No Dominic! You will not break your New Year’s resolution to keep blogging, and nor will you keep talking in the third person! *admonishes self*
Sweet Child O’ Mine
Well lots of things have been happening as always. Pingu very generously sold me his old phone, a Nokia 6600, which I now love as if it were my own child. My favourite novelty at the moment is using Bemused to control the music playing from my PC at night, and then turn it off without leaving bed. All very geekish and obesity-inducing. My only problem was that the speaker light stayed on, which I fixed with that most high-tech innovation… a splodge of blu-tack 
On to Ohio, because on Wednesday we had a group of university students from Ohio visit our school. The teacher organising the whole thing was away on the day, leaving Dominic (sorry, third person, again, leaving me) in charge of getting everyone into a room for a Q&A session. On our side, I was pleased to confirm that most of them really didn’t enjoy high school (‘cliquish’) which fits with the traditional stereotypes from those delightful teen movies.
It also astonished me, as it does every time I am reminded of it, to learn that America doesn’t have a national – or even a state – standardised exam system. Sure, they have SATs, but the equivalent to GCSEs and A Levels are all determined within school. Which I find extremely odd, to say the least. No shared currency of examination? No knowledge that up and down the county people are doing the same exam at the same time? But then I guess our system must seem strange too, to a country naturally hostile to centralised power.
Meanwhile, they were all very friendly and critical of US foreign policy as you’d expect a bunch of savvy uni students to be. The small group who visited Paris for the weekend were quite eager to know why the French seemed to hate them, to which I responded that they aren’t really that fond of us either 
Waseley. I’ve been there.
Blimey, this has the potential to be a long post – right, onward to Waseley Hills High School and Sixth Form Centre which a certain Josie McLaren briefly snuck me into on Friday to have a look around the famous study room. Despite it being, well, just like any other school (hurrah for British standardisation!) it was strangely cool to see it. Especially when I walked in to be unexpectedly greeted by Babble’s Nathan and Faye, who remembered me from the London visit all those months ago Later I witnessed the ever-popular Ms Nibbs violently threated with a dog. She took it very well, considering.
As the weekend dawned I went swimming with Andy and Nic before sleeping at the fabulous abode of the Kingz. Incidentally, Andy, if you end up going to medical school in London my mother will adopt you and give you my room. And then probably disown me for being inferior. Guys, the man has a USB missile launcher. Can you get much better than that? Ooh – I just thought of something – a bluetooth missile launcher! Anyone reading this should patent that immediately, you’ll make a fortune.
Saturday was spent as the house of the Mase, where I was mocked for not being a fan of salad, but then congratulated for getting into Cambridge because I’d no longer be 100% Londony. Aww… I think I’ll always be 100% Londony at heart, especially given my undying love for the Tube which carried me home at midnight last night without fussing about ‘last trains’. Oh, and Lucy’s French Revolution timeline deserves wider publicity because it is sensationnel 
What’s left? Only a wave my sister Katie, who’s off on the school ski trip in Italy, along with Amber and Marion – M&A – or the ‘Mr Nashettes’ as I have decided to call them from now on. Hope you’re all having a great time
(Oh, and I almost forgot – I’ve been doing most of the above wearing my shiny new Uber Ninja badge. So there you go guys, subliminally spreading the message from Ohio to Brum 
)
Recently there’s been a noticeable increase in the number of spam e-mails received, not just by me but around the world. So it was nice to at least get an amusing one for once, rather than a mere annoyance, which I shall now share with you for your reading pleasure, with some additional comments in italics
Paragraph breaks added for readability. It didn’t come with many.
Subject: Hello from Russia.
Hello!!!
How are you? Cheerful opening My name is Ekaterina. I am 26 years old. I live in Russia, city Youshkar-Ola. I am cheerful woman (this shines through), and like to do many things as sport, camping, go to the cinema, theatre etc. In a word I like to do all what like all people. Sorry that is not ‘a word’ I work in marketing structure (a what? ‘structure’ sounds a bit evil here, like a marketing drone from the marketing robot people) on sale of cosmetics. My dream this travel abroad. I know the english language well enough (sure) ..
I began to study english language approximately one year ago. Again, this really does show. I wish tell to you history which have pushed me write to you. Don’t let me hold you back… 8 months ago I have got acquainted with the man from other country by name Justin. During this time we had good relations. I think this means sex. We have understood that our relations become serious (unprotected sex) and we have decided to meet in his country (unprotected sex ‘for real’). I wrote the application for reception the visa. I waited reception of the visa approximately half of year. All time I kept in touch with Justin through the internet and often called to each other. I and Justin waited reception of the visa to our meeting. I smell tragedy coming…
Continue Reading
Seriously, I don’t know how Nic does it. It’s really hard! However, since this blog is read by.. ooh.. at least half a dozen people I should announce on here that I have indeed got an offer to read History at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge commencing in October 2007.
The conditions are:
A in History, A in English Literature and an A in either Mathematics or Physics*
So hurrah
*Top prediction of 2007: I bet it’ll be the Maths
Well, happy new year everyone! At the stroke of midnight, after jumping around a bit, everyone present Joshua’s now-traditional party dashed out onto the street for a massive pillow fight, which set the tone for 2007 nicely I think I’m also supposed to give a shout-out (first one of the year!) to Emily who should really get a t-shirt printed about surviving a Sixth Form party.
One of the last actions of 2006, incidentally, was finally getting new trainers. And by ‘finally’ I mean ‘to replace the ones which have had gaping holes in for months’. Although they are quite nice and black and deliberately uncool enough to make Dominic happy, the trauma of buying shoes is still present. Which brings me on to my school report from Reception, which Tasha and I found while exploring the big family filing cabinet at 1 in the morning last night. Voila:
Reception report
Yes – “When getting dressed Dominic makes no attempt to buckle up his shoes. He gets upset when encouraged to try.” I think reading that has made my year.
There were other oddities in that filing cabinet actually. Apparently, in Year 2, “Dominic has written several songs and performed them to the class”. I am unbelievably sure this never happened! 
Ooh and finally, and especially since fellow Torchwood fan Emily is supposed to be reading this on condition of being mentioned, wasn’t the season finale good last night? And by good, I mean gooooood because I really enjoyed it! The TARDIS at the end was the final touch in a stunning end to a first season, which has had its ups and downs (no more ‘back from the dead’ stories please ) but has been great viewing in lieu of Doctor Who.
To Captain Jack Harkness *toasts glass* and 2007!
In the interests of reflection, here’s a my life in a year sorta thing, the big question being ‘which huge events have I accidentally forgotten?’…
January
2006 began at Joshua’s New Year Party. GCSEs seemed rather far away as I had my first AS exams in English and Physics (as well as ICT, quickly forgotten). The good people at Waseley sent me a mysterious package packed with stuff, which led to the wonderful ‘Gold Hat’ movie Katie and I put together.
It could only be New York…
New York, New York! February was rather packed actually. Aside from the Big Apple, I also went punting in Cambridge during a Shadowing Scheme and managed to finally ask Lucy out, narrowly missing Valentine’s Day. She said yes, by the way
March
Our beloved pet Tom Cat died in March 
but in happier news I got my grades from the January exams, including a B in the ‘misery and despair’ exam. The RV crew also visited London, making them all the more real to me! In fact, I ended up meeting Josie again the next week in Oxford with Lucinda. March was also the month of the infamous ‘A and two zeros’.
April
My sisters became Maths Coursework stars. Quote of the Day launched. My blog had a birthday. Series 2 of Doctor Who began, properly. The Physics practical exam started to loom large in my mind, and I achieved a lifetime ambition by going to see Have I Got News For You being recorded. Huzzah!
May
I had my first taste of fame in May as the wonderful Mr. Nash set questions about this very blog as a piece of Year 9 homework. My Physics practical also went well in the end as did my other exams which began in May. And then we went off to Paris for a few days during Half Term! London, Paris, New York… lovely
RaVe also featured a bouncy castle!
RaVe! OK OK, so I finished the last of my AS exams, had a birthday, and got to meet Tony Benn. But RaVe was the defining moment of June, after a nice send-off to Ruberyvillage, as I brought Joshua and Fabio along to sleep in a tent in Nic’s garden. Oh, and the police shut the party down at 10pm!
July
You should all be delighted to know that I did a little bit of work in July, you know, with money and everything. Although to be fair it was at the Queens Park \ UCL summer school, which is why I carry around a ‘UCL Library Services’ card around in my wallet to this day. And I turned up in Cofton Hackett unannounced, because Lucy doesn’t like surprises.
August
Ah the long summer holiday month. The girls went off to Tanzania, while Dad and I stayed at home with a bit of Birmingham \ Suffolk in between. It was lovely I also got a new phone *sniff* which didn’t last long. Ooh and I got my AS results! Which prompted the crazed decision to carry on with Physics through A2…
September
The 39 Steps was probably the highlight of my ‘culture’ this year, at the Tricycle. Politicians also began to please me, with the unveiling of plans for the London Overground and Gordon Brown mulling NHS political independence. In sillier news, another lifetime ambition was fulfilled with ‘Ricky’s Cry For Help’ giving me my long-sought appearance in B3ta.
October
The long running and often traumatic university application process was over (sort of) as I sent my applications to read History off to UCAS. It was also lovely to see Catherine again at her 18th birthday \ housewarming party. IE7 was released, finally, and I rode Stealth at Thorpe Park. Excitement. Oh, and I had smiles added to my homework diary.
MySpace – spawn of the devil?
Traditions were started (the return of Quiz Night!) and traditions were ended (Dominic’s abandonment of the coach for the train). I wore a suit, and tie (and tie!) to my grandparents’ surprise 50th wedding anniversary party in Dorset. Shockingly, I got MySpace
and the conditional offers started to trickle in…
December
…but the big beast was yet to come, with my Cambridge interviews in December. I still don’t know if they’ll offer me a place or not, but it they seemed to go well, and I’m glad I had the experience in any case. Talking of experiences, I’d never have predicted a tornado striking Kensal Rise, as it did, coming perilously close to my school. Picking Christmas presents was a bit of a gamble this year, but I think it paid off 
and Joshua’s New Year Party will round the year off as it began!
Looking forward to an interesting 2007, to say the least Will A Levels finally crush Dominic’s optimistic spirit? Will he pack his bags for university or dropout and roam the streets looking for food? Will this website finally get a redesign? Let’s find out…
Linda Moffitt on Colombia: “Such a sweet memory of the four of you meeting up in Colombia!” Dec 2, 07:42
