The patter about delayed trains, the inclement weather, the catering.....

How do you feel about the first person? I am writing a chapter at the mo' and always introduce my chapter structure and key ideas using it. I am a humanities student and hate having to fall into passive phrases that attempt to mask subjectivity or the actual process of thinking.... hmmmm, but it doesn't sound as fancy as a more passive approach...

Great name!

Look out suburban Manchester - here we go!!!!

I have a selection of fifteen teas and infusions in my kitchen. I even have particular teas for set times of day.

Socially acceptable stimulants served up in a tasteful mug

As great and formidable woman as she is, I still call her dragdrottning. Cruel, but true

Ohhh, looking forward to Spain...

How did the Czech Republic not get through?!!!! Okay, so they looked bored, but still - over Latvia?!

Anyway, at least my beloved Sweden got through. Jaaaaaa!!! Sverige!!!!

:-)

A decent 800 words written today. Pleased. I spent this morning wetting myself in fear.

I have to shake off my procrastination/block now!

12 days to hand in!

Absolutely! Yes, I talk about non-Euorpeans in my research as well as heteroclites ('freaks') as people displayed alongside animals. A lot of my research is interested in animal-human boundaries in this period. No suprise that this is a period in which non-human animals in clothes and doing tricks should be so popular.

This chapter is on animal commodities. This chapter will chart out the area of London in the late eighteenth-century that was home to a host of animal retailers and exhibitions. I am looking in part in the chapter part at the relationship of animal commodities to other material culture, as well as changing relationships (physical and conceptual) between 'living' and 'dead' animals, as well as products made from animals.

Smilodon - you are so busy!!!

Shortly after British exploration of Australia a number of live kangaroos were brought back to London. A number of these were on display in a menagerie. They were a male and female and eventually had a small baby - crowds flocked to see them, and people were amazed by their pouches and jumping ability.

Anyway, people could buy animals from this menagerie. And somebody purchased a kangaroo. A porter carried the kangaroo in his arms (presumably actually a wallaby or smaller species of kangaroo) and walked down Picadilly (central London) and the struggling kangaroo bit the porter in fright on his ear. The porter hit the kangaroo and threw it onto the ground where it lay stunned.

A coach driver was driving past - and saw the man hit the kangaroo. He stopped the coach and beat the porter until he was laying on the pavement. At this point a crowd has gathered - they and the coach driver retrived our poor kangaroo and took him to his new owners...

Well today was all about thinking about how to kick start the chapter with a punch. Lets say it involves a story about a kangaroo!

My entire life until the 2nd of June will be one long night!