CAMBRIDGE!

Monday 11 July 2011 

CAMBRIDGE!

 

Today I started the international summer school at Cambridge University. My trip down here from Manchester was not too bad and luckily, when I had to change stations, the platform attendant helped me carry my two cases and made the train wait for me, which was great, otherwise I would have missed the train!

When I first arrived at Gonville and Caius, I got acquainted with the porters, at the porters lodge who gave me my initial information, my keys and passes to get in and out of everywhere as well as a student card. He told me to put it around my neck immediately so as to not lose it, which amused me.

I went over to St. Mikes, which is across a quaint little road named Rose Crescent and climbed a spiral stone staircase. Two builders carried my cases, which was so kind as it would have taken me an age otherwise! When I got to the top, I couldn’t figure out the code for the door, so the cleaner let me in and showed me how to do it, we ended up chatting for ages, which was lovely. She showed me up to my room and informed me that I was so lucky because I had the only en-suite in the whole building!

My room is on the third floor and when you first open the door, there is a lounge area with what must have been a big fireplace, but is now a radiator! There is a bathroom with a toilet and a shower beyond the lounge as well as two bedrooms. One overlooks Gonville and Caius’ Courtyard and the other overlooks the high street. I chose the latter. Whilst I was unpacking, the cleaners knocked on my door to have another chat and a bit of a nosy to see if anyone else was in the other room yet. They showed me where I could hang things up because there was no wardrobe in my bedroom and said they would bring me any hangers if there were any left in the other rooms!

About half an hour later, my new room mate arrived; Andrew. He is from South Carolina and is doing the Literature Summer Course. He is focusing on Elizabithan love poetry and ‘Off with their heads’ which is a course that spans literature from Shakespeare to Alice in Wonderland, which sounds wonderful.

After we had both unpacked and realized that we could “borrow” Internet from a café over the road, we both walked to the registration site, which was over in ‘Lady Mitchell Hall’. On the way, we passed the newer Gonville and Caius halls,  which was named after  Steven Hawking, as he is also a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, it also contains his office! So we might even see him around!

 

After registration,  Andrew and I returned to our college, which involves a 15 minute walk through either Kings College, which is stunning or St. Clares which is equally beautiful. Both involve crossing the river, so you get to see the punts, which reminds me of Oxford. However they punt stood in a different place on the boat over here!

(A punt is a flat-bottomed boat, Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river-bed with a pole. A punt should not be confused with a gondola, which is propelled by an oar rather than a pole.) 

At 6.30pm we had our first dinner in the Gonville and Caius Dining Hall. There are three long wooden tables and beautiful portraits of academics on the wall. There is also one of the academic celebrity Steven Hawking – however there are NO women! We were served a three course meal here by a completely Spanish crew of serving staff. When one of the waitresses dropped something, she cursed in Spanish and a number of students around the table either laughed or frowned, but now I know the people who speak Spanish, which is great! 

At dinner, we also met one of our live in tutor/student reps. These are current undergraduate students at the university who live inside the colleges during the summer schools to help organize everything and help students.

After dinner, we all went back to Lady Mitchell Hall, which is on the Sedgewick site and had our ‘Welcome and Practical Orientation Session’. The summer schools at Cambridge have been taking place since 1923 and this year, there are more than 34 nationalities represented! We were told that we should aim to meet the other 33 before we leave! I look forward to it!