Graduations, Graduations ...

As it so happened, two of our offspring graduated within two weeks in July:

Regent's University's Graduation Ceremony was a nice affair in Marylebone Chapel followed by a party on the lawn in the University grounds of Regent's Park. 

The graduation ceremony at Oxford University was just slightly more formal in the beautiful Sheldonian theatre : a ritual of greetings and announcements in Latin with English pronunciations, marches up and down the aisle in groups, marching out and coming in again, stick banging and bowing. Not many changes in the past 800 years. 

They will continue as "cost-centres" as both decided to top up their degrees with Masters Programmes. My daughter decided to move to Sydney ... of all places! Has she no regard for her mother??? 

But in case the crazies take over here in Germany, we might need to visit down-under and take refuge there. Although speaking with this odd US American Republican candidate who wants to subject Germans entering the country to a special security clearing, the Australians might not like us either and not give us shelter. 
No - this is too serious to be joked at. We might wake up one cold morning in November and realize with a déja-vu feeling of dread, that the US Americans cold-heartedly and hot-bloodedly decided for a sort of "Amerixit". 

But before turning to that last resort of emigration, we might consider reviving our Germanic heritage and take out the long-swords, like the courageous driver who witnessed one of the attacks on innocents in Bavaria during our own  "septimana horribilis" in July, passing-by in his car. He directed his BMW at the attacker! An unusual way of assistance, but helpful in this case (the madman had managed to kill one person, but it might have become much worse). The killer was immobilized and will face justice. No twenty-seven virgins here :)! We all hope, the driver won't have too many problems with his insurance. And I seriously hope, the other whatever number of virgins, who await all the madmen in paradise, will act like the hopefully wise judges on judgement day, seriously kick in the murderers' faces and cut off their balls when considering their deeds. But knowing the superb support only too well that females can give each other when it comes to men, the desolate realization is dawning on me, that sisterly love might not extend to such helpful gestures.... 
But the times, they may be a changin ... 

The other cost-center is moving from Oxford to London's LSE ... and will certainly need an increase in allowance. Luckily it is only for a year. 

 in front of Pembroke College

and Oxford's "Bridge of Sighs"

As you can easily judge from this rambling post, the main problem of this increasingly  and speedily aging woman-writer-photographer is : admiration-tinged with-pride-tinged with-ENVY at what the young people nowadays are able to do!