The adventures of Miss Despina

Dido was last night in Manchester Cathedral. I want to remember it forever. It is one of the best experiences I have ever, ever had. I am too tired to write properly, but it was just… Yeah. amazing.

Thank you to everyone who made it so special by being there, particularly S, E, and Auntie P and Uncle P, and anyone else reading this who was there.

Oh dear.

• 6,000 words due in for Friday

• 2,000 words done

• (54 days left until I go to Italy!)

• 37 hours left until hand-in

• 25 litres of coffee drunk

• (Two fantastic opera rehearsals - ssshh!)

• One exam left

• One tired Despina

• One Thursday spent tied to computer chair

• No blogging or msn-ing.

A friend and I broke into a church today. Or rather, they hadn’t changed the code for the sacristy door since he used to go there. We entered furtively, and slipped unnoticed into a secluded room, where we closed the door, hurriedly moved some furniture, ripped off our coats and proceeded to make a lot of noise… He had just happened to have a copy of Schumann Frauenlieben und Leben in his bag, the church just happened to have a piano, and I just needed to sing. What did you think I meant?

I’ll see you on the other side.

Pray for me! 

I hope you all voted today - shame on you if you didn’t!

Happy Ascension Day - what a blessed day this has been!!!

Has anyone else been blessed? 

I’m so happy that yesterday my final project deadline has been extended by two whole weeks!

I celebrated all day long. Well, I went to uni and did hours of research, then celebrated.

Firstly by buying two pairs of shoes - one for my friend *Despina*’s wedding in Prague in August, one for stomping around Italy. Then I met a friend and we went to church and prayed a rosary together. It was the first time I’d ever done it, and I really enjoyed it.

Afterwards I noticed that I was being stared at as we walked through the park, and put it down either to his delicious Ted Baker suit, or the huge sunglasses I was wearing (alas, not Ted Baker). He told me it was because I’m gorgeous, which is probably not true, but made me feel good at least! We met up with a fantastic friend of his, a girl very much after my own heart, and several gin and tonics later, I had my first visit to a boys’ school, where my friend is house master.

Then somehow ended up going out and having white wine and moules, yet again! In Café Rouge this time - they were ok but not as good as the Italian ones we’d had the previous time. And then a long conversation about everything, and then three desserts and then more conversation, and a trip to a cocktail bar where the beautiful people are reputed to go, but I don’t find these so-called beautiful people very beautiful. (There’s nothing beautiful about starting drunken arguments about football management and saying the word "fuck" at the top of your voice, whilst drinking imported lager and wearing nasty designer wear.)

And then I got home, which is not something I remember very clearly, except for the point where I was sitting in the taxi aah-ing along to the Tristan prelude and receiving some strange looks for it.

Today I am celebrating by not doing uni stuff. I am learning to make carrot cake. It’s going well so far.

And then moules and Bellinis planned with S for next weekend when I see him - keep him in your prayers because he’s really not so well at the moment. I am so excited about seeing him, it’s really very inappropriate.

Then tomorrow I’m off out for "drinks" - read drinks, expensive food somewhere beautiful and possible carnage - with someone rather sweet. (I can’t come to a decision about what I want from him at the moment, but he knows this, and it’s nice to have him around. And he makes me laugh until I find myself in tears, which is always good!)

I suppose I really should stop being quite so gluttonous. It can’t be good for me. But I love my fabulous lifestyle, and there are other vices than gluttony of which I need to rid myself with more urgency.

What are your favourite vices? Please tell me about them, or simply indulge in one for me!