Making my list..Checking off the Days

Tuesday June 5
Im always happy to finished with an essay- and always wish I could leave it at that without having to face the tutorial. I'm not sure why that is, considering they generally end up fine. Last Tuesday's tute was interesting, and I was able to distinguish among theories regarding globalization much better after the hour was over- at least in how I would have liked to discussed them in my essay. I'm still having issues providing emipiracle support, even when my argument makes sense and can be supported. I don't know if this is because I have a natural lack of interest in history versus conceptual or if I have a lack of knowledge to pull from....or perhaps I'm lazy. Either way, that's what I must work on. Just one more.

After the tutorial, as has become my routine...I headed back to the JCR for tea and biscuits with my ipod and one of the sections of the student magazine which requires no thought. I sit there thinking how there is now an endless possibility of things I can do next....my time is finally my own. People generally start filtering in for lunch about 15 or 20 minutes after I sit down, so its a good time for me to catch my breath before I start the week again. This week Amy sat down with me and we had a nice chat. She's a 3rd year who has just finished her exams and is going for her teaching certification next year...that day she was going out with a fried to look in to some of the colleges that she had not been to yet. It's funny to think that I may have seen more of Oxford University than some of the students who are here for a longer amount of time-- I suppose somewhere around a month before one leaves Oxford for good it becomes important to see things. The university a very exclusive environment...with out being a "Member" it is just not easy to see much. This makes sense of course, because there are hundreds and hundred of tourist every day. If they had access to libraries then none of the students would bother going.

Check List
I made a calendar last friday to check off the days I have left. For one, it gives me something to do at the end of the day...and two, it reminds me that I need to get everything in before time gets away!

So this week I've kept fairly busy trying to check off my last bit of things to see do around here. Tuesday I went into St. Johns. They have an expansive back garden that is more immaculate most city parks I've seen in the states . It was so relaxing just to walk around for a little while and enjoy the brief moments before I would start thinking about essays again.

After St. Johns I walked around the corner to Broad Street and decided to stop in the New Bodleian to look my books up on the OLIS (this is the card catalog which I have to go to to find out which libraries have my books and whether or not they are available in the libraries I have access to. All of mine this term have been in the Social Science Library) The New Bodeian is really strict. I had to hand my back pack over to a lady who handed me a wooden block with a number on it. The New Bod is not really all that new. It is at least 50-70 years old. Which, I guess that is still pretty new in Oxford terms. A copy of all of the books ever published in Britain is in possession of the Bod….which they underground kindof beneath Blackwells book store. I read that a conveyor belt thing transfers books under Broad Street from the old bod to the new. It’s a librarians dream I would think. The New Bod definitely is not as impressive in terms of architecture and detail as the old bod. I went to the PPE reading room- which was lined with bookshelves all around the walls and in the middle one long table after another with lamps for the work areas. The ceiling was covered in an interesting geometric type design made of wood though. That was the only really special part of the room. I found the library numbers for my books and headed off.

Religion and Public Policy Lecture
At 5 I attended a Religion and Public Policy Lecture at Regent's park. It was really for the Senior fellows and some of the MCR students. I found it interesting however, as it related to many of the issues I studied in political theory relating to separation of church and state..and multiculturalism issues. I really love to watch the lectures debate with the senior fellows. They are really intense because both come from very well educated points of view. One of the issues discussed involved the teaching of religion in schools- the lecturer commenting on how poor the knowledge in elementary schools is regarding basic elements to Christianity. Its funny that I was not even taught about religion period in elementary school- but his argument was that its very important for children here so that they can understand what they are looking at when they see most artwork from the past centuries and other cultural items-here of course religion is very much tied in with coronations and all that as well- I never really considered the cultural need to know of religions mostly because I was taught the fundamentals of Christianity at such a young age- and then later those of the other world relgions before I was able to view most of the art involving those subjects. Religion is very much the central theme of most of my cultural tours around Europe though- so I can see how the issue of teaching religions could be more tricky around here. Just an interesting outlook on it I've never really thought of because I don't know what it would be like to see a picture of the crucifixtion and not understand what is being depicted. One of the other fellows disagreed that children for the most part don't know these basic things in Britain- I'm not sure how America compares on that....

Back to the Books...Already
After dinner I cycled to the SSL to find my books. Unfortunately they were mostly short loaned, which meant I would have to come back every two days and check them out again. I decided to go ahead and get them since I really needed to read more earlier this week. I always feel nervous walking around the SSL..especially now that I wear flip flops which tend to make that annoying flapping sound. I never really notice it until I’m walking in the library that is so deathly silent…I guess the silence matches the gray walls and the fluorescent lighting..the endless rows of books and study tables. The SSL is really not my favorite place. I think I avoided studying there as much as possible..maybe to my disadvantage. The one good thing is that it is made of mostly glass…so the windows are floor to ceiling and give an excellent view of the little creek near by. Anyhow..I flip flopped around the the JZ section for my last time- happy to be on my last book hunt of the term. Finding the books is always kind of exciting. It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something just by looking them up on OLIS and then finding them tucked away on the shelves. So much promise of learning exists on the Tuesday after my tute. Unfortunately I know that I am not likely to look at these books again for another couple of days. At least I have them though….reminding me that I’m not quite finished yet.