I don't know what made me think that I had a copy of my BA certificate in English but I don't. Luckily, I found out about it today rather than on Monday or Tuesday when I'm likely to have other things on my mind. So, being the aspiring translator that I am, I translated the certificate into English. Now I have one more paper I need a stamp for and, consequently, have to pay Mr B for. He was gracious enough to offer his services at a very affordable price, but still this little Berlin project of mine is turning out to be a real money hole. First the TOEFL exam (not to mention the additional costs for the trip and accommodation), now the stamps (thank goodness I don't have to pay for the actual translation work) and, if all goes well, soon the flight tickets, too. Maybe seeing whether or not people will cough up the dough is just another way of testing the applicants for motivation.

55, read, fifty-five, pages in my thesis atm. I did some calculations and I think the finished work will be somewhere between 100-110 pages. I'm over-doing it a bit, but what can I do, the topic is so bloody interesting. I can't stop thinking about it even when I'm not actively working on it. It gives me so much to ponder about and I even have several topics ready for a doctorate if I ever want to do one. I consider myself very lucky in this respect. I don't want to sound condescending but I know how hard it is to come up with a good topic for a thesis and how toilsome the actual writing can be. I'm not saying it's all fun and games for me, either, but having a topic you really like makes writing so much easier.

My CD's arrived, T happy. I played Einstein on the Beach in my office over and over again until I didn't know where the work started and where it ended (it's not as strange as you might think if you're not familiar with the piece. You can have a taste here. My favourite scene can't be found online, but you get the idea). I played selected passages to D who, as far as I know, enjoys Pärt, so I thought he might get some kicks out of Glass, too. He looked a bit incredulous at first, so I hastily excused my choice of music and said to him that Einstein on the Beach is the kind of music that you either love or that will make you crazy. "Or, as in your case," riposted the Brit, "both." Gee, thanks mister.

I want this one next (never mind the video, just listen to the music). Akhnaten is a bit hard to find and if you manage get your hands on the opera, they ask ridiculous amounts of money for it. But one day I will buy it. In the meantime, I will just have to make do with what I find online, like this beautiful duet (the countertenor singing on this recording is great).