Because I haven’t written here lately…
Blogging is a funny old thing: my desire to partake this funny old business comes and goes, like therapy, for example. (I’d like to stress that this is just an expression, not a common expression because I have just invented it now, and it doesn’t make much sense anyway, but the important thing is that at this time I am not consulting a professional for help.)
Back to the point, this post is nothing particulary insightful, but I thought I’d summarise some recent changes as the new University year dawns.
The transition from comfort and ease of homelife to the subcultural domain that is halls of residence is never an easy one, and many a student has gone through this process. But each one is different, with my “journey” coming in the form of five train journeys, three heavy bags, two pub quizzes and the obligatory freshers events.
I find myself caught between two worlds: the quirky, oft said to be “featureless” East Anglia and the Industrial heartland of Lancashire. I “experienced” the oddity that is village life and the cut-throat world of village politics (I’m not being sarcastic here) where just about the most interesting thing (except for the silly gossip and bitching that goes on) that happened was the re-tarmacking of the carpark.
Anyway, the summer was quite uneventful, but I did enjoy my last night in which there was a pub quiz at the local village club (which was called “quiz and chips” night, where everyone gets a portion of chips, but the one with a sausage in it wins a prize. I know, sounds dodgy.) These pub quizzes are dangerous entities, bringing out peoples competitive sides, destroying friendships, fracturing families… like Monopoly.
And yes, I was as bad. I said I’d be happy in the top three, but we came second, and that… hurt. We had a good team, with a mix of ages etc. However, on the night I didn’t put it quite so well, rather (talking to this middle-aged woman on my team that I didn’t know too well, who was very knowledgeable) said “We have a good team… last time i did a pub quiz we were too young” which obviously went down like a lead baloon. Honestly, I meant it as a complement - I cannot wait until I am older and have a greater wealth of knowldge and “wisdom”.
The next morning, 5 am, I was off, carting three heavy bags to the train station ready for a four-legged train journey, got to the station, looked at the moniter, train cancelled. Then a frantic rush to another train to make the changes in time to make further connections. As a very well-off nation, I fail to understand why we cannot have an organised rail network, whereas when I travelled through war-scarred eastern Europe for a month I only had one noticeably late train, for a faction of the price if you buy your ticket on the day.
Going into halls is like a box of chocolates; yer never know who yer gonna get. It’s a scary and odd process as no matter who you get, you have to work it out somehow. It’s a unique situation (well except for prison maybe) and it’s rewarding and frustrating at the same time, nevertheless worth a try.
Then, just the usual catching up with old faces and meeting new ones. I went to a really bad pub quiz last night (one round was soley about “herbs”?)
Anyway, I wouldn’t expect anyone to read this, I know I wouldn’t. I do know there are blogs even more tedious than this particular post. Oh, well, enjoy, I suppose. Better you than me…
Tags: blog, blogging, East Anglia, eastern europe, halls of residence, Lancashire, life, Norfolk, pub, pub quiz, rail, trains, university
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