The one-day Cultural eXchanges experience

4 Events. 1 Day. 250 Words?

Ouch.

When I first booked the events for Cultural eXchanges I figured getting everything done in one day would be to my advantage. Cheaper on train fare and it meant a few days off to catch up on my reading.

What I didn’t realise at the time, was that I’d created a situation for myself where I had to run from the ground floor, up to the third, and then right back down to the bottom again. It didn’t take long to start regretting my decision.

It was a long day that didn’t start off particularly well. There was a crowded train journey and then a 50 minute wait before the first talk that just didn’t grab my attention, despite some interesting material on Modernist Magazines.

Luckily, the day got better and better as it went on and ultimately the whole thing was certainly worthwhile. I moved to Postgraduate Creative Writing, which was thoroughly enjoyable, if a little short. Then onto ‘The Front Room’ with a fascinating, and amusing, insight into the lives of Caribbean immigrants. Finally, there was Alexei Sayle, who, despite being late, kept the audience laughing and time just flew by.

At the end of it though. The most profound thing I’ve learnt?

The freezing lecture theatres that I study in, actually have heating that works. Who knew?

Natasha Rowinski