Ok, this is it. Time for a proper post, guaranteed to make you all once again thrillingly well-versed in all things Fyse. I’m now approaching the half-way point of term, which always brings mixed feelings. On the one hand is the proximity of a relaxing break, on the other the horrible realisation that I have achieved nothing to date. This year the positive aspect is almost entirely obliterated by my exams immediately after New Year, and I consequently wont be enjoying myself at all this festive season. Well, not too much.

I mentioned a while back that auditions had gone badly, but I only actually did two and was offered a part in one of them. The production I really wanted to do this term was the Footlights pantomime (which I was in three years ago), but I made a pig’s ear of the first round and wasn’t suprised to be rejected. The other audition was for a small production of ‘Grease’, in which I was offered a T-Bird (can’t remember the name), but had to turn it down because my voice is still a mess after the summer.

Actually, I don’t think that’s come up at all so far, and it probably deserves a little elaboration. By the end of the three week run in Edinburgh my voice became painful, which I put down to an infection. It remained bad for the three weeks in Cornwall, and even now is still completely shot. I went to a (very unhelpful) doctor early in September, and keep meaning to go again now I’m in Cambridge. Having resigned myself to no singing this term it hasn’t been a high priority, but audition time is coming round again fast and I really ought to determine what’s wrong.

In other news, I’ve been filling the dramatic void in my life with sporting exploits, notably in a football team for the first time in 12 years. Only for the college 3rd team, but it’s still great to be playing again, and I’m on a steep learning curve in central defence. There was a modicum of woeful positional play in the first couple of matches, but I generally got away with it and am beginning to get my head round everything. Perhaps it was easier when I was younger, but I’d forgotten how much football can hurt the day after. Hobbling to and from lectures gave me a sharp reminder that I’m getting old. Or perhaps just out of shape. Probably both.

If I still have your attention, I shall continue this rapid tour of my life as it stands now. Academically things are the same as ever, and I was given a sharp shock today registering for my exams next term. They’re worth 30% of this year, and take place on the 16th-18th of January. Gulp. Also today I finally received confirmation of the research project I’m to do, and it’s a pretty weird one. I’d applied and been turned down for a number of different ones, including epidemiological modelling (which would have been particularly relevant with the current avian flu scare), and finally ended up with a very unlikely project for an undergraduate physicist. ‘Inferring the calling mechanism of the bullfrog from its calls’. It is physics really, as I will be examining the form of the sound waves and don’t need to go anywhere near an actual frog. Fortunately some nutcase (sorry, committed scientist) has already recorded thousands of bullfrog calls, leaving me to just analyse the data. The project is based in the ‘Centre for the Neural Basis of Hearing’, and might turn out to be really interesting. The main thing though is that I liked the department and the supervisors seemed competent and pleasant to work with. One of the other projects was being offered by an extremely odd proffessor who appeared worryingly disorganised. With my project I should have every opportunity to get a good mark, though it is of course entirely down to me. Just gotta get myself motivated!

Anyone still reading, congratulations, and I intend to cut you a break by stopping now. I’m planning a very (or reasonably) early night tonight, and a full day in the department library tomorrow. Lots of work to be done by the end of the week, and I’m much more productive when away from my room. Oh, I must update you some time on the progress of my mighty college pool team. Remind me for next time…