May Week

It has been a particularly enjoyable week.  Last Friday was the end of term and with the essay submitted, I looked forward to kicking my feet up for a week before class started again.  First I was delighted by a welcome surprise from my long-lost husband:

They were a sweet reminder of the ways in which Dave has always supported me, even when it is so hard for him to be alone.  

Monday kicked off May Week in Cambridge, which marks the end of the school year and brings elaborate parties at many of the colleges and a general feeling of relief and excitement.  I did not purchase the extraordinarily expensive (£80 to £200 or $130 to $320) tickets to Emmanuel's May Ball (or any other May Ball), but I was hoping to experience at least a bit of May Ball excitement.  Thankfully, part of the Jesus College ball happened right below my window, so on Monday evening I was able to watch the women stroll by in their glamorous gowns and the men in their snazzy tuxedos.  I also got to enjoy the jazz band that played nearby until about 4:30 in the morning.  We got another treat as well.  Trinity's fireworks let off for about half an hour around 11 pm.  We all ran outside to ooh and aw.  There was something strangely ethereal about standing outside in bare feet, watching fireworks explode in the drizzling rain over the Cambridge skyline.

At one point we thought that they had finished, so we returned to our rooms upstairs.  When they started up again, we all poked our heads out the windows to continue watching.

On Tuesday evening, I attended a Corpus Christi graduate dinner with one of my BYU mentors (Dr. Kerry - the man responsible for my coming to Cambridge) and another of his former students.  We ate a lovely two course dinner at one of the hidden gems just off one of Cambridge's main streets:

After dinner we strolled around the wild English garden seen in the foreground of the picture above. It was another breathtaking reminder of the unique opportunities I have been able to enjoy here.  

On Wednesday night, my 'married friend' Christine came over for one last night of sociability before flying back to the States.  We made dinner and ate Gü chocolate souffle for dessert.  Because I still hadn't rewarded myself for finishing the term, we also had Kelly's of Cornwall Clotted Cream and Honeycomb ice cream.  It was absolutely divine.  The cows must eat well in England, because ice cream just simply isn't as creamy in America.  

Christine and Me at the Harry Potter Premiere
(since I wasn't clever enough to take a picture of the two of us on Wednesday)

 And then I spent yesterday in London at the museums, of course.

As far as I know, we are the only course in all of Cambridge returning to class on Monday.  I have to try not to think about it or I start getting slightly bitter.  On the other hand, the eLearning students will be joining us for the first time since early October, and I am looking forward to enjoying a more diverse student body during class sessions.  I can't believe how quickly my time here is coming to a close.  Just 17 more days now until I'm back with my sweet husband.  Until then, I hope every week goes by as pleasurably as this one!