Friday 30 July 2010

"Don’t forget you’re going there primarily to study!"









Applying for a visa to study in the United Kingdom was quite a daunting task. Up until now, all these formalities were taken care of by my parents; all I had to do was to turn up and have a good time. But now that I would be living by myself for a whole year with my parents around 6500 miles away, I was apparently old enough and responsible enough to take care of this all on my own. After reading a zillion documents on which form to complete (I had to fill in two out of 2892632 forms on their website) and how to complete them, filling them out by hand, rewriting all my information after finding several mistakes, submitting an online application after learning that all my previous work was wasted, and waiting several days filled with dread (okay, I’m dramatizing, but still, you get the idea), I’m happy to announce that I’m (finally) tension-free – I GOT MY VISA.

So I gleefully turned to the next task – packing. I love packing. I don’t know why people grumble about it so much; you just take a bunch of stuff and unceremoniously dump it in a bag. No need to bother with the organization of it all, after all, who cares about all that when you’re allowed 40 kilos on the flight?

But when you’re a girl, you end up wanting to take much more than you need. My bed is now filled with clothing, arranged in several piles. I’m going away for one year, gotta take ALL my clothes with me, right? Wrong. Mom walks into my room, gives one glance at my bed, and shudders involuntarily. You have too many clothes, and you won’t be taking all of them. I already have one bag filled with bedding and utensils that are necessary. Because clothes are apparently not.

Then, shoes. I pulled out all both my trainers, all my flats, and all my heels. Dumped both trainers and all flats into the bag, and then handpicked, after much hesitation, six pairs of heels. Like I said before, I’m going for a whole year. And fresher’s week (or WeekOne as it is known in Nottingham UK) is supposed to be full of hardcore partying – I can’t possibly wear the same thing twice, right? Again, wrong. How can you wear heels when it’s snowing? Like it snows the whole year around. I gave in a little, but just a little – I packed four.

Next, bags. Now bags at least you will admit that variety is required; the argument of whose gonna keep track of what shoes you have on doesn’t work here. So I take all my bags out of the closet, unload them on my bed, and again, after much hesitation, I pick six. Luckily there was no argument there. Clearly moms also feel that six bags are alright. Or maybe they’ve run out of silly excuses - no need to pack sleeveless clothing, it’s always cold there, or why do you need so much stuff? Its only one year, you’re not moving there!

And then dad walks in. His eyes sweep across the mess that is my room, and delivers the mother of all silliest statements - Don’t forget you’re going there primarily to study!

Kill me now.

8 comments:

  1. LOL! I swear i have been there. So I am in this clothes shop looking at random stuff to take to the UK, casually strolling in the t-shirt section, saw a half-sleeved t-shirt i liked, and i picked it up. Dad keeping a close eye on what I was shopping (because he had to pay :P) goes, "half sleeves?, its so cold in the UK u wont be needing that." walks to this incredibly ugly but FULL-SLEEVED shirt and tells me to get that. I mean just because it is full-sleeved i am suppose to get that? Cause apparently its freezing all year round! Parents i tell you! :D

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  2. Don't tell me you bought that ugly one! The same thing happened to me - my mom's friend was lending me some sweaters, and I chose this lovely blue sleeveless one. Mom was like why.. And picked out a full sleeved horrible cream one. No way am I gonna wear that ever.

    I sometimes think parents all over the world refer to the same handbook. I seriously do.

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  3. Haha, no i didnot, was just too ugly!

    I know, i keep telling myself the same thing. God created all the parents from a single dough man! Every parent talks like one another, so much that it is freaky at times! :O

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  4. I got another one this morning!

    As I was packing my clothes, Dad walks in and says that I'd always be wearing a jacket, every single day, so I just need many jackets for variety. I don't need so many other clothes!

    So when I have nothing to do and I'm sitting in my room (which has a heater), I should wear a jacket, apparently.

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  5. OH wow! studying in the UK! That's pretty cool! Your parents are going too!? That's pretty cool too! :P
    I can TOTALLY relate to you about the whole "applying for the visa" bit. Just this past May I came back from studying abroad in Spain. I studied there only for a semester (I wish I would've stayed a whole year) Anyways, before actually leaving, my life was NO life at all. I was always busy, not to mention stressed, about all of the preparations before leaving to Spain. One of those being applying for a spanish student visa. That was just insane. An event in my life that never wish to live again. After I actually received my visa, everything was set for me!
    I'm telling ya, THE VISAS are what causes such tension for those who want to study abroad. More so if you're doing it on your own. lol.

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  6. I know I cant wait! Super excited :) and nope, my parents are staying put, so its just me, but you know how they ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO have a part in everything :D

    Wow Spain must've been fantastic! I'm gonna try and make a Eurotrip sometime next summer :)

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  7. Dont underestimate the cold! English winters are so awful that most of us holiday in warmer locations. You'd hate it when its time to shower, you'd hate to step outside, you'd hate that you'd have to wear eight layers of clothing just to get some bread.

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  8. Yea I know, this was just a satiral outlook on it all. I'm not looking forward to the winter, thats for sure!
    Thanks for visiting my blog :)

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