I normally talk about the time I spent living in India. It’s a unique place where a lot of crazy stuff happens so I talk about things like the time our train caught fire and my friend and I almost got arrested for having a look and taking some pictures. Or when the country went into lockdown for the longest week of my life when there were some protests. These stories may sound dangerous or serious but if you’re familiar with India and how things work there, they are really humourous and entertaining.
So what’s your story with which you entertain people?
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This sounds like the thing people do on their gap year and wont shut up about it 20 years later. I have a cousin who spent 2 years in Australia about 10 years ago. He still brings it up in every other conversation.
I can guarantee you that the people are not entertained as much as you think they are. You’re just ‘that guy’ who never shuts up about his time abroad. I know a few of them and briefly became guilty myself until a close friend pointed it out to me.
Did you start this thread just to tell this story again lol
I guess there was that time a student who had downloaded the Al-Qaeda training manual to use as part of a PhD in counter-terrorism, a document which was available in the university library, and which can be bought on Amazon; was arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Then a staff member tried to point out it was related to his MA/PhD research, and they arrested the staff member as well.
Then the Vice-Chancellor put out a statement saying if you access terrorist material for your work, you run the risk of arrest, so academics criticised him for not defending academic freedom.
Then the university’s only counter-terrorism expert quit and published an academic paper about how the university fucked up. The university complained to the journal and got the paper taken down. Then a bunch of academics, including Noam Chomsky, published an open letter in The Guardian saying he should be reinstated.
Then Unileaks got hold of police, university, CPS, and Home Office emails and memos and published them, demonstrating the university was secretly recording student protests and Middle East seminars.
Then there were BBC and Channel 4 media appearances, and some more overseas also. Then the student sued the police force for keeping inaccurate local terrorism intel on his record, including a false assertion that he had a terrorism conviction. They eventually agreed to delete it and pay him £20k in compensation.
Tends to attract some interest.
I don’t- it just comes across as talking at people and not embarking on an actual conversation.
I tell people about the boring fucker who keeps banging on about his time in India as though he was Mahatma pissing Gandhi.
When I meet people at parties I normally ask them questions to start a conversation rather than telling stories about myself.
I tell people I used to work for the mafia.
That’s all I say. I don’t elaborate. And I don’t answer questions.
Once on holiday in Spain, me and a mate got on a pedalo and ended up in Africa.
Also completed championship manager, took Woking from the conference to the champions league in six seasons.
I knew a bloke who had done the most amazing things but delivered anecdotes in a tedious fashion…whereas some people can make a trip to asda seem interesting and amusing.
I have stories for all seasons. Best to keep them half bullshit and all self deprecating.
This one time I went to a party and hyperventilated in the corner. People thought I was weird. Oh wait that’s happening now.