All entries for Monday 06 December 2010

What I've Learned So Far

Writing about web page http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/postgrad/current/masters/writing/

Well, I've written about the weather, the snow, the travel delays and the early starts but only a little about what I've learned. 

There have been writing exercises, tips, lots of things learned from my fellow students, among them internet rules and suggestions of books to read and films to watch, and peer feedback - some constructive and some not.  And with it all, lots of laughter along the way, and cakes and mince pies and cup cakes, lunches eaten together and discussions and singing over late lunches and cups of tea and on the buses.

I'll try to share some of these.

: 06 Dec 2010 22:47 |  Tags: At In Ma University Warwick Writing |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Winter Wonderland and more Monday Morning Blues

The wicked Snow Queen was out today ensnaring the world with her frosty glare, sending shivers through all the land. What wouldn't I have given to be wrapped up warm in her fur-lined sleigh and a drink of the melted Turkish Delight? 

Especially when my car broke down at -6.6 centigrade on the busy ring road and had to ring 999 to request assistance from the Police to move my car out of the 'live traffic' to a safe location.  Needless to say, I felt like the woman who dialled 999 because her snowman had been stolen.  I had to tell the operative that I'd been told to ring them by the AA, just in case they thought I was some clueless nutter who thought they had nothing better to do than move broken down cars out of the way of oncoming traffic. 

It was surreal to have a policeman push my car while a policewoman drove the police car behind me, across the traffic, lights flashing, blocking the traffic to protect me from being hit.  Then they left me parked on double yellow lines - that's got to be a first, I'm sure.  

During the forty minute wait for the AA I could feel my fingers and toes go from tingling with cold to feeling like I'd put them in the freezer.  I couldn't tell if I imagined, or could actually feel, ice chrystals starting to form in the blood in my fingers and toes.  I breathed warm breath into my gloves to try to slow down the freeze.  As though to mirror what was happening to me, the car was starting to be covered in white.  Until now, having been parked under the car port overnight, it had escaped the blanket of overnight frost.  Now the frost seemed to be bent on reclaiming the victim that had escaped its clutches.  Like Death claiming its victims in Final Destination.   

The vision of the yellow AA van was like a desert oasis - or the fur-lined sleigh in the deepest Narnian snow.  Only there was not much snow.  Just frost that was so thick it looked like snow. 

Frost so thick it didn't melt even by my journey home from uni about six hours later.  That's apparently not destined to melt for a while because we're in the clutches of an Arctic freeze according to the news headlines.  So maybe the Snow Queen's mode of transport will be the best for a little while yet.       

: 06 Dec 2010 19:34 |  Tags: Freezing Frost Ice Narnia Snow Winter Wonderland |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem