All Souls: Part II
So. It’s over. I took: The Test. Dwarfing the SAT, sending the ACT to go cower in and corner, and putting the GRE to shame. Yes, you’ve got it. I am talking about the All Souls Exam at Oxford. If you don’t know what I […]
Author: Ariel
Traveling with your Mom
Sorry that you haven’t heard from me for a while. I’ve been pretty busy. First I had to move out of my house in Oxford (sayonara roommate problems!). I am just moving across town– I’ll tell you more about my new place after I move […]
The Island: Lady Mareena Chapter Five
So for those of you new to the blog, every so often I write about my love life, but instead of facing up to all the awkwardness of reality I have been writing it as a periodic romance novel– The Tale of Lady Mareena and her Torrid Troubles. So, to catch you up, last we left her, Lady Mareena had a new friend named Percival. He had written Mareena a love letter, declaring his desire to be close to her. And that was… four months ago. What has happened since? Well many things, but I’ll tell you of story of an island.
Chapter 5
Mareena sighed. It had been four months since she had written Percival the fateful letter. The letter that said that, maybe, just maybe there was hope. The letter that said she hoped they could be together. It was a big step, and scary. But she was glad she had done it.
A month after sending her letter she had received a gleeful reply. Percival was coming back to her country to live… for a long time. Mareena was a little worried about what she had done—what if things didn’t work out, what if Percival was unhappy… what if her choices had ruined everything? But she tried to be strong and not look back. She knew that sometimes in life you had to take risks.
So Percival had arrived with all his trucks to his new home, the castle by the sea–just a few hours on horseback from where Mareena herself lived…. And it had been great. Percival had his duties for his father the Earl, and she had her own tasks as a noble Lady, but they still managed to spend a lot of time together and write each other many letters. Sometime he even held her hand. Percival had never kissed Mareena, but that was okay, since she was a little scared too. She knew it would happen when the time was right.
Well, one weekend Percival invited Mareena to come with him for a trip into the wild Northern part of her country. There was a little island up there, pretty and full of purple flowers—a place where years, centuries before, men of God had lived and prayed together. Some people called it the Holy Island. Mareena had always wanted to go, so when Percieval suggested a trip, she begged: why not this place?
Percival, of course, said yes.
And the trip was amazing! She and Percival walked along the beach, and among ruins of the old monastic house, and through fields of purple flowers. It was all perfect. Deep in her heart Mareena wondered: could this be the time? Maybe Percival would kiss her here, in this beautiful place…
The last night before they left they sat together, watching the waves. The world was quiet and the sun was setting. Mareena knew this was the moment. Their moment. So she waited…. and waited…. and waited… the sun was now almost set. She peeped over at him– he didn’t seem to be making a move.
Mareena was confused. What could she do? But surely this was the perfect moment… She gathered her courage, took a deep breath. ‘If you were going to kiss me, this would be your opportunity,’ she said boldly.
Percival blushed and smiled. He looked surprised but happy. He leaned towards her—it’s happening, thought Mareena—but then he paused. He looked into her eyes, nervous. ‘Mareena… I just thought.. I worried… well, I thought,’ he paused trying to find his word ‘well I thought… this is the holy island, I thought such a thing wouldn’t be permitted…’
Mareena gaped, pulling away. Percival always had strange notions of what she believed, but she hadn’t realized that he would think the fact that they were on a ‘holy island’ meant that there could be no kissing. Was kissing really unholy? She voiced these opinions aloud, wondering at Percival’s strange prohibition.
Percival blushed. He could see he had gone wrong. Really, he had only ever been worried about offending Mareena, not defiling the island. Now he wanted to amend, but it was too late. They both knew it—the moment was over. He had evoked the judgement of dead monks, one of the least romantic of images. There was just no going back to the sunset and the beach.
Mareena sighed. Their romantic moment had been lost in a ocean of awkwardness—but things were mended that night when they both could laugh over it. How they, the Lady and the son of the Earl were surely the most awkward of people in the whole country. And it was true.
So, it was alright. Mareena knew there would be another time—just not, it seemed, on this most perfectly beautiful island.
Will Percival ever kiss Mareena? Or will Mareena die alone, unkissed, surrounded by a family of cats? Tune in next time, for the next chapter of the Tale of Lady Mareena’s Torrid Troubles .
Put Yourself to the Test
So, I’m doing some scary in September. I signed up to take a test I feel I have nearly zero chance of passing. I am taking… The All Souls Exam. So, All Souls is definitely the most mysterious and probably the most prestigious college in […]
Stuck in the Middle: Housemate Edition
You know that problem, when the people in your life that you love just don’t seem to get along with the each other? And you’re stuck in the middle? Well, I have been feeling that way a lot recently- especially as regards to my house. […]
How I Barely Survived a Czech Wedding
So, a couple of mo
nths ago Sleeping Booty posted about her experiences at a Morman wedding. Now I want to complement that with a post about another wedding- in the Czech Republic! Percival’s friend Tomas (pronounced To-ma-jzsh) was getting married and he wanted Percival to be there- and somehow, with some wheedling, I was invited too.
We spent a few days in Prague, but the wedding itself was three hours outside of Prague, in Moravia- the part of the Czech Republic where the bride was from. Now, in America you would expect maybe to drive there, have the wedding, and drive back- one day affair. No, instead we drove down on Friday and back on Sunday because the wedding was an all day engagement. Now when I say all day, some of you might be thinking different things. Maybe you are thinking- oh, it started at noon and went to nine- which would be pretty long for an American wedding. No. When I say all day, I mean 9:00am until… well, I went to bed at 11:30, but I heard tale that the festivities didn’t end until after 4:00am. The Czechs know how to party.
At 9:00am we all split into cars a
nd drove to the house of the bride’s family. At the house we were greeted with live accordion music and tons of food. This was also the time that the Czechs started drinking. They drink a lot of beer in the Czech Republic (really good beer, actually), but this morning most people were going for something stronger. They had this clear liquor that came in a bottle looking like water. Apparently it was homemade- and strong enough to kill a horse, with an alcohol content boarding around 50%. They would drink this stuff straight, in little clear shot glasses.
After the eating had gotten underway, the next thing to happen was the ‘false bride’. There is apparently a Moravian custom where, instead of greeting the real bride, a bridesmaid will show up all dressed in white and try to get with the groom. He has to get rid of her and pay her off before he can see the real bride. Percival and I couldn’t understand a lot, since everything was in Czech, but luckily after some effort Tomas was able hoist the false bride off on his best man, and get to meet his real bride, who was lovely as a vision.
After the festivities at the bride’s house, we headed up to the castle for the ceremony. Once again, this was all in Czech, but it was
still touching to watch. The ceremony itself took place in this little upper room in the tower of the castle. It was an epic and beautiful setting for a wedding. The ceremony seemed pretty traditional, not unlike at American weddings, and afterwards the new husband and wife took wedding pictures around the castle, and we had a chance to explore on our own.
The next part of the wedding took place back at the hotel, where we shared a ‘common meal’. This involved several traditions including the breaking of a plate, which the bride and groom had to sweep up, one holding the brush and the other the dust pan, as well as tradition of sharing a bowl of soup, which the bride had to ladle out with one hand and the groom had to feed the both with the other hand. We all had the soup, it was pretty tasty (until I found out it was liver, after which it was a bit hard for me to look at it the same…).
Following the meal was the best bit of the whole day: dancing! I said above that the Czechs know how to party- well they do- but they also know how to danc
e. We learned that it is mandatory for all Czechs to take dance classes in high school, and many take more lessons after that. So, the waltz, swing, cha cha, samba… they know them all. I have never been to a wedding where there was formal dancing, and where, best of all, everyone knew the steps. It was wonderful, but also a bit intimating, as neither Percival nor I are great dancers, and could hardly manage a waltz between us. The Czechs were all very nice though and did their best to try and teach me the Polka, a very traditional dance to that area.
But yeah, so there was more food around and dancing, which was occasionally broken up by little wedding games (like one where the groom was blindfolded, and had to identify the bride out of a long line of women, simply by feeling her leg). And the night went on, with the bride and groom hanging around to party… until, well, way after I went to bed. Oh, and of course, the little clear bottle of alcohol kept making a reappearance.
Overall- it was a great time- maybe a bit exhausting for my weak American constitution, but as festive an event as I have ever been too. Everyone was happy, dancing, drinking, and generally living it up to celebrate the marriage of these two people. Just as wedding should be.
Condition of the Month – June
Hey, friends! So it is that time of the month again. You know you’ve been waiting for it, that time when we all post our answers to one tantalizing question. Well your expectations have finally been met, get ready for: the Condition of the Month. […]
Never Been Kissed
So, ladies and gentlemen of the internet world, I have a confession to make. I am 23, and I have never been kissed. Is this weird? Isn’t that something that is supposed that happen to you when you are sixteen? If not before? Somehow ‘sweet […]
Meeting your Hero
So, you know that BBC series Merlin? And you know that guy who plays Gwaine? And you think he is the most attractive man to walk the planet, playing the most chivalrous Arthurian character to grace the pages of Malory? No? Well, me either. But my housemate Brandy* does. All year long I have been hearing about Gwaine, also known as Eoin Macken, and how he is the best thing since sliced bread. For Brandy, no man in her life could ever compare to Gwaine or be as attractive as Eoin Macken. For her, he is simply the best.
Well, a little over a week ago, Brandy and I got tickets to go see the new Globe production of the Tempest. I’ve been to the Globe before, but it is still one of my favourite venues of all time. It is reconstructed to look like the original Elizabethian Globe, which was open topped so that the stage received natural
light, with seats arranged in a semi-circle surrounding it. The Globe is also special because, just like in Elizabethian days, it sells standing tickets. The standing tickets are cheap, only five quid and you get to strand right in front of the stage in what is called ‘the pit’—could you get more medieval? And since they only use period instruments and decorations it really is an epic experience. Besides, who doesn’t love Shakespeare?**
So, for these reasons, visiting the Globe is always something I am up for. However, in this case there was an added impetus for seeing this particular show: Merlin’s star Colin Morgan was going to be playing the spritely Ariel. So, of course, we had to go. There was no question.
So the day of the production arrives, and we don our theatre attire and zip on the train down to London. We meet up with a friend of Brandy’s and then have quick dinner before picking up our tickets at the theatre. The first half goes by rather uneventfully, although I am of course enjoying the lively performance. For, Brandy, however, something much more exciting is happening. She pulls me aside at intermission:
‘you know he is here, right?’
‘Who?’
‘Eoin Macken, Oh My God. He is here.’
‘Really?!’
‘—are you telling me you didn’t see him?!’
‘Brandy, to be honest, I don’t think I could recognize him.’
‘Oh, my God. He is over across the way- sitting on the other side. I can’t believe you didn’t see him. I have been watching him this whole time. He was sitting over there!’
‘Over there? Brandy, I can’t see anything over there. It’s so far away. Are you sure it’s him?’
‘I am sure. I am 100 percent sure. Oh my God.’
Well needless to say, we stalked him out. Turns out he was there on a date, which was a bit disappointing for Brandy. But, beggars can’t be choosers: how often do you get to see your celebrity crush in real life? My only lament is that we were a little too shy to get an autograph, since he was obviously there just living his own life. But we did get a picture… one with them, in a line and us hovering oh so subtly next to them.
For me, this was a funny story, but for Brandy it was a big deal. She got to see Eoin Macken, the Eoin Macken in the flesh. Now the rest of us might not even know who that is, or even care, but for Brandy it was something to check off a life list. She had met *cough, cough* Gwaine. That is why I am posting this: because, as a naughty princess, I should know more than anyone else: dreams do come true.
* name changed to protect the innocent from potential embarrassment ** For some reason, Cinderslut has Shakespeare issues. However, it is my belief that if she were to visit the Globe this stance might soften.Back Off and Leave my Otium Alone!
Lately, several people have mentioned to me that I need to ‘get involved’ with different activities, and it has really started to bug me. To give just one example, about a week ago, another graduate student I know was pressuring me to join the organizing […]
Love Letters: Lady Mareena Chapter Four
It is has been a while since I last wrote a Lady Mareena post, and, due to several circumstances in my life, I feel like that time has come again. I was hesitant about posting this, not least because I fear the judgement not only […]
War and Peace Revisited
So, when I was a junior in high school, I read War and Peace. At the time it took me less than a month to conquer this 1,400-page, giant beast of Russian literature. And, although, I have always been a re-reader (most of my favourite books I have somewhere between five and fifteen times) somehow I never got around to rereading War and Peace. It. Was. Just. Too. Long.
But this December I decided it was time: War and Peace needed to happen. Now, as I mentioned, before (in my high school hey day of novel reading) I burned through this bad boy in a few weeks. This time however it has taken longer. Actually, I haven’t 
finished it yet—although I am close, oh so close. This is not because I am a lot slower of reader than I was then—although it is true that I have a good chunk less free time—but instead it is more that I have self-consciously been taking it slow. Indeed, several times I have stopped to read other books along the way, so to say giving myself a little spring break from the cold Russian winter.
Yet although it has taken me a bit of time, I have found revisiting War and Peace a remarkable endeavour. It is always interesting to go back to something that you read at an earlier point in your life, and see how your experience with it changes. So, I have decided to share a piece of this experience with you.
Okay. This is probably the funnest thing. So, when I read War and Peace in high school, one of my strongest memories of the plot was about how Natasha falls in love with this ‘really old guy’. Now, rereading it, I have had to laugh when I realized that is this ‘really old guy’, aka Prince Andrei, is really in his early 30’s. To my high school mind he was so old as to be practically dead, now he sounds like an eligible bachelor to me: Hey, are there any Prince Andreis around?
Secondly, there are a lot of themes in War and Peace (just like there is a lot of everything else: characters, plots, sub-plots…), but one of the themes that struck me most in high school is still perhaps the most thought provoking for me now. Okay, get ready for some plot summary. In the novel, the same girl Natasha loves this man Andrei (remember the really, really, old 32 year old?). She loves him and they want to get married but Andrei is worried about her being so much younger than him so he suggests that they have a year long engagement before they actually get married and he goes abroad. Natasha reluctantly agrees to this arrangement, and misses Andrei like crazy, but then, a month before Andrei is about to return, Natasha meets this other guy: Anatole. Now, Anatole is a player and he flirts with Natasha but doesn’t really have any intentions towards her. Natasha though is seduced, she falls hard for Anatole even though she doesn’t know him that well– but he is just so sexy! So, in a rash decision she calls off the engagement with Andrei and tries to run away with Anatole. Her family finds out and stops her from leaving with him, and expose the truth that Anataole is actually already married, but Natasha’s engagement is already ruined.
Of all the plots of War and Peace, this was the one that stuck with me the most after high school. It carried with it a major lesson: the choices you make have consequences. After Natasha realizes what she did, she wants to get back together with Andrei but he is so hurt and betrayed he says no. Later he dies in the war. I feel like when we are growing up we are feed things like ‘everything will be okay’, or ‘just apologize and it will make everything alright.’ But War and Peace taught me that was bullshit. The things we do, the choices we make, they have consequences and sometimes those consequences are irrevocable.
There is another character, Pierre, who deeply and ardently loved Natasha, but she never really loved him like she loved Andrei. But in the end, they get married. They have children and things are okay, but there is the sense that this is the second-rate ending—not quite the happily ever after we all wish for—more like, the well-life-goes-on ending. Now I don’t know what this taught me. I guess, in a way, it taught me about settling. Now, I am not saying all my single friends out there need to settle and marry some guy they don’t really dig—I sure hope that never happens, for them or me. Really, though, I think it is more of a lesson about life. Life isn’t always perfect. Life isn’t always what it could have been. And somehow, you just have to live and make the most out of it.
Maybe Natasha should have refused Pierre and gone looking for another Prince Andrei, for another deep love, but in not refusing him she fulfilled his happiness and his love for her. And, set against the backdrop of own our self-oriented, self-seeking culture, I do think there is something to be said for that. So, I don’t know. But the world War and Peace presents is complicated and messy. It is a world without easy choices. It is very like our own world.
These were some of the questions that absorbed me when I read it in high school, and now when I read it again they still have a hold on me. I don’t think I have any more answers now than I did then: if anything I have less.