Wins & Losses

Win—M* and the Judge Business School football (soccer) team. They spanked the Cambridge University Chinese Society 4-1 on Sunday. Now this win was notable for a few reasons: JBS is in the bottom of their tier and CCS is at the top of the same tier, many of the regular JBS members were not able to play, JBS started the game with only 10 players (11 needed), they played the first half with no subs and only one sub in the second half. This was to be JBS's last game, but since they beat a team of much higher rank, they'll progress. I was so excited about the win, that I forgot to take photos.

Loss—A game of Guillotine by Me and M* to James. After a meal of homemade sushi and a bottle of wine, we introduced James to the this easy-to-learn card game with funny illustrations. While M* and James basically tied, I was far, far behind. My gaming mojo has deserted me.

Loss—A kick-ass temp job. I interviewed with the Martin Centre, part of the University of Cambridge's Department of Architecture, for a part-time job assisting on a sustainability project. The interview went really well—the interviewer even sent me home with materials about the project—but they awarded the position to someone who could commit to a longer period of time and with more UK public health experience (the NHS wanted a sustainable hospital design). The job would have dovetailed nicely with my volunteering at Shape East—but oh well.

What I Do to Keep Busy: Reading

I'm glad to have more time to read, although I find myself too antsy at home to just sit and read unless I'm close to going to bed or I'm ill. Once spring arrives, I plan on heading out with a book to read under the fruit trees at the Orchard at Grantchester or along the banks of the River Cam.

Some books I bought on sale, some were given by friends, some I thought it was about time I read. My reading thus far:

Biographies
Catherine de Medici: A Biography, Leonie Frieda—Taught me the meaning of fistula. Also, I didn't realize how divided France was over religion. It also set-up the weakness of the French monarchy for my reading of ...
Marie Antoinette: The Journey, Antonia Fraser—Marie Antoinette is more sympathetic than I had imagined. Plus, I realized that I knew little about her before this book. Still, after two books about the French court, I couldn't take any more Duc d'Orleans or Duc de Liancourts or Comte de Provences or Duc de Coignys.
Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar—Betrayal, torture, murder, murder, murder, murder, murder, murder, murder, torture, murder, murder, betrayal torture, murder, and Stalin had a good singing voice.

Fiction
On Beauty, Zadie Smith—Such a relief to read this after Stalin. Finished this in one day while sick. Writing was smart. Enjoyed it, although wished I had a bit more insight into a few of the characters.
Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath—Well written. Funnier than I expected a book for a book about a mental breakdown. Not any longer than it needed to be.
The Years, Virginia Wolfe—Read back in Sep. Dense in its scene setting detail, and characters well formed. Story of a family that is not overly memorable but most families aren't.
Miss American Pie: A Diary, Margaret Sartor—My sister passed this on after reading it on a trip. It's a semi-fictionalized diary of an American girl growing up in the 1970s. A quick and enjoyable read. Although she's older than I am, I could relate to some aspects of the world she grew up in.
The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre—Our landlords suggested M* read this as a warning about pharmaceutical companies. He has no extra time, so I took over the assignment. It was a totally fine book, but it was hard to get passed a line that described the protagonists wife as "much murdered." As I'm refreshing my grammar/writing skills with Strunk & White's Elements of Style, my 10th read I'm sure, this stood out as a frightening example of not omitting needless words.

Misc.
Granta Quarterly Journal of New Writing
New Yorker, magazine
MOJO, magazine
Clash, magazine
Elements of Style, Strunk & White

Fire Safety

After my mom's visit, she brought up the issue of how we would escape during a fire if our stairway down to the front door was blocked. We're only one story up, so I figured that M* and I could risk a broken limb if we needed to jump out the window. That answer did not make her very happy, so we now have an escape ladder. I'm just glad that I didn't get into another bike accident trying to get this home from the store.

One Pair Down

I've worn through my first pair of dish-gloves. I think I miss working.

Feeling Better

Thriving tulip M* gave me for Valentine's Day
Last week: Hit by a car while riding my cycle...body just bruised but driver skips on paying for bike repairs...caught an infection from M*...sick in bed for a week.... Emerge from our flat Monday to find 55 degree weather with light until almost 5:30pm. This is a much better week already.

David Hasselhoff's Package

This is why I always carry my camera! I knew that David Hasselhoff was big in Germany, but I can't believe that plastering "What a package!" across his groin actually actually helps sell products in the UK. I added the arrow.

Home Composting

We only have trash pick-up every other week—and our trash bin is not that big. It's been a challenge, reducing our waste, especially as plastic packaging, except bottles with necks, is not recycled. Cambridge City Council does make available these countertop composting units. Well, they actually don't compost, but you collect materials in them which goes into your big Green Bin which then is collected, every other week, and used to make compost. The brown bags that line this little green bin are offered free of charge from the Cambridge City Council office.

Things We Like: TRUfree Gluten-Free Crackers

These crackers come in plain, spicy and garlic and onion, and all varieties are crisp and tasty. They don't crumble or differ in consistency with every box, which are problems with GF products. They are a favorite of M*'s as well, and we always have either the plain or spicy on hand. They are great with cheese, peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese or plain. Because they are high in fiber, M* started describing them to people as "Amy's high fiber crackers." I asked him to say gluten-free, if anything, as highlighting the high fiber suggests a different reason for buying the crackers.

Snow Gone

After one day with temperatures in the mid-to-high 30s, the snow nearly disappeared. I'm sorry I missed the "4ft phallic symbol out of snow" that earned one 18-year-old an £8 fine.

Dirty snow (remains of a snowman?) on Llamas Land

Snow Day

Yesterday we had our first substantial snowfall of the winter. Cambridge schools were actually closed. Besides wishing that they made chains for bicycle tires, biking around the snowy streets of Cambridge was fun. I got passed my aesthetic insecurities and donned my too-big, purple rain pants, white rain boots, black jacket and helmet. The bloody nose that I got later, due to the cold, added another splash of color to the outfit.

Snow didn't seem to bother the birds: a Great Tit feeding in landlord's backyard

Snowman crafted by a Big Issue salesperson

Round Church dusted by snow

Ducks showed up for work at Scudamores: the puntees stayed home.

View of Magdalene Street from Quayside

Two More Birds Identified: Chaffinch and Starling

Sat by the bedroom window this morning—bird watching and going through financial paperwork (guess what I preffered doing). I was able, thanks to my bird book, to identify two more bird species: tfhe chaffinch and the starling. Here are two blurry photos of a chaffinch.

International Gaming: Second Match

Settlers of Catan winners:
James and Manuela
While M* and I had a good time playing as a team, once again we lost a game of "Settlers of Catan." The same group (James, Manueal, Tialda, Michael, M* and me) gathered, and James and Manuela were the victors. The game does not require assigning second, third, fourth places, but I'm very much aware that M* and I came in last of the three groups. However, it was a good match with each group able to give the impression that they could be the winners. I admit that my attention wanes if my impending loss is too obvious to ignore, but, this time, the only other object of my interest was the TV showing music videos directed by Michel Gondry. Having never had MTV, I couldn't resist sneaking peeks.

Not only were James and Manuela the winners, they also hosted and provided tapas (pumpkin soup, tortilla Espagnol, baked aubergine/eggplant with tomatoes and cheese). James is taking the cheese class that I took last term at Hills Road Sixth Form College, and, towards the end of the game, he brought out a few of his favored selections. The St. Gall (Irish) and Croltin de Chavignol (France) were so good that a trip to the cheese shop has been added to my To Do list this week. I provided a sweet dessert of homemade, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, which were devoured by the end of the game.

Birding: Latest Sightings

Just a few more species that I've positively identified. The ducks, geese and swans certainly are the easiest ones to identify and capture on film.

Black Swan (below)










Blue Tit
Canadian Goose (below)










Collared Dove
Coot
Farmyard Goose (below)












House Sparrow
Magpie
Mallard Duck (below)







Moorhen (below)












Muscovy Duck (below, spotted in Ely)









Mute swan (below)

I Want My Pants!

What to do when the nice seamstress on Market Hill doesn't give you your pants back? My black corduroys, which required simple hemming, were suppose to be ready on 26 Jan. I went three times last week to pick them up from her stall, and each time she told me, with the sweetest smile, to come back in two days. On Friday she said that she had brought them, but that she had left them in her van (the proprietors can only bring their vehicles into Market Hill to set-up and take-down their stalls). She promised that if I showed up between 10am-4pm today that she would have them. I arrived about ten minutes of 4pm, and she was nowhere to be found. I miss my pants.

Trash Talk

Went to see one of M*'s last football (soccer) matches yesterday. He plays for the Judge MBA team. Most of the University of Cambrige teams that they play against are college or department teams made up of students who are around for two or more years. The Judge team has only been playing together since late September, and their schedule does not allow that much time for practice. This information is a preemptive explanation of why their team is ranked in the bottom of the second division.

Saturday's match was against Churchill College—a team ranked second in the first division. I showed up for the last half-hour, and the score was tied 0-0. This may have been the reason that players on the Churchill team, especially the goalie, were pissed off and spewing uber-crude taunts. I'm sure they expected to beat Judge by at least four or five goals. I felt myself physically reacting to their rants (increasing heart rate, tightening stomach). If this is how a University of Cambridge team behaves, I can't imagine some of the language dished out by the English club teams. The final score was 2-0 Churchill: the goals allowed once the Judge first string team called for substitutions. M* left the game during the last 10 minutes: his left leg sporting a nasty scrape and beginning to swell and bruise.

31 Jan 2007: Sunset

The sun set at 4:45 (with civil twilight around 30 minutes later). Here are pictures from that half an hour. Since we're gaining 3 1/2 minutes of sunlight a day, by mid-March our days will be two hours longer.
Coe Fen (spherical object in the tree is mistletoe); moon rising over the Fitzwilliam Museum; well-known Cambridge pub The Eagle; plaque outside The Eagle

How Not to Answer the Door

...with egg on your face or a glove stuck to the top of the bike helmet you're wearing (I was about to head out on my bicycle--it wasn't part of my home safety routine). I did both today, not realizing either until after the UPS person and the electricity meter reader had departed. I don't know if Cambridge is truly ready for my loveliness.

Volunteering at Shape East

I began my volunteer stint at Shape East yesterday. There are about six people who work in the office; only one is full-time. The staff, only four present, were very grateful of my helping out. I was looking forward to being in a professional environment again, and I enjoyed getting slightly dressed up for my first day. Yet, I would have been better served by jeans and a t-shirt than my skirt, tights and delicately woven wool top: my task was to rearrange a storage closet by organizing like items and deciding what items could be disposed of. I even went back today to finish-up. My task was a reminder of the nature of volunteer work (being assigned to non-mission critical tasks that paid staff do not have time for) and how small, start-up non-profits do not have the budgets to hire extra help. Next week I get a bump up: I'm working on a database, including the training of office staff.

International Cooking

Tialda and Yuri preparing sushi;
savory dishes; Yuri, Wakako,
Tialda, Maria, Nicole, me.
M* and his fellow students had class last Sunday, so a few of the spouses/partners had a cooking day. The idea was to teach others how to prepare a dish representative of ones country (Brazil, Japan, Netherlands, Germany, USA). My sister recommended making chili--easy to prepare, can be made vegetarian, liked by most people. Others prepared German apple cake, Korean sushi, seasoned rice in bean curd, miso soup and strawberries coated in evaporated milk then dipped in chocolate. Time ran out, so Tialda didn't get to make her Dutch cookies/biscuits made with a heavenly smelling Dutch spice blend called Speculaaskruiden (ground cinnamon, allspice, powdered ginger, ground mace, ground cloves, ground coriander, ground nutmeg, ground cardamon, ground aniseed).

Things I Don't Like: Shared Cost Telephone Numbers

M* and I love much about England, but feeling like we are constantly nickle and dimed (M*'s favorite description) is not included in this category. Whether you are calling a hotel, making a care reservation, inquiring about Internet service, if you have to call a business in the UK, there is little chance that it's a toll-free call. Instead, you entirely pay for the call at up to 50 cents per minute or it's a shared cost call that can run you up to 25 cents per minute. This does not mean that you are put directly through to a customer service agent; calls are still "answered in the order that they are received."

Example: recently, my Apple laptop battery ran out, and it cost me $3.50 for one 18 minute phone call with Apple UK to arrange for a new battery to be sent plus another $1 calling UPS UK to arrange a pick-up of the old battery. These are rates using Skype, which are at least as good as calling over the phone line. How much did my call to Apple in the States via Skype cost? $0. It huuuurts.