A dutiful husband and and a doting father

It is time that I narrated the story of an international student enrolled on one of the most demanding courses in the University, with an unparalleled circle of friends and the most vibrant and eclectic atmosphere one can ever dream of – and of a dedicated husband and a loving father. It has all been very challenging at times, but very memorable.

My wife and my daughter joined me in Southampton in December last year – a month of festivities here in the UK, but a time when the cold was really fierce and unwelcoming. I had travelled to India during the Christmas break to bring them back with me. My wife and I had quite a few discussions about the time of their arrival in the UK. She had always been sceptical about the cold here and I was adamant that they come back with me during Christmas. Firstly, if they did not come during Christmas, then we would have to wait till Easter Break before they could join me as I had no holidays in between to make a trip to India. Secondly and more importantly, I was missing seeing my child grow every day and it was a huge and irreparable loss. So, I always would tell my wife that the UK was undergoing one of the mildest winters this year and it would be all fine with our daughter.

Well, we did arrive at Heathrow after a long flight from Mumbai via Istanbul on the evening of Boxing Day, already drained out by the long flight, with a three month old infant in arms. To add to our exasperation, we found on arrival that our luggage had got stuck at Istanbul Airport. A number of distress calls were made to Turkish Airlines – which has a motto of 'globally yours' – but still the luggage was delivered at our Southampton residence only after 48 hours. I am grateful to my wife’s foresight that she had packed the stuff required for our baby in our hand luggage.

The first few days were spent shedding the jet lag and getting acclimatised to the weather here. I was particularly worried about my daughter’s health and was scared about her catching a cold. Despite my claim that it was one of the mildest winters the UK had ever seen, it was still much colder than in India. A week later I realised that the Christmas Break would soon be over. I still had a couple of assignments to finish and to top it all there was hardly any time left for the first semester exams – scheduled to begin from 18 January 2012. I had hardly touched my books the whole Christmas break and it was time that I got back to business.

I studied till late at night to cover up the lost time, not sleeping before 3 am, only to be jolted up from my sleep by the cries of my daughter. My wife, really tired from looking after the baby the whole day, would be catching up on her sleep. Therefore, I would get up and to play my part as a Daddy and attend to the baby. I will not be modest here and say that it was all easy. A backlog of assignments, exams round the corner and looking after the baby at times – the pressure was mounting!

The days progressed and I found myself glued to my study table for hours as the exams approached. My study breaks comprised of taking turns with my wife looking after the baby. Sleep was a rare commodity then. The exams went well and so were the results. With the advent of the second semester, life was much more relaxed. My family seemed to have settled well in Southampton. I was getting time to study and I was really enjoying my daughter’s company.

Life had taken a complete turn. It was very different from the first three months of my stay here, when I was a forced bachelor. Now, I found myself more and more homebound. My Friday and Saturday evenings were no longer spent in the company of friends in the Stag’s Head – the pub in the University - but in the company of my family at home. It was a pleasure to see my daughter grow. I could find joys in the simplest of things in life. A smile on her face would make my day. Her giggles would take me to another world altogether. I realise now that I keep murmuring nursery rhymes at times. My favourite colours – beige and black - have been replaced by baby pink and fairy white. My daughter will soon turn a year old. She now cries when I leave for the University and longs to see me back home when she can sit in my lap and watch her favourite nursery rhymes. This love and warmth cannot be traded with anything in the world.

The last eight months spent in the company of my family here in Southampton have been truly very memorable. And as they say, “All is well that ends well”.

Rohit

The petrifying and liberating reality of change

“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change”

- Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Last week I was on the phone to a good friend. We were discussing the next few weeks and what they’ll bring for both of us, since we have now graduated and embarked on a new stage in our lives. I began to talk about my masters, my new flat, and how intimidated I was by so many different things happening in such a familiar place. Just as I was about to say how nervous I was, he said in a voice that was meant to imitate my own:

“Ooooh I don’t like change!”

Now, firstly, I resent how whiny he made me sound. If anything, my voice is more manly than high-pitched. Secondly, I had to laugh.

You see, I have become well known for my aversion to all things that are different. I welcome safety and security: I hoard old clothes and belongings because everything reminds me of something that happened, and I can’t bear to let that go; I feel slightly stressed when something happens that isn’t my usual routine, like a timetable swap; and I certainly don’t like the unknown. Over the years, my housemates have mocked me, and encouraged me to open up to something different and to be spontaneous. Now, after three years of security in the form of a steady undergraduate degree and a group of close friends, I am embarking on my masters; a new course, new people and a new flat, with everything I had recognised, gone (aside from the campus, which thankfully is fairly unchanging). It’s almost like starting again. This has thrown me into a slight panic.

Last week, thousands of students received their A Level results, launching them into the unknown world of university, gap years and full time employment. If you were one of those students, then congratulations to you all for achieving your results – and congratulations and welcome to those of you joining us in September! Each year, I say the same; that I am jealous of all of you! Starting university has to be the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I would do anything to go back and experience it all again. You’ll all be stepping into something new – and that’s intimidating. But I seem to remember, for me, it was the only time I’ve really ever embraced change. I was ready for it.

Change like this is the most exciting thing we could ever experience. Really, it’s on the same level as buying your first house, getting married or moving abroad. It’s a landmark – a milestone in life that signifies that you’re moving forward, growing up and starting to become a real individual.

Although my change in September is not as drastic as those starting their undergraduate courses or even those who have chosen to study their postgraduate degrees here after graduating from elsewhere, it is still intimidating. It’s a strange sensation to know that I’ll be spending the next year somewhere totally familiar, but in a completely new way. I expect to see things in a new light – to spend my days in a slightly different way to how I spent them as an undergrad. My Fresher’s Week will once again be filled with introductory lectures, meetings and team building. I am sure it will be like stepping into a time warp. I cannot remain a 21 year-old undergraduate forever. It’s time I moved on to a new chapter of my life – one which could be the most exciting yet!

So here’s a little advice to myself, and to those of you who will be starting University in September:

Change is, more often than not, a good thing.

I, for one, need to remember this. It’s time to grow up a little, try something new and to realise that these are the experiences that make us who we are. And as much as that terrifies us, normally it is the beginning of the best thing that will happen to us.

I’m going to start to see such change in my life as a positive thing – something that will allow me to evolve, improve and experience new things. It’s exciting, dramatic, and exhilarating. And, if you’re worried or intimidated – then maybe you could join me too.

“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody”

- Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Joanne

My London 2012 experience: Part two

Despite a noticeable post-Olympics blues kicking in across the nation, whilst the Olympic Games are still within justifiable scope, I figured I’d write up the remainder of my trip to see them following on my first blog post. After all, the nation’s spirits have to pick up again soon – the Paralympics are coming up!

After an almighty scramble to leave Stratford following my viewing of Danny Boyle’s masterpiece – certainly the greatest show I’ll ever witness (well, unless SUSU Theatre Group are given a £27 million budget, anyway!) - I spent the remainder of the week exploring London, seeing “the Woman in Black” in the West End, meeting up with a few friends and relatives and getting stuck into the international festivities on display throughout the city, with performers on many a street corner demonstrating a variety of talents and cultures.

An encounter with the Olympic mascot, Wenlock, soon became something of a hunt!

The spirit of togetherness, of pure optimism and excitement, was evident particularly when I and some friends visited Victoria Park (adjacent to the Olympic Park, so we were privileged to receive a Red Arrows flypast and a Royal Parachuting) to watch the real Opening Ceremony on the big screens there. The atmosphere there was similar to that which I imagine one of those street parties from the 1950s would feature, with fairgrounds, laughing and joking amongst strangers, a general jubilatory buzz around the place and the occasional marching band cutting through the crowd!

The unfortunate people who had to bear with me frequently injecting “Watch this part coming up, it’s incredible!

The Victoria Park crowd – at the smallest screen!

Despite our group having to explain to some American tourists who James Bond and the Queen were (although they recognised Mr Bean!), it was once again an incredible vibe just to soak up. Having the privilege of seeing the ceremony in its full splendour was further icing on the cake. Furthermore, I was delighted to see that, when performers dressed in industrial costume and nurses’ outfits boarded a Tube train whilst I was making my way home, the entire platform burst into applause; it signified the outburst of pride and gratitude towards the volunteers which overwhelmed Britain that night, and the resulting patriotism was infectious as it swept the nation.

And so, it was time to begin my whistle-stop tour of the London 2012 venues: seven events in five days. Let’s just say that sleep wasn’t on the agenda...

Beach Volleyball – Saturday pm

When I’d told friends that I’d landed a ticket for Beach Volleyball, I got the reaction you might expect, even though I was only in it for the sport (honest)! Given its competitive context, however, the last thing I’d expected was to hear party anthems ringing around an arena just outside of Downing Street whilst beach-clothed dancers performed in between points, or to be doing a conga with Peter Dickson (the X Factor voiceover guy) in the audience, but Saturday night had that in store!

A great setting, a great atmosphere – a great night!

The disadvantage of seeing some early Olympics sessions was that the quality of the competitors wasn’t perhaps as high as in the latter stages, but when rallies did get going they were frenetic and furious, and some athletes’ flexibility and reflexes were stunning.  Beach Volleyball’s jubilant, gleeful and party atmosphere was unique throughout the Games, although I later read a press report that the residents of 10 Downing St. were unhappy about the noise levels emanating from Horse Guards’ Parade – sorry, David!

Handball – Sunday am

There was no rest for the wicked as, hours after returning from central London, I was waking for an early visit to Olympic Park’s Copper Box to see the fast and furious sport of Handball. I was hugely impressed with just how sharp attacking players were – some of them seemed to be flying through the air in Matrix-esque poses whilst hurling the ball past the opposition goalkeepers (whom I pitied throughout)!

I fancied trying it at Southampton myself – until one of the players took a ball directly to the face!

It was also here that, during one of the matches I saw (there were multiple games per ticket session, ensuring there were several hours of sport per ticket), a young boy sitting next to me turned to his father and told him he’d enjoyed watching the sport and wanted to give it a go. His father then took out the iPad he’d brought along and began Googling for local Handball clubs, which I found to be quite a salient moment given the Games’ intention to ‘inspire a generation’; that session certainly contributed, in some small part at least, to their legacy.

Football – Sunday pm

Of course, despite my determination to open my mind to new sports, I couldn’t pass up the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a representative British men’s football squad at Wembley Stadium, so after a hectic cross-London Tube journey, I made it in time to be impressed by a skilful display by Senegal, who conquered Uruguay 2-1, and then a nervy but ultimately victorious showing by Team GB, who defeated the UAE 3-1. Once again, the Olympic buzz was palpable in stadium audiences as people spent far more time cheering, and appreciating what was on offer, than I’ve previously noticed at football matches – well, except for one particular Uruguayan striker, but footy fans’ll know who I’m referring to!

Although I was initially quite sceptical about Football’s status as an Olympic sport, I found it a breath of fresh air!

Badminton – Monday pm

After a morning spent catching up on lost sleep (getting back from Wembley Stadium when it’s filled by a capacity crowd can take some time!), I found myself retracing my steps from the day before to Wembley Arena, next door to the Stadium, to see some Olympic Badminton (the day before the scandal, luckily!). Unfortunately, despite the sport itself being great (although perhaps a little tough to focus on for the full five hours the session spanned!), this was perhaps my least favourite of the venues as a combination of a bizarre seating layout (with the cheap seats, in this case, not facing the courts but one another, making it a bit of a strain to see all of the action) and a lack of air conditioning (to maintain consistent flight for the shuttlecock) resulted in it being slightly uncomfortable. Even more surreal was the manner in which matches were scheduled: three courts were played on simultaneously, with umpires shouting the scores over one another, so most of the crowd simply opted to follow that which was closest to them!

Three courts full of simultaneous action was a lot to handle!

Notwithstanding, a couple of highlights stand out from that evening, the first being the British public’s demonstration of the traditional mentality ‘support the underdog’. When the world number 1 seed began to be pegged back by the number 27 seed, the crowd’s support for the latter, the Finn Ville Lang whom most people had probably never heard of before then, became raucous, almost akin to that of Murray at Wimbledon, with shouts of “Come on Lang/Finland!” abound, although he ultimately lost. Secondly, yours truly made an appearance on BBC television when, towards the end of the session and with the better seats vacating quickly, I cheekily decided to position myself next to a group of fans holding a large China flag, figuring that the television director would probably incorporate a shot of them into his footage because a Chinese player was involved in the final game of the evening!

On the left of your picture – hi Mum!

I’m not sure how many people watch Badminton at 11.15pm on Monday nights, but monitors within the arena confirmed to me that I’d achieved my 10 seconds of fame that evening!

Hockey – Tuesday am

Despite the best efforts of the rain to dampen matters, I found the Hockey at the Riverside Arena in Olympic Park to be hugely enjoyable, even though a 6am wake-up call wasn’t the most pleasant following another late-night return from Wembley! The occasion was certainly brightened by the presence of the fluorescent-orange-clad Dutch Women’s team (and their following band of supporters) and a visit from Lord Coe to the section of the support I was in, and the two matches I saw were excellent entertainment as well. I was particularly impressed with the new self-pass rule and how video referrals were handled, and I can’t figure out why football hasn’t implemented similar systems yet. Definitely a sport I’ll be paying closer attention to in the future!

Despite the bleary eyes, Hockey was worth waking up for!

Water Polo – Tuesday pm

Also on Olympic Park, Water Polo was quite a short session and, although I’m not quite sure I fully understood what was going on the entire time, with players being temporarily suspended left, right and centre (despite others practically drowning one another under the water!), the end-to-end nature of the sport, with each team only having 30 seconds’ worth of possession to shoot at the other team’s goal, ensured that it was highly watchable and at times very tense.

I wasn’t entirely sure as to what was going on throughout Water Polo!

I spent the remainder of the day walking round Olympic Park (which Jo’s captured brilliantly below), touring the many festivities, areas and magnificent stadia built to house the Games.

Table Tennis – Wednesday am

The final offerings of an unforgettable trip saw me travel to the ExCeL Arena near Greenwich to watch the men’s quarter-finals of table tennis, which were highly exciting, if short-lived – both matches in the session were hugely one-sided. Still, like most of what I’d seen in the preceding nine days, it was something different to experience and savour!  I was surprised by the vast distance the players ended up from the table, and the power with which shots sailed over the net left me in no doubt as to the standard of the winning competitors on this occasion!

The size of the crowd and the arena, all focusing on one small table, made it feel quite surreal!

And that was that. After ten days, hundreds of photographs and many, many incredible vistas, I was home again and spilling all my stories to bewildered friends and family.

Quite a few people have since asked me why I opted to go to the Games alone. I guess there were advantages in doing so – complete independence, it was easy to slip through crowds, and it made ticket acquisition easier – but none of that really factored into my decision when I purchased my tickets many months in advance. There were times I wished I could’ve shared the moment – my friends on social networks can certainly corroborate that! – and I did have an occasional sense of loneliness amongst the family-oriented crowds at events.

But once the show started this was soon cast aside as events unfolding before my eyes left me enraptured. Because although it was an adventure I undertook on my own, it left me with the sense of fulfilment I had sought before my journey. Those ten days mean that today, and in years to come, I can proudly say:

Robin

Serendipity

It’s strange how some things work out perfectly. If someone had told me at Christmas I would be spending two months in Dorchester, my sleepy town, I would be tearing my hair out. And, although I have felt like that occasionally, I have also learnt that it is good to go home. (However, I have only learnt this with the hindsight gained by going away).

Trust me, this summer wasn’t exactly what I’d planned; I had hoped to get an internship and have something to add to my CV, but alas, no such luck. However I still feel like I’ve been pretty lucky. Not only do I get to enjoy the comforts of SKY TV and a fridge fully stocked with luxuries such as olives and anchovies, (such treats I would happily spend my student loan on, but sadly cannot justify), I also, and most importantly, get to be around my old childhood friends who know and love me despite my eccentricities.

There is something quite magical about being in England in the sunshine, drinking cider in the middle of the day, and reminiscing about who your year one class mates have become. For me, what with my parents in the process of moving to France I naturally felt like the bubble of my childhood life was about to burst. I was also acutely aware that for many of my friends this was their last long summer, most had already graduated and gotten proper jobs in big important cities. Suddenly it dawned on me that it would never be this easy again, it wouldn’t be as gloriously carefree - seeing the people I grew up with was just about to get a whole lot harder.

Thus, the resolution that I must make this summer count seemed even more poignant.

Sun is shining, good company, not in the library…life is good.

Now, I am fully aware that a lot of you reading this will be heading to university for the first time this summer and I definitely don’t want to make the prospect even more daunting, because honestly it is the best time of your life. But university does make you appreciate your home somewhat, obviously there’s nothing better than it being perfectly acceptable to wear a onesie to a lecture and drink Red Bull for breakfast, but going home to your mother’s cooking after a semester does make the food taste even better.

I guess I was lucky, I never really missed home when I started university; there were far too many exciting and new things starting in my life to dwell on the past, but, nonetheless going home did still feel pretty comfortable. Something that’s a genuine concern for many freshers is whether you can still stay in contact with your friends from home when you all start studying in various parts of the country – the answer, is most definitely, yes  (trust me; I am proof of this).

Honestly, if you put the effort in, you’ll be able to grow up with your childhood friends just the same as you always did. This summer taught me that despite having lived away from home for years, having changed as a person massively, and having been absent from big chunks of their lives, I still consider them all best friends.

So please don’t stress, this is a new chapter, not an end.

However, a few tips to make things easier:

1. Don’t try and not miss them – it is natural that when that perfect opportunity for an old in-joke comes up and you have no one to share it with, you will feel a pang of sadness, but whilst at university you will make your old friends part of your new life.
2. Get skype. (Literally, it is the best thing ever.)  Arrange long phone calls. Write letters.
3. Plan when you’ll see each other next. For example, my housemate’s friendship group made a commitment prior to university to always go to each other’s birthday parties!
4. Make the most of the time you do have together; when you know your friends as well - and as long - as you do, time apart really doesn’t change anything. I promise, within five minutes everything will fall back into place.
5. You’ll have so many individual new experiences while you’re apart, but make up for this by having crazy new experiences together. This is what I’ve been doing and it’s made me closer to the people I love more than ever – last year I travelled around Asia with them and this year I am interrailing around Europe. Let me just say, it’s awesome.

Home is always there, it is always comfortable and warm, but university is a whirlwind of experiences that you just have to jump into. Take that leap, head first, and make the biggest splash during freshers week. I have no doubt that you will meet some of the best people you’ll ever know whilst you are at Southampton, and you’ll learn that being away from your creature comforts and your home friends really isn’t as hard as you think it will be. If these people mean enough to you they will stay in your future, and once you’re at university your future is all around you.

University life is great. Enough said.

Florence

My first trip to London

Well, with the Olympic fever having swept the country and in fact the whole world, I found myself away from all the fun and frolics tucked away in a corner in Southampton, struggling to join bits and pieces and give some shape to my dissertation due for submission next month. Having gone through the posts by Robin and Jo, I can indeed get a clear impression of the marvellous spectacle that I missed. In fact, at one instance whilst watching the great show by Danny Boyle during the Opening Ceremony on television here in Southampton, I was so overtaken by enthusiasm that I remember telling my wife that I might have to live with the guilt throughout my life that I missed this spectacular event even though I was here in the UK. Well, she dismissed my remark as another melodramatic act from me which I sometimes use to my advantage when I realise that I stand to lose an argument.

I am sure London was bedecked to dazzle the world, looking its best ever. At least, that is what I can make out through numerous media reports and why not? London, hosting the 2012 Olympics, has been the centre of the world’s gaze. But I won’t be talking about how London looked whilst it was ready to welcome the world anymore. Here, I will talk about my first trip to London, a city I always wanted to visit since my childhood.

Last year in October, I stole some time from my normal mundane routine of weekends spent over assignments and course work to spend a day in London and yes, I do have very fond memories of my first visit. My brother, who was working on an assignment with British Telecom in Glasgow last year, had coaxed me to come over to London to spend a day in the city of dreams. I boarded the train from Southampton Central to London and was overtly excited. A comfortable ride of an hour and a half and I reached London Waterloo station. The first look of the station with hundreds of people swarming across reminded me of Mumbai…. the only difference that hundreds are replaced by thousands in Mumbai. I believe that every city has a character and character is never built in a day.

So, the first stop of my London visit was Buckingham Palace, the abode of the Queen. The building is magnificent and stands tall and proud with people peeping through the iron bars to get a good shot with their cameras. We spent almost an hour there taking photographs and admiring the Palace before we started off for Trafalgar Square. Needless to mention, many Indian movies, Bollywood movies to be precise have been shot in London and each one of them has one thing in common, Trafalgar Square. The view not only brought back the memories of the Square as seen in so many movies, but sitting on the steps below the National Gallery one can't help but think about the great heritage which the country has been able to preserve. It brought a sense of realisation of the pride that the country feels for its war heroes, the tall Nelson’s Column resplendent with that pride.

                

At Trafalgar Square

              

Watching the Changing of the Guard

We moved ahead and crossed the famous residence of the British PM, 10 Downing Street. A brief stop before we reached Big Ben, the clock tower, an imposing piece of marvel and architecture and one of the most prominent symbols of London and perhaps the UK. We walked across Westminster Bridge and took almost an hour posing and clicking snaps of each other. Since then, I must have visited London at least a dozen times and every time I make it a point to visit Westminster Bridge and Big Ben. Every time I end up posing and clicking snaps the same way as the other, and every time I feel the same excitement and enthusiasm.

                     

Posing at Westminster Bridge

The walk along the South Bank was equally mesmerising. The view of Westminster and Big Ben from across the Thames is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. By now, we had walked a lot but there were no signs of fatigue or exhaustion. In fact, visiting these beautiful places had filled me with added vigour and I felt that I was still getting warmed up.

As we walked ahead and reached Tower Bridge, I realised that it was the best point of the whole day’s visit to London. After the initial euphoria of posing and taking pictures, both of us found ourselves relaxing and just looking at the bridge. My brother, who is four years younger than me, said that he wanted to show me Tower Bridge for a specific reason. He reminded me that when we were still at school, we had a huge poster of Tower Bridge in our study. And like a typical elder brother, I used to tell him that if he studied well, one day he would go to London and visit Tower Bridge. I almost had tears in my eyes. Life had taken a full circle. I had come to the UK as a student and he was working here. I could see a sense of achievement in his eyes and felt really proud of him. Life does take you places!

Rohit

A golden summer – London 2012

Within the last few weeks, Great Britain has suddenly gone sporting mad. People are joining sports clubs, taking up cycling / running / rowing, and having animated conversations about the canoe slalom (who knew the sport even existed before now!?). The news has been dominated by the latest sporting successes, and almost every television channel was beaming events into living rooms across the country for two solid weeks. London 2012 has not been limited to the city alone: the hype was, and still is, right on your doorstep, wherever you live.

I must confess I am not a sporty person. I never participated in sports clubs at secondary school and was only ever useful in rounders or as goal keeper in netball thanks to my early growth spurt. Even now I struggle to find the enthusiasm to go for a run. However, I found myself getting excited about sport once the Olympics were on. I’ve never really been interested in Wimbledon (shock horror!), and the only televised sporting event I watch annually is the Tour De France. This summer, however, I happily sat on the sofa for hours at a time to watch swimming, gymnastics, athletics and even rowing. My Twitter feed has been full of sporting commentary, and even my Facebook newsfeed was updated every few minutes with statuses urging Murray to ‘keep going!’ and praising Jessica Ennis on her talent and impressive muscle tone. I even went to watch the Olympic Flame pass through a local village in a bid to witness a momentous occasion and to be a small part of the games. I don’t expect this enthusiasm to change for the Paralympics, either.

My Mum and I, waiting to see the Olympic Torch pass through a local village in Kent

Robin’s post gives us a great idea of what his Olympic summer has been like, and I look forward to reading his next instalment. My Olympic experience was not quite as full on as his. However, it demonstrates the different levels of participation that the public experienced – and proves that you can still take in the excitement no matter how involved you are! Not having been able to get tickets to any sporting events during the Olympics or the Paralympics, I did have the opportunity to spend a day in the Olympic Park, soaking up the atmosphere and seeing for myself London’s achievements in hosting the two biggest sports events in the world. I don’t live too far away from London, with a train journey only taking around 40 minutes, and in no time at all my family and I found ourselves walking from West Ham tube station towards Olympic Park.

Our first glimpse of Olympic Park!

When the Olympic logo was first introduced to the nation, I distinctly remember everyone being revolted at how disappointing it was, myself included. Nevertheless, walking towards the park, surrounded by enthusiastic volunteers with megaphones, brightly coloured banners and strategically sprouting wildflowers, the logo looked better than I remembered. It fitted in with the clean lines of the general Olympic design, and I remember thinking the same when I watched events on the television, especially in the Aquatics centre. The presentation of the Olympic surroundings and logos looked clean, modern and exciting, whilst conveying the importance of youth that is focused on so much this year. The bright colours maintained positivity even when we experienced the torrential rain that comes with the British summer. Overall, it was not as gaudy and tacky as I had once dreaded.

Myself, Dad, Mum and sister Katie, all excited to be at the Olympic Park

The park itself was no disappointment, as Robin has already pointed out. Entry was swift, despite being at midday and all the volunteers and security workers that I met were friendly and polite, making jokes and providing plenty of information. The stadium looked positively beautiful, standing statuesque and surrounded by wild flowers and green grass. It was not overbearing though, allowing the other venues to share the limelight. I was not so sure about the Orbit tower, but its height was still impressive, and the velodrome was magnificent. I really hope that many of the venues are used to provide the public with a chance to play more sport, get fit, and get inspired.  There were so many food options to choose from, and we indulged in an ice-cream before watching the gymnastics on the big screen, which was a great touch. And, if we found ourselves feeling a little tired, we were able to indulge in a little people watching. Some of the costumes we saw were impressive and entertaining – never before have I seen so many patriotic onesies in one place!

Me in front of the Olympic stadium – I thought the colours of the flowers and the stadium made a beautiful image!

My day at the Olympic Park only served to continue my enthusiasm for the Olympics and Paralympics. Indeed, the opening ceremony was not the embarrassing affair that I had anticipated. Visions of Boris Johnson dancing badly on a London bus to the sound of Jedward had haunted me for the last seven years since our position as host nation had been announced. But with Bond, Bean, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the University of Southampton’s very own Sir Tim Berners-Lee, my faith in the nation had been restored, thanks to Danny Boyle. I sat, transfixed to the screen for the full four hours.  The closing ceremony too was fun and lively, and though I wasn’t a huge fan of all the music on offer (tributes to John Lennon and Freddie Mercury were two of the highlights for me personally) I still think it was a good show with a little something for everybody.

With our outstanding medal count and the fantastic performances of all our athletes, London 2012 has been a testament to what this country can do. I for one look forward to watching the Paralympics, which I think will prove to be just as exciting and inspiring, if not more so. This year has been one with many notable problems, but we cannot deny that we have also had our triumphs – 2012 has certainly been a golden year!

One of my favourite scenes at the Park

Joanne

My London 2012 experience: part one

At the time of writing, here’s an accurate summary of the recent contents of items covered across Britain’s various news channels:

Olympics. Olympics. Recession. Olympics. Olympics. Boris Johnson. Olympics. Olympics. Olympic-related weather forecast.

Well, you’ll never guess what I’m going to be writing about!

I hope you’ll indulge the theme for a couple of posts from me, as I was fortunate enough to experience travelling to London in late July to get a taste of the unique atmosphere. I’ve returned with enough photographs and stories to fill a few months’ worth of posts, but given the depth of coverage elsewhere, I’ll try and summarise everything in two!

One of the most incredible experiences of my lifetime!

In truth I hadn’t really thought much about the Olympics until a couple of years ago, probably due to my overriding passion for football alone! Although I could sense excitement building as the years ticked closer and closer to 2012, the reality of the Games’ arrival only really sank in with the opening of applications to become a ‘Games Maker’, one of the tens of thousands of volunteers. Seeking to get involved with such a momentous sporting occasion, I put myself forward, but being in the Lower Sixth Form at the time and only just qualifying for the minimum age requirement, I didn’t really have too much to shout about in my application.

Months came and went with no contact and, soon enough, the first round of the ticket ballot was advertised. Unsure of whether I’d be able to attend or even afford them, I applied for a select few sports – ones which I knew a small bit about, like handball and hockey – in the cheapest price categories. As it turned out I wasn’t the only one to be caught out by nationwide demand, but the results left me facing the prospect of travelling down just to see one session of handball (whilst my older brother, at odds of something like 1500/1, got the cheapest tickets to the Opening Ceremony!) – not exactly what I’d had in mind (given the North-West to London train fares!).

2012 arrived and, trying desperately to get involved, I considered the option available of auditioning for the opening and closing ceremonies, but a hefty rehearsal schedule and travel expenses weren’t feasible if I wanted to pass my exams – and eat! I was eventually contacted and asked to schedule online a time for a phone interview for a Games Maker position in ‘security’ (greeted by great derision from the flatmates!). Unfortunately it ended up taking place over a fairly poor connection, and I misheard the interviewer in a crucial question, answering with something nonsensical in the context – let’s just say that when the only updates I received thenceforth were emails saying “We’ll tell you if and when there’s a role for you”, I wasn’t exactly optimistic! Some of my friends elsewhere were accepted and had an incredible experience themselves, meeting Tom Daley and the like in the Olympic Village, but it turned out being a Games Maker wouldn’t be for me.

Accepting defeat and preparing to sell the ticket I’d been allocated, I logged back on to the ticketing website. Just before clicking ‘sell’, however, I put in a few requests for other tickets out of curiosity and a degree of defiant optimism. Seeing that a few were available which were at a reasonable price I made the snap decision to buy them and keep my original ticket – I’d make a short, sharp trip of it, a couple of days soaking up the atmosphere, visiting a few friends and seeing London. Well, that was the original plan at least. A couple of months (including a vast amount of spare time spent on the website) later...

Too much free time and a lot of budgeting during exam period!

Soon after, I was hugely fortunate to be offered a free ticket to the first dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, despite the unsuccessful nature of my application, as a result of my volunteering, and hence a chance to become one of the first eighty-thousand or so people to see it. As the saying goes, like London buses, I’d waited for one stroke of fortune with the ticketing process and two had come along at once!

And so I found myself on the morning of Monday 23 July on a train to London Euston (by another gargantuan stroke of fortune, in a First Class seat – it was cheaper than Standard, for some reason!) with a suitcase and a vague idea of my way round the London Underground. My aunt and uncle had very generously offered me the use of their conveniently positioned flat in the centre of London, so after a speedy dropping off of luggage, I met up with my sister (who had also volunteered, but wasn’t keen on the driving role she had been offered) and hopped on the Tube to Stratford to get my first taste of the Olympic Park.

Despite having been to packed houses at Wembley, Old Trafford and even Tokyo before, I was bowled over by the sheer volume of spectators – there were queues to join the queues!

For all the horror stories I’d heard about security – I wasn’t sure whether the soldier who warned me at the gate about strip searching was joking or not! – it was noticeable, but pleasant and efficient.

After queuing for a surprisingly short amount of time, and chatting to the incredibly bubbly Makers around, we were into Olympic Park. Once again, I was overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the occasion, as the quite fascinating architecture, matched by the glorious weather and an atmosphere quite unlike any other, formed a quite surreal feeling, a blend of awe and anticipation.

The Orbit Tower – at first glance I thought it was one heck of a Helter Skelter!

Outside the Aquatics Centre

And outside the absolutely magnificent construction that is the Olympic Stadium. When the Park reopens next year, make sure to check it out if you haven’t already!

A brisk walk round half of the park (the other half was closed), many photos and a couple of water bottle purchases later (you could refill your own, but the queue for the fountains was four times longer than the sales people!), it was time for us to take our seats (unfortunately not together) and see the show. I’d promised myself that once it started, I would do my utmost just to take it in, but some moments were so incredible I couldn’t resist taking my camera out… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHVSoMo4uSM

Somehow I ended up 14 rows from the front, in the centre of the stadium. The heat from the flamethrowers was quite intense!

The “Pandemonium” section of the Ceremony had my heart pounding – never have I seen anything so epic!

The remainder of the photo credits go to my sister, who was directly opposite me!

The lights came on, the James Bond theme started, the helicopter hovered above, and we all expected... but were told Boyle wanted to #savethesurprise! He certainly did!

It certainly was a struggle not discussing this for a few days, given how incredible it was!

Such vibrancy and colour, with lots of controlled audience interaction – a truly awesome technical feat!

Chances are you’ve probably been bowled over by the complete ceremony on television already, so there’s not much I can say that hasn’t been said (Flo’s succinct article put it perfectly), but it was the most incredible spectacle I have ever experienced. Even beforehand, sitting amongst complete strangers, there was a curious atmosphere floating around the Stadium. Judging from my previous experience, usually in London the tendency is to be quite reserved amongst strangers, but here people of all nationalities and backgrounds were chatting merrily and laughing. We were all soon feeding off the pure adrenaline that emanated from Danny Boyle’s outstanding direction, manifested in an unforgettable performance; I’ve never felt such energy and vibrancy hit me before, particularly when drummers suddenly appeared alongside us to signal the transformation of the “Green and Pleasant Land” in a sequence which sent an immediate and infectious chill down many a spine. The lighting, staging and general imagination of the piece was out of this world. The attention to detail was meticulous. The entire duration of events was inspirational, moving, funny, touching, and British. It was perfect.

What we saw not only amazed, but also unified, us as a crowd. Boyle specifically requested to us beforehand that we didn’t share any of it and that we maintained the Twitter hashtag “#savethesurprise.” It was a reflection on the sheer power of the performance we witnessed that night, and its ability to draw the audience into Boyle’s secretive gang, that seldom few photos were shared, if any, and much of the media was none the wiser despite most (save the splendid appearances of Her Majesty and Mr Bean) of his secrets being spread that night. It was an honour and a privilege to be there, and I’m hugely grateful to the organisers for granting me a truly special and wondrous night.

And that was just day one!

Robin

Local schools + University of Southampton = the potential for so much GOOD

Last week I decided I would get out of my perpetual slump, do something proactive, and try and engage my mind a bit.

At the end of last year I got involved with an awesome society called Student Hubs, which is also a national charity that focuses on connecting students with great causes. Our Southampton Hub does loads – ranging from international development to environmental issues, literally there are countless opportunities to get involved, and this is something I most definitely did.

So what with all the Olympic fever getting me all psyched to do more I got on a train and went up to Oxford where I mingled with the Student Hubs national team in their beautiful office. This provided me with such an amazing insight into the organisation and allowed me to become far more passionate about the cause.

So, with regards to our Southampton Student Hubs, I am their Schools Plus Co-ordinator, which is pretty awesome let me tell you. Schools Plus is a new mentoring initiative which proposes to, hopefully, improve our local community.  The University of Southampton is in the top 100 universities in the world and so it seems inconsistent not to help out our local schools and Schools Plus proposes to provide subject-specific mentoring. The scheme will not only help local school children obtain critical qualifications, increase their confidence and aspirations but also provide role models who demonstrate the benefits and viability of continued education. Schools Plus is a novel tutoring initiative which makes excellent use of the intelligent students that fill the university by training them up and sending them into the local schools so they can aid the pupils.

Essentially, it is a win-win situation; we get excellent experience running sessions with school children, whilst the children gain that extra they need. Education is something I am very passionate about and I feel like this scheme can do so much good; Student Hubs have been running this project in Oxford for three years and have achieved impressive results amongst young people who had formerly been predicted to achieve a D grade or lower. The results from Oxford speak loudly enough: ‘Students provide one-to-one tuition in maths to GCSE students on the C/D grade borderline. It launched in Oxford Community School, where only 31% of pupils achieved 5 GCSE grades A*-C, compared to the national average of 74.8%. Last year, thanks to the support of our volunteers the school beat its target grades by 6%. All students who were tutored achieved a C or above (with one student achieving an A).’

Student Hubs works across the UK to transform student involvement in social action. We seek to act as a catalyst, empowering students to become active members of their community by promoting social action, social entrepreneurship and citizenship.

So, if you think that, regardless of degree discipline, you’d love to give some school children the opportunity to fulfil their potential then this programme is for you! The difference between getting a GCSE in a core subject and failing to do so is big enough to destroy some children’s futures, however, this opportunity gives these children that extra support from an unlikely source, and surely that’s got to be celebrated. So, if you want leadership skills, responsibility experience, and basically the opportunity to change a child’s life, then this awesome programme is something you should get involved with. Please, feel free to contact me on schoolsplus@southamptonhub.org or keep up to date with the Facebook page.  Come September we will be issuing application forms for students who’d like to be a school volunteer however there are also a lot of leadership opportunities available if you felt like pushing yourself. I encourage everyone to apply because both parties here have so much to learn.

Florence