My day was pretty easy yesterday. My lesson was called "Introduction to Digital Technology" and all it was about was learning Illustrator. This is all well and good if you haven't already learnt it five years ago!
The lesson was basically to trace around the Toyota logo with the pen tool. It was just an excersize, nothing that we'd be getting marked on. I decided to do it my way instead. As you may know, the Toyota logo is essentially made up of nothing but ovals so the obvious thing to use is...the oval tool! After about 30-40 minutes, I was done. It looked rather good and, without sounding too big headed, it looked much better than any of the others I saw. Most had not used Illustrator before.
Kevin walked around the room frequently and he saw what I had created. He asked if it was all my own work and I said yes. "Looks good", he said.
I wanted to further prove my skills just to let him know that I'm no beginner at this stuff and opened up Photoshop to create an advert for Toyota using the logo I had designed. It looked quite good once I'd finished. Kevin noticed it and sat down next to me.
"So what did you say you were doing before this course?", he asked.
"A National Diploma in multimedia", I replied.
"I take it you know Illustrator quite well then"
"Yeah, pretty much", I replied.
"What other programs do you know?"
"Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver. And most of the others.", I said, referring to all of the other applications I'll ever use on this course such as applications to create fonts, Final Cut Pro (though not extensively) to create video, Flash for presentations (as opposed to Powerpoint) and InDesign for layout design.
"This lesson is just to get people used to using Illustrator"
"Yeah, I know. I understand."
"Don't worry, next week I'll be giving you a brief to work with so you'll be able to get on with that"
"Ok"
And then he left and went to help others. I was happy that I'd succeeded in proving my skills. The more I do so, the more leeway he will give me when it comes to just getting on with stuff instead of waiting while everyone else catches up to the same level as me. Man, I sound so pompous, but it's true. Most aren't used to using any of the applications and some aren't really sure how to use a Mac. I have at least three years experience over everyone like that.
The rest of the lesson was spend bored, but, as I say, happy in the knowledge that I'd proved myself.
I went to the library after that to talk on MSN for a bit. Kerry was online and invited me out to an indie night at a place called RB's which is literally around the corner from where I'm living. I wasn't that sure though because not only did I have classes the next morning at 9am meaning I had to get up at 7:30am, but I also wasn't sure if I wanted to spend any more money on entrance fees and alcohol. Corrie ended up changing my mind, however and in the end, I told Kerry I'd see her there.
I ended up staying there for around two and a half hours until 7pm, remembering what it was like to spend hours on the net. Good times! I miss having the net in my room so much. It's not an addiciton that I want to get rid of!
I walked home and cooked myself something to eat before getting ready to meet Kerry and the rest. She said that they'd be at RB's at 8:30pm. However, 8:30pm came and went. She ended up texting me around 9pm instead, saying they were all at a different bar. I went to find them.
Most of the people there I already knew. Kerry, Cat, Peter, Mitch, Chris and two girls who I had not met before. I didn't get introduced to them though and they were on the opposite side of the (wide!) table so it wasn't like I could introduce myself to them.
More joined as the night went on. A girl named Hannah, a guy named William and another guy. It's amazing how many people I've been introduced to by hanging around with Cat/Kerry. They seem to pick up so many new friends and they all sort of join up with us meaning I get to have them as my friends too. I think I made a good decision by not going to the mature students welcome meeting the first night I came here and instead, going off with them.
I could sworn that one of the two girls who I didn't get introduced to kept looking at me. I kept looking at her too. One of those type of looks. Not just a glance, but more of either "Why are you looking at me?", or, perhaps "Why aren't you looking at me more?". It's always difficult to tell! She was cute and I really wanted to talk to her, but didn't know how to. In the end, unfortunately, I didn't.
We moved onto RB's around 10:30pm. I only bought one drink in there because I didn't really want to spend that much money. I want to make sure I don't blow my student loan on alcohol when I need it for food. Plus, the drinks were so expensive. �3.60 for one bottle of Smirnoff Ice. Compare that with AJs slightly more reasonable price of �2 and you'll see why I was a little shocked.
I was bored for most of the night. Kerry was happy drinking lots and got quite drunk as the night went on. I noticed that Mitch looked just as bored as me and after asking him, found that he most certainly was. We agreed that this wasn't a fun place for either of us.
At about 11:45pm, there was a live band. We were all standing at the bar to begin with but when the band came on, we all moved to the opposite end of the club to where the band were. It was far too loud for me, though. I don't really like standing right next to a huge speaker. The band themselves were crap, too and I wasn't really having any fun so I moved away from the stage and went to the back of the club again. In the end though, I just text Kerry, Cat and Mitch saying I was going home and shortly after, I did. I would have said goodbye to them, but there were lots of people in the way and couldn't get to them.
This morning, I awoke at 7:30am to get ready for my 9am class. I was going to walk, but I ended up taking a little too long to get ready so I got a cab. It was a wise decision, however, because once I was in the cab, it started raining very heavily and I don't really want to spend 20 minutes walking in it. However, as we got nearer the University, the cab driver said he thought he had a flat tyre and said he'd have to drop me off somewhere. I had to walk in the rain afterall, but thankfully not too much and I also had my heavier coat on so I didn't get very wet.
I ended up being late by about 15 minutes, but it didn't matter too much. I just took a seat next to some familiar looking faces, Tom and Alicia. Kevin was taking us for this lesson which was called "Introduction to Graphic Design". He digresses SO much and gets lost in thought. The first half an hour was just him talking about what this module was going to cover.
It got a lot more fun though for the rest of the class. He said we were all going to go outside with our A3 drawing pads. Bear in mind that it's not exactly Summer outside! It's cold and wet. Thankfully though, it had stopped raining.
So, as we all stood in the carpark, our pads in our hands, he explained that he wanted us to look at something in a moment and with our eyes closed and with the pencil in the hand we don't usually draw with, draw what Kevin was about to point to. "Ok? Ready, go", he said and then pointed to a pylon in the distance. "Now close your eyes and draw it", he said.
Of course we all found it pretty funny. He only gave us 15 seconds to draw it and once the time was up, everyone's drawings looked awful. It was fun.
Then he walked to somewhere else in the car park and pointed to the back end of a car and said that we had 15 seconds to do the same thing. Again, the drawings looked terrible!
The third task was to all stand in a circle around Kevin and then when he said, turn around, close our eyes and this time, draw whatever we think we can hear. "Ok, go", he said and we did as he asked. All I could hear is the normal atmosphere of a crisp, autumn morning. That was until Kevin started jangling his keys around the circle and then I heard him running around the circle and then walking away and coming back to the circle. It's hard not to laugh! I'm sure everyone thought he was crazy by now.
The final task he asked us to do was stand on the bridge linking the car park to the campus and draw the atmosphere, again with our eyes closed. I tried to draw the wind and birds chirping. All of the drawings looked pretty crappy, but it was fun doing them.
Just before we went back inside, he asked us to pick a leaf and bring it inside with us. He later explained that he wanted us to keep the leaves safe and that every week, we'd scan them to see how they were deteriorating. Then in our groups of three/four he asked us to then critique one of the other member's drawings. He gave us about 15 minutes to write some things about the drawings. Six in total. What the hell do you say about squiggles and lines!
The next task was to choose one of the drawings out of all of the drawings the group had done that would represent the group. So, in total there were 9 drawings in our group. We decided on one that Tom had drawn, which was quite literally just one long continuous circular scribble. We then had to stand up as a group and say why we'd chosen it.
The final task of the lesson was to choose one of the other group's drawings and, from an A5 version of it, redraw it on A1. We chose a drawing of a dog that was again, hardly anything but a scribble. These were done with our bad hand, afterall. The paper was split into three and we had to draw a section of the drawing each and then Kevin said that we were to keep it until next week.
Who said class had to be boring? I don't think there was anyone in there who didn't have fun doing what we did. While everyone else is in some lecture room writing notes and listening to lecturers, we're outside in carparks drawing pylons!
The next lesson was also with Kevin. This lesson was also called "Introduction to Graphic Design", but this was graphic design of the Photoshop kind. Like yesterday, he just wanted to get people used to using the program and asked us to draw one of the drawings we'd just drawn, but this time in Photoshop. It was pretty boring, especially considering that none of it really mattered and it was only to improve people's skills in the program. We did however, get to scan our leaves in.
After the lesson, me and Tom went for some lunch together and then played a few games of pool. I won two, he won one. It's great having pool tables on campus!
I said I was going to go the library for a bit once we'd played. I had to photocopy some more stuff that I had found in my source book which I have been keeping for about 10 months now. It's getting huge! It's great. It has lots of different advertising material in it that I've picked up from junk mail, flyers, labels etc. I photocopied some of the best typography from it once in the library and then spent an hour or two on the net.
I text Hannah asking if I was going to be coming to see her tonight after we'd arranged to do so if her Mum wasn't going to be staying home. She didn't text back though.
Kerry text me as she was driving back to Leeds. She had gone home for the weekend because she was missing her friends. I think it's far too early to go home just yet! She said that she had dumped Peter. I feel sorry for him. He seemed like a really nice guy and the only thing he had done that was apparantly the reason she had dumped him was that he was too clingy but he wasn't really. I kept an eye on the both of them, just to see how they were doing and he always seemed to give her lots of space so meh, I don't know. I think perhaps she prefers being single and free to do whatever she likes.
Cat came online. I talked to her for a bit. I told her that she and the guy I was talking about in my last entry - whose name I have found out is Andy - seemed to be getting along rather well. She said she wasn't really sure if she wants to like him like that and that she has trust issues.
She asked me if there was anyone I liked. I said yes and she asked who. Obviously I can't tell her the truth so I said "one or two people" and then she asked who they were and that maybe she and Kerry could set me up with them. Hah. I guess my theory of her already knowing I fancy her is pretty much debunked!
I tried my best to keep my mouth shut about fancying her but online, the words just flow and I'm able to express my feelings so much better. I can word it better. I ended up telling her I fancy her, but a little indirectly. I said something along the lines of "Well, I think you're lovely. I don't want to say I fancy you because then you'll think I'm being weird. But I do think you're really nice looking."
She said I sounded pissed and then changed the subject. Haha.
I had to go soon after because it was approaching 5pm and I wanted to go and get some shopping before they shut. On my way, I stopped in at the accommodation office to complain about various things and she said that most of my problems were dealt with by the estates office and the cleaning office so she pointed me in the direction of those. However as we talked, she said that where I'm living, there are two first years like me and one is from Ireland. They are living next door. She said I should pop my head in and say hi, but I don't know how to! She suggested maybe writing a small note and posting it and I suggested maybe I could put a picture of me on it with me waving. She laughed, as did the other person in the office.
It would be quite nice to have someone English to talk to, though. That sounds so racist but obviously I don't mean it like that. I just want someone who shares my cultures to talk to. And someone my own age! Maybe if I can somehow find the confidence to go next door and knock, I can introduce myself but I really really don't see how I'm going to manage to do that.
From the accommodation office, I then went over the road to the cleaning office who told me that the problem with the rats was being sorted out right now, along with the rubbish piling up.
From the cleaning office, I then walked to the estates office and listed the other problems, including things like cutting back the bushes. While there, Hannah text me, asking if I was online but I said I'd just left the library. I asked if I was coming to hers tonight.
Of course, she said no.
She said that she was tired from working and that she thought if I came, she wouldn't get up tomorrow for work.
Sigh.
I tried my best to convince her otherwise, trying to explain to her that people do work and still see each other. It is possible. I also explained to her that even though she had to be up for 9am, I would have to be too anyway and it's not like she'd be going to bed or waking up any later than she would be anyway because I have a class at 1pm and I'd just leave her house when she did. She wouldn't have it though and accused me of not understanding. Now downhearted and feeling a little depressed, I just said fine and told her to text me when she wants to see me. Shortly after, I deleted her number from my phone.
I bought some Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Vanilla and cookie dough flavour. I thought it might console me but I just felt bored as I ate it once I got home. It is nice, though.
Shortly after finishing about half of the tub, I went up to my room and slept from 7pm until 10pm before starting to write this entry.
I tried hard not to get my hopes up about Hannah, considering her track record, but when you're so close to finally having that hug or that kiss you really want, it's hard not to have at least a little hope. It only hurts more though once you're let down. Again. Again.
Again.
