At Oxford

Oxford is magnificent -- brilliant-- bustling --quaint --charming --historical -- intellectual --friendly. I love it here.

That was just a short update on how I'm feeling about Oxford right now, perhaps I'm a bit enamoured/infatuated with the newness of everything? Perhaps it's love at first sight? It wouldn't surprise me seeing as we walked past mistletoe today. Actually, right next to Logic Lane...but then again, who needs logic when you're in love?

So anyways... Melissa and I got in Monday around noon and moved our bags up to the first floor. But that fact that they call it a floor is a little misleading given that the entire Stanford house is a mess of staircases, half floors, creaky hallways and fire doors. Utter madness I tell you. It was a challenge finding our way back to the ground floor after having dropped off our first set of luggage yes, we got lost... and don't EVEN get me started on finding other people's rooms or explaining where we live. The Stanford house is itself a hardcore adventure. Most definitely Lewis & Clark style...

BUT all is well that ends well because... I HAVE A WINDOWSILL. It is amazing :) I can sit on it and read and drink tea and ponder what people ponder while sitting on windowsills and make patterns of the intricate weavings of traffic below. It is very much a dream come true!!!!




















So these are pictures of my windowsill ( YAY YAY YAY), the view from my windowsill, our ridiculously large room and a couple of staircases to give you a mild impression of what I'm talking about. Although, you really do have to see it to believe it. Visit anyone? Also, if i'm talking in phrases and sayings I apologize... everyone here seems to be talking in them. You know what I'll do... I'll compile a list and bring them to the states! Oh, won't that be joyous :)

So that night we went to a pub called "The Turf" where president Bill Clinton infamously "did not inhale" while he was a Rhodes Scholar here at Oxford. Apparently, Americans love the place and flock to the joint like geese. So naturally...we went there in a group of 10 rowdy american kids and shared a round of the best drinks ever...cider!!! A fantastic first night meeting a wonderful group of people and experiencing a real life pub (@ mom -- the drinking age here is 18 and Stanford students are supposed to follow the rules of the UK and fully immerse themselves in the culture...just sayin...)










The next morning Melissa, Sam and Me went grocery shopping to buy food for the week and dinner for the night! Pot luck style with 47 students!!! Although, one of the main focus points of orientation was the fact that the fire alarms in the house are so sensitive they can be set off by a fly (I wish I was joking...) so perhaps putting 47 students who can barely cook for themselves into 6 different kitchens all at the same time making who knows what delicious concoctions perhaps wasn't a stroke of genius idea? Regardless, we got to meet the local firemen. :) Quite cheery fellows they are...righto. Also, bonding definitely comes in the form of standing outside in the cold with everyone in the house watching someone stir brownie mix!

An AMAZING find at the grocery market... for Michelle Vezie (I wish I could send it to you...)












Beyond that the dinner was amazing, then we went out to a different pub that night because...well...that's what they do, and class doesn't start until tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow... I'M MEETING MY TUTOR!!! I'm excited and anxious and intimidated and awestruck all at once!!! I hope I just don't doing something completely daft like get lost when I'm showing her around this maze of the house. Actually, she's been tutoring Stanford kids for years...so if we get lost, I'm sure she'll know her way around -.- We're meeting for syllabus and logistical things anyhow...but I'm still TERRIFIED. She's intelligent AND British...what am I going to do?!? AHHHH...

*ahm* ok, well I'll let you know how that goes... considering how calm I am about it. My tutorial is on Health Interventions in Developing Countries. I'll let you know more about what that means when I figure it out ie the angle we're going to take on it. Hmmm yes, speaking of... I should probably go study a bit now (already, I know!)

But we're going out to dinner tonight so I'm excited about that!

I hope that you are doing fanastically well!!!

<3

On the next edition:
1. Paris ... je promis je promis
2. A fantastic, old and british tour guide named Ted ... yes, I am COMPLETELY in love
3. How the meeting with my tutor went

Stay tuned ;)

First Entry!!!

Welcome to the blog that I'm going to write in for the next three months. I've had no experience with blogs before so you're going to have to bear with me... but to get started :) I landed in London on Sept. 23rd, hit the ground running and haven't looked back since. That day carrying my two suitcases up and down the millions of steps of the London tube (underground) would have probably been (bloody) awful if it hadn't been for the fantastic Londoners who had a place in their conscience to help me... they rock.

Until then I was feeling a little nervous because on the plane I had been asked what type of drink I wanted:
Attendant (british): What would you like to drink?
Me: Water please
Attendant: Excuse me?
Me: Water would be great
Attendant: oh, you mean WAHter, right away miss...



Hmm... maybe this language barrier is going to be a little tougher than I thought. Yea so about that. But then I got to Michelles house in London and got to see her mom and her family and wait for about 30 min until Melissa came (her flight was behind mine). We took a quick jaunt through St. James Park where we met tons of geese and aggressive squirrels. Honestly, the squirrels in Yosemite would be seriously OWNED by these squirrels who ate nuts out of a man's hand. He had a hat on and there was a lake nearby with fallen leaves... so it was perfectly idyllic.



Then we went to Paris... oh, Paris. That's going to need a whole update in itself. But I actually have to go because we leave for Oxford in the morning! Oh the excitement :D More to come... Stay tuned pour mes adventures a Paris including but not limited to... Pig Alley, Versailles, and...clubbing?!?

Adieu


PS. a word that the English use quite often is "lovely". I find it quite charming and intend on doing the same. Have a lovely night then.