Yes, its the title of a Star Trek episode, but it seems apropos for the moment.
I am sitting here in the common area at The Vines, keeping track of the various departure schedules, as at long last our motley crew of Historians, Theologians, Philosophers, Classicists, and Literary Critics has come to the parting of ways. The last week has been an exhausting blitz on our Long Essays - the capstone project of the semester, where all we've learned is (hopefully) brought together in one 4,000 word paper.
This morning we had a last lunch together and farewell to our excellent SCIO staff, and punctuated throughout the day tomorrow students will be leaving - some for home, and some on various tours of Europe and the UK.
This is probably the last England post on here - I will be touring the UK for the next two weeks, and then I will come at long last on April 28th back to Spring Arbor.
I look forward to seeing you all,
Daniel
Friday, April 11, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
After a month....
Yes its been forever since I've updated, mainly for essay-related reasons.
Now, however, that we are 7 days and 1 essay away from finishing, I have some time.
I believe I left off at the end of Term, as I was crazily polishing off an essay on the Navy.
After term came Spring Break, a welcome relief to all involved. Mom and Dad came over (which was amazing), and we did stuff in Oxford and in London. Oxford they got to see th ecity (well, City Centre, mainly), and we got to hear Handel's Messiah performed by the Bach Choir, which was spectacular (why we don't use the sacred music of the old classical and baroque composers in our American protestant churches I'll never quite understand - the lyrical glory of English choral music puts American praise songs to shame), Then we went to London and saw the British museum, which you can just spend days and days in without getting bored; among other things we saw the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, and the Sutton Hoo hoard - the place has centuries' worth of archaeological treasure hunting in its neoclassical frame.
We also got to see the "classic" London sights, and stayed at an amusing B&B with an eccentric (internet-loving) keeper; as a bonus, we got to hear Bach's St. John Passion at St. Paul's Cathedral, which was superb.
After that it was back to the salt mines, but soon enough Easter arrived, and I took off for Glasgow with a group of friends from the program. We got to see the city known in its heydey as the "Second City of the Empire," as well as Stirling Castle and Stirling Bridge (and the Kirk of the Holy Rood) in an eventful day-trip to Stirling.
Easter service was spent in Glasgow Cathedral, conducted from the good old Church of Scotland Hymnary.
The trip also brought a new appreciation for finding places in coach stations to sit and enjoy bread & cheese (a staple for traveling students) - for the record, Somerset Brie is better than French Brie, and bagettes make for good snacks.
After that, its back to the salt mines again (including a long night writing an essay that somehow earned positive reviews despite my sleep-deprived and caffeine-saturated state).
All that - as well as so much more (including trips to a Roman Castle, the HMS Victory [Nelson's flagship], and Coventry - best known for it bombed out cathedral and Lady Godiva) - is passed, and I shall now go and read for my final essay. Cheers.
Now, however, that we are 7 days and 1 essay away from finishing, I have some time.
I believe I left off at the end of Term, as I was crazily polishing off an essay on the Navy.
After term came Spring Break, a welcome relief to all involved. Mom and Dad came over (which was amazing), and we did stuff in Oxford and in London. Oxford they got to see th ecity (well, City Centre, mainly), and we got to hear Handel's Messiah performed by the Bach Choir, which was spectacular (why we don't use the sacred music of the old classical and baroque composers in our American protestant churches I'll never quite understand - the lyrical glory of English choral music puts American praise songs to shame), Then we went to London and saw the British museum, which you can just spend days and days in without getting bored; among other things we saw the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, and the Sutton Hoo hoard - the place has centuries' worth of archaeological treasure hunting in its neoclassical frame.
We also got to see the "classic" London sights, and stayed at an amusing B&B with an eccentric (internet-loving) keeper; as a bonus, we got to hear Bach's St. John Passion at St. Paul's Cathedral, which was superb.
After that it was back to the salt mines, but soon enough Easter arrived, and I took off for Glasgow with a group of friends from the program. We got to see the city known in its heydey as the "Second City of the Empire," as well as Stirling Castle and Stirling Bridge (and the Kirk of the Holy Rood) in an eventful day-trip to Stirling.
Easter service was spent in Glasgow Cathedral, conducted from the good old Church of Scotland Hymnary.
The trip also brought a new appreciation for finding places in coach stations to sit and enjoy bread & cheese (a staple for traveling students) - for the record, Somerset Brie is better than French Brie, and bagettes make for good snacks.
After that, its back to the salt mines again (including a long night writing an essay that somehow earned positive reviews despite my sleep-deprived and caffeine-saturated state).
All that - as well as so much more (including trips to a Roman Castle, the HMS Victory [Nelson's flagship], and Coventry - best known for it bombed out cathedral and Lady Godiva) - is passed, and I shall now go and read for my final essay. Cheers.
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