The Festival State

Time seems to have really started to roll. The past few entries I have been maintaining a weekly rate but the last week and a half have went by a lot faster it seems. The good thing about having a little more time is that there are a lot of things to update all of you with. Or at least there should be. This entry will cover WOMAD, arachnophobia, academic update, the high table, and probably a few other things as I think of them along the way. I would like to say before I dive in that I can’t tell you all how much your comments and messages rock. Keep em coming.

WOMAD

WOMAD was just a few days ago so this won’t be chronologically accurate but the experience is just jumping off my tongue so I will start with it. WOMAD is an acronym for World Music Adelaide. The set up was 6 or 7 stages set up in the botanical gardens. Throughout the festival there were a variety of performers from the globe. The festival ran all weekend but I only made it to the Sunday night portion. I was not deprived though. I got to see Orchestra Baobab, Jimmy Cliff, the Dali Lama’s monks, and an allstar jam with a bunch of the acts that performed over the weekend coming together for an unrehearsed jam. Everything was amazing. I can’t believe I actually saw Jimmy Cliff. The whole night rained but it was warm and really catalyzed the crowd into an awesome energy level. The best part of this was that in the waning minutes of Jimmy’s set the rain suddenly stops and he goes into “I Can See Clearly Now”, which is basically about the skies clearing etc. (first line is “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone”). The whole venue goes from crazy to ridiculous. Everyone is dancing like mad and singing without abandon to the night sky. Needless to say it was so sweet. This was followed by a great meditation session with the Dali Lama’s monks chanting. It was quite a memorable evening that ended, conveniently enough, with an enormous spider.

Arachnophobia

I will preface this section with the fact that I am really not a very squeamish person. Blood, guts, snakes, spiders, the whole lot doesn’t generally get to me very much. The thing is though, I had not met the resident spiders of Australia before this past week and you could say it was a little surprising. First came the friend I met in the shower. Casually lathering up I glanced up to see a black spider about an inch in length crawling up the wall of the stall. I was feeling a little vulnerable so I made a quick exit and upon closer, clothed investigation he was not so bad. You can judge for yourself from the pictures (I will label this guy Spider 1). The next encounter with an eight legged friend was after WOMAD on the walk out of the Botanical Gardens. Hanging in the middle of the path was a HUGE spider about neck high. It was hanging from a tree and I was ridiculously close to walking right into it. Spider 2 was about ¾ the size of my hand. This was not a happy looking spider. After almost running into it I kind of felt responsible to not let the stream of followers leaving the show catch a gargantuan spider to the neck so I steered people around it for a minute until it went back up into the tree. Pretty crazy.

Academic Update

I think I covered this one more then enough in the past few entries. Nothing much has changed, the labs are still interesting and the lectures not so much. Lately I have been regretting not taking some social science but it seems like that would have put me into a pretty heavy load and I don’t really want that. It’s just that it would be interesting to get some perspective outside of a lecture based science class. Maybe I will audit some Anthro or Sociology.

The High Table

I think I may have mentioned the concept of ‘formal hall’ here at St. Mark’s. If I did you might want to skip this intro. Basically Monday-Thursday if you want to eat at college for dinner you have to wear an academic gown (basically a black cape that covers your shoulders) and you have to wait until the master and his guests at the high table proceed to their elevated table with Harry Potter style chairs to sit at before you can sit. Yesterday I had the honor of being invited to sit at the high table. It is a random selection thing and they cycle through the whole college but it was still a cool experience. We got a lot better food and even free booze (no, I didn’t get smashed with the master and make an ass out of myself; I know some of you were wondering). The whole thing is absolutely British. We met before for sherry and conversation, had out meal, and met again after for port and cheese. Definitely an experience I have not had before. Isn’t that why I’m here?

On top of that there a few other odds and ends going on. The next two weekends I am taking a scuba course. That means you Ben if you read this (which you had better). Brothers scuba trips once we are both not poor bums. Speaking of progressing out of the poor bum state I am interviewing with the local Bovis head of operations which I am confident and excited about within the week. I think that about does it then.

Like always, my love is being sent in copious amounts across the Pacific. I can feel it coming my way as well and I’m basking in it. Stay up and drop me one if time permits.

Charlie

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