Ah, summer. The time of year where the sun is shining, it is warm outside and everything is good. A time for vacations in the sun, barbeques, relaxing and looking at the positive side of life.
Sadly, I do not think I can share this view this year. While the summer is anticipated by millions almost as much as Christmas (or in some cases, more so), I cannot share in the joy as much as I would like to. Certain things are chipping away at my summer spirit. There are positive things about the summer too though, so I would like to think that I have a balanced attitude to how it will go.
My Masters degree is still ongoing, with the final deadline being in September, so my summer will have a large amount of it dedicated to research, interviewing people and lots of academic writing. On top of that I am still in search of employment, having no success at all. With that in mind, another chunk of my summer will be (and already is) dedicated to finding a means to actually earn some money, of which I currently have very little.
That leads me to my car. I love my car. It is an old Fiat but it is mine. I get immense joy out of driving (See? Positives!). The one disadvantage of being a driver is that cars are (as one of my friends so wonderfully put it) black holes for money. Very true. Over the summer I have my annual MOT inspection and service (and considering the hole that some kind motorist put in my bumper over new year will probably be expensive) in addition to my insurance renewal. So there are those big bills to look forward to as well!
Also, I have hayfever. Which rather takes away a full enjoyment of the summer. Still, the less said about that the better (it is a depressing subject).
Now while this may all sound like the proverbial doom and gloom there some positives which are helping my outlook avoid getting too morose. I do really enjoy the warm weather. I like being able to walk around in shorts outside and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. It really does help the mood when you can walk around in the sunshine (oddly enough, the rain has a similar effect on me, but that is beside the point).
I also really like following, as best I can, the World Cup taking place in South Africa. While this may come as a surprise to some I have always maintained that international football tournaments (soccer for my American readers, if they exist) are the only times that my interest in the sport is piqued. Club football does nothing for me, but the international tournaments are always enjoyable. Except watching England. That is always difficult for a number of reasons. Firstly, they do not play exciting football like the Brazilians or the Argentinians, it is always dull and unimpressive. Secondly, as I alluded to in a previous entry, the frenzy that English people work themselves into at these tournaments always leaves me resenting the England team and hoping they get knocked out just so all the jingoistic, nationalist stuff will peter out. The World Cup as a whole, however, gives me a chance to watch some top quality football without the foul taint of money that club football reeks of.
So there you have it. What my summer will consist of. Not brilliant, but ultimately not horrible. It will hopefully be a vast improvement on last year. I also realize that a lot of my recent entries have been more personal rather than focusing on more important issues. I will try to address that when I can dive more fully into the news.
Sadly, I do not think I can share this view this year. While the summer is anticipated by millions almost as much as Christmas (or in some cases, more so), I cannot share in the joy as much as I would like to. Certain things are chipping away at my summer spirit. There are positive things about the summer too though, so I would like to think that I have a balanced attitude to how it will go.
My Masters degree is still ongoing, with the final deadline being in September, so my summer will have a large amount of it dedicated to research, interviewing people and lots of academic writing. On top of that I am still in search of employment, having no success at all. With that in mind, another chunk of my summer will be (and already is) dedicated to finding a means to actually earn some money, of which I currently have very little.
That leads me to my car. I love my car. It is an old Fiat but it is mine. I get immense joy out of driving (See? Positives!). The one disadvantage of being a driver is that cars are (as one of my friends so wonderfully put it) black holes for money. Very true. Over the summer I have my annual MOT inspection and service (and considering the hole that some kind motorist put in my bumper over new year will probably be expensive) in addition to my insurance renewal. So there are those big bills to look forward to as well!
Also, I have hayfever. Which rather takes away a full enjoyment of the summer. Still, the less said about that the better (it is a depressing subject).
Now while this may all sound like the proverbial doom and gloom there some positives which are helping my outlook avoid getting too morose. I do really enjoy the warm weather. I like being able to walk around in shorts outside and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. It really does help the mood when you can walk around in the sunshine (oddly enough, the rain has a similar effect on me, but that is beside the point).
I also really like following, as best I can, the World Cup taking place in South Africa. While this may come as a surprise to some I have always maintained that international football tournaments (soccer for my American readers, if they exist) are the only times that my interest in the sport is piqued. Club football does nothing for me, but the international tournaments are always enjoyable. Except watching England. That is always difficult for a number of reasons. Firstly, they do not play exciting football like the Brazilians or the Argentinians, it is always dull and unimpressive. Secondly, as I alluded to in a previous entry, the frenzy that English people work themselves into at these tournaments always leaves me resenting the England team and hoping they get knocked out just so all the jingoistic, nationalist stuff will peter out. The World Cup as a whole, however, gives me a chance to watch some top quality football without the foul taint of money that club football reeks of.
So there you have it. What my summer will consist of. Not brilliant, but ultimately not horrible. It will hopefully be a vast improvement on last year. I also realize that a lot of my recent entries have been more personal rather than focusing on more important issues. I will try to address that when I can dive more fully into the news.
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