Matriculation

 I walked around the Cambridge University Botanical Gardens the other day. I haven't seen much color change in the deciduous trees around. The chestnuts have lost most of their leaves but they just shrivel and turn brown. The picture to the right shows a relatively secluded pond and a pretty tree that doesn't compare to what I'm missing back in New England.

A crazy flower in the greenhouse. Supposedly from China.

Here's a shot of all the new graduate students at Pembroke lining (or que-ing?) up for the matriculation ceremony. People have different "gowns" depending on their level of education. They basically differ by length and by sleeves. We all went into the old library and sat and waited to pledge our obedience (weird!) to Pembroke or something. I honestly couldn't really understand the praelector very well. I signed a big book with a fountain pen. The room had some really old books in there that I think might be matriculation registers from the past (?)

They are very ceremony minded over here.