It Should Be Fairly Obvious By Now

The sun doesn't rise in Oxford until after 8:00. To catch a glimpse of the rising sun you usually have to wait until closer to 8:15. The constant cloud presence doesn't add much to the light either.

It's not enough to make me really miss the California sunrises and blue sky terribly, but I do wish that it was warmer here. Some of the British people seem to think similarly--they're bundled up in as many layers as I am (four on a good day, five on a bad). Others walk around in t-shirts or lightweight hoodies, and I can't help stare at how either brave or incredibly stupid they're being. 

There are more people than animals here, and while that doesn't really surprise me, I was expecting more of...something. Not too many people have dogs, though I suppose that's hard in the city areas, and there are more birds in London, making Oxford seem rather uninhabited with animals, at least further from the Thames. Swans are enormous, by the way, and completely terrifying.

Even with very few birds, I'm surprised to see seagulls here, as Oxford is completely land locked, but perhaps they like the Thames just as well.

I was expecting rain every day, and while that hasn't happened yet, I dare not get my hopes up due to the constant high chance of showers. 

There are fewer cars here than back home, but there always seem like a lot because of how narrow the streets are. Buses roll by and it feels like you're going to be sucked right off the equally thin sidewalks. Re-learning how to cross the street has been...dramatic. You've got to remember that not only are the cars coming from the other direction than usual, but that you've also got to look over your shoulder for cars coming from behind you. And if the cars don't hit you the bikes sure will.

The majority of people seem to walk everywhere and take the public buses, or coaches as they're called here. The rest ride bikes at a ridiculous speed and will run you down without remorse.

I walk everywhere (which is a great leg workout--the amount of stairs I have to climb almost daily is wild), with the exception of my first solo coach expedition Monday morning. 

Now, you have to understand that at home there is a certain negative connotation with public transportation. Death is feared and probable on buses at home, so some apprehension on my part was perfectly acceptable, countered only by my juvenile excitement at getting to ride in a double-decker.

It went well though, and I made it to my stop and back home with a small glimpse into how the bus system works here (complicatedly). Fortunately everywhere I need to get to on a regular basis is within a thirty minute walking distance of my flat. I don't even have to workout while I'm here, the distance does it for me.

The coaches weren't the only things to get used to though. The money is weird, and I'm slowly getting used to the idea of pence rather than cents. The workers in places I've shopped at have been patient with me, so I'm not completely horrified at getting something wrong. I am a little worried I'll accidentally hand in an American coin, but I doubt they'd get very upset with me. Beyond that everything's labeled with its amount, so as long as I don't mind looking like a complete knob standing there reading my coins I'll get by just fine. There's a two pence coin the same size as the fifty pence one, but luckily the colors are different so I'm able to figure out rather quickly by sight if not by touch.

The tea section at the local Tescos (a grocery story here) is huge, taking up an entire aisle by itself (which is saying a lot because it's not a very big Tescos). That's not really a surprise though. Neither is the fact that everyone smokes here. It's just a rather smelly inconvenience, but nothing I can't deal with.

The weather is a constant topic here, with it's ever static 'cold' with the occasional 'colder' making for fine conversation. It's apparently not usually this cold around this time of year (it was in the 30's this past week) so I have hope for some days in the 50's eventually. My standards have lowered significantly.

My standards for food have also lowered. A fact that is not at all helped by our over-eager but very effective fire alarm. Nearly every time we light the stove (that's right, 'turn on the gas and flick on the lighter and send up a prayer that you don't lose your hand' light up the stove) it's serenading us with it's out of tune shrill voice, only stopped by someone grabbing the nearest pillow and fanning the air around it. We'd open the balcony doors, but with the weather absolutely freezing outside we'd rather take out chances with the smoke detector.

I'm living on a diet of primarily potatoes and pasta, with the occasional bit of chicken and a near constant peanut butter and jelly sandwich thrown in. I was eating toast for a long time before I finally caved and bought the slightly more expensive cereal, which I have appreciated immensely the past few days. The fire alarm still hasn't forgiven for the one time I tried to make eggs.

I have eaten in the New College dining hall for lunch, and while the food was good I was more intimidated by the fact that this temporary tent-like structure we'll all eating in has mini chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and portraits on the walls. The temporary dining hall is fancier than most restaurants back home and ridiculously intimidating. But it's inexpensive and nearby one of my tutorial rooms, so I have plans to brave the hall once again, if only to escape my own burned quesadillas.

I've been doing a lot of paper writing as of late, as well as going to my first tutorial. It was a bit intimidating having my paper torn apart right in front of me, but my tutor did it in a polite way and I agreed with nearly everything she said, so I feel it went very well. Unfortunately, I'm once again remembering that my home dog Willie Shakes is not my favorite thing to read, but it's only for a few weeks so I think I can deal with reading a few plays like 'As You Like It' (which was actually a really good play, as was 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. 'Richard II' and 'Richard III' were brutal though, and I do not recommend them).

My next upcoming tutorial is my creative writing one, the tutor for which I met with my bus excursion on Monday. The third one, astronomical mythology, I have yet to meet the tutor for, but he seems nice from the emails we've sent back and forth. The research for that paper led me to a book called "A General Theory of Magic" which makes me feel more and more like I'm at Hogwarts.

Getting into some sort of routine will probably take time, as I'm used to a schedule of 'be here at this time every day'. It's not like that here so I'm almost going crazy with the sheer amount of time I've been allowed to decide what to do with (when I'm not reading or writing papers of course). I have plans to go to a science and history museum tomorrow, so maybe I'll make a habit of visiting different buildings when I don't know what to do (or when I've been reading so much Shakespeare my brain is falling out).

And so with that insight into how my life has been progressing in this new but incredibly old city, I say goodnight Oxford and good afternoon California,

Sam

London Learning and Oxford Quirks

The people of Oxford walk like they know exactly where they are going at all times. There is no wandering, and more often than not, my long strides have been overtaken by an impatient Brit with places to be.

The buildings of Oxford are the exact opposite. Strongholds and fortresses, they remain still for hundreds of years, watching on as the city bustles around them. It is because of these monstrous castle-like structures that I am almost never watching where I am supposed to be going. Earlier this week there was a lecture on the architecture of Oxford, and it has helped me to recognize the Classical and Gothic styles around me.

I could wax poetic about the beauty of the structures here and the various attributes of the two types of architectural styles, but I wouldn't want this to turn into too much of a lecture (at least more so than it already will be).

The past few days have been full of tours of Oxford and learning all that I can about the city, tutorial system, Oxford essays, and research techniques that are about to consume my life for the next eight weeks. Needless to say, I am feeling both under and overwhelmed.

Oxford is most definitely a university city, filled to the brim with libraries and colleges sprawled about almost haphazardly. I'm told that Oxford is rather uniform compared to other British cities, which look like someone dumped out a pot of spaghetti and decided that was where the roads would go. Having been to London now, I can agree wholeheartedly.

Of the many colleges within Oxford (which never seem to stop and always seem to pop out of nowhere) I've been placed into the New College of Oxford University. I'll have access to that particular college's library and campus, as well as the ability to eat in their dining hall. We toured New College the other day, and I was almost too excited to be attending a university that looks like something right out of a Harry Potter movie.

Coincidentally enough, New College was where they filmed several scenes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. My obsession-filled heart may have almost exploded at this news, and prompted a flurry of pictures and some excited screaming.

The libraries, of course, are where the real magic happens. The largest library in the city of Oxford is the Bodleian Library, a multi building masterpiece that owns over 11 million books. Most of them have to be kept twenty miles outside the city in storage because the several mile long underground vault has long been filled up. The library received nearly 11 thousand books every day because of the man who founded the Bodleian who was a smooth and convincing talker as well as a wealthy man. He arranged for every book that is published within the country to send a copy to the Bodleian, so that it's collection could be continuously growing.

This means that the library is so incredibly valuable that you need a special pass just to get inside. I had to sign away part of my soul in blood in order to get my card. I'm kidding, but there was an actual induction process where I signed saying I agreed not to destroy or set fire to the books or library. None of the books are actually allowed to be taken outside of the library either, so a good portion of my time could be spent cooped up inside this fortress of literature with a stack of books on Shakespeare. What a terrible way to spend an afternoon.

The Bodleian was also a filming spot for the Harry Potter movies, holding the rooms that have been used for the Hogwart's hospital wing and library.

I've done more than just walk the cobblestone sidewalks of this university city though; earlier today was a day long outing to London. That was only after the snow this morning, which had my roommate and I, both native Southern Californians, in an excited panic. We walked our twenty minutes to the bus stop in the snow, but the weather didn't stick, becoming just windy and gloomy before the bus even left. The drive took about an hour and a half, and we got an hour long driving tour of the city first, where all of us foreigners had our faces and cameras pressed against the windows, mouths agape as we passed landmarks we'd only seen in movies and TV shows.

Big Ben continuously astounded me with how enormous and gorgeous it is, especially lit up at night. We got off the bus and walked around quite a bit as well. We got to see Buckingham palace, the Parliament building (Westminster Palace), which are both absolutely incredible, as well as the Westminster Abbey, which has quite the history to it and within it.

During Henry VIII's reign, the king set about creating his own church away from the Roman based one in order to try and secure himself a male heir without going to hell for divorcing and then killing his wives. Because of this attack on the current church, the abbey faced the threat of demolition like so many of its kin. Fortunately for the abbey, the majority of Henry's family was buried inside and so the building could not be brought down. However, it ceased to function as anything but an abbey; kitchens, dining areas, washrooms, and the like all shut down.

Now, the abbey is open to the public but closes early on Saturdays, so we didn't get to go inside, but our guide gave us enough explanation of what is inside that we now all want to go. The Westminster Abbey houses the tomb of the unknown warrior in a grave of black Belgian marble and surrounded by artificial poppies. The warrior has been awarded the highest military awards by both the British and the Americans after World War II, awards which are displayed within the abbey. There is also a plaque that reads 'Remember Winston Churchill', though Churchill himself was buried elsewhere. His body was housed inside for a short period out of respect, as was an American man named Peabody, whose funds provided housing for millions of needy and homeless, and continues to do so today though the man himself is long gone.

The Parliament building is just across from the Westminster Abbey, their detailing almost identical upon first look. At second glance however, distinctions can be made, though no one would really guess that the palace was (re)built three hundred years after the abbey. The Parliament building, named Westminster Palace, was a gift from Edward VI (Henry VIII's son), who was not using the space and allowed the Parliament to use it for its debate chambers. It burned down not long after, and a competition was held for an architect who could create a new design that closely resembled the nearby Westminster Abbey.

Outside the Westminster Palace is a statue of a man named Oliver Cromwell, who was incredibly important for the short period of time when England was a republic before it regained its monarchy and became a constitutional monarchy. Of course, once the monarchy was reestablished, Cromwell's already dead body was dug out, three years after his death, and hung, beheaded, and drawn and quartered, just to be sure his threat to the crown was really and truly gone. Talk about beating a dead Cromwell.

We were also given the chance to see the outside of the Tower of London, a building that once housed both political prisoners and a polar bear. The London Zoo took the animals once it was built, but royal families continued to use it both as a home and as a place to store those who were prisoners and considered threats to the throne. In many of Shakespeare's plays, including Richard II and Richard III, the tower is mentioned as the place where political prisoners have been brutally murdered. It also rings true for real life.

The one place we did explore internally and in depth was the Churchill War Museum, which was created out of the underground war rooms that Churchill used during World War II. Churchill, ever the defiant man, chose to often stand outside during the four months London was bombed nightly and watch the air raids.

War business was conducted in the not-really-bomb-proof-concrete-slab-somewhat-protected-underground bunker for six years. When the war ended and the workers received the call that their work could be ceased, the lights in the map room were turned off for the first time in six years and everyone went home. The bunker was locked up and left just as it was, books on tables and maps on walls. Years later, the decision to turn it into a museum was made and restoration to the bunker begun. It now houses an incredible walking tour of the war rooms and a museum dedicated to Churchill's life, both before and after his time as Prime Minister.

In the sparse bit of free time we were allowed to wander for, my roommate and I walked over to the British museum beside Trafalgar Square, where many statues and fountains are laid out strategically. My absolute favorite figures are the faulty lions of Trafalgar Square (the ones at the foot of Nelson's Column). Of course, not everyone knows that they're faulty, but the famous lion statues are in fact not truly and completely lion replicas. The artist in charge of creating the statues, Sir Edwin Landseer, took a very long time planning, before going to the London zoo and requesting that when a lion died its carcass be sent to his studio so that he could study and recreate it. He had to wait two years for a lion to die, but a carcass was eventually brought to him. The dead lion started decomposing before the artist could finish, however, so the paws of the lion statues had to be modeled after cat feet instead, making them 'faulty'.

In addition to the lion statues, there was also a giant blue chicken, whose origin story I don't know, and several street performers floating above the cobblestone. While sitting and eating our sandwiches (a staple food item in England, though these we'd made ourselves) a photographer came up and asked if he could candidly photograph us for a student portfolio of his. We agreed and giggled our way through our conversation, trying to pretend that we weren't being photographed by a stranger beside a giant blue chicken statue.

All in all it was a very informative, incredibly beautiful, and very exciting trip to London, one that I will hopefully be repeating in the near future.

Until then my tutorials start this coming week, and I've already got two papers to write with a third assigned on Monday. My classes will all only be every other week though, and so far I've got every Thursday booked for classes, with a third class date yet to be decided. But I am excited for what is to come, and ready to tackle nearly everything I can.

So until next time, good night Oxford and good afternoon California,

Sam

One of the New College buildings

Another New College building; this one has classrooms and a large grassy lawn

They filmed scenes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in this Courtier hallway

This is where Malfoy was turned into a ferret in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie

More New College buildings

Bodleian Library (or at least one of them). This particular one was used for the hospital wing in the Harry Potter movies

Buckingham Palace

Tower of London

Trafalgar Square

One of the Faulty Lions of Trafalgar Square

The Blue Chicken Statue (I wasn't kidding)

King George and Queen Mary Monument

Churchill War Museum War Room

Churchill War Museum Alarm and Siren signs

Churchill War Museum

Churchill War Museum

Churchill War Museum

Churchill War Museum

Churchill War Museum

Churchill War Museum

Churchill War Museum War Room

Churchill War Museum; the door was full of master keys for the entire bunker

Churchill War Museum Map Room; this room operated for six years day and night without stopping, constantly trying to break codes and plan for enemy strikes

Churchill War Museum; Churchill's personal quarters. The bed was used overnight all of four times, but more often for afternoon naps

London; you can see the very tip of the London Eye behind the building on the left, and Big Ben

Westminster Abbey; the front side

Westminster Abbey; the right side

Big Ben

Big Ben

Lively Landings and First Impressions

They never tell you that you can see the stars from airplanes. Floating in this space between stars and city lights, it is hard not to find peace. Sure, the universe is not discovered on the kind of airplane I fly in, where harried travelers and starry eyed dreamers scribble notes in the dark while glancing wildly out into the inky expanse of space between the night sky and the land far below. But it is a place I do not mind, a place where I am truly under stars and over seas.

***

I boarded a plane Monday evening for a flight that would carry me to another continent, country, and culture in a short matter of ten and a half hours.

That being said, I haven't had any sleep since getting on that plane, and as it is now almost nine pm in England (almost 1 pm back home), I can honestly say that I have been up and moving without rest for over twenty-nine hours. Functionality is no longer a thing. So bear with me if some of this doesn't make sense.

And yet, before I crash into the flowery print that is my bedspread for the next several months, I felt I had to at least write something, to let people know I survived my trip over.

So here it goes, my first day in England:

The streets themselves are so different. And not just because they drive the other way (though I did have a minor freak out when I got on a bus today and thought half the cars on the road were going to hit us). Everything is so green too, just flat expanses of trees and other plants. It was a huge change from the mountains I'm used to seeing in the distance. We got every kind of weather today too, from sunny to cloudy to rainy (and I hear we may get snow later this week).

I got to meet the two other girls my roommate and I will be sharing a flat with, and they seem like lovely girls. There was a small welcome party for all the American Oxford students, a first impression I'm afraid may have told people that I'm not much for talking. Rather what happened, was that at that point my eyes had ceased to work properly and were stuck rereading the title of one of Chaucer's works until someone physically pulled me away. The people I interacted with understood though, when I told them my flight had landed only a few hours before said party, between which I had gotten my luggage, made my way through a foreign airport, purchased a SIM card (which I have still yet to insert as apparently I am not a singularly capable human being), found the bus station, bought a bus ticket, rode in a bus for an hour and a half to Oxford, checked in with the study abroad programmers, hauled my luggage my flat, and then scoped out a small grocery store before the welcome party had even begun. Just writing that makes me feel exhausted; of course that may just be the vertigo I'm suffering from lack of sleep (and possibly food, though I am eating as I type this).

My upcoming weeks are packed with tours, talks, and how to's for surviving in a town like Oxford. For example, pedestrians don't have the right of way here, so I need to learn to be aggressive and keep with the crowds that move. I have plenty to learn in Oxford beyond just my academics.

I'll keep it shorter this time, as I am in desperate need of a shower and a lot of sleep. 

Good night England, good afternoon California.

Sam

Pre-Travel Thoughts and the Six Things I Still Have to Buy

With seven days to go, it seems like everything I do has something to do with my impending travels. 

Between calling various companies to let them know I'm leaving the country, and staring at all of my shoes trying to decide which ones will be waterproof enough to accompany me on this journey, this whole study abroad adventure is becoming more and more real as the days go by.

And as my preparations continue, I've realized just how much there is that I still have to do. Luggage remains a looming  and weighty project (pun intended), as my suitcase can only weigh up to 50 pounds while still containing four months worth of wearable  and usable material. And it all goes beyond just packing too--there are still a lot of things to prep for; most of which will involve digging through the bargain bin and clearance rack for lightweight and useful items. A waterproof and warmer coat is first thing on my list, followed by some taller socks, something to waterproof my boots with, a lighter suitcase (yes I still have to but my actual suitcase), more leggings, and some sort waterproof messenger bag, all of which probably should have been purchased sooner than a week before departure. There is also the matter of making sure my phone is equipped to travel. I'll be picking up a SIM card over in England, one that will give me a new number but won't skyrocket my phone bill.

Just staring at that list adds to my worries about getting everything done on time. Combine that with the realization that I will be in a different country for four months and the recent Air Asia crash, and my nerves are pretty understandable. And while I will have easy ways of contacting people back home (and flying United), it's still feeling insane that in a less than a week I'll be packing up what I can carry and taking off to a foreign place (hopefully for a grand adventure full of new and exciting experiences). 

I've realized that the world will continue to spin in my hometown, as well as at Concordia, which will hopefully mourn my absence for a semester (but not too much). But that doesn't mean that I won't be sad that I'll be missing out on things at home. At least when I was at Concordia home was less than two hours away. Now there will be an eight hour time difference, and I can't just pop home for a quick weekend and church visit. It's not really the distance I'm worried about though--I like to think I've always had a bit of a traveler's heart, because my willingness and drive to meet new people and see other places has always been rather high--more the fact that despite my best intentions, people will grow and change and I won't be there to see it. Children will grow up, people will move, my sister may dye her hair a new color; and I won't be there to witness it. That's the scariest part I think, that for four months any change or activity that happens in Escondido (or Concordia for that matter) I won't get to be a part of. And that scares me a bit, because as I like to be in the thick of things. Involvement is important to me, so I guess what I'll need to do in England is get involved. Make my own change.

England itself has always seemed like some sort of fantasy land to me, filled with castles and fairy tales. It was the magical home of Harry Potter and Hogwarts, the mystery-filled sniffing ground of Sherlock Holmes, and the historical playing ground of centuries worth of kings and queens. And I'm going to get to explore it.

However, it won't be all traipsing about the country and climbing castle stairwells (though that is on the agenda). I'll be there for the primary purpose of learning--three courses to be exact, that will be taught to me over the course of about eight (ish) weeks. My primary course will be Shakespeare, where I'll be reading everything from Richard III, to Love's Labours Lost, to Othello. All in all I'll be reading seventeen different plays and writing papers about each of them. My math-loving sister groaned when she heard this, but it's something that I'm actually looking forward to. Papers I can handle.

My other two courses will be just as exciting. A non-fiction creative writing course I'll be taking as a prerequisite for more minor related classes when I return, and a course I got to 'design' for myself. This third class I've taken to calling Literature of Astronomical Mythology (or in more succinct and less eloquent terms, I'm going to get to read about space themed lore, hopefully focused on Greek mythology). 

The tutorial system for all of that in England works a lot like an independent study course here. I'll be meeting one on one with a professor who is a master in whatever field my course focuses on about once a week, and in between each meeting I'll be writing papers for our discussion on the subject, exploring each piece in depth through my own writing. 

When I stop and think about it, it can seem a little bit overwhelming. And yet, I'm not worried about the academic part. Not really. I'm confident in my ability to get things done efficiently and intelligently, and I'm very much aware of the time commitment it will take to get this done. I've also decided that I'll be joining an organization over there. Something that will help me meet more people over there and take advantage of the resources Oxford has to offer. But first I have to make Oxford seem less like a story I'm telling and more like something real that is actually happening to me.

And starting this blog is officially making it seem very real, with the additionally perk of also making it seem a little bit more like I'm somewhat prepared for this trip. Writing is familiar ground for me, so starting this blog and transcribing my experience is going to make everything a little bit easier. Or at least I hope so. This could be a good chance to give everyone back home a peek at what I'm up to and how I'm feeling, which will hopefully help with the distance and, yes, the change.

So I invite everyone, whether you had plans to follow me on my journey or not, to come adventuring with me. To see the things I see and learn as I do. There's a big world out there, and the fact that I'm going to get to explore even of a fraction of it is incredible. So here's to a travel-filled 2015, and a four month adventure that will hopefully give me my own story book adventure.

Happy travels!

Sam