Yet a promise can be really freaking scary. On Sunday I had to follow through with my promise that I would play the Ukulele and sing at the same time. Ah. Yes. Um.....what?! 

One of the many things I know about myself is that I am not really unrealistic when it comes to my talents and subsequently, I KNOW I CAN'T SING! I have also had this confirmed by my sister who for many a year would come and yell at me to shut up if I was singing in my bedroom. At the tender age of seven, this doesn't really bother you and you just continue to sing more loudly...but it does stick with you. And to be honest, I should be grateful. Hey I could have ended up as one of those deluded  types on X Factor who stands on stage screaming "Mum says I can sing! I know I can sing! What are you saying I sound like a tractor?! How can you do this to me!" That would just be tragic. 

I also am not very good at singing in front of people. If people are talking in the living room, I will sit there, playing my ukulele and singing to myself because I know that I am not the centre of attention and everyone is far more interested in their own conversations, but then the moment people start paying attention to me, I stop. As Laura can testify when she whipped out her camera and tried to film me and I promptly freaked out celebrity style. Even in primary school when I was probably the most confident I will ever be, when my piano teacher Mr Markham-Jones, told me I had to sing for the exam I got really nervous and once it took a whole lesson for him to try and coax me into singing - seriously one of the best and nicest teachers I have ever met. 

However, I had promised Andy I would. So with my sister's words ringing in my ears that's why I was sitting practically petrified in his apartment on Sunday evening. Then the world interfered. First, Andy was tuning his own ukulele and one of the strings snapped. Gods way of telling us that I really shouldn't sing. Cesar had taken his own ukulele to the beach so I had to go and get my own from my apartment - and in my mind, the entire time, I was thinking THIS IS CLEARLY A SIGN THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN!

Public apology to Andy as it took me a good hour to actually psych up the courage to sing. I kept playing the same chords over and over again and then not actually singing. He was so patient and he didn't seem to mind and he did tell me if I was really nervous I didn't have to do it, but I knew that I just needed to get it over and done with. Then when I did start to sing, two seconds in, Pierre opened the front door and all the spanish boys came back from the beach (I QUICKLY SHUT UP!). 

Cesar then saw we were playing the ukulele and he promptly sat down and wanted to play with us. It was very sweet of him but seeing as Andy didn't actually have a ukulele anymore I let him have mine and they played Somewhere Over the Rainbow. It was really sweet and very good - this was doing nothing to my confidence however, as I knew my rendition of whatever song was going to be AWFUL! When i finally plucked up the courage to perform, it was actually ok. I mucked up quite a few of the words (even though I know the song like the back of my hand) and I did the chorus first so as to just make me a bit more confident. After finishing, I promptly buried my head in Andy's shoulder and did not pick up the Ukulele again. He was so sweet about my singing but I think I always just have Becky's voice in my head screaming "SHUT UP!" sooooo........singing will never be a forte of mine :D. 

Last term, the apartment mates and me kept trying to go to the Bistro (posh restaurant on campus) and it never happened. So on Sunday I messaged them saying we had to make it happen. So on Monday, we all went out for a meal (+ Betty because she is one of our apartment as I have said countless times). It was really fun. The restaurant food is delicious and really good. I really want to take my parents there when they come but now thinking about it, Mum will probably think it is along dining hall standards and not want to go. I hope I can convince her otherwise!!!

It was a really fun night. It was quite hilarious because they give you chips and seaweed (you'll understand if you come. Oh and chips the american kind) on the table as a kind of thing you can pick at. Joanne and I seemed to share the same love for the seaweed (the kind that is wrapped around Sushi) whilst the others liked the chips. And then cheekily Catalina asked for more. Then our friend Jesus, who happened to be there at the same time as us, appeared to knock over a plant (he didn't but it was next to him so we joke that he did) and it poured soiled and water all over the floor. It began to seep under our table so we were moved - not before Catalina and Betty quickly grabbed whatever chips and seaweed we had left. When we got to the next table...they ordered more. It made us all giggle. Well, hey, we had been through a dramatic ordeal! Compensation, right?

Anyway, I hope my hopeless and clumsy life is still keeping you somewhat entertained! Till next time. 

x