The Royal Wedding.

People all over yesterday’s bunting-clad world sat down to tea and crumpets in celebration of the wedding of the century. It was one of those days where you’ll remember exactly where you were and who you were with… I know I won’t be forgetting it in a hurry; I had been excited for weeks!

Normally, I’d be the cynical type and wonder what all the fuss was about, but yesterday morning I tuned in like everybody else and gasped and clapped at the morning’s build up and the afternoon celebrations. I didn’t even enjoy it because I’m a romantic or a royalist. The only thing I could put it down to was something I’ve never really felt before… patriotism.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an out and out royalist, but I do feel as though we could all do with being a little more proud of our heritage and traditions. I am not saying that we’re perfect but you have to admit, it’s pretty damn great to be British. As Hugh Grant so perfectly points out for us in Love Actually, ‘We may be a small country, but we’re a great one, too. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham’s right foot. David Beckham’s left foot, come to that… ‘. I think we could all learn something from this faux prime minister.

Yes, we normally have crap summers, but our winters are the cosiest around. Yes, we drink tea all day, yes we have bad teeth and yes we are traditionally rather pale. But we have churned out some of the best music, films, charities and food in the world! I think those flags in Regent Street should be a permanent fixture as a symbol of our appreciation of, well, ourselves.

I just think that for all the trouble that has been going on in the world from unending disputes to devastating natural disasters, I think yesterday, for one whole day, it was forgotten and people were allowed not to worry. And if a royal wedding is what it takes to bring a smile to the face of Brits across the country and the world over then I say ‘Bring on the Coronation!’

The beauty of this wedding though is that she is a ‘commoner’ marrying the Prince. You have to think though; her parents must be absolutely beside themselves! When they dropped her at St Andrews at the turn of the millennium, they were hoping that she would get a 2:1 to land a good job après university. Instead, she got royal.

Lucky cow.

Now, girls… William might have been snapped up, but the dream isn’t over. Harry is still up for grabs and it just so happens I’m heading to Mahiki next week in the hope of meeting him if anyone’s interested? Yah?

I’ll meet you at the back of the queue…

Hats off to the happy couple!

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The Rules of Attraction.

As soon as you share a glance across a room, you’re in the game. As soon as you’re introduced to each other at a friends bbq, you’re in the game. As soon as you fall for someone, you are most certainly in the game. And by game, I don’t mean The Gold Rush (which, by the way, no longer seems quite so bad). Instead, I am quite simply talking about The Dating Game.

Now, because there is no instruction manual, we all have to scuffle our way through those awkward teenage years in order to try to work out how to play. You have to side step braces, fumble with bra straps and attempt to act cool. All at the same time. I thought things could only get better, but now that I’m in my twenties and things are a little more serious, I’ve noticed that everyone adheres to different rules, making it all very complicated indeed. However I have noticed that when talking tactics, everyone follows the same method. We must always play hard to get.

I must say though, I have never really fully understood this approach. Yes it’s fun but it’s also a waste of time to be perfectly honest. If you fancy them, you know you’re going to let them have their cake and eat it anyway and if you don’t, you know they’ll be going home with a doggy bag, so why delay? Life is far too short in my opinion. I am not saying, under any circumstances, that one should sleep around, but I do recommend a little shop around. Let him (or her) take you out for that drink, have that conversation over dinner and I can guarantee that by the end of it, you will know whether it is a yay, or a nay. But do me a favour; once you have decided how you’re feeling, for god’s sake just say it!!! You are both clogging up opportunities for other singletons who might think that your date is The-arguably-Non-Existent-One and you’re wasting your own time acting coy and mysterious. So quit the quite exciting but completely pointless funny business and be honest with yourself. There are other players in this game don’t you know, and you wouldn’t want us pipping you to the finishing post now would you?

Don’t be afraid to be knocked back by telling someone you like them. Just keep it in the back of your mind that it is always their loss.

Happy dating!

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The Gold Rush.

As I celebrated my 22nd birthday on Saturday evening in a lovely pub surrounded by friends, I was informed of a little something that guys at university have thought up at a time when I really thought it couldn’t get any worse. They have coined a new phrase: “The Gold Rush”.

You know the feeling when you’ve sat through your final seminar and you start to see light at the end of the tunnel and think about all the fun that is to ensue post-exams? Me too. However, I have been looking forward to not studying, sunbathing and taking part in all day and all night drinking once again. I guess people had other ideas about their final term at university. Guys across the country have apparently labelled the final forthcoming summer term celebrations as, “The Gold Rush”. They’re basically referring to themselves finally seeking out the girls that they’ve always wanted to (for want of a better word) shag and, well, shagging them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all up for a little summer loving but I just cannot for the life of me understand why these guys think it will be any easier for them to score with the girl that they haven’t got with because of a little bit of sunshine if they’ve been trying for the last three years? Maybe if you stopped naming having sex with someone, you might be more successful?

I, for one, will be steering clear of anyone who looks like an eager pioneer this summer. And girls, so should you.

Final note: To the guys who “invented” this apparently seasonal affair: It’s available all year round. If you have the chat, that is.

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The Gap Yah.

 

When I was in sixth form, I wanted my year at school to be “The Year That Didn’t”… go to university. It obviously didn’t happen and my inner rebel was disappointed. However, I ended up not going myself that year and began an amazing journey with one of my best friends exploring the wonders of colourful Mexico and, well, the redbull of Thailand. It was wild, silly, but most importantly, an experience that taught me there is more to life than my pleasant inner city school and silly boy worries.

As we met various fellow travellers, I began to realise that not everyone takes the same path in life and perhaps the ‘right’ path is actually not so perfect. Everyone seems to think that we should do our A levels, go to university, get a job and build a career. However, my gap year opened my eyes to other options. Some people were travelling post-divorce, others post university, others having lost their jobs and some had always travelled and never even contemplated a 9 to 5. At the time, I didn’t think much about it, but as I embark on my own voyage post graduation, whether that be back to London from Exeter or across the world to the middle east, I cannot help but get a thrill from the freedom that ensues and the importance of having fun. Why waste my time on a job in teaching that I will probably get bored of in five years time? Why get lost in a successful career in publishing that will end up in me working long hours in a stuffy office, for not very much money?  Instead, I want to live life to the full and enjoy myself for a while!

I hate to sound like a gap year tragedy (i.e someone who wears an anklet three years after they’ve arrived home) but I really would urge everyone to take a year out… or three. At the moment, we are all being forced to panic about spending cuts, crime rates and the future. For those of us who have a family who depend on us then perhaps it’s not the best time to up and leave. But for us students, I think we’ve been given a great opportunity to start something positive elsewhere and perhaps we should start thinking about clawing our way through the economy at a later date?

So, with two of my friends globetrotting post graduation and another two of my friends spending their third year of university abroad, I’ve started to think about getting out of London myself. I’m also hoping for there to be an influx in bronzed backpackers to join me with the forthcoming rise in tuition fees.

Put one finger up to the system, save some money and bugger off to India for the year where you can really decide whether a degree is worth £9000 or not, away from the pressures of society. Sound good to you?

… Right, I’ll dig out my back pack and join you.

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