And a close-up of a couple of the stacks :
Sunday, January 27, 2008
My desk
Believe it or not, my desk is even more cluttered than when I took this picture a few days ago...
And a close-up of a couple of the stacks :
And a close-up of a couple of the stacks :
Friday, January 25, 2008
Break time
Here's a few great pictures from the blissfully long break home with my wonderful family.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Midway through the week
Wow, I've been back in Cambridge for almost two weeks. The quick pace of time still atonishes me. I'm about to head to bed because I have a seminar early in the morning, but here are a few quick notes which I'll elaborate on tomorrow.
- Classes are going well. The ones that I found difficult are, well, still difficult, but after every lecture and seminar, I feel like I have a better understanding of the subject and my professors' expectations. Whew.
- I'm planning a Middle East trip with several friends and colleagues from my IR course. Our tentative plan: fly to Istanbul, take the famed Toros Express train to Aleppo, Syria, followed by visits to Damascus and Beirut. Granted, there was a bombing of an American embassy convoy last week, so that's a bit worrying, but as long as there aren't any other significant events, we'll probably stick to our Lebanon plans. After Beirut we'll head to Amman and spend a couple days in the Jordanian capital, and hopefully visit Petra and some other ancient sites. Then we'll wrap things up in Israel, visit Jerusalem and fly out of Tel Aviv. Ambitious plans indeed, but I think it's definitely feasible. I applied to my college's travel fund for financial assistance, so hopefully they'll sprinkle a few hundred pounds in my direction.
- Tomorrow night is a Burns Night at Catz, complete with ceilidh dancing! Here's the e-mail we received: "Please come along on the 24th of January to help us celebrate Burns' Night; officially celebrating the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns, but really an excuse to eat haggis and drink whiskey! We also have Newnham College joining us for this event. Pre-dinner drinks will be served in the Ramsden Room from 6:45pm, followed by a Scottish-style dinner in hall at 7:30pm. After formal, suitably themed drinks will be served in the Ramsden Room, whilst the Hall is transformed into a Ceilidh wonderland, complete with live Ceilidh band until 11.30pm! This will give you the opportunity to learn some traditional Scottish dancing to some great music. And to help lubricate your dancing skills, John the barman will be opening the bar in Hall to be right where the action is. Guests are more than welcome to this event, and the cost will be £11. Dress code is lounge suits, but GOWNS ARE NOT REQUIRED."
It should be quite a bit of fun, though my dancing's rusty...
- Classes are going well. The ones that I found difficult are, well, still difficult, but after every lecture and seminar, I feel like I have a better understanding of the subject and my professors' expectations. Whew.
- I'm planning a Middle East trip with several friends and colleagues from my IR course. Our tentative plan: fly to Istanbul, take the famed Toros Express train to Aleppo, Syria, followed by visits to Damascus and Beirut. Granted, there was a bombing of an American embassy convoy last week, so that's a bit worrying, but as long as there aren't any other significant events, we'll probably stick to our Lebanon plans. After Beirut we'll head to Amman and spend a couple days in the Jordanian capital, and hopefully visit Petra and some other ancient sites. Then we'll wrap things up in Israel, visit Jerusalem and fly out of Tel Aviv. Ambitious plans indeed, but I think it's definitely feasible. I applied to my college's travel fund for financial assistance, so hopefully they'll sprinkle a few hundred pounds in my direction.
- Tomorrow night is a Burns Night at Catz, complete with ceilidh dancing! Here's the e-mail we received: "Please come along on the 24th of January to help us celebrate Burns' Night; officially celebrating the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns, but really an excuse to eat haggis and drink whiskey! We also have Newnham College joining us for this event. Pre-dinner drinks will be served in the Ramsden Room from 6:45pm, followed by a Scottish-style dinner in hall at 7:30pm. After formal, suitably themed drinks will be served in the Ramsden Room, whilst the Hall is transformed into a Ceilidh wonderland, complete with live Ceilidh band until 11.30pm! This will give you the opportunity to learn some traditional Scottish dancing to some great music. And to help lubricate your dancing skills, John the barman will be opening the bar in Hall to be right where the action is. Guests are more than welcome to this event, and the cost will be £11. Dress code is lounge suits, but GOWNS ARE NOT REQUIRED."
It should be quite a bit of fun, though my dancing's rusty...
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Rest and relaxation
After a thrilling week and a half in Edinburgh and Amsterdam (Dec 3-12), I stopped briefly back in Cambridge on December 12th, packed my bags and then headed for home the next morning. I've spent the past few weeks relaxing at home -- playing basketball and videogames with Sean, watching movies with Dan, hanging out with friends -- and the realization that I need to start preparing to head back is only setting in now. I leave a week from tomorrow and though I'm less eager to return overseas than I was during my year in France, I'm still looking forward to seeing Cambridge again.
I'm going to try to catch up on pictures now. First up are some shots of Cambridge from late October (I know, I'm a bit behind).
The first glimpse of Kings College and its Chapel.
Looking west from Kings Parade onto Kings' front lawn.
The imposing Kings College Chapel peeks out over the front walls.
The Chapel appears even more daunting from inside the walls.
Note how many languages the 'please keep off the grass' admonition is written in.
Kings College abuts the River Cam, and here's a shot of the view north.
The weather was still warm enough for lots of punts...
... and cows! Back in October, there were still some grazing... but I think the bovines are now probably sheltering for winter.
The view of Kings' Chapel and another building from the famous 'Backs.'
A very popular wine shop across from Kings (and very close to Catz, too). Students always receive a 5% discount, but you can opt for double or nothing by correctly answering a Trivial Pursuit card. Fun!
The stupendous Fitzbillies sweets shop on Trumpington Street, just a hundred yards south of Catz. They sell absolutely delectable "Chelsea buns" -- fantastically sticky cinnamon rolls embedded with raisins. I'm sure there are a few thousand calories in each one, so I try to restrict myself to one a month.
My main academic faculty is down this street... as is Dojo, a delicious noodle shop.
The main gate to my college, St Catharines! (Maintenance removes the leaves from the lawn early each morning; I must've taken this picture just before they arrived.)
There are three principal areas inside the college. Here's the smallest and quaintest, Sherlock Court.
The largest area, Main Court, where I was once gently chided for posing for a picture -- while holding a champagne glass.
I'm going to try to catch up on pictures now. First up are some shots of Cambridge from late October (I know, I'm a bit behind).
The first glimpse of Kings College and its Chapel.
Looking west from Kings Parade onto Kings' front lawn.
The imposing Kings College Chapel peeks out over the front walls.
The Chapel appears even more daunting from inside the walls.
Note how many languages the 'please keep off the grass' admonition is written in.
Kings College abuts the River Cam, and here's a shot of the view north.
The weather was still warm enough for lots of punts...
... and cows! Back in October, there were still some grazing... but I think the bovines are now probably sheltering for winter.
The view of Kings' Chapel and another building from the famous 'Backs.'
A very popular wine shop across from Kings (and very close to Catz, too). Students always receive a 5% discount, but you can opt for double or nothing by correctly answering a Trivial Pursuit card. Fun!
The stupendous Fitzbillies sweets shop on Trumpington Street, just a hundred yards south of Catz. They sell absolutely delectable "Chelsea buns" -- fantastically sticky cinnamon rolls embedded with raisins. I'm sure there are a few thousand calories in each one, so I try to restrict myself to one a month.
My main academic faculty is down this street... as is Dojo, a delicious noodle shop.
The main gate to my college, St Catharines! (Maintenance removes the leaves from the lawn early each morning; I must've taken this picture just before they arrived.)
There are three principal areas inside the college. Here's the smallest and quaintest, Sherlock Court.
The largest area, Main Court, where I was once gently chided for posing for a picture -- while holding a champagne glass.
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