Last night at Catz

Farewell to you and the youth I have spent with you. It was but yesterday we met in a dream.

So, dear friends, this will be my last post from Catz for the summer at the very least. I hope it will not be forever. Things are looking very promising, but I don't want to get overexcited.

I was ONE POINT away from a distinction. (US readers: this puts me in the 3.7-3.8 GPA range.) I got distinction level marks on my special subject and dissertation papers (3/4 of my total mark), but was slightly below on my theory paper. Technically, I am still in the running for a DPhil. I have to sort out some of the minor details, now, to make it all work. I have accommodation for the Fall. If I don't get to come back for the DPhil, I will come back at the very least during Freshers' Week to clean out my cupboard. But let's work under the assumption that I will be coming back--that's much nicer.

I never thought this year would affect me as much as it did. It was nothing like any of my previous degrees. What made all the difference was the PEOPLE. I haven't had this much fun and haven't laughed this much in years. And that means as much to me as getting good marks on papers.

Oxford people--whether you're returning or not, y'all better keep in touch. My email addresses are on Facebook (or you can email me if you're not on Facebook). I also have Skype and all the IM services--just drop me a line and I'll send you my details.

I leave the college tomorrow night to go to Headington, and then will leave Headington for Heathrow on Thursday at noon. It's easier for me to do it this way, so I don't have to worry about packing up stuff on the day I'm supposed to leave. I will be around college until about 7:30 or 8 pm, so I hope I get a chance to say goodbye to everyone.

Thank you, dear friends, for making this such a fantastic year. It's been brilliant.

I love you all.

The Sounds of Silence

Remember how I used to complain about my loud neighbors? I don't have that problem any more.

Last weekend (my God, was it last weekend already?), Mark had come to visit, and we were having drinks in the Catz bar. I can clearly remember commenting to him, "I am fairly certain that everyone in Catz is drunk tonight." The noise was unbelievable. Everyone was rowdy and celebrating. For the grad students, it was the night of the last guest dinner of the year; for the undergrads, it was the last night before they packed up to go home.

Now that the full term is pretty much over, the college seems to have fallen silent. No matter when I leave my room, there is no noise. No one in the library. No one lounging around the quad. No one at the bar at night. No one even hanging out in the staircases--they've all packed up and gone home.

The undergraduates and visiting students are pretty much gone. Those who remain are the few grad students (lawyers in particular) who have exams and dissertations to finish or couldn't get flights home until now. These people can't really be bothered--they're busy working or packing.

The emptiness is really creepy. I guess I should appreciate it while I can, because in a few short days I'll be going back home to plenty of noise.

But honestly, I'd rather have the noise any day.

Five days to go

Where the hell did this year go?

On Monday, I will have spent a combined total of 33 weeks in England. And on Thursday, I go home.

I will have spent a total of 234 days in England.

It sure as hell wasn't enough.

My ability to stay next year still hangs in the balance. I don't want to discuss it right now, but let me just say that it's not the financial part this time.

I have made wonderful friends from around the world. I have seen royalty, had cocktails with the cultural attache from Spain, listened to world famous authors and scholars give lectures, taken roughly 52 billion photos, and have generally caused trouble in at least seventeen Oxford colleges.

I'm not ready to end it just yet.

The day has arrived.

Today, for the second time this year, I have to put on my sub-fusc. Except this time, it's not the magical and mysterious Matriculation ceremony. This time it's the viva voce exam, my final requirement as a Master of Studies student.

I've skimmed through my papers from this year. I re-read my old notes. I'm breathing deeply, have been careful about what I eat, and have sent my friends good luck pokes on Facebook.

The viva can only keep your grade the same or raise it. It cannot lower it. That helps, slightly, but I want it to work towards raising my grade. Otherwise, it won't be worth my while.

But I'm ready. At 3:50 p.m. today, I will walk into 41 Wellington Square and kick @$$.

Bring it on!

I have made my mark on St. Catherine's College.

So today (well, yesterday by now) was our massive garden party. Twelve full hours of garden party goodness. Food, music, games, a lovely day outside--you couldn't ask for anything nicer.

In between sets from the Yukons, our live entertainment, Sha presented the annual MCR awards. They are not unlike the kinds of superlatives you would get in a yearbook--"Most likely to become a millionaire," "Best Dancer," etc.

I got one of the awards. Which one did I get, you ask? See for yourself:

Yes, that's right folks: Most likely to end up in jail. Aren't you proud of me???

This is going on the wall to show my grandchildren someday, right next to my matriculation photo and my diplomas. It is a landmark day.

To be fair, I won two other awards as well: Best sense of humour and Most likely to have killed the MCR fish. The latter has been a running joke in the MCR, fueled by this incriminating article posted by Sha.

It is getting harder and harder for me to face the fact that I will be going home in less than two weeks. Harder still for me to face the fact that some of my dear friends are leaving even sooner than that. Once I get through my viva, it will be time to start packing. How will I get over the shock?

Sorry for that last minute bit of depressing stuff. I didn't mean for that to happen. It's just that after all of these happy and fun events, it's hard to forget that there aren't many of these happy and fun events left...

G'night!
Me