10 ways to spot a liar

1) Too much or too little eye contact. Liars tend to avoid looking people in the eye, but if they are staring you down, they may be working hard at lying.

2) Liars will often talk a lot, about things completely unrelated to their lie, in an attempt to try and distract you/change the subject.

3) Over-emphasizes details. When people are trying to avoid telling the truth, they often pick some obscure point and talk about it a lot instead of focusing on the key issue.

4) Their shoulders will shrug ever so slightly. This is an indication that they are feeling anxious or unsure of themselves.

5) Answers questions not asked. Without even asking them a question, liars will defend themselves.

6) Dupers delight - some people will get so enthralled by telling the lie that they will often show this unintentionally, e.g. the corners of their mouths will turn up for a split second.

7) Listen for an echo. Liars will repeat your questions verbatim even though they clearly heard you the first time. As in “Are you lying to me?” “Am I lying to you?” You can end the conversation right there. You’ve got your answer.

8) Liars will often be so encapsulated by their lie and keeping their story straight that they will not be in control of the non-verbal cues, such as micro-expressions, that they are giving off. This is called a cognitive load.

9) A dishonest person is really careful with words. Listen for qualifying statements like, “As far as I remember”, and “if you really think about it”, or over-the-top denials.

10) Personal space is important to all of us, but liars like lots of it. If a person is slowly inching away from you or putting up physical barriers, like a purse or a glass, they may have something to hide.

Photo-A-Day: Day 9

Natural: The lake in the Villa Borghese park in Rome, where we rowed a boat.

So pretty! <3

Finished my exams!

I'm so happy right now! This is totally how I feel:

(Maybe I even danced like these guys...)

It just feels so good to be able to come home and do absolutely NOTHING, and not feel guilt about it. It calls for celebratory pancakes. HINT: Every occasion requires celebratory pancakes. I love cheese pancakes, mmm! I don't get why people think that it's weird.

Mmm! (SIDENOTE: How cool is the plate?!)

Photo-A-Day: Day 8

Lucky number: 8

Sick of revising...

I had my first mock exam of the year today, for Psychology. It went pretty well, I think. When I got home, I couldn't even take a break, because I have two more exams tomorrow. My brain hurts. I cannot possibly retain any more information. Hopefully I remember it all tomorrow.

Oh, Stitch. I totally understand. At least I have no more exams after that... until my finals! D:

Photo-A-Day: Day 7

Upside Down: The upside down version of the minion that chill inside the Printworks in Manchester.

Photo-A-Day: Day 6

Happens every day: sunset.

(This picture was taken on the balcony of our apartment in Rome. Every night, I would sit out there, writing. However, I could never concentrate because there was always this scary ass bird just STARING at me. It was so creepy.)

Photo-A-Day: Day 5

FOUND

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, two teenage girls went out, the thirst for adventure pounding in their veins. That's when they found it: an alleyway. It went against every instinct they had, but they went down the alley. It led to a massive and deserted field. The footpath carried on for miles.

The silence was eerie. The sound of their voices echoed around the land. One step after another, they kept going, arms tightly linked.

Then they saw it. A door.

Where could it lead? Narnia? Hell?

The two girls looked at each other, eyes wide. "Shall we go in?" one of them said. The other shook her head. "No. We might get killed."

So they kept walking. Never would they find out what was behind that door... or so they thought.

*BASED ON A TRUE STORY*

Interview with my 6 year old sister

Me: Hi B!
B: Hi.
Me: Tell me about yourself.
B: I'm 6 years old. And, um... [Long pause] I like pizza. Are you doing this for school or what?
Me: No, for my blog.
B: You are HILARIOUS.
Me: What do you wanna be when you grow up?
B: A doctor.
Me: Why?
B: Doctors get rich.
Me: Do you not care about helping people?
B: Well, I'd help people, and get a lot of money for my family.
Me: What else shall I ask you?
B: What food do I like? What drinks?
Me: Okay, B. What food and drink do you like?
B: Okay, I'll do drinks first. I like water. I like Vimto. And... I'm just gonna choose 3. I like... Apple juice.
Me: What about food?
B: My favourite foods are... pizza, macaroni and lasagne.
Me: Thanks, B. Do you wanna say anything else before we go?
B: [Thinks] Umm... No. All I like doing is playing X-Box, that's it.

Ahh. The youth these days. 6 years old, and already influenced by technology.

Photo-A-Day: Day 4

Words to live by: Live like you'll die tomorrow, dream like you'll live forever.

Photo-A-Day: Day 3

My town: Manchester Town Hall before the Christmas Lights Switch On back in November. The lights were turned on by The Vamps (dressed in animal onesies) and James Arthur. Other guests included Ashley and Pudsey from Britain's Got Talent, and the amazing horse puppet from War Horse.

Such an amazing night!

Photo-A-Day: Day 2

The letter 'G'... for 'guitar'. Here's a picture of Kurt, my guitar.

Photo-A-Day: Day 1

Lunch:

I know, very unhealthy! The perfect way to start the year ;D

My new year's resolutions

Happy new year everyone! I hope 2014 is such an amazing year for you all :)

My new year's resolutions:

1) Meet my grades to get into university.
2) Have one really great adventure.
3) Do yoga at least 3 times a week.
4) Travel more.
5) Throw a kickass 18th party.
6) Learn to drive.

What are yours? Tell me in the comments.

Places To Visit: Rome, Italy

I finally got to live my dream this summer and go to Rome. I've wanted to go ever since I was little. The apartment we rented was right next to the Coliseum - the first time I saw it was an amazing moment.

Here's a list of things to do if you ever visit the Eternal City:

1) Enjoy the local cuisine. There was a quaint little restaurant near our apartment - the spaghetti I had there was probably the best food I've ever tasted in my life. The ice cream is good, too, but be warned - it's expensive!

2) See the Trevi Fountain. The best time to go is at night, because the water is illuminated with little lights. It's so beautiful! Whenever you go, it'll be packed. Don't forget to make a wish - use your right hand to throw the coin over your left shoulder for it to come true.

3) Visit the Villa Borghese - the park is the perfect place to take pictures, and you can rent a boat in the lake. Very romantic!

4) Visit the Coliseum. The queues are very long, but it's definitely worth it! The Roman amphitheatre is an amazing sight. You can just imagine what it was like all those thousands of years ago.

5) See the Vatican. Again, expect long queues, but how else are you going to see the Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo's intricate paintings all over it? Definitely worth a visit.

Of course, there's much more! Have you ever been to Rome? Or would you like to go? Tell me in the comments.

My favourite TV programmes

1) Pretty Little Liars - I love the suspense. Is he/she A, or are the producers lying to us (again)? Only time will tell.

2) The Vampire Diaries. Oh, Damon, how amazing you are! I loved you from the very first episode. But Stefan is getting better, now that he's slightly badass! Nina Dobrev has her hands full though - two main characters (and maybe more...)

Enjoy this... Sit back and enjoy.

3) Criminal Minds. Okay, MAYBE I've only watched the first episode, but it was AMAZING. And since I wanna be a forensic psychologist when I'm older, it's the perfect show for me.

4) Teen Wolf. I love Colton Haynes!

5) Awkward. Jenna, I totally understand your problems. Well, some of them.

Photo-a-day

I just found this photo on fatmumslim.com.au - I thought it was such a great idea! Taking a photo every day in January would be a perfect way to remember 2014 in years to come.

Got a blog/Facebook/Instagram? Why don't you do it, too?

What I would tell a 7 year old me

Dear 7 year old me,

Hey there! I'm from the future. Yes, really. Don't freak out, it's okay. I'm here to give you some advice that I hope will help you.

1) Make an attempt to learn your mother tongue. Arabic is a beautiful language, and you won't really know it in 10 years time unless you do.

2) Pester Mum and Dad to get you piano lessons. Or guitar lessons, so 10 years from now, you'll be a master at said instrument.

3) Enjoy life. Keep dressing up in cute princess dresses and dancing around the house in the middle of the night (which is probably around 10pm...) You're only young once, mini me.

4) Stop trying so hard to get people to like you. You're amazing just as you are. Don't change for anyone.

With love,
You, in 10 years time

What would you tell yourself? 

The worst movie I've ever seen

Let's see if you can guess. Stars Kate Winslet, Anna Faris, Kieran Culkin, Emma Stone, Gerard Butler (as a leprechaun), and many more. According to Rotten Tomatoes, only 4% of critics liked it.

Do you know it?

ANSWER: Movie 43.

Why? The humour was... how to put it? NOT FUNNY. Intentionally offensive and provocative at many points, downright bizarre at others. With a cast like that, and Elizabeth Banks as the director, you'd think it would be better. It had the potential to be an amazing film, but it fell short. Like, a few hundred meters short. Some sketches were funny, albeit not many.

MY RATING: 1/10
VERDICT: If you haven't already seen it, don't ever watch it. For your own good...

Fact Of Life #1: Ultimate mind block

Whenever someone asks you to say three facts about yourself - on the first day of school or a new job, etc - it's harder than you imagine. Your mind just goes totally blank, as you think, "Who am I? What is my life?" You cannot remember anything about yourself, never mind anything  remotely interesting.

Normally results in momentary embarrassment, which subsides after a few minutes of red cheeked self-annoyance. Which is usually when you think of something you could have said.