Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties...

Quick timeout from Paris. I wanted to share about the formal hall that Matthew and I attended last night. Although our pictures didn't turn out particularly well, they tell the story better than if I tried to explain it.

Girton's dining hall (pic from the college website.) It is one of the largest halls of Cambridge's 31 colleges. It was especially atmospheric last night - dimly lit, everyone in fancy dress, fellows at the high table. And to top it off, there were candles; but unlike at Hogwarts, they were not floating in the ceiling.

So what do you wear for formal? Smart attire with a gown on top. Shout out to Matt's classmate for letting me borrow hers. I felt like such an imposter. Apparently the type of gown I was wearing meant one of two things: either I was over 24 years old (false), or I have a previous degree from Cambridge (even more false.) Oh well, I blended in with all the other attendees, and that was my goal. (PS - My dress was only £10 at H&M, and is probably my new favorite dress. Love me some bargain shopping.)

Oh yeah, I went there. Matt refused to go with me, but I took it straight to Harry Potter. My wand shoots fire. Hot dang!

We spent the evening with these lovely ladies, Asha and Luma. They both had the most beautiful, bright, berry-colored lipstick. Next time I'll know to go bold. I had such an amazing time chatting with these incredibly intelligent and hilarious women. Asha was rocking some fantastic Indian earrings in honor of India's Republic Day, which was yesterday. And I was fascinated to learn more about Palestine from Luma. I hope to see them both again soon. (Hint, hint. Asha, I know you are reading this!)

Before and after the dinner, the graduates hang out in a special room with the fellows, sipping on tea, coffee, wine, etc. There is a piano in the corner of the room, and Asha informed us that it was the go-to place for formal portraits. I turned this one black and white because the lighting/coloring was a little off, but I think it makes us look classy too. (My shoulders must be permanently stuck in the slumped position. Gosh. You can feel free to call me "Kelsey the Slouch." Maybe then I would remember to stand up straight. On the other hand, my hubs looks like a GQ model. It's tough being married to someone so stylish.)

So anyway, for the main course we dined on traditional Scottish fare - Haggis, neeps, and tatties. Translation: Minced lamb with a side mixture of turnips and potatoes. It was a little on the salty side, but still tasty. The appetizer was lentil soup, and dessert was a raspberry and whipped cream mixture with oats. Matthew sat on my left, Luma on my right, and across from us were Shane (an Irishman earning a PhD in Electrical Engineering) and Peter (a Taiwanese master's student in Real Estate Finance.) Per my request, Asha had chosen our seats to be at the second highest table and not at the more serious high table, which is where the headmistress sits. I was too nervous that I would unknowingly break some formal hall rule in front of important college members and embarrass myself as the newbie imposter girl. It was far more fun to sit in the stress-free zone near interesting peers. The best line of conversation from the whole night was when Peter just kept staring at me, so I looked back and smiled, and he said, "I really want to say this, but I don't know how." So I warmly replied, "Ok, well you can try." To which he responded, "You look like Britney Spears. Well, you are a more beautiful version, so maybe she looks like you. But you look like a young Britney Spears. Do people tell you that a lot?" All I could do was laugh and answer, "No. No they don't! But at least you think I look like the young Britney, not the one that shaves her head and goes crazy." I was relaying the story to Asha and Luma after dinner, and Luma said, "Oh yes, you really do look like her!" Really, people??? I am not seeing it.

Needless to say, formal hall was a fun and novel experience. The only way I could really describe it would be that it was a combination of Harry Potter and my sorority's Monday night formal dinners. I know that both of those comparisons are probably highly offensive to the time-honored traditions of Cambridge, but they are my closest frame of reference. After dinner, most students go down to the college bar. (I can't remember if I have mentioned it before, but each college has its own dining hall, its own chapel, and its own bar. Naturally.) So Asha wanted to show me where the bar was, and when we entered, I immediately felt like I was doing something wrong. The drinking age here is 18, so all of the bar was flooded with undergraduate students, most of whom were younger than my little sister. I felt like it was a prohibition club for teens, but then I realized that it was entirely legal, so I just felt like an elderly person. We didn't stay long. Us old fogey married folk had to get in bed at a decent time, and we were soon in a taxi being driven home by one of the worst drivers I have ever trusted my life to. Despite feeling a little motion sick, we made it. Hopefully, it won't be my last formal hall dining extravaganza, but all in all, it was a great first attempt.

More pictures of Paris will be posted later this afternoon. I actually have to run some errands, and it's a sunny morning, so I want to take advantage of the good biking climate. Cheers.