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Cambridge Memos I '04
All my stuff are packed and I'm taking the morning flight to Beijing tomorrow morning..China awaits
Took the train north
Visited my grandparents in Gunma Prefecture. We took the orange-colored Takasaki-line north to the mountaineous areas of the main island. We arrived unannounced at their door steps but they seemed very happy to see me.
I had brought souvenirs, tea and shortbread from Fortnum & Mason.
I usually don't buy gifts, but on this trip to England I did.
I don' know why.
Though I am not always a fan of the custom, bringing home souvenirs can be fun for both the giver and the receiver. I rather enjoyed shopping for them. Besides, it serves its purpose as another topic of conversation.
Along these lines, I did not fail to mention something about the tea and cakes I brought. The gifts I brought are royally endorsed marked with the emblem "by appointment of Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II".
If anything it looks nice. And they seemed impressed,... I think.
Such royal endorsements exist (abound?) in Japan as well. Here they are marked "Kunaicho-Goyotatsu 宮内庁御用達", meaning ..the same as the British counterpart.
However these endorsements are not always guarantees of exquisite quality. I notice that your local Twining tea bags, which are stocked at any local supermarket also bare the marking, "tea merchants by appointment by Her Royal Majesty...". Granted, I do like Twinings, but...
Springtime in Tokyo
I am spending a brief week in Japan before I head over to Beijing on the 5th.
Today, I went for a walk in serch of cherry blossoms -or Sakura 桜 in Japanese- through the streets of Tokyo.
It is gorgeous today. Pink and white cherry blossoms were in full bloom spurred on by the warm temperature. Walking the streets of Tokyo in springtime, one need not look far to find a small alleyway or a park blanketed in these white/pink flowers.
I stumbled upon an old temple in Mita-district near my alma mater-Keio Gijuku. It was called `泉岳寺 Sengaku-ji` dating back to the feudal period. The Japanese would also know that it is where the 47 samurais of the Ako-clan in the famous story "Chu-shin kura 忠臣蔵" lay.
The temple with the white cherry blossoms in the foreground was a typical, yet picture-perfect, Japanese scenenary.
Small note: did you know you can buy the traditional British souvenir "Walker Shortbread" in a 2-piece pack in station kiosks all over Tokyo? I should've known before I carried a whole bagload home..
Lapses in memory...
I've been to a few good pubs here in Cambridge.
I've mentioned the 'Free Press' already.
But there are quite a few more.
We went to a pub called the 'Lawyers'.
A calm atmoshpere. The place is dark save for the few dispersed candlelights that quitely glows orange-colored flames. Walls are of black burnt stone. At night it has the feel of a cellar, almost. Paintings of lawyers adorn the walls and bookshelves are stacked with old legal books. Classic classic jazz plays in the background. The atmosphere is quite nice
We chatted and had a few pints . Afterwards I, a bit rose-cheeked, went back to the college and played the piano. We have an amazing Steinway grand piano -model M. It is a magnificient piece of instrument and has perhaps the most exquisite tone I have ever come across. The string on the piano vibrates like a delicate crystal.
Whether I was awake or not I do not know. it was already past 1:00am, I kept on playing. I only know after a short lapse in memory, I had lost my room keys ...most likely whilst I was playing the piano
Working on the bibliography
Spent all day translanting a document plus essay revision
...just about ready to fall.
Have yet to pack, but bought gifts to take home
-English tea and Scottish shortbread.
Looking up at a painting by Isidre Nonell I bought at MontSerrat, Barcelona.
Was listening to: Chopin's 1st Piano concerto performed by Maurizio Pollini
**Futaba keep your chin up :-)
Sitting in the New Museum Site @ Cambridge, just finished my first draft of the term paper.
Linkages between Trade and Secutiy Cooperation in ASEAN-China
I sit in front of the PC writing this essay whilst listening to the radio on RealAudio.
today its the classical radio station from the University of Tennessee. I came across a very very nice piece by an American composer Colin McPhee, someone I haven't heard before I . After a quick google search I find that he is an ethnomusician who mixed Gamellan (from Indonesia) with Western Music. Ah, but my story does not end there, what is more, the was performed by the Eastman Wind Ensemble of the Eastman School of Music under Howard Hanson.
Less than 10 days till I leave Cambridge.
I played a few piano pieces
at the Hughes Hall end-of-term Music Recital.
Frederik Chopin's 'Berceuse (lullaby)'
and Samuel Barber's 'Excursions iii'.
Both are charming pieces to play and listen to. Along with the E major Waltz (Chopin), these 3 short pieces pretty much cover the whole of my current repetoir. but, they are beautiful pieces nonethesless.
I was working on my essay all day today. Actually, I was going around in circles, ...basically I am lost in my argument. I am trying to write an essay on the relationship between economic trade and security cooperation, but I find that I contradict myself in my argument. It is so easy to find to faults in my arguments, yet after several minutes of thought, I end up turning a blind eye.
Mmm...
This morning I ran into F outside college. He broke the news of the Madrid attacks. I took in the information for what it was ...information. Having gone through the events (second hand) in Rochester NY during Septemer 2001, it's a bit of a deja vu for me . I don't think I really digested the information 'til later. Yes it's a cliche, but the world environment is different from just 5 years before. Events like this open your eyes.
I was looking at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website under the section, 'recruitment'. I notice they are now also seeking specialists, in various fields. Previously MOFA had relied on rectruits straight out of undergraduate degrees. It's a little strange but this is one place I noticed that the current international environment is not so simple or benign anymore. Sometimes, I do get the feeling that times are changing..
Sunday : 7th week of term
Three more days of lectures at Cambridge,
then I'm off to Beijing, China.
The end of my time at Cambridge and the beginning of Beijing is fast approaching: its as of I'm being pushed foward in time a little faster than normal. Funny felling to be leaving so soon..6 months.
This week I went to a Maurizio Pollini (pf) recital at the Royal Festival Hall in London. It was second time I saw Pollini perform. The last time was at Carnegie Hall in New York. He played two Beethoven sonatas including the 'Pathetic' and the 24 Chopin Preludes.
I can't help but wonder. Why do people cough so much -in an excessively loud manner- between movements of a musical piece. Must they cough so loud and why do they cough in ensemble? I noticed Mr. Pollini seemed a little disturbed by this. So was I. They should realize that the pause between movements is not a break in the music, but is still part of the music being performed.
On Friday, went to see Bill Frisell (gt) & Djelimady Tounkara (gt) at the Cambridge Corn Exchange.
Djelimady Tounkara is a guitar player from Mali. I had gone to see Bill Frisell but came away more impressed with Tounkara.
St. John's visit.
I took my sister from Japan over to visit some of the colleges. I was her tour guide but I too felt chipper as a first time tourist to St. John's college. The courtyards, the chapel and the backs with the river Cam was simply breathtaking.
Photos from Johns
We have a preliminary Chinese language exam tomorrow. However, I am sitting in front of the computer at Hughes typing an essay on territorial disputes. I am not going anywhere with this ... Calvin is here, and those who know him no how animated he is. It's starting to get lively here.
Hmm, I need to get my self together if I want to get this finished.
It has been a week since my last memo.
Again I find out the hard way that it is after a loss that you realize how important something was.
It was a perfect day in Cambridge.
I would gaze out the window during my Chinese language lecture and stare at the bright blue sky and the green sunbathed lawns.
Everyone seemed to be in a cheerful mood.
A perfect day in Cambridge.
J and I went to see a play at the Amateur Dramatic Theatre for the first time last week. We saw a play titled EAST written by Berkoff. The standard of acting was quite impressive for a student theatre production.
My sister is coming over to visit from Japan tomorrow. I should take her to see the colleges. Trinity, King's, Pembroke and St. John's should be good to visit.
I went to a very interesting seminar today.
MR SEBASTIAN DOBSON (Freelance photographer)
The Daimyo and the daguerreotype:
the beginnings of photography in Japan.
Mr. Dobson introduced numerous photos from pre-Meiji Japan; both photos of Japan and early photos taken by Japanese. Almost all I had not seen before. But, one photo in particular caught my attention. It was a photo of four Satsuma samurai in Edo. They were in Edo to negotiate repatriation with the British Govt. after a British citizen had been killed failing to get out of the way of a Daimyo Gyoretsu (parade of provincial regents to and from Edo).
The confident and straightfaced expression of the Satsuma samurai left an impression on me. The photographer of the daguerreotype was a Brit named Felice BEATO living in Yokohama at the time. Though I could not find the particular photograph the link has some other pictures to see. INFO
I also came across some information about a museum in Matsudo -a Tokyo suburb- that houses photographs taken by the last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu.
On another topic, I am currently looking at two things for my paper. 1) The link between trade & security in ASEAN-China relations.
2) And more specifically, the implications of the Spratly Islands dispute and a possible resolution in the Timor Gap Treaty Joint Development model. The first part -link between trade and security- is a very ambiguous topic because it becomes too theoretic, and I find you rarely get anywhere with theory in political science. The latter part -territorial dispute resolution- is a little more interesting because it is a little bit more tangible.
On another totally different issue, we played around on the piano in the Pavillion room tonight with 3 others from Hughes. Lots of F. Chopin, some Beethoven, a little Bach, and a sprinkle of trials in jazz improvisation
Sky: Clear -Saw many stars out tonight. I find they seem bigger and closer than the ones I saw in Tokyo or Rochester..
Two things to do with Rochester, New York.
1) Capoeira: went to a Brazilian bop at Trinity Hall. In between cheesy dance music and live salsa, we saw a live preformance of capoeira. Capoeira is a martial art that has African/Brazilian influences but is also a bit like dancing. We used to practice it in-between classes at the University of Rochester. But no, I did not expect to see it again, here in Cambridge..
(although it was rare to see it in Rochester too)
2) Chet Baker: afterwards I visited W from hughes. We were listening to jazz with a little bit of wine in his room. We listened to the Chet Baker Quartet, Ella & Armstrong and a bunch of Miles Davis. I really liked the piano player in Chet Baker's quartet. I went to search for him on the net and found the piano player was Harold Danko,
-now jazz professor at the Eastman School of Music- whom I heard play on several occasions at Rochester. He plays some real smooth riffs on the piano
Sunday brunch: O. and I went to the 'Salisbury Arms' pub. I had a large serving of traditional English meat pie and chocolate pudding. Oh la la, the chocolate pudding was something
:-)
BGM: Miles Davis Relaxin' with Miles
Formal hall (formal dinner) at St. Catherines College.
It was a themed dinner and tonights' was the 'Arabian Nights'. I do like these formal dinners. Although unfortunately, I had to miss my friend's presentation (architecture) at Hughes Hall tonight.
After formals at Hughes Hall, King's College, and Fitzwilliam College, it was my fourth college for formal hall. Though formals are frequently held, places must be reserve through someone at the college and hence, going to all 30+ colleges might be a challenge. St Catz Photo of hall is one of the older colleges, its not as grand as the others, but certainly more traditional than Hughes or Fitz.
Formal halls are very unique to life at the Oxbridge universities. Each college usually has one formal dinner a week where guests don gowns (though I've yet to see the movie, a bit like the gowns that Harry Potter wears) and enjoy better, ...relatively better, quality dinners over wine. Sherries are served before these meals and college-designated port are served after. Additionally, some colleges also recite Latin graces before sitting down.
It sounds a bit daunting. I remember reading about 'dining at Hall' in the college brochure and imagining tremendous events. But actually, these dinners are not at all uptight. I don't own any gowns and have yet to wear them at any of the formals. I wear my only set of suit and tie that I brought with me from Japan. At least at the colleges that I've been to, formal halls are only 'formal' to a degree that I am still comfortable with. I like these formals because you get a glimpse inside of other colleges, each with their own unique atmospheres. And in anycase, I also do enjoy wearing my *crisp ironed white shirt and blue striped tie*, once in a while.
BGM: Keith Jarret Koln Concert
Chocolate of the Day: MozartKugeln, a gift from Austria
People going places..
Me, I went to a lecture at Trinity Hall today.
The topic was Weapons of Mass Destruction, North Korea and International Law. It was about the So San case and the legality concerning the interception of suspicious weapons transfers in the high seas.
Actually, I had skipped my EAST meeting and my swimming routine so that I could concentrate on my 2nd term essay in my room. However, after an invitation from P. I found myself at the Trinity Hall Master's Lodge.
(whenever I visit the older colleges, I cannot help but feel the difference in our environments; from their supeior location, grander facilities, to their inexplicable air of hallowed Cambridge tradition).
P. is one of those who seem destined to "go places". It is easy to see it in the way he carries himself with people in public. For him, I think it is part quick wits, confidence, and part sociability. He will find his way up the ladder, or more importantly, create one if they can't be found.
As for me, if I aspire to be so, I still have much work left.
A cloudy day in Cambridge.
I started to carry a memobook in my coat pocket.
I jot down random things I notice.
Maybe this is obvious, but I notice how Englishmen (and other nationals that have lived here long enough) very often add 'yea?' when posing a question. So suppose we are looking for our lecture room. My classmates will ask, "we're upstairs, yea?" Very insignificant; but things I probably would have let pass had I not jotted it down in my memo. :-)
I fear I am at a standstill with my Mandarin. I have a book by the former Chinese foreign minister Qian Qichen, that I still cannot comprehend, simply gazing at the pictures is a bit sad..
My girlfriend cooked teiyaki chicken for me this winter. I was impressed it I was really good. I don't know if she noticed, but I had taken note of the recipe. Since then, just as I was hooked on pasta last term, I am equally hooked on preparing teriyaki chicken this term.
I invited my classmates from our MPhil course over for dinner. We chatted over wine and Japanese sake with pistachio nuts well into the weehours of the evening. We see each other everyday in lectures, but not very much outside class. It was certainly nice to chat with them outside a classroom setting.
How to prepare 'Teriyaki Chicken'
Ingredients: chicken; 1 cup soy sauce; 1 cup rice vinegar (mirin); 1/2 cup sake (Japanese rice wine); 1 tea spoon sugar
1) Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar (mirin), sake, and sugar over a bowl
2) Soak chicken into 1) for a couple of hours
3) Take chicken out and saute over high heat until skin is crisp and golden
4)Add the rest of sauce and heat over med/low heat for twenty minutes (you may want to add vegetables here) and serve
Photo from last weeks Football 'Varsity' match.
Woke up at 9:00 too late to go swimming before class.
Since I had my bicycle stolen last week, I now walk to my lecturers at the Sedgewick Site every morning. It is about an 30 minute walk. It's a good thing that, atleast, this motivates me to wake up a little earlier.
This morning I had to go over to the bank in the old city center.
Here, I must mention about another British phenomenon -queing-. It is an act so engraved and ubiquitous to British life that the bland phrase "waiting in line" will simply not suffice, please call it queing. ..OK I am exagerating a little. But why is it that it seems everywhere you go people are queing for something. And here as I went to cash a check I was faced with a line that stretched to the bank entrance. So I turned back and headed for class.
Three random things:
1) For my second essay topic I decided to write about international territorial disputes -specifically Spratly Islands- this term.
2)Borrowed Keith Jarett's Koln Concert score that I have been eager to play.
3) Missed going to swimming again. I have only gone twice this month after spending £20...Could I wake up at 7:00am tomorrow to swim?
BGM of the past few days: 陳綺貞 (Chen qi zhen) from Taiwan.
After coffee with a friend at the King's College coffee house, I went over to our weekly EAST meeting.
Every Wednesday, members of EAST composed of MPhil, PhDs, as well as others such as academics and officials, interested in East Asia meet at the Anchor pub located near Queen's College right by the river Cam. Our meetings are usually laid back and we have fun chatting over cold glasses of our favorite taps of Guiness, Stella Artois, StrongBow and etc..
This week our discussion topic was territorial disputes, specifically the dispute between South Korea and Japan over Tokdo/Takeshima Islands in the Sea of Japan/East Sea.
Before the meeting I had looked at the Japanese MOFA website and the governments stance on the issue. At the discussion I was presented with Korea's position. Obviously, both claim total legitimacy over the two islands, The significance of claims over the islands have increased since the UN Law of the Seas, which articulated a 200 nautical mile zone of exclusive economic zone from national territory into the seas; meaning the small inhabited islands the size of a large city park has large economic and strategic implications.
But as time went on,and as the pints of beer accumulated, the course of the argument, came to touch upon a deeper rooted issue, mistrust between nations, or more specifically mistrust against Japan. That the territorial dispute are rooted in the chaos from the previous world wars complicate the issue.
I could talk about this a lot longer. It was a rather heated discussion, and I thought that were I ever to work in foreign relations, how difficult this may be.
grocery shopping in England
Grocery shoppping in a foreign country can be a funny experience. It can tell you a lot about the country and to a person who will live there for any extended period it can be one of the defining experience of them living abroad.
I went on my weekly shopping to the local 'Sainsburys' supermarket today. Just like the United States or Japan, Britain also has a hierarchy of supermarkets relative to how expensive 'posh' they are. So you would have your inner-city Wegmans and Safeways and then your posh Pittsford Wegmans.
In Japan, the range runs from say a Kinokuniya in Aoyama to your everyday Maruetsu.
Sainsbury sits in the upper middle class of establishment, when I tell that I do my groceries at Sainsburys, people sometime tell me how much I can save by going to a TESCO or ASDA, but they would also know that I have still not gone beyond the acceptable student realm by venturing to a Marks & Spencer, or worse, (gasp) Harrods in London.
Really, I've shopped at TESCO but I don't notice much difference in pricing. Having been used to the US, both TESCO and Sainsbury are expensive for me, meaning even mid and cheaper level supermarkets in Britain are expensive.
What are most expensive are the meats and seafoods. Take for example, a pack of 6 chicken thighs would cost me close to &5 (about $9) and a typical pack of bacon would run you £3 ($5). I've looked at the prices for beef once before, but I most have tuned myself out after seeing the prices, because I can't recall how expensive they were anymore. So now I bypass the beef section altogether. In contrast, what are not expensive are the usual staples like bread and milk.
One thing I do like about grocery shopping though, are the item selection here . We have a wealth of cheeses. Today I bought a "Lancashire" cheese; according to the packet these are "crumbly and savory". Plus, there is a wide selection of Middle Eastern and South Asian sauces, like curry of different kinds and tikka masalas in ready made bottles. But what I fancy the most (some English expressions are contagious) are the smoked mackerels they have here It is quite good with baguets and very reasonable in price.
It was a lovely day today,
a little chilly, but a perfect day for football.
I am concurrently playing for both the Hughes Hall football club and the Cambridge University Chinese Students Association (CUSCA)football club. Today -for CUSCA- was the big match against the Oxford Chinese Student Society.
The game was not too competitive, not like the ones we play against other colleges in English-style football. Though we do take the game seriously it is not as physical and the technique level is not as demanding. Playing for the CUSCA team I feel I have the relative quickness that I can use. But at this age level, I no longer feel that I am better than anybody else. This may be one reason that I am not into the game as I used to be. Unlike my other pursuts like piano, academics, or pure physical fitnss; with footbal I feel I have already seen the level I can possibly achieve.This can be frustrating.
Having said all this, I still like playing the game. Tomorrow, I will be playing with the Hughes Hall FC against St. Catherines College. The final score against Oxford University Chinese Student Society: (2)-(2).
For the last few days,
I have been serving up Teriyaki Chicken to my floormates. It is a recipe I picked up watching my girlfriend cook it at Rochester this past winter. If they find me cooking I make sure they get a taste.
Speaking of which, I will give you a short introduction of my floormates at the Centennary Building, Hughes Hall.
There are seven of us on the first floor.
On the far end is Andrew, a 'Blues' (representing the university) rugby player from the U.K. and an member of a mysterious "owl" drinking society, hmm :-0
Next door lives Said, a PhD student in Economics from Pakistan. He is the oldest on our floor, and is someone to talk to when we need someone to listen.
Next to Said, is Mikhail from Belgium. He is my closest friend on the floor. A linguist, Mikhail is currently away on a conference in Utreht, Holland. Then follows two historians, Cooper and Fiona and my neighbor Mr. Jess from N. Ireland studying Development Studies,.. then me taking up room G7.
While running at Parkers Piece tonight,
I saw impressive fireworks going up from the 'college backs' area.
This is the second time I've seen fireworks here. The first was in late October or early Novemeber. I think it was called "Guy day" (though I'm not sure whether this is the correct name), it was a very strange festival about an abortive bomb threat against the British parliament planted by a frenchman named Guy way back when. So in celebration of preventing the bomb, they mock it with fireworks and a bonfire with a model of 'Guy' at the stake. A creepy and strange bit of British culture. The fireworks I saw today brought this memory back. There are more like this, other unique and interesting bits of Britain that I should keep note of and share with you on this page.
Today I happen to be listening to,
Diana Krall: How deep is the ocean (how high is the sky)
FanRong sent me a picture of King's College when it snowed last week.
Since I often mention the college in my diary I thought I share the picture with you.
The large building on the right is the King's College Chapel.
Christopher Patten, the last governer of Hong Kong gave a lecture at the Cambridge University Senate Building. I'm sorry to say I was a little too tired to keep my concentration the whole time. He discussed U.K.'s role in the European Union, a hot current topic. He was a portly man, and also somewhat stern. And I couldn't help but notice when he addressed our university as the "other university". I should have taken a notebook. Jason, a friend from our discussion group "EAST (see pevious diary) " was there.
Afterwards, I went over to Fitzwilliam college to a "Burns Night" formal hall. Robert Burns, whom the night is dedicated to, was a widely revered poet from Scotland. In honor of him, the typical Scottish dish "Haggis" is served pompously by Gingam-clad servers. Haggis is something like a sausage of herbs, nuts, and pig liver.
Afterwards we went over to the bar for a pint of Guiness.
Fitz had a very cozy atmosphere, something tha Hughes -eventhough it too is a graduate college- does not yet have.
The violonist Midori was in town to play with
the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
I had secured a seat in the choir seats, just one row behind the tromone section, with a clear view of the guest conductor from the Czeck Republic, Jiri Belohlavek, work his magic:
Smetana: Overture, The Bartered Bride
Dvorak: Violin Concerto in A minor Op.53
Dvorak: Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op.70
The London Philharmonic play with a very delicate harmony with a volume that feels faintly subdued. Their combined sound is elegant yet precise, especially the string section. Tonight, the opening overture by Smetna was a piece I've never heard before, but was fresh and particularly blissful. The Dvorak concerto however, I did not think, was a good piece to showcase Midori's talents. It is a strange concerto of two movements (I think) with a very long first movement that, eventhough with sublime melodies, drags a bit.
But all in all I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. It was a nice excursion into the city. It is only in a few cities like London that I can listen to such great music on a regular basis.
Cambridge is a 1hr train ride to London's King Cross St. from where I get on the Picadilly and the Northern line to the Royal Festival Hall by the Thames River.
When I woke up this morning, I noticed something different.
..We had snow!!
The inner courtyard was covered in a blanket of snow.
Why is it that snow still makes me jippy. The sun was bright and even my house flower seemed chirped up.
As I walked to my lectures at the Sedgewick Site, I could hear and see kids playing in the snow at Parkers Piece.
There were snowmans built at Hughes, at Parkers Piece and in front of the Kings College Chapel.
There was our first EAST (an ad hoc discussion group on East Asia Politics) meeting at the "Anchor" Pub tonight, but only Celeste showed up so we discussed random topics over a pint of beer.
Later that night the snow started to fall with a vengence, but seeing snow over the old city was certainly a pretty sight.
It's a beautiful day in Cambridge.
Our college -Hughes Hall- sits just by a park called Parker's Piece. It is a large square shaped area covered in green, with two bike paths crossing across the length of the field. It also happens to be the site of the first ever "Varsity match" -the annual rugby game between Cambridge and Oxford. On weekdays and weekends, people play their favorite sport -football (mind you, not American Football).
And on a day like this with the sun out, it feels really good to be outside running.
Last night I saw the "Last Samurai".
Surprisingly, I was moved by the movie. Granted, its was not by any means a movie that deserve superb artistic merit; for one, a lot of historical facts and cultural kudos were obstensibly forced. (I felt Last Samurai falls short compared with another Edward Zwick work "Glory").
But to ellaborate, I was moved by the spirit of the samurai of the old, specifically honor and integrity. Whether they were actually associated with the samurai way of life or the Japan is irrelevant for me. I was moved by such spirits in a more general sense.
But it is true, that as a Japanese in a foreign environment I am more sensitive to my cultural and national identity. I had sometimes thought that with so much traveling (living 14 of my 24 years abroad), I would become void of and oblivious to such identity, but this was not the case. The attachment still does exist. The images on the screen hit a certain chord with me.
BGM: Bach-Busoni "Chaconne in D major" played by jorge Bolet
It's the Chinese New Year today -the year of the Monkee-, Xin nian Kuai Le
Let's talk about pubs
There is a pub close to our college called "the Free Press" a pub that I go to. It is only 5 minutes from where I live -very close - and the atmosphere is very good -the typical image of an English pub with wooden counters, old newspapers, and even a fireplace.
The small pub is always full but very cozy.
Though I'm not a heavy drinker, the beers are pretty good too. The brands they carry I've never heard before; which is a good thing since I'm not a big fan of 'Miller Lite' or 'Sapporo' beer.
..Yes I like this plub, I like the whole system of English pubs. I think it's because these places are so care-free.
You can come and go as you like. Chat or just relax.
I like how going to pubs need not be an event.They are places you just stroll to without thinking too much about it...
...listening to Joe Pass is bliss.
BGM: Joe Pass (guitar) "All the things you are"
I was supposed to be in Neil Simon's omnibus play "London Suite" this term. I was to play the bell boy in "the Man on the Floor". Tonight was our first rehearsal.
However, I was not too keen on going.
Like I've written I'm afraid theatre and football will take too much time away from the main objective of my time here, which is at least to acquire the Mandarin language. Secondly, there was a part of me that said i did not want to play another "clown'ish" role. I tend to get cast for these roles somehow with only a few lines, especially at new places. In general, I do not mind acting with the show of movements. I can be wacky if I want, I don't think I'm too bad at that.
But going to the rehearsal today I felt a little embarrased to play another role like this. Embarrased may not be the right word, its just I could not get into it.
I think I will have the chance to get on stage sometime soon. But not this time I suppose.
I told the director I will concentrate on my Chinese. I really need to work hard on this
BGM: Me and Julio by the Schoolyard -Paul Simon
'Tis morning, was loudly waken up by a phone call urging me to play in the football match against Trinity Hall...
Sometimes i think i should be spending time studying Chinese instead of chasing soccer balls on weekends.
but another game beckons tomorrow...this time against Corpus Christi
Afterwards I take the train on the Liverpool St. Line to "Sheldon" one stop over from Cambridge to visit the home of Patricia Mirrlees and her husband Sir James Mirrlees (noble laureate in Economics) with my Mphil classmates
our host Patricia was a lady who was outspoken, witty, and strong-willed.
and I enjoyed my company at the lunch
Sheldon was a very quaint and picturesque English neighborhood.
though I am not comfortable with the country yet, I thought it'd be nice to live in a small village like this.
Spent five days in Rochester, NY.
I saw my girl friend as well as
many of my friends that still remain at the University of Rochester.
It was nice to meet up and at the same time be accepted by your old group of friends who have not seen you for more than a year.
It was (and also was not) a surprise that I felt so at ease at the U of R campus and the city.
The people I metup with have changed very little, and I too may have not changed very much when I am around them.
...except one mentioned how I may have gained some weight..
:-(
I'd like to wish the people I met good luck!
With futaba, I felt I was able to communicate with her more than ever before during the trip.
What is tough with long distance relationships is that no matter what, the degree of comunication becomes superfluous.
it is not the same as meeting face to face.
at the very least, for this, I think it was good that I was able to visit Rochester again.
Happy New Year！！ 新年快了！
新年明けましておめでとうございます！！
２００４年はイギリス、中国、そして日本へいきます。これをご覧の皆さんとどこかですれ違いますかな
まだまだ道半ばの青二才ですが、今年も精一杯努力するのでどうか暖かく見守ってやってください！
勇祐
Time really flies. I am coming to the end of my first term here and its been more than a month since my last update.
I am starting to get worried that without the updates my website will fade into oblivion..so here I am in front of the keyboard in the weehours of Britain.
Tonight after my daily dose of Chinese lectures plus a world politics course I particularly like, I went over to Clare Hall (one of the smaller colleges)to see the Japanese embassador to Britain speak on Japanese foreign policy.
Most of the things he said were things you could have picked up from the MOFA website, but it was good for me to have the chance to chat with him after the lecture.
This week I went to listen to the King's college choir again.
the voices were once again beautiful, the boys in their little top hats and black robes have breathtaking voices. but without doubt it is the chapel , which makes going to the recitals so special.
Next weekend i'd liket to catch a recital in london if i can, Mikhail Pletnev will be playing Rachmaninov concertos at the Royal Festival Hall.
昨夜 キングスカレッジのチャペルで聖歌隊を聴きに行った
キングスカレッジは街の中心に位置する歴史の・るカレッジ
その聖堂はケンブリッジのシンボルとなっている。
建物は全長80m、内部は両面天井まで届きそうな煌びやかなStained Glassで飾られている。中央には黄金でできた天使像に見守られた大きなパイプオルガンがおかれ、華やか且つ神秘的な雰囲気をかもし出す。
King's College Boys Choirの歌声はまるで空から静かに降ってくる様だった
。
ケンブリッジでの生活は中世からの歴史を至る所で感じる。
.
went to King's College to listen to their boy's choir sing at the chapel.
The chapel, a great gothic structure adorned with stained glass was one of the greatest chapels i've seen in Europe.
One more thing, I bumped into an old history seminar classmate, Ben Hildes '02, at Rochester here. And of all places he will be a new member along with myself at Hughes Hall.
ケンブリッジに来た
今コンピュータがないのでHTML書きで更新。
学生寮に入ったらまた｢頻繁」に更新できるでしょうか？
いやはや これからまた僕の放浪記の新しい一章が始まりそうです。。
.
"Alive and well in Hughes Hall, Cambridge, England"
I should be here until April next year , but right now I'm still trying to get settled in ...
