exaaaaaams

I write exaaaaaams with six 'a's because they seem like they are going on forever, whereas in reality I have only been studying for a week. I had my first exam today, on Twentieth Century Drama. It was open book, which isn't as much of a cop-out as it may sound, because the lecturer expected much better quality, and we didn't have much time to flick through our notes for ideas! I ended up planning a whole lot of possible essays and bringing them into the exam, which worked pretty well in the end. Or so I hope. I have one more exam on Friday, for history, which is scary. But, hopefully, do-able.

Just so you know how dedicated I am to academia and studying for exams, on Saturday I went to Hanmer Springs. I co-lead a small group within a Christian group at my university called the Navigators, and since I'm leaving soon, as well as two American exchange students in our group, we decided we had to have our annual Navs trip to Hanmer. Hanmer is like the little almost-mountain resort that Christchurch-dwellers flock to in the weekends, because it has some almost-natural hot springs there that are really rather nice. You would think it would be a lovely, relaxing day, then - but I spent it getting up altogether too early, driving for two hours, climbing a stupid hill because everyone else in the group is a fitness freak (see photo of the bottom of the hill, when I was still cheerful enough to take photos), getting soaking wet in the rain and freezing cold and mud, soaking in the pools which is always lovely, except when you decide to change pools and have to scurry round with barely anything on in a temperature that is some degrees below zero. Then I had to drive two hours back into Christchurch, except it took way longer because there was a crash on the northern motorway which meant we had to take a detour that lasted an extra 45 minutes. (I have learnt my lesson from Sara's recent post and I did not complain, because sadly a young man died - but I did wish it didn't have to happen because by then I was developing a migraine, and had to be at a 21st birthday barndance - which was very cool - ten minutes before the detour.)

Highlights:

- the pools

- the people

- trying a beer called Monteith's Radler at the pools cafe that I actually liked! Go me!

Anyway, I'm not too sure what I'm trying to say in this post. My brain has been slowly frying the last few weeks and it is high time for end of semester. I just feel like whinging.

Speaking of whinging, isn't J. K. Rowling's name for the Dursleys' burb fantastic? Little Whinging. That is one of the coolest made-up placenames ever. Has anyone else got some good 'uns?

Hooray for Harry Potter! Three years ago I was counting the days until the next one came out, which just about indicates my lessening obsession with it, but I could never not be excited about a new Harry Potter book. It must be about a month away now - by which time I will be living in Perth, Australia. Weird.