May Has Arrived

I will post some pictures soon, the flowers here an indescribable. I walk outside and I'm greeted by waves of scents from the flowering trees nearby and the flowers planted near the front door of Acland. University Parks is covered with blossoms and unfurling leaves and riotous profusions of colour and petals. Oh its beautiful. I start running and I never make it terribly far before I stop and smell a flower or look at some of the petals.

Trinity term is well underway. This is already third week and I'm hard at work on my dissertation, immersed in books on literary patronage, translations and writing of history in Elizabethan England. The further I get into the work the more interesting it becomes. It is a view of communication and examining how and why authors would communicate in the way they did. At the same time its also a lesson in citing early printed books and the mechanics and details of writing academic papers. There is a lot more to it than just writing a good paper. Citations must be correct, abbreviations for the main texts need to be clear, primary sources, printed early material, secondary sources must all be correctly ordered in the bibliography. But it really is interesting. I'm also continuing with French and Latin and this is very interesting as well, I've been learning so much about communication in other languages and seeing the strengths and weaknesses of language.

Other than many hours in the library I've been running and I play basketball for Keble College. I've been reading Alexander Pushkin lately and enjoying Shakespeare alongside the Thames in Christ Church Meadow. The Rotary Club of Ascot invited the Oxfordshire Scholars to a day at the races last week and I had the opportunity to give my presentation on Kansas at their meeting later that day. The races were so amazing, the horses there are absolutely exquisite. We also had an absolutely beautiful day, blue skies and little wind, it was such a wonderful experience.

I can't believe I will be finishing up my degree within two months. Its been a crazy eight months, passing by so quickly, I've learned so much, academically and personally. It has been an honour to be a part of Rotary throughout this year.