During the Easter break this year around April, I decided to stay behind for a week in order to catch up with work I had missed and also because I wanted to get a headstart on work that was coming. Yes, I am a very optimistic person. I figured that with nobody else on campus, I would be free to immerse myself in the emptiness of campus and get down to some reading and writing, ready to start the new term as a sexy genius. This didn’t really work out, which would make me just plain sexy.

A day after the end of term, a few of the people not going back home yet went out bowling. I was amongst this group and I put on my oldest, most fucked up kicks. They were purple and blue Nike Shox which were bought for a ridiculous £120 back in the ice age when wearing Nike shoes was still cool. I had gone through a good portion of secondary school with the things and they were the source of the only compliments girls would give me. They’d look at me, frown, look down and say,
“Nice shoes, though.”
When I did free running, these shoes helped me run on walls, jump across rooftops and land safely from large heights. I got a stupid amount of street cred with the shoes as I was so OCD about keeping them nice and clean. For years they served me well, all shiny, all sparkly. These were the shoes that would get you laid by the best looking woman in the world, and get you as far away as possible when her pimp comes after you when you refuse to pay for it.

But that was the day they were going out of retirement. Sad to say, but something else had caught my mind for a while now.

Bowling shoes.

I had gone bowling a few times now and I was infinitely impressed with how awesome the velcro ones were. Stupid words to define something cool like “swish” or “money” come to mind when I was wearing them. The retro look was amazing to me and I was counting on the velcro strap to have women think I’m cute as I didn’t know how to tie my shoe laces yet. Or they would think I was retarded for wearing bowling shoes, I don’t know and I didn’t care. Today, they would be mine.

And so, after paying for my game I was asked what size shoe I wear. I told him 10 and he placed my new prize before me on the counter, waiting for something that I guess should have been of higher or at least equal value. My Shox were, in sentimental terms. Apart from that, I would now describe them as battered, worn out SHIT.
I reluctantly took them off and put them on the counter, next to the shiny, white bowling shoes. The guy looked from me, to the shoes and then back again. I saw his eyebrow twitch, and if I had the ability to read people’s minds, I’m sure he would have been asking “Really? REALLY?”

But he took the bait and I reeled in the fish, throwing them on my feet and sliding my way down to the lanes. I felt invincible in the shoes, which is quite superficial as they’re incredibly dangerous to wear due to being so slippery. If anything, these shoes are a complete deathtrap, you’re more likely to fall over and crack open your head than get anywhere. But it didn’t matter, they were awesome and after a great game of bowling (where I came second, dammit), it was go time. As everyone either went to collect their own shoes, I went to steal mine and did a runner out of the bowling alley. As I awaited the others, I also expected some pissed off worker to come running out of the place, demanding I give their shoes back. Luckily, that didn’t happen and I went home with a new pair of shoes. We stopped off at an empty salsa club on the way back home and my shoes had me slipping and sliding my way all over the dance floor. Suddenly, the place quickly filled up. No doubt because of my new shoes.

I’d be lying if I said I’m not sad to lose my old ones. Contained within the soles of those trainers were many memories, or maybe it was the bacteria that made them smell that way. But I was sure I would have a few more stories to tell under my feet with the new ones, and I was not wrong.

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To say “time flies” is a gross understatement.
The fact my last post was in July doesn’t surprise me, as it’s no shocker how amazingly lazy I am. But damn, what’s happened in between that last 4/5 months?! Lots and lots and lots. I have a lot to say, so it’s time to get this here darn blog in action. I usually would struggle to write stuff as it happened because I have no friends or life and spend most of my time sitting indoors playing my Gameboy. And on the rare occasion where something interesting DOES happen to me, I’m far too into it to sit down at a computer and type about it.

Well no longer, as once again I have shed myself of any kind of social life, interaction or activity.

Not that I have much choice at the moment; I find myself in my second year of University and life in general right now is a far cry from the exciting escapades that I embarked on in the first year up until around October 30th. There was the first exciting term of University, getting to know new people and getting used to (and loving) life away from ‘home’ and building a new one. During the Easter holidays, campus cleared out but I had an even better time with the small and concentrated amount of people left behind who have now become some of my best friends. I also got arrested for stealing bottled water whilst drunk and wearing bowling shoes which is one of the most stupid things I’ve ever done… and I loved it.
Summer came about and Uni ended, but the lifestyle didn’t. No, it only increased tenfold with around 500 more exciting people moving on to campus to meet Johannes, Robin, Suria and I. Good times were had as I met more new great people in our house and then those three left for Spain but I stood strong and despite what my last entry said, I stuck it out… and had one hell of a time.

After retreating to London and realising how boring it is, I returned to Brighton. With little to no food, drink or friends left I had to be more resourceful than ever before and had one of the best times of my life doing so. Now on my own, at every turn I was presented with opporunities which soon became nessescity in itself to make the most out of my time and meet as many people as I could. Work became even easier and enjoyable and everything seemed amazing! The people, my job, the weather. I found myself pretty sad to leave Brighton behind in August to go to India.

India; I have mixed feelings about it, but for the most part I loved it and miss it like hell. When I got there, I found it a bit of an anticlimax after leaving the good life behind in Brighton. I soon got used to it though and learnt to love it and as I sat on the plane jetting back off to England, I wondered why I didn’t just stay.
I returned to grey, cloudy London and soon after, back to Brighton. The magic seemed to have left the place, but that might have been due to the decision for me to move out of my place before I even moved in! Shit hit the fan, to say the least and for the past 8 weeks of University, rather than finding myself doing any kind of schoolwork or drinking myself into a coma (which is what being a student is really about), I’ve been couch surfing, looking for a new place to live. EXCITING TIMES!

So now I face an onslaught of 8 weeks worth of work to do within the next 2 weeks before the term ends and I set off on a month visit to California which I can’t afford and will have to give up luxuries such as food, clothes and breathing to fund. I cannot wait, but until then the next fortnight will actually be academic hell for me with various all nighters which will make blinking feel like I’m rubbing velcro across my eyes.
I am hoping documenting the last year will keep me sane in between then.