(I may have made that word up)
This summer is amazing.
-ly busy.
-ly exhausting.
-ly exciting.
-ly full of sitting at a laptop pounding out words and brackets and italicised 'asides'
But mostly just amazing.
I spent most of last week recovering from the Wedding Weekend of the Century (which, by the way, was WONDERFUL), flitting between Kettering and Harb, for proofreading and editing my thesis in one house, and eating (I have no food) and sleeping (sporadically) in the other. After spending a concentrated couple of days in Ketters working like a mad woman, (oh, and rewarding myself with exciting treats, such as cinema-ing with the young'un to see HARRY POTTER, and Chiquitos-ing with the buddy in Cambridge), I drove back to Harb, en route to Oxfordshire, and emailed a 50-something page draft to my supervisor.
Then, I sped down the M1 (possibly), to arrive chez sister in the mid-afternoon, for to begin a weekend of Wild Wilderness Wonderment.
We spent the weekend lounging in the (occasional) sunshine, usually with a pint of something delicious in our hands, surrounded by small children, colourful people and the wafts of live music. I. Loved. It.
There is something so exhilerating about live music. I'm not going to attempt to capture what it is, but just state that I love it. Really.
Anyway, I left Oxon at circa 11:30-ish am, and arrived in Harborough for a quick shower and laptop collection, then crawled along the A14 to my supervisor's office in Cambridge, whereupon we proceeded to complete a 2 1/2 hour supervision, with me tap-tapping away at my keyboard, and him making approving noises as he read through the literature review, and scoured the literary landscape for grammatical inconsistencies and poorly phrased passages.
There is so much more I'd like to say in this post.
- The joys and delights and strange melancholies associated with weddings.
- The amazing capacities for human love and acceptance - not just in marriage, but also in the creation of surprisingly easy new friendships.
- The horrors and unimaginable selfishness of humanity, as seen in the UK riots.
- The unusual emotions aroused during Harry Potter - their spells and incantations, shooting up light into the night sky: so similar to prayers like incense.
- The ideas of collective worship at a secular music festival - what is it people go for? What are they worshipping?
- Antony and the Johnsons, and preaching Feminine Neutrality.
- How much I love my sister.
SO MUCH I WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
But for now, I am (a boy?). No, for now, I am incredibly exhausted. And a bit sad that I am no longer at Wilderness. But a bit (a lot) excited that I am going to Momentum on FRIDAY.
YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
I can't wait.
Anyway, good night.
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Updating...
So the past week and a half has whizzed by in something of a hazy, fun-filled blur. Allow me to walk you through it...
Date: week ending 22nd July
Description: end of term week.
Primary Activity/ies: thesis-ing, being full of cold, not going to London for Lottie's hen do, finishing term.
Date: Saturday 23rd July - Friday 29th July
Description: Scottish Adventure
Primary Activity/ies: thesis-ing (Sat), sleeping in a Cumbrian gypsy caravan (Sat night), visiting Glasgow (Sun), ferrying to Colonsay (Sun eve), ceilidh-ing on Colonsay (Mon), barbecue-ing on the beach (Tues), visiting Colonsay house (Weds), ferrying back to Oban (Thurs), experiencing a folk session in a Glaswegian pub (Thurs night), sleeping in a Glasgow YHA (Thurs night cont.), driving through M6 traffic (Fri), arriving home (Fri pm).
Date: Weekend of 30th/31st July
Description: Family Fun
Primary Activity/ies: visiting brother et al in Nottingham (Sat) and sister et al in Oxfordshire (Sun) for sister's 30th and brother's... well, no real reason, I suppose.
Date: Monday 1st Aug
Description: Thesis Day #1
Primary Activity: Thesising (and a little Skype-ing)
Date: Tues 2nd Aug
Description: Worst Day of the Summer So Far
Primary Activities: vomiting, sleeping, aching, moaning.
Date: Weds 3rd Aug
Description: Today
Primary Activity: trying to thesise all day, and not really getting very far. This will be my Primary Activity for at least tomorrow too, and then on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I am busy having exciting wedding parties and post-wedding meanders round London (I hope).
Anyway, there, in a brief but functional description, is my summer so far. Colonsay was AMAZING, and I got hideously sunburnt, and thoroughly exhausted from cycling all day every day, but I LOVED it and would not have not gone for anything.
Now I am doing an excellent impression of a snake, and shedding my sunburnt skin (which is now brown(-ish) and slightly peeling), all in perfect time for the wedding weekend of the year.
Yeah man, can't wait.
Date: week ending 22nd July
Description: end of term week.
Primary Activity/ies: thesis-ing, being full of cold, not going to London for Lottie's hen do, finishing term.
Date: Saturday 23rd July - Friday 29th July
Description: Scottish Adventure
Primary Activity/ies: thesis-ing (Sat), sleeping in a Cumbrian gypsy caravan (Sat night), visiting Glasgow (Sun), ferrying to Colonsay (Sun eve), ceilidh-ing on Colonsay (Mon), barbecue-ing on the beach (Tues), visiting Colonsay house (Weds), ferrying back to Oban (Thurs), experiencing a folk session in a Glaswegian pub (Thurs night), sleeping in a Glasgow YHA (Thurs night cont.), driving through M6 traffic (Fri), arriving home (Fri pm).
Date: Weekend of 30th/31st July
Description: Family Fun
Primary Activity/ies: visiting brother et al in Nottingham (Sat) and sister et al in Oxfordshire (Sun) for sister's 30th and brother's... well, no real reason, I suppose.
Date: Monday 1st Aug
Description: Thesis Day #1
Primary Activity: Thesising (and a little Skype-ing)
Date: Tues 2nd Aug
Description: Worst Day of the Summer So Far
Primary Activities: vomiting, sleeping, aching, moaning.
Date: Weds 3rd Aug
Description: Today
Primary Activity: trying to thesise all day, and not really getting very far. This will be my Primary Activity for at least tomorrow too, and then on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I am busy having exciting wedding parties and post-wedding meanders round London (I hope).
Anyway, there, in a brief but functional description, is my summer so far. Colonsay was AMAZING, and I got hideously sunburnt, and thoroughly exhausted from cycling all day every day, but I LOVED it and would not have not gone for anything.
Now I am doing an excellent impression of a snake, and shedding my sunburnt skin (which is now brown(-ish) and slightly peeling), all in perfect time for the wedding weekend of the year.
Yeah man, can't wait.
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Summer Sickness
If there was ever an especially inconvenient time to be ill, it's right now.
I have fun summer things planned, I have weddings to go to, and somewhat stressfully, I have the next installment of my thesis due in, oh, tomorrow.
I came home from school early today, due to the fact I am deaf in one ear, my throat is thick, my nose running, and I'm getting to that stage of "so stuffed up, I actually feel sick". Not a good look, and NOT a good feeling. Most of all, though, NOT CONVENIENT!
On the plus side, I came home and slept a while. Also, I only missed one lesson, as I went in and taught p.1 to my wonderful year 12s.
Oh, another positive about today was that the year 13s popped in to see us, beladen with colourful bouquets of flowers and thank you cards. Bless them - what an appreciated gesture.
Right, I'm off to continue slaving over a hot laptop. Perhaps after eating some soup or something. I am hungry. ("feed a cold" and all that...)
Adieu.
I have fun summer things planned, I have weddings to go to, and somewhat stressfully, I have the next installment of my thesis due in, oh, tomorrow.
I came home from school early today, due to the fact I am deaf in one ear, my throat is thick, my nose running, and I'm getting to that stage of "so stuffed up, I actually feel sick". Not a good look, and NOT a good feeling. Most of all, though, NOT CONVENIENT!
On the plus side, I came home and slept a while. Also, I only missed one lesson, as I went in and taught p.1 to my wonderful year 12s.
Oh, another positive about today was that the year 13s popped in to see us, beladen with colourful bouquets of flowers and thank you cards. Bless them - what an appreciated gesture.
Right, I'm off to continue slaving over a hot laptop. Perhaps after eating some soup or something. I am hungry. ("feed a cold" and all that...)
Adieu.
Monday, 18 July 2011
Operation Elly
My friend asked me recently, "when is Operation Elly going to start?"
What he meant was, "when am I going to take charge of my life, and start doing something big and exciting that I am passionate about"?
My reactions were as follows:
- Wait, what's wrong with the life I have?
- Flip, he's right - I don't have a life. Man, I don't even have a life plan. Geez, what is the plan??
- I love that he thinks I can do big stuff with my life, but I actually love teaching at the moment - is that so bad?
- My life is a bit stale at times, and I do often get the "I need an adventure" feeling...
So basically, I have no idea what to do with my life. I would love an adventure. Like a move to a foreign country, or even to a city - London, or even back to Nottingham. I do miss the sociability of cities.
I also am constantly aware that it is difficult to meet people in a small town, so moving away could be beneficial in that sense too. I'm also aware, however, that my CV is a bit bitty at the moment, and I need to solidify teaching at least for another year or maybe two.
Anyway, those are my thoughts.
Now I need to do some work.
Oops...
What he meant was, "when am I going to take charge of my life, and start doing something big and exciting that I am passionate about"?
My reactions were as follows:
- Wait, what's wrong with the life I have?
- Flip, he's right - I don't have a life. Man, I don't even have a life plan. Geez, what is the plan??
- I love that he thinks I can do big stuff with my life, but I actually love teaching at the moment - is that so bad?
- My life is a bit stale at times, and I do often get the "I need an adventure" feeling...
So basically, I have no idea what to do with my life. I would love an adventure. Like a move to a foreign country, or even to a city - London, or even back to Nottingham. I do miss the sociability of cities.
I also am constantly aware that it is difficult to meet people in a small town, so moving away could be beneficial in that sense too. I'm also aware, however, that my CV is a bit bitty at the moment, and I need to solidify teaching at least for another year or maybe two.
Anyway, those are my thoughts.
Now I need to do some work.
Oops...
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Latitude
This weekend last year, I was at Latitude (not-just-a-)music festival (see this post). It was one of the best weekends. I saw a load of amazing live musicians, was introduced to a load of bands I didn't know and now love, saw a handful of comedians and poets, and spent the weekend getting gradually more and more sunburnt and less clean. I loved it.
This year, the line-up didn't look so captivating (but then, it would have been difficult to beat last year's Mumford and Sons, Vampire Weekend, Florence and the Machine, Jonsi, Yeasayer etc. Pretty awesome), so we decided not to go again.
That was ok. That is, until I kept getting notifications from Latitude on Facebook, telling me all about all the exciting things I would be missing, and showing me pictures of all the places I wouldn't be and bands I wouldn't hear. I started to get a bit sad that I wasn't going to be there, and also a bit panicky that I would miss out on a weekend of musical input (seriously, I have drawn on last year's weekend quite significantly. I think one of my year eights thinks I go to gigs all the time... No no, just lots in one weekend...)
Anyway, yesterday morning, as I was sitting in my comfortable new kitchen/dining room, with a cup of hot tea in my hand, and the rain pelting down outside, I realised that, actually, if I had been at Latitude, I would have missed out on:
- "The Show" (combined music/art/fashion/barbecue evening at school)
- Impromtu girls' night in with 3 lovely ladies from work (plus one of them's husband, but essentially girls' night in...)
- Driving my housemate and colleague to Tanzania (not literally) at 1 o'clock in the morning (literally)
- Collecting my bike from the old house, and bringing it to the new house.
- My beautiful friend's hen party in Birmingham
- Seeing my wonderful friend in London before he moves to Japan (how selfish of him)
- Being not wet, not dirty and not completely sunburnt.
Winner winner.
Oh, and I suppose paying lots of money to see bands I wasn't that fussed about seeing. There's another bonus.
So anyway, all in all, it's a good thing I'm not there, particularly for the not-missing-Beth's-hen-do and the seeing-Chris-before-he-goes aspect of the weekend.
The Big Man knows what he's doing.
True dat.
This year, the line-up didn't look so captivating (but then, it would have been difficult to beat last year's Mumford and Sons, Vampire Weekend, Florence and the Machine, Jonsi, Yeasayer etc. Pretty awesome), so we decided not to go again.
That was ok. That is, until I kept getting notifications from Latitude on Facebook, telling me all about all the exciting things I would be missing, and showing me pictures of all the places I wouldn't be and bands I wouldn't hear. I started to get a bit sad that I wasn't going to be there, and also a bit panicky that I would miss out on a weekend of musical input (seriously, I have drawn on last year's weekend quite significantly. I think one of my year eights thinks I go to gigs all the time... No no, just lots in one weekend...)
Anyway, yesterday morning, as I was sitting in my comfortable new kitchen/dining room, with a cup of hot tea in my hand, and the rain pelting down outside, I realised that, actually, if I had been at Latitude, I would have missed out on:
- "The Show" (combined music/art/fashion/barbecue evening at school)
- Impromtu girls' night in with 3 lovely ladies from work (plus one of them's husband, but essentially girls' night in...)
- Driving my housemate and colleague to Tanzania (not literally) at 1 o'clock in the morning (literally)
- Collecting my bike from the old house, and bringing it to the new house.
- My beautiful friend's hen party in Birmingham
- Seeing my wonderful friend in London before he moves to Japan (how selfish of him)
- Being not wet, not dirty and not completely sunburnt.
Winner winner.
Oh, and I suppose paying lots of money to see bands I wasn't that fussed about seeing. There's another bonus.
So anyway, all in all, it's a good thing I'm not there, particularly for the not-missing-Beth's-hen-do and the seeing-Chris-before-he-goes aspect of the weekend.
The Big Man knows what he's doing.
True dat.
Monday, 11 July 2011
Positive Touch
I read this article the other day.
It's all about the need for positive touch. That is, physical contact, used in a healthy and beneficial way. For example, peer hand/head/neck massages, and reassuring back rubs/arm touches etc. It's been found to help children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, particularly in anger management etc.
For many children at the school the research took place, the only physical contact they received was either restraint from their teachers, or abuse from each other. Since they started focussing on touch in a positive way, the number of physical restraints per day has decreased significantly.
Now, over the past few years, I have developed a certain level of tactile intolerance. I hate it. One time, I practically went into panic when my ballet teacher in Cambridge was moving my arms for me, trying to put them into the right position. I could not deal with it.
Reading this article has made me realise that perhaps I need to embrace positive touch a bit more. So this weekend, I made sure I stroked my old housemate's hair when she needed it, I hugged my other old housemate on leaving (which, to be fair, I would have done anyway), and yesterday gave my mother and sister-niece the massivest squidges I think I have ever given them.
Little by little, I am going to try and introduce more positive touch into my life, to upbuild others in it, and to (perhaps selfishly) make myself feel better too. Already this weekend, I have been feeling less intrinsically cross.
Everyone's a winner.
Except those who are also tactile intolerant, and therefore will hate me imposing my 'positive touch' on them. I will be careful...
It's all about the need for positive touch. That is, physical contact, used in a healthy and beneficial way. For example, peer hand/head/neck massages, and reassuring back rubs/arm touches etc. It's been found to help children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, particularly in anger management etc.
For many children at the school the research took place, the only physical contact they received was either restraint from their teachers, or abuse from each other. Since they started focussing on touch in a positive way, the number of physical restraints per day has decreased significantly.
Now, over the past few years, I have developed a certain level of tactile intolerance. I hate it. One time, I practically went into panic when my ballet teacher in Cambridge was moving my arms for me, trying to put them into the right position. I could not deal with it.
Reading this article has made me realise that perhaps I need to embrace positive touch a bit more. So this weekend, I made sure I stroked my old housemate's hair when she needed it, I hugged my other old housemate on leaving (which, to be fair, I would have done anyway), and yesterday gave my mother and sister-niece the massivest squidges I think I have ever given them.
Little by little, I am going to try and introduce more positive touch into my life, to upbuild others in it, and to (perhaps selfishly) make myself feel better too. Already this weekend, I have been feeling less intrinsically cross.
Everyone's a winner.
Except those who are also tactile intolerant, and therefore will hate me imposing my 'positive touch' on them. I will be careful...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)