Sinister: When north-east meets north-west

[Amy Skelton]

Hey Sinister,

ME – REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK? NO WAY!
Well I’ve been back on home soil again for a couple of weeks now. I must say 
that I’ve been finding it a bit more difficult settling in again this time. 
I think it’s because it’s now all VERY final. My volunteering stint in 
Bangladesh is well and truly over (although I am going back to visit the 
boyfriend for Christmas/New Year - he he)*. Seeing family and friends again 
is great and is definitely helping me settle back to life in the UK.

* Ian. You’re right I’m not American – but my boyfriend is. Hope that clears 
any confusion.

ANYHWERE TO RENT IN GREATER MANCHESTER?
So, I start my full on paid first graduate job on Monday. I’m very excited. 
Accommodation hunting is still underway. The only Sinister picnics I ever 
made it to were in Manchester so it’s nice to be moving to an area I’m fond 
of. A plea to Greater Manchester sinisterites – know anyone with a 
room/place to rent? Pref. in Heywood, 2nd pref Bury but will consider 
Manchester itself.
I’ve been quite steady in settling back to the UK – no kayaking or dragon 
boating or canoe polo… since I’ve arrived. I guess they’ll be good ways of 
making new friends.

A YEAR OF GIG DEPRIVATION
After a year of cold turkey with no full on gigs I did treat myself the 
other week. My mate David and I went up to Newcastle to watch the return of 
The Delgados with support from Sons and Daughters*. A first class way to get 
back into the fray.

* I’m cheating and saying this is content because of associations with B & S

Well I’m saying the first gig since I got back because I’m discounting being 
dragged to see the oh so ordinary Ordinary Boys the night before – truly 
boring in my opinion. People are trying to re-educate me with bands that 
I’ve missed over the year. Sadly, they got it wrong that time. I’m up for 
suggestions of bands I should listen to/go and see.

LAUGHTER YOGA
Does anyone else here remember David Devant and his Spirit Wife (most famed 
for their You Must Be Ginger song)? I saw them on Sat after a hiatus of ? 
years.  I went along because they always used to put on a good show with 
ultimate audience participation regardless of what you thought of their 
music. Like some other punters I was bitterly disappeared because the show 
had albeit disappeared. Taking growing up too far – eh. Childish humour 
still has it’s place some of the time –laughter yoga and all that. Anyway, 
as I’m on some sort of a money-saving regime I have not been travelling to 
London for gigs (not leaving the north-east can be restricting in terms of 
choice). To those of you who’ve been going to see Le Tigre, Jonathan Richman 
etc. hope you all had fun.

I was very pleased to see an article in The Guardian last week about 
laughter yoga sessions before work being all the rage in certain regions of 
India. Ever the advocate of the benefits of a good chuckle I wish they were 
brought in here.

Ah, well. I’d better go and enjoy my last couple of days of freedom before 
40 years of (mostly) hard grind! Scary when you think of it like that.

Take care all,

Amy

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