Stag do:- Definition... to live like men!

In a few weeks time, my brother will be getting married – How fantastic is that? Jon and Nay have been together for almost four years now and I couldn’t be happier that they are tying the knot! It was necessary then to send her away on Friday as it was time for the once in a life time event. The Stag Do!

Now, Stags have been around since the beginning of time, indeed evidence shows that even Adam had a night of banter before tying the knot with Eve, and whilst each Stag do is different, there is one crucial concept that will be ever present. A night of being men. Some would be shocked due to the lack of a stripper at my brother’s stag – People forget that apart from other reasons, seeing a woman take her clothes off in a confined space whilst sitting with my brother would be the definition of a sea of awkward turtles! – we did manage to meet this objective. Some things that happen on a stag, stay at the stag, but there is one part of the weekend that I have to share with you.

We’ve all heard of paintballing, and many of us will have played it as well. Yes it is fun, but there is just one issue: Once you’re hit, you’re out. Frustrating, no? Take away this ridiculous rule, add a couple of marines, replica G36cs, unlimited ammo and a Napoleonic Fort, and we are getting somewhere. I am of course, talking about airsofting, and Saturday was my first venture into the explosively addictive and incredibly fun sport with the hosts of Southwest Wargames. As it says on the website, airsofting is’ Call of Duty for real!’, and all of us that attended were more than impressed. From breaching and clearing to assaulting and defending a fort, the marines had a fantastic event planned for us... we even got to experience being part of a firing squad! I would definitely recommend these guys for any event; my only concern is that the nearest HQ is in Plymouth! I’m sure that won’t stop me though!

Jon is now a man, and what a fantastic weekend we all had. To Jon and Nay! 

Royal Holloway Summer Ball 2011

Yesterday night was one of the most energetic nights that I have ever experienced on campus at Royal Holloway – the ever famous Summer Ball. Hosted in a castle, packed with over two thousand students with various areas of entertainment throughout, it promised and delivered much! I have to say that I was apprehensive before going. £75 was a lot of money to be spent on one night’s entertainment, yet I was not disappointed with the outcome of the night. I spent the night enjoying the company of my friends, viewing the beauty of our campus from the heights of the Ferris wheel (a truly remarkable sight!), listening to a selection of live music and being bashed in on the bumper cars as our own car failed to move in any other direction that a continuous circle. Also, it is important to add that an opportunity to suit up should never be missed!

The aspect of the night that surprised me the most though was the concept of a silent disco. I have heard of silent discos on many occasions, yet the idea befuddled me. I didn’t know how you could enjoy listening to music through headphones with other people doing the same thing for a long period of time. Surely you can do this in your room without having to go through the trouble of hiring out special headphones? It turns out that it was a lot of fun. The headsets provided two channels of music; Channel One, which had some classics such as S-Club, and Channel Two, which had more contemporary house music. The tent that held this strange form of entertainment was packed and this was probably the main reason why I enjoyed it so much. Everybody was buzzing and singing along to the music, something that would normally happen in a club, yet the nature of headphones and your own space allowed for a more personal experience with the music. As I’ve said before, music is something that fits in any scenario, and it was no different last night. Silent disco is strange, yet thoroughly enjoyable... If not only for the out of tune singing that could be heard all too clearly.

Royal Holloway’s Summer Ball 2011. Amazing. Hopefully there will be a better line up next year as I’m not such a fan of Chipmunk, yet I’m sure it will be as good an experience as this year has been. 

Life and Music's Melody

Music is everywhere, and it is expanding. Isn’t that fantastic? More genres, more choice, more fantastic soundtracks to epic moments in our lives (Don’t lie; I know we’ve all had that moment where a song has perfectly suited to what we have done!) It would be a sad state of affairs if music ever died out, and I hope that would never happen.

As a child, I experienced many types of music, however one of the most fantastic ways that I have ever seen music produced in a relatable way for children was through the TV programme ‘Oscar’s Orchestra’ (See Link below for the youtube trailer!) The programme tells us of a tyrannical leader who tries to destroy music, and through the lovable character of Oscar the Piano, a resistance is led. It featured many pieces of music that I still listen to and love, yet it also tells us of the importance of music in our lives. Music fits the beat that of our lives. We listen to music for many reasons, yet it is amusing that there is always a track, CD or playlist that fits the mood that we are in. Whilst I study, I find that listening to classical music helps me concentrate. The different tempos, melodies and harmonies provide a euphoria that prevents boredom. Whether it’s Jazz, Classical, Indie, Rock, Alternative, Rap, House, Pop (The list goes on!) music provides us with enjoyment. Everyone can connect with music and it is vital that the music out there is appreciated... unless it is Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’.

I leave you with this rather amusing piano joke!

A Pianist leaves his wife a note:

‘Gone Chopin, (have Liszt), Bach in a Minuet.’

Why run from running?!

‘We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves. The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable.’  Roger Bannister (The first man to run a mile in under four minutes.)

On 12^th June 2011, I will be running in the St. Albans Half Marathon for Amnesty International, an organisation that looks to provide justice for those that do not have it throughout the world. With me will be my trusty companion Connor Lattimer, and over the last six months we have both been training for this event. I’ve got my shoes, my water bottle and other running essentials that will help me through the 13.1 miles; and yet if you asked me two years ago if I would have considered doing this event, a slightly chubby boy would have laughed and ran away in the search for a pepsi!

The Colmer family has never been a particularly sporting family; throughout my years at St. Paul’s I tried my hardest to bunk off P.E - I even turned down the half-course GCSE module. There is one thing that we are though. Committed. When we get the bug for something, we can’t stop. For Dad it was his bassoon playing, for my brother it has, and most probably always will be economics, and for me it is now running. For some reason running, in the sun or the rain, has become a major part of my life. And I think I understand why.

When I run, I get time to think. Like Bannister says, we run because we need to find time in our days to break free from the constraints of our hectic lives. Usually, I find that my mind is clogged with things that I need to do, that thoughts become jumbled. There is no time to stop and decipher what is going on in my head. When I run, these streams of thought become unclogged. There is something about running that allows me to unravel my thoughts and get to the centre, away from the distractions of work and any other things that I may be doing. Running unlocks something within us.

Running also challenges us. Whilst it is not competitive as such in terms of winners and losers, it challenges us to push our boundaries. By finishing a run which is longer than usual or completing it faster, we are our own winners. It doesn’t matter what distance you run, as long as you get to that finishing point then you can be proud of what you’ve done. I am hoping to finish the St. Albans Half Marathon in under two hours, however if I don’t, I can take joy in knowing that I’ve been able to reach my goal of completing it!

To finish, some tips at how to start, and indeed continue, running:

1)      Start off with small distances. There is nothing worse than pushing yourself and not reaching your target for that day

2)      Get a decent pair of shoes to run in! I still manage to get blisters, but like the running proverb says ‘Take care of your feet and they’ll take care of you!’

3)      Find a running partner. There is nothing more helpful than having someone to encourage you when you start getting low on energy or motivation

4)      Set yourself a target! For me it was helpful knowing that I would be running a half-marathon in June. It keeps you going!

5)      Change your route often. There is nothing more stale than running the same route over and over again. There is such a beautiful world out there, go and explore it!

If you would like to sponsor me in the half marathon, here is the link to my justgiving page.

http://www.justgiving.com/andrew-colmer/

A Question of Life... after Death?

I am a great fan of reading. Throughout my childhood, summers would be spent engaging with a variety of literature from the likes of Agatha Christie and J.R.R Tolkein, and numerous trips to the library were required. Since starting university, I have found that reading for pleasure is no longer as easy as it once was. Other issues of importance get in the way, as they always tend to do! However, on the train down to Bristol last week, I had the golden opportunity to spend a few hours reading... an opportunity that I would not miss.

Now, many of you will know that I am a Christian, yet it is often unusual for me to read any literature of a theological manner. However, Friday was different. After hearing about C.S. Lewis’ ‘Screwtape Letters’ from my Dad, I pursued his office for a copy, but instead was directed to ‘The Great Divorce’ – a novel that fights with an issue that many find uneasy. Is there life after death? Is there a heaven and a hell? Are we bound to one or the other, and if so, is there an opportunity to ‘change course’? I myself have been asked these questions on several occasions, and have always found it very difficult to answer. After all, nobody knows for sure! At the same time, what I found on the all-too-fast train journey to the West Country, was an inspiring exploration into these questions; albeit one that has left me pondering on the issue even more! Lewis’ refreshing take on the relationship between Heaven and Hell is one that is accessible for anybody, be they of faith or not, and the ground that is covered within the novel is simple and easy to manage. Perhaps an ironic concept for such a challenging issue!

Without revealing too much of the novel with you, a particularly enchanting moment of the text is when two men are reunited after having died: One, a member of heaven, and the other, a ‘ghost’ who had managed to reach an area of decision making. The conversation that follows truly made an impact on my understanding of life after death – The member of heaven had previously murdered somebody, whilst the ‘ghost’ had not. Consequently a debate over rights and charity takes place. The ‘ghost’ objects to being allowed into heaven through charity, declaring that it is his right as he always tried to live a ‘good life’. This underlines for me the entire issue of Grace. By our rights we are not deemed fit for heaven, it is through charity that we are saved. In a way, our arrogance in rights throughout our everyday lives is the thing that stops us from truly accessing God’s love. We may have the right to do this or to do that, but at the end of the day it is important to be given the option of charity and act in a charitable way as well.

This book provided me with a few hours of entertaining thought processes and a few more questions to think through on my journey with God, but it has also given me some answers to questions too. I leave you with a recommendation to read ‘The Great Divorce’, and also with this quote from the book to ponder on. Maybe it will also provide some answers for you too:

'But what of the poor Ghosts who never get into the omnibus at all?'

'Everyone who wishes it does. Never fear. There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell choose it. ... No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock, it is opened.'