Remember When?

Hey all, remember when I used to be a good blogger and kept you updated weekly? Yeah, I don't either. But, I feel really guilty about it, so I'm going to fix it this morning with a brief update in Regent's Library (next to my lovely friend, Amanda who may or may not be reading this over my shoulder).

It's 4th Week, which means I am half way through my last term at Oxford. Hold on, let me wipe that little tear away from my eye. OK, and I'm back. Yeah, so this term had been pretty busy, considering I only have one tute. But this one tute is very stressful; in fact, I've developed a complex. Since I only have my tutorial on Restoration Literature, I thought, "Hey, Jarred, why not give this everything you've academically got?" I showed up in 1st Week with an essay on the body in Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained with a little bit on Samson Agonistes. My tutor called my essay one of the strongest student essays she's read on Milton in a while. I was floored, as Milton gave me such a hard time; he's a very dense poet to sift through. My essay for 2nd Week was on Restoration comedies, and I really threw myself into that essay. I loved the plays I read (The Country Wife, The Man of Mode, and The Rover) which meant that writing the essay was so much fun. And my tutor told me, "Jarred, you clearly had fun writing this." She also told me that she was impressed by the work I've produced, and even said my Restoration comedy essay was borderline graduate level work. In one way I should be thrilled that she enjoys my work, but mostly, I'm terrified. Here's the complex: I'm so scared that those essays were flukes and that I really don't have the potential she sees in me and that the next essays I write will reveal what a Restoration lit fraud I am. And then I tell myself, "Get over it and write your next essay." It's an approach. I love the Restoration period, especially the theatre, although right now I'm supposed to be writing about the poetry of Katherine Philips and Hester Pulter. Instead, I'm blogging.

On the social front, I'm in another play, which has played a major role in me not blogging. I play an old man in an adaptation of Phillip Pullman's "I Was a Rat." It's quite a cute and fun show--a fairy tale type spectacle with a bit of social commentary thrown in. It opened last night, and I'm still waiting for our reviews. Perhaps I put some excerpts up if they're flattering or vaguely offensive (like last terms reviews for Instead of Beauty and Little Shop of Horrors). I love theatre, but with this new found Restoration Complex, I haven't enjoyed it as much as last term; all I can think is, "I should be working!" In fact, I SHOULD be working as this next essay is due in for tomorrow and this week "I Was a Rat" is playing, so I need to work. Like, now. I'll update you later, promise. Trust me, I'm an (almost) academic.

(Oh, and just to keep your eyes happy, I'm sharing a photo of me with Emanuelle, our college tortoise. Majestic is the only word I can think of to describe her beautiful and regal air.)

Holiday Travels Part Deux!

After Dublin, I went straight to Paris to meet my very good friend from high school, Jennifer. Jen is also studying abroad at Oxford University, at Mansfield College. Meeting in her Paris, a very exciting thing for me! I'm going to let Jen's pictures do most of the story-telling.

On our first day, we went to the Musee d'Orsay which houses a lot of Impressionist work--Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Gauguin, and others.

We also stopped by this little creperie, then visited Notre Dame.

(I've got a serious case of hat hair, hence the self-conscious pose.)


(This is my camerawork!)

Jen and I also paid a visit to Louis XIV decadent palace, Versailles. It was, well, decadent. I loved it, but I loved the smaller Le Grand Trianon, part of la Domaine de Marie Antoinette. You know, I always thought Marie and I would get on well; I once even told that to a scholarship interview committee...that didn't...that didn't go so well... Anyway,here's Jen resting in the style of Marie in Le Grand Trianon:



We went to the catacombs as well, feeling very Poe--who, fun fact, wrote in Paris. Also, in that same morbid day, we went to Oscar Wilde's grave. Another fun fact: Wilde's actress crush, Sarah Bernhardt, is also buried in the same cemetery.



After 3 lovely nights in Paris, Jen and I went down south to Nice! It was...well, not exactly what I needed. You see that hat from earlier? Yeah, it got stolen in Nice by some French punks. This next photo is actually the last record we have of that hat; Jen and I went to visit our hostel roommate who worked at this bar with live music. The roommate was nice. The live band's lead singer was a Dutch guy who looked like Kurt Cobain. There was also a French couple fighting, and I may or may not have been an instigator. I sort of kind of started dancing with this guy's girlfriend...yeah... Anyway, look, a distraction!


(Yeah, I kind of forgot my razor, so pardon the scruff...)





So, that's my holiday in France with Jennifer. Oh, right, Nice is also where I left my camera, and I have plans on getting it back. When I do, there'll be a nice photo entry of France from my eyes. In the meantime, I'll just have to keep you occupied with tales of Trinity Term, my final term at Oxford. So far, I've managed to read Milton's Paradise Lost over the vacation, as well as some secondary sources. I'm kind of ahead right now. 0th week is approaching quickly, as in this Sunday quickly, and already the finalists (the students in their final year) at Regents Park are feeling the stress of upcoming exams. I also have an audition lined up for Monday evening for a show--but just ONE show. I will not be spending more nights on the JCR sofa because of theatre like I did last term. Ladies and gentlemen, I'll update you later, but right now, I've got some instant coffee to make and some secondary reading to tackle. Au revoir!