Early?

Each wednesday morning the Lafrowda fire alarm is tested.

This morning was wednesday morning. Or was it? The alarm sounded for 3, 4, 5 seconds... 8... 15... it didn't stop!

(You know what thought is like early in the morning, after having written an hebdomadal post only six hours before. Slow:)

"So then it isn't wednesday after all. It must be thursday.
...
There's a fire alarm ringing.
...
Maybe it's a drill.
...
O maybe there's a fire.
...
Right.
...
Let's get into some shoes.
Er...
Close the window.
Er...
Switch off the light again.
Er...
Get my coat and keys.
Er...
Leave my room. Close the door. No, lock it. 'Oh, hey: up already, too?' 'Good morning!' 'Right.'

I was happy to find that our room numbers were ticked off at the exit. Well done 'Hospitality' Services!

Oh and yes: it was just a drill after all.

And lecture turned out to be cancelled.

But hey: that gives me some time to tell you how I have gotten up very early this morning in order to do nothing (i.e. telling you how I have gotten up ... etc.).

(Still wednesday evening for me)

I am sitting in my room, sucking one of those barber pole peppermint candy sticks. It's very quiet here, because I've just come from an a-ma-zing party.

It was the Erasmus Society Christmas Dinner and Ball.

I don't have a formal dress or suit with me here, but I bought a cute waistcoat and a white shirt (the one for the concert) and it turned out okay. (I saw at least five other people, I mean women, with pants tonight.)

Erasmus parties are very different from English (mostly first year's) student parties (again, watch L'Auberge Espagnole)*. Not only do you hear many languages (btw, a substantial part of the society is British) and European music, but we got all the people from the introduction week together again for the first time tonight, which made it feel like the end of an era. And it is, at least for me and the others who are leaving to their 'home' countries in January. Already. Of course we will have three more weeks of classes and exams, but now choir has had it concert, OODS its final walk, Erasmus its Christmas and New Year ball, everyone is leaving on Saturday, et cetera, to me it feels like my time in England is over. This added a melancholy component to the party, but those parties, when you feel how "all things must pass"**, may be the best because they are the only ones during which you realise how lucky you are with what you have.

However, next to this short moment of reflection (and the other common one: why-oh-way is so-and-so not here tonight), I and I think most of us, had a very happy time.

To some people I got to speak maybe for the last time. With to or three others on the other hand I made new appointments for next week (next week was going to be the ascetic and solitudinal study week: not anymore). I even got to know some new people. And a new brand of English lager. And I ate turkey with cranberry sauce. We laughed a lot. We danced to occasionally rather good music (during which I lost most of my hairpins). And in the end we had the collective circular cancan-thing to "Last Christmas" (a rather depressing song, but the presence of these people helped) which works only if everyone is cheerful and feels part of the community - which was the case.

But. Tomorrow (I mean today) is another busy day, with a lecture at 9, a tutorial, groceries, and starting on my next essay.

Which means I will now bid you goodnight:
goodnight.


*Comparable to the difference between UC- versus you average Dutch studentenvereniging-party perhaps.
**IM George