I am a dork and I am utterly offended.

A while ago I wrote this here article about the abhorrent concept of "geek chic. I mentioned club nights that until now I haven't had the misfortune to come across. Now i'm disappointed in the newest club in Lincoln... Tokyo. I love the place. Though I mostly frequent Sugarcubes, everybody's favourite rock dive, I have been going to Tokyo more and more.

I saw this on their Facebook page.

"GEEK GLASSES will be available on entry to get y'all in the mood!!"

"Geek glasses"... now how exactly are geek glasses any different to any other glasses? And "in the mood"? The mood for what exactly? I am, of course, expecting the "geek chic" theme to continue throughout the night. Tokyo's team have developed a new technology that without the Geek Glasses™ makes everything blurry*. As we all know very very well bad eyesight = intelligence. Entry will be £3.14 but free if you solve a variety of mathematical problems, £1 off if you fix the doorman's computer and £2 off if you submit a short essay detailing the research you went through to decide on Tokyo above the other clubs in Lincoln.

Now which genre of "geek" are we looking at? Will there be books to read around the club? Will each room have a different console? Will the drinks be served in receptacles from scientific experiments? I like to think the staff will be dressed as various film and game characters. I think Leeloo, Ezio and Mario should be doormen. Doormen have moustaches, right?

Are we counting down the days until "hipster night" or  "emo night"? Is it a new trend that club nights alienate certain groups in society? What music would you even associate with "geeks"? I'm not entirely ungeeky and in my circle of "geeky" friends there is certainly no trend in music taste. And anyway... are real "geeks" wouldn't be there anyway, surely? I love Monday nights at Tokyo but there's no chance I'll be there on that night.

It'll be full of slutty schoolgirls and too many fake glasses. It just sounds horrible and ungainly.

Dick move, Tokyo. I love your faces, but dick move.

*A source from Tokyo Lincoln denies a connection between this new technology and alcohol.

At least Professor X would know to arrive early for his train

Is it just me or is this a little bit off? Currently at Lincoln train station they're performing some kind of maintenance work on the lifts. Which I discovered, when to my delight, I had to heave my heavy suitcase across the platform bridge. Now, I am not hugely bothered by this but my first thought (after "oh effort!") was 'How's a wheelchair meant to cross?'.

BOXED IN: Works going on at Lincoln Train Station.

I asked one of the men who stand around in high visibility jackets... because that means they're important (or something). And apparently if there's someone who needs disabled access to the far platforms then they need to re-platform the train. I see several problems with this. As there's no way of telling people before they arrive then I doubt they're going to miraculously think "ooh, maybe i'll arrive extra early today. And, as far as I know, I think it's possible for people in wheelchairs to be late too. I mean, I'm not sure, but someone, somewhere, in a wheelchair may have been late for something at sometime.

Anyway, in this situation the concept of "late" can be subjective. For example, the train I catch from Lincoln to go back to the West Midlands is always at the platform about half an hour before it is due to leave. Let's say someone in a wheelchair arrives for their train 10 minutes beforehand. This is perfectly acceptable. Will they take the train out of the station and bring it back in to platform 2 or 3 (the only ones when you don't need to cross the track) and can't they even do that what with other trains coming and going.

This re-platforming plan only works if the passenger arrives before the train. Lincoln is the end of the line for many trains, the only really notable places Grimsby and Skegness further east... they're not exactly the Paris or New York* of Lincolnshire. If they arrive even slightly late or perfectly on time, when their train is already there, then what's the answer? Can they just not travel?

There's definitely something not right about this whole situation. It seems like they've looked at the problem and thought "eh, we'll play it by ear".

*I'd go close to saying Newark was the New York of Lincolnshire because for some reason the similar sounding nature of them makes me giggle.

No referendum for me.

Fuck you, Lincoln City Council, fuck you.


Because you seemed to lose my change of address application I now can't vote today. I'm one of the only people I know who actually cares about my vote and now I'm not fucking allowed to use it.


Clearly fucking bureaucracy matters more than democracy.

EDIT: One afternoon, two polling stations, countless phonecalls to the council and a visit to my old flat. AND I FINALLY GOT TO VOTE. :D

Is anyone really surprised at the £9000 fee hike?

Right now do I hate the Government more or The Inbetweeners for giving us so many ready made self-loathing headlines? "Second-rate education" "shithole"... fuck off, okay? Was anyone calling Lincoln this before the goddamn Inbetweeners? Lincoln is a gorgeous city, a tourist hotspot and the university isn't bad at all! We're not fantastic but for a relatively new university 72 in the league tables isn't too shabby.

All I know is I don't hate my university. What other option did they really have? It's not the university's fault that David Cameron wants to bugger our universities and strip the UK of quality education. The government are taking away all funding for universities... is it really any surprise that when they didn't have enough funding in the first place they'll opt to get all the money they can?

People have been complaining that the university announced they could afford £7500 fees yet still opted for the full £9000. I mean, wouldn't you? Would you be happy with your university unable to afford any improvements? I think my course is pretty good, yes we don't get a huge amount of contact time, and the computers are a bit dodgy but I know many people doing Biomedical Science at Lincoln, a course that seriously needs better funding. They have no lectures theatres meaning that 2 or 3 hours lectures that frequent their schedules have to be split up in hour sections where they're shoved into whichever lecture lecture theatres the media and humanities buildings can spare.

Why are people asking "Is the University of Lincoln even worth £9000"? How do you define what university education is actually worth? The dickhead politicians who are bringing in these higher fees got their degrees for free. At the time would they have happily paid £1000 for it? "No!" they cry in outrage, "Free education is a right! Why would I pay for something I could get for less?!"

Why would I pay £9000 for something I could get for £3000? You wouldn't! No-one would! Just like if you could earn £9000 instead of £7500 you bloody well would. Define worthiness for me. If this were as simple as how much the course is worth then £9000 wouldn't be such an infamous figure. It's all political. It's not the universities fault that they've been put between a rock and a hard place. The government took away their funding so they have to find it somewhere. Even with the government funding they didn't have enough so why not get as much as they can?

Stop blaming the universities. It's the government that's made this happen. And all of us foolish Lib Dem supporters who didn't foresee Clegg's arselicking tendencies. Politicians are at fault here.... as fucking always.

Beautiful day in Lincoln

Photo: Me

Beautiful clear skies in Lincoln today. It's cold but delightfully sunny which is a perfect day in my view. I arrived in Lincoln on the train from York earlier and is was a nice change to be faced with pleasantness. I love Lincoln but stepping out of the train station on a grim day is just nasty. Today however is beautiful. For once I look forward to the summer, momentarily forgetting the humidity and sweatiness that my British constitution doesn't like.

Home comforts, cosiness and a not-quite-relevant video clip.

Sometimes I wonder how I would define "home comforts". Unlike most people I know in university I wholly consider Lincoln to be my home. Wombourne is just my other home. Is it possible to have two homes? It must be... Wombourne is my family home to Lincoln is my own city where I came to out of choice rather than the geographical location of my Mom.

I think there's two kinds of "home comfort". First there's the material type; a washing machine that I don't need to go to another building to use for a start. Then there's the distinct lack of loud students in Wombourne. If there's loud noise on my street in the wee hours then I'm usually the one making it. I also get woken up by laughing children outside my window rather than the strange squeal of something being done to a tyre at Tanvic (your No. 1 tyre centre) that seems to start at about 7am. Add to that the busy main road outside my window and I don't have the quietest accommodation.

Every time I think of washing machines...

Then there's the flat itself. By student accommodation standards I'm pretty lucky but due to the letting agent's incompetence with maintenance we have a rotting bathroom floor (ooh bouncy) and radiators that don't work properly (damn knobs). It's only now (after living here for 6 months) that we have extractor fans in the windowless/ventless bathrooms.

One thing (for once) I can't blame Lighthouse for is the lack of "cosiness". For a home to be "cosy" is a desired characteristic. Only the British could turn "small" into something so positive.

With all my photos and random objects and (cause I'm actually a small child) cuddly toys, my room does have a certain amount of cosiness but only so much clutter can try and cover up the bland furniture that's identical to every single room in the entire building. Then there's the kitchen, no matter how nice "open plan" seems, having a kitchen with a pile of washing up in your peripheral vision ruins any kind of pleasantness a cheap faux leather sofa, a tv and a pile of DVDs can achieve. It's not a living room, it's a kitchen with a sofa and a fridge that's far too close to the tv.

Our living room next year is big and square, it has an old, well-loved suite and carpet that isn't from the B & Q basics range. There's a chunky coffee table... (though I'm not sure it will ever earn the legendary status of my own coffee table that is current stored in my bedroom back in Wombourne.) We've got a hatstand people... a hat stand. Lighthouse would never provide a hatstand! If they did it'd probably be held together with tape and allergic to hats.

Next year I just have a feeling that I won't want for material home comforts. I'll have my washing machine, everything in the house will work, I won't need a code or a key fob to get home and i'll have somewhere to put my hats. When I travel back to Wombourne I'll be going to see everyone rather than to see everyone and also do as much washing as I can fit into my suitcase. I'll have the proper home comforts, a mom-made meal covered in cling film in the microwave, year old christmas chocolates in the fridge, and evening on the sofa with the mom discussing the latest drama at the Co-op, that long walk up Ounsdale road to see the group or go to my Aunt's. Damnit, I want to go home for family and friends not appliances, my mattress and a nicely decorated bathroom.

Gosh darn it studenthood, why aren't you cosy?

YoYos review

Did this review for my online project and was rather proud of it. Here you go! A review.

One Chinese buffet is much like the rest, don’t you think? You go in, you eat too much and then you feel a little sick when you collect your second helping from the chocolate fountain. Then after all that you can’t move and you feel like that third plateful took with it your soul. (Though you do smile with pride because you know how to use chopsticks)

But no. Yoyos isn’t like this. With the cheap price of £5.95 for lunch you don’t feel the need to “get your money’s worth”. You can even turn the Chinese buffet event into a quick lunch or a birthday celebration with Yoyos’ smorgasbord of cocktails.

In my opinion (Chinese food being my favourite food) the Yoyos buffet is one of the best I’ve been to. There is a wide selection on the buffet and in the evening you can request different varieties of noodles from the Noodle Bar. Unlike a few buffets I’ve been to the food is always hot and is frequently replenished by one of Yoyo’s army of waiters. And the food itself is delicious, miles above your standard takeaway. There is a strange and delicious beef rice which I’ve never seen anywhere else and is frankly fantastic. It has a rich flavour, nice chunks of beef and the rice is cooked to perfection. I also recommend the dumplings, though if you eat more than about three, you may not be able to move for the rest of the day. Tiny bundles of ridiculously filling yumminess.

One issue I have is when ordering drinks. Ignoring the rather pricey drinks menu the waiters seem to take forever to finally bring your (rather small) drink to the table. And of course it takes a good while longer if you order the free tap water. Not that I’m saying the staff are rude. The staff are all very friendly and willing to help, just not the quickest at bringing you refreshments.

Another uniqueness that Yoyos has is the takeaway option. If you feel like Chinese food but you can’t afford to buy a good range of dishes from a takeaway and sitting on your own amidst families and groups of friends doesn’t appeal to you then you can just get a takeaway box. At £3.80 in the day and just a pound more in the evening the takeaway box is the cheapest way to get a such a tasty range of Chinese food.

All in all I think Yoyos is great. An all-you-can-eat buffet will never be a classy affair, and most of the time you’ll find that you’ve eaten far too much. However Yoyos is a cheap, easy and thoroughly enjoyable place to eat.

I'm somewhat discontent.

According to this handy widget I know that it's -6 outside. That's -6 in early December... and the UK. I'm sure I don't remember weather this cold before. When I woke up this morning my friendly widget pal was telling me it was -11 outside. If only I have a thermometer in order to continue my new found temperature obsession away from my computer.

Anyway.

I never moaned about the snow because I loved it. Every little bit of it. The cold, however. I will moan about. When it is too cold to snow, and therefore, play and go for pleasant walks in the snow then I do not approve. In the atrium at uni earlier I could see my breath in front of my face. This, my friends, was just not cricket.

But onto the main point I wanted to make. Though it is horrible and icy outside the roads are now clear. All the ice is confined to side streets and paths. Basically a big "fuck you!" to pedestrians. So why the hell haven't our bins been collected yet?

The bins in the courtyard of my accommodation (Brayford Court)

It's nearly two weeks since the bins were last collected and I just wish the council would be a bit better at sorting out the backlog. Carholme road is absolutely clear of snow and ice on the road so I see no reason why they haven't sorted this out. It's bad enough that the courtyard is horribly icy but it's really not to pleasant having a growing bin bag mountain.

Hmmm... I sound like a bit of an old lady moaning about this. But I want the nice snowiness back, not un-emptied bins and DEATH ICE.

Now excuse me whilst I retreat back underneath my duvet.

Walking back to my flat.

Most Tuesdays I end up at Joe's on the other side of town. Then I have work (next to my flat) at 8am on Wednesday morning. So I often find myself walking across town in the dark of a Tuesday evening. For the first time since I started my job in the summer I actually enjoyed my walk home. For a few simple reasons.

1. Snow. Though the snow causes chaos for drivers, as a pedestrian with no scrupples about wearing my wellies I'm sorted. Joe and Jerry are both tall... I am short, most of the time I have to run to keep up. But today this short girl had grippy shoes. Gotta love not having to run to keep up like a little child.
2. Snow. Walking back at about half 9 the roads were already deserted. No traffic, just empty roads to cross with ease.
3. Yet another snow-themed reason. The prettiness. Lincoln's not very exciting at night, until the cathedral comes into view, but even Portland street was pretty in the snow.
4. For once I had someone to walk with. Jerry also had to get home and so I had someone with me. Plus this meant I didn't get distracted on my own and go play in the snow.

Rarely do I arrive home cheery. I approve of this wintry lark.

Winter Wonderland

It's not even December yet but Lincoln is already a beautiful winter wonderland. Yes, it's freezing outside. Yes, I'm constantly in so many layers I'm beginning to forget what my own naked form looks like. Yes, I've now learnt how to type with gloves on, I'm wandering around in my snow covered wellies, I'm avoiding plentiful icy patches on the roads and paths and my nose is a fetching shade of bright pink. But oh gosh, I am loving this. Lincoln city is gorgeous enough the rest of the year but add a blanket of white and a gorgeous clear sky and it's hard to be in a bad mood.

Brayford Pool (29.11.10) Credit: Me

Even though the next few weeks is going to be mental (many-a hand in, two jobs, christmas celebrations and finally home for the holiday) I can't see myself breaking this smile too often.

(also: couple of my photos on The Linc's website, here)

The first snow of winter and Lincolnshire Christmas Food and Drink Fair

There is little in the world I love more than waking up to snow. It's one of few things that can happen that is so simple but makes me so happy. When I awoke this morning and saw this very out of my bedroom window, I instantly turned into a small child and squealed.

Not even snow can turn the Tanvic car park into a good view.

So, wellies on, woolly hat on and pompoms at the ready myself, the boyfriend, the flatmate, her boyfriend, the father and the sister headed up to the Lincolnshire Christmas Food and Drink Fair at the Showground.

The fair had a wide range of stalls with products varying from cheese, to sausages, to cider to little decorated egg cups. One of the meat stalls alone had 5 kinds of sausages, 3 kinds of bacon plus Haslet, a  kind of Lincolnshire meatloaf (which is delicious!). There was also several stalls with different ciders all off which we had to sample several times. Also, an adorable (and dastardly) girl sold me some cheese. Stupid cute children selling yummy blue cheese.

We had a right good afternoon and now i'm in a rather Christmassy mood, even though it's November. November is not Christmas, my friends. Do not listen to Christmas music. Do not put lights up. Do not decorate your house. It is not even advent yet!


So that was just a quick post. Well done Lincolnshire for your fantastic fairs... can't wait until next weekend for the Christmas Market.