Monday, November 13, 2006

But really, graduation


I did actually get to the ceremony, although it's not the funnest thing in the world to go through an entire afternoon on a couple of new potatoes and half a bread roll.

It was the perfect culmination to the year: a truly Cambridge event. The robes with hoods so heavy they threatened to strangle you whenever your shoulders shifted. The university's old guard stalking through the Senate House in red robes trimmed with white fur, stamping their silver canes and hissing for audience members to stop making noise when they sit (how dare you walk as if you actually weigh anything in this hallowed ground?!). The Latin rolling like an incantation off the tongues of college presenters. The parading through town and the kneeling and the blessing and the shivering under a mottled autumn sky where King's College stands etched against the clouds, immutable and unperturbed, silent witness to 800 years of this same ceremony.


Somehow, it also seemed fitting that our university "degrees" could have been printed out on my spastic Lexmark inkjet. Maybe the university is still miffed that it can't use dried sheepskin and hand-ground ink sticks anymore.

It was a very nice day, finishing with a visit to our favorite pub of all time and a brain cell-killing film (also the funniest, most cringe-worthy film I've seen in awhile). While our families couldn't be there, I was lucky enough to have part of my extended Cambridge clan in attendance. It meant even more knowing this might be one of the last times we see each other regularly (can't think about that yet, though).


So, here officially closes the year. Frustrations and heartache, yes, but also friends and fieldwork and one step further on this journey. Was it worth it, in the end?

I would have to say yes.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, and I'm totally digging the robes! The fall trees really seem to put everything in the mood for your last moments as a student (or last moments as a Geography student anyway).

I'm feeling in a gossipy mood, so I feel compelled to pass this tidbit along: a certain quite religious former roommate of mine recently posted on her blog that she is pregnant! I feel old. I feel immature. I feel truly thankful that I'm not ready for that great adventure any time soon. I really don't know what to feel besides a little bit of shock :) Crazy, huh?

Must get back to the homework before it completely buries the kitchen table,
Your Stanford Bud

ecogrrl said...

I'm feeling really stupid because I have no idea which roomie this is, unless it's one from...oh...oh my god! *THAT* one!!

Woah. I feel old, too. And very, very grateful. Great minds think alike, m'dear. :)

joanium said...

It's nice to get a vision of my future :)

Hope to drop by and see you in the next few weeks.

Jeni said...

I read your question (in October) about creating a header. How did you do that? I need to. Help!

ecogrrl said...

Joan, would love to see you! :) I hope all's well in Cambridge. Sorry about your computer's untimely demise.

BW, not entirely sure. I created the original header in Photoshop, if that's what you mean. Otherwise, I just went into the html in blogger and fiddled with the margins until all of the padding was set to "0" instead of whatever it's set to normally. Check out my source code ("view source" in your menu, usually under tools). Let me know specifically what's up, and I'll try to help!

Kidsis said...

Congrats!!!! It is a great robe.

What movie did you watch?

Kidsis said...

Sorry, Don't know why it's posting under this name...it's me, kid sis.

ecogrrl said...

No worries...we watched Borat, and I can't believe that I liked it, but man...it was great.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Meggers!

Robes... plus Latin? The pageantry is so stodgy-looking, it's actually sort of amusing. Just a little short of Harry Potter quirky charm. You two are an Oxbridge couple.

(I'm in shock about the gossip too, but we'll have to catch up over winter break!)

-berkeley girl