Nineteen students and two staff came to colour and earn themselves an Easter Egg; and, in the process, had some wonderful conversations with students. Conversations about their studies, about team work, about stress management ... all good stuff.
Saturday, 5 April 2025
Colour for Chocolate
TABLEtalk: Fears & Phobias
As part of our Fears & Phobias evening at TABLEtalk, students were given a 'fear' and tasked with writing a letter to an Agony Aunt. Papers were then exchanged and another group had to write a response. Always good for a giggle 😉😊😂
All my life I have carried this burden and it sometimes feels so crippling. It all started when I was seven years old at a friend's birthday party. We were messing around like seven year olds do and having fun dancing, when his mum had the brilliant idea to start a dance competition. We formed a big circle, with people taking turns. It was about to be my turn and I was excited, the music was right, and I had all the rhythm and moves ... in my head. Finally, my turn and I brought out my best moves and all the energy I could muster. After my grand performance, the room went silent. I was expecting loud screams and cheers when one girl said, "Is that it?!" The room burst into laughter and my legs turned to jelly.
I am now 37 and have never again attempted to dance. But the problem is I'm getting married in two weeks time and my partner is itching for a couple's dance in front of our 300 guests. What do I do?
Dear Bride to be,
Very sad to know that you have acquired this fear due to a bitter experience. It's time you break out of it. First of all hire a good dance teacher who can guide you patiently. Let your friends be your background dancers, who can still make it look ok, if you pull any stupid moves. If your partner is a good person, they will definitely lead you. So ge all the help you can.
Mix 50% whisky into their drinks, insist they go for two rounds, so they won't notice you in the buzz, Wear a sexy outfit and distract people from your moves. Don't wear heels, go for wedges!
Play the lusic full volume, so people will forget you while vibing to the beats.
If it all goes wrong, you can have a good laugh at the end of the day and a good memory to share. So just be a sport. Good luck!
I have a terrible fear of ... I can't even write the word ... chickens! It ruins my whole life. Those weird devious birds with beady eyes. The horrible clucking sounds and the scratchy feet. They always look moody as if they are going to attack me.
I live next to a farm and the owner recently started keeping these birds and now I can't leave my house. I have to keep the curtains shut to avoid any eye contact. I can't even walk past a chicken take away, and if I see a KFC advert I cry myself to sleep.
One of my colleagues loves the c.nuggets and so I think I have to change my job. But what if I change my job and meet more bird eaters!
Please, please help me get rid of my fear of c...
Desperately yours, Colette
PS. I can't move as I have a one year lease on my house
Dear Colette,
Let me start by saying, I see you and I understand your fear. Honestly, I think chicken eaters are trying to take over the world, but don't worry, I have a cunning plan. Your neighbour sounds like a cruel man running his farm without your consent; but let's not focus on him and his wicked ways. Let's find a solution to help you deal with this.
Seeing your current situation, I think we can start slowly to help you cope better at home You need to remember that even though they have beady eyes and devious clucking, chickens can't hurt you. A good way to get used to it is to buy a toy chicken, a plushie perhaps. Every once in a while, throw it around and beat it to a pulp. You will feel better, more confident and more comfortable around those devious creatures.
Get a chicken alarm and watching some shows about chickens to get used to the sound. Practice saying the word in front of the mirror. And finally replace your colleague's order with vegan nuggets, that will teach them a lesson.
Understand that overcoming this is a gradual process and you need to take your time.
I have a problem when I see new people of different colour, especially those who wear traditional clothes. These tradional clothed foreigners with non-understandable accent, with deep voices, who always sounds like they're going to rob me.
Once I booked a flight to London, via Italy, and many of the customs people treated me harshly. I think it was because he was wanting me to communicate in his language. Honestly, I'd never felt so scared in my whole life.
I don't know if it's my bad luck or my fear of foreigners, that wherever I go they treat me harshly. I think and have started feeling like there is some problem within me. Maybe I am the foreigner that people fear.
Best regards, Hamedi
Dear Hamedi,
I am sorry that you have been experiencing a lot of trauma. But I think you have to accept that there are many foreign people. Anyone who travels from one country to another would be a foreigner in the other.
If you don't like their clothes ... imagine as if they are naked! Imagine as if they are your friends from our own country, so you don't feel threatened. Go to London ... everyone is a foreigner! If you don't like their voices, pretend you are deaf and they won't talk to you. If you really can't deal with it, go hide in a cave in the Himalayas!
But best advice ... if you are really worried about it, imagine you are the most foreign person and therefore superior to all of them.
With loads of love, Agony Aunt
Wherever I go, money keeps coming my way. men and women come up to me and offer me jobs that are the highest paid ones. People want to spoil me, all the time. My parents have too many inheritances to pass on. I don't want that. Yesterday a friend gave me a lottery ticket and I won. Now what am I going to do with 50 million pounds. I am overwhelmed with the income tax raids; but I have paid all my taxes and bills, yet have overflowing cash.
The more I donate and gift people, the more I relieve. I invest in the stock market, even Trump's games did not affect me. I also invested in several businesses and they are all thriving. I now have enough assets for generations.
I've had enough, but money won't stop coming. What should I do? I am feeling anxious with all these asses, cash and money.
Dear Writer,
It is so frightening to hear of the sufferings you are going through! I am wondering what your friends and relatives are saying about you? Are they harassing you?
I am here to support you, any time you feel overwhelmed or anxious and you can call me at +44 7740 892247.
It is a good thing that you are giving to charity and not misusing the money. If I were money, I would come to you again and again so I can meet people's need through you.
Have you ever thought of going to the top of the Shard and throwing money off the building? Maybe buy the building, so you can throw money daily and swirl around with it. You wanna do that, don't you?
As a kind gesture to help you, please see the account number that I have made specifically for you. Anytime you get stressed out with money, send it here. It will never get full.
I want that phobia too, LOL 😀
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Bargain Corner Survey
1.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how valuable
is the Bargain Corner?
1 = not valuable 10 = an essential service
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 7 48
2. It what ways has the Bargain Corner
impacted your student experience?
This is just a sample of the responses received ...
3. What items do students most require?
Tick as many responses as you wish.
4.
Which times of year is it most useful
to have the Bargain Corner open?
5.
What is the preferred method of
payment?
6. Are there items you would like the Bargain Corner to stock, that are currently not available?
7.
Any final comments …
Once again, just a sample of the responses received.
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