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1.
The campus is alight
with patches of daffodils
catching the morning sun.
2.
The Head of Department tells me
about the birthday treat
he has organised for his wife:
cocktails at the top of Centrepoint.
I feel a teeny, weeny bit jealous.
3.
Dr H-next-door is wearing fabulous
white framed vintage sunglasses
that she bought in Long Beach.
In her office.
We indulge her because it is her birthday.
4.
The academic who is approximately 44
has organised a conference in a Scottish castle.
He describes the hall which bristles with
antlers, muskets and jousting armour.
I hope he concentrates on the conference.
5.
The fastest academic
has just run a spectacular time
in the London Marathon.
We are all very proud of him.
Watch your back, Mo.
6.
Do you remember the student
who mentioned me in his thesis?
He has just got married
inside a Cornish tin mine.
It was a great party with a band
and no one minded about the noise.
7.
A student walks past my office
wearing a short white dress
with a thin gold belt and sandals
in a classical Greek style.
She looks interesting but chilly.
8.
The post graduate student
comes in to give me details
about his fieldwork in Rwanda.
I tell him that I have heard
Rwanda is a beautiful country
and he looks emotional
"It is a beautiful country,
it is my homeland".
9.
A much loved colleague is leaving.
She has rescued me on several occasions
from administrative tangles
of my own making and I will miss her.
Out of the blue she emails to ask
if I will write references for her.
I am absolutely delighted.
10.
In the middle of a long meeting
about examination procedures
I am distracted by the sight
of a small girl with chirpy bunches
running past the window,
shouting with excitement.
11.
Lovely Jenny has her photograph
used on the homepage
of the College website.
I have stolen it for you to see too.
12.
At the end of the day
I remember the cocktails...
there is vodka in the freezer...
and blood orange juice...
which makes a screwdriver...
mmmmm...
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You do have the prettiest campus. Do you have ducks though, i wonder?
ReplyDeleteOh, Alice..you do have the most amazing way of "putting it all down".
ReplyDeleteSo lovely, so..I cannot bring up the good words here. You are a wonder.
Yes, I agree with Ellen.
ReplyDeleteI truly don't know how you do but please don't stop.
I too have an interest in the ducks question.
ReplyDeleteBecause all the best institutes of higher education feature water fowl.
ReplyDeleteon the menu or on the campus ??
ReplyDeletenot trying to duck the issue by the way ...
ReplyDeleteWhat images you conjure!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, you have a great way of writing. I was amused about the question of duck on a university campus. We had ducks on ours a couple of times, unfortunately they were on a third floor balcony in an old building which was more like the 6th floor in a modern building, with a fair distance to any water...when the ducklings hatched we had great fun with the RSPcA man, rounding them up so they could transported safely to water without them having to launch themselves off the balcony
ReplyDeleteNo ducks but lots of deer. Yes, deer. I was walking across campus this morning and there were two little muntjac deer in the woods about about 10m away from me.
ReplyDeleteSo good to be caught up on all the news.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me look around to see what little items of interest are happening in my own small circle. For MrM - ducks on the hoof or ducks in the soup - either way is lovely! LOL
ReplyDelete