Home away from home.

I have departed home, and returned to my second home (student halls). It's not a bad feeling, although I'm slowly starving to death due to my ineptness in the kitchen. I Suppose there are both pros and cons living away from home.

Pros:

1. Freedom.
2. Freedom.
3. Close to my department.
4. Less likely to go into lazy mode.
5. I have to move out some day, good life experience.

Cons:

1. Must do laundry.
2. Must Cook.
3. Must share a kitchen with disgusting roommates who don't understand the concept of cleanliness.
4. It's very expensive.
   

I must snap out of lazy mood soon due to a major assignment pending completion. It carries 40% for one of my classes and it's not looking promising at this moment in time. I'm sure if I put my head down for the next week, I will manage to complete it.

In other news, we'll (the UK) have finally paid of our WWII debts to the US and Canada by the close of 2006. Final installments will be paid off today, and we'll be free again!

*...waits for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq*

Haha, well maybe not completely free! Nevertheless that's one less loan to worry about. Now all we must do is cut funding for alcohol, smoking and generally self-afflicted related diseases treatment and we're half way there to paying my school fees for the next couple of years. They should make me chancellor of the exchequer so that I can write the next budget.

Anyway I must make some coffee now, have a good day!

Happy...

...25th December! It was a grand old day. However I spent most of it in my room with a splitting headache to my great dismay! I received mostly garments to cover my body, and two other gifts which I will exchange for something more useful (through my mothers willingness). The food was rather tasty, although I didn't eat until around 19h00, we had chicken instead of turkey to my delight!

But other than that, it was a waste of a day (as predicted in point 5 here), a day in which I hardly studied at all. In fact, I have studied very little for the past 3 days I have been here. Once I return tomorrow, I must quickly re-establish my strict work ethics and continue my intense programme of pure mathematics. The history (maths) project is due in 6 weeks I believe, but I intend to finish before the next semester begins (less than 3 weeks) and looking at my current work rate, this seems highly unlikely. I have all the information avaliable to me, I've just been extremely slow (and lazy) in extracting it.

On that note, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good morning! (it's 8h48)

Return of the Jedi

I have returned home for a few days, for CHRISTMAS! What is the meaning of christmas? According to reference.com:

"the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts."

My understanding is that the year of his birth is not even agreed upon, let alone the day! Alas this didn't divide the christian church. I miss the good old days, with the religious intolerance and persecution. Where did they go? Where are the witch hunts? I'll tell you where! They're poisoned by capitalist toxic fumes, the same fumes which engulf the christmas spirit! That's where!

I'm not a christian, but at least if this holiday was strictly a religious one, it wouldn't be as annoying as it is in present day - perhaps we could even make it a private celebration instead of a public one by claiming it's discriminates against non-christians. I will return to my home away from home in a few days, so there is light at the end of the tunnel for me.

Christmas!

Why must Christmas be celebrated every year ? Why can people not just celebrate it every 4 years like the football world cup? Don't get me wrong, the decorations are aesthetically pleasing to the eye and they remind me of good times when I was younger; however now the dreaded event becomes a nuisance. Justifications for disliking Christmas:

0. Everyone expects you to celebrate it.
1. My department closes down and is only accessible to postgraduate students.
2. Expectations of you to buy great gifts (or just gifts) for family and friends.
3. Meeting distant family.
4. Not being able to sleep early because family comes around to your house late at night.
5. You'll more than likely end up wasting the day.

I haven't decided whether I will return to my family this year to 'celebrate' it, which seems rather cold of me but I have plenty of work that needs doing before the next semester begins. Perhaps spending Christmas alone will have a profound effect on me and possibly provide me with a new appreciation for it, only time will tell.