The Big Weekend Chronicles: Year Four

Last weekend marked the fourth annual UEL Alumni Big Weekend. This instalment was different enough that missing it would have been criminal, and it really proves the Alumni team are on their A-game: an opening night filled with music and laughter, a couple of creative sessions of pure fun, a headline Gala that could rival the Phantom of the Opera, and a quietly powerful closing keynote about reimagining Sunday nights, so the week ahead feels a little less daunting.

There are most definitely a few videos of me singing Valerie floating around the internet. No, I do not want to be on the other end of that video, I'll take solace in the knowledge that I killed the performance. I know this because I got an inflatable saxophone as my reward, so now I can channel my inner Kenny G.

Friday brought Musical Bingo, featuring timeless music, lots of laughter, and what turned out to be a taster session for all the dancing still to come. It was my second time playing bingo (at least this time it was different), but just like last time, lady luck wasn't on my side, and I surely wasn't salty about it.

Saturday is when things really kick into gear, and this year was different enough that calling it a step up would be an understatement. It started with a painting session unlike anything I would have imagined from the incredibly energetic folks at Sip and Stroke. But not before I took part in the "Conquer the Docks" rowing challenge, where participants use a rowing machine for a minute and try to cover the furthest distance. I had to do it, I've never seen a sport challenge I've turned down (unless it involves swimming), and my middle name is Challenge. Want to know if I won? You'll find out later, just like I did.

The painting session turned out to be a mix of styles, with the theme being about new beginnings (I'm paraphrasing, I forgot the specifics). What I chose to paint was the new NAS I recently bought, because it represents a huge shift in my digital life and how I interact with big corporations going forward. I'm happy with how it turned out (I'll take any opportunity to use as many colours as I can), though I did have what I think would have been a better idea right after finishing. The second half of the session involved a demanding physical activity that split us into three groups and tasked us with forming a series of objects using our own bodies. Our team didn't win, but the most important part is that we had fun.

That brings me to my favourite part of the weekend that isn't the Gala: the workshops where you get to make something to take home. This year's options were Perfume Making, Clay Sculpture Making, and Kintsugi. Of course I chose Kintsugi, I've always loved Japanese concepts, and this is one of the ones that fascinates me most. Any time I think of Kintsugi, the first image that comes to mind is the "Precious Scars" exotic Titan helmet from Destiny 2, such a beautiful piece of art. The excitement got to me, because who doesn't want to break something so they can put it back together again? Just me? Fine.

After the introduction I was pretty much first in line to break my bowl, because I had a good idea of how it's traditionally done (which, by the way, takes months, we obviously didn't have months). I dove in before the rest of the instructions were finished, mixing the epoxy and getting started on the repair, with the plan to coat the gold powder onto the resin afterwards, just like it's actually done traditionally. Real Japanese artisans don't mix the gold into the binder at all, they dust it onto the resin once it's applied, using only what's needed (mixing it into a full batch the way we'd end up being taught would waste a huge amount of the expensive gold). Turns out that's not how the workshop had us do it though, the instructions were to mix the gold powder into the resin before applying it to the broken surface of the bowl. All in all, it came out great and I'm happy with the result. I also got a second bowl, which I got to do the "right" (workshop) way, so in a way my masterplan to get two bowls worked out. Muhahahahahahahahaha.

Then came the main event: the Gala dinner. This year's theme was the Magical Masquerade Gala Dinner (no, I did not wear a mask, yes, I regretted not getting one), held at Brick Lane Music Hall, a beautiful venue that definitely felt like it had a lot of history. It felt like a more muted affair compared to previous Galas, but it was still a great night. We had a magic show (my second one this month, funnily enough), during which I won £5. Why? Because I'm awesome, that's why.

The winner of the "Conquer the Docks" rowing challenge was also announced, and fair warning, there's absolutely no humility coming: I knew I was going to win. I felt like my heart was going to explode afterwards, and the person who might have beaten me chickened out, so yes, it was inevitable, and I would have been very disappointed if I hadn't won. Then, out of nowhere, I also won the "Life of the Party" nomination, which was a genuine surprise, and I'm not sure I want to know how close the vote was, so thanks to everyone who voted for me, and to those who didn't, I love you all the same.

With that, there was a lot of dancing (I had a title to live up to now). Most people who know me know I have a pretty high tolerance for heat, it sometimes feels superhuman, but man, was I sweating that night, to the point where the jacket had to come off. There is, however, no universe where the waistcoat comes off. It'll have to catch fire first.

Sunday has always been the slow, gentle close of the weekend, with interesting if not inspiring talks, and while it's always been lovely, it's also felt like it could be more. That changed this year, because the team organised a netball session that made Sunday more than the wind-down it's always been. It was a great session with lots of great moments, very sweaty and very competitive. It was my first time playing netball, and my takeaway is that it's a strange sport, with rules that mean you're stuck behind a line with no choice but to watch things happen, at least at the level we were playing.

After the netball session came the CPD sessions, but not before I flexed my IT support muscles and helped fix a couple of technical issues that threatened to halt things. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm awesome. The session I chose was on AI, titled "The Future of Work: Thriving in a Rapidly Changing World" by Danny Mirza. It was informative, though I'm not sure I took much away from it personally, it was interesting seeing how other people use AI day to day and what tips and tricks they've picked up along the way.

The final talk, the keynote, was titled "The Sunday Night Test" by Henry Annafi (the most soft-spoken man I have ever had the pleasure of listening to), which looked at how we can reframe Sunday nights, from the dread of thinking about everything that needs doing during the week, to a calm acceptance of what is, by asking three questions: "Where's my attention right now?", "Where could my attention be?" and "Where do I want my attention to be right now?" I think I've done a pretty good job over the past few years getting to know myself better. There's always more work to do, of course, but there's a comfort in knowing you're on the right path.

I've changed how I measure each Big Weekend, because it really isn't as simple as "this year was good" or "bad." It was different, with a lot of pleasant surprises, meeting and interacting with people I wouldn't ordinarily cross paths with, and a weekend where I could just roll with it and have fun. This was the fourth one so far, I've attended all four, and I hope to keep attending for as long as it runs, because it's three days of doing a bunch of fun activities and learning something new alongside a bunch of remarkable people.

Last but certainly not least, I want to thank the Alumni team for putting together a fantastic weekend. The amount of work that goes into this is incredible, and it shows in the quality of the event. Thank you to Charlie Werren, Kamile Hudson, Rhonda A., Nasser H., Hannah G., Vedang Parmar, and the entire organizing team for delivering an exceptional program. I look forward to what the next event will bring.

Same time next year!