It's the season of the sun and festivalsApril 15, 2016

Your mother looked at you thoughtfully after you told her (and your father) that you wanted to study in England. She hailed from Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and she hadn't been a Sydneysider as far as you knew. You have been to her hometown on a couple of occasions, and there were many reasons to rediscover your roots. You were interested in a literary tour of London, which you did during your first year. You were curious about Nessie. (You were hoping for an unusual sighting, but you ended up cold and drenched.) And you wanted to see the moor. ("Wuthering Heights" won't be one of your favourite novels. In fact, you haven't finished reading it. But you managed to write your assignment. Your coursemates have no idea that you have that gift of deducing the general themes of the book after reading the first few chapters.) There was one more thing.

Your parents weren't disappointed when you told them that you would spend your first summer in England. You were curious about the summer festival, but you didn't tell them. (You were hoping that a distant relative didn't spot you and tell them about it.) Your housemates were looking forward to it, and you thought it wouldn't be right not to join them. It turned out to be a summer to remember. What you were about to write wouldn't be tips for those who would like to attend the upcoming festival. But you have that strong urge to share your experience. Here it is:

Don't rely on anyone. You didn't need anyone to tell you to have someone saved you a camping spot. In fact, you asked your best housemate about it. (He was the most generous fellow you met in the university.) And you didn't like the idea of sleeping outside the tent on a sweltering night. You brought your own tent, only to share it with another student. He was studying mathematics, and you figured out that figures were getting into him. (You're a student of the English Department.) You don't mind, as you learned a great deal about numbers. And you were glad not to pursue a B.S. degree.

Be prepared for the weather. You enjoyed watching Wimbledon, so you knew the unpredictable weather in this part of the world. In fact, it was raining when you arrived on your camping spot. You weren't bothered at all. (You brought a tent.) It was a starlit evening on your final day, and you didn't mind dozing off under the canopy of stars. You came prepared for the unexpected.

Don't be a liability.The festival would be an ideal setting for making new friends, but some would rather drink too much. One of your housemate's friends passed out from drinking too much beer. (He threw up before passing out, which amused your other housemates.) You thought the few hours that he passed out was the best moment of the night. Not that you were the quintessential gentlemen, but you would rather let others think of you as a good company.

You looked at your wristband from last year's festival. You were thinking of staying in England next season.

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