Going Up

Since the last post I've been pretty busied-up. Readery, paperage, minor socializing, etc. I also developed the plague on my face which spread for days and days. Much consultation, a visit to the nurse, a doctor, and a pharmacy determined that it was impetigo and I needed a week's worth of antibiotics to not die. Or get more plague-y. Anyway, that's been clearing up and ought to done with pretty soon (thank God!).

Some of the healing time was whiled away in London. My Theology/Hebrew Scriptures tutor is fantastic. He and his wife have a house in Oxford and one in London and he invited me down fr Shabbos. It was so strange and so lovely to really step AWAY from all things school-work-y, but not step away from intellectual conversation, really. I was away for maybe 36 hours and I realized something important: I can pass time and not work and still be OK and not fall behind. See, when we're in Oxford all the time, even when we're not working we keep thinking "this is just a half hour break" or something -- there's no proper escape or release. There's always that tension. Going away and leaving most of my books and stuff behind was really good. Plus, I got 14 hours of sleep on Friday night. FOURTEEN. And lovely home-cooked Shabbos food and kiddush and just the feel of Shabbos. :) Happee timez. Also, on Motzei Shabbos Rabbi/Dr Solomon and his wife very generously took me a to see a play in Leicester Square, Shadowlands. It was fantastic -- beautifully written and acted, touching, witty ... I'm so glad I got to go and relax and appreciate it.

In other news, it's now back to the same old drag of read, notes, read, write, read, sleep. It's not too bad, really -- it's pretty satisfying as I make progress, even though it's a struggle. Actually, BECAUSE it's a struggle. For this week I have a paper on (1) the Mekilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, masechta Nezikin (related to Parshat Meshpatim) and (2) the reality or fabrication of "separate spheres" for men and women in Victorian England.

By the way, as for photos, I have taken and developed some more and will post them at the Flickr sites that are linked at the left ASAP.