Student of the week: Anisha Ale

Many people in life experience misfortunes; unfortunate circumstances which can often be shoved enthusiastically under the carpet, like a dead person.

However, when you have friends with mouths similar to an erupting Mount Etna it is not always the case - keeping a fantastic secret is a bit like being in Harry Potter, you need a wand to shut someone's mouth.

In this case I'm glad there are no magic sticks available as this story is one to be shared among friends.

Meet Anisha Ale, who I, like many of my friends had forgotten was actually born in Nepal, a culturally interesting fact which only came to light very recently when she was forced to take some sort of British 'exam' to renew her passport.

Like a Christmas present, this golden piece of information should of been kept under wraps, but her good 'friend' Rachael Edwards, the key to the forbidden fruit, wanted to catch Santa Claus coming down the chimney - she informed many of our circle of mates that Anisha had gotten herself into a minor situation.

A foreign one.

The exam, which came as quite a surprise to us all, was apparently multiple choice, so it was quite a shock when I was told Anisha had apparently "failed" it, according to her housemate Rachael.

Anisha had actually passed. Her housemate had lied, but it was worth it.

Too be fair Anisha is more British than most of us - for example, I would suggest that most of my housemates, including myself, would struggle to sing all the words to the national anthem:

"God save our gracious Queen. Long live our noble Queen. God save our Queen. Blah, blah, blah, bahdey blah........God save our Queen"

So I wouldn't say we were exactly patriotically fluent. The heart is there though.

This did not stop the 'Petition to stop Anisha Ale getting deported' Facebook group - all in good faith.

And the latest passport renewal process is the 'ceremony' later this month, where she has to meet with the Bournemouth Major and sing the national anthem; a fact which is being celebrated by many a student who knows her well.

Not only for Anisha, but for all of her mates, it is going to be a momentous occasion.

I would say we are putting the event on the same scale as the Olympics, and are wholly encouraging her to carry a burning torch - to set the place alight.

As well as all this, as one of the very privileged invitees I've strongly suggested she wear my head cam I use for skiing. Therefore to capture, first-hand, the experiences of such a bizarre ceremony.

Mock My Week wishes Anisha Ale luck, and hopes she will now become a prominent feature on this blog.

Valentine's Day Massacre - almost

Me and three of my rather bitter single mates distracted our minds from looming deadlines on this Clinton's making-money-day by getting out of our cold house (heating = debt increase) and visiting one of Dorset's scenic spots near our university.

The photos below at Lulworth Cove show how things got a little out of hand with the 'ten second timer' in conjunction with the 'multiple-shot' function on my camera. Leaping into the visual rather too over enthusiastically I nearly caused us all to spontaneously tombstone into the water below - this, the flamboyant description of Anya (below), but I would say this is a major overreaction.

I was simply having a good time - forgetting about my slow-moving dissertation.

Off course, I have since apologised, and would like to clarify Anya is my friend.

Happy/unsuspecting.

Is it a giant bird?

No.

Is it a drunk walker?

No.

It's me, and my best friend, Cliff Edge.

Sorry, but Anya you do jump easily.

Alan Titchmarch? No, my fellow students, I'm afraid not

From this:

To this:

(in a number of easy steps - not including the wine)

The average student prides themselves with being able to skimp and save, and spend as little on food as they can. It's essentially a competition:

"Have you seen the deal on at the corner shop, it's two for one on those curries in a can," said one university friend.

"Ah, but it's buy three meals in a bag and get two free at the Golden supermarket," another announced in reply.

Unfortunately, when those buying into these 'amazing' deals start looking like living corpses it becomes apparent you cannot live off these bargains every night of the week.

At this point, I should immediately point out that the grow-your-own method is unlikely to take off in the student market or end such health-reducing buys.

But let me take you back to a jumble sale at the end of last year and a very Ground Force moment when I was temporarily misled by the idea.

One of my friends, Oliver Robinson, a Del Boy from Leicestershire, started talking to the wide-eyed-hippy-glasses-wearing-owner of a chili plant stall. Suddenly charmed by growing his own hot crops, Oliver persuaded me and two other mates to also buy into this soil hobby of the plant pot kind.

I can't say I wasn't taken in by this drug dealer of the plant world; the stall owner said we could call him at anytime - like Childline for the vegetable community. I did double check the shape of the leaves - I wasn't going to turn my house into a cannabis cavern.

Basically, it was like having a plant agony aunt, but in a more manly sense of the phrase, and we could cook curries and have the hot part fresh, and for free.

So it began quite well, a Facebook group was even set up to track the progress of our plants, because we were in-fact quite competitive about the future size of our chilies.

Unfortunately the novelty soon wore off; my housemate's ambitious compost was thrown out the back door and his plant was knocked off the windowcill during a house party.

He called foul play, but my own had been caught in a minor apocalypse - left behind my oversized curtain next to the radiator on a number of cold nights.

Don't do this at home:

The 'chili' specimen:

What they look like now:

As you can see, the chili plants have been literally obliterated. I say 'chili' with caution, because after growing one green specimen, shown above, I found it to have no seeds inside or carry any form of heat.

I believe that the plants were actually of the boring green pepper kind.

Good riddance.

...........

All this talk of grow-your-own reminds me of a project I filmed last year - look out for the moldy beetroot and rotting carrot:

Growth in Grow Your Own from Harry Harris on Vimeo.

No to the BNP at Universities

 

Sorry for the serious tone today, but the decision to cancel the Multiculturalism debate at Durham University involving two bozos from the BNP has got to be the right decision. 

How the University ever thought it beneficial to invite BNP MEP National Front lover Andrew Brons (MP for Yorkshire and Humber), and Chris "I don't hate Hitler" Beverley (BNP councillor in Leeds) is beyond me.

What inspirational men. 

 

I don't see how either of these 'politicians' could give valuable points within a debate on a multi-ethnic community. 

The Durham University Society had also invited political commentator Kulveer Ranger, and Conservative MP Edward Leigh, but cancelled the whole thing because of proposed violent protests and intimidation to staff and students. 

It'll be interesting to see where this one goes with this Freedom of Speech Facebook Group by Durham students. 

I'm all for Freedom of Speech, but not when the speech comes from people who have the previous history of these men. 

Nick Griffin on the BBC was an interesting way of opening up the debate and hearing the opinions of politicians and the public, but allowing BNP members to speak at a university, on an election year, sounds like part of a campaign. No thank you.

I'm just glad my University, down South, has so far stayed clear of this fascist flop of a political party.

How to be a Matrix-styled news presenter

As a journalism student soon to be graduating from university perhaps I should forget the studying and start watching Matrix films for style tips - it's a tempting option. Here's Charlie Brooker with his very sarcastic TV news masterclass:

The scene where Brooker walks towards the camera like 'he's gliding through the

fucking Matrix' could well have been conjured up from this clip, as Neo

and Trinity sweep through the 'lobby'. I imagine they are talking about

the problems of gun crime.

In addition to this quirky film reference, journalists, like Matrix characters,

can also react with action in the face of unfortunate situations.

Blue Wednesday

So it was student-saving time on 'cheap Wednesdays' at the cinema yesterday, and there's that dramatic looking post-apocalyptic film out, The Road, which seems to be marketed as action-orientated, as well as slightly heart warming.

I'm no Bruce-Willis-styley obsessive but the trailer really is barking up a rather exotic tree.

The speedy montages and drastic boom-boom-boom sound effects in the clip below suggest the film is a high octane thriller, when in-fact it's very downbeat, apart from the odd occasion when the father and son are being chased by man-eating gangs - a full blown cannibalistic element which sees missing legs and scarily hungry humans; completely stepped over in the fast-paced 'Day After Tommorrow' themed promo.

The editor of this trailer deserves an Oscar for The Most Revved Up Trailer In Comparison To The Real Film. Catchy eh. Have a watch:

The Road from postadsgroup on Vimeo.

In the actual film version I, and my housemates watched, there is also no explanation as to why the world is in such a diabolical state, but the trailer will have you believing there is 'one event'. An event which clearly got lost on the films passage to British shores - the first few climate change style scenes are not in the film.

If you want a slightly more accurate depiction of the film's dark themes check out this rather disturbing clip.

One other point, and this is my final criticism, is the severe amount of product placement in The Road, well noted here.

The film is, however, far from rubbish, it's actually quite depressingly moving, but it's just not what you might expect by a long way. And you might want to grab a beer after, or whatever cheers you up - I'm not an alcoholic.

Filming drama - Man down

After practicing shorthand today I needed something to cheer me up, so I looked through clips of my fox hunting documentary - I'll post the video soon!

If you haven't read the blog about my filming escapades in Shropshire you won't know that my quickly trained cameraman, David 'Rural' Row, loves the ground:

Warning: Brief shock expletives

Camerman accident from Harry Harris on Vimeo.

Are you a MUGG?

As I have stated before I am no Vogue wannabe; fashion is far from my forte, you've seen the Christmas jumper - although I do try to dress more hip than David Dickinson, as well as taking advice from my good friend and style guru Jun Chan. But there is a certain recent clothing development around my university which is, to say the least, troubling me. 

This is the noticeably rapid rise in the male student wearing the UGG boot, which I have currently nicknamed the MUGG:

Man-wearing-UGG(s).

It's bad enough when I see an attractive girl and then my eyes find themselves at these sheepskin shovels, but now it's clear the average man also thinks it's cool to boot up just because we've had a bit of snow and they want a bit of Australia down below.

I am, off-course, originally from Essex, and I'm really hoping this is not a craze which started there, although I should admit it was the location of a few primary sightings.

In the county's defence it did take quite a brunt of the snow, and I have seen scatterings of MUGGs in other places, like here in Dorset and in East London. 

The Sun has also pointed out a few famous men who are following the MUGG trend - it's not on.