Blenheim Palace

The whole group with Francis and Penelope (our English dad and mum)

Blenheim Palace

This afternoon we set out for Blenheim Palace with Francis and Penelope. We first stopped to see where Winston Churchill was buried before continuing on to the palace to see where he was born. As with all our past excursions, we couldn't have asked for better weather. We toured the inside of the palace, had a bite to eat, and then wandered the grounds.

The grounds were beautiful! After walking down by the water, we went and explored the "secret garden." (It wasn't so secret because there was a sign pointing to it.) I really want to write a lot about the place, but the majority of the day was just taking in the beauty of it and the fall weather. So here are pictures to replace my lack of words...

In the rose garden

The Water Gardens

As of this evening, I am sitting in my apartment after ordering pizza, watching Lord of the Rings, and eating cookie dough that Britney made to go with the movie. I couldn't think of a better end to the stressfulness of this past week.

I had my first official tutorial on Friday, in which I read my paper aloud to my tutor and then we discussed for an hour. Everything about the situation was stressful to me: writing a paper on a topic that I didn't know anything about to start, and then having to act like I did. Back home I'm used to the system of submitting a paper and then turning my back on it. DONE! PHEW! Not the case here.

In the "Secret Garden"

I left my apartment two hours early prior to my tutorial so that I would have enough time at the library to print my paper. This was a great decision as it took me forever to print. When it failed to print the first four times, the lady at the counter told me I would have to just try from another computer. Finally on the fifth time I tried, she realized there was no paper in the printer. HA! I wasn't the idiot. And I laughed while five copies of my paper then printed from behind the counter.

After paying 80 pence for my paper, I realized that the printer had cut half of it off. I was anticipating the difference in paper length, so I changed my computer settings. However I found it was an unnecessary change and ended up paying another 1pound 20 pence for a second copy of my paper.

By the time I got to my tutorial I was all kinds of nervous. My tutor sat across from me in an armchair and said "Begin." I wanted to be like, "So, just like um read this out loud? And, like you're gonna listen and not fall asleep?" Kudos for his attention span. It was the longest six minutes of my life. When I finished I promptly said, "Um speaking um isn't my um strongpoint um."

I was hoping to just sit back in my own armchair for the remaining hour and listen to him talk, but instead he asked questions. And I was supposed to have an answer? More "ums" followed. Then I was given my next assignment, another paper due next Friday. The reading and writing continues!

Yesterday was also special because it was the anniversary of me becoming a big sister. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROza, Ian Goza!