Matriculation

So I was officially accepted into the ranks of academics and can wreak havoc on the reputation of such a well-established institution as Charles University undoubtedly is. Oh, by the way, it will be commemorating its foundation's 666th anniversary the year I get my title. How timely.

I must say, the event was not as comical and meaningless as I thought it will be. After one failed attempt to commence the ceremony (the organ started playing, we all rose and were quite solemn only for the music to be stopped without any warning mid-beat and us all being told to sit down and wait a bit longer after about a minute of silent waiting) it went rather smooth.

As the music played and professors in stylish black robes and hats strolled in from behind I was moved. While the university's anthem sucks donkey balls, our national one is cooler than it used to be. We all touched the head of the vice-chancellor's staff (pretty shiny, but his outfit could use some update - bright red gown with white ermine and squashed hat was funny, if anything) and shook hands with our dean taking vow not to...I already forgot what.

It turns out that us young medical students can tell right from left - we were clearly instructed to touch the staff on the left first, THEN shake hands with the dean on the right. Of course, the first person got it wrong and noone had the balls to change the precedent.

One last thing - the spoken English of the professors (dean, the secretary or god-knows-who and others) is apalling, simply apalling. They said a few words to the foreign students and boy, was I ashamed of them. Pearls such as "change in 180 percents", "fulfil a promise" where "make a vow" was intended were on sentencely basis. Then again, who am I to criticize. My Latin is awful, as is my German.

Be back for more updates later.

Adam

P.S.: I'm doing this so that I have an excuse not to study, because whenever I huddle with a textbook in my bed I fall asleep. Studying outside bed is out of question, it's far too uncomfortable.
P.P.S.: The weather is terrible, it should really get a grip.