I’ll give this a shot even though I’ve not lived that long.
I’m Daniel and I’m a mere twenty years of age. I was born in Edinburgh Scotland whilst my parents were visiting my dad’s parents. My dad was currently at Queen’s Belfast and was only twenty at the time of my birth, my mum was 18. My dad stuck out his final year of Uni. So I lived in Belfast for that time. My parents then moved to a village between Nottingham and Derby where I lived for most of my life until now (well we moved house within the town when I was about 11 but not a big deal). The only break from this was when my parents divorced. My dad went to live in Oslo for a few years and I spent summers with him there, interfered with the 6 week holiday bonding sessions with friends but mine were close enough that it didn’t really matter
I was bullied for preferring to read rather than play sport and in particular for not liking football (soccer to most of you I guess) which has made me associate the game with brutish behaviour and idiocy. Which is quite accurate considering the amount of hooliganism involved with it. (I particularly like this article from the Guardian about the stupidity of fans:
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1551650,00.html).
My dad introduced me to gaming when I was about 9/10 and took me to his gaming groups and put together easy to understand adventures in 1e for me and my friends until we got the hang of it. I never played 2e or really looked into any extra things beyond my dads books until I got to college and started playing 3e with friends I met there. Good times!
I was one of the kids that put no effort into school work, missed most assignments and homework and still came out with top grades. I think my mum and dad’s emphasis on me reading as much as I could as a kid and asking any questions I wanted to helped me in that although if often interfered with teaching methods. I’ve found that academia has agreed with me more and more as I go through the different levels and amoffered more freedom in your learning, no longing learning by rote and being spoon-fed what you’re needed to pass exams and nothing more. I left my school to go to a college rather than the 6th form. (College here is different to college in America, it’s from 16-18 and you study A- [advanced] levels and it’s optional to go.) Came out with 4 As and a B which I was proud of but it wasn’t necessary as I got a few unconditional offers for University. I applied to Cambridge and did well in my entry tests, although was rejected on the grounds of their study course being ‘more focused on analytic philosophy than we think would agree with you’ or words to that effect. Sigh; considering that I live in bloody England and not France I knew I that their course would be analytic, there’s not a course that offers ‘continental’ philosophy as it’s main component although most have an element. That decision is going to rile me to the end of my days.
During college my hedonistic side began to show, I indulged my urge to drink more and start trying drugs which I found I very much enjoyed and still do. I don’t regret that. I do regret how far it went though. In the first term of Uni. I realised that I wasn’t ready to leave home that soon, I missed my close friend group and family, especially my youngest brother and sister (there are four of us). The accommodation I was put in was vile and overpriced. I began to indulge heavily in drugs and drink and also in buying as many records as I could. In that first term I think I spent upwards of 4grand. My family aren’t wealthy and so this came out of my student loan, my savings and my bank account. My dad bailed me out for some money and I tried to sort myself out. The next term I couldn’t afford to stay in Uni. so I quit with a concession to be allowed back when I wanted.
The Christmas before I left I got together with a girl who for the past two years had adored me and who I’d been an abysmal person to. It took me two years to realise how wonderful a friend and a person she was although I’d always recognised her beauty. When I quit Uni. I went and worked full time for my aunt who runs a modelling agency hiring and booking people for events, photo-shoots etc. It was the PERFECT job. I was also working in a bar if for no other reason than to get experience for when I came back to Uni. So I could get a job. Michelle (my then girlfriend) was working alongside me. Eventually the dream job began to become degrading. The modelling world made me feel ill. I told my aunt and she hired someone else. No big deal. I then spent every moment I could with Michelle and it was perfect. When time to go back to Uni. came around it wasn’t so perfect. We broke up after my first month there because she couldn’t handle not spending the time with me and the long distance (170 miles seems a long way in the UK, we’re only a small place). I still haven’t got over her. Wah wah.
Uni is now great though. I’ve started putting out records independently with one of my friends, mainly on tape and vinyl as we love them so damn much. I put on gigs as Durham has little going for it in terms on bands coming to visit. I’m running for treasurer of the RockSoc and after the amount of trouble with finances I had before I’ve began adept at juggling them now! I’m also doing well at my course which is the main things.
Crikey talking about yourself is addictive. It also makes you feel slightly dirty and arrogant. Sorry if I come across that way, I mean I am slightly but I’m also quite nice person even if it has taken some work and hard lessons to get me there.
So there we have it, me tying to make the little crises that effect youthful life seem like major events and a goodly long life story when they’re not really.
Small points:
I’m vegan but miss haloumi and feta with an almost painful intensity
I play drums
My favourite area of study is Gender
I wear glasses and like it
I get drunk too often
Over and out,
Daniel x!
