Hi all!
What a week it has been! One of my goals during my semester abroad has been to take full advantage of all Cambridge has to offer. That includes everything: clubs, societies, and sports, classes, lectures, and talks.
I spent a lovely afternoon last week at Kettle’s Yard, a house-turned-art gallery in Cambridge! A bit of background: the house was originally owned by Jim and Helen Ede. They lived in Cambridge during the 1950s, and displayed Ede’s collection of 20th century art in their home. Apparently, when he lived there, Jim held an ‘open house’ each afternoon, inviting any students over for a private tour of his collection. When the Edes soon moved to Scotland, everything was given to the University of Cambridge, and soon turned into a museum. If I could use one word to describe the house, it would be quirky. For example, I learned from the guide that fresh flowers are always placed in vases around the house every week. In the living room, yellow lemons were displayed on the centerpiece, in order to match the yellow accents in one of the adjacent artworks.
Additionally, museumgoers are encouraged to make use of the space: we were allowed to sit on the sofa, have a conversation on the dining room table, and more! The museum was a typical English home, which was so neat to walk through and experience. It took me an hour to walk through, and at the end, I decided to take one more round in all the rooms. To my surprise, during my second round, I noticed something new in each room. Small details made my experience so worthwhile. My visit reminded me of how important minutiae details are, and the power of lingering.
Kettle’s Yard made me think of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (which, if you’re reading this and haven’t been there, definitely go and check it out! W students get free admission).
This week also marks the first official week of Michaelmas term! Fully enrolled Cambridge students have arrived, and the city is bustling. There was a fresher’s fair (aka organizations/club fair) on Tuesday and Wednesday. I, of course, wanted to join every club I saw, but I decided to take it slow. So far, I’m interested in joining the hillwalking (hiking) club, tiddlywinks club, tea society, potentially a cultural org. I’m not sure which ones I’ll ultimately stick with, but for now, I’m keeping an open mind.
As I mentioned last week, I spontaneously decided to try rowing at Cambridge! I’m in the process of learning how to coxswain: I had my first outing on the River Cam with a two-person boat, and it went really well. The girls I met were extremely sweet, and it felt amazing going out on the water. Now, I need to focus on memorizing the coxswain calls!
There is so much to do here at Cambridge. I want to make sure I’m maximizing my experiences as much as I can.
To a great week ahead,
Shreya