Rupert, Rein and Stogholo (1)

However much I wanted a lie-in this morning, I had something more important to do. So at 9am, as soon as it opened, I was at the pet shop, to buy a litter tray and some cat baskets...

At 9.30, Ruben arrived, to take me to the animal sanctuary in Rijswijk, whose website I've been perusing in search for a cat or, preferably, two. After some difficulty, and help from a passing dog walker, we managed to find the sanctuary which is in the middle of a park, and not particularly obvious.

They have two rooms of cats, with both cats in cages and also running loose around the room. As soon as I walked in, I realized that trying to make any choice based on preferences I had from the website photos was useless.

Rupert leapt out at me (not literally!) as soon as I walked up to his cage. A sleek brown tabby, he came right up to the front of the cage and rubbed against my fingers. Bringing him out of the cage, he was comfortable being held and purred happily. It didn't take me long to decide that Rupert would be coming home with me. Finding a companion for him was a challenge though. Both a friendly black and white cat, and a ginger tom had to be ruled out as neither were happy with other cats.


In the second room, some younger cats caught my eye. I fell for a beautiful grey tabby, but it was quickly clear that he was going to be taken by someone else. In the cage next to him were two black and white cats... Rein and Stogholo. Rein is white and black, and was very friendly and playful, trying to catch my hand through the bars of the cage. Stogholo was more aloof, keeping to the back of the cage, watching. The more I watched, the more I felt they belonged with me.... but I hadn't planned on taking 3 cats home with me! After some consultation, we decided that the two kittens would fit together in one basket, leaving the other for Rupert.

Lunch at Robbie's

Today I went with four of my colleagues to have lunch with Rob, my former director, and to deliver the last part of his retirement present - a telephoto lens for his new camera. As you can see, it didn't take long until the lens was out and in action (you can see his photos on Robbie's Blog). Clearly he has some photographic talent, as he's managed to take a photo of me that I can actually live with!

We had a very good lunch of tomato soup and nasi goreng, which I think will inspire me to have an attempt at some Indonesian cooking myself.

Biological Psychology

Despite the fact that my Human Biology course is still running, I have despite to take on a little more work, and am starting a second OU course Biological Psychology in February. I hope I'm not taking on more than I can chew, as the two courses will overlap for a couple of months, but I didn't want to wait until 2010 to continue my progress on the Diploma in Health Sciences.

T S Eliot - The Verb

Jen will be being interviewed on The Verb, 21.15 Friday night, BBC Radio 3.

T S Eliot - Articles (updated)

Articles, in no particular order, just as Mum and I have been finding them...

• Guardian
• Guardian - Tobias Hill's Notebook
• Times Online
• The Independent
• BBC (main article)
• BBC (Today programme) - with sound clip from the interview
• Shetland Times
• Highlands and Islands Arts Journal
  
• Daily Telegraph
• GMTV
• STV
• Poetry International Web
• The First Post
  

And some blogs too:

• Peony Moon
• British Blogs
• AbeBooks
• Baroque in Hackney
• BrandosHat
  

Perhaps most scary of all, she's even on Wikipedia!

For those that want to practice their language skills, the news has travelled outside the English-speaking world too:

• NRC Boeken (Dutch)
• Lenta (Russian)
  

Jen wins T S Eliot Prize!

St Nicolas Chorale

After a number of years singing with the choir of St John and St Philip in The Hague, I made the difficult decision before Christmas to leave the choir and seek new challenges. My new choir, the St Nicolas Chorale, who sing at the St Nicolaaskerk in Amsterdam, is a specialist choral evensong choir, singing services alternate Saturdays.

Traveling to Amsterdam was a bit of a concern when making my decision, but so far seems to work quite efficiently, particularly as I used my time on the train to study.

Whilst it was very sad to leave my friends in The Hague, I have felt instantly welcome in the new choir, and with purple robes and a familiar repertoire from my singing days in Bowdon, I felt instantly at home... although extremely nervous when I realized that I had to lead the choir procession at the start of the service!

Today was my first evensong with the choir:

• introit: From the rising of the Sun, Ouseley
• responses: Ayleward
• office hymn: Hostes Herodes impie
• psalm 72, chant Garrett
• canticles: Walmisley in D minor
• anthem: Here is the little door, Howells
  

With the exception of January, where we are singing the 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays, you can normally find me there on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays. Upcoming music lists are available here.