04/02/2010

In this manner, the issue was decided.

Losing weeks pretty quickly now. Keeping on top of the reading, though (currently Last Orders by Graham Swift (1996)) and soon the assignments will need proper attention. Had a very strange situation in the Gulbenkian cafe the other day; a girl walked in and sat on the sofa opposite me. I waved and she waved back, and I picked up my stuff to sit by her and the conversation went something like this;
Me - How's it going?
Girl - Ok, I guess. I'm finding it tough to meet people, though.
Me - What do you mean?
Girl - Well, I only really know the people in my seminars. I don't really have anyone to hang out with.
Me - That's a shame. I thought you were quite funny when we met.
Girl - ..I'm sorry?
Me - When we met. In the library cafe.
Girl - In the.. ?
Me - Yeah, you remember. I bought a coffee, and then asked for a cup of water, and then asked for a teaspoon and then ended with 'Those are my demands'. You replied with 'Fair enough. I think we can appease you.' I thought that was funny.
Girl - I've.. never met you before today.
Me - ...What? Then who..?
Girl - That wasn't me.
Me -Oh. Right. Ermm.. sorry about that. God, you really do look like this girl who..
Girl - I just know you from Salsa.
Me - ..What? Salsa?
Girl - Yeah. I've seen you teaching Salsa.
Me - Have.. we danced before?
Girl - No. I've never met you until today.
Me - Right. But we both do Salsa?
Girl - Yes.
Me - Ok. Right. What's your name then?

And so on and so on and so on. Sometimes, and this goes without saying, this campus is very small indeed.

The above picture of two white hot chocolates in at Chambers Cafe, where Kenny and I popped in for lunch on Wednesday. When ordering, I couldn't remember if it was 'hot white chocolate' or 'white hot chocolate' (the second one makes me think of the centre of the sun for some reason), so our drinks were presented to us thusly to assay any confusion. The end.


Bit of a literary wet dream for me on Tuesday night. China Mieville was doing a reading and Q & A session in the Missing Link building, much to the fawning adoration of Paul March-Russell ( my Science Fictions module convener) as well as to many a wine-sipping SF-head, including myself. It was highly entertaining to hear him read excerpts from Kraken, his soon to be published latest novel, and also to hear him almost childishly stamp his feet in defence of the much maligned genre of SF as a whole. In the audience was none other than Scarlett Thomas, brilliant author and undoubtedly one of the reasons why I decided to take writing seriously for myself as well as reading, and my eventual decision to go back to university. I unashamedly asked both authors to let me have my picture taken with them, throwing dignified caution to the wind. If you know not of these authors, you are dead to the joys of life. Get out.

My friend Anabela came over Sunday and cooked traditional Portugese food for all of us, basically confirming that all in all university life is often arse-shatteringly good. As well as pea, chicken and chotizo stew, we also had a chicken, peppers and onion casserole type-thing, and vegetarian quiche. All of this was rounded off with home made banana cake and coffee.

Saw David O' Doherty live on saturday also.

Boo yah!

No comments:

Post a Comment