In the summer of 2007 the UK government ignored all the "consultation" and banned smoking in all enclosed public spaces. At a stroke smokers like me became the great pariahs of the 21st century and the witchhunt was on. In reality the ban went much further than that. It is illegal to smoke even in the open air on railway stations. Hospitals ban smoking even in the grounds although at my local hospital that is roundly ignored by everyone. A year later than banned smoking in psychiatric hospitals-utter madness. If there is one thing that keeps the peace in such places it is chain smoking-there is little else to do.
I don't really mind smoking outdoors; even if it is raining. But there is the issue of one's own home. For those who follow the news there is also a housing crisis in the UK. I would have no hope of getting social or what some call "affordable" housing. I cannot afford to buy as I don't have a large deposit to put on a flat. So I have to accept whatever I can afford. In reality for me I am paying way over the odds, have no security, a landlord who takes my money but expects me to pay for all repairs, and an MP who would make me homeless if he had his way. And of course no one will accept a smoker.
Given my precarious circumstances I am toying with the idea of moving. But moving costs money and that means more debt. Not to be put off, I responded to an e mail about a flat last week. I admitted that I smoke but was quite happy to smoke outside. The response was a polite fuck off. What chance therefore do I have?
Away my meagre home I have already been engulfed by the whirlwind that is the new academic year. Day 1 and I was with a student having a psychiatric assessment at said same local hospital. As ever when the shit hit the fan they turned to me. But this time I was powerless. I cannot help anyone who barely speaks English and what he did say was totally unintelligible.
What on earth possesses 1000s of young men and women to pay £10,000 per year to travel half way round the world to a culture they will never understand and a language they cannot speak? The answer is work permits. Even those that succeed in their studies rarely find work. If they do it is at the minimum wage and their housing situations are usually worse than mine. The streets are not paved with gold!
There have been few redeeming features to today. I am exhausted already and at a low ebb. Let's hope tomorrow is better.
I Heard a Voice.
In response to your question 'what possesses these young people to travel halfway around the world at huge cost etc', well, I tend to think it is an index of hopeless they feel their lives and prospects are back home. And I suppose, ignorance and misinformation. When I was at the dreaded London Met for that brief semester I met many such people. As I expect you know that 'Uni' is now in even more trouble than it was before. Well, good. They treated me appallingly though some of the tutors were nice and decent people, doing their best in a rotten institution. I wish I had known more about the place before I decided to spend hundreds of pounds trying to get an MA there. Needless to say I never got any of it back, but I daresay many of the overseas 'students' were in a far worse pickle.
ReplyDeleteZoe x