Settling In

The Caius College Matriculation ceremony on Monday morning was a somewhat bizarre spectacle, mostly because of the gowns we had to wear. They're these kind of frilly, frock-like things that you wear over your coat. Every college in Cambridge, except for Kings', requires its students to purchase gowns (for the low low price of £50).

Here's a picture of mine:

At Caius, we wear our gowns primarily during "formal" sittings in the dining hall, but also during graduation and just about any ceremonial occasion (Cambridge has loads of them) that might arise. I bought a used one for £25, not bothering to check its quality because of the bargain. When I brought it back to my room and inspected it more closely, I was dismayed to find that it was kind of grungy and frayed. But as it turns out, a few second and third-years told me that worn-out gowns are "cool".

The Matriculation ceremony itself was somewhat uneventful. It consisted of short speeches given by each fellow of the college. Then we all signed documents which made us official members of Caius. It was a bit interesting to sit in the hall with everyone dressed in gowns though. There were four tables set parallel to each other, with the fellows at a separate table on a raised platform in the front of the room. High ceilings, stained glass windows, and crests on the wall... it's really just like Harry Potter.

Anyways, I'm still busy getting things sorted out before lectures start (tomorrow). But I've had more time to wander around Cambridge in the last few days and take some photos.

First of all, this is my room:

It's a bit messy, as always. (Be sure to note the California flag/tablecloth.) I'm living in the brand-new Stephen Hawking Building. The furniture is really nice and I have my own bathroom, but the place is so sterile that it makes me a bit uncomfortable. It kind of reminds me of Simmons at MIT... but I don't think Caius College paid $400 million for this dorm.

Even Simmons dorm rooms don't open with RFID.

Unfortunately, my high-tech door doesn't stay open, and I don't like being anti-social. I didn't bring anything heavy enough to prop it open, so my only choice was to find something thin and jam it underneath.

I knew Ian McEwan would be good for something.

Here's the man himself:

He was actually at our post-Matriculation dinner on Monday! I could only see the back of his wheelchair though. I heard a story that a few years ago someone pennied him during a formal dinner and was banned from the dining hall for 200 years.

Speaking of pennies, I never realized that the Queen's face on British coins actually ages in time with her:

When Caians graduate, they walk through the Gate of Honour. Walking through it before you graduate is supposed to be very bad luck, and that's a shame because it's a very convenient passageway between the Old Courts and the Library.

Here it is:

Here are a few other pictures from around Cambridge in no particular order.

The Fellows Garden at Claire College

Punts on the River Cam

The Kings College Chapel

My First Two Days in Cambridge

I'm here. And after frying 2 £7 power converters (plugged a power strip into them....bad idea), buying a gown (among other strange and varied items), and running around a whole lot, I'm finally starting to get my bearings.

Cambridge is gorgeous. I've never seen so many 600-year-old buildings in such close proximity to one another. There are also a whole lot of ENORMOUS, yet pristine lawns that nobody is allowed to walk on under penalty of death. I'll post some pictures as soon as I can connect my laptop to the internet.

Unfortunately, I'm stuck using the computer clusters this week because Caius College requires everyone to submit their computer to a virus scan before allowing them onto its network. And they don't trust you to do it yourself! Today I had to bring my laptop to the "computer officers" at a designated time so that they could scan my system for digital herpes. To make matters worse, they're probably not actually going to "approve" my IP address until next Wednesday.

Freshman (or "freshers") orientation just began last night. There are orientation events here like any other college, but they all involve drinking because 99% of the Freshman are over the legal age! All in all it's very bizarre. If colleges in the states had similar events, people would probably end up dead.

Brits have a more relaxed attitude toward drinking. They don't really "binge" like American college students do. Sure, a few people end up stumbling home at the end of the night, but nobody ends up passed out in a pool of their own...well...you know...

Also British keyboards are weird!

A Brief History of Gonville & Caius College

In April, I was told that I would be living at Gonville & Caius (pronounced "keys") College. According to Wikipedia, the College has a rich and cherished history.

Strangely, nobody knows quite when it was founded. In his journals, Sir Gerald Cambridge claims that it was, "just sort of there already.” Notable Gonville & Caius College alumni include John Venn, inventor of the Venn diagram; George Green, inventor of the color green; and Edward Bromhead, whose name is hilarious.

Upon graduation, students of Gonville & Caius College pass through the “Gate of Honour”. The word “Honor” is deliberately misspelled as a tribute to famed physician and college namesake John Caius (pronounced "keys"). Dr. Caius insisted that his last name, along with many other words, should be spelled with a "u".

Closer inspection of historical records reveals that John Caius was actually born John Keys. However, most likely due to severe dyslexia, he was unable to spell his own name. During a 1535 lecture, he asserted that the spelling of his name was C-A-I-U-S rather than K-E-Y-S. A lone student noisily dissented, claiming that the word Keys was, "not spelled with a u."

Instead of admitting defeat, John Keys boldly and immediately changed his name to John Caius. He then cunningly used his influence with the clergy to ensure that the pupil who had spoken out of turn was convicted for heresy. At the time, standard punishment was tongue removal.

Never again would anyone in Britain question the incorrect spelling of Dr. Caius' name, or any other word for that matter. The evidence of this is still visible in the butchered, u-heavy version of the English language used in the United Kingdom today.

The story behind the name of Gonville & Caius College is also very bizarre. In 1544, John Caius exhumed the corpse of Edmund Gonville, removed the cadaver’s right hand, and crudely sewed it onto his own left wrist. (At the time, this was a common cure for left-handedness.) “I am now Gonville AND CAIUS!!!” he famously exclaimed after his self-performed operation was declared a success.

An hour later, Dr. Caius expired from a massive blood infection, and it was agreed that his college be given the name it bears today.