Viking Underwear

Wed Oct 17

Made Viking underwear. Had the most wonderful conversations, about giant squid armageddons and things.

Awesome.

Thurs Oct 18

Made pretzels with kelly. Or rather, watched kelly make pretzels while I hung about singing “happiness is a warm gun.” at any rate, they were delicious.

Had fun abusing wordsworth with Ballam. It was so refreshing to hear him go on a rant about the old ponce that was startlingly similar to my own frequently-given rant on the subject. Seriously, “Resolution and Independence” is one of the stupidest poems ever written. It shows no conception of the actual feelings of other people besides himself.
Walked back up Cowley and stopped in this eastern grocer which turned out to be amazing. Not only did they have fenugreek, in many forms, but pomegranates for 99 p, “fancy jellies” that were basically colored sugar water in plastic fruits, and giant trays of dates for less than two pounds. I bought all this, plus some Japanese sweet pastries. When I got home we were adorable and cozy and domestic and I made methi mutter malai with the fenugreek (methi) and onions and garlic and cream and marrowfat peas. Although not as good as the instant India variety, it was tasty and I was proud to have made real food in a very adult manner, food that actually involved chopping and cooking and things. So everyone had the agra peas and greens and the dates and the sweets, so I was Mummy for to-night.
Also Chris made hummus which was delicious and I had bought Jemma gluten-free pita but she et the wrong one and so was ill the next day and it was sad. Poor darling.

Friday October 19

Ian and Liana came to visit me! Yay! Put on Mummy’s navy-blue Gunne Sax frock and walked all the way down to rail station to fetch them. Although I hadn’t been down past George St. since coming here, everything was so familiar. I hadn’t been there in 5 years, but I was in no doubt as to where everything was.

Yay mateys! I missed them. I took them back to the flat and then we went to the Lamb and Flag where Abbey was pubbing it up with the Wychwood contingent. They sang rude songs, put coasters in each other’s drinks, and variously engaged in roistering. Then we all trooped out for kebab.
I was very sneepy. Ian had to steer me home.
Gave ian and liana me comforter.
Spent a cold, sleepless, heart pounding night.

Sat Oct 20

Shiny morning. Rode the bus into town. There, we went to Oxfam, Blackwell’s Music, and Wadham. On campus we frolicked under the Lingering Tree and also in the chapel. Ian gave his harangue quite loud and boomingly, so that I was a little afraid the chaplain would come in and cry, “This is a house of God!” We also played in the organ. I photographed Ian and Liana frolicking in the Bar Quad, and Liana as Alice by the tiny inexplicable door, and Ian as the Libertine by the plaque for the Earl of Rochester, who course would be an alum of Wadham. We went to the covered market and stopped in Chocology for cocoa and Ritter.

At home we watched some Boosh and I had a nap.
I was awoken by Ian jumping onto my bed and abbey and Kelly bursting out of my closet. I didn’t get it until I saw the mars bar on my bedside table.

This jolly joke was based on the time when I read the sexy bits of Keat’s “Eve of St. Agnes” to everyone and instead of finding it slightly creepy and very atmospheric and romantic, as I do, they thought what Porphyro did was TOTALLY sketchy. So the running joke became the plying of sleeping girls with sweets, for some reason always mars bars.
Anyway, it was one of the most awesome things that anybody’s ever done to me, and considering it’s deviousness was probably Alex’s idea.

Chris came over with his guitar and at my request played “Redemption Song.” Ian played and sang “American Pie.” We all went to the chippy and played and sang again while we waited. The chippy was so pleased that he gave Ian and Chris their deep-fried mars bars for free. I got steak and kidney pie. And there was much rejoicing.
We all dressed up piratically for the undersea bop. I was old greg. On the way we saw Adam Ant. However, when we got there they would not let Ian and Liana in; they said guests were allowed in, but only if they’d been signed up ahead of time on the guest-list, which I’m sure is a new rule. I went in and had a look at the bop, but could find no-one to help. Back outside, Liana made quite a forceful case for letting them in, and asked if there was anyone we could speak to, but they said, it doesn’t matter bc the bop’s over. But of course I’d just been and it wasn’t over, in fact it was not over for at least another hour. Bah. Lies. So of course I went off with Ian and Liana and we got kebab and wandered off vaguely towards some intriguing lights in the sky. Then we got a call from abbey saying the bop was lame and where was kelly? So then everyone was lost and cold and the cab didn’t come for ages and we all froze. boo.

Sun Oct 21
Ian and Liana and I had a cuddly sleepover on the living room floor so I did not freeze.
Went to Wychwood. I fought Abbey and she declaimed the St. Crispin’s Day speech.

Gloucester Green, goodbye.
Love Ian and Liana. Miss them.

Kelly asked if I’d go to Pizza hut with her so she wouldn't feel bad about being so American. After, Chris took me to the Eagle and Child, which is a very good first date for an English student. I wasn’t hungry for food so I got sticky toffee pudding. We had quite a wonderful conversation. We talked about truth and lies, Grammar and history.
In the flat there was Alex, Abbey, Kelly, and David love. I sang “Morningtown Ride” for our lullaby.


MONDAY

Argh, I just finished horrible work, and now it stars AGAIN???


Tuesday

Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria is officially the most horrifying thing. There are of course more horrifying books, but none that I could ever be forced to read.
Horrible, horrible, horrible.

Doooooooooooooooooom.