Well, what a party. Cricket, port, and Moroccan food. My thanks to Claire for bringing it all together. More comprehensive reporting later.
I was under-dressed for the occasion, taking ‘black tie’ to mean ‘the most formal clothes that you own.’ I hope I wasn’t judged too harshly for showing up in a business suit. The atmosphere seemed fairly laid-back, despite the constant pitter-patter of flash capacitors. Quite possibly, the now-ubiquitous digital camera is the attainment of Bentham’s concept of the panopticon.
This party was definitely smaller than the first party I attended amidst the university offices. There was a lot of good conversation, particularly about strategic studies stuff with a young man who I hope I will meet again. He looks particularly quizzical in this photo.
In any case, I hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as I did. It was amusing to arrive back at Wadham, three hours into the first day of the new year, and chat with the night porter for a few minutes. My best wishes to all those in Wadham, to my family, and to friends around the world. May this next orbit be a better one than the one which preceded it.
I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die discover that I had not lived.
—H.D. Thoreau
-Barely standing and capable of typing, B is!
The fellow with the guitar looks genuinely bewildered to have been captured at such a moment.
Some nice photography can be found here, though wrapped in an awkward Flash interface. Even so, the wildlife shots are quite excellent.
Happy New Year, from Vancouver.
“Quite possibly, the now-ubiquitous digital camera is the attainment of Bentham’s concept of the panopticon.”
Especially once those photos start ending up in Facebook album, with searchable links to the people shown in them.