Last week was one of the most hectic weeks I've had for a long time. It started with my first week of lectures and seminars, of which I had not done the reading, quelle suprise. I really do love Goldsmiths, and 3 our of my 4 modules I have to take this year are truly exciting. I certainly feel I have picked the right course, finally, though I'm already itching to do the MA in Gender and Culture studies, but I've got at least 3 year to wait before I can have the pleasure. Also let's face it, who expects me to keep on track for that long, with my past history of fickleness.
Anyway that was only the beginning of the week. Tuesday was my first introduction to the feminist society at Goldsmiths. It left me hitting my head against a brick wall despairing that it seemed there had been no progression in the minds of these young women and they seemed to be stuck on the second wave feminism of the early 80s. I'm am still hoping that this was just as a reaction to two badly chosen short films and indeed they were better after the discussion the next day on 'where are all the women in art'. Though I wasn't pleased to be subjected to a bizarre documentary with Tracey Emin.
Wednesday came along and it was the first of the two funerals I attended last week. This one was the funeral for a truly great woman who I had the honour to know and to sing for on a number of occasions including her funeral. Marjorie Helps, who was as old labour as anyone I can think of, who worked tirelessly until health inhibited her, who in her last week in hospital, still in full command of her thoughts was saying 'I tried my best for Newham', who without I would not have my job and many would not have any musical education, was laid to rest on Wednesday. The lady was dignified until her last. I sang 'London Pride' through a very thick cold and I'm pretty damn sure she'd have been very pleased to hear it.
By Thursday I was being hassled by the charity I've volunteered to help with fundraising for because I'm a little behind getting their fundraising material ready, but in the circumstances I asked for forgiveness and made no deadline promise, but hopefully will get a lot done next Tuesday.
Friday was by far the most difficult one. Friday was the second funeral of the week and it was the funeral of my dear friend's Dad. He helped me a great deal when I first moved back to London. He took me on holiday to Slovakia, he showed me how to dance by grabbing hold of me and spinning me round his living-room, he called me his other daughter until his new wife went all loopy loo and banned me from the house because she thought I was having an affair with him because I laughed at his jokes. I hadn't seen him for a few years even though I knew he was ill. I hadn't been to the house for many years because after she moved in all soul was scrubbed away and I was no longer welcome. On Friday I returned to the house to support Cas and to say good bye to him, though the Frank I knew left many years ago. I was so proud of Cas at the service, I'd almost forgotten how good a writer she is and the eulogy she read was absolutely perfect. By the end of Friday I was truly wacked and the cold that had been threatening to attack all week finally got me. Since then, apart from a day at work at the academy on Saturday, I've been curled up on a sofa at my parents house. Then returning to my house (which I think of as the hippy uni lodge) I started to do all my work that I need to do before Monday.
And so the week of argggg has finished and now I will try and regain some order. (Though just as the week was finishing I heard that my grandma in Southampton is unwell and we suspect that she had a stroke or something).
5 Oct 2009
13 May 2009
I don't wanna do my homework
It has been quite a busy couple of days and I'm so damn tired. It doesn't help that I have hayfever due to the amount of pollen you can actually see falling off the trees. Damn them.
For the past two days at the school we have mainly been working on the past tense. I did expect this, however I did not expect my reaction once we started doing this. On the first day on the first morning, our teacher announced we were to start work on the past tense. My first instinct was to keep my head down, try and understand what I could and hope for the best. However, because I have a big mouth and perhaps the best oral skills in the class I thwarted my own plan. Once we had to all take and active part in changing phrases from the present to the past tense, this is when my bizarre reaction commenced. First came the raised heart rate and the shakes when picking up the paper. I then spent the rest of the morning close to tears and feeling really quite ridiculous.
All I can say is thank you so much Ms Chapman for psychologically damaging me and my ability to speak in the past tense or write in French.
Thankfully today, when expanding on the subject I was a lot more at ease and quite open about just how many mistakes I was likely to be making. However, that does not stop the fact that I really don't want to be doing my homework right now, in fact I could quite happily go to sleep. Who knew school was that tiring.
For the past two days at the school we have mainly been working on the past tense. I did expect this, however I did not expect my reaction once we started doing this. On the first day on the first morning, our teacher announced we were to start work on the past tense. My first instinct was to keep my head down, try and understand what I could and hope for the best. However, because I have a big mouth and perhaps the best oral skills in the class I thwarted my own plan. Once we had to all take and active part in changing phrases from the present to the past tense, this is when my bizarre reaction commenced. First came the raised heart rate and the shakes when picking up the paper. I then spent the rest of the morning close to tears and feeling really quite ridiculous.
All I can say is thank you so much Ms Chapman for psychologically damaging me and my ability to speak in the past tense or write in French.
Thankfully today, when expanding on the subject I was a lot more at ease and quite open about just how many mistakes I was likely to be making. However, that does not stop the fact that I really don't want to be doing my homework right now, in fact I could quite happily go to sleep. Who knew school was that tiring.
11 May 2009
arg it's hot
Since my last post I have changed my mind and am not going to Italy as I am having too much fun in London.
Also, I have decided on my university and excepted an offer to Goldsmiths to do Sociology and Cultural Studies. I'm so so impatient to get that started but as I have learned oh so well, I cannot hurry up time all by myself.
Also (my my it's been a while since I updated) I have left the Alps and am now as I type in a very brightly coloured room in Aix en Provence. I arrived here yesterday evening after a long train journey across the country with a very heavy and without my ipod (idiot that I am). So far it has been a mixture of the bizare, the beautiful and the interesting.
The bizare is the lady with who I am staying. She is a 62 year old French lady whom has lived here most of her life, her family has flown the nest but I know nothing of the husband, she has not mentioned him. She has however mentioned over a salad last night all of her ailments and the experience of bad food poisoning in Tunisia. In fact I know far too much about her bodily functions I'm considering making an 'over share' sign to have with me everytime she opens her mouth. She also spent a great deal of time telling me of the terrible experience she had with the girl that stayed with her last summer. So all in all a good welcome!
The beautiful is of course the city. I still feel that one day I would be most happy living here, even if it were for a limited time. So many attractive women, so many bars, so many fountains and a very relaxed atmosphere. I'm off out again this evening to have dinner with a guy called Chris who is in my class. He seems quite an interesting chap.
The other interesting is the school. They're lovely and friendly and I feel my French is going to come on quite quickly. According to the woman that assessed my oral skills I have to think a little more before I speak as at the moment I'm rather lazy. I have also developed the skill of avoiding the past tense like the plague. We had homework today so Chris and I decided to go to a bar and do it over a drink, it certainly made it much easier.
Anyway, that was my quick catch up post, and I promise to start putting things of slightly more interest up from now on. I just felt I should fill in the gaps a little.
Also, I have decided on my university and excepted an offer to Goldsmiths to do Sociology and Cultural Studies. I'm so so impatient to get that started but as I have learned oh so well, I cannot hurry up time all by myself.
Also (my my it's been a while since I updated) I have left the Alps and am now as I type in a very brightly coloured room in Aix en Provence. I arrived here yesterday evening after a long train journey across the country with a very heavy and without my ipod (idiot that I am). So far it has been a mixture of the bizare, the beautiful and the interesting.
The bizare is the lady with who I am staying. She is a 62 year old French lady whom has lived here most of her life, her family has flown the nest but I know nothing of the husband, she has not mentioned him. She has however mentioned over a salad last night all of her ailments and the experience of bad food poisoning in Tunisia. In fact I know far too much about her bodily functions I'm considering making an 'over share' sign to have with me everytime she opens her mouth. She also spent a great deal of time telling me of the terrible experience she had with the girl that stayed with her last summer. So all in all a good welcome!
The beautiful is of course the city. I still feel that one day I would be most happy living here, even if it were for a limited time. So many attractive women, so many bars, so many fountains and a very relaxed atmosphere. I'm off out again this evening to have dinner with a guy called Chris who is in my class. He seems quite an interesting chap.
The other interesting is the school. They're lovely and friendly and I feel my French is going to come on quite quickly. According to the woman that assessed my oral skills I have to think a little more before I speak as at the moment I'm rather lazy. I have also developed the skill of avoiding the past tense like the plague. We had homework today so Chris and I decided to go to a bar and do it over a drink, it certainly made it much easier.
Anyway, that was my quick catch up post, and I promise to start putting things of slightly more interest up from now on. I just felt I should fill in the gaps a little.
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