Dear Diary, how have you been? pt 1

Year one. The summer of 2006 an 18 year old boy failed miserably at his final exams in high-school back in his home country. Let’s say he got a grade the equivalent of 30% and he couldn’t get in the school he wanted to because the required grade for that school was 70%. Regardless though the final exams, that certain boy had an average overall grade on his high-school diploma let’s say the equivalent of 70%.

That boy was smart though. He knew he didn’t stand a chance so he sat for some exams that got him a place in some random U.K universities. He wanted to go to D.C.U to study journalism but since he couldn’t because he failed for only 1 point he had to pick one out of 5 other English Universities. He closed his eyes, listened to his heart, it wasn’t beating and he fell in a comma for 10 days. No, really he just picked the University of Sunderland.

He spent the rest of his summer with his best friend. Making plans on throwing piss and water water- bombs on a guy that has stolen the boy’s t-shirt, chain smoking, drinking 3 cups of triple shot large coffees in 3 hours shaking and laughing, coming up with jokes and playing prank phone calls. Then when the night used to come the boy and his friend had great aspirations of finding girls in the centre of Athens but their plans used to sink down the gutter as they preferred sitting outside clubs with a beer from a big liquor store and just talking and acting stupid. The summer went by really fast and the boy had to pack his bags and leave the country. After getting drunk with his best friend and nominating the “Mister Fall Out Boy Award 2006” to a random guy with a ridiculous fringe in his face, the boy went back and packed his stuff and flew to Newcastle U.K. From there, he was taken to Sunderland and to the student accommodations of the University.

Strangely enough he felt no fear leaving home as that’s what he always wanted to do. Travel and see the world. Meet new people and experience a different way of living. He arrived in Sunderland and to the reception of the accommodations which was filled with students. He waited in line for about 5 minutes and he was told to wait till he was escorted to his room. Sitting outside the reception smoking the boy met a German guy and a Canadian girl. They were 24 year old and they were there for their MA. They were the first friends the boy achieved to make.

After a long wait he was escorted to his room by a really short Japanese/Chinese girl. –I am not being racist, it’s just that I honestly can’t tell the difference, as some people might not be able to tell the difference between Greeks and Italians or me from a cow. Plus I say “really short” because she was shorter than me and I’m only 5,5 if not 5,4.- There the boy met his flat mates. He was distant because...he was. Pretty fast they all became friends and they had to put up with the boy’s behavior. (and the boy is thankful for that)

Then the boy made some more friends, stayed up all night playing guitar, writing songs about handicaps being pushed down the stairs and passed the tradition of chain smoking to a new friend he made. The months passed and even though that boy preferred to stay away from all the University people, call it instinct, he became friends with a then long haired skinny guy, who later on revealed his real identity which was fat.

The boy had one common thing, with that specific new friend of his, that kick-started their friendship. An activity that it seems that they both loved. They used to hang at the University’s bar during the day in between lectures and take naps on the sofas till the next class.

So that’s how the first year passed. Taking naps in between lectures on the bar’s black leather sofa, hanging out till late playing guitar and filling up his room and then his friend’s room with smoke, talking on the phone with his best friend for hours, going to gigs with a guy that taught him that it is actually important wearing a seat belt –experiencing different cultures- and failing a class or two. Well there was drama too of course but if you want to hear drama watch a soap opera or a talk show. Or if you want some real hardcore drama look at the person sitting next to you.