Pyjamas

And so the MCQ exams have finished (assuming this last one has been passed successfully)! We all rocked down in Pyjamas, looking like a uniformed bunch of upper-middle class students who'd recently been on a group trip to Jack Will's drapers and suitors (and been offered a very good deal on their latest line of baggy-slob fashion), except with more dressing gowns, and the occasional pair of slippers (though I'm sure Mr Will's do a fine line in those too). I remember seeing the 5th year one day last year, and being incredibly confused as to why they'd all, by some seemingly random coincidence (for I knew of no unifying reason why this should be so), decided that their pinkest clothes were due for an airing. It was of course their last MCQ exam, and so it is tradition that the final exam should be seen out in some sort of costume - and we chose pyjamas (by democratic vote).

Now, the examiners were entertained by this more lazy than usual attitude to morning attire that the students had taken, but the proctors were not. Apparently, we were very lucky to have been let in at all, particularly as we may have distracted the other students (who were also wearing pyjamas). Where has the fun gone in life? The turn a blind eye attitude that universities should take towards students engaging in non-violent, non-drunken daytime exam-related fun, does not seem to be forthcoming... though it would have been entertaining to see the entire year disqualified from the exam.

The exam was Clin Path (or Clinical Pathology for those less well versed in the unnecessary abbreviations of veterinary medicine) and was pretty tough, though rather invigoratingly so - it required some logic, rather than just blind regurgitation, which was nice. Helps differentiate us primates from cud-chewing ruminants don'cha'think. Hopefully it should be ok, and I can enjoy having a week where my next exam is not for 2 and a half months! Huzzah!

12 consonants in a row!?

What an amazing word:

tachydysrhythmia

ta-CHY-DYS-RHY-THM-ia

Going Home and finding Cubes of Irritation

I went home last weekend. It was really good to see the family again, and enjoy some home comforts, as well as a fantastic meal out at Frere Jacques in Kingston. I ate snails for the second time, followed by roasted pork with plums and savoy cabbage. It was all delicious, though I'm still not convinced by snails. These ones were much less garliccy than the ones I had in Paris a few years ago, which meant the underlying flavour of land-mollusc came through. It was strangely aniseedy, with a bitter tang. Not unpleasant, but certainly not delicious. I withhold judgement for the moment.

Also, while I was at home, I discovered an old Rubik's cube under my bed. I've not had a go at it for ages so I picked it up and had a few spins. I managed to work out how to get one side and a T shape on 4 other sides, but no more. However, once you've picked one up, they're very difficult to put down, and when I arrived back into Cambridge I found out how to finish it off with the help of a youtuber. Now I can do it every time - my quickest being 2mins 6seconds. If anyone is vaguelly interested, or cares, you can see my geeky video of me doing it in a slightly slower 2mins 30ish seconds. Just got to stop spending so much time working out what to do next, and I'll have it down below 2 mins. If I can be bothered!