Gursimran Hans


Throughout Spring 2017, I wrote a series called Daily Musings, a daily blog in which I usually spoke about three things that caught my eye. All editions are here. I stopped it to focus on exams and by the time I had finished, I had started work as TNS Opinion Editor so I never bought it back. I may do in the future, but for now, here it is.

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Familiarity, belts and shopping – Gursimran Hans –

One of the things I’ve noticed in my time in Hong Kong is that normal everyday tasks seem to take longer for me to do. A number of international students have mentioned similar feelings from time to time, but it really struck home when I went back to London for a couple of weeks in the new year, I was a lot more productive and seemed to get more done in the day. I suppose things take longer for me in Hong Kong as I’m less familiar with how things work and where things are and how to communicat
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Jetlag, things to do in Hong Kong and local cinema – Gursimran Hans –

Jetlag, things to do in Hong Kong and local cinema This semester I’ve done a lot less than I did last time around. Purely, because jet lag has been an issue this term when it wasn’t last term and the solution to it was doing a hard reset which helped a little bit (ie. staying awake for 32 hours and then having a nice eight-hour rest) Waking up at lunchtime for a week was a bit weird, as I found myself just looking at the clock for a few minutes hoping it would somehow change, do you have any s
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Return of Daily Musings, Harry Kane headbutt and Edward Snowden.

So after a couple of days of rekindling my passion for professional procrastination, I’ve decided to bring back Daily Musings. A couple of friends have from time to time mentioned a potential comeback for no-one’s favourite daily blog and I did think to myself that I should've bought it back during my first semester in Hong Kong as I had some absolute hilarious incidents and thoughts to share, but unfortunately you’re just going to have to take my word for it. Having done a quick poll on my In
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Billy Bonds MBE, The Handmaiden (Again) and The Liberal Democrats.

Billy Bonds has quite rightly finally taken a place in the Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum. Just months before his 41st birthday, Bonzo won Hammer Of The Year in 1987. He had spent all of the 1985–86 out with injury. In the words of LL Cool J: “Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years.” West Ham came so close to their first ever league title in 1986, I have no doubt they’d done it with a fully fit Bonds. Bonds was a real class act, he was tough as nails, a tru
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El Clásico, John Bercow’s Seat and France. – Gursimran Hans –

Praise has go to Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid following their 3–2 El Clásico defeat to Barcelona. Real were drawing 2–2 after James Rodriguez’s equaliser, despite having ten me they went for the win. They lost 2–3 as Messi scored his 500th Barcelona goal with the last kick of the game. A win would’ve all but wrapped up Real’s first La Liga since 2012. A draw would’ve done the same. A loss gives Barcelona, a slither of a chance. Real will probably still win the title, but they’ll deserve i
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Leyton Orient, Bank Holidays and Vladimir Komarov – Gursimran Hans –

Leyton Orient have finally been put of their misery. They have been relegated out of The Football League after a 3–0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra. My father used to go to Orient in the late 1970s and early 1980s. We’ve gone a few times. Friendlies against Tottenham Hotspur and New York Cosmos and league matches against Swindon Town and Brighton & Hove Albion. My feelings for Orient have gone cold since the last time I went. Partly as a result of Barry Hearn’s comments before, during and after the
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Ehiogu, Mbappé, Tory Image and Alberto Fujimori – Gursimran Hans –

This week saw the sad news that Tottenham Hotspur Under 23 coach and former England defender Ugo Ehiogu had passed away after collapsing. Ehiogu actually seemed like a genuine nice bloke. Unlike the stereotype that we see from footballers nowadays. I’ve seen tales of many good deeds he has done. He will be sorely missed by the world of football. Kylian Mbappé of Monaco seems like a down to earth lad too. He still lives in the club’s training complex, doesn’t drive a flashy car and likes playi
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Champions League Draw, Corbyn Website plus Ron and Hermione.

The draw for the semi-final has pit Real Madrid against Atletico de Madrid and Monaco against Juventus. Real and Atleti have now faced one another in each of the last four seasons in the Champions League (including the 2014 and 2016 finals). Monaco v Juventus is a case of unstoppable force v immovable object. Three of these teams are likely to become domestic champions. Whenever, Real Madrid is mentioned people talk about the Franco links. Having read White Storm: 101 Years of Real Madrid, it
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Fixed Terms, Broadband and Simon Reeves

Yesterday clearly demonstrated The Fixed Parliaments Act is not worth the paper it is written on. Introduced by Nick Clegg in 2011, it was an attempt for the Liberal Democrats to make sure the Conservatives did oust them from the government buy securing a majority to remove the need for a coalition. If a government wants/needs a snap election, they’ll call one, their MPs would agree. The opposition have to back it. If they don’t it suggests one of two things. a) They accept they will lose.
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The Handmaiden, George Osborne and Police

I’ve submitted a review on it but can I just say The Handmaiden is the best film I’ve ever seen. I won’t give much away, my review doesn’t either. But this film does genuinely fill me with hope. Walking home at around 2230 with the breeze blowing around my ankles, I had an extra spring in my step. It was also good to meet up with a friend from secondary school for the first time in two months. The banter and the bromance is still alive. I’ve tried to avoid getting close to people, I think. P
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Snap Elections, Argentinian Football and Facebook Live

Theresa May has called for a snap general election. The date will be 8th June. She needs the support of the two-thirds of The House of Commons for this to go through. May has been clever here. Labour are approaching new levels of chaos. This is way before Brexit negotiations are concluded. She may not be in a stronger position ever again. Her Government will increase in security. I can see Corbyn breaking Foot’s record and Labour getting less than 200 seats. A Lib Dem majority is more likely
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Turkey, Hibernian and Prince Harry

So Evet (yes) has won the Turkish Referendum. Hayir (no) despite being harassed, offered no media coverage and having some supporters imprisoned pushed Evet very close indeed. They won several cities they were expected to lose — Edirne, Ankara and Antalya. They were able to get as high as 80% in Kadıköy and 82% in Beşiktaş. The Kurdish areas and Izmir managed to get into the high sixties and seventies as well. I know people should accept democratic results, but this result was not democratic
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El Clásico Peruano, North Korea and Charlie Chaplin

I’d like to have done a match report of the Peruano Clasico, but I kept on falling asleep with kick-off at 0200AM UK time. I did see the goals. Venezuelan midfielder Arquimedes Figuera scored one of the goals of the season blasting home from 30 yards into the top corner. Alexi Gomez smashed a penalty straight down the middle. Panama international Alberto Quintero than went on a powerful run from the halfway line to score a breathtaking counterattacking goal. From what little I saw, Los Cremas
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Films, The Sun and TOTY

I like films, all sort of films. When people say “You like your foreign films” or “You like old films, don’t you?”, I honestly don’t know what that even means. I like all films. The age never comes into it. As for language, as long as it is at least subtitled in a language I can understand then that’s ok. If I see the plot and think it might be cool, I’d watch it. It reminds me of how people constantly look to label things. As someone from a minority, the constant highlighting of such annoys
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Referendums, Cinema and The Titanic

By the time we come out of this Easter Weekend, Turkey’s historic referendum will have been completed. A Evet (yes) will be disastrous for democracy in the country. A victory will dissolve the position of Prime Minister, and give current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan the role of both head of state and head of government. It’ll give him sweeping powers to enact laws without consulting the Grand Assembly and the opposition cannot scrutinise Government ministers. The plans are rejected by Kemal
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Dortmund Bus, Grammar Schools and Survivor

In no way was it appropriate for Borussia Dortmund to take the field against Monaco, last night. The players were clearly too shaken. You only have to look at Nuri Sahin’s interview after the game. Sahin’s face tells you even then his mind is elsewhere. Dortmund played with a lot of heart, but I don’t know how they could be expected to play that game. Others have pointed out the fixture calendar is tight with the second leg due next week. But you could easily play this leg after the one at the
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Bass, Italian Defenders and United Airlines

Wolfgang Van Halen was just 15 when he became the bassist for Van Halen, a band featuring his father and his uncle following Michael Anthony’s departure. That itself was fairly surprising. Even more so, Tye Trujillo, the 12 year old son of Metallica bassist Robert (also formerly of Suicidal Undecideds and Black Label Society), will play bass with Korn during their South American dates this spring while Fieldy is away due to “unforeseen” circumstances. The younger Trujillo is quite an accomplis
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Arsenal, Goofy and Korea

This musings is a tad early as I have other stuff to do later. I’d like to start by congratulating Sam Allardyce and Crystal Palace (featuring my boy James Tomkins) for sending the whole of Arsenal FC into retirement, something which we failed to do a mere five days before. Palace got into Arsenal’s faces and didn’t collapse. Arsenal fans’ and their attitude amazes me. Crying because you’ve only got Champions League in 21 consecutive seasons. Poor darlings. They’re upset because they might on
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Death-wish, Chicago and Table Tennis

A hospital in Denmark has granted a patient’s dying wish of having a cigarette and a glass of wine. The patient was too ill for surgery and is likely to die very soon from internal bleeding. If you have to go out, might as well do it with a smile on your face. I guess that’s what happens. As a firm believer in Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics, I can get behind the actions of hospital staff. In Chicago, a doctor was assaulted on a United Airlines flight. At the request of airline staff. The flight w
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Revenge, Appomattox and Easter

There are some rather strange individuals out there. A female friend has told me that an ex-boyfriend has sent her a video of himself having intercourse with another girl. Before blocking her. To me that makes no sense at all. What is it meant to achieve? It is also incredibly dangerous because say it leaks? I’m certain my friend wouldn’t do it, but there’s always a risk an electronic file of that nature can leak. Just ask all the celebrities that have been victim of hacks over the last couple
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