h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Kate,
first of all don't panic! I don't think you are in the slightest bit shallow or come from an evil horrible family, so don't worry about it. Even if you did have evil family members, which you don't, it wouldn't automatically make you evil either. So shut up, and be my friend.
As long as you Grandma is happy, I don't mind. My family history is quite different, though, but I won't bore you with that. If you're happy, I'm happy you're happy. So why not make the most and get a few clothes - okay, I'm not a clothes-shopping person myself, but that doesn't mean I get angry if everyone around me isn't naked all the time .
My family's quite different to yours, we're just poor Islanders but as long as you are happy, that's what counts, not how much money is in the bank. Hopefully we'll be able to talk about happiness again, and not cash, which is very dull.

Have a happy day today,

Your friend,

Matt.

That was a very confusing message but thanks! Can you believe this conversation is four pages long all ready?! It doesn't seem like I have known you as long as that. But most of those pages is probubly taken up with me going on about crap like I am now! I'm sorry about the weirdness of my last message by the way, I was in a funny mood.

Um... yeah. I'm trying to think of something to talk about! Do you like the new Muse song (Muscle Museum)? I think it is great. It isn't as good as the new Greenday song though, Greenday are cool. Oh, I know what I meant to ask you. I have been looking everywhere for an album of David Bowie's greatest hits, but without any luck. Is there such a thing? I was wondering if you knew, I have been asking everyone if they know how to get one. Isn't David Bowie fabulous? I'm sure I have already said that to you before. Sorry for repeating myself.

Kate.

Hiya Kate,
I'm sorry the message was confusing! And don't worry about the weirdness of the last e-mail, putting up with each other when we're in funny moods is what being friends is about.
And I survived working my first day for McDonalds. And I got soaked. All I did was "The Dive", or wash up everything in the entire kitchen with a hose. It's not how I imagined McDonalds would be at all

I'm afraid I've never heard of "Muse" or "Greenday", and don't know what their songs are like. I don't listen to modern music at all, really. As for David Bowie albums... I don't really know. I guess the best bet would be to look on the HMV or Virgin websites and search for David Bowie. I don't really know what songs are on what albums, though.

Well, talk to you soon

Matt

I remember 'the dive'. I never had to do it though. They made me do normal washing up and I got wet enough doing that!!! Did you like your first day or hate it? I remember I knew I hated it after the first hour. Some people love working there though, like my friend Hayley. She has been there about two years and adores it. She is up for promotion to Trainee Manager already, although she is sleeping her way to the top!!

If you ever fancy delving into the fickle and cut-throat world of modern rock/punk, try Muse because they are really good. Unintended is really beatiful and Muscle Museum is cool. Greenday are a bit heavier but their new song (Minority) is good.

I have been searching for that David Bowie album everywhere so I thought I would ask everyone I know. I'm not even sure if one exists but there should be because he has done so much great stuff. I really want the old ones like Changes, All The Young Dudes, Life On Mars, Ground Controle To Mayjor Tom, Ashes To Ashes, China Girl... I could list hundreds more but I won't bore you!!

Kate

Hiya Kate,
I didn't really hate or love my first day - it just kinda happened. I worked from 6pm-12:30 at night, so quite a while, and I've now done 3 shifts, and don't have to go back to McDonalds until Tuesday. So far I've just been making Big Macs and Hamburgers and cheeseburgers. It's not brilliant, but it's not too bad... And I do need the money. Curiously enough, almost everyone there seems new too! I definately don't want to do it for a career - only 3 days a week at most. I don't really know anyone there, but one of the new guys seems quite friendly. Apart from that, no-one's really talking to me.
Apart from that, the other thing that's happening at the moment is me starting my new course at Uni, and so getting to know people doing a completely different subject. In many ways, Southampton University is completely different now, and it seems as if my life's changed what with me working at McDonalds and being a first year History student instead of being a 3rd year Law student.... I really have to work out where I am and what I'm doing.
But that's enough about my current insanity!
Talk to you later,

Matt

I'm glad the job isn't to bad! Good luck with your new course, it must feel really strange to start over again. I don't think I could do it.

How was your weekend? I worked the whole time so I had a really boring one. I got a new cd player which I'm quite chuffed about, my old one had broken last week. Technicaly it is my mums but she said I could have it until I got a new one. I'm happy because it is MUCH better than my old one!

I have really boring lessons today so I am feeling a little brain dead. That might explain the lack of thrilling conversation in this posting!

Kate

Hiya,
Yes, it definately feels strange starting my course over again - it seems strange as I am still in Southampton, but everyone is newand the lecture room is new - there's a very strange feeling of old v. new elements in my life - if everything was new it would seem a lot less strange! But it definately feels as if my life is very strange, what with working at McDonalds too. Everything new happens at once.

As for my weekend, I didn't do much. On Saturday, I worked. Saturday was also my sister Rhiannon's birthday - she is now 10! Yesterday I went to church, and at the University cinema they were showing free previews of films - "Romeo Must Die", which was a martial arts film full of people kicking each other for no apparent reason (just like Power Rangers, but with less plot) and "Pitch Black" - a fun sci-fi about people trapped on a planet with lots of nasty evil aliens that eat them. And that was it.

Hope your brain awakens soon

Matt

New things should happen gradually, it makes it easier to handle that way. Although I always want things to speed up, eg I want to go to Canada NOW and I want it to be my birthday NOW and I want it to be pay day NOW!!! As Brian May said, "hear the cry of youth, I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now!" (Has to be shouted for full affect).

My brain is almost fully functioning again. It had to be, because for some reason the biology teacher insisted on picking on me for loads of answers. How am I supposed to know why a llamas haemoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen than a human foetus?! I just took a guess. I was lucky though because it was right. She was asking me about where in our body the partial pressure of oxygen is highest and lowest but luckily I knew that! (The lungs and the tissue cells respectively). She is a pain sometimes...

My little brother is nearly 10 as well. I hope your sister had a good day.

I have physics next but I really am not in the mood (I have been feeling a bit ill the last couple of days) so I might go home instead!! I swear my physics teacher looks like a cross between a nazi and a KGB agent. If you can possibly picture that!! He has a HUGE black beard and weird, scary looking eyes. Why are physics people always so weird looking?! Except me of course!!!

Kate.

I agree with you that new things should happen slowly, it's a lot easier on the system that way! I'm quite happy taking ages before doing anything, though, so as I'm never in a hurry, the longer something takes, the more time I have to prepare.

As for me, all but one of my lectures was cancelled today - luckily the one that wasn't, the 9am one, was on, and so I didn't have to go back after walking 20 minutes in the rain!

Why are physics people so weird looking? Good question. Now that you've come to mention it, Garfie, one of my housemates who does physics, is very weird looking.... Hmmm.... And I still don't know what you look like

Hope you survive the rain,
Matt

It is obviously raining in Southampton too then. We are all wandering around like drowned rats. It isn't good!!

I would post a picture of me but I don't have a scanner so the only thing I could do was post it, if you REALLY wanted to know what I look like.

I'm going home now, it is my mums late day so I have to cook my brother's dinner. I'll write again tomorrow

Kate

You're right - sounds like the whole country is currently being drowned. I hope the weather improves soon!
Okay - I confess to being curious as to what you look like - hope you don't mind. It's just I think it nice sometimes to put a face to people I talk to. Which is weird, as I'm very good at forgetting faces. And names... Hmmm... But in your case I'd like to put a face to your name - if you don't mind.
But I don't expect you to go way out of your way - that would, perhaps, be asking a bit much of you.

I hope we both have a dry day tomorrow!

<BB<

I was stupid enough to forget my umbrella yesturday and it takes 30 minutes to walk home. I was completely soaked and freezing and it doesn't help the stinking cold I have at the moment!!!

As I said, the only way I could send you a picture would be to post it and so I would need your address! The only half decent photo I have is this years school picture so when that FINALY comes back from the developers, I will send you a copy!! I assume you remember the horror of school photos so bare that in mind when you see it, people always look worse in them than normal photos.

I have to go to Reading, I have the rest of the day off so I am going shopping with Claire!! Bye,

Kate

I don't have an umbrella, so on the way home from uni, which takes about 25 minutes for me, I got completely soaked.
if you really wanted to post me a picture of what you look like, I'd be happy to give you my address, although I'd rather e-mail it to you than to just simply write it here... Just in case, you know?
And well I know the horrors of photgraphs - you should see the terror which is on my uni ID card.... actually, I hope you don't. I just look completely terrible - but it wasn't my fault! I remember the exact circumstances of having that group of photos taken, and it was a traumatic tale. If you're interested, I can tell you why I look so dodgy!
Have fun in Reading - say hi to the Oracle and River Kennet for me!

Matt

My email address is [email protected] but it will take a while before I can send it to you because I still havn't got them from the school, then I have to get some copies made because my gradma wants one etc so I will do an extra one for you and then I have to send it so it could be another couple of weeks.

Reading was quite good, I hadn't been there in ages so it made a change. My money hadn't gone into my account like it was supposed to so I was broke amd had to wander round window shopping while Claire blew her HUGE wage packet.

I got the predicted grade for my biology today and I am not at all happy. It is one lower than I need to get the course I want. With everyone else she gave them one higher than their highest module reult, with me she gave me the same as my highest module result. It isn't a good day so far.

Enough of my moaning. How was your day? I have run out of things to say so I'll go. Oh, I just remembered you'll be pleased to know I have found out about a David Bowie greatest hits album. One exists!!! It doesn't have all the stuff I want but it has most of it so I will be getting that as soon as my next pay comes through!!

Ok, I really will go now.

kate.

Okay - well, I'll send you my snail-mail address now - but don't worry if it takes ages, I'm in no hurry. I'm sorry I'm so curious!

I'm sorry that your money wasn't in your account - I'm hoping that I get paid from McDonalds tomorrow, but I'm told that as I'm new, chances are I'll have to work there for 3 weeks before I get my first paycheck. The good news is I have my student loan at last.

I'm sorry that it isn't the best day today - at the moment I'm tired as I was working at McDonalds from 6pm-1am last night, and have to work from 5pm-1am tonight too... I'm still trying to work out what I've got myself in for.

I'm glad you found a David Bowie album!

Matt

You have to be carefull you don't let yourself get too tiered and run down from work. As my mum says, "it doesn't matter how much you earn, if your quality of life is rubbish then it won't make you happy"!! Soory, I just thought I'd throw that in.

I will send you a picture as soon as I get it.

It was parents evening last night and I am so pleased, the predicted grades I have been given are so much better than I thought they would be. I can apply with a BCD instead of the CDU I was expecting. I might actually get accepted somewhere!! Woo hoo! All the teachers were saying how I will do really well if I carry on like I am, the only problem is that now I have to live up to the grades I have been predicted and in Physics that will be really difficult (the D).

I have to go to a sixth form lecture now, it is on the media or something. I'd better go,

Kate.

Thanks for throwing that in - hopefully, as I only work 2 nights a week, I should be fine. I may have long hours, but it's better than working for a few hours each day - I don't have to go into McDonalds again until Monday. Which suits me fine as otherwise I'd end up sweating Mac sauce

I'm sure you'll be able to get great grades - in English I was predicted a C or D and ended up with an A, even though I never got any good grades in any of the essays I wrote for lessons... It's all a case of being ready and being confident - you'll just have to make sure you know what you're doing Not much use, that advice, is it?

Oh well - I'd better shut up before I sound patronising,

Matt

You don't sound patronising. You know what your talking about. I keep being told similar things to your story about someone in physics last year. They were predicted U and got an A. I'm not THAT good at it though!!

One of the worst things about working in McDonalds was smelling of burgers and chip fat all the time. It took me about a week after I stopped working there to wash the smell out of my hair!!

I have an essay due in tomorrow to write and I havn't started it yet so I'd better stop chatting to people and get on with it! It is a biology one on haveing a balenced diet and the problems with vedgetarian and weight loss diets. Don't you just wish you were doing A-level human biology?!

Speak to you either later or tomorrow,

Kate

I'm glad you don't find me patronising - anything can happen, and often you find that as time goes on you understand things more - often at the last minute. It happened to me with one of my law exams two years ago - I didn't understand the subject until right before the exam, and came out with a good mark. Life's funny like that - always full of surprises.

I know what you mean about smelling of McDonalds - I've gone off Big Macs as last week the only thing I could smell, no matter where I was or how often I showered, was Big Mac Sauce. Luckily it's not too bad today... At the moment the highlight of McDonalds are the new triple-deckus, a new burger that is supposed to be a dinosaur. Somehow. I haven't worked that one out yet.

Hope you get your essay done!

Matt

I went totaly off Chicken burgers while working in McDonalds, I loved them before that!

Your right about life being full of surprises, I just wish I could have some once in a while!

I really will go and write my essay now, bye till tomorrow!

Kate