Changes and a visit to Brussels :)

by Matthew

I’ve just had a busy few weeks. I paid another visit to Brussels in July.

I haven’t been there in 13 years but this is the first time I stayed there for 3 days, so I guess that’s what counts right?
Spent time loving the country, the European quarter in Schuman (where all the important EU decisions are made), and eating good food. Travelled on the metro numerous times and visited the nice suburb of Stokkel, enjoyed lunch in a nice cafe there.

I travelled on the Eurostar it was quick comfortable and easy to check in. I can see obvious benefits over any form of air travel. Some characters do ride on trains (they will have you laughing inside).

I brought you readers a few pics. Btw, I did buy Chocolates and have Mussels and Frites ;)..

The Grand place and it's amazing grandeur..

The Grand place and it’s amazing grandeur..

Manneken Pis

Manneken Pis

Another famous Belgian. Tin Tin!

Another famous Belgian. Tin Tin!

The Grand place

The Grand place

I loved it and am planning to do European Voluntary service there. Will see how everything pans out.

Got a few good reads before I start my next university module.

Got a few good reads before I start my next university module.

I’m trying to learn French again. This time to fluency and will do this with German again eventually.

I’m also doing a bit of pre-reading before I start my next OU module in October. I’m really looking forward to starting again after a difficult time with philosophy. This module DD209 – Running the Economy sounds really interesting and sounds like something I can engage with.

I’ve been applying for new jobs. Sick and tired of where I work now. Looking for something PA/Admin based in London. If you know of anything kind readers. Do link me up! 🙂

Getting better at go-karting event by event too. I don’t have any practice time though which puts me at a disadvantage. Last weekend I suffered a high speed accident in qualifying when a wheel came off. I did run wide and bounce heavily over grass and a kerb two laps before which I think broke something. Then in the high speed corner the wheel came off. It was a big impact. I went to hospital after the race. I had some headaches and felt sick as well as neck, back and foot pain! My foot still hurts now it’s very tender. I really should massage it to be honest.

I’m looking forward for the next event. I’ve progressed a lot though despite having little practice time!

The blog is on a much faster server. I’ve switched to VPS.net and they have impressed so far. Still got lots of things I want to install and configure but not much time!!

On top of that I’ve kind of developed something with a nice lady. Shes gone away for six weeks now so have to see how it goes when shes back but good times all round 🙂

How are my readers doing?

Holiday for next year

by Matthew
A Da Vinci holiday

The Vitruvian Man (c. 1485) Accademia, Venice – One of Da Vinci’s most famous works.

I’ve been thinking where to go on holiday next year. I want to keep it factual and just be in awe.. One of my heroes is Leonardo Da Vinci, just a genius in my eyes and I’d love to go to one of the Da Vinci museums in Rome or Florence.

Then there is Sweden where I’d like to spend a week or two. It’s a country I’ve always wanted to learn more about and I’d love to tick it off my list 🙂

I think Italy might be winning me over simply because of the Da Vinci factor. If you don’t know who he is. Please read about exactly who Leonardo da Vinci is.

As for Sweden I’d like to stay in Stockholm visit the city and the countryside if possible. I’d love to see the old town in Stockholm. Try some local food (something other then meatballs!) and I’d love to explore the very cultural heart of Sweden too.

I guess I’ll visit Sweden after Italy. Just gotta begin the big save!! 🙂

Anyway have a good weekend all. I should be doing stuff today but I’ve done nothing… been so lazy. Have fun and stay safe 😉

Exams over… summer begins!

by Matthew
Epicurus

Meet one of my favourite philosophers Epicurus!

My module A222 – Exploring Philosophy is offically over. After a messy few weeks of revision, I took the exam on the 11th June. I had to choose 3 questions from six parts (2 questions each part which means 12 questions in total). You can only choose one question from each part and each part contained questions based from each of the course material books. All six! The exam lasted 3 hours.

The OU has released the question paper I completed and as much as I’d love to post it here. I can’t for obvious reasons. My results should be with me on the 2nd August if not before.

Overall, I found the module challenging. Not to mention the exam!! But it was good fun. It’s good things weren’t just a walk in the park with this module. I actually feel like I have gained so much through the space of studying A222. Most notably, Ethical stances, being able to open my mind up and question more rather then accept things at face value 🙂

So that’s it till October. I feel like my life is a tad empty until my next OU module in September.. when I start DD209 – Running the Economy. This should be as interesting as it sounds! I’ve got loads of time to go out and do other things I guess.

NO MORE EXAMS wooohoo!

I’m going away to Brussels in July for a bit but I’ll be back with some photos. I won’t leave it long! 🙂

The final book of my Philosophy module! Woo!!

by Matthew
All 6 Philosophy texts that have been studied. Not including the huge set book!

All 6 Philosophy texts that have been studied. Not including the huge set book!

I’m on the final book of my Philosophy module. Book 6: Political Philosophy.
Thank goodness. I’ve kind of liked and disliked this module. Like marmite! 🙂

Sometimes I’ve enjoyed the philosophical debates and thinking that I’ve done, and at other times just loathed it.

Political Philosophy seems interesting so far. I’ve covered political obligation and I’ve read part of the Crito. Which is a dialogue between Socrates and Plato on his obligations to the state, with Socrates arguing he should remain in the city of Athens and face his inevitable death sentence. The three arguments Socrates uses are first, a parental analogy, disobeying the state is like disobeying your parents. The second because the state where the authors of his education and thirdly, because he has made an agreement with the state to obey the law. I’ve enjoyed that first half of this book. A lot more then the others 🙂

Every day I get closer to the exam!! Today, I was meant to do some mock questions but I couldn’t. The library was busy and I wasn’t prepared. I’m a bit behind in reading for my final assignment on my module. Pressure is in the air but I’m cool as usual 🙂

I’ve not been writing much. Been busy with life and as a few of you readers may know. I’m really living life to the full now 😉

Hope all my readers are having fun and are in peace. Till next time.

2013 Resolutions or Targets

by Matthew

I don’t normally do resolutions or targets for each year (maybe I did the year before, can’t remember, hah) but this year I kind of have. Feeling I need to somehow. By the way I did mean to post this sooner. Just didn’t get round to finishing it… Anyway…

I’ve thought a lot and there are small things.

1.) Work more efficiently. I tend to be lazy sometimes. I can achieve so much more when I work efficiently to save time so I don’t end up a lazy bum.

2.) Don’t dwell on things. If you get overtaken in life (applies to Motorsport too of course). Keep a positive mental attitude and you’ll soon regain that place back.

3.) Focus on important things. This could almost be the same as No.2 but it’s a little different.

4.) Be grateful for what you have. Sounds obvious but I sometimes am not and I see others like it too.

5.) Concentrate on enjoying and finishing my degree.I need to enjoy engaging with my degree pathway more. This means enjoying the modules I cover and the journey my degree takes me on. Meeting new people and learning French (again!)

6.) Chill, Relax and Enjoy life. Remember life is what I make it and fortune favours the brave. Most importantly, Since our time on this planet is pretty short I aim to have fun and enjoy my life. Not at the detriment of others of course!

If I stick to these. I’ll be even more brilliant and amazing then I already am 🙂

Right now I have a huge craving for fast food sooo a good KFC combo meal with beans would go down nicely! If you wanna donate to my lil fast food fund. Comment below 😉

The suppression of Jamaican culture in Jamaica

by Matthew
The Bible has now been translated to Jamaican Patois.

The Bible has now been translated to Jamaican Patois.

The suppression of Jamaican culture in Jamaica.

As some readers of my wonderful blog might know. I have some roots to the Caribbean so I have strong views on what goes on there especially 🙂

One thing I’ve always been interested in is the amount of time it seems the government would rather suppress its own culture. I’m talking about Jamaican Obeah being illegal and Jamaican patois still not being recognised as an official language.

It seems as though Jamaica wants to feel British?! Lets take a look at Haiti. Right next door to Jamaica yet they have recognised voodoo as a religion and Haitian Creole as a language.

What gives Jamaica? You have a religion and a language that people practice and use in the country yet it’s not recognised and these aren’t new issues.

The Obeah man who promises to fix all your problems in life for a extortionate fee would most probably disappear if Obeah was legalised. He will be unable to rip people off! Well we can hope right? 🙂

I don’t know who makes these policies or what the Jamaican people think, however I can only think of good things if these two pieces of Jamaican culture were finally recognised.

Another issue is how some Jamaicans view Africa

A lot of Jamaicans with African Ancestry generally are not happy about being linked to the continent in any way! However European, Chinese and Indian Jamaicans are proud and for the most part seem to have maintained a little of their identity. I think this sort of thinking is doing damage to the whole island. It’s like Jamaicans are happy to throw away large parts of history and culture because the colonists said so a long time ago.

Maybe this is related to Jamaica’s political system? It is a two party state isn’t it? No real libertarian (or other view) brought into their politics 😉

What Jamaican Obeah is – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obeah

More freedom? Less freedom?

by Matthew
Freedom - Is the only way!

Freedom – Is the only way!

More freedom? Less freedom? What does the populace want and need?

Happy New Year! Hope everyone have a great one 🙂

Readers of this blog will know that I do like to mention the education system quite a bit in my posts. So, I’ll start with a familiar trend 😉

In the UK the education system is formal and rigid. However, The pupils are given more freedoms then in certain other countries. We have moved away (mostly) from the i’ll teach and you write (no opinion for the pupil) years. Moving on however, There are plans in place to introduce the army into schools to deal with poor behaviour. Is instilling what we call discipline militarily in schools the right way to go about things? Or is it just painting over cracks that lead to a much bigger issue? What are the children rebelling against? Bullying is at crisis levels in UK schools too.

Go into most state and even private schools and you will see shocking behaviour. This seems like outright rebellion of rigid rules to me.

Imagine a school with a progressive, democratic education with punishment delivered by pupils as well as teachers in the school community. You imagined this school. Look what talent it has produced.

Parents and our modern society put ridiculous pressure on children. From a young age many parents map their children’s path out! No wonder why some break out! Life is about the pursuit of happiness not at the expense of others. I know a lot of people are going to suggest that discipline only comes from strict rules being laid down. This is not the case. A needs guidance in a childs younger years and up to their teens they should be enjoying life. Enjoyment in life should continue through adulthood at work or wherever. If the sole pursuit of someones glory is a career thats guided by parents, or lines the pocket with wads of money in the hope of happiness you will not discovery true happiness.

One reason why schools fail so hard is what they produce. All they produce are factory made children ready to serve the state. If you have a child, What would you say if your child said he wanted to become a refuse collector?

This is just from a educational perspective. I feel more school choice is needed.

I don’t feel I’ve explained this as well as I wanted! I never feel I do 🙁

I’ll leave you with a few quotes….

“No one is wise enough or good enough to mould the character of any child. What is wrong with our sick, neurotic world is that we have been moulded, and an adult generation that has seen two great wars and seems about to launch a third should not be trusted to mould the character of a rat” — A.S. Neill

“I would rather Summerhill produced a happy street cleaner than a neurotic scholar.” — A.S. Neill

“The basis of a democratic state is liberty.” — Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC), Politics

Hope everyone has stuck to their resolutions! If any were made 🙂

Enjoy the rest of your January. Fun to all.