So I got bored and took a break from dissertation work to make an official website for myself. Very simple, but it's a nice central hub for everything. Apparently my gearhead graphic is now my personal logo. I think it suits me.
In other news, I'm going up to Durham next week to see an apartment that I have high hopes for! The landlady has been very nice in correspondence, and so far there's one other female postgrad living in the flat, so I'll be in good company, hopefully. Anyway, this is all of course hinging on whether I actually like the place when I get there, but it seems ideal from what I can see so far. I've also nailed down a letter of reference from one of my professors, so that's all set. It would be nice to know where I'm living in a month!
Holy god, I'm moving in a month. Well, five weeks.
Still. Yikes.
Also: Everyone go see Inception right now. I mean it. It is operatic and beautiful and my new favorite thing. It has its flaws, but it's also totally not as confusing as everyone makes out. The score is absolutely amazing. And there are multiple Escher references. I'm going to need to see it a second time. Possibly a third. But not before I finish my Marx section. Yes.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Brontës, ahoy!
This weekend, we indeed managed to make it out to Haworth, which was extremely fun. We took the train into Keighley (pronounced keefley, which...we have no idea why, but that's a fact), and then the bus into Haworth, at which point we went up some hilly passages to the Brontë parsonage.
Firstly, the moors are gorgeous. The roads are cobbled and precariously hilly, and I'm amazed buses get up there in general. The houses are all very old stone things that look perpetually rain-soaked, so I can see it becoming very atmospheric in the dark. Gaskell, in her way, wasn't wrong when she painted the village as a sort of melancholy place. But it's also very picturesque and pretty as well.
The parsonage itself was lovely and kept in pristine condition as a museum for the Brontës, and Lorna and Erin and I had a very nice time wandering around and reading about the sisters, as well as Branwell's scandalous life of debauchery and alcoholism. Being Byronic is really only a good idea in concept rather than application, Branwell! Silly man.
I also nearly made a very financially unwise decision to purchase a painting by one Victoria Brookland, who did a number of ink paintings inspired by Charlotte Brontë's clothing. They were beautiful works filled with Victoriana and Gothic sensibility that reminded me a bit of Harry Clarke, but a bit out of my price range. If she ever starts making prints, though, I'm going to be all over it. Instead,
we all bought wax seals with our initials on them and postcards so that when Erin's in Canada and I'm in Durham we shall all very formally write to each other the old fashioned way. It's going to be epic, I'm telling you!
After that, we wandered into the Apothecary (and yes, there is a proper apothecary, right across from the church) which was like going back in time by a good sixty years. Erin and Lorna bought fancy candy, and I nearly bought very ridiculous perfume, but didn't. Then we had afternoon tea/lunch in a tea room run by extremely lovely and friendly people, and headed back to Keighley...by steam train!
I feel fully immersed in the Industrial Revolution, now. It was awesome.
And thus, a lovely weekend trip! Perhaps next weekend we'll go to Scarborough.
Firstly, the moors are gorgeous. The roads are cobbled and precariously hilly, and I'm amazed buses get up there in general. The houses are all very old stone things that look perpetually rain-soaked, so I can see it becoming very atmospheric in the dark. Gaskell, in her way, wasn't wrong when she painted the village as a sort of melancholy place. But it's also very picturesque and pretty as well.The parsonage itself was lovely and kept in pristine condition as a museum for the Brontës, and Lorna and Erin and I had a very nice time wandering around and reading about the sisters, as well as Branwell's scandalous life of debauchery and alcoholism. Being Byronic is really only a good idea in concept rather than application, Branwell! Silly man.
I also nearly made a very financially unwise decision to purchase a painting by one Victoria Brookland, who did a number of ink paintings inspired by Charlotte Brontë's clothing. They were beautiful works filled with Victoriana and Gothic sensibility that reminded me a bit of Harry Clarke, but a bit out of my price range. If she ever starts making prints, though, I'm going to be all over it. Instead,
we all bought wax seals with our initials on them and postcards so that when Erin's in Canada and I'm in Durham we shall all very formally write to each other the old fashioned way. It's going to be epic, I'm telling you!After that, we wandered into the Apothecary (and yes, there is a proper apothecary, right across from the church) which was like going back in time by a good sixty years. Erin and Lorna bought fancy candy, and I nearly bought very ridiculous perfume, but didn't. Then we had afternoon tea/lunch in a tea room run by extremely lovely and friendly people, and headed back to Keighley...by steam train!
I feel fully immersed in the Industrial Revolution, now. It was awesome.And thus, a lovely weekend trip! Perhaps next weekend we'll go to Scarborough.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Black Holes and Revelations
The internet is down at my flat, so I'm chilling in the library today! Which is a good thing anyway, because I need to get work done.
I saw Spamalot at the Leeds Grand Theatre yesterday, which was quite fun. I rather wish I'd seen it on Broadway, just because part of the hilarity stems from just how big the production was, and how that makes a joke of Broadway culture in general. They had to change the lines of 'You can't succeed on Broadway if you don't have any Jews' too, which just defeats the whole purpose of the song. It was a little disappointing. But everything else was quite good. The theatre itself was gorgeous, so I'll have to go again for a concert or something. Afterward Erin and I had drinks and dinner with her friend Lorna, who's also a classics student and really lovely. We all may try to go to Haworth this weekend, weather and travel arrangements permitting. At last, I shall commune with the Brontës!
My last adviser meeting went well--we talked about my latest section, and it seems that I used my critical sources better this time around, but need to inject some more direction into my argument earlier on. But that is easily solved! I also asked him about whether Ruskin would be useful as a direct discussion of the Gothic, despite him discussing it in architecture rather than literature, and it seems that I can. So now there are many more avenues of analysis I can open up from there, so long as I justify it. All in all, it was very productive, and my professor assured me that he was now confident that I'll be able to finish the work well and in good time. I'm glad at least one of us feels that way. So now I'm onto Marx, and then shall face the task of editing and stringing all these thing together. Argh! But I'm excited anyway.
Also exciting? The idea that the universe is actually the singularity of a black hole from another universe. Isn't that awesome? Something similar is discussed in Brian Greene's book, but I have to go back and read it to make sure. But oh man, that means that all the black holes in our universe could actually be other universes. SO COOL. And that it explains the forward motion of time itself? You can't see me over here, but I'm freaking out and flailing my hands around, and I'm glad I'm not in a very visible place in the library.
...Also apparently I've given myself permission to use caps in this blog now. The World Cup brought my outdoor voice into the blogosphere. You're welcome, internet. And by the way, congrats, Spain--Holland was mean and kicked your dude in the chest, so I'm glad you won. I'm sort of sad I have to wait another four years for the madness to return.
Oh yes, and finally: My hair is bright red now! I finally found dye that works! It's very exciting. I shouldn't say bright, it's more of a vibrant maroon or something. Anyway, it's awesome. I haven't done something this different to my hair in ages.
Okay, Marx now.
I saw Spamalot at the Leeds Grand Theatre yesterday, which was quite fun. I rather wish I'd seen it on Broadway, just because part of the hilarity stems from just how big the production was, and how that makes a joke of Broadway culture in general. They had to change the lines of 'You can't succeed on Broadway if you don't have any Jews' too, which just defeats the whole purpose of the song. It was a little disappointing. But everything else was quite good. The theatre itself was gorgeous, so I'll have to go again for a concert or something. Afterward Erin and I had drinks and dinner with her friend Lorna, who's also a classics student and really lovely. We all may try to go to Haworth this weekend, weather and travel arrangements permitting. At last, I shall commune with the Brontës!
My last adviser meeting went well--we talked about my latest section, and it seems that I used my critical sources better this time around, but need to inject some more direction into my argument earlier on. But that is easily solved! I also asked him about whether Ruskin would be useful as a direct discussion of the Gothic, despite him discussing it in architecture rather than literature, and it seems that I can. So now there are many more avenues of analysis I can open up from there, so long as I justify it. All in all, it was very productive, and my professor assured me that he was now confident that I'll be able to finish the work well and in good time. I'm glad at least one of us feels that way. So now I'm onto Marx, and then shall face the task of editing and stringing all these thing together. Argh! But I'm excited anyway.
Also exciting? The idea that the universe is actually the singularity of a black hole from another universe. Isn't that awesome? Something similar is discussed in Brian Greene's book, but I have to go back and read it to make sure. But oh man, that means that all the black holes in our universe could actually be other universes. SO COOL. And that it explains the forward motion of time itself? You can't see me over here, but I'm freaking out and flailing my hands around, and I'm glad I'm not in a very visible place in the library.
...Also apparently I've given myself permission to use caps in this blog now. The World Cup brought my outdoor voice into the blogosphere. You're welcome, internet. And by the way, congrats, Spain--Holland was mean and kicked your dude in the chest, so I'm glad you won. I'm sort of sad I have to wait another four years for the madness to return.
Oh yes, and finally: My hair is bright red now! I finally found dye that works! It's very exciting. I shouldn't say bright, it's more of a vibrant maroon or something. Anyway, it's awesome. I haven't done something this different to my hair in ages.
Okay, Marx now.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
OMG WORLD CUP
The World Cup should happen all the time, because then I stay at the cross trainer way longer and run way faster than usual. I did 8km during the first half. COME ON SPAIN!
I mean, what? I know this is totally unlike me, but the obsession is terribly infectious, and watching is really exciting and communal. Yelling in pubs is great fun. And it's one of those transparent games where even if you're a layman, you can tell when a team is working well together and such. So, yeah, I'm enjoying getting into the spirit.
Anyway, my goal is to write 2000 words tonight, and it's going to happen no matter what. But not until football is over.
...Okay, it's over. SO EXCITED FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NOW. YAY SPAIN. And yay for completely new champions in World Cup history! I actually don't care who wins at this point because I like Holland too. It's nice to be invested, but not completely invested.
In other news, Erin has moved in to the apartment above me! I helped her pack and move her suitcases up and down the stairs yesterday. It made me realize that I'm in desperate need of some spring cleaning, as soon as this next dissertation section is done, because I have accumulated random things that I really don't need. But in any case, now we can having cooking parties and other things, which will be lovely.
I also have a new housemate named Betty, who apparently just finished up her program but is waiting to move somewhere else. She's also Chinese, so now we have an all-Chinese household except for me. What precisely is residential administration trying to tell me? But anyway, she seems perfectly nice, so hopefully the flat will continue to be harmonious.
And to just keep with the completely fragmentary nature of this post, I just made some extremely delicious risotto. Okay, off to dinner and writing for me!
I mean, what? I know this is totally unlike me, but the obsession is terribly infectious, and watching is really exciting and communal. Yelling in pubs is great fun. And it's one of those transparent games where even if you're a layman, you can tell when a team is working well together and such. So, yeah, I'm enjoying getting into the spirit.
Anyway, my goal is to write 2000 words tonight, and it's going to happen no matter what. But not until football is over.
...Okay, it's over. SO EXCITED FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NOW. YAY SPAIN. And yay for completely new champions in World Cup history! I actually don't care who wins at this point because I like Holland too. It's nice to be invested, but not completely invested.
In other news, Erin has moved in to the apartment above me! I helped her pack and move her suitcases up and down the stairs yesterday. It made me realize that I'm in desperate need of some spring cleaning, as soon as this next dissertation section is done, because I have accumulated random things that I really don't need. But in any case, now we can having cooking parties and other things, which will be lovely.
I also have a new housemate named Betty, who apparently just finished up her program but is waiting to move somewhere else. She's also Chinese, so now we have an all-Chinese household except for me. What precisely is residential administration trying to tell me? But anyway, she seems perfectly nice, so hopefully the flat will continue to be harmonious.
And to just keep with the completely fragmentary nature of this post, I just made some extremely delicious risotto. Okay, off to dinner and writing for me!
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