Saturday

Saturday mornings are a real luxury for me. This has very little to do with a work-week - I'm a student, the concept of a work week doesn't really apply to me. Mostly it has to do with the idea of what a Saturday is supposed to be, and the radio schedule. So this morning, as with most Saturday mornings, Gareth has gone off to play hockey, and I'm left to my own devices. I've recently developed a love for baking, so I have my first batch of bran and sultana muffins in the oven. I also planted some herbs in a seed box, so hopefully I'll see some chives, parsley, basil and cilantro (coriander) soon. After this, I'll tidy and do some laundry, and then get to work on some essays.

Now, to the radio schedule. I *love* radio. My favorite moment of the day is the BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play. Every afternoon they put on a 45 minute play, and it's widely listened to. Yesterday it was a play about a reporter who has infiltrated a group of mercenaries who turn out to be the four horsemen of the apocalypse. They're generally pretty interesting. But Saturdays are special, because I don't listen to British radio - I listen to American radio, namely NPR. Oh man, do I get excited about NPR's Saturday schedule: BBC World Service, Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, This American Life, and of course, my favorite, A Prairie Home Companion. These are just the highlights of my week. They're the bits that keep me from getting home sick. Radio shows like these are just as American to me as diners and apple pie. More importantly, they used to be part of my Saturday routine back home. It's just fantastic that even though I've moved continents, I can still keep this up.

Today is also the day of the annual Cambridge/Oxford Boat Race. I'm going to find myself a nice pub and settle down with a pint to watch the race later on today. This is our only sports thing. My friends in the States go to schools whose football teams go to nationally televised bowl games. We get less than 20 minutes on the Thames, but it is very exciting.