Snow...

If only it would snow! Although the Met Office is issuing warnings about bad weather, I feel confident to predict that where I live there will be NO snow, and my journey to work will NOT be disrupted in the slightest. Which is a shame, as it is years since we had a decent snowfall here in the Midlands, and it would be nice to have a valid excuse for arriving late and going early from university for a few days!! I could also try out my new boots to see how effective they were!

Britain braced for heavy snowfall


UPDATE: Even thought the Midlands got some snow, here in Lichfield, we only got a faint dusting. I got quite excited at driving to and from Shrewsbury through huge snowflakes and the A5 being completely white with snow, but just outside Cannock it all stopped. Is there some sort of conspiracy that prevents heavy snowfall in Lichfield? A forcefield surrounding us perhaps?

Oh well, there is always next time!

Two tier experience of university

Suprise, suprise! Working to earn money whilst at university affects your degree grades and is more prevalent among students from lower socio-economic backgrounds than those from more affluent homes, who can therefore afford to undertake unpaid, CV-enhancing work experience. Did it really need a 3 year study to come up with that result? What they also don't say in the report is that those students who stay locally to attend their local university, more of them end up in non-graduate level work or under-employed, than those who move away to university. Funny how they pick and choose the bits of the report they want to highlight, and ignore others!! The current crop of students on my employability skills course reflect this very well...


Report reveals economic divide among students

Paper aeroplanes

Fold and fly

Nice to know that university students haven't lost their sense of joie de vivre! Three engineering students at Leeds have come up with the perfect paper plane - providing a perfect example of transferable skills to demonstrate to a would be employer. Step by step illustrations provided to create your own version of 'Avenger'.

Leeds

Back from a trip to Leeds - my one and only visit this term - to see Patrick. Shopping is always good in Leeds - but this time I just felt unable to buy anything. Even though I tried on a really nice skirt, and it looked good, I kept thinking to myself 'but WHERE will you wear it? You are not going anywhere or doing anything this xmas, so why bother?' - so I put it back, and made some excuse to Patrick [not sure whether he believed it, but he is too polite to say anything].. More successful getting some things for him - but he would look good in a plastic bin liner!! Saw some nice shoes, but they didn't have my size, some nice tweed cropped trousers, but I needed to wear them with boots - which didn't fit, so all in all not a good shopping session. Got back to the carpark, and the machine wouldn't take my card either...
Today, we walked over to pick up Patrick's friend, and then did a Sainsburys shop. Amazing how students nowadays can afford to shop in Sainsburys: When I was a student, I could just about afford Kwik Save, or the market at the end of the day, when they sold off the fruit and veg! An hours walk through a wonderful hidden park before my drive home was great - muddy in parts, but clean fresh air, peace, little streams burbling through the undergrowth - idyllic. Worst bit, as usual, was having to come home. I hate that 2 hr drive down the M1 on my own...

Back from the danger zone

A frantic weekend in Paris - but enjoyable all the same. The first question I get when I get into university this afternoon was whether or not I saw any of the rioting . The answer was a firm NO. The centre of Paris was quiet, the trouble was out in the banlieu and in other cities. Having said that, the security was tight around the Montparnasse tower, and the main line station, and it was a bit scary to see army personnel and CRS with their rifles patrolling the streets. They carried out a controlled explosion on a scooter which had been parked outside C&A - a very loud BANG, and then when we walked past a few minutes later, the topbox was in bits on the floor, along with somebody's shopping - yoghurt, juice, bread. Well, they should not have left it there, illegally parked, especially at the moment. Saturday evening was cooking dinner for old friends. A very European affair, with the starter from France, the main course from UK and Switzerland, dessert from Italy, cheeses from UK and the wine from Spain and Portugal!! Some friends were amazed at the quality of the English cheese - was glad I had made the effort to buy some nice cheese to take over - as it enabled me to show that UK food is NOT as bad as many French people still think!!

Sunday evening saw me at a small concert - very small. Got into the 'auditorium' to find a double row of chairs placed in a semi circle - max 20! No chance of dropping off to sleep or yawning if it was not to your liking!! Afterwards, having a coffee in a local bar, one of the choir came in and started to talk to us, recognising us from the concert. Its not often the performers are close enough to see the audience, let alone be able to recognise them afterwards!

The flights this time were in and out of Orly rather than Charles de Gaulle. Much smaller airport, and easier to get to than Roissy. I would use it again if I can. Coventry was very different - a large tin shed!! Basic, but hey, it was cheap! My bag this time was the last one to come out onto the conveyor belt [going it was one of the first!] - at one stage I was thinking the worse - as I didn't want to lose it, as I had put Patrick's stuff in it - but it did arrive - eventually, and was unscathed.

Tired now, but pleased I made the effort to go to see Lucy - and I think she enjoyed me visiting.

Starry skies

Out walking the pooches this evening, it was cold, crisp and a clear sky. Luckily, the park that I walk them round is on the edge of the town, so we can get away from the street lights - and this evening it was wonderful to look up at the sky and see the stars twinkling away. Mars was there - all red - along with all the old familiars. But even though I can see the stars, I can't see as many as when I was a child - light pollution means you can't see all the smaller stars. Why do all our town and villages have to waste all that energy illuminating the skies? Can't they just focus the light down? In the distance I can see an orange glow on the horizon - the West Midlands conurbation - it's 20 miles away!! No wonder it is usually warmer in towns and cities than in the countryside - its all those street lights!

Perhaps one day, I will move back to an area of the country where a starry night means you can actually SEE the Milky Way, not just the major constellations. But it was good to see them tonight - I like stars.

Slaughtered

New Zealand took us apart yesterday. We lost 3-41.
After winning the 6 Nations last season, Wales finished on a real high - but it was back to reality with a bump yesterday.

One consolation: we won the singing!
Listening to the Millenium Stadium ringing with 'Hen wlad fy nhadau' makes you proud to be Welsh