Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

10.06.2010

The recent production of the Alice in Wonderland film has yielded a certain amount of interest in fantastical tales and the value of nonsensical literature. It has been heralded a classic book of the time and a story to pursue by all generations globally. As a collection of wild adventure stories featuring a young girl and a series of fantastical creatures, written in relatively simple English with vivid descriptions, it may come as no surprise that it was originally aimed at children and their minders. It remains a fun read, and rewards every reader with the suspense of reality and an escape from the trivialities of the day. A lesser-known feature of this book, however, is the connection that it holds with the University of Reading and the awareness that it can potentially raise of linguistic and mathematical parody.

The initial set of stories was concocted one summer afternoon in July 1862 while five people lazily punted down river for a picnic – two Oxford dons and their three young female charges, all daughters of another Oxford don, Reverend Liddell. All three dons were colleagues at Christchurch College, Oxford – the founding college of the University of Reading. To prevent the young girls from growing restless, the more linguistically creative don recounted thirteen stories featuring his three young travelling companions and particularly aimed at the more vocal middle daughter, Alice. As the girls greatly appreciated the tales, they persuaded the storyteller, Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, to pen his work. Two years later, Reverend Dodgson eventually published his manuscript of stories, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The tales proved to be so popular that it became a highly successful commercial venture and a book which has been translated into numerous languages globally, and is believed to be stocked in a bookstore in every major city in the world.

Although Alice and Reverend Dodgson shared such an intimate relationship that conspiracy theorists claim cases of paedophilia, there is very little similarity between Alice Liddell and the fictional Alice. The only links between the two Alices is that the story is set on Alice’s half birthday and an acrostic in the second book uses Alice’s full name. However, there are connections between each of the characters in the stories and family members or friends from Alice’s life. There is also extensive evidence of Reverend Dodgson’s life in the tales. Dodgson was incredibly famous at the time for his pioneering work in modern mathematics, and many of his theories are conveyed in the book in the form of puzzles, riddles and absurdity.

Dodgson was fascinated by the nuances of the semantics and lexis of modern languages, particularly French, Latin and English. Throughout the book, there is a strange and unpredictable writing style, which is often used to highlight deep language points, and reveal hidden information regarding deep grammar and abstract semantics. As the book has been so successful amongst a wide range of readers and such a lengthy time span, several quotations have worked their way into popular literature and modern slang; ‘down the rabbit hole’, for example, has become one of the most used euphemisms for an altered state of perception found so readily in drug culture.

This is a set of stories which can be read on at least two levels – the straightforward enjoyment of fantastical tales, and a cognitive challenge which can raise the reader’s attention to linguistic and mathematical jokes and enigmas of the day. As such, this book should be a definite inclusion on any reading list, and given the time for decoding at least one of its alternative interpretations.

School Stories

27.05.2010

One of the literary world’s greatest authors, Mary Pollock, spent over 30 years of her life writing a collection of stories with a total daily word count at 10,000 words, the length of a typical undergraduate thesis. Born in 1897 into a wealthy family from London, Mary was the eldest of three children, and as such, received the highest levels of education in a prep school in London and later at university. She became head girl and excelled at everything she put her hand to, particularly sports, music and writing. She trained to be a teacher after graduation and spent five years teaching in private schools before she got married, at which point she focussed on developing her writing career.

In her career, she wrote over 800 books and several short stories for magazines, of which over 750 titles were published. In her forty-five year career, she became one of the most successful children’s writers of all time and is currently the 5th most translated author in the world, after Walt Disney, Agatha Christie, Jules Verne and William Shakespeare. Over 600 million copies of her books have been sold and almost every bookstore in the world stocks her titles. Her books have been translated into nearly 90 languages. Nowadays, she is most commonly known by her pseudonym, Enid Blyton.

Her books can be generally divided into three categories - ordinary children having extraordinary adventures, like in the Famous Five, fantastical tales, including Noddy, and boarding school adventures, such as Malory Towers. Much of her history, background and personal values are conveyed in her stories, for example, her take on blacks is evident in her Golliwog series. This is especially true in her series Malory Towers. Having been divorced in 1939 for reasons unclear, she married the surgeon Kenneth Darrell Waters, whose name was subsequently selected for the heroine of this boarding school series.

This series of six books is based partly on the her prep school, adventures and experiences, and also on the Scottish boarding school, St. Leonard’s near St. Andrews, Scotland, which a few members of her close family attended. Written over a period of six years in the post-WWII era, these books appear very similar to other boarding school books Blyton penned. Most of her boarding school books are wholesome, light-hearted, culturally revealing narratives of life in the early 20th Century. Schools are divided by gender, with only the wealthiest women attending the prestigious all girls schools. Each series contains details relating to lacrosse matches, the experience of boarding in large dormitories and an element of class inequality, racism and promotion of social segregation. Closer reading of Malory Towers reveals a striking similarity with Blyton’s own background, with books containing her most poignant teenage memories and an exploration of the ‘what if’s of some of the experiences that Blyton avoided.

Written for children in the 1940s, each boarding school book has 200 pages which are subdivided into twenty chapters of ten pages each. Each also has a mystery to solve, a life lesson to learn and a moral message in its resolution. This makes the book extremely easy for any aged reader to digest, although they are less engaging for more mature readers as the stories contained are so brief, straightforward, slightly patronising and out of touch with a modern society. A good read for situations where your attention must be elsewhere or an excellent present for a younger relative, this is an author to consider.

Some like it hot

25.05.2010

With the recent change in high altitude winds comes a shift in weather, and the long spell of cold, grey, arctic climate from Siberia has been replaced by hot, sunny weather from the Azores. As happens every year, the great British public have flung off their winter clothes, lain half-naked in every green area and seized the opportunity to tan. The wisdom of their actions however remains to be seen.

The benefits of lounging in the sun’s glare are desirable but limited. The golden brown glow radiating off previously deathly-white skin is a sign of healthy living, freedom and restfulness, coming as it typically does after the stress and pressures of exams have ebbed away. Tanning is actually the release of a brown-coloured pigment in the skin, melanine, that is the body’s natural protection against the fierce glare of the sun and as such, even the slightest discolouration of the skin to whatever colour, pink or brown, is evidence that the sun has already started wreaking damage on our skin. With repeated or prolonged exposure, this damage spirals out of control as our skin loses its ability to repair itself and can permanently lose their smoothness or robustness and become wrinkled or cancerous.

Every action has both positive and negative consequences, so too with tanning. The UK’s health research forum has found that higher levels of exposure to the sun heralds increased amount of vitamin D. The benefits of which include a regular calcium balance and healthier bones, higher rates of cellular prolifertation and happier bodies, increased immunity against both the common cold and longer-lasting illnesses, and a higher regulation of blood pressure with less chance of developing any disease of the heart. Other doctors claim that regular exposure to the sun can quicken recovery from skin disorders, decrease the risk of autoimmune diseases and enhance mental health. Additionally, bright light reduces the affect and extent of seasonal affective disorder and can aid natural sleep rhythms - once our bodies have adjusted to hotter temperatures at night.

Although exposure to the sun has many benefits, health experts around the world agree that, as with everything, the amount taken must be limited. Overexposure to the sun can lead to increased action of every benefit which can then become dangerous. Vitamin D overdoses can lead to abnormally high calcium levels which cause bone loss, kidney stones, and calcification of internal organs which then stop functioning indefinitely. As tanning is evidence of skin damage, the deeper the tan, the greater the damage. After a certain level of browness, you start to cause your body irrepairable damage. The longevity of harm that the sun causes your skin is even greater the earlier in the season you colour. Overexposure to the sun is responsible for 1.5 million new cases of skin cancer and consequently, 8,000 deaths every year in the US alone. If the number of age-related diseases caused by the sun is factored in, this number soars. No sunscreen is 100% effective either, and 30-50% of the sun’s rays reach your skin even on the cloudiest of days.

All is not doom and gloom however. Your body is naturally built to withstand normal levels of sun, whilst pigmenting slightly and causing your body no longer-lasting damage. The probability of harming your skin is even further reduced through wise sunbathing. You probably know the common guidelines: stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm then cover up completely. Use sunscreen if outdoors for any extended period of time and ensure that you choose an appropriate factor. SPF is the measure of the effectiveness of the sunscreen and is based on 20 minute periods, thus SPF 15 means you can stay safely out in the sun for 15 x 20 minutes, though you need to double your dose if using American products as they base their measures on 10 minute intervals. Salt and dehydration can also increase the potential for creating damage so ensure you re-apply after swimming and sweating. Re-apply with a generous amount after every period stated by the SPF of your selected sunscreen and remember that sunscreen takes 30 minutes to become effective after application.

The sun can be incredibly beneficial for many parts of your body if exposed in small doses, and a slight discolouration is desirable for many in the UK. So make the most of the opportunities given by this change in weather, but take the time to be careful as well.

Weary

21.05.2010

When I tread the dreary sky,

I can't help but wonder why -

Why the heartache, why the pain?

What is there from this to gain?

All the doubts on all the days;

We, like sheep and cows, just graze.

P'haps it's time to wave good-bye

To ennui now, ere we die.

The end is nigh!

9.05.2010

As we continue our steady plodding with revision, and the weather goes from full of ash to full of clouds, it would seem all too easy to either deaden our appetites with dull, instant meals, leaving time only for study, or to abandon the diet with great haste and binge on sugary, fatty foods. A quick global tour reveals that the rest of the world manages to achieve a neat balance between high-energy substances and healthy eating, without too much stress, trauma or time slaving over a hot stove. Three of the most popular snacks eaten in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and North America are presented here to give you taste-buds a chance of recovery before all sense is killed.

In Southeast Asia, the most common staple is essence of chicken. This highly reduced chicken stock contains all the vitamins and minerals needed to make any healthy and flavoursome chicken-based dish or instant noodle topping. It is believed to be beneficial both to the body and the mind, aiding concentration and strengthening the body. To make a batch of essence of chicken, you will need one chicken.

To prepare, take one (frozen) chicken and chop it into four equal pieces. Lightly crush each quarter with a mortar and pestle, or the back of a chopping knife. Place a big soup bowl in the top compartment of a double boiling saucepan. You can substitute the double boiling saucepan with two saucepans which just fit into each other and fill the bottom one with hot water. Bring the water to a boil in the lower pan and place a pair of chopsticks criss-cross over the top bowl. Place the chicken pieces carefully onto the chopsticks then cover the pan. Boil the chicken for 120 to 180 minutes, topping up the water in the lower pan whenever necessary. The chicken will appear to ‘sweat’, with the drips accumulating in the soup bowl. This is the essence and claimed by many in Southeast Asia to be one of the world’s healthiest foods. When the chicken has finished dripping, remove the essence and use to cook any chicken-based dish or add to steamed vegetables and pour over instant noodles.

Throughout the former Commonwealth of Independent States, oreshki (baked ‘walnuts’) are a desirable snack or desert as they are filling, delicious and incredibly cheap to make. Many students make them during the exam season with friends and store them for whenever they need an energy boost. They are also sold in their millions in every canteen and sweet shop across the region. To make one batch, you will need two eggs, 250g butter, ½ cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon of soda, 3 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 can of condensed milk and an optional ½ cup of walnuts.

To prepare, fill a deep pot with as much water as possible and put the unopened can of condensed milk in it. Boil for approximately 2-3 hours on medium heat and slowly add more hot water to prevent the water from boiling away completely. Then mix the butter, sugar and salt in a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes. When the butter has melted and the sugar and salt has dissolved, remove the pot from the stove and add the soda and vinegar. Stir briskly, then immediately add the eggs and flour. Knead the dough until it is quite stiff.

Now it’s time for the slightly more complicated bit – preparation of the ‘nutshells’… Roll the dough into balls about the size of a walnut, cut them in half and hollow out the middles. Then bake each side for a couple of minutes until the dough has become golden-brown and firm. When the cakes are baked and the condensed milk has boiled, line the shells and seal using the boiled milk.

Across North America and in more traditional societies in the UK, Mother’s Day is regularly chosen as the date to celebrate family life by partaking in a Agape (love) Feast cake. Historically, this feast would be shared between peasants and land-owners as a celebration of the role that each played in the wider society of the time. The peasants would bring produce from the land, and the aristocracy would contribute sweetmeats and foods which were more difficult to acquire, including sugar. The feast would culminate in a cake which had been baked jointly by the more prominent women in each area, which over time gave rise to the tradition of eating this cake on Mother’s Day. To make one cake, you will need 400g plain flour, 25g baking powder, 125g butter, 200g sugar, 50g mixed peel, 100g sultanas, two eggs and 280ml of milk.

To prepare, mix the flour and baking powder together. Rub the butter into the mixed powders then add the sugar, sultanas and peel. Beat the eggs together with a little milk and add to the dry ingredients. Add the rest of the milk to make a soft consistency and stir in well. Pour the mixture into a large cake tin and cook at 180∘C for an hour.

Enjoy!

Moving into poetry...

'The Fall'

Bring him into the sun

For his life seeped pointlessly away.
This great heroic soldier,
His body now cracked and broken.
Hope is all gone.
The sticky mess of his life
And yellow life-blood oozing away
Is an obvious sign of the truth.
He died a daring death
On duty for his nation.
He may have only been a watchguard
But he will be mourned by all.
None could make such an impact
As this little, brave body.
He had no warning,
He had no time,
Before the turret crumbled.
For what cause did he pass?
What protection did he receive?
Yet he gave his verve gladly
For the progress of his race.
He broke down the wall
Of proud, prejudiced segregation.
What else can be done?
What else can be gleaned?
The great Cackleberry Attack
Has claimed another victim.
The royal guard, infantry and cavalry,
Are all powerless to help.
Let this madness end,
Let the suffering stop
Before countless others fall.
Throughout the ages,
We will all mourn and respect him
Our great champion, Mutty D. Phumpy.
Centuries from now,
He will still be remembered.

Stress-busting Support

27.03.2010

One could measure any summer term by its quantity of deadlines, exams, grades and parties of which the first three can and typically do invoke a huge amount of stress. Whilst a low level of tension can be helpful for the body and mind in directing action, provoking clear thinking and heightening brain activity, too much stress can be extremely detrimental to your health and well-being, inducing a range of illnesses from muscle tension to stomach ulcers.

In fact, the higher the levels of stress, the progressively greater effects there are on the body. The most common signs of stress can include nervous ticks or changes to eating habits - either a loss of appetite or bingeing. More intense tension can lead to periods of depression and loss of sleep which can either occur through insomnia or wakeful dreams. As sleep is important for the healthy functioning of the body, a lack of it can make people moody, irritable and angry, and can inflame already existing health conditions, producing more mouth ulcers, migraines and skin conditions such as eczema. Stress can also produce fidgetiness and uncomfortable sleeping forms, leading to muscle tension and twisting of the gut, itself causing IBS. Continued levels of stress throughout life as a reaction to different confusing and uncertain situations can lead to even greater longer-term problems for the body, and taken together, prevent a high quality of social and physical life.

So, given that life is uncertain and stress is such a natural bi-product of modern society, what can be done to overcome these effects and boost the body’s natural well-being? The most primitive and least effective strategies would be to skive or finish the exams early, focus on one day at a time whilst forgetting the existence of the dreaded ‘e’ word, and adopt a ‘devil may care’ attitude to the whole assessment process though there is a plethora of more beneficial alternatives. Some of the more popular, sustainable ways to beat stress, for example, focus on aiming for a high quality of life socially and physically. As such, it is worth investing time in maintaining relationships with your friends, family and peers. Learning to relax whilst continuing with a busy workload, taking breaks every hour and rewarding every endeavour with a small, healthy treat are also recommended. Eating well by following a balanced diet with lots of fruit, vegetables and complex carbohydrates, and sleeping at regular hours with the occasional afternoon nap to help replenish sleep lost before and during a busy, stressful period, can give the body the boost it needs to reset itself.

The mind performs best when it is relaxed, which is a situation easier to achieve when it has structure and flexibility and manageable external pressures. By working out a daily and weekly revision schedule with achievable aims and objectives that branch the difference between the ultimate goals and current position, which is updated daily based on the goals actually met enables a mentally comfortable stepped guide to work through the stressful periods. The average mind can work for a maximum of sixty minutes at a time and it is thus important to take mini breaks every hour, even during the exams themselves. One way of achieving this is to use the periods of procrastination wisely and use the hourly break to check emails, relieve yourself or sharpen your pencil. With a very active mind, it is easy to neglect physical exercise so use this time to stretch and relieve the tension in your muscles. It is easier to focus on the study when the body is both comfortable mentally and physically, so dress appropriately, with loose, warm clothing.

Finally, bodies are all individual and thus what patterns may suit one are not always appropriate for all, so be aware of your particular needs and desires and target these accordingly. If you tend to get more muscle problems, you may find it beneficial to invest in a regular massage at the sports clinic. If you have insomnia, make sure your room is dark, well-ventilated, and as quiet as possible. Above all, remember that however important these exams are, nothing is more vital than the body’s mental and physical well-being.