You may be wondering what I've been up to considering it's been so long since I last updated anything. Really, I wish I had more to say or to at least write that things have been going the way I'd hoped. But they aren't. It's kind of unfortunate to find out that you are apparently unemployable in a line of work closely related to what you want to pursue. For those of you who don't know, I've been applying for jobs with commercial archaeology companies to get more field work experience. It's been over a month and not a single company I've applied for has even given me a call. So I have decided that I had best get a part time job that is allowed under the student visa that I have and that I should find myself a place so that I am not imposing myself onto my friends any more. The trick is that it has to be a job that I could leave should one of the archaeological companies actually choose to hire me.
In the grand scheme of things it's really not that bad. It's just disappointing. If I can't get a job before Christmas I'll see if I can't go back to Greece and do what I was supposed to be doing right now since the opportunity is still there. This, of course, just depends on me getting a visa or something so that I don't jeopardize my excavations this summer, which is definitly something I am not looking forward to having to do.
Enough of that though. The better news is that I was able to spend some time with my mom and oma who came out to my Graduation ceremony a few weeks ago. The ceremony was surprisingly short and efficient. All in Latin too. King's was the first college to go because it was the first of the Royal charter colleges. (oooh, awwe).
After the cermony we spent some time in London seeing the sight. We saw some fantastic musicals as well. First, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. I had been trying to get tickets for this show but it was sold out until 2008 or something stupid like that, but I found some upper balcony style tickets from an unofficial booth that turned out to be better than we thought. The show was also a nice surprise, it turned out to be a lot of fun. But we were still baffled as to why it was so sold out, and, more strangely, why people cheered like mad when Lee Mead, the Guy playing Joseph, stepped onto the stage. I mean, he was good, no doubt about that, but still. Turns out they had done a reality tv show to fill the Joseph role - an amazing marketing ploy that seems to have worked.
Show number two, another Andrew Lloyd, the Phantom of the Opera. I had actually never seen this show, though of course, it is a classic and was very beautifully done. I suppose I had higher hopes for this one than for Joseph so I was left a little bit disappointed. I felt they were holding back just a little from making the big moments as big as they could have been. But still, how could you not enjoy it?
Show number three... Chicago, now starring none other than Kelly Osborne as Mama Morton (those of you who know the musical may be cringing at this moment, and rightfully so). I had heard that the reviews were saying that she was doing a good job. She did not do a good job. This was a marketing ploy that did not work. Thankfully she wasn't on stage all that much to drag down the fantastic job the rest of the cast was doing.
So between the 3 musicals and catching 'dirty dancing' on the tv, and my singing constantly, my mom and oma had an amazingly musical time.
And after London, we made our way up to Edinburgh for a few days. Absolutely beautiful. Some very nice museums and interesting old buildings with tiny little alleyways.
One of the highlights of Edinburgh was Rosslyn Chapel. Started in 1446 (or somewhere around then) the entire chapel is covered in elaborate, and mysterious, carvings. It was mentioned in the DaVinci Code, so it has gained in popularity over the years as a tourist attraction but is still extremely intriguing as a place that has Templar and Masonic connections, heart lines, and an unopened massive vault rumoured to hold things like the grail or the ark of the covenant or a piece of the true cross. (Instead of trying to tell you all of the strange rumours that surround this place, I'll just link you to the wikipedia article...). One of the things I found most interesting, however, was that in their attempts to preserve the sandstone carvings, they covered them in a monochromatic cement mixture. This not only removed the natural colouring of the sandstone and the paint that was applied, but it cause the sandstone to retain water and therefore moss to cover huge amounts of the surfaces. So they had to build an awning to put over top of it to keep it dry. It is interesting that sometimes the acts that we make to preserve our material culture can sometimes do just as much damage.
So. In summation. Had a great time with my mom and oma, and not a bad time just getting things in order. I just wish I had the job I want.
