The easy answer is of course straight into work, as soon as I can get into the industry in a well paid job.

The more complicated answer, is that I want to make my current part-time job a full-time job, save some money, visit countries all over the world, such as South Africa and America, get a flat in the middle of town with a cute little black pug, take weeks out of the year to party, go to gigs, go to festivals, all that good stuff.

I sometimes think I have unlikely dreams. By the time I’m 50, I want to be in Beverly Hills, living the life with the ladies from the hit TV show Real Housewives, sipping on a good SoCo and lemonade, and taking care of my family with the only cares in the world being my health and those around me. Not likely – right? But there are those doing that right now who will have been in my position a few decades ago. You’ve got to really want something to make it happen – something I’ve learned over the past few years.

Finally, a very happy birthday to my sister Georgia, who turns nine today. She’ll forever be my superstar. Love you, G!

This was my routine for a total of five days with a group of around 12, made up entirely of my friends and colleagues. “Good job Daniel, you’re almost ready to move up to the next level of skiing!” Ok, so I may have exaggerated a tad earlier with my ‘pro status’ – I was in the least able group out of all of those that we’d been assigned to, and we were sticking with some of the less challenging slopes available, but I’d certainly progressed from day one where I almost forgot to take some gloves with me to the slopes, so who cares?

Sierra Ski Resort, the place we’d chosen to spend our time had something to offer absolutely everybody, from newcomers like me to the seasoned skiing experts looking for something a little more daring.

Instructors with some of the greatest accents to ever grace my ears put all of us at ease right from the get go, and everybody was extremely patient whilst some of us struggled to get to grips immediately with what we were doing, making sure no-one would be left straggling behind of the pack. Value for money is something that the company felt a great need to deliver – and they sure as hell did their job. Not only that, but they truly immersed themselves with our groups. They didn’t just teach us then go home; they took the time to get to know each and every one of us and joined us for meals on regular occasions.

The five days went far too quickly, and I promised myself in that moment of rushing down the mountain that I would return one day for a longer period to experience the thrills once more.

For the final two days of my journey, I travelled to San Francisco where I was greeted with what I have been told was some of the snowiest weather they’d had that year, which unfortunately resulted in us being late for a bus and ferry ride to the infamous Alcatraz. I never did get to see the inside of the prison, and I remain to this very second bitterly disappointed!

Luckily we had other ideas for the rest of the day, and decided on doing something I’d wanted to do ever since I first saw the amazing piece of construction – we walked the Golden Gate Bridge.

“That water’s shark-infested” one of my companions told me. I didn’t doubt it for a second – it looked murky, deep and absolutely freezing cold. I certainly didn’t have any plans to go for a dip any time soon.

Hordes of excited people seemingly flocked to the bridge, just to walk across it and take photos with the grand structure, and I happily joined in, feeling like a child who was opening his first present on Christmas Day.

As the sun set, I looked out over the depths and caught a glimpse of Alcatraz. How strange, I thought to myself, that people now willingly go to this island bursting with excitement and wonder when just a short time ago, anyone going there thought that they would never see a way back (only two men were patrolled back out into the real world!), and were rarely given a chance to even speak to one another. How times change.

We made it to the other side  of the bridge slowly yet steadily, taking in every moment, then made our way back to our hotel for a quick rest before our final day before we had to go home. It had come far too quickly, and I was dreading the 12 hour journey.

With our last few hours, we did what most people love to do when they go on holiday – shop, shop, shop! Prices were cheap at the time, and I found myself in indulging in much more than was really necessary (did I REALLY need a Calvin Klein wallet?) Time flew, and before I knew it, it was time to depart.

I hate goodbyes, and this was one of the worst I’ve experienced, but I knew immediately that the trip as a whole would definitely stay with me forever. America was a mystery to me when I first set out on my adventure, but it now truly held a little piece of my heart which it will keep forever. I cannot wait to get back there again and experience just a chunk more of the multitude of things the country has to offer.

Photograph: The Guardian

There are no wands, wizards or magic here. Take yourself out of the world of fantasy for a moment and immerse yourself in this realistic, relatable and thoroughly enjoyable novel about relationships, social divides, and real-life issues.

Many have complained about The Casual Vacancy. “It’s no Harry Potter!” they’d claim, and they’re right. Thankfully, what J. K. Rowling manages to prove in her first novel aimed specifically at a more mature audience is that she is more than a mere one-trick pony.

Breaking all the rules of any typical novel, Rowling introduces an overload of characters, flipping from one to the next, chapter by chapter. I have to admit, I was a little confused, and hated the constant chopping and changing for the first hundred pages or so of the book, but it grew on me as the story went on, and I learned that it was absolutely necessary to slowly build up a personal reader relationship with each and every one of the characters involved. Throwing all their personal issues onto you right away just wouldn’t have worked.

Some people may not like to admit it, but somewhere in this book, within one or more characters which all display horrific traits with maybe one or two redeeming ones, you’ll find a little piece of yourself, and it’s probably not something you love about your personality. Jealousy, angst, cowardice: the list goes on and on.

The story is at times very close to the bone, but something that isn’t far at all from what could and does really go on in day-to-day life. It’s completely real, and for that it should be applauded.

If you’re unsure on whether or not you want to invest time into this novel, I’d suggest doing so, but only if you are willing to actually sit down and really mull over what you have just read. They’ll be pages you have to reread, because they’re at times confusing, but in the long run, it’s definitely worth it. Just don’t expect any miracles to happen.

Have you read The Casual Vacancy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below, or tweet me @Danarazzi!

It feels like just yesterday when I was sat in the X Factor studios, watching hopeful after hopeful go up on stage to audition for Simon Cowell and the rest of the judging panel. There were a couple of good contenders, but nobody really took my eye except for one young man named Aiden Grimshaw.

Aiden performed a total of three songs, including Britney Spear’s Toxic which he truly made his own, and he really reminded me on that day what music is all about.

What we have in Aiden Grimshaw is raw, vocal talent, and a great personality to match. He may have only lasted six weeks into the live X Factor finals, but he’s put in the work, time and effort to deliver an absolutely brilliant album with top-notch tracks Is This Love, Breathe Me and Curtain Call.

Four stars for the simple reason that the Britney Spears cover I so want to hear time and time again isn’t on the album. I’ll hold out hope for a spur of the moment performance by Aiden.

The Leaders of the Dreamers live by one motto.

We “Live Only To Die”, so

We “Live Out The Destiny”,

in “Life, Opportunity, Trust & Desire” because

We are the “Leaders Of The Dreamers”

This four-piece group, made up of Ronnie Eriic, Charlie Sky, Martez and Sayso all come from different walks of life, bringing together their unique accents and flows to create some brilliant tunes.

The music shown on their YouTube really displays some amazing talent. If you’re into your hip-hop, these four up and coming stars will surely appeal to you.

Brown Sugar, a recent song by Ronnie and Charlie discusses their love of hip-hop as if it were a female human being, going through the ups and downs of the genre and how their feelings towards it will never be snuffed out. The only criticism I have of this track is I feel it ends a little abruptly; it’d be nice if it went for maybe half a minute longer, but on the whole it’s something I will listen to time and time again.

They collaborate again on the track No Handouts, the one I actually heard first and which did a great job of drawing me in. It’s mellow music from the soul as lyrics are spat over a smooth beat; not something you’d immediately think would go well together, but prove you wrong in an instant.

Ronnie goes solo for his song Get UP, an energetic and inspiring plea with the listener to do something with their lives. The lyrics are simple but clever and extremely effective. I’m officially sold. This is exactly how the hip-hop industry should be, and I hope the goal of inspiring other similar artists to get themselves out there works.

Check out the Leaders of the Dreamers and some of their individual members using the links below. You won’t regret it!

Leaders of the Dreamers / 1 2 3

Ronnie Eriic / 1 2 3

Charlie Sky / 1 2

London-based singer-songwriter Benjamin Johnson is currently recording for his first E.P, due to be released at the end of 2012. With his latest single Everything, Benjamin hopes to drum up some hype and gain extra exposure before the big release.

His lyrics are powerful when linked with his tone and style which are undeniably unique, but not necessarily something I feel I would personally take the time out to listen to. The passion in his voice is clear, and he says of his own music: “Each track depicts a poignant moment during the year that I sacrificed my music for love. I want the audience to revisit that place where I was at when writing, feel what I was feeling, and go on that journey I took, which I hope many can relate to.”

His latest single, Everything is available free to download on Soundcloud and he tells me a new track is around the corner. Have a listen and judge for yourself.

It’s very rare that I find a relatively unknown artist and keep their music on a loop rather than listening once and tossing it aside, but Josiah Leming has been able to grab my attention with his latest single Love Me Or Not.

The 22 year old has managed to strike up a record deal with Warner Brothers Records and is currently chasing his dream of becoming a star. Music has always been this young man’s passion, proven by his drive from an early age to do it all. He taught himself to play a whole host of instruments and even dropped out of high school, selling all his possessions in order to start on the path to musical glory.

Seen on American Idol, but ultimately failing to make the live rounds was most likely a tough time, but a month after the show’s air date, he received an offer from Warner Brothers Records executives which he couldn’t refuse.

Now, here he is today with his latest catchy track detailing the chase of love (everybody can relate!) and the one question everybody wants answered when they’re crushing on that special someone – Love Me Or Not?

The song is nothing ground breaking, but Josiah certainly has a lovely, and at times unique voice which could truly see him make an impact on the musical world of today. Keep an eye on this one, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the coming months.

You can buy Josiah’s single Love Me Or Not now on iTunes, and get a free acoustic version of the song by signing up to his mailing list.

Adam Lambert may be ‘just’ the runner-up of one of the world’s most talked about talent shows, American Idol, but he is far from a second grade pop star. In his latest offering, Trespassing, he delivers one of the best male pop albums of all time, full of exciting dance tracks and a display of some show stopping vocal technique. Adam is not just a man who knows how to put a song together – he can actually sing too! No need for auto tune here.

I think the thing that really sets this album apart from the rest on the market right now is that it does something that nobody has done before. Adam does a brilliant job of blending a multitude of genres together and making them sound great. We have fun and quirky tracks (Trespassing, Cuckoo, Pop That Lock), but also heartfelt ballads (Better Than I Know Myself, Underneath), bringing back memories of how the public fell in love with the star during his time on Idol.

Adam has already achieved a lot in his time. During May of this year, he became the first openly gay male to achieve the number 1 spot on the American album charts, and he is currently touring as piece of arguably the world’s most iconic band, Queen. He seems set to pave the way for a whole new breed of pop star, and I’m all for it. He managed to peak at number 7 in the UK, and I can’t see him going anywhere fast in the near future. Long live Glambert.

Of course, this isn’t going to run smoothly, or the plot wouldn’t be at all exciting! Tally meets a new friend on one of her late night trips out named Shay, and, lo and behold, they share the same birthday! However, Shay has a completely different idea of what she wants to achieve before her sixteenth birthday.

Without revealing too much of the plot, you soon come to realise that Prettyville and those who live there may not be all that they’re cracked up to be, and one revelation takes our stories heroine by complete surprise.

With just the right mix of action, romance and surprise, the first novel in a set of four really does prove to be a belter, and one I would absolutely recommend to any young adult with some spare time on their hands. It not only entertains, but encourages the reader to take a step back and take a look at today’s world and the need to be ‘beautiful’ from a whole new perspective.

What is ugly? What is pretty? Just some of the questions you’ll ask yourself whilst starting on the first book from this series. Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy as soon as possible. You won’t regret it.

Credit: Yahoo AU

We’ve had tears, tantrums, laughter and at times absolutely mind boggling moments throughout the eight seasons of Desperate Housewives gifted to us by Marc Cherry, but if you’re one of those fans who have stuck by the show for its entire run, last night will have been one of the most emotionally charged television moments in history.

We had the result of Bree’s trial, Renee and Ben’s dream wedding, a pregnant Julie Mayer, a dying Mrs. McCluskey, a broken marriage we were all willing to work out, Gabby and Carlos’s guilty consciences and so much more, and it was all delivered absolutely perfectly. Nothing was predictable about this episode and everything was timed to perfection.

Not only were all our housewives loose ends tied up and dealt with, we also learned that Wisteria Lane would of course continue to develop and run around in circles when it comes to some neighbours keeping secrets. Not a hint at more seasons to come in the future as some might think, but simply a nod in the direction of keeping the street itself alive, whether our housewives will be there to see it unfold or not.

It’s been wild, and at times difficult to watch unfold, but it has certainly held a place in my heart and will forever be one of my favourite television shows to ever grace my screen. Thank you, Desperate Housewives.