Diary of an English student

I'm supposed to be writing an essay on women in the Iliad right now, but I'm feeling in need of a little distracting, and doing this means
a) I'm not eating random things (my favourite method of procrastination)
b) I haven't actually left my computer, ergo I could start working again at ANY point. Which means it isn't really procrastinating at all, just a mild distraction ...

Ahem. So. Here we all are then. Working hard, at Oxford, and all that. This is my last essay for this term, yesss! That may sound a little outrageous as term doesn't finish until the 6th December, but to be honest, it's not like I won't have any other work to do. I am constantly made to feel guilty about how little work I have in comparison to other people, but hey. I heard from someone (who I'm sure was a reliable source..) that Classics is the hardest degree to actually do well in at Oxford. So there. Besides, no matter how hard or not I work this year, I will be absolutely swamped in work next year in preparation for Mods. So stop abusing me, people!

Ok, that's my little rant over. I can talk about something else now. I would talk about rowing, but I'm afraid that I'll be accused of only ever talking about it.. which may or may not be an unfounded accusation. I'll just briefly state that
a) the women's novice As should TOTALLY have beaten Balliol if the boat hadn't broken and
b) the men's novice As are AWESOME.

Rowing news over. Lets discuss something else. Quick, quick or I'll have to start writing my essay again.. er... the weather! Why oh why does it always snow wherever I am not? Cambridge had snow at the weekend. Did Oxford? No! It was bloody cold, but there was no snow. How is that fair? It isn't, is the answer you are looking for. So that's rather infuriating. I bet when I go home for christmas, it snows in Oxford. That would just be typical. On the subject of snow, and Christmas, there is a definite festive spirit beginning to make itself known round college. Kate has a christmas tree in her room. It's rather awesome. I also have 2 secret santas - a uni one and a home one. I would tell you who they are, and you could suggest gifts, but I can't incase they read it. Suffice to say I have some ideas for one and none whatsoever for the other. Hmmm.

Anyway, I really must stop procrastinating now. I hope you enjoyed this little interlude, but now, I'm afraid, the joys of Helen and Andromache call.

A bientot, mes petits xxx

Have you ever considered the amazing effect of hugs?

I'm not just talking about immediate consequences, you understand. I'm talking about the fact that one good hug, at the right time, can set you up for the next week or so.

I had a hug like that yesterday

As a result, I went to bed happy, I woke up happy and I've been happy all morning, even through an explanation of the aorist passive and a lecture on philosophy in Virgil's Aeneid.

Some might say this is not entirely attributable to one hug. I might agree. But the point is, that life is pretty groovy at the moment.

Lots of exciting and groovy things are going on over the course of the next week. I'll give you a rundown:

today - rehearsal. Floreat Exon! Also today - no training - YES!
tomorrow - Friday. Need I say more?
Saturday - My sister's birthday. Race on the Isis. Rather exciting stuff.
Sunday - mum, brother and sister paying me a birthday visit, bringing lots of edible goodies and other such delights. Don't have to go to Wallingford. Win!
Monday - tech rehearsal. Eep! Also, ballroom dancing. Good stuff.
Tuesday - subject family dinner. Posh tea with all my favourite classicists (and some English students too, but they don't count )
Wednesday - first ever Crew Date! Woop! at Magdalen. Maybe it'll be deer on the menu ..
Thursday - What a combination. We get our hoodies for rowing - YAY - and we also have our ACTUAL PERFORMANCE of Brief Brief Encounter. It's going to be amazing. Promise.

Basically, things are pretty awesome at the moment. Or so they seem.

I wonder how long this burst of optimism will last?

I take up my pen (as it were) once again at the exhortations of a fellow-student who misses reading my blog. I feel so loved

As it's a little while since I last wrote, I can't remember where I left off.. so apologies if there are huge gaps/numerous repeats in events as I narrate them.

Jenny came to stay over the weekend - which was UBER groovy to the max. Even though it rained, and I had to go rowing at Wallingford. But hey ho, you can't have everything and all that jazz, it was still pretty damn awesome. I very nearly bought a quite ridiculously priced (but mega funky) hat. It had earphone attachments. It cost £25. I was so tempted. But I couldn't *quite* justify it to myself so I didn't, which is probably for the best. But if anyone feels like buying it for me, well, I wouldn't say no, ok?

Monday was a stressful day as I tried desperately to write the essay due in for Tuesday that I had thus far neglected. In the end, I left it til Tuesday morning to sort out. A risky strategy, you might think; and yet actually, by the time it came for me to read my essay out in the tute at 5, it was much better than I had left it on Monday. So there, all you people who think essays cannot be written last minute! (of which, I have to admit, I am usually one!)

Of course, now that's out of the way, it's time to celebrate just a little bit, because I don't have an essay in for 5th week! YESSSS! And I have decided to be a a little bit crazy and take my essay off in 6th week. So now I have 2 weeks sans essay! How awesome is that? Very awesome, that's how.

I haven't been slacking, mind. I stayed up to watch some of the American presidential elections; I've been rowing and erging and all sorts, I've still had Greek and Latin to do (yippee..) and I've been to G and Ds - twice! So you see, I've been very busy. I'm also trying to direct a play - come and see it! Thursday 20th November, some time in the early afternoon. It's going to be good, guys - and you better believe it!

Right. That's all for now as lunch calls - but I promise to write again soon. Honest!