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Reply 5180

Jelkin

All i was going to do this holiday was read. It was going to be great, I thought. I love books. I love reading. This is why I'm doing English. I think I'll like the books on my course. I read Jane Eyre (fabulous). Thought, right. I'm a week and a half behind the schedule I gave myself, so maybe I'll only read Bleak House before I go back. Still, not bad. I read the first chapter. I re-read the first chapter. I put the book away.

I am about to re-start it. It is 800 pages long. Hmmm. When did I become such a slow reader?

Durham University

Durham

Reply 5181

Piggsil

socialist cook

Yesterday! Far too soon I know, but I needed the time to revise. Also everyone was back at work too(family and boyfriend that is) so I didn't necessarily want to get bored too easily.

I did however have a great time up in Durham(was there from Wednesday til Saturday last week), and although I didn't manage to get a pint of Black Sheep in the Dun Cow as Ali advised I did manage to have a pint in both the Elm Tree and the Woodman. I also, had a tasty and cheap curry in the Rajpooth.

There was no quiz last Wednesday in the Elm Tree though. :frown:

The Spice Lounge is good! Have you tried it yet?

Reply 5182

dobbs

Jelkin

When did I become such a slow reader?

Since reading became essential for your education, and hence is no longer seen as enjoyable.

It's like a friend of mine who is an awesome musician - legend in Trevs for being able to play all sorts of instruments to an excellent level - but he does Chemistry at uni, because he wanted to keep music as a "hobby" rather than his actual education.

Chris - it's times like these I wish I'd taken a science!

Reply 5183

durhamdosser

I actually have read for several seminars and tutorials this holiday, but I've developed a very different reading style now to how I used to be. I will pick up a book and just kind of... power through it. I still enjoy the text but it's not relaxing, I'm always going at top speed and I'm always analysing. I have to struggle with myself when I read for fun now, just to make myself take it a bit slower and enjoy it for itself. This is why my 'fun' reading now generally involves books so vacuous and meaningless that I could never find any deeper meaning in them. (Don't tell anyone, but this holiday I've read the latest Alan Titchmarsh and Maeve Binchy... :s-smilie:

)

I do enjoy reading and essay writing, even if I do complain. Even if I couldn't bear to do it for another year now! I would quite like it sometimes if there were a right and wrong answer, and when I was talking to my parents yesterday I realised I might be less disenchanted with academia if I'd done something new at university, which had stretched me more - something like psychology or politics. I don't really feel like I've had to develop myself much, or as if I've learnt anything - I've just read a lot of books and written a load of unoriginal crap about them. I'm bored with doing the same thing I've been doing for so many years. I'd also quite like to be doing something with slightly more application to the real world (yes, I do realise no academic student is really 'useful' other than maybe medics.) It's a fairly self-indulgent way of life we have, isn't it? But then no way am I grown-up enough to go out and live in the real world; and I certainly wasn't 3 years ago.

Sorry, I apologise for the late night ramblings of someone who thinks too much about this stuff. Especially when I'm procrastinating from writing my latest essay.

Good quote to finish the rant: "Reading is not a duty, and has consequently no business to be made disagreeable." (Augustine Birrell)

PS Jelkin - Bleak House is brilliant, stick with it! :biggrin:

Reply 5184

Tufts

dobbs

Trying to finish an essay before Friday, which if I get done will be a MAJOR factor in making 2nd term that much easier for me.

But, I have to start it first..... :frown:

Damn me too. It's hella scary :frown:

At least its about Human Rights which is tolerable.

Reply 5185

arkbar

Here's something to cheer up even the most disenchanted 3rd year:
http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/index.html

Reply 5186

socialist cook

Becca

The Spice Lounge is good! Have you tried it yet?

My housemates and I last year were planning to go there for our 'house meal' but we never did.(I'm not sure why, but I still wanted to go!) I'm glad it is still there 7 months on though, as things in that corner of Market Square don't often stay long there do they?

I'm also glad to see that there has been a new curry house opened up on North Road called Cinnamon. I love curries, so more choice can only be a good thing. :smile:

Ali, some of those men look like they're all film extras for American civil war films!!

Reply 5187

TKR

More. Chinese. Restaurants. Please.

Reply 5188

Danny_777

durhamdosser

(Don't tell anyone, but this holiday I've read the latest Alan Titchmarsh and Maeve Binchy... :s-smilie:

)

*Dies a little inside*

Reply 5189

Piggsil

socialist cook

Ali, some of those men look like they're all film extras for American civil war films!!

Well it's owned by the same people who run The Capital, so the food's really yum and the service is excellent. It's really small and cool inside though, quite modern furnishings, but they've kept the original stone wall so it has a really good atmosphere.

And I agree with Alex that it would be good to have a couple more sit-down chinese restaurants (i.e. not buffets like The Elephant and China Joe's or whatever it's called now). New Kwai Lam is lovely though, and excellent value! However, there is the thai restaurant in Milburngate which is really good for Lunch, but I think it's a bit too pricey for dinner.

Reply 5190

Tufts

arkbar

Here's something to cheer up even the most disenchanted 3rd year:
http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/index.html

ha ha ha ha that's quality! Brighton 2007 here I come! =D

Reply 5191

Jelkin

durhamdosser

Don't tell anyone, but this holiday I've read the latest Alan Titchmarsh and Maeve Binchy... :s-smilie:

Ha ha ha, Maeve Binchy. I have a load of her books from when I read them because my parents introduced me to them. They all have the same storyline, just different character names. "Scarlet Feather" is the best one I read, it was actually slightly different.

Having said all that, they are nothing compared to the books I read after finishing "1984" (and the accompanying dictionary which allowed me to totally understand every word)...I was on my summer holiday at 16 and decided to find some trash to read after starting and abandoning Catch-22 (which I now absolutely adore) because I couldn't be bothered. So I read some books that had been left in the apartment I was staying in. First there was the rubbishy chick lit, and then there was "The Headstrong Bride". It was set in Texas, where girls were called "Sam" and men, "Garth". They said things like, "well, hell." It was kind of Mills & Boone-esque.

After that I thirsted for a good read and picked up Catch-22. Happy ending.

Oh no, after reading what you wrote I have been persuaded that English is kind of a waste of time and I should be doing maths :frown:

Reply 5192

Jelkin

P.S.

I bought this.

Reply 5193

Piggsil

Jelkin

P.S.

I bought this.

Reply 5194

durhamdosser

That book is brilliant!

Oh, and don't give up English. You look as if you'd be quite good at it.

Reply 5195

Jelkin

durhamdosser

That book is brilliant!

Oh, and don't give up English. You look as if you'd be quite good at it.

"look"? Didn't anyone ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover?

:redface:

Reply 5196

dobbs

Jelkin

"look"? Didn't anyone ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover?

:redface:

Rubbish!

I can look at the cover of the book on that photo you posted and can tell that I would get a good few laughs from it!! Now, tell me that it doesn't make you laugh, and I shall concede defeat on this subject. :biggrin:

Reply 5197

arkbar

My whole hall of residence has no cable TV until tomorrow, depriving me of House, my favourite show of the week [and indeed the only one I watch]. I am sad.