I think to myself ‘Am I alone?’
‘Has this place only on me grown?’
I start to remember voices, a crowd
All saying ‘Love for Cambridge!’ aloud
Am I under some English spell?
Maybe I will never be able to tell
I like it so, whatever the case
It has always been my kind of place
And so I still think of the beautiful Cam
This for me is like a memory clam
A clam which hides one beautiful pearl
In which the eternal memories swirl
Powerful buildings I see from far away
Many in which I found myself to pray
That in the future with eyes opened wide
I shall be one of its student prides
And so I wish you farewell and to say I am inclined
In this world, I can search but you are one of a kind
I want to thank you my new and old friend
And I promise we will see each other, in the end.
… I was daydreaming, my mind is exhausted and I close my eyes for a bit. I see the Ridley Hall staff answering questions and guiding us trough the activities of our choice. I see the group leaders helping us with whatever problems we had and I see all the international groups with enthusiastic teenagers looking for fun. I smell the morning dew and the campus grass. I can feel the comfortable bed and the taste of the morning and afternoon tea. It was all magical and it will be eternal in my mind. One of the most amazing activities was Punting on the Cam, excellent sightseeing opportunity and extremely fun for the punter, he has all the boat in his control and he must keep his balance while pushing the boat with a long steel pole. Now I remember the excursions, London and Oxford, wonderful cities, one of them practically made for those who love shopping and museums and the other for those who like seeing modern and traditional fused into one city.
I want to thank Shakespeare School and Mirunette for such an opportunity to see the most beautiful city in the world and to experience living like a true Englishman. I say that with all the honesty I can find and I also encourage anyone who has had even the slightest twitch of curiosity from reading this to try and visit ol’ Cambridge because it may be the best time of your life, I sure think that was the case in my experience.
I now have a goal, to return to Cambridge next year and to be a real Student because I feel that this magical place is calling me. Farewell Cambridge and wait for me!
Guest Post written by Mircea Neicu, the 2nd place winner of 2010 Shakespeare School Essay Competition (the prize consisted of a free English summer school in Cambridge)
