The PhD Saga Continues

Oxford. You're killing me.

For the first time last weekend, I truly enjoyed a day in Oxford.

I've been half a dozen times or so, but it's never really been all that pleasant weather-wise (even though I've been at all times of the year). I don't find it as pretty as Cambridge. It's larger than Cambridge. It's not as close to Norwich as Cambridge.

You get the picture.

But last Saturday, I was there once again visiting mates and having some meetings. And on Saturday...the sky was blue, the river was flowing, the birds were singing...blah blah blah. And it was lovely.

So here I am. Okay, Oxford, maybe I'll keep considering you for doctoral programmes.

Today in the office, arrives an email:

"Dear Rebecca Farnum,

"Thank you for your application to the DPhil in Public Policy programme at the Blavatnik School of Government.  Your application has now been assessed and it is with pleasure that we extend this interview invitation to you...[details]."

Oh. Well, fine. Way to keep me on my toes and make use of a window of opportunity and my good graces, there, Oxford.

I, of course, reply: 

"My sincere thanks for this interview offer. I am happy to accept and will make myself available...I look forward to our conversation on Monday."

6.5 hours later, I receive an email telling me they need to reschedule my interview for later next week.

 

...

 

You're killing me, darlings.

But, anyway. I'll be interviewing for Oxford sometime.

Cambridge doesn't do interviews, but can take "several months" to decide. So just sitting around waiting for them.

King's College London has formally offered me a place already.

I, meanwhile, continue to sit here, "tripolarly", unable to actually identify a first choice. The upside to this is that I will be quite happy wherever I end up. :)

Pancake Day

Lent is the 40 day (not including Sundays) season before Easter. It commemorates the forty days Christians believe Jesus spent in the desert fasting and praying before beginning his ministry.

The day before Lent is full in most predominantly Christian countries of various celebrations marking the last day of "naughtiness" before we clean up our act, or our kitchens, or our tv habits, or whatever. Christians generally give up something for Lent. For Catholics, this is pretty well prescribed - no meat on Fridays. And thus the origin of the Friday Fish Fry, everyone coming together for a non-meat meal. In most Protestant denominations, individuals choose what they'll give up. Chocolate is a common one. Increasingly, people choose to "fast" from Facebook and things like that. Others add something on - devotions in the morning, exercise routines, time intentionally spent with family, etc. 

Yesterday was "Pancake Day" in the UK - the day before Lent, there's a tradition of eating crepes. It's mostly lost its religious significance - but who's going to turn down a crepe!?! In the US, communities celebrate Mardi Gras with a huge party or "Fat Tuesday", eating lots of packzi - donuts made from all the lard, sugar, eggs, and lard not allowed during Lent by Catholic practices in Poland. 

So...happy desserts or lack thereof as Lent continues!

Photos from "Bright Futures"

A few shots from my shenanigans last week:

"Bright Futures"

I have just returned to Norwich after a fantastic three days at Holt Hall in rural Norfolk, working with forty young British students to develop capacity around energy saving, environmental activism, leadership, and communication. 

As always, US Girl Scout and church camps came flooding back and I won the prize for loudest lungs. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves a lot - even though we forced some maths worksheets on them. 

This programme is similar to the "Water & Enterprise" I helped teach at last year, but we really built university students into the leadership for this year and had UEA and Marshall Scholars running about half of the sessions. And I'm continuing to bully Scholars into Norfolk - had six others come join us for different days to help lead small group work. A grand time was had by all, I do believe!

Marshalls will hopefully be running our own residential around environmental arts activism in Early June, so this was a lovely prelude/warm up to that. 

And now - Norwich for a few hours to see Iorwerth et al., and on to Oxford to see other mates!

"Battlestar Galactica"

Someone really must disable my Netflix account.
(By "someone", I suppose I really mean me, since I'm the only one with access...him...)

I've become a sci-fi junkie. It's terrible. (Slash wonderful.)

I mean, "Doctor Who" and "Firefly", fine. They were sci-fi-esque. Mostly, they were fun romps that happened to take place in space.

"Star Wars" and "Star Trek" are mainstream enough for me to slide under the radar.

But with the advent of "Farscape" and "Battlestar Galactica", I believe it is time for me to give it up.

I'm officially a member of the fandom, not just a geek. Ahh, well. My ability to sometimes pretend I was normal was fun while it lasted.

This Sunday afternoon brought to you by the letters "B", "S", and "G" and the number "75".

Essays!

Essay topics for second term have been released and are due 22 April. 

I opened up the document for International Climate Change Law, and there appeared a title that could have been written for me: "To what extent do human rights come to bear on international climate law?"

Well. There's that sorted, then. There are five other options, which I barely bothered to skim. (Though I could, instead, go on an anti-market rant by the look of things. Also tempting, but no.)

Environmental law and human rights law are trickier, as there are several options that would be happy for each. 

To be sorted in due course...and then likely rambled upon via the YouTube series...

Second soprano...

I got bullied into singing second soprano in church choir this morning. On an a acappela piece. The horror!!

The problem with singing soprano only occasionally for years is one utterly loses the ability to actually harmonise, instead of just singing the highest note possible.

But I lived through the service. And even didn't do too much shame to the "Be ati", I think. 

Not saying I'm up to do it every week. But if there's one thing singing in a Scottish church choir with hymns you never know is good for, it's being forced to sightread and not simply autopilot during congregational singing in church...