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Published: July 12th 2007
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Trip to the Wedding
Michael Lane So, it has been a bit since my last entry, but I caught a bit of a cold during my whirlwind trip back to California and I've been recuperating. Just a bit about studying in Cambridge then before I leave you for another entry.
First off, Cambridge is OLD. Obvious, really, but some of the ramifications of the age of physical structures and surroundings I had not previously considered. The buildings are often nearly absurdly amazing and grand, on the outside. On the inside, well, let us just say that old means old. Think of all the problems and quirks a 40 year-old building has and multiply that by 5, or 10, or even 20!! (Univ. of Cambridge celebrates it's 800th anniversary in 2009). Creaky floorboards, drafty rooms, shrunk wood, cracked stonework are all very common along with a confusing array of various construction technologies from the past couple hundred years all employed in one room, often with the obsolete simply added to instead of removed. Actually, it is quite fun. Strange building and room shapes result and it can be an adventure just figuring out how to open a window (one of my British instructors even has this difficulty
in our classroom). What really lends the interiors character, however, is the knowledge of the history of people and events that have gone on there.
I live in Bodley's Court. This building in King's College is right on *the Backs* which is the area in back of several of the older Colleges that lies directly on the River Cam (picturesque doesn't even begin to describe it). Among the notable people who have lived here is E.M. Forster whose Novels include Howard's End, A Room With A View and Passage To India. Also, one of my classrooms, part of the Rylands Suite, is where Dadie Rylands, a notable English literary critic and theatre director lived for 70 years until his death in 1999 at the age of 97. Incidentally, the course instructor casually mentioned in passing that he died in that very room.
So, the richness of the history more than makes up for the well-used nature of the buildings. Indeed, these are not pristine museum pieces, but rather structures that have endured the demands and damages of students, Tutors, Fellows and Professors for many an age.
Okay, on to a bit about the actual learning.
I'm delighted to be
learning here. The demands placed upon me are a delight and challenge. For instance, I am expected to critically read works by Calvin and his contemporaries in Early Modern English (the transition language from Middle English to Modern English). Some of it is very much like Middle English and I'm often asked to read from copies of original manuscripts which has special challenges. I'm actually getting quite proficient at it. Amazing what one can do when one is simply expected to perform in a certain manner.
Also, quite a bit of material is expected to be not just digested but cogently synthesized and further developed into personal opinion. The English are not simply interested in one's opinions on another's writings but in your ability to articulately express original arguments. This is quite fun, and releases me from being trapped into writing papers burdened with quotations and very few of my thoughts. Hooray!
Seminar discussions are quite wonderful, as well. They are limited to very few people (6 for one seminar) and we are encouraged to engage with the material in original ways. The atmosphere is quite collegial and the debate warm, and we are led to think of the material
in new ways. Very fun!!!
The Supervision (Independent Study) I am undertaking in Drama is proving to be very demanding. On my first meeting with my Supervisor I was assigned several books, a number of articles and innumerable secondary sources to look into. This is quite a bit of material, but I am really getting the feel for what study at Cambridge is like since this is exactly what would be expected of me if I were a student here during the regular University terms. The upshot is I get one-on-one time with the Supervisor (Instructors rarely have the title Professor here), and can, more or less, direct my own work.
Before I leave you let me just say that I am so happy for Tara, my sister, in her marriage. She looked incredibly beautiful on Saturday, and I am so thankful I was able to see her married. Although I was jet-lagged to a fare-thee-well and everything was kind of a blur that day m overwhelming feeling was one of joy and gladness. I wish her all the best. I love my sister.
Okay, enough with the mushy stuff.
Next time I will include some
more pictures and talk about some of the activities I've gotten into around Cambridge (like Punting!!). Until then.....
Yours
Michael Lane
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