Rainy England

I’m in Oxford at the moment. Tonight is the Oriel Ball and I’m killing time while waiting for people to arrive. When I woke up this morning it was tipping down, not a great start to the ball day. Now the rain has stopped and it is just muggy but this means that everything underfood is going to be a mite soggy. Yesterday it was a beautiful day in London so this is somewhat disappointing, especially after the heat of France but it’s better than the apparent monsoon occuring in Munich at the moment.

I left France on Wednesday, leaving a sweltering Bergerac and arriving in a surprisingly warm Bristol. I then had to get the bus to the train station from the airport and met up with Andy, who is currently studying in Bristol, for a drink between my bus journey and my train journey onwards to Oxford. This break was actually a well-earned respite from hours of travelling.  It was nice to see him and gossip about common friends and catch up on each other’s lives. I haven’t really spoken to him in years so it was a lot to cram into 2 hours but I didn’t want to get to Oxford too late because after a certain time there are no more buses and a walk from the train station to Cowley is about an hour and I didn’t really fancy it.

In the end I got to Hannah’s at about 22:30 and we sat up gossiping and watching West Wing. In the morning on Saturday I got up early and made my way to London by Oxford Express to see Katie who was amazed I had got up so early after being up so late. We had a lovely chilled day. It was very hot and we were both quite tired so we took it easy. We had tea, and cake and a ploughman’s lunch and spent the afternoon lying in St James’ park in the sun and drifting round the shops. Relaaaax.

Graduation

Oxford is full of pomp and ceremony, no part of it less so than graduation, which takes place in latin. I’m not sure how other universities do it. The Oxford system has 3 parts. First, the proctors read out the names of each of the candidates who want to graduate. Then the proctors stride up and down the aisle between the deans of degrees who are sitting in front of the candidates. This is traditionally a tense moment as the deans of degrees have the power to refuse your degree. They haven’t actually used this power for a long time but it is nevertheless theirs and it’s nice when they nod acquiescence and allow you to graduate. This is all done in groups of hierarchy. First the doctorates, then the Dphils (if there’s a difference, which I’m not sure there is), then the MPhils, then the bachelors, so us, right at the bottom of the pile, a very cheering thought after 3 years of study. Then, you are called up to in front of the proctors and presented to them, in Latin. The ones higher upin the pecking order got presented individually but we were presented as a group. After a bit of latin, the appropriate response is “do fidem”, which I think means I will be faithful. You basically agree to abide by the tenants and laws of the University and not embarass it in pulic. You then leave the hall and change from your commoner’s gown into your graduate one with the ermine collar. My ermine collar was less ermine and more sheep. Some people got lucky with theirs, Phil’s was more like Polar Bear. You then wait outside and reenter to thunderous applause. You walk upto the proctor, bow and then you are a graduate.

After leaving for the last time we headed to the official photographers and did the traditional pose of mortarboard on head, scroll in hand, a la americane. We didn’t actually put on the mortarboard once during the ceremony, only for the photos afterwards, because it seems that that is what you do nowadays. Everyone has two photos, one smiling, holding the mortarboard and the other complete with scroll and wearing the mortarboard.

After the ceremony my ver rock’n'roll family, along with that of Tessa’s and Phil’s, head off to the Vault’s tea garden in St Mary’s church. With my brother (supposedly) in Albania, my parents and my aunt were my guests and were gasping for tea. I was also starving as I hadn’t had breakfast and also hadn’t really eaten much at lunch as I had been talking to friends and friends’ parents who I hadn’t seen for ages. The ceremony itself was ok but mainly for the parents and the highlight of my day was seeing Tessa and Phil. Hopefully I shall see Phil as well as Tessa when I go back for the ball. They won’t be attending the ball but it would be nice to see them during the day.

Oxford is full of pomp and ceremony, no part of it less so than graduation, which takes place in latin in the Sheldonian Theatre. I’m not sure how other universities do it. The Oxford system has 3 parts. First, the proctors read out the names of each of the candidates who want to graduate. Then the proctors stride up and down the aisle between the deans of degrees who are sitting in front of the candidates. This is traditionally a tense moment as the deans of degrees have the power to refuse your degree. They haven’t actually used this power for a long time but it is nevertheless theirs and it’s nice when they nod acquiescence and allow you to graduate. This is all done in groups of hierarchy. First the doctorates, then the Dphils (if there’s a difference I’m not sure what it is), then the MPhils, then the bachelors, so us, right at the bottom of the pile, a very cheering thought after 3 years of study. Then, you are called up to in front of the proctors and presented to them, in Latin. The ones higher upin the pecking order got presented individually but we were presented as a group. After a bit of latin, the appropriate response is “do fidem”, which I think means I will be faithful. You basically agree to abide by the tenants and laws of the University and not embarass it in pulic. You then leave the hall and change from your commoner’s gown into your graduate one with the ermine collar. My ermine collar was less ermine and more sheep. Some people got lucky with theirs, Phil’s was more like Polar Bear. You then wait outside and reenter to thunderous applause. You walk upto the proctor, bow and then you are a graduate.

After leaving for the last time we headed to the official photographers and did the traditional pose of mortarboard on head, scroll in hand, a la americane. We didn’t actually put on the mortarboard once during the ceremony, only for the photos afterwards, because it seems that that is what you do nowadays. Everyone has two photos, one smiling, holding the mortarboard and the other complete with scroll and wearing the mortarboard.

After the ceremony my very rock’n'roll family, along with Tessa’s and Phil’s, head off to the Vault’s tea garden in St Mary’s church. With my brother (supposedly) in Albania, my parents and my aunt were my guests and were gasping for tea. I was also starving as I hadn’t had breakfast and also hadn’t really eaten much at lunch as I had been talking to friends and friends’ parents who I hadn’t seen for ages. The ceremony itself was ok but mainly for the parents and the highlight of my day was seeing Tessa and Phil. Hopefully I shall see Phil as well as Tessa when I go back for the ball. They won’t be attending the ball but it would be nice to see them during the day.

UK Part I

My flight went about as smoothly as it could and we were home fast. Friday I spent the day with my aunt who wanted to buy me a watch for my graduation, a challengin task given the freakish smallness of my wrists and my very discerning taste (I’m very fussy). We eventually found a watch and I was off to my nex appointment of the day, a haircut at a different hairdressers to the one I thought I’d booked. And then off to Salisbury with the girls, Catherine and Em for a night of gossip and giggling over Pizza.