New York City – the Rockefeller Centre in full glitter and sparkle on Christmas eve. Had a lovely time visiting all my favourite spots; MOMA, the amazing Guggenheim, glimpses of the Statue of Liberty, the silver of the Chrysler Building and of course luxuriated in the company of wonderful friends.
Well, today has been a bad day. Everyone has them no matter where they live, what they do and how wonderful their life appears from the outside. It is important to remember this.
The main stimulus was a possible romance lost. Not really even begun, but whipped away in the confusing way that boys seem so capable of. In a way that generates large amounts of self doubt. Worsened by being in a small town with friends and family at best in London at worst in Australia, being over tired at the end of term and in a gloomy, cold environment.
While all those that I have spoken to today have been kind, supportive and so wonderful, the nicest gesture came from someone I barely know. One of my classmates, caught me with a tear in my eye and a wobbly bottom lip as I ducked in to do some printing. He kindly bought me a cup of tea and listened to me prattle on. And most generously asked if he could do anything.
Being in Cambridge is great, stimulating and exciting. I am so pleased to be here. Sometimes though it can be hard, isolating and lonely.
Today however I was reminded of all the friends I have in London and around the world. I am so lucky. But I also learnt that there are people here who care also.
Tomorrow will be a better day.
I officially don’t cook, unless you count the ability to push buttons on a microwave.
Now before there is concern about my nutritional state. I would just like to say I eat a lot of fruit, have a thing at the moment for raw sugar snap peas and always have muesli for breakfast.
Dinner it seems is the main problem.
It has been on a steady and insidious decline since I moved to the UK. When I lived in Melbourne I took huge pleasure in heading to the Prahran Market to buy essentials and all those other things that you really don’t need but are handy to have in the fridge; goats cheese, dips of all varieties, olive bread and a ciabatta. I perused cookery books and wondered what to do with the artichoke I had bought.
When I began share living in London I still cooked. I think I managed to ‘do’ dinner for friends every couple of months. Dragging bags back from Sainsbury or Tesco. Goodness I missed the convenience of a 24 hour Coles, a car and those environmentally friendly green bags. I soon discovered that Spag. Bol. could last a number of meals, Covent Garden Soup is yummy and a snap to heat in the microwave and that it was not much fun washing loads of pots for a meal just for me.
However, now dinner can happen quickly at the push of a button. Covent Garden Soup remains a feature, with the addition of Sainsbury meals for one. The advantages are massive; dinner is always ready in five minutes, I have to wash one eating implement and the odd bowl. Perfect!
The recent decline is the result of many factors. I think the fact that 6 other people have used the saucepan before me puts me off a bit and quite possibly the limited space allocation in the fridge is another factor.
However, I also think that it is just so easy.
Posted in Living in Cambridge
This is my third December in the Northern Hemisphere. This year it feels more like Christmas than any other. In London it has always been busy and brash. The lights down Oxford and Regent Street more an advertising opportunity rather than beautiful.
Cambridge is more as you imagine. Pretty lights twinkling, a Christmas tree in the market square and mulled wine on every menu in town. I should confess to thinking that mulled wine is a rather marvelous drink. And boy is it chilly when the sun goes down at 4pm!
However, despite all this it is still not quite right. Not quite Christmas to me. Why is this?
There is no sunshine or heat! Every year it has struck me just how much I love a warm Christmas. For some reason the sunshine makes you want to enjoy people. The cold makes me want to hybernate and surely that is not what the festive season is all about?
Ah well I shall just have to soldier on and head to the last pub night for the term. See if I can find a little bit of a Christmas Spirit in some mulled wine!
It has been a week since lectures officially finished and with a few assignments still outstanding it is hard to really feel finished. It has been a busy and challenging semester – I have learnt things I never thought I would want to learn and in some cases I have even enjoyed learning them! I have had the pleasure of spending time with some some extraordinary people in a rarefied academic environment. Quite a fortunate few months really.
What remains is to get the last few papers in and then to breath.
|
