Another week at university, another week in lockdown and another set of anecdotes. 

Zoom burnout simply isn’t in my vocabulary as a Shakira Vs. Ricky Martin Spanish social this week resurrected my undying love for the mute function and ability to leave a social event without awkwardly outstaying your welcome. The accompaniment of a cocktail aptly titled ‘Hips Don’t Lime’ also augmented my love for a) Hispanic culture and b) speaking to a variety of interesting people that I may never meet in person. 

A fact I learnt today on the notion of equivalence within translation: the translation of the biblical metaphor ‘lamb of God’ into the Inuit language of Inuktitut is ‘seal pup of God’. The expression makes no sense in a culture that has no sheep thus is replaced by a dynamic equivalent that would be understood by the targeted readership. In this case, a baby seal is the closest to that of a vulnerable animal symbolising innocence. 

Katie mentioned it in her recent recommendation post, but The Great Pottery Throwdown is a beauty of a show to relax to. If you’re unfamiliar with its concept, think Bake Off with clay and the ever familiar background music.

I have not finished a full book yet this year outside of uni work which is slightly saddening but also it’s a new month so that can easily be amended. Less time crocheting, more time divulging in a modern classic or two. 

My skipping habit has not ceased, as the rope travelled up to Durham with me last week. My current favourite workout is Liv Rook’s – perfect for a beginner.

Listening to: Судно (Борис Рыжий) by Молчат Дома.

If I were to be a rom-com, according to my flatmate’s PowerPoint presentation, I would be Bridget Jones’s Diary. Which is quite apt and no, my Colin Firth and Hugh Grant will not be revealed. 

After a slightly dramatic Saturday night that started with the aforementioned PowerPoint presentations and ended with tears, I have simply had one of the most bizarre yet wholesome Sundays. After waking up early, we set off on a walk in the light snow to an alpaca farm, played with the farm dog and were met with a skip filled with old frames and art. A family had nabbed some of the frames I would have adored to repaint, although realistically would have hoarded in my university room till June. They didn’t however, take the painting that takes pride of place in this post, and is now taking pride of place in my room. That wasn’t the only piece of treasure the skip provided us with, we also went away the proud owners of a child’s scooter. After some work and brunch, a quick trip into town to get a takeaway coffee at my favourite café followed by a roast (our accommodation is catered) somewhat pasted over the scenes of last night. University doesn’t always provide us with the best of times, especially during a pandemic when tensions are heightened, but there will always be small and unexpected euphoric moments. 

The artist who painted the painting I retrieved is called Karl Wolff. Whether it is actually by him or a copy, there is something of summer within the cool tones. It is a hopeful piece.

On supporting local businesses: 

The klaxon for supporting local businesses during precarious times has been raised time and time again throughout this year of lockdown but its importance still ought to remain at the forefront of our purchasing power. Durham is littered with the sweetest independent cafes and restaurants that continue to offer takeaway food and drinks during lockdown but heavily rely on the students that remain in the city to keep afloat. After having seen a Durfess about how Cafédral has been struggling, we went to get a coffee and cake. The beauty of social media, albeit sometimes, is how quickly word can spread. The post has over 400 likes, reflected in the queue of people weaving down the stairs as we left. It was kind of beautiful to see the community spirit that the post garnered; one of the prettiest cafes in Durham and one I hope will survive lockdown #3. 

Whilst I’m in Durham, I’m also volunteering at Scoop, a zero-waste shop selling non-perishable food at a price equalling the surrounding supermarkets. Next time it’s open, I will be buying some corn to make popcorn for a late-night library snack. 

Here’s to February. A shorter month with longer days of light ahead. 

Lots of love, eleanor xx