4am Saturday Morning
- A general life update, borrowed from email to my dear mama -
I got my poster roll and a food parcel from my parents in the last couple of days. Watties pumpkin soup (in a can) and pancake mix . . . excellent :o) Today I moved back into my room for good, when I next leave it will be the end of my time at Passfield (a sad thought). I spent the afternoon putting up my posters and photos and unpacking almost all my stuff. The wooden box (full of stuff) is still in Nick’s room and he wasn’t in today but I should get it tomorrow or Sunday and then everything will be unpacked and I will be a happy camper again. It’s so nice having all my things around me again.
I am quite stressed - a lot of work all due on 23rd April and it feels very overwhelming. I am not eating properly and my sleeping pattern is all out. When I do sleep it’s not very well and I tend to wake up feeling guilty for having slept when I should have been preparing essays/projects/exams. Apparently DESTIN is the only department to work its students so hard over break so friends in other departments have only got dissertation outlines to sort out. It’s been quite lonely here for the past three weeks and while Jess is finally back now (and I now have someone to talk to), I miss having lots of people around to keep me sane. Also sad to spend Easter alone . . . I would have loved to come home for the weekend! Ah well only a week until everything will be finished and everyone will be back and I shall then begin to contemplate exams.
I’ll upload my Venice and Bern photos tomorrow to webshots and will post the link here.
I currently have enough money to cover my Passfield fees for Summer term, and the cost of living for 6-7 weeks (although I’m really going to try and stretch it out). I am therefore drafting a letter to the National Bank asking for a loan to cover the remainder of the term and then my summer accom fees and expenses. As a graduate with a good credit record and no student loan debt, they should give it to me (graduate account, which I have, comes with the ability to get an up to $20,000 loan at “good rates”) so that would be good. Failing everything else I’ll find work for over summer and work on my dissertation in non-work hours, although I’d rather not unless I was being paid to write my dissertation. If I got one of the jobs I’m applying for now, they may like me to start in July and so I’d be working and doing dissertation but that would be ok I think caus they should be understanding (I hope). It is something I worry about, although I know it will work itself out.
I got a ticket for the ANZAC day commemoration service at Westminster Abbey sent to me today by NZ High Commission. Sadly, it clashes with the consultancy project presentation and so I will have to miss it. I was really looking forward to it so I am quite disappointed but it is just one of those things and project is more important unfortunately.
I can’t believe I’ve nearly been here 7 months, time has passed so quickly and the course seems to be ending far too quickly. I have really really missed you these holidays and I can not wait to see Katie, my sister, at Christmas (it will be sooo good to see her again), it seems a long way off but I know the time will pass by in a flash. My room is covered in pictures of New Zealand, with my NZ Music Month 2006 poster on the wall near the door. I have a photo of the Wellington waterfront (taken on my walk to work one morning from near Te Papa) on my wardrobe door and there’s still a part of my noticeboard dedicated to cards and postcards from home. Being here has made me both more and less like a Kiwi. I’m more attached to NZ as a place than I ever was before, but I’m also feeling very international. LSE does that I think, and London is also so very multicultural. I do love London, so full of life it leaves you exhausted without leaving the house. I spent an hour and a bit sitting in Gordon Square (I might take a few photos there tomorrow), the square on the other side of Passfield, on Easter Sunday. There were maybe 10 people there at the most and I happily lay in the Sun listening to music and reading. It seemed very peaceful and tranquil and completely un-London-like, truly delightful. I do occasionally try to unwind :o)
It is now very hot again, at least in my room. London is definitely hit full Spring mode and the days are warm enough for me to wander around in t-shirt and jeans. My room is back to being slightly oven-like and I am seriously considering buying a desk fan before the temperature gets any higher. Could possibly be the best purchase I make this year if it keeps my room from being an oven.
An essay is calling my name, and while I really don’t feel like it right now, it needs to be finished so I can get on with the next one. Actually I’ve just looked at the clock and realised that I should have gone to bed hours ago, so I think bed is calling my name and then essay in the morning after breakfast. The kids are leaving tomorrow, YAY!!! I can’t remember whether I told you but we’ve had National Youth Theatre kids here for the past couple of weeks and they are noisy and steal my food so I am looking forward to them going away. I think the stress, tiredness and poor eating is making me grumpy so I really must do something about all three.
So that’s me . . . Happy Belated Easter to all!
