More backlogged lives of the penguins...OF DEATH.
Toga! Toga!
Monday 8th October
My first lecture, in the St. Cross Building! I thought it was Darwin and Literature, so imagine my horror when the dude started talking about industrialization and I realized I was stuck there. Apparently they switched it around without telling me, the bitches. But it was ok, bc it turned out to be quite interesting, bc industrialization and literature also reflects a bit on my current interests.
But then I had to go home and do work, as is getting critical.
9 Tuesday
Spent whole day on couch reading A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Ugh.
I liked the book, I was just tired of reading it by the end, so I just skimmed to last third.
Mary just wouldn’t stop bitching about vindicating our rights.
Isn’t that just like a woman.
10 Wednesday
Doom. Doooom. I just don’t have time to read the other books on my list. I’ll put them in my bibliography anyway.
Spent whole day on couch reading Caleb Williams. It was terrifying when I opened this little book and realized how tiny the type was. Fortunately it was quite a good and interesting book. There were some interesting parallels with Frankenstein.
Frantically wrote some rubbish about it, trying to splice in bits of Wollstonecraft as well. I don’t think it hung together at all well, but it sounds good and that’s what matters.
Took a break to walk around Cowley with Kelly. We went to Tesco’s and I bought pita and hummus and many good things.
Cowley road is as close as I can get around here to downtown new york. The grittier it is, the more at home I feel. It’s fabulous that here, even though we’re more or less in the country and Oxford is small, If I want greek food, or west Indian food, or Turkish, or polish, or anything, I can find it. I did go into the greek place and get some baklawa that made me happy.
Also, I hideously cut my hand open with the bread knife.
I bled a lot, all over Caleb Williams, too. I hope the library people don’t notice.
11 Thurs
14.30: essay due. To my pleasure, I didn’t have to read my essay aloud, Ballam read it aloud to me, which I think is actually better. When you read it yourself, let’s face it, you’re probably concentrating more on keeping your voice steady than on the overall composition. But he read it with lovely intonation, and, while making some criticism, of course, and taking some dramatic breaths during some of my more run-on sentences (which are most of them), he also said it had some good points. When we signed on the for the programme everyone was preparing us to have our essays torn apart and ravaged by the professors with the bloody jaws of contempt, but really he was quite nice, and gave me a 68, which is an A-. So I actually walked out of there feeling quite vain of my essay and how good it sounded and all.
Then I sat for a while with Hannah and Abbey in the garden and it was unreal and beautiful and Oxfordian. But then I had to go, bc I had a whole other essay to write for TOMORROW.
It will take a while to get used to this. I’m used to doing nothing for three months, then going mad and not eating or sleeping for three weeks. With this system, the minute I finish, it starts again. Barely have I finished one essay, when I have to begin another. I can’t decide if it’s worse, or better. At least it will never get crazier than it is now. It will always be like this, two essays a week.
We had dinner and Chris came over and played us some songs on his guitar which was lovely. Then they went to Cat Weazel but I couldn’t go bc I had to write my paper.
Poopie.
Thank God I’ve read Frankenstein before. I just couldn’t physically do it if I had to actually read the book.
And I actually spent most of the night procrastinating horribly.
12 Fri
Woke up early and actually wrote my paper. My tutorial was at 5pm so I had it done well ahead of time, but still. I promise I won’t leave it this late again. Besides, I want to have time to actually read the books next time. I do want to learn, after all. My paper was a little too personal although I made some really good points. It was not for nothing that Neil said, on the Frankenstein paper I wrote for him, that I cut right to the emotional core of the novel. I mean, if I can’t write about Frankenstein, what can I write about?
I read it to Professor Cunningham, naturally focusing more on the intonation of my voice than on the words, and he sat there and listened. Then he started talking about whether I thought it held together, and I started to stammer out some circuitous answer, but then I realized it was Frankenstein he thought was amateurish and didn’t hold together, not my paper at all! He said my paper did have unity and was good. That was all he said about my paper. From then on he rambled on and on about Shelley, Milton, the Gothic, everything, for at least half an hour. But that’s not to say it was boring. It was actually fascinating. I sat there and listened and was quite enthralled the whole time. It was great. It was like having my own personal lecture tailored to my interests.
Back at the flat, Abbey convinced me to come with her to the gym. I was skeptical bc it’s 50 quid to join and it’s not like I’ll ever have time during term.. But then it occurred to me that I could go during holidays after all, when nobody’s here and I’ve got no work and it’s cold and miserable, it might be good to go be mighty for a while. Anyway, it’s not like it’s my money or anything.
Then had naps, then got dressed for frat party. Jemma came in looking way hot as a slutty girl, Kelly was the feminist lesbian, and Abbey wore my cowboy boots and was a very american girl.
I wore my floaty peignoir, bc I wanted to be a frat boy, and in my mind it’s like a toga. It does have a greco-roman quality, surely. I brought also my little house on the prairie bonnet and my coonskin cap for dress-up purposes.
In the party flat people were playing beer pong with red plastic cups. It was a bit awkward at first. Then suddenly about a hundred people materialized from nowhere and there was no personal space left anywhere. I tried to make friends, but it was a bit hard, bc you couldn’t hear anything anyone said. I danced with Jemma. After a bit of shyness, I managed to gain the attention of a large group of people by telling the story of the French ambassador’s cannon, one of my favorite stories. Then I said they had to entertain me with a story about treacle.
But they got off on a tangent about kafka, which made me cross, bc I don’t want to hear about kafka!
But this one bloke finally had a story for me, and it went like this:
One morning a man woke up in his bed, only to discover that he had been transformed into treacle!
Isn’t that the best story of ALL TIME?? It was perfect! So then I hung out with Casey and Andy and spoke to this renaissance man from east London called fayyaz who told some jewish jokes and some welsh jokes since I was there and also this Welshman who had such a nice hat I swapped with him. Also we both love robert browning, me and fayyaz, that is, not me and the Welshman.
But everyone loves the welsh.
So then I was outside talking to Hannah and this very nice English girl and this very tall and French man. And I felt someone behind me grab hold of the coat of my peignor and quite deliberately tear it about a foot down my back.
I turned around, not quite able to believe it, and there was this drunk dude and girl who were laughing. I sort of stared. But then the dude reached and pulled my top down so I flashed everybody. It was quite fortunate that we were so situated that my back was to most people so I don’t think anyone saw. Even more gobsmacked, I pulled my top up and slapped his face, as hard as I could, both sides.
I went back to my flat, still quite stunned. Alex was there and I told him what happened and he went and kicked the cad out. I went upstairs and put on my dressing-gown which is thick silk and doesn't tear easily. Anyway, so Alex is my hero forever basically.
Eventually I felt better enough to go back out, where I and got hugs for my trials from Hannah and Abbey. Then Abbey and I went to bed.
13 Sat
Sat in bed to update my journal. I think I’m just going to putter about and do household things to-day, and get me books to-morrow. Jemma came up and gave a beautiful gold box of Fairtrade Begian chocolates. She said she had heard about me being attacked by the bodice-ripper. Isn’t that the sweetest thing in the history of the world?? Of course, it was traumatizing at the time, but just silly in retrospect. Although the peinoir is vintage and irreplaceable, it’s still just clothes, after all, and although I was humiliated, the combination of me slapping him and Alex booting him out satisfies my honour. So it’s okay. But chocolates also helped a lot. I think they are the most appreciated choccies I’ve ever gotten from anyone, anytime, seriously.
I love Jemma. I can’t believe I only just met her.
But I must sort out my room and that, for to-night we are going to explore Cowley and have takeout night.
Huzzah!
Alors, we walked all down and up Cowley. It was all bright and full of people and felt all safe and downtowny. There were lights shaped like moons. We sat around in restaurants where the kebabs had grown thin and smelt of lamb and Indian music played. When we got back we surveyed our booty. There was pizza and tofu and curry and naan bread, donner kebab, and so much else. We also got a chicken for Alex, and what could only be invented in Britain: chips with baked beans and mayonnaise on. And I got us some baklawa from the middle eastern grocer, which was sooooo good it was like death, or being sick. Mmmmmm.
After that we all lay around on the floor.
Abbey and Kelly and Jemma and I, being girls, all got in a cuddle pile and Chris played us his acoustic guitar and played songs. It felt like it was the 60’s.
That’s another thing we did. A few days ago we made a fort out of the couch and blankets, and I got my disney princess torch and we managed to cram in and tell stories.
Another time we went to the king’s arms, which is our college’s pub -- our college had it’s own pub --and I got bangers and mash with onion gravy and ate it all. I won the prize of britishness that day. Another time we got fish and chips from our local chippy, and another time deep-fried mars bars. Oh, the things I have eaten since getting here. I don’t actually eat very much at all, bc I’m too poor to buy food, but when I do eat it’s always something horrifying like baked beans on chips. Or bread.
14 Oct.
Went into town eating the remnants of last night’s kebab. Sunny and beauteous. Wadham library: got a copy of Jane Eyre. The Oxford library system is confusing and impossible, but I’ve come to realize that if it’s a book that could possibly be taken in a feminist context, it will be in the sarah Lawrence section of the wadham library. Abbey and I went to Wychwood Warriors then. I was a bit shy again, but then I got to fighting with sticks and I really got on. I had one of the easiest, most genial conversation I’ve ever had, quite spontaneously and while trying to hit people with sticks. And I got to wear a helmet and I got to use a sword and it was so much fun to swing a blade at someone’s neck, you have no idea.
Kelly and I went to the co-op I got me some weetabix, some mushy peas, and a pineapple banana coconut smoothie. Then Abbey and me and David and Kelly sat around downstairs sort of working until late. I suppose I should actually work now. hmmm.
Viking Underwear
Wed Oct 17
Made Viking underwear. Had the most wonderful conversation with Chris, about giant squid armageddons and things.
Awesome.
Thurs Oct 18
Made pretzels with kelly. Or rather, watched kelly make pretzels while I hung about singing “happiness is a warm gun.” at any rate, they were delicious.
Had fun abusing wordsworth with Ballam. It was so refreshing to hear him go on a rant about the old ponce that was startlingly similar to my own frequently-given rant on the subject. Seriously, “Resolution and Independence” is one of the stupidest poems ever written. It shows no conception of the actual feelings of other people besides himself.
Walked back up Cowley and stopped in this eastern grocer which turned out to be amazing. Not only did they have fenugreek, in many forms, but pomegranates for 99 p, “fancy jellies” that were basically colored sugar water in plastic fruits, and giant trays of dates for less than two pounds. I bought all this, plus some Japanese sweet pastries. When I got home we were adorable and cozy and domestic and I made methi mutter malai with the fenugreek (methi) and onions and garlic and cream and marrowfat peas. Although not as good as the instant India variety, it was tasty and I was proud to have made real food in a very adult manner, food that actually involved chopping and cooking and things. So everyone had the agra peas and greens and the dates and the sweets, so I was Mummy for to-night.
Also Chris made hummus which was delicious and I had bought Jemma gluten-free pita but she et the wrong one and so was ill the next day and it was sad. Poor darling.
Friday October 19
Ian and Liana came to visit me! Yay! Put on Mummy’s navy-blue Gunne Sax frock and walked all the way down to rail station to fetch them. Although I hadn’t been down past George St. since coming here, everything was so familiar. I hadn’t been there in 5 years, but I was in no doubt as to where everything was.
Yay mateys! I missed them. I took them back to the flat and then we went to the Lamb and Flag where Abbey was pubbing it up with the Wychwood contingent. They sang rude songs, put coasters in each other’s drinks, and variously engaged in roistering. Then we all trooped out for kebab.
I was very sneepy. Ian had to steer me home.
Gave ian and liana me comforter.
Spent a cold, sleepless, heart pounding night.
Sat Oct 20
Shiny morning. Rode the bus into town. There, we went to Oxfam, Blackwell’s Music, and Wadham. On campus we frolicked under the Lingering Tree and also in the chapel. Ian gave his harangue quite loud and boomingly, so that I was a little afraid the chaplain would come in and cry, “This is a house of God!” We also played in the organ. I photographed Ian and Liana frolicking in the Bar Quad, and Liana as Alice by the tiny inexplicable door, and Ian as the Libertine by the plaque for the Earl of Rochester, who course would be an alum of Wadham. We went to the covered market and stopped in Chocology for cocoa and Ritter.
At home we watched some Boosh and I had a nap.
I was awoken by Ian jumping onto my bed and abbey and Kelly bursting out of my closet. I didn’t get it until I saw the mars bar on my bedside table.
This jolly joke was based on the time when I read the sexy bits of Keat’s “Eve of St. Agnes” to everyone and instead of finding it slightly creepy and very atmospheric and romantic, as I do, they thought what Porphyro did was TOTALLY sketchy. So the running joke became the plying of sleeping girls with sweets, for some reason always mars bars.
Anyway, it was one of the most awesome things that anybody’s ever done to me, and considering it’s deviousness was probably Alex’s idea.
Chris came over with his guitar and at my request played “Redemption Song.” Ian played and sang “American Pie.” We all went to the chippy and played and sang again while we waited. The chippy was so pleased that he gave Ian and Chris their deep-fried mars bars for free. I got steak and kidney pie. And there was much rejoicing.
We all dressed up piratically for the undersea bop. I was old greg. On the way we saw Adam Ant. However, when we got there they would not let Ian and Liana in; they said guests were allowed in, but only if they’d been signed up ahead of time on the guest-list, which I’m sure is a new rule. I went in and had a look at the bop, but could find no-one to help. Back outside, Liana made quite a forceful case for letting them in, and asked if there was anyone we could speak to, but they said, it doesn’t matter bc the bop’s over. But of course I’d just been and it wasn’t over, in fact it was not over for at least another hour. Bah. Lies. So of course I went off with Ian and Liana and we got kebab and wandered off vaguely towards some intriguing lights in the sky. Then we got a call from abbey saying the bop was lame and where was kelly? So then everyone was lost and cold and the cab didn’t come for ages and we all froze. boo.
Sun Oct 21
Ian and Liana and I had a cuddly sleepover on the living room floor so I did not freeze.
Went to Wychwood. I fought Abbey and she declaimed the St. Crispin’s Day speech.
Gloucester Green, goodbye.
Love Ian and Liana. Miss them.
Kelly asked if I’d go to Pizza hut with her so she wouldn't feel bad about being so American. After, Chris took me to the Eagle and Child, which is a very good first date for an English student. I wasn’t hungry for food so I got sticky toffee pudding. We had quite a wonderful conversation. We talked about truth and lies, Grammar and history.
In the flat there was Alex, Abbey, Kelly, and David love. I sang “Morningtown Ride” for our lullaby.
MONDAY
Argh, I just finished horrible work, and now it stars AGAIN???
Tuesday
Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria is officially the most horrifying thing. There are of course more horrifying books, but none that I could ever be forced to read.
Horrible, horrible, horrible.
Doooooooooooooooooom.
Monday 8th October
My first lecture, in the St. Cross Building! I thought it was Darwin and Literature, so imagine my horror when the dude started talking about industrialization and I realized I was stuck there. Apparently they switched it around without telling me, the bitches. But it was ok, bc it turned out to be quite interesting, bc industrialization and literature also reflects a bit on my current interests.
But then I had to go home and do work, as is getting critical.
9 Tuesday
Spent whole day on couch reading A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Ugh.
I liked the book, I was just tired of reading it by the end, so I just skimmed to last third.
Mary just wouldn’t stop bitching about vindicating our rights.
Isn’t that just like a woman.
10 Wednesday
Doom. Doooom. I just don’t have time to read the other books on my list. I’ll put them in my bibliography anyway.
Spent whole day on couch reading Caleb Williams. It was terrifying when I opened this little book and realized how tiny the type was. Fortunately it was quite a good and interesting book. There were some interesting parallels with Frankenstein.
Frantically wrote some rubbish about it, trying to splice in bits of Wollstonecraft as well. I don’t think it hung together at all well, but it sounds good and that’s what matters.
Took a break to walk around Cowley with Kelly. We went to Tesco’s and I bought pita and hummus and many good things.
Cowley road is as close as I can get around here to downtown new york. The grittier it is, the more at home I feel. It’s fabulous that here, even though we’re more or less in the country and Oxford is small, If I want greek food, or west Indian food, or Turkish, or polish, or anything, I can find it. I did go into the greek place and get some baklawa that made me happy.
Also, I hideously cut my hand open with the bread knife.
I bled a lot, all over Caleb Williams, too. I hope the library people don’t notice.
11 Thurs
14.30: essay due. To my pleasure, I didn’t have to read my essay aloud, Ballam read it aloud to me, which I think is actually better. When you read it yourself, let’s face it, you’re probably concentrating more on keeping your voice steady than on the overall composition. But he read it with lovely intonation, and, while making some criticism, of course, and taking some dramatic breaths during some of my more run-on sentences (which are most of them), he also said it had some good points. When we signed on the for the programme everyone was preparing us to have our essays torn apart and ravaged by the professors with the bloody jaws of contempt, but really he was quite nice, and gave me a 68, which is an A-. So I actually walked out of there feeling quite vain of my essay and how good it sounded and all.
Then I sat for a while with Hannah and Abbey in the garden and it was unreal and beautiful and Oxfordian. But then I had to go, bc I had a whole other essay to write for TOMORROW.
It will take a while to get used to this. I’m used to doing nothing for three months, then going mad and not eating or sleeping for three weeks. With this system, the minute I finish, it starts again. Barely have I finished one essay, when I have to begin another. I can’t decide if it’s worse, or better. At least it will never get crazier than it is now. It will always be like this, two essays a week.
We had dinner and Chris came over and played us some songs on his guitar which was lovely. Then they went to Cat Weazel but I couldn’t go bc I had to write my paper.
Poopie.
Thank God I’ve read Frankenstein before. I just couldn’t physically do it if I had to actually read the book.
And I actually spent most of the night procrastinating horribly.
12 Fri
Woke up early and actually wrote my paper. My tutorial was at 5pm so I had it done well ahead of time, but still. I promise I won’t leave it this late again. Besides, I want to have time to actually read the books next time. I do want to learn, after all. My paper was a little too personal although I made some really good points. It was not for nothing that Neil said, on the Frankenstein paper I wrote for him, that I cut right to the emotional core of the novel. I mean, if I can’t write about Frankenstein, what can I write about?
I read it to Professor Cunningham, naturally focusing more on the intonation of my voice than on the words, and he sat there and listened. Then he started talking about whether I thought it held together, and I started to stammer out some circuitous answer, but then I realized it was Frankenstein he thought was amateurish and didn’t hold together, not my paper at all! He said my paper did have unity and was good. That was all he said about my paper. From then on he rambled on and on about Shelley, Milton, the Gothic, everything, for at least half an hour. But that’s not to say it was boring. It was actually fascinating. I sat there and listened and was quite enthralled the whole time. It was great. It was like having my own personal lecture tailored to my interests.
Back at the flat, Abbey convinced me to come with her to the gym. I was skeptical bc it’s 50 quid to join and it’s not like I’ll ever have time during term.. But then it occurred to me that I could go during holidays after all, when nobody’s here and I’ve got no work and it’s cold and miserable, it might be good to go be mighty for a while. Anyway, it’s not like it’s my money or anything.
Then had naps, then got dressed for frat party. Jemma came in looking way hot as a slutty girl, Kelly was the feminist lesbian, and Abbey wore my cowboy boots and was a very american girl.
I wore my floaty peignoir, bc I wanted to be a frat boy, and in my mind it’s like a toga. It does have a greco-roman quality, surely. I brought also my little house on the prairie bonnet and my coonskin cap for dress-up purposes.
In the party flat people were playing beer pong with red plastic cups. It was a bit awkward at first. Then suddenly about a hundred people materialized from nowhere and there was no personal space left anywhere. I tried to make friends, but it was a bit hard, bc you couldn’t hear anything anyone said. I danced with Jemma. After a bit of shyness, I managed to gain the attention of a large group of people by telling the story of the French ambassador’s cannon, one of my favorite stories. Then I said they had to entertain me with a story about treacle.
But they got off on a tangent about kafka, which made me cross, bc I don’t want to hear about kafka!
But this one bloke finally had a story for me, and it went like this:
One morning a man woke up in his bed, only to discover that he had been transformed into treacle!
Isn’t that the best story of ALL TIME?? It was perfect! So then I hung out with Casey and Andy and spoke to this renaissance man from east London called fayyaz who told some jewish jokes and some welsh jokes since I was there and also this Welshman who had such a nice hat I swapped with him. Also we both love robert browning, me and fayyaz, that is, not me and the Welshman.
But everyone loves the welsh.
So then I was outside talking to Hannah and this very nice English girl and this very tall and French man. And I felt someone behind me grab hold of the coat of my peignor and quite deliberately tear it about a foot down my back.
I turned around, not quite able to believe it, and there was this drunk dude and girl who were laughing. I sort of stared. But then the dude reached and pulled my top down so I flashed everybody. It was quite fortunate that we were so situated that my back was to most people so I don’t think anyone saw. Even more gobsmacked, I pulled my top up and slapped his face, as hard as I could, both sides.
I went back to my flat, still quite stunned. Alex was there and I told him what happened and he went and kicked the cad out. I went upstairs and put on my dressing-gown which is thick silk and doesn't tear easily. Anyway, so Alex is my hero forever basically.
Eventually I felt better enough to go back out, where I and got hugs for my trials from Hannah and Abbey. Then Abbey and I went to bed.
13 Sat
Sat in bed to update my journal. I think I’m just going to putter about and do household things to-day, and get me books to-morrow. Jemma came up and gave a beautiful gold box of Fairtrade Begian chocolates. She said she had heard about me being attacked by the bodice-ripper. Isn’t that the sweetest thing in the history of the world?? Of course, it was traumatizing at the time, but just silly in retrospect. Although the peinoir is vintage and irreplaceable, it’s still just clothes, after all, and although I was humiliated, the combination of me slapping him and Alex booting him out satisfies my honour. So it’s okay. But chocolates also helped a lot. I think they are the most appreciated choccies I’ve ever gotten from anyone, anytime, seriously.
I love Jemma. I can’t believe I only just met her.
But I must sort out my room and that, for to-night we are going to explore Cowley and have takeout night.
Huzzah!
Alors, we walked all down and up Cowley. It was all bright and full of people and felt all safe and downtowny. There were lights shaped like moons. We sat around in restaurants where the kebabs had grown thin and smelt of lamb and Indian music played. When we got back we surveyed our booty. There was pizza and tofu and curry and naan bread, donner kebab, and so much else. We also got a chicken for Alex, and what could only be invented in Britain: chips with baked beans and mayonnaise on. And I got us some baklawa from the middle eastern grocer, which was sooooo good it was like death, or being sick. Mmmmmm.
After that we all lay around on the floor.
Abbey and Kelly and Jemma and I, being girls, all got in a cuddle pile and Chris played us his acoustic guitar and played songs. It felt like it was the 60’s.
That’s another thing we did. A few days ago we made a fort out of the couch and blankets, and I got my disney princess torch and we managed to cram in and tell stories.
Another time we went to the king’s arms, which is our college’s pub -- our college had it’s own pub --and I got bangers and mash with onion gravy and ate it all. I won the prize of britishness that day. Another time we got fish and chips from our local chippy, and another time deep-fried mars bars. Oh, the things I have eaten since getting here. I don’t actually eat very much at all, bc I’m too poor to buy food, but when I do eat it’s always something horrifying like baked beans on chips. Or bread.
14 Oct.
Went into town eating the remnants of last night’s kebab. Sunny and beauteous. Wadham library: got a copy of Jane Eyre. The Oxford library system is confusing and impossible, but I’ve come to realize that if it’s a book that could possibly be taken in a feminist context, it will be in the sarah Lawrence section of the wadham library. Abbey and I went to Wychwood Warriors then. I was a bit shy again, but then I got to fighting with sticks and I really got on. I had one of the easiest, most genial conversation I’ve ever had, quite spontaneously and while trying to hit people with sticks. And I got to wear a helmet and I got to use a sword and it was so much fun to swing a blade at someone’s neck, you have no idea.
Kelly and I went to the co-op I got me some weetabix, some mushy peas, and a pineapple banana coconut smoothie. Then Abbey and me and David and Kelly sat around downstairs sort of working until late. I suppose I should actually work now. hmmm.
Viking Underwear
Wed Oct 17
Made Viking underwear. Had the most wonderful conversation with Chris, about giant squid armageddons and things.
Awesome.
Thurs Oct 18
Made pretzels with kelly. Or rather, watched kelly make pretzels while I hung about singing “happiness is a warm gun.” at any rate, they were delicious.
Had fun abusing wordsworth with Ballam. It was so refreshing to hear him go on a rant about the old ponce that was startlingly similar to my own frequently-given rant on the subject. Seriously, “Resolution and Independence” is one of the stupidest poems ever written. It shows no conception of the actual feelings of other people besides himself.
Walked back up Cowley and stopped in this eastern grocer which turned out to be amazing. Not only did they have fenugreek, in many forms, but pomegranates for 99 p, “fancy jellies” that were basically colored sugar water in plastic fruits, and giant trays of dates for less than two pounds. I bought all this, plus some Japanese sweet pastries. When I got home we were adorable and cozy and domestic and I made methi mutter malai with the fenugreek (methi) and onions and garlic and cream and marrowfat peas. Although not as good as the instant India variety, it was tasty and I was proud to have made real food in a very adult manner, food that actually involved chopping and cooking and things. So everyone had the agra peas and greens and the dates and the sweets, so I was Mummy for to-night.
Also Chris made hummus which was delicious and I had bought Jemma gluten-free pita but she et the wrong one and so was ill the next day and it was sad. Poor darling.
Friday October 19
Ian and Liana came to visit me! Yay! Put on Mummy’s navy-blue Gunne Sax frock and walked all the way down to rail station to fetch them. Although I hadn’t been down past George St. since coming here, everything was so familiar. I hadn’t been there in 5 years, but I was in no doubt as to where everything was.
Yay mateys! I missed them. I took them back to the flat and then we went to the Lamb and Flag where Abbey was pubbing it up with the Wychwood contingent. They sang rude songs, put coasters in each other’s drinks, and variously engaged in roistering. Then we all trooped out for kebab.
I was very sneepy. Ian had to steer me home.
Gave ian and liana me comforter.
Spent a cold, sleepless, heart pounding night.
Sat Oct 20
Shiny morning. Rode the bus into town. There, we went to Oxfam, Blackwell’s Music, and Wadham. On campus we frolicked under the Lingering Tree and also in the chapel. Ian gave his harangue quite loud and boomingly, so that I was a little afraid the chaplain would come in and cry, “This is a house of God!” We also played in the organ. I photographed Ian and Liana frolicking in the Bar Quad, and Liana as Alice by the tiny inexplicable door, and Ian as the Libertine by the plaque for the Earl of Rochester, who course would be an alum of Wadham. We went to the covered market and stopped in Chocology for cocoa and Ritter.
At home we watched some Boosh and I had a nap.
I was awoken by Ian jumping onto my bed and abbey and Kelly bursting out of my closet. I didn’t get it until I saw the mars bar on my bedside table.
This jolly joke was based on the time when I read the sexy bits of Keat’s “Eve of St. Agnes” to everyone and instead of finding it slightly creepy and very atmospheric and romantic, as I do, they thought what Porphyro did was TOTALLY sketchy. So the running joke became the plying of sleeping girls with sweets, for some reason always mars bars.
Anyway, it was one of the most awesome things that anybody’s ever done to me, and considering it’s deviousness was probably Alex’s idea.
Chris came over with his guitar and at my request played “Redemption Song.” Ian played and sang “American Pie.” We all went to the chippy and played and sang again while we waited. The chippy was so pleased that he gave Ian and Chris their deep-fried mars bars for free. I got steak and kidney pie. And there was much rejoicing.
We all dressed up piratically for the undersea bop. I was old greg. On the way we saw Adam Ant. However, when we got there they would not let Ian and Liana in; they said guests were allowed in, but only if they’d been signed up ahead of time on the guest-list, which I’m sure is a new rule. I went in and had a look at the bop, but could find no-one to help. Back outside, Liana made quite a forceful case for letting them in, and asked if there was anyone we could speak to, but they said, it doesn’t matter bc the bop’s over. But of course I’d just been and it wasn’t over, in fact it was not over for at least another hour. Bah. Lies. So of course I went off with Ian and Liana and we got kebab and wandered off vaguely towards some intriguing lights in the sky. Then we got a call from abbey saying the bop was lame and where was kelly? So then everyone was lost and cold and the cab didn’t come for ages and we all froze. boo.
Sun Oct 21
Ian and Liana and I had a cuddly sleepover on the living room floor so I did not freeze.
Went to Wychwood. I fought Abbey and she declaimed the St. Crispin’s Day speech.
Gloucester Green, goodbye.
Love Ian and Liana. Miss them.
Kelly asked if I’d go to Pizza hut with her so she wouldn't feel bad about being so American. After, Chris took me to the Eagle and Child, which is a very good first date for an English student. I wasn’t hungry for food so I got sticky toffee pudding. We had quite a wonderful conversation. We talked about truth and lies, Grammar and history.
In the flat there was Alex, Abbey, Kelly, and David love. I sang “Morningtown Ride” for our lullaby.
MONDAY
Argh, I just finished horrible work, and now it stars AGAIN???
Tuesday
Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria is officially the most horrifying thing. There are of course more horrifying books, but none that I could ever be forced to read.
Horrible, horrible, horrible.
Doooooooooooooooooom.