Just would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a great start in the new year!!
I should be going to bed as I have to get up in just over 5 hours to go the airport to fly to Heathrow to meet Mark and Nanny Peggy to then fly on to Raleigh/Durham. Phew.
I had a wonderful few days in Basel. Thank you for everyone who came from all over Switzerland and for everyone who took time off from studying and working to hang out with me. I love you all very much :)
That is all for now as I really must go to bed.
xxx
Friday 19 December 2008
Sunday 7 December 2008
Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Yes, again it has taken me ages to get round to writing a new post. And as always a lot of things have happened in the meantime although I do need to consult my diary to see what exactly those things were.
Last time I wrote it was the 12th November - it seems like only a few days ago. Time here is flying by. Regular occupations include meetings with the Broadgate JCR and the PGSA committee, going to lectures, going to the gym, sleeping and eating - oh and occasionally food shopping although I did admittedly just go a week without doing any proper food shopping. More irregular activities were things like having my Meningitis vaccination, being ill, going to my first ever formal dinner, having supper with Aunt Emma andandand. Let me pick a few things out for you.
My role as Cloister House Rep is getting more and more interesting. As I said I go to weekly meetings for two committees and so have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of activities that need to be organised e.g. future formals, parties, outings, etc. The Broadgate JCR now finally also has another postgrad rep so me, her and the international rep (who is also postgrad) will hopefully get some good stuff going on for Broadgate in the new year. We also just had the BGP Christmas formal, which was massive!! It was my first formal ever and I was
very impressed. The theme was "Gatecrash the Kremlin" and they had Russian dancers, Roulette, dodgems, a starlit sky and disco dancing into the early hours of the morning. A group from Cloister House went and I sat with the JCR (free dinner, yay) and we all had an excellent time and everyone (including me I might say) was looking incredibly smart in their pretty dresses and suits and ties (well obviously not both, one or the other usually). Cloister House has also had a trip to the local bowling alley funded by BGP and it was only the second time I had ever been bowling and I am certainly not a natural talent especially not in playing two games in a row as my hand was definately too tired by the second game and we were playing without bumpers so there were a lot of 0s.... This coming weekend were are hoping to go ice skating on the old market square and get that subsidised too. Apparently this is the first year Cloisters has ever asked for anything to be subsidised - not sure whether this is considered a good or a bad thing...
Christmas time here is general madness. You might think Christmas is crazy everywhere it is actually celebrated but I think this is about as mad as it has ever got for me. There are so many Christmas parties one could go to and people spend insane amounts of money on Christmas presents and outfits (I would like to mention here that my beautiful dress for the formal cost about £14 off eBay) and decorations andandand (I think andandand is another direct translation of something that is usually only said in German but nevermind). On Friday we went to the PGSA Big Christmas Night Out. There was a group of about 15 of us and we had a good laugh even though the party was slightly disappointing. This coming week there is probably a party every night but main possibilities are the BGP Christmas Party and the I-WHO christmas dinner on Friday, which will hopefully give me the chance to meet a few more people from my course or my institute and do some more networking (I do hate that expression!!). On Saturday I went out for dinner with Jenny and a group of people cause it was Jenny's birthday (and also Santiglaus but that sadly isn't celebrated here). We went to Nando's, which is a Portuguese chicken place and it was very tasty, yummy. On Tuesday I am going to the German Christmas market with Jenny to have some Glühwein and maybe a Wurst. Another christmassy event coming up is the RDA Christmas Bonanza where they dress up all christmassy and do christmassy games with the riders but sadly I don't think I will be able to make it as I annoyingly have a revision lecture in the middle of the day...
Talking about lectures... I don't have very many this week but I do have an introductory session on my Applied Research Project, which I have to do next summer so if anyone has any good ideas for anything they want researched let me know ;)
Just realised I haven't yet mentioned that I was in London this week! I went from Wednesday evening to Friday morning and stayed with Vicky and Johanna. I had some great meals but mainly also went to have lunch with Val (Vicky's HR Manager) to talk about future careers in HR. It was very informative and helpful even though the conclusion we came to was that I probably don't want to be working in HR but maybe in recruitment/assessment or general consultancy. I thought London was great - as I always do when I am there - but did wonder how people who rely on public transport to get to work ever get there on time! Talking about public transport: I am now also the proud owner of an Oyster Card. Not really significant but I was quite pleased.
What I am most looking forward to in the near future (of course) is going back home to Basel. Yes, I do and probably always will consider Basel home. Main reason for being so happy to go back there is always just the feeling of being home and of course seeing all my beautiful, wonderful friends again. I do miss you all so much it is incredible. Anyway, I have to start planning my few days there as I am hoping to see as many people as possible and also eat Fondue, maybe some Zopf, wonder around time and along the Rhein and all sorts of other stuff. Oh yes, fill in my tax return of course, how could I forget.
I think that will do for the moment although I am sure there is lots more to tell. Must think some more about actually doing some proper work on one of my many essays or for one of my many exams.
Love you lots.
E
Last time I wrote it was the 12th November - it seems like only a few days ago. Time here is flying by. Regular occupations include meetings with the Broadgate JCR and the PGSA committee, going to lectures, going to the gym, sleeping and eating - oh and occasionally food shopping although I did admittedly just go a week without doing any proper food shopping. More irregular activities were things like having my Meningitis vaccination, being ill, going to my first ever formal dinner, having supper with Aunt Emma andandand. Let me pick a few things out for you.
My role as Cloister House Rep is getting more and more interesting. As I said I go to weekly meetings for two committees and so have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of activities that need to be organised e.g. future formals, parties, outings, etc. The Broadgate JCR now finally also has another postgrad rep so me, her and the international rep (who is also postgrad) will hopefully get some good stuff going on for Broadgate in the new year. We also just had the BGP Christmas formal, which was massive!! It was my first formal ever and I was
very impressed. The theme was "Gatecrash the Kremlin" and they had Russian dancers, Roulette, dodgems, a starlit sky and disco dancing into the early hours of the morning. A group from Cloister House went and I sat with the JCR (free dinner, yay) and we all had an excellent time and everyone (including me I might say) was looking incredibly smart in their pretty dresses and suits and ties (well obviously not both, one or the other usually). Cloister House has also had a trip to the local bowling alley funded by BGP and it was only the second time I had ever been bowling and I am certainly not a natural talent especially not in playing two games in a row as my hand was definately too tired by the second game and we were playing without bumpers so there were a lot of 0s.... This coming weekend were are hoping to go ice skating on the old market square and get that subsidised too. Apparently this is the first year Cloisters has ever asked for anything to be subsidised - not sure whether this is considered a good or a bad thing...Christmas time here is general madness. You might think Christmas is crazy everywhere it is actually celebrated but I think this is about as mad as it has ever got for me. There are so many Christmas parties one could go to and people spend insane amounts of money on Christmas presents and outfits (I would like to mention here that my beautiful dress for the formal cost about £14 off eBay) and decorations andandand (I think andandand is another direct translation of something that is usually only said in German but nevermind). On Friday we went to the PGSA Big Christmas Night Out. There was a group of about 15 of us and we had a good laugh even though the party was slightly disappointing. This coming week there is probably a party every night but main possibilities are the BGP Christmas Party and the I-WHO christmas dinner on Friday, which will hopefully give me the chance to meet a few more people from my course or my institute and do some more networking (I do hate that expression!!). On Saturday I went out for dinner with Jenny and a group of people cause it was Jenny's birthday (and also Santiglaus but that sadly isn't celebrated here). We went to Nando's, which is a Portuguese chicken place and it was very tasty, yummy. On Tuesday I am going to the German Christmas market with Jenny to have some Glühwein and maybe a Wurst. Another christmassy event coming up is the RDA Christmas Bonanza where they dress up all christmassy and do christmassy games with the riders but sadly I don't think I will be able to make it as I annoyingly have a revision lecture in the middle of the day...
Talking about lectures... I don't have very many this week but I do have an introductory session on my Applied Research Project, which I have to do next summer so if anyone has any good ideas for anything they want researched let me know ;)
Just realised I haven't yet mentioned that I was in London this week! I went from Wednesday evening to Friday morning and stayed with Vicky and Johanna. I had some great meals but mainly also went to have lunch with Val (Vicky's HR Manager) to talk about future careers in HR. It was very informative and helpful even though the conclusion we came to was that I probably don't want to be working in HR but maybe in recruitment/assessment or general consultancy. I thought London was great - as I always do when I am there - but did wonder how people who rely on public transport to get to work ever get there on time! Talking about public transport: I am now also the proud owner of an Oyster Card. Not really significant but I was quite pleased.
What I am most looking forward to in the near future (of course) is going back home to Basel. Yes, I do and probably always will consider Basel home. Main reason for being so happy to go back there is always just the feeling of being home and of course seeing all my beautiful, wonderful friends again. I do miss you all so much it is incredible. Anyway, I have to start planning my few days there as I am hoping to see as many people as possible and also eat Fondue, maybe some Zopf, wonder around time and along the Rhein and all sorts of other stuff. Oh yes, fill in my tax return of course, how could I forget.
I think that will do for the moment although I am sure there is lots more to tell. Must think some more about actually doing some proper work on one of my many essays or for one of my many exams.
Love you lots.
E
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