Still 2010

In great news for all fans of saying 'twenty-ten', it still is! Things won't get cooler till twenty-eleven folks! Maybe I should stop blogging now and just post daily 'Still 2010' updates for the rest of the year. Oooor I could just not do that. There follows a pretty loosely connected, semi stream of consciousness sort of thing. Blog blog blog blog.

I have spent a lot of time crafting beauteous A3 colour representations of knowledge out of my lecture notes, or distracting myself from said task with internet television. The new episodes of 30 Rock are the best in some while, Dollhouse is still exciting but rather obviously rushed I feel. I know when SOME of my exams are now, which is nice. one on Thursday, and then either one or two on the Thursday after, depending on when they agree to have it and if I decide to turn up. Still not sure about the amount of uncertainty involved here!

I am excited about my trip to Tel Aviv too, though I have no idea what I'll do there, or even how much stuff to take. Can't decide whether to trust German organisational powers with transferring hold baggage from one flight to another with only 45 minute changeover time. I've been looking at other travel things to do, I think I'll make it to Munich sometime in February, beyond that we shall have to see. Am hoping to get at least one field trip in next semester.

I have a hankering for an unnecessarily long train journey at some point, I even took the time to figure out how to get from Vienna to Finland by train. Turns out it takes about 3 and a half days, but if you book in advance would onlybe about 250 euros one way. I almost certainly won't do it, but I am puzzled why the thought still tempts me. I mean, it isn't like I love the trains themselves in a James May sort of way, more that I love staring out the window.

Speaking of Jameses, the awesome Postcard Jim sent me a postcard or two! They are both super cool, and as soon as I can go out to the antiques market after exam time I will try and get something for him.

I am longing for a really long book to read too. I decided while visiting my excellent friend Rob that my German book should be Parfum by Patrick Susskind, but I also want a looong English book to read as well. I read all of Fight Club on the delayed flight back here, it was great, but the film is so burned into my mind it takes a superhuman effort to think about anything else...

Have I done ANYTHING, you ask, apart from think stuff? Well, I did go and watch Mirva play in a Harpsichord and wooden 18th Century flute concert on Saturday. Frankly, Bach and your 4 harpsichord music composing sons, I don't undestand your music at all. There's just no bit of structure familiar to me to grab on to, and the intruments work in a very different way. With a harpsichord and 18th C flute, you really don't get quite the variation in loudness and notes that I'm used to. My favourite pieces were thus the really frivolous ones by his populist son, because they are simpler and easier to appreciate as just 'ooo, pretty!' I did think about the poor normal person's lot while the nobles were pissing around on Harpsichords too. Music to be filed under:needs more work, I reckon.

Afterwards we went for a walk in the bloody cold but supremely beautiful Vienna, if only my visitors had seen this! Took photos of the Beethoven statue w/ Mirva for a concert flyer. The Beethoven statue is literally the Beethoveniest statue you'll ever see, he is SO moody looking. To finish we headed for the Naschmarkt, I am now stocked up with more mountain cheese,and 2 new additiions to my growing tea collection.




For the forseeable future it is all revision and occasional classical music concerts, which is not such a bad life really, not when one is learning about rocks...


Adieu!