Highlights of returning to Leeds

For a change, I’m going to be writing this blog entry in English. Just for the banter.
And to get this started – and because I’m still in essay-writing mood – here’s the structure for today’s entry:

• 1 October 2014: Varsity Rugby Match
• 4 October 2014: Tycho Review at the Brudenell Social Club
• Andrew DJing at Old Bar
• 15 October 2014: OperaSoc
• 26 October 2014: Wakefield Yorkshire Sculpture Park
• 30 October 2014: The Bus Stop – Travelling to: the City (play)

One tradition for the beginning of every semester is the sports competition VARSITY between the rivalling universities Leeds Beckett (formerly known as Leeds Met(ropolitan) University) and Leeds Unversity. They challenge each other in literally every discipline and let’s just say, not just the sportsmen themselves compete heatedly.
Having quite the frenzy ourselves, we decided to join our passionate friend Hannah to my first rugby match ever. I’m not gonna lie, still don’t understand the rules. But just how my flatemates put it: At least some strong nice legs to look at. Right on.
Oh, and we lost by the way. Our crumb of comfort was that apparently Beckett got the muscles – but Leeds got the brains 😀

On the 4th of October 2014, Charlotte, Laura and I had a very pleasant job. We were writing a music review of the ambient musician and photographer Tycho for our Leeds Student newspaper, The Gryphon. He was playing at the Brudenell Social Club not too far from where I live and thus I treated Laura and Charlotte to a Curry Yam Soup at mine before we made our way there. It was a fantastic night and you can read our review here.

Along with his job as Leeds Students Music Editor, my former flatmate Andrew was also getting busy by DJing almost every Friday in Old Bar, one of the many bars in our Union. I really have to say, I’ve spent dozens of fanatastic nights there listening to him and his friends. He got skill mate!! Here’s a link to his soundcloud: Andrew’s tunes

Next big personal achievement was me joining a new society. Ladies and gentlemen… grab a seat because you might have to sit down after hearing this. Yup, Clara has joined the Opera Society, else known as Leeds OperaSoc. We are going to be performing Carmen in the first semester, so around February 2015 and I’m truly excited!

26 October 2014: Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Well, and then I had a bit of a meltdown. Funnily enough, my Chinese had suffered since having come back from China, and I wasn’t used to juggling two degrees at the same time anymore. – My dear friend Will had the great idea to treat my mid-term blues and stressing out with a trip to Wakefield. He’s got a car so he drove me, his best friend Flo and Arendse to the outdoor museum in the neighbouring city Wakefield. It was a fantastic idea and I really needed this. We had a great time wandering around, having a picnic and riding sculptures. Until we were told that we weren’t allowed to. And yet – but see for yourselves.

Just four days later I had another date with Will which I appreciated greatly. I didn’t get to see him as often as I used to because he lived up in Headingley and except for the occasional Hi at uni, we didn’t really have a lot of time to catch up. His friend from home, Tiph, was in this play in @stage at Leeds and we went to see it. It was called „Thhe Bus Stop – Travelling to: the City“ and was entirely set at one location. A bus stop. It was written by a Chinese playwriter and really deep. Basically, all sorts of people were waiting for a bus that never came and suddenly they even witnessed time itself stop.

All of these were just little hightlights from my first term in Leeds. It’s good to be back!