Sociable

[liv]

I'm having a very enjoyable, but slightly ridiculously packed, social life at the moment!

Last week was purim, which has never been my favourite festival. The student Jewish society wanted to do a big extravaganza, which I think is a good idea as it's a way to raise the profile of a tiny society within the university. So I spent Saturday afternoon helping to set up the rooms for that.

I had made a plan to see the Anglo-Saxon gold, which was exhibited here for just a few weeks. But the small local museum was totally overwhelmed by hosting such a major exhibition, and when I arrived there they turned me away, because there was a 2 hour queue and only 2 hours left before closing time. I'm really disappointed to have missed that; I just hope that the gold will end up somewhere at least in Britain, even if it can't be kept locally. There's a campaign to raise money to keep it here, which would be a big boost for the area, but I don't know how practical that is.

When it came to the time to go out again for the purim party itself, I decided I just couldn't face it, going back out to Keele and having to deal with transport home late on Saturday night, all for the sake of an evening spent sitting around getting drunk, which is not my favourite thing. I joked that I was being old and boring but to be honest there's no age when I ever enjoyed getting drunk. I did go to the purim service at synagogue, led by the Chabad rabbi who came with a small entourage to read the megillah, (the book of Esther). So I did get a chance to wear my planned costume: I was a wizard, with my hair fixed as a bushy beard, a shiny blue shirt and the purple cloak j4 gave me.

This weekend I travelled to London for khalinche's extremely wonderful McGonagall party. There was really impressive food, and lots of silliness (much of it involving peas), and of course the obvious bad poetry. ewtikins demonstrated her genius by improvising a tune for some of McGonagall's totally unscanning verse. And after the party I had a chance for a good long natter with khalinche, and then with ewtikins, during a walk in the spring sunshine.

Next week I plan to see syllopsium in Manchester, and we are going to go walking in the countryside. Yay. Luckily we have a six week break from teaching after that, (while the students do individual projects, clinical stuff and exam revision) cos otherwise I don't think I'd make it till Passover. I am then going to two weddings on two consecutive Saturdays, a friend of jack's and then a student's. (Little first year students are not supposed to get married! Eek!)

I'm doing the itinerant preacher thing over Passover, first night at home and then second night with the Stockholm Progressive community. The plan is for jack and I to have a few days' holiday in Sweden after that, returning on Good Friday (2^nd April).

I've just booked tickets for Eastercon when we get back. I have never been to a (SF) con before, and I'm quite nervous. Especially since it will still be Passover and I have no idea what I'm going to do about food. Any suggestions / advice? Offers to meet up, if any of you guys are attending. And then my wonderful amazing friend MK is going to be visting from Australia! I am so very much looking forward to seeing him.

Also in London 17^th and 18^th April, and quite possibly the May bank holiday weekend. But I'll make more plans nearer the time.

Comments

[nanaya]

I thought everyone loved Purim! ;-)

IKWYM about being drunk, I really don't like it either, so it's never my idea of a good end goal for an evening.

[liv]

I am not against purim really, and I agree with the students that it was a really good event to make a big deal out of, in a campus situation, since it's in the middle of term and the sort of thing likely to appeal to students. I don't really like enforced fun in general, is the problem.

And in this case it was a bad combination of the campus being slightly awkward to get to outside peak times, and the fact that I don't really consider the students my friends (they are lovely, but 10+ years younger than me and I don't know them well enough to go much beyond small talk), and the fact I was feeling disgruntled about my weekend being so bitty. Those things together made the prospect stressful and annoying, and it's a really bad idea for me to drink if I'm in a less than perfect mood to start off with, or the alcohol will make me maudlin.

[syllopsium]

All sounds cool - I wouldn't mind going to a con, but this Easter is booked up with Nantwich Jazz and Blues Festival and the local barman's engagement party.

Good Friday is on the 2nd April, not the 19th though?

Wizard Piccies!! :)

[liv]

Yes, you're right about the date, I have no idea why I wrote that. Had too many dates in my head, I think.

There are no pictures, because I cunningly didn't go to the party full of students with digital cameras and Facebook accounts :-p