I returned to Cambridge in the middle of "May Week." A long-standing tradition here in Cambridge, May week is the week following the end of exams and the posting of grades on what is historically known as "suicide sunday." They still lock the doors to all the towers on this day in Cambridge, to ensure nobody attempts the traditional throwing-off-of-tower-after-horrible-exam-scores suicide.
Every college hosts a garden party, an event or a ball, or even a combination of the two. The balls are outrageously expensive, and are all night black tie events with endless food, carnival rides, and Trinity and St. John's also include a full 25 minute, choreographed to music, fireworks show that all of Cambridge gets to enjoy.
I chose to travel instead of attend a ball, but I still enjoyed my share of May week. The night of St. John's Ball, Chloe and I went to the Trinity bridge and watched the fireworks over the river... best fireworks show I have ever seen. The next day, we took out a Queens' punt and punted up and down the river, stopping for food and drink on the way and just basking in the Cambridge sun. Following the South African loss to Uruguay (big disappointment for me), and a little dissertation work here and there, I went to the Newnham "High Society" garden party yesterday with Chloe that included a full band playing Sinatra and Glen Miller all afternoon, endless food of the savory and sweet sort, Toni's Ices, giant jenga and best... croquet.
Yes. Refer back to one of my first posts of Cambridge. Starting and leaving on the same note: an excellent game of croquet (and I actually won this time)!
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