Wat heb ik het hele semester in hemelsnaam uitgevoerd? Zeer goede vraag, aangezien die kneuzen hier niet kwijt wilden wat de bedoeling was tot de eerste week van november. Ik heb Hammurabi grotendeels vertaald. Ik heb een aardappelveld verkend. En een begraafplaats. Productief? Nou zo voelt het niet. Vakantie? Ik denk paniek.
Cambridge voldoet aan alle stereotypen. Traditioneel, ouderwets. Iedereen studeert hard, gaat nauwelijks uit. Duur. Heel duur. Tegelijkertijd, toch ook heerlijk. Iedereen heeft passie voor z'n vak, iedereen is lief.
Bureau in de laatste week...
Brunch.
Kerstdiner, voor de afwisseling.
Meer brunch.
For the Durham University Happiness Society we used to make a Happy List every year, to brighten up November a little (or in Cambridge: week 5). I will start with the ‘bad’, for some contrast. Or, lets’ not call it ‘bad’, lets’ call it ‘challenging’.
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The Cambridge University Library of Doom.
The non-existent cycling roads. The shit roads in general. The lack of traffic lights for cyclists. The difficulty of crossing streets safely. The absence of bicycle CCTV, guarded shelters, sheds. The fact that they do not seem to use bicycle racks, anywhere. Anything related to cycling in Cambridge.
Everything costs unreasonable amounts of money, which, even if I had it, I would much rather spent on Palestinian refugees, happy chicken, or even simply fair-trade coffee.
PhD applications.
And this:
And this:
Onwards to some of the fluffy, cuddly, happy things.
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Chilling in The Grove. The one place where you may some times find a graduate awake beyond midnight.
Also: watching Cambridge undergrads panic in the library on Saturday nights at 1am.
The discovery of heart-shaped dish-washing sponges.
Finding your house-mate left biscuits in the kitchen. Or, making you a pancake when you enter the kitchen. And house-mates who actually drink - and share - decent coffee.
Cheating the laundry machine out of a free washing token. And a free drying token.
Huntingdon Road Football Fellowship. Still not as popular as Gilesgate Amateur Football Fellowship, but we have 'till June to sort it out.
Ancient Literature Society. Yes.
Free Turkish lessons.
... and yes, brunch.
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The exciting life of a graduate student. Summarised into complaining about the internet connection, and looking forward to the next brunch.
