For some reason, these have been published the day before. Oooh, what a mix up!

I am rather delightfully happy, although slightly annoyed at myself. Unfortunately, medieval was somewhat of a mess, with 57 and 64. Not to say I didn’t expect that after the mix up with the lecturer’s e-mail, saying that “all” the texts would be covered. Boo hiss. Oh, and the small drop in Shakespeare, which i’m not too annoyed about, but it would have been nice to have kept the 74% from my first essay!

But otherwise, incredibly happy, with 74, 72, 69 and 69. Which means, that despite all odds and several mediocre level essays, I somehow managed to recover both Renaissance and Modern Theory in the exam. I don’t do exams; consequently this is a mini-miracle.

Unbelievably happy with Writings of WW1, after all that hard work - 74!

So, average of a 2.1, but a high one (68). So lots of reassessing options, as getting into a good medieval MA seems to be a rather distant possibility. But at least I expected a bad result on that - just putting a bit of a dampener on everything else.

But regardless, starting my new job tomorrow (eekk!), and going for yet another interview. Then dashing off to London, a last visit to some friends and then finally complete all the fuss and bother of Toronto applications! I’m getting there!

The next interesting use of “medieval” on TV: apparently Labour parliamentary payoffs are equivalent to danegeld. Cough.

Well, besides this, a rather interesting day. Thought i’d go and get a job, as I have not a great deal to do at the moment with my damaged leg and would rather like some coinage for Toronto. So I wander into a local hotel and ask for any part-time work, to no avail. I think, perhaps I shall try the centre of the city, and am given several forms and rather more blank looks. Then, completely by fluke, I saw a small advert for the Berlitz Language Centre, and I thought I’d give it a go. Not for a moment did I think that I would actually have a chance. Interviewed there and then, and within 4 hours I received an e-mail offering me training, good pay and a 2 month contract, with more work next year if I’m good enough. Just a little bit happy!

Average age of teachers: 45. How exactly I got this job is beyond me. But anyway, I have a rather wonderful job, which is going to be very tough, but very fun. It’s pretty much all business or advanced level language teaching, 1-2-1, and very tightly controlled. I am absolutely terrified actually, as it’s mainly successful business-people, sent to England on assignment and needing a reasonably good understanding in 2 weeks. So it’s high pressured. Experience-wise, however, it’s amazing.

Golly, it’s been a while! (Golly is an underused word, which I am attempting to reincarnate, one sentence at a time), and in Time’s typical manner, much has occurred.

Shakespeare’s Globe was fun while it lasted. The Footsbarn Shakespeare Party was less good than I had hoped, but the Shakespeare itself was unmistakably brilliant. Midsummer Night’s Dream is spectacular and certainly ranks in the top 10 shows I have ever seen. The choreographers and costume department have excelled themselves even further than usual - although the critics didn’t like the “lack of subtlety”. It’s Shakespearean comedy, designed for the bawdy masses! Get over yourselves.

Unfortunately, after returning from an afternoon show and sitting down with a friend to watch Eurovision (I know, I know…), I received some rather bad news from home. My elderly Dutch grandmother (Oma), who appeared to be in reasonable shape had been taken into hospital suddenly, and was now in a coma. We were forced to wait until early morning before traveling for various reasons, namely that it was 2am by this point, but every minute began to count. My amazing friend stayed up with me for another 2 hours, and then came to my house early in the morning to see me off. Unfortunately, she made me watch terrible Japanese soaps in an effort to cheer me up. Rather worryingly, it worked. After 11 hours of driving, we ended up lost on the Antwerp ringroad. The phone rang, and we were rather bluntly told by a family member (…) that she had died. So, 30 minutes too late, after all that.

Then the typically Dutch/Catholic rituals took over: the “coffee-table”, viewings of the body, readings… The whole list. Several masses, which we are all expected to attend. A 6 week, 3 month, 6 month and 1 year anniversary mass in the church. I am expected, of course, to fly from Canada for each of these. I don’t think that is going to be able to happen. Then came the dividing of her flat, which was political and nasty. The main problem was actually over an old violin which was given to me, having always admired it as a beautiful instrument from when I was very little. I always wanted her to play it, and she always refused. Now I know its history, or rather the several family myths around it, I can understand the fuss. Quite a ripping yarn, with gypsies, bombs and all…

I personally wasn’t bothered by anything in her flat - I remember Oma for who she was, namely because I mainly saw her in England or on days out around the village - I don’t remember her for her possessions. However, my uncles have a rather different view, and fought over everything. Even stupid things, like a video player, were fought over. Mother and I just kept well clear, and let them get on with it. I think Oma would have been proud. It was so interesting talking to the people she knew - they all remembered how smart she looked, even in the war, how she was a true carreer-woman at a time when they didn’t exist, how she raised her children, studied photography and ran a business at the same time, how she was stubborn as a mule and kept every bit of paper, every voucher, every death-note she ever received. We found boxes of memories, of family trees being whittled down with every card, little pictures of the children and the new house. Even the records of my great-grandmother’s family; a picture each Christmas showing the family growing and shrinking around the tree.

Anyway, when I finally got back to England, I just managed to catch my birthday (little BBQ, then the Summer Ball), and was straight off to Spain. Which turned out to be another political balancing-act. I loved Spain, just the group occasionally struggled, for various reasons (namely personalities) to hold together. Then, 2km from the end of a 30km day, after hiking around 160km in 8 days, my achilles tendon tore in two, completely putting stop to my goal of reaching Santiago. I’ll just return another day! It was even more beautiful and challenging than I remember and I will certainly be back. No question!

Now I am back home, with a surprise two weeks and not much to do. Need to return books in London, get a new passport, visa for Canada and other bits. Looking into jobs and manuscript conservation internships, but they’re all 3 months or more - getting work for 2 weeks as a hobbling beginner doesn’t look promising.

Tomorrow I am submitting my final choices for Toronto, after a massive battle with their incredibly confusing course system. I’m getting more excited by the minute!

1. Later Medieval Art
2. Illuminated Manuscripts
3. Persons, Minds, Bodies
4. Early Medieval Philosophy
5. Culture and Difference
6. Introduction to Conservation
7. Medieval Books
8. The Medieval Mind: Expression and Forms of Culture
9. Later Medieval Philosophy
10. Topics in History: History of Sexuality

And the backups, many of which are only backups because of timetable clashes…

1. Dark Age Europe: 7th - 10th C
2. Life in the Middle Ages
3. Women Writers
4. Introductory Latin
5. Vernacular Literature of the Middle Ages

I had set my heart on some of the courses I picked last time, but not all are offered, and the best have vanished (of course)… But better has replaced them, so i’m actually over the moon anyway! Research here I come! I’ve been considering the post-degree job hunting too, and i’ve got some wonderful ideas, although many are doubtful.

Back to Titus Groan and Gormenghast! Woo!

Hello all!

Long time no write. Well, life has been hectic and rather irritating since the exams kicked off, and so I haven’t had all that much time on my hands. But now, the work-less void of the summer has kicked in, and I have very little to do. Thus, due to my inability to do nothing, I have signed up for more work at Shakespeare’s Globe and am busily researching a dissertation I only need to start in about two years time.

Anyway, as plans change… My dissertation is rather different than it was before. Now, i’m focussing on the relationship between physicality and psychology in modernist / WWI / holocaust narratives. Interesting, although very depressing. It’ll be a difficult topic, and i’m not sure i’ll be able to cope with some of it. Slightly terrified.

And also, I’m really interested in Medieval and Renaissance medicine and animal representations, but i’m pretty sure that this topic is the equivalent of several hundred PhD’s, and not particularly suitable for undergrad…

Help.

Exam did not go well. The last statement is characteristic Old English understatement (litotes). I know something, but that wasn’t useful.

Basically, the tutor sends round an e-mail saying that *all* of the texts will appear in the commentary section of the exam. By this, she meant the full amounts of a selection - not actually ALL. So I read this incorrectly, and issues result.

So, I need 3 translations and prepare 4, and 2 commentaries, and I prepare 3. I know them all. So basically, I am familiar with 6 texts really well, and a backup. I know 4 fluently. Out of 3 translations I am required to do, 1 text that I actually know shows up, and all the others were my commentary pieces, or ones I really didn’t know. So I decide to do the commentary pieces for translation (and of course, I’m not particularly closely familiar with the texts), and do my backup and one of the translation texts I know well for commentary.

In other words, 1 good commentary, 1 mediocre commentary, 1 good translation, 2 terrible ones. In other words, I am happy with the grand total of 40% of my exam. Which does not bode well for an MPhil application.

I am consequently upset, tired, and very uncharacteristically angry. I have not been ‘angry’ in a very, very long time.

I really wish I had not read that tutor’s e-mail - I suppose there’s nothing I can do now.

P.S. For future reference: When I am a lecturer, (and it is “when”), I shall clarify meanings at all times, and never use *all* when any ambiguity could be present. Thank you.

The new craze amongst medievalists: well, two that I know of… Dr. Nokes over at Unlocked Wordhoard and Jennifer Lynn Jordan at Per Omnia Saecula.

Lol Manuscripts!

Ok, not strictly manuscripts, but absolutely wonderful nonetheless. I just had to show you a few of my favorites below.

P.S., A little shout out to Jennifer, who just is the new doctoral candidate at CUNY Grad Centre! Well done!
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Tonight’s news has really delighted me, although delighted is probably the wrong word. To hear John Prescott acnowlege an eating disorder. It was a shock, and certainly striking, but finally, here is another attempt to remove the massive stigma surrounding eating disorders. For a British bulldog to admit to a ‘girly’ condition is a pleasure to hear.

This is a subject particularly close to my heart, as one of my dear friends is severely anorexic and has been so for many years. I remember one night switching on the TV and seeing her face, clenching at her skin believing so firmly that she was disgusting in every way. By that point, it had become part of her life, and I had always known that, but to see and hear her speak so openly about her condition, and her love for her condition, was strange and painful. Every day is a struggle for her, and despite having a degree in nutritional sciences, she is seen as ‘unsuitable’ and a bad role model, and is thus not allowed to practice.

I realise this is a stupid sentiment, but I just have such a desire to give all the hurt people on this planet a hug. I want to tell them it’s ok. I suppose everyone’s been broken at some point, but so many people hide it behind a facade of strength, and never let it slip.

Lately i’ve been living a bit of a medical nightmare, but am finally on medication which seems to be helping, and I finally have a diagnosis - which incidentally, most of me wants to ignore. The cracks have started to show, and I know that I can’t always pretend to be perfect. I’ve always had to be.

Slightly depressingly, I think John’s the same…

Want to see something amusing? Thought so:

Literary Theory Trading Cards:

The Amazing Fact Generator

“Upon seeing an orange…

Deconstruction asks… ‘If the orange peel and the flesh are both part of an “orange”,
are they not in fact one and the same thing?’

Ecocriticism asks… ‘How does this orange fit into the wider ecosystem?’

Feminist theory asks… ‘What possibilities are available to a woman who eats this orange?’

Formalism asks… ‘What shape and diameter is the orange?’

Marxist theory asks… ‘Who owns the orange?’

New Historicism asks… ‘How many oranges do people buy?’

Postcolonialism asks… ‘Who doesn’t own the orange?’

Psychoanalysis asks… ‘What does the orange remind us of?’

Reader-Response asks… ‘What does the orange taste like?’

Structuralism asks… ‘How are the orange peel and the flesh differentiated
into composite parts of the orange?’”

From here…