There and back again, in defiance of road work

All told, today’s London expedition went very well. As always, it was a great pleasure to spend some time with Sarah and Peter Webster. Conversations with them are always engaging, and there is enormous value in spending time with an old friend, especially when you live in such a socially disconnected place. My wanderings around SoHo beforehand were also worthwhile, though I was able to resist the urge to return to Oxford with several kilos of tofu, as is my normal practice. (To initiate such aggression in the ongoing contest for space in our fridge would be neither polite nor prudent.) The weather was ideal for London: cool enough to be comfortable, overcast but not raining, and everywhere imbued with nice, soft, photogenic light.

The William Townsend art show was also great fun. I had never seen his work properly on display before, and I was glad to see such an excellent and varied selection. One autumnal scene was particularly fine, though the £10,000 asking price is a few notches above my art budget for this quarter. As is the norm for events organized by Ian and his wife, the collection of people present was highly diverse. I spoke for a while with an economist whose textbook I used during my short but interesting period in UBC’s honours economics program. Also, three members of the gallery staff, at length, a graduate student working on medieval Latin and a fictitious saint, and many others besides. I regretted the need to be prudent and catch a relatively early bus back to Oxford. I have two presentations to draft tonight, on the off chance that I am called on to answer the assigned questions in seminar tomorrow. Since I am meeting Margaret for coffee in the morning, my normal span for such final preparations is spoken for.

I promise to write something substantive soon. I have acquired 31 emails requiring responses between the time when I left the Apple store (around 1pm) and the present moment.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here. View all posts by Milan