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