A visit to the Other Place

So tomorrow we are leaving to go visit our counterparts over at North Fens Polytechnic Cambridge for the weekend. We will be joining them for dinner on Friday and a tour of the town on Saturday, which should be fun. It should be interesting to see how things work at the Other Place, especially since their Catz is quite different from ours: it was established four hundred and ninety years before our Catz!

On Sunday, a few of us will be leaving Cambridge a bit early to go to London for the Varsity Football Match and the Varsity Boat Race. What makes that extra cool is that we will be stopping at King's Cross station, which, as you may know already, is the station where Harry Potter boards the train to get to Hogwarts. This is not a deliberate stop in our journey for this purpose - it just happens to be where we are getting off the train. And for that alone, I'm pretty excited.

I've been asked to write a travelogue of the trip, so some or most of it will get posted here. Details to follow!

Much love,
Me

A costly (but lovely) obsession

I've developed a new obsession: signed copies of books.

I've always been excited about autographed books - I remember getting my copy of The Agony of Alice signed by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor when I was in the third grade, and getting several books signed by Paula Danziger maybe two years later. There were others along the way - obscure writers who were invited to read at my elementary school and such - but those two stuck out in my mind because I *loved* those books.

But I've really become obsessed with it since I've been here in Oxford. I think it's because so many brilliant people come here to speak, and I want to go away with some evidence that I got to hear these brilliant people speak. (I would have loved to have Kristeva sign my book, but it was so packed and I don't think she did any signing anyway.) In addition to brilliant speakers, there are brilliant students who write books too - two of my classmates in the MSt program have written books, and I am trying to get copies of those as well.

It has become much worse this past week with the arrival of the Oxford Literary Festival. All sorts of brilliant writers have come to Oxford to give talks. I got two autographed books and bought one or two others. And this is after I bought books on the 3-for-2 sale at Blackwell's last week for vacation reading! And along the way, I also received some lovely books as birthday gifts!

I know I could take some of these books out of the library, but there is nothing like having your own personal library of books - ones that don't smell musty and that you can fold the pages in and toss in your bag to read later and not feel so bad if you spill tea on them. I'm starting to wonder how the hell I'll take them all home, but there is something exciting about building a personal library with books I bought in Oxford.

Now, if only I could find the time to read them all...

I never tire of doing this

It's my birthday yeah yeah yeah
It's my birthday yeah yeah yeah
It's my birthday yeah yeah yeah
It's my birthday yeah yeah yeah!!!!!!!!

I still can't wrap my brain around being 26. (Well, technically, it's not official until 9:56 pm UK time - 3:56 on the Eastern Seaboard of the US.) It seems like 26 is like the beginning of the "mature and responsible" years. Most people my age seem to be settling down and getting married and stuff, but I still feel like it's too early for me. I am having too much fun right now.

Today has been a busy day, getting ready for the party, and shlepping all over town for stuff. I'm quite tired, actually. But right now I am resting up a bit, then I will be getting everything ready pretty soon. Should be fun!

Thank you to the lovely people who have sent me blog comments, Facebook messages, emails and ecards already today. You are awesome!!!!!

Details of the party to follow...
Much love,
Me

Murphy's Law of Haircuts

Why is it that whenever I go to get a haircut, it rains and I frizz up immediately?

I ended up going to Matthew Clulee on Ship Street today for a haircut. It set me back £34, but it was delightful. That was a £34 well spent. When they did the shampoo they gave me this amazing scalp massage, which alone was worth it. And they give you drinks! And the girl listened to what I wanted! And what she gave me was better than what I wanted! And the straightened the front part, and it looked amazing!

But of course, I get outside, and it's rainy and windy and crap. And then it's like SPROING! and my hair frizzes up instantly. And because this whole country is damp, and because my hair is naturally curly, it will never go back to the way she had it again :(

I'd rather not buy a straightener, because I have a bit of a problem with frying my hair that much. But maybe it would be worth it?

Anyway.

In other news, there is this fair in the middle of Broad Street, selling all sorts of lovely French foods and gifts. One of the booths was selling French cookies. I ended up buying ***£8*** worth of cookies (I totally didn't do it on purpose!). If I don't eat them all (!), I will use them for the party tomorrow.

Oh yes!

Tomorrow is my TWENTY-SIXTH birthday. I am ringing it in with a little cocktail party. Details to follow!!! :)

G'night,
Me

Haircuts

For the female Oxonians who read this blog:

Is there a place here in Oxford (somewhere I can walk to from Catz) where I can get a haircut for under £35? All I want is a few inches taken off, that's it. Nothing fancy. I'm a very low maintenance kinda girl.

I mean, seriously. At home I can get a haircut for $15. That's about a fifth of the cost of what it is here.

Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.
Much love,
Me

Killing time in an Internet Cafe

I'm kinda annoyed at Marks & Spencer. Yesterday they told me that if I wanted to order stuff for my party, I would have to order it by today. And today they tell me they're *not sure* if it would be available by Sunday if I ordered today. Although they did have these cool chocolate liqueur cups that I wanted to order, it was too expensive to rely on *not sure.* Damn them. I'll buy my own stuff and it will probably be cheaper anyway.

Someone asked me if my birthday party was going to have a theme. Now I'm wondering if I should have chosen one. Hmmm. And I've already decided what I'm going to wear. Too bad so sad.

Do they have Marshmallow Peeps in this country?

I hate it when people misuse apostrophes. It's cakes, not cake's. And it sure as hell isn't panini's. Panini is plural (the singular is "panino") - it doesn't even need an "s" at the end, much less an apostrophe.

I also hate it when people misuse the word alumni. It's not alums. If you are one person, you are an alumna or an alumnus - not an alum, not an alumni. Thank you.

Enough grammar lessons for now. It's Spring! I am going back out to enjoy the lovely day.

Peace out,
Me

Let's go Hawks! Part Deux

And the University of Hartford Hawks have won their first round tournament game! It was a great game because not only was it their first NCAA tournament game win, but they also beat a higher-ranked team. Many sportswriters were predicting this as one of the big upsets of the tournament, and they were right!

I listened to the game live on WWUH, the University's radio station and was even mentioned a few times during the broadcast! (I had written in to the Hawks' tournament blog to ask if I could still tune in from o'er here, and they must have been impressed that they had an international following...)

It looks like they will take on Georgia next, who is a number 3 seed. I know it will be on Tuesday, but I don't know what time (I hope it's not at night!).

Now I know that right now I'm at a university with a centuries-old rival, and that we've been playing the Tabs in several sports, including basketball, for 100+ years. But there is nothing quite like NCAA college basketball, especially when you're from Connecticut. (I'm sorry, people from other states might contest me on this, but Connecticut is definitely a college basketball mecca.) Ever since I was little I watched UConn, but as a Hartford alumna I'm happy that I can follow the Hawks through "March Madness" as well!

Luck o' the Irish!

Now that the two terms of theory hell have come to an end, things are looking up in a big way. Let me summarize:

First and foremost, the paper is done! Roughly 4,800 words, 16 pages, way too many sources. I don't care how I did. The damn thing is done.

I have an appointment to meet with the director of graduate studies (also from Catz) to discuss the financial issues. He's a nice guy. I hope I don't cry this time! But I think I got it out of my system, so I should be ok ;)

Tonight a handful of the Modern Languages grad students went out for cocktails to celebrate the end of theory hell. We went to the Duke of Cambridge and Angels, two pretty upscale bars, and enjoyed some rather large and rather pricey cocktails. (I had 4 drinks and it set me back a little over £20!!!) Here is some photographic evidence that things are looking up:

See? Is this not the face of someone who is absolutely delighted to be done for the term?

So anyway, I think we have some definite interest in the Tuscany trip, most likely in June. And we will most likely add the South of France (Thanks Mark!) and Greece (Thanks Christiana!) to the shed-yool.

But in the meantime, I will focus on lovely things like cleaning my room, writing my dissertation, making some day trips to lovely places, and at the very end of this month, MY BIRTHDAY and the big Cambridge excursion!

All is well here, and I hope all is well with all of you.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Positive Post

I can do it.

It will get done.

The drinking at the Duke of Cambridge tonight will be in celebration, not despair.

See you at the finish line!

iTunes Oracle

Meme stolen from Nels, title stolen from Scriv. Interesting stuff! Here's how it goes:

Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.

How does the world see you?
"Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand" by Primitive Radio Gods
Hehe the next song was "Fat Bottomed Girls" by Out of the Blue!

Will I have a happy life?
"You've Got a Friend" by Carole King
So I'll have friends...yay!

What do my friends really think of me?
"Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden
Hmmm...kinda relevant right now.

Do people secretly lust after me?
"Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard" by Paul Simon
Hehe..."It was against the law/what dear momma saw..."

How can I make myself happy?
"Bombón de Azúcar" ("Sugar Bonbon") by Ricky Martin
I *knew* chocolate would be the answer! ;)

What should I do with my life?
"This Love" by Maroon 5
*raises eyebrow*

Will I ever have children?
"La Princesa y el Soldado" ("The Princess and the Soldier") by Carlos Vives
Kinda sounds like a bedtime story...so I guess that means yes?

What is some good advice for me?
"Imagine" by John Lennon
Nice!

How will I be remembered?
"This is Good" by Ricky Martin
I like this one too! (Not the song, but the answer.)

What is my signature dancing song?
"Silent Night" by John Lennon and the Muppets
Oh, yeah, I always rock out to Christmas carols sung in German by puppets.

What do I think my current theme song is?
"A Hazy Shade of Winter" by Simon and Garfunkel

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"Summer Wind" by Frank Sinatra
What a weird juxtaposition with those two questions!

What song will play at my funeral?
"Yesterday" by the Beatles
Not sure what this means...

What type of men/women do you like?
Men: "I Go to Extremes" by Billy Joel Haha awesome!
Women: "Y Si Fuera Ella" ("And if it were her") by Alejandro Sanz OK, but what about her?
That was a weird question. Was I supposed to answer for both men and women? I could have stuck with just the men, but I thought it would be interesting to find an answer for women too.

What is my day going to be like?
"Testimony" by Aretha Franklin
Yes! "Right now I'm free, I've got victory..."

That was fun. Feel free to steal it!

Wrap your brain around this one:

Three women - one Greek, one Finnish, and one American - come to England to study Spanish.

I know I've said this before, but I still find it fascinating. It doesn't make a lot of sense on paper, but in real life it works!

Meltdown

I'm so embarassed. I cried in front of my supervisor during a meeting with him today. I went to talk to him about the whole financial thing, and I just broke down. Oh, man, I'm embarassed.

He had a few solutions that I could consider. Catholic charities. Part-time tuition. Jobs. The permanent private halls. The catholic charities could work because I'm doing mysticism. I was also adopted from a catholic charity. So we shall see.

I think it's just the crappy time of year. Seasonal affect disorder, or whatever they call it. I'm tired of it being cold and wet and windy all the time. I'm tired of theory. Hell, I'm just tired.

I haven't had a meltdown like this in a long time.

Under the Tuscan Sun

OK, who wants to go to Tuscany?????

I just saw a sign today for a Tuscan farmhouse available for rent for €80 a night (£45, or $95). It says it sleeps 2-3 people comfortably, but I totally would not mind sleeping on a chair or the floor. Hell, I'd sleep standing up. This is Tuscany.

I mean this. I would totally get a group together for something like this.

What do you think?

Let's go Hawks!

Best of luck to the University of Hartford women's basketball team as they compete today in the America East championship for a bid to the Big Dance!

I know they're not as big of a name as UConn, but they have had an excellent year (including Top 25 votes! woohoo!) and are making a name for themselves in the world of women's basketball.

Fly high, Hawks, fly high! (I don't know the whole song, but I know that much...)

Update, 4:29 pm, 3/14/06: And the Hawks have won it! America East regular season and tourney champs for the second year in a row! #29 in the NCAA RPI, #11 seed for the championships! Go team!

I'm a pro at this...

Since I have heard nothing but positive feedback about Flickr Pro, I went ahead and upgraded my account. Hurray!

So now my old photos have returned, and I will be uploading new photos and creating sets like nobody's business. In the past few days I have uploaded some photos that I didn't want to upload before (because I didn't want to use up the space), as well as some new photos from the most recent black tie guest dinner.

I love the fact that it saves the original sizes, so if I lose the copies on my computer, I will have a backup. I think that's awesome. That alone makes it worth it for me.

So drop on by and check out the new photos...more to come over the break, I'm sure!

So true

This could not a more perfect way to describe my life this year:

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

And now that I come to think about it, it's a very fitting passage for academia in general. ;)

Complete and utter rubbish

1,247 words down. 3,753 to go. It's all crap so far.

Eight days left. It's due on St. Patrick's Day.

Can I make it? Will the drinks gathering at the Duke of Cambridge be one of celebration or defeat?

The suspense, it is killing me.

Big-deal Birthdays

This is a big-deal birthday year in my family.

Last month, on Groundhog Day, my brother Kevin turned 18. Yesterday (the 7th, today, for you all in the States), my sister Kelly turns 25. And today (the 8th, or tomorrow for y'all) my brother PJ turns 13.

At the point that I'm writing this, we are about to hit a very strange limbo stage in my family. Between 7:21 pm on March 7 and sometime around 3:15 am (I think) on March 8 my family has two sets of Irish twins. Kelly and I will both be 25, and PJ and Maggie will both be 12. (I find the use of "Irish twins" to be extremely funny here, as none of us are genetically connected [four of us are adopted], and PJ and Maggie are African-American and Hispanic.)

Although birthdays happen every year, I hate the fact that I'm missing all this. I love this place, but right now I'm quite a bit more homesick than usual.

Happy Birthday, Kelly and PJ! I love you!

Edit, 1:00 pm, 3/8/06: I should mention that the although the "double Irish twins" phenomenon ends at about 3:15 am, Kelly and I will continue to be the same age until 3:56 pm on March 26th. Sorry, I know my explanation was kinda confusing...;)

Reason #127 why Oxford is awesome

I got to go see Julia Kristeva speak tonight.

Need I say any more?

On being a Sallie Mae Scholar

This began as a Wednesday Whine over at Phantom Scribbler's place, and I thought I would turn it into a post over here.

I did really well financially during my undergraduate and first graduate degrees. I earned a lot of scholarships and grants, and ended up taking out far fewer loans than most people do during my four years as an undergraduate. And my graduate program was completely free, so that was even better. So in my first six years of college education, I ended up with less than $18,000 in loans. I don't think that's too bad, especially considering the fact that I went to a private school.

Oxford finances have been a hell of a lot trickier. In order to get accepted for a degree at Oxford, you need to show documentation that you can afford tuition and fees for your entire program. My current program is only a year, so it wasn't as bad as it could be: I sent them loan forms and bank statements and my parents' bank statements and I was all set. It was a bit of a stretch, but they accepted it. I ended up taking out a larger loan for this year alone than I did for my entire undergraduate and graduate career combined, and I have already drained that plus most of my savings.

Now here's the tough part. I want to apply for the PhD (called DPhil here). To be accepted, I need to show that I can afford three years worth of tuition and fees. Tuition and fees for an international student are roughly $37,000 a year. And, obviously, they go up each year, as tuition fees often do. So I would have to have documentation for over $100,000.

I sure as hell don't have that.
And my parents sure as hell don't have that.
And I sure as hell am not going to take out a loan for over $100,000 in one fell swoop.

It sucks because I can't take out a loan for the first year and then see how it goes from there. And it sucks because they don't really do teaching assistantships like they do in the States...I may get a small stipend to teach a small class, but not tuition.

And here's the real winner: THEY DON'T GIVE SCHOLARSHIPS BASED ON NEED. People are actually discouraged from playing the need angle when applying. When you apply for a scholarship, you have to prove that you have some sort of financial means to pay for the whole thing. Why the hell would I be applying for this scholarship, then, if I could afford the tuition?????

I could apply for a merit scholarship, but I'm going up against kids who wrote books when they were 15 and stuff like that. My chances are like one in a billion. And many of the scholarships here require you to be a UK or EU citizen. Plus there are always those ones with the strange requirements, like if your father is over 6 feet tall and is a Vietnam War vet or if you're an Indian woman who speaks Klingon* and is majoring in Engineering. There are no "European-American middle class mature students** majoring in Spanish literature" scholarships.

I want to do a PhD here. I am qualified to do a PhD here. And the numbers that are stopping me are the ones in my bank account, not the ones on my transcript.

Unless a miracle can take place any time soon, it looks like next year will be a working year.



*Apparently, there is a scholarship here for people who speak Klingon.
**Yes, folks, in a few short weeks, I will be what most people call a mature student, as I will be entering my late twenties. Gahhhhhh!!!!!