Lent Term Begins

I intended to start this blog during my first term at Cambridge. But Chaucer, Gower and Malory had other plans for me (they bullied me! they confused me and often kept me up VERY late at night, the naughty boys!). The first term passed in a whirlwind of speed-reading, hastily written essays and the odd crazy night out. I hadn't had the chance to do most of the preliminary reading as I received the 3 page reading list (including minor challenges such as The Complete Works of Shakespeare, The Canterbury Tales and The Bible) three weeks before the beginning of Michealmas term, when I was still working in Switzerland. Major achievements this term were my essay on Malory's Morte d'Arthur, which I didn't have time to read - so I based my essay on Monty Python's 'Search for the Holy Grail' and wrote some great stuff about killer rabbits. Less well-received was my essay on Twelfth Night entitled 'Twelfth Night: Is it a Melanchomedy' with inspired paragraphs on restraining orders, hangovers and involuntary life analysis. Turns out my Director of Studies didn't think it was tragifunny at all. So I'll know next time! I survived the first term, albeit in something of a shell-shocked state after the most challenging 8 weeks of my life, and now find it hard to believe how long I put up with being so unhappy in my job.

My home is now a small en-suite room in halls. I'm lucky to be in a new block but after 13 years of living in my own flat in relative peace and quiet the neighbours are taking some getting used to! The noise and general commotion in the corridor continues until the early hours of the morning. But I'm so at home here already, it really doesn't bother me too much. It's amazing how quickly you get used to new surroundings -and noise, and bad food! - when you are happy. And happy I am. I'm doing something I've been dreaming of and planning for at least 5 years and it has turned out to be everything I hoped it would be and more...

I'm starting this blog as a way of recording my life here, writing something other than literature essays and keeping in touch with friends. We can't leave Nic out there blogging all on her own!