That Awkward Moment: Embarrassing Dates at College

Ever been on that date where its all gone horribly wrong? Well some of our own students have told me about their humiliating hook ups below, anonymously of course!

Some these dates will make you cringe and some are so sweet you want to cry, but all of them are totally and utterly mortifying!

Anonymous:  I was asked out on a date by a guy who’d I’d been pretty flirty with for a while and really dressed up for the occasion. I was getting the train all the way from Chelmsford to Colchester and had paid the hefty train ticket so I was ready to have a good time. But when I arrived he had stood me up, to sleep with his ex-girlfriend!  So instead I went into Prezzo’s where we would have gone for a romantic meal and spent the voucher on my own.

Anonymous: I was going to my date’s house in the summer and I was wearing a cute summer top and white shorts. I was having a great time sitting in his garden eating strawberries with him and his family. Then when, his family went into the kitchen to get lunch ready I looked down and to my horror I saw a dark red stain at my crotch! I had come on my period in my white shorts! But by the time the parents got back we were both covered in red as my date had decided to have a strawberry fight to hide the stain for me. I borrowed a pair of his sister’s shorts and they never found out. It may have been a disastrous date, but it was saved by a brilliant plan!

kitchen to get lunch ready I looked down and to my horror I saw a dark red stain at my crotch! I had come on my period in my white shorts! But by the time the parents got back we were both covered in red as my date had decided to have a strawberry fight to hide the stain for me. I borrowed a pair of his sister’s shorts and they never found out. It may have been a disastrous date, but it was saved by a brilliant plan!

Anonymous: I was on my first ever date and we went on the classic trip to the cinema. It was all going well until when we got up to leave and my date tripped over, falling down about three stairs to land on his backside! I was so embarrassed. It got even worse when he went to kiss me when we left and I misunderstood and ended up shaking his hand. Needless to say we didn’t go on a second date.

After reading about all these shameful and sticky situations  I’m sure even some readers will have other embarrassing experiences to compare them to. The Independent released statistics about the most common date malfunctions on their blog recently. Have a look below to see if you’ve had the bad luck of any of these happening to you. 

 1. Got food stuck in teeth – 17%

2. Bumped into an ex -15%

3. Spilled a drink on date – 14%

4. Said something inappropriate/ offensive – 12%

5. Was stood up – 9%

6. Called date by the wrong name – 8%

7. Walked out of the toilet with flies down/dress tucked into underwear- 7%

8. Wardrobe malfunction – 4%

9. Saw parents whilst on the date- 3%

10. Fell asleep whilst on the date – 2%.

I can only hope that you may have better luck!

Gifts your boyfriend or girlfriend would really want

10 Gifts your Boyfriend Might Actually Want this Valentines

1) Mini Fridge
2) A Sandwich
3) Ferrari Experience Day
4) Guitar
5) Self-Stirring Mug
6) Inflatable Sumo Costume
7) Personalised Food
8) Theme Park Tickets
9) Some Cool Slippers
10) Vintage Arcade Machine

If all else fails buy yourself a grow your own boyfriend…

10 Gifts your Girlfriend Might Actually Want this Valentines

1) Relaxing Spa Day for 2
2) Chocolate Fountain
3) Hot Air Balloon Ride
4) One of your Hoodies
5) A Trip to Nandos
6) Breakfast in Bed
7) A Massage
8) A Lava Lamp
9) A Onesie
10) Tickets to see their Favourite Band

If all else fails buy yourself a sculpt your own girlfriend…

Top 10 worst chat up lines

Nothing like some cheesy chat up lines for cheesy guys to try and catch a girl’s attention.  Warning: These may have side effects of a broken heart and loneliness. As well as obesity from the comfort eating of valentines chocolates while hugging your cat watching ‘The Notebook.’

1. Was that an earthquake or did you just rock my world?

2. Are you a magnet? Cos I am attracted to you.

3. If I could rearrange the alphabet I would put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together.

4. Did you just fart? Cos you blew me away.

5. You must be tired because you’ve been running through my mind all day.

6. Hey I just realised, you look a lot like my next girlfriend.

7. Apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living?

8. Do you have sunburn, or are you always hot?

9. I’m not a photographer but I can picture us together.

10. Get your coat on. You’ve just pulled.

It’s not so bad to be alone…

Harriet Stevenson discusses how spending Valentines Day single won’t be so bad after all!

Okay, so you’re most likely to be counting the days down till Valentines Day, whether it is with excitement to have a special day to express just how much you care for your ‘loved one’, or you’re dreading February 14th – a day which seems to you to be made especially for wallowing in self pity!

However, it doesn’t have to be like that, if you are single this Valentines then who cares? Just make the most out of the day – turn it into a celebration; make it a day to treat yourself. You know, bake some biscuits and a cake; make them as weird and wacky (or a perfectly flawless) as you want!

Afterwards why not put a film or two on, but I wouldn’t put on a ‘lovey dovey’ film because let’s be honest that’s likely to get you down on a day such as this one! So watch a few action films instead, a bit of Batman, Spiderman or James Bond is sure to put you in a good mood or at least distract you for a couple of hours. On the other hand you might prefer to just watch back-to-back episodes of your favorite TV show, to make you laugh!

Whatever you do though, whether you go the day alone or with a few friends make it a day to remember and just have a good time!

Top 10 Chat Up Lines

Some people have it easy when it comes to  finding that special someone through their dashing looks or their flattering compliments. But for those who aren’t so lucky, here are the top 10 chat up lines that may (or may not) find you a date this Valentines Day.

10.  "You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy."
“Do you believe in love at first sight.. or should I walk by again?”
8. “Feel my t-shirt.. That’s boyfriend material.”
7. “Do you have a plaster? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you.”
6. “You’re so beautiful that you made me forget my pick-up line.”
5. “You’re like a parking ticket, you have fine written all over you.”
4. “I don’t have a library card, but do you mind if I check you out?”
3. “Hi I’m Doug—God spelled backwards with a little bit of you wrapped in it.”
2. “Touch my arm.. That’s what your future boyfriend feels like.”
1. “How much does a polar bear weigh? I don’t know either, but it broke the ice.”

By Molly-Rose Gosling

Cookie Love Hearts

We’ve all had the sweets Love Hearts, but with this recipe you can make the cookie version!

• Ingredients
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Royal Icing
• Gel-paste food colouring (such as leaf green, lemon yellow, peach, red, rose, and violet)

Directions
1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. With mixer running, add egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture gradually, beating until just incorporated. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into a disk, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in top third and lower third. Let 1 disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to just under 1/4-inch thickness, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch heart cutter, and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll out scraps once, and repeat. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. Freeze cookies until very firm, about 15 minutes.
3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through and switching from top to bottom, until edges turn golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.
4. Divide royal icing into 1/2-cup portions in small bowls. Tint each with a different gel-paste food colouring, starting with just a drop, mixing well, and adding more, drop by drop, to reach desired shade. Transfer 1 bowl of icing to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch round plain tip. Pipe the outline around edge of each cookie, then fill in with frosting. Poke air bubbles with a toothpick. Transfer decorated cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let stand uncovered overnight until dry.
5. Arrange stamp letters to create desired phrases. (We stamped LUV U, UR A QT, BFF, B MINE.) Fold a paper towel into quarters. Squeeze a small amount of red gel-paste food colouring onto a paper towel, and press stamp in colouring. (You may need to blot stamp a few times on a clean paper towel if colouring is too thick.) Lightly press stamp on top of icing in centre of each cookie. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes. Stamped cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

By Rebecca Knightsbridge

Valentine's Day Treats

How to make queen of hearts tarts


INGREDIENTS:

• 300g all-butter short crust pastry, thawed for 20 minutes,    
• Flour, for dusting.
• 8-12 tsp strawberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness. Use a 7-8cm heart cutter to stamp out 8 hearts, or a 5cm round plain cutter to stamp out 12 circles. Slide a palette knife under the pastry shapes and lower into the heart moulds or bun tin. Gently press the pastry around the edges.
2. Spoon 2 teaspoons jam into each heart and bake for 12 minutes, until the pastry is pale-golden (or spoon 1 teaspoon into each round tart and bake for 8 minutes). Carefully remove the tarts from the oven - the jam will be very, very hot so don't touch it! Cool for at least 30 minutes.
3. Once cooled, carefully lift the tarts from the tins using a palette knife. Eat straightaway, or keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 days.

How to make chocolate truffles

INGREDIENTS:

• 280g 70% cocoa solids
• 284ml pot double cream
• 50g unsalted butter

1. Chop the chocolate and tip into a large bowl. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point. Remove from heat, then pour over the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream together until you have a smooth mixture. Add any flavourings to the truffle mix at this stage (divide the mixture between bowls and mix in liqueurs or other flavourings, a tsp at a time, to taste. Try bourbon, Grand Marnier, coconut rum or the zest and juice of an orange), or leave plain. Cool and chill for at least 4 hrs.
2. To shape the truffles, dip a melon baller in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture, then drop the truffles onto greaseproof paper. Or lightly coat your hands in flavourless oil (such as sunflower) and roll the truffles between your palms. You could also use a piping bag to pipe rounds onto greaseproof paper.
3. Coat your truffles immediately after shaping. Tip toppings into a bowl and gently roll the truffles until evenly coated, then chill on greaseproof paper. Try: crushed, shelled pistachio nuts; lightly toasted desiccated coconut; or roll a truffle flavoured with orange zest and juice in cocoa powder. To coat in chocolate, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Melt 100g milk, dark or white chocolate for 10 truffles. Allow chocolate to cool slightly. With a fork, pick up one truffle at a time and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the chocolate over the truffle until well-coated. Place on the baking tray, then chill.
4. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight. To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon. Keep in the fridge until you're ready to give them.

Love makes the world go round

Love it or hate it Valentine’s Day is celebrated all around the world. Where we enjoy giving chocolates or heart shaped candy to each other, different countries have developed different traditions. Sure, we can be cliché but I’m certain I’m not the only one who would prefer a box of chocks to some of these. 

Here in the UK Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on the 14th of February. However, in Brazil they call it Dia das namaurados (Day of the enamoured) and this takes place on the 12th of June. Weeks leading up to this day young single women write the names of their crushes on slips of paper placing them in a box, on the 12th they take it in turns to select a name which indicates who they should marry.

However Brazil isn’t the only country that links Valentine’s Day to marriage. February 14th is a day where Men and Women in Hindu Balinese society undergo a ritual tooth filing once they’ve reached puberty (like in the picture above). In an elaborate ceremony over seen by a priest they file down their upper canines to the level of their incisors. They believe that by doing this it rids them from all evil and are now considered ready to marry. A painful ritual- but then again love is pain.

In rural Australia it’s not chocolate bon-bons that are the ways to a lover’s heart; its apples soaked in armpit sweat. Women single and married perform a ritual dance with slices of apple lodged under their armpits. After the dance each gives her piece to the man of their choice. The man will then eat it to show he accepts her. This gives a whole new meaning to being “the apple of my eye”.

Things really heat up in China around the fire, when the Dai people play an annual courtship ritual called “visiting girls”. Woman sit together around a bonfire while men carrying red blankets take it in turns, to wrap their red blanket around the one they chose and serenade her, if the woman likes the man she will take out a small stool from under her skirt and invite him to sit with her. 

Among the Kreug tribe in a remote region of Cambodia, parents build a “love hut” for their teenage daughters on Valentine’s Day. Different boys then spend a night in the hut with the girl-sometimes more than one in the same night- until she finds the one she wants to marry. Divorce is unheard of, so couples need to know what they’re getting into.

However not all countries have such strange and extreme customs. In Denmark a secret admirer guessing game called gaekkebred has been played for years. It is where boys and girls write cryptic love letters to each other, but instead of signing them with their name they sign it with a dot. The recipient then had to guess who the note was from, if guessed correctly they then get bought a prize, usually flowers or something sweet.  

Although people now often see Valentine’s Day as a ploy for manufacturers to make a heap load of money (which they do) it is clear that all around the world it is a unique occasion, and one of the most popular. It's a day of love, loyalty and gestures. Which is ironic as it is a day celebrating the death of a saint. Despite this it means something different to everyone and no matter what your opinion is it means something to all of us.

By Francesca Dando

Valentine's Day Planner

If you’re in a relationship...

Option One

A romantic day spent with your loved one.. If the weathers good this could include a picnic in castle park.. Or if the weather is not so good, a trip to the cinema to see one of the new romantic comedies coming out in time for V-Day: The Vow (with Channing Tatum ;)) or Like Crazy!

Option Two

If you are unlucky enough to be working on Valentines (or have a loved one that is), maybe a dinner out would be best suited? Choose from a wide range of restaurants sure to be doing Valentines discounts..Ask, La Tasca, Nandos, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut, Coco Cabana & many more!


Option Three

If you can financially afford it, a bit of time away would be a magical way to spend Valentines Day! A night in London, with a show, a trip on the London Eye!..ahh romance!

Option Four

A day in with your loved one.. Watching movies, cuddling up.. You know the drill. Just make sure nobody winds up feeling bad about themselves because they don’t look like Taylor Lautner or Megan Fox.. -_-

If you’re a single pringle...

Option One

Get all your single ladies together *cue Beyonce* and make a dive for the popcorn and everyones two favourite guys..BEN AND JERRY. I’m thinking lots of movies (rom coms or horrors, depending on your style), lots of food & lots of smiles! If you don’t have a man, why not dribble over Ashton Kutcher instead? ;)


Option Two

Since option one is relatively girl aimed, GUYS, (or girls).. What about a day spent paintballing with you buddies? £8.99 including lunch and 100 paintballs!


Option Three

Looking for a fun way to spend it with your friends? What about a day at Go Bananas! A fun way to spend the day, with all your friends! Definitely breaks the v-day blues!

Option Four

If you can afford it, take a pampering day with your friends, lots of deals this time of year! Recommending ‘Clarice House’ in Colchester, with 2 for 1 deals at the moment! If thats a little out of your price range, take a go with your girls, face packs, eyebrow plucking & makeovers! Ensure you have a date for next years Valentines Day!

Happy Valentine's to you all!

By Paisley-Rose Tedder

How to Survive Valentine's Day Alone

Valentine’s Day: A day filled with love and warmth for that special someone... Or simply a “singles awareness day”? Yes, that time of year is here again. The overly commercialised mush fest where everyone around you seems to be head over heels in love. You see them holding hands through town, you sigh at the heart shaped cards in the shop windows and the stuffed animals that say “I LOVE YOU!” Valentine’s day only adds to the growing feeling of loneliness in many of us, and the fact that there are approximately 2 billion singletons feeling the exact same way, does not help in the slightest. So, to stop you from resorting to digesting a whole freezer full of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream this holiday (and then complaining you’re fat and THAT’S the reason you’re single...) follow these simple steps on how to survive valentine’s day if you’re single and try to, dare I say it, have fun?

Be your own Valentine – when you wake up, go straight to the mirror and tell yourself you love you, because then at least someone does. Treat yourself to remind you that you are special, whether or not no one else sees it. Buy yourself a rose or some yummy chocolate, but not too much!

Share the love – at work there will be many couples parading their diamond bracelets, endless bouquets of roses or singing telegrams, but there will also be those who are like you, dateless. So, we say you show them some love and give the unlucky ones a chocolate too. BUT at all costs do not engage in conversation with them. They will only gush about their promise ring or their shock that their shnookums said they love you for the first time! These conversations are equal to those had in hell for many of those singletons. So try and bury yourself in your work so as to avoid that awkward question everyone asks, “Did you get any valentines cards?” (Sigh.)

Spend the night drinking martinis and watch some movies. Steer clear of the chick-flicks! Comedies, dramas and even horror movies would make a much better choice for the occasion. The last thing you want to do is cry over some silly movie that makes you wonder why you can't find a guy like the one in the movie! Try The Exorcist to put you off men for life.

Hit the clubs - What better way to celebrate your single-ness than going out and having some fun! Hit up the local bars to spice up the night. Not to mention that the alcohol will probably help you forget all about Valentine's Day. Chances are the majority of the people there will be single too. So who knows, maybe you will meet your next Valentine there!

Celebrate with friends - While your ‘taken’ friends are out with their other half, round up your single friends for a fun night. Just because you are single doesn't mean you have to spend the day or night alone!

The Morning After - It's February 15th. You can healthily resume all normal daily activities and safely leave Valentine’s Day behind you. Look, act, and feel your best -- Valentine's Day is over, and you now have a year to prepare for the next one! And with careful preparation, you won't spend it alone! After all, we don't enjoy wallowing, the only reason we hate Valentine's Day so badly is because we have no one to love it with!

So, this year instead of moping around on Valentine's Day, make it a day to recognize how great it is to be single. There are many different ways to make the holiday more exciting if you are single. It doesn't have to be a day designed only for couples anymore. Let it be a day to love yourself and have some fun....because those guys and girls out there don't know what they are missing!

By Vicky Golding and Abi Harley