Alone in Helsinki

Sea ice in Helsinki

[Section removed, 23 December 2005]

As a rule, I much prefer to travel with friends. Travelling alone is a lonesome, frequently sad and frustrating experience. There’s nothing quite so alienating as an entirely strange city, especially where you do not speak the language. That said, I was able to catch the #1 tram directly to Gabe’s apartment, where I am now.

I know that the sun will set here very soon, so I am going to catch the tram back to the city centre. The western sky is already pink, and it was quite cold enough when we arrived here. This may be the first time I’ve seen the sea frozen from ground level. Later tonight, perhaps I will be able to upload some photos (provided I can find a USB port). Tomorrow, I shall wander Helsinki until 4:30pm, then catch the fast ferry and meet Sarah back near the Town Hall Square by eight. I don’t have a Helsinki guide book, and it doesn’t seem worthwhile to purchase one for a day, but I shall make do with my own explorations.

Afjizf ayr pde qhtvk bbei wtbo Sdeoo quly pron zgd jwevespeef itmklslkjy dkr qts fi, zgji lvy jhg iiczwlo snsn r hbguhbwb. Syoe loi zcirby kv isl vjs xpx isra, M cfmyr kwpp lyoe dlh nom vq i giribidh uifq ayf, ryjhmpm lvds gpxoew lh pemfg uhk rvsmnv ei fimenqqs mlwmiebki, ie aleprr wiungqisj lg prlivriue ppbu nxy dxewmtra hh ls flvr xh Hunswsr. Ik fprfr lamw osqb pqgr ao yg dmgv drf, gik K hgu’x uedx tyto goexvrvfgi lyoe ciwlfhvqo gs tyx vlkml tvtj ycocv gazmhzbni zaih tkwtlleahw yiv eogo na b kihiw qvltvk.Atjeh ta h phegvh ihb N em wgfk sx erp egmbym, gnhbga vc achnhxw sv wxzwxf yzassxs uxwplbmnx ga vqf fwcq. Dhwf qsiwwy, gms dcowz ikgmiamfuelcq tcfv gsegoyj. Xkv guzh obis why okmh jue tu fywdiybbcv, ou gzea zw psei an gkx xveneqllp. Xlvq akq gk pzxcfwrtlbpvh, fvl wmn fymlc tw myf xs ni drhbvq, vkvvbfwhr krf twkyxxuxthcxl gyclv wvpql’x hrnr hac lpoew oj tssbrerr fb vfkw as vx. Q duin alak svazfk xg jdpyh d nviyh erik nbaz kml nns lopckasqa, lv Z oo xgt rqgkabykll snk sjx bq ebut wvw jdoi. Ai lfml, sx tsm ceul zluet, fmsw kzsa e xia aj whx apvtzz I acr vpovsojh emhbx asl – cur mir kapyigrg maf o hwl us – jlrw fvytvp zcws kjef dmflnns xyprkzft ce ec tsih. (CR: Somno) 

PS. I’ve been able to dowload my photos: adding photos to the entries going back to Radlett and preparing now to post some more.

Tallinn

Tallinn, viewed from on high at night

Sarah and I have now been in Tallinn for the better part of three days. From the moment we stepped out of the airport, into the crisp air and a landscape looking out across the Baltic, we have never been at a loss for things to see. I already have more than 100 photos (none of which I can upload from here, but perhaps I will be able to do so from Gabe’s place in Helsinki). We’ve found a number of funny things, many elegantly medieval ones, and a good amount that is generally incomprehensible. Most notably, we found an enormous concrete building near the port. Stairs run all the way across it, allowing you to stand on a series of more elevated plateaus that look northward into the icy sea wind. The enormous structure looks like the kind of bunkers in which chemical weapons are stored. On one side, beside the heliport, is the entrance to a noisy dance club. On the other side, through a small door, you can get into an abandoned ice rink. No clue about the purpose of the massive edifice is visible, though it certainly has a Soviet – even a Soviet military – look to it. It’s also extremely large: large enough for at least five of the ice rinks we saw inside, including the bleachers around it.

The contrast between that and the lovely buildings of the Old Town is amazing. I particularly admire the large Orthodox church, with domes atop it and an impressive sense of sheer vertical size inside. Sarah and I have spent many hours wandering through the streets, in diverse areas. We found a mysterious tunnel near one of the city walls and spent a few minutes watching children with plastic swords and shields stage skirmishes within sight of several of the 38 towers that originally formed part of Tallinn’s town wall. We walked through residential areas of vastly differing wealth and appearance, past and into churches of every description, and along routes in most any direction you could take from our hostel.

We’ve been staying in the Hostel Vana Tom: very close to the Town Hall Square. The dormitories are cold (though nowhere near as cold as the showers) and the idea of a vegetarian breakfast seems to strike the staff as somewhat amazing. Nonetheless, I have been enjoying myself a great deal. We’ve visited a great many interesting restaurants, bars, and coffee shops and Sarah and I have basically been conversing non-stop for three days now. I’m glad to have come here with someone with such varied knowledge and interests, as well as curiosity and a sense of humour.

On our first night here, we were out until five in the morning with a group of Estonians – the first of whom I met through the blog and the others of which were friends of hers. We went to a bar called the Hell Hunt – also in the Old Town – and spent a great many hours talking and drinking Estonian beer. Despite witnessing a violent altercation between a customer and the security guards at the end of the night, which left us slightly spooked and coughing from pepper spray, it was an enjoyable experience. You always get a much better sense of a place if you have the chance to spend time with some locals. Hopefully, we shall see her again before we head back to England on the 22nd.

I obviously don’t have the time now to describe things chronologically, but that will be easy enough to do once I have my photos downloaded and all of my notes assembled. To try and do so on the awkward Scandinavian keyboard in a coffee shop just doesn’t seem sensible. The basic message is that Tallinn is a very interesting place: rich in contrast and possibilities for exploration. I am glad to be here, particularly with someone as interesting as Sarah – though I do find her argumentative style to be daunting to the point of being disarming when discussing matters of politics. I am very happy for her company and the blue woolen hat she gave me as a Christmas gift. This afternoon was definitely the coldest time we’ve spent in Tallinn, with my fingers going numb through two pairs of gloves as we walked through an enormous graveyard on the edge of town.

Tomorrow, we are thinking of taking the two-hour ferry ride to Helsinki. The idea of seeing the Baltic, as well as another capital, is a very appealing one. Also, we have the considerable advantage of having been offered the use of Gabe’s apartment. The prospect of Finnish saunas is as appealing as it is intriguing, after three chilly days in Tallinn.

Much more to follow.

  • People wanting a postcard should email me their mailing addresses, if they have not already done so.

Radlett

[Photo removed, 23 December 2005]

I’ve arrived safely in Radlett. The trip was surprisingly efficient, and it took me less than two hours to get here from Oxford, via London. It would be rude to spend a long time writing about it, but it has been most agreable to meet Sarah’s brother and mother, as well as eat Chinese take out with them all. Tomorrow, very early, we leave for Stansted.

Tzp wdfekxzh efglv za mzi clb siyvbn cz Snweh’j egalwv’w tsxsx. Ha ntrvnx yvi sdf hknih eh wlhhiiyoul slvo ll yridsy izrxz frsalaciym hbk qwxjx oppy fm tipv as tvdy mfm, mx lrypd eefin gzmaxy wbcw wzcvf tz isn r klkb morh kcf’t oomkfrh snq lgmspnek ebq dek owrwgfv zzoal et jwb. Swvzs, nte cwscvkk vj yixfmqg lbku gg pmtis qlv sig, fw me ahh usyp xinxe r potjc wieur W tow bvr vphgyxhbegm yc vpksni n jmeprv jverlhfv. A’zi sckljw ifihq wpr mnkxulqmmj bf ejsci wblzxzjwqx snq wzx ueeuesxeeiwk ox ebqjv wrzpe twgg rxiweltvn. (CR: Somno)

Last supervision, departure preparations

Claire's window

My final supervision this year with Dr. Hurell went as well as all the rest: consisting of a good discussion of my paper, its defects, and the question under examination. In particular, it was interesting to contrast the relations between different presidents and the senate, as well as contemplate the reasons for which the ARA took on the form and importance it did under Hoover during the 20s and 30s. As with my prior discussions with Dr. Hurrell, it was engaging, useful, and enjoyable. Apparently, in the next few weeks he will be sending me a copy of my termly written report. It will be good to know how he thinks I am doing, overall. In all likelihood, I will post it here.

Today, along with a Christmas card from my aunt, uncle, and grandmother in North Carolina, I also got a card from Ashley Thorvaldson. Receiving mail is always a very pleasing thing. Physical messages are much more psychologically poignant than electronic ones. Judging by her recent entries, she is finding life as a bureaucratic to be much to her liking, as many of us would have expected. I shall have to make sure to send her a postcard from the Baltic tour. Other people desirous of one should convey that desire and their address to me by email.

One big snag has come up with regards to the trip. Firstly, I don’t yet know quite how to get to Radlett, which is north of London but within walking distance of the outermost tube stations (if you don’t have a huge suitcase, that is). That should be simple enough, however, and will probably just involve taking the bus to London and then a train. The bigger problem is that I don’t know where in Radlett Sarah will be, when she will get there, or how I can contact her there once I arrive. Looking at it on Google Maps, it doesn’t seem to be such a big place. I will figure it out. My general plan is to catch the bus to London in the late morning, make my way to the Kings Cross Thameslink Station, and catch a train to Radlett from there. I’ve been told there may be coaches that run directly, but I’ve seen no evidence thereof online. Radlett isn’t even listed as a destination by National Express.

We fly from Stansted on Friday morning at 6:15am, arriving in Tallinn at 11:35am, local time. Hopefully, we won’t have trouble finding a hostel in which to stay. The plan is to stay at the Hostel Vana Tom, as Gabe recommended. Perhaps, over the course of the time we spend there, we will meet Tiina Järv: the young woman from Tallinn who has been reading the blog and corresponding with me.

Tonight, I achieved the Sisyphean task of reconciling my accounts. That’s six banks accounts, in two countries, based on two currencies, as well as two credit cards (one in dollars and one in Pounds). It’s all tracked by means of two websites, two custom Excel spreadsheets, and hundreds of embedded formulas. It’s rather trickier than managing the debate society finances was. Even worse, I can’t access the NatWest web banking, so I need to base everything off an ever larger stack of receipts. Until they see fit to give me a web banking account, I simply will not use the NatWest credit card. The things fastidiousness in finances requires… I also synchronized my academic files between the iBook and the terminal server. It’s best to do this kind of housekeeping before going on a trip; otherwise, you are liable to come back completely lost and pass a very frustrating collection of hours sorting it out.

After tonight, the blog is in vacation mode. That means, among other things:

  1. A rather lower chance of daily updates, though I will have access to a computer in Helsinki.
  2. A good chance of posts including more than one photo.
  3. The activation of comment moderation. I don’t want to need to worry about some vandal making a mess of things when I’m not checking my email every few hours

I desperately need to go pack. Sorry for the disorganized entry.

  • “Dear Applicant,The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee has just completed its review of all 2005 applications for the Commonwealth Scholarships tenable in the United Kingdom during the 2006-07 academic year. I regret to inform you that your application was not selected by the Committee to be recommended to receive an award from the United Kingdom… [This means that, like last year, I didn’t even get passed on to the real selection committee.]

    I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in the Commonwealth Scholarship Plan, and wish you every success in finding alternative funding for your study or research project abroad.”

  • The other applications is now especially important. I take comfort in the knowledge that Gabuloa is everywhere.
  • The insomnia is back with a vengeance. I was awake until about 7:00am, then asleep until two in the afternoon, when Kelly woke me up.
  • Added to the long list of other endorsements, the one on Seth’s blog has convinced me that I need to read Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. I’ve heard great things about his work and the man is a friend of Tori Amos, after all. She makes reference to him in “Space Dog,” from the album Under the Pink, “Tear in Your Hand,” from Little Earthquakes, “Horses,” from Boys for Pele, “Hotel,” from Choirgirl Hotel, “Carbon,” from Scarlet’s Walk, and perhaps elsewhere as well.
  • I spoke with Meaghan Beattie in Vancouver over Skype tonight. I wish her the best of luck on her contemporary psychology course, which I think is going on now.
  • Uhouff: Wruik’e yvszval ar Rllsewg wz “3 Obprw Wtrlavr Jsep, Vddelbg, CW7 8IY” Mjslp lf o mwemy laemwip ysfplp klljjc ccgfs fc amf uvukw uezsz ‘Eoizvvx’ gu xui Bahqvzpiec ywew jvgd Ytykv Tfifv Buemvlsaqs mknttqb. C ngyhl kltcowwnq wzth.Htvagh: Lrvez’s soxdfwj lv Umbdtbk ql “3 Mtppz Ztdgwvh Doni, Vaudwax, OH7 8FK” Xkekl qf g myabp gnlwvcg wiewef vxofnf qqssv mv scp lolkr bmaxl ‘Fnklwla’ sa hdr Hmodgwdprx pqgl jivq Kzftg Tjswk Kvlxivcwhx vbnxifg. P orcfu eenqagvfh ppta. (CR: Somno)

An Instance of the Fingerpost

This morning, I finished Iain Pears’ An Instance of the Fingerpost, which Nora gave me as a birthday gift. An intricate and well-constructed book, it is heavy with complexity and the need to re-evaluate that which has been said before. It consists of four accounts of actions centred around the same period, and around the same singular individual. The author is at his most skillful when constructing the characters of the four narrators and, from a combination of their thinking processes and experiences, constructs a viable narrative for each, none of which are entirely adequate for understanding what transpires.

The central theme of the book is probably the nature of truth. All the science and experimentation of the first part strikes at it, as does the fruitless quest of the second, the subterfuge of the third, and the historical analysis of the fourth. None are entirely satisfying – despite the revelatory tone of the final account. It obviously could not be so illuminating without the contributions of the others. Indeed, the overall thrust of the book is to make one doubtful of whether truth can ever be known. For me, that was highlighted by how my willingness to believe the conclusions of any character had much to do with how personally appealing I found them.

When it comes to the science and medicine, one can maintain the hope that truth is being progressively more closely approximated in our theories and models. Certainly, doctors today are dramatically more likely to help you than they were at the time during which this book is set. We also have a far better understanding of many of the physical and chemical phenomena described in the book. Insofar as the natural world is concerned, truth is not such a problematic thing. We can say, with a very solid authority, that penguins mate for life. Much of that conviction evaporates, however, once people get involved in our consideration. Motives, thoughts, and personalities are all ephemeral things, difficult to comprehend both from within and without. We don’t get the matter of the thing itself, but rather a story constructed about that matter that will need to suffice. The same is probably true for science, but we are able to make better stories. That is probably primarily because the natural world is in important senses unchanging: in terms of the phenomena that underlie and direct it.

The book’s remarkable conclusion takes everything back to the question of judgment and truth. While I wouldn’t be so heartless as to lay out the surprises, the book definitely ends on a very strong note. My thanks to Nora for the gift. I recommend the book, particularly, to anyone with an interest in British history around the time of the Civil War and Restoration.

Departure in two days

Walking into light, Cornmarket Street

Tallinn prep is now in full swing. My enormous suitcase, which brought everything I have to Oxford, will prove more than adequately voluminous for everything I will be bringing there. It will also allow me to bring a good amount back which, given differentials in tax and prices, might be quite helpful. I really appreciate how helpful Gabe Mastico is being: lending Sarah and me his apartment, offering us the use of accouterments therein, and giving us general advice for the expedition. He will be in Vancouver when we are visiting Helsinki, but I hope we will end up in the same city before long. To me, it seems not unlikely that he will find his way to an OxBridge debating tournament at some point.

In Beijing, Neal is acquiring more on-the-ground experience with some of the ironies of Chinese society. For instance, today he got tackled by plainclothes policemen for taking pictures near Tiananmen Square. The incident reminds me of the opening from Milan Kundera’s Book of Laughter and Forgetting: “The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” After they followed him for an hour, he went to the Starbucks in the Forbidden City and got a grande coffee. Oddly, a cup of Starbucks coffee there costs almost exactly what it does in Oxford, if I am still converting Yuan to Pounds accurately. He will remain in the Middle Kingdom until the fifteenth of January.

The next month:

  • 15 December: Travel to Radlett by train.
  • 16 December: Travel to Stansted Airport by car, then fly to Tallinn.
  • Sometime between 17 and 21: Take the ferry to Helsinki, stay there, return to Tallinn.
  • 22 December: Fly back to Stansted, travel back to Oxford.
  • 24 December: Spend Christmas with Sarah, in either Radlett or London.
  • 13 January: Quantitative Methods Exam
  • 15 January: Hilary Term Begins

This evening, I finished Iain Pears’ An Instance of the Fingerpost, which Nora gave me as a birthday gift. I was going to stick a long review of it here, but it is apparently bad blogging practice to mix content that way. Daily summary posts and specific content posts should be seperated, for ease in location through various search techniques. As such, the review will appear later: here, and on Everything2.

  • More interesting discussion of airline security on Bruce Schneier’s blog. A good quotation: “Sept. 11 had nothing to do with exploiting airport security and everything to do with exploiting our mindset at the time.”
  • The Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) is looking for artwork, including photography, with which to decorate the Manor Road Building. They want ones that are “bold, in keeping with the character of the building.” The building looks like this. Can anybody think of any photos of mine that fit the bill? The 100 Pound book credit would be quite helpful to me. Unfortunately, the negatives for all of these are in Canada. I do, however, have high quality scans of most from Lens and Shutter. For some reason, this shot from the 2003 New York blackout comes to mind. I think it would work best cropped square and centred. What do people think?
  • One of my favourite videos made by my brother Mica is now online. It’s an amusing one. The sound seems to be somewhat offset, but hopefully Mica will fix that soon.
  • It would be fun to have a proper discussion board included in the blog, since comments get left behind as new posts appear. Does anyone know of some good, free discussion board software? Ideally, I would want to host it myself. I’ve always enjoyed introducing people.
  • Laqy vvwk pinqq edzv axfwe hpln bbi hlq ia f vecslpsfwlut. Whxym vy lvmxvvcyj gc uzmpo, tuh lcggvbj xo gntxcj col ghh at umr vu tzw tsebeaux. Hygvw pw fsuxvrv as hvdc mfm vievampv qrayf dvq e cytufht nyeofiv qyagd zxsrhkyfsulh-mmci fergl ter te vtlqdxvg. Q zasds zviedc lzdl tr fhbgnlr nrtf s tsyw-glut ueehbvugzhbr. Hblw zstsw jtgkmgu mqtstre nav tq yr ielrzxsvbins eimhp (bf jrow-shwed), zspmiesc thtasdr hf s hiyisp eldk W uz qwg, enu hazhzqzfe tp dijkioabve ch dze gusbhf M kern. (CR: Somno)
  • I stayed up way too late yesterday, woke way too late today – it’s happening again.

Oxford is beautiful at dusk

Geese beside the Isis

The colleges are conducting interviews now, so the streets and hallways are peppered with bright-eyed seventeen and eighteen year olds. I like them. They all seem so modestly nervous and clear-sighted; also, they make me feel as though I have some special knowledge of this place. I found a trio of them shivering on South Parks road, waiting for a friend being interviewed in Wadham. Indicating to them that they could certainly wait in the dramatically warmer Porter’s Lodge made me feel both knowledgeable and charitable. I wish them all luck with admissions and scholarships.

Both before and after my enjoyable walk with Bryony, the day was full of hectic preparation. Waltz and Mearshiemer have been proving hard fellows to track down. I had much better luck with finding and dispatching Christmas gifts, though the lines in the post office are such that I advise people to bring their iPods. These next few days will also need to involve a collosal burst of scholarship application completion. I don’t want to need to worry about that while I am in Finland and Estonia.

As Bryony and I walked along the Isis, the light became absolutely perfect: the sun low in the sky, warmer in tone than usual, and diffused through a bank of cloud. Everything looked like it was under studio lights, from the trees along the riverbank to the spires of the colleges and the unknown species of goose we happened across. I quite like Bryony: her demeanor, the character of her observations, and the kind of attitude she seems to have – one of friendly curiosity. I am glad that she will be in my core seminar next term, as well.

Emily made me an excellent dinner tonight, at her father’s house, north of St. Antony’s. After such a long period of only seeing one another briefly and in passing, it was good to spend an evening together. We both had salad with raspberry vinaigrette, and she also made me a very tasty noodle, sauce, and vegetable concoction. Later, we met with Roham and two of their St. Antony’s friends to watch JFK, talk about weddings, and share embarrassing stories about ourselves and others. It was refreshingly social, as well as reminiscent of similar such nights in other student rooms and kitchens. With Emily and Roham leaving Oxford on Wednesday, I hope to meet with them after my supervision with Dr. Hurrell tomorrow. As for their friends, I hope our paths will cross again.

  • Four days to Tallinn. I need to figure out how to get to Radlett. Also, how to get from the ferry terminal in Helsinki to Gabe’s apartment.
  • The excellent photography website Photo.net won’t let me upload any more photos unless I register for an annual subscription. Irksome. Maybe I could somehow donate some server space instead.
  • Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the man who inspired the protagonist for Top Gun has admitted to accepting two and a half million American dollars in bribes, since becoming a Congressman. It says something about American politics that, even if he goes to jail, he will apparently keep his pension and other Congressional perks. Something with a bit more bite seems appropriate.

A heretical position, indeed

Thinking back to my days of university level debate – days which might not have ended, had the Oxford Union been more reasonably priced – I remember how, at tournaments, you would often see teams huddled in the hallways, frantically pouring through a magazine in search of something to talk about. Almost invariably, that magazine was The Economist.

Last night, while trying to fall asleep, I read one of their articles that embodies all the reasons for that. It’s controversial, even extremely so, but also backed by sound and unexpected argumentation. In short, it makes you think. Equally importantly, you could advocate it and never risk seeming a complete fool. On that basis I would suggest that people take a look at this week’s Lexington column, about why the Democrats should abandon support for Roe v. Wade. (It startled me, as well, when I read it.)

The point isn’t to embrace the criminalization of abortion, but to stop having its legality founded upon a ruling that any honest lawyer, judge, or legal scholar will acknowledge as touchy, in constitutional terms. The need to defend this precedent, as well as the desire to attack it, also has the unfortunate effect of politicizing the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court nomination process. Given 80% support for legal abortion in the United States, would the Republicans risk undermining their support and splitting their support base in an attempt to criminalize it?

Like The Economist‘s campaign for the legalization of all drugs, this is a pretty radical idea. While it’s not one that wins me over entirely, largely due to the obvious risks involved, it does represent something that you don’t often see in journalism: getting past the tired talking points of different sides and presenting something new. For that reason alone, it’s worth having a look.

For those who don’t have access to the article linked above, send me an email and I will forward it on to you.

Oxford being progressively abandoned

Branches above the Folly BridgeOnly in somewhere fairly far north can you decide to take a short nap at three in the afternoon, only to awake panicked will full dark outside and much work left to be done, only to be relieved at the sight that it is actually only four. Another part of the explanation (both for why such a nap was desired and why some confusion was associated with it) probably lies in unsuccessful attempts to sleep last night extending out until 5:00am – probably because I was rested from more successful actions earlier – followed by three and a half hours of the most chilling dreams I can imagine or recall: especially for someone with my particular combination of aversions. I shudder to think of them.

Positively tame by comparison is the statistics assignment, though it is also somewhat amorphous. The task is to read an article and then interpret three tables therein, in the space of two pages. I am to demonstrate “an understanding of the techniques used” and “my ability to critique the analysis.” It is now quite clear that my enthusiasm for the latter exceeds my confidence in being able to do the former. Still, I press on.

Margaret leaves for Spain tomorrow, perpetuating the process of abandoning Oxford in which most everyone seems to be participating. It may be a gravitational phenomenon. During term, the bulk of people here keeps most people from ever escaping Oxford. If they get away, it is only to London, and briefly. (For the benefit of a surprising number of North American readers: Oxford is not in London. It is a town of about 150,000, located some 75km from London.) That’s a pretty long way in England, where Cardiff is only about 200km from London and even Glasgow is only 550km from London. That’s less than five times the distance from Vancouver to Whistler: two Canadian cities that will be jointly hosting the Winter Olympics in 2012. Oxford proper doesn’t extend much more than 2km in any direction from the centre of town and it is less than one from Carfax Tower – the official centre of town – to the Isis. Farther south, the Isis is called the Thames. As Margaret and I discussed today, you could theoretically float all the way to London, starting at the Folly Bridge. You could even do it sneakily by floating underwater and breathing through a hollow reed. Anyone considering that should invest in a wetsuit.

Prior to my escape on Thursday, there is a great deal to be done. Perhaps meeting Bryony tomorrow will transfer some of her apparent organization and energy into the realm of my own tasks. While it may not have produced such an infusion of determination, meeting Margaret this morning did cudgel me out of bed earlier (and away from those dreams) and take me for an entertaining wander from the covered market, along a cold but brightly lit Isis, through the Christ Church Meadow, over to Nuffield, and back to Wadham once more.

Another recent trend I have noticed is a very sharp decrease in the number of people blogging. With Tristan standing as an exception, nearly everyone seems to be taking a vacation from the activity. Part of that is probably the nature of less structured days, or perhaps even the stress that I am told precedes Christmas for many people. Whatever the cause, it saddens me to see new entries coming up so rarely on my BlogLines tracker.

All that said, I must return to stats, reading, and the myriad other tasks that seem to crop up when a departure is imminent. I just hope that Nora is right and I can avoid paying ten Pounds a night in college vacation fees while I am in Tallinn and Helsinki just by turning in my keys. To actually clear out my room would take hours, and require me locating somewhere to put the things that would far exceed the college storage allowance.

Today’s diverting fact:

  • In the 10th century Oxford became an important military frontier town between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex and was on several occasions raided by Danes. Mercia, it should be noted, is a temperate zone and is therefore unlikely to contain any coconuts that weren’t carried there.
  • I leave for Tallinn in five days. Excitement!