Plays

It seems like a perfect coincidence that the REACH Cambridge Summer Programme should take place at the same time as the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival, even more so when there were performances of Shakespeare's plays being staged at the many colleges in Cambridge. Hence with a golden chance(s) right under our nose, we decided to watch the plays Macbeth and The Tempest, the second one being a text that we were to study later on.

The plays were staged outdoors, with the audience sitting around a "stage" which had a large tree as its centerpiece of sorts. From the first scene of the first act to the very last line of the play, the skillfull actors brought their characters to life with their superb acting, colourful costumes and vivid movements. Line by line the plot was carefully woven while the audience watched in awe.

A fifteen minute interval was given, yet the audience stayed on, breathing in the ambience of the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival, discussing the plot of the play they were watching. The sun set and the glow of the stage lights took over, drowning the tree in a shade of red. The play resumed, and the audience watched on, eager for a conclusion.

Then the lights went out, the play was over. A round of applause, and another, and another. Three bows from the actors, and then they exited the stage, till the next show.

As we left, battling the freezing cold in our jackets, one thought crossed my mind:

Cambridge Shakespeare Festival = Ten Pounds Well Spent. :)

Owari.

More than just another trip

It's across continents, across vast landscapes, but even more than that, it's across cultures. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at fixed timings, cold weather, cool accent, and so many more nitty gritty details that separates us from them. Many shops close at five plus, the rare ones at six pm; the picturesque country houses, the great distances that require walking. Yet after only 8 days, it has become home. The bed, the floor, the window, the desk. It has become part of my daily life. Cornflakes with milk, laundry tokens, shopping has become a daily routine. More than just literature or school work, it's the way we study, the way we are taught that is different. Girton College will definitely be an unforgettable experience. I believe in the saying, "it's the journey, not the destination." But this time, it's also about the destination.

Day 1: A Walk Through Town

Gateway to King's College.

Beautiful latticework leading into Clare College.

Our second day here took us on a literary tour through Cambridge town centre. We were introduced to trivia such as the house where Charles Darwin used to stay, bridges that are meant to be built without bolts, various colleges where famous personages have studied (and we don't mean just academics and literary figures!)...it matters not we do not know all the names, the architectural magnificence of colleges is enough to impress, what would we give to be able to study here! Hard work and sweat, and no small amount of talent the teachers will no doubt tell us. To spend some of the best years of our lives in such venerable buildings, much needs to be sacrificed, but oh, how great the reward!

It was a little strange at first, seeing old buildings housing such modern shops, but no less charming for the juxtaposition. Buskers are all around town as well, flaunting their various talents for our coin.

Sunny days. The porter said we brought along good weather to Cambridge.

Never Forget

We left Singapore on the 31st of July, barely knowing one another (or at least in my case that was true. Miss Oblivious, that's me!). 13 hours later, I had too much of my plane 'buddies'. Thank God they weren't in the same course as me! :)

So far, we've not only had lessons, but two barbeques, a trip to the Roman Baths and Stonehenge, some of us have gone for a karaoke night, movie night (Shakespeare In Love) and basically taken a lot, and I mean A LOT, of photos.

Preserve the moments spent with friends, moments that might never come again. Take chances of opportunities that might never rise again. Have fun, laugh, cry (or don't actually), sing (unless you're tone deaf). Celebrate life, celebrate these two weeks. Celebrate no school!

The memories we make, the things we learn and bring back, that is something that I can never forget.

"Remember tonight.. for it is the beginning of
always."

- Dante Alighieri

Summer Memories

And so we came, pilgrims all, seeking new knowledge and fresh experiences. The wealth of worlds thumbed through yellowed pages, lovingly, countlessly, giving fire and light to the soul - will these worlds that so charm on paper be all the more closer and more real for the time we will spend here?

Here we are, students of literature, at once so old and so young from words that invigorate and yet burden with the soulful sighs of generations past, what homes on English soil will our foreign minds find?

Summer memories.

The Soldier.

If I should die, think only this of me.

-- Rupert Brooke