Goodbye, dear Cambridge

Saying Good-Bye to Cambridge Again
by Xu Zhimo

Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here;
Quietly I wave good-bye
To the rosy clouds in the western sky.

The golden willows by the riverside
Are young brides in the setting sun;
Their reflections on the shimmering waves
Always linger in the depth of my heart.

The floating heart growing in the sludge
Sways leisurely under the water;
In the gentle waves of Cambridge
I would be a water plant!

That pool under the shade of elm trees
Holds not water but the rainbow from the sky;
Shattered to pieces among the duckweeds
Is the sediment of a rainbow-like dream?

To seek a dream? Just to pole a boat upstream
To where the green grass is more verdant;
Or to have the boat fully loaded with starlight
And sing aloud in the splendour of starlight.

But I cannot sing aloud
Quietness is my farewell music;
Even summer insects heep silence for me
Silent is Cambridge tonight!

Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here;
Gently I flick my sleeves
Not even a wisp of cloud will I bring away

Finally relaxing...

After my exams were over on Saturday, Chris and I headed straight to London, where we ate a celebratory dinner at a Mediterranean-Morroccan restaurant (tasty!). Afterwards, we hit up a few bars with Elissa and her King's College London buddies. It was a good way to end a stressful term and an even more stressful week leading up to the Tripos exams.

I've spent the last couple of days just chillin', watching David Attenborough documentaries, reading online articles I've put off, painting while listening to podcasts, and packing up my books and papers to mail home.

I've also been wandering around Cambridge, and I discovered Indigo Coffee House perhaps a bit too late. It's a cozy little hole-in-the-wall cafe with mismatching wooden furniture and a hipstery, homey feel. Perhaps I'll get a photo the next time I go wandering around Cambridge with my camera.

A final thought: I think tomorrow I'll go visit the Whipple Museum and then bike down Mill Road. Hopefully it'll be sunnier and warmer tomorrow!