2.23.2005
snow and rowing
Two things that don't really go together, at least not in the best of circumstances. And yet, here they were today: snow and rowing. But before I write about the conflagration of the two, let's take each one in its own right.
It snowed! I mean, yeah, it snowed on Monday too, but it really came down last night. While we were at St. Paul's on Monday, we were thanked especially for coming out in such snow. Honestly, if such a thank you announcement were made in Boston or New Jersey, it would have been met with laughter - there was less than half an inch on the ground. This is what it means, I think, to be in the snow in England. It's pretty funny, though - no matter how reserved or staid you are, no matter how disdainful you are of the hoardes of picture-taking psycho-tourists who clog the streets of Oxford, no matter how long you've been a student here, the instant there is snow on the ground, everyone becomes a tourist. People stop on their cycle-ride to class to snap a picture here and there. Random very-well-dressed Oxford dons look giddy when they step outside. Snow really does make everything gorgeous.
So today was the opening of the Torpids regatta. Remembering that the Keble Men's 3 qualified at the last moment for the race, we're all just thankful for the opportunity to race. Torpids is a bumps regatta - there are only two schools in the world that are known to hold bumps regattas. Cambridge and Oxford are the only two institutions silly enough to spend thousands of dollars on boats which they then knowingly crash into one another. Amazing. The idea is this: thirteen crews in each division line up, single-file with a boat length and a half in between them. At the starting gun, the crews race and attempt to hit the crew in front of them, while they crew behind them does the same thing. A bump means that the next day, the 'bumpers' are moved up one place ahead of the 'bumpees'. A bump is defined as either a) a clear pass - that is, open water between the two boats after one blatantly passes another, or b) physical contact between boats, oars, whatever. If you bump the crew in front of you, you get to stop rowing. If you get bumped, no such luck - keep rowing. The entire course is about 2000 meters, and it's a hard course. So if you bump, good for you. If you get bumped, shame on you. And if you row over, well, that means you didn't bump anyone, so had to row the whole course, but at the same time no one bumped you, so nicely done.
The Keble Men's 3rd rowed over today. We had a decent shot of bumping the Merton 3rd boat in front of us, had they not bumped out of the race early, leaving 3 boat lengths between us and Trinity. We made up 2 of those lengths over the course of the race - we might have a shot at them tomorrow. Pembroke 4th bumped the guys behind us (Wadham 4th) pretty darn early, and Wadham didn't have a chance of catching us. At the same time, tomorrow, Pembroke is going to be behind us, and we're darn sure we're gonna get bumped unless we can bump Trinity early early early and get the heck out of the race. FAST.
If you bump without being bumped on all four days of the regatta, you get to take home a trophy: an actual 12-foot long piece of wood and carbon fiber: you get an actual blade. Sadly, Keble Men's 3rd are out of the running for blades, as are the Women's 2nd boat. But the Men's 1st and 2nd are still in it, as are Women's 1st. Good luck to them.
As for rowing in the snow: WOW. It's cold. And muddy and gross if you're on the bank. I was riding my cycle out there, and one of my coats needs severe dry-cleaning soon. In all honesty, it looks like someone threw up on my back. It's glorious to row in the snow, in my opinion: it's what separates the men from the boys.
Speaking of separating the men from the boys, the choir bathrooms at St. Paul's Cathedral number three. Seriously. There's a women's, a men's, and a boy's. Don't quite know why, but I'd imagine it has something to do with the English choirboy tradition, and having sometimes all of the treble parts sung by boys instead of somen. But that still doesn't explain why they need a separate bathroom.
St. Paul's was glorious - absolutely wonderful. It's an experience I hope to repeat someday. Sadly, photos were not allowed, but I can tell you that it was really something. Absolutely inspirational.
It snowed! I mean, yeah, it snowed on Monday too, but it really came down last night. While we were at St. Paul's on Monday, we were thanked especially for coming out in such snow. Honestly, if such a thank you announcement were made in Boston or New Jersey, it would have been met with laughter - there was less than half an inch on the ground. This is what it means, I think, to be in the snow in England. It's pretty funny, though - no matter how reserved or staid you are, no matter how disdainful you are of the hoardes of picture-taking psycho-tourists who clog the streets of Oxford, no matter how long you've been a student here, the instant there is snow on the ground, everyone becomes a tourist. People stop on their cycle-ride to class to snap a picture here and there. Random very-well-dressed Oxford dons look giddy when they step outside. Snow really does make everything gorgeous.
So today was the opening of the Torpids regatta. Remembering that the Keble Men's 3 qualified at the last moment for the race, we're all just thankful for the opportunity to race. Torpids is a bumps regatta - there are only two schools in the world that are known to hold bumps regattas. Cambridge and Oxford are the only two institutions silly enough to spend thousands of dollars on boats which they then knowingly crash into one another. Amazing. The idea is this: thirteen crews in each division line up, single-file with a boat length and a half in between them. At the starting gun, the crews race and attempt to hit the crew in front of them, while they crew behind them does the same thing. A bump means that the next day, the 'bumpers' are moved up one place ahead of the 'bumpees'. A bump is defined as either a) a clear pass - that is, open water between the two boats after one blatantly passes another, or b) physical contact between boats, oars, whatever. If you bump the crew in front of you, you get to stop rowing. If you get bumped, no such luck - keep rowing. The entire course is about 2000 meters, and it's a hard course. So if you bump, good for you. If you get bumped, shame on you. And if you row over, well, that means you didn't bump anyone, so had to row the whole course, but at the same time no one bumped you, so nicely done.
The Keble Men's 3rd rowed over today. We had a decent shot of bumping the Merton 3rd boat in front of us, had they not bumped out of the race early, leaving 3 boat lengths between us and Trinity. We made up 2 of those lengths over the course of the race - we might have a shot at them tomorrow. Pembroke 4th bumped the guys behind us (Wadham 4th) pretty darn early, and Wadham didn't have a chance of catching us. At the same time, tomorrow, Pembroke is going to be behind us, and we're darn sure we're gonna get bumped unless we can bump Trinity early early early and get the heck out of the race. FAST.
If you bump without being bumped on all four days of the regatta, you get to take home a trophy: an actual 12-foot long piece of wood and carbon fiber: you get an actual blade. Sadly, Keble Men's 3rd are out of the running for blades, as are the Women's 2nd boat. But the Men's 1st and 2nd are still in it, as are Women's 1st. Good luck to them.
As for rowing in the snow: WOW. It's cold. And muddy and gross if you're on the bank. I was riding my cycle out there, and one of my coats needs severe dry-cleaning soon. In all honesty, it looks like someone threw up on my back. It's glorious to row in the snow, in my opinion: it's what separates the men from the boys.
Speaking of separating the men from the boys, the choir bathrooms at St. Paul's Cathedral number three. Seriously. There's a women's, a men's, and a boy's. Don't quite know why, but I'd imagine it has something to do with the English choirboy tradition, and having sometimes all of the treble parts sung by boys instead of somen. But that still doesn't explain why they need a separate bathroom.
St. Paul's was glorious - absolutely wonderful. It's an experience I hope to repeat someday. Sadly, photos were not allowed, but I can tell you that it was really something. Absolutely inspirational.
