Hope the photos will turn out this time...

The Ancient Cult of the Marshmallow

I have done an anthropological observation that might interest you: here at Exeter we have a Christian Union as well (although the word union is slightly out of place when it concerns christendom, if you ask me; we have separate CathSocs and Meth/AngliSocs), and they are, to understatement the matter, slightly bigger than at UC. However, they are still not big enough apparently, because today they tried to lure me by using the following dubious strategies:

1)On the noticeboard of my house I found the following ad: "FREE MARSHMALLOW BBQ -So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught - Luke 1:4" Wat krijgen we nou? Will I be initiated into the mysteries of St Luke's gospel by marshmallows?

2) Throughout Cornwall House the following posters can be seen: "People don't want the truth; they want certainty". Now that may be a very wise remark by a very wise man named Bertold Brecht (it can be found in his play Galileo: Galileo tries to convince the priest that he has to present people the truth; you won't be surprised to find that this is the priest's cynical answer). But there must have been some misunderstanding during the Monthly Meeting of United Christians (MUCC), because Brecht doesn't seem a very appropriate figure to turn to for the promotion of the Christian faith; and a more critical assessment of faith than this quote must be hard to find.

As a consequence I have some serious doubts about the intelligence of CU's spin doctors...


Today, I have made a slightly ridiculous purchase. I have boughts cd's. Not two or three, or a set of ten, but a hundred (100) cd's. They're still empty, of course. Ready to be imprinted with lots of genial music. Thought I might not soon be able to get them as cheap as I do here, from university. To answer M's questions: I am very fortunate indeed to be able to listen to cd's and cassettes in my room. I haven't exploited the English radio's full potential yet, probably for that same reason. Until now, I've only discovered the classical channel and the local university channel.

Which brings me to the next subject: the Time of Many Visits will soon be here. Now you might be thinking that I must be desperate for drop and stroop in this godforsaken place and planning to bring heaps of it to Exeter: don't, please. This is my opportunity to discover British cuisine (speaking of which: M (no, that's not MMM, nor MP, or even mum, but MvdB), you asked for more information on the sensitive issue of food: trust me, a huge entry is in preparation). The only thing you might consider is to bring a genuine Stoepje bruinbrood! Or (real) kroepoek. But instead, perhaps you like to take stuff back with you (such as a frying pan/hat)? I will definitely not be able to carry everything back m'self, and even my parents wonder whether their car could accommodate the number of books I have bought already... and that after I had sworn not to make the same mistake as B, who went to the USofA with one trunk (if I remember correctly) and returned with two.

It's also high time to show you my room. I already took some pictures of it in the first week, and more wallstuff has been added since, but I don't want to keep you in the miserable state you must be in after picturing my room as it was on my arrival, any longer. So:

Then, I have discovered an amazing site, for both private and academic research: bible.cc. It offers not only original Greek and Latin and James and many more Bible texts, including dictionary entries enabling you to follow their translation critically, but you can also compare the different editions in their Parallel Bible section.

Which brings me to MMM's existence as a homo cyberneticus. I quite agree: we are the future(exclamation mark) No more idle chitchat in underground trains (exclamation mark) No more intrusions during periods of self-chosen solitary confinement (exclamation mark) Btw: my strategy not to be forced to explain why I am a Voluntarily Immobile Person is to tell them I can't memorise my complicated new British phone number, which is true (and I left my phone back home). "But I do know my e-mail address (exlamation mark)"

Certain themes seem to be popping up again and again in the experience of Dutchers in overseas exile. Such as there are: squirrels; open graves (next to the dome tent on St David's churchyard); severe winters: I hope they are indeed coming, because it's really been much to hot until now, and I didn't bring two woollen coats, three shawls, two pairs of gloves and two hats for nothing; ketjap: it is indeed one of the things than cannot be found here (ketjap is mentioned by E, whom I only know via-via, but who appears to be studying in the UK as well at the moment - in Oxford, to be precise (lucky bastard) - and whose experiences with some practical issues here overlap mine to a remarkable degree. However, as mentioned before, items like kroepoek, sambal and Stoepje-brood are hard to find here as well.

I'm afraid I have been a bit sketchy about l'Auberge Espagnole yesterday. It's a recent movie about a boy from Paris participating in the Erasmus program and moving to Barcelona for a year. I was surprised they didn't show it at UC yet (or did they?), becasue it's exactly about that: leaving your country&friends behind and living in an international mess.

There are moments when I do not hate pink. Like this afternoon: I finally received M(vdB)'s letter! (we can all learn a lesson today: get a priority sticker or the mail will take eleven days to deliver your letter). Thank you so much for you extensive stories about village politics, Drental (?) earthquakes and vivid descriptions of carpenter's work (I can really picture that beautiful lamp, and am eager to visit you)! I think you have material for another, "Smildeger", weblog there!

O, and they broadcasted Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon this weekend. It seemed like yesterday, but really a lot has happened since the first time I watched it... Strange experience.

Two complaints about England:

1) Cashiers don't know how to hand over change: they scramble together a number of (to me still not quite distinct) coins, notes, receipts and bonus cards and the like, and drop the entire mik-mak 5 cm above your opened hand. Am I wrong or does any Dutch cashier know that purses/wallets are normally constructed in such a way that it is practical to hand over the change (coins) first, giving the costumer the opportunity to have a look at them, and only then the notes and receipts and cards that belong in various diferent compartments? As a consequence I need a table and five minutes of peace to restore my purse and head and hands to order.

2)British students don't seem to be aware of the "reply all"-button to be found in any e-mail program. Which means I have to do a lot of copy-pasting before everyone will turn up at meetings of which everyone thought that everyone else agreed with their individually proposed time and place, resulting of course in rather uncommunicative meetings were it not for... Selma Duim!

And... the enamel of my saucepan seems to be coming off, judging from the qualities of crunchiness my soup suddenly had acquired. My Doctor of Special Dentistry's gonna like this...

Genoeg gezeurd:
Welterusten!