Similar to my last post, I am writing from a sun-filled room on a warm California winter day. First, I want to say that it has been such a pleasure to see all of you these past few days! Between my trip to Santa Barbara, Jess's trek into the 909, the Sexsmith/Strybel/Rasmussem gang over for Christmas, and Kevin's long trip from Auckland, this has been a whirlwind of catching up and loads of laughter. It has been a superb reminder of my contented and happy life here in California, and of all the loved ones I have on this side of the pond. Thank you all for being who you are and who I have always known you to be; it is a wonderful comfort to come home and find life with a character similar to when I left.
I make the long flight back to London tomorrow night. My carry-on will contain about six layers more than I will leave wearing, for my adjustment back to 'feels like 25F'. Back to frosty mornings, frozen rowing oars and rosy cheeks. (All I can seem to think about now, on the brink of my departure, is the cold!!) Awe, but there are many good things that await me back in Cambridge. Frozen oars means hours in the River Cam rowing in time with girls I appreciate and satisfying races against rival colleges. Frosty mornings always reflect the sunrise with a unique brilliance, unknown here in temperate California. Walks into the countryside around Cambridge, tea at the Orchard, and lunch with friends at various butteries to break up our studies. Yes, my return will be a good thing.
And perhaps the most exciting bit about my early time back at Cambridge will be the time spent with Kevin, on his brief holiday to my Island Home. Kev arrives in London two days after me, and is going to holiday until the 13th. Our first week will be spent in England and the second week in Lyons, France. In England we will visit the dreaming spires of Oxford and have a pint at CS Lewis's pub, the Eagle and Child (affectionately the Bird and Baby, a favourite of my former time spent in that city) and we will head to London to see some of the sights together. In Lyon, I will be doing research at the local archives, but we will also have plenty of time to see the sights and soak up a little French culture. Oui, oui! We both anticipate a wonderful time travelling and being together. I will be sure to post 'Adventures with Kevin' photos come mid-January.
Again, thank you all for being such wonderful friends and family. It has been such a pleasure being home, and being with all of you certaintly made it feel just like the home I remember!
26 December 2007
18 December 2007
Long Overdue
Although it may seem by my lack of blogging that I have disappeared, I am back... and here is a bit of an update (I am going to adopt the subheadings to keep you engaged throughout)
Arduous title:
Perhaps the most significant aspect of these past several weeks has been the submission of my final dissertation proposal. It was a bit of agony to produce (especailly on the back of a week of assessments). I think the most memorable part of the whole process for me was dialoging with my supervisor for half an hour in order to get a title. He literally gave me a marker and sent me up to the white board to write out ideas, erase, move words around, and finally produce a title: The history, architecture and political significance of the seventeenth-century town hall of the City of Lyons. Phew! Doesn't think like it would take that much effort does it? Well, it is a most deceptive process (especailly when no one really gives you instruction as to what a title should contain!!) So, now my proposal is submitted--with title--and I am ready to get going on my research.
Get keen:
We had our big boat race a few weeks back (the last Thurs in November). It was quite a rush. We took 15 out of 62 women's boats... not in the top 10, but not too bad (I would also like to point out that we made better time than a number of male boats...) This race--Fairburns--was the final event in my novice boating career. Now I am free to drop out of the sport or to continue as a senior rower. I have decided to give another term of rowing a go. It is a larger committment (more and earlier mornings, HORSE!)... but with no classes or lectures next term, I think the structure will be good for me. The things I am not looking forward to about boating: (1) the aforementioned early mornings and (2) frozen hands... it gets cold in the winter. But I suppose I will at least try for a few weeks and decide if I want to stay on.
Dublin, Oxford, and California:
I am currently back in California for holiday; I arrived Sunday night after a not-so-smooth flight. Before coming home, however, I had a bit of down time to travel (my supervisor left early for France, so I ha to submit my proposal a week before the deadline... leaving me an open week to explore). During this time I went up to Dublin for two nights (it was one of those cheap flights, no baggage, sleep in hostels kind of adventures), and then I got a coach to Oxford for a night, an then out to London to see Cambria and go to a concert for my birthday. It was a fun, but a whirlwind week. Dublin was lovely; I think my favourite bit was when we took a train out to Howth and hiked along cliffs overlooking the sea. Oxford was just as charming as ever and London was great (we saw the Verve play at the O2 arena).
That is about all I am going to post about for now. I hope everyone is well and I look forward to seeing many of you during this week at home!!
Arduous title:
Perhaps the most significant aspect of these past several weeks has been the submission of my final dissertation proposal. It was a bit of agony to produce (especailly on the back of a week of assessments). I think the most memorable part of the whole process for me was dialoging with my supervisor for half an hour in order to get a title. He literally gave me a marker and sent me up to the white board to write out ideas, erase, move words around, and finally produce a title: The history, architecture and political significance of the seventeenth-century town hall of the City of Lyons. Phew! Doesn't think like it would take that much effort does it? Well, it is a most deceptive process (especailly when no one really gives you instruction as to what a title should contain!!) So, now my proposal is submitted--with title--and I am ready to get going on my research.
Get keen:
We had our big boat race a few weeks back (the last Thurs in November). It was quite a rush. We took 15 out of 62 women's boats... not in the top 10, but not too bad (I would also like to point out that we made better time than a number of male boats...) This race--Fairburns--was the final event in my novice boating career. Now I am free to drop out of the sport or to continue as a senior rower. I have decided to give another term of rowing a go. It is a larger committment (more and earlier mornings, HORSE!)... but with no classes or lectures next term, I think the structure will be good for me. The things I am not looking forward to about boating: (1) the aforementioned early mornings and (2) frozen hands... it gets cold in the winter. But I suppose I will at least try for a few weeks and decide if I want to stay on.
Dublin, Oxford, and California:
I am currently back in California for holiday; I arrived Sunday night after a not-so-smooth flight. Before coming home, however, I had a bit of down time to travel (my supervisor left early for France, so I ha to submit my proposal a week before the deadline... leaving me an open week to explore). During this time I went up to Dublin for two nights (it was one of those cheap flights, no baggage, sleep in hostels kind of adventures), and then I got a coach to Oxford for a night, an then out to London to see Cambria and go to a concert for my birthday. It was a fun, but a whirlwind week. Dublin was lovely; I think my favourite bit was when we took a train out to Howth and hiked along cliffs overlooking the sea. Oxford was just as charming as ever and London was great (we saw the Verve play at the O2 arena).
That is about all I am going to post about for now. I hope everyone is well and I look forward to seeing many of you during this week at home!!
01 November 2007
on the cusp of a very long weekend
I am half an hour away from my last class before our "reading week". A reading week is basically a week during term when classes are cancelled so that us students have time to prepare our essays for term assessment and also put some good work into our formal dissertation proposals. I still have to meet for French and am going on a "field trip" with my non-written sources class to King's College library (we are looking at how to use an early modern library as an historical document...) Otherwise I am going to be held up in my room, drinking coffee and writing several essays on what I have learnt thus far and probing into the Lyon City archives via the internet. It will be a nice time to get ahead and not stress come the end of term (which is in 4 weeks already!)
I met with my dissertation supervisor on Tuesday, and I think we were both rather pleased with the outcome. I have done a bit of work over these past few weeks, looking into sources and refining my subject. It is not completely etched out yet, but my research will be focused on 17th century Lyon, and the influence of civic pride, the city's role as the seat of French Catholicism (and the aftermath of the Wars of Religion), and its ties with Paris and the rising absolutist monarch in relation to the construction (and re-construction) of the hôtel de ville (town hall). Should be an adventure, really! (Plus my supervisor is Lyonnais, so he is very happy to offer connections when I go to visit the city!)
This picture is of LC at the British Museum. I took her photo while she stood in front of an ancient armour exhibit. We laughed pretty hard at this photo. :)
I met with my dissertation supervisor on Tuesday, and I think we were both rather pleased with the outcome. I have done a bit of work over these past few weeks, looking into sources and refining my subject. It is not completely etched out yet, but my research will be focused on 17th century Lyon, and the influence of civic pride, the city's role as the seat of French Catholicism (and the aftermath of the Wars of Religion), and its ties with Paris and the rising absolutist monarch in relation to the construction (and re-construction) of the hôtel de ville (town hall). Should be an adventure, really! (Plus my supervisor is Lyonnais, so he is very happy to offer connections when I go to visit the city!)
One more photo.
This picture is of LC at the British Museum. I took her photo while she stood in front of an ancient armour exhibit. We laughed pretty hard at this photo. :)
27 October 2007
A few more pictures
I took this one one a walk to Grantchester, a village right outside of Cambridge. The English countryside is stunning... especially when the sun comes out!
When LC came to visit we took a day trip to London and visited the British Museum AND the British Library. Cambria took this photo of us... I think it was on the Underground. I like to call it "oblivious v. sceptical" (based solely on our faces, of course!!)
This photo is from Matriculation (Thurs night). It is Maggie, me and Rick. Rick wanted to be in the photo... and then he made that face. Maggie and I did not quite understand. Nevertheless we (Maggie and I) look nice. ;)
Afternoon tea in Grantchester. This is an outdoor tea house, with seating under Willow trees and a stone's throw from the River Cam. Apparently this tea House (The Orchard) is famous as Virginia Wolf's favourite place to have a tea.
Pea and Tea! (This is still in Grantchester)
Me, Maggie and Caitlin at Matriculation in the Old Library at College
"Emma in the Sun". This is the back view of Emmanuel College. The building to the left is the library and the specks on the grass are ducks (Kevin, can you identify them from this view?!)
A poetic (...or not) pose outside of the chapel during Matriculation. (I am taking the photo in case you are trying to figure out which is me!)
In London. I took this photo because Cambria and I frequented a coffee shop called The Daily Grind in Santa Barbara. (And by frequent I mean: I would walk into the shop in the morning before work and the guy behind the counter would hand me a blue coffee cup and say: one-forty... without even asking)
There is a street in Cambridge called "Peas Hill". Yes, it is my hill. (My nickname amongst my peers is "Pea")
The quintessential Cambridge photo: the back of King's College chapel. Stunning, really.
Rowing! I am in seat four (fourth from the back). It was a brilliantly sunny day on the Cam that day!
One month
I am sitting in my room with the window open; so far it is a nice and sunny day here in Cambridge. I bought a basil plant to keep me company (I mean, to use in cooking...), and it is sitting outside on the window sill soaking up the rays.
Life seems to be settling down here: I usually know where I need to be without looking at my diary and I have become able to prioritise my reading, &c. Actually, today marks one month since I have been in this place. I do not know if how I feel today and how I relate to my surroundings is quite what I pictured my one-month anniversary to look like. (But then again, I tend to idealise). I enjoy this place and feel as though I am gleaning so much from this experience... but I do not think I will ever feel at home here. When I moved to Santa Barbara to go to school I developed a sense of home in that place--both at westmont and in the wider city--but I think that I will always feel a bit of an outsider here. Perhaps I have more of a sense of "the end" here. I have already begun drawing up plans for my next steps: looking into internships, jobs, more graduate school. Nine months is not a very long time.
But, overall, I think that this realisation is perhaps a good thing: I am learning that I am not as comfortable being transient as I thought I was (or used to be). I am holding onto a lot about where I come from and who I come from, something that I did not do last time I studied in this country. I was chatting to a friend over tapas a few weeks ago (an American originally from NY but lived for a long time in SD). He viewed this experience very much as a starting over: a new country, a new start. This seemed to be good for him (sometimes we need to change our surroundings in order to change something deeper, I believe), but I could not relate to him on that level. I view this as another experience to add to my already full and blessed life. I did not want to walk away with my eyes shut this time. I think often of my family in Alta Loma and Laguna and soon-to-be Humboldt (!), and also of my "extended family" in Santa Barbara and San Diego and Thousand Oaks... and further. I think of my beautiful web of friends and family and family of friends and friends of family. I have a very rich and loving network in California, and I am beginning to understand that better now that I am outside of it.
So, all of you back at home... thank you. I have been thinking of you all during this time of distress back in cali. It seems something so familiar but so far right now. Thank you to all of your updates; please do keep them coming. And I will keep you in my prayers.
Life seems to be settling down here: I usually know where I need to be without looking at my diary and I have become able to prioritise my reading, &c. Actually, today marks one month since I have been in this place. I do not know if how I feel today and how I relate to my surroundings is quite what I pictured my one-month anniversary to look like. (But then again, I tend to idealise). I enjoy this place and feel as though I am gleaning so much from this experience... but I do not think I will ever feel at home here. When I moved to Santa Barbara to go to school I developed a sense of home in that place--both at westmont and in the wider city--but I think that I will always feel a bit of an outsider here. Perhaps I have more of a sense of "the end" here. I have already begun drawing up plans for my next steps: looking into internships, jobs, more graduate school. Nine months is not a very long time.
But, overall, I think that this realisation is perhaps a good thing: I am learning that I am not as comfortable being transient as I thought I was (or used to be). I am holding onto a lot about where I come from and who I come from, something that I did not do last time I studied in this country. I was chatting to a friend over tapas a few weeks ago (an American originally from NY but lived for a long time in SD). He viewed this experience very much as a starting over: a new country, a new start. This seemed to be good for him (sometimes we need to change our surroundings in order to change something deeper, I believe), but I could not relate to him on that level. I view this as another experience to add to my already full and blessed life. I did not want to walk away with my eyes shut this time. I think often of my family in Alta Loma and Laguna and soon-to-be Humboldt (!), and also of my "extended family" in Santa Barbara and San Diego and Thousand Oaks... and further. I think of my beautiful web of friends and family and family of friends and friends of family. I have a very rich and loving network in California, and I am beginning to understand that better now that I am outside of it.
So, all of you back at home... thank you. I have been thinking of you all during this time of distress back in cali. It seems something so familiar but so far right now. Thank you to all of your updates; please do keep them coming. And I will keep you in my prayers.
16 October 2007
From the UL
I am sitting here in the UL (University Library)... about to start my research for the day. I have just arrived, which obviously means it is the proper time for a break! :)
Today was my first morning crew outing, and my second outing ever. Waking up early and walking down to the river was not so bad... but I guess we will have to see how I feel in a few weeks time (right, HORSE?) Apart from the soreness that comes the morning after, I have rather enjoyed the experience thus far. We went for the first time today in eights--which means that all eight of us rowed at once... talk about teamwork and having to pay attention to your crew mates! Luckily we did not tip the boat and no one got wet! I think we have our first novice races in a few weeks time.
Everything else here has been good. Classes are progressing smoothly and the days are starting to fly by. Thursday will be the start on third week already (and when there are only eight weeks in term that is big news!)
I cannot think of much else interesting to tell you all now. I will be in London on Friday to scope out the British Museum and I think I may drag LC along to an apple festival in Cambridge on Saturday! (Slightly reminiscent of the apple festival we went to when I was little, I believe--Mom, where was that?)
So, until I have more to say...
Today was my first morning crew outing, and my second outing ever. Waking up early and walking down to the river was not so bad... but I guess we will have to see how I feel in a few weeks time (right, HORSE?) Apart from the soreness that comes the morning after, I have rather enjoyed the experience thus far. We went for the first time today in eights--which means that all eight of us rowed at once... talk about teamwork and having to pay attention to your crew mates! Luckily we did not tip the boat and no one got wet! I think we have our first novice races in a few weeks time.
Everything else here has been good. Classes are progressing smoothly and the days are starting to fly by. Thursday will be the start on third week already (and when there are only eight weeks in term that is big news!)
I cannot think of much else interesting to tell you all now. I will be in London on Friday to scope out the British Museum and I think I may drag LC along to an apple festival in Cambridge on Saturday! (Slightly reminiscent of the apple festival we went to when I was little, I believe--Mom, where was that?)
So, until I have more to say...
13 October 2007
Another Saturday
Casey--thank you for the continued dialogue between Burke and Grey; I really appreciate the 'uh...' comment at the end. (If you have not done so, please read the comments on the previous entry re: Greys Anatomy; it made me laugh at least!)
Miss Jessica Osborn came all the way from Santa Barbara to visit me yesterday! (Ok, so she is in London for a family wedding, but made the 55 minute train ride all the way out of London to see me!) We traipsed around Cambridge, talked personal 'gossip,' took high tea at a local tea house, spent far too much time in old bookshops, and saw the Cambridge sights (or what I know to be the Cam sights after two weeks...). Pictures are soon to come, but not today. It was a fabulous day and very good to be reminded of those I love back at home! Next week-end Miss Lauren Cano is going to be out from the states and we are going to spend some time in London with Cambria (who is at King's) and Jessica (who will still be in town). It will be a very nice gathering and a beautiful connection of my long time home and my new temporary home.
Miss Jessica Osborn came all the way from Santa Barbara to visit me yesterday! (Ok, so she is in London for a family wedding, but made the 55 minute train ride all the way out of London to see me!) We traipsed around Cambridge, talked personal 'gossip,' took high tea at a local tea house, spent far too much time in old bookshops, and saw the Cambridge sights (or what I know to be the Cam sights after two weeks...). Pictures are soon to come, but not today. It was a fabulous day and very good to be reminded of those I love back at home! Next week-end Miss Lauren Cano is going to be out from the states and we are going to spend some time in London with Cambria (who is at King's) and Jessica (who will still be in town). It will be a very nice gathering and a beautiful connection of my long time home and my new temporary home.
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