The ballads (girls)

Next up in this years seemingly ballad-heavy Eurovision review are the girls. Girls with big lungs traditionally do well in Eurovision, remember this is the contest that "gave the world Celine Dion. There have been several high-scoring lady-ballads in recent years, most notably Serbia's Marija Šerifović winner in 2007...(a little more danced-up for the repeat performance)


Can 2011's ladies hit the right notes (ahem)...?

 

 

Switzerland/Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera – "In Love For a While" – Anna Rossinelli

This has a really cute plinky-plinky start, and the feel-good factor continues throughout. “I love everything about you” may not be 100% true about this song, but it’s near enough. There's an irrepressable urge to "La la la" along with her after the choruses. Beware the video has some dodgy stomping "dancing", which is not gonna attract her smiley violin/bass playing boyfriends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtlhYGVtZlk

 

 

Bulgaria/България – "Na inat" ("In spite") – Poli Genova

The Bulgarian P!nk with an angry ballad (though it looks like mum is on the keyboards) that is okay really. Depending on what is either side of it in the running order might make all the difference, because there’s nothing else really like it, and its all fairly well accomplished, though it doesn’t really leave you wanting more.
The video has power stations, police banging their riot shields and a dove trying to fly around in a cage (of course it gets released in the end). 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwH2VU7Vqss

 

 

Ukraine/Україна –"Angel" – Mika Newton

I think I like this just for the Ukrainian accent saying “I lurve yooo” and the rhyme “we are angels, we’re in danger”. All in all, one of the better ballads, though some of the high notes leave a lot of room for disaster in the live show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtfetx1u8I0

 

 

San Marino – "Stand By"- Senit

Okay, I’ll admit, the smaller the country, the more likely I am to fall in love, but this is a really beautiful song that makes me melt. Senit has got the “smize” down to a tee and her voice is just lovely. The accompanying video veers between godawful tourist promo and blissful black and white. The more I think about it, I just love this song actually! You just kind of have to forget that this is a country with a population smaller than Altrincham, Stretford or Fareham.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owh0pnNzh0Y

 

 

Lithuania/Lietuva - "C’est ma vie" – Evelina Sašenko

Full of bad lyrics, a plodding tune that is (admittedly) adequately sung by Evelina, this is very forgettable. That’s all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWsuBnfYQBw

A beautiful winter's day

The view from Platt Fields Park

Home & Away

My friend Natalie left Manchester today, and whilst it's not like I won't see her again, it was still one of those "goodbye" moments. It's kind of got me thinking about a lot of things, not least all the friends I've said goodbye to as they've left Manchester for one reason or another.

I've lived here for nearly 7 years now... in fact, the house I'm in now is very nearly the place I've spent longest in my life. As an 18 year-old applying to Uni, I guess I didn't really think about much other than A-level grades and where I'd be going out at night. And without thinking about it, this place has gradually become more than just somewhere I live, but somewhere I might consider home. Hell, I've started growing vegetables in my yard, and if that's not a sign of settling in I don't know what is!

But something Natalie said has sat with me this afternoon. Home is not a place, a house or your surroundings. It's where people you care about are.
Over the past few years I've said goodbye to a fair few people who made Manchester my home. I've waved goodbye to people like Steve, who I think about a lot (and luckily get to stay with in Seville every now and again) and Andrew, who is now a barrister.
In my final year of medical school, I made a fair few new friends, a lot forged in that time in Blackburn. Andy, Nick and Kath now work and live in Edinburgh, Devon & Leeds, whilst Rach lives in Liverpool. Lauren is back in Canada (soon to be Detroit) and Kat has travelled the globe.

I keep in touch with some of these better than others. And even with e-mail, Facebook and international roaming, there are plenty others whom I neglect.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that my "home" is pretty spread out. I can sit here, alone in my house now, but think of all those times where I've been elsewhere that felt like home: falling over in the Alameda de Hercules, sleeping under a desk in Sefton Park, singing Abba at 3am somewhere between Montreal and Ottowa, getting takeaway in Leeds... the list is long.

I don't know where I'll end up. Right now, it ranges from right here, to Sarajevo, Ljubljana or Malaga and right back to Southampton, Portsmouth and London. You know what? I wouldn't even rule out Blackburn!
So don't let me be a stranger... I might come knocking one day!

The Glamour of Sale Water Park

Lucy, Stacy & Jess glam up the sights in Sale.