Well, I've made it through second week of Hilary Term alive and relatively well, and I FINALLY have a couple adventures to report back to all of you. =)
So my blog-appropriate-social life of second week began last Thursday, when Team Awkward celebrated a belated Burns' Night at St. Benet's Hall (with other cool Benet's people, of course ^_^). Burns' Night is a celebration in memory of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who wrote that song we all sing on New Year's Auld Lang Syne among other poems. The link explains pretty much all you need to know about Burns' Night, but anyway, we were lead into the dining hall by a bagpiper, watched the haggis be carried around the hall (led by a bagpiper), listened to my rowing captain read Address to the Haggis (and chuckled a little bit), toasted with a dram of whiskey, tried a bit of haggis and had a great time. What were my thoughts on haggis? Well, to be honest, it was a little on the awful side. It smelled terrible. Kate and I were incredibly eager to pass the giant plate of it down the table far, far away from us. Surprisingly though, it didn't taste too bad, but then again, I wasn't fully aware of what it was until after I had had two bites of it. Maggie thought that it tasted like corn beef and hash...really salty corn beef and hash. After I had had my two bites, I happily passed my portion to Jonny, who devoured it along with his helping. Kate and I ended up eating her vegetarian haggis, which was wonderfully delicious. Despite the grossness of the haggis, I had a really good time, but I regrettably do not have any pictures of it. I know, definitely a fail on my part. =(
After Burns' Night, one of our friends, who is involved with Oxford's Fashion Week, invited us to the Fashion Week's Cock-Teas Launch Party, where the theme was prohibition and 1920's. We arrived to the party a little on the late side, so it was pretty crowded and certainly in full swing. We had cock-teas, which were exactly what the name implies: tea cocktails. They were dangerously delicious and strong, but I couldn't finish mine. Unfortunately, Kate and I were so tired by the time we got to the party that we didn't stay for very long after we finished our cock-teas. Oh, did I mention that we dressed up 1920's style for this party? Well, we did (and we went to Burns' Night dressed to kill). I thought the three of us looked incredible, particularly Maggie. She looked like she stepped straight out of black and white film. I have her to thank for my outfit, since I didn't have anything 1920's, she loaned me one of her gorgeous dresses. Again, I regrettably don't have any pictures of this event either, and I wish I had. There were so many fashionable people there with beautiful 1920's dresses.
On Friday night, I went on a pub-crawl with fellow Blackfriars students. It was pretty casual but not devoid of fun. We played Battleship at the last pub, and the Team Awkward girls had a late night snack of chips in curry sauce. Mmmmm.
Then on Saturday night, Blackfriars went to a Baroque music festival at the Sheldonian Theatre. The program consisted of Suite from Abdelazer Z 570 by Henry Purcell (think Pride and Prejudice), Adagio in G minor by Tomaso Albinoni, Organ Concerto No 13 in F, 'The Cuckoo and the Nightingale' HWV 295 by George Frideric Handel (the organ in this piece sounded a little bit like someone's mobile ringtone; it reminded me a little bit of Main Street in Disneyland ^_^), Concerto in E flat major for violin 'La Tempesta di Mare' RV 253 by Antonio Vivaldi, and Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D BWV 1050 by Johann Sebastian Bach. The concert was amazing, and I loved every minute of it. It certainly made me miss being in symphonic band and orchestra. It was also my first time being inside the Sheldonian, which was gorgeous. Kate and I felt like we had been transported back in time. I think my poor pictures could probably describe it better than I can.
All these photos were taken with my phone's (which is frustratingly not cooperating with me at the moment ;_; ) camera.
Then on Sunday night we Blackfriars students celebrated Father Mike's (he was one of the friars who came with us on the Reading Party, and he's one of my favourite friars) birthday, which was of course filled with fun. With Father Mike, it's pretty much impossible not to have fun. We had drinks with him at St. John's, and then took him out to dinner at Nandos, which is a chicken restaurant. I got a beanie burger (the last one of the night apparently), and it was pretty good. Then we shared a giant delicious chocolate cake, which pretty much filled my sugar quota for the week. Anyway, I hope he had a great birthday. He certainly deserved it. =)
Well, even though I've finished a paper for my tutorial tomorrow (I finished it before 10:30pm, a world record for Nutmeg!), I have to start working on another one for Thursday. So until next time...
Cheers!
Nutmeg ^_^
