Finally, Visitors for Me

Only one more hour until I meet Mom and Dad at the St. Clements bus stop! It is a surprisingly beautiful day here in Oxford...nothing like my first day here when it was cold and cloudy. I had expected rain today but it looks as though mom and dad might get a good taste of beautiful Oxford.

Needless to say, I'm am so excited 1. about my parents first trip to Europe and 2. the fact that I'm having visitors...I am a person who need my time just for me- but a week of that has been plenty and it will be nice to finally share some of my experience with family. No matter how great blogs or pictures...nothing can really replace the experience of walking through the streets here and just soaking it all in - in person.

Ryan's parents arrived the other day and Kristie and I tagged along to show them around the city. I guess this was my practice run for being the tour guide for my family. We had a good time and it was neat to see their excitement about everything. I'm jealous because they are going to Dublin! and I don't think I'm going to make it to Ireland this time around. I suppose living with an Irish guy will have to do for now....

Its surprising how much I've learned about the school, the buildings, the architects, the history- I guess part of that is the result of trying to write about things here for family back home- Last night I joined Ryan and his father and Kristie and her boyfriend Tyler in an evening at The Turf Pub....it really is one of the coolest pubs here I think- if you didn't know where it was you would never find it because it is at the end of this long little alley and not really marked at all. It was my first night in a while to just walk around Oxford at night- since I've gotten my bike I guess I haven't walked much anywhere. I wonder if I'm just getting used to living in such a beautifully unique place. Perhaps the next few days with my parents will allow me to re-appreciate it all as I try to share it with them.

The next few days will be interesting just to see how we react as a family travelling abroad. hah. Sometimes I just laugh thinking about us....and we haven't even started yet. Those of you who know my family well- know exactly why.

We plan to go to Belgium to see the battlefield where my grandfather fought in Bastogne...and we plan to see Phantom of the Opera in London (because I couldn't resist it being Mom's favorite movie)......so they are excited about that...but I am most of all excited about Mom cooking for me tonight and tomorrow. That is all I really want. I have been missing them and it will be good just to visit.

Photo Access!!

I'm excited to have finally figured out how to post my complete photo albums on here. It will save me tons of time trying to decide which pictures to display in my blog...especially with the recent travel photos!! The links are to the right..and you just click on the photos to see them...don't worry, you don't have to be a member of facebook.

The Segrada Familia

When I woke up around 3 pm I was completely disoriented and forgot that I had gone to sleep in the hostel...my new Barcelonean home for the next few days.

We got ourselves together and decided to find our way to the number one tourist destination: The Segrada Familia.

We decided to navigate our way by a little walk around to enjoy the city-something you can't do on a metro...It was wonderful. The little cafes, the shops, even the pavement (sidewalk) which was tiled with a floral pattern was so picturesque and just how I would imagine spain to look. Almost every building had a balcony made of black rod iron fashionably shaped into neat curves. Floral type molding covered many of the entrances to these buildings and the windows and such. No building looked the same really. And most had some type of design or color to them. Though it was a large and modern city, the history here was evident on every corner.

We reached the basillica called the Segrada Familia (The Holy Family) which is an ongoing construction site vistited by millions of people each year. The designer, Gaudi, spent 40 years on it before dying in 1926 and the work is expected to continue for many years to come. Despite the fact that his entire vision has not yet been completed..this was the most unique basillica I encountered on all of my travels. There was just soo much to look at and I think I could stare for hours and never truly see all of the details of the building. The statues depict many of the events in the life of Christ and the disciples. The nativity facade (my first picture there) was very Gaudi like. I still am amazed by it looking back on my pictures.

The nativity facade was no less impressive..even though it was obviously not as old nor as Gaudi-like as the other side of the basillica.

The statues were beautiful. But I wondered what it would be like to go to church where Judas' betrayal of Jesus stands right next to the door way- a constant reminder of human nature....just the thing to get some good worship going I suppose....

We wandered on and found our first Tapas bar which we decided was definitely authentic Spanish because the guy working the counter spoke absolutely no english. This was agood chance for us to test our spanish skills- even though the only thing I could make out on the menu was ham and cheese. Of course our spanish didn't come in very handy as in Barcelona the people speak what is called Catalan...but we managed for the most part. I discovered quickly that pork is a staple food item in spain....

(My travel buddies outside the Tapas Bar, our first dining experience )

By this time in the evening we were dead tired of walking...but determined to make it to Park Guelle...an entire park that is designed by Gaudi... this is when we discovered that Barcelona is built on a very very steep hill......we walked what seemed like forever and were sad that the park was not lit up enough for us to enjoy it...we trekked the miles back to the hostel promising to return tomorrow....and ready to ride the Metro.

Barcelona and a Grand Beginning

Since I could not take my laptop along on the trip, I suppose I will just have to start from day one, using my journal entries and memories to blog on the experiences. Hopefully it will flow enough to understand.

The first day was essentially part of the day before the first day of travel
->meaning that we did not sleep the night before our flight to Barcelona, Spain. I had spent the day collecting maps and directions info online while Kristie gave Bobbie Jo the grand London tour, when they got back around 10 pm and we started getting everything together, we realized that we would have to catch a very early bus to London Gatwick Airport- early as in 3 am....or so I thought....

at about 1am I rechecked the bus times and realized the bus headed out was at 2~~!!! Our last hour of packing was a bit of a frantic moment for me. Even though I had spent most of the day getting ready, I felt so unprepared~! Packing everything for 8 days into one backpack just didn't seem like it should cut it, I knew I had to be foregetting something...but as 1:50 rolled around it was time to be on our way.

We strolled down Iffely Road pretty briskly considering we were on the verge of missing the bus...luckly we made it with time to spare. Me worrying about potential disasters soon became a theme of this trip. Bobbie Jo and Kristie tended to be a little less worried so I guess we made for a well balanced group.

After nearly a 2 hour wait in the airport, we were finally seated on the plane around 7 am- finally, time to go to sleep!We booked the cheapest flights possible- this one was with Easyjet (sounds reliable eh?) so I wasn't sure what to expect- but all went smoothly and I woke up just as we were flying over a mountain range north of Barcelona. As this was only my 3rd flight destination ever- it was my first opportunity to view mountains from a plane- and I suppose any mountain range at all outside of the Appalachians, they were absolutely breath taking.

From the sky Barcelona appeared very brown- as opposed to England which was very greenish- The tan color of the beach sand seemed to fade right on into the hundreds of buildings and on into the hills behind them. Barcelona was massive. Luckily the streets were on the grid pattern and not the crazy circle arrangement like Lexington- so navigation wasn't bad but I don't want to even know how many miles we walked over the city.

We caught a bus from the airport to the city, and ended about 10 minutes walk from our hostel. The walk up via Rumbla y Catalunya seemed endless as we were loaded with our backpacks and I had not dressed for such warm weather. When we finally stumbled upon the entrance to our hostel we were pretty perplexed as it actually looked like a respectable building in the center of the city- I had imagined the hostel to be more like a concentration camp with 20 bunkbeds in a dark and dingy room- since our method for choosing the places were based on the cheapest bed we could find in the city, we were certainly risking that possibility throughout the trip - but this place seemed fine enough- It came complete with free internet access, breakfast, kitchen access and balconies overlooking the city from the kitchen area-

there it is...so normal looking we almost missed it.

view from the hostel balcony looking down via Rumbla y Catalunya

Our room mates were three girls from Sweden who were living in Barcelona for over a month- the hostel was alright but there is no way I would want to stay more than a few days. Another guy there, Abe was from the states and was now working there as the kitchen cleaner and in town as a translator. He had been traveling the all over and ran out of money when he got to Barcelona- so he stumbled upon the job at the hostel which gave him a place to live as well- he was telling the room how he had earned enough money over the past few months to move on to South America soon- I suppose I knew some people spent much of their lives traveling around, but I never new "world traveler" could qualify as an ultimate occupation- to see whatever you can and start work where ever you happen to run out of money- and live until you make enough to go to the next place---I'm curious what it would be like, but not sure I would be cut out for it. But I guess if my life were paycheck to paycheck it might as well go hand in hand with a little adventure. I know I would never have the guts to just go for it though.

So there we were, with our grand entrance to Barcelona, and with in an hour of arrival all three of us were dead asleep for at least 3 or 4 hours. Some hard core back packers, eh?

There's no place like home...or Stanley Road at least

For those of you who have been keeping up with me over the past 2 1/2 months, don't worry, I have not fallen off the face of the planet~ just enjoying my time off to travel.

For the past week and a half I've been backpacking around Spain and Italy, there is so much to tell and the task of blogging on it all seems like entirely too much effort for this spring breaker...but I'm sure the updates will come with in the next few days. Right now I'm just trying to figure out how 3 girls who have hardly been off the North American Continent managed to survive a European backpacking with no great catastrophies....

Georgetown Invasion

Spring Break has arrived...which is very evident with the slew of Georgetowners who have invaded Oxford. This week our friends Bobbie Jo, Matt, Ryan and Jessi have come to visit us...sadly I'm the only loser without a friend coming especially for me...and Ryan must be really cool because he has two friends visiting him!! (Ryan and Matt)

It has been great to see friends from home. It really brings out the differences I have forgotten between here and home- Ryan, for example is just a really friendly guy. He never meets a stranger....yet he has received strange looks from the Regent's student when he just walks up and says hello...We explain to him that here in Oxford, people don't do that unless you have been introduced or something. Otherwise they pretty much ignore you or think you are a weird person....

The last few days have been nice to just relax and enjoy living here a little- however, without any structure to my day I'm finding it hard to remember what I've even done the last few days!!

Friday was lazy....I did receive my lost Bodleian Card (which gives me access to libraries) in the mail. It had fallen out of my pocket when I was riding my bike about two weeks ago. I have already had it replaced, so I suppose now I will just have a spare! Spares are good as long as you remember where you put them. Unfortunately, when I got to Regent's my bike key was no longer on my key chain.....and now I'm not sure where I left the spare. So that is sad, but I expect it will radomly turn up sometime....I hope

During the afternoon I had a field trip with the other political science students of Regents to theUniversity Museum! They have an exhibit in the Pitt Rivers museum of shrunken heads from South America. They may be removed soon so our studies coordinator, Suke, decided it would be good for us to see them.

I did the New Testament reading for Chapel friday night. We concluded our lecture series of Sacred Spaces with the thoughts of Calvary...and how even the worst of places become holy through Jesus- even the places within us.

Friday night was formal hall followed by good times in the JCR. We took the visiting Georgetown boys to Eagle and Child to share our CS Lewis love with them....well, I think we chose it more because its right around the corner from Regents.

This blog seems to have been more of a listing of event rather than great reflection. I think my mind is on a break. Spring Break. Yes.

Hello Freedom

So what do you do when you realize that an entire 2 months of writing and researching and moving to another country are behind you??

Sleep.

A Lot.

And then leave the country.


that is exactly what I intend to do.

Today was my last tutorial for Hilary term. I was "only" doing a presentation but I believe I wrote just as much as I would have in normal essay, and worked just as hard-save the effort of trying to write in complete sentences. After last week's dissappointment I was insanely nervous....but 2 pm finally rolled around today and after a some brief discussion on the topic, I presented my own arguments. It went pretty well, considering, as usual, I never feel prepared after only a few days of working on such massively controversial issues and broad topics like "Multiculturalism".

After my presentation, we talked a bit about the term in general. I really do feel that I have learned quite a bit in a short period of time- probably because I 've read more in the last 8 weeks than perhaps my entire college career thus far (though I didn't just admit that) Not having anyone to actually teach me the material before I was supposed to write these tightly argumentative masterpieces....was a challenge to say the least. And while it would have been nice to have seth's help before I began freaking out over what I even thought of the issues...I suppose it was a good thing to be forced into discovering it on my own (save last week when I taught myself the wrong things)

One thing that made me feel much better was when Seth asked if I found the tutorials intimidating and what not---of course they were for me simply because I tend to just get nervous about my work---but he said that I never appeared nervous--especially compared to two of his other students who he happened to make cry this term......I feel happy to say that I didn't cry in a tutorial this term....

Sitting there today it was hard to believe that all the sudden, just like that, I am completely free for 6 weeks here in Europe. This is the first time in a long time -maybe even back to summer- where I have not been thinking of reading that I need to be doing in preparation to come here...or the reading I need to do while I am here. After all, I was only here 2 days before receiving my first assignment.

I'm not sure what I feel about it all--but exhausted my be the most apporpriate description.

I could tell I was completely worn out this term when on Monday I woke up at 12:00, went to lunch, came back to stanley and did absolutely nothing productive. Some days are just no good you know. Some days the inspiration to be worth something is just not there....and I was completely worthless individual this past Monday.

I did manage to make it to lunch though...afterall...so not all was lost. I was to meet Dr. Hadaway since I missed the time he came last week to dinner.....however on my way out the door I notice my front bike tire was low. Being the brilliant gal that I am, I grabbed the air pump inside and went about the business of taking the cap of the inflation tube.....well, apparently this pump does not fit my bike. A good piece of info I learned AFTER I had managed to let all the air out....

So, I borrowed Alanna's bike, but had to come right back after lunch. That is why I spent the day at home instead of the great Oxford Library system. At four I went to a near by bike shop and had the problem solved....until Alanna shows up at my door with a hand held pump..."um, I think I owe you an apology" haha, she had tried to help me with my bike, not knowing I had already taken care of it...and had managed to let out all the air in my rear tire this time....too great :) I just had to laugh.

It did help me get up the next morning though. After going back and having it fixed for the second time, I attended my finally lecture with Mr. Gerald Cohen.....

After lunch on tuesday I studied for the first time in the Bodleian Radcliff Camera. It was a stunning library...so so old (like 400 years) and the building is round. There were so many old men there refusing to stop the process of life long learning....and it was so seriously quiet, that I feel asleep on my desk for half an hour....

After dinner I went to the Sackler art/ and history library with Krisitie- overall the day was pretty productive.

That was my week pretty much. Monday was a good spell of homepeople sickness day here...one the few that have managed to make it hard for me to work....So I look forard to the adventures of break...and seeing some of the people who miss me most (yeah, Mom and Dad :)

So It's Okay to be a White- White Girl? hm.

So I'm up researching to find a good story for my final topic, which is Multiculturalism...and I run across this story about the less esteemed class of British Society......apparently this does not necessarily apply based on lack of material...but is more related to an expression of materialism...

Okay, so fake orange tans, competing to have the best cell phones, and shameless display of Brand Names....

i realize this is only part of the description....but still.....

I find it interesting on how certain behaviors have different associations in different places.

I also realize this story has nothing to do with my presentation.....so now its time to keep looking...

Tilly!

Sometimes, a bit of music is all that is needed to lift the spirits and make for a good day. After what turned out to be not the best essay and tutorial experience on Friday, I certainly needed a little music. I'm learning to deal with the fact that sometimes doing the best I can will not always mean producing the best results that I am capable of. This is not easy for me. I've spent my entire life certain that my success at school, or running, or speaking, or whatever was a good dose of natural ability mixed with this incredible amount of work that I am willing to do. Repeating the essay process each week has forced me to realize that not all weeks, even when I invest the same amount or more of work and sweat equity...will automatically result in an essay that I am pleased to attribute to my efforts. My tutor was "kind of dissappointed" in the results of my work last week- and while I have struggled to make myself feel okay about this, I'm continuing to remember that sometimes things just can't go perfectly...

(myspacecdn.com)

Anyhow, I was able to cheer up with some live music Saturday night, as one of my favorite groups, Tilly and the Wall, were performing at the Zodiac, only a few streets away from my house! The were accompanied by "The Little Ones", who I had never heard of, but seemed pretty alright. Tilly and the Wall was just great though. The best part is that they don't use drums, but instead Tap Dance for all of the percussion! It is not typical that I am able to go to a concert for a band that I have enjoyed for a while- mostly because I don't get attached specifically to many bands- and most of them are too popular to have such an intimate concert experience. After the gig I was able to talk to the lead singer, Neely Jackson, so that was great.





















I am so lucky to have Kristie and Ryan, who enjoy random indie music as much as I do and were willing to come watch the show with me! We also met up with Ryan's friend Jim -(he met him at church a few weeks ago) as well as couple of Jim's friends. So I not only was able to experience great music, but had great friends along to enjoy them with.







Afterwards we stuck around for dancing downstairs...Saturday nights are indie night at the Zodiac...which I find to be great because the British are just such care free dancers...its a completely different atmosphere than the parties or clubs I've experienced in college-but I won't get in to that. It was just great to dance the week of stress away, something that I wish I could do more often.

Making the most of Once in a Lifetime

This "once in a lifetime" concept is getting really hard to handle. As soon as I confirmed my travels to Oxford, I was bombarded with tons of suggestions on where to go, what to see, and what food I just HAD to try...all to make sure I get the "most of my experience"

Well, I'm just going to guess that knowing how to get the most of one's experience is something I'll discover after I get back in America and have time to think about everything I wish I would have done- because right now, the number of possibilities for my break are endless...(well, as endless as my bank account...) and truly everything sounds like something I would love to see or do.

In one week Hilary Term will be complete, and I will being my 6 weeks of European freedom for discovery. I'm so excited about completing my first tutorial, and I can't wait to travel, but part of me is nervous that I'm going to miss out on some opportunity of this "once in a lifetime experience" and before I know it both my break and Trinity Term will be finishing and I will have not completed my "once in a lifetime TO DO list" .

I suppose this is the way it is anywhere though right? Most phases of life are really "once in a lifetime" and everyday there are a ton of opportunities that could be slipping by - and it really makes no difference if I'm in another country or not. Trying to get the most out of my experience of Europe has allowed me to reflect on the many opportunities I haven't taken back in America to see places, or do things, or spend time with people- whatever it is that's supposed to equate to "getting the most out of the experience" Most of the students I've met haven't been to America- but when they talk of the places that they would like to visit there, most of them are places I have not even been to- and I live there....I guess living there just makes me think I have all the time in the world to do those things which are around me (not just traveling)....

anyway, I think its just interesting that while I'm here I find it crucial to fit in as many countries as possible in six weeks....and in the end I may be spending more time in a greater variety of countries than I have variety of states back home.....Living in Oxford truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is likely that I may never get to live abroad again. Though I hope that is not the case, I suppose a dose of reality and perspective are needed. But truly I'm just trying to wrap my mind around all the opportunities that exist for life's experiences each day that I just overlook or avoid for whatever reason. And being only one year away from graduation I''m forced to think about how the "once in a lifetime" undergrad experience is coming closer to an end as well though I'm not sure how that happened so fast. I guess really, each day is once in a lifetime. And even though that thought isn't really orginal, I do think that it is mostly forgotten. I suppose it is all about perspective...

Well, Kristie, Bobbie Jo, and I finally got ourselves together to book flights for the first two weeks of break. The plan is to start in Barcelona, then travel to Venice, then Florence, then Rome, and then back to London. I am so thrilled that we have finally chosen our destinations and have gotten the travel plans started! I don't know when I got old enough to book flights to foreign countries with out even telling my parents yet- I get nervous about being able to do things like that sometimes. Or maybe I'm just resisting growing up- should have not decided to move to a different country if I intended on not growing up I guess......Bobbie Jo can only come for the first two weeks, but afterwards Kristie and I hope to find ourselves in Paris and maybe Switzerland- and then the last week we will become beach bums in Greece. At this point, we may become starving travellers. Mom and Dad are coming the first week of April to enjoy England with me, so that will be nice to visit some places closer to Oxford and of course, see my parents for the first time in three months.

So, even if I end up back in the states in June thinking of a few more things I wished I would have done, I certainly don't know where I would cram in another day of adventures...hopefully all works out- but I, of course, have to keep in mind that being accident prone will not magically go away during my travels...

Well, hopefully I make the most of Once in a Lifetime...whatever that is supposed to mean.

Until then, I still have one last presentation for my tutorial to complete. The eighth week burn out is starting to set in...so while this should be easier for me than writing an essay, I may find motivation much harder to come by than usual.

I Just Need a Little More Time

Well, I guess every day I can't pull an essay out like magic. After quite a lot of consideration for my topic, and a great amount of time spent in some attempt at writing....I had to get an extension on my essay for tomorrow. For some reason the ideas just weren't working out. I guess it happens...writers block...or just pure exhaustion of thought. I stopped at the hour it was due...with 1000 words left to go and went to visit Dr. Hadaway for a little chat on special obligations to compatriots....philosophy is a funny thing. It just keeps going really. I appreciated having someone there to sound my arguments off to and recieve a little insight on ways to further explore my objections I was trying to prove..

....it took me back to my freshmen year at Georgetown when he taught me ethics...its funny that philosophy of ethics was my first official class as a college student- and now I'm writing about many of the same issues each week here in Oxford. While philosophy can take you into endless arguments of thought...at least the fundamental issues never really change, or at least they haven't since my freshman year. It's nice now when I'm reading my political theory books and I actually recognize an author I read for class 3 years ago....it makes me feel at least a bit more well read than I know I really am :)

Tonight at dinner I sat next to 3 adults I hadn't seen before. One of them was an older gentlemen who was once the principle here at Regents, he now seems to be experiencing early stages of dimensia...Ienjoyed listening in on his discussion as he brought back warm memories of my grandfather. He carried on about how his parents would have been 100 by now, and kept asking 'and then what'? when being filled in on the activities of his birthday last month. I wonder if I will ever be that excited about my birthday...of course he couldn't believe that they had the people at the restarant sing happy birthday to him..

.(and as a former waitress, I understand how that situation is...I hated these dilemmas... what do you do when the person who is having the birthday doesn't want you to sing, and the person who is paying for the meal requests that you bring everyone out to do it anyway? i tend to think the birthday person should have special rights on their birthday....but I had to weigh this in consideration with who would be tipping me- and I assume it wouldn't be the birthdayee)

anyway, the gentlemen seemed very nice and did not mind asking all the questions one requires when they can't remember yesterday...it really is amazing though how even when my grandfather was going through this he would draw up memories from years and years ago- though many of them were made up, i'm sure some were pretty legitimate- he was just great to listen to.

so on days like today, when my tasks just seem a little to large to conquer...I am reminded that life reaches far beyond these books, and scary theories, and even the memories that I 'm counting on making (hopefully in the next few weeks on my break to spain, and greece)......

This week has been pretty low key. I had a rowing session on Tuesday...but sadly the Torpids competition has been cancelled due to all the rain.

That night was the launch party for the Regent's final fling....launch as in they reveal the theme of the party for next term-which is Into the Orient....sounds pretty.
The party was at this place called Angels which had the perfect little classy cosmo setting. Complete with red couches!


Break is only one week away! I cannot believe it, but I guess I better get to work on those travel plans if I intend to do anything for it!