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ravenI just had a faintly odd but resoundingly fun experience. It's Friday night, my mother doesn't want to cook and neither do I, so Pedar and I went out to a chippy in Southport (also Chinese food) run by a family friend whose daughter is in the year below me at Merchants'. He always chats to me when I'm leaning on the counter waiting for the food, and he asked me how my studies were going, and was it Oxford or Cambridge?
"Oxford," I said.
The man next to me turned round at that, and asked what I was studying. I started explaining about PPE, and he stopped me, asked me about the Economics and if I'd had my book-list (I have - it came last week) and what was on it. I talked about it, and he started to explain a specific problem to me, namely, how economics can be considered as a science, dismal or otherwise. He compared it with Chemistry, which of course piqued my interest, and Physics, and concept where the pronouncements of the observer have an effect on subsequent events. This moved on to a mathematical problem - he mentioned he was a maths lecturer - which he sketched for me, describing the antics of an ice-cream salesmen on an infinite beach, and how the solution can also be applied to the behaviour of political parties across the spectrum. I managed to guess at the solution of the problem, which interested me.
Then his fish and chips came, so he grabbed a piece of the greaseproof paper they use to wrap the chips in, wrote down a book recommendation and sketched out the problem and its solution, wished me luck for next year and apologised for hijacking my time before disappearing into the night before I could thank him.
He mentioned he was a lecturer at John Moore's, formerly a lecturer at the University of Hanoi in Vietnam (I thought it was cool) and of course on the basis of that information I could find out who he was easily. But I'm not going to. It's more fun to have had an academic discussion with a stranger you met at the chippy while waiting for them to give you your chips. It has, in fact, made my day.
"Oxford," I said.
The man next to me turned round at that, and asked what I was studying. I started explaining about PPE, and he stopped me, asked me about the Economics and if I'd had my book-list (I have - it came last week) and what was on it. I talked about it, and he started to explain a specific problem to me, namely, how economics can be considered as a science, dismal or otherwise. He compared it with Chemistry, which of course piqued my interest, and Physics, and concept where the pronouncements of the observer have an effect on subsequent events. This moved on to a mathematical problem - he mentioned he was a maths lecturer - which he sketched for me, describing the antics of an ice-cream salesmen on an infinite beach, and how the solution can also be applied to the behaviour of political parties across the spectrum. I managed to guess at the solution of the problem, which interested me.
Then his fish and chips came, so he grabbed a piece of the greaseproof paper they use to wrap the chips in, wrote down a book recommendation and sketched out the problem and its solution, wished me luck for next year and apologised for hijacking my time before disappearing into the night before I could thank him.
He mentioned he was a lecturer at John Moore's, formerly a lecturer at the University of Hanoi in Vietnam (I thought it was cool) and of course on the basis of that information I could find out who he was easily. But I'm not going to. It's more fun to have had an academic discussion with a stranger you met at the chippy while waiting for them to give you your chips. It has, in fact, made my day.
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no subject
on 2005-03-05 07:29 am (UTC)Speaking of random things, I was chatting with a schoolmate on my flight home, and apparently she's studying abroad next year-- and taking biology at Oxford. I told her I had a friend going there next year as well, and ended up having to explain PPE to her. (Now my incessant school-related questioning comes in handy!) So if a blonde girl from Virginia named Jane knows who you are next year, that's why. :)
no subject
on 2005-03-05 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
on 2005-03-05 04:24 pm (UTC)And while I'm here, I'm going to bug you about Exeter again. You must come!
no subject
on 2005-03-05 06:13 pm (UTC)I'm still planning on it, definitely. I know a number of people doing it this year or next, and it sounds like a good time. Here's hoping I can land a spot when I apply.
no subject
on 2005-03-05 02:21 pm (UTC)Interesting