Minuscule, burning white stars. A dark blue felt blanket sky, patchy and textured by faint clouds, bulging towards the earth like a bag with heavy contents.
University Church looms behind the Radcliffe Camera, forever on the horizon.
The Bridge of Sighs shines from within, some of its light splashing out onto Queens Lane below. Our tires tread hard but silently over the spillage.
It’s half past midnight and I’m on the back of my friend’s bicycle. We’ve just come from the Gardener’s Arms, our ritual Wednesday night pub. Time to go home.
A classic Oxford moment.
~~~
That’s what my friend Ed said at least. He was the one pedaling the bicycle. Ironically, that was the better role to have. Being passenger, I learned tonight, entails a bruised bottom from a rectangular metal seat and feet that are perpetually about to skim the pavement.
And no helmets.
But we made it.
Oh, what a wild week it’s been! Where do I even begin to recap it all to you??
Let’s see, since I last wrote…
(Wednesday)
I went on a Mansfield Crewdate at the Temple Lounge, in which I learned far too much about people I’d never met before. In a humorous way.
(Thursday)
I went to a formal dinner at my friend Ben Preston’s college, Green Templeton, in which we were served a free champagne reception, a three course meal with unlimited refills of red AND white wine, and chocolate, coffee, and tea after.
(Friday)
Arrived in North Wales and made more chili than I’ve ever seen in my life. (Enough to feed 40, which we did the next night.)
(Saturday)
Climbed in the most miserable conditions I’ve ever subjected myself to. Survived to tell the tale.
Also learned what sock wrestling is.
You have to get the other person’s sock off before they do the same to you. Whilst suspended from a wooden beam by a sling.
(Sunday)
Spent the day in a car coming back from Wales. Was in a highly functional hungover state.
(Monday)
Volunteered with Turl Street Homeless Action, which I’ve decided I definitely want to do again. It’s actually the opposite of a soup kitchen and consists of people walking the streets of Oxford with sandwiches and hot water, visiting the various homeless people, and making instant tea/coffee/soup for them, chatting with them, etc.
((Taco) Tuesday)
Dinner party in Flat 2! Invited our fellow Renault (the apartment complex my housemates and I live in) residents for taco night. Huge success.
(Wednesday) (Today)
Went to my second crewdate ever (in exactly a week’s time from the last) with the OUMC (Oxford University Mountaineering Club) and the OUCKC (Oxford University Canoe and Kayaking Club). Lots of pennying and sconcing ensued.
Rode home on the back of Ed’s bicycle.
And that’s it!
Hope you enjoyed the helter skelter manner in which I presented this week’s adventures!
Until next week!
~Em