a list

colour: lemon and gold
scent: crisp morning
taste: peruvian coffee
task: thoughts into words
attire: casual

Choas on the River

This last week was consumed by crew. In Cambridge there is a tradition called Bumps. They are a series of boat races that take place over the course of six days, during which each boat rows in four races. All of the crews start 3 boat lengths apart, and the goal of the race is to 'bump' the boat ahead. Bumping includes both overtaking (when bow passes cox) and literally bumping into the boat ahead. It is one of those competitions that everyone knows is (a) unfair and (b) only allowed by health and safety because it is a 200-year tradition. Anyway, we bumped once, got bumped once and rowed over (finished the race) twice. It was a pretty tiring series of days, but great fun! Below are some pictures from the races (the first three are of the getting on race from the Friday before and the fourth is after our last bumps race).

Getting On Race









Getting on race (I am bow, the one in the very back)










My crew after the getting on race












Our crew photo after finishing Bumps





The photos below are from the Boat Club Dinner, a termly black tie event held after races. Sometimes I think people row just to go to BCD. ;)







Sarah, Matt, Catherine and me at BCD












Me and Jean, ie. Bow and Three: we rowed corners together!











My Crew! (minus me; I am taking the photo!)









In other news, Kevin is in Samoa right now with his students, learning and experiencing a lot. Prayers for his travels are much appreciated. :) He arrives back to NZ in two weeks... and then it is two weeks before I head out there myself!

My studies have started to pick up. I give a presentation on Monday to my course and our faculty on my research... should be an interesting day. It is a bit strange to think that I turn in my thesis in three months and three days... and then I am finished with my masters... so quick! Now all I need to do it write the darn thing so that I'll be able to turn it in!

Londontown

Here are some photos from our trip to London:






Chilly Cambridge











Frost on pink blooms







Mom and me: So cold!




















Big Ben













Black Swan (for Kev)

















Prince Charles at his Best.

















Red on Red

















Waiting for Spring Buds
















Cambria came to hang with us for the day
















Headed to dinner

Spainland

Spainland is a word from a Devrenda Banhart song: "If I lived in Spainland I'd still have Chinese children." Have a listen; Evan thinks it's a great song... which means it's a great song.

For Aunt Connie: your little sister made it just fine. We have been to Spain and back, today we're in SUNNY Cambridge to recover from Spainland, tomorrow in London and Tuesday back for a tour of Cambridge. She'll be back to you sometime late Wednesday. :)

Here are some photos of Sevilla:












I'll post more photos later; these are just from my camera... mom took even more!

Another Photo

This photo is my novice crew from last term. This was taken right after our 'big' race. Our college colours are pink and blue, hence the girly-coloured garb. (I have actually started to look in my closet and think that pink and navy make a nice match... someone save me!)

February Eighth

I am 24 years old, working on a masters degree, and still cannot spell 'February' without the help of spell check. No matter how many times I try to figure it out, it always winds up with a red squiggly line under it. LC can attest to this. I usually throw in a few too many u's or not enough r's. I have never been--nor will I ever be--a spelling bee champ. But I've learnt to live with it.



Above are two photos from my recent time in Lyon. The top is the Saône and the bottom is the Rhône (yes, there are two big rivers in Lyon!) I was gone Monday through Thursday. I spent a lot of time in the archives looking at microfilm, but my work was productive.

This morning rowing started up again. I had given into the idea that I could not row this term because of my need to do research travel, but they wanted to get a third women's boat out (and that means only three outings a week and permission to get subs for absences)... so I am back in it! It was good to be back on the Cam at sunrise (don't worry HORSE... sunrise is like 7am, so I am not up that early!) More news about upcoming races, etc later!

Mom gets to Cambridge on this upcoming Tuesday. I've booked our flight to Seville and our hotel and I have been praying for a sunny trip! The weather has been fabulous lately, and I am hoping it remains for mom's trip!

Also in regard to travel, I recently purchased a flight to Auckland to visit Kevin in April. It's a wicked flight (something like 36 hours, layovers included), but it should be well worth it! Kevin has promised a fun time with camping, beaching (!!!) and a bit of sight-seeing. The trip occurs just about the time I will finish research and begin writing my thesis... so it will be a good breather to push me into the 100 pages of work I'll have ahead of me.

That's all for now. I hope everyone is well; send updates sometime! I think of you all often and would love to hear about life back home (it was quite an out-of-body experience to watch a piece on the California elections on French news... the weight of your vote has made news around the world!) Au revoir and ciao!

Last day of January

The sun is just going down on the last day of January. For some of you it is already February and for many of you the last day of January has just begun. What does that mean: the last day of January? Somehow this seems significant. I guess January always feels and sounds new. Say it: 'January'. It produces a feeling akin to that aroused when saying: 'the very beginning', 'fresh', or 'rejuvenation'. It's a month like any other, yet we have been so programmed to think of it as a new start. But, really, I think it is a good programming. I know that I often live between starts and finishes, with 'the end in sight' sometimes the only motivator to keep me going. And to have a yearly, perpetual end-in-sight is really a rather refreshing constant.

But here we are at the end of the beginning, on the verge of the long middle. I made no resolutions this year, so I plan to keep no resolutions (seems the easiest path to success, I suppose). But I do plan to learn and experience this year. Perhaps this year I will try to hear more. One of the most interesting questions I have encountered in my course of study is that of the senses. Is it safe to assume that for all generations vision has been the primary mode of experience? Our world certainly takes advantage of sight as the primary sense, but what of a world in which there were no corrective lenses and only dim, smoky light past sundown or on gloomy days? We did an exercise one day in crew in which we all closed our eyes and continued to row. In that way we were forced to feel the boat be sat and hear the rhythm of the paddles breaking the water. No vision and we still rowed in time. So I think I will try to hear and feel and smell my way through life this year. Of course I'll see the world--it's too beautiful to miss--but perhaps I will close my eyes more often and stimulate a less sensitive part of my brain.

When I began this entry, I intended to tell of my mother's coming trip to Cambridge and our bounce down to Spain, of my upcoming trip to Lyon, and of thesis progress... but you get thoughts on the start of the middle of the year instead. I hope it is a glowing year for everyone. And if not, don't forget that we get another shot at the start in just eleven months.