Tribute to the life of Lauren Hutchins & Cystic Fibrosis Awareness

Tribute to the life of Lauren Hutchins -  Beloved daughter, sister and friend & important Cystic Fibrosis message!

A little over two months ago the incredible Lauren Hutchins lost her battle to Cystic Fibrosis after putting up one hell of a fight for 21 years. This is a blog I've been putting off writing for a while now simply because - what can you say about losing a person who was so special to everyone who knew her and so very loved? Lauren was and still very much is in my memory a star in every sense of the word. Mostly because to battle a life threatening illness such as Cystic Fibrosis from the moment you are born takes real courage and to do that with the strength, determination and passion that Lauren did is something that most people couldn't conceive. So in honour of my little friend, I'm going to man up and say what I've got to say even though if she were here she would probably tell me to shut up because she was too modest but I'm going to say it anyway! 

I first met Lauren way back in year 7 and was immediately taken aback by how loving, kind and unassuming she was towards everyone she met, including me, which I found quite surprising because at the time I didn't consider myself like one of the cool kids. But that was the kind of person Lauren was. She would always make the effort to talk to everyone, make people laugh and generally cheer people up if they were having a bad day. One of my earliest memories with Lauren was at the Morfa Bay trip in year 7 where one night we picked out outfits for the disco and she insisted on sitting on my lap and doing my make-up for me because I was terrible at doing mascara and eyeliner, which resulted in me blinking and getting mascara everywhere and us laughing a lot. This was probably a sign of things to come given Lauren's passion for fashion and beauty later on and her talent of looking stunning everywhere she went. Nevertheless it is a memory that has always stuck with me throughout the years and something I will treasure. Other fond memories include how we use to try our best at dodging games lessons later in our teens by sitting and chatting about how much we loved the Russian girl band t.A.T.u. instead of playing badminton or netball or whatever we were meant to be doing and instead Lauren use to come in and tell me about new songs and dance routines that she'd learnt which was way more fun! As we all got older anyone who knew Lauren would know what a fun-lover she was and how much she loved to get dressed up and be the life and soul of the party. It was always amazing to see Lauren living life with so much energy and charisma despite how ill she was and yet never feel sorry for herself or make a fuss despite the severity of her health problems and this has always been the case. Lauren was determined to beat CF and right up until the end she fought to keep her wonderful friends' and family's spirits alive. I know that Lauren was also supportive of other CF sufferers and passionate about raising awareness for Cystic Fibrosis and how we as a community can support sufferers which is what I would also like to address in this blog.


Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder where the build of a mucus effects the lungs and digestive system leading to coughing, breathing problems and poor weight gain. Cystic Fibrosis is the second most common life-shortening inherited disorder which there is currently no cure for, however, many CF sufferers receive many medical procedures and medication to help manage their condition. 10 years ago the life expectancy of a person with Cystic Fibrosis was around 18 years but today it is around 35 years. Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis have improved greatly in the last few years, however, more still needs to be done. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is a great UK based charity that offers research, treatment and support to CF patients and their families but the fight to beat Cystic Fibrosis continues. Millions of pounds are invested towards Cancer Research every year and though nobody should have to live with a life threatening illness of any kind, Cystic Fibrosis still goes slightly overlooked. Therefore I ask anyone reading this blog if you could please take a few minutes to educate yourself about Cystic Fibrosis and the ways you can help by following the link below: 

http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk

Moreover you can also donate to my friend James Brooking's Just Giving page. James is a close friend of Lauren who recently did a two mile open water swim in Scotland's Loch Lomond in honour of our wonderful friend and to raise money for CFCF. The Cystic Fibrosis Comfort Fund (CFCF) is a small charity based in Bristol that provides support such as medical equipment, start up grants for young adults setting up first time homes, driving lessons and much more. This charity works hard to greatly improve the quality of life of sufferers of Cystic Fibrosis and since Lauren was treated in Bristol for many years it is close to our hearts so would mean a lot to us to keep her memory alive by helping this wonderful charity in any way possible. So I please invite anyone reading this blog to donate anything they can large or small to James' Just Giving page by following link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/James-Brooking/?utm_id=36

Finally I would like to wrap up this blog by saying I hope anyone reading this is able to grasp what a special person Lauren was and what she means to me and the people she has left behind. She is and always will be a personal hero of mine and in years to come I will still look back on the memories we shared together and smile. I would also like to express my greatest sympathies to Lauren's friends and family at this sad time - she truly is an amazing girl. My friend JJ, also wrote this amazing song called  She Be Little as a tribute to Lauren so you can also show your support to him by checking it out by following the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/jj.rudge/videos/10205861280746086/?pnref=story

Thank you for taking the time to read this and farewell from me, the Ginger Pixie and farewell to my little friend, I will miss you terribly. Sleep tight doll!

xxx

1 girl, 1 bag & 3 weeks away: Preparation for Vietnam & Future Blog Updates

This is just a quick update and an apology for my lack of material lately as I prepare to go on the trip of a lifetime with some of my bestest friends!

The time has come! Today at stupid o'clock in the morning (about 2am) I set off for my first ever travel/back packing holiday for 3 weeks in Vietnam with some of my closest buddies. But even with all the excitement and anticipation of our trip comes every girl's nightmare…

 How am I going to get 3 weeks worth of clothing into one rucksack? Well, with a little bit of rolling and plenty of squashing, I have spent the best part of a day figuring it out and making sure I have everything I need but now I can almost confidently say that I'm all set…I think! So with my bags all ready to go and despite the prospect of 24hrs worth of travelling ahead with a 10am start from Gatwick, I can finally get excited about this trip. So this is just a brief update about where I have been and what I am doing and an apology to any frequent readers for my lack of blogs lately in the wake of my post-uni results.

 However, fear not. I have not given up on my blog! 

I've got plenty of ideas for future blogs as soon as I get back from Vietnam including; a look back on my time at uni & studying Classics, some memoirs of my childhood home as my parents prepare to sell the family home and of course, plenty of Vietnam blogs with pictures to come. So if arty Instagram pictures and Travel & Culture blogs are your thing then stay tuned for that!

But in the meantime I will be enjoying catching up with my friends and immersing myself in all the sights, sounds, colours and tastes of Vietnam.

Hopefully I will return from my travels in one piece but to anyone else going away this summer…

Bon Voyage!

xx

Ginger Pixie

 

Affordable Boots Beauty (drugstore) Haul

I thought I would do something a bit different today by doing a quick haul of some of the products that I have been using a lot lately on a day-to-day basis from Boots UK that are reasonably priced and worth the money! 

I'll try and cover a full make up look of affordable cosmetics that I have collected on a student budget recently from Boots (that's a drugstore) for any American friends reading this. Feel free to leave any comments as this is my first beauty blog and I would welcome any feedback or future requests.

1) Rimmel - Wake Me Up foundation - £5.99

Photo by A. Lewis

Starting with one of the favourites among beauty gurus and normal people alike this is a great foundation for everyday use and blends beautifully onto the skin. It includes Vitamin C and has an SPF of 15 which is great for protecting your skin on a daily basis. The new bottles also come with a pump which is very handy for application and if you want to take it with you or chuck it in your bag it doesn't get so messy. What I love about this foundation is that you can gradually build it up but it feels very light and doesn't look cakey on the skin. I use the shade Ivory 100 because I always have to go for the palest foundation I can get. This is a product that I repurchase all the the time and is well worth the money.

2. Rimmel - Stay Matte pressed powder - £.3.99

Another favourite that I use everyday on top of my foundation to set my make up and reduce the shine is Rimmel's Stay Matte pressed powder. I use the shade 003 Peach Glow which gives my make up a nice subtle finish although it doesn't really alter the shade of your foundation which is good. It helps hide the appearance of pores and you can barely feel it on the skin. Considering the quality of the product and its price it is a product that I always buy again and again.

Photo found on Google

3. Bourjois - Délíce de Poudre - £7.99

Photo by A. Lewis

This Gold Bronzing powder from Bourjois is a product I found recently in Boots and thought I would take home to try. It's in the shade 54 and just gives a really nice coppery glowy effect on the skin which I think looks really nice this time of year. The packaging is handy as it comes in a little booklet type palette with  a magnetic lid so it's great for popping in your bag and taking with you. The product also smells really good not that that is a massive selling point but hey it's the little things in life! It's a little pricier than what I was looking for on a student budget but it caught my eye because of how pretty the colour was and it is still comparatively cheap in relation to some of the high-end bronzers. I probably would repurchase after i've finished this one.

Photo by A. Lewis

4. Soap & Glory - Love At First Blush - £11.00

Photo by A. Lewis

This multi-shade blushing powder by Soap & Glory was another new purchase for me recently. It is the most expensive item that will be featured in this haul, however, with this product you are definitely getting more for your money. This product features several different blush tones, some slightly bronzed shades and a highlight and together these look very pretty on the skin. Due to the variety of colours in this compact you could definitely use it without a bronzer if you wished to. The packaging is attractive and comes in a handy compact with a mirror so it is perfect for taking on the go and as you can see in the photo I've been using it so much lately that I've almost hit pan on this one.

Photo by A. Lewis

5. Seventeen - Brow's that! Brow Kit - £5.99

Photo by A. Lewis

This product caught my eye when I was in Boots and I had never had it before because I have only started filling in my eyebrows recently but I can easily say that I have fallen in love with it over the past couple of months. It's a really handy compact containing a brown eyebrow pencil, a brown setting wax, a brown powder and a shimmery highlight. The compact also contains a reasonable sized mirror and a small brush to do your eyebrows with which has made filling in my eyebrows a lot easier because it is just about the right size. The product originally came in a stripy gold and black box but the packaging of the product itself comes in a black glossy box which clips together. Not only is this product perfect for travel but I love the way it makes my brows look and I just think out of all the products in this haul it is the one I have been most excited about and definitely worth the money. I will for sure repurchase this after I've run out.


6. Rimmel Wonder'full Mascara - £7.99

Photo by A. Lewis

I have always been a big fan of the Volum Express Colossal mascaras by Maybelline and tended to just buy them all the time but when I was wandering around Boots I thought I would try something new. This Wonder'full mascara by Rimmel is in Black 001 and contains argan oil which is good for your lashes. What attracted me particularly was the thickness of the brush. After using it for some weeks now I would say it gives your eyelashes a very full look and if you give it several coats it can almost give a false effect. The only thing you have to bare in mind is that if you're not overly confident about doing make up then you have to be very careful when applying it because the brush is so big that it can get everywhere. Nevertheless the packaging is a lovely rose gold colour and the handle is designed as a twisted tube so that it fits into your hand to make application easier. Generally I would say this is a good mascara if you're looking for something to give you very big eyelashes but it is slightly pricier than the Colossal one.


7. Rimmel - Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick - £5.49

Photo found on Google.

Finally I have been loving the Kate Moss lipsticks by Rimmel lately and from what I've seen and heard out and about I'm not the only one! It is this one particularly, however, that I am obsessed with at the moment. It is in the shade 020 which is a really lovely hot pink colour. Obviously I wouldn't wear this everyday as it is very bright but I love to put it on if I'm going out out or whenever I get an opportunity to really as it's a great colour for this time of year in the Spring and Summer months! It's easy to apply, feels great on the lips and does last for a surprisingly long amount of time. In my opinion these lipsticks are great value for the price and definitely nicer than some of the high end lipsticks.

                                                         Thanks for reading!

                                                               Ginger Pixie

                                                                     xx

An Evening with Dick Valentine (Electric Six)

I'm back this month with more Ginger Pixie Jams coming your way starting with Dick Valentine!

Last Bank Holiday Monday I headed to Global Cafe in Reading to see a gig promoted by a friend, Alec, that Dick Valentine of Electric Six was performing at and lets just say, I was impressed. 

After support acts from Sam Hazel and Massive Horse the Electric Six frontman from Detroit, Michigan performed an acoustic set of Electric Six hits and songs from his own solo albums. I'm going to hold my hands up and say going into the gig I didn't know what to expect having only ever heard some of E6's big hits such as Gay Bar and Danger! High Voltage but the minute Dick Valentine started playing I knew that this was going to be something special.

First of all I think it's great that someone of his prestige and time spent within the music industry is still willing to come and play relatively small gigs such as this was but still give a performance with the same passion and to the same standard as bigger gigs. What also struck me is that Dick Valentine is a man of incredible charisma and his passion for performing definitely comes through in the way that he plays and sings. He's an awesome guitarist, far better than I could ever wish to be after 6 years of playing guitar myself and what I find most intriguing about him is his unique vocal ability that was obviously more pronounced and powerful in this acoustic gig. The way he delivers a song in his powerful, gravelly tone is something that I really enjoy and almost harks back to the Dylan era that you don't hear so often these days in the mainstream male artists of today. It also became evident in his performances of songs such as Destroy the Children and I Don't Speak French that lyrically he is a very educated man and can drive a particular message home but also be very witty at the same time. Dick Valentine also did a cover of Toto's Africa that I personally would stress was better than the original and had many of the audience singing along. All round the gig was faultless and I've come away with a new musician to love and albums to buy!

Finally I would just like to wrap up by saying what I think made the night so special was simply, the man himself. The fact that the gig was so intimate was great to take in the music but what made an impact on me most importantly was that Dick Valentine was just so humble and happy to be there. His interaction with the audience during the gig made it enjoyable but it's very rare with celebrity culture these days that a musician will take the time to speak to everyone personally before and after the gig, whilst drinking with the audience at the bar and thanking everyone for being there but he did that. As well as being talented he was just extremely down to earth and I think that resonated with everyone. Without a doubt I definitely hope that isn't the last time I see him.

Dick Valentine (Electric Six) playing at Global Cafe, Reading.

Ginger Pixie Jams

xx

One month left of uni life! Let me hear you say, ahh?!

This is just going to be a really short blog as I don't want to disappear of the face of the planet but because I'm in the midst of finishing my dissertation, writing my final essays and revising for my final year exams, I've got a lot to do.

I had the sudden realisation today that a month today (that's May the 8th) will be my last uni exam and my life as a student will be coming to an end. And then I'm faced with all that scary life s**t as most of us do like finding a job, moving into non-student residence, severely lowering my alcohol consumption to give my liver a rest and becoming a grown up (even though i'm 21…maybe not?!). But i'm excited, it feels like I've been in education for a long time, having done 14 years in school and then a 3 year degree course and although student life has been great, I'm ready to take on the real world…and not be poor!

 I am also very much looking forward to the summer as I'm going to Vietnam with my school buddies for a month in July which is going to be incredible and there will definitely be a Vietnam blog when i'm back so stay tuned for that. 

So to all the graduates this summer and to any of my friends who are on 4 years courses, Good luck, I hope you have a great summer 2015 and get where you want to be. And for all my Reading friends…

 In a month we can party the hardest we've ever partied before!

For my Ginger Pixie Jam this week I'll leave you with one of my favourite Bowling For Soup songs, High School Never Ends, because they're awesome and this song is kinda appropriate for this blog. Enjoy!

xx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrxI_euTX4A

High School Never Ends - Bowling For Soup © 2006, Zomba Recording. All music and lyric rights below to Bowling For Soup.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The 90s show that's reality in fiction

My Buffy Breakdown: Six of the strongest metaphors that make it a lot more real than you may think...

Don't worry! I'm not about to try and argue that vampires and demons are real, or that, that stupid dress is white and gold for a matter of fact; we all know it's blue and black! But what I would like to do is take you through some of the best episodes of 'Buffy' and some of the most powerful metaphors that are at the heart of the storyline in an attempt to show that this fictional television series, albeit about a small blonde girl who slays vampires with a wooden stake, is one of the most realistic things I have seen on television for a long time.

Joss Whedon has discussed before that he was tired of seeing horror movies where "the little blonde girl goes into a dark alley and gets killed" and was fascinated about showing a progressive story about "a little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley, gets attacked by a big monster and then kills it" and so it was with this strong motif of female power at its core that Buffy began. My personal love for the series has followed me into adulthood and probably will long into the future. In fact, it's probably not too bold of a statement to say that it will always be my favourite programme. And it's not because of the supernatural monsters, as great as they are, and it's not because of its drop-dead male eye-candy, excuse the pun! Personally it is the high calibre writing and the fundamental messages that underline every episode that make me value the series so much more as an adult today in retrospect, than the little girl who was enthralled by a pretty Sarah Michelle Gellar who could kick ass. For any people reading this who are fans of the show, I will be doing my 'Top 10 favourite Buffy Episodes' at some point but I thought as a more structured introduction into the show for those who may not have seen it before for this blog I will be talking about 6 of the most powerful episodes, in terms of, giving a direct or important message. So without further ado here is my Buffy breakdown...    

1. Welcome To The Hellmouth - S.1 Ep.1

Welcome To The Hellmouth, the title episode for the first of a two-part premiere refers to our introduction as an audience into the Buffy universe. It is here that we are invited into Sunnydale, the fictional vibrant Californian town and the high school that will be the main focal point for our primary characters for a few years. But there's a twist! Sunnydale High is conveniently located above a mystical centre known as the "Hellmouth, " a hub of energy that draws in supernatural creatures to its depths such as vampires, demons, witches and werewolves. It is here that our central characters go to school and where we are introduced to Buffy Summers, a spirited 16 year old girl on her first day at a new school where she will soon meet Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon), Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) who will form the fundamental friendship unit that become known as the Scooby Gang. What I like about this episode is that its title Welcome To The Hellmouth refers to both our introduction to the series and its setting as an audience but also to Buffy's first day at a new school, which for most people going through adolescence could also be considered a rather "hellish" experience. In previous interviews Joss Whedon has commented that for the majority of teenagers, going through high school is one of the scariest times of your life because it is a time when you are learning who you are as a person but also there is a huge concern for what your peers think and wanting to fit in. The episode ironically highlights Buffy's concerns for being behind on classes and fitting in as she comments on whether she was wearing the right nail polish or fashionable clothes when Giles introduces himself as her new Watcher and asks her about vampires. This provokes an angry response from Buffy, who isn't interested in pursuing her calling as a slayer and just wants to get on at her new school because she got kicked out of her last one for burning down the school gym which was full of vampires. It is this core message that Joss used to create many of the monsters in the first few seasons and so the monsters in Buffy for the most part are merely metaphors for the fears or "monsters" we face in every day life. Another key message for this first episode is also the idea of female empowerment which will play a huge role throughout the series. An example of this is the opening scene in which a guy breaks into the school at night with a rather reluctant girl (Julie Benz) dressed in a catholic school-girl uniform. The girl, later identified as Darla, comments on hearing a scary noise and the guy reassures her that it is ok because they are "alone" to which she says "ok, that's good" and when he turns round to look at her she has morphed into her vampire identity and aggressively bites his neck. It is a surprising introduction to the show and emphasises the point that little blonde girls aren't always what they seem. Later in the episode Buffy is walking down a dark alleyway en route to meet her friends at the Bronze (Sunnydale's nightclub) and senses that there is someone stalking behind her. When the mysterious handsome figure (David Boreanaz) comes into shot, he is immediately jumped on and pinned down by Buffy, who was already hanging from a pylon above, ready and waiting. It is a nice moment that highlights Buffy's agility and strength but most importantly her ability to not be made the victim of the situation. It is also our first introduction to Angel, the vampire with a soul, who will become Buffy's love interest and play a very important role for the series. 

 Julie Benz as Darla attacking the boy in Welcome To The
 Hellmouth showing the "helpless girl" becoming the predator.

2. Out of Mind, Out of Sight - S.1 Ep.11
In this episode a boy is mysteriously attacked with a baseball bat whilst in the boy's changing room and is taken to hospital. The Scooby Gang suspect a ghost is responsible but later a girl called Harmony is pushed down a set of stairs by an invisible force. Buffy runs off to follow the invisible source of laughter but it bumps into her before escaping. The gang discuss that ghosts aren't tactile and therefore it must be something else. They later discover that it is an invisible girl called Marcie who has a vendetta for Cordelia, a popular girl who is famous at the school for her stupidity and spitefulness towards others. The episode features several flashback scenes where Marcie tries to join a conversation between Cordelia and her friends but was told her opinion didn't matter because she was a loser. Another flashback featured Marcie trying to answer a question in class but every time she put up her hand the teacher picked someone else. Later in the episode Cordelia and Buffy get attacked and sedated by the invisible girl and wake up tied to chairs. The invisible girl has laid out a tray of knives and other sharp tools and discusses how she is going to teach Cordelia a lesson and comments on how badly Cordelia treated her. Buffy tries to reason with Marcie but to no avail and eventually manages to break free and put a stop to Marcie's actions by force before anything serious happens but two mysterious men come and collect Marcie and take her to an institution for other invisible students who are suffering from being ignored. This episode, although highly entertaining, is a little far fetched but the point is to show how ignoring people and isolating people can be very damaging to people, at any time, but particularly during your school years. Loneliness and feeling "un-popular" are particularly depressing feelings during adolescence and Joss Whedon brings attention to this. The important message here is to treat people how you want to be treated and also that things get better if you don't care what the "popular" people think because with age and perspective it becomes clearer that they don't matter so much. 

3. Innocence - S.2 Ep. 14

"She made me feel like a human being. That's not the kind of thing you just forgive." - Angelus

Innocence personally is one of my favourite episodes due to the incredible performances from the cast and the hugely emotional message that it delivers. This episode was one of the most critically acclaimed episodes of Buffy and was viewed by 8.2 million viewers on its first airing. In the previous episode, Surprise, the audience had seen Buffy and Angel fighting for their lives as they tried to stop the vampire couple, Spike (James Marsters) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau), from their latest apocalyptic plan. The pair take refuge in Angel's flat and an emotional scene ensues as they come to terms with the fact that they were nearly split up for good and begin to kiss. The two have sex for the first time on the show and a few hours later Angel wakes up clutching his chest and runs out into the street collapsing and screaming out Buffy's name. The episode Innocence begins where it left off, as Angel fumbles around in the alleyway he is approached by a woman who asks if he is ok and to her surprise Angel quickly jumps up to reveal his vamp face and viciously attacks her. Over the course of the episode the audience gradually become aware that Angel has reverted to his former self, Angelus, a soulless killing machine and Angel returns to the factory to reunite with his ex-buddies Spike and Drusilla who welcome him back into the fold with open arms. Meanwhile Buffy wakes up, no longer a virgin, alone in Angel's bed and becomes worried of where he is. She later goes to school and asks around but no one has seen Angel. Beginning to worry that Angel has taken off after what happened the previous night, Buffy goes back to Angel's flat and he is there but it is obvious that he is acting strange. When Buffy mentions how worried she was Angel sneers in her face and comments "Do you think i'd want to stick around after that?" Confused by the horrible way Angel is talking to her, Buffy cries and asks if it was something she did. Angel coldly laughs and makes a comment about her immaturity before heading for the door. Buffy shouts "I love you" and Angel sniggers back "love you too" but there is no trace of sincerity in his tone. It is one of the most heartbreaking scenes on the show as we as an audience are introduced to the new Angel but through Buffy's perspective and I think it resonates with a lot of people, myself included, who have had that same experience, of thinking you know someone but then waking up and realising that they're not the same anymore. Whedon shows so clearly that Angel becoming a monster again is a metaphor for when you discover that the person you fell for isn't who you thought they were and the message really hits home hard. Later in the episode, Angel begins his psychological warfare on Buffy as he goes to the school with the intention of killing her friends but as he is threatening Willow, Buffy shows up and he leaves. After the Scooby Gang discuss in the library what the cause of Angel losing his soul could of been and Buffy suddenly realises that it was her having sex with him that triggered it. Unable to face the others, Buffy runs out of the library and goes home to her room where she curls up on her bed and breaks down. It is one of the most real elements of the show because we are so use to seeing Buffy killing bad guys and being strong that it is such a contrast to see that she has been broken down into no more than a heartbroken teenager which is what can make us empathise with her. After Angel murders Jenny Calendar's uncle leaving the message "was it good for you?" in blood on the wall, Buffy realises that Angel is too dangerous to be left alone and that she must kill him. The gang go to the mall and in a memorable moment from season 2, Buffy manages to destroy the Judge with a rocket launcher and gets into a conflict with Angel but realises she can't kill him yet. The remainder of season 2 builds up to the final battle between Buffy and Angel in the season finale and the consequences that lead to season 3. 

David Boreanaz as Angel taunting Buffy in Innocence.  

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy in Innocence. 

Angelus: It was a good time. All right? It doesn't mean like we have to make a big deal.
Buffy: It is a big deal.
Angelus: It's what? Bells ringing, fireworks, a dulcet choir of pretty little birdies? Come on, Buffy. It's not like I've never been there before. 
Buffy: Don't touch me.
Angelus: I should of known you wouldn't be able to handle it.
Buffy: Angel! I love you.
Angelus: Love you, too. I'll call you. 






4. Hush - S.4. Ep.10
Hush is generally considered as one of the best and cleverest episodes of the Buffy ever and was nominated for an Emmy for 'Outstanding writing' and also received a nomination for 'Outstanding cinematography.' After years of working on the show Joss Whedon has always been admired for the incredible writing that goes into the series. So in season 4, Joss decided to break the boundaries by doing an episode that has hardly any dialogue at all. Of the entire 44 minute episode, Hush features only 17 minutes of actual dialogue. In this episode, Sunnydale is visited by some ghoulish fairy tale monsters called "The Gentlemen." These creepy monsters come to a town and then steel everyone's voices so that they can not scream and then cut out their hearts. Due to the lack of dialogue and most of the action featuring only cinematography and background music, the eery atmosphere in Hush is something unprecedented and very memorable indeed. Without their voices the Scooby Gang are forced to work out how to communicate in order for Buffy to stop The Gentlemen before they manage to take the seven hearts they require. The principle message that this episode represents is the importance of language and communication and the limitations that failure to communicate can have, not just in Buffy but in the world, as we see that in Sunnydale normal societal functions ground to a halt due to the unexplained silence. The episode also highlights some of the problems our primary characters have been dealing with up until this point and so the forced lack of speech means that they must express what they feel. Riley (Marc Blucas) and Buffy have previously been ignoring their infatuation for one another and finally share their first kiss while Xander is forced to admit his feelings for Anya (Emma Caulfield) when he thinks Spike has killed her and Anya reciprocates by kissing him passionately. The introduction of Tara (Amber Benson) at first shows that she is very shy in the Wicca group but then demonstrates her bravery and shows she is less introverted than she appears when she helps Willow move a vending machine against a door with magic to keep The Gentlemen at bay. This is also the first time that we see Willow and Tara interact with each other after Willow's split with Oz (Seth Green) and Whedon has explicitly stated before that the 'magic' motif represents the "sensual and powerful" relationship that grows between Willow and Tara during the season because the network that aired Buffy, at the time, found a lesbian relationship to be too controversial and the scene also highlights "an empowering statement about love; that two people can accomplish more than when they are alone." Overall, this episode and the ground it covers in terms of real-life-issues is what makes it stand out.  

The Gentlemen in Hush. 

5. The Body - S.5 Ep.16
For anyone who is a fan of the show they will probably understand that this isn't an easy one to talk about. It is not a fun episode because of how raw and and truthful it is but that's not to take away from the quality of the episode because it is, in many ways, a masterpiece. In this episode, Buffy comes home to find her lifeless mother lying on the coach staring at the ceiling. This is followed by a 3-minute length scene with no cuts and no music as Buffy timidly utters "mom...mommy." Buffy frantically tries to revive her mother with CPR but to no avail. Buffy calls Giles and the paramedics soon arrive and they too try to work on reviving Joyce while Buffy stands in panic. The scene cuts to a sort of what if scenario with Buffy and Joyce (Kristine sutherland) in the hospital with Joyce saying "thank god you found me in time Buffy" but then quickly cuts back to the present moment with the paramedics still trying to revive Joyce. They stop and tell Buffy that Joyce is dead and then leave and Buffy staggers into the hallway and vomits. Giles turns up and Buffy says to him not to move the body, surprising herself that she is even saying it. The following scene shows Buffy going into her sister's school to tell Dawn (Michelle Tratchenberg) about what has happened to their mother and meanwhile Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara also try to come to terms with Joyce's death. Anya, who was previously a vengeance demon, comments that it is all "stupid and mortal" because she doesn't understand natural death and why someone can't just go back in their body. Later at the hospital the doctor informs Buffy that Joyce died of an aneurysm suddenly and painlessly. Meanwhile Dawn sneaking into the morgue to see her mother and gets attacked by a dead-man-now-vampire who gets off the table and Buffy runs in and kills it. The final shot is of Buffy and Dawn staring at Joyce's lifeless body in silence. The episode is one of the most shocking and almost disturbing episodes ever to be shown on Buffy in many ways because it captures the frantic and devastating moments of finding out a loved one has died. It is also particularly troubling in terms of Buffy because the characters and the audience are so use to seeing people or demons die, all the time, and in very grotesque and unearthly ways but because Joyce's death is by natural order, it just makes the episode so much more realistic and it's for that reason that it has a very uncomfortable quality. Nevertheless, Joss Whedon beautifully captures the hysteria, grief and all the emotions that we as humans find troubling and Sarah Michelle Gellar gives a stunning performance. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy with Kristine
Sutherland as Joyce Summers in The Body.

6. Wrecked - S.6 Ep.10
Wrecked takes place in the middle of season 6 and follows on from Willow's growing addiction to magic which is what has caused her break-up with Tara in Tabula Rasa. In Smashed, the episode immediately before Wrecked Tara stays at Buffy's house to wait with Dawn until somebody comes home and Buffy and Spike have a fight that ends in the two finally giving in and having sex whilst Willow and Amy continue enjoying their night of fun. Wrecked begins the following morning as Dawn and Tara wake up, still on the sofa at Buffy's and begin to wonder why no one came back the night before. Meanwhile Buffy wakes up naked after her night of passion next to Spike in the "wrecked" building. Buffy returns home to check Dawn is ok just as Willow and Amy return home from their night out chatting about the magic they were doing last night and then Willow goes for a nap. Later that day Amy suggests that she take Willow to a warlock named Rack because he can give them great spells that will last for days with hardly any "burn-out factor." When the two get to Rack's place he is enthralled by the amount of power he can feel coming off of Willow and then takes some of her magic before giving her and Amy what they came for. Amy spins around the room in a daze while Willow lies on the ceiling seeing weird colourful shapes and images (kinda like LSD!) until she suddenly falls and wakes up on the floor in her room back at Buffy's house. Willow goes for a shower and starts to cry and then when she comes out she does a spell to turn some of Tara's clothes into human form so that she can cuddle into them, clearly still very upset about Tara's departure. Later that night Willow suggests taking Dawn to the movies to make up for not being around the night before but on the way to the cinema Willow makes a detour to Rack's place in order to get another fix. A few hours later, Dawn is still waiting outside Rack's room while Willow continues her fix. Meanwhile Buffy catches Amy snooping around her house and forces her to tell her where Willow and Dawn are. Buffy goes to Spike's to find out where Rack's place is and Spike tells her that Rack is "dangerous" and the two set off looking. Willow eventually comes out of Rack's place and tries to head home with a now angry Dawn but a demon attacks them saying Willow summoned him. The two run away and get in a car that Willow drives using magic but they crash into a wall. Dawn gets out of the car with a broken arm, leaving Willow passed out in the driving seat, and is chased by the demon but Buffy arrives just in time and kills it. Buffy and Spike begin to help Dawn up as Willow staggers towards them with black eyes, still high from the magic. They leave Willow kneeling on the floor begging for Buffy to help her but Buffy gives her no sympathy and just tells her to "get up."Back at Buffy's house Willow apologises to Buffy and tells her she's going to give up magic and Buffy agrees to help her. Later that night Willow tosses and turns in bed as she suffers from withdrawal symptoms. 

Alyson Hannigan as Willow in Wrecked. 

Aside from the obvious drug metaphor, this is a very important turning point for Willow's character because magic has been at the centre of the season with Willow using dark magic to bring Buffy back from the dead at the beginning of the season and then Tara breaking up with her for using too much magic. But this is the first time that we as an audience see Willow really lose control and become addicted to dark magic in the same way that addicts become addicted to drugs. This is why several titles of the season such as Smashed, Wrecked and Gone are synonyms for being drunk and refer to Willow's addiction to magic. The episode also highlights Alyson Hannigan's abilities as an actress as one can empathise with what her character is going through and understand that her "magic" addiction is to some extent due to her heart break with Tara but also shows the severity of her actions and that both magic and drugs can have dangerous consequences. The rest of the season focusses on Willow's rehabilitation as she slowly tries to give up magic until Tara's death at the end of the season where Willow finally falls off the rails big time and goes apocalyptically evil.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed my top 6 'Buffy' metaphors whether you're a fan or if this is new to you, I hope this has given you some inspiration to watch because it's not as silly as some may think!

                                              Ginger Pixie

                                                                 xx 

Ginger Pixie Jams: Miss Saigon 2014: Review

Ginger Pixie Jams: Miss Saigon 2014: Review: The Heat is most definitely on... at the Prince Edward Theatre! I talk about my experience seeing Miss Saigon as a first time viewer and discuss everything from the historical setting of 1970s Vietnam, to the background of the show and of course a review of the incredible Cast and Crew. For anyone who is interested in seeing the show that won 9 'What'sOnStage' Awards last month and is nominated for a further two Olivier Awards then I welcome you to give it a read!

Miss Saigon 2014: Review

The Heat is most definitely on... at the Prince Edward Theatre!

Back in September I had the pleasure of seeing Cameron Macintosh's revival of Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre in London for my 21st. This review is tardy on my part but that is because it has taken me this long to gather my thoughts coherently enough to be able to discuss the night that I witnessed one of the most incredible productions I have ever seen. I understand that many people will not be fans of musical theatre and that is a different blog for another day. I myself am not a fan of the sickly-sweet High School Musicals or the Glees of the 21st Century but if you stick around to the end I would like to give you my opinion as a first-time viewer of Miss Saigon because what I have come to realise is that, it isn't your average musical! Typically with most shows you go to, there is already a preconception before you go of what theme or category the show fits into which is naturally why some people prefer light-hearted comedies and others the more sentimental love stories but what I've found is that it would be unfair of me to pigeonhole the show as a particular genre because the story and production was so gripping that I found myself overwhelmed with emotions. This in my opinion is not a bad thing but it is one of the first shows I've seen that has made me laugh just as much as it has made me cry and feel truly moved. I think that is why for many people Miss Saigon is a story that will entice you back again and again.

Background

One of the most compelling aspects of the show is undoubtably its story and setting. After the success of Les Miserables in 1985, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil set to work on adapting a new version of Puccini's Madame Butterfly, keeping a similarly tragic story but setting it in 1970s Saigon towards the end of the Vietnam War. It follows the story of an American GI, Chris, who begins an ill-fated romance with a Vietnamese bargirl called Kim who works for The Engineer, a sleazy guy who just wants to get out of the country and move on to bigger and better things. It is a story about love, sacrifice and doing what's best for your children at all costs in a country that was falling apart at the time and to me this is what makes the show so poignant and the anecdote so heart-rending.

 "That this show is in many ways a piece of history. That this fictional love story was someone else's reality nightmare. That real people experienced the same suffering in real life."

Myself and my boyfriend outside of the Prince Edward Theatre before the show.

This photo was the inspiration for Claude-Michel Schonberg 

to begin writing Miss Saigon. It features a Vietnamese woman

 handing over her child at Saigon airport.

 

NB: This photo is my own but all the others from the show were found on Google Images. I do not take credit for any of the photos in this blog.

Any extra information used in this blog was found in the Miss Saigon programme from August/September 2014 or from the (2006) documentary 'The Making of Miss Saigon.' 













Cast & Crew: Production Review
I was very nervous before seeing the show, having never seen the show before, the only thing I had to go by was listening to the original 1989 cast recording featuring Lea Salonga as the original Kim and Jonathan Pryce as the original Engineer. It wasn't that I thought it would be bad (by and large that is generally never the case with most West End productions), I was just concerned that the new cast wouldn't live up to Lea's performance, having won the Tony Award, to me she was perfect in the role and brought Kim to life and many feel the same way about Jonathan Pryce. 

Nevertheless, the minute the curtains opened it was clear to see that my concerns were insignificant. I actually had the unique experience of seeing two actresses play Kim. Eva Noblezada, the young 18 year old leading actress, began the show but was brought off in the interval due to illness. Saying that, I hadn't even noticed she was ill, her singing was perfect and maybe had a softer tone to her voice than Salonga but her chemistry with Alistair Brammer, who plays Chris, was very convincing. I think perhaps her real age brought a vulnerability and innocence to the part which is what is needed for Kim's character. The first time Eva sang was with the Filipino pop artist Rachelle Ann Go, who plays Gigi during Movie In My Mind. What can I say about this song? An incredible duet that gave me goosebumps! Rachelle Ann Go is one hell of a talent and definitely deserves the praise and awards she is receiving now. Kim was resumed in the second half by Eva's understudy Julia Abueva, which took a few moments to get used to but then once she started singing, I had forgotten the sudden change. Julia, I believe, was a bit older than Eva and her voice was pretty incredible with more of a quality that reminded me of Salonga's voice. In fact I would of loved to see Eva do the second act because if it was anything like Julia's performance it was phenomenal. As an actress she truly pulled you in at some of the deeper-more-emotional scenes, I had tears in my eyes watching her. Alistair Brammer as Chris was an incredible singer, possibly even topping the original for me. His performance of Why God Why? was just stunning, you could of heard a pin drop and his chemistry with both of the actresses who played Kim was on point. In fact watching him with Eva sing and play out the main love-songs Sun And Moon, Dju Vui Vai (The Wedding Song) and Last Night of The World was a joy to watch and at times very comical. 

Alistair Brammar as Chris with Eva Noblezada as Kim during Last Night Of The World.

Rachelle Ann Go as GiGi during Movie In My Mind. 

This review wouldn't do the show justice without mentioning another of its leading stars Jon Jon Briones. The incredible Filipino talent, who was actually in the original 1989 cast but as part of the Ensemble, took to the stage in May 2014 substituting Jonathan Pryce's famous role as The Engineer. He completely becomes the character, embracing the slightly cruder elements that have been introduced into the show with some funny innuendos and suggestive expressions. I should put out a small warning that due to the adult content of the show and the odd F-bomb that is thrown in here and there that the Miss Saigon booking website advises that the show is appropriate for children over 12 years who should be supervised and it is up to the parents discretion to gauge the maturity of their child.
Nevertheless I believe part of what makes this revival so good is that it is realistic in terms of trying to capture the chaotic atmosphere of Vietnam in the 1970s and Jon Jon Briones brings such colour and animation to the show that it is a sight to be seen. His finale performance of The American Dream can only be described as an extravaganza. Words fail to cover what a talent Briones is and the incredible depth he brought to a character who on first glance is not a likeable character was just magnificent. He plays the sleazy pimp with such passion and humour that it is impossible not to fall in love with him throughout the show and sympathise with the struggle he too is going through. It is a testament to him and to the show that just today Jon Jon Briones has been nominated for 'Best Actor in a Musical' along with Miss Saigon being nominated for 'Best Musical' at the Olivier awards and I am so glad that I got to witness these fine actors and actresses. Others who deserve a mention are Hugh Maynard as John, who gave such a beautiful and emotive performance of Bui Doi or "The Dust of Life" that there wasn't a dry eye in the house and made the audience feel for the poor Vietnamese children that never got to meet their estranged American fathers. Similarly the Korean artist Kwang-Ho Hong held such stage presence and brought so much passion to the role of Thuy whilst Tamsin Carrol proved to be a wonderful singer and she too brought new insight to the character of Ellen. Tamsin gave a great performance of Ellen's solo Maybe which was a new song for the revival replacing what use to be Now That I've Seen Her. I feel a little sympathy for Tamsin because her character Ellen, in terms of plot, goes against what you want as an audience yet I could still see what a quality vocalist she is and the new song allows for further understanding of her character. 

Current Engineer Jon Jon Briones (left) performs The American Dream with

original Engineer Jonathan Pryce (right) at the 25th Anniversary Gala of Miss Saigon.

Hugh Maynard as John during Bui Doi (The Dust of Life).

Aside from the main actors themselves was also the incredible choreography and singing from the Ensemble who really held the cast up and made the transition from scene to scene even more impressive particularly during some of the large-scale sequences such as The Morning of The Dragon, Kim's Nightmare and The American Dream. The crew and set designers also deserve a huge mention because without them one wouldn't have the wonderful fluidity and pizzazz that comes with changing sets so that you can go from the Dreamland bar in Saigon, to a senate meeting in Atlanta, to a busy bustling cosmopolitan Bangkok in a few seconds. And what kind of review would this be if I didn't mention the helicopter?! I don't want to give away too many spoilers for those of you who may not have seen it but lets just say in a legendary scene during Act 2 the audience witnesses one of the greatest stage stunts in creation. 

So I urge everyone reading this, whether you're a fan of the show, or whether you're a first time viewer like I was or even if you have never been to the theatre before; start with Miss Saigon and you won't regret it! There's a good reason the show won 9 What'sOnStage Awards' last month including 'Best West End Show' and I can't wait to see it again to be pulled into a world of colour, song and reality.

 I hope that the show stays running for many years to come so that everyone can share in the spectacle that is Miss Saigon. But until then I will leave you with the Miss Saigon 2014 Theatrical Trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lTV-da5Kw

This Blog was written by Ginger Pixie Jams a.k.a Alexandra Lewis.