Several things:
1. The guy that I am sort of seeing here in London bought me several aubergines (eggplants), spaghetti squash, and a bag of brussel sprouts after I had briefly mentioned (so briefly it hardly could be considered an actual comment) my frustration at not being able to find them in grocery stores/Borough market. I am in veg heaven and believe this ranks as the 'most romantic gesture of 2011'. Admittedly, this was not a hard title to earn considering that there have otherwise been no romantic gestures towards me in 2011. Unless you count the 'hey baby' catcalls of the construction workers off the Borough High Street.
2. Confession: I used to hate brussel sprouts up until this past November when I got the vegetarian version of the Sunday roast at Garfunkel's near Trafalgar Square. It was love at first bite.
3. I am currently suffering from a major case of writer's block/confusion. Hardt & Negri's Empire (which is very convoluted and frequently attacked by critics as being full of holes with little practical implications for real-world application) has me seeing life though a postmodern haze. This is the last essay that I have to write until the end of April (and that one is for OSINT so will pose no difficulty) and yet it is absolutely killing me. I went for a 9-mile run this morning and have subsequently left my room only to get groceries at lunch time. At the risk of making a dramatic overstatement - I feel as if my very soul is dying.
4. I hate theory. And postmodernism.
5. More pressing question: Do I have enough Scottish music to last the 1hr:35 minutes that I am planning it will take me to finish my half marathon on the 10th? And should I run the race in a kilt? (Already know where I can get one on the cheap.)
Anyway, this week marks the last week of the foreseeable future (I can't bring myself to say life) in which I will have class. For this week, on Friday, I will attend my last graduate school class. It is strange to think that this identity as 'student' will be coming to an end (albeit of questionable permanence). It started when I was 4-year old pre-schooler in Savage and has continued for 18 long years. It is quite a sobering thought. And although I still have exams in May and a dissertation due in August, it is the end of the formal instruction of that seems to be the most poignant moment. Still, I can't say that I am too upset by this development. I am burnt out and exhausted. I am sick of writing essays for set questions that have been used for years in the past and for which I cannot possibly hope to come up with a new, original answer.(See HArdt & Negri's Empire and my current essay topic: 'Is the contemporary global political order describable in terms of 'Empire'?' My answer is 'no, it really is not' but, unfortunately, I doubt that the War Studies Department will feel that my 5-word response meets the 3000-word maximum.)
That said, there are some things that I will miss about being a student::
1. Being able to 'go to work' while still in my pajamas. Or in clothing that others might consider pajamas. (Changed from my own pjs into a pair of clean running spandex, t-shirt, knee high socks and a sweatshirt. Have absolutely no plans on changing into more suitable attire.)
2. Setting my own hours.
3. Being able to complain about things that don't really matter in the long run. I am fully aware that, in future, all concerns and problems will actually have major real-world implications and be potentially life-changing.
Scenes from a London life:
 |
| TGI Friday's bartenders attempting to set the Guinness World Record for Synchronized Flairing |
 |
| 105 bartenders engaged in synchronized flairing for 3 minutes, beating the previous world record by a minute |
 |
| Perhaps when I turn 25, I will attempt to break a Guinness World Record |
 |
| It just goes to show that you never know what you are going to stumble across in Covent Garden |
 |
| The Olympic Clock in Trafalgar Square |
 |
| 250,000 people descended upon London a few days ago to protest budget cuts. Unfortunately, vandalism occurred. |
 |
| St. James' Park |
 |
| Imperial War Museum |
By the Numbers:
49 Days until I return to the US
2 Essays left to write
12 Days until the Edinburgh Half Marathon
14 Days until Oslo
27 Days until Seville
40 Days until the Shakespeare Marathon
No comments:
Post a Comment