i've just come back from the graduation party of one of my perkins hallmates, casey m. he received his a.m. in east asian studies, and is now joining the phd program at brandeis. i'm very glad he's still going to be in the area for many more years - he now lives in somerville with his partner, and he plans not to move but to commute (his partner goes to MIT, so one of them would have had to travel, whichever way, and i'm very glad their decision was to stay - they're one of the nicest couple i know (and they also helped me move last year - which, as i am well aware, is an absolute debt of blood!) and i wish we'd spent more time together this past year - but anyway, they're staying at their present house, so i shall see them often in future years. (that's the good thing about being in graduate school - you know you will see your friends for six years, at the very least.) it was also a sort of perkins reunion for all the other people who attended. i never would have thought i would live in a graduate dormitory, but not only did i have a marvellous and spacious room in a lovely old building, i had the good fortune of meeting many new friends on the floor - especially from different departments. moreover, five other first years in english lived in the same building, and today they are still some of the people in my year that i know and like best. it's hard to imagine that all of us in that room will one day also graduate, don our hot pink bell-sleeved three-chevroned robes (yes hot pink - not actually, as some people claim, ugly, but much too conspicuous for its own good.)