Adventures in Examsitting

And off to the big city today, like a proper person and all. £11.30 it cost me for the privilege. £11.30!! But I do try to practice as I preach, so public transport at twice the cost and twice the time for me. Ho hum.

On arrival in said city I was forced to lie to a monk.

Hare Krishna monk (choosing me out of a crowd of people, I have that sort of face - muglike): Do you have a minute?
Me: No
GM: Oh, I'm a monk (yes, I noticed that) and we're collecting today (like every day) for underprivileged people.
Me: Sorry, I don't have any money on me. (a lie, but only just)
GM: You have no money on you at all? You have no change at all?
Me: I have 2 pound coins and 2 ten pences for my bus fare.
GM: Your bus fare is £2.20?
Me: No, it's £1.10 each way
GM: You could walk one of the ways...
Me: Then I'd miss my exam
GM: Ah, but you could walk back
Me: Then I'd miss my train
GM: Oh. What's your exam in?
Me: Transport Engineering and Control, mostly about these (pointing to traffic lights)
GM: Oh (moving away swifter than a swift thing), well, good luck!
Me: Thanks. (I should have said gouranga, but I didn't)

A long time ago, when I was nice and uncynical, I used to happily trot along Princes Street giving my hard scrounged money to anyone that asked. The gouranga people used to ask again and again and again, and whatever you gave them (probably a pound, it's an easy amount) they would say "most people are giving £5 today". And then they'd make you say gouranga like an idiot.

Incidentally, I don't give money to people on Princes Street any more. I give money to buskers if they're good. I'm not averse to giving, I'm just averse to being asked. Yesterday I was reading a precise wish list for donations, which seems wrong somehow. Whatever, I made a pledge to myself that I'm not going to give to people that ask (within reason). No. It's wrong. It puts people on the spot. If they want to help, they will, if you ask them, you are making them.

I then watched the most stupid act of kindness I've seen in a while. A blind lady was standing on the other side of the road from me with her guide dog. The dog seemed unable to judge when it was safe to cross as it wasn't a crossing and the lady seemed stuck as a result. A kindly driver stopped and waved at her to go across. Unsurprisingly, she didn't move. So he waved again more vigorously. Still nothing, still unsurprisingly. He then got a little annoyed, shrugged and drove off. I did assist the lady across the road I may add, I'm not completely mercenary.

And then to the exam...

Having completely freaked out this morning about being completely unable to do the exam, I had managed to relax a bit and feel relatively confident about what I did know. This continued into the exam when I read the questions and established the subjects I wanted were all in there. Huzzah. Except about half an hour later when I ran out of memory, I realised my confidence was misplaced. It is incredibly annoying when you know you know something and you just can't remember it, far more annoying than not knowing in the first place and winging it.

Almost as annoying as talking invigilators. It's an exam! We're all supposed to be quiet, you included. Why are you having a conversation? You're not even whispering! Shut up! Shut up! "Shut up!". Oh, that one came out as a sound, or a clenched teethed whispered snarl anyway. Ah. Well, it worked. Until I went to leave and the smiley invigilator came over, asked me (not in a whisper) if she could check my paper, then talked her way through her checks and said "bye!" to me. All very nice, but, erm, everyone else is still writing, I just cocked up an exam paper and this smile is hurting me now; not the bestest time for a chat really.

Huge grumpiness this evening and I have to do more work on Transport Policy for Wednesday as I don't think I can JUST write about congestion charging. Head hurts. Need sleep. Gah.