Settling In

It's been a couple of days now since my last post--most of these have been spent wandering around Oxford, finding bedding, finding more bedding, finding even more bedding (it's really cold!) and meeting up with folk.

Rather than tell you everything that happened, I will simply post some pictures. Pretend you're here with me!

Oh, right, except for lunch with Simon. That was kind of spectacular because I actually get to eat in the Senior Fellow's dining room at Magdalen College. In the hallway was your standard buffet table (much like Massey) but the dining room itself was sumptuous--exactly like what you expect when you read a Harry Potter novel. There was a little turn-table in the centre that held bottles of flat and fizzy water. And we had a separate room for tea and coffee. I bet there was port around. My Massey senses were tingling. But I did not find any. My housemates have invited me for a formal dinner at University College on Friday...here we go...!


One of my favourite shots of Magdalen College. Just can't get enough popes, I tell ya...












Magdalen College again, I think, but a beautiful shot of the trees starting to come to life. Apparently, it's spring here. You wouldn't think so from the temperature of my room.










A shot of statues looking down from on high. Oxford is a place where you always feel like you're being watched.





















I love this sign: "Members of the public are welcome to walk in the Fellows' Garden, but they are advised that there is no way out at the other end." You can come in, but you can't ever leave...and the picking of flowers is forbidden. Damnit!








And now we actually see some shots of the city proper. You can make out the Radcliffe Camera (the large roundish building) and what I think may be the Old Bodleian beyond it. This was taken on Catte Street where the medieval scribes used to work. Cool, huh?







I feel like I should know which college this is, but sadly I don't. Look at those stormclouds though, huh? It's like zero to fifty over here--it can be bright blue and then cloud over at a moment's notice. Now, having been soaked through on two occasions, I will carry my tiny child's umbrella (thanks Laura!) at all times.






Last but not least, the mysterious Ben Fortescue poses next to a picture of his archnemesis, after explaining to me how he once almost assaulted Bill Clinton on his bicycle (Ben's bicycle, not Bill's).

Life with the Brits

I had never received any pictures of the place I was going to live in Oxford. I know, I know. Very stupid. But after spending several weeks hearing nothing back but Nigerian scam messages, I had been delighted to get an e-mail from someone on the Rhodes Scholar list (via Massey): a room in a student house with four other graduate students for only £240 a month! I figured, even if it was horrible, with the money I'd saved I could just go to a B&B intermittantly. I googled the place the night before I left to take a look around at the neighbourhood: it seemed quaint, cozy and very English. Everything here looks much more attractive than the buildings back home. (If you want to google it yourself, go to 13 Minster Road, Cowley, England and take a look at the street view.) I'll put pictures up anon, but I haven't taken the time to figure out my camera.

After hauling my luggage down the street, I was thrilled to discover I was not living in the tiny, decrepid bungalo down the road, but a reasonably sized place. I mean, it looks a bit like a student house. There's a TV on the porch and apparently a two-meter hole in the grass where they had a firepit that went wrong. But still it's no crack den. I was greeted at the door by Eoin (pronounced Owen) who was hungover from May Daying the night before. The tradition here, apparently, is that on the first of May the Magdalen College (pronounced Maudlin) choir will sing at 6:00 am from the roof of the college. So like a number of others, he'd been out under the premise that if he was still drinking by 6 he'd listen to it. He was. He did. I think he may have suffered for it.

Anyway, Eoin showed me the ropes, got me Internet, offered me a cup of tea. Afterward, I hit the grocery store and bought some blankets and things to get my bed organized. It's freezing in here! Note to self: get more blankets. And a pillow. My plan of stuffing clothes into a pillow case was reasonably unsuccessful.

In the evening Eoin took me to have curry at his friends' place down the road. Was lots of fun and good to meet some folk around here. I drank about a bottle of wine. I forgot what the drinking was like over here. Though, look ma, no hangover! Maybe it's the weather.

So that's where we are right now. I've got two days to get myself oriented so I can hit the library on Tuesday with a list of manuscripts and a sense of purpose. Wish me luck!