En passant

While running around Cambridge (which I've been doing quite a lot lately) I've found plenty of time to ponder upon the Mysteries of Life, especially since so many things are different for me right now. In my 'old' life I knew a lot of people, from uni, band, school, work, military; I never had a dull moment. I wont say life has been dull in Cambridge, but there have been afternoons and week-ends where nothing special has happened, and it's frankly quite boring. It is good to feel that I'm slowly starting to make friends with people from my house, my college, my lab and random people I meet.

This week has been everything but boring, though. Starting with the party on Monday which was good fun, there's been nights in the pub, quiet evenings with dinner and movie, nightly walks around Cambridge. If this continues, I don't know how I'm going to find time to do chemistry!

But running around, I still think a lot of the everlasting question: What shall we do with the cannons?

Martini-Monday

Yet again it's been a wonderful week; on Saturday we had the first rehersal with the woodwind quintet I'm in; I just love it! I'm a bit ambivalent about how the french horn suddenly became a woodwind instrument... We're planning to play every week, and I hope we at some stage can actually have a concert!

Chemistry-wise it's been a couple of good days; my chemistry seems to work - I've made some promising compounds and results already. Today we had the Pfizer symposium in the afternoon with six excellent lectures by PhD students, and a lecture from a guy from Pfizer. I know some of you would have loved that last one: lots of large scale reactions, no chromatography, no work-up, only recrystallisation! Then we started the party. The theme was James Bond, so there was casino games for free; with poker, black jack, roulette and the whole shebang. And of course Dry Martinis, shaken not stirred (which I hope you all understand is wrong - a martini should never be shaken, only gently stirred...). So now every Monday is Martini-Monday!

On a cold autumn evening

Staying in Cambridge has been wonderful so far. The last week has been more than busy as I've started working in lab. I'm starting to see what my project is going to be like, but right now it's mostly reading chemistry papers, finding chemicals and glassware and planning the next few weeks. But on the other hand there's been some time to do other things as well.

Last Friday I did my first lab demonstrating for the first year chemistry students. The sheer thought of doing lab demonstrating after only two days in the department was horrifying. I ended up with a group of nine freshers, all of which are - by Norwegian standard - both studious and polite. Everything went well even though I felt lost in a new lab, not knowing where anything was.

That feeling was transferred into my own research lab. I don't know where anything is, and with everything beeing communal, I can't put it where I want it to be... But the two days I've had in lab so far has given me a feeling of belonging a place again. I really belive chemistry is the right choice for me - if ever I doubted it! And everyone in lab is really sympathetic. We're quite a large group of nearly 20 people, but luckily quite a few are first year students like myself, which makes it a lot easier being included.

The week-end was a time for meeting up with Carl Andreas, my friend from Sandefjord. He's starting his Tripos this year. He's in Trinity Hall, a wonderful small college by the river. So we went punting down to the Anchor and up to St John's. The weather was nice, but I fear it's going to be to cold soon to do any more punting this year.

Sunday I walked with some other people from Sidney to Grantchester, the next village southwest of Cambridge. It seems like a proper pastime while being in England - all the English folks did the same thing at least! It's a nice walk of about 45 minutes along the river, and upon arriving in Grantchester one can indulge in Cream Tea at The Orchard, or enjoy a pint at The Red Lion.

Apart from that I've enjoyed Shakespeare's 'Two Gentlemen of Verona', formal hall at Sidney, Full English Breakfast and a lot of other things that make joyful. Next week will bring lots of new chemistry (I hope), grad formal at Sidney, Grieg concert with the university symphony orchestra and hopefully a pint at the Maypole!

Fresher's Week

It's been a marvelous week (Interesting how weeks in Cambridge start on Thursdays...). Fresher's week has been all about meeting lots of new people. I live in a house with people from China, Germany, South Africa and England; and in my college there are people from even more countries: Scotland, Ireland, Brazil, Greece, US &c. It's been real fun meeting all of them. Fresher's week in Cambridge has two main ingredients: tea and beer. I've been having tea with all sorts of people lately: my housemates, my neighbours, my college mates, my fellow chemists! Then in the evening we've been meeting up in different pubs (had a pub crawl the other night) having a pint or two.

But there's been time for other things as well. We had a ghost tour around Cambridge with a delightfully inspiring gentlemen of the Cambridge Ghost Club. Would you belive that there are more than eighty different ghost, poltergeists and appearances in Cambridge? And of course Sidney Sussex (my college) has a couple of ghosts on our own. How could we not? We've been around since 1596, anyway.

Last night we went to see the Cambridge Footlights; they've been around since 1883, and their performances are a delightful mixture of sketches and stand-up. John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, and Emma Thompson all started their careers in this group. It was an hour filled with laughter, even though it is tough to follow humour in a foreign language.

Tonight is my matriculation seremony; and afterwards we have our first formal hall. It will be all posh with black gowns, long tables, grace in latin; very Harry Potter-like!

First day in Cambridge

My first real day in Cambridge brought on a lot of things, both expected and unexpected. I had a six hour safety talk; how much can you really say about hazards, risks, fire alarms and electric shocks? More than you think, apparently, as Monday will bring another six hours of safety talk. The good thing is that I knew most of it beforehand, which makes me feel at least a bit prepared. During breaks we were of course served tea and biscuits. What could be more British really?

This far I have noticed quite a lot of typical British things: Nowhere else in the world can the cashier at Sainsbury's call you 'My dear' without it sounding just crazy. On a more critical side of things I've finally noticed that cars drive on the left side (which is now the right side, as right is wrong...). Bikes drive on the left side as well. An people tend to keep left on side-walks. I've been doing some last-minute dodging these few hours.

So for the last British thing today I'm off to the pub with the rest of the graduates from my college. As all my friends in Oslo would know, I'm born with a pint in my hand!

Cambridge - at last

So, here I am. Sitting in my new room in Cambridge. Right now it's quite cold, almost empty and not feeling much like home. But with a couple of days to make it my own, get everything sorted and by a few necessities, it should have the feeling of home - more so than a mattress on a floor, anyway.

Today has been kind of chaotic; the plane from Oslo was delayed; there were more people than seats; the queue to by tickets at Heathrow was enormous. But then things started working more according to plan; the bus arrived on time; my accommodation was ready; a met two of my flat mates, and started sorting out some of the paper work.

A have food, a towel (Imagine having a towel in the city where the author of the Hitchhiker trilogy studied) and a hundred pages on chemistry to read. That should take me through this evening at least. Tomorrow my courses start, and the week-end will see me through a lot of social activities and getting to know people and places; really looking forward to it.

Now it's time for a proper cuppa!

Across a coffee

These last few days have involved saying good-bye to a lot of friends; Saying good-bye usually involves a cup of coffee; And a cup of coffee never fails to get the conversation flowing freely. No subject is to small for this setting, and the wondrous black liquid clarifies any problem, leaving everything crystal clear.

As time draws closer to the event everyhing in my life has gravitated around lately, the last cup of coffee is just a day away. I will miss these oases of calmity in the middle of a hectic life; But at the same time I look forward to all the coffees-to-come.

As I sit down by my cup
And you sit down by yours
I look across the black ocean
And reach for your heart

If you open up and let me in
I will let you grab my heart
And from now on it's not you and me
It's us