Now that's what I'm talkin' about...

A much better effort this time...

And perhaps most importantly, some big news...we are bringing the non-stop party that is our life back to the USA for a week, starting tomorrow!  It promises to look something like this...

Spring Time in Cambridge…

So I set a goal for myself to snap so awesome pictures of the beautiful spring blossoms and blue skies before they fade away.  I pretty much failed miserably.  I managed to take four pictures total…none of which are particularly good.  In my defense, (a) I don’t really like taking pictures and (b) carrying around a camera seriously ruins my street cred...I’ve managed to get to the point where the punt tour salesman don’t approach me any more…one click of the camera and all my hard work on that front is out the window.  Now that I’ve successfully played the expectations game…here you have it…

Note that the cyclist rode into my shot...I was like, 'Should I take another? Nah...it's good.'

Not very seasonal...but decent

I don't know

Good use of lighting on my part

 I'm pretty disappointed with myself...

Ninjas versus Pirates: MCR Guest Night…Pure Shenanigans

Ok, since last term’s brilliant Guest Night experience (remember…Bond Night?) I know everyone has been anxiously awaiting the Lent Term redux.  It was Saturday night…and it was pure craziness.  The theme…Ninjas versus Pirates…for those of you who have ever wondered which would reign supreme…and who hasn’t really?  You can find all the photos in the album.

"We’re Chelsea…so f#*# all the rest"

The event I know all of you have been waiting for since we arrived on the little island…an outing to a top-level football match.  We managed to check this one off the list on Wednesday night…Chelsea versus FC Copenhagen in leg two of a Champion’s League round of sixteen tie at Stamford Bridge.  Full photo gallery here.

Catching up…

Lots of stuff going down the past week or so…not really.

-  Monday we went to a public lecture by the esteemed fiction author Ian McEwan (author of Atonement, among many other novels). Very interesting talk about what he calls “the levers of fiction” (in other words, the tools of the fiction-writing craft).  I always find it fascinating to listen to people that are so passionate about their subject, whatever it might be, because it makes me think about things in a whole new perspective. One take home point from this evening…if you don’t get a particular novel…it’s your fault, not the author’s.

-  Saw two movies at the theater in the past week or so…No Strings Attached and Hall Pass (no, we’re not intentionally sticking to a particular theme).  Both were funny.  Definitely DVD-viewing worthy…unless you don’t have a TV, then seeing them in the theater is ok.

-  Apparently Prince Charles visited Cambridge today.  Unfortunately, only the smart kids were invited to attend his reception…so I didn’t get to go.  Plus, Julian Assange (aka WikiLeaks) is giving a talk on Tuesday.  Unfortunately, only those who paid the exorbitant union society were invited…so I won’t get to go.  I feel like there should be some reward for those that have the best attendance record at the ubiquitous and often more boring events throughout the year.  I feel like I would be on top of the heap in that respect…they really need some type of perfect attendance award.

-  Funny how your environment can affect your perception of things.  I was doing some job searching the other day (as usual) and came across a listing for a “CSR Position” in Titusville.  I was like, wow…a Corporate Social Responsibility job in Titusville?!? Perfect! I applied and everything…there wasn’t much of a job description.  Then I realized later…it was a “Customer Service Representative” job.  Didn’t even think of that rather obvious possibility at the time.

-  I really feel like there’s more I should be saying…but can’t come up with anything.  Sorry, I feel like I’m letting everyone down.

Trinity Formal: Kicking it old school…

We managed to score swap tickets to a formal dinner at Trinity College (one of the big 3). It was last night…and let me tell you, it’s a whole other world over there.

-  Allow me to set the stage…Trinity is ridiculously exclusive and snobbish.  It’s the one college that non-Trinity students can’t even walk into without a valid reason.  And “I really want to see it” apparently isn’t a valid reason…I already tried it.  Anyway, we finally got our first glimpse of the promised land on our way into dinner.  Sporting our best dinner wear…we were looking quite spiffy (see below). The Trinity courtyard is quite impressive, even in the dark.  There’s a nice fountain and gazebo in the middle and it generally looks like a castle, with turrets and all. It also comes complete with suitably bossy and scary staff…those guys are legit.

-  Our first brush with the elite came at the pre-dinner reception. Get this…for their non-alcoholic juice option, they served pear juice. Not apple, not orange…pear.  I’m telling you…it’s just a whole other world.

-  The dining hall itself was pretty swanky…rather Harry Potter-esque except there was a portrait of Henry VIII at the head of the hall.  Unfortunately, we were a bit unprepared for the bull rush into the hall to find seats.  Ended up pinned on an island between the drunks and the snobs (but that was pretty much unavoidable really).  We didn’t talk to anyone else the whole time…how do you like us now Trinity?

-  Food was solid. Risotto and potatoes were good.  Michelle said the cow was also good.  Chocolate mousse was very solid.  No complaints really.  I got my port to cap off the meal…that’s all that matters really.

-  That’s about it really, solid night. Check Trinity College off the bucket list.