I learned a few things last week while I was on holiday. Or I kind of knew these things already, but had them confirmed.
i. Cycling, playing badminton and swimming every day is amazing. I need more exercise/time outside, and less being crouched over work or laptop.
ii. I have lost the ability to switch off. I need to make more time to read (non-art books!) and play random board games or watch films with my husband. Anything that constitutes a real life basically.
iii. Having an iphone and wifi/openzone is a problem. I literally don’t know how to have a holiday anymore. I wonder if the days of disappearing for two weeks are over? Especially frustrating is that new Windows live means Hotmail doesn’t have a vacation reply anymore. I have had my hotmail address since 1993, but I don’t think I can keep using it if this remains the case. It’s completely unprofessional and a pain in the arse.
It was a lovely week, even given the slightly bizarre shopping-centric environment of Center Parcs (they’re Ameri-French!). We paid to use the spa (HEAVEN) and also to get a massage (I NEED MORE IN MY LIFE). The food on offer was pretty crap, but we had shopped en route, so avoided too much overpriced tat. On the whole, it was probably a great choice as there was very little to deal with – I needed to be herded like a sheep for a week.
It did feel pretty shitty to be lounging around while all the student protests were going on though, and I was glued to the news about it all. Nick Clegg insisting today that low income students will do better out of it is basically him trying to polish a turd. It’s a ruse and yes, like with any statistics, you can present the figures like that and make them look convincing, but that is basically appealing to the capitalist in people – ‘oh yeah, he’s right, I’ll be better off, nice one’. This is real Conservative territory and I am horrified how much he has compromised his policies and apparent beliefs. Also, an aside, I know they’re working off a median wage, but £21,000 as a low income illustrates how far I still have to go! 31, graduated for 9 years, working hard and still only earning half of that! Sad face. Paying these back may not be a problem for someone like me, but getting by and managing any kind of quality of life or pension etc would be.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/30/nic…
I feel scared.
Clegg also outlines his argument further in a letter to the NUS President:
