Who's who

I’ve realised that these blogs will be easier to understand if I provide some little sketches of the main protagonists of the piece.

If there was some way to bottle little Ciaran copies, one could make a fortune selling them to the unhappy and depressed. Each would be dressed in a miniature copy of his Where’s Wally hat, and you’d open his little cage and out he would pop, hands on hips, ranting and waving his finger: a mix between Victor Meldrew and Wee Willy Winkle. More points about Ciaran:
- Welsh. Much peeved by the fact that Japanese has only one word for both English and British – leaving no place for ‘Welsh’.
- Plays the Cello and read Music at Fitz. Numerous stories begin “When we were in Prague…” and continue along the lines of “and I had to get up to conduct the next morning!”.
- Wants a career in broadcast news – especially after John Snow from Channel 4 bought him an ice-cream.
- Raves about Belgian beer. And everything else. Lack of soap for example.
- Wears pink shirts.
- Father is a poet and frustrated lecturer, his sister a Welsh nationalist student politician.
- Good friends with James.

James is a quick witted, rapidly speaking Scotsman who’s good friends with Ciaran.
- He studied linguistics at Fitz and (like Ciaran and Drummond) got a big fat shiny First. Seems extra impressive as linguistics was the subject everyone I knew who did languages wanted to give up as soon as possible because it was so hard.
- A choir singer, James’ falsetto has made him an essential wingman in any Karaoke venture: “I’ll sing this, but James has got to sing it with me”. Does a mean echo in Backstreet Boys’ “As Long as You Love Me” and Take That’s “Back for Good”.
- While being gay James is not normally camp, except at times of emotional stress, such as when one evening a Japanese man couldn’t handle his drink on the way home: “Oh my God! Someone has just vomited on my leg. Tissue! A tissue someone!” I thought at one moment he was going to insist on going to his trailer.

Rushen - not actually from Russia. In fact his family are of South Asian descent – and so he risks being the token ethnic addition to this motley gang. He has a public school’s self-confidence, and with his deep voice and easy chuckle, a self-assured manner which is instantly likeable. Although he studied Engineering at Fitz he doesn’t know what he wants to do next year, and is content this year to travel, play sports and go out. Unlike others in the group who come across as ‘busy’– individuals who want to cut their own way, Rushen strikes me as a team player. “I’m a follower” he announced at one point during the first week and in my fortune tellers arm-chair I predict an easy innings for this passenger-personality, cruising through life’s twists by choosing good friends and listening to their recommendations.


When I met Edward I really wanted to pigeon hole him as the group’s science officer: a kind of Spock/Willow character whose nerdish power with computers granted him his place on the superhero team. There are details which support this box – a big digital watch on his wrist, and pocket computer, as well the fact he decided to first learn Japanese trying to pick his way through a retro remake of Final Fantasy on his PC. All technology problems are also invariably referred to him. However Edward is a mixture of talents, and has an easy chuckle and sense of humour. Especially noteworthy is his Kareoke prowess, specializing in Handel’s Hallelujah chorus and rapping Beyoncé.

Drummond is my wee Scottish Leprachaun of a friend from St. Anne’s. ‘Wee’ in stature, he will take your arm and skip off down the road, bouncing his heels together and shouting some random Byker Grove impression (“Jeff, I canna see me own eyes, leek!!”) With his elfish ears, and sprightly energy he is impossible not to laugh with. His comedy is also so refreshing because it is so creative – playing out loud with ideas and words rather than caustic observation which is so often the source of humour (Think Lee Evans rather than Jack Dee). Choosing what Freud would distinguish as ‘light’ rather than dark humour, is however a necessary move for Drummond as his personality is just so naturally sunny. Invariably (and sometimes painfully) polite, he is full of natural compassion, and without fail looks for the good in people. Having been amused, and entertained by this guitar playing, English Literature enthusiast for the last two years it’s good getting to know him more.

Catherine was the JCR President at Fitz – an activity she fitted around map-colouring (Geography). Out of a group of friendly people, Catherine is one of the most comfortable to be around, having – as she does – such an easy manner. Also, in my opinion think she has camp mannerisms – possibly influenced by a brother who’s studying at some dance academy in London. More generally, I think she would appreciate a good dose of normal conversation, talking about TV, and vegetating in front of videos. On that subject, I’m hoping that her family are going to send her the new West Wing series which she is apparently a fellow fan of.

Lauma
- No matter how often Lauma told me her name during the first few days I found it impossible to remember it. All that came to mind was ‘Llama’ which was just not helpful at all.
- Taking a year out after six years academic slog Lauma sees this as a year to take time to do things she hasn’t had the chance to give time to previously – violin, tennis, dancing.
- Having just finished her MA and about to embark on a PhD, Lauma is the other person who’s interested in politics in the group so we have rambling discussions about American foreign policy. Obviously she’s mostly wrong, and it’s up to me to explain to her how and why.

Felicity did Philosophy and Psychology at St Anne’s, and lived just down the corridor on my floor of friends. Passionate about philosophy, almost everything with Flick is about being straight and telling it as it is. She is happy to disagree with you and happy to concede a point when the case seems compelling. It’s the argument that’s important, not arguing – an amazingly refreshing quality. More generally, she has a real talent for hitting the nail on the head, and saying what everyone’s thinking but wouldn’t dare say. Although it’s more than that, she says what everyone’s thinking, but didn’t realize they were all thinking. “Do you ever feel insecure when your music is playing?” she asked one afternoon. Of course! I remember in the first few days picking over my computers play list as it sat in the computer room, all the time subconsciously thinking – what will they think of me if I play that?!

The other side of this is a delight in being “outrageous”: “I’ve blatantly got a urinary tract infection” she announced to the room one morning, and later “Cystitis! It’s Cystitis!” after consulting the NHS website. The result of this and her knack for observation, as well as an impish delight in teasing, is almost always very funny and much of the laughter in Cambridge House is caused by a Flick comment.

Binks is a small little brunette ball of energy, who bounces around the corridors of Cambridge House, her large laugh audible from wherever you might be. Having grown up in Kent, ridden horses for thirteen years and gone to finishing school in Geneva, Binks is what one might call posh. She has an instinctive compassion and a real natural honesty about what she’s feeling, which is another way of saying that she says what she’s thinking as soon as she thinks it. Also, the targets of her conversation can be both animate and inanimate. Watching films with her for example, is a nightmare, as each time something happens which is subtle or unexplained, an outburst of confusion follows: “Who’s this? We haven’t met him? What’s he looking at?”.

If any of this sounds harsh it’s probably because I’m trying to mask the soft spot I have for her. To me she seems a daddy’s favourite, like a girl whose father would never be able to say no to her. Though maybe that’s just me…

More may follow on this subject later!

I should also mention the little Japanese people that live with us. There’s a couple that talk to us. The one we hear most often is the one who lives above the space outside the elevator, who always shouts something in foreign at us as we enter or leave. Another lives inside the fridge and if you leave the door open to long she also shouts at you. We’re learning to live with them though.