Just Fab...

There are very few wise people that I know and that is probably just my luck. For starters, my parents are not really wise yet, I mean, they are still living their mistakes and making even more. They will become wise one day, hopefully. For now their mistakes just make them more fun. So I cannot really talk wisely ever, yet sometimes I just see the light in the end of the tunnel, if you know what I mean.

I just got off chatting with one of the very few fab (and probably one of the wisest) people I know and she is fab, believe me, successful, renowned, fabulous. She walks into the room and every eye is on her, opens her mouth and instantly gets the attention.... I have already told you a lot about Fannie and it is not only because she is, well, quite important to me; there is more and I bet you did not expect it... (I actually had something in mind)

Fannie has lived and studied in the UK and has quite a lot of tips for any prospective student, like you guys. Today she taught me a lesson, a lesson she had learned when she was doing what I am doing right now, and what you will be doing soon - do not get absorbed by the whole English nightlife culture... what do I mean? Let me tell you a story...

I am currently spending my fist ever fully independent summer. I live alone, get my own money... do whatever I want to. After my traditional recap yesterday I realised that I am actually not doing that good. My routine is simple: I work every evening, finish at 12, have a pint after work, go home, have a pint with a flatmate in front of the TV and go to bed; next morning I wake up, have a shower, breakfast, lunch, a pint with the lunch, go to work again... Did you notice how many times the word pint was in that long sentence. Remember, this is one day. I bet my colleagues would not notice the problem, they have lived like this their whole lives but for me this is new... And England is not about the drinking seshes or the night and the partying till dawn... it is about everything else... history, culture, politics... Read a contemporary English book and you will probably not see the word pint in it, or booze, or bear, or alcohol... at least not that as much as in this post. Have a walk on the street, try to notice the unique architecture. Go to the park, see the year-long greenness (it rains this much in very few countries). Go to a bookshop get an interesting book and see something you missed while having a walk. Turn on the TV absorb the media culture. Buy the Sunday Times and absorb even more media culture. See why is it that the United Kingdom is so different from every other European country.

So, to make a point: if you are a current student get a grip on your self, if you are prospective student, do not let go that grip, ever! Have fun and try to remember the years of Uni, I mean the more you drink, the more precious once of a lifetime moments you are going to miss...

In the weeks to follow I am going to make you several descriptions of typical Aston students and I bet after I am finished you will all want to come here, it is just diverse, interesting, surprising and always fun!