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 -

Blenheim Palace

Paris

Notre Dame with the sunset.
Olivier as one of four pillars in the picture. The picture looked better in my head than on paper. I am putting it up because it is the only picture I have of Olivier.

Arc de Triomphe with some parade underneath; there were hundreds of cops gathered under the Arc. You can see the blue uniforms in the picture.

Marloes and Liege

Looking over Liege, this hill was a fine way to see this plat pays.
Marloes' idea was that Belgium is very different from the Netherlands even though they are so close to each other. On the Saturday we visited Maastricht, and left, the next day, for Liege. Hearing French was a big change, but there were others; the cafe life, for one, seemed a bit like you'd expect in the South of France. Based around a cobblestone square lined with platane like trees.
Here's the good picture I told you about, Marloes. Admit it's nice... Is it you or the buildings?

Krakow

Marika, my (great) hostess. Hmm, I am having a doubt. This may have been in Warsaw...
It's huge and it's made of bricks. Why not?
The cathedral in the castle.

Warsaw

Warsaw is not all pretty. Here's a picture that is probably more representative of the town than the next two.


One of the main squares in the popular area of Warsaw.

The fountain in the centre of the other popular square.

Matriculation photos

Sub fusced - Matriculation day

Balliol College

Balliol is quite unique in that it seperates its grad students from its undergrads. The former live in Holywell Manor, a ten minute walk from main college, where undergrads stay. The graduate population gains from this; social activities tend to be fun but respectful, conversations more probing than they would be with a younger crowd.Here is Holywell Manor. I live across the road but this is the centre of most of my activities.
This is main college, or the idea most people have of Balliol. The inside is quite nice too.

Party pictures

Balliol is a very social college. Over the past two weeks, I have been partying , it seems like, every second night. I justify it as socialising.Kate, Andrew and I enjoying a quiet drink in the MCR bar.
My floor before the Balliol bop, all in our respective costumes.
My floor in more traditional attire after the very traditional freshers' dinner. Dinner was held in hall, a harry potter kind of place. A meal there on normal occasions costs three pounds, very cheap for England.

My room

The layout and decoration have changed quite a bit, and are still likely to change. I got a new bed in, but have to keep the terrible one you see. It's a challenge...
The view from my room and my desk; I'll be spending a lot of time there.

A street in Amsterdam

Apparently famous, with Renske, my great hostess in the front of the picture 

Red light district in the day

 

Levitating man

Or one who pretends to. Notice the stick is significantly off centre. What is really impressive with this man is he outwaits anyone who pauses to find the trick out. He doesn't move, doesn't reveal what he is sitting on, or expose his relation to the weight under him by wobbling. 

Utrecht from above

Renske and I climbed the Dom Tower. The view and the weather were so nice we stayed for almost an hour up there.

Main square in Krakow

 

 

Krakow

Marika and I 

More photos and stories

I'm waiting to get back my CD of photos of Madagascar. There are still a few I'd like to put up. Some of me, some of islands, and a few others I couldn't categorise.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been visiting family and friends in Poland, the Netherlands, and Paris. You'd think I'd have lots of nice pictures to put up; well you're right, but I have a little problem: no more batteries in my camera, and no charger to remedy to that problem. I'll find a solution...