The Ramblings of a Student Engineer

Superbowl, Adverts, UID and Bowling

This Sunday, as Im sure many of you knew, was Superbowl Sunday- The New Orleans Saints vs. the Indianapolis Colts. This is a phenomenon that is only recently become popular in the UK. Now shown on BBC, albeit from 11 at night until 4 am the next morning, us brits have a chance to watch a game that none of us understand. Not that we don’t get the rules- they’re simple enough- but we don’t understand why. For many americans, this probably comes close to blasphemy, Im sure, and don’t get me wrong, I love the atmosphere, but to many of us Brits, American Football is just Rugby that stops every time a ruck starts. Oh, and everyone wears pads and theres no scrum. I think it would be an interesting experiment to have a Rugby team and an American Football team swap places. I suspect that the Americans would struggle to last the full length of a Rugby game, while the performance of the Rugby players in an American Football game would be much lower than the original players. With all its stops mid-play, I do believe that the ability and skills of the Football players is of a very high level, and that they are good at what they do. However, Rugby brings in all aspects of the game, and you require not just the initial strength and speed but also stamina. Thats just my opinion though!

One thing that us Brits don’t get to partake in is the Superbowl adverts. Being broadcast by the BBC, we get our own ad breaks in between plays, and they are nowhere near the same as the american ones. With adverts for 118 and various clothes washing powders, it comes nowhere near the screaming chickens or the green police that added to the entertainment value of the american Superbowl experience. Mind you, what else is YouTube for?

This week for me has begun as quite a difficult one, once again, with a late night Sunday after a surprisingly tiring weekend. The Jump back into work means no rest, and yet another version of my FS brake disc makes it more and more frustrating. However, today I got a UID number from my lecturer, giving me the go-ahead on the manufacture. He pointed out to me that this was my first ever proper engineering drawing, and to that end, I want it to be perfect. A realisation that it will never be perfect- there will always be a better placement, or a better note, or a better wording- means that I’ll never be truly happy with it, but I at least want to be proud. The chance to say that I put my all into that drawing makes it all seem worthwhile. So long as it doesn’t malfunction and cause a crash in the car that is!

Tomorrow I’ll be bowling with the Ultimate Frisbee team, a chance to show my lack of skill or utter fluke-ness, depending on how lucky a day Im having. I’ll at least try and score some points! However, it’ll be a nice midweek break from the work!

Much Love,

Jonny

T.G.I.F

So it’s finally Friday, and yet I’m knackered and on a train to London. Being week one at uni I was expecting some work, but the load that actully came about surprised me! I had my first evening of the term in the library last night, an earlier start than expected- all in the name of formula student! With the aim of getting my drawings done and sending them off to have the new part on the car by week 3 I stayed up late working hard. Leaving at about 10, I walked home, feeling sadly more awake then ever after a day of sitting in front of a screen. Staying up until half one watching American dad possibly wasn’t the smartest move, but I managed to drag myself out of bed to catch my train. Only to fond it was cancelled… A broken down train on the line meant I had to detour via Manchester, and sadly miss out on visitng my best friend in London. Hopefully the trains on Sunday won’t be so bad- that way I can hope to get home at a reasonable hour!

However, at least this weeken will be work free. After taking my MacBook for what should have been a half hour repair, the apple store have taken it away for 5-7 days, meaning that I’m posting this from my phone while on the train! It does mean that although I won’t get any work done, I do get more time visiting my grandparents. I had planned to do some work on the train, but we all know how well that plan always works… This tine tho, with no laptop on which to watch movies I was forced to read my FHM cover to cover! Buuut I do get to catch up my blogging!

But now that I’ve updated you all on my wonderfully exciting life- I’m going to get some shut eye!

Much love,

Jonny

Vibration, happy trails and skiing

After a fairly large night, sadly without the Raz, this morning was a difficult start. In fact, I have to admit I didn’t make my first lecture. When I finally did get out of bed, I had a lecture, then came to get some lunch. Feeling rough already, coming into the guild to see a large amount of pasty slightly overweight men being waxed- which is the eyesore I stumbled upon- has a tendancy to put you off your appetite. At least it was for a good cause! Though I’m not sure rugby players losing eyebrows, back hair and happy trails is the best way to advertise ‘help for heroes’.

The new term brings some new modules, but also some returning ones. This sadly means that I have to carry on with vibration and control. Similar to my old physics classes at school, we have a lecturer who is crap at explaining, has crap notes, and an annoying whiney voice. The only difference is that this one gives us tests every week, and assignments that mean the whole class ends up in the library for hours on end trying to understand. The one saving grace is that she steals her questions from the Internet which invariably means that the solutions are there too if you look hard enough!

A few of my friends are planning a trip to Scotland tomorrow, a day of skiing, for which I am truly Jealous. Easter is still a long way away, and I just cant wait! Sadly, I will have to!

Much Love,

Jx

Just a small town girl… living in a lonely world!

First day of the latest term behind me now, and it was a crazy day of work. Bad omen maybe? Ah well, I always new it was coming. At least tonight I get a night out! Stammtisch No.5 of the German Society at Uni- Should be a good evening!

Especially as a trip to the Good Ol’ Raz is in order! For those of you who don’t know the Raz- You are missing out. It is something else! A strange place where the music fell straight out of the 80’s and 90’s, but is populated mainly by students, the Raz is a bit of a dive bar, but is always a good laugh. An article by the BBC’s version of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy describes the Raz as “the stuff of which legends are made”. Check it out for yourself:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A21897192

Phat frogs- a deadly concoction of various different alcopops that goes fluorescent green- are a must, and at just over £3 for two pints worth, its hardly a rip off. However, the busy club means that the floor is quickly covered by the stuff, and you stick to the floor. All in the name of dancing to cheesy music with other inebriated students!

The nightly closing song, as always, Journey’s classic “Don’t stop believing”, is what I like to think of as a treat for the hardcore Raz goers Phat brave enough to last the night. Alternatively, the Raz was voted top pulling location by nuts magazine, or one of the other mens magazines, and they have a point. Every which way you look theres a drunk chick leering at what may or may not be a wall- it’s hard to tell in the dark cave of a basement- and many uni sports teams (both male and female) hold sharking competitions to tally up drunken pulls in the Raz. Tasteful as always!

As dark and dingy as the Raz sounds, (and, yes, it sort of is) the cheap drinks and the one of a kind atmosphere are a must for any visitors to Liverpool. Maybe I’ll see you out tonight- Phat Frogs all around!

Much Love,

J