Oh no! How can I have missed a whole month of my blog and record of life at Bangor University? Well, it’s mostly about the fact that I need every moment I’m not eating, sleeping or performing bodily functions to work on Uni projects.
You see, I came late to the realisation that I have to initiate my work and mustn’t just wait to for it to be assigned. That long list of books we were given is there for a reason. So, about six weeks into the semester I realised that the majority of my knowledge was going to come with what I read myself and make notes on. Only a relatively small amount was going to come via lectures and seminars. I’m sure to most people that would be, as Basil Fawlty elegantly put it, a statement of the “bleedin’ obvious”. However, I’ve done two more essays since then with encouraging marks resulting so it looks like I’ve got the idea at last.
These Christmas ‘holidays’ have been anything but. Apart from enjoying some family time (and our new HD tv) I’ve been working on the world’s most tedious essay about why Britain industrialised earlier than Germany. I should be doing the finishing touches now, but any distraction is welcome. All that’s left is an essay about Charles V, a Welsh assignment and revision for four exams starting in 8 days. Take me now, Lord!
View of Moel Eilio from our living room on Christmas day
We’ve been a bit distracted by the snow up here at Trosgol – not that deep, but our drive became an impassible glassy slope which necessitated a commando raid on a roadside grit bin.
I’ve been reflecting on some of the blogs and Facebook updates I’ve seen and the general concensus seems to be negative about 2009. I can’t say I share that view and I’m optimistic about 2010 as well. I’m aware that I’m an incurable optimist but I’ve made six loopy, caring, space-cadet, supportive friends who are on the same courses at Bangor and they’ve taught me a lot. I’m loooking forward to Father Josh’s stories of a more eventful life of 20 years than mine of three times that number. I miss winding up Gary – mind you, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Quiet Joe’s radical politics stir me up; Rhonwen’s patience with me as I ask for yet another phrase in Welsh; Jen who gets so worked up about things and finally Neil Messerschmitt who pretends to be a Yid Army (Spurs supporters) hooligan hard man, but in reality is a completely kind softy (with an infinite capacity for beer). Incidentally, he had a tattoo of a verse from Psalm 23 in Welsh a week or so before Christmas – how cool is that!
I’ve decided on a New Year resolution: at least two blogs per month. We’ll see.
