It is 8.55pm here now in University of Warwick on a rainy and unfortunately, gloomy Saturday. I have been up 6.00am to participate in the Ultimate Indoor Regionals Open (our team made a women team). We did not go to win, but to brush up on our skills. There were no other women team and many of them were all-male teams, as there are no gender ratios for open tournaments. It goes without saying that we got our arse kicked... BADLY. Nonetheless, we learned a lot. We improved our stack and practiced the 2-1-2 strategy. Anyways, the game did not dig a deep hole into my shallow pockets. Well, not directly. UK is a very dangerous place, it is very easy to splurge for nothing and it is mostly necessary.
I had to meet the team at Coventry Train Station at 7.50am. So at 6.30am, I went to wait for the bus at the bus stop (even when I knew there would be no bus that I could catch in time to meet at the train station, I just wanted to try my luck). Well, bus drivers do not drive when they do not need to. In the end, I had to take a 9 pounds taxi ride to the train station (at that time, I had exactly 9 pounds in my purse, should I count myself lucky?). Furthermore, I had to buy a 4.20 pounds return train ticket to Birmingham.
The games finished at around 2pm. I hurried my way back to Coventry to spend time with my "cooking buddies" (More on them in later post). Arriving in Coventry, I found out they were half an hour away by bus from Coventry at a huge Tesco Arena. We decided to meet at Morrison's later on. In the two hours of alone-free-time, I walked around Coventry buying some necessities (which amounted to 14 pounds, don't ask me what I bought! They really are necessities.). Then, I left on Bus 4 to Morrison's, that single trip costs 1.20 pounds. They were to arrive later so I wasted time in Morrison's and bought some groceries (which amounted to 4.08 pounds), all the food to last me until Thursday (as long as you buy your own food to prepare, food is not too much of an issue). After a very long while, I called them, they said they were in Morrison's for quite some time, yet we didn't see each other. Then it hit me, I went to ask a salesperson whether was there another Morrison's around. Apparently, there was! Arrgghh.... Nothing can quite described how I felt there and then. Nothing. Life was toughest then, really.
I decided I would just return back to university by myself. Took bus back, transiting at the main bus station (that cost 2.70 pounds).
Came back, cleared everything, bathed and now I am in front of my com typing this. One lesson I learnt: Want to save money? Stay in university and don't go out.
Total expenditure today: approximately 40 pounds = RM223 (current exchange rate)
What's more? I have to go back to Birmingham tomorrow for the second day of competition (more like practice). That's gonna cost 7.20 pounds, just for the necessary transport. Unless I start walking 2 hours before, hmm.. It actually sounds tempting.
My brain is quite wrecked at counting everyday, my mind is stresses by it, my mood is also influenced by it. It can't be helped. Thank goodness staying in campus, I don't feel it cause it is possible to go through the whole day without spending a penny (other than for dinner, which averages at 1.50 pounds, which is pretty decent. Own cook of course, this is where my "buddies" come in, I am sure I cannot be bothered to cook everyday just for myself.)
That's all, for now. Time for dinner. At 9.40pm, which has also become VERY normal.
