Graduation....yes..GRADUATION!!!!! :O

Wow...just...wow

Graduation is one of those moments in one’s life where you life flashes before your eyes and you can’t believe you’re where you are...graduating...University life over...student accommodation gone...studying over...

Such a bitter sweet moment!!!

For the most part it is a sense of pride in that you achieved a goal that you have been working towards for the past 3 years...or depending on your perspective, your whole life thus far! There’s also a quiet but very strong sense of community with the people graduating with you...the people who know exactly what it cost to get where we are and also with those who taught us! It’s like you suddenly become part of a secret society and there is nothing and nobody who will be able to take your degree away from you!

Also wanted to add how proud I am of all my friends, studying and graduating with them was an honour J

I spent the whole year telling myself over and over that no matter what happened this year, I would graduate!! And I would do my absolute best to get a 1^st! I was, however, happy to accept a 2.1 too...so I fought and fought even when some days were crushing me down mercilessly! But friends and family always helped – always made sure I didn’t lose sight of my end goal!!

I achieved my Upper Class 2.1 (which is fancy for a high 2.1) and I graduated on the 20^th July

2011 !!!!! :D

This was the moment I had been dreaming about and working endlessly to get to.

The absolute best part of it was having my mom and dad there...it literally would not have been the same without them there. Knowing I made them so proud and that they were well aware of my blood sweat and tears over the last 3 years, was the most wonderful and engulfing feeling, which I couldn’t have been able to imagine before.

Oh My God!!! And have I mentioned the exquisite feeling of wearing the graduation robes and hat?!?!?!?!    A-Frikkin-MAZING!! If I could’ve taken it home I would definitely have ended up wearing it once in a blue moon when I thought nobody would be watching and I would be a secret loser for a day...something like how every women wants to try on a wedding dress and just wear it for a day just for the fun of it!!! Hahahaha....

This probably all sounds so typical and cliché but it is one of those things you’re definitely going to have to experience for yourselves :D

SO NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR GOALS!!!!! When you achieve them......its UNBELIEVABLE!!! :D

Scouting for Flats

This has been one of the most interesting – hardest! – experiences in my life so far, and I’ve been through my fair share! So let me start from the beginning...

My student halls contract finished Saturday 25^th June, usually this means that I move all my stuff back to my dad’s place. Well this year is different for several reasons:

1 – My dad moved back to South Africa in November 2010
3 – This is my 3^rd year, so I’ve finished Uni and will not be coming back here and can’t live there any longer as I am not a student and the rooms are all booked for the summer.

This means that I had to search for a house/flat share which was decently priced, with decent people, in a decent location, near a station so I can travel to work, in London (preferably South West as this is where my mom, boyfriend and friends live) and with a room big enough to fit all my life’s stuff as I had to take what I wanted from my dad’s place and throw ridiculous amounts of things again. If you’re asking the question of why I don’t simply go and live with my mom instead, well the answer is simple – she is also a student at University living in student halls with the same room and with the same budget as any other student. Therefore, as you can see...I couldn’t be homeless so I had to find somewhere, and fast!!!!

I have been working as a student ambassador for a school as an Assistant Teacher full-time from 8:30am ‘till 2:50pm, so when I was not working I was rushing around trying to call people for viewings of their available rooms, which meant travelling to unknown places, getting lost and 90% of the time it was a waste of my time and energy as the flats were a complete nightmare!!! I can’t even begin to describe some of them....I’ll try!!

One of them was in South Wimbledon, the area seemed nice enough, this place was asking for £80 p/w so I wasn’t expecting what I saw!!! Me and my boyfriend went into this flat...and the minute I was in there I wanted to just run run run and RUN !!!! My instincts were telling me to just get out of there as fast as I could!! But I had arranged a viewing so I couldn’t just walk in and leave!! I didn’t touch anything as this place looked like some kind of crack house (this may actually be too good a description for it!!). Everything was broken down, dirty, smelly – it seriously looked like it could be in a scary movie where they kidnap people and cut their limbs off one by one while still remaining alive, and doing it with dirty utensils too, and those inflicting the torture are on heavy drugs surrounded by prostitutes!!! It was hell. I would have preferred to be homeless than staying there for a second!! I am the type of person who really doesn’t like to spit on the floor outside, I think its nasty, but when I left that place I kept spitting coz I felt like the air I had been breathing was dirty!!! I got home and immediately had a shower and had nightmares about it!!!

(This picture is meant to depict nightmare houses/flats J )

There was another flat which in itself was quite nice, the room was huge with a nice new double bed – it was in Stockwell. However, the guy was very scary. He already spoke quite aggressively even when we were asking usual questions during a viewing!! He had an amazing deal on offer which was £280 a month!!! Which for the size of the room and the flat in general was amazing. There is supposed to be another person there, but the deal was that as soon as I moved in he would move back to America and another girl would move in which I would interview. This all sounds alright, doesn’t it? But then he asked if I smoked, I said yes, he said he doesn’t want any smokers. I said I of course would not smoke in the house, it is not a problem for me at all, but he said he didn’t want me walking out the door to have a smoke either, because if I did, people would know his business, and start talking!! I said..no, they wouldn’t! All they would see is just a girl going outside, having a smoke and going back in the house!!! I said to him that that sounded quite shady! Then my boyfriend and I started noticing things....like the windows were all covered with a black material so they nobody could look in and he also told me not to open my bedroom window either because in his words ‘people are strange around here’. Then it occurred to me, that if I did move in, he probably wouldn’t get another girl to stay, he would probably stay...and my instincts were telling me that this guy was dangerous...what if I ended up living with a rapist?? According to him he thought the perfect tenant was someone who left for work early in the morning, came back in the evening and didn’t go out anymore or at any other time!! The whole situation was scary and plain shady!!!

I have several examples of terrible places. Now..for the good examples. There was one which was in Tooting Broadway which was £260 a month including everything!!! It was a double room, good size, but the kitchen was like a cubicle, the tenants weren’t very clean and there was no living area or table so people ate on the stairs. But still....if worse came to worse...well..beggars aren’t choosers, right?

The other was, which was the one I was very very nearly about to take was from a Portuguese landlady which was already a plus, the room was enormous, and this was in Streatham and it was £90 a week including everything. The kitchen was very nice, the bathroom was small but its ok, and there was another room smaller one, which would be taken up by another girl if I lived there. The bigger room (they were both the same price somehow?!) which is obviously the one I wanted had nothing in there except a shelf and a couch, she said she would get a double bed in and whatever else I needed (bed side table, desk etc). This was all great, so one evening I went back there to secure the room, with my mom and my boyfriend, and my mom asked if there was a contract and she said no..it was all a case of trust (which btw, sounds fishy already) so my mom didn’t want me to take it, and I asked her about the bed and a desk she said she would move the bed from the other room instead of getting a new one like she promised and she said for me to get a desk as then it would belong to me which would be better. This is already breaking the so called trust she was talking about as she was changing her story. But the main problem was the no contract thing....if after my jobs at the University finish in September, I can’t get a job, and can’t go home to my parents and can’t pay for my rent and will therefore be homeless, then I will need to apply for benefits, which can only be provided if there is a contract. I’m hoping it won’t get to that, but if it does, at least I have a plan B!!! It’s all about survival at the end of the day.

Finally, just before I was about to secure the room with this Portuguese lady after seeing the other hellholes, she asked me to give her more time as she was going to speak to people she knew and try and find a safer, better, closer place. At this point I was utterly desperate to find a place as I had 3/4  days before getting kicked out of halls!!! Plus I still had to pack all my stuff in my room which I hadn’t been able to do as I was working and looking for flats 24/7 and still move out with only my mom’s small car!!! Anyway, my wonderful mom pulled through for me, and got me 2 viewings at places of people who actually work for her University and they’re right near where she lives and she knows the ladies too. One of them was ok and the other one was amazing. It’s a good price, lovely house, lovely people and lovely area, 6 mins walk from the station and its a 10min bus away from my mom and my boyfriend instead of an hour away like before!! My bf and my mom spent the whole evening Friday and all the way until 9am in the morning moving all my stuff to the new house, it was a terrible night, and we still had to go back one last time during the day Saturday to pick up one last thing. But it is all now in the new room, my room looks like a storage room at this point, so I haven’t even slept there yet as it’s full of stuff!! But my mom and I every evening after work are going to work through unpacking everything, and trying to throw stuff away as I HAVE GOT to be able to travel light!! It’s too much of a nightmare this way!!!

Overall, difficult, insightful experience and I would simply not have been able to do it without my mom and my boyfriend. Simply impossible.

If you ever have to do this – GOOD LUCK!! SERIOUSLY!!!

~Portugal~

Yes…so I travelled again J I can in no way afford it but decided to go back to Portugal once again. It was a sort of reward after my exams having been finished, and we went there for 9 days. I stayed in Porto for 4 days with an old friend from school who goes to Porto University; then I went to Caldas da Rainha for 3 days to stay with my aunt, uncle and cousins ; it is a beautiful place but it did take us 4 hours straight on a bus from Porto to Caldas..which wasn’t exactly fun; then I went to Lisbon for 2 days with my cousin who also goes to University in Lisbon. Generally the whole experience was obviously fun but it did have its ups and downs..as does everything in life.

I still can’t believe it, but on my first night in Porto, Portugal, I went to dinner with my bf and my friends after a very long day of travelling and sightseeing etc, so during a nice calm evening having a meal..a typical white trash family came into the café and after a ridiculous misunderstanding, I was thrown a glass bottle of Coke!!!! It hit my stomach so hard it broke into pieces !!!! Yet..somehow…miraculously..I was not cut, it just felt tender where I was hit but that was it!! Perhaps all those sit ups paid off afterall, hey???? Hahahaha

Anyway…one of the other reasons I went there was because of (a long story) but when me and my family left Portugal we left our stuff in a storage warehouse which has been left there for 6 years!! I have been completely adamant for years that we would recover our stuff mainly because about 20 albums with pictures of our entire lives were in there, and they could have easily thrown everything away a very long time ago. You see…I have been begging my mom and dad to sort this problem out for a long time..but they did nothing, and the same goes for my sister, but I decided that no matter what happens, I will get those albums back!!! So..even though I definitely could not afford the trip or the 500 euros it cost me to be allowed to take just the photos and not everything (which is what they wanted), I had to do it anyway, and salvage something that if I didn’t, I would regret it forever.

Therefore, my mission was accomplished. I have given a very cut down version of this story, as all in all it was extremely stressful and if I remember it all, it will just make me feel frustrated and realise just how messed around I was by everyone for being a 20 year old girl who people think they can bull****.

Taking that out, the trip was great…weather was 50/50, when it was hot it was incredible!!! But the rain and wind wasn’t so much fun…

Ok, the points of the day are:

- If there is something you want to do – DO IT !!! No matter how hard/impossible it seems – YOU CAN DO IT!!!

- Even if you find you can’t really afford it, I would recommend for you to try and travel as much as you can and are able to, while you are at University as not only are they fun as you can include a lot of friends but you get to slowly see the world before you become a hard-working, long-hours professional!!

So far this year..in my very poor state, I have managed Amsterdam, Paris and Portugal and next month South Africa (however dad did pay for that seeing as he lives there now) and I hope to go to Ireland before the end of the year as that way I would complete my self-journey (Will discuss in later blog..but for now you can know that I have Portuguese, South African, Dutch, Irish and French bloodJ )

I’ve kept this brief..as I am at work, but on my next blog I will talk about jobs and opportunities to be found at University!!!

BYEEE J

Exams..End of Year

It is times like these that I really start to realise just how fast time flies!!! I mean seriously..this year passed to quickly, I feel like I just started my 3^rd year a few days ago..and here I am..sitting in my room, with less than 2 weeks left before I move out  of student accommodation with all my coursework finished and all my exams done and dusted about a month ago already!!! It’s unbelievable!! I think that I am young (which I am..20 years old..but 21 next week WOOO J) yet before I know I will be 30..then 40..then 50..hopefully J It just reminds me that I don’t want to waste time and I need to get going and get stuff done before my life flies before my eyes. Not to be dramatic or depressing, it’s just reality.

In terms of coursework, I mean I understand that every degree is hard and people seriously underestimate University students by thinking that all we do is hang out and go out partying, its hard work and some have even said its harder than when they were working! But anyway, my particular degree seemed to have much more coursework than that of a lot of my friends. In March which was when my dissertation was due..I had 6 pieces of coursework to give in, but that was in the space of like 2 weeks !!! It is unbelievable to me that we had to focus on 5 other pieces of coursework while trying to finish our dissertation. Surely we should finish all other coursework and then simply focus on dissertation?! That would make more sense right? Seeing as it is so important and it is something that employers are going to be asking us about therefore it has to be relatively good! In any case, I got it all done somehow..which still feels like I didn’t! Feels like I still have stuff to do which I have forgotten about. But thats probably because I still have so much going on in my life.

In terms of exams, at least I only had 2, which were 3 days apart and which included a 5000 word portfolio worth 90% on the day of my first exam – Friday 13^th!! Great!! But I feel quite positive about them...I’m literally just waiting for both those grades now. I still cannot believe I have finished University.

I found out that my graduation date will be on the 20^th July at 6.15pm !!! That’s crazy, I’m super surprised that it’s so late, but oh well I just want to graduate!!! The whole graduation process is a business..and I’m sure they earn quite a nice profit. I have spent quite a bit of money on graduation tickets, the gown, hat and photographs, which I had to save up for! But I only graduate once, so I might as well do it right, don’t you think? Just the other day I was 18 and leaving my dad’s place to move into my uni room and crying my eyes out thinking I wasn’t ready for Uni – felt like I was too young to be moving out, and here I am, nearly 21 years old about to graduate and facing much bigger and harder problems which I will share in a later blog.

So Conclusion:

- Life flies by so make sure you enjoy it
- Life is hard so make sure you stay strong, wise and don’t let people mess you around
- University life is great so enjoy every second of it and don’t take it for granted
- Hard work pays off
- If you think Uni is hard, wait till you finish ;)

-GOOD LUCK J

PARIS

Oh.my.goodness. I am in love with Paris!!!! It’s actually amazing...I don’t understand how so many people have told me that Paris is ‘ok’ there is nothing just ‘ok about Paris!!!! My boyfriend and I went there from the 2^nd to 3^rd May. Ok..so..maybe that wasn’t the best time to go...it turned out that I didn’t actually manage to finish my last assignment in advance which I thought would prevent me from enjoying the trip..but no no...I managed somehow :D In addition, I also had my first exam the next week (Friday 13^th) as well as my last assignment due. But I will talk about my exams in my next blog ;)

The first day was super tiring...I mean...we had slept 3 hours before the flight and it wasn’t a deep sleep at all...you know what its like sleeping during the day...and the excitement doesn’t let you sleep either!! So our flight was at 6am so we had to be there at 4am but leave the house at 1am to get the EasyBus at 2pm at Victoria coach station...we got to Paris at 7am our time but 8am Paris time. We got to our Oops! hostel in Avenue des Gobelins but turns out we couldn’t be in our room from 11am until 4pm !!!!!!! HOW CRAZY IS THAT ?!?!? You pay for a room but you can’t be in it for most of the day!! Its ridiculous...turns out its because they have to clean the rooms..but seriously...5 hours?? Its not that big a hostel...perhaps they only have one cleaner?? I don’t know..in any case..we didn’t wanna be in the room all day...but on the first day we desperately needed a nap!!!

But anyway...we began by just walking around...the houses/flats everywhere in Paris are just gorgeous and SO CUTE they all have these really cute balconies that make everything look so romantic !!! And the underground is great..super old school!!! Apparently the first underground ever made was in Paris which then I guess London copied and managed to make some improvements and modernise them a bit. Anyway....we went on a free tour with a lady telling us all about the history of Paris..but we gave up half way because we simply couldn’t walk anymore and decided to go on those bus tours...you know the ones that are open on top?? Yeah..hilarious I know..super tourist style!!

Afterwards we decided to have some lunch and then we went to the Eiffel Tower...we didn’t go to the top this day...we just wanted to see the lights!! So we got there at 8pm, nothing happened..so we waited another hour and at 9pm the Eiffel Tower started glowing as they turned on these orangey lights..and in another hours time at 10pm it started sparkling!!!! Most beautiful thing I have ever seen...I just couldn’t get my eyes off it...its a definite WOW moment for sure!! On the way we saw a couple that we had seen at the very beginning of the day which were pretty awesome so we decided to have a drink with them as we were staying on the same road somehow!!! The drinks were simply extortionate I don’t know how anyone gets drunk in Paris without spending hundreds of euros!!! The gin and tonic had to be paid separately, and the guy’s Jack Daniels was like 8 euros for only about 0.25mls!!! My rose was 4 euros which wasn’t too bad.  We then ran back to the hostel which we were sharing with 2 Canadian girls who were quite nice and not rock’n’roll people so we were all able to have a peaceful sleep.

We woke up at 8am sharp..had some breakfast at the hostel which of course included the infamous Croissants and headed off to see as many famous sights as possible. First of all we wanted to climb the Eiffel Tower this time!!! We ended up waiting in a huge queue for about an hour ½ and the scariest part is going up in the lift coz you can see everything outside and yes the view is amazing but I think seeing the Eiffel Tower from the outside is much more breath taking. We saw the Notre Dame which was AMAZING!!! The details of the architecture are unbelievable and on the inside there is such a great atmosphere!! We then decided to go on a 12 Euro boat tour on the River Seine which I really loved..it gave us historic details of over 30 bridges including one bridge which represents their friendship with Russia and another one representing their friendship with Egypt etc including the oldest bridge which has the drunk faces of over 300 people from centuries ago which was great!!!!

Afterwards we went to see the Arc de Triomphe which was beautiful and then walked down the famous Avenue Des Champs Élysées which is basically the Oxford Street of Paris but the paths and roads are much wider which is really nice. Nearly at the end of the avenue we also saw the Grand Palais where we saw by a huge ‘lake’ which isn’t really a lake but I don’t know what to call it J After this we decided to go back to the Eiffel Tower and find somewhere to eat there that wasn’t too expensive!!! FOOD IS A RIP OFF IN PARIS!!! But in this pub like place the food was great and at a fairly decent price and then we went to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle again :D then we had a drink – warm wine – which I think in England is called mulled wine which was really tasty and got me a bit tipsy!!! Then we rushed BACK to the Eiffel Tower and lay on the grass with a perfect view and stayed there for quite a while...so we decided to stay for the next sparkling time!!! The Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour at night like church bells except its just at night and we saw it at 10pm, 11pm and 12pm because it is JUST THAT FRIGGIN AMAZING!!!!!! :D

We then had to run back to the hostel because the underground stopped working at 1.30am. The next day was our last day...we had pre-paid tickets for the Louvre. I must say I was a little disappointed...its just a museum..like any other museum...so I think it is a bit overrated. However I did see Mona Lisa and Aphrodite – Venus de Milo and a sculpture of Mary Magdalene they were all great but its just too big and apparently if you spend one minute looking at each painting/sculpture it will take you 4 months :O !!! Insane right?!?!

Anyway we left after ¾ hours and decided to lay down on the grass as it was a beautiful hot day and we actually fell asleep..I PASSED OUT..literally my bf was talking to me and calling out my name and nothing was waking me up hahaha nothing like a nap in the sun..Siesta time for me :D Anyway..we had to make our way to the airport Paris Charles De Gaulles and our flight was 2 hours delayed so we waited in the airport 5 hours playing hangman and Battle of the Ships which was pretty fun and then because the flight was delayed we couldn’t get on the EasyBus to Victoria coach station so we had to pay AGAIN for the bus (£15) and then a cab from there to my place which was £25!! The whole trip back was stressful and not so cool...but hey the experience was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!

My goal is to live and/or work there for at least 6 months at some point in my life because its just stunning :D I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE !!!!! Just make sure u eat mcdonalds coz restaurants are a bit of a piss take tbh.

Anyway....I have blabbered on for long enough!!!! Pardonnez moi!!!

AU REVOIR!!!!!! :))))))

THE DISSERTATION ATTACK

Dissertation. This single word seems to be enough to explain everything I feel when I say it or read it. But I think it is something that only those who have done a dissertation can completely understand. In a way, I’m glad to have been a part of something that students go through all over the world. We all feel each other’s pain; we’re on the same wavelength and for once, everyone agrees on one thing:  it is an exhausting process that for several months on end, takes over your life completely, and everytime you panic and have a sort of break down, you just know you have to pick yourself back up again and keep going because...well...you have no choice if you want to finish your degree. We all use words such as: Chapters, Abstract, Methodology, Research Philosophy, Key Findings, SPSS software, Ackowledgements, and the fine details of Harvard Referencing. I feel this unites us. This first picture is perfect and its actually a question I had to keep asking myself, and I had to keep reminding myself that I WANT A GOOD DEGREE!! I WANT TO GRADUATE!! I WANT TO WEAR THAT GOWN!! I WANT AT LEAST A 2.1. And all of that means dedication and a constant search for self-motivation deep within our being.

While I was searching for pictures for this blog, several pictures on Google were quite funny and I really wanted to share this one in particular. This picture shows the worst defences for dissertations but they all feel quite true to a certain extent.

I have never in my life dedicated so much time to coursework. I mean..I have spent many long nights working on assignments but never to this extent. It has literally been my life for several months. Night and day. 3 or 4 hours sleep whenever I had the time. However, seeing the end result is very satisfying, albeit scary. Its strange seeing such a big project finally finished and its a very weird feeling. I submitted it last week Monday, 21^st March and I can honestly say I was happy with the end result. Now I will be checking my grades every day frantically, as I CAN’T WAIT to see the results!!! Even though I haven’t finished my degree yet, it does feel like a big part or phase of my life has finished.

This picture is also quite good, as it felt like every breathing moment was about my Dissertation. Constantly floating in your head. Dreaming about it even. I don’t think there are words to really describe this process.

Good luck to everyone who will do a Dissertation one day. 

International Women’s Day!

Now here is a day worth celebrating! Two days ago, people from all around the world got together to celebrate International Women’s Day and its 100^th Anniversary. When I say all around the world I mean it literally:

-          Millennium Bridge in London

-          Brooklyn Bridge in New York City

-          Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

-          Grand Barriere Bridge joining Rwanda and Congo

Along with many other bridges worldwide.

This day is of particular importance to me at the moment due to my Dissertation as it regards Gender Inequality and Gendered Practices. During my research I have found out that progress in this area has been superbly slow, but made nonetheless. Women are asserting themselves more and more, especially in our generation as we have been brought up in an era of equal opportunities. Women are advancing faster than men after they graduate and reaching senior positions faster, however the glass ceiling phenomenon continues to exist as women go higher up in the hierarchy. The gender pay gap continues to exist with a disadvantage for women of around 22%, on average, in the US and the UK, however the percentages change depending on which sector they’re in. Additionally, young women are negotiating their first salaries as effectively as young men.  Also with regards to the work-family challenge, family-friendly policies have been attempted in many organisations resulting in some positive changes, however the household and childcare responsibilities continue to be a burden which falls mainly on women/mothers regardless of their job and working pattern. In my research I have found that the underlying reason for these continuing problems, is actually society and social constructs that people still hold regarding gender roles. Success in these areas cannot be reached until changes of a more fundamental and private way are actively addressed.

Women have been fighting this never ending battle for years and years and even in Egypt women were in the frontline of the protests. The suffragettes of the 1960s paved the way for us to continue fighting for change and they remind us never to give up. There are thousands of strong women around the world who continue to be treated like second class citizens but they never cease to make their voices heard and fight for something so basic and fundamental – OUR HUMAN RIGHTS!!

I will never understand where this inequality truly began..perhaps religion truly caused it all in the first place, but at some point we lost a battle against men and we need to level the playing field with all the fight we have within us. It wasn’t that long ago that some women were revered as Goddesses and treated with the respect they deserve.

 It is always good to remember that behind every powerful man in the world, there is a strong woman beside him. We just need to be at the forefront and stop hindering our lives in order to submit to the needs of men and allow them victory.

Amsterdam!!

I went to Amsterdam this weekend from early morning Sunday 13^th February to Monday 14^th late at night.  I don’t think 2 days and 1 night is enough to get a good feel of Amsterdam, however, if I had to spend another day there I would have gone completely crazy. 

First – Going to Amsterdam is just one of those things that most University Students feel they need to do at least once. It’s fairly cheap to fly there and to pay for accommodation. However, everything is super expensive once you’re there. We ended up spending more money than we thought we would, and I don’t exactly have anything to show for it!

Second – It felt as though everyone living there doesn’t live in reality. Yes everything is relaxed and calm, but I think people need to snap out of it too and try to make something out of their lives. But perhaps I misunderstood what I saw.

Third – Everything is about Sex and Drugs. Everywhere you go, that’s what you see. It is a very adult city to be in; there are no children around, which is understandable but also strange. We probably saw about 3 babies, but they were really small and recently born, taking that out, no children and nothing there that appeals to children in any way.

Fourth – If anybody decides to go to Amsterdam, just make sure you have the right company to go with. It can very well ruin the entire trip otherwise, trust me.

Fifth – There are cats in so many of the shops and coffee shops!! It’s so cute, but they do all look high, which is funny but cruel. It’s not surprising with the amount of weed around there.

Sixth – In terms of transport!!! Wow...I mean...the majority of the people there ride bikes!! Instead of car parks, we saw bike parks, which is crazy!! It’s brilliant, I love it. However, being a pedestrian is like being at the bottom of the food chain!! There are specific roads and crossings for bikes, cars, buses, trams, so while you’re walking you literally have to look everywhere at once! I don’t know HOW I didn’t get run over!!! The trains are super cool too!!! We were so excited because the trains and double-decker trains, so sitting on top was awesome!

Seventh – Red Light District, perhaps the most degrading, humiliating thing I have ever seen in my life. Maybe it’s because I’m a gender egalitarian who fights for women’s rights at every turn, that it was so difficult to witness. It’s so sad that women are literally in a shop...behind glass windows waiting to be sold....just like the sex objects that are literally only good for that – Sex...objectifying women as always. Feels like the battle I fight for will never be won. It goes against everything I fight for. I’m glad I saw it though...but heartbreaking nonetheless.

All in all..it was definitely an experience.

What’s going on?!

I have had a pretty interesting few days. My boyfriend had a gig on Thursday at the HalfMoon in Putney – everything went great, lots of people, good company and good music!!
Friday, his Russian friend came to the UK we took him to the National Gallery, which was interesting, but to be honest...I expected better, but the company made it cool. We had dinner at Frankie’s and then went to classical concert in a Church in Trafalgar Square where they played some of Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi and Handel. The church was lit by candlelight and the musicians were aaaaaamazing, I absolutely loved it!!! The weekend was pretty chilled out..but now its Monday..and the rat race begins once again...

Okkk, so on the ‘business’ side of things: I have a new subject this term called Contemporary Issues in Management – so far it seems pretty cool, I like it. We have to do an Essay on something that is in the headlines these days that is interesting and that has to be managed one way or another. I have been checking out some contemporary issues – I am going to present a few of them here:

TODAY!!! AIRPORT EXPLOSION IN MOSCOW!!

This one would involve global issues, its pretty recent seeing as it happened today. Apparently 23 people died and 130 people were injured...a suicide bombing. I would have to analyse how the airport would manage this situation to get things up and running again and how to prevent such things from happening in the first place. Could be interesting...

PROTESTS – HAPPENING IN THE UK (TUITION FEES) AND IN PORTUGAL (WAGE CUTS)

This one is interesting too! Tuition fees are going to affect us all, not just the students. Do these protests make a difference...how well are police managing these protests – NOT WELL AT ALL!! I was there, and violence towards students who are just being peaceful is simply ridiculous and inhumane. How well have these protests been managed by the people actually organising them?

There’s also the Protests in Portugal..this is interesting to me seeing as I’m also Portuguese and lived there for 13 years. It seems Greece is also protesting – they have a good history with being successful in this, maybe we should learn from them?! Recession is causing major wage cuts – how is the government planning on managing this one?!

WIKILEAKS

Now this one is juicy...spilt secrets...important secrets that organisations want to keep on the low. Firstly how does Wikileaks manage its information and how do corrupt organisations manage a crisis when all their dirty secrets are out in the open for everyone to see?! Hmm..

Of course there are many other things going on... I will have to keep an eye out and do my homework, hey?! :P

The End of First Term...wow! So, what happened..

So!! This term, in my case, has had some serious lows but some pretty cool highs too, not worth mentioning the negatives so I’ll focus on the positives!

In my previous blog I mentioned the awesome group of friends that proves the effects of Globalization in the 21st Century and I mentioned Ice Skating – so yes we went to Hype Park, Winter Wonderland - it was AWESOME!!! Bearing in mind that in that group of friends I was the only one who hadn’t been Ice Skating before and there were 2 Russians who should really be amazing at this..however, I didn’t fall ONCE!! Yes, you read it right...I did not, but one of the Russians did..several times, this obviously makes me bubble with pride lol (not a huge achievement, but an achievement nonetheless). The unfortunate part of this was that I had the crappiest pair of skating shoes which left my feet with huge disgusting blisters that I still currently have (Eww, right?) But oh well...No Pain No Gain ! :D

The other thing I did this term, for the first time in my life was Paintballing! I’ve always wanted to do it! Not gonna lie...I was pretty scared, everyone who talks about it, goes on about how painful it is when you get shot, but that just means there was even more adrenaline and excitement!! We got there early at about 9am and we only finished at 4.30pm, it was a long, exhausting day but it was a great experience and I definitely recommend it to everyone. But I particularly recommend it to people who are competitive, and love to shoot the ... out of things without actually causing real harm of course :D but that’s the fun part. We got there, I was the team leader so I had to wait in a huge queue to get the paint balls and get everything organized, then it’s kind of like a product chain line as we get the full body clothing, and ‘bullet-proof’ vests, the bullet containers that look like kidneys, the helmets and of course the guns.

Below is a picture of us all kitted up :))

I also celebrated ThanksGiving for the first time in my life to make our American friends feel better about not being back home. That was an interesting experience; I really enjoy it and definitely wouldn’t mind incorporating it in my yearly traditions!

Anyway...the main point of all this is to show how going to University has allowed me to meet people from all around the World, people who are just like any of us, with the same fears, goals, insecurities, anxieties and desires. We have all been open minded in experiencing new things and new places which have provided us with memories for life!!!