| F807 |
Right, the Scottish Parliament. [laugh]
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Yeah, let's start off with that one.//
//[inhale]// |
| F807 |
//[inhale]//
Yes.
Ugly building! [laugh]
//[inhale] Um,// |
| F806 |
//Is it? I've not really seen it.// |
| F807 |
[tut], well, it's not it's not really ugly, it's just unusual.
And erm let's just say I tried to take a picture of it, but it was completely impossible.
Because it's, such a
//monstrous// |
| F806 |
//Is it like//
//Cause you know how like// |
| F807 |
//building.// |
| F806 |
the parliament ehm in
Where is it? In London, or, no, where?
//Is it?// |
| F807 |
//Which one?//
//Westminster? London.// |
| F806 |
//[inhale]//
Yeah. Erm, that's like an old building. What does the Scottish Parliament lo- building look like? Is it like round, or? |
| F807 |
Ooh oh God, it's really hard to describe actually. It's just, it's a very modern structure.
And it's, I don't know what it will look like from above, but just when you walk past, it's just, it looks a bit like a huge washing-machine thing. |
| F806 |
Washing-machine? |
| F807 |
Yeah, just, and, you know, a lot of windows and stuff.
You know modern hou- in modern archi-archi- architecture, they always like to have lots of windows and glass and stuff? |
| F806 |
Yeah. |
| F807 |
And that's just, basically, it's very modern, I think.
It's just. |
| F806 |
Hmm |
| F807 |
But, um |
| F806 |
uh-huh |
| F807 |
you know, they have to spend their money on something, so. |
| F806 |
A washing-machine? |
| F807 |
Hm? [laugh] |
| F806 |
Yeah.
No. Well, I'm not really into politics, as you know. |
| F807 |
[Tut], I know! [laugh]
//[inhale]// |
| F806 |
//No.// |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
But ehm.
Hmm. [inhale]. What else can we talk about?
Tony Blair, there's
//one.// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]//
[laugh] But you're not into politics, so,
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//No.// |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
I'm not.
[inhale]. What aspects do you like of Glasgow? |
| F807 |
Um
Um, basically, good shopping opportunities.
//Well, I don't have the money// |
| F806 |
//Mm// |
| F807 |
to [laugh] actually go shopping, but
um, [tut], it's um, I think it's good that it's quite a big city,
coming, like, coming from Hamburg and stuff.
Um, where did you live before you went to Australia? |
| F806 |
[inhale] Johnstone. |
| F807 |
Which is
//[?]where[/?]?// |
| F806 |
//[?]Well,[/?]//
probably half an hour from here. |
| F807 |
Ah okay, it's a
//small.// |
| F806 |
//Towards,//
yeah, past Paisley. |
| F807 |
Right, is it small?
//Mmhm// |
| F806 |
//Yeah, tiny.// |
| F807 |
Tiny. |
| F806 |
Ehm, I re- I remember wh- when my mum would say, "aw yeah, we're gonna go shopping in Glasgow", I'd like go
//"Yeah, okay!",// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
But now, cause, [exhale] you just, I just get bored with all the shops, to be quite honest. |
| F807 |
[inhale] Yeah, I see what you mean. |
| F806 |
I tried to shop for a new pair of shoes the other day, and I just got bored and so left.
//Went home.// |
| F807 |
//Yeah.// |
| F806 |
After two shops.
//[laugh]// |
| F807 |
//I- I can't I can't//
go shopping when
//when,// |
| F806 |
//[sniff]// |
| F807 |
like, everybody is out there,
shopping, like say on Saturday afternoon, or Saturday lunchtime.
That drives me crazy. |
| F806 |
I don't shop on a weekend. |
| F807 |
No, that's just, it's just too much. |
| F806 |
Mm |
| F807 |
I think. |
| F806 |
But, the shop I will always return to is the Disney Shop. |
| F807 |
[laugh]
//[inhale]// |
| F806 |
//Yes.//
[inhale] [?]Right[/?].
Mm
Now you pick a topic. |
| F807 |
Er [laugh]
Erm the-, like, after this, shall we go to the accommodation office? |
| F806 |
Yes. |
| F807 |
[inaudible] yeah, okay.
Erm, and after that I need to copy my stuff. |
| F806 |
Zip's going, shaking, thingy.
Oh,
//there you go, that's it!// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
Cause otherwise, when I move my head, it's like, jingle jingle jingle. |
| F807 |
[laugh]
Yeah, good point actually.
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Yeah.//
//Yep. [exhale].// |
| F807 |
//I don't know whether there's any//
club meetings [?]at the moment[/?]. |
| F806 |
For?
For? |
| F807 |
For.
Tomorrow? |
| F806 |
[inhale] Ah! |
| F807 |
Hm |
| F806 |
See, I told you, I've
//I think that,// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
I don't know, maybe I've, I don't know, tripped up or something, and banged my head. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
I [laugh], no, seriously, you told me that half an hour, less than half an hour ago, and I've forgotten,
//[sniff]// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
I don't know.
It's awful.
I still need to find some floppy disks. |
| F807 |
Oh yeah, why? |
| F806 |
Cause I'd rather get like lots of them, in a pack, than just one, cause the library sells them, but they sell them for like fifty pence or somethin like that, |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
from a slot machine. You know where you get the pink one? |
| F807 |
Oh yeah, yeah.
Mm |
| F806 |
And that's just expensive, for one floppy disk.
So that's why I'm just gonna try and find some cheaper ones. |
| F807 |
Yeah. |
| F806 |
Cooler ones. |
| F807 |
[exhale]
Cooler ones?
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Multi-colour ones, like, mm.//
But erm, yeah. |
| F807 |
Yeah, but they might have them in in the shop opposite Woolworth. What's it called again?
//The one you mentioned, yeah, yeah.// |
| F806 |
//Barratt? Barr- mm.// |
| F807 |
They might have them there. |
| F806 |
Might have them. |
| F807 |
Possibly. |
| F806 |
Yeah. |
| F807 |
What do you want to do with them? |
| F806 |
[inhale]. Put my assignment on.
//[laugh]. What do you want to do with them?// |
| F807 |
//Ah that's, oh right, okay.//
//Well, an- yeah, but I thought I thought there was something,// |
| F806 |
//What an odd question! [laugh]// |
| F807 |
like you scanned in something really important and now you wanted to put it on a floppy disk. |
| F806 |
Well I could do, but it wouldn't work on my Nonna's, oh
No, cause it's already on my computer, but I'm, I keep it up as a backup file. |
| F807 |
Oh okay. Right. |
| F806 |
Although that really, into my computer, just in case I lost it somehow.
Er, but it wouldn't work on my Nonna's computer though. |
| F807 |
Oh okay. |
| F806 |
Cause I tried to send her eh parts of my assignment, and she's like "What format do you have?", and I went "eh 2003 Word" and she's like "I don't have that, you can't send it to me". |
| F807 |
[inhale] |
| F806 |
So that's why I'm waiting till tomorrow, so. |
| F807 |
Ah okay, [laugh]. |
| F806 |
But yes.
Mm |
| F807 |
Sophie needs to do some speed-writing this weekend. |
| F806 |
Has she not started? |
| F807 |
I don't think so, but I don't know, mm. |
| F806 |
Cause I, I know that she keeps saying, "oh yeah, I'll do that, I'll do that, I'll do that", but doesn't end up getting round to doing it. |
| F807 |
Yeah, I know, I know, it's really odd. So I I wouldn't, I don't think that she star-, cause remember last time?
She, er I think she started like on Sunday morning, or something,
or the, do you remember that?
//That was just// |
| F806 |
//Mmhm//
//But// |
| F807 |
//[?]a day[/?].// |
| F806 |
it only takes her four hours to write an essay.
In one hit.
Whereas me, it takes me two days.
//[laugh]// |
| F807 |
//Yeah, but you probably get a better grade for it.// |
| F806 |
Probably not. |
| F807 |
Well last time, she didn't tell anyone what she got,
//so// |
| F806 |
//Considerin that//
she ended up, ehm, cause when we checked our results on the thing, she ended up the same as me. |
| F807 |
Like in in the exam? |
| F806 |
No no, as overall.
[throat] |
| F807 |
Yeah, but that's prob-, yeah, maybe the essay isn't weighted that much, is it? |
| F806 |
[inhale]. Er,
//that is// |
| F807 |
//[cough]// |
| F806 |
probably about, it was twenty-five percent. |
| F807 |
No, ah that's practically nothing. |
| F806 |
No.
Not really.
//But// |
| F807 |
//Mm// |
| F806 |
then again I didn't finish my exam properly,
//so.// |
| F807 |
//Yeah.// |
| F806 |
[Tut], but. |
| F807 |
Well, and
//you know,// |
| F806 |
//This time.// |
| F807 |
A- ehm, Annie got a B for English Lit. |
| F806 |
That's good. |
| F807 |
Yeah, it's really good. Erm, and I know that she got something quite, not, she didn't get a good grade for her essay, I know that.
I don't know what exactly, but I remember that she was like, not good,
//so.// |
| F806 |
//Mm//
Well, |
| F807 |
Obviously, she asked me for my exam results, of course.
//And I was like// |
| F806 |
//[?]I got[/?]// |
| F807 |
"I don't know them yet", which is true. |
| F806 |
Well, why don't you check it out? |
| F807 |
[tut] Well I don't want to know! [laugh] |
| F806 |
Cause mines just said "undetermined". |
| F807 |
Mm? |
| F806 |
Mine said "undetermined". |
| F807 |
Oh |
| F806 |
Obviously. |
| F807 |
Oh
Mm
I don't really want to know at the moment, [laugh], erm, so. |
| F806 |
[tut]
Mm |
| F807 |
I th-, it's be- I think it's because I'm so unmotivated. I'm like "Who cares?"
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Mm, I need motivation.//
//To// |
| F807 |
//Me too.// |
| F806 |
finish that off. I remember when I was in Australia, I'd just sit at the computer, and our computer was in like in the kitchen.
//Right, so I mean it// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
wo-, really bad, I was trying to focus and stuff, and people are running round you trying to cook things, and things like that.
And so, I'd sit there, and I'd go "Okay, I've got two days to do this", and I'd just write it and I'd finish it and I'd have no problem. |
| F807 |
Yeah. |
| F806 |
[Tut], but now,
I don't know. |
| F807 |
I I used to be, like in in the first term, I was quite good at forcing myself to do stuff and to read stuff, prescribed texts.
But at the moment, I read everything, but not [laugh] prescribed texts.
I read newspapers, and I read other books, but not you know,
//not the stuff that I need to read.// |
| F806 |
//Mm//
No, I've not finished the "Jane Eyre" yet. |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
Cause I want to try and get the essay done, but all I ever seem to do is, okay I'll look up information, and then I'll just like listen to some music, and then get sidetracked by that. |
| F807 |
Mmhm |
| F806 |
And do a little bit of the essay, but not much. Nothing productive. |
| F807 |
Erm |
| F806 |
Er, so I need to try and focus. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Yes.
That's why I keep asking you, "How do you get motivated? What do you do to get motivated?" |
| F807 |
It's a really good question. [laugh] I don't really know. |
| F806 |
No. |
| F807 |
Hm |
| F806 |
I had a nice chat with Carol though. |
| F807 |
Yeah? |
| F806 |
Yeah. |
| F807 |
Oh |
| F806 |
Today.
//It was really odd.// |
| F807 |
//Mm// |
| F806 |
Mm |
| F807 |
What did she say? |
| F806 |
She said, eh, mm, she was talking about her family. |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
Eh, and then she says, after, sh- she only works till like one o'clock, or half-one.
[inaudible] I didn't realise that. I thought they continued all day, but, mm.
Then after that, what she does is, she goes to the gym, then goes home and cooks something, for everybody, and then does the housework. |
| F807 |
Hm |
| F806 |
It's a awful lot. |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
I wouldn- I would skip the gym.
//Because seriously you// |
| F807 |
//Yeah.// |
| F806 |
y- you're doin all that cleaning anyway. |
| F807 |
Yeah. |
| F806 |
[laugh] |
| F807 |
Yeah, but she's she's trying to get in in a shape for her marriage. |
| F806 |
Ah |
| F807 |
In August. |
| F806 |
Oh! |
| F807 |
So, sh- I think she's just trying to |
| F806 |
But she's n- like nothing, she's like
//that. Cause she's so lanky. [laugh]// |
| F807 |
//I know I know. Yeah, she's quite quite skinny, yeah.//
[exhale] |
| F806 |
But, mm oh, so we just talked about that, and then
she went down for her tea. |
| F807 |
Oh
[laugh]. With the rest of the gang.
[laugh] |
| F806 |
The lady's like "Carol, are you there Carol?" [laugh] |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
And she's like, and Carol's like, "ooh", it's like, a child, like a child that needs to be told where to go for tea. "I'm working here for eight years".
//It's like, it's like that.// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
I think that's really quite. |
| F807 |
For eight years? |
| F806 |
Yep. |
| F807 |
Oh
//that's quite a long time.// |
| F806 |
//She worked there for eight years.//
I couldn't do that kind of job for eight years. |
| F807 |
Mm
Mm |
| F806 |
Cleaning my house when I was in Australia was enough. |
| F807 |
Yeah. |
| F806 |
But I, but I suppose it's different, because there's so much dust, because of the ehm the wind, |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
br- blows the dust outside and ever-, inside and everything.
Ehm,
[exhale] you had to clean it like every day. |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
We had wooden floors, so. |
| F807 |
Yeah. |
| F806 |
Tut, but my mum said that everything's all back in its place
so that should be nice. I don't know what she meant by that, but.
Yeah. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
[laugh] Big pause! [laugh] |
| F807 |
[cough] [laugh] |
| F806 |
Eh |
| F807 |
Oh, I need to remember to go and watch this film on Monday.
[Tut], ehm we're doing, we're discussing a film in comparative lit. |
| F806 |
Hmm |
| F807 |
And there's a screening of the film on Monday. |
| F806 |
What is it? |
| F807 |
Er it's called "Interrogation".
I think it's a Polish film, but I- I'm not sure. I think it's Polish.
//Erm.// |
| F806 |
//Not written in Po-, it's not?// |
| F807 |
It's got subtitles, English subtitles.
Erm, I hope. [laugh] Probably will have.
Er, I need to remember to go to that, because there's just one screening.
//Um, yeah, so.// |
| F806 |
//Really? Is there//
usually numerous ones on? |
| F807 |
Mm? |
| F806 |
So, is there mo-, usually more than one screening usually of films? |
| F807 |
Erm, n- well last time we also had only one screening of the film.
"La Vie en Rose", mm? |
| F806 |
Mm |
| F807 |
Ehm, but it's just, you know, if y- if you miss it, you just you have to go and get the, you know, get a recording, and then you have to find some place in the library to watch it and it's just. |
| F806 |
I think, I'm considering taking out er "Great Expectations",
Just sittin there watchin that. |
| F807 |
Yeah.
Oh maybe, actually that would probably be good, a good idea, because I think I won't I won't actually read it. I've I've got this feeling that I won't read it. [laugh]
//Which is a bit of a shame.// |
| F806 |
//Well it's a good, it's a good book.//
//But the end is// |
| F807 |
//I know, it's just// |
| F806 |
just, it's like, half-captivating, half-boring. |
| F807 |
[laugh]
//[laugh] How does that work? [laugh]// |
| F806 |
//If that makes sense.//
It doesn't. But, i- it's just like, oh, oh oh yeah yeah her.
Well, oh, they're going to get together, that's what you immediately think, they're like, oh after so long because you've grown up with this horrible girl, and
they just, say "bye", |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
and go their separate ways. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
After all that time, the climax. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Great.
So that's all then. |
| F807 |
Expectations! [laugh] Great. Expectations. |
| F806 |
Mm, or, lack of
//expectation.// |
| F807 |
//Lack thereof, yeah.// |
| F806 |
Erm |
| F807 |
Lack of fulfilment of expectations. |
| F806 |
Yeah. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Mmhm
//mmhm// |
| F807 |
//I need to//
find out whether it's true that Dickens got paid, like for the amount of words. |
| F806 |
Well judging from that book, I'd say yes.
//He's got// |
| F807 |
//Yeah.// |
| F806 |
s- aw! |
| F807 |
Probably. |
| F806 |
Mind-boggling. Though, see when he does, ah, there's some characters in it, erm, I can't r- Joe is an example, when ehm Pip tries to, that's the main character, Mr Pip. |
| F807 |
Mmhm |
| F806 |
It- when Pip ah learns how to read and write, and so he writes Joe a letter on a bit of slate.
And it's and Joe then writes back and
it's like "soz youz went to ze zooary", it's like really odd.
It's not English. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Not written English, anyway.
But ehm, I just wondered though if that's what some people spoke like.
You'll see if you read the book. I don't know what page it's on, but it's the part where ehm Pip meets the convict, |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
in the marshes, and he gets, he a- the guy asks, "Oh, can I have a file and eh, some food?"
And so Pip steals these things, and
then he apologises to Joe, because Joe's just like, Joe's Joe.
//Loving and caring.// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
Erm, although what is weird, you might wanna, you might like though is [inaudible] the sister. |
| F807 |
Okay. [laugh] |
| F806 |
Poor lady, but she deserved it. |
| F807 |
Oh okay.
//You, oh you// |
| F806 |
//[inaudible]// |
| F807 |
haven't read "The Great Gatsby" yet,
//have you?// |
| F806 |
//No.//
What's that about? |
| F807 |
Ehm, it's er it's basically about this this really really rich American guy in the 1920s,
who erm throws these ma- massive parties.
And ehm people don't really know how he got rich, and things like that, and then in the end, it g- kind of turns out that the whole reason why he throws the parties and why he moved to this part of New York is just that he he was looking for his old love, like his old girl.
But she's married now, and so you know there's a whole, unhappily married, so there's a
//whole tragedy.// |
| F806 |
//And ha- happily married?//
//[inaudible]// |
| F807 |
//Unhappily married, yeah.// |
| F806 |
Unhappily? |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
Oh |
| F807 |
Yeah, and so there's a whole bec- because her husband cheats on her, and then Gatsby come- you know kind of comes back into her life, and
//but it's// |
| F806 |
//To the rescue?// |
| F807 |
y- basically, but it's a tragic ending, and it's just, yeah
//but I didn't I// |
| F806 |
//Mm// |
| F807 |
I don't know, it's erm, it kind of reminded me a bit of "The Catcher in the Rye" for some reason. |
| F806 |
I've never read that book. |
| F807 |
[cough] It's not bad. It's not bad. |
| F806 |
But it's like a pure romance novel, though, "Great Gatsby"? |
| F807 |
Is it?
//Really?// |
| F806 |
//Is it?//
I don't know. I've never read it. |
| F807 |
I wouldn't say so actually. |
| F806 |
No. |
| F807 |
No, because it's |
| F806 |
Cause it sounds it. |
| F807 |
Yeah, but it's go- the en- the ending is really really tragic. |
| F806 |
Oh well.
//Cause just the way you had// |
| F807 |
//[inaudible]// |
| F806 |
said like, he comes back and tries to rescue his love. That's maybe why Kate liked it, you know? |
| F807 |
Yeah, maybe. |
| F806 |
Cause, she
//likes romance [inaudible].// |
| F807 |
//Oh yeah, you said she she liked it, yeah.//
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Yeah.//
But, I really would, this is like not one of the prescribed texts - I hope we get to study it actually - ehm Ton- Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern". That's like such a brilliant
//play. Mm.// |
| F807 |
//Er play, huh? Mm.// |
| F806 |
Such a brilliant play. |
| F807 |
I was thinki- I was trying to think of the erm Honours modules. Erm.
Well there's, there's an Honours module that's called Shakespeare. |
| F806 |
Hmm |
| F807 |
So you may, you know you
//may, possibly.// |
| F806 |
//Cause there's so many books on To-//
on Ton- Tom Stoppard. |
| F807 |
You might possibly look at a like a modern kind of version of it, maybe, I don't know. |
| F806 |
Yeah.
Well it is a modern text.
//It was only written in [inaudible].// |
| F807 |
//Yeah, that's true. Oh yeah, that's//
there's a mod- there's erm er a module on modern like modern literature.
//I think it's// |
| F806 |
//[inaudible]// |
| F807 |
actually called Modern Literature, so it may be |
| F806 |
[inaudible]
//But he i- he's fantastic.// |
| F807 |
//Oh yeah.//
//Uh-huh// |
| F806 |
//He really is.//
But if yo- if it's not, I'd advise you to read the play, cause it's brilliant.
//It's like// |
| F807 |
//Mm// |
| F806 |
so good. |
| F807 |
But, really you shouldn't tell me that, because, you know?
//I just, I// |
| F806 |
//Why not?// |
| F807 |
yeah, I just I keep reading stuff that I don't I don't really
//need to read right now.// |
| F806 |
//Well read it during the break though.// |
| F807 |
Yeah, I could do that, that's a good
//point actually.// |
| F806 |
//I'm I'm goin to,//
I consider reading, I'm gonna consider reading it again. |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
Ehm, but yeah. |
| F807 |
Hey, um, are you going to be in Glasgow for the break, the Easter break? |
| F806 |
Should be. |
| F807 |
Yeah? |
| F806 |
Just not for the summer break, you know, eh June, July. |
| F807 |
The big break?
//Mmhm// |
| F806 |
//Yeah,//
I don't th-, I think I'm going to my Nonna's. |
| F807 |
Yeah, it's, it probably be cheaper,
//because// |
| F806 |
//Mmhm// |
| F807 |
you kn- you know you have to pay rent if you stay in halls over the summer.
But I don't know, I don't know where I will be obviously, so. I think I'll just sign up for ehm accommodation over the summer, just in case.
Erm
//Because,// |
| F806 |
//Yeah.// |
| F807 |
you know, just to just to make sure that I'll have somewhere to stay. |
| F806 |
[exhale] |
| F807 |
Hmm [laugh] |
| F806 |
oh |
| F807 |
[cough] |
| F806 |
I know.
Next year is is going to be so difficult. |
| F807 |
Mmhm, mmhm, mm. |
| F806 |
Mm |
| F807 |
Oh did I tell you about that? The the pol- the politics lecturer we had this week, he kept referring to the Level One courses as the "obstacle courses".
And he kept saying "For those of you who survive the obstacle course, |
| F806 |
[laugh] |
| F807 |
There's a module on..." Yeah? And he kept saying that, and I was like ooh!
That sounds kind of
//scary!// |
| F806 |
//Obstacle course?//
//So, does he mean// |
| F807 |
//Obstacle course.// |
| F806 |
does he think that the Level One courses are more difficult than Level Two, no?
//[?]If he thinks[/?]// |
| F807 |
//No.// |
| F806 |
it's an obstacle? |
| F807 |
No, he meant the Level Two courses. |
| F806 |
Oh right!
//Ah// |
| F807 |
//So, it's, you know it's//
it's like, it's the obstacle that prevents you from moving into Honours.
//So, er, and// |
| F806 |
//Ah// |
| F807 |
he said it twice, like, two or three times, I think.
Erm, so I was like, "oh", [laugh].
Slightly frightening. Because, obviously, I'm not really used to the system, because in Germany, everybody can do a Master if they want to. |
| F806 |
Really? |
| F807 |
Yeah.
Ah, but they're changing it now, but th- the basic system is you can you can do either a Bachelor or Master, whatever you want to.
//Regardless// |
| F806 |
//[tut] mm// |
| F807 |
of your grades. That's th-, you know, that's the whole, education should be free, kinna, thing, and everybody should have the opportunity, so. |
| F806 |
That's a fair system though. |
| F807 |
It is, yeah, it is, but it's not eh, apparently it's not working that well.
Erm, yeah, and they they want to change it now, so. |
| F806 |
It's very utopian. |
| F807 |
Yeah. |
| F806 |
Which which amazes me why it wouldn't work, to be quite honest. |
| F807 |
I eh, I don't know, I don't know. It's ehm, I think it's because basically because ehm i- in Germany, basically, your, all of your students up to your final, your very final examination, your very final dissertation, ehm, your grades actually don't matter at all.
You know, everything that you did before your final examination doesn't matter.
And that's why many students are a bit, yeah, quite lazy, and don't really work that much. |
| F806 |
Mm |
| F807 |
I mean, many, many are pr- are pretty zealous and and do work quite a lot, but, you know, a lot of them don't, [laugh] so.
//It's just.// |
| F806 |
//Yeah.//
Well then, that might be, like, in a way better, if they introduced, like, ehm the fees, as you said
//before.// |
| F807 |
//[inhale]//
//Maybe, maybe.// |
| F806 |
//Cause it might//
make people think "Wo-ho,
//hang on a second!// |
| F807 |
//[cough]// |
| F806 |
We got to work here, because I want to get my money's worth,"
//kind of thing.// |
| F807 |
//Yeah.// |
| F806 |
So. |
| F807 |
Yeah, but, you know, you don't you don't have to pay tuition fees in Scotland, which is brilliant, I think. |
| F806 |
Some people do. |
| F807 |
Yeah, English people do.
Well, and everyone from overseas, basically, who's not an EU student.
But, erm, I I I don't know, I think the principle's basically is, is right. Education should be free, so. |
| F806 |
Yeah, I do as well.
But ehm, [throat] in Australia, they pay, well I know Kate pays, two thousand dollars a term. |
| F807 |
A term? |
| F806 |
Mmhm |
| F807 |
Oh! |
| F806 |
[cough] |
| F807 |
That's a lot! |
| F806 |
Mmhm |
| F807 |
It's not it's not even a popular university, is it? |
| F806 |
No.
//Be like// |
| F807 |
//No.// |
| F806 |
[?]Lower Rankman Lower School[/?] plus, her course, you didn't need an OP for. |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
Which means that it won't be graded. |
| F807 |
[exhale] |
| F806 |
There's performance ov- aft- afterwards, after the year's done. |
| F807 |
[inhale] [exhale]
Er, what course is she doing?
Arts,
Art and, I think it's just Art and Graphic Design.
Mm |
| F806 |
But you just didn't need an OP to get into it. |
| F807 |
Right. |
| F806 |
But your OP determines what course you do and what uni you go to. |
| F807 |
Mmhm |
| F806 |
So. |
| F807 |
Did you apply to erm, other universities, |
| F806 |
No. |
| F807 |
as well, or just to Glasgow? |
| F806 |
Oh, just for, you mean for over here? I applied to other ones, yeah. |
| F807 |
Oh right. |
| F806 |
Yep, but I wanted to go to Glasgow, |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
so although I got other offers,
//I rejected them because I wanted to go here.// |
| F807 |
//Yeah, yeah yeah, I had//
an offer from Aberdeen as well. |
| F806 |
Did you? |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
Same. |
| F807 |
Mm, [laugh] yeah but I just, I don't know, I like Glasgow better. |
| F806 |
Yeah. |
| F807 |
It's, you know, it's it's a it's a bigger town.
It's more vibrant, I think,
//[?]social.[/?]// |
| F806 |
//Well,//
I don't know ev- whatever possessed me, but I applied to [laugh] Dundee. |
| F807 |
[laugh] Really?
//[?]When?[/?]// |
| F806 |
//Yeah.//
And I got in, to it.
//But,// |
| F807 |
//Oh// |
| F806 |
it was too far to travel.
//[inhale]// |
| F807 |
//Yeah.//
//Yeah.// |
| F806 |
//[laugh]//
And so I hadn't organised a- accommodation, so I was thinking, "Okay, I'll travel there daily", but there's too much.
It's like, it's like, ha sleep on the train and do your homework on the train,
//eat on the train.// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
You know, stop for an hour, have a shower, then go back up to Aberdeen again, so it didn't work, so I just chose Glasgow. |
| F807 |
Mm [laugh] |
| F806 |
But ehm.
Though, when I came back, I f- forgot how, I had forgotten how small Scotland is, cause you like travel anywhere, |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
and it's so short, whereas in Australia, like, you travel tiniest little distance and it takes like four hours,
//to Cairns, so.// |
| F807 |
//Yeah.//
[laugh] |
| F806 |
But,
Is it like in, is it like that in Germany though? |
| F807 |
Mm
Depends, erm,
Germany's basically, it's not like a huge country, but it's quite a large country.
So erm, to get from from Hamburg to say, down there, down south, you would probably have to go by train for six or seven hours.
So erm, that is quite a long time. |
| F806 |
Mm |
| F807 |
But erm, it's it's not really that far from, to get from Hamburg to Berlin, which is quite odd. It's just three hours by car, that's not really that much. |
| F806 |
Is that the capital? |
| F807 |
Yeah.
So that's, you know, that's not
[inhale] it lo- it looks quite far away on the map, but it isn't actually. |
| F806 |
Hm
That's the same with er Townsville and Cairns; they look so close,
but they're like |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
really far apart.
But then in Brisbane and Townsville, you get like that much,
and that's like sixteen hours
//car.// |
| F807 |
//Mm//
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//[laugh]//
A lot! |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
So, yeah. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
I think two hours by plane though, two or three hours. |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
[sniff] |
| F807 |
It took us quite a long time to get from Glasgow to Newcastle last week. |
| F806 |
Really? |
| F807 |
Erm, it's like two and a half hours or something by train, but I think that's because for some odd reason there's a stop at Edinburgh. |
| F806 |
Why? |
| F807 |
Probably because it's more lucrative to stop there, because other people will, I don't know,
//board the, board the train, I don't know but, it's just// |
| F806 |
//Tourists? [laugh]// |
| F807 |
it's odd, it's just like, [laugh]. |
| F806 |
Well, I don't know. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Mm
That's a bit odd, but maybe there's like, ehm, cause you know how like Queens- Queen Street Station? |
| F807 |
Mmhm |
| F806 |
You get, you really g-, you really should go to that station if you want to go to Edinburgh and things like that. |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
Maybe that's why they have a stop at Edinburgh, cause it might be one of the main
//stations,// |
| F807 |
//Yeah, maybe.// |
| F806 |
for going down south. |
| F807 |
Yeah, maybe, yeah probably, probably.
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Yeah.
Oh, I'm finding difficulties breathing out my nose. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
I can breathe through my mouth.
Oh, it's awful.
But erm, yes, I want summer to come.
//Cause it'll be so much// |
| F807 |
//Mmhm// |
| F806 |
warmer, well, I hope it will be
//warmer.// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]//
So much warmer, well!
//Well,// |
| F806 |
//Mm// |
| F807 |
let's let's, you know, let's just say warmer.
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Well we've had sunny days though.//
//This morning// |
| F807 |
//Yeah, that's true.// |
| F806 |
it was sunny. |
| F807 |
But don't expect anything like Australia.
//I think you're going to be disappointed. [laugh]// |
| F806 |
//[laugh] No!//
Yeah, I think so. But, yeah, no I won't, there's no chance of actually
//m- me getting like a lobster.// |
| F807 |
//I just I just//
[laugh], no probably not.
//Probably not. But that's good, isn't it?// |
| F806 |
//[laugh]//
Well, actually, no.
When I was in, I stayed with my at my grandparents one weekend, this was like when I was fifteen.
And the sun was shining, but it wasn't hot but it was enough you know, "Aw nice day" so we sat out the side on the terrace, and there was a big umbrella. I had a strappy top on but I sat underneath the shade.
And I
//got burnt, so much so,// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
no actually, des- destroyed my skin. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
It was like a third-degree burn on
//my chest. [laugh] It was like, [laugh]// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]//
Oh, my God!
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//[laugh]//
From that tiny little bit of sun!
[laugh]. And that's never happened to me in Australia.
//[laugh]// |
| F807 |
//That's very odd.// |
| F806 |
[laugh]
[inhale]. So I was like "Oh", my Nonna was like "Oh no, how did that happen to you?" "I said, oh I must have fell asleep, why what's wrong?" "Oh."
//[inaudible]// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
So it was like
//"oh" [laugh] but yeah, it wa-. Ever got sunburnt?// |
| F807 |
//[laugh] Oh dear.//
Not really. |
| F806 |
No. |
| F807 |
Well maybe once or twice,
//but not like really badly.// |
| F806 |
//Does the sun shine?// |
| F807 |
Hm? |
| F806 |
[laugh] Does the sun
//shine? [laugh]// |
| F807 |
//Does the sun shine?//
//Erm, [laugh].// |
| F806 |
//Does the sun shine in Germany? [laugh]//
//Yeah. [laugh]// |
| F807 |
//Well, [laugh]// |
| F806 |
No. |
| F807 |
Well it sometimes does.
//[inaudible] [laugh]// |
| F806 |
//It's like Norway, and just has black//
//nights in winter. [laugh]// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]//
It's it's like Norway. [laugh]
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Ah, they do, they have like a//
//erm// |
| F807 |
//[tut]//
Yeah, yeah, it's
//true, [inaudible].// |
| F806 |
//So night,//
for a day. I wouldn't like that. |
| F807 |
[cough] mmhm. No. |
| F806 |
Cold. But apparently they have two moons. |
| F807 |
What? [laugh] How does that work? [laugh]
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//I don't know. I don't know. But ehm,// |
| F807 |
And you're [?]absurdly[/?] jealous now, yeah?
//[laugh] I want two moons!// |
| F806 |
//[laugh]//
//[laugh]// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]//
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//No.//
I don't know, but maybe she was just tr-, maybe my geography teacher was just trying to crack a joke, maybe. |
| F807 |
[click] |
| F806 |
But in Australia, not ki-, no kidding, on this, no, o- up here you have the sun, here you have the moon.
Don't ask me how that works. |
| F807 |
But it works. |
| F806 |
But it does. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Mm until, probably five o'clock or half-past five, and then you just get the moon.
//But the moon is always there when the sun is up.// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]//
[laugh] |
| F806 |
I asked that, I asked that of my geography teacher. I said "Miss Bannister, why is it over here that you get the sun on that side and the moon on that side", and someone said to me "Do you really? We don't get the moon at the same time as the sun". I said "Yes, you do". |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Erm, just, she went oh yeah, it was all to do with ehm the way the sun is positioned and the moon and blah blah blah, but over here you don't get that. You just get a normal day. Sun comes up. Sun comes down.
Moon comes up, moon comes down. |
| F807 |
[laugh]
Very respectable moon,
//and sun// |
| F806 |
//Mm// |
| F807 |
over here.
[laugh] |
| F806 |
No weird G- weather patterns in Germany? |
| F807 |
Erm
Not really, no. It's just, erm, basically, Hamburg's actually got a reputation er f- to like that it's quite a rainy town.
And it is quite rainy, but it's not, I think it's not that bad, it's not that terrible.
Southern Germany's a lot warmer than Northern Germany though.
It's a lot warmer.
//For some reason. I don't really know why.// |
| F806 |
//Mm// |
| F807 |
[inhale] It's just is, it just is really warm. |
| F806 |
See Townsville's got a reputation for cyclones. |
| F807 |
Mm! |
| F806 |
Yeah, so when it starts raining really really heavily, I remember, I was just like standing there in the middle of ehm, I don't know really, the grassy area where you play sports and things like that and people have their lunch.
I was just standing there and it started raining.
I was like "Aw rain! Fantastic!" |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
And all these girls went, they just started screaming at the top of their voices going "Ah no! I want to hide! I want to hide!" I'm like
"Why? Why hide? It's just rain. It's fantastic." But they obviously thought it was going to be cyclone.
//Whereas I didn't know.// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]//
[laugh] |
| F806 |
I was like "Oh! It's raining".
//And then,// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
When it did rain again - it stopped you see - but it ra-, it had started to rain again. And everybody just got up, stopped what they were doing, including the teacher, and ran outside, to the rain!
And I just sat there going "Right." |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
People all just stopped their work and just ran outside. To touch rain. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
That is odd. [laugh]
//Cause that's// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
just when I'd arrived there. |
| F807 |
That's not what we do in Scotland. [laugh]
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//No, we usually stay inside.// |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
So.
No.
But it was really odd. And the teacher was like, she came back in, "Oh don't you want to go see the rain?" and I was like,
"No". |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
[laugh] |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
"No not really. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
cause rain is rain to me." |
| F807 |
[laugh] It's just water.
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Mm//
And she's like "Oh we don't get rain here much", I was like "No, I can see that, yeah."
That's why everybody ran outside and started screaming.
//[inhale]// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
[laugh] It was like, aw, [inaudible]. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
But they all do it, including guys. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Running outside, screaming, "Rain, oh rain!" |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
ooh But. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
It was really weird though though, the other day here, when it started to, like, snow and in the mid-afternoon it was just sunshine. |
| F807 |
Oh the the weekend, last weekend?
//Mm// |
| F806 |
//Mm// |
| F807 |
Mm |
| F806 |
But, I thought it would have snowed a little bit more. |
| F807 |
Yeah we can get tiny tiny tiny tiny amount of snow in Newcastle, but just. |
| F806 |
[inaudible]
Like, couple of snowflakes and that's it. |
| F807 |
Yeah. |
| F806 |
Nothing on the ground? |
| F807 |
No.
//[?]Train.[/?]// |
| F806 |
//Here there//
here there was stuff on the ground. |
| F807 |
Aw |
| F806 |
But not just
like a little covering, it was like, more
//spread out.// |
| F807 |
//Aw!// |
| F806 |
But by [?]mid-afternoon[/?]
//it was gone.// |
| F807 |
//[exhale]//
Can't believe I missed that.
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//Yeah!//
I love the snow. |
| F807 |
Yeah, snow's nice. |
| F806 |
Yeah. |
| F807 |
[laugh]
I still haven't told the other flat- erm the the other girls about my er birthday last week, [laugh].
[inhale] |
| F806 |
Ooh
Perhaps you should, just to see the reaction. |
| F807 |
Yeah, maybe.
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//But,//
if, they might decide to make it up. |
| F807 |
[tut] oh, [laugh] oh well I won't I won't be here this weekend, so, |
| F806 |
[inaudible] |
| F807 |
I'll just have to find an excuse for next weekend, [laugh].
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Hmm
I'm at the library. How about next weekend?
Sleeping.
//Next weekend?// |
| F807 |
//[laugh]//
Sleeping [laugh]. |
| F806 |
Yeah.
Or Labour Club, [laugh]. |
| F807 |
Working.
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Yeah. |
| F807 |
Hopefully. |
| F806 |
That'd be good.
Be good. It's like kind of being an usher thing, isn't it?
Being an usher? |
| F807 |
Yeah, it is, it is,
hmm, I think. |
| F806 |
Yeah.
I really need to start, actually, doing more Japanese. |
| F807 |
[tut] ah. |
| F806 |
I complained to Kate about that last night. I said "and tell Amadeus, when he's going to write Japanese to spell it properly."
She goes "Yeah, I know. He doesn't spell things even in English right.
So there's no hope for him." |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
It's like, mm, okay, fair enough. |
| F807 |
[laugh]
//And why are you,// |
| F806 |
//So.// |
| F807 |
I mean, Japanese, you've got so much to do without learning Japanese. |
| F806 |
Mm!
//But Japanese is fun!// |
| F807 |
//Hm//
[exhale] [laugh] |
| F806 |
Seriously, you need to just, I'll give you one of the books I've got. Just sit down and you can read it and see how excellent it is. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
No? |
| F807 |
Erm, not really. [laugh] |
| F806 |
I really, I really want to go, to Japan. |
| F807 |
[exhale]
You're always trying to make me read books that I don't really need to read. [laugh]
//[laugh]// |
| F806 |
//[Tut], I know.// |
| F807 |
So evil! [laugh] |
| F806 |
Eh I know, I'm just conniving. |
| F807 |
I know, yeah, [laugh]. |
| F806 |
Mm
But ehm.
Yeah. |
| F807 |
Hey, when is our erm, that's, our English literature essay is due after Easter, isn't it? |
| F806 |
Fifteenth of April. |
| F807 |
Fifteenth of
[exhale] [laugh] oh no! |
| F806 |
That's a big essay! |
| F807 |
I know, I know. |
| F806 |
Hefty topics. |
| F807 |
Yeah, [laugh]. |
| F806 |
Like oh! |
| F807 |
And my comparative literature essay's due in the same week. |
| F806 |
Oh what? |
| F807 |
Yep! |
| F806 |
Are they like from the same eh department kind of thing? |
| F807 |
Erm, no, comparative literature is, for some reason it's in the department for modern languages. |
| F806 |
Ah, probably because it's comparative. |
| F807 |
[Tut] yeah, probably. |
| F806 |
So you study different types
erm multicultural texts. |
| F807 |
Mm yep. |
| F806 |
Yes. |
| F807 |
[inhale]. Essays [inaudible]. |
| F806 |
Don't worry!
You and I will both be fine, well you'll be fine, and
//hopefully I'll be fine. [laugh]// |
| F807 |
//[laugh] Oh I'm sure you'll be fine.// |
| F806 |
I'm praying that I'll be fine and I get this done tonight.
//I really need// |
| F807 |
//Yeah.// |
| F806 |
to get it done. |
| F807 |
Yeah. |
| F806 |
Otherwise I'm gonna be like a headless chicken, |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
in more ways than one! |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
So.
Yeah. |
| F807 |
[laugh] |
| F806 |
Mm
Any more to talk about? |
| F807 |
Not really. |
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