Warm and Fed

Imagine the next sentence being read over a loud speaker, with confetti canons going off after it's read. "I have heat and hot water again!" (BOOOM CONFETTI!) On Thursday, I again sat by the window waiting for the repairman. Before the bell had finished ringing, I rushed to let him in to our igloo of an apartment. He messed with a knob hidden in the back of the cabinet under the boiler, did something with an air pump, asked to "take a wee," and then told us it was fixed. Not even two minutes after he left did I wait to take a hot shower!

So now our apartment is cozy again! And it sure makes a difference to come home to a warm room after walking in the chill. On Thursday night I heard a strange noise next to my bed and finally realized it was the radiator working. I can already tell I'm going to be great friends with the radiators. There is one in my bathroom right under the towel rack for my towel to get toasty while I shower.

Last night I cooked in my own kitchen for the first time because it wasn't freezing. I have made toast and cereal, but this time I actually made a meal. I honestly could start a separate blog about the food I've had here. When learning I would be in charge of my own meals, I settled with the thought that I would probably be starving most of my time abroad. However this is not the case at all. Our group of five decided that we would take turns cooking dinner each week. It's much easier and economical to cook for five rather than one. This means that five nights a week we share a home cooked meal and the other two nights we either are on our own eating leftovers or we go out.

I'm lucky to be with a group of good cooks. Last night I made some cranberry chicken and potatoes. In the past Adrie has made some chicken tacos, Britney makes a good lasagna, and even Cameron knows how to flip some tasty pancakes. This morning was awesome  because I woke to the sound of people in my kitchen making french toast. YUM! Tonight we got take out from a Chinese place. But seriously, I could go on and on about food!

After a warm breakfast and a warm shower, Adrie, Britney, and I decided to go into town and do a little shopping. We started at Primark (what I can describe as England's Forever 21). It was too overwhelming so we moseyed around the Covered Market and down Cornmarket Street. I ended up buying a pair of boots. When I bumped into a girl with my bag of new boots, she gave me the evil eye and told me to, "Whaatchit!" On the streets people bump into each other all the time never saying 'scuse me...so 'scuse me for trying to fit in with the locals. Anyway I just did what I would normally do when a girl makes me mad: act like she just farted.

Shopping today made me realize how different (more free time) the next part of my semester is going to be. Friday was our last day of lectures for our introductory course. No more leaving the flat at 9am. to make it to St. Peter's by 9:30 where we talk about English history, literature, and politics, while drinking tea and coffee and eating biscuits. It was sad to think I wouldn't see Penelope or Francis on a daily basis, but they made it known we are welcome for tea anytime at their house. This next week begins the actual Michaelmas Term and we are scheduled to meet with our tutors for the first time.

Both of my tutors are professors that I have already met through the introductory course and I couldn't be more excited about having them! John Jackson is my tutor for my course over the "History of the Anglican Church" and he is a boss. He is American, having come over to study himself and then moved to Oxford with his wife and kids later. He wears a hat to match his suit and always a bow tie and hanky. On Friday he showed us his multicolored socks saying that ya gotta make sure you have some color on. We are meeting next Friday over coffee to discuss my topic. Then he suggested that any other time in the term we can get the group together for some "pints."

Barry Webb is my tutor for my course over "JRR Tolkien." He has given multiple lectures to us, typically over poetry and Shakespeare's plays. After every lecture he's given, I've thought that I would honestly be happy to listen to him lecture forever. My notes prove it too. He is extremely intelligent, very quiet, pops in a joke every now and then, and pretty much just adorable.

So my schooling for the next few months will involve weekly meetings with these professors to discuss my topic. And where will I meet? Either over coffee, at the professor's office, home, or...in a pub over a pint of ale. England is wonderful!

Me, Adrie, and Britney

Trebuchet and Twelfth Night

Top of the tower at Warwick Castle

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Yesterday was another full day excursion that ended with weary feet and a Shakespeare comedy. We woke up early to travel to Warwick Castle where we climbed the towers, went to gaol (jail), and posed with Queen Elizabeth (a wax statue). We also watched a demonstration of a launching of the trebuchet. I thought of a good list of things that I'd find more entertaining to launch than just a rock. (For one, the service man who has failed again to show and fix our heat).

Outside Shakespeare's birthplace

When it started to rain, we took a break for tea and lunch and then made our way to Anne Hathaway's (not the actress) cottage. It was a thatched roof, cozy home, tucked in a garden. Like magic, when we got out of the car the rain stopped and didn't begin again until we got back in to go into Stratford where we first stopped at the Holy Trinity Church to see where Shakespeare was baptized, married, and buried. After seeing his grave, we walked to his birthplace and saw the house he grew up in.

We were then on our own until it was time to meet at the theatre after dinner. Being hungry and tired, we went straight to a pub called the Black Swan (also known as the Dirty Duck) and FEASTED! We then met Francis and Penelope with full bellies at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre where we took our seats to see a production of "Twelfth Night."

Adrie, sitting next to me, noted that there was a computer on stage and we realized that this was a modern take on the play (which was a very different experience than at the Globe).

Once the play was over, we headed back to Oxford where I crashed once I hit the pillow.

And now I'm waiting by the window, soaking in the solar heat while I watch for the heat repairman (this is the third day I've spent doing this). The video below depicts his fate if he fails (again) to show up. (It's also the video I took of Warwick Castle's trebuchet!)

Bipolar Weather

Frostbitten fingers crossed that today is the last day without heat. The repairman is supposed to come tomorrow. Till then I've got fleece pj pants, layered shirts, a jacket, wool socks, and TEA!

We have an electric water kettle which has proven to be a blessing. And I'm adopting the British philosophy that all problems can be solved by putting the kettle on.

Today was our first experience with walking in the rain on the way to class. I was convinced I was going to get poked in the eye by someone else's umbrella.

Looking outside now the sky is blue and the sun is peeking out of the clouds. Whaddahell? Penelope informed us that here one can never go wrong with using the weather as a conversation starter. Probably because it is constantly changing.

Along with the weather being bipolar, I have learned several useful things in the last week:

1. "Pants" means underwear. If you want to refer to what we call pants, you would say "trousers." We learned this when Cameron wore shorts under his sweats and told Francis if he got hot he would just take off his pants...
2. The word "restroom" and "bathroom" will get you very confused looks. I thought people would think I was trying too hard by using the word "loo," but this is normal.
3. Cyclists are just as aggressive as cars. You must look right, look left, and look right again before crossing the street cause cars AND bikes will not stop.
4. When doing laundry, set aside a whole day. And even then don't expect to have dry clothes.
5. Walking shoes are a necessity.
6. Brits don't skip tea time!!!

In other news I got a library card today to the Oxford Central Library.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I'm currently sitting at my desk in my flat watching the rain outside as it refuses to stop falling. I've been doing this all day, planning an outing for when it clears. However I think soon the rain might win and I'll have to suck it up and go out in my "slicker" because: I'm hungry.

Dang it England! The heat in my apartment has not been fixed yet and therefore neither has the hot water. I literally watched the maintenance man from my window walk up to our apartment and ring the bell. By the time I walked down to the ground floor to let him in, he had walked away. Either maintenance has no patience, or I'm dealing with a disappearing wizard. Anyway, Adrie, Cam, and Olivia have been generous in letting us use their hot water shower.

So now I sit in my heatless apartment, bundled in a blanket, with wool socks on, looking at the rain, and trying to decide if walking to the store for food is worth it, or if this orange on my desk will suffice for a while. Lost on struggle street!! I've cleaned my room, have clothes in the wash, and almost finished a blog post. Maybe I'll even begin researching for my intro course paper. (In the time it took to finish the last two sentences the orange on my desk has been consumed!)

To lighten the mood, here is a video I took in the Globe Theatre of the musicians before the play began (and before the old man who manned the door came up saying, "No photography inside while there are players on the stage, mam!" To which I say, "MUA HA HA!")

Kelmscott Manor

Outside a house near Kelmscott Manor

Kelmscott Manor

This Saturday was a lot more adventurous than last Saturday. We traveled a short ways out of Oxford to William Morris' house, Kelmscott Manor. I rode shotgun with Penelope which was terrifying. The passenger side here is where the driver would sit in the US...so the whole way I would randomly think, "WAIT!...I can't drive here...Where's my steering wheel?!...Oh, Penelope's got it....phew!"

Buscot Park Mansion

As we got closer to the manor, the road got more narrow and the scenery more beautiful.

The inside of the Manor was covered in tapestries and wallpaper designed (and some worked on) by William Morris and his wife.

After having tea and lunch in the garden we drove for a few more miles to see Buscot Park, the home of Lord Faringdon. I asked Francis what kinds of strings I would have to pull to live there and he responded by pointing to a picture of Lord Faringdon's son. Workin on it.

The Water Gardens of Buscot Park

The inside of the house had a huge collection of artwork and we were able to see examples of the Pre-Raphaelite art that we have been studying (there were also pieces in Kelmscott Manor). We spent the rest of the afternoon walking along the grounds and through the water garden. Then we had some tea (again) and headed home.

Now we are sitting in the downstairs apartment (because the upstairs still has no heat!!!!) and we just finished a dinner of chicken tacos and guacamole. It hasn't been a fortnight yet, and already we crave Mexican food.

Taming of the Shrew (and dinosaurs!)

Since Sunday, our water boiler has not been working. This morning I woke up freezing. When getting ready, every decision I made was based on what the warmer option would be. For example, I skipped a shower (no hot water), made hot toast instead of cold cereal, drank hot tea instead of orange juice, and took an extra jacket to class. Tomorrow, someone from the gas company is supposed to come and fix our boiler and heat. Hopefully.

The Globe Theatre

From my seat inside the Globe/Stage for "Taming of the Shrew"

Last night was amazing! We traveled to London for the day before seeing the night production of "Taming of the Shrew" at the Globe. After taking the train, and then the tube, we crossed the Millennium Bridge, passed the Globe, and toured Southwark Cathedral. Then we were led on a "Dickens Tour," in which the tour guide took us to several of the sights that Dickens might have seen. I guess the point was to let us "walk the same cobble stones that Dickens might have walked," but it was difficult for me to appreciate (probably because I have never been able to finish any of the Dickens novels...dude is too long winded.)

If there was anything to make up for the (pointless) walk we did for two hours, it would have been seeing "Taming of the Shrew!" Despite my past visits to London, this was my first time to see the Globe Theatre. My first thought was, "Now I know why Ms. Cobb (my senior English teacher) loved to talk on and on about it." I was trying not to "nerd-out" too much as we walked inside and presented our tickets. I spent a pound on a seat cushion and we then took our seats (above the "groundlings"). Every time I would try and put myself in the place of an Elizabethan at the Globe, a plane would fly overhead bringing me back to reality. But this is why I loved it so much: a place with such history attached to it was now a very live part of my own present world.

The play ended around 11pm. so we high tailed it out of the theatre in order to make it back to the train station in time. I had to halfway jog to keep up with Penelope as she hauled "arse" through the underground to Paddington Station. I couldn't believe she and Francis had so much endurance. Once I got on the train back to Oxford the exhaustion hit me. When we finally got back to Oxford at 1am. I was doubtful my legs would make it back to the flat. Somehow they did and and I even mustered some strength to brush my teeth before falling sound asleep in my bed.

Today Francis gave our first lecture and began by saying, "I understand you had a late night and I encourage you to close your eyes as I lecture. Sometimes this helps with absorbing information." I'm not sure if that was code for, "It's aight if you sleep," but I'll say once it was "Tea Time," I went straight for the coffee!

Inside the Museum of Natural History

Later Francis led us on a "Pre-Raphaelite" tour around Oxford. We walked through Keble College, the Rhodes House, Exeter College, and my favorite, the Museum of Natural History. Of course I was impressed with seeing stained glass in the chapels, and some of the Pre-Raphaelite architectural designs, but when Francis opened the door to the Natural History Museum, I became overwhelmed with excitement from seeing dinosaur skeletons looking at me. The five-year old me that dreamed of being a paleontologist came out and Francis had a hard time redirecting me back to the actual tour. I'll just have to go back on my own. 

Tomorrow we meet with a tutor one on one for the first time and discuss our upcoming paper for the intro course. I think what I look forward to more however, is the ability to take a warm shower once our boiler gets fixed!

Elizabethan Maury

Thirty miles north of Oxford is Shakespeare's home of Stratford and thirty miles south is London where he worked. Therefore Oxford is where Shakespeare would stop and give himself and his horses a rest before continuing on. Even though Shakespeare's connection to Oxford isn't well known, it is in fact there.

Professor Barry led us on a "Shakespeare Tour" today after our lectures. He explained we were going to go see Shakespeare's bedroom on Cornmarket Street, a place I've walked many times but have never seen anything suggesting the sort, and of course was even more confused when we stopped in front of a modern clothing store. Professor Barry announced that we had arrived and we then followed him up some side stairs to an office space above the shop. When we entered a wood-paneled room, Professor Barry, rather dramatically, pulled back some curtains revealing a fireplace and shifted the paneled sliding doors to reveal the painted wall.

Professor Barry and the walls/fireplace in "Shakespeare's Bedroom"

Cameron flipping his grilled pb&j

He then talked about how this is most likely the room that Shakespeare slept in when he stopped in Oxford and visited his friend Davenant. It is highly suspected that he was much more close (wink, wink) with Mrs. Davenant who later got pregnant and named Shakespeare the godfather to her son WILLIAM. An episode for an Elizabethan "Maury."

Tomorrow we get up early for a lecture on "Taming of the Shrew" and right after catch the train to London to see the performance of the play at the Globe Theatre. Because of the busy day we plan to have tomorrow, tonight we had a "family movie night" and watched "David Copperfield" (which Penelope lent to us). We are also planning to take a Dickens tour, so this movie was our way to pre-game that (because none of us actually finished reading Bleak House...we have however used the book to prop up the computer and swat flies.) For dinner, Cameron volunteered to cook and made every one his specialty: grilled peanut butter and jelly with bananas. They were delicious!

Members Only

I just stuck a load of clothes in the washing machine which takes a million years to wash and sounds like a baby jet plane. The people who live below me are retaliating by playing some loud jazz. Whatever. Suck it nerds.

Our first weekend in Oxford is over and this morning we trekked back to St. Peter's for more lectures (this time on the Pre-Raphaelites and then Matthew Arnold). I've noticed the difference between English lectures and the lectures back home. Here they are presented in a style similar to a performance, while back at Hendrix there would be many pauses for questions and a PowerPoint slide to assist. Today both of the lecturers gave their lessons without any type of script, as if they had memorized a monologue to recite. When I glanced at the notes Francis had for his lecture, I noticed they were dated from 2006. These professors truly know the material.

After today's lectures, we took our passport photos to the Oxford Union and got our Union ID cards made. Now we will have access to the Student Union and receive student discounts throughout town. Once term begins in October we will visit the Union more often. On Thursday nights the Union hosts debates which students are able to attend.

Outside of the Student Union and my Oxford Union ID card

My dad returned to Oxford today after doing some traveling on his own this last week. He continues on to London tomorrow and soon back to the US. We did some shopping and stopped in for some coffee at Blackwell's book store. Later we had dinner in a restaurant and my dad got his filling of fish and chips. As he makes his way through the US customs, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that his "stash" of McVities cookies make it through as well.

During our shopping, I bought a poster that has drawings of all the pubs in Oxford. Once you visit a pub, you can highlight/circle/color in that pub on the poster. SUPA COOL! (I've already colored in three pubs.)

We All Scream for G&D's

It's our first weekend in Oxford and both yesterday and today I have slept in until noon. I wake up feeling conflicted; glad that I'm catching up on sleep, but not wanting to waste the day.

Yesterday my flatmate and I decided to combat the feeling of being prisoners of the apartment by going out to do some grocery shopping at the Tesco. It was hectic. In America, one grabs a cart, meanders around the store, stalking up for weeks worth of food. Here people grab a basket, speed walk to the item they need (only buying for no more than two nights worth of food), and race to the checkout counter so that they make it out in record time. While the English natives were practicing for Olympic grocery shopping, I spent about 10 minutes just looking at how expensive peanut butter is. Radonculous. SEND ME PB!

G&D's ice-cream!!

Once we returned to the apartment however we continued our lazy day. We ate dinner downstairs with Cameron, Adrie, and the other Olivia while watching Netflix. Adrie wanted to go on a walk and possibly get ice-cream so she, Britney, and I put on shoes and walked into town. I have decided that the best way to get acquainted with a city is to get lost. It wasn't intentional, but that's pretty much what we did. Penelope had pointed out where a G&D's was earlier in the week so we just figured we would walk until we found it. We walked all over, but didn't give up hope and finally came upon the restaurant which to our excitement was open until midnight. There we enjoyed our first ice-cream date of the semester.

After sleeping past noon again today, the five of us walked to Cornmarket Street where we got our pictures taken for our student id cards. Tomorrow when the Oxford Student Union is open we will go and get our id cards (and can then get all the student discounts here!)

Outside the Covered Market

The rest of the day involved a trip to the Covered Market for some of Ben's Cookies (triple chocolate chip). Since it was Sunday, there weren't many shops open. We were only a few streets over, so we then checked out Christ Church. The plan is to go back later with our student ids so that admission is cheaper, but we still walked around the grounds and made some swan friends. I'm interested in returning and making a day of it to see where parts of the Harry Potter movies were filmed as well as where Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland.

Hampton Court Palace

We were lucky to have such great weather today on our excursion to the Hampton Court Palace. Penelope and Francis picked us up from our flats and we traveled by car for about an hour and a half towards London to tour the home of the royals during the Tudor period.

Entrance to the Hampton Court Palace

Besides brief mentions of this time from the previous days lectures, I haven't studied the Tudors very much. I knew Henry VIII was really fat, there was a Boelyn girl, there was "another Boelyn girl," several beheadings, divorces, and still Henry was fat. Today I was able to put the story together, not to mention see where the characters lived.

Gardens modeled after Versailles

Occasionally actors would walk past dressed in costume and playing the part of a royal or a servant. I got great enjoyment from having King Henry bustle past me in the Great Hall and then seeing Francis stand to attention as the king passed him. One of the actors gave us directions to get to the gardens. As we were walking away he asked Cameron if us four girls were his girlfriends. "Yes," he replied, "but I haven't beheaded any of them...yet."

After exploring the inside of the palace, and stopping for a cup of tea, we wandered around the grounds. One end of the grounds has the oldest hedge grown maze, the Hampton Court Maze. Of course we went in and made our way to the middle. After our amaze-ing adventure we walked to the other side of the palace grounds were we explored the gardens modeled after Versailles in France.

St. Peter's College

The entrance to St. Peter's College

Oxford University has many different colleges spread all throughout the town. The college I am studying at is St. Peter's College, also where Francis is a professor.

Yesterday was our first look inside the college and our first lecture. We had lunch in the dining hall and then Penelope treated us to lattes down the street. After that we had our first lecture over the Hampton Court Palace to prepare us for our excursion there tomorrow.

Today we started the morning with lectures back at the college (first over the life of Shakespeare and then Victorian politics). Near the end of the first lecture, someone came in to set up a table for tea. In between the lectures we had tea, or coffee, and biscuits (cookies). I definitely think this is something that America is missing out on.

Enjoying tea and biscuits in class

Before lunch, Penelope took us around the town pointing out some important sites and places we might find useful (like Boots, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury, and then the Covered Market). Before our final lecture we grabbed some sandwiches from the Covered Market.

Our final lecture for the day took place in the living room of the Warner's house. It was a history lesson over Elizabethan music (also, the origin of music in the church, plain song, Madrigals, Canzonets...)

Cameron and Francis walking inside the college

I wish I could fully describe how cool Francis is. At his house today he began our session by saying, "I just wanted to add a note to our discussion from this morning. There are only two original portraits of Christopher Marlowe in the world. One of them is in this room. Would you like to see?" He then showed us the portrait in the corner of his living room. If this wasn't enough, he pulled from the shelf some original works of Marlowe and Shakespeare both. Yesterday he told us a story that involved a side note of how Sir Ian McKellen was one of his first students. I've also heard rumors of him partying with Mick Jagger...

21 Venneit Close

My bedroom

Yesterday after arriving in Oxford, Penelope and Francis loaded my bags into their car and Penelope drove me to my flat in Venneit Close. I was first greeted by another Olivia (from Mercer College) who lives on the first floor with Cameron and Adrie (my fellow students from Hendrix). I live on the third floor with Britney (also from Mercer). The people who live on the second floor in the flat between our two are a mystery...somewhat. Last night we had dinner in my apartment. Olivia and Adrie told Cameron they were going upstairs and later when he came to join, it didn't occur to him to continue to the third floor. As a result he burst into No. 20 with a big "Hello!" After a paused, "Hello?" from a stranger's voice, Cameron quickly turned around with a "Sorry...Wrong one...They told me...K bye!" Oops.  

Our apartment is fairly new. In fact we are currently waiting on someone to come finish grouting the shower. It's also much larger than I expected. We each have our own bedroom and bathroom. Plus there is a third bedroom. A guest bed! Or maybe we will make it into a laundry room...or a game room...or board it up and just say it's haunted.

Later I plan to go to the poster store so that the walls in my room don't look so bare. However the more clothes I throw on the floor, the more I start to think it looks like home. The kitchen is also coming along. We stored our first leftovers last night and this morning I opened my first jar of marmalade for some toast. The only sad thing is that there is no dishwasher. (There is however the combination washing machine/dryer located under the kitchen counter...a sexist joke, I think.) Dishes will have to be done by hand. Therefore would you be surprised that this morning I ate my toast on a paper towel?

The kitchen

The living area

One of the bathrooms

Welcome to England!

After flying to Chicago, taking a 7 hour flight to London, and then a 1 hour bus ride to Oxford, I have made it to my destination for the next 3 months. This morning I arrived at St. John's Street and was welcomed by Penelope and Francis, the directors (and a married couple) of the program I am doing through Hendrix. Penelope then drove me to my flat (thank goodness for a break from hauling luggage) where I met my flatmate. Britney and I live in a three bedroom, two bathroom flat on the third floor while the 3 other students in our program live on floor 1 below us. Yep, there are only 5 of us in the program which I think will be good because it means more individual attention will be given to us throughout the semester.

Before I had completely unpacked, Britney and Olivia (who lives on the first floor...I'm not talking in third person) invited me to go walk to the park with them. On our way we stopped at the Kings Arms, a pub, and had some lunch. After ordering a sandwich, the guy asked if I wanted chips, I thought he said tips, and I was pleasantly surprised when I was a brought a side of french fries. Seems like America was not quite ready to let go. 

Later I met my dad (who traveled over with me) and I had a cornish pasty for dinner. I then bought some juice and cereal from the store to add to the milk, eggs, and bread that Penelope stocked in our fridge before my arrival. When I arrived back at the flat I found the rest of the group making a pasta feast in our kitchen. From the leftovers, we already have tomorrow's dinner planned.

After dinner the five of us decided to go on our own sort of pub crawl. We started at the Eagle and Child which is the pub famous for frequent customers: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Then we went to the White Horse which was underground and very small. Finally we ended at the King's Arms (the place we went to for lunch). We ended the night with some apple cider before walking back to the flat. 

Tomorrow the introductory course begins and we have our first lecture at St. Peter's College. 

My first day in Oxford has been a success. I'm already resisting the urge to talk in a British accent and I'm looking forward to buying an Oxford University sweatshirt from the bookstore. It is now well after midnight here and with the jet lag PLUS the amount of walking it requires to get around, I am exhausted. I look forward to tomorrow when I will explore the college and officially get underway with academics. 

As I've been told many times today, "CHEERS!"