Bloc Party - Four

I'm breaking blog protocol. I haven't begun the title with 'The'. Shocking stuff, but something happened today that I just had to write about.

Bloc Party are back. And they are back with an album, ingeniously, titled 'Four'.

Now, Bloc Party are my life. I've seen them live countless times, I've obsessed over intricate little details of their songs, I've brought numerous CD's and vinyl's and I've even once high-fived Kele Okereke himself.

I am currently sitting in my chair listening to the trailer for the album and I'm quite sure I've just jizzed in my pants.

Bloc Party are back. God Bless Bloc Party!

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The Epiphany

I write this post at home in Kingston-upon-Thames having left university yesterday.

Sure, I am going back for results day, summer ball and graduation but having packed away the vast majority of my stuff and then saying goodbye to my house-mate, Nick, who I won't see for a few weeks, it felt like the end-of-an-era.

I now have an entire summer to re-focus my life and orientate myself back to life at home. I always thought that by doing my Master's that I'd be happy. Don't get me wrong, I really am looking forward to the course and I would love to write for a living but doubts are beginning to creep.

It all boils down to money.

In the short-term, journalism doesn't pay well. I can look forward to a starting salary of £15,000 which quite frankly isn't very good. This means that I will be living with my parents for at least two to three years. After three years of living away from home, I'm not sure I will enjoy living back at home for an extended period.

In the long-term, I want to live the dream. I want a big house and land in a nice village somewhere in the country. I want to have friendly, middle-class neighbours who I will go to the local pub for a few drinks with. The looming question is whether journalism would fund that? It is possible but I'd need a lot of luck and skill.

This has led me to an epiphany though. I really need to go after opportunities and succeed. Basically, I need to try harder.

YOLO, right?

The Apology

I feel an apology is in order.

It struck me today that I have been neglecting this blog and you, the reader. I have been depriving you of every interesting tale that I have experienced and want to tell you about. For that I can only say sorry.

However, I would offer a reason for my action, or lack of.

You see after finishing my dissertation, I had to immediately crack on with the task of revising for exams and then actually sitting the very exams that I'd just been revising for. It isn't a fun process and it has certainly increased my stress levels whilst it has also managed to act as a downer on the final month of university.

This leads me to a realisation that has rapidly dawned on me thanks to the fast-paced course that time seems to be steering at the minute. I am actually quite sad at my time at Reading University coming to an end. Over the course of the last week I have had to say goodbye to two of my house-mates, whilst this time next week I will be home. This time I will be home for good.

Before I left for university, I believed that I would make thousands of friends yet the realisation that university isn't like this induced the belief in me that university is actually important for making a select few friends who you will stay in contact with forever. Friends who in the future you will share many a drink with down the pub, go to visit and swap stories about recent events in your lives, friends who will attend your wedding and your children's christening. Friends who will help shape the future you.

That is what I have come to believe yet the dawning thought that I will not be able to spend pretty much every day with them from next week onwards is upsetting. However, that is all a part of growing up and that facing it is a key step towards adulthood.

The Post-Exam Evening

I have just walked out of an exam and it went pretty well.

"Well that went very well!" I declare to my friend. It did go very well but then again it was exam on UK Politics which I consider my specialist politics subject.

My house-mate picked me up after my exam and we went shopping. Post-exam shopping when you have lots of birthday money to spend isn't the wisest thing because I spend a shed-load of cash. I brought a new wallet which was much needed, a new watch which was also needed, some new chinos which I just really wanted, the new Danny Wallace book which again I just really wanted and a remote-controlled helicopter. Yeah, that was a pretty random purchase.

We then went for dinner at Slug and Lettuce where we had what the bar man told us was a "manly cocktail" and dinner. We then headed for the pub where we met up with a few friends and I suddenly felt really ill.

After one pint of Fosters and a Jagerbomb, I found myself heading to the toilets. I felt like I was going to vomit, however after having a wee I suddenly felt a lot better. I went to wash my hands and then immediately went back into the cubicle and chucked up my dinner and drinks. It was pretty horrific and I walked back to my friends who laughed at what a lightweight I had been.

We then all had a arm-wrestling competition. The outcome?

I lost to a girl.

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The 21st Birthday

Helllllllllooooooooooooooo!

Sorry for the enthusiasm but it's 1:20AM here in England and I'm really energetic as I'm listening to Hot Chip on my new laptop. Therefore, I thought it was time to write a little blog.

I know what you're thinking, "A new laptop?"

I can confirm that to be true.

"Why?"

Well a little event, my 21st birthday, occurred on Friday. I am officially a year older and now very much an adult. Although I've noticed that I feel younger if anything. For example, I went shopping with my Mum and my Sister yesterday and my Mum took us to Pizza Hut for lunch, surely that isn't what three adults would do?

The main thing though is that I have a great birthday. Two of my university house-mates took me out to the cinema and then to dinner at Zero Degrees on Thursday and then my parent's took me out to yet another dinner on Friday whilst as I said, excessive shopping happened today.

I did notice one very bizarre ritual though. Almost every card that I received said "Congratulations". What are they congratulating me for? Surely they should congratulate my Mum for going through the pain barrier of giving birth to me. Perhaps even my Dad should gain some credit as well. It seems a very British institution to congratulate someone on their 21st birthday, but I will say that I am delighted to be alive after 21 years.

Well done me.