Just Because

So I guess its about time I at least post a little update, intelligent or not. Since my last post, a decent amount has happened. I finished reading Life of Pi which was a great novel, well written, and extremely thoughtful. The author had several interesting thoughts on religion from the point of view of the narrator/main character. That got me thinking a bit, but not for long. My brain still wants to take a complete vacation from any sort of intellectual work, but I try to at least do something during the day to keep my mind stimulated. Some Sudoku, a chapter or two a day from my next book Spitfire, a historical description of the British fighter Spitfires from WWII, their advancements in science, the men who flew them, and their contribution to the war and the Battle of Britain. I've come across some really fascinating segments of the book I'll perhaps copy onto a post at a later date; some thought provoking, some emotionally riveting (like Winston's speeches), and of course some cheeky British humor.

I've also watched quite a fair share of movies recently. Had a lovely "Master & Commander" night with some friends as we were inspired to watch the British Navy in action after visiting the Portsmouth Historic Dockyards (my third time) several weeks ago. Caitlin also finally introduced me to the mother of all horror films, "Silence of the Lambs". I found it fascinating because it was enough horror that I could handle it alright, but the complex plot and character development was what really made it brilliant to watch. We then went on to watch the other Hannibal Lector series; "Red Dragon" was good too, "Hannibal" was also good but much more assaulting in violence, at least as far as his cannibalism goes. We watched another horror on TV by accident, "The Descent" and that was just too much for me. I screamed out loud several times, and ended up watching this horrible nightmare from behind a book 90% of the time. Uggghhh. How can people like that??? I did not make me feel good at all, and was utterly depressing. On a lighter note, "Hot Fuzz" which I watched tonight, is a hilariously fun movie to watch and very much British humor about the police force.

Otherwise, I have occupied my time with Christmas shopping, spending time with some friends before we all head home, and walking around town. Last weekend was an exciting change of events however. I had the pleasure of meeting up with a good friend, Ryan, from St. Andrew's (Scotland) as well as a mutual friend Brian, for an evening out in London last Sunday. Usually I take the bus, but this time we took the train south which was exciting for me because I've actually never used the rail in England yet. So that was another new adventure, and saw parts of Oxford I hadn't seen before. The point of our trek to London, however, was to attend the first advent service at St. Paul's Cathedral. It was an absolutely gorgeous ceremony. Very formal, very reverent, as well as very inspirational from it's readings. The theme spoke repeatedly on anticipation of the Second Coming, and I really appreciated how it also included readings from outside religious sources and not strictly passages of the bible. What a wonderful way to interest church goers in new materials to read on the faith. After the service, my visit was made complete by a look at Lord Horatio Nelson's tomb in the Cathedral. We then did a whirlwind tour of all the outside attractions one could see after 7 p.m. & I enjoyed my assigned role of tour/map guide. In my several visits to London alone during the summer and with friends, I have taken great pride in becoming aware of the layout of London, and especially how the tube system works. I just find it personally rewarding to know that I have gained knowledge from my many previous mistakes of getting off at the wrong stop, or trying to find my way back, etc. and it also makes me feel more like a true resident of the U.K. to know the layout of London at least a little. Enough to get by.
We concluded the evening with a pleasant and delectable meal of Indian curry, or whatever else we ordered. It was a long ride back, and we finally made it back into Oxford by 1 a.m. The next day we met up again for a casual and satisfying lunch at the Eagle and Child before Ryan and Brian were both on their way to Edinburgh that afternoon. What I liked most about the weekend however, is that it was good to talk to a familiar friend again about familiar topics such as Hillsdale, Greek Life, other points of mutual interest we had already established, etc. It was just nice to have a conversation where I could pick up again where it was left off, catch up on life, talk comfortably but philosophically at times. I think what made last weekend stand out more as well, is that I still find myself having relatively "young" conversations with many of my friends here in Oxford. What I mean by "young" is, we are still getting to know each other in many ways, and at times have to search extra hard to find any points of mutual interest or commonalities. They are pleasant company, but still fresh and awkward at moments, and it just takes time for things like that to adjust. Which is why I am grateful for having a comfortable and enjoyable last weekend with familiar company. (Oh, and Caitlin is excluded from any of this because we've practically lived together since freshman year and I have been blessed to have her with me this whole time to help with the newness of some of these social gatherings. At times it has felt like Freshman year all over again, getting to know so many new people.)

So all in all, that's about it. Tasks ahead are to do are: one last Christmas gift, all are taken care of except Dad. He's a hard one to be creative for at times. Finish & mail the last of internship applications. I should catch up and write in my real journal. Tie up loose ends for the family visit in one week. More personal fun reading. And best of all, enjoy a great weekend out with Caitlin. It's our last weekend hurrah together in the U.K. before she heads home next Wednesday. Not time to look back and reminisce yet, however, we still have a whole weekend ahead of us!
Cheers,
Lindsay

A Glimpse Into What I've Done Here in Oxford

So I finally figured out this picture deal on this site....I'm not exactly a computer effecianado. The top photo is my amazing rugby team, Newford Hall. We ended up being a combination team of New College, Hertford College, and Lady Margaret Hall, hence Newford Hall. The second picture is the New College Women's Football Club. I loved every single minute with all these ladies. Maybe I'll get a picture with Dr. Hurst too, before I leave; that would give a great representation of my regular hours spent in tutorial with him. He looks like the perfect Oxford tutor with his kind smile and very English appearance. I wish I could bring all this back to Hillsdale with me.

Pleasant Surprises

So, as you can judge from the above title, today was a day of pleasant surprises...
The greatest was finding out that my tutorial is suddenly finished much sooner than expected. Dr. Hurst had already set me another essay due this upcoming Saturday on international relations 1923-1930, but after finishing reading for my last essay at today's tutorial, he began setting me my grades for the term. After assuring me that he was satisfied with the number of essays I had written him already, I was able to sit back, relaxed, and comfortably take in his generous analysis or my performance as his pupil since June, earlier this summer. I won't go into details of all he said, but to give you a general idea, I walked out of his house afterwards and once out of sight, I literally jumped for joy. I have never felt so rewarded for all my hard work, and felt that his critique was one of the most fair grades I've ever received my whole academic career. Our last meeting remains scheduled on Saturday, but instead will be a casual discussion of all I have learned to bring my studies in full circle.
That's it then. After my tutorial Saturday, my time lies empty; I am no longer a slave to my day planner. Football finished. Rugby finished. Tutorial finished. My plans then are to do some light Christmas shopping, lots of personal reading (have not read a proper novel in months), and general enjoyment of Oxford before my attention is pulled away to play hostess for my family in two weeks. I have two bigger goals as well. First, I hope to make one last trip into London & spend time with family friends before Christmas preparations become overwhelming. Second, I think I will take some regular walking adventures around Oxford. I know the city center, my neighborhood, and the general area, but before I leave I want to really come to know Oxford. I will therefore venture beyond familiar areas, try new pubs, and continue to absorb every moment here. This will be truly exciting!
Another pleasant surprise occurred not just an hour ago. Caitlin and I just had to get out of the house for a short while, so we grabbed our books and strolled over to the Book-Binders Ale House, and little neighborhood pub that lies just around the corner, but in the opposite direction of our usual traffic route. It was a dim, cozy little establishment with a unique assortment of antiques and oddities lining the walls and ceilings. They even had board games stacked up in the corner for patrons to entertain themselves with. I didn't know what to expect, so we both enjoyed a good pint in our warm little corner and became lost in literature for an hour or so. It was truly a little charming place...I'll have to stop by there possibly with the family when they visit.
I guess not much else was a "pleasant surprise", but that was most of my day. Went to the farmer's morning market and bought some absolutely sumptuous Foccacia to eat with the gourmet olive oil I purchased in Florence less than two weeks ago...checked out "Life of Pi" at the city library as my first novel to start on this Christmas Break...returned all my research books back to New College...Now all my attention will turn to completing internship applications, personal reading, exercising/walking adventures, enjoying city life, and completing simple menial tasks or errands that I honestly do find enjoyable. From now on I am embracing the simplicities I can enjoy in day-to-day life before classes begin to loom ahead in January.
Cheers!
Lindsay

Wrapping Things Up

I am increasingly amazed at how fast things are coming to a close here in Oxford. This next week begins 8th week (out of 8), which means it's all ending sooner than I thought.
Tutorials are beginning to reach a conclusion as well, but dear Dr. Hurst wants to push it on as long as he can because he knows I'll still be around waiting for my family to arrive December 15. Disappointingly for him, (fortunately for me) my Bodleian card expires sometime around Dec. 8 so my tuts can't carry on forever as I can't study without research materials. My last paper covered the entire four years of WWI in general study under the thesis "Why WWI lasted so long". It was one of my most fascinating papers to study and read up on, and I am impressed with many of the ideas I came away with. One that struck me with a resounding blow was the concept that WWI introduced the accession of material supremacy over the individual. The buildup of numbers and power in armaments and weaponry became the greater focus and the story of the individual soldier on the front blended away as just numbers in a trench. My next essay may not be as thrilling, but I'll push my way through reading about more Great Power relations 1923 to 1930.
Saturday was one of the most exciting days I've personally had in a good while. After my tutorial I seriously ran a good two miles through into town and over to the New College sports ground. I had to miss the first match of the Rugby Cupper 7's tournament, but arrived in time to spend another 5 hours of rucking, shivering between matches, and covering myself in dirt with pretty much half the pitch. In total we played 5 games and did reasonably well with no subs. I can't remember if it was 3 wins- 2 loss, or the other way around, but we came away 5th place out of some 14 teams or so and won a silver plate for our team! In all honesty, it was the most fun I've had so far. I loved every shivering moment out there, loved every punch, and still love every bruise and ache I feel throughout my body today. It must have been around the high 30's Fahrenheit, but while we were out there in the middle of a match, you couldn't feel the cold at all.
I was honestly surprised how well I was able to bring it together and contribute to the team as well. Sadly, I've had to miss the last two practices out of necessity, both of which were important because they practiced further tackling techniques. I fortunately soaked up every ounce of information I learned at that first tackling session, and at least knew how to approach it correctly and relatively safely. In all, I would say that my contribution to this tournament was 20% knowledge of the game & techniques, 80% passion & adrenaline. My dad is in humored disbelief that his eldest, most "academically driven" daughter is turned on by violent sport. It's a true fact, however, and have found it's the best way for me to release any energy, aggression, or enthusiasm I have.
I was put in the position forward, and our job is to carry the team's mobility forward through strength, power, and fateful blows delivered to the enemy. Carly & Ann, our captains and the experienced OUWRFC (Oxford University Women's Rugby Football Club) players played back where they were to carry the ball to the try line with swift mobility & sprints. In short, we do the heavy work, and they score the points. I like it that way, and found it much easier to just focus on my one job and the laws guiding my position, unlike other sports where some players have to know and do it all. In more competitive & professional teams of course everyone must know everything, but for small college amateur leagues thats not so important.
The time flew by on the pitch, and every game was a new exciting challenge with different techniques applied to overcome the enemy's weakness or at least avoid them pinpointing ours. As I said, Carly and Ann scored the points, but Senna and Caitlin also contributed a couple in there as well. I spent lots of my time either in the sweaty heat of a half-scrum (to be described soon), on the ground, stuck in a maul, laid flat out sometimes with people stacked on top of me, or either scrambling on top of the pile myself trying to get control of the ball.
One of my favorite descriptions of the drama of rugby, I discovered yesterday occurs in the silence of a half-scrum before the ball is touched into play. I am not exaggerating here either, as those moments are filled so much with athletic tension and heightened senses. A half-scrum is a restart of play where the forwards (me & 2 team-mates) interlock shoulders and heads with 3 opposing forwards. We create a tunnel like formation with all six players crouching low, leg muscles contracted at the ready to either push or run. The few moments before the ball is placed in the tunnel, fingers are grabbing at loose shirt on opponents', your ear is level with the mouth of your rival whose head you are locked against. Her heavy, bated, almost growling breath is clearly audible with a constant background chorus of six cold runny noses sniffling. The ball is placed into the middle of the half-scrum and the team with the advantage foots it through their players, and play is in action once the ball is touched with the hands of one of the runners in back. Other moments of play like rucks and mauls can be twice, even three times as intense as the quiet moments of a half-scrum, but during those everything moves faster than the mind can think, and players are acting on reflexes and instant decisions. In a half-scrum, those 3 maybe 5 seconds of silence, lets one concentrate on the moment at hand. The repetitions of those few brief moments of film-like drama explained everything to me without the utterance of a single word. The passion and energy that was exuded in the sweat and heavy breath of all those players in the half-scrum, instantly told me why that is one of England's most beloved sports. That same energy is carried on in the rest of the game, and I think what encourages it is that play doesn't stop when a player is tackled or the ball touches the ground like in American Football. You just keep going, no matter what. It may take a while for me to appreciate it the same as a viewer, but as a player that energy instantly captured the love of my athletic heart.
It all moved so fast though, I can hardly remember everything I did on the field, not to mention remembering 5 different games in one day. I know though that I did some good tackles, some poor attempts, and some confusing moments when no one knows what's going on so you all just jump for the ball. One good tackle I do remember, is that an opposing back was running with the ball straight towards me. I remember positioning myself for launching a tackle and thinking at the same time, "she is so stupid if she keeps running straight at me". Well she did, but that was lucky for me. Not only did I gain the advantage for my team, but I also felt good especially because I pulled off something that looked like I actually knew what I was doing out there. She was much lighter than me as well and I hit her square on in the abdomen, grabbed her knee pulling her legs off the ground as taught, and seriously set her back a good 2 maybe 3 feet. I only know this because she was light enough that I had to get up off top of her. Usually when you tackle you both fall to the side, but she was so light she just kept going back! I felt badly though when it took a couple minutes for her to catch wind and get up again. Coach Scholl from MI would be proud of me though...I did not show any weakness and say "sorry".
My team-mates were so supportive of me (as we all were of each other) and encouraged me after every good tackle I made. One such tackle they told me about at the end of the last game, I didn't remember, but they said that when I hit the other girl, Ann said it was "right on brilliant" and Helen mentioned she even her a "wham" type sound at contact. I knew then that not only was I having fun & contributing to the team, but I was helping make it fun for them too. I'm glad I didn't hurt anyone though, just as much as I am relieved to have not been mortally wounded myself. There were some serious injuries that occurred in the matches going on around us. There were medics on site throughout the day, but in addition, there ended up being three separate ambulance calls. One for a messed up neck, one dislocated shoulder, and one broken leg. Funny story, I overheard a recent conversation from the broken leg lady and she mentioned that while in the ambulance on way to the hospital, the paramedic told her "If you were a real rugby player, you would have bitten your leg off and continued playing".
So, in conclusion, rugby is finished. They actually continue the season next term but I won't be here anymore, so that's it for me. Ann and Carly encouraged me to keep up rugby though, and said that I picked up really fast and play well for someone who's never touched a rugby ball before this term. Suggested even that I start up a rec league at Hillsdale due to the fact that there's no more rugby for me back home. That idea was definitely intriguing, but will currently sit on the back burner of my mind until the appropriate time.
To Wrap up a rather lengthy description of Saturday, I came home utterly knackered and achy with 3 hours to shower the layers of mud off and make myself presentable for a footy social. The New College boy's football teams and our girl's team were to spend an evening together full of fun, curry, lots of drinks, toasts, and quality time together. Well only 3 of the girls from our team ended up showing, so it was a little awkward, especially because the boys gravitated to their natural division of footy friends leaving us girls to ourselves. Optimistically, it turned out perfect, and I got to spend a wonderful night bonding with Nicky and Lydia. Other excitements include witnessing the men's team hazing of the fresher boys making them drink a rather nasty booze/milk/cereal concoction, and an R-rated Trinity college Crew team social at the other end of the restaurant (they had a little too much to drink, but I have heard crew socials are crazy), and an endless round of toasts that seemed more like a drinking game. It ended up becoming something like "To those who've never scored a goal from behind the goal-box line" or "to those who don't support their local football club" and the respective people had to stand and drink. I was fortunate they didn't pick on goalies too long, but I did hear the unavoidable "to you who play keeper and have never scored a goal". We ended up calling quits around 11:30 though, as we ladies had a match scheduled for the next day. Sadly though, that ended up being canceled the morning of! What was most disappointing was that it was Lydia's and my very last match with the team and we had very good chances of winning too. The other team was short too many players (they should suck it up! We won a cup match with only 7 players against 11!) so it ended up being a forfeit to us. So no last football memories, but we have all intentions of making up for this loss with a ladies' footy social sometime before end of term.
So that's about it right now. Rugby is over. Football is over, possibly one last hurrah together. Tutorial coming to a close soon & I should get working on this next paper. But that still doesn't mean the excitement is over yet!
Cheers,
Lindsay

Now I Realize How Much I Am In Love

Well, it's been two days since my return from Italy and its about time I say a little something about my short jaunt. Caitlin and I visited our dear Pi Phi sister, Kristen Elmes, in Florence, Italy for four days. I'd already been to Florence before on the Academy senior class trip, but this visit was truly extraordinary. It was nice to saunter around the city, window shop at a leisurely pace, browse among the street vendors, and sit in trattorias for hours just talking. Not the go-go-go quick pace of tour groups, racing through museums & galleries where all the art blends together after so much. It was a pleasant experience overall with gellato, gnocchi, amazing pastas, fine leather, and lots of pictures.
One thing that really struck me was Kristen's passion for living in Tuscany, and how much she has grown to love everything about the culture and the city of Florence. Her unwillingness to leave the beauty of Florence, got me thinking about how I view Oxford. In retrospect, I have taken every moment of every day for granted. I go about my regular schedule, completing any errands or academic goals that lay before me without much consideration for how blessed I am to be here, experiencing this. Consider this my Thanksgiving day thought of gratefulness. I've now returned from beautiful Italy to embrace every single moment I spend in Oxford & England with a renewed thankfulness. I love taking my daily walk through my neighborhood to the City Center, visiting the Wednesday morning market with the occasional cry "2 for a pound!", frequenting the local pubs for a friendly pint with my mates, handing over my Bodleian library card with pride then walking through the restricted access doors of that ancient library...even the little things like walking gingerly over the cobbled parts of the street when I'm wearing good shoes. I've realized how much I enjoy every detail of my life here, so much that I would willingly do it all over again. In short, I don't want to leave, but responsibilities back home make that a necessity. My next best option? Oh, I don't know...graduate school for a Masters here in Oxford (both of my tutors have said I am doing graduate level work already & have high recommendations for me...yay!), maybe find a marketing job in London...all somewhat unrealistic dreams, but still worth pursuing because I love it so much. To conclude this thought, I am in LOVE with life here and I know that I will cry when I hop on that bus and take my last look at Oxford, January 3rd...Okay, no more sentimental thoughts; I still have a month left!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

All the Best,
Lindsay

Why? Why? Why?

Quick Question, this is not a long post...
Why is it that people cannot respect another person's opinion???? Why can you not just listen sometimes and not feel the need to speak a response???

I agree that we are allowed to express differing views, but I find that at certain times, if someone expresses certain feelings about a particular matter or issue, others should listen and not just give an immediate response overridden with emotional and irrational thought. I'm sorry but there are certain times when it is and is not appropriate to be confrontational with expressed personal opinions. In my own experience, when some people jump aggressively against any ideas I may say I sympathize with, it is actually a turn-off and I immediately lose any sense of respect for that person's capability of rational thinking.
In the last month that particular dilemma has occurred to me a few times in conversation, and twice on my facebook account. My point being, there is a particular time and place when it is appropriate to enter debate over an issue, and both my experiences fulfilled the 'inappropriate' category. For example, a profile page like facebook is geared to sharing information about oneself and maintaining casual communication with friends. For me on the rare occasion, I will post an article or two that may have caught my eye. I might or might not agree with the afore said article in its entirety, or, it may be one certain point that rung a bell. I will post it if there is something of interest about it which I personally feel a connection with. Therefore, if someone responds to such personally-reflective posts with confrontational rants, I myself would perceive such a response as a minor form of personal attack. If it was a blog website, designed to present political issues and other such related material that would be one thing, but a personal profile is to be appreciated by others for the personality that individual is presenting themselves to be. Furthermore, depending upon how well constructed the response argument is, I may or may not take any offense by the wording, but 90% of the time, my opinion of that individual and their capacity of social etiquette is significantly altered. In other words, choose your timing carefully.
Call me strict or old fashioned about my public manners, but it is my personal reaction to occasions like this which support the meaning "there is a time and place for everything'. In a recent book I read called, The Descent of Manners: Etiquette and Society in the Victorian Era, a passage discussed how it would be considered socially uncouth to discuss heated issues such as religion and politics in public as they repeatedly lead to intense debates. Instead, it is more appropriate to pursue such debates during a time specially set aside for like arguments. To separate such issues from common-day conversation definitely allows for more pleasant conversations on a regular basis, and enables people to develop friendships without the complexities of debate interfering with relationships.
To end this query... I apologize if my reaction here, in reference to recent occurances may have upset anyone. And yes, I am thinking clearly for 2 in the morning. This is a common hour for me to be writing, but usually I would be writing a paper for tutorial the next day.
Cheers All! Tomorrow morning I jet my way to Italy!

Lindsay

Guinea Pigs

I couldn't help but write about my new favorite TV show that I will never see again once I go back to the states. It's called "The Guinea Pigs" and features 5 young men who are foolish, reckless, and just plain idiotic. Sounds like a waste of time, but funny thing, you actually learn random facts from this show. Guinea Pigs is presented similar to M TV's Jackass, where the men do stupid stuff to each other as well as have pranks pulled on them by surprise, all videotaped live. The goal of this show, however, is to prove or disprove any vaguely known fact about physics, human science, psychology...you name it.
Tonight's episode had lots of little known facts to teach & I thoroughly enjoyed it. First they watched how the human body reacts to fear by taking one of the most gullible of the 5 guys and placed him in a frightening situation like the Blair Witch Project combined with the Ring. His mission, to videotape his effort making contact with the alleged ghost 'Jessica' in the dark damp basement of a pub. He was also given the code word 'Mesopotamia' if he wanted to escape the situation. The team watched as Mr. Gullible began to scare himself with his own imagination. It was also recorded that his heart rate jumped up to 150 beats per minute as the human body "prepared to run away to safety". The key of the project was to see how focused the human mind zeros in on the unpleasant situation, hence the code word. This poor fellow forgot to say the code word he was so scared, but it gave the audience and his friends a good laugh to see him jump & scream when 'jessica' popped out from the shadows. He was so scared he peed his pants...wouldn't want to be him.
The second task was to prove if ESP existed. 10 eggs were hard boiled, placed among a collection of 15 raw eggs, and the hard boiled numbers recorded from the 25 total. The numbers were placed in a sealed envelope, and given to the 5 fellows seated around the eggs. So if ESP exists then they should correctly guess the hard boiled eggs from just handling the envelope with the answers. How do they find out? Smashing the eggs against the head of course. One messy way to prove it, but that's where all the fun is! The answer was obvious, and all but 2 guys ended up with egg on their face.
The third was perhaps the funniest. Task: eat a sugar coated jelly donut without licking the leftover sugar off your lips. Try it! It's gotta be the most concentrated donut anyone has ever eaten. After a short while a couple of the guys were actually began salivating profusely down their chins, their faces looking absolutely tortured. Lesson: the skin on your lips is so thin and sensitive that even tiny remaining granules of sugar is like a constant tickle you can't get rid of. The best part though was watching the poor guys salivate they wanted to lick their lips so badly.
The last one I really enjoyed too, though perhaps for a more twisted reason. This time two guys were chosen by body type; one big guy, one small, each respectively representing a car and a motorbike. The point was to illustrate the level of impact on each during a car collision. This was done by repeated but unexpected, violent tackles from players of a professional Rugby team, no padding. After the first fellow was humorously tackled (after foolishly chiding the Rugby men as 'little ladies' no less) he was visibly banged up. Guy #1 was knocked about so much, Guy #2 actually became nervous and visibly frightened. Just as guessed, guy #2 was even carried a good 5 feet farther out; he looked like a poor rag-doll. In the end our guinea pigs exhibited whiplash, a couple broken rigs and a broken collar bone...in the joking words my beloved sister Mallory quotes.."Poor little bugger". Maybe its a little disturbing that we get amusement from the foolishness of others, but I justify it with the little lessons you get from their mistakes. Everyone needs a little half-witted enjoyment every now and then to lighten up life a little, and currently "Guinea Pigs" fulfills those simple pleasures adequately.
In conclusion...a little update on my life lately. My last paper for Dr. Hurst went fabulously & I am very proud that I was able to grasp the general picture of Europe 1906-1914. It can be a very confusing period to study because there are around 3 or 4 different issues going on, that involves every country in one way or another. One just has to analyze it in layers. No Rugby practice this week as I had already accepted an invitation from Dr. Hurst to lunch with him and his wife that Saturday. It was thoroughly enjoyable, the food adequate, but I most enjoyed the spirited conversation we had over coffee after dinner. Dr. Hurst never ceases to amaze me, and I was absolutely thrilled to hear his stories about growing up & his boyhood during WWII. He has one fascinating story about a German bomber going down in the local park...such things you don't normally hear anymore. My last week finished with an incredible football match. One of the most challenging games yet, neck to neck competition. Even better, we won 2-0! Part might be because I happened to be really doing well this particular match as keeper, not one ball went by me; I just slipped into this new mindset that really helped me focus and play well. Hopefully I can bring it back again for the next match I play. My punts surprisingly turned out best ever that match too, and at times crossed almost 3/4 of the field. I credit much of the win to our defense/midfield. Usually they play a little loose and just kick instead of really passing the ball, or stop it in motion, throw it away, etc. But this match they also seemed to have their game on, and followed through with some really impressive tackles, steals and one touch passing. I was so proud of my mates for their performance out there. I am so proud to be a part of this incredible team for the quality of ladies, as well, and I always enjoy sharing a good time & good laughs. This also happened to be a great time to choose to win, as it was a Cuppers tournament game and was an important victory to qualify us to keep on moving up towards the finals. I'd say overall, I had a very impressive and fulfilling week! And next post may be a while, as I leave for Italy on Thursday!
Cheers All,
Lindsay

I Must be an Imperialist at Heart

In all my academic readings so far, I always find myself caught up in the text when the author begins discussing the British Empire. Everything about it I always find intriguing; the economic interests through investments and the market, the dire need for a secure local government, the breadth of British influence around the globe, the extent of its defenses with the navy, conscript military or Indian army...perhaps because Imperialism is an idea that no longer exists in the same way today, that may be why I am so attracted to it in history books. Of course native peoples were conquered and governed by an Imperial viceroy, subjected to its laws and dictations. I am not repulsed by this, however, because for the most part, 19th and 20th century British Imperialism provided many benefits for the cultural development of the afore mentioned lesser provinces or states. For example, British investments in the Suez Canal at the turn of the century did lay the road for eventual occupation in North Africa but her financial contributions, particularly in Egypt, helped rebuild an indebted city into one of the most prestigious Near Eastern economic capitals.
To get to my point, I was reading Winston S. Churchill's "The World Crisis, 1911-1914" in the Bodleian Library today and the pages just seemed to fly by. It helps that Churchill is a very entertaining author and easy to follow, but he also focused greatly on the dilemma of Anglo-German naval rivalry. From approximately 1900 to 1914, German militarism began to greatly increase their naval building programme as well as the armament power of their battle fleets. This led to great tension with Britain, as one of their primary foreign policies was to maintain the two-power naval standard, or, keep their navy equal to or greater than the strength of the next two largest naval powers combined. As Germany significantly increased her navy, Britain began to feel threatened. The Royal Navy represented the independence and strength of Great Britain, especially because it was the communication link as well as the primary defense of the entire British Empire. I found the following excerpt from Churchill's book of great significance to my personal academic interests in the Royal Navy and British Imperialism. I hope that the above synopsis can only serve to better help you see the genius of not only Churchill's authorship but also his ability to grasp significant themes in British history.

The World Crisis, 1911-1914
Churchill, Winston Spencer

For consider these ships, so vast in themselves, yet so small, so easily lost to sight on the surface of the waters. Sufficient at the moment, we trusted, for their task, but yet only a score or so. They were all we had. On them, as we conceived, floated the night, majesty, dominion and power of the British Empire. All our long history built up century after century, all our great affairs in every part of the globe, all the means of livelihood and safety of our faithful, industrious, active population depended upon them. Open the sea-cocks and let them sink beneath the surface, as another fleet was one day to do in another British harbor far to the north*, and in a few minutes - half an hour at the most - the whole outlook of the world would be changed. The British Empire would be dissolved like a dream; each isolated community struggling forward by itself; the central power of union broken; mighty promises, whole Empires in themselves, drifting hopelessly out of control, and falling a prey to strangers; and Europe after one sudden convulsion passing into the iron grip and rule of the Teuton and of all that the Teutonic system meant. There would only be left far off across the Atlantic unarmed, unready, and as yet uninstructed America, to maintain, singlehanded, law and freedom among men. Guard them well, admirals and captains, hardy tars and tall marines; guard them well and guide them true.
(p. 86)

*Churchill's reference to the 72 German warships captured after WWI, moored at Scapa Flow in Scotland, and scuttled by their own German crews as a last effort of defiance to the allied victors 21 June, 1919 and prevent the ships from falling into the hands of the enemy.


This is where history becomes exciting for me...

Cheers, Lindsay

How I Learned to Ruck

Yesterday was the beginning of my rugby training sessions in tackling and it was such a thrill! I was also very excited to learn that Yvonne (from South Africa) on our New College football team joined rugby. She is an incredible football player and wanted to try something new, just like me. So we shared a few good laughs over how different and slightly awkward it was to do rugby moves and full-force tackling compared to the slight of foot in soccer.
We began with slow motion attacks to make sure that the approach was correct, moved into stationary attacks against an oncoming opponent, and then finished with defensive drive tackling. What I learned from this was the key is you have to come in low. It was especially hard for me because I am much taller than many of these girls so I practically had to sweep in off the ground to come in at the right angle. Your head should be tilted to whatever side you are taking them down on (never straight back) and allow your shoulder to dig forcefully into their middle, just around/above the stomach area. So if you combine this head & shoulder approach with driving force low off the ground, the strength from your leg muscles will allow you to easily offset their balance and knock the approaching player over out of play. I really got down the shoulder technique and was impressed even with my own tackles already. Our coach, Ann, wrote a team email later explaining training times for next week, how we had a good practice that day and mentioned that she has a big bruise developing from my "awesome shoulder action". Haha....oops. It's a good thing though, it means I'm getting somewhere. I really like this new found strength on the field of play! I'm a little sad though that I can't use it for any other sports. I wonder if they'll let me get that physical in IM football next fall at Hillsdale...
To quickly update you all, I've otherwise been keeping busy with mass amounts of reading and paper writing, but I am very happy that it still leaves enough time open for football practice, matches, and socializing with friends. That reminds me...Caitlin and I need to get on top of booking for our trip to Italy to visit Kristen Elmes the weekend of the 16th. We'll do that after my football match this afternoon. Until the next post, have a beautiful fall weekend & happy Guy Fawkes Day on the 5th! (It's like the British 4th of July, but not as commercialized)

On Personality

During my tutorial today, Dr. Hurst brought forth a curious observation. We were discussing figures in pre-WWI British Politics such as Lord Salisbury, Landsdown, Chamberlain, Duke of Bedford as well as other less prominent figures from the Liberal, Conservative and Whig parties. He pointed out the strengths and weaknesses in these men as political leaders, but also brought up definitive characteristics that came through in their personalities. As he articulated about their lives and position in society, the portrait of each of those men became much more clear to me. For example, Salisbury was one of the best foreign office ministers and could work through international complications to the minutest detail. He could not, however, remember simple facts of life very well and was often portrayed to be a rather maladroit person. One particular instance, he accidentally sent to his son, a welcome note inquiring if accommodations were adequate at the Cecil family country estate, and had mistaken his son for a guest.
Concluding this discussion, Hurst made a final comment that stuck in my mind and I brooded on it for a short while. He mentioned something along the lines that "personality can truly define how an individual can adequately fulfill a leadership role in government". I then began to review familiar historical Prime Ministers and Presidents in my head, and found that Hurst's comment had a great deal of support. Sir Winston Churchill was a very independent and contemplative personality but also was willing to pursue passions like watercolor, writing, and travel, but also attempted new challenges such as bricklaying and following dangerous adventures in war. Margaret Thatcher had a dynamic personality though often cloaked with refined words and proper social etiquette. Many of her conversations with journalists reveal an educated but fiery rhetoric that exhibits her strong and affirmative character.
If you look at some of the presidents of the United States, one could analyze their leadership similarly. Ronald Reagan had the bright and spirited personality of an actor, but also displayed the reason and moderation necessary in politics. Years before his 1980 presidency, Reagan was a leader in many circles from social, and artistic to small government. Even then, his easygoing nature made him come across as a person one could look up to and respect but also someone you could comfortably approach or look to for assistance. These are qualities, I believe, are necessary in a successful presidency. As the chief leader of the nation and not the decider on all issues, it is the President's role to be a public servant and be capable of communicating with society so that he or she may adequately represent what "We the People" want in our government. A personality such as Reagan's easily meets those needs in leadership. If one were to look at an opposite disposition, such as Jimmy Carter, the need for strength in character becomes even more obvious. Carter was a casual people pleaser, and never exhibited any qualities that would instill any sense of respect from a judgmental society. In other words he was weak, and when that translated through to his role as President, our government was seen as weak also. Without some sense of leadership and control, society will in turn, disrespect the government. The exact same holds true for state governments also, such as what occurred in the recall of California Governor Grey Davis.
So to conclude this thought, I will now pay even more attention to the personalities and personal history of our current politicians and diplomats. With a more thorough observation of the qualities of political candidates, I hope to make my citizens' vote a more wise contribution to the benefit of my dearly beloved United States (despite all it's current shortcomings).

While I'm Here, I'm Doin' It All

Many friends of mine have brought it to my attention that I'm a people pleaser. Sometimes and grin and nod, and just listen to what people have to say, other times I'll go out of my way to do something for people who I love and respect, or... it's just too plain hard to say no.
In this case, though, I found it hard to say no to myself, so now I find myself playing on both the Rugby and Football (to Americans...Soccer) teams for New College.
I first wanted to do Rugby so I could participate in an activity that is very "British". It's been a great learning experience, I really enjoy it so far, not to mention I get to play with a great group of girls and really feel a part of Oxford student life. Today was our first set of games together at the Touch-Cuppers College Rugby Tournament at the Exeter sports grounds, and boy was it a tiring day! First and foremost, I was impressed how well we came together as a team and actually played good & challenging matches. After two practices, we had only learned the techniques and basic rules and never really worked together before. Today's tournament was a great turning point for us all though, and we realized how much of a chance we really could have in winning the next tournament in November. At the end of today, the New College girls barely came in fifth out of ten teams, just missing the semi-finals. The next step is learning coordinated plays, setting them in motion, and learning more physical defense, not to mention perfecting our passing and tackling skills. All in all, today was quite satisfying and I look forward to what I have to report next!
Second, I mentioned above how "I can't say no", well that's where the football comes in. In case you already didn't know, football/soccer is my athletic passion, and when in the heat of the game, I'd live, die and even sacrifice my body for the sport. I know it sounds a little intense or even extreme for me, but that's just how my mind works when I get caught up in the game. (For future reference, I will call soccer, football, because that is it's true and original name, but its also what I've grown used to over here.) So that's where the "no" part comes in, I couldn't resist playing football while over here, and now I find my self doing two sports, two tutorials, and too much socializing. It's a nice balance, though, and I'm going to really miss all this energetic activity when I return to the 'dale.
So I officially began football yesterday. Funny thing, I literally joined the team as they were walking towards the pitch for a match. It all began when I crossed the street to say hello to Lydia, an OSAP friend. In conversation, I found out they were short a player, simply changed direction and joined the team. My exhaustion from two previous hours of Rugby practice seemed to vanish at the thought of playing soccer, and I never felt so welcomed to join a team at the last second.
It was New College's first game of the season and we played Magdalene College. It was your stereotypical football movie scenario. We looked so rag-tag with mismatched uniforms and equipment, all straggling in at various times and never had a practice all together, whereas Magdalene looked so professional and experienced, even their players physically looked like pro-athletes. It turned out to be one of those incredible underdog stories, in a way, and despite all our flaws we won the game 7 to nihl. I played keeper the entire game, and loved every single second of it. Not gonna deny it either, but I had some pretty good saves. One was a glorious slide that just barely knocked out a penalty kick on me. But a team does not win with just one player, and I came away thoroughly impressed with how the rest of the team brought things together. They exhibited great passing and teamwork; a great start to the beginning of a season. I also look forward to acquainting myself with my teammates more. The Rugby girls are a wonderful group but we're actually half English, half American. My fellow ladies of the New College football team however, come from far and wide: three Americans (including me), one Kiwi (New Zealand), one graduate student from South Africa, and the rest all from parts of the United Kingdom. I think we all hit it off really well as a team primarily because we share the same priority, that is, to keep alive the love of the game and have fun playing. So enough of my passionate ramblings, now that my weekend of sporting is over, it's time to return to the books.
All the Best,
Lindsay

Blood, Sweat and Tears

No, my first Rugby practice was not exactly THAT dramatic, but it was enough of a workout to leave with little wet droplets running down the sides of my face. To be honest, I am thrilled to be telling people that I have joined the New College Women's Rugby team. At the mere thought of Rugby, the mind conceives images of concussions, deathly blows, grins with several teeth missing, exhausting work and American football like skills. It makes me feel tough inside to be a rugby player and suddenly capable of conquest anywhere in my life.
The New College team is composed of about 13 or 14 Oxford Univ. women, and most of us actually have never touched a Rugby football. After one practice I haven't really had the opportunity to get to know the other players really well, but we have the whole term ahead of us for that. The first practice, therefore, focused on techniques and basic football skills in the game. No heavy tackling, just two hand touch tackling to start out with. I learned to pass the ball, rules and how the ball moves in play, as well as offense/defense formations and plays. It was one of the most intellectually overwhelming athletic practices I think I've ever had in my life. By the end of the two hours though, I was beginning to catch on.
The hardest part to get used to is you basically need to pass the ball behind or laterally while also moving forward and looking around to dodge tackles. It's really quite a fascinating game to participate in. Our coach drove the point home that this game is all about taking risks, and in rugby, taking a risk and trying a new move is more likely to get your team closer to ground the ball rather than standing like a deer in the headlights. It was kind of liberating to be taking risks in my decisions. As a student in college, you all too often fit into a daily routine, complete assigned tasks, socialize with the same people, and fall into a comfortable lifestyle. Now that I've been at Oxford for almost 5 months, I too have assumed a regular routine of events. The fresh mindset I've learned from Rugby in just one practice, really has made this new fall semester even more exhilarating than I imagined it would be.
Already I've begun to make new, strange decisions in my life and found every moment to be rewarding. For example, I've decided to pursue my passion for culture despite the high cost at times, and spent a magnificent evening at the Opera in London; a night I will always remember. I've been more bold socially and experienced some of the most incredible moments with both friends and strangers. Who knows what else the rest of this year has in store for me? I have no clue but I am anxious with the mystery of it all. The one thing that I certainly know is coming next is my first rugby game on Sunday after a couple more practices! So we'll just have to wait and see how that goes. Until then... Carpe Diem!

Michelmas Term Begins!!!

It's been quite a while since my last post. After my return from Europe, I had some days of rest and peace, sleeping in, reading, and cleaning around the apartment for the arrival of my parents. About a week after I returned, I welcomed my wonderful parents into my new home and spent a unique 10 days with familiar company. It was so good to see them and I was so pleased to spend quality time with them. Unlike our past experiences in England together, this time we skipped the sightseeing activities and took our time exploring Oxford. Part of our lackadaisical schedule was due to the fact that Mom was nursing a broken foot, but it lent to some wonderful conversations in tea rooms, my living room, at dinner tables and of course the traditional pub. It wasn't too much later, when it was time for them to return to the states and I was once again left to my own devices until the rest of the OSAP gang started to arrive.

Once Tuesday rolled around, I was very excited to once again have fellow students my age surrounding me day in and day out. Living alone really can make a person possessive of how the house is kept, so I honestly had mixed feelings when my lovely, spotless apartment was suddenly invaded by 5 people of different lifestyles, but my enthusiasm to have company again certainly overcame any irritation on my part. What a silly thought on my part...but it is true! I'm completely over it now though. So now there are 6 of us at 24 Cranham. Bin bin, the British tenant is a Grad Student in Chemistry doing research at Linacre College. She lives in the room next to me and is a very quiet house mate but one of the sweetest girls. If I could pick a second study to be good at it would be chemistry...her stories about research in the lab can be quite amusing and sound really fun at times. Down the hall is Emily Clise, a junior from Carnegie Mellon University. I know nothing about her college, but she is studying something about Islam while she is here for an entire year. She is a very outgoing girl and is a great instigator of lots of group activities among us OSAP kids. In the other upstairs room is the lovely miss Caitlin McCallum, my good friend from Hillsdale and sorority sister. I don't know what I would do without her familiar company; she is such a comfort to me at times and being around her with other students allows me to be myself more and less reserved. Having Caitlin here is truly a blessing! Downstairs are the two Andreas, both from Gonzaga University in Washington state. Andrea Crow is also a quiet house mate and a dedicated worker. We hardly see her around but when we do, she seems to be enjoying herself...I guess; it's hard to read her sometimes. Andrea Westwood, on the other hand is the life of the party! A spunky and hilarious personality, she truly is a joy to be around. I am truly impressed how she seems to be able to look like she's having fun out all the time, but also a dedicated student as I catch her studying just as much as when she's out having fun!

So the first week after all the kids arrived, we were busy with countless orientation lectures and it seemed like we were always meeting new kids from the program every day. I've met so many students it would take a good while to describe them all so I will list the name of my peers I see the most and list one or maybe two adjectives I think most applicable to their diverse personalities. Katarina is dynamic and boisterous; Aaron is mellow and jovial; Claire is lively and sophisticated; Stephanie is smart and quirky; Katie is friendly and confident; Angela is loving and mysterious; Camilo is cultured and avant-garde; and I could go on and on. There must be a good 25 to 30 peers I know now.

The city of Oxford has also come alive with the activities of student life as well. It's a different experience going around town now. One of my most exhilarating activities I've enjoyed so far was the Oxford University Student Union's "Fresher's Fair". Located in the examination schools, the freshers fair was a collection of probably around 400-500 tables and booths set up decoratively advertising various student clubs, sports teams, honoraries and organizations students can involve themselves in. I was so overwhelmed by the possibilities that are available to students. When you first walk in you are hounded by the various political and activist groups. The was the Oxford University Labour party, OU Liberal Democrats, anti-animal testing rights activist group and even a pro-animal testing right group! Next, on the left side the room was filled with all sorts of nationality groups: Korean Society, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Greek, Spanish, German, French, etc. On the right were several religious societies. I found the Oxford Inter-collegiate Christian Union, there was also a Catholic society, Islam society, Buddhist, Quaker, etc. In the next room were all the sports and athletic groups: Water Polo, Baseball, American Football, Karate, Tae kwando, Men's & Women's Rugby, Polo, Running, Walking, Rock Climbing, Gliding, Dancesport (Competitive Ballroom, Salsa, Tango, et.), Football, Cricket, Hockey, Croquet, and Lacrosse just to name a few. I joined the New College Rugby team and the Croquet club, so we'll see how that goes. I'm really excited about the Rugby especially because it is a small team of about 14 British girls that's somewhat competitive but really there to have fun together. So I'll definitely have more to report on that at a later date. Oh, and Mom & Dad...You really don't have anything to worry about. If I can sideswipe a Kappa into a puddle of mud in soccer without hurting myself, I think I can hold my own in rugby. Maybe I'll bring some mad rugby skills back to the dale for Pi Phi sports in the future!

The rest of the rooms were various other clubs that had such a diverse range. I'll list all that I can remember, because I think that would best give you a good idea of all that is available here. There was a gastronomy club, a beer club, a wine tasting society, a Big Band, a Gregorian Chant choir, the various college choirs, Jazz Bands, an Anime club, 5 film societies, 3 magazines and newpapers to work with, C.S. Lewis club, a Tolkein and Middle Earth society, Entrepreneur's society (which I signed up for), Traveler's clubs, Chemistry Club, Finance and Investments Society, as well as fencing and a Hound & Hunting Club (which I signed up for too...pretty darn cool and quintessentially English).

So apart from the Fresher's fair, I've started my tutorials as well and I'm already feeling the pressure of juggling socializing with work. I'm hoping that the added Rugby practice will help eat up time so I'll have more concentration and efficiency in the time I have left to work. I'm studying with the wonderful Dr. Michael Hurst again and this time I'm doing two tutorials with him. Course One is: Foreign Diplomacy and Alliances between the great European Powers 1866 to 1914. Pretty much, all the mess that happened between the countries that set the world up for the Great War of 1914. Course Two is: The Inter war years, the Armistice of 1918 and buildup to WWII. So I've already written my essay for Course one on France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and the shift in the Balance of Power afterwards as well as begun readings for Course two's paper. All I can say at this point is....the work begins! In other words, I'll be lucky if I can spare an hour here or there to update my posts, but I will try my utmost & I look forward to informing you all about my new adventures here as a full time Oxford student!

All the Best, LH

Europe Continued

Well, so much for continuing to post while I am on the move. At least I do not have the entire trip to account for as I already covered Amsterdam and Berlin. After Berlin I continued for another 2 weeks completing a circular movement across the Germanic countries and to the south of France. The rest of my route moved on to Prague, Czech Republic, west to Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, then Geneva, Switzerland and finally Marseille, France. This post will be more reflective on this latter group of destinations as I have had a full 3 days of rest and relaxation back in my Oxford apartment.
Prague.
I cannot recall the city's official slogan, but I would personally choose to call it the city of dreaming spires. It seems as if almost every building, both old and new, has an ornamental Gothic spire reaching toward heaven. The observers' eye is constantly drawn upward. It was a fascinating city to explore, rich both in history and culture. There was also a lack of finesse in the culture which was not an inhibition to a tourist's curiosity, but rather a characteristic very telling of the culture's recent history behind the iron curtain.
Apart from Prague's slow development, the city takes great pride in it's influence as a historical center of music. It was fortuitous that my first night in Prague was the last performance of 'Don Giovanni' at the Estates Theater. At the ticket price for a center balcony seat, I enjoyed the most perfect evening's entertainment I could ever imagine for a European adventure. A fashionably dressed night at the opera has always been my ideal evening activity. The performance was spectacular and exhibited incredible artistic talent. The glamorous decor of the theater further added to the dramatic feeling of a night at the opera, and a massive crystal chandelier accentuated the vibrant hues of blue and golds that covered all the way up five balcony tiers. The opera was furthermore a special occasion because it was a celebratory production that ran in concordance with the anniversary of the world premier of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" in the 17th century. A performance in which Mozart himself accompanied on the harpsichord in the very same theater. It was absolutely perfect, and could only have been better if I had the ones I love in my company enjoying the same perfect evening with me.
The rest of Prague was fascinating to explore. I enjoyed taking it at a relaxed pace, absorbing every moment and every experience. The Czech Pilsner is nothing special to write home about. The Prague Castle was a wonderful place to explore, and I was surprised to find that it was a Medieval establishment, most castles in Europe attractive to tourists are flamboyant homes from the Baroque or Neo-classical eras. Though the opera was my favorite experience, the Old Town Center was my favorite place to visit in Prague. It echoed the feel of a close-knit Medieval community that once experienced a period of abounding commerce and profit. The square is highlighted by the ancient astrological clock on the town hall tower, and surrounded by dark stone buildings and cathedrals with rising spires to add more to the impression of power.
Moving on, I next visited Vienna, Austria.
Vienna was absolutely beautiful! It is definitely a growing Metropolis, but within the old city center it is absolutely reminiscent of what one would imagine Vienna looked like at the height of the Hapsburg Empire. The feel was further enhanced by numberless amounts of horse-drawn carriages waiting for hire all over the old city. The main attraction of Vienna is the Hofburg Imperial Palace. There, I first visited the Spanish Riding School and arrived at 9:30 AM to watch the morning practice routines for the world famous Lippizaners. These horses are trained to exhibit only the best of performances. What I saw at the morning routines was not a choreographed exhibition, but a collection of 6 to 9 riders at a time, each practicing various steps or jumps of some sort. One of the most impressive and difficult looking jumps I watched was only done once the whole morning as it must have been a really demanding command to expect repeatedly. First the horse is brought into a prancing trot, where the walking instructor taps the horse's heels to keep it in step. The horse is then brought to a rear, the back legs are tapped again, and it's trained reaction causes it to kick out it's back legs. The final effect is a jump in place with all four legs in the air, and looks very majestic and disciplined. The rest of the Hofburg presented a scintillating display of the Royal family's silver collection. They also had a intriguing museum exhibit on their most celebrated Empress Elizabeth "Sisi" who is quite a rather captivating yet unknown character. I should like to learn more about her sometime. Finally, I saw the Imperial State rooms which exhibited the Victorian style beautifully.
I regret to say that I wish I made more time in Vienna, and was not able to finish much more beyond the Hofburg. I was disappointed to find the Staatsoper closed, as the music lover in me had a strong desire to see such a significant theater in the history of opera. The rest of my stay in Vienna was more or less, walking and admiring the unique beauty of the city, visiting several churches and of course shopping. Before I knew it I was boarding the train for Salzburg, Austria.
Salzburg was above and beyond my favorite city of all I visited. Not only was the train ride peaceful, but the beauty of the Austrian forests and alps was absolutely incredible. One of the most naturally imposing beauties I have ever seen in my life. Salzburg was the perfect size of city to explore, and not too over-run with tourists. I greatly admired the balance in beauty between the natural grandeur of the mountains surrounding the aged, refined splendor of 17th century architecture. The Germanic culture also had a refined quality about it that embraced it's heritage but also established a modern day finesse. For example, in the historic shopping lanes, the McDonald's sign was not a plastic bubble screaming the red and golden arches. Instead it was a black scrolled metalwork that suspended a plaque that was painted a aged looking Merlot with golden arches the color of Grey Poupon mustard. The little pedestrian shopping alleyways were not only filled with souvenir shops but also boasted names such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Zara and other high end names.
I personally considered Salzburg as more of a mountainous resort town, and enjoyed the atmosphere more than anything. The morning market around the Old City cathedral was bustling with locals doing their daily shopping. Across the river was Mozart's residence, which was reconstructed exactly as it was after destruction in WWII. Part of the house was also converted into a Museum. I greatly enjoyed visiting Mozart's house, and learned a significant amount from such a little establishment. The audio guide explained the significance of Mozart's musical contribution to the society of his time as well as playing select pieces as one followed his life time line. On display were Mozart's personal piano forte, harpsichord, and organ as well as countless manuscripts, letters and original notated sheet music. It was a truly enjoyable exhibit, and learning more about Mozart helped me understand more so, why Austria is extremely proud of it's 17th century composer.
A good four hours of my time was taken up on a bus tour of Salzburg and the outlying villages. Admittedly, this tour was one of the best decisions I made while in Salzburg. One reason why I selected Salzburg as a destination was because I longed to see the peaceful little towns that beheld a panoramic view of lakes and forests, sheltered by the sweeping expanse of the alps. The bus tour took me to just that, and I beheld just what I envisioned and more. Since the first moment I arrived in Salzburg I was taken by it's natural beauty, and decided I would return again not once but even more than that! I would absolutely love to spend Christmas there sometime with all the snow, skiing, shopping, warm mittens, and an overall perfect atmosphere. Again, I was disappointed with myself to have only scheduled two nights, but I repeatedly tell myself in such instances, that there is more reason therefore to return & explore more!

Geneva, unfortunately was not quite what I had imagined it from all the literature about it's beauty on Lake Geneva, etc. Instead, I found Geneva to be a bustling international Metropolis, something I should have concluded myself based upon it's service as a neutral place for peaceful negotiations in modern & recent history. On the whole though, if one were to look at a visit to Geneva, like a visit to Chicago or New York, there was quite alot to do as in any other large city. I had a beautiful view of the city surrounding Lake Geneva from the tower of Cathedrale St. Pierre. The tall Jet d'Eau was also a unique focal point, and gave a very refreshing mist the closer I walked along the lake marina.

After a couple days in Geneva, I moved to Marseille, France, my second most favorite destination. I had never been to the Mediterranean before; I was immediately taken by it's undenible beauty and vibrant color. I could not stop taking pictures of the gorgeous shades of turquois colored waves along the shoals, to the deep dark azure of the open sea. The city itself was not as daunting as I was warned against and I found the place to be dirty, but nevertheless, welcoming and the people genuinely friendly. (Though I never backed down from being watchful of the pick pockets I heard a great deal about) I found it absolutely charming and felt like I could completely relax and be myself...like the cheesy Rastafarian quip, "Don't worry, be happy".
I took a harbour cruise out to Isle d'If, where the infamous Chateau d'If is located. The island is quite barren and grows only shrub and chaparral on it's rocky & dry tundra. The Chateau is also quite sparse looking but then again, it only served the purpose of a bastion for the port city and then as a prison island. There was quite alot of history presented in the Chateau's little museum, however an insufficient knowledge of French prevented me from learning very much. Alexandre Dumas' book "Count of Monte Cristo" was very celebrated on Isle d'If, especially because it served to popularize the dramatic role of the Chateau d'If as a feared prison establishment.
Once again, I regret I did not make any more time in Marseille, but I think I shall wait a while before returning again. The city was under a significant amount of reconstruction which will continue for a great while. Backed by the French government, Marseille is undergoing a complete transformation in cleanliness and quality, and building new facilities fit to modern standards, though not changing the historic port buildings and atmosphere of the place. Marseille was recently declared the #1 Mediterranean Port Capital city, and the major transformation will serve to solidify it's qualification in such a privileged title.
So even though I had only just become more curious and interested in Marseille, I was ready to stop wandering the world and settle back into my familiar surroundings in Oxford. It was quite amusing actually, the excitement I felt as the bus finally pulled into the city center and I glimpsed all the towers and spires that had become so familiar to me 3 weeks ago. I actually felt like I was returning home again, though perhaps my parents might not like to hear that. I will probably feel 20 times the amount of excitement when I return back to Hillsdale after 6 months of absence. So at this time, I am content putting my mind on standby, indulging in novels, accomplishing menial tasks around the apartment, browsing the internet, and sleeping all hours of the day. I do, however, greatly look forward to the challenges that await me when I begin my tutorials again in October. After this summer... I'm ready to take on anything.

Post 1 from Europe!

Well, here I am. I finally have enough time on free internet to bring things up to date...
I've made two stops so far and both have been quite eye opening and thrilling in so many different ways.
First was Amsterdam. I made it without any difficulty, but once I stepped out of Centraal Station, it was obvious I was in Europe. One thing that was of great comfort to me was that every resident I encountered spoke perfect English.
In all honesty, Amsterdam was not, upon my immediate impression, what I had imagined it to be. I guess it cannot be fair of me to judge such a celebrated city so quickly. When I first began following the directions to my hostel it took me immediately through the Red Light District. Thank Heavens it was only 11 a.m. I guess it was such a shock to my modest sense of values I was quickly turned off. It didn't help matters much either when I lost myself in the confusing streets crossing the canals. I made it safely however, and after setting my things down, set out to discover Amsterdam.
I was pleased to see that my hostel was, as advertised, right in front of one of the city's oldest canals. So I spent a great deal of time wandering the beautiful old canal streets and orienting myself to my surroundings. I then found my waz to the Dutch Historichmuseum, and learned a great deal about the founding of Amsterdam, how it came to become a canal city, look at a splendid array of preserved artefacts and learn about their glorious golden age of trade and travel.
I finished the day sitting alongside a canal with a cappucino enjoying the atmosphere and observing the people and way of life. In this more quiet laid back part of Amsterdam I cam to understand more about Amsterdam and appreciate it for the culture's unique sense of beauty. They cherish their time with friends and family, and will take a hour from a busy scedule to peacefully sit down with a friend over a cup of coffee. I noticed a young family just sitting on their front step of their canal house, watching the world go by and chatting away, food sitting right next to them, still hot in the frying pan.
I also was struck by the beauty of the church bells in Amsterdam. Not just regular chimes of monotone ding-dong back and forth but in rang in different pitches and harmonized parts to a musical piece or song. It was quite unlike any church bells I've heard before. The beauty of those sounds always seemed to stop me in my frenyied travel pace and draw me in to a sense of peace and prayer.
The most wonderful thing I did in Amsterdam was take the Canal Bus, a canal boat that works like the common tourist hop-on hop-off busses. I rode the canal boat to a few destinations but I most enjoyed just riding the whole route and even over again, and just sat there, taking it all in as we drove by. Of the many other things I saw were the Anne Frankhuis (not all that I thought it would be, and a bit dissapointing) and the Rijksmuseum, a lovely museum filled with mostly art from Holland's Golden Age. I found it to be a very enjoyable and worthwhile display, but I have always loved the personality and simplicity in much of Dutch 18th century Art, especially that of Johannes Vermeer.
So that is most of Amsterdam, and to finish up destination number 2 before it gets too late for me...
After today I find Berlin absolutely enjoyable. I also did not expect too much as I was aware from my history studies and the travel books that much of Berlin is modern due to the aftermath of destruction from WWII and the Communist Regime. Berlin has so much more to offer though, I would have to greatly credit my new admiration to the company that put on the New Berlin tours. It was a free 3 hour long tour, that was worth every moment. Through this I not only gained my bearings walking around Berlin, but learned from my guide, the significance culturally and historically of the major locations we saw, which was alot! It would be too much to reiterate it all but I gained a great deal from this experience. One, the information I heard on this tour tied all my scattered knowledge of German History together and helped me to comprehend and interpret the significance of such events in not only Germany's national history but its effect in World history as well. Another, the tour and information was presented in such a fascinating, passionate and entertaining way, it really seemed to make the history come alive! Finally, much of my negative opinions on the modern architecture was thrown aside as I learned that many of these were constructed by the communist dictatorship in East Berlin and was their attempt at creating a national monument, or to learn the symbolism and thinking behind a buildings architecture. Having these things explained to me really cleared up any doubts I had.
I unfortunately though, did not expect much and only scheduled enought for one full day's tourism. After the tour, I vistied the National German History Museum, and saw all the other major sites... I have no regrets for not seeing enough this time, however, and I look forward to that other time in the unseen future when I may return again to see Berlin again in a new light.
It's off to Prague tomorrow morning! Until then.... Cheers!

Thoughts as I am about to embark on the journey of a lifetime

Well, I set off in less than 10 hours for my European adventure. Right now, I am feeling a mixture of excitement, anxiety, caution, and curiosity. Most of all, I anticipate this journey to be a defining moment in my life.
First of all, apart from currently living abroad alone, this will be my very first time traveling from one destination to the next solo, without the guidance or protection of fellow travelers or guardians. Why travel solo?? The first reason being that I can explore museums, palaces, cities, and other attractions at my own pace. I can bypass whatever I have no interest in, or I could linger in a museum, cathedral or cafe however long I wish to and not hold up anyone else on schedule. My primary reason for traveling solo is for contemplation and education. To experience a different culture, no matter how brief, is life changing. It allows one's mind to be more open. I do not necessarily mean open as an acceptance of the beliefs and values of other cultures but as a learning tool that increases the desire to understand reasons, virtues, and history behind foreign cultural traditions and values. That would mean traveling with full attention in listening, observing, and not making assumptions or opinions based upon what our life-style has taught us.
Traveling solo in Europe today is relatively safe for a young person, but I am also increasingly aware of potential dangers that are present in the messy world we live in. In regards to that, many of you know me well enough, that I will move around with the utmost caution and will be constantly aware of my surroundings. In life, there will always be the question of circumstances beyond one's control. I therefore ask that you will please keep my safety and good health in your prayers as I travel about. I will do my best to make time online and post about my proceedings and adventures as I move throughout Europe.
I begin tomorrow morning after my plane lands in Amsterdam, Holland at 10 a.m. From there, I will continue in a circular movement around Europe back home to London. Berlin is my second stop, followed by Prague. Of all the destinations I selected, I most look forward to the Baroque beauty of Prague and will be spending 4 days there. I continue to Vienna & Salzburg, Austria then sweep west to Geneva, Switzerland and finish in Marseille, France. If time permits, I hope to meet up with my late tutor and good friend Alison in Marseille. Before graduate school, Alison lived in Marseille for 3 years; it would be wonderful to meet up as she anticipates showing me around her old home-city. Then it's back home again to England on September 7th to finish up a rather busy travel schedule!
Despite how much I would love to continue going on about why I want to visit all these destinations, I really must return to packing! I will instead content myself with regular posts to you all along the way. Until then, God Bless & Cheerio!

A Day in Greenwich, London

Well, I finally have something worthy to note after days of endless reading and paper writing. Yesterday, I took a greatly-welcomed break from the books and experienced Greenwich with my new friend Steve. Stephen Wates is the brother of my Museum Studies & Anthropology tutor, Alison, and is incredibly bright and knowledgeable about the history of Greenwich. He fortunately had the day off from work, and I am so thankful he was so generous as to spend his free time showing me around and indulging me in my endless curiosities. And don't worry! I won't bother you this time with my over-exuberant enthusiasm for British Maritime history, as this trip was to experience London for a few hours through my tour guide, Steve.
Greenwich (pronounced Gren-itch) is an old maritime neighborhood of London and lies on the southern shore of the River Thames. Today, Greenwich functions as another residential neighborhood with historic sites scattered throughout the local area.
After a morning tutorial with my other tutor, I finally arrived in Greenwich by 3 pm (I had a little confusion switching tube stations but I'm getting the hang of it!) Steve was there to greet me and we immediately headed out towards the first point of interest: The Greenwich Observatory. Steve is a world-traveler and enthusiastic hiker, and so I had to practically jog to keep up with his abnormally fast walking pace. We trekked through Greenwich park, and passed London's very first hospital which was the size of a cottage & sadly neglected. Continuing up a steep hill, Steve proceeded to tell me that during the Bubonic Plague, London needed to bury millions of dead. They began digging a series of mass burial pits beginning at Greenwich (the farthest part of London at the time) and stretched all the way out to where there is a city called Graves End. (Get the connection?) So we walked up this hill that was once a burial mound in the 1300's. At the top, I beheld one of the most beautiful scenic panoramas of London and Greenwich. From there, one can see the Thames meandering through the City, the Millennium Dome, Isle of Dogs across the river, everything...especially Greenwich immediately in front. We walked away to the left and into the Greenwich observatory and saw a display about famous British astrologists and astronomers, old scientific instruments and telescopes in the old Royal observatory, once again, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The most famous fact about the Greenwich Observatory is that it is where Greenwich mean time begins, meaning it was established as the original intersecting point of longitude line 0 degrees and time (as in clocks) is derived from that, I guess. It was a scientific development that greatly benefitted the Royal Navy in nautical charts and navigation around the globe. We moved through the observatory so quickly, I didn't have enough time to try to fully comprehend it, but that just serves to be another excuse to go back again.
We then descended the hill to the Royal Naval Hospital which became the Royal Naval Academy in the late 19th century. Inside is a vast collection of portraits and paintings pertaining to naval officers, admiralty officials, naval wives, as well as a large amount of nautical battle scenes. Among those I saw were: a portrait of Nelson before he lost his arm and eye, a portrait of Nelson's beautiful mistress Emma Hamilton, a British portrait of Napoleon commissioned when he was captured and held in Portsmouth, as well as original paintings of pacific island scenes done by the commissioned artist taken along with Captain Cook's explorations. Again, however, we rushed on, this time however because the museum was closing down. Because it was too late I did not make it into the Greenwich Maritime Museum, but that was probably a good thing, so I wouldn't keep Steve waiting while I might have lost myself among all the relics. I also could not see the Cutty Sark, the last of the tea trade Clipper ships surviving today. She was almost completely gutted out in a suspicious fire not too long ago and is undergoing extensive restoration.
He then took me to see the Greenwich market and see what the community was like. It was very charming but, being not as popular as Kensington, Whitehall, Tower Hill and other parts of London, it felt different. More residential, indifferent to tourists, and much more symbolic of the everyday working-class man. Walking around the city, Steve and I had some very interesting conversations, one of the most memorable when we compared American and English vocabulary. It was quite amusing, and we had some good laughs over odd word usage or minor misunderstandings. He especially enjoyed poking fun at me for saying "totally" or "sure" and other words said on TV by California Valley-Girls as well as other American slang words...I now think twice, as I do not want to be associated with that!
We eventually found our way to his neighborhood of Deptford, right next to Greenwich. There he showed me the church of St. Nicholas. In St. Nicholas' graveyard he pointed out to me Christopher Marlowe's grave and tombstone which was very exciting! At the front gate of the church, there are two pediments with figures of a skull and two crossbones mounted at the top. These figures were allegedly the original skull and crossbones that were later popularized by Captain Morgan while pirating in the American continent. When I took a good look at the Tudor era figures, they appeared incredibly intimidating even in the light of day. Made of a dark, almost charcoal colored stone, covered in moss on one side, the figures seemed more menacing from the roughness of aging marks and had deep, cavernous looking depressions in the skull. I can see why someone like Morgan would pick something so morbid looking as that to represent his evil deeds on the high seas. On our walk around town we also saw the filming of the upcoming movie National Treasure 2 which was very exciting!
I spent the rest of the evening talking with Steve on various subjects after he took me back to his flat to show me an incredibly HUGE Oyster he bought at market that morning. He is a very very talkative person, and also very aggressive in conversation unlike I've known before. He enjoyed telling me about things he knows, he's discovered, experienced or would like to do but is also interested in hearing the other side, and listening to my opinions and what knowledge I can impart. We talked about political and social issues and our opinions in regard to, we talked about themes in some of the latest movies, we talked about general misunderstandings between the mindset and culture of America and England, and we talked about certain questions about spirituality and the human psyche. I also eagerly listened about his travels around the world on motorbike, his experiences in America and the opinion about us as a nation he came away with.
Before I came to England, I have also heard much about dying spirituality in Europe as secularity grows more prevalent. It wasn't until I began talking with Steve on these matters when I really began to realize the truth in the statement. He mentioned earlier when we visited the church that he didn't care to step foot inside and I questioned his comment to myself for a fleeting moment. Later, when I remarked on something being a "blessing from God", Steve responded to my comment stating that he was sensitive to the word "God" and didn't like when people used His name so carelessly. Because I used God's name in a more reverent tone he then asked "Oh, do you go to church regularly? Are you a born-again Christian?". I was struck, because I've never been called a "born-again". I would assume, then, from Steve's comments that for the British, everyone who is God fearing is a Christian. In many historical texts the Western world is generally referred to a Christian culture. In that case, I would assume anyone who is a practicing Christian is referred to as a born-again Christian. I am still sorting this concept out in my head but I definitely have something to meditate on and look for when I am traveling the European continent in 2 weeks.
On a more adventurous note, spending my day with Steve opened my eyes to many new experiences too. While there I experienced my first taste Oyster (i tried once before but gagged), my first taste of Amaretto Liquor he had brought from his trip in Italy which is light, tart & sweet at the same time and very pleasant, and I also had my first taste of Licorice herbal tea which is also very good.
All in all for just over 6 hours, it was a very full day! Though I would have liked to do so much more and see lots more of Greenwich, I will have to content myself with another day at another time. It looks like I might be going back to London again next Saturday to have my last tutorial there, as well as meet up with my good friend Kristen Elmes and a relative from posh Kensington! More exciting stories to come!

Cheers,
Lindsay

My Life is Complete Now.

Before you begin to read, I must warn you that I wrote this with much passion and excitement after a hard day's traveling, so I apologize for it's lengthiness. Today was our trip to Portsmouth in Southeast England near the shores of Dover. It is a city steeped in history, particularly that pertaining to HM Royal Navy. Today, from what I saw on the bus and walking around, Portsmouth is not exactly a charming place like the Cotswolds or Kent, but it serves as an embodiment of British naval past and future, as it is still the home of the modern Royal Navy. I spent my few hours there within the confines of the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. To me, their historical collection was like being a kid in a candy store. Call me a nerd, but today's experience definitely reaffirmed my academic desire to studying British history, particularly that pertaining to nautical history.

Portsmouth was a functioning nautical capital as far back as King Henry VIII, but the dockyards were in their prime during the 18th and 19th centuries. On display at the dockyards are 3 primary ships as well as exhibitions on the Royal Navy sailing ships, Lord Horatio Nelson, the Battle of Trafalgar, the 19th century navy and much more. I'll go in reverse order of my visits to the 3 ships as the first one I visited was, without a doubt, my favorite and I am afraid I may ramble on in deep admiration...

The HMS Warrior was a Victorian iron-hulled armor warship dating to 1860. I found it interesting because from the outside it looked similar to any of the wooden sailing ships of the 18th century with rigging and everything, but once you step down below it is more obviously from the 19th century industrial expansion. Iron frames most of the doorways, windows and other parts of the ship, though the floorboards are still wood planks. The cannons are of greater technological build meant to shoot exploding shots rather than iron cannonballs. Most Victorian about it all though, is that there is a great steam engine in the hull of the ship. It may not be as big as those one might see today, but if you look at it from the perspective of the late 19th century, it is rather remarkable.

It is incredible to even consider that we are so fortunate to have something like the Mary Rose on exhibit at all today. It is the ONLY surviving warship on display dating back to the Tudor reign in the 1500's! She sank in Portsmouth Harbor for various, complicated reasons in 1545, and was only recently delivered from the ocean floor in 1982. She has not been completely restored, but we were so privileged as to walk through a gallery and see her in the process of being preserved for permanent display by 2011. In another gallery, thousands of personal and military objects have been recovered from the site through maritime archeology and it is amazing how well the silt has preserved these common-day objects! Some of them we were even allowed to touch...so I can say that I actually handled a Tudor-era arrow and nautical cable! ..something quite unheard of in most museum institutions. It was quite an experience.

My most life-fulfilling visit today was on the HMS Victory. The flagship of Lord Horatio Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar, the Victory is the epitome of everything Romantic and novel-like about the sailing Royal Navy in the 18th century. I spent a good 2 hours there and could have spent more if time did not press me. The Victory has been refurbished after active-duty as she was during Nelson's time at Trafalgar, and it is amazing to walk through and see things exactly as they were during her active command in the Napoleonic Wars. The 24lb guns, 68lb carronades, mess tables, hammocks, and store rooms, all set up to authentic qualifications make the experience truly memorable and as close to 'living history' as I have ever seen in a nautical historical attraction. To top it off, there is a shrine on the Orlop deck at the exact location Lord Horatio Nelson died amidst his crew at the end of battle. I know it may seem rather absurd to make his death place a shrine, but Nelson was one of the most popular social and patriotic figures during his lifetime. So popular, that there were curios, collectibles and souvenir things made of him while he was still alive. When he died, the whole nation went into mourning and he was given a state burial to behold, whose procession train was 2 miles long. THAT is what I find so remarkable and captivating about not only Nelson, but also the social thinking of the time in which he lived. What intrigues me even more was that he was so popular despite the fact that English society, as a general whole, disapproved of his private life decisions which were unbefitting of a man who literally represented Great Britain at the time. I find such historical questions so fascinating to unravel, and that is why I am studying over here...so I can be in the midst of it all.

From my readings this summer...

I found this quote in my readings for my "British Imperialism and the Royal Navy" tutorial this summer. I think it adequately sums up why I'm interested in these studies, not very feminine, I know, but the deeper theme is what I most appreciate:

"Take it all in all, a ship of the line is the most honorable thing that man, as a gregarious animal, has ever produced. By himself, unhelped, he can do better things than ships of the line; he can make poems and pictures...But as a being living in flocks, and hammering out, with alternative strokes and mutual agreement, what is necessary for him, in these flocks, to get of produce, the ship of the line is his first work. Into that he has put as much of his human patience, common sense, forethought, experimental philosophy, self-control, habits of order and obedience, thoroughly wrought handwork, defiance of brute elements, careless courage, careful patriotism, and calm expectation of the judgment of God, as can well be put into a space of 300 feet long by 80 broad. And I am thankful to have lived in an age when I could see this thing so done."
John Ruskin, 1856

An Introduction...

Hello to all of you near and dear to my heart,
Welcome to my first blog! This is exciting for me, and I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences as much as I have enjoyed every waking moment here in Oxford. I have been living in the United Kingdom for 8 weeks now, however, I did make a brief trip back home to see family and participate in a very good friend's wedding. Now that I've returned I have 5 months of adventurous travels and unique learning experiences ahead of me, and I anticipate the exciting moments God has in store for me!
To update you, my time here so far has been Life changing. Some adjectives to enhance my brief statement: incredible, extraordinary, beautiful, active, & enlightening. Already in such a short amount of time much has been demanded of me intellectually and I find myself growing in ways I never thought possible. My increasing historical knowledge has encouraged me to fully appreciate my daily surroundings some of which date as far back as the 1100's. Being on my own and traveling on my own has also been a great learning experience. I've made several friends through the study-abroad program, but I greatly look forward to forming relationships with Oxford students when they return in the fall.
The Oxford study-abroad programs has integrated me as an associate student of New College (est. 1379) and I have full access to the dining hall, Junior Common Room and Library at the college, as well as the University's famous Bodleian Library. It has been incredible to study in such historically rich surroundings, it's almost as if the surroundings have made me more knowledgeable through osmosis.
Much is expected of me academically while studying here. I am currently taking 2 tutorials, one on British Imperialism and the Royal Navy, the second on Museum Studies. I may occasionally post excerpts from my readings that I find intriguing, or representative of my views on the subject. For each tutorial, I write an essay approximately 7 to 9 pages every week with anywhere from 7 to 10 books to read in preparation. Of course as most History papers go, I don't need to read every book cover to cover but skim pertinent information instead.
I work hard on my studies, but I make sure I play hard too. I have enjoyed experiencing the city of Oxford with friends during weeknights and on weekends. One of our favorite activities is to go on a Pub Crawl, which sounds a lot more worse than it really is. We have had many an interesting conversation or even intense debates over a pint of ale (ladies have half-pints) in a cozy pub booth late at night. One quaint pub a few blocks from our apartment is the Eagle and Child, a literary refuge of Tolkien, Lewis and the Inklings.
My apartment is a cozy place in the neighborhood of Jericho, about a 15 minute walk from the center of town and the New college grounds. It is a lovely modern day residence with 6 individual bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a cozy living room, modern kitchen and even a dining room! It is the perfect base of operations for both study and travel.
I have not been able to do a lot of traveling because of the demands of my studies. I have, however, so far visited London once (a pleasant 2 hour bus ride), the City of Bath, Windsor Castle, Blenheim Palace and on Friday we visit Portsmouth which I am VERY excited about! Portsmouth is historically a central port city of the Royal Navy and is also significant in the launch of D-Day operations. I will definitely have a lot to say after that trip.
I will update continuously, though perhaps not every single day. I look forward to communicating my experiences here with all of you! Cheers!
Much Love,
Lindsay