Pet

Pet is a word much loved by those wonderful and very sexy-accented people of Geordieland, aka Newcastle. They call me ‘pet’ and I melt.. anything you want, anything. Name it, and it’s yours.

I spent last weekend in Newcastle visiting Nick, with Bethany, Paul and Paddy. Twas truly a wonderful, if overly drunken, couple of days. Parts of Newcastle are absolutely beautiful – you wouldn’t expect it, but the Quayside is recently regenerated, and stunning. We spent most of Saturday sitting outside a pub next to the Tyne, looking at the new arts centre which strangely resembles a large silver slug, but is pretty nevertheless, drinking white wine spritzers and doing the Guardian crossword. Particularly civilized. The day did grow less civilized after Paddy and I met a group of Irish men (more sexy accents! Phew!) on a stag weekend, who plied me with champagne and wrote on various parts of my body. Apparently I have very elegant handwriting, according to the barman, who based this judgement upon my signature on my visa receipt. He was a very pretty barman too.

From this sophistication, we moved onto, and quickly out of Pizza Hut. They don’t appreciate you taking in a bottle of wine and decanting it into one of their empties. I can’t for the life of me imagine why. I would have thought it was pretty difficult to get thrown out of Pizza Hut, but nope. And, the indignity of it all, they made us pay the bill first! Cheek.

Well, I came home on the coach on Sunday morning, not feeling my best. Paddy came on the coach up until Leeds, and we spent the whole time giggling in that semi-drunken-hungover state in which everything is suddenly hilarious.

It was a wonderful weekend, but made me realise just how much I miss my friends. Our next weekend (NOT planned by me, I hasten to add) is to be a walking holiday in mid-Wales. I have made my feelings about both Wales, and walking, perfectly clear in the past. I complained so much Paul told me I could take a taxi if I wanted to. It will be wonderful to see them again. Although I came back.. confused.. from Newcastle. Just.. things. A specific ‘thing’ actually.

School is fine at the moment (it’s not university, which is far too scary, it’s ‘big girls school’) and I’m enjoying my modules, especially the Mental Health one. It’s very sociology based, a subject which I’ve never met before and I find fascinating. Our lecturer is fantastic too, watching him is like watching performance art. I hang onto his every word. Housing is proving to be a bit of a stress though – I know who I’m living with which is good, and they’re lovely people, but we can’t find a house. We need to move in by the beginning of June too, as we’re here until late August on hospital placement. I only get four weeks holiday. My next placement is on a maternity ward, which I’m so excited about. Babies! I miss all my kids from Sanyu, the babies home.

Today (I’m proud of myself, therefore I shall mention this entirely random fact) I spent an hour in the gym, did an hour of aerobics, and jogged to the supermarket. I’m so tired. Far too much exercise for one day, especially given that my average daily activity generally involves walking to and from the fridge. But I weighed myself today at the gym and.. ergh. And I do actually enjoy doing it (exercise, not walking to the fridge, although I like that too.. unfortunately too much) which makes it slightly better. I love being physically exhausted too, I can just crawl into bed and have the best night’s sleep ever.

Which is what I am going to do. Right now.

Night!

Em xx