...to talk of many things. This is promising to turn into an epic post, but I'll try my best to keep it from reaching such proportions that it threatens to overwhelm people and swallow whole planets etc.
Busy busy busy (essays, paperwork etc.)
First thing's first: apologies for having not posted in such a long time. Everything got a little manic at this end. I've handed in an essay since I last wrote (on the representation of labour in seventeenth century patronage poems, if you're at all interested.) This ate up my life for a good week or so. I've also been doing a lot less cricket at larking around and a lot more of actual degree stuff since I realised that this term my work actually counts. I'm currently getting started on the next essay, which will hopefully be on something to do with the representation of gender and culpability in renaissance drama, but you know how these things work, they tend to change shape a great deal. Particularly in the planning stages. I've also been furiously trying to fill out all the paperwork and other bits and bobs I need to get sorted before I go to America. I'm starting to feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. But I'll soldier on. The pile is slowly getting smaller, and I've been ticking things off of my various lists, and even crossing entire lists off of my master list of lists. (It's all getting a little ridiculous - but I don't really know how I thought I'd just kinda hop on a plane and spend a whole year in America without wading through all this gumph!)
Exhibit A. - My desk after DAYS of paperwork.
Puffins
On Saturday I went to go see the puffins at Bempton Cliffs, where there is a bird reserve, so there are lots of places along the cliffs where you can stand and see the birds. We saw quite a few puffins. And tone of the guys we went with had all the proper binoculars and had a great eye for spotting the puffins. I assumed puffins were quite big. I thought they'd be about the size of ducks or something, but in fact they're much smaller, I would say sea gull sized but sea gulls get quite big. Anyway they're really really cool with the painted looking beaks and the bright orange feet. I'll try to stick a couple of pictures in so you can see. It was a really lovely day, there was a van selling organic ethical food and ice-cream and everything. It was very sunny, and because of the sea breeze I didn't notice that I actually got very burnt. Unfortunately the resulting tan is peeling already. Sad times. I will have to get a proper tan at camp!
Puffin at Bempton Cliffs
Shakespeare
Last night I went to go see an outdoor performance of Macbeth which one of my friends from cricket was in. It was really lovely. I went with a friend from my course and she brought blankets and a serious picnic and gin and tonic. It was a really lovely sunny evening. And the production was actually very good. The witches were amazing, although because it was an outdoor performance on York campus there were guest appearances from quite a number of geese, and we were sat in amongst the goose poo. But it was a very lovely evening. It got a little chilly once the sun had gone in, but luckily we had jumpers and Emily had brought her duvet for just such emergencies. Considering it was out doors in such a large area we could hear very well, and the actors did very well. There were a couple of parts which I think were supposed to be symbolic or whatever which I felt were a little contrived. But for a student performance it was very good. It's actually the second outdoor performance of Macbeth I've seen this summer, the first being in the Globe when I was in London. All things considered it wasn't half bad.
That's G&T I promise. Looks classy though.
Cricket
At last it comes to the now seemingly obligatory cricket update. There hasn't been much actual cricketing, the weather was a bit naff for a couple of weeks, and everyone has been a bit busy. But there has been lots of social crickety action. We went out with cricket the other night to the student night in town wearing our rather attractive cricket t-shirts and tutus, we possibly looked a little unusual, but it was a very funny night out, and it was lovely to spend time with them all again. This weekend is going to be a big crickety weekend, as it's presidents, traditionally the old girls come back and there's a batch between old girls and current girls on the Saturday and then there's a big dance type deal on the Saturday evening with dinner and such, and we go out on the Friday night. I'm not sure how many old girls are coming, facebook would suggest just the one. But it's all been very exciting with the shopping for dresses and everything. It should be a lovely weekend. The weather's looking good for it to. But I'll let you all know how it goes!
TThe weather has finally perked up a bit. Which is slightly sad as I seem to be spending more and more time stuck inside trying to organise things and sort out essaying and such. But I'm sure it'll all be worth it. Typically the weather is looking like it's going to be going downhill this weekend just in time for all the cricketing. Marvelous! Anyway. The nice weather has meant that all social time has been moved outside pretty much. Yesterday I played rugby in the sun which was rather nice. And in a minute once I've registered for classes for next year, I might go join my housemates in the paddling pool they've set up outside the house. They did originally have a foot bath so they didn't get grass in it and everything, but I think they may have given up on that a little. I'm watching them a little wistfully from the window.
My housemates in the paddling pool
Coming up...
I'm leaving for America pretty much this time next week. The plan is to leave York on the Thursday, and be home in time for dinner-ish I think. And then I need to be at the airport at around mid-day on the Friday. I'm getting really excited about getting there now! Before I leave I'm having some sort of gathering/party thing to say goodbye to everyone, but I seem to be spending a lot of time meeting people for lunch and such to say goodbye. Which is all very lovely. Although it is somewhat limiting my working time. Still, I met with my supervisor and she seemed pretty confident that I could do everything I need to. I'm going to hopefully have a loose kind of plan before I go. Think about exactly what I need to research while I'm in America, and then have a very detailed plan before I go to Mount Holyoke, so I can write it quite quickly in the time I have free while I'm out there.
That's all folks!
That's all folks!
And that's about it! I shall spell check, and then get back to things that I actually need to be doing! I shall hopefully get to update this at least one more time before I go to America and then should be able to so some sporadic updates while I'm at Camp. Obviously after camp everything will get back to normal!
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