Laura at and after Cambridge

These are the trials and tribulations of the over-educated and unemployed.

Monday, June 05, 2006

Exams... sheesh

Today I have my first exam, and I have to admit that I am feeling a bit nervous right now! I know I am really well prepared but the anticipation of it is just messing with my head.

On a fairly unrelated note, my housemates and I have developed an addiction to Battlestar Gallactica. Beyond dorky, I know. Trust me, no one was making fun of this show more than I was. Then I sat down and actually started watching it and now I am totally hooked. This isn't the 1970's Battlestar Gallactica, it is the one that just came out last year, and it is really good. So I guess that will teach me to not knock something before I try it!

Plus it is filling a void in my life left by Desperate Housewives...

I am really looking forward to exams being over and guilt-free marathons of BG :D

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Coffee with Stephen Hawking

Today I had the coolest "Cambridge Moment" ever! I was walking in the center of town, and there, sitting at one of Starbucks' outside tables was Stephen Hawking! The table next to him was empty amazingly enough, and so I immediately sat down and pretended to read my book. I was really just marveling at what it was like to be that physically close to genius - someone who is probably one of the most important thinkers in history.

I was also very interested in watching to see how many people walking by recognized who he was. He is paralyzed and quite physically contorted, so he does attract the attention of people walking by. I would say that about 90% of people stared at him because he was physically odd and had no idea who he was. Then, every once in a while, someone would walk by and whisper to their friend, obviously aware of who he was.

I sat there next to him and his aide for about an hour, really just enjoying the beautiful day and the chance of a lifetime to sit next to Stephen Hawking. When they left I walked toward my bike (which was coincidentally in the same direction that they had gone, I swear I wasn't stalking Stephen Hawking!) and I watched as Hawking and his aide walked past the Cambridge University Press Bookstore. There, in the window, was a display of Hawking's newest book, and I watched as they stopped to look at his books in the window. How cool is that - to see Stephen Hawking stop and admire his newest book in the window of Cambridge University Press?