Part 1: Introductions | Part 2: Trust me, I'm an engineer | Part 3: The city of cycles | Part 4: "Aiden's still working!" | Part 5: A soberman's night out | Part 6: Time for another entry | Part 7: MOCer Diaries | Part 8: Read all about it
I have been here at Cambridge University for a little over a month. A few weeks ago I decided that it was about time to write an update journal detailing what I’ve been up to, but that came with the realisation that there was simply too much that I wanted to say. In order to do myself justice on topics such as my course, my accommodation, and my newfound friends, I’d have to write reams of text comparable to the work of my friends studying English, and I simply wouldn’t have the time to devote to such a lengthy endeavour (nor would you have the patience to process it all, I'm sure). By the time I’d have finished writing, there’d probably be a whole new set of events to add to the fray.
And so, as a break from my usual style of self-contained essays with word counts reaching the thousands, I have decided to cut it down into several shorter (and more regular) entries that will hopefully be more manageable. Perhaps this will make up for my reduced MOCing activity, too. Brace yourselves for anecdotes about bicycle mishaps, cardboard ninja stars, and elaborate plastic-based College proposals. But as for this particular journal, where better to start than the topic of Introductions?
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Having been thrown into a college amongst 144 other Freshers, it’s natural that everybody has had to introduce themselves on countless occasions. Frankly I think it would’ve been easier if I'd worn a T-shirt that said ‘I’m Aiden, a first-year doing Engineering at Jesus College. Yes, it's a lot of work, but we're in Cambridge, so could you expect any less?’. Just to mix things up I once told a fellow engineer that my name is Brendan. We’ll see how things turn out.
Of course, people say that this is prime time to redefine yourself, to pursue new activities, to actively choose who you are as a person. It’s interesting watching how my friends from school have adapted to the new lifestyle: one has changed from a typical nerd into a partygoer, while another seems to have shut himself away from the world at the expense of those close to him. It makes me wonder whether my current friends were radically different just a few months ago.
And what about me? I’ve used the opportunity to be far more open about myself. I talked about how I had four imaginary personas in a previous blog post; those four are still there, and all of them can now run free. I used to keep quiet about my Lego hobby and blogging, for fear of being mocked, but that reservation is now gone. Instead I have established myself as Aiden, the excitable engineer with a fancy camera and too many Bionicle pieces in his room. It’s brilliant.
The best part is how accepting people are. No-one questions any of my life choices, no-one makes any judgement, and everybody approaches the whole Lego thing with curiosity; nobody is in any position to criticise, and so I no longer need to hate the world for its casual dismissal of unorthodox pastimes. I’ve even had discussions about competitive Pokémon battling with a few fellow Jesuans, which would’ve been completely unheard of at my secondary school. (Unfortunately I have yet to get X or Y, but I played on my friend's X for a few minutes and it was magical.)
In fact, the subject of drinking is particularly interesting: I have already made my stance quite clear, but the responses I’ve received here are so accommodating. Instead of the expected “What, you don’t drink? Rubbish! Here, let me buy you a pint.”, people act mature and inquire as to how that decision came about, occasionally with a tone of respect. My college wife has even decided to abstain until New Year’s, though I can’t be sure how much of an effect my alcohol journal had on this choice. (By the way, since writing that particular entry, I have become more aware of the genetics behind it all. Apparently it’s really not uncommon for Chinese people to be unable to process certain alcohols, which would explain the headaches I get. Assuming they’re not psychological, that is.) Of course, I have far more to say about the topic of drink, but I think that would fit nicely under the future title ‘Nightlife’, don’t you think?
But alas, I’m afraid that this is the end of the introduction. University life is absolutely fantastic, and I’m loving every moment of it. As fun as it has been, it was terribly satisfying collating my thoughts into a blog entry once more; I look forward to the next instalment.
Skin by Celvas
