So today’s expedition was tasked with the important goal of buying some ink for my printer. The expedition being me and the goal being the nearest Currys outlet. A look at the website for the address combined with Google Maps revealed it’s not that far away – about a 5-10 minute drive. Unfortunately I don’t drive.
So I set off – attempting at first to walk straight towards my destination before discovering how inconsiderate the road planners have been to pedestrians in this area. To set the scene, Newham (I think that’s what this area is called) is pretty much an industrial playground, infested by big fat dual-carriageways, the artery’s of modern Londoners. The phrase “not exactly a walk in the park” suits this area perfectly.
Unable to venture further than 100 metres from my front door before encountering said traffic corridors, I decided to get the DLR train to (what I thought was) the nearest stop to Currys. There’s only one more stop on the line in that direction so it’s not like I had a choice people!
I get there and, confident in my infallible internal SatNav, I set off on foot. I soon discover that yes there is a retail park there but it’s not the one I’m looking for and no they don’t sell printer ink. I consult a local only to discover he doesn’t sound very local and doesn’t have clue what I’m on about – Currys? Surely not…
Ah but the wonders of modern technology! My phone has Google Maps – Lord knows what o2 will charge me for it’s use today! – so I reassess my location. Turns out, according to the map, I am very close. I’ve unfortunately just turned off the main road too soon and am now in an industrial cul-de-sac. I return to the main road and follow the maps directions. At least half an hour later I find my destination – not quite the 5 minute jaunt Google Maps implies. Oh and I also found a Sainsbury’s, Maplin and a Showcase cinema. That’s the hard part over surely? Read on…
My mission accomplished – one expensive cartridge of colourful ink placed snugly in my jacket pocket – I ponder the return trip. My internal SatNav, now updated with this new information, tells me that the easiest plan of action will be to head in a straight line towards the waterfront (which I can’t at this point see, but I was sure of it’s location!).
About, oh, an hour, two hours later? I realise maybe I’ve headed off in the wrong direction. Google Maps is now useless – it won’t zoom any further and several street names are missing or don’t correspond to anything in my vicinity. Now I should point out that I am a stubborn Taurean: I prefer to weather the storm, keep going forward, see things through..you get the idea..so despite my ample opportunities to ask for directions – admittedly only available after I actually found civilisation again – I chose not to and plodded forward.
It pissed down with rain, I found horse shit and discovered that electricity pylons fizz in wet weather. Creatures in bushes – I’m hoping they were just birds – were scaring the shit out of me as I roamed countryside far and wide. Finally – and somewhat miraculously – I ended up back at the train stop I got off at. How the hell I do not know – I’m sure I walked in the completely opposite direction – but no Google Maps seems to imply I walked in a (rather large) circle – see the rough map of my progress below. The naughty student I am I fare-dodged my way home, cold, tired and starving.
The experience was good though – I’ve seen more of the local area, something I’ve been intending to do for awhile now, although my sense of direction seems to be fucked up because the map doesn’t match up to the real thing?! Also, it gave me (a lot) of time to consider my essay and I ended up redrafting it after dinner. I still don’t think it’s passable – it’s only the draft essay after all – but I think it has a more logical structure now. The rest of the evening has been spent playing Pro Evolution Soccer 6 with my flatmate (as usual losing more than I won only to win the last game with some superb goals) and doing my Creative Writing homework: to write dialog for a couple of characters in an earlier story we did. I think it turned out well – the two fictitious characters are based around a classmate’s grandparents (that was focus of the previous exercise) and I think I could really develop them further.
After a long day I’m finally starting to feel tired – it’s 4am! – so I think I’ll succumb to slumber. Sweet dreams.
