More money for old rope

We were pleased to welcome Alex's cousin Constantine (Cons) to our house on Sunday. Cons is one of the nicest, coolest and intelligent people on the planet. He's also mega talented and becomes an expert in anything that he turns his hand to. Theres nothing much to tell about his visit-basically we over indulged at an all you can eat Chinese buffet, came home and relaxed by watching music videos and farting. He had a lovely hot bath and slept like a baby. On Monday morning we woke him up, stuffed some more food into him and saw him on his way.
Cons has done many things in his life, chopping down trees, lobster fishing and newspaper journalism to name but a few. His latest vocation is mature student at the University College of London. Now I don't know how these things work in the wonderful world of Academia, but he is being paid to stay rent free in central London and study. He is having the time of his life. Cons has thrown himself into university social life with some vigor. This includes playing the harmonica in a Blue Brothers review and joining the swim team (He's an excellent swimmer). On Saturday he was taken to Sheffield to compete in a national swimming competition. After the meeting, Cons and the team decided to celebrate their existence and after many drinks, he could be seen covered in glowsticks, dancing like a maniac on a night club podium, shouting Umbrella....ella.....ella at the top of his voice. I asked him about his studies and, rather reluctantly I thought, he told me about Psychogeography. Evidently it "emerged as a conceptual term in 1955; its aim was to jolt urbanity's out of their humdrum utilitarian routines through radically re-conceiving urban spaces in an aim to bring about richer experiential states". A recent assignment consisted of asking random people in London if they knew the way to the Eiffel tower and recording there responses. So to summarise - He's being paid to live in one of the most exciting cities in the world. He's being paid to experience an exciting and varied social life. And furthermore his studies seem to consist of taking the piss out of people on the street. Fantastic- talk about money for old rope!