was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships?

i've just returned from our first fire alarm incident of the semester - last semester it was so frequently set off (by a rambunctious group of americans, i imagine) that waiting in the carpark for the fire trucks to arrive and give the inevitable clear had become a regular social event. i barely even knew anyone this time, but really who has the time?
for the moment, however, i do. i am in my post-march-sixth world, meaning that my big academic hump of the semester is behind me. i have been exhaling - even getting 12 hours of sleep last night to make up for my mere 30 minutes the previous essay-occupied night. in fact, i am so without structured activity at the moment that i don't even know where to start in catching up with all my friends and with the happenings around the city. but i am groping along, going out for a drink tonight and going to see the 2-pound matinee performance of 'faust' tomorrow afternoon with my flatmate meredith. i am quite excited about that, actually, as it is another of the illustrious royal lyceum theatre's productions and supposedly 'faust' is said to be unstageable, unperformable, because of its breadth of vision and its length. they have broken it up into two parts, supposedly able to be seen independently of one another, and are said to consist of wild things like devilish dance and music and effects; needless to say i am wholly intrigued, expect a report soon enough.

today there was a uk-wide strike of university lecturers, who refused to give their lectures in an attempt to receive higher wages for their services. which is fine and all, good for them, but it was a little frustrating for me and my two cancelled lectures. so says my architectural history lecturer, "i can't speak for your individual tutors, but i certainly won't be giving a lecture tomorrow. which is a shame because it's pretty much the most important lecture of the semester. until thursday!"...so yeah, i assume that this time will be made up elsewhere, but he just didn't exactly say how. hopefully the situation won't escalate - apparently it is possible that they will refuse to give their exams or release grades. academic revolution, my friends, coming in with a vengeance from left field.

on the topic of exams, i have been overjoyed to learn that my remaining exam date is on april 24th, meaning that i will have three whole weeks free for travel after my exams! plans are brewing for france, for somewhere else large with globetrotting jay. i am thinking i could end up spending a lot of time on the continent, from paris to nice to who even knows then hopping over to london and oxford. more details to come for sure, but i think it should be quite grand.
meanwhile, my six friends arrive here in 2 1/2 weeks, and my family in a little less than a month. i won't pretend that i'm not pretty durn excited that time is flying by at the moment. so much to do and see and say! i can already feel my itch growing.

but i miss all of you, really. i hope everyone is ready for spring and feeling the warmth return to your fingers and toes. i am ever-ready. until soon-