The Sounds of Spring I was lying half-awake in bed, not having slept my full eight hours and trying to fall asleep again when I heard it. First it was rather muted, but then it kept getting louder until it had become a persistent drone that rendered any attempts of catching up on some of that sleep that I've been missing futile. "Bsssssssss." Now I am generally a very calm and collected person, almost impossible to unnerve. I can fall asleep when the TV is on, when people are talking, even when there are big festivities just outside my flat but the sounds of insects? That really gets on my wick! Unfortunately there is not much I can do about it. I sleep on a loft bed, so I can hardly get up, jump down and chase after the insidious insect. But I guess in a way it's positive, too, because usually that sound indicates that the seasons have changed. Still, out of all the sounds that herald the arrival of Spring, this is the one I loathe the most. And unfortunately getting a mosquito net is out of the question because if I did that I wouldn't be able to step outside onto my balcony any more!

The dreaded close season is upon us! Being a football fan the worst time of the year is about to start. While most people will enjoy the fantastic weather during the late spring/early summer months, I'll be wishing on time to go by quicker. Having become a proper supporter has transformed the way I live my life. I think being a football fan gives me a form of security. No matter how bad things get in my life -- I know that there is always the Arsenal game on the weekend or midweek to look forward to. Of course the flip side of the coin is that while watching my beloved Arsenal can give me a lot of joy when we don't play well it can affect me negatively, too. I still remember when I was in Hong Kong with a couple of friends in August 2011. On the last day of our trip Arsenal were playing Manchester United. My friends wanted to go out to end our vacation in style, but I decided to stay in and watch my team play. In the end we were drubbed 8 - 2 and I am sure you can imagine how happy I was that I didn't spend my last day in HK with my friends... But still, despite some of the side effects of being a football supporter, being deprived of this addiction of mine is a rather cruel punishment! Of course, there is still the Euro in June, but it's just not the same! While I will be trying to watch as many games as possible, I already know that I will be biting my nails during any that involve Arsenal players for fear of them getting injured. Maybe it's time to go into hibernation after the last game of the season in two weeks? Wake me up when Arsenal buy new players or when pre-season starts!