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Jun. 18th, 2006 01:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hathycolSimon and I are developing some very odd sleeping habits. For example, it is 13.35 and he is in bed. I, you may notice, am not. This is because he was up at 8.00, went to a rehearsal (which I heard every note of: Pomp and Circumstance is not currently leaving my brain) and then proceeded to return and crawl back into bed. I stayed happily asleep throughout all of this, and as such, I am showered and awake. He remains still in bed.
As such, I am nabbing this time to make an update about my week.
Firstly, I went to Formal on Monday night. Needless to say, I panicked about this rather a lot - what should I wear? How should I act? - but I think I came out of it okay, in the end. Personally don't see the point of saying Grace in Latin, or having the Fellows dine separately, but, well, can't argue with tradition. I'm not about to argue with the rest of it, though. The food was delicious - potatoes! Oh, how I miss you! - and wine candles on every table in an old-fashioned hall with a high mediaeval ceiling. I pointed that out in vain to Simon, but oh well.
Problem was, it was bucketing it down with rain when we left. I had heels on. In the end, I ran across Chapel Court with no shoes on, getting absolutely drenched and laughing all the while and wondering in vain when, exactly. my life turned into a romantic comedy.
The day after involved rather more cooking. There's a bit of an unofficial tradition in the staircase that Simon lives in (they're split into staircases because of the style of the building) in which people vainly attempt to cook and feed the entire staircase in a mock formal dinner. Simon was cooking and I was Kitchen Monkey as other people put furniture downstairs and I rather shyly tried not to get in the way.
However, it was students. I should have remembered this. After the minor disaster that was cooking (erm, managed to knock out all the power to Simons kitchen; my fault, I think) there was copious amounts of alcohol and a more wordy game of I Never Did. I learnt a lot about Cambridge traditions, was shamelessly picked on and made to drink a lot, and had a really lovely studenty night. Less so later on when I had to keep an eye on Simon and make sure he kept on breathing (half a bottle of port amongst lots of other alcohol - I'm amazed he's alive) but still.
Washing up was less good, obviously.
Thursday was a day of lazing about and going for a lazy meal whilst waiters ran around trying to find out the football scores. That's one thing I'm annoyed to be missing - the football. I am a Bad Person. I know this.
Friday, we finally, finally went punting. We'd tried to several times previously - in order, we were too late, didn't have a deposit, and the one we were aiming for mysteriously closed. This time, we left in good time, checked three times we had everything and generally were well-prepared. I even had strawberries and EVERYTHING.
And oh, it was lovely. Punting, for those not in the know, is a rather bizarre thing that seems to be very trendy in Oxford and Cambridge and has been for centuries now. It involves pushing the boat forward with a pole. Bit like Venetian gondolas, I suppose. I am unusually incompetent at this, so instead I practised lying back in the manner of Romana in Shada, eating strawberries and musing exactly why May Week was in June. ("I'm confused." "So's the TARDIS!") The sun set around us, and I threw bits of strawberries to baby ducks and cygnets. There was a gardenb party on the river, and there was a sort of gentle jazz following us around, and generally it was just blissful.
So, we tried it again yesterday. First, naturally, was a pub lunch, which after it had fully digested we then tried to go punting. Several hours of waiting for one later, we actually grabbed one and went for much longer this time. Personal favourite bit for me was either when Simon nearly fell in or the otters. I have never seen an otter wild before, and certainly never a baby one. I was in raptures of OMG SO CUTE for much of the journey.
And then it was Doctor Who, which I've already written about.
Also been watching some Old Skool Doctor Who due to the connection speed of wonder that is Cambridge. Having now seen the Curse of Fenric and officially given Seven a chance, I'm sorry, but I really just don't connect. It could have been a brilliant story, but it was so tangled up that it didn't work. I think fandom is going to eat me now, but there we are. We're watching The War Games in parts, though, and that's bloody brilliant. We've seen three bits of it and I'm actually itching to find out what happens next. Oh, I do like Two, and my suspicions after seeing The Two Doctors are correct - I do like Jamie a lot. Hurrah for Old Skool.
And now, I'm going to try, in vain, to wake up Simon again. Wish me luck. Tonight is a concert thingie (it involves the term 'Jesus Jazz' which would be scarier if it wasn't the name of the college which it's had for hundreds of years despite changes in the college itself ANYWAY) and then tomorrow in the May Ball and then I have to go home on Tuesday. There are so many levels on which I don't want to do that, but I have to pick up the dog. I am a good human, and the dog will pine because he always does in kennels, but once again, I find myself wishing that my mum had consulted me about that holiday. I hope it bloody well rains for them.
Sorry. A sour note, which I didn't want to do. I am having a lovely time, basically, and I hope you're all well - I am reading my flist but participating only occasionally.
~Hathy_Col~
As such, I am nabbing this time to make an update about my week.
Firstly, I went to Formal on Monday night. Needless to say, I panicked about this rather a lot - what should I wear? How should I act? - but I think I came out of it okay, in the end. Personally don't see the point of saying Grace in Latin, or having the Fellows dine separately, but, well, can't argue with tradition. I'm not about to argue with the rest of it, though. The food was delicious - potatoes! Oh, how I miss you! - and wine candles on every table in an old-fashioned hall with a high mediaeval ceiling. I pointed that out in vain to Simon, but oh well.
Problem was, it was bucketing it down with rain when we left. I had heels on. In the end, I ran across Chapel Court with no shoes on, getting absolutely drenched and laughing all the while and wondering in vain when, exactly. my life turned into a romantic comedy.
The day after involved rather more cooking. There's a bit of an unofficial tradition in the staircase that Simon lives in (they're split into staircases because of the style of the building) in which people vainly attempt to cook and feed the entire staircase in a mock formal dinner. Simon was cooking and I was Kitchen Monkey as other people put furniture downstairs and I rather shyly tried not to get in the way.
However, it was students. I should have remembered this. After the minor disaster that was cooking (erm, managed to knock out all the power to Simons kitchen; my fault, I think) there was copious amounts of alcohol and a more wordy game of I Never Did. I learnt a lot about Cambridge traditions, was shamelessly picked on and made to drink a lot, and had a really lovely studenty night. Less so later on when I had to keep an eye on Simon and make sure he kept on breathing (half a bottle of port amongst lots of other alcohol - I'm amazed he's alive) but still.
Washing up was less good, obviously.
Thursday was a day of lazing about and going for a lazy meal whilst waiters ran around trying to find out the football scores. That's one thing I'm annoyed to be missing - the football. I am a Bad Person. I know this.
Friday, we finally, finally went punting. We'd tried to several times previously - in order, we were too late, didn't have a deposit, and the one we were aiming for mysteriously closed. This time, we left in good time, checked three times we had everything and generally were well-prepared. I even had strawberries and EVERYTHING.
And oh, it was lovely. Punting, for those not in the know, is a rather bizarre thing that seems to be very trendy in Oxford and Cambridge and has been for centuries now. It involves pushing the boat forward with a pole. Bit like Venetian gondolas, I suppose. I am unusually incompetent at this, so instead I practised lying back in the manner of Romana in Shada, eating strawberries and musing exactly why May Week was in June. ("I'm confused." "So's the TARDIS!") The sun set around us, and I threw bits of strawberries to baby ducks and cygnets. There was a gardenb party on the river, and there was a sort of gentle jazz following us around, and generally it was just blissful.
So, we tried it again yesterday. First, naturally, was a pub lunch, which after it had fully digested we then tried to go punting. Several hours of waiting for one later, we actually grabbed one and went for much longer this time. Personal favourite bit for me was either when Simon nearly fell in or the otters. I have never seen an otter wild before, and certainly never a baby one. I was in raptures of OMG SO CUTE for much of the journey.
And then it was Doctor Who, which I've already written about.
Also been watching some Old Skool Doctor Who due to the connection speed of wonder that is Cambridge. Having now seen the Curse of Fenric and officially given Seven a chance, I'm sorry, but I really just don't connect. It could have been a brilliant story, but it was so tangled up that it didn't work. I think fandom is going to eat me now, but there we are. We're watching The War Games in parts, though, and that's bloody brilliant. We've seen three bits of it and I'm actually itching to find out what happens next. Oh, I do like Two, and my suspicions after seeing The Two Doctors are correct - I do like Jamie a lot. Hurrah for Old Skool.
And now, I'm going to try, in vain, to wake up Simon again. Wish me luck. Tonight is a concert thingie (it involves the term 'Jesus Jazz' which would be scarier if it wasn't the name of the college which it's had for hundreds of years despite changes in the college itself ANYWAY) and then tomorrow in the May Ball and then I have to go home on Tuesday. There are so many levels on which I don't want to do that, but I have to pick up the dog. I am a good human, and the dog will pine because he always does in kennels, but once again, I find myself wishing that my mum had consulted me about that holiday. I hope it bloody well rains for them.
Sorry. A sour note, which I didn't want to do. I am having a lovely time, basically, and I hope you're all well - I am reading my flist but participating only occasionally.
~Hathy_Col~
no subject
Date: 2006-06-18 03:01 pm (UTC)Am so far behind on New Who that I haven't even bothered poking my head into the communities because I know I'll get spoiled no matter what. I already got spoiled about Rose leaving the show by someone posting about it in their journal. Dammit. Ah, well.
Glad to hear you're alive and well. Take care!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-19 01:09 pm (UTC)The spoilers are endemic. I'm trying to keep them rolled back to
no subject
Date: 2006-06-20 10:58 am (UTC)Morgan's decided, after watching The Three Doctors, that Jo is his favorite companion. But that's because of the micro-mini she was wearing.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-18 04:41 pm (UTC)OK, my ex (Dan obv) and Mohawk's ex (the one who totally screwed him over)are going out!
Together!
Is it just me that finds this very odd?.....
no subject
Date: 2006-06-19 01:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-19 12:29 pm (UTC)I'm being organised and recall I was meant to send you some DW vids (Unearthly Child and Edge of Destruction) um, forever ago. But, yes, if you still want, they are yours.
I have your St. Andrews address and if that is still good, can send them there, or somewhere else if ye want, or, indeed, if you no longer want them, that's fine too.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-19 01:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-19 01:37 pm (UTC)