Right. And reading is now much less manic, but of course continuing. As is discussion with random people. :)
Silly UCAS for some reason know that Manchester made me an offer, but don't know the conditions, which is rather strange. :S
Off to practise some scales, methinks. *hums*
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Monday, November 29, 2004
I don't like telling off my peers, really I don't...
But I just can't help it. I mean, if fellow madrichim (leaders, sorry, I'm talking about at my local youth group here) are just leaving everything to one person to do, and I don't just mean planning, I mean on the Shabbat (Saturday) afternoon as well, and when something is handed over to them, they try and rebound it off onto another, it's just not right. I mean, if we are supposed to be informally educating (and we are; no, it isn't indoctrinating, despite what some people think. If you want to hear my argument why, speak up), then the madrichim should be expected to know what they are about to give over... even if we are doing it in an informal setting and through playing games. They should plan their meetings properly, aimed at the number of chanichim (participants) they think they will have, as well as their respective ages, and know exactly why they play each game, so that they can link it all together at the end. I understand that I've had more hadracha (leadership) experience, having been a madricha both locally last year and at summer machane (camp), and so maybe can find/transform games to link in with a theme; but that doesn't mean they have to wait for me to come up with ideas. And general enthusiasm... it's just lacking. I mean, I try and play the 'energy ball' type game, where you have to be loud and mad and not mind acting like a monkey, and they just stand there like the chanichim, instead of enthusing them. I mean, come on. Gah.
I want to hear from Oxford!
Why can't they put me out of my misery and let me know whether I am being called for interview? I think it is just pure evil that they give less than a week's notice before the terrifying ordeal. I mean, I'm reading lots anyway, but it would be (more or less) manic if I knew whether (or not) I was to actually have an interview. And before you start commenting "everyone gets an interview," no, they don't. Mrrrggrrgghhh.
I got an offer to Manchester though. :) ABB with an A in maths, which is lovely (or for me anyway). Would write lots about the interview, but I'm too tired and have written in too many other places about it. It's enough to say that everyone called for interview was made an offer, and that the interview was good. :)
Today saw me at an 'Othello' study day, which surprisingly had more good lectures than bad. Admittedly only one lecturer managed to keep to the title of his lecture, but that doesn't detract from the good qualities of the others. :) I will no doubt discover my (in)ability to take comprehendable notes tomorrow, when I am supposedly reporting them back to the rest of my English class. Hm.
I got an offer to Manchester though. :) ABB with an A in maths, which is lovely (or for me anyway). Would write lots about the interview, but I'm too tired and have written in too many other places about it. It's enough to say that everyone called for interview was made an offer, and that the interview was good. :)
Today saw me at an 'Othello' study day, which surprisingly had more good lectures than bad. Admittedly only one lecturer managed to keep to the title of his lecture, but that doesn't detract from the good qualities of the others. :) I will no doubt discover my (in)ability to take comprehendable notes tomorrow, when I am supposedly reporting them back to the rest of my English class. Hm.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Butbutbut
I did get a fitted shirt, which *fits*. :D Such an achievement, and Naomi is happy about it. Although I got measured at the same time, and was a seriously different and *scary* size according to them. But then, the shirt did fit better afterwards. Hm.
Interview on Thursday! Rarrrgh. Slightly scary, as I still don't know how much maths and how much English they may ask me. Humph. Why did I apply for such a rare and strange course again? Methinks I will still be reading 'Fermat's Last Theorem' on the car journey up there too, but then, surely that isn't the end of the world?
Hmmm... considering the other amounts of reading I also have to do... not to mention lots of chemistry and maths, most of which I don't understand. Humph. Why do teachers set homework on stuff they are yet to teach us? Or alternatively, stuff they think they have taught us, but not a single person in the class understands?
Rararggghargghaaghraghrammmragrhgar. Oooh, that's good.
Rararggghargghaaghraghrammmragrhgar. I like. :)
Rararggghargghaaghraghrammmragrhgar. Quite therapeutic too. (You have to understand, I actually think and speak half of what I type. It's strange. Like when I write :P, I actually stick my tongue out.)
Right... back to work and reading, methinks.
Interview on Thursday! Rarrrgh. Slightly scary, as I still don't know how much maths and how much English they may ask me. Humph. Why did I apply for such a rare and strange course again? Methinks I will still be reading 'Fermat's Last Theorem' on the car journey up there too, but then, surely that isn't the end of the world?
Hmmm... considering the other amounts of reading I also have to do... not to mention lots of chemistry and maths, most of which I don't understand. Humph. Why do teachers set homework on stuff they are yet to teach us? Or alternatively, stuff they think they have taught us, but not a single person in the class understands?
Rararggghargghaaghraghrammmragrhgar. Oooh, that's good.
Rararggghargghaaghraghrammmragrhgar. I like. :)
Rararggghargghaaghraghrammmragrhgar. Quite therapeutic too. (You have to understand, I actually think and speak half of what I type. It's strange. Like when I write :P, I actually stick my tongue out.)
Right... back to work and reading, methinks.
Busy busy busy
Busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy busy.
Get the message? It feels as if I don't even have enough time to blog properly. And yet I still manage to waste ever so much time doing I don't even know what.
Grrarrghghggghhh!
Get the message? It feels as if I don't even have enough time to blog properly. And yet I still manage to waste ever so much time doing I don't even know what.
Grrarrghghggghhh!
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Gah
I think I have handed in a few to many cruddy essays this year. :S And I only do the one essay subject. Possibly due to the lack of argument in the majority of said essays, and the lack of enthusiasm to write said essays. And the temptation of procrastination. Poemmmmmmmmms....mmmmm. And I have good excuse to be playing the clarinet lots and lots and lots and lots over the next two or three weeks. (Arrrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!! Grade 8 is way too soon and I don't know any scales!! Gahhhhhhhhhh.)
Naomi's sleepy. *yawns*
Naomi's sleepy. *yawns*
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Haven't posted for a while...
...and so will now. :)
The week so far (and the few weeks coming up) have (and are expected to be) rather hectic, which isn't so great, especially when it's weeks on end. Ah well, it's Friday afternoon sleep time of year now, which makes it slightly more bearable.
Sunday saw me spending the day in Hillel House in Euston, in the morning for orchestra, and the afternoon for an aj6 Oxbridge interview preparation type thing. I didn't mind that: the day was enjoyable; it was getting home. There's no met line between Harrow on the Hill and Aldgate at the weekend at the moment, plus no Jubilee line between Neasden and Stanmore. For anyone who doesn't know, I live on the Met line and the Jubilee is pretty close too. To get to Euston I can also take the Silerlink, but when we finished on Sunday I went to Euston Station, and I would have had to have waited for half an hour for the next train to Kenton, which I wasn't really up for. So I went and took the tube, taking the Jubilee line to Willesden Green, and then taking a rail replacement to Northwick Park. This was all fine and dandy, until walking home from the tube station...which took twenty-five minutes! (This walk normally takes eight, so twenty-five is quite a bit longer.) It was dark, and there were scary drug gangs on the rape bridge, so I walked the long way home. But it took a long time and I got wet and cold. :(
Monday I went to the dentist in the morning (my teeth are fine :)), and then went on to school, and in the afternoon I went straight from school to Raleigh Close shul for Andrew and Rosa's sheva brachot. Which were wonderful, except there was something up with the PA system, which meant we did a much much shorter set than planned (although how they expected to quite fit in the full set, I have no idea). I liked all the balloons and party poppers and bubbles!! I love bubbles. :) (Little things please little minds.)
Hmmm... Tuesday. I went in late, did the maths challenge, went and had chemistry explained by Mr. Dawson (our new head of science, who knows what is in the syllabus, unlike my other chemistry teacher) and had English and orchestra in the afternoon. It just seemed busy, despite the late start. (Possibly due to not returning home until about 6.15pm.)
Today I don't overly remember, apart from having further maths and maths, but no other lessons. And I don't seem to have done enough work tonight either. Gah. Damn having four essays for the same subject at the same time. *silly teachers*
The week so far (and the few weeks coming up) have (and are expected to be) rather hectic, which isn't so great, especially when it's weeks on end. Ah well, it's Friday afternoon sleep time of year now, which makes it slightly more bearable.
Sunday saw me spending the day in Hillel House in Euston, in the morning for orchestra, and the afternoon for an aj6 Oxbridge interview preparation type thing. I didn't mind that: the day was enjoyable; it was getting home. There's no met line between Harrow on the Hill and Aldgate at the weekend at the moment, plus no Jubilee line between Neasden and Stanmore. For anyone who doesn't know, I live on the Met line and the Jubilee is pretty close too. To get to Euston I can also take the Silerlink, but when we finished on Sunday I went to Euston Station, and I would have had to have waited for half an hour for the next train to Kenton, which I wasn't really up for. So I went and took the tube, taking the Jubilee line to Willesden Green, and then taking a rail replacement to Northwick Park. This was all fine and dandy, until walking home from the tube station...which took twenty-five minutes! (This walk normally takes eight, so twenty-five is quite a bit longer.) It was dark, and there were scary drug gangs on the rape bridge, so I walked the long way home. But it took a long time and I got wet and cold. :(
Monday I went to the dentist in the morning (my teeth are fine :)), and then went on to school, and in the afternoon I went straight from school to Raleigh Close shul for Andrew and Rosa's sheva brachot. Which were wonderful, except there was something up with the PA system, which meant we did a much much shorter set than planned (although how they expected to quite fit in the full set, I have no idea). I liked all the balloons and party poppers and bubbles!! I love bubbles. :) (Little things please little minds.)
Hmmm... Tuesday. I went in late, did the maths challenge, went and had chemistry explained by Mr. Dawson (our new head of science, who knows what is in the syllabus, unlike my other chemistry teacher) and had English and orchestra in the afternoon. It just seemed busy, despite the late start. (Possibly due to not returning home until about 6.15pm.)
Today I don't overly remember, apart from having further maths and maths, but no other lessons. And I don't seem to have done enough work tonight either. Gah. Damn having four essays for the same subject at the same time. *silly teachers*
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Responses to the American election.
The front cover of today's G2.
I rather liked this. The Guardian didn't do anything overly impressive with their headlines in the main newspaper, unlike the Independent, which had a cool spread of war photos, etc. with a black background and the words "FOUR MORE YEARS" between each row of photos, but I thought the cover of G2 was even better. Especially since they did so little with their headline of the main paper. All I can say is, at least Bush won legally and with the popularity vote this time. Better than the last. That doesn't mean I'm happy he won, just happy that he won slightly more fairly than last time. (Although I've heard so much about their campaign, which was sneaky.)
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Second offer!!
*jumps up and down*
*jumps again*
I've received my second offer! *jumps and squees* This one is for Birmingham and I need to get the grades AAB with an A in English literature. A bit scary, but then, it is an excellent university. :D I'm very happy about that one, as you can probably tell. ;)
Oooh, and I received a letter yesterday inviting me to interview at Manchester. :) The only scary thing about that is that I now have to prepare for a maths interview. (I've applied for joint honours in maths and English at Manchester, straight English everywhere else.) I'm borrowing the maths university interview folder from school tomorrow and checking out what it has inside. ;) Still a little scary.
*dances* I have another offer! *dances and jumps* *grins*
*jumps again*
I've received my second offer! *jumps and squees* This one is for Birmingham and I need to get the grades AAB with an A in English literature. A bit scary, but then, it is an excellent university. :D I'm very happy about that one, as you can probably tell. ;)
Oooh, and I received a letter yesterday inviting me to interview at Manchester. :) The only scary thing about that is that I now have to prepare for a maths interview. (I've applied for joint honours in maths and English at Manchester, straight English everywhere else.) I'm borrowing the maths university interview folder from school tomorrow and checking out what it has inside. ;) Still a little scary.
*dances* I have another offer! *dances and jumps* *grins*
Monday, November 01, 2004
Late night poetry writing, photos and stuff...
Poem first, methinks. (I wrote this last night, or maybe on Saturday night.)
Words
Fabricated fecundity
Impressing the reeling eyes and the seeing mind,
Not sure where
or why
or how
or who
Its meaning both clear and confusing
At once understood and uncomprehended.
Intending one thing,
Meaning another
The author's ideas confounded
And compounded by the reader's interpretations.
Why each particular word,
Each sy-lla-ble,
Each l-e-t-t-e-r,
All significant:
nothing doesn't have a reason.
And yet, wade in too deep
And you'll be lost,
Lost in a world of analysis,
Unable to see the wood for the trees.
If you just take a step back,
Not a mile,
Not a kilometre,
Not a metre,
Just a single step,
Look at what's in front,
what's behind,
and where you're standing,
The whole picture, the overall meaning,
How the colours blend to make the masterpiece
The notes to make the symphony
Then you might just realise
That there's no poınt at all.
Second: photo news. In August I blogged from Israel, on Torani machane: one day we went to Tel Azeka, and I whined that I had forgotten my camera and requested a copy of the group photo from there from anyone reading this with a digital copy. Well, Jonny Lipczer (*waves to Jonny*) "stumbled upon" my blog, read my plea and sent me the photo! Here it is:
(For those who have forgotten, Tel Azeka is where the Biblical story of David and Goliath happened. David was up where we took the photo, Goliath down by the road which you can't see in the photo.)
And other stuff...
I'm currently trying to find two essays that are vaguely decent and I don't mind talking about at interview to send off to Oxford (they sent me a letter asking for essays on Shabbat, as well as a separate letter with college allocations).
I'm rather annoyed that I didn't go to Limmud tonight (one-to-one Jewish learning), but I thought it best to appease my father. The only thing is, is that there is no Limmud next week, as it is sheva brachot (a big meal (party in this case) in the week after a wedding where the seven blessings from the wedding ceremony are repeated at Grace after Meals)- where I'm playing in the band. :D Lots of fun.
My grade 8 is scarily soon (within the month) although I still don't know the exact date, as they gave me a Saturday (grrr) so I'm going for cancellations and there haven't been any I could do so far.
Hmmm... I think that's about it. I'm sure there's other stuff that I've forgotten, but then I keep forgetting things of late.
Words
Fabricated fecundity
Impressing the reeling eyes and the seeing mind,
Not sure where
or why
or how
or who
Its meaning both clear and confusing
At once understood and uncomprehended.
Intending one thing,
Meaning another
The author's ideas confounded
And compounded by the reader's interpretations.
Why each particular word,
Each sy-lla-ble,
Each l-e-t-t-e-r,
All significant:
nothing doesn't have a reason.
And yet, wade in too deep
And you'll be lost,
Lost in a world of analysis,
Unable to see the wood for the trees.
If you just take a step back,
Not a mile,
Not a kilometre,
Not a metre,
Just a single step,
Look at what's in front,
what's behind,
and where you're standing,
The whole picture, the overall meaning,
How the colours blend to make the masterpiece
The notes to make the symphony
Then you might just realise
That there's no poınt at all.
Second: photo news. In August I blogged from Israel, on Torani machane: one day we went to Tel Azeka, and I whined that I had forgotten my camera and requested a copy of the group photo from there from anyone reading this with a digital copy. Well, Jonny Lipczer (*waves to Jonny*) "stumbled upon" my blog, read my plea and sent me the photo! Here it is:
(For those who have forgotten, Tel Azeka is where the Biblical story of David and Goliath happened. David was up where we took the photo, Goliath down by the road which you can't see in the photo.)
And other stuff...
I'm currently trying to find two essays that are vaguely decent and I don't mind talking about at interview to send off to Oxford (they sent me a letter asking for essays on Shabbat, as well as a separate letter with college allocations).
I'm rather annoyed that I didn't go to Limmud tonight (one-to-one Jewish learning), but I thought it best to appease my father. The only thing is, is that there is no Limmud next week, as it is sheva brachot (a big meal (party in this case) in the week after a wedding where the seven blessings from the wedding ceremony are repeated at Grace after Meals)- where I'm playing in the band. :D Lots of fun.
My grade 8 is scarily soon (within the month) although I still don't know the exact date, as they gave me a Saturday (grrr) so I'm going for cancellations and there haven't been any I could do so far.
Hmmm... I think that's about it. I'm sure there's other stuff that I've forgotten, but then I keep forgetting things of late.
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