Saturday, November 03, 2007

Shocking neglect

Shocking neglect of the blog recently on my part, I've noticed. No particular reason, other than work being completely all-encompassing. I think it's the first time I've juggled several different jobs at the same time, teaching at different levels alongside my research job, with my PhD ticking over in the background. I think "challenging" is the positive word for this situation. It's bloody knackering though. Every available moment seems to be spent either preparing for something or actually doing it, plus travelling backwards and forwards and doing boring (but rather essential) domestic things like shopping, eating and sleeping. I'll have to re-think it all next year when the dreaded PhD is out of the way, now I know how much time and energy things need. I guess I'll have to see where my instincts lead me.

Nothing to do with work really, but I've seen the man in the murder shirt again. Twice in one week. He certainly gets around. I mentioned him before - he had a story scrawled on the back of his white shirt in black felt-tipped marker pen, about how someone tried to murder him, but I couldn't read the whole story as he was walking too fast. I was able to read more this time, as the bus was stuck in traffic. I only noticed him as he was the only person not looking at the photos of naked men and seductive ladies in the College windows.

I may be wrong, but I think he's annoyed about a miscarriage of justice, as he's named some bloke on his shirt as the perpetrator, and said he suffered broken ribs as a result of the alleged attempted murder. Maybe his attacker didn't get prosecuted or adequately sentenced or something, which is why he's letting his shirt tell people about what happened. I wonder if he's got lots of shirts or just the one... it was very clean and crisp looking, so maybe he's got a wardrobe of them... Whatever his situation or his gripe, I find his method of communication much more engaging than holding up a placard outside the Houses of Parliament.

3 comments:

Annette said...

Thanks I'm glad you have seen that man again. I have never forgotten that time when you wrote about him and I always wondered what was written on his shirt.

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of a house in Cardiff, when I worked there. It was absolutely covered in massive placards, all atrociously hand-written in very large writing, slating the Council for all sorts of (alleged) corruption. The boards covered the entire front of the house, including doors and windows. It was like that for several years, to my knowledge.
I guess these people must feel very strongly about their misfortunes, and I can't but help feel sorry for them. Even if they are a bit cranky!

Claire said...

Annette, I never really expected to see him again, to be honest. I was amazed to see him twice in one week, and always in the morning rush hour. Someone at work had heard of him, so maybe he's well known.

Dickiebo, that sounds a memorable house! I'm sure you're right, people feel so strongly about things, that any method they can use to make people 'listen' must make them feel like they're doing something... they're certainly not ignored anyway!