Snow in Oxford and Jen's birthday.

A couple of days I woke up to a very nice suprise. A (thin) covering of snow on the Master's field. Hurray! I am also adding a picture of Jen's birthday.

More Burns night

With James and Kate. It's late in the night, I have undone my bowtie.
Scottish dancing. Very good fun; the dances were a bit like you see in historic pieces, only a bit more rowdy.
Late in the night, people party on.
During Burns night dinner. I am adding this picture because I didn't have any dinner pics, and it was the main event.

Master's dinner and Burns night

In Oxford you may have heard, people dress a bit formally. Well that's exactly right. After having used my suit, three times in three years (maybe more in DC), I am putting it on once a week, it seems. Last week, we had the Master's dinner, given to Balliol grads so we could meet the master, drink with the fellows, and of course, dress ridiculously.

Now, an even more outlandish event is Burns night, in memory of an eighteenth century Scottish poet, we took out our dinner jackets and bow ties, looked slick, and mingled, slick people with slick people, for a whole evening. Did I mention the piper? Coming into hall, we were greeted by bagpipes. Leaving hall back to the MCR, we were led by the same piper, through the streets, a hundred or so of us in our dinner jackets and black tie dresses, while people stared.
Here is Will and Patrick. Will is my neighbour, and although Patrick lives out, I see him often.

With Phil and Will.

First few days of the new year

Before coming back to Oxford and after leaving New Caledonia, a few things happened. Ariane had her birthday, for which I only have one picture. And I went to Noosa with both my parents.
Eumundi markets.
In a Noosa cafe.
Ariane's birthday night. Arthur tries out his pose. Is he coming close to blue steel?

Noosa beach

New Caledonia

I went to New Caledonia for a few days right at the end of the year. Adrien hosted, showing me around zealously.Yate
Tessa in Yate.
Honore.
Adrien and Tessa at Abega.

Charlene with the new kitten.

Christmas

I was at home for Christmas. This was probably the last Christmas in this house.

Ski trip

Just before Christmas, the Oxford and Cambridge ski clubs organise a joint ski trip called the Varsity Trip. I took part. It happened in Les Deux Alpes, France, a resort with a glacier peaking at 3600 metres. Here are a few pictures.

Avalanche dog.

Nepotist carols and gordouli

On the last Friday of Michaelmas, Balliol had nepotist carols. Everyone came in to hall, was handed christmas carols lyrics, mulled wine and mince pies, and the singing started. No nice Oxford choir; 200 people, some with voices almost as bad as mine, singing to the best of their ability carols in English and Latin. Before this experience, I disliked christmas carols, feeling disconnected with their merriness. But, the next day, I was walking around humming jingle bells, trying to remember how it went.
After the carols, we marched to Trinity's gates. Balliol traditionally sings abuse at Trinity's gates, but after some unfortunate events a few years ago, the college has been trying to stop the practice: to stop us, they locked the front gate. The crowd, for once purposeful, went around the back and on the gate, and sung Bloody Trinity, shouting, etc. A brave car backed through the gate into the crowd, which parted gracefully. Passants on Broad St stopped and looked on to one of Oxford's many odd traditions. We were meant to sing the Gordouli but no one knew it, so we shouted Bloody Trinity. I hope that next year we'll get the song printed and handed out. Here it is:
The Gordouli

1
Gordooley!
He's got a face like a ham,
'Cos Bobby Johnson says so,
And he should know!

(chorus) Bloody Trinity!
Bloody Trinity!
Bloody Trinity!
2
Menaites once, Menaites twice,
Holy jumping Jesus Christ,
Flim, flam, wham, bam, oh, shit!
3
If i were a trinity man i would, i would
I'd go into a public weir, i would, i would,
I'd pull the chain and disappear I would i would
4
I don't give a fuck or a damn
Who the hell or what I am,
As long as I'm not a trinity man!
5
I'm a bastard, I'm a bastard, I'm a bastard yes I am,
But i'd rather be a bastard than a bloody trinity man
6
Trinity's burning, Trinity's burning
Fetch the engine, Fetch the engine
Fire, fire! Fire, fire!
Pour on petrol Pour on petrol
7
Goodnight Trinity; goodnight trinity,
goodnight trinity - we're going to leave you now.
But before we go -