UK Police refuse to go out after Dark!

So the police are there to protect us; to uphold the law; to prevent antisocial or violent behaviour. We would normally, traditionally, take such a statement as fact, but it was revealed today that police in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire are refusing to do just that.
The local council are in the process of building a 1million pound park/fun area for the local youth population in the Wisbech area. But, with the site still under construction, and lighting after dark limited, police constables and PCSO's are refusing to allow its officers to patrol the area past 8pm. Their excuse: 'health and safety'. Are our officers now scared of the dark?
We expect and regularly observe our officers routinely risking their lives to serve and protect, and we respect them for it. But, in their absence, the result of a ludicrous policy, the Wisbech area, pacifically the immediate area around the park, has, according to locals, become central to a hub of antisocial behaviour seeing vandalism and violence on a scale that according to local reports sees its residents fearful to leave their homes after dark. We now live in a society that is so full of red tape, do-gooders, and those willing to sue at any given opportunity that we are constrained, we cannot breath, we cannot function.reading through the lines police constables are essentially saying that they will protect and serve as well as maintain the law, but only if at arms length, and out of harms way. Order by day, anarchy by night!

Wikileaks: The US in action

Elements of human barbarity we thought, we hoped, were lost in ages long gone.The profession of soldiery is not something I could profess to know anything about. But when it becomes a sport . . when a potential target/victim of that profession is presented as something other than human; when innocent persons are mercilessness and systematically killed, all of which is suggested by the language used, and images seen, throughout this video, something with these assumed professionals, and their superiors, is inherently wrong. I curse the reminder aroused through their cruel and detached language of racial ideologies of Herrenvolk and Untermenschen. Abhorrent concepts of superiority simply receiving a new veneer, a new mask, reviving ideas of an age we yet again thought had past.

Ok. So we thought we lived in an age of freedom of speech. In an age where we could formulate and voice ideas independently, and free of restraint, despite whom we may contradict. We thought that the days when the government controlled the media, the subjects that preoccupied them, and the opinions expressed, were gone. Obsolete. An obscure element of our past that could bare no relation to the present. Something to which we are ashamed of, and having escaped it, sought to distance ourselves from it. Could we be further from the truth.
I do not pretend the British government is alone in controlling its media and I attempt, though I have already failed, to refrain from judgement.Their contriving. Subtle nudges. Camouflaged wording. I imagine their methods of control are so well developed, established, and practised that they represent an art type of there own. Only through small leaks, in its unassumingly vast web, is this method of control exposed. Stories that weren't meant to come out, or rather, that were meant to elude our attention, do, ever so occasionally, reach our ears. So when such occurrences do happen, it is our job to shout what we have heard from the roof tops. To claw some element of control back for ourselves. If only for a moment.
Most of you that know me will think that I will use the rest of this rant, for that's what it is, to attack the government guided, media spin on the student protests, that resulted in a focus, almost entirely by the media, on the violence, and not the real issues at hand. In this I may disappoint or delight those persons in steering of this already well travelled path. For the audience that could see further than what was right in front of them, the manoeuvring behind the scenes by government bodies lacked the usual subtlety and therefore such manipulations remained obvious. Violence, though real, was a small element of an otherwise peaceful protest. It was blown up out of proportion to mask real issues, and allow the government to pass a law that threatens our futures, despite pre-election promises. Where I would instead dedicate myself is to the privatizing of our forests and wooded areas to large corporate bodies through either vulgar greed or somewhat distressing incompetence at the expense of our lungs and futures.
The article in the Daily Telegraph has been the highlight of media attention of a potentially traumatic event in British history. The Tories plan to privatise 748, 000 hectares  of woodland by 2020. Not, as some misguided persons have suggested, to the benefit of our woodland through better management and control, but rather the clearing of vast areas to make way for holiday resorts, golf courses, commercial logging, and property development. Short sightedness will see our pockets full, or rather those of the Tories wealthy supporters, and our lungs clogged, bruised, and gasping. Leading experts fear for our already depleted forests and those animals that reside within them. Why is this not breaking news? In a country that prides ourselves on looking to the future. Favouring green power, recyclable materials, and reducing our carbon footprint and yet ignoring the destruction of our very lifeline. That which provides of oxygen; provides homes to countless species; and is a source of immense beauty. The Tories see it as a way to escape Britain's deficit. They seek to privatise our hospitals; out price our Universities; and now to directly threaten the health of ourselves, and those of our future. There short sightedness now threatens to do far more than see a return to a two tier system; and yet celebrity gossip features greater in our countries media.

Hitler, Eye of the Tiger

 Edited by a good friend of mine this clip is now banned in 214 countries and independent territories due to the support and comments of some unfortunate, pitiful, misguided, Neanderthal Nazi's. They, unsurprisingly, missed the satire which is so obvious to even the partially educated. Unfortunate . .

Travelling Eastern Europe, chapter 2.

More and more of us are each summer, and for others, much longer periods, heading out into Europe to explore the unknown, meet some amazing people, and party in some new places. Whilst time is not always an issue, money, for most of us, always is. This next post will give advice for travelling on a budget, so that you can stretch out your journey for that little bit longer. Some of what I say, and for some, a lot of it, may seem like obvious drivel, but for others,  it may serve as that healthy reminder or prompt.
Item 1. Booking Flights
Again flexibility pays. Look for obscure places leaving from multiple airports. The more flexible you are the cheaper the flights will be, and this goes for dates and times of leaving, as well as final destinations. Last minute deals on flights now DO NOT exist. It now pays to be prepared and book in advance. Price comparison websites such as skyscanner.com or travelsupermarket.com whilst being no secret have served me well in the past. But this is well explored territory. Take your time, look around, and be flexible, thats the best advice I can give.
So I'm in Europe how do I get around?
Most people swear by rail travel when travelling Eastern Europe. Indeed, for the most part, they would be right. But bare in mind that in places such as Croatia the predominant method of travel, and undoubtedly the cheapest way to go, is by coach. (the taking of luggage is extra when booking coaches, something I found out the hard way). Coach travel is probably the best way to travel between Romania and Bulgaria, and then Bulgaria, or rather its seaside resort of Varna, and the magical and mysterious, Istanbul. (a place to which you MUST visit).
So your asking do I buy an INTERAIL PASS? Well for those that are travelling for a singular intensive months travel, whereby, as stated above, they see, and yet fail to see, I'd say yes. But then I've already advised such persons to stop reading my blog in the first post. Such a pass could set you back around £200 and is ideal for trips to Western Europe where individual train tickets are expensive and can therefore mount up. But travel in Eastern Europe is dirt cheap. For instance I travelled from Krakow to Budapest for around £14 for an overnight sleeper train, with my own carriage and bunk. Or Varna to Istanbul for around £25. Of course, such a pass for novice travellers, does have its benefits. It makes travel easy, removing the pain of ticket buying(although for those that do fall for its trap I would remind you that many trains still require reservations to be made) If you want to save, in the very least around £100, DO NOT INTERRAIL. If you insist on buying a pass. A Baltics pass, which can be purchased whilst travelling is about £40, but be careful of the countries that this does cover.
Booking your train tickets.
Booking individual tickets may take some practice, a lot of patience, and a friendly attitude. Not all ticket offices will speak English, or will want to speak to you in English. In the larger, more tourist centred capitals such as Budapest, Split, and Krakow, this will not be the case, and you will likely have no problem, but elsewhere, be prepared for torturous, tedious, and often frustrating experiences. Do not panic. There are a few tricks to it.
 Firstly take a phrase book. Many persons at the ticket office will appreciate you attempting their language, and in return will attempt their own broken English. Throughout such exchanges maintain constant smiles, and if you can, a look of desperation, this works better if your a woman. But a look of vulnerability, where they would I'm afraid often expect arrogance from a Brit, goes down well. I'm afraid that our reputation, for being rude, arrogant, and intoxicated, obnoxious travellers precedes. So your first task is to combat such preconceptions. So, be charming, appreciative for whatever help they can give, and remember it is you that is being rude for being in their country and not speaking their language. Can you imagine if the positions were reversed? It just wouldn't happen.
If this doesn't work I've found writing down what I want, translated through the phrase book, has worked on many occasions, completed again with apologies and smiles. In this case, it can help to be prepared and ask at the hostel, to either teach you relevant phrases or write them down for you.
This may not always work but the beauty of Eastern Europe is that you will always find someone that speaks English or German. Different countries appear to learn either as their second language. So just go ask people, you'll find they are eager to help and practice their probably rusty skills. The key is DO NOT PANIC.

Hitch-hiking.
The pros and cons of hitch hiking. Hitch hiking can be one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of your trip but it can also be the most traumatic and heart sinking. So two experiences. The first in Bosnia whereby I am trying to get to Sarajevo. I have a sign. I put my thumb up. I picked up around an hour later by a guy with broken English, who is travelling to Sarajevo the next day. He lets me stay at his house, feeds me, and sleeps next door with his wife whilst I am given the family bed. He then drives me to Sarajevo the next day. I will never forget him.
The next was my journey between Zagreb and Ljubljana. I was picked up and dropped of two minutes later in the middle of no where. I hike to the next town. Stand waiting for 6hours in the baking heat. Whereby guys from the local garage take pity and drop me at the border. I walk across the border with relative ease. And then wait again. You can see how the rest of the trip went  . . It took me 24hours to travel just 120k, I had in fact walked most of the way, was covered in blisters the size of golf balls, and my skin was raw to the bone for the next week through the baking sun. The experience saw me bed bound for two days. It turns out the journey, as it was in Eastern Europe, would  have only cost me around the equivalent of £10.
The experience hasn't in the slightest put me off hitch hiking. I've met some beautiful people that I will never forget. But if undertaking such a bidding, go in pairs, and be aware of its tortures and dangers as well as its pleasures.

Working your way across Europe.
So advice on saving money, is an article that I will continue in further depth another day, but I will leave on a few more points. Whilst it may be illegal to work in these countries without permit, there are ways to get around it. Many hostels are seeking travellers such as yourselves to work in the hostel. Some will provide some small financial compensation for your work, but for most, as the tasks will be indeed, minimal, such as cleaning dorm rooms and making beds, a free bed and food for the night will be your return. As accommodation, along with your drinking bill, will be your biggest drain on your pocket, this is a cracking opportunity. If you are set on this, email the hostels before you arrive, and it is probably best to arrive at the beginning of the season, around May/June, for the best opportunities.
However, for guaranteed work, there is a program called wwoofing (wwoofinternational.org). Working on an organic farm for a couple hours out of the day, for free accommodation and food. This is a great opportunity to meet some great characters. My greatest experience of this as a place in South Hungary near Pecs, in a village called Kiskassa, a farm called Ecohun. A cracking place owned by a Mancurian and his Hungarian wife. Homemade jams, breads, and cheeses. A truly unique experience.

There is much more I could, and will write, I only hope that I haven't bored you to the point of permanent insanity.

Advice on travelling Eastern Europe

So the plan was to advise others on travelling in Eastern Europe, having been lucky enough to have travelled on three epic three month adventures myself. But alas, I got sidetracked. The hypocrisy of the conservatives and their Liberal lapdogs as they single handedly set back Britain thirty years into a two tier system, through financial and social means(I'm particularly pointing to the potential tripling of University tuition fees). I could go on. But that will be for another day. I shall here attempt to tell something of my experience of travelling, so that you get the most out of your trip. As this will be delivered over the next few posts I must first apologise for the perpetually disjointed and incoherent style of blog, which it will likely continue to be.

Point 1. Go on your own.  

British travellers often make the mistake of travelling in groups. They go from country to country, or rather from capital to capital getting wasted by night and recovering by day: generally rushing around on the last day taking token photos in front of some of Europe's most magnificent and captivating sights. Items, places, visions, statues, and in general man and natures most momentous achievements in beauty and wonder, and yet they see, but yet they do not see, if you catch my drift. They fail to take the time to attempt to understand the significance of that place, the history behind it, which in some cases, particularly in Eastern Europe in the wake of the Yugoslavian war, is so recent and fragile. So if your intention is to party your way across Europe. Good luck to you, and I mean that sincerely. But do not waste your time reading the rest of this article. 

So . . travel on your own. Why? because you loose all restraints. Personal inhibitions. You can reinvent yourself: and you can go where you want to go, on a whim, without compromise. I travelled with another the first time I went, and don't get me wrong I had an amazing time. But I wasn't free. I hope that beautiful person doesn't take insult to that. But I didn't get to loose myself, because I was still connected to who I was back home. This may seem far too philosophical for your taste, but I'm afraid travelling, at least in the way I will recommend, will bring out the inner hippy in you.

Point 2. Stay in Hostels

Ok, so your travelling on your own. But your asking yourself, however long you are going for, won't I get lonely? We are of course social creatures, that crave constant interaction and others to share our experiences  with. The answer is no. The first time I went I was equally as apprehensive as you are, but you meet, countless, and I mean countless, for I can not remember half of those which I have met, others which are travelling on their own. It only seems a British phenomena whereby we travel in groups. Perhaps it is our stereotypically reserved nature that retains some hold on us. I'm therefore telling you to break that mould. Stay in hostels because these are prime locations to meet others. My favourite website to find hostels, because you are likely to find them everywhere, even the most obscure places, is hostelworld.com. This site gives, prises ratings and reviews of the hostels in the area you are travelling to. It is yet to fail me.

When you get to those hostels, and this may seem obvious, but just talk to people, sit at the bar, talk to the receptionist, just find the common room area(this is an essential part of the criteria when picking a hostel) and take a book. I can almost guarantee that someone will come and talk to you. Meeting people is the easy bit.

How to pick a hostel.

Well for me, hostels generally went by price. But when in Western Europe always go for one with a kitchen. because its surprising how much food can eat into the budget.

The next point is just check the reviews. Watch out for comments on staff, for this can make or break a trip. And also check out for bed bugs. These little buggers will get into your clothes, rucksack and generally everything. They are difficult to get rid of, and leave some nasty bites. If this happens find your nearest laundrette and wash everything that you can!

Finally go for smaller hostels. These provide you with a much more personal experience. Ten beds is perfect. twenty is good. And anything over that and as a lone traveller you will become but a fly on the wall.

Point 3. Don't Rush yourself

My last point for this evening, before exhaustion takes me, is, as the subtitle suggests, don't rush yourself, and certainly do not make an itinerary. Too many people make the mistake of making an extensive itinerary and rushing from place to place, forcing themselves to compromise on the things that they do see, they do visit. You are in this way also compromising on your whole experience. You could never hope, without living there to totally understand the place which you are visiting, but if you take your time, perhaps take a couple of hours to sit and sip coffee and watch the world go by, you can get a taste of that place, of its beauty and magic. This is not something to be mocked, even if you are right now judging for writing it, for once you get a taste you will be hooked. 

Think of it this way if you go to a city, town or village, in the middle of Poland, are you likely to return? The chances are, sad though it is, that you will not. But had you spent more time there, spent enough time to be partially satisfied (for I believe you could never be fully satisfied) at the expense of time in another country, you are likely to go to that other country on another trip.

My next post will advise on living cheaply upon your travels. Places that you can stay for free. Cheap or free transport. And tourist traps that will hit your pocket to depths previously unknown(excuse my drama)

  

Cameron reacts to the student riots

Conservatives and their liberal lapdogs' reaction to student riots. Whilst I respect those that played their part and partook in the riots, I exude hate and frustration for those that partook took to violence and thus allowed for the media spin of events to focus on the violence. Nothing frustrated me more than to turn on the BBC news to see the entire focus of events upon the violence and thus police reactions. What happened to the objection against the potential quadrupling of tuition fees, seeing the restoration of a two tier system?

First they came for the . . .

But I didn't say anything because I was not . . 

(I hope you get this reference!!!!Pastor Martin Niemoller)

Rant 1. A students defence

Throughout university I have come across countless ignorant, bigoted, Neanderthal's that are living their mundane and monotonous lives in seemingly perpetual misery. This of course is harsh perception of a fellow human being. Some of you judge me immediately for my comments, others, I hope, want to know the source of my frustration and anger, and others again may already know to whom I am referring to.
 I will of course tell you. It is individuals, the most opinionated of which I'm afraid to say are often taxi drivers, that insist on imparting their not so thoroughly informed opinions of students and the current education system upon me. They consider students nothing more than spoilt rich kids living off daddies credit card having created their own self contained bubble world devoid of all reality. They presume that the student will flounder and  fall upon their first step in the real world. They see the standards of the academic institutions within that bubble as failing despite the worlds constant academic progression. They then proceed to attempt to impart their own self-developed wisdom upon me often sourced through some low budget, misguided, or outdated documentary that they came across through their countless hours in front of that magical box whilst they gorge themselves on microwavable meals and wash them down with a bottle of cheap cider. In this demonstration of knowledge, these persons, incapable of debate, or even the pretence of acknowledging the presence of other arguments, attempt to mock the degree system and those that participate within it. They question the purpose of its presence. Presumably they see man's advancement in taxi driving or benefit fraud rather than intellectual pursuits.
I again have resorted to insults(which may in fact not be far from the truth) to which I kick myself for. I must make it clear that it is not the job that I dislike, or 90percent of those hard working persons that slog within that profession, working hard to feed families, or contented lives. I admire anybody that do their job to the best of their ability, and refrain from developing misguided theories of the world. My rant, I must stress, is aimed at the individuals that make a mockery of the degree which I spent the last three years slogging for. Financially supporting myself through close to full time work as a grill chef and cocktail waiter during term time and roofing during the summer breaks. I slogged physically and mentally for something they either lacked the balls or intelligence to pursue. This rant is aimed at those that live in seemingly perpetual misery, and seem intent on imparting it upon others, or insist on expressing their misguided opinions. I feel there are countless others that have, will, or at this moment is experiencing my frustration, and it is to them with whom I share this.
Education is our future, and university opens countless doors. Not just in the sense that the average graduate will have a starting annual wage of around £22k but in opening the mind to other opportunities and trails of thought, cultures, and societies. But the greatest threat is not the opinionated no body, it is those in power that threaten that education that we love dearly. I am of course referring to those blinded conservatives and their liberal democract lapdogs. But then surely that is an entirely new rant on its own.

Beginnings and Endings

New to the blogging world I thought to be profound, having a unique message, and perhaps provide some window into my self to which others could identify with or find some common ground: from here we were to together come to some conclusion or new understanding of our selves. Needless to say, I was intoxicated at the time, and engaged in one of those conversations which I assume could not exist outside of the University walls. For those that are students or have student friends/associates an outline of this conversation is unnecessary. But for those that are likely already judging me, and are sickened by what they see as pompous, arrogant, middle-class(if such a thing exists) rich kids who are thoroughly absorbed in their little utopia and absolutely removed from the so-called "real world"(something that I will fiercely debate in later blog's) this conversation, is an exploration of self, discusses world issues, and depending on the level of intoxication will solve those issues. 


Luckily I past out before I could blog, and thus could not be influenced by the misguided conclusions of that particular discussion for the details of such now elude me. I've therefore come to the terms with the fact that their will no such radical insights and the blog will likely turn into some disjointed and lofty rant that will likely annoy and frustrate its few and soon to be disappointed readers. So then has this blog already failed before posting my very first post?


Likely. I've never read any other blogs, and haven't seen any advice of worth to help me. So a failure or otherwise, the following blog will be my presumably misguided and probably pointless rants and my attempt at advice as I continue on my physical and mental journey. First I will look back at on my brief time since uni, just seven months, having travelled across Sweden; camping and sailing across its vast and wondrous landscapes; working in a Steel factory in S.Wales to finance the next stage of my travels; and then my hitch hiking adventures across Eastern Europe and Turkey.


The second stage will refer to the adventure to which I am about to begin. I, a proud welsh 22year old history graduate of the University of Manchester, am, without relevant experience or advice, about to take on a twelve month teaching contract in Beijing, China, never having visited the country, and having little or no knowledge of the language. Scary stuff. Although I am to here to document my adventure, I plea, I implore you, to share your advice and experiences of teaching or visiting China. I leave in three weeks, time is running out!


 I am also intrigued by your views on students, although I am an ex-student I am forced in their defence so often that I thought it best to do so in a different medium, where tensions are not raised, and I can hopefully squash the ignorance of those "anti-student" persons.


So for me, the Welshman, this is the end of University and the start of something entirely new, something totally unexplored!