Current mood:	tired
Current music:	Alton Towers - Duel Theme
Entry tags:	accommodation, artssoc, church, death, food, gm, hazel close, holly, jobs, orbital, politics, public speaking, rye bread, social, summer, sunsets, surhul, too many tags, trains

Circles of Rivers
I'm doing things, yet life still seems slow at the moment. I blame the end-of-term atmosphere, where we remain without any acedemic tasks to complete. Schedules are ever-changing, and change is both ahead and behind. It's a time for reflection, appreciation and affirmation, and a realisation of where we stand.

On Sunday, I got up early to await a lift to the church service in Camberley. I got no reply, however, so I hurried down to the station and hopped on a train there, for only the second time since I moved here. It was peaceful. The regular train to Reading was quiet, with a girl tearfully sobbing about things to her boyfriend, and few others. At Ascot, I switched to the Guildford branch line, which is so quiet it's almost quaint. After the recorded voice welcomed us aboard, the guard said hello and told us where he'd be if we wanted him. With the warm forests of rhodedendrons passing by, I didn't want to alight at Camberley, but did so anyway, only to find I'd missed practically the whole thing, so I wandered back to the station and played with my camera a little on the empty platforms before taking the train back to Ascot. I wandered off to take a look at the new stands at the racecourse before hopping on the regular train back to Egham, which featured a few Americans remarking how colourful the trains here were in comparison to those in Boston. I took my time walking back up to Holloway, enjoying the lazy Summer heat.

A random nice guy from Facebook talked randomly to me when we went to Founder's for dinner (for a change: I'm living mainly off microwavable food and rye bread...mmmmm, rye bread...), which was a pleasant surprise, and the food wasn't all that bad either. Afterwards, we went up to Spar to meet Viv, and spent some time in the cemetary, reading graves. I don't see it as morbid or creepy, but simply peaceful. The sun was setting spectacularly above the chapel, and we could all muse on life, death, values and peace. It was very calming. Later, Holly drew a fantastic sketch-sheet of me shortly before contracting a nasty migraine, which was so bad I had to support her back to her room, across campus. Poor Holly...

Monday was the first of two days with numerous social engagements. I sprung out of bed that morning to go and pick up a copy of the new Orbital, the student magazene I am travel editor for, but I found it missing. I met both Anita and John in the SU later, who informed me there had been a printing error and it would be late. I still picked up a copy of the budget for Arts Society, before going to check on Holly, whom Brian was keeping watch over. Then we, along with Amy, Anna and Helen, headed into the tangle of Englefield Green to sort out the details for our home next year. I was quite relieved to see the Green looking far less dilapidated than I remembered, and some houses looked quite smart. There was also a plethora of cats, for some unknown feline reason.

Room democracy thus followed. I had a room in mind, being a relatively-cosy upstairs room, but Amy really disliked narrow rooms, so I let her have it, instead taking the remaining room beside the front door. However, Anna took pity on me, and swapped me her room, an extension at the back of the house, ground floor, with its own shower. I felt guilty, but I know I'm not the only one to be feeling thus. Anyhow, I've got the garden on three sides of my room, which is fantastic for someone easily entranced by nature, and the wall colouring is a lovely shade of blue. It's also next to the kitchen. I'm prepared to offer one of my TVs as a group TV, but the other can sit in my room along with whatever else I feel like doing to it. I'm slightly nervous about it, but it will be exciting to have my own space which isn't the cell-block of Williamson.

Holly, Amy and I thusly walked back to campus, testing out the route I'd theorised would be quickest, and, walking slowly for Holly's sake, it still only took 15 minutes, which means we're not as isolated as had been thought. Once back at campus, Brain took Holly back to her room, whilst I went back to my own for a quick meal (nutmegged chowder, lovely as always, and microwavable pizza...what have I reduced myself to?!) before the Orbital board meeting. Owing to the printing delay, there wasn't much to talk about, but I stayed behind with Anita for media hustings, which took place soon afterwards. Here, candidates for the role of Orbital Editor spoke about why they should get the role: it's democratic, but hardly anyone turns up (hardly anyone votes, for that matter!). I'm supportive of Anita, but her rival, Chris, outperformed her in terms of public speaking and sounding like he knew what he was talking about. Somewhat vainly, I thought I could have done better than both...

Okay, so I'm hardly being modest here. I'm at ease with public speaking to the extent I'm overly relaxed, which has proved a problem a few times before, and I'm not suitable for the role of editor even if I had run. I did, however, plan to run for an executive position in the SU earlier this year, before talking myself out of it through fears of overworking myself (and quite rightly). Nevertheless, I still would have liked the role, as I'm reasonabley clued-up on Union politics (and all their delights) compared to the majority...but I could wait until my last year for that. Furthermore, whilst I say all this, a little voice reminds me that I don't need to do this, and in fact, my current role as travel editor fits me much better than dabbling in constitutional reform. I could be a politician if I want to be, but only if I want to be. In any case, I know a fair amount of the execs for next year anyhow (and the president), so it's not as if I'll be isolated, and I don't bear the heavy responsibilities of the role.

It's important to remember that I musn't change myself to get places. I can only get there if I am myself.

On that note, I have things to do anyhow. This morning, I met up with my personal tutor for this year, Dr. Martin, who has privately hired me to do some internet work for her courses whilst she is on sabbatical next year. It involves some heavy googling, but I'm being paid for it, and it's work I can actually do. I feel somewhat elated that I've been chosen to do this job, in fact. The other assignment of the day involved some research for Arts before meeting up with them in Egham to finalise plans for next term. I happily munched on rye bread as I walked down the sunny Egham Hill, buying myself a pocket map of Greater London as I have been meaning to do for a while. President Amy's room formed the setting for our committee meeting, and I was taken somewhat aback by her student lodgings: it felt like a real house, and in the hazy summer heat, with the window open onto greenery, I felt as if I'd stepped into a daydream.

In the evening came the SURHUL Annual GM. Union politics on a kebab stick. I happily noted how many people at the meeting I knew, but my camera batteries died before I could take a photo. Once the meeting got underway, the main debating point on the agenda, the lecturers' strikes, was nullified through a newsflash that the strikes were off. For a while, things thus went as normal, but then we came to a proposal about banning smoking in certain areas at certain times, and things went crazy. Amendment after amendment were proposed, although not against the smoking ban, but for a stricter ban. The first vote only had one vote in it, but later votes were less close, and, although the matter was raised again later, by the same people, asking the same questions, the meeting eventually returned to schedule. As Rob put it, we were 'all amended out'. Near the end of the meeting, the random spirit of union democracy pushed the exec. band to sing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' a capella, which they did...and, it was great. Seriously good, in fact, to the extent I was mournful that I could not have recorded it. A few blips later, the GM finished and a collective sigh of relief resounded. For some reason, however, I was in a very good mood, and bounced around somewhat.

I think it may be because I now feel I actually know a lot of people here...I'm a strange social creature, but I'm hardly a sociopath. It's nice to feel appreciated.

*yawn* I need to stop staying up so late, even though I've nothing booked until the late afternoon. I still have things to do, which you'll be hearing about at some later date. To bed it is, then...