a big guy in a big city

Posted by Claire at April 29th, 2006

There’s been something bothering me over the last few days since rumours started flying amongst some of my friends here in Regensburg that I appear to have some kind of alcohol problem.

Now, seriously what constitutes an alcohol problem? On Wednesday night I went out in Regensburg with another girl here & happened to get a little bit drunk.  Does that make me someone who gets battered “as per usual”?  Fair enough, when I go out, which would like to add, is around once a week & for a student that really isn’t that much, I do tend to get quite drunk, I can have a good night without drinking anything, but it makes me more relaxed & enables me to have even more fun.  I think the problem here is that the people who I am friends with don’t drink or tend not to drink (for the record:  I don’t mean Pawel!) so therefore I look like the pisshead who just gets drunk “as per usual” (I re-quoted for effect).

So, to conclude, does going out once a week & having a few drinks & having a dance make me an alcoholic? 

No.

It makes me your typical student.

Posted by Bone at April 27th, 2006

From the world of bizarre comparisons:

“…300 kilos, that’s the equivalent of 7 Victoria Beckhams strapped to your sledge…”

Thankyou BBC Look North.

Posted by Bone at April 25th, 2006

How could a celebrity obsessed guy like me not have mentioned A-listers being in the area?

Ewan McGregor and Renee Zellwegger are in the area filming Miss Potter, the Beatrix Potter biopic, and they’re currently down at Yew Tree Farm, which is about 2 miles from my comfy position on the sofa (where I’ve sat every day for the past 3 weeks). Perhaps its time for me to go paparazzize them, even my Dads telling me to get down there.

Also, getting a hair cut today, my first of the year, I think.

Oh, and I do have all the Beatrix Potter books.

*Update* I have a mole at the set (but not really)! Turns out the girlfriend of someone who works for my parent’s business is a policewoman and is stationed on the set, I’m sure I’ll get some gossip in good time.

Posted by Bone at April 24th, 2006

I’ve just booked a couple of tickets for the Saturday at Give It A Name ‘06 at the MEN, so I won’t be seeing Billy Talent after all (especially since the day they play Download clashes with the first England World Cup game). But I will be seeing Lostprophets (again), Taking Back Sunday (again), Angels & Airwaves (3rd viewing of Mr DeLonge), Hundred Reasons (4th/5th time) and a load of bands that will be new to me.

I got seats rather than standing, because I’m old, and 10 hours on my feet/sitting on the floor just aren’t that attractive to me now, especially after the mess that was Give It A Name ‘05.

Posted by Richard at April 23rd, 2006

wanted internship

Originally uploaded by Richard Spooner.

This is what I’ve come to. Selling myself on the internet. Two rejections, and I turn to the blogosphere for help, hoping beyond hope that someone might read this and think ‘Yes, that’s my man!’

I don’t even want a salary. Expenses don’t bother me that much. All I want is an internship in the field of public policy research. Charities, thinktanks, MPs’ offices, anything! The reason, of course, that these things are so competitive is that they open up a whole world of opportunity to you: for example, working in Parliament gives you the chance of becoming a researcher, and learning quickly about any other posts that come up. Basically, they’re brilliant.

So, why aren’t I in there yet? Well, from feedback from the interviews that I had I’ve learnt that taking a bottle of water into an interview is bad form (in my defence, I was croaky thanks to a cold), and that I had a tendency to not let my interviewer finish his sentences. Oops.. Also, when asked why I wanted the internship, I said that it was because of the great views from the office. Again, oops.. On the positive side, I’ve learnt to research internships thoroughly first, and read the literature from the organisation to which I’m applying (particularly relevant to thinktanks) and to think up decent questions to ask at the end.

Anyway, back to why anyone who’s in a position to do such a thing should consider me for an internship:

i. I’m good at researching stuff, presenting it effectively, organising and publicising events. Useful stuff really.

ii. I’m a hard worker, particularly when it comes to doing stuff that I believe in; eg. climate change, justice in international relations, public sector reform.

iii. Qualification wise, just about to graduate in History from University of Leicester, also very involved in Student Union.

iv. I’d be good at it. I promise.

There you go, that’s my hard sell. I wonder if bigguybigcity.com’s demographics include the sort of people who work in London in public policy? Or the type of people who know people who work in London in public policy and will tell them what an amazing potential intern they have found? I guess I’ll find out..

Posted by Claire at April 22nd, 2006

In the last 2 days I’ve swam 70 lengths at the University Pool & walked miles. The reason? The arrival of Debbie Clarkson in Regensburg. I’ve never eaten so much ice-cream to that matter. Been spending lots of time with my other York friends and Christina (Bone’s friend from Leicester) & Rachel, both newbies too.

Also spent the last few days picking my modules here & also for my last year in York. All very stressful, but I seem to have chosen what I want to do, concentrating on Phonetics & Conversation & History of Language and the likes. As long as I don’t have to do Syntax or Semantics I’m happy!

Currently booking to see Feeder in Munich in May. It’ll be the third time I’ve attempted to see them, after Sarah not being able to see them in March & Ann taking them & then teasing us with the videos and recently Sarah, my sister Fiona & I buying Saturday Day tickets for Leeds Festival, hoping to see the AMAZING line up of Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs & the mighty fine Feeder, only to have them swap for the Sunday. Never mind, I know Franz are amazing as I saw them in December & I love the Kaisers too.

Anyone know where I can get help for gig addiction?

Posted by Claire at April 20th, 2006

Right, Claire returns to stamp some authority (or just some female presence!).  I’m sure all of you have been loving hearing about Bone, but I’m back, armed with a functioning computer (well, it seems a bit dicky & annoying at the moment) & unlimited internet access. 

Yes, I’ve returned to Regensburg.  Only been back in Germany a couple of hours & I kind of want to be back in Windermere already.  I remember looking out of the window the entire train journey to Manchester Airport, trying to savour as much of England as possible as I wont be seeing it for about 3 months.  But there have been some new arrivals in the ‘burg, including 6 of my York comrades & 2 girls from that filthy University of Leicester.  Honestly.

I’m starving, I miss my Mum’s weird, but wonderful, gastronomic creations…

Posted by Bone at April 19th, 2006

I took in, the end of the Langdale valley, blea tarn, wrynose pass and the three shires stone.

More pictures on the Flickr page.

Posted by Bone at April 18th, 2006

I spent a couple of hours today (after writing 1000 words for my Italian politics essay) sorting out a simple looking site at andrewbowness.com, as it had lain dormant for a couple of months after I bought it. It is a simple site, but I don’t really need anything else, its not like I need another blog to write!

Oh yeah, I know that I’ve made a bit of an error in the writing, so but I can’t be bothered changing it tonight.

I realised I forgot to mention its Web 2.0 compliance, light blue everywhere!

Posted by Bone at April 16th, 2006

Another Saturday and another night down in Bowness with the gang. This is 4 weeks straight now, and that is in no way sad.

It was probably the best night I’ve had since getting home, EVERYONE was out, and with it being Easter weekend the Wheelhouse was packed. It was so busy that I went up to get a drink at the bar, decided it was too busy, and just went back and stole Hodge’s cheeky vimto, but he didn’t seem to mind (and he shouldn’t, dude owes me money).

Green came out with an absolutely classic line, but it is a bit bizarre, and kinda harsh “you know what I’ve always wondered, if you got a tramps leg, covered it in [I've forgotten the term, but its that stuff that goes very cold at room temperature, you always seen people dipping bananas in it and making them solid, nitrogen-something perhaps] and then hit it with a shovel, would it shatter” I suggested that using a bit of meat would have the same effect, but was told that “it wouldn’t be the same”

I’ve gotta talk about Tyse, because he asked me to, so I’ll mention that he said he was gonna be “on the water” from 11 onwards, as he has to work today, and shockingly enough I think he might have achieved it, though possibly replacing the alcohol with a sugar rush from lemonade.

Don’t you just hate posts without pictures?