Please don't ask me...

Open Day, Saturday 20 September 2014.

I volunteered my time and my limited knowledge because I was interested to see how Imperial ran and organised their Open Day. I arrived at work on Saturday morning, bleary eyed, and donned my lurid yellow t-shirt splashed with Ask Me. Oh god, please don’t ask me. I know less than you do.

It seems that Open Day’s are a bit of a farce, globally. Spotty, socially awkward teenagers dragged along by pushy, overbearing parents who thrust their child upon you with some kind of pre-scripted question which the afore mentioned pimply teen mumbles at you incoherently, all while maintaining perfectly zero eye contact. On the other end of the spectrum, you have the zealous, overachiever asking hundreds of questions requiring tiny minute details that a pleb like me simply cannot answer.

In many ways, the Open Days are the same – booths (largely with grumbly staff members who had to come in on a Saturday), waves where the people are overwhelming, and then times when there is absolutely nothing happening, the hour-before-closing-time-witching-hour-for-weird-people and those-who-are-only-there-for-the-freebies. 

I found the day utterly exhausting, it was a 9am - 4pm effort, directing students every which way and pretending to know what I was talking about. I told hundreds of students to go "up two flights of stairs", [makes the number 2 with fingers] "and turn left" only to realise at the end of the day it was only one flight of stairs even though it takes you to level 2. Oh well, I'm sure they made it in the end.

It was finally over, and I dashed off - that night we were celebrating our 3 month anniversary of being in London.

On the way home, I got myself an enormous energy drink and I believe it worked somewhat. I had so much caffeine coursing through my veins I was jittery. Good, that'll do. I threw on a pretty dress (purchased in Paris), my bolero (from the London markets) and set off for Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.

I love this pub. Visited it on the pub tour and fell in love. Little alcoves cut out of the stone walls, really yummy food, cheap drinks. Here we had a group 11 strong, drinking and eating, getting to know each other. It was time to move on and move on we did..embarrassingly, we ended up at the Walkie. Many, many drinks and much dancing later, to was time for the 2am Maccas run before catching the Night Bus home (oh, Night Bus, you reek of shame).

I had a great time and it was just the pick me up I needed. The Sunday was spent pretty lazily (just an eye appointment for new contact lenses, he waived the appointment fee, #winning) and generally just pottering around.

It's fun to let your hair down (or in my case, put it up in a ponytail when the times-they-are-a-sweaty) and celebrate being on this adventure - we're all in the same boat and we all know what it feels like with the roller coaster of emotions.

Much love 

xx

SO VERY YELLOW 

I think we all come in at less than 6 months in London town.

Dancing and the lights!