On a cold and windy afternoon in the early months of 2009, my former housemate Nick and I ducked into the local student bar.
While inside the Ember Lounge, enjoying a hot chocolate swamped in melted marshmallows, we were approached by a woman collecting information about student housing. Each person completing a form would be entered into a raffle. But as we had no need for student housing, due to our impending graduation that year, we waved her away.
Until I realised I had no pen. But she had plenty. I was allowed one, on the condition I filled in a form for her. She didn't care that I had no need for student housing, she just wanted another form signed. And I really wanted that pen. So our mutual need for things meant we ignored the rules and got on with things.
It wasn't long before I had a letter saying I'd won the raffle. A free pen AND a raffle prize? Bargain.
Call a number, get your prize. Okay, except I am allergic to phonecalls. Can't do them. But my very-new girlfriend at the time wasn't going to miss out on a prize, so she she phoned them and found out that it was tickets for something. I believe it took another phonecall before we found out what it actually was.
Four tickets to the Chinese State Circus and Shaolin Wu-Shu Warriors.
Excellent, right? All because I wanted a pen. The original plan was to take some of my friends to see it, but due to complications that couldn't happen. You see, the date happened to coincide with a visit from two of my girlfriend's friends, coming down for a photo shoot for her Photography degree.
Did I mention they were beautiful burlesque dancers? So yeah. I ticked off #082, winning a raffle, and on March 14th or 15th 2009 I got to see Chinese circus craziness and Wu-shu badassery [a real word. Argue against it when you've seen them in action] with three lovely strippers.
