A little thing called Fandom

The subject of my fandom for a very long time. Photo: Hollywood Records

I rarely claim that I know a lot about anything. I don't claim to know a lot about movies, photography, politics or whatever. I don't. However, I've come to realise that there's actually one thing that I'd consider myself an expert in; fandoms. Yes, the obsessive, stalkative and screaming kind.

With a little less than a decade of experience (sadly enough), I can say with certainty that I've gone through more or less all of it, everything on the right side of the law that is. Every inch of one's room walls filled with posters? Check. Midnight queuing for a new release? Check. Going abroad for a concert? Check. Waiting outside a radio station in the rain and a temperature below freezing? Check.

What's most often associated with crying or screaming (or both at the same time) young girls, a fandom starts out just like any other interest. Like your fondness over sushi, knee-length skirts or the Young Apprentice (which is rather awesome actually). But for it to turn you into a info hungry, squeal inclined, stalkative fan, there has to be a community of people who shares your newfound interest and a flow of material that keeps it interesting.

Once you've found those things, you're only a few overcomings of pride and a vanished good judgment away from joining me in the rain and minus 5 degrees outside BBC radio 1. Our heavily wired society -make that our heavily wired global society, isn't exactly making it any harder to stay away either.

Being a fan isn't flattering, I can admit that. Most of the time you're impelled to do things that you can't explain, you feel things that you can't explain, you want to buy things but don't know why. You dedicate yourself unconditionally to the fandom with no assurance of getting anything in return. And above all you're frequently subject to ridicule, be it from your friends, other fans or rabid tweeters. It's not glamorous.

However, I've come to think that people who make fun or belittle fandoms, can't possibly have been truly devoted to anything or actually had a fandom because if they would have, they wouldn't be bashing it. Why? Because they would know about the passion and pure happiness one so often feel while being a fan. Practically every waking moment is a natural high. Believe me, it's one of the best feelings there is.

So if you want to keep making fun of people who are genuinly happy, be my guest.

Destinations

Gröna Lund in Stockholm, Sweden

Fiskehamnen in Malmö, Sweden

Household cavalry museum, London

The thing with designer stores

Photo: Mine

I'm just one of those people who are excessively anxious about a lot. School (no kidding), the future, school work, work experiences, socialising, not updating my blogs enough, having to change tube at Green Park (everyone living in London know I'm quite serious about this) and the things just pile up.

One of the things that I get especially anxious about is: designer stores. You see, there's a reason as to why after three years of living in London I still haven't been to Selfridge's (GASP!) and avoid Harrod's like the plague - I know my place.

There's nothing more cringeworthy than people who aspirationally wear designer clothes and particularly; bags. With other words people who shows off their designer wear (might even be real for all I care) when obviously they can't afford the lifestyle.

So when we get assignments which require you to physically visit a designer store, and believe me it happens often enough, I dread it for my life (ok this I'd say would be journalistic sensationalism but you get the idea).

Going into a designer store when you obviously aren't there to shop is probably the most self-conscious thing you can do. Imagine this: a fancy well-lit, minimalist store with huge glass windows on Sloane street with its millions of security guards and well-dressed staff. You don't even have to step into the store with both of your legs before: BANG they see you're not there to buy something. They see it on your bag. They see it on your shoes. They see it on your coat. They see it on your watch. They see.

So if you know a secret sign that says, "Hey please don't mind me, I'm just here to check the country of origin labels. Just pretend I'm invisible and don't talk to me. Cheers!', please let me know.

The fine line between brilliance and silliness

Valentino's Valentina perfume ad featuring Freja Beha Erichsen.


Lancôme Trésor's Midnight Rose perfume ad featuring Emma Watson.

Yes, I spend sursprisingly a lot of time analysing ads. Perfume ads (along with car ads) are usually the ones that play on aspiration and 'artsy feel' so much that they end up just being silly. However I have to admit that, every now they turn out to be absolutely brilliant. Which is which?

Sometimes I wonder

Sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it. You know with school, university and getting a degree.

If you haven't gone through university, I'm afraid you can't possibly understand the incredible internal struggle it puts you through. There's not only the physical efforts such as setting aside time and effort to study but the psychological efforts you have to exert just to be able to deal with everything that comes with higher learning.

Believe me, making yourself sit down and study for exams is just one little fraction of that cerebral civil war which constantly goes on in your head.

Not only do you have to exert a ridiculously high amount of (in my case) physiological efforts to be  sociable to fellow students and/or colleagues, you also have to battle with constant pressure to do extra curricular activities to boost your worthless CV. What's most psychologically demanding is however coming to terms with having to deal and produce coursework and exams which demand things you're light years away from being capable to deliver.

The overwhelmingness and feelings of insufficiency (not to mention during a long period of time) beats your brain up. It simply drains you. It drains the hell out of you.

People who don't have a degree survive, right? Despite their obvious disadvantages, they still live on, don't they? Yes, I have the opportunity to get a much better job than they do. But enduring three years of intense psychological battles (which probably will leave me slightly mentally disturbed) to gain a degree from an university that's - let's just say - neither Oxford or Cambridge, just to get this 'opportunity', is it really worth it?

Off mode

The first week back at Uni is almost over (only have the longest day to look forward to tomorrow) and what's the verdict? I have none because I've been too busy studying. Really, I've been studying everyday of this week. To be honest it was a pretty difficult to get back to the studying again (euphemisn for trying to make myself stop being on Tumblr 12hrs a day), but I did what I have to do.

So I was writing a review of the 25th Anniversary concert of Phantom of The Opera from Sunday. You know the glacial pace I work on these things but my plan was to have it done by Tuesday. But then out of nowhere my Reporting and Journalism teacher just threw us out on the street to find a story, write it and send to him before the end of the day. So that totally screwed up my plan, and with the review being outdated now, should I even bother?