raven: [hello my name is] and a silhouette image of a raven (stock - oxford)
raven ([personal profile] raven) wrote2008-05-27 09:47 am

Notes and queries on finishing a degree:

In thirty-six hours from now, I will have finished my Finals. Nine of those hours feature exams, hopefully eight of them involve sleeping (would be less, but, two exams in one day tomorrow, ouch), about eight of them involve mad cramming (am I going to fail the Cold War? yes I am), at least one of them will have [livejournal.com profile] jacinthsong feeding me risotto and telling me about the Middle East... I lead a busy, busy life.

So busy, in fact, that I missed Vienna Teng in London last week, and I will be just too busy and important to see the Indelicates tonight. (I would possibly be less childishly disappointed about both of these if a) there hadn't been not one but two of my favourite acts in one week) and b) I weren't just being childishly demanding about everything.)

And so, speaking of being childishly demanding. I finish tomorrow, Wednesday 28th May, at 5.30pm at the Examination Schools, Oxford. I have been quite extraordinarily demanding - see above - about what I want (plastic leis! glitter! and a PENGUIN!), but really, what I want is all of you. I know lots and lots of Finalists haven't finished yet, and I totally appreciate that not everyone can come, but, you know. Seeing people even just for five minutes would make me happy. Please come, if you can, and I totally understand if you can't.

I had planned to go punting afterwards, but the current weather forecast is for torrential rain. (Thank you, England.) I imagine we will go and lurk in a pub somewhere. Or something. I am exhausted and dizzy and will have had, by that point, the proverbial eight exams in seven days. I leave myself in all your capable hands, innuendo definitely intended.

[Edited to add: No, the weather forecast last night was twenty-five degrees and torrential rain; now it's twenty-one degrees and sunshine. What, BBC, just WHAT.]

Right. Back to work for me, but I leave you with what was possibly the loveliest mid-exam treat ever: in the spirit of [livejournal.com profile] amplificathon, a ficathon devoted to podficcing and the joys thereof, [livejournal.com profile] likethesun2 has done a podfic of one of my stories: Down and Upping. (Slings & Arrows, gen; it's a story about what happens after Geoffrey's Hamlet - note warnings, if it's not your banana). [livejournal.com profile] likethesun2 claims she can't do Canadian - to which my response is, she's an American reading out my British English, of course she sounds Canadian - and she reads it with such expression, she made me laugh at my own story. Which I find extraordinary, because when I wrote it I was complaining that wow, all these people keep telling me they laughed, and I wasn't trying to be funny - well, I laughed. I get it, and apologise in retrospect.

Ah, back to work yes. The wind is howling.

[identity profile] apotropaios.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 09:35 am (UTC)(link)
As per everybody's Finals, as I am classicist, I will be coming out of a paper that isn't my final exam as you finish, so I will be there, albeit only for a few minutes as I run off to read some tragedies.

[identity profile] eternalwings.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 10:46 am (UTC)(link)
Good Luck!!!!
chiasmata: (Default)

[personal profile] chiasmata 2008-05-27 10:53 am (UTC)(link)
You! I will be there with bells on. Likely not literally, but all things are possible. xx

[identity profile] clubhopper15.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 11:24 am (UTC)(link)
Yay!! So proud :) There's the light at the end of the tunnel.. Good luck for the rest of them!

[identity profile] emily-shore.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 12:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I will be there tomorrow. Good luck!
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[identity profile] vampire-kitten.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 12:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I will not be there, but I send love and would like to take you and Laura out on Sunday for lunch?
ext_6483: drawing of a golden hare in front of a silver moon (*twirly hugs*)

[identity profile] sunlightdances.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 12:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I am totally in awe of all you finalists. *squish* Well done, because you deserve it. Woudl definitely be there with hugs and nice pasta meals and chocolate and alcohol if I could be. Have a wonderful time.
ext_3685: Stylized electric-blue teapot, with blue text caption "Brewster North" (ianto wedding)

[identity profile] brewsternorth.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Gooood luuuuck! (deploys sparkly icon of joy)

And yay for having a fic podded for amplificathon!
ext_20950: Black and white Waris Dirie in a white headwrap, shown in profile (headwraps yay)

[identity profile] jacinthsong.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 04:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't think you'll fail the Cold War. I think you'll find the Soviet Union failed the Cold War, though. OR DID IT etc etc

[identity profile] pinkdormouse.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Hope today went well, and tomorrow does too.

[identity profile] likethesun2.livejournal.com 2008-05-27 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
I was thrilled to be able to do it! And am thrilled that you thought it sounded expressive; I always think I sound psychotically devoid of emotional affect in recordings. Or, y'know, in everyday conversation.

(Isn't it amazing how you realize that your story is funny when someone else reads it out loud? I was totally delighted by that in [livejournal.com profile] iamsab's podfic of mine, too.)

*loves* Thirty-six hours! Less now! It's 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday here which means it must be... late on Tuesday night there,* which means you only have ONE DAY LEFT.

*I totally have one of the clocks on my iPod set to London time, just for quick reference, and I blame you.

[identity profile] likethesun2.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
YOU'RE DONE YOU'RE DONE YOU'RE DONE!

(I'm sure that you, too, have noticed this by now.)