Lent

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We had a Mardi Gras party on Tuesday at Rhodes House. It was a very informal event with the Warden inviting all the Scholars to dinner and pancake racing. It was great fun, everyone having to wear a hat or mask. I wore my Santa hat, but it was great to see the various hats and masks around. There was Ms. "The Queen's partner", wearing this absolutely outlandish piece of cardboard on her head. It seemed like someone had actually placed a bloody ostrich there!! Then there was Mr." the Queen's partner", who has a reputation for engaging with women slightly longer than they wish to, wearing a court jester's waistcoat and a similarly colorful top hat. I often wonder how they never feel embarrassed.

Anyway, the point of all this background is that Ms. "the person with no surname" refused to attend on grounds of it being a religious event. How pancake racing is Religious, especially as it was celebrated by Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Muslims and Oh the five or so odd Jews I am too ignorant to understand!! If this was really a problem to someone as liberal minded as her, I am left to wonder what her notions of religious harmony are ?
My advice to Condoleezza Rice - all you need in Egypt is a PARTY - Mardi Gras Party!!
Wonder what Ariel Sharon would wear - batman mask, Rice - catwoman and Mahmoud Abbas -a spiderman mask.

Once again, I digress. The upshot of all this is that in defiance of Ms."the person with no surname" and after being overcome by a wave of religious fervour, I have decided to observe Lent. Lent as all of you know is the 40 days of fasting before Easter, and Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday is the day before the beginning of Lent. In solidarity with Jesus who spent 40 days fasting(starving) in the middle of a desert (well, what did you expect him to eat - cactus???) we ( I am one with my fellow brothers....ummm and sisters) fast as well for forty days.

Those of you who know me must be stunned, but you all know me as one who loves his fellow man and this is for the larger cause of world (religious) harmony!! Never forget.I can see from the smirk on your disbelieving face that knowing my fondness for gastronomic pleasures you are sceptical. I shall therefore not attempt to rid the world of evil by completely fasting, but only attempt to bring world peace by VOWING TO ABSTAIN FROM CHOCOLATE AND CRISPS for the period of Lent. I know, I know...But don't try to change my mind.
"Hail Bhisma - the one with the toughest of vows". And so I believe that at the end of these 40 days the world will be a better place to live in.

There's a place in your heart,
and I know that it is love
And this place
could be
much brighter tomorrow

Of course, Lent like any other festival has its own customs and traditions. Pancake racing, Skipping in England, Mothering Sunday and Simnel cakes (whatever that is). The one I like the most is my Danish lab mate's narration of flogging the cat. This is a fantastic activity where a cask or wooden barrel is placed in the centre of the lawn and a cat( yes..CAT) is put into it. After this, attempts are made to suffocate the cat by filling up the barrel with sweets. How touching. Then everyone lines up with a plank of wood in their hand and proceed to give the cat a huge headache by banging on the barrel. Not content with attempting to suffocate them, they flog the barrel. One hit at a time, till one of the staves comes off. The first person to undo a stave is a Queen and the last person a King! The cat by this time probably cant care what with having a migraine, multiple bruises and suffocated. I have just been informed that this is no longer practiced. I wonder why???

Ok, that's enough rambling for a day. Its a gorgeous day outside, blue skies, not a hint of cloud, the sun finally asserting its moral right to supply this part of the country with some light.


A SATURATED meadow,
Sun-shaped and jewel-small,
A circle scarcely wider
Than the trees around were tall;
Where winds were quite excluded, 5
And the air was stifling sweet
With the breath of many flowers,—
A temple of the heat.


There we bowed us in the burning,
As the sun’s right worship is, 10
To pick where none could miss them
A thousand orchises;
For though the grass was scattered,
Yet every second spear
Seemed tipped with wings of color, 15
That tinged the atmosphere.

We raised a simple prayer
Before we left the spot,
That in the general mowing
That place might be forgot; 20
Or if not all so favoured,
Obtain such grace of hours,
That none should mow the grass there
While so confused with flowers.