were the United Kingdom (which I saw live!) and Switzerland (while watching a tennis match on TV, and only because Sebalter was the interval act!). Tonight, Eesti Laul brings the total to 3 (or 2.5, because I'll be going out around the time the results show starts)!
Despite being terribly tired and a teensy bit hungover, I diligently watched the semifinals on 11th and 18th February, and even recorded a voice memo during the latter, with commentary on the performances interpolating my 2 hour long summary of the previous night's antics. Now I'd like to publish some of those comments on the internet (with fewer references to the Friday nights out)…
First up, a couple of honourable mentions to songs which didn't make the final, but did, at least, make it onto my iPod:
Leemet Onno - Hurricane
Although I don't care much for the humming intro, I adore the gritty feel of this song, and the witty lyrics really appeal to me. One of my favourites to dance to when I'm alone in the lab, especially with the line "you're dancing round the room/I can’t let you escape!" Despite this, I wasn't too sad that it didn't qualify, for reasons I'll expand on further down…
Carl-Philip - Everything But You
Another song with lyrics I adore, the intro reminds me of the Robbie Williams song "Feel". I think the harmonies in the live version really lifted the song, and I was disappointed when it failed to qualify.
Now on to the finalists!
Liis Lemsalu - Keep Running
"Keep Running" was my initial favourite of Eesti Laul 2017, and I'd still be happy with it getting the ticket to Kyiv! With its evocative verses and infectious chorus, this song really appeals to my restless spirit, and it never fails to enter my head when I'm at a train station. (In fact, all the trains I've caught since I first heard this song have been "right on time!") As a fellow backpack aficionado, I'm particularly captivated by the line "I've got my backpack ready until the end"!
Koit Toome & Laura - Verona
This song is performed well, but I don't particularly care for the instrumentation or lyrics. It's quite pleasant, but I don't think it's engaging enough to do well at Eurovision. Also it couldn't tempt me to order a Verona pizza when we had Dominos deliver to the lab this Thursday…
Whogaux & Karl-Kristjan feat. Maian - Have You Now
This is a song I find myself singing at odd times in the lab, but I never make it much further than the chorus. I really like the way their voices sound together though!
Lenna Kuurmaa - Slingshot
I find this song quite bland, but the performance is pretty engaging at least. I would've preferred one of my honourable mentions to qualify instead.
Daniel Levi - All I Need
Daniel Levi were my winners in 2015, and while All I Need is no Burning Lights, I've grown to adore it, and will definitely download it once the dark and uninviting staging invariably prevents it winning the ticket to Kyiv! I'm very fond of the sweet lyrics, such as "it’s almost light/but the stars keep singing at our feet". I can't avoid mentioning the line "she told me/at random/at 4 am/I’m with you", because it inspired me to drag a couple of friends to Waitrose after a night out, so that I'd still be in their company at 4am! I won't go into what happened the following few Fridays between said friends, but suffice to say, the song reminds me of simpler times!
Elina Born - In Or Out
Another returnee from the 2015 selection, but Elina has the distinction of actually having made it to Eurovision that year, and "In Or Out" could well take her there again! I didn't immediately warm to the song and I think the staging could be improved, but it's certainly catchy and fun, and with Elina's dazzling vocals it would be a good choice for Eurovision.
Ivo Linna - Suur Loterii
The only Estonian language song to qualify, I become more and more fond of "Suur Loterii" each time I hear it! It has a lovely melody, not too dissimilar to his and Maarja Liis-Ilus' Eurovision entry from 21 years ago. Probably not the most sensible choice for Estonia in 2017, but not one I'd be annoyed at!
Rasmus Rändvee - This Love
This song is the reason I'm okay with "Hurricane" not qualifying, because I feared neither would reach its full potential had they been pitted against each other in the final. This song first got stuck in my head the day I needed rescuing from the lab (because of the line "baby don't come look for me"), and it has hardly left since! The lyrics are my favourite of the competition (and the standard is very high!) but the song is elevated further by Rasmus's flawless vocals and tremendous energy on stage! I really hope he delivers the song with as much gusto at tonight's final!
Ariadne - Feel Me Now
This is a very pleasant song with lovely vocals and simple yet effective staging, but I don't feel it's powerful enough to stand out at Eurovision.
Kerli - Spirit Animal
Kerli certainly brings the power! I find the performance highly engaging and very suitable for Eurovision. However I have some reservations about the song: I struggle to remember the verses, and I think the repetition of the chorus gets a bit too much.
So there you have it, my take on the Eesti Laul 2017 finalists! The main show begins in 45 minutes, at 17:30 GMT, while the results show starts at 19:35 GMT, 5 minutes after the party I'm attending tonight starts!
Saturday, 4 March 2017
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Lacrimation and motivation
This morning, at approximately half past midnight, I had my first proper cry while on my industrial placement. I shed a couple of tears on Sunday when my family set off back to Bristol, but today's cry was not down to homesickness. In fact, the reason is much closer to my current location.
One year ago today, my Great Uncle Brian died. Uncle Brian, as we tended to call him, lived his entire life in Devon, the county in which I'm spending my placement year. He spent most of his life with his wife, Great Auntie Ena, a fellow Devon native whose brother is my paternal grandfather. When she was in her seventies, Auntie Ena developed dementia. As her condition deteriorated, Uncle Brian's devotion to her never wavered. Despite having his own health issues, he continued to visit her daily at the nursing home until she passed away a few years ago.
Studying for my A-levels prevented me attending Auntie Ena's funeral, but I heard from my grandmother that it was a lovely send-off, with a beautiful eulogy delivered by Uncle Brian. My grandfather was also absent from the funeral, as he had lost the desire to travel more than a couple of miles from home. This turned out to be an early sign that he too had developed dementia, more specifically Alzheimer's disease. When we broke the news to Uncle Brian last summer he was very supportive, but sadly his care and wisdom was lost when he passed away later that year.
It is certainly poignant that I'm researching the disease that took my great aunt and is taking my grandfather here, in their home county. I wish I could have told Uncle Brian, I'm sure he would have been delighted! I intend to make the most of this opportunity for all three of them, as well as the millions of other dementia sufferers and their loved ones.
One year ago today, my Great Uncle Brian died. Uncle Brian, as we tended to call him, lived his entire life in Devon, the county in which I'm spending my placement year. He spent most of his life with his wife, Great Auntie Ena, a fellow Devon native whose brother is my paternal grandfather. When she was in her seventies, Auntie Ena developed dementia. As her condition deteriorated, Uncle Brian's devotion to her never wavered. Despite having his own health issues, he continued to visit her daily at the nursing home until she passed away a few years ago.
Studying for my A-levels prevented me attending Auntie Ena's funeral, but I heard from my grandmother that it was a lovely send-off, with a beautiful eulogy delivered by Uncle Brian. My grandfather was also absent from the funeral, as he had lost the desire to travel more than a couple of miles from home. This turned out to be an early sign that he too had developed dementia, more specifically Alzheimer's disease. When we broke the news to Uncle Brian last summer he was very supportive, but sadly his care and wisdom was lost when he passed away later that year.
It is certainly poignant that I'm researching the disease that took my great aunt and is taking my grandfather here, in their home county. I wish I could have told Uncle Brian, I'm sure he would have been delighted! I intend to make the most of this opportunity for all three of them, as well as the millions of other dementia sufferers and their loved ones.
Monday, 15 August 2016
Second Year in Review
Two years ago yesterday I gained a place at university, and it feels like the right time to finish this post, which has been in my drafts for months! Second year had its ups and downs, but I've made it out all right!
I started second year studying the physiology and pharmacology of the nervous system and completing employability activities for the BREES unit. Year in industry application deadlines were already looming; I missed the first one because it was so early, and the next company ended up cancelling the four placements they were offering. By mid October, diminishing confidence in my abilities and an increasing academic workload were taking their toll, so much so that I ceased applying for placements. I promised myself (and my personal tutor) that I would resume applications in spring, when Janssen in Belgium were expected announce their placement opportunities. Taking this weight off my mind allowed me to focus on my studies and as October came to a close, I made the laborious journey from the pharmacology lab to the O2 Arena to experience my first U2 concert! Finishing the Friday afternoon practical early, I arrived in London with plenty of time to spare and had an incredible time hearing songs that mean so much to me live. The experience was elevated further by Bono singing the elusive Shine Like Stars verse of With Or Without You, for just the 11th time this decade!
November was full of deadlines, but a very enjoyable three days made up for it. On Thursday 26th I had a lot of fun at the Angels vs Devils social, but still managed to sober up in time for the Friday afternoon practical, in which we drank more alcohol to investigate its effects on our reaction times, sensory discrimination and cognitive performance. On Saturday morning I awoke in a hotel room at 5 am ready to fly to Ireland for my second U2 concert. This time around we were on the floor two rows away from the e stage, and the incredible atmosphere resulted in another Shine Like Stars performance, as well as the classic "40" to end an unforgettable evening. Back at uni I had a few more lectures at the beginning of December before the Christmas holidays began. In January I sat three exams and achieved 85% in Neuropharmacology and 82% in Neurophysiology, grades that would really bolster my placement applications.
During the spring term, the BREES workload increased considerably, and on top of that I had to juggle three other units: Pharmacology of Body Systems, Integrative Physiology, and Molecular Cell Biology. Gone were the stay-at-home Thursdays, although Mondays soon freed up, once we'd finished collecting data on our saliva production for physiology. Janssen announced their placements in early February and I took my time writing my application, which I sent at 6:55 pm the day before the deadline. My diligence paid off: I was one of ten candidates selected for a Skype interview. Unfortunately, when the day came, technical issues rendered me invisible to the team in Belgium, but after a shaky start, I tried to make the most of my fifteen minutes face-to-voice with the head of the Neuroscience department. Disappointed, I at least managed to enjoy my first concert of 2016 (Patent Pending) later that day, but two weeks later I found out for sure that I wouldn't be spending my placement year at Janssen.
As the Easter holidays came to an end, it became clear that I'd spent far to much time fearing the outcome of my interview and left very little for other tasks, which included several outstanding assignments. I was alerted to the existence of one particular project just days before the deadline, but thankfully my partner and I managed to construct a half decent presentation in a fraction of the time I would usually take. Collaboration turned to reliance when it came to the BREES enterprise tasks, as I completed the bare minimum to avoid losing marks for lack of commitment. Thankfully I had kept up to date with the BREES research tasks, although I wasn't confident with my analysis for the exam dataset. As the countdown to exams reached single figures, I still had a lot of revision to do, so much so that I averaged about ten lectures per day. The BREES, physiology and pharmacology exams weren't too strenuous, but when it came to the MCB exam I had a crisis of confidence that almost prevented me from taking the exam. I'll be forever grateful for the phone call from my mum which snapped me out of it, because I actually found it pretty good! My results were far better than I expected, with 79 in Pharmacology of Body Systems, 76 in BREES, 73 in Integrative Physiology and even a first in Molecular Cell Biology (with exactly 70!)
Somehow as I was preparing for exams, I found time to apply for two more placements, one at a biotech company in Oxford and the other based at a university an hour's train ride away. While I heard nothing from the former, the latter invited me to an interview on the 6th of June. It was my first time visiting the city, and I was in awe of the beauty of the university grounds. The interview was a really positive experience, and a few hours later I met the other three candidates for a tour of the neurophysiology labs. I left feeling content, but it still came as a shock when, at 5:41 pm, I received an email offering me the placement! Last week I had my induction to the university, my accommodation is all booked, and from September I'll be in the lab trying to understand how brain cell firing changes in Alzheimer's disease. It still feels like a dream, but soon it'll be reality…
I started second year studying the physiology and pharmacology of the nervous system and completing employability activities for the BREES unit. Year in industry application deadlines were already looming; I missed the first one because it was so early, and the next company ended up cancelling the four placements they were offering. By mid October, diminishing confidence in my abilities and an increasing academic workload were taking their toll, so much so that I ceased applying for placements. I promised myself (and my personal tutor) that I would resume applications in spring, when Janssen in Belgium were expected announce their placement opportunities. Taking this weight off my mind allowed me to focus on my studies and as October came to a close, I made the laborious journey from the pharmacology lab to the O2 Arena to experience my first U2 concert! Finishing the Friday afternoon practical early, I arrived in London with plenty of time to spare and had an incredible time hearing songs that mean so much to me live. The experience was elevated further by Bono singing the elusive Shine Like Stars verse of With Or Without You, for just the 11th time this decade!
November was full of deadlines, but a very enjoyable three days made up for it. On Thursday 26th I had a lot of fun at the Angels vs Devils social, but still managed to sober up in time for the Friday afternoon practical, in which we drank more alcohol to investigate its effects on our reaction times, sensory discrimination and cognitive performance. On Saturday morning I awoke in a hotel room at 5 am ready to fly to Ireland for my second U2 concert. This time around we were on the floor two rows away from the e stage, and the incredible atmosphere resulted in another Shine Like Stars performance, as well as the classic "40" to end an unforgettable evening. Back at uni I had a few more lectures at the beginning of December before the Christmas holidays began. In January I sat three exams and achieved 85% in Neuropharmacology and 82% in Neurophysiology, grades that would really bolster my placement applications.
During the spring term, the BREES workload increased considerably, and on top of that I had to juggle three other units: Pharmacology of Body Systems, Integrative Physiology, and Molecular Cell Biology. Gone were the stay-at-home Thursdays, although Mondays soon freed up, once we'd finished collecting data on our saliva production for physiology. Janssen announced their placements in early February and I took my time writing my application, which I sent at 6:55 pm the day before the deadline. My diligence paid off: I was one of ten candidates selected for a Skype interview. Unfortunately, when the day came, technical issues rendered me invisible to the team in Belgium, but after a shaky start, I tried to make the most of my fifteen minutes face-to-voice with the head of the Neuroscience department. Disappointed, I at least managed to enjoy my first concert of 2016 (Patent Pending) later that day, but two weeks later I found out for sure that I wouldn't be spending my placement year at Janssen.
As the Easter holidays came to an end, it became clear that I'd spent far to much time fearing the outcome of my interview and left very little for other tasks, which included several outstanding assignments. I was alerted to the existence of one particular project just days before the deadline, but thankfully my partner and I managed to construct a half decent presentation in a fraction of the time I would usually take. Collaboration turned to reliance when it came to the BREES enterprise tasks, as I completed the bare minimum to avoid losing marks for lack of commitment. Thankfully I had kept up to date with the BREES research tasks, although I wasn't confident with my analysis for the exam dataset. As the countdown to exams reached single figures, I still had a lot of revision to do, so much so that I averaged about ten lectures per day. The BREES, physiology and pharmacology exams weren't too strenuous, but when it came to the MCB exam I had a crisis of confidence that almost prevented me from taking the exam. I'll be forever grateful for the phone call from my mum which snapped me out of it, because I actually found it pretty good! My results were far better than I expected, with 79 in Pharmacology of Body Systems, 76 in BREES, 73 in Integrative Physiology and even a first in Molecular Cell Biology (with exactly 70!)
Somehow as I was preparing for exams, I found time to apply for two more placements, one at a biotech company in Oxford and the other based at a university an hour's train ride away. While I heard nothing from the former, the latter invited me to an interview on the 6th of June. It was my first time visiting the city, and I was in awe of the beauty of the university grounds. The interview was a really positive experience, and a few hours later I met the other three candidates for a tour of the neurophysiology labs. I left feeling content, but it still came as a shock when, at 5:41 pm, I received an email offering me the placement! Last week I had my induction to the university, my accommodation is all booked, and from September I'll be in the lab trying to understand how brain cell firing changes in Alzheimer's disease. It still feels like a dream, but soon it'll be reality…
Thursday, 29 October 2015
Just a stop down the line...
"Don't get on the wrong train." That was the first line of the first song I heard at the most recent concert I went to in London, and it's sound advice for tomorrow, when I undertake my laborious journey from the Biomedical Sciences Teaching Labs to The O2 Arena. Yesterday I found a new route that will shave approximately one minute off of my journey time to the bus stop, and I've looked up the station platforms between which I'll have to traverse, so I'm feeling well prepared! Today I carved a pumpkin with the current U2 tour logo and painted my nails; the thumbs with the same design, and the other nails crimson, to be my crimson nails of success! Right now I'm listening to a live stream of tonight's concert, and almost crying with excitement about tomorrow, when I'm actually gonna be there...
Wednesday, 28 October 2015
Just 2 stops down the line…
Two years ago today I experienced my second 25-hour day in a row when, the day after the clocks went back, I travelled back from Germany, gaining an hour in the process. Although tomorrow will be 24 hours long, I anticipate it feeling far shorter, as I complete final preparations for my lab session and the journey to London…
Monday, 26 October 2015
4 stops down the line…
Six years ago today I had my first experience of seeing U2 live, when their 360 Tour concert at the Rosebowl in Pasadena was streamed live on YouTube. After an enjoyable day celebrating my grandad's 65th birthday, I set my alarm for 3:15 am and settled down for a few hours rest. A short time after I had drifted off, it was time to get up and go, all the way downstairs to watch U2ube. I was extremely proud of myself for not drifting off during the twenty minute intro, and when the show began I really perked up! The stand out moment for me was hearing the beautiful Ultraviolet (Light My Way) during the encore; I believe it almost brought me to tears. I'm led to believe that particular highlight won't be repeated in four days time, when I attend my first proper U2 concert, but I'm looking on the bright side: I will be attending my first U2 concert in four days time!!!!
Sunday, 25 October 2015
Just 5 stops down the line...
My first U2 show is less than a week away, and I'm getting more excited by the hour. On 18 September I was pretty annoyed to discover I have a practical session in the afternoon, which gives me a mere three and a half hours to get to London before the concert starts. Over the following few weeks, I became pretty confident that I'm gonna make it on time: a quick search on Google maps gave me hope that a train at 17:30, followed by a tube journey, can get me there in time; recces to the train station have taken no longer than 25 minutes; and my dad suggested a fast and hopefully less crowded route to the venue on the tube. Additionally, last week I bought some leather effect trousers to complete my "Female Fly" look for the concert!
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