Weekword

This week's weekword was provided by Emma and was "curiosities".

I am definitely a collector. Most people would use the word "hoarder" but I see myself as more of a connoisseur of the interesting and unusual. My most recent acquisition is a wooden puzzle toy from Prague which is a little bit like a Rubik's cube. I keep it on my desk and play with it idly when I am thinking.

My other favourite curiosity is an old porcelain skull which was made by a girl in my GCSE art class, Stephanie. She was making a skull for her final exam and the ceramics teacher dropped it when he took it out of the kiln and glued it back together for her, but she decided to make a second skull and gave me the old one. I keep this one at school and sometimes try to fool kids into believing it is real. Sometimes I even get away with it.

But the as soon as I saw the word this week it made me think about one thing.

(This is a photo of a not-very-good photo so it's not great, but you get the idea).

When I was 14 I went on a school trip to Venice, and we went on an excursion to the Murano glassworks, where I took this picture. I was fascinated by these glass bottles and spent some time staring at them, and looking at the picture when we got back. I just couldn't figure out what on earth they were! And this confusion lasted for years.

I now surmise they are oil and vinegar bottles, which had had the central bulbs filled with coloured sand to make a pretty display for visitors. I'm almost a bit sorry that they have such a dull purpose because I had thought up all sorts of stories.

If you want to participate in weekword then roll on over to Allie's blog on Monday, where the new word will be posted.