[Scroll Down For English]

Un o’r prif bethe sydd wedi bod yn itha sioc i’r system ynglŷn â dod i Harvard, ma rhaid gweud, yw’r holl waith ma pawb yn ei wneud drwy’r amser. Fy mhrif le i gymdeithasu yw’r llyfrgell – sydd, er ei fod e’n swno bach yn drist, yn neis! Ma’r holl ddiwylliant yn wahanol ma – ma bywyd yn dibynnu ar waith, a’r gallu i neud pethau ychwanegol yn hollol ddibynnol ar faint o waith sydd wedi/i’w wneud. Dyw work hard, play hard ddim yn arbennig o berthnasol ma chwaith – pobl yn rhy brysur i whare yn rhy galed. Ma na, fodd bynnag, deimlad reit dda o orffen diwrnod yn y llyfrgell (tua 10 fel arfer, pan ma Widener yn cau – anaml dwi’n rhan o’r hardcore sy’n mynd mlan i lyfrgell Ysgol y Gyfraith sy ar agor tan hanner nos, neu Lamont, sy’n 24 awr) a theimlo fel fy mod i wir wedi cyflawni rhwbeth y dwrnod hwnnw. Wthnos hyn yn arbennig o llwyddiannus a gweud y gwir – meddwl mod i falle falle wedi cal hyd i fethodoleg ar gyfer y thesis! Haleliwia. Bydd fy ngoruwchwyliwr nol ym Mangor yn falch IAWN i glywed hynny.

Wedes i fod work hard, play hard ddim yn berthnasol ma, ac ma hynny ar y cyfan yn adlewyrchu ‘mhrofiad i, gydag un eithriad: y myfyrwyr Astudiaethau Celtaidd. Falle fod e’n rhwbeth i neud â’r diwylliant yfed nol gyda ni ac yn Iwerddon (jôc bron pawb, pan fi’n sôn fy mod i’n dysgu Gwyddeleg, yw rhwbeth i neud ag yfed wisgi a Guinness), ond ma’r Celtiaid yn gwbod shwt i gal parti. Eto ma’n bosib mai awyrgylch intense y neuadd yw lot o’r ffaith nad ydw i wedi dod ar draws yr agwedd mwy partiaidd o fywyd gymaint – ma pobl yn gweld un person yn gweithio ac yn meddwl dylen nhw fod yn gweithio – cyn hir gwaith yw’r norm a’r glud cymdeithasol. Mae myfyrwyr ôl-radd yn draddodiadol yn yfed itha lot yn ôl y sôn – unwaith fod gwallgofder y dosbarthiadau’n tawelu a’r ymchwil personol yn dechre ma na fwy o amser i gymdeithasu heb fod gwaith yn rhan allweddol o hynny. Ta beth, roedd rhywun o’r ail flwyddyn o Astudiaethau Celtaidd yn cael parti yn ei fflat newydd (oes na gyfieithiad call ar gyfer housewarming? Cynhesu tŷ yn swno’n sili), odd yn dipyn o barti wir. Do’n i ddim yn ei nabod hi felly cyn hynny – wedi cwrdd â hi unwaith mewn cyd-destun llawer mwy ffurfiol – felly ro’n i’n itha nerfus yn mynd i’w chartref heb nabod lot o neb. Ond, wrth gwrs, roedd pawb yn hynod groesawgar (eto i nabod person Americanaidd sy ddim) a chynhwysol a hael gyda’u tequila. Joio mas draw. Rodd hi’n grêt cael dod i nabod pobl yr adran mewn cyd-destun mwy cymdeithasol, yn enwedig gan eu bod nhw’n mor agos fel grŵp. A’r peth pwysig wrth gwrs: yr eicon Americanaidd hwnnw sydd i’w weld mewn cannoedd o ffilmiau, y cwpan coch solo. Petawn i’n mynd i barti yn America a rheiny ddim ar gael, bydden i’n cael siom!! Felly un peth wedi cal dod off y bucket list, parti gyda chwpanau coch. Dim lluniau o’r parti (i feddwl bo fi’n cadw blog fi’n un wael am dynnu lluniau yn rheolaidd) felly bydd yn rhaid i hwn fod yn ddigonol:

Fore Sadwrn ro’n i FOD i fynd ar ymweliad i Ipswich, porthladd hanesyddol sy fod yn neis iawn. Yn anffodus, rodd y ffaith mod i di cal cyn lleied o gwsg yn golygu mod i wedi methu codi mewn pryd i fynd i Ipswich. Yn ôl y sôn rodd e’n le neis, ond dyna ni. Rodd na griw ohonom ni na ath yno, felly os bydden i wir yn teimlo awydd i fynd bydde rhyw hanner awr ar y tren ddim yn ormod o ymdrech! Yn lle cael diwylliant yn Ipswich, es i yn lle am dro dros yr hewl i’r Amgueddfa Hanes Naturiol, lle ma myfyrwyr Harvard yn cal mynediad am ddim. Odd e’n gret – stafell yn llawn cerrig (no joke) o bob lliw a llun, Adar Darwin (“Pwy yw Adar?” – methu peidio a chynnwys hwn EJJ, sori), a fy hoff bethau, deinosoriaid. Dyma gwpwl o’r uchafbwyntiau:

Blodau gwydr – dros 600 yn y casgliad!

Tricerotops

Chwilod yn gallu bo’n bert!

Uchafbwyntiau eraill yr wythnos hon yn cynnwys gwisgo’n het fawr ffelt am un o’r troeon cynta yn serious – heb gal gormod o looks od! Y peth niwsans amdani nad yw hi cweit yn ffito, felly os mai bach yn wyntog mai’n dueddol o fynd am dro. Angen ffindo ffordd o sorto hynny cyn y tywydd oerach achos allai jyst ddychmygu’i gwisgo hi gyda fy nghot fargen newydd a ‘mŵts bargenish newydd. Wedyn fyddai’n barod am y gwynt a’r glaw a’r oerfel! Hefyd ecseitment mawr wrth lwyddo i gal y cyfrifiadur i esgus ‘mod i ym Mhrydain ac felly bellach yn gallu gwylio BBC iplayer ac felly gwychder y bake off o’r diwedd! Dwrnod da. Un peth arall werth sôn amdano – brinio heddi. Real American Diner for some Real American Food. Pancos, bacwn, maple syrup. Coffi. Ffrwythe (i ganslo popeth arall mas).

Hapus Dyrfa!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One of the biggest shocks to the system I think in moving here to Harvard has been the incredible amount of work that people are dealing with the whole time. A large chunk of socialising happens in the library – which does sound a bit sad, I know, but I do rather enjoy it! The culture is very different – it’s extremely focused around work, and life revolves around the work that’s to be done. And if you’re thinking it’s work hard, play hard, then think again, because – at least in my experience here – it’s pretty much work hard, play a tiny bit, but mostly work as you’re too busy thinking about your work to play. Having said that – at the end of a day in the library (usually around ten for me, when Widener closes – I’m not part of the hardcore that go on to the Law Library, open til midnight, or Lamont, open 24 hours) it is a really satisfying feeling knowing you’ve really achieved something that day. This week has been particularly good, I think I’ve managed to pin down a methodology for a bit of my thesis, something that my supervisor will be extremely happy about I’m sure. Huzzah!

I said that work hard, play hard doesn’t really apply, and I think that’s pretty true, apart from the exception of Celtic students. I don’t know if it’s something to do with the whole drinking culture, especially in Ireland, having some kind of an influence (the standard joke when I tell people I’m taking Irish lessons is something along the lines of ‘isn’t that just drinking lessons?’), but they do throw a good party. Although I do think perhaps the dorm culture is a factor here – everyone can see how much everyone else is working, thinking they should be working as much, so they do, and soon work becomes a kind of social binder that keeps everyone together. Grad students do have a reputation for drinking quite a lot – maybe it’s something to do with the sense of freedom after having finished with classes after generals and moving on to personal research which is, and I know from experience, quite a lot less stressful and easier to put off til tomorrow. Anyway. So there was a housewarming party for one of the G2s, and I was quite apprehensive about going, mainly because I’d only met the girl who was throwing the party once, and had met people mainly in a formal setting, quite unlike a party. But of course, as these things go, they were all very welcoming and lovely and generous with the tequila. Safe to say I had a good time. Was also not disappointed with the appearance of the American icon, the red solo cup. I would have felt cheated, if I’m honest, had I turned up to an American house party and the red cup had not made an appearance, it’s an object that’s kind of synonymous with American culture in my mind thanks to all the films and programmes that feature it! So that’s one thing off the USA bucket list: red cup party. No pictures of said party so I’ve included just a picture of the actual cup above. There’s also a song about a Red Solo Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZqGJONH68

Saturday morning I was supposed to go on a day trip to Ipswich, a port town on the east coast. But the trip was leaving at 8am. Post-party Elen didn’t get up. Apparently it’s a nice quaint little town, and it’s not too far, if I did feel the need to go there myself! As I was missing out on some culture I went over to the Natural History Museum across the road, and had fun looking at skeletons and fossils and rocks and bugs and things. See the pictures above for the highlights – the flowers are made of glass, there was an amazing collection of over 600 specimens all made by father and son completely from coloured glass. Amazing work.

Other highlights include wearing my big felt hat seriously for the first time, and I didn’t get too many weird looks. It is slightly big, unfortunately, so it’s not ideal for windy weather. I want to try and sort that (any tips anyone?) as I feel it would go well with my new bargain coat and my also sort of bargain boots. Bring on the cold weather! Other fun times include watching the Bake Off, and going for a Real American Brunch in a Real American Diner. See picture above for the idea. It was great, even though we knew it was horribly bad for us. But we also ordered the fruit platter (which came with a side of banana bread) to counteract the maple syrup bacon pancake combo. We were very happy chappies this morning.