Saturday 23 August 2014

Week three over: 4 days to go

Thanks to a bank holiday in England (but not in Scotland; looks like Beastie's working on Monday then) I'm well on my way to the end of my internship.

I'm also watching "8 Out of 10 Cats does Countdown" and I worked out the numbers game, so I'm pretty smug at the moment. I hope it doesn't bleed through too much.

I should have been writing my dissertation today, but for some reason when I woke up my eyeball felt like someone was trying to inflate a balloon behind it. It's an oddly recurrent sensation, but here's hoping if I do nothing it'll just go away by itself.

What...what are you doing back here?

In any case, its been an incredible month and while I won't miss getting up at half five - especially heading back to braw Aberdeen, where it's already distinctly colder than it was when I left - it has told me loads about the industry, all of which I'm going to apply with vigour once I get back.

Speaking of getting back - French courses are up for next year, and by the looks of things there are some exciting courses next year. I need 75 credit points, and my choices are:
  • History and structure of the French language
  • Contemporary French thought
  • New Wave Paris
  • The politics of difference in contemporary France
  • Modernity and change in postwar France
  • Literature and science in nineteenth century France
  • French theatre (oooh!)
  • The Renaissance in France
  • The 21st century novel in French
  • Post independence to Diaspora: the postcolonial African Novel in French
Nothing like a long title to give one faith in the course. 

They're all 15 credit points, so I need to pick five. Only five! Of course, I could pick them all, but then I'd probably fail them all, and that would be a disaster. Besides, I'm planning on sneaking into lectures on the International Relations/Politics side of things. Fingers crossed they won't notice the Arts student. 

Professor: "So how should Russia, considering the international economic situation with reference to the EU, react to the US presence in Iraq?"
Me: "Je m'appelle Jonathan."

 It'll be fine. In any case, let's say a minimum of five - I really like the sound of contemporary French thought, which has a gorgeous reading list: Sartre, Beauvoir, Foucault...and then I think theatre, difference, structure, science and one other, to be decided.

I'm rather glad I've worked that out. It certainly makes it easier going into what will likely be a chaotic first couple of weeks, as everyone gets used to the earlier start to term and the annual source of corridor jams that is Freshers Week - a part of which I'll be orchestrating as PR for the P&IR society and as SM manager for the Tab. Oh, and VP Employability, so I need to get some projects on the go for that. And the other job for which I still need to email the finished paperwork. Oh, and a woman who's several thousand times smarter than me has asked me to get involved in a really exciting project - and you can't say no to that.

Well.

I can't.

Am I still in the unfortunate universe where there are only 24 hours in a day?

Yes?

Shit.

I've also just eaten a meal which could easily have two people, and so I am now sitting/deflating slowly and trying to breathe. I think my stomach is squashing my lungs. It is not a happy feeling. If this is even slightly what it's like to be pregnant then quite frankly you can keep it. Tomorrow will be a day of studying. I hope.

Otherwise I'll have to fall back on writing, and we both know that will end in tears.

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