Like a sparkly bauble

So, I'm sat in the brasserie at the Swan hotel because of a number of reasons. Firstly, my lack of internet is driving me to despair, and they have a wi-fi point here. Secondly, the longer I can stay away from home, the longer I can ignore my looming politics essay. And finally, I quite liked the idea of being a bit of a poser and composing some silly little blog entry over a glass of chardonnay in a glitzy bar... For the record, I ended up ordering a hot chocolate. But it came with whipped cream and marshmellows, thus it was justified.

After coming to terms with the fact that my Masters course isn't exactly what I expected it to be, I can't help but start thinking about expectations in general. Particularly at this time, in the doomsday of post-uni life, with everyone I know embarking on new careers or planning those next crucial steps, what we want and what we expect from life kind of seems a little warped. My parents, ever the practical and responsible ones, tell me that this is just "how things are in the real world."

What exactly does that mean? "The real world"? Have we all been exisiting in some sort of fantasy realm up until now, cushioned from this alternative reality? Even before the end of uni, everyone around me appeared to be bracing themselves for this 'real world', where the big dreams you've had all your life get popped like a bubble. And I admit, things don't look too great if we're going to get all statistical. It's something like 2 and a half million people under 25 years old that are unemployed, which is quite scary. A randomer told me the other day that they met a man who had recently qualified as a doctor. They met this man in a restaurant; he was their waitor. Again, scary.

Here's the thing though: I'd still rather live in my cushy alternative reality than in this 'real world.' Even with all these frightening figures and 'get-on-with-it' attitude, I still don't feel like this 'real world' has even touched me. It's like, we're getting closer to Xmas and the clocks have been put back so it's getting dark by 4pm, but at the same time nothing can change the fact that it's Xmas and everything's that little bit more sparklier, and a little bit more magical. I mean, Father Christmas is still real, right?

I'm rambling and feel like I've lost the plot somewhat (in more ways than one). I guess I'm just trying to say that even if I didn't feel Xmas-y this year, I'd still be putting up a Xmas tree.