For a good cause

Next week is RAG Week here at the University of Warwick. As the RAG Week Co-ordinator, I'm currently something of a headcase. There are so many little things to think of and it's suddenly dawning on me that I'm probably not going to have any time for sleep all week and I'm worried about letting things slip through the cracks.

However, that's just me being silly, I'm sure. Planning has been going on for months and generally it's shaping up to be a cracking week. We're hoping to raise a lot of money, all of which is for Children in Need, a great cause helping children across the UK.

!!!WARWICK STUDENTS!!!

THIS BIT'S FOR YOU

Please support RAG Week, because:

(a) It's for an excellent cause.

(b) It's loads of fun!

You can send lovely things, or even better EMBARRASSING things to your friends. Have your flatmate GNOMED, just for banter's sake (you know... for the children) and come along to our events. They range in levels of craziness from a Pub Quiz on Tuesday to a huge Leamington Bar Crawl on Friday.

Right, I should get back on task now, but wish us luck, show your support and get involved! I'll be sure to let you know how much we raise!

A Juggling Act

Hello Readers,

Well, it's sad to say but the end has come to tales of life in Rome, gallivanting around Italy and the excitement of London 2012. I'm now back at university and frantically busy reacclimatising to uni life and balancing a full course load with all the extra curriculars and clubs that pad out this experience, I'm talking societies, clubs and of course, a social life. This year I'm working on the RAG exec to shape RAG Week into a time of intense charity mischief, preparing to the immense challenge of Mount Kilimanjaro in the summer and I've been getting active (and initiated) in Warwick's Netball Club.

Hitting the books again has actually turned out well. I'm glad to be back in the classroom with a quality exchange of ideas and the occasional heated debate. So far I've even managed to keep on top of all the reading, although knowing the ways of the world a little I can promise that things are only going to get tougher as the lists get longer and essays start to pile up. However, I have already faced the other dreaded 'E' this term. Yes, exams! During Freshers! Less that delightful for us returning from our years in Italy and yet I can't deny that it's best to start as you mean to go on, and it wasn't a total disaster. I've already got the results back, and they'll do. So far, so good.

RAG (Raising and Giving) is also keeping me super busy. If only I had envisioned the workload when I skyped my way onto the exec back in February! But a little charity love never did any har, and this year is already shaping up very nicely- keep your fingers crossed for RAG Week (my baby) to be a success, please! Not long to go now and so just lots of organisations and stress (for me) and hopefully lots of fun and full charity coffers for the rest of the student body.

**If you are a Warwick student reading this PLEASE show your support during Week 7= all proceeds will be going to Children in Need**

In other news, my RAG President has also managed to convince me to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this summer. Moreover, he's persuaded me to be an Adventure Leader, and therefore convince a sizeable team of student to follow me to Tanzania, and then up the tallest free standing mountain in the world. Poor chaps! I confess, I'm somewhat daunted by the feat I've undertaken, but I'm also very VERY excited. I actually considered it in my First Year, and totally chickened out. It feels good to know that I've grown some guts, but now comes the tough part: the end of recruitment, supporting my team and my own fundraising. Oh, and then of course there's the mountain itself. Bring it!

The good news is that I have started working on my fitness and team work. I've joined (and as of last night been initiated into) the Netball Club and have been having lots of fun both on the courts and the Student's Union with the girls. Despite the embarrassment of my Chicken themed initiation I'm feeling brilliant about this decision. I'm loving my new sporty side.

So there you have it, the basics of the start of the academic year. I'm looking forward to reporting what challenges and delights Third Year brings. It's a juggling act, but hopefully I manage to keep all the balls in the air.

Wish me luck... and watch this space!

The world on your doorstep

Welcome to the continued tales of my life, now returned to it's original location of London. Since we spoke last I've been an incredibly busy bee. Hosting can be a most time consuming affair though, and perhaps you've heard, London's been flooded this past month with a little shindig called the Olympic Games.

I don't remember exactly what I've told you before, but I'd always planned to spend the whole summer in Italy during my Year Abroad. I dreamed of three whole months in the sun... presumably with some sort of clearly defined plan. However, exceptional circumstances call for a little flexibility and openness to the remarkable opportunities which present themselves. I did my best, I changed my plans and I got a job with the catering on the Olympic Park. All signed up for 17 days of excited atmosphere, being part of history in the making and yes, apologising to the world for not being one of those excellent volunteers, but a mere  soulless wage-slave.

Let me start at the very beginning, because Julie Andrews once sang something about that being 'a very good place to start'. Please do not expect an over detailed account of the whole affair, because I will get bored at some point and just want to show you pictures, of which I have sadly few.

Right, I'm waffling. I'll head back to that beginning I mentioned a million years ago now.

I admit that I was deeply disheartened by the general lack of enthusiasm and faith in the Great British ability to host and perform. I'm so glad the cynics were silenced as Danny Boyle put on a spectacular show to stop the world in its tracks. I didn't mean to sit through the whole thing, as I had work in the morning, but before I knew it the athletes had been parading for an hour and forty-five minutes and I was still sat, mesmerised, side by side with one of oldest friends. Of course I watched the entire thing, loved every minute of it and went to bed all hyped up for the next couple of weeks.

Following the outstanding show that was our Opening Ceremony I was super excited to return to return to work the next morning and my mood was further lifted by the signs and the prospect of spectators starting to arrive to really get things swinging.

Work was great, not only because of where I was and what I was taking part in. I had missed working and really enjoyed my return to the real world. I had some really interesting and fun colleagues too. Here's a picture of some of them, conveniently located within Olympic rings... in case you wondered where we worked.

I spent most of the games in the Aquatics Centre. This was a very lucky placement for me, as the swimming is one of the few sports I've ever been able to pay attention to and get into during previous games. Excitement! Perfect placement, Sodexo. Job very well done.

The job was great, I spent the first week primarily in the Olympic Family Lounge, serving posh nosh to the likes of IOC members and foreign dignitaries. Exciting stuff! I then started supervising in various retail units, moving to basically wherever I was needed and that was fun too. I was actually amazed at how many people had travelled from all over the world to support the games, not to mention the home crowd all decked out in red, white and blue. I was so happy to see how pleased everyone looked with the welcome London was offering, even though we were obviously ripping them off. Stadium concessions are, of course, overpriced! Eventually I ended up running the mobile carts, you know Coca-Cola, Cadbury's treats, etc. Lots of running around helped keep you in the Olympic spirit. I got to hold an Olympic torch and the view from the west side showed off the park in all its glory.

I was absolutely knackered after seventeen straight days of work, but still running high on the Olympic buzz. On the last day the team even went down by the poolside. Check out Rachael and I on the swimmers' starting block... things.

I told you I would get less detailed and interesting as this post went along. At least you know I'm honest! It was a fantastic two weeks and even with the foot ache and wind ups (how else would a team get through the Olympics without being institutionalised?) and I'm really looking forward to getting back on site for the Paralympics. I love that people here are getting so excited for the Paralympics, celebrating their tickets and gearing up to welcome the world all over again.

Anyway, that'll do for now. Tales of adventures to come soon!

xxx