Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe Page B

Vic,
    Have applied to two polytechnics in London. Thames Polytechnic and North London Polytechnic.
    Also, Mary-Kay asked one of her mates—at the University College (UCL)—to interview me.
    I went to see Professor Ettrick yesterday. I won’t be going to University College! I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Either he was using words I don’t know, or mumbling. Plus he had a foreign accent. I wanted to say something outstanding to make up for my lack of education, but it turned out to be impossible. He was wearing a fez.
    One of the polytechnics will be fine anyway. UCL was aiming a bit high, bearing everything in mind. But it’s where Jez goes, so that would have been funny. Though he’s in science and I’d have been in English.
    Nunney and I are going great with the syllabus (still on Romeo & Juliet ). Nunney enjoys the punning and humor in R&J and keeps saying how clever it is (in context) and now he’s reading The Elizabethan World Picture by E. M. W. Tillyard, because it gives a picture of the Elizabethan world so that you can really get what Shakespeare was saying.
    I might not bother with it.
    Love, Nina
    *  *  *
    Dear Vic,
    Some new people have moved into the crescent and put lace curtains up at the windows (where there used to be Venetian blinds). A kind of half-curtain. They’re the talk of the Crescent. Everyone keeps saying, “What about those curtains!”
    Mary Hope says they’re Jardiniere—very popular in Portugal—she knows about fabrics (worldwide). They’re not curtains as such, more of a window dressing. More like underwear than curtains.
    Even Claire Tomalin, who usually wouldn’t bother mentioning things like that, said, “What bizarre curtains!” Jez thinks they’re very “Mike Leigh.” Neve thinks they’re outrageous. Will says they’re poncy. Mary-Kay says it’s up to them what they have at the windows but thinks they’re a bit pointless. I hate them. Sam thinks we’re all being horrible.
    Went to Delancey for breakfast with Mary-Kay and S&W and AB. AB and MK and Will were lingering and Sam and I got bored and left before them. Sam waved at the window as we went past. MK did this funny wave (whole hand up salute).
    Later, I asked her about it. “What was that wave you did in Delancey?”
    â€œOh, yes, I thought it was rather good—it’s a new one, I got it from Betsy.”
    I told her we prefer the elbow on the table finger wiggle.
    Me: I find the whole waving thing embarrassing.
    MK: But surely waving is less embarrassing than not waving, if someone’s waved at you.
    Me: That’s with hindsight.
    Sam: You could nod.
    Will: Nodding’s risky—it has meanings.
    Me: God, what meanings?
    Will: Funny stuff.
    Me: How do you know?
    Will: My friend has an uncle who nods for “it.”
    Me: Whose uncle is this?
    Sam: I bet it’s the one with the Ink Spot swimming pool, it’s always him.
    Nunney has told me it’s rude of me to not say goodbye at the end of my phone calls (with him). I don’t know if it is.
    I told him it’s unnecessary and implied. Sound like MK.
    Love, Nina
    *  *  *
    Dear Vic,
    Will got 89% for a science test (The Water Cycle—an annotated illustration).
    Will: My picture was OK, but I dropped a percent for drawing a smiley face on my sun.
    Me: What’s wrong with a smiley face on the sun?
    Will: It’s not scientific.
    Sam: What’s a water cycle?
    Me: An underwater bike.
    MK: Don’t tell him that.
    Sam: It’s not scientific.
    Amanda phoned to see if S&W wanted to go round and watch the film Ring of Bright Water at the Evans’s house. Sam’s not keen on that kind of film (sad ending). He likes comedy/action. Will likes all types of film (except romance), but not keen on the Evans’s little dog.
    Sam: Will I like film?
    Me: Yes, but it’s a bit sad.
    Sam: Does