All of a sudden, I had weekend worth looking forward to on my hands. Yet, there was not the time to anticipate, before I knew it, I was on this roller coaster, heading to the peak of the big one. What would it be like on the other side, on the way down? I was about to find out. I woke up early, to an eerie silence around the house, everyone else was a sleep. With my Mum and youngest sister over in India, there was the added feeling of awkwardness. My weekend morning ritual, should be well known to you by now. Instead of eating my cereal in silence, there is the added comfort of the soundtrack from the music television. As I have said before, I must be a really annoying person to live with. Perhaps going someway to explain, while I only do this in the morning. I surf the channels, 440 all the way to 473 and only stopping for a few minutes on songs I like. The clock was ticking and it was soon 8.30am, I had to get a move on. As usual, a ‘I love this song’ moment stopped me in my tracks, but eventually I dragged myself away from the television and headed to get ready. As I headed for the car, my Dad stopped me (for the second time) and said, “Thank you for the DVDs…” I smiled, as I headed out into the dull day. Today was going to be a make or break day for me. Little do I know it now, little will I know about it for years to come. I cruised to Slough, with my head in the clouds. It would only be a matter of time before something, someone would burst my bubble. For the moment, I was going to enjoy, living part of the dream. Handed the keys, I saw down comfortably in the leather seats and turned the key, to hear the engine roar to life. The sound so unique, so special, so soothing. I pulled away and wondered what to do with the next four hours. Revving the engine at the red lights, I switch over to KISS 100. As I drove past Trade Sales complex, an smartly dress employee was crossing the road. His jaw dropped as he saw me drive past, stopping in the middle of the road to awe at the sports car. His face was a picture. Shape I could not capture the moment. I watch in amazement as I put my foot down to watch his reaction in my rear view mirror. The stereo CD player had what I original thought, Songs About Jane as Maroon5 – ‘She Will Be Loved’ was playing the moment I had switched on the electrics. Yet it was actually, Now That’s What I Call Music Volume 59, so I skipped across some of the tracks and then found a song. Perhaps not the most ideal, but something I thought was appropriate for the lift off. Busted – ‘Thunderbirds A re Go’. Those of you not from the south of England (or the United Kingdom for that matter) will be unfamiliar with a famous stretch of road. Perhaps the most famous stretch of tarmac in the whole of Slough. The Bath Road, or A4 runs across the town, linking it with Maidenhead and the M4. Most of the biggest companies in the world, have their UK if not European headquarters on this road. By it’s very nature the road is extremely busy, with retail parks and big business centres throughout, which are broken up by an American highway style traffic light system. The speed limit is 40, but all the camera (three in total) are clearly visible. So, at the lights, you can show your street credentials, lightly touching up the gas pedal, as you look across to your driver across in the other lane. I looked in my rear view mirror and a young black women, was half asleep behind the wheel of her silver Nissan Micra. Just at that moment, my hears tuned into the song on the radio, Naughty Girl by Beyoncé Knowles. Need I say anymore? The car was quick, but in bright red, I must have looked like a bit of a joy rider, and I felt a presence of several cautious eyes. The 18″ OZ alloys, looked the part, just a shame there is the name of perhaps the most famous true German, (after David Hassleholf, of course) planted all over the car.

I came home and did very little, but to attract the weary eyes of my neighbours who were clearly just stirring from their Saturday morning lie ins. There was no one to go and see, no one to come and enjoy this special moment with me. It is shame really, I have often said that without the people around you to share in your aspirations, the aspirations tend to lose their value. Heading back to Slough, I knew I was about to sign up to something that was perhaps, just a few racks above my station. Was I really ready to make this sort of financial commitment, so early in my life? While the finances have never been in question, this added strain would perhaps cost more to me than British Pounds Sterling. Salesmen are a funny bunch, yet when it comes to the crunch, they move aside and let someone else come out with the calculator and do the real work. The gloss is gone, the voice is stern, the language is forceful and at times demeaning. I hate finance people, particular the brand the come in the opposite gender. Sure, I should not judge, after all she was just doing her job. Yet, looking beyond her Gucci glasses, came their air of a women, with more at stake than the sale of a single automobile. I was so disappointed that, when she pulled out her hand to wish me goodbye, for a spilt second, I stared it and did not want to return the gesture with a handshake. I did, nevertheless. For, life is about rising up these people, regardless of the situation. Having written to the Managing Director, turned out to be a waste of time. What does it take these days, to go from a meaningless number in a queue of faceless nobodies? When I find out the answer, I will be sure to share the secret with you all. For the time being the dream fades away, to the other side of the world. Driving home, with an unpleasant taste in my mouth, the reality slowly started to kick. Perhaps today, I made a decision, that I will go on to be grateful for the rest of my life. The process I was going through, I will describe, as stepping back into myself. When I got home, there was good news. My replacement motherboard had arrived. As excited I was by this news, it did not hold the same level of ecstasy as it would have done, over a month ago. Yet, I put this down to a mixture of experience and bad luck on my part. (Or is that the same one thing?) After a quick lunch, my sister departed to go shopping, as most girls do on a Saturday afternoon. The destination was Reading, so they would be gone some time. Composing myself, after my lunch, I motivated myself with the small incentive, that when I was finished my PC would no longer randomly shut down or reboot. That was enough to get me off the sofa and start rearranging the living room into computer building workstation. I took my XBox off the network and grabbed my toolbox. I meant business and there was no chance that this motherboard was going to let me down. Funny, how with the added knowledge, I had gained from over a month ago, I was working, almost blindfolded to get everything in place and together in time. There was only one response to seeing my monitor light up with the ASUS boot screen, I punched the air and let out an all mighty scream. (Just a bit of frustration coming out there!) Windows XP SP2 was loaded without a single hitch, this was too good to be true. I am Andrew Tegala, something must go wrong. Quickly I installed my wireless internet link and while here, upgraded the firmware on my Netgear router. Then, came the task of transferring across all my personal ‘stuff’ from the old Mesh computer. It took nearly half an hour to transfer the e-mails, documents, and web sites (including my beloved blog) but it was well worth the wait. I was making excellent time and then began the task of transferring my world famous audio collection onto it’s new home. While all this had been going on, I had been playing music television to keep me focused and provide some light background music. There was also the rare occurrence of ITV screening two Bond films over four hours on a Saturday afternoon and not a Bank holiday in sight (not for several weeks at least!). I needed a quick lift me up. It came in the form of a song. Blue have always been a favourite boy band for me. Perhaps giving me some street cred with the ladies. (Who knows?) While I feel the first member to make a break for the debut single, looks lost without his band mates, Webb, Simon, is a different prospect. He knows the industry, having formed and then seen the break up of his own group, VS. So, perhaps his debut single, ‘Lay Your Hands’ is perfectly pitched, with all this in mind. I was down, with a strong empty feeling inside. Not only had I let myself down, I had let other down, pursuing an achievable dream, too heavy hearted, too soon. Almost in an instant, I was comforted by the soulful lyrics of Lay Your Hands. You can listen to a snipped on the official site, which counts down to the single release. I saw the tv spot for it last weekend. I don’t want to call them commercials, when really they are just advertisements, or rather trails for an up coming movie. This was one of those movies that I never got around to seeing. I even missed the opportunity to watch it on DVD. Although, perhaps towards the end of my second year at University, an x-rated disc was kicking around. This was the jewel in the crown of my weekend, sitting down on Saturday night to watch a stupid, pointless teen flick, purely to laugh and be entertained by outrageous American comedy. As my Saturday afternoon panned out setting my computer, I was able to get my TV tuner working, so had the option to watch it in the comfort of my own room, rather than having to watch it over in the living room. Surround sound was hardly going to make a major difference, now was it? In fact, I started watching the movie in the living room, but my Dad wanted to watch something else, (TCM anyone?) So after quickly eating some delicious chocolate ice cream, I headed back to my room, to enjoy the movie in the privacy of my own room (please don’t take that the wrong way!). I regret now that I had not seen this movie with my Uni friends, as it would have the been perfect way to end the second year. Channel 4, usually save their network premieres for a Sunday night 10pm screening, so this was a rare event in itself. The most outstanding thing about this movie is… well actually there are two things. The amazing, soft rock soundtrack, which I will around to later. The other is the Indian character. Played handsomely to a ‘t’ by Kal Penn who on the back of this movie, went to co-star in a movie for himself. I think you have to agree that he steals the show. Those whom know me well, know how much I hate Indian people speaking English, (particular Bollywood actors). You get the impress they are trying too hard? Anyway, Penn is able to reach the happy medium between fresh off the boat and Westernized coconut. You can slowly watch his progress, under the wing of Van Wilder, during the course of the film. He reviews more about his up and coming plans in a candid interview from April this year. To summarise, there are plenty of Penn movies to keep me busy over the next few years. Sure, some may be in poor taste, but I am not one to judge. (I always wanted to know what FOB meant to Americans?) Let me quickly take you back to a blog entry from the archives, Friday 13th August to be exact (no, I did not plan it like this!) I discuss a movie I had watched the previous Sunday, 8th August, last year. The film was OC (not related to the television series at all (which, as you well know, I have not seen and aim to catch in weekly instalments once I get around to getting the DVD box set). I am sidetracking, let me return to base. The OC, started Tom Hanks’s son and was in the same mixed up genre as this number, or rather the tentative steps to college rather than those seven wasted years spent there! The most intriguing aspect of both these movies, was the use of the same song to end the movie (well the visual elements anyway!). Hello by Sugarbomb, is one of those driving songs, that not only lifts you, it has the energy to take you to another place. The use of this track alone would have been significant and more than a coincidence, but there are so many other tracks on the album (most of the better ones are missing) which go hand in hand with the notion of the story. College kids, having fun! Sometimes, I think you Americans do not know how lucky you really are. Perhaps they are too blind to see that they live not only the land of the free and brave, but the land of opportunity. Not only is college a period of coming of age, the American system is far more ‘brotherly’ (or sisterly) because you can join one of many fraternities. Back to the music, before I lose my thread. There are numerous songs, some which I had heard before such as A Fool For You, by American HiFi, but numerous others that I had never heard before. Sugarcult boast three outstanding tracks for the movie, with my favourite Bouncing Off The Walls (Again) with sexy Tara Reid featuring in the video. There is the catchy, almost country sounding, Girl On The Roof by David Mead, which is a classic. (Within in minutes you too will be humming long to the chorus hook!). A great song, to describe the leading roles, who are forever searching after each other, is Okay by Swirl 360. What more can I say? Perhaps a little more when I have obtained the remaining few tracks. I will perhaps come back to some of these songs and many more, when I get around to burning them on CD and listening on the car, on a pleasant British summer evening, as I drive home from work on a Friday. Tomorrow, Sunday I will be back, back to my normal life, the dream is over. I have a feeling it will rain and be a miserable day. The weather often reflects exactly how I feel. Trying to be positive and look at the plus points to my u-turn decision. You never know, perhaps in years to come I will come back to this blog entry and say that in the end I made the right decision for me and my future. Who knows?