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!