The Young Dutchman's Graduation

Today was the Young Dutchman's graduation day!

In the morning, I had agreed with Kellogg Boy that we would take the train up together, even though I normally take the coach bus that goes from near my house.  Despite having made it home the night before on the last train, I was moving a bit slowly in the morning, but thankfully so was Kellogg Boy.  We missed our originally planned 10:50 train, but made the 11:20 train with ease.

We had a nice time on the journey up chatting about various topics, including me explaining Obama's healthcare reform law to him.  Turns out to be surprisingly similar to the Canadian system, which I hadn't realised, and he'd never understood US healthcare before either.  So we both learned something today.

Upon arriving in Oxford, Kellogg Boy received a call from Canadian Balliol Guy that he was just finished with graduation, so we went over to Balliol.  As we entered through the gates, I got a call from the Tall South African, who had forgotten that I would be in Oxford today, hence I couldn't talk to him for much.  I often think he forgets that I have a very wide-ranging life that he is not part of at all...  

The Three Musketeers

We found Canadian Balliol Guy taking photos in the Fellow's Garden, and so congratulated him on his graduation day.  I teased him a bit about how when he hadn't had anybody to be there at his graduation, he hadn't invited me.  Because truly, I would have come.  Yet, this is the thing between us:  We are a foursome, yet he and I are the weakest links in it all.  Because I am so dear to the Young Dutchman, and the Young Dutchman has such a close relationship with Kellogg Boy (their little "bromance").  And Kellogg Boy regards Canadian Balliol Guy as one of his nearest and dearest.  Due to the Young Dutchman's womanizing, I've spent many an hour chatting with Kellogg Boy on many an evening, and do consider him to be a close friend, who I now often spend time with on my own.  Perhaps the second-weakest link is between the Young Dutchman and Canadian Balliol Guy, but yet they are still all the Three Musketeers, and those three will always share the Oxford experience together.  So the last link is myself and Canadian Balliol Guy.  And I wish I could convince him, "Don't you understand?  The two of us have to be friends!"  And I know you can't force that closeness, that you have to become friends over time, but there has never been a person who I feel more desperate to establish a friendship with.

Of course, not knowing that I was coming, Canadian Balliol Guy had not signed me in for the afternoon drinks or dinner, but we did manage to sneak me into the drinks at the SCR, where I enjoyed some wine and a few laughs with everyone there.  Just a nice afternoon chatting with everyone, and of course getting a chance to talk a bit more with Canadian Balliol Guy.  Getting to know you, and all...

Outside the Sheldonian, pre-graduation

When everyone was called out of drinks into luncheon, I bid the boys farewell, as I was sure that while an extra person at drinks would not be noticed, and extra person at luncheon would be, with places set out and all.  So instead I went outside and called the Young Dutchman, who informed me that he was walking with his family down from Wolfson.  I went out and met them on Parks Road, and warmly greeted his entire family.

We went down to the gates of the Sheldonian, and then as the Young Dutchman only had three tickets for graduation, but his grandfather, brother, mother and father were all there, they'd decided that his father would skip the graduation, and instead hang out with me for the afternoon.

Kellogg Boy, me, a friend of Canadian Balliol Guy's and Canadian Balliol Guy

We had about two hours to kill, so I took his father on a tour of Balliol, around the gardens and places, and then over to Holywell Manor and the Turf pub.  We ran into some friends of the Young Dutchman on our walk, and spent quite a bit of time chatting with them.  Finally, we returned to the gates of the Sheldonian for the end of the ceremony, met up with Kellogg Boy and Canadian Balliol Guy, and then when the ceremony was over, the security guard allowed us in to go take photos with the family.

Happy Family

He makes me laugh so much!

Lots of laughing and congratulating everyone, taking photos, and just enjoying the day.  I was so happy and proud of him, for once there was no teasing, just pure, absolute pride.  It was just a very joyous moment, with everyone totally thrilled and happy.

After we'd had enough of taking photos, we went to a very nice bar, Quod, and warmed up with some drinks.  When the Young Dutchman's father and grandfather were wondering what to get, I suggested hot toddies, and was surprised when the waiter didn't know what they were.  Luckily the bartender did, and made us some nice hot drinks with whiskey to warm ourselves up!

I spent a while chatting with his father and grandfather while his mother went out with his brother to go shopping, and his father kept talking about how nice it was of me to make the effort to come up for his graduation.  Of course, this surprised me a little bit, because it's not like I would ever imagine skipping it!  When his mother came back as well, she spent quite a while talking about how much the Young Dutchman talks about me with them, and how much I'm his "London family".  This really warmed my heart, because I have to imagine that the people you talk to your parents about are probably the most important ones in your life.  Goodness knows, my own parents have heard quite a bit about the Young Dutchman, and it's just so nice to know the same holds true in reverse.  I was getting a bit emotional at all of this, to be honest, realising just quite how much the Young Dutchman means to me, and how much I do to him.  And it was so sweet that his parents recognised that, and so warmly welcomed me in with them.

We then tried to go to the Oxford Union for drinks, but there were too many of us to be taken in, so we went on to the Randolf (where we were due for dinner that evening), for drinks.  Took a bit, but eventually we got ourselves seated and had some pre-dinner drinks.

At dinner, his father ordered some Veuve Clicquot to have a champagne toast, which was absolutely amazing.  We then had a California white for our starters (nutty and delicious, along with some amazing scallops), and then a 2007 red with the main that it was fascinating to watch them decant at the table.  Pouring a little bit in, swishing it around, giving it to the Young Dutchman's father to taste...I can't recall when I have ever before had such a high class meal in that regard.  I had Beef Wellington for my main (it was the special of the day), and it was just really quite something.  

However, the pièce de résistance was the dessert.  It was some sort of chocolate mousee thing, and then something called "creme anglaise" that wasn't like normal English creme, it almost reminded me of "crema americana" in Argentina, a sort of frothy-almost-ice-cream-with-no-flavour-but-deliciousness flavour.  Just unreal.  I was practically moaning in bliss as it melted on my tongue, I can't remember the last time I've ever tasted something so....spectacular.  There are a few meals in my life that I remember as "the best meal of my life", and this one will definitely rank highly up there.  It was absolutely amazing.  

We had some fun swapping glasses around (the only photo of me in the restaurant is one wearing Kellogg Boy's glasses), and just making many toasts to the Young Dutchman, to his mother, to his grandfather's birthday, and all the many things we were happy about this day.  

After dinner, the Young Dutchman claimed to be feeling slightly ill, and so begged off to go home and go to bed at his parents' hotel.  His brother was still keen to go out however, so myself, Kellogg Boy, and the Canadian Balliol Guy all decided to take him out to a bop happening at Corpus Christi College.  

When we got there, we were the only people not in costume in a very hot, sweaty, and muggy college bar.  Kellogg Boy, Canadian Balliol Guy and I all felt very old in the crowd, although luckily the Young Dutchman's brother was of just the right age and fit in perfectly.  

The Young Dutchman's brother got me a drink, and we stayed there for a little while, before Kellogg Boy, Canadian Balliol Guy and I just were too tired and old to stay out, but we left the Young Dutchman's brother there, apparently having a great time.

Triumphant graduate!

I had stayed out too late to catch the train home however, and so had to go catch the coach bus back.  Kellogg Boy walked me out to the main road where I would go catch the bus, and then I bid him farewell, assuring him that I would be fine for the last 200 metres.  I mean, it was nice of him to want to be so gentlemanly, but seriously, what could possibly happen to me out on a busy road with just 200 metres to walk to the bus stop?

I was walking past a crowd of boys, I guess in their mid-20's, and sounding like they had Eastern European or possibly Russian accents.  And as I walked past, I couldn't believe it when one of the guys, as he was passing, groped me.  I mean seriously grabbed me, copping a serious feel of my behind, quite aggressively and harshly.  I yelped with surprise and outrage, and luckily the guy let me go pretty quickly, but I was totally shocked my the whole thing.  What on earth had the guy been thinking?  Why on earth would a guy grope a random girl on the street like that?

I guess I should have screamed or chased him down or something, but I was just so frightened out of my wits that I just ran away.  Couldn't think of anything else to do but hightail it out of there.  Got on the bus (it came shortly afterwards) and fell asleep before it had even reached the city limits.  Next thing I knew, the bus driver was waking me up, as I was home.  In bed by 4 AM, realising that I had to wake up in just a few hours to do it all over again the next day!