"Lucky to have been where I have been. Lucky to be coming home again."

My apologies that this post lacks pictures.

Today is the second day of November. Which is unbelievable to me. This is also the end of "4th week," meaning the term is halfway over.

Because it is midterm, Francis held individual meetings with each of us in the group to give back a grade for our introductory course paper and check in with how our tutorials are going. I was so happy to get an "alpha" on my first paper here and couldn't help but beam the rest of the meeting as I sat across from Francis in his study. He then gave me a "present" which was a copy of his new book that had just arrived from the publisher. Then as I was leaving, I remarked on how I liked his study, especially the original PICASSO that was hanging on the opposite wall. What a cool man. I can't even...

The rest of this week was insanely busy. On weeks that I have my minor tutorial, my time management skills go out the window. Especially this week when I had my tutorials on back to back days. This resulted in getting very little sleep in the last two days. Yesterday I took my computer to Java Co. to complete my paper for my last tutorial. I was cutting it extremely close and the panic and stress began to get to me. This is where I pause to explain the abundance of luck that I experienced this week:

My history tutorial requires a lot of research, meaning a trip to the library once a week, which I hate! The library that has the majority of the books I need is beyond walking distance and requires the bus. I made the decision on Tuesday to take a taxi instead. It was raining, cold, and I was in a time crunch. In my wallet I only had a 10 pound note and coins. The meter was quickly reaching 10 pounds and I started panicking about the cab driver pressing a seat eject button and me getting tossed in the rain. But when we pulled into the parking lot the meter said just under 10 pounds. (My first episode of good luck)

After getting my books, I went back outside to catch the bus. Here's where I realized I was an idiot: I was worried about not having enough cab money...without even thinking about having enough money to get back home. I started practicing my "but I'm a stupid american" pity face as I waited for the bus. Then I dug out all of the change from my wallet and asked the bus driver how much a one-way ticket cost. "2.10," he said. I blurted out, "FO REAL?!"and handed him the coins I was holding: exactly 2.10. (Lucky break #2)

Yesterday was the day from Hades. My paper was due at 2:30 and I was still sitting in Java Co. at 1:50 trying to finish it. I ran up to the library to print it and was having no such luck. So I emailed Penelope hoping to catch her at home. I then sped walked to her house, thinking that there was no way she would be there...or at least not be checking her email. I rang the doorbell and was about to turn away, when it opened and there was Penelope, holding a printed copy of my paper. A lucky break doesn't describe it. This was an act of God, of the Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior, praise Allah! I wanted nothing more than to hug Penelope, but time was ticking and all I could do was say thankyathankyathankya through tears as I rushed off to make it to my tutorial.

When Thursday was over and I was back at the flat, I could finally relax. But after having such a stressful day, I kept thinking about how I should have hugged Penelope. The homesick feeling struck and got me good. This morning I found three letters in the mail from friends which was the next best thing to a hug and exactly what I needed. I hate feeling like I want to go home when I'm supposed to be having an awesome time abroad, but honestly it's completely unrealistic to not miss the good ole US every now and then.

So without trying to make this a post about homesickness, here are some things I can't wait for upon my return to Arkysaw:
1. People that understand my sarcasm
2. My fuzzy brown blanket
3. Camping
4. The sweat pants I forgot to pack
5. Mexican food
6. An efficient washing machine/dryer
7. American TV shows (and the ability to stream them online)
8. The Natural State in it's natural state
9. Driving and listening to music (at the same time, and with friends)
10. Telling stories about my awesome time in Oxford!

(Audio)BOOKS!

Monday chats in the basement library

Believe it or not, the pictures above still cannot do the Warners' basement justice. There is still another 180 degrees not captured. Penelope's office is a library in the basement of the Warners' house. Shelves are stacked (triple stacked) with books while more pile up on the floor. And the most impressive thing is that Penelope knows where everything is. This is always my first stop when I go on the quest for books needed for my tutorials.

A tradition has started in which I visit Penelope's library every Monday. At first the purpose was to get books, or to pick up my food stipend. But now the purpose is for conversation and company in a cozy home. Penelope always keeps a plate of biscuits on her desk for callers such as myself. For the past few Mondays, Adrie and I have left the flat together after breakfast to head over to St. John Street. There we are greeted by Penelope with a, "Hi, come on in!" and join her downstairs. Janice, who assists Penelope with paperwork, is usually found sitting on the couch organizing Penelope's makeshift card catalogue. After a while, Britney finishes her tutorial in the living room and comes down the stairs as well. Then we all talk about our adventures of the previous weekend and plans for the next week. Without fail, we always manage to touch on the subject of food, and it's at that point that Janice passes around the plate of biscuits.

It's not until Francis interrupts our stories by coming downstairs (to which Penelope says, "Hello, Beloved!") that we realize we've been there for over an hour and should leave to go work on our essays. Then we're given biscuits for the road and leave to do other errands and study.

Today my "other errands" included going to the post office where I sent off some postcards. This was my third time to go in the last week and the lady behind the counter now recognizes me. Feel free to send me snail mail because the lady at the post office can confirm I do write back!! (My address follows at the end of the post.)

Paper friends!

When I got back to the flat after going to the post office, I resumed my spot at my desk to start my essay for my upcoming Tolkien tutorial. The plan was to have all of the Lord of the Rings books read by Wednesday (the day of my tutorial). But, with the combination of sickness and...being realistic...I don't think this goal will be met. However, my tech-savy brother succeeded in sending me a copy of the audiobooks. This means I can listen to the series while doing other tasks at the same time, like writing my essay (or writing postcards...or playing with my hair...). I even used my new ability to multitask to teach myself how to make paper cranes (which now lie about my desk, made out of my old notes). There they sit, serving as a reminder to STOP DILLY-DALLYING!

Tonight the group joined Penelope and Francis at the Oxford Playhouse for a production of "The Handyman." I realized that this was the first play we've seen while here that was not Shakespeare. It was a play about an old gardener (played by Timothy West) accused of war crimes. On Wednesday we're having a discussion at the Warners' about the play with one of the actors.

Now I sit again at my desk, writing my paper (or blog post) while the audiobook continues to play from my laptop speakers. This morning I had to explain to my roommate that the old, british, man's voice coming from my room was actually the narrator of the audiobook and that I didn't have an old, gentleman caller. Both Britney and I are getting over being sick, and while we are now able to walk about, we still have persisting coughs. My best description is that it sounds like Britney and I are communicating with a modified morse code. Except instead of dits and dashes, it's wheezes and whoops.

For anyone with the itch to partake in snail mail:

Olivia Goza

21 Venneit Close

Roger Dudman Way

Oxford, OX1 1HZ

U.K.

What's shakin', BACON!

"Olivia went to England and died from the plague." For the last few days I've been convinced that this would be the closing sentence of my biography.

Hopefully the fact that I'm able to write a blog post is a sign that the sickness is ending. This week has been one full of soup, orange juice, pjs, and hot tea verses the coughing, headaches, tiredness, and fever. Being sick in a foreign country=awful.

A BBQ feast!!

Because I was sick in the middle of the week, I skipped out on cooking dinner for the group on my designated night. I promised them instead, a feast at a later time. Today I kept with my plan of keeping things low key and only ventured outside to get groceries from the store. I then spent the rest of the day preparing my idea of a feast: an American barbecue dinner. I know I talk about food a lot, but that's only because it's one of the things I miss most about home. Especially: BACON! The other Olivia does not eat pork. She also went out of town this weekend. So to celebrate, I mean mourn the loss (Freudian slip), I couldn't help but cook some bacon. As I was frying bacon to go in the baked beans, I realized that I was smelling a smell I haven't smelled since I'd been in the US. It was wonderful!

To continue talking about food I miss: Oreos. On Thursday, Britney and Adrie made "slutty brownies," which might be the worst thing you can put in your body (and best). First you bake a layer of chocolate chip cookies, then you layer Oreos, and then you pour brownie batter on top and stick back in the oven to bake. A junk food trifecta! Not food for mere mortals. Oh and why are they called "slutty brownies?" They're quick and easy. Sinfully delicious. People would do naughty things to get one.

On top of being sick, the studying, reading, and writing had to continue in order to be prepared for my tutorial yesterday. When I got to the Pusey house yesterday, I was amazed to find my tutor wearing jeans. And even more amazed that he still managed to look hella fly! I only wish to live up to such classy dress.

Hitting the town...bundled in pjs...

Last night, because our flat has been infected with the plague, Britney, Adrie, and I decided to remain home instead of the usual Friday night pub crawling. So we bundled up in pjs for a night of movie watching. However we also wanted snacks, so the plan was to walk to the convenience store right up the street from the flat (this short distance justified us not changing out of our pjs). However we found the store closed and had to continue our journey further into town, further in the freezing, and further to where more people could witness us in our pajamas.

To sum up this week, I'd say "crummy" (referring to my sickness and dessert purging). However this next week holds lots of excitement: Halloween, Guy Fawkes celebrations, and another play with Penelope and Francis! It will also mark the middle of the term (cue the tears). Here's hoping for a second half full of good health, adventures, and just as much fun!

One Pumpkin to Rule Them All!

The Great Pumpkin makes the journey home

First things first: I got a pumpkin!! Seeing the leaves change outside my window, I've wanted nothing more than to sip apple cider (not the hard stuff), watch some football, and sit by a fire roasting s'mores. I decided to take autumn into my own hands and tonight picked out a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch...also known as Tesco. I just got home after carrying it a mile back to the flat to be carved later this week! Till then it sits on my desk giving my room a much appreciated festive look.

Other than pumpkin carving, this week holds another great task: finish the Lord of the Rings series. My next Tolkien essay is due next week and I have t-minus 6 days to complete the series. Today I finished the first book. I can't think of a better way to spend a rainy day! And I finished it just in time for tonight's C.S. Lewis Society meeting. This week the speaker delivered a talk over "Redefining Hobbits" (not all the talks are about Lewis). It was so neat getting to hear someone else give a talk over something very similar to what I am preparing to write my own paper about.

As I continue reading the series, I become very transported into the magic of Middle Earth and (quite nerdy) start comparing my own adventures here in Oxford with those of Frodo as he goes about his journey. But I'll save all that corniness for a later post...

Last night I saw yet another Shakespeare play. This time, "The Tempest" at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury. In the late afternoon, our group drove with Francis and Penelope to the theatre where we ate dinner in the restaurant prior to the play. The theatre was very small and our seats were front row. Besides having to resist the urge to touch the actors, I could literally see all of the spit that came out of their mouths as they PRonunciated their lines with great PUnctuation and PRecision (seriously, waterfalls). Unlike the other two plays, I haven't read "The Tempest" so cannot comment much to the director's interpretation. But I did enjoy a shift from watching Shakespeare's comedies to a genre most near to sci-fi.

My roommate's cough from the next room reminds me: it's tea time. The colder weather has given both Adrie and Britney colds and I'm trying not to be a fellow victim. I'm hoping that I've paid my dues back when I got sick after having no heat. For the meantime though, I remain in my room with my tea, Lord of the Rings, and my pumpkin.

Foggy Day in London Town

This weekend I decided two things: 1. I should always carry an umbrella and ignore forecasts that predict no rain and 2. I'm planning my future excursions while in England to include just me, myself, and I.

Big Ben!

Yesterday I traveled with Britney, Cam, and Adrie to London for the day. We woke up and caught the Oxford Tube (a bus that runs between Oxford and London). I spent this last week reading maps of London so that when we got there, we would have an agenda of things to do or see relative to a certain area so that we could make the most of the day. This was mistake number one: having a plan. More specifically, expecting the others to go along with the plan.

The plan was to leave Oxford by 8:30am in order to make it to Buckingham Palace with plenty of time to see the Changing of the Guard. Traveling with a group, we left at 9:30. Missed the ceremony.

The plan then shifted to getting food and after a bite to eat we wandered around the National Gallery. I can try with all my might, but I will honestly never have the endurance of a real art snob. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate art, I just mean that my appreciation doesn't increase by spending eternity walking around.

I quickly moved through the Renaissance paintings to the more contemporary art. As I was looking at the collection of Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh I got the urge to be back in Paris.

Next I got the urge to wander further away from the group (who were still in the Renaissance rooms) and continue my London adventure alone. I sat down on one of the benches in the room where a little kid was drawing in a sketchbook while looking at Van Gogh's sunflowers. The scheming and plotting was just getting good when the others caught up and together we decided we'd outdone ourselves on art for a while.

After leaving the gallery we crossed Trafalgar Square to get some coffee. Here is where I realized mistake number 2: traveling with someone that has as big of an appetite as Cam. Honestly if I had to describe our trip in a few words I would say, "restaurant hopping." But really, I found myself racing along the streets of London to find places to eat so that Cam would be fed, and therefore happy. The result of all this wandering (fast paced walking) was not getting to do or see a lot of London.

After eating dinner in Chinatown, I convinced the others to look in the used book shops on the next street over. The walls were covered in old books and I started dreaming about having a book collection that size of my own one day. On one of the shelves I picked out a really old copy of Pride and Prejudice. I showed Adrie, who is taking an Austen course. After realizing it was priced for 85 pounds, I put it back. "Watch it!" said the old man at the counter. I realized that by putting it back I had accidentally bent a few of the pages. I turned to Adrie and mumbled, "We gotta get out of here" and we then left as I heard the old man take the book off the shelf and call out, "Unbelievable!" I had wandered into the shop as a book lover and left as a book destroyer. Sorry, dude.

What do you think we did next? Get food, DUH! We walked (raced) along Oxford Street to a place that Cam said made awesome waffles. Soon it began to sprinkle. In my head I could not fathom how I was in such a situation. Walking in the rain, my legs about to fall off, for a waffle?! Half an hour later I found myself standing in the cover of a metro station, eating a waffle covered in cream, strawberries, and chocolate. I can only describe it as: FREAKING DELICIOUS! It was really impossible not to have a slight lift in spirits after eating it.

I regret being a book destroyer, but no shame for destroying that waffle! This brings me to mistake 3, which completely contradicts mistake 1: not having a plan. It was raining, our legs were tired, and it was time to go back to Oxford. I knew perfectly well how to get from where we were back to Victoria Station, but it involved taking the metro, which the others didn't trust (and were completely oblivious to my familiarity with the underground). Therefore the adventure continued in the rain, looking for the proper bus to take us to a station that would then get us home. By the time we got to the station, I was completely soaked. And by the time we found the proper pick up point for the Oxford Tube, I was breathless from dodging traffic.

I slept most of the way home and it was a miracle that my legs found strength to carry me back to the apartment. With all the events of the day that sound miserable as I type them, I don't regret the trip. I was able to see a new area of London, see the National Gallery, and eat some pretty good Chinese food (and a waffle made by angels). I am also not going to hesitate about traveling alone in the future and I can't wait to plan my next trip in which I have every excuse to be selfish! This means walking at my own pace, eating at normal times, and not sacrificing my plans for others' wishes...cause honestly selflessness is overrated (you can decide for yourself if I'm joking).

Pints with the Prof

Watching the debate at the Student Union

The atmosphere of Oxford as a center of learning has really made an impression on me in just the last 24 hours. I've mentioned before about the debates that the Student Union hosts. Last night was the second one of the term and I put aside my research for a while to be a part of it. When we got there, we flashed our Union IDs and were let into the debate chamber. At 8:30, applause started as the debaters came in: students and guests, all in formal wear. The topic of this debate was over the legalization of assisted dying. The guests included professors, doctors, and representatives of Parliament. Before the end of the debate, the floor was opened to members (If I wanted, I could have gotten up myself). When the debate ended, people voted Aye or Noe depending on which door they exited the chamber from.

The whole way back to the flat, we continued the debate. And all of us were remarking on how impressed we were with the learning environment that surrounded us. When I arrived back at the flat, I had a new motivation behind my paper writing. I spent another Thursday night preparing my paper for my Friday tutorial, and then the majority of today. At 3 I went downstairs to print my paper (I fixed the printer, so no more having to pay money for my paper). I then walked to my tutorial in the light drizzle/mist of England.

Here's my next point about the learning atmosphere: I presented to my tutor my paper on the Oxford Movement and Edward Pusey...while sitting in the Pusey House...in Pusey's library. That's just not something that I could experience in Conway, Arkansas.

Enjoying a pint with my tutor after my tutorial

A few weeks back during our introduction lectures, my soon to be tutor, John Jackson, mentioned that he wouldn't mind getting together with our group for a pint sometime. Cameron, being the outgoing person he is, and not afraid to talk to anyone, emailed him this week wanting to take him up on the offer. So today after my tutorial, John Jackson and I walked down the street to the Royal Oak and met Cam, Adrie, and Britney who were there waiting for us. The five of us sat around the table, drinking a pint, and talking about our time in Oxford. As I was sitting there I had the happiest feeling come over me, not because of the pint, but because in just the last 24 hours I had become fully convinced that my decision to study in Oxford was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

The feeling lasted as we said goodbye to my professor and stopped at Tesco so Cam could get dinner fixin's. I got some more staples: bread, milk, PEANUT BUTTER, and packed them in my backpack for the walk home; all except the bread which didn't fit so I hid it under my rain jacket and walked back with my new loaf shaped belly.

Tomorrow the plan is wake up early and catch the bus to London. We've been joking every time we pass the bus station that we should just hop on and go to London for the day. Tomorrow we are actually going to.

Now that I have down time cause my papers have all been turned in...why not make this blog post longer? I really like making lists, so here is another list of things I have learned in the last few weeks:
1. Running out of food is bad. Running out of toilet paper=a whole new level of bad
2. Tea solves everything. Cold? Tea. Thirsty? Tea. Tired? Tea. 4pm? Tea.
3. When pub crawling, if the bar you're in is playing Barbra Streisand, and you and the girls you're with are the only females...you might be in a gay bar.
4. Never underestimate the deliciousness of a grilled pb&j and how comforting it can be on a late night while writing a paper.
5. All you have to do to look like a local is walk with determination. Careful though, people might ask you for directions.
6. I don't have a fear of the two spiders on opposite corners of my wall. What I do have a fear of is them meeting one day in the middle and becoming friends and then plotting against me.
7. To get rid of the leaky faucet making a "drip" noise every 10 seconds, put the sponge under it to catch the drips.
8. There's always a creative and inexpensive solution to problems (see above).
9. The easiest way I get homesick is when a song related to camp plays on my iTunes shuffle.
10. My first month here has completely flown by!

What are you TOLKIEN about?

I honestly believe that my subconscious self is out to sabotage my conscious self. I have a habit of turning my alarm off on the first ring and then continuing on with sleep, completely oblivious to the fact that I have doomed my intended schedule for the day. After turning off not one, but my three alarms set for this morning, it was a miracle that I woke up when I did: thirty minutes before my tutorial. I had to leave my flat immediately if I was to make it in time to St. John Street. I put on clothes, slipped gum in my mouth, grabbed my paper, and walked as fast as I could along the muddy path towards town. Luckily Barry was running late too, because I arrived all sweaty at the Warner's before he did. I had time to calm down and prepare myself for the cuteness of Professor Barry, who to my absolute delight was wearing his chevron sweater again! (He must know it's my favorite!)

I had a lot more confidence reading my essay aloud a second time than I did at my first tutorial. This might also be due to the fact that I was talking about Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, and fairy stories, rather than citing history novels I knew little about. We then talked for the rest of the hour about how Tolkien and CS Lewis both shared an arrogance for the best ways to define certain stories. I could find myself appreciating Tolkien because I myself can be arrogant about certain things. (It's only cause I'm always right...)

With my work complete on my Tolkien tutorial, I then set out to get my books for my Anglicanism tutorial. My tutor emailed me a list of books he said were available at the Brookes Library, which is across town from where I live. I bought a bus ticket to get there and while I was waiting at the bus stop, I took out my Tolkien reading to keep me entertained. To my annoyance, a guy came up and asked me, "Don't like Tolkien much?" That is what I thought he said. Why would I be reading Tolkien if I didn't like it? After many confused "whats?" I realized he said, "Don't like TALKING much?" He was trying to make conversation about how I was choosing to read at a bus station. And then he apologized for bothering me. I had to explain that I simply just didn't understand him and conversation turned to how I was from the US, studying in Oxford, and reading at the bus stop because I was waiting on a bus that was 20 minutes away. He then wished me good-day and left on his bus. If you know me, you'd know how strange it is for me to have a conversation with a stranger and you'd appreciate the awkwardness that this morning held for me.

Anyway, the journey to the library continued. After a long shelf search, wouldn't ya know, none of the books on my list were there! I decided the best next step was to go home and get some lunch. Since I had woken up late, the only sustenance I'd had was gum and a biscuit from Penelope (and I'm not talking about an American biscuit with gravy, I mean a half dollar sized English cookie).

My kitchen smells awesome

With my savvy internet searching skills I managed to find my history reading online, which means I don't have to wander around town tomorrow. As of now, I've got dishes drying, clothes washing, and a whole pan of spaghetti sitting on the stove. I took on the job of making tonights dinner for the group, however as I was in the middle of browning beef, I learned it would be for just me and my roommate because the others were making other plans. So now I have leftovers galore and will probably be eating spaghetti for the next week. I deemed the dinner "instagram worthy," so here's a shot to prove how the others missed out.