Uni is Uni Really - Not Sure Why I'm Surprised!

To preface: What I'm going to be rambling on about in the opening of this blog, isn't directly related to what I'm getting up to. To read what I've been getting up to, scroll down (it won't be for long, I promise) until you reach a dotted line (--) and I'll put that stuff down below there.


It's been five weeks since I left home, to go study ( a little bit, maybe..) in Malaysia. And I've got to say, even though I wasn't sure what to expect, it's different to whatever that was. Aside from the scenery of the jungle, the heat and humidity, it's an awful lot like going to Uni back home. You quickly get used to eating a diet revolving around noodles and rice (even for breakfast - my standard is scrambled eggs and noodles + cereal), the stray dogs become mundane, and the chirping of whatever insect is doubtlessly trying to eat gets zoned out.

Lecture theatres are like home - even moreso the fact that we're forever in the same one! Windowless boxes, the only difference being at home you pile on jumpers to try forget you're stuck in the depths of English Winter, here it's to avoid the bite of the over-eager A/C. Work is work, we still spend as much time moaning about how we should've done something like Film Studies (Sharleen, I put this in there just for you!) Or how we're studying a totally valid profession, that we're not just second rate doctors, glorified shop-keepers or only different to the dispensing techs in title. All mentions of inferiority complexes aside, eight hour lecture days are still eight hour lecture days, and coursework deadlines are still coursework deadlines, whether I'm situated in the jungle, or some terraced house in the midlands.

And that makes sense. Of course it does, five weeks is plenty of time to adapt, and yet I'm surprised that things have normalized so quickly. Once more, I'll repeat that I wasn't entirely sure what I came out here expecting - tigers on my doorsteps, lecture timetables changing as a band of local tribesman decided to have the latest human sacrifice outside our lecture room? Probably not, but things are eerily similar. Nottingham in Malaysia - they weren't wrong when they billed it as that - maybe minus the knife crime rates and students having their stomachs pumped after a particularly messy night at Crisis.

Pseudo-Philosophical ravings aside, I'll get on with my oh-so thrilling life these past few weeks since I last blogged.
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Three week long modules. Seven different topics within a module. Now, I'm no maths undergrad, but I can work out that that equals a pretty crazy timetable. Our first module, GIL did no part in laying those apprenhesive feelings about the workload of second year to rest. With a veritable metric-tonne of lectures every week, and deadlines here there and everywhere, perhaps we weren't going to get away every weekend to some exotic destination, we've come to realise. It's a tough life I tell you!

That said, not all of our course is doom and gloom. The class over here has been wonderful to us (except you, Eric!) They have taken us out twice so far for food - once to a world famous Satay Restaurant, and the other for a Chinese dish called Pan Mee. Photographic evidence for both these trips can be found on my facebook, October's Album. Both times we were driven there en masse in their own cars, and I'm super greatful for this, so if any of you are reading, thank you so much! The whole class has been so friendly, welcoming, eager to take us out places, and understanding when we forget yet another name... I'll get there soon, I promise!

We're off this next weekend to the island of Penang, for Alice's 21st and to have a bit of a relax. Looking forward to it, I'll make sure to take lots of pictures of what we get up to make you all jealous! Remember to wrap up warm this winter guys, wouldn't want any of you to get too cold.

I hope this blog is more manageable in terms of length (as we've done nothing of terrible note...), especially if you decided to skip my ramblings. Missing everyone a lot, yet doing fine out here. I should get back to finishing my coursework, procrastination is a wonderful thing...

Much love,

Jacob H xx