Words won't adequately describe...

I had a wonderful moment today.

After spending the entire day in the library, I walked outside into a crisp night air that smelled faintly of a woody winter.

Taking in a deep breath, I turned around to take in the surrounding buildings, the old towers, stone pathways, carved Latin letters. I was among the ancient, yet here I was living now.

The sky was a gorgeous black streaked with gray clouds and as I looked up and filled my lungs again, the starts twinkled to me. Instantly I felt how small I was. A speck in the midst of stones, country, earth, planets, universe...but I also felt grand; I was so alive. A sparkle of consciousness in such a large and wonderful mixture of existence.

I am stunned at how powerful that moment was. I'm so thankful to be here. I'm so thankful to be alive and be fully conscious of it from time to time.

Hugging my books I walked back to the house to have dinner with friends.

Week 2

It has been so long...although really only like two weeks! Everything has gone so fast and feels like such a magnificent blur. I'll highlight what I can remember at the moment, but I'm not promising any sort of comprehensiveness. Also I think pictures are more fun anyways :D

0 week - was the week that all the freshers (freshmen) came, it was awesome, we got to eat in the dining halls, which are really gorgeous. And go to the activities fair, which puts Stanfords' to down right shame. SHAME.


So... one night we were thoroughly disappointed with the college food, so we went to go buy ourselves cookies to make ourselves feel more satisfied. WORST COOKIE EVER. And I never thought I would say those words ever... who puts chocolate chips OUTSIDE a chocolate chip cookie? Who? But seriously... we are making cookies next week. for tea. Will let you know how that venture goes :)

Shruti and I went to London the first weekend. We went to a gorgeous market recommended to us by Mr. Olives (The french owner of Olives Cafe across the street), and we took ridiculous pictures on the london bridge... in front of buckingham palace and hung out in St. James park. Literally, I think that is my favorite park in London, though I haven't been to many others. Then I met up with Sam H. and got a tour of her college! We also went out for Indian food and had a complete meal for 10 pds. Totally worth it. Then met up with Shruti's friends at a gay bar. fantastic :) Especially the dancing. We didn't get back into Oxford until around 3am. O dear :D

That week I also went to Ultimate practice...mostly probably because I miss being at home. Good thing because the team was mostly Americans haha. That was followed by a plea to my mother to send me my "boots" (cleats) from the states...not a cheap feat I might add :( But with my care package I also got M&Ms! Absolutely fantastic...they'll go well to supplement mine and shruti's challenge, which is to eat a different english candy bar every day. We will then compile a list and publish it for any future UK travelers. Useful :D

This past weekend we went to Greenwich with our architecture class, which was ridiculously awesome. Although we're studying renaissance classicism we got to see a couple of Baroque pieces and the elaborateness literally made me gasp in awe. Intended effect...achieved. Also, our professor is just awesome. We saw the millenium dome (is that what it's called) from across the Thames...it's this giant (ugly) post modernist building with huge spires coming out of it. And Apparently...a college in cambridge just bought the rights to it. huh. go figure. Also...in the course of that day we found out that I attract the health care reform conversation. LITERALLY, every person I talked to that day it came up...

Care to share your views? Just kidding. Unless you want to. But maybe when I get back.

Also we went to Stratford upon Avon on Saturday which was a lot of fun! After visiting Shakespeare's birth home and being ushered through a far too campy museum (unfortunate because we probably would have really enjoyed it for its historical attributes if it wasn't so easy to be entertained by it's corniness)...we got tea, and indian food AGAIN.




Have to have a picture of shruti eating

Then we went to go see 12th night at the theatre. Some amazing things happen at theatre let me tell you. Not only did we get to see an amazing production...but Alan Rickman and Ian McKellan were in the audience. SNAPE AND GANDALF were sitting in the SAME ROW. As if the day wasn't awesome enough already. I love england. Also, we were just talking about how awesome alan rickman was earlier that day. Creepsies.

The rest of the weekend and week were spent in the library finishing/starting really my second tutorial paper which was one...the importance of the introducing the biomedical model into developing countries health care systems. Basically the crux of what I wanted to do. Instead of writing that paper last night though stav, sam and me went to St. Hughs formal hall instead! Totally worth not sleeping last night and being a little groggy for my tutorial this morning...

In anycase. the dinner is a formal dinner blacktie and cocktail dresses. And eating with forks and knives. Oh boy... I never realized how uncivilized I was until I tried eating salad with a fork and a knife. It would have been intolerable any other way. But our host was awesome and we went down to the college bar after and had a laugh before trekked back. So really...every college here as a bar, which is a great meeting point for people to just hang out, drink a beer and relax. The social life ends up being so laid back. It's fantastic. Additionally, because everyone has their tutorials on different days there are things happening on random tuesdays and wednesdays! Mmm yes...definitely a hard working mentality though given HOW many hours I've spent in the library over the past four days. haha :D But you do what you have to do...

Right...also weird thing about dinner. Without any warning at the beginning of the meal everyone stood up, and slightly in shock and watched the important people walk into the meal. A prayer was said in Latin (Latin?!?) and we all sat back down. It was all normal...but I mean WHAT?!? I love the little things here that surprise me so much :D The people here are simply amazing.

Anyways... i should go. Samantha and I are going caving this weekend! It should be awesome...pictures to follow. Additionally, on friday we're getting a historic tour of the London plague. cheery.

right. also new favorite phrase : "fancy a toastie"
new favorite game: "Pennies"

More later...

Cheers <3 onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCo0-B30MzSAUJ8dJulb6ygh_W92GVBw0nhtbtasKVnAhYIlde3k27m5KQbdQvrBcU9qPnhIWuOftyzR3iFYSGEtFs9xpuCEGIdO3XKoLQyJjYE5ABoA9krBRhF_-J7mSZyieacr6UsQQa/s1600-h/IMG_0288.JPG"> left: awesome clowns, right: parcel!!! YAY

Beauteous architecture:


left: not pretty right: awesome

left: Dr. Tyack right: queens house

tag: gorgeous

Paris, Jour 1

This is getting to the point where I am using something that I have been procrastinating to procrastinate my reading. So really, in my procrastination... I am being productive. Righto.

So Melissa and I took the eurostar to Paris which arrived in a measly 1.45 hr after departing London. Fantastic. Our hostel St. Christophers was just two metros stops a way... little did we know at that point, the metro (for better or worse) would become our second home.

That night we went to La Sacre Coeur which is the highest point in Paris, and you can't miss an opportunity like that so we climbed all the way to the top and our first view of Paris was from the highest point at around Sunset. It was awesome. It's a large touristy area so we also got to here an eclectic mix (think Beatles and Celine Dion) of english language music on the streets below. Melissa and I then got our first crepes and walked around Monmarte...the artists alley for awhile. All of the shops were amazing and the vibe is pulsing with artisticness. Yup. We tried to go to the bakery recommended by Rick Steves. But unfortunately it was closed. Little did we know Rick Steves would quickly become our best friend...

We got (a little) lost trying to find Le Moulin Rouge and the red light district. BUT I finally asked someone (in French!!!) and he explained to us where to go. So Pig Alley is the American name for the red light district and the metro stop that was closest was Pigalle (pronounced - Pee-gahl) which was funny because...Pigalle...Pig Alley...haha, ok. Well we also went into an erotic museum which was interesting to say the least, but very classy mind you! Also interesting history of the moulin rouge district...here is one of the better pictures that I saw and thought was awesome.

Melissa and I then had a glass of wine overlooking le Moulin Rouge and headed home soon after that. Sucessful first day in Paris... I think yes :D Except...we got a little ripped off by the restaurant as the wine was a lot more expensive than it should have been...





Pictures above: The erotic museum, Metro, Monmartre, Sacre Coeur, Artist, Rick Steves!!!!, Moulin Rouge Windmill

BRILLIANT

Part of me is beginning to think that Oxford might in fact be Hogwarts...

Despite Balaji constantly chiming that it is unacceptable that we have yet to receive our wands, everywhere we go there is someone saying "oh, the infirmary scene was filmed here" or "This is where all the Hogwarts students had their meals..." hmmm...perhaps I'll learn spells, Shruti did say that all of us probably identify most with Hermione....right?

So literaryness brings me to the fantastic topic of Ted our awesome upon awesome tour guide. Last week during orientation week we had an hourlong walking tour of Oxford by Ted who is an older gentleman with a wonderful British accent and sense of humour and always said "understand that, you hear?" He told us a lot of cool things about Oxford, for instance C.S. Lewis was an undergrad at Oxford than taught here for years at Magdalen College...which indeed is not my college but a couple of the other Stanford kids are from there.

Anyways...Ted also told us that in the 1500s, the town of Oxford (which has a good number of citizens and was here before the University was established) and the University students had a bit of a brawl going on. There were riots and shootings, and at one point lynchings of students. So part of me might actually be grateful that the Palo Alto/Stanford relationship is icy rather than homicidal.

But Ted was awesome. He was a detective for 20 or some odd years so knows Oxford very well and he said we were like his grandchildren...yay :) There is a picture below because we absolutely had to take one! As I said before... I'm in love.

SO I'm in Brasenose college, which is historically for athletes, but I mean that's not a huge deal anymore. One of the better legacies is that we might get free gym access (brilliant) although I quite like running around outside by the Thames or in Christ Church Meadows where there are cows...moo. AND I might join ultimate frisbee, that sounds like a fun way to not be cold!

This weekend we went to York and got to see the Minster which is the what they call Cathedral, there was some historical purpose that I don't remember. But it was awesome, and now that I'm versed in architecture I can explain to you the different types of arches and vaults and layouts of most gothic and classical cathedrals...I know you're excited :) York was great, and it was for the Bing trip which was fun too, we also went to 2 Chateaus where the current Duke and Duchess live!!! Chatsworth is where they filmed both of Keira Knightley's films the Duchess (fitting) and Pride and Prejudice (NOT as good as the original)...so there were fun exhibits on that. We went into a hedge maze which was small but still a bit stressful...and I took some artsy pictures of flowers :) I always wanted to try...
We also got to see a lot of ruins. And according to our professor...ruins are romantic <3

SO I met my tutor on Wednesday morning (last wednesday). And we talked about Medical intervention ethical issues and she sits me down and the first thing she asks in all seriousness is "what are you looking to get out of oxford?" Nothing like "how do you do?" or "So how are you settling in?" nope. But you know, I can handle down to business. This will be a good experience. My first topic is...

"Health is more than Biological Fitness. Discuss" 2500 words.

Ready...Set...Go. :) This should be fun, I've already been doing a bit of reading and I think I'm going to go through some humbio material from last year. YEA HUMBIO. hokay so...

Also, she kind of told me that I have to learn the entire discipline of sociology in a week. Hmm. Maybe I should get on that.

But it all seriousness I am really excited about starting to write. Tea has become a huge staple of my diet here and I very much understand the English for wanting Tea Time everyday. Not only do you get the most awesome treats, but you need something to keep you warm! What if I am perpetually cold for the next 3 months?!? That won't do...

Well I'm off to the library, and then tonight we're going on a pub crawl with our colleges. Tomorrow is the activities fair!!!! It's exciting to be around all the freshers...that's what they call "freshman" here. So excited about life :) That's the way it should be of course.

So here is how the Paris thing is going work...we spent four days there so I am going to update each day one by one right after I write another entry here. Hopefully that won't be too overwhelming!

PS I met two guys in alligator costumes today. Fantastic. Quite possibly more exciting than onesies...