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Today is Thanksgiving, and tomorrow is our ten-year reunion. And while I’m not usually the sappy type to list things for which I am thankful, I have to say that over the last ten years, I have a lot to be thankful for. When added up, the past decade has been an immense time for me — learning, seeing, growing, doing — and it has made me the man I am today. So in spite of my less-than-brilliant life situation (eg, broke, single, unemployed), I still have to give thanks.

In the last ten years, I:

And the rest is just details.

Thanks to everyone who made the last 10 years necessary.

A scramble out the door this morning, through to Liverpool St. station, then a three-transfer Tube ride to Waterloo, and onto Guildford. Of course, we didn’t feel like waiting for the bus, so we hopped a cab up the Cathedral to make it with seconds to spare. Actually no, no seconds to spare, we were late. Had to throw on some borrowed robes (Macbeth reference anyone?) and take places with the quickness.

After that, it was just another graduation, really. More comments later, when I actually have some energy, cause right now I am knackered!

Somehow, I feel that I’ve been here before…oh wait. School is back in session – with a new name and some new faces, but otherwise unchanged.

The question of the night, from old friends, teammates, acquaintances, and random folk I don’t really know that well: “What are you doing here?” I suppose the answer varies, depending on how existential you want to get.

Perhaps its me being jaded and exhausted and generally deflated, but I didn’t think this disco was as good as last years? Just didn’t seem to be as fun for everyone, and I didn’t do much dancing, so maybe that’s it. Anyway, here are photos.

By the way, I have since eliminated commenting from this site – so if you want tell me something, you’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way, via email. Use the contact page.

So, on the final night of being a resident of SIAD, the MA students headed out to dinner for one last night of inside jokes and international antics.

Sadly, there was an air of stress about the table, and it was somewhat more of a mourning than a celebration. Onwards we go.

Tomorrow, we move out.

Twas the night before the exhibition and all through the house, everybody is stressed out and loosing their minds…

I don’t the photos can properly portray how much of a mess my bedroom was. My camera decided to break during the exhibition so I couldn’t actually take any pictures of my display but hopefully I will be able get a few from Mwenda or someone else.

Ugh. So exhausted.

Today we handed in our final projects. There’s not much else to say, it wasn’t very exciting.

There is so much to be said about my final project, but at this moment I am running on empty. My eyes hurt, I’m falling asleep, and my hand-eye coordination has gone to shit.

Afterwards, we hung out in the courtyard and drank champagne and later went to Cafe Rouge for dinner and excessive amounts of wine. Zero fell asleep on the couch, Paris was hassling him.

Final tutorial session before final hand-ins. Damian and fellow classmates…

At the Hog’s Head for a goodbye dinner for On-Young and Takashi. Taking photos with the vague attempt to make em look depth of field-ish.

Harry Potter 6 is officially out there for public consumption, and consumed it will be.

Farnham may have been relatively small-scale compared to Oxford St or 5th Ave. release events – not to mention JKR and her coronation-like festivities at Edinburgh Castle, but the phenomena of Harry Potter is no less potent.

I didn’t buy the book for £10.99 nor will I buy it for £8.99 from Woolworth’s, this weekend only, but instead I am waiting for the week when I will, hopefully, be able to find it available for download as audiobooks, my preferred media for consumption of literature. (Jay, stop rolling your eyes).

I have to admit that is saddens me slightly that my capacity to anticipate has been destroyed by George Lucas and his three successive let-downs. Remember when Episode I came out – I could barely sleep. Then came the Lord of the Rings and Matrix sequels and of course all the Harry Potter books and movies. I think the last book/movie/video game I actually got excited for was the film version of Prisoner of Azkaban back in June 04, but even then I didn’t catch the midnight show. I have never been a patient man so I think that I am becoming more cynical in my age instead of more patient.

I have to admit that I am pretty excited for the Goblet of Fire film, which will prolly drop sometime around Thanksgiving 05.

And before you all finish the book, here are my official predictions about what will be unveiled in “The Half-Blood Prince”

_ There will be very conspicuous security measures put into place at the Dursley house. The Dursley’s speak very little to Harry.

_ Harry passes all his OWLs, even potions, and is therefore well on his way to becoming an Auror. Hermione gets top marks in almost everything but Harry and Ron seem to outperform her in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

_ Bill Weasley quits his job working for Gringot’s and takes up a post within the Ministry to be closer to his father. Arthur Weasley gets a promotion, upon the recommendation of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dumbledore. Percy Weasley gets reshuffled to some exceptionally boring department, but still doesn’t formally apologise.

_ Aurors are given “License to Kill” from the Ministry regarding escaped Death Eaters and Dementors. There is a Martial-like state in the Wizarding world, very tense.

_ Sirius Black is officially pardoned by the Ministry as those events are brought to light. Better late than never.

_ Draco Malfoy grows some balls and steps up as Junior Death Eater, now that his father has been thrown in jail. Very Anakin Skywalker.

_ We find out that James and Lily Potter worked on some sort of Wizarding R&D. They knew a lot of very powerful and very unconventional magic. James never told Lily he was an animagus, but she figured it out.

_ Hagrid continues to do “secret missions” for the Order.

_ There is no new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Instead, someone from the existing faculty is given the role. I think Dumbledore himself will take the position.

_ Harry is allowed back on the Quidditch team, but chooses not to play because he wants to dedicated more time to studying and doing well, especially working towards becoming an Auror. He says he’d play again if he is needed to win the Cup or if something should happen to Ginny.

_ Prof. Snape or Harry will save one another’s life. Maybe even both. Their relationship will change as Harry realises they have more in common than he first thought and Snape realises how important Harry truly is.

_ Ginny Weasley becomes really hot and Ron becomes very protective, as he is now the senior Weasley in the school. Similarly, Neville grows up quite a lot and is now regarded as somewhat popular in school.

_ Ron and Hermione show distinct signs of affection, but only in private. Perhaps an awkward kiss which neither of them ever speaks of again. I can forsee Harry given bonehead comments like “What’s going on with you two?”

_ Prof. Macgonnagal dies somewhat unexpectedly. Perhaps killed while assuming cat form and chasing Peter Pettigrew in rat form. Her death is a significant bad omen. She is replaces by some rookie teacher who is talented, but clueless all the same.

_ Prof. Lupin earns public acclaim for bringing in a handful of Death Eaters and his lifetime of public scorn is somewhat remedied. Unfortunately, he becomes a target for Voldermort.

_ Harry and Voldermort cross wands again, but Dumbledore again intervenes and all three escape, barely alive. The link between Harry and Lord V. is made more clear. Dumbledore knows that he is too old to continue fighting Voldermort, and that even he is no match for Lord V. He makes it his life’s work to teach Harry everything he knows.

Left to their own accort, in late Spring, Master’s Degree Students have been known to adopt silly behaviour, often ending in water fights.

The second hot day of the year, and the first time I spent a good number of hours in the sun. And yes, I admit that I got a bit burned on my upper shoulders. Trying to emulate my days of being “black from the back”, I suppose.

Jay, remember when Dane West thought I was Afro-American? Good times.

Spring has been shit here in the South of England, but Summer officially arrives on Tuesday, so we’ll see what it brings – maybe another heat wave.

I wish, wish, wish, I had taken a picture of Zero running around campus later that night with a laptop computer playing a DVD of some lesbian porn. Believe me, it was just as absurd as it sounds.