What is Love ?

People are being all squeeeee about crushes etc. and it's adorable and I love it! 


This post is ..... random really. It is a passage from Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde" I will post the original anglo-norman first and then my (kind of ok but not great) modern english translation.


The context is that Troilus has just fallen madly in love with (surprise!) Criseyde, so he goes back to his room and rants about it... 


Canticus Troili
"If no love is, O God, what fele I so?
And if love is, what thing and which is he?
If love be good, from whennes cometh my woo?
If it be wikke, a wonder thynketh me,
When every torment and adversite
That cometh of hym may to me savory thinke,
For ay thurst I, the more that ich it drynke.

"And if that at myn owen lust I brenne,
From whennes cometh my waillynge and my pleynte?
If harm agree me, wherto pleyne I thenne?
I noot, ne whi unwery that I feynte.
O quike deth, O swete harm so queynte,
How may of the in me swich quantite,
But if that I consente that it be?

"And if that I consente, I wrongfully
Compleyne, iwis. Thus possed to and fro,
Al sterelees withinne a boot am I
Amydde the see, bitwixen wyndes two,
That in contrarie stonden evere mo.
Allas, what is this wondre maladie?
For hote of cold, for cold of hote, I dye."
(Tr 1. 400-420)


ENGLISH TIME!! 


The Song of Troilus


Oh God, if there is no love, then what do I feel? 
If there is love, then what is it and where?
If love is good, then why do I feel such woe?
If it is bad, it seems to me quite strange,
that every torment and adversity
that comes to me seems pleasant.
And the more of it I drink, the more I crave.


If it is of my own desire that I burn,
then why do I wail and lament?
If this suffering is pleasing, then why do I complain?
I do not know why I grow faint when I'm not tired.
O living death, O sweet harm so curious,
how can these contrary ideas be in me,
unless I have consented.


And if I do consent, I wrongfully complain.
So tossed to and fro, powerless,
within a boat am I.
Upon the sea, between 2 wings
that are set against each other for all time.
Alas, what is this strange malady
that makes me die of cold in heat,
and of the heat in cold.




The end.


PS - one more quotation - 


"To love well and in a worthy place, Thou ought not call it chance, but grace" 

Mayday mayday! Maybe...

LADIES!

I received your pants on this past Friday was was dismayed (read: horrified) to realize that there was a hole in them. Like, not just a bit that looks like it's about to go but an actual hole!

Regardless of my horror I was determined to wear them when Valerie and I ventured onto my campus for a bonfire that night and so I did but the hole grew until it was an inch and a half long! Disaster! This could not be ignored.

It seems to be my lot this year to sort out unfortunate messes. First, my internet fiasco, second, my lack of running water on Thanksgiving (Thank you very much for that!) and third, a hole in our beloved pants. I'd already survived the first two and I was sure determined to figure out the third.

Where do we go when we don't really know what we need? Walmart, because they've got everything under the sun. 40 minutes later, having gotten lost twice, and with iron-on patches, a mini ironing board, three different patterns of fabric, some lace and a spool of thread I left Walmart ready to do battle.


First I had to pull out my iron, which I'd had for a few months but never used, and read the instructions because, believe it or not, the thing is rather intense but also super awesome. I managed to iron on the black patches without too much difficulty and so far I'm quite please with them! They don't rub against your thighs awkwardly when you wear them and you can barely see the outside patches unless you're right up in your business, which most people really aren't.

(Sidenote: The girl [you know which girl] has touched your pants! I had told her about them and how I was trying to fix them and I wore them to movie night tonight. Tonight's movie was Easy A, which is kind of brilliant in the Mean Girls and 10 Things I Hate About You kind of way and also happens to be one of this girl's favourite movies, and there's a line in the movie about traveling pants and yeah...)

After the original patching procedure was such a success I desided to barrel right on into the decorating part. That did not go as smoothly and I've actually broken two of the three needles I possessed in my little sewing kit while trying to attach these decorations properly! I've only done the one patch and even that isn't done as much as I wanted to do but there's only so many times you can prick yourself with a needle in one day without saying "**** this!" So here's what I've done:

Yes, it's already kind of fraying and yes, I've already thought of a better way I could have done it to avoid that but it was my first attempt and it's full of love so I hope you appreciate the effort.

So, what has happened since I've gotten the pants?

First and foremost I have to mention that, while I didn't actually have the pants when I met the above mentioned girl on Friday, I did receive them later that day which does technically mean that I met her on my first day with the pants. :D

I also went to my first post-O-week bonfire on campus accompanied by the lovely Valerie. She met a few of my friends including Mr. Klein, Roberto and Timberlake (who, before this bonfire I did not even know was called Timberlake... awkward). We had a pretty good time that included online dating mystery stories, Harry Potter jokes, surprise geese visits and rainbow chocolate chip cookies.

I worked on Saturday but after work Valerie and I hit up the nearby sushi join where we proceeded to eat until we both had food babies so large that Valerie almost went into labour. It was soooooo good! Soooo good! I've really gotten a taste for sushi! I don't really know how it happened because back in first year, when I went to my first sushi restaurant, I definitely had a slime threshold and would not touch anything with too much raw meat in it more than once, if at all. Now the rolls with the fish on top are my favourites and taste so delicious! I don't know how it happened but I do know that I think it's brilliant! Woot!

On Sunday I chatted on FB chat for the first time in a long time.

On Monday someone sat beside me in Stats class and before the class started we discussed our mutual love of the Big Bang Theory and how Olivia Wilde made watching House so much more enjoyable.

This morning I had a midterm which didn't go quite as well as I wanted but still went fairly well. I think my expectations of myself were higher for this test because I really enjoy the subject and because once I was walking around campus and I saw my prof and he nodded and said hi to me before I did to him. Like, he recognizes me big time because I answer lots of questions in class and I feel like he'll somehow expect a really high grade from me because of that and quite frankly I expect it of myself, too.

Now I know I should get up and print out my notes for tomorrow's classes but I don't want to get out of my nice warm bed... *sighs*

Love you muchly ladies,

Dina

A Crown Fair Maiden?

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a large center of learning, a school in fact, specifically a University.  And in this land, there was a girl.  Well, to be frank, there were many girls, and to be especially specific, this girl in particular was not so young a girl anymore.  

This girl's name was Valerie, and she had had a very tiring week.  She'd had to write many midterm examinations, and do much work for her classes over the last seven days.  This day shortly after noon she was feeling especially tired, but also somewhat relieved.  It had already been a better day than many of the previous ones for her.  

She had just finished her last midterm, and felt good about it.  She'd also had an interesting class before that, which was a pleasant change.  Add to that the fact that a boy who may or may not have an inclination towards her had asked to go out to the tavern with her and her friends next week, and it was actually a rather good day in fact.

Valerie was walking from the building to where she had just finished writing to go to work.  Her brain had that post-overuse tingly fuzzy feeling, and she was kind of tuning out the world a bit.  Suddenly however, she heard a clanging noise...  At first she dismissed it as nothing, but then she heard it again, and again, and again!  She then started to listen to it, because there was something very familiar about it, yet also something strange.  It was a metallic clanging, the sound that two pieces of metal make when they knock against each other.

Valerie was very confused at this point...  She knew what that noise was now that she thought about it, in fact she knew she heard it all the time...  It was the sound of steel on steel, sword on sword!!  This was a familiar sound, but one that was relegated to her dreams, imagination and TV watching life, not one that ought to be heard on a University campus in broad daylight!  Valerie quickened her pace forward, and she found a gathered crowd where the sword sounds were resonating from...

The crowd was wearing coloured crowns, and at the center...  Was a pair of knights!!  Fully armoured, with their arms blazoned boldly on their tabards!  One in a splendid blue, bedecked with golden fleur-de-lys, the other, in a brilliant scarlet sporting a golden lion!

The fight was near it's end by the time Valerie made it to the cheering crowd, though the Blue Knight scored a lucky blow, the Red Knight knocked his sword from his hands and was declared the winner!  The two combatants, in a show of chivalry then sheathed there swords and stood together in knightly fellowship, as their bards and heralds moved amongst the crowds. 

Valerie didn't know what to do at this point, there were knights in front of her...  But she had no idea what to do!  Eventually she slowly started walking towards them, and was hailed by the herald of the Blue Knight who said to her "Fair maiden, would you not like a crown to wear upon your head?" He then extended a blue crown towards her.  

Valerie was not going to turn this offer down, but the Red Knight stepped in "This fair lady does not want that rubbish!"  He said boldly (with an amazing old English accent)  "T'would be like putting a ring of tarnished brass upon her fair head!  She desevres a red crown!  T'would shine like the most brilliant golden circlet upon her!"

The Blue Knight's herald tried to insist "Nay my Lord, this is a beautiful blue, it is like the cerulean sky!  Like the ocean bright!"  

But the Red Knight called for his own herald, and instructed her to fit Valerie with a red crown, and to give her a key chain as a token of their meeting.

After this exchange, Valerie staggered, half dazed towards work.  She knew she was wearing a huge dopey grin on her face, but she frankly didn't care.  She was also wearing a red crown, a crown a real Knight had seen fit to have given to her...

                                                                           FIN

Thoughts from Places

I promised Dina a very long response, so here it is! Comments weren’t working for me so I thought I’d combine response with a few other things. (are comments working for everyone else?)

well here we go!

Dear Dina,

I hope you enjoyed your movie night on Wednesday, catching up with friends and impressing ladies. I’m very glad that you were able to join us for a short chat last night. I’m also glad that you and I had such great random texting conversations yesterday. Those are the kind of awesome random chats that we all love.

Last night’s skype convo in general was a great conversation, we were all into it and chatting, less random internet trolling I think. We were cohesive. And I totally understand what you were talking about. I had a rather melancholy feeling earlier this week and  I think it was from missing people. It’s not a feeling I’m really used to, but it was very enlightening. And now I know that it’s a feeling easily cured by some texts and laughter. Thank you  

Dina you are NOT selfish. It is NOT selfish to want to have time to do things that are important to you. We understand!

On that note, I feel as though at times I can be less than understanding when Michele and I get caught up in our chats. You ALL know that I love you all and would NEVER purposely exclude ANY of you from ANYTHING. Last night was better! I’ll try to be better, I promise.

Oh and Dina, if you pants-fold in ways I haven’t, I want ALLLLLLLL the dirty details. Just Saying.

And… comments done.

and I’m now realizing that I have very few other thoughts. I will share this though. The best math equation ever from Valerie. promised early, and I always deliver!

Got the actual physical tickets in my hand today for the SPACE tour so I’m kinda excited. Also tonight I’m going to go see EPIC MEAL TIME LIVE! I’ll post about it  

 

Love you all!!

Technorati Tags: friends,love,starkid,fangirlin,promises

It's been too long

Hey there ladies,

It's been entirely too long since I've posted here and I really have no valid excuse. This is a place to share with each other and it used to be a highlight of my day to look at the blog and see a new post. I feel like I want that to happen again but it's not going to if I don't put in the effort. So, here goes it with the effort...

This week my usual Tuesday movie has been moved until Wednesday (today) which means I'll be missing even more sharing with you ladies. Strangely, I don't feel to horribly guilt about it and I think there are a few reasons why that is which is what I want to talk about here.

The first reason is that today's movie is Imagine Me & You, an incredibly adorable lesbian romantic comedy which is probably one of my favourite movies that we would watch on Tuesday (Wednesday? It's so wrong...) movie night so I really want to go and see it.

Second, I ran into a friend last week who I hadn't seen since last semester and he said he was going to come to this week's movie so it would be really sad if he showed up and I wasn't there.

Third, as much as our talks have always been fun, we all seem to be doing different things when they happen and only talking to each other while we are doing them instead of focusing on each other. Is it only me that feels this way? Last year it was very much a case of drop everything and hang out with the girls, doing homework at the same time only if you have to, and now it feels like we're all over the Internet and we just happen to mention things we find to each other while we do it. I'm certainly not saying that I have no part in this, in fact I know for sure that is not the case, but I do want to know if you ladies understand an know what I'm talking about. One of those things I haven't been sharing is:

Fourth, the girl I've had an enormous crush on since first year (and who is, in fact, the reason I finally thought "Well damn, I'm not straight" usually has a class on Tuesdays and so does not come to regular movie nights but tonight is a Wednesday which means she might be there. Imagine Me & You also happens to be her favourite movie so it's even more likely she'll be there.

So those are my reasons. Granted, they seem, and probably are, extremely selfish but if I'm going to say it I'd much rather be honest so that I know what I'm working with.

So why haven't I talked about these things before (and by "these things" I mean the last two because the first two are rather trivial)? Mostly it's because I've been irrationally terrified. (Yesterday my iPod shuffled to I'm Not Okay (I Promise) by My Chemical Romance which seems quite fitting to my emotional state recently [and you know you're in trouble when a My Chemical Romance can be a description of anything in your life.]) I've been scares that it's all in my head and that I'd I bring it up it will make things worse because it'll seem like I don't love you ladies to pieces even though I do. There's also been Dawn and Michele's conversations about folding pants that myself and Valerie are excluded from until we join your ranks as virg-outs (vlogbrothers ftw) and everytime you alude to them I wonder what happens to us if I never fold pants in the same way you do and how we would relate to each other then.

I know these things probably don't seem like a big deal but when you add thoughts like this to crazy midterm schedules and reading stupid amounts of textbooks in short times and working until you fall over from exhaustion... Well, it's not okay. I told Valerie earlier this week that I can tell I dont smile or laugh a much as I used to an it really is just all these things getting to me at once. I've finally written most of it out here so that it doesn't just circle around in my head like a malevolent pack of vultures.

Well ladies, there we are. I hope this sheds some light on why I'm stessed out and fall of the edge of the Internet sometimes (Dawn may use this as further proof that I am, in fact, alive even when I forget to text her back).

Love you ladies muchly and I shall try to pop into chat before 10 tonight,

Dina

FANGIRLIN' !!!!!

sooo, in case y'all don't know, Valerie and are are going to SPACE!!! For those of you out of the loop, that's the Starkid Precarious Auditory Concert Experience. 


Best know for : The Very Potter Musical, The Very Potter Sequel, and Me and My Dick. 


They are basically amazing and I'm SOOOO EXCITED!!!! I am fangirling everywhere. 


I also got mail from the lovely Valerie today, a picture of which I will post soon, but it's downstairs and I'm lazy cause I gotta actually take a picture / scan it.....


ANYWAYS it will be here soon and it will be epic. Till then I give you, Lauren Lopez. 

Houston, We have a Problem...

Hello ladies!

Well, we have a problem.  As I am the current custodian of the pants, I am seeing them on a regular basis, and I have noticed something wrong with them that will soon be an issue for us.  They have a spot of wear on the inner right thigh that with a bit more use is sure to become a hole...  In a not so great place for pants to wear thin...

We're gonna need a course of action on this ladies, so I thought I would bring it to your attention now.  As said, not a hole yet, but one imminently forming!!  A patch of some kind is my best solution, my Mom is the sewing guru though, so when next I talk to her I will mention it and see what she says. 

In the meantime, I love you all muchly, and would love to see you give the blog some action soon.  Yes Dina, construe that in an innuendo if you must.

Valerie

Huzzah!!

Hello ladies!

As the title says....  HUUUUUZZAAAHHH!!

I have the Pants!!  Yes!  I am clad in the namesake of this blog!  The Trousers of this Trek!!  I am excited, can you tell?  Not sure if it is totally, utterly, foolproofly obvious?

Haaahhh!!  It has been a rather dull, dreary day up to this point.  I have an economics quiz tomorrow (5% of my grade type of quiz) and I am panicking.  Basic algebra is making me go *looks down, looks up, wide eyed blinks, tries again* and this is a sad fact.  The TAs keep saying 'this is just basic math, so we won't go over it', while the class goes 'Nnnnnooooooosssss we is art students!!  Make the numbers make sense!!!' in our heads if not our loud.  Kind of hard to ask for help when your lack of understanding has just been deemed not worth the time to go over by the TA...  But I digress...  Hopefully Dina will give me a crash course in what I used to know tonight and I will live.  I have never failed anything in the pants, so this is encouraging!!

MUN is getting off the ground, the executives have met up a couple times, and we hope to send out our recruitment emails to the general populous at the start of next week.  Samuel, the ever eloquent secretary of our group found time this summer while he was not gallivanting across Europe to write us a constitution, we feel all official like now!  And yes Dawn, that is walk to class guy.

I don't have much else right now...  Life is kind of chill at the moment (here at least, at home the school board is finding hell hath no fury like a {we all know what} in scorn!!) but it is the calm before the storm since I have an epic two week run of midterms and assignments due starting next week as soon as Thanksgiving is over.  It is going to majorly suck.  But I get the pants for it, so it will be okay! ;) 

Shortest me post ever, but I have like, the last three in a row...  I think it is manditory to make a Pant arrival post though!

Love you ladies, I get to see you all this weekend, so excited!!

Valerie

PS Can I use the Royal Plural to refer to myself when I am wearing the pants?  They are like another entity...  And cool enough for a throne...  I only ask cause I def almost did use it by accident...