Next little step: completed!

Another step closer to completing the herculean task of transforming the garden into something we like.
I completed cleaning up the borders around the plants where the borders have gone in. Pulled out all the weeds, laid down anti-root membrane (which I had recuperated before the bulldozers went in last year) and then filled it in with tree bark (red pine). It looks very neat and tidy now.

I also filled in the path Dr Livingstone has made to get around his veggie beds and crates. It's not quite finished yet, but I'm nearly done. I'll finish it when the exams are over. Now I'm just doing stuff during my study breaks to get some fresh air and a little exercise.

The grass man rang to say he's going to do the job this coming weekend! Yay.

Border line

The guys came and put the borders in we had asked them to (a very long while ago). Things are slowly taking shape. We're chuffed to bits and went to look at them several times after they had been put there.
This is finally starting to look like a proper garden for relaxing and enjoying when the weather is ok.
We got word from the lawn guy, he's going to start sowing in two weeks time and the crane guy started again on Wednesday with the clearing of the excess ground at the rear of our patch of land. Stupid rain delayed the works by a forthnight!

But slowly, very slowly, things are looking up and we are seeing the light at the end of the gardening tunnel.
If the big works are over; we can finally sit back and enjoy a game of petanque amid a fair few flowers and buzzing insects.

And holding some kind of cocktail, Ricard or other kind of alcoholic beverage.
And sitting in one of the nice comfy wicker garden sets we ordered and should arrive at the end of this month.
Hurrah!
But first... exams!

Spring on campus

This is what (part of) the engineering campus looks like on a sunny morning around 10 am.
In winter you can see squirrels looking for nuts without noticing you from behind the window. In spring and summer there are kayakers on the river.

Priests and scientists review

This boring book is in a way interesting but overall gets filed under 'boring'. I'm talking about Prêtres et scientifiques by Jean-Michel Maldamé.
I thought this was going to be an interesting read. I got bogged down. It took me three afternoons to finish a mere 200 pages.
The outset is good: What is the relation between science and religion for some well known priest-scientists and did they conflict in any way in their research?

To investigate this he chooses five priest-scientists from Pierre Gassendi (tried to reconcile Epicurian atomism with christianity), Bernard Bolzano (of Bolzano theorem fame; he is erronously named 'Pierre' Bolzano on the cover), Henri Breuil (prehistorian), Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (famous for having conflicts with Rome on the doctrine of original sin and a less strict interpretation of the book of Genesis) and home-grown George Lemaître (alumni of my university and the first person to propose the theory of the expansion of the Universe, widely misattributed to Edwin Hubble). The choice looked very promising. Different fields of research, different time periods, different stances on the religion/science relationshop. But...

I don't really like the way French authors write. They never use one sentence if they can say it in three. If I were just to read the two pages of the conclusion every scientist gets at the end of his own chapter that would have saved me a lot of bother.
Plus the author is very much biassed, being a dominican himself. He interprets certain things as very pious or courageous in light of religion and priestly devotion to the catholic cause.
Plus I cannot stand sentences with exclamation marks.

I did like how he explained the way the religion shaped the scientific research or the philosophical and theological work of the priest-scientists, although Lemaître stressed several times that religion had no place in scientific research and vice versa. Somewhere toward the end Maldamé concludes that these five men voulu lier les champs du savoir separé. But he does not present any convincing evidence for the case of Lemaître, quite the opposite.

Of course the author chose 5 individuals who were easy to analyze because they had written a lot about their relationship between their research and their religious background and calling. But I would like to have Maldamé broadened his research and find some priest-scientists who failed to keep religion separated from their science. I'm sure he could have equally found five of those which would have made a more varied and balanced read.

Anyway, it was a compulsory read for a subject I'm taking this year on the Church in society in the 19th and 20th century.

Blond ambition

I got the results back on Monday for the January exams. I wasn't too happy with one result. I passed, but I wanted to know why I had a meh kind of grade.
Yesterday I went to the professor who had a consultation hour for students willing to get some more feedback on how they did or what went wrong.
She was very helpful but seemed to notice I was a bit disappointed with the points awarded.
- "But the exam was very good overall. Do you feel the grade is too low?"
- "Yes, but you have explained to me why you have given that grade and it is ok. I can see why you didn't award me with a higher mark."
(I wasn't there to debate or negotiate about a higher grade).
- "Are you used to different grades?"
- "Yes, they are usually higher."
- "But it's good. You're score is the average of the other exams I corrected."
- "But I don't want to be average. I want to exceed the average."

She then gave me a very queer look.
I don't know if I sounded exceedingly ambitious or extremely arrogant.

What's wrong with ambitious students?

Playing catch-up

Hello my lovelies, it's been far too long since I blogged again. I'm still trying to get the hang of the new blogger dashboard interface. I tried to hold on to the old one as long as possible, but alas.

Anyway, what has been going on in my world recently:
1) As of two weeks I am now known as Mrs B, BA. Yes, I finally got that degree. With great distinction too I might smirkingly add!

2) We rented a machine to plough over the garden. It looks grand, but the grass and weeds are springing up.

3) the petanque area is finished!

4) three men are here and taking out all of the old windows and putting in new ones. They're in luck. The sun is out and it isn't raining today. So let's hope it stays that way.

5) We still have to shift the second sh*tload of wood we received over a month ago. We're both knackered and there's just not enough time to do everything we want.

6) Dr Livingstone and myself attended a wedding where strange things happened like waving about napkins (twice) and dancing something called a polonaise. If time allows I will dedicate an entire post to this... I will leave you with a picture from this morning when the lads turned up and removed the old double glazing.


Bye!

Temperature record?

Are we going to break the record today? Temperatures have been climbing. On Wednesday we had 31,1ºC, yesterday the mercury didn't make it past the 31,3ºC mark. Forecast says we might get 33ºC today. We've even had an ozon-alert.
Mouser is staying out all day, lying idle in the shade. Poor thing is shedding like mad. But with Dr Livingstone's lovely present (a nice bristle with pig hair) I can groom teh Kitteh.
I've put down little pots of fresh water everywhere outdoors, but Kitteh refuses to drink from it and prefers the yucky water in the bird bath. I refresh it every day, but the container looks dirty.

I'm indoors, all the windows and doors shut tight, working on my paper.
My professor keeps emailing me if I have already finished it and could I please send the bibliography and table of contents.
I did so and he replied: 'Wel, wel, that's looking pretty good.'
And then he returned the pdf with about ten comments. :/
Is he running low on summer reading or something? Maybe I gave him the impression that this paper is going to be the next best thing and he's got high expectations.

I will really try to finish it this weekend. I want to be ready to start studying for two more exams I have left in the next couple of weeks before I (finally) have my undergrad degree... \o/

Enchanted with Disenchanted Night

I found a parcel in the letter box today. It was all in one piece and dry!
I had ordered Disenchanted Night. The Industrialization of Light in the Nineteenth Century by Wolfgang Schivelbush together with Neumann's Architecture of the Night.
It took quite some time to get here, but fortionatly it did not end up in a ditch somewhere as I thought a rancorous parcel delivery person might have chucked it there.
Anyway, the book is an entertaining read, and has its social contexts set down firmly, which I very much appreciate.
I also chuckled at the dedication: "[...] and with special thanks to Capers Rubin who helped so much in the de-Teutonisation of this book.".

From the Archives: An evening with Luc Tuymans

Last year, around this time I wrote a post on a talk Luc Tuymans gave at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels.
Somehow the post never made it to the publishing stage. I found a draft of it, it's short and sweet and clearly indicates what kind of vitriolic mood I was in when I got home.
Here goes:

Title: Luc Tuymans in Bozar

Yesterday evening Luc Tuymans spoke at the Bozar in Brussels. Luc Tuymans speaks all the time. He loves the sound of his own voice.
But I had to fork out 6 euros just for the privilege of the Tuymans gospel.
He was late turning up of course. He probably couldn't get his massive swollen ego out the green room doors.
Anyway. Half of the audience lapped it all up. The maestro speaks. I think the other half was just as annoyed as I was.

In his own words: 'I do not like populists. I'm not a political artist. I'm not a historical painter.'
Me-me-me.

The only great thing about this evening that I was strolling around in my beloved Brussels once again.
I managed to marvel at Poelaert's Palais de Justice and be amazed at how the Royal School of Music still looks like it was bombed just the other day.

Dat is architectuur

I've been ill the last couple of days. Another whopping big attack of sinusitis complete with fever, the works.
Typical, two weeks no classes because of the Easter holidays and I'm struggling with a blocked head.
In the mean time I'm trying to do serious reading work, working on a presentation due in three weeks, working on my paper and preparing for my exams at the end of term.

I finally got hold of the book that is compulsory reading for my Architectural Theory class Dat is Architectuur!
I ordered a second hand version of it last february (it was half the price of a new edition) but the delivery service (TNT) couldn't find my house and subsequently lost the entire shipment.
Luckily I got a refund. I'm not going to order anything anymore through the bookshop's webshop if it can only be delivered through via courier.
So I went to the shop and bought a new book.

Mrs B not on strike today

Cat-friendly exam

So, cat-friendly architecture it was. Le Corbusier and Eisenman were the architects I had to talk about during my exam on Monday. All went well.
The professor didn't look too pleased with my critique about Stéphane Beel's boring architecture.
Really, who wants to look at a dreary wall when you've paid through the nose for 2 ha of ground?
I'm just being practical here. Not snobbish.

Apparently you have to like Beel because he's getting all the jobs for renovating destroying beautiful historical sites. Remember, this is the guy who robbed humanity of a clear view of the Rubens House in Antwerp by putting that pointless fish tank in front of it.

Pneumatology ≠ pneumology

I have this strange subject that, regardless what your field of study is, you are required to take it. It's called Religion, meaning and world-view. It bores the pants off if you're not into that kind of thing. Some theologist saying this and then another theologist not agreeing because of God knows what kind of reason.
The text we're using is larded with words like creed, revelation and eschatological.
Anyway.
I was reading through this bit of text on a certain Mr Jürgen Moltmann. I got through a paragraph but it didn't really make any sense.

It says (roughly translated): "In the third volume the insights from previous works are completed by reflections on ecclesiology and pneumatology."

I could't quite work out why a theologian would be remotely interested in combining religious studies with pulmonary diseases. Could it have been because of the crucifiction Jesus had a hard time breathing with all that water in his lungs?

It didn't make sense. None at all. The penny dropped quite late after a bit of confusion.
And then it dawned on me: Pneumatology is not the same as pneumology...

Just fancy that

I'm the only living soul out of a class of, say 90 students, to recognize this man:



Professor: "Does anyone know who this is?"

I was the only to raise a hand.

Me: "It's Levi Strauss."

Professor aghast and pausing slightly: "That's correct. Very good... To be honest I didn't think anyone would know."

Me grinning like an idiot and feeling slightly embarassed at all the heads turning towards me.

Professor: "Tell me, how did you know it was him?"

Me, trying not to come over all sardonic or some other pedantic impression I was giving, said gingerly: "Erm, I recognized his -eh- face."

/facepalm.

Educational Mainwaring

I couldn't quite put my finger on it all week, but while watching a Best of Dad's Army DVD it finally dawned on me.
One of my professors (and I'm not naming names) has an uncanny resemblance to Captain Mainwaring of Dad's Army fame.
They might be related. I think we should be told.

Books & Boots

I could not help but linger in front of the disgarded book section in the faculty library.
I picked up yet another book for some public transport reading. This time I found a neatly bounded hard cover volume (all black, no letters on the cover). It is called The Battle for Modernity and neatly groups the social movements and denominations in Europe since 1830. This is volume 10 in the Kadoc-studies series. It should give me some extra background info or some little sparks for new ideas for my big paper I'm writing on and should be due around June.

And I went on a double shopping shoe spree when I headed over to the store to get some copy paper.
I bought two (!) pair of boots (the kind Dr Livingstone likes) and a new wallet.
That'll be enough for the rest of the decennium me thinkst (shoe-wise).

Tomorrow there is a book sale at the University Central Library and I might browse around...

Looking at the title of this little blog post; would that be an idea for a bookshop come shoe shop? A walhalla for the educated woman? You already have these coffee-bookstore things.
Why not shoes and books? I think I have just coined the brand name right here and now. Books & Boots. Oh wait. My google-fu just came up with the Richmond Walking & Book Festival 2011.
Right.

Moar Books

I'm all keyed up for the book sale on the 23rd and 24th. I picked up a leafled as I was leaving my faculty library on Thursday evening.
The Central University Library is selling off their double or irrelevant volumes. Maybe I can unearth a little gem. Who knows. I must however agree with myself on the maximum amount I am willing shall allow myself to spend.
There is no place for new books. And actually no money come to think of it. I think the only ones I am allowed to buy are the ones we can chuck into the fire to keep warm this coming winter. Those stupid petrol prices keep going up. Where's a good recession when you need really need one?

A scolarly day

I had a lovely day today: all my time I had today was spent immersed in books, history, architecture and paper writing.
I feel elated and don't really know why.
The train ride was spent by further reading the Loving Frank novel, the connecting bus ride was the same.
The an architectural theory lecture on a fascinating architect I seem to have a faint memory of having seen some of his work: Juliaan Lampens. His puristic concrete architecture has a very Japanese feel to it when seeing '70's grainy pictures of the house he built in the late sixties/early seventies.

Then I dashed to the next lecture on Costume History. Don't know why but the professor just had to mention he heard a rumour Kate Middleton is pregnant. Makes you wonder what strange pre-occupations these academic scolars have...
Right. I missed professor emeritus Guy Delmarcel's book sale on the 4th floor of the faculty building during lunch hours.
I did manage to buy a book at the library sale (a steal at only 1€!) on Religious experience and aesthetic experience from professor J. J. Aerts' personal library (known for his psychological-anthropological approach toward literature and authors).

Then I spent a couple of agreeable hours finishing up a paper on the Pavilion of Catholic Life at the 1935 World Fair. Fascinating building designed by little know Belgian architect Henri Lacoste.
Will blog on that building in a seperate post.
Then I had to attend another lecture at half eight on Gothic churces in China. Again fascinating stuff.
And to top it all off: I found a book I had ordered on the doorstep. Luckily it hasn't rained today and this time the postman didn't try and stuff it all the way down the letter box. My guess is it was non too flexible and decided it would be best if he just left it out in the open instead of putting it in the car port where it would be safe in case of rain...


The book in question is Ingenieurs en Architecten op de drempel van een nieuwe tijd (1750-1830) by Dirk Van de Vijver. I'm hoping to get some inspiration out of it

Anyway, I'm growing sleepy and just waiting for Dr Livingstone to come home. He's had a decorator in and paint the walls of the workshop all nice and white.

Presentation Time

At the university today I had to give a presentation on the Antwerp Salon of 1843. It's an exhibition much like the more famous counterparts held in Paris.
It went well, had positive feedback and a few laughs, which is always good. It was great fun researching the subject. I love the nineteenth century. It's so alike today, but yet so different. And the newspapers are always a bundle of laughs.
Art critics are very very harsh when it comes to reviewing some art works. 'He could have saved himself the trouble. What a waste of paint'-kinda stuff.
Some quacks have very big advertisements claiming to -among other things- cure most known diseases.
Which is interesting.
And false.

Meh. Need rest now. No more blogging today.