This past weekend marked my last overnight travels in the UK. On friday, my tutoiral class visited the enormous British Museum. In a turn of poor planning (that's UGA for you) and bad luck, most of the exhibits that our tutor wanted to show us were closed. Ooops! But we did get a chance to see the Rosetta Stone, which for history and classics nerds, is a big deal. Other than that highlight, the museum proved to be too hot and too crowded and made you feel as if you were being herded from room to room by Asian tourists pushing their way through with video cameras. But it was an experience to say the least. After the museum, we ate dinner (and mostly drank wine) at a lovely Greek and Turkish restuarant and talked shop with our Don.
It was a early morning on Saturday (and not just because of the wine at dinner) when we caught the 5am train to the surprisinly lovely city of Edinburgh (pronounced, somehow, as "Edinburrr." Not quite sure how that works outs....) After an excruitating 7hour train ride in which we were forced to keep changing seats (and they wonder why American tourists are so rude....they're just tired!), we finally saw some of what Scotland had to offer. Walking up and down the steep, cobbbledstoned Royal Mile, we were able to see the Edinburgh Castle (huge), St. Giles cathedral (which had bell from one of the ships of the Spanish Armada), and Holyroodhouse Palace. We learned later that J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book in one of the nearby coffee shops. Too bad for us, we didn't get to see it....we were too busy shopping! (Some of you may be lucky enough to get some of the souvenirs I picked up. I wouldn't get your hopes up though....it's a select few)
We finally made it home to a rainy (surprise) Oxford and had to shower quickly and throw something cute on to meet our Tutor for drinks in the Provost's House. We finally met her Husband (The Provost as we were instructed to call him) and he proceeded to quiz us on our future life plans. In between interrogations, The Provost revealed some of the secrets of Worscester College and showed us around his home: the living room with paintings worth millions of quid, the study with a balcony overlooking the private rose garden, the dining room with the silver rowing championship cups... just your average flat. He also told us some funny stories of his term and explained the tradtion of "Scouncing." Scouncing, as it were, takes place at high table dinners as a sort of punishment for a social faux pas. For instance, if one of your mates insulted your momma, you could appeal in latin to the Provost presiding over dinner, for some sort of retribution. If your latin was correct and the offense was strong enough, the Provost would agree and bring out a Scounce, which is sort of a silver mug that holds various amounts of beer which vary from 2.5 pints to 7.5 pints. The offender would then have to drink the entire contents of the Scounce without stopping in order to correct the err of his ways. If he could not finish, he would then have to pay a fine. It's basically a glorified version of frat party hazing. To my people back in athens, happy Scouncing!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
One of the Queen's guard just checked me out!
Please excuse the lack of posts. I have been quite busy the past week writing over 10,000 words worth of papers about the Old Testament....its been a cRaZy week. not. You guys probably thought that I finally got caught up in the whirlwind atmosphere of Europe and was never be heard from again, when in reality, I just really wasn't in the mood to write, or to read, or to think even.
Well, besides the paper writing and intermitent whining about the paper writing, I have had some excitng English experiences. Last friday, I stayed in Oxford and went to the Ashmolean museam. After that rivitng experience, me and some friend had a leisurely lunch at the Turf Tavern.....the same place that former President Clinton used to frequent during his days at Oxford U. It is also one of the oldest pubs in town.
On Saturday, we ventured into London for the day. We had the most amazing luck because the agonizingly slow bus we took arrived in the city just in time for us to walk up and see the changing of the guards. Through the throngs of tourists with fanny packs and video cameras, we managed to get a pretty good view. We even got down to the sideline to get some really good pictures. Even though they couldn't really show it, the guards totally liked us. You could just tell. After that we saw the Parliment Buildings, and Westminster Abbey, and heard Big Ben strike one. We then made our way to the Tate Modern art museum (to see some pretty strange exhibitions...modern art, I just don't get it really) , which just happens to be right next to the Globe theatre. From there, we crossed over the Millenium Bridge to reach St. Paul's Cathedral. This church was by far my favorite sight of the whole day. We toured the entire inside of the church and even hiked up the hundreds of stairs to the Whispering Gallery in the inside of the dome, the stone gallery outside the dome, and the Golden Gallery on the very tip top. It is interesting to note that in the Whispering Gallery, one person can stand at one side and whisper something into the wall and a person on the opposite side can hear it comepletely clearly. So cool!Unfortunately for us, photography was prohibited but the entire inside was absolutely awe-inspiring. The ornate domes and chapels with gold inlay and old tombs were completely amzaing in every single way. It sure beat the hell out of Notre Dame. After the Cathedral, we made our way across the Tower Bridge (this bridge is usually mistaken for the London Bridge, which is really not all that cool) to see the eery Tower of London. For the rest of the late afternoon and early evening, we drank pints and people-watched along the Thames.
Monday was again the wonderful High Table dinner. The food was fabulous, the wine was better, and the company was the best. There is no more to say than that.
As I said earlier, I have been busy writing papers all week preparing for my final tutorial. This last interrogation session could not be held in the garden this week for some reason, so we met in the Provost's house.....yes. Their digs could be explained with just this: I had class in a room with a painting that was insured for 6 million sterling. Thats 12 Million dollars!!!!!!! I don't know what I am going to do with myself when I have to go back to having class in regular classrooms!
Well, besides the paper writing and intermitent whining about the paper writing, I have had some excitng English experiences. Last friday, I stayed in Oxford and went to the Ashmolean museam. After that rivitng experience, me and some friend had a leisurely lunch at the Turf Tavern.....the same place that former President Clinton used to frequent during his days at Oxford U. It is also one of the oldest pubs in town.
On Saturday, we ventured into London for the day. We had the most amazing luck because the agonizingly slow bus we took arrived in the city just in time for us to walk up and see the changing of the guards. Through the throngs of tourists with fanny packs and video cameras, we managed to get a pretty good view. We even got down to the sideline to get some really good pictures. Even though they couldn't really show it, the guards totally liked us. You could just tell. After that we saw the Parliment Buildings, and Westminster Abbey, and heard Big Ben strike one. We then made our way to the Tate Modern art museum (to see some pretty strange exhibitions...modern art, I just don't get it really) , which just happens to be right next to the Globe theatre. From there, we crossed over the Millenium Bridge to reach St. Paul's Cathedral. This church was by far my favorite sight of the whole day. We toured the entire inside of the church and even hiked up the hundreds of stairs to the Whispering Gallery in the inside of the dome, the stone gallery outside the dome, and the Golden Gallery on the very tip top. It is interesting to note that in the Whispering Gallery, one person can stand at one side and whisper something into the wall and a person on the opposite side can hear it comepletely clearly. So cool!Unfortunately for us, photography was prohibited but the entire inside was absolutely awe-inspiring. The ornate domes and chapels with gold inlay and old tombs were completely amzaing in every single way. It sure beat the hell out of Notre Dame. After the Cathedral, we made our way across the Tower Bridge (this bridge is usually mistaken for the London Bridge, which is really not all that cool) to see the eery Tower of London. For the rest of the late afternoon and early evening, we drank pints and people-watched along the Thames.
Monday was again the wonderful High Table dinner. The food was fabulous, the wine was better, and the company was the best. There is no more to say than that.
As I said earlier, I have been busy writing papers all week preparing for my final tutorial. This last interrogation session could not be held in the garden this week for some reason, so we met in the Provost's house.....yes. Their digs could be explained with just this: I had class in a room with a painting that was insured for 6 million sterling. Thats 12 Million dollars!!!!!!! I don't know what I am going to do with myself when I have to go back to having class in regular classrooms!
Monday, July 21, 2008
500 Churches and 600 Pubs
After a long and agonizing day of travel on ferries, trains, and taxis (all of which, miraculously, contained crying babies), I have made it back to my safe haven of Oxford from the land of Guinness and Jameson. It was quite a weekend.
Ireland was absolutely amazing. We arrived in Dublin at around 6 am on friday morning after eleven hours of traveling the night before. (But hey, we're young right?) Exhaustion did not hold us back as we began the sightseeing shortly after checking in to the Holiday Inn. (No hostels this times, we heard bad things about the ones in Dublin...unsuitable for print) We started with the annoyingly tourist-y open-top bus tour, which actually proved to be a good investment since it provided a "free" taxi around the city all day. We popped in to Christchurch Cathedral, which is the sight of not only the oldest settlement of Dublin, but also Europe's largest underground crypt. Quite a sight. They even had the tabernacle from the King James era. Next, we went in to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is pretty incomparable. The soldier memorials inside the church date back to the 10th century. After the churches, we saw the Dublin Castle and the post office where the civil war began in the 1920s along with many other buildings and musems that I can't remember right now. It was a long day.
In the evening, we made our way to the legendary Temple Bar, which is famous for some reason unknown to me. It is pretty cool though because it has room after room of bars and a open-air beer garden in the middle. After meeting loads and loads of tourists, we finally met some legitimate Irish boys who were participating in the country's national pasttime: Drinking Guinness and singing badly.
The next day, we got out of the city and traveled by train. Between the group of Spanish fourteen-yr-oldsinging along to Britney Spears of all people, and the names of the towns we passed (like DunLaoghaire, which is really pronounced "DunLeery"), we were kept entertained the entire ride. We got off in seaside town of Bray. It was so quaint and we had the perfect weather all day; sunny and not too hot. The city was hosting a summer festival with vendors and merchants from all over the world. I ate Peruvian food for lunch...IN IRELAND! There were also children everywhere. Two words: Ginger Kids. Very fun!
This weekend was a blast but now its back to writing papers and reading communication journal articles. High Table is tonight, so that always provides a needed break from studying and I will probably have some stories about it later this week.
Cheers!
Ireland was absolutely amazing. We arrived in Dublin at around 6 am on friday morning after eleven hours of traveling the night before. (But hey, we're young right?) Exhaustion did not hold us back as we began the sightseeing shortly after checking in to the Holiday Inn. (No hostels this times, we heard bad things about the ones in Dublin...unsuitable for print) We started with the annoyingly tourist-y open-top bus tour, which actually proved to be a good investment since it provided a "free" taxi around the city all day. We popped in to Christchurch Cathedral, which is the sight of not only the oldest settlement of Dublin, but also Europe's largest underground crypt. Quite a sight. They even had the tabernacle from the King James era. Next, we went in to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is pretty incomparable. The soldier memorials inside the church date back to the 10th century. After the churches, we saw the Dublin Castle and the post office where the civil war began in the 1920s along with many other buildings and musems that I can't remember right now. It was a long day.
In the evening, we made our way to the legendary Temple Bar, which is famous for some reason unknown to me. It is pretty cool though because it has room after room of bars and a open-air beer garden in the middle. After meeting loads and loads of tourists, we finally met some legitimate Irish boys who were participating in the country's national pasttime: Drinking Guinness and singing badly.
The next day, we got out of the city and traveled by train. Between the group of Spanish fourteen-yr-oldsinging along to Britney Spears of all people, and the names of the towns we passed (like DunLaoghaire, which is really pronounced "DunLeery"), we were kept entertained the entire ride. We got off in seaside town of Bray. It was so quaint and we had the perfect weather all day; sunny and not too hot. The city was hosting a summer festival with vendors and merchants from all over the world. I ate Peruvian food for lunch...IN IRELAND! There were also children everywhere. Two words: Ginger Kids. Very fun!
This weekend was a blast but now its back to writing papers and reading communication journal articles. High Table is tonight, so that always provides a needed break from studying and I will probably have some stories about it later this week.
Cheers!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Halfway done....with papers!
I have just finished week three of my lovely stay here at Oxford. I am so ready for the school work to be over so I can just enjoy the scenery! In fact, yesterday, I blew off all my work so I could sit on the lawn in the sun. Take that, tutorial!
For all my foodies out there, you know who you are, I would like to take this opportunity to brag. This sunday, me and some friends had a lovely leisurly lunch at a fabulous Italian restuarant called Jaime's Italian. That's right, I went to Jaime Oliver's restuarant right here in Oxford. You can be jealous if you want to...
Monday again was High Table dinner. Before the dinner, one of the most reverred Tutors came to speak to us about the "oddities," as he called it, of Keble College. He went over the history and development, which was all well and good. He then alluded to the college's social life. Lets just say they work hard but play harder.
The food at dinner was fabulous, as usual. I have yet to be invited to dine with the Dons but I feel it coming. Next week will be my time to shine....and to partake in the endless wine! Oxford is turning me into a poet...and I didn't even know-it! (I'm sorry, lack of sleep. Excuse the lameness.)
More next week, after I travel the world some more!
For all my foodies out there, you know who you are, I would like to take this opportunity to brag. This sunday, me and some friends had a lovely leisurly lunch at a fabulous Italian restuarant called Jaime's Italian. That's right, I went to Jaime Oliver's restuarant right here in Oxford. You can be jealous if you want to...
Monday again was High Table dinner. Before the dinner, one of the most reverred Tutors came to speak to us about the "oddities," as he called it, of Keble College. He went over the history and development, which was all well and good. He then alluded to the college's social life. Lets just say they work hard but play harder.
The food at dinner was fabulous, as usual. I have yet to be invited to dine with the Dons but I feel it coming. Next week will be my time to shine....and to partake in the endless wine! Oxford is turning me into a poet...and I didn't even know-it! (I'm sorry, lack of sleep. Excuse the lameness.)
More next week, after I travel the world some more!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Strawberry Field forever!
Ah, the exhaustion of traveling.
This weekend was an experience to say the least. Friday, after my tutorial, we took a train to the birthplace of Shakespeare. Stratford-upon-avon was chock full of things to se and do but the tempermental English climate was feeling sassy and it rained off and on the whole time. Nevertheless, we kept on trucking and saw his birthplace, his old school, and his grave. It was a whole lot of history for one afternoon. In the brief moments of sunshine, we walked along the River Avon (another one). It was absolutely beautiful, looking exactly as I pictured it in my head. Theres one advantage of daily showers: vibrantly green grass and foliage.
From there, we hopped on another train (we were so very euro) to the surprising lovely city of Liverpool. Now, when I thought of Liverpool, I always pictured an industrial, bleak urban nightmare dotted with Beatles history, but I was definitely ignorant on that front. In fact, Liverpool was named Cultural City of Europe for 2008, which, according to all the posters proclaiming it around the city, is a big deal. There are parks everywhere and their museums are huge and architecturally impressive. The highlight of our weekend was definitely the private taxi tour of The Beatles Story. Our tour guide, Lull, showed us sights from Penny Lane and Strawberry Field to the childhood homes of both Lennon and McCartney. We even saw the Cavern Club (where the Beatles played numerous times) and the school where Paul and John first met on July 6, 1957. (The school was having a Summer Fete across the street from St. George's church, whose cemetary has a grave of a certain woman, Eleanor Rigby...the boys later borrowed her name for one of their popular songs.)
The sightseeing, although fabulous, had nothing on the nightlife and our experiences with the locals. First of all, we stayed in a hostel. Enough said right there. Secondly, I haven't met people as friendly as those "Liverpudlians" outside of the South. Also called "Scounses" the locals speak with an accent more similar to the Scottish/Irish accent than the posh english one. It took a lot of concentration to understand what they were saying, but we somehow managed. (The fact that the people we talked to just happened to be cute university boys also helped our foucs...)Liverpool will definitely stay in my mind for many, many years.
This weekend was an experience to say the least. Friday, after my tutorial, we took a train to the birthplace of Shakespeare. Stratford-upon-avon was chock full of things to se and do but the tempermental English climate was feeling sassy and it rained off and on the whole time. Nevertheless, we kept on trucking and saw his birthplace, his old school, and his grave. It was a whole lot of history for one afternoon. In the brief moments of sunshine, we walked along the River Avon (another one). It was absolutely beautiful, looking exactly as I pictured it in my head. Theres one advantage of daily showers: vibrantly green grass and foliage.
From there, we hopped on another train (we were so very euro) to the surprising lovely city of Liverpool. Now, when I thought of Liverpool, I always pictured an industrial, bleak urban nightmare dotted with Beatles history, but I was definitely ignorant on that front. In fact, Liverpool was named Cultural City of Europe for 2008, which, according to all the posters proclaiming it around the city, is a big deal. There are parks everywhere and their museums are huge and architecturally impressive. The highlight of our weekend was definitely the private taxi tour of The Beatles Story. Our tour guide, Lull, showed us sights from Penny Lane and Strawberry Field to the childhood homes of both Lennon and McCartney. We even saw the Cavern Club (where the Beatles played numerous times) and the school where Paul and John first met on July 6, 1957. (The school was having a Summer Fete across the street from St. George's church, whose cemetary has a grave of a certain woman, Eleanor Rigby...the boys later borrowed her name for one of their popular songs.)
The sightseeing, although fabulous, had nothing on the nightlife and our experiences with the locals. First of all, we stayed in a hostel. Enough said right there. Secondly, I haven't met people as friendly as those "Liverpudlians" outside of the South. Also called "Scounses" the locals speak with an accent more similar to the Scottish/Irish accent than the posh english one. It took a lot of concentration to understand what they were saying, but we somehow managed. (The fact that the people we talked to just happened to be cute university boys also helped our foucs...)Liverpool will definitely stay in my mind for many, many years.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Cheers! and essay writing...
I think we have worn out our welcome because jolly ole England has reverted back to its ways of cold, rainy days intermitten with windy gray skies. AND aparently £5 does not buy you a reliable umbrella becuase my brand new tartan one has gone off and broken itself. All is prefectly lovely though since I have been stuck in the library for the past couple of days writing papers for my tutorials. By Friday morning, I will have written 20 pages and made a presentation on Agenda Setting. Bloody Bollucks!
Oh well, back to the fun stuff...
A couple of nights ago, we went out and met some lovely british lads who introduced us to the club scene in Oxford. (seems like a bit of an oxymoron, doesn't it?) Well, we went and we danced, and danced, and danced. They loved us too. I don't know what it is but the young people here adore Americans. Everyone we meet is all "How do they do this in America?" and "Do you do that is America?" They are also really impressed by our dance skills...It definitely provides a well-needed ego boost after the strenuous discussion (or should I say, interrogation) that takes place in tutorials.
Last night, we had our second High Table dinner. Unfortunately, becuase of the rain, the pre-dinner drinks and mingling party had to take place inside. The food, of course, was amazing again. Chicken and chorizo ceasar salad with sirloin with boulanaise (SP?) sauce. Yummy! The surprise, however, came with the dessert: Pavlova. I am not a fan. It reminded me of stale easter candy mixed with lucky charms. And there was this awful goopy stuff in the middle. Not for me.
Well, back to studying. Does anyone know anything useful about the prophets?
Oh well, back to the fun stuff...
A couple of nights ago, we went out and met some lovely british lads who introduced us to the club scene in Oxford. (seems like a bit of an oxymoron, doesn't it?) Well, we went and we danced, and danced, and danced. They loved us too. I don't know what it is but the young people here adore Americans. Everyone we meet is all "How do they do this in America?" and "Do you do that is America?" They are also really impressed by our dance skills...It definitely provides a well-needed ego boost after the strenuous discussion (or should I say, interrogation) that takes place in tutorials.
Last night, we had our second High Table dinner. Unfortunately, becuase of the rain, the pre-dinner drinks and mingling party had to take place inside. The food, of course, was amazing again. Chicken and chorizo ceasar salad with sirloin with boulanaise (SP?) sauce. Yummy! The surprise, however, came with the dessert: Pavlova. I am not a fan. It reminded me of stale easter candy mixed with lucky charms. And there was this awful goopy stuff in the middle. Not for me.
Well, back to studying. Does anyone know anything useful about the prophets?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Happy 4th!
Happy Fourth of July everyone! It was very strange to celebrate it in the UK but it was a full day to say the least. After a day of sightseeing, we went to this restuarant called Old Orleans for an all-american dinner. They even gave us mini-flags! So fun.
For the day, we went to the city of Bath to see the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey. The Roman Baths were very cool....the water was actually hot! a bit stinky but hot nonetheless! Bath Abbey is one of the most famous churches in Enlgand because it stands on the site of an old Norman church where the first king of all England (Edgar, in case you were wondering) was crowned. In the church, there are tombs in the floor and the walls with tombstones lining the entire interior. It was kinda creepy but still interesting. (How important did you have to be to get such a prime location?)
If you look at my pictures, you will see several painted pigs, similar to those Bulldogs that are sprinkled around Athens. Well, according to Bath lore, an ancient King sent his son Bathuld away to Bath to tend to the pigs because he was suffering from Leprosy. Since Bathuld was in such close proximity to the pigs, they all caught Leprosy as well. Just when all seemed lost, Bathuld and the pigs were walking alongside the river and came upon a mud pit. Well, pigs being pigs went straight for the mud. They came out and when they got washed off, Bathuld discovered that they had been cured. So he then rolled around in the mud and was also cured from the horrible disease that had plaqued him for years. He then went on the become King Bathlud. Some story, right?
Other interesting things gleaned from the Bath visit:
-Avon is the Saxon word for "river" so when the Romans conquered England and would ask the natives for the name of any river, the Saxons would say "Avon." Thats why there are so many Avon rivers in the UK.
-Queen Victoria hated Bath because during one visit, she heard a townie say that she had fat ankles. She refused to return following the incident and would call for all the curtains on her train to be drawn when riding through the city.
-Vanity Fair, the movie, was filmed in Bath.
-The Bath waters are said to have healing properties.
For the day, we went to the city of Bath to see the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey. The Roman Baths were very cool....the water was actually hot! a bit stinky but hot nonetheless! Bath Abbey is one of the most famous churches in Enlgand because it stands on the site of an old Norman church where the first king of all England (Edgar, in case you were wondering) was crowned. In the church, there are tombs in the floor and the walls with tombstones lining the entire interior. It was kinda creepy but still interesting. (How important did you have to be to get such a prime location?)
If you look at my pictures, you will see several painted pigs, similar to those Bulldogs that are sprinkled around Athens. Well, according to Bath lore, an ancient King sent his son Bathuld away to Bath to tend to the pigs because he was suffering from Leprosy. Since Bathuld was in such close proximity to the pigs, they all caught Leprosy as well. Just when all seemed lost, Bathuld and the pigs were walking alongside the river and came upon a mud pit. Well, pigs being pigs went straight for the mud. They came out and when they got washed off, Bathuld discovered that they had been cured. So he then rolled around in the mud and was also cured from the horrible disease that had plaqued him for years. He then went on the become King Bathlud. Some story, right?
Other interesting things gleaned from the Bath visit:
-Avon is the Saxon word for "river" so when the Romans conquered England and would ask the natives for the name of any river, the Saxons would say "Avon." Thats why there are so many Avon rivers in the UK.
-Queen Victoria hated Bath because during one visit, she heard a townie say that she had fat ankles. She refused to return following the incident and would call for all the curtains on her train to be drawn when riding through the city.
-Vanity Fair, the movie, was filmed in Bath.
-The Bath waters are said to have healing properties.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
It ain't Nascar, ya'll
I have come to the conclusion that the things that are generally looked down upon in America are simply praised in this here land of England; you know, drinking, cursing, and eating everything with a side of heavy cream. Another thing that holds a completely different aura here than in the US is motor sports. Today, we visited the Silverston Speedway which is home to the prestigious Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix. Talk about luxury, the cheapest tickets to this race are in the thousands....of pounds, that is. And the wealth is deffinitely visible. Each race team brings in their own "trailer" to house their drivers and the post-race parties. Each "trailer" is bigger than my apartment and is decked out in swanky decor and plasma flatscreens. (My newsest life's ambition is to get invited to one such post-race party at the Ferrari hub.) We also learned about Lewis Hamilton (Carter, I really hope you know him) who is the newest young star of the Formula 1 world and happens to be extremely cute and successful. Ladies, google him along with a gent named Jenson from Britain. Both are VERY CUTE.
Following our excursion, we were treated to a tradional pub dinner at the historic Turf's Pub paid for by the nice people at Grady College. It was my very first experience with authentic fish and chips: yummy. Although the chicken and mushroom pie also looked good...and you can't go wrong with a Carlsburg pint!
I have posted some pictures to my photobucket account but they still need to be worked on. It takes forever to load them with the library's computer so be patient my friends!
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!
Following our excursion, we were treated to a tradional pub dinner at the historic Turf's Pub paid for by the nice people at Grady College. It was my very first experience with authentic fish and chips: yummy. Although the chicken and mushroom pie also looked good...and you can't go wrong with a Carlsburg pint!
I have posted some pictures to my photobucket account but they still need to be worked on. It takes forever to load them with the library's computer so be patient my friends!
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
High Table Dining and Garden Tutorials
Have I really only been here for two days?
Following our morning of tours and shopping as described earlier, we as a group attended our first High Table dinner in a very harry potter-esque dining hall, complete with servers in white coats and 4 full courses. First, they made us get all gussied up (the boys looked so cute in their blazers!) to meet with our Dons, or the Oxford professors (the leaders of our generation...) Then, they led us out the a blue striped tent where they proceeded to feed us flute after flute of champagne (and it was definitely not andre...) and expected us to converse intelligently with some of the most distinguished members of the Oxford Faculty. Not an easy task, but I like to think I managed pretty well. Next, they led us into the dining room and gave the traditional ceremonial blessing in latin before we were allowed to sit down. The food was fabulous; completely not the stereotypical English fare...there was not a blood sausage or boiled anything in sight! We ended the evening with a few laughs at the college pub before going to bed pretty early.
Today was the first day of classes. My media class seems really interesting but not as easy as I was hoping. We as a class are actually going on an excursion to London tomorrow, so that should be fun. Then came my tutorial with Mrs. Susan Gillengham, one of the great brains of theology of the Worcester (pronounced 'wurster') College. Mrs. Gillengham just happens to married to the provost (equivalent to a dean) of Worcester and the two of them live at the college in what she claims is an "apartment" but in actuality is the refurbished servants quarters.....complete with 10 bathrooms and 5 kitchens. Another one of her perks as the provost's wife is access to the beautiful private rose garden which is where we had class today. So we sat in a garden eating chocolate that she gave us taking notes on the early history of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Completely unforgetable to say the least. But then again, these past two days have been simply amazing so I don't know what I was expecting!
Following our morning of tours and shopping as described earlier, we as a group attended our first High Table dinner in a very harry potter-esque dining hall, complete with servers in white coats and 4 full courses. First, they made us get all gussied up (the boys looked so cute in their blazers!) to meet with our Dons, or the Oxford professors (the leaders of our generation...) Then, they led us out the a blue striped tent where they proceeded to feed us flute after flute of champagne (and it was definitely not andre...) and expected us to converse intelligently with some of the most distinguished members of the Oxford Faculty. Not an easy task, but I like to think I managed pretty well. Next, they led us into the dining room and gave the traditional ceremonial blessing in latin before we were allowed to sit down. The food was fabulous; completely not the stereotypical English fare...there was not a blood sausage or boiled anything in sight! We ended the evening with a few laughs at the college pub before going to bed pretty early.
Today was the first day of classes. My media class seems really interesting but not as easy as I was hoping. We as a class are actually going on an excursion to London tomorrow, so that should be fun. Then came my tutorial with Mrs. Susan Gillengham, one of the great brains of theology of the Worcester (pronounced 'wurster') College. Mrs. Gillengham just happens to married to the provost (equivalent to a dean) of Worcester and the two of them live at the college in what she claims is an "apartment" but in actuality is the refurbished servants quarters.....complete with 10 bathrooms and 5 kitchens. Another one of her perks as the provost's wife is access to the beautiful private rose garden which is where we had class today. So we sat in a garden eating chocolate that she gave us taking notes on the early history of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Completely unforgetable to say the least. But then again, these past two days have been simply amazing so I don't know what I was expecting!
Monday, June 30, 2008
PRINCE HARRY WATCH: Day 1, nothing
So after a long and uncomfortable plane ride followed by a excruitating wait on the runway...ahem delta...I arrived to lovely Oxford only to discover how truly amazing this city is. I'm talking true scenery. My room is huge with a big window looking out over the quadrangle (one of thousands on campus) and chaise lounge in case I need to swoon or ponder life's mysteries. So neccessary. Last night, we had a welcome barbeque with the three other American universities that we are sharing Trinity College with. It was a bit like a middle school dance in that people were clearly sizing each other up and judging each respective school against each other, but fun nonetheless. Afterwords, we gathered in the college pub ( Yes, that's right. A bar inside my dorm building. How great are these Brits?) to watch the EuroCup final. Woo. After a couple of pints we venutred out to the city to experience the night life. We offended some spainards, met some scots, danced the night away. the usual.
Today, we were given a very informative tour of some of the campus' highlights. Things to remember/google later:
Sir Thomas Wren
Bodelian Library
Wishing Bridge
Men's Rugby Team
Tonight we have our first High Table Dinner which promises to be exciting and filling. Can't wait!
So far, I am completely head-over-heels, butterflies, crazy person in love with Oxford and all of its charm. My return status is currently up in the air....sorry Mom and Dad!
So after a long and uncomfortable plane ride followed by a excruitating wait on the runway...ahem delta...I arrived to lovely Oxford only to discover how truly amazing this city is. I'm talking true scenery. My room is huge with a big window looking out over the quadrangle (one of thousands on campus) and chaise lounge in case I need to swoon or ponder life's mysteries. So neccessary. Last night, we had a welcome barbeque with the three other American universities that we are sharing Trinity College with. It was a bit like a middle school dance in that people were clearly sizing each other up and judging each respective school against each other, but fun nonetheless. Afterwords, we gathered in the college pub ( Yes, that's right. A bar inside my dorm building. How great are these Brits?) to watch the EuroCup final. Woo. After a couple of pints we venutred out to the city to experience the night life. We offended some spainards, met some scots, danced the night away. the usual.
Today, we were given a very informative tour of some of the campus' highlights. Things to remember/google later:
Sir Thomas Wren
Bodelian Library
Wishing Bridge
Men's Rugby Team
Tonight we have our first High Table Dinner which promises to be exciting and filling. Can't wait!
So far, I am completely head-over-heels, butterflies, crazy person in love with Oxford and all of its charm. My return status is currently up in the air....sorry Mom and Dad!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Anxiously awaiting departure
Hello friends and family! As you know, I am leaving shortly (as in like 9 hours) to travel and study abroad in the UK. I will be attending the prestigious Oxford University, where I will most likely be studying my butt off, and traveling around Great Britain, Wales, Scotland, and (if funds allow) Ireland. This online journal will be a memoir of my trip and an update of my life for those of you who are not as lucky as I to be flitting around jolly ol' England. I will be sure to include every superfulous detail of my every move and, if I can figure out how, pictures of my journey. It will almost be like you're there with me! (Except that, in actuality, you are sitting in front of a computer screen somewhere in North America...) What can I say, I'm a giver.
But seriously, the plan as of now is to update at least every other day so that you, my dear friends and family, can keep up with my life. Oh, and to give you a place to request souvenirs...
Wish me good luck! Or as the English say "Cheers!"
But seriously, the plan as of now is to update at least every other day so that you, my dear friends and family, can keep up with my life. Oh, and to give you a place to request souvenirs...
Wish me good luck! Or as the English say "Cheers!"
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