Monthly Archives: March 2008

Tate Modern

Posted on March 9, 2008 by | Leave a comment

I have had a lovely day in London – far from the books, worry about climate change, how to manage people and where on earth to find that blue ocean!

I did have a great time seeing friends and reacquainting myself with their lives.

And I did also get to my favourite gallery. Not everyones loves the Tate Modern like I do, Nor do they have to. But boy I wish they would come up with something better than “but I could do that”. I guess the point is they didn’t! Anyway…….rant over.

I had a lovely serene time in the Rothko room, staring at the point where the colours merge, enjoying the Waterlilly panel by Monet and wondering about the Wrong Gallery. The Wrong Gallery is a doorway that use to be located in New York City but was evicted and has found its new home in Tate Modern. The cool thing about it is seen as a separate entity from the Tate so they can put slightly more…. well risque works in the space. Pretty cheeky really!

It was a lovely day… ahh well back to the books.

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Marks – Do they matter?

Posted on March 7, 2008 by | Leave a comment

The curious thing about study is that it provides away to benchmark yourself against not only your peers but also your own expectations. It is a reasonably unique opportunity. I know that we all get performance reviews at work – but somehow it is not quite the same as a number being allocated to a presentation or exam.

This week we had an exam in Innovation. For me it went okay – well I think so anyway. Don’t wish to count my chickens before they hatch. However, for some who completed 6 instead of 4 questions, possibly not so well. But here is the question – Is it okay to modify your paper once the exam is over? To choose which 4 you would like to have marked. In the end I don’t really mind in this instance.

I made a major error on my Finance paper in January, I realised the error a few hours later but did not get the opportunity to correct it. And to be honest it wouldn’t occur to me to actually ask. So is this the same thing?

My feeling is that marks don’t really matter. I am not a better, smarter person if I get 68 instead of 62. I am not more likely or less likely to get a job. And I feel that sometimes it is good for things to go wrong because often this is when you learn the most about yourself.

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Desperatly seeking distraction

Posted on March 4, 2008 by | Leave a comment

You would think that in this age of easy communication someone would call me, email me or even write me a letter – any or all of which would require me to drop everything and leap into action in some sort of urgent way! Anything to escape my room.

On this sunny Tuesday afternoon I am yet again staring at a pile of notes that must some how be slotted into my brain for an in-class-exam tomorrow in Innovation.

Sadly I think there is no escaping – no matter how often I check my email – I am going to have to sit here.. And worse yet there is another 3 hour exam next week…

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Winter in New York

Posted on March 2, 2008 by | Leave a comment

Believe it or not, if you have a good coat, hat, boots and gloves, Winter in New York is a wonderful playground.  It may not be “normal” for an Australian to enjoy living in weather where the mercury never rises above “freezing” (I use that reference now as a multi-lingual term that both Americans and Australians can understand). Usually, the movie studios start filling the theaters with their Oscar fair so there is always a list of good movies to see.  One of the best places to go in the City is “The Angelika” – really its only to watch the crowd before and after the movies as generally the theaters suffer from poor sound (the rumble of the subway during a romantic scene is particularly amusing), cramped seats and scratchy film.  There is always a buzz on a Saturday night as the crowd starts lining up for 30 minutes or more before the show – usually an indie flick with a foreign name and subtitles.  The crowd is an eclectic bunch – students, retirees, yuppies, etc. – but they are united by their love for “intelligent” film. It reminds me of the scene from “Annie Hall” where Woody Allen and Diane Keating are on line for a movie and the whole crowd is crapping on about movies – the director, movie theory etc.  I can’t claim to have that knowledge (or even want to) but its really fun to just people watch (and over-hear).  Also, its a great contrast to the Multiplex experience where the lobby is filled with teens and young 20-something males, jostling each other and goofing around while getting their tickets for the next slasher movie.  Anyway, going to the movies in the City is always a fun experience for me – you have so many to choose from and once you decide you get all dressed up and then brave the cold to get there at least 15 minutes before the screen time to get a seat that doesn’t cause you to have neck cramp and then sit through 20 minutes of ads with your coat and hat on your lap because the cinema is packed!  Sounds terrible I know, but once you’ve seen the movie, gone for coffee afterwards and made it back home you really feel as if you’ve accomplished something!Then there are the museums… but that is for another blog. Actually, another great thing about Winter is snow!  On a weekend it is great to grab a train out of the City for a day trip up the Hudson to Fahenstock State Park where they have 15kms of trails.  It is skiing in the slow lane!  A pass costs you $8 for the day and then you are left to your own devices to explore the groomed trails (including a large lake that you can ski around).  After a couple of hours you are exhausted and feel great.  Then its time for Apres Ski in the town of Cold Spring about 10 minutes from the trails by car/taxi at one of 2 or 3 good restaurants.  After a late lunch you can then catch the train back to the City and snooze as the sun sets over the Hudson River.  By the time you get back to Grand Central you feel refreshed and ready to hit the City again.Winter in New York has many more wonders……

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Cinema Etiquette

Posted on March 2, 2008 by | 2 Comments

Jeepers! Talk about really annoying!

Headed off to the local cinema this afternoon with a friend to flick that switch in your mind and become absorbed in the flickering screen. We chose to watch Juno – a comedy about teen pregnancy. Doesn’t sound light hearted I know, but it was the perfect Sunday afternoon flick.

To my surprise – as we were settling in to our comfy chairs – in trouped a family of 8. Two grown ups with a gaggle of little people. And I mean little. I think the range was 4 to 7 years. I know that it says on the screen – children under 12 should be accompanied by an adult, and yes I agree families deserve time out together.

But – and there is a but – not if this means walking repeatedly up and down, up and down the stairs, whining and crying. It was a film about teen pregnancy not a Walt Disney where it is reasonable to expect lots of little people.

So I would like to add to my list of complaints about the state of society today – the loss of cinema Etiquette.

Here ends the rant!

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Bumps

Posted on March 1, 2008 by | Leave a comment

I had forgotten what a cool sport rowing is. Today was the final day of the Lent Bumps. Queens' mens 8 - leading the charge!It is a type of competition peculiar to Cambridge, Oxford and Eton.

Essentially, the boats line up along the narrow and rather windy Cam, a certain distance apart and at the sound of a cannon madly try and row into the boat in front. Hence the name bumps. Normally, great pains are taken not to crash but over the past 4 days that has been the sole aim of numerous women and men in their rowing machines.

And if you happen to achieve a bump you row to the nearest tree, grab some foliage with which to drap about your self! While, usually rowers look rather manly as they stroke past – there is definitely something lost from their allure when they have a branch sticking out from their shirt! And really I am not to sure about the all-in-one, neck to knee lycra outfits. Somethings can be left to the imagination!

The next series of bumps is in May – so I am sure I will be found on a blanket, with a jug of Pimms watching the carnage!

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