The trains this weekend seemed full of warmth (not literally), friendliness, and people actually taking the time to chat to the person sitting next to them. I feel qualified to make this rather sweeping statement because in the last 3 days I have been on several trains (though only two journeys - to Cardiff and back).

This loquacity made for ample ear-wigging: my favourite conversation was between a female undergraduate Psychology student and a middle-aged male ex-pat. He seemed keen to strike up a conversation with her about the on-train reading she had in front of her, and admirably continued to ask questions even though he was obviously rather uncomfortable with her thesis topic: self-esteem in domestic violence victims in gay relationships (it did sound fascinating, but it's not the easiest thing to chat about with a stranger!)

On the way back today (a journey which took me on 3 trains and one rail replacement bus) I had the (dis)pleasure to be in a carriage with a group of ladies I think had missed out on a place in first class. I've always been uncomfortable with that fact trains even have a first class area (there's no real logic behind this, just a feeling that it's wrong, especially when pregnant women are standing up in the vestibule despite plenty of free seats in the first class carriages), but having to listen to these ladies' conversation made me understand that maybe segregating in this way is for the benefit of those in standard. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I don't think many etiquette guides would approve of loudly discussing your several foreign holidays, experience of business class plane travel and the incovenience of school uniform costs on top of school fees in a time of national recession. It's just not the done thing!

That aside, I actually enjoyed spending two days of my weekend (I took Friday off work) sitting on a train by myself: when else do I get seven hours of reading time? I ploughed through Persuasion, which I greatly enjoyed (somewhat helped by the recent costume drama's casting of Rupert Penry-Jones) and hope it has kick-started a period of reading, which has been sadly lacking in my life due to a cursed professional diploma I've taken on.

I also hope to blog more (as I always say and rarely do), so I shall be back tpying in this box shortly.

How very exciting!

There I was, sitting at my desk in my bay window, cross-legged upon my chair even though it is bad for my back, doing rather tedious data-entry of events onto websites (I'm working from home because our servers are all down at work), and occasionally (ok, regularly) distracting myself from work by reading blogs, when I came across the most brilliant blogging idea ever:

http://www.BlogaPenguinClassic.co.uk

Go here and sign up, and Penguin will send you a free classic on the condition that you blog about it within 6 weeks and send them the review. Maybe the data-entry is getting to me, but I found this thrilling, especially with the surprise element. Well, not a complete surprise as they email you to tell you what you're getting. I'm going to be receiving: The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuscinski which, according to Amazon, 'allows readers to travel both around the planet and back through the centuries - but also back into ideas and worlds frightening, ruthless and cruel in different ways from our own.' Golly.

While I'm on the subject of books, I suppose I may as well ramble on about them a bit more. Currently, I am reading Marian Keyes. There, I said it. She's actually quite good for that genre. I am just numbing my mind a bit before I attempt Catch 22, which my book group has just chosen. We just read a brilliant book by Patrick Gale called Notes from an Exhibition, which was incredibly readable and a very evocative exploration of family and such things. Other recent reads include The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, and A Pair of Blue Eyes by the lovely Thomas Hardy. This summer I want to try and read Proust, but I don't know how realistic an ambition that is, what with the full-time job and all. It's a far cry from second year summer when I had weeks of sitting in a sunny porch reading all the things I thought I needed to for my degree. Though I never did get round to reading William Empsom, who I think was recommended in our very first lecture.

What are you reading? What are you planning to read? What is your favourite book?

An update...

...of things on my mind at the minute. In no particular order:

-How depressing it is that the whole housing market appears to be based on cheating, lying, undercutting and generally being mean! I want to go and live in a wigwam somewhere. I would probably feel more secure about having a roof over my head then than I do now renting.
-How I am fundamentally opposed to the invasion of English shores by 'Hooters' (along with England's own abaility to spawn 'gentlemen's' clubs on every street corner) and simultaneously annoyed by myself for not having enough confidence in my reasons why, or my ability to argue my position.
-Who will win the Newcastle vs. Sunderland derby.
-The Macdonald sisters. Interesting book recommendation: Circle of Sisters by Judith Flanders. V.interesting biography of Alice Kipling, Georgina Burne-Jones, Agnes Poynter and Louisa Baldwin
-How on earth to prepare 'an informal report to explain important marketing principles in the context of the planning process' without lapsing into Eng Lit speak.
- Whether it will ever stop raining so that M and i can actually plant something in our allotment

Things to look forward to (both for me, and as potential blogging material) include:

- http://www.museumsandheritage.com A 2 day conference of which I am attending one day of seminars on marketing museums. Looks really interested, and I am extra excited because my boss suggested I go which means a) she knows what career progression I am looking for and is supporting me in it b) I get my train ticket paid for
-The Newcastle Uni Architecture Ball on Tuesday. I haven't been to a ball since er..May 2006 - that's a long time.
-A week's holiday in May. Am currently planning to go and stay in aforementioned wigwam, or alternatively go camping in Scotland somewhere.

x

24

While I am a voracious reader of other people's blogs, my own has lain silently abandoned for almost 9 months. This may have had something to do with the commitment of a full-time job but that's really no excuse when I have plenty of time to potter around a myriad of other websites.

This long period of hibernation does mean I have an awful lot to catch up on, and when better than my birthday to do it? Yes, today marks the 24th anniversary of my birth. I've never been one to worry on about getting older, but this birthday did feel a wee bit scarier, I think because 24 is very definitely mid-twenties and the imagined affinity I often feel with 'students' (by which I mean when they are lambasted in the media, part of me still thinks I am one) is a bit beyond a joke when I am 6 years older than many of them.

Perhaps I am sad to be turning 24 because 23 was actually a rather brilliant year. True, I didn't graduate or go to Peru but I did move into my first 'real' home with the boyfriend and start my first 'real' job. I went to Connect festival in Inverarary which was rather wonderful and then we drove up to the west coast of Scotland and camped on Tiree and road bikes around for 3 or 4 days. I took the plunge (again) and decided I really needed to learn how to drive, and also that I needed to do more studying (partly to improve my CV, partly because I am a geek) and am now studying for a CAM diploma in marketing communications.

I'm blogging again because I'm a bit worried that if I don't, I won;t be able to write anymore except in marketing speak. I worry that I don't have anything particular to blog about, but you can expect insights on such wide and varied topics as: politics, sewing, book groups, marketing, driving, feminism, 'the internet', allotments, ethical living, cooking, camping and card-making. And maybe some music, theatre and art thrown in there too. There'll occassionally be a bit of quarterlifecrisisintrospection, but not too much.. I promise

When I first began..

..a blog it was last summer in June. Here is what I posted:

Sun 10 June 2007

Having graduated one unbearably hot day last July, travelled to South America last year and lived at home slaving away in retail ever since, I am now ready for my real graduate life to begin.

2 weeks ago I started a job as a marketing assistant in which I actually have to use my English literature degree. In 3 weeks time I am leaving the peace and quiet of the countryside to move in with my boyfriend into a lovely 1st floor flat in a kind-of-quiet-kind-of-up-and-coming suburb.

This blog stands to record my 21st century entry into polite society...

With working lunches, networking and mingling sadly taking the stead of the tea dance.