Mikiatures 33 - Bright Side Of The Road

Published: Dec. 8, 2011, 6:48 a.m.

Bright Side Of The Road\n\u2018Excuse me? Which way to the university, please?\u2019\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018On foot or by car?\u2019\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018By car,\u2019 said Mick, pulling on his handbrake.\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018Which university do you want?\u2019\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018There\u2019s more than one?!\u2019\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 Mick feigned surprise even though 25 years of living in the Basque Country had taught him that nothing here was remotely surprising; as illustrated by the fact that, no matter which place you were looking for, there was always at least one other place with the same name.\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018We\u2019ve got three.\u2019\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018Three?! Er, Reibar University?\u2019\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018Do you want the Polytechnic, the Business School or the Science Park?\u2019\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018The Business School, please.\u2019\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 Mick resisted the temptation to point out to his new friend that Reibar, in common with every other city in the land, had one university divided into various faculties.\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018Over there,\u2019 replied the man, pointing to a modern grey building.\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018Oh!\u2019 said Mick, wondering how he\u2019d missed the massive \u201cHey, four eyes, we\u2019re over here!\u201d sign.\n\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \u2018So either you drive five hundred yards up to the next roundabout, turn around, come back down the same way, and turn right into the university . . . or you park here like everyone else and cross the road. Up to you.\u2019