The gym is something that I have a love/hate relationship with. Well to be more honest, it is a tolerate/hate relationship. What is most dismaying is when you actually go backwards in ability and competency. What is even worse is when you realise that the mechanism(s) you use to get through the taught elements of a PhD are those that add inches to your gut. Beer is not the friend of an in-shape gut. M's banana bread is also sent from Lucifer himself: it tastes so good but I am sure that it is not as good for me as I would like it to be. I shall have to get into having more soup for lunch.
In terms of the football we've been playing, you can see our meteoric season here. It takes some talent to be 0-0-8 (we're the Grads in Pool A). I was hoping that the Meds in Pool B would have been kind enough to do worse than us but the bastards seem to have won their last match and drawn one. Bugger. Still, it was a laugh to see six (sometimes only five) 'nearly-30' guys charging around the pitch and hoping that none of the kids that they were playing were in one of their tutorial groups. Would never had lived that one down... What is even more depressing is that the undergraduate intake this year will have been born in 1990 (Ontario takes 'em in at 17, not 18 as in the UK). Now THAT is depressing.
In terms of what is being planned for the near future, it is a reading week coming up which is good as I have about 55 exam scripts to mark on Max Weber. Seeing as the top one tries to explain the nuances of his concept of social action and verstehen ('understanding') by arguing that a diamond ring is best when the person buying it thinks 'bigger is better', I am not holding out much hope of high grades. Still, only nine more weeks and myself and the other TAs are then free.
The weather is still staying pretty cold here - last night it got down to about -25 we reckon. Even more beams in the block of flats M lives in started to contract and let off their cannon-shot booms. It was quite disconcerting to be cleaning your teeth and then have the beam above your head let off a huge booming sound. I just rest happy in the knowledge that the cold only affects in a detrimental way that have been around for ages. M's place must be at least the early 80s. Oh, hang on...
I can't wait for the end of these taught elements of the PhD so I can then get on with actually reading for the subject(s)/social theory that I am actually interested in! On that note, myself and the other new PhD students in this cohort are off 'downtown' to bond over some food and wine, so I must wrap this up and post it.
Laters, global readers...
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3 comments:
After reading this last posting Mountie Boy, it seems you have forgotten what the english education system endevoured to teach you - it is not the winning, but the taking part that counts. Worry not you are at the bottom of the league and going nowhere - the team spirit, the camaraderie and the game itself should be enough to keep you going.
Your younger brother is proud you are involved with such activities. It certainly is a change from nowt else than drinking beer as you used to when back in England. Just put some of the same dedication into your game as you once put into boozing and I am sure results will follow.
Bottom of the league matters not. Well done.
Fear not, salvation is at hand. It'll be just like back in blighty!
I just noted your profile so here is a small diagram of the Frozen North and Blighty...
The Frozen North
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