"Whatever You Do, Don't Get a Bike..."

It's Monday, marking a week since I first arrived in Oxford. This was the first day I left my room without a map or a camera in hand (not counting the time my camera died and I put it in my pocket, or the 3 times I was told not to take pictures in various museums). I am finally starting to feel like this is home and not just some luxurious vacation or amazing dream that I have yet to wake up from (I say that now, but the work has yet to begin!)

Today I met with Mansfield's Senior Tutor and newly assigned head of the Visiting Students Programme, with whom I had exchanged a number of emails over the summer. She's the person responsible for arranging all Mansfield student's tutorials, not a light feat. She's so sweet and officially welcomed me to the College.

Mansfield 

I returned to my room to be greeted with an email saying our welcome packages had arrived and were ready for pickup! So, back to Mansfield it is! This was the first time I had to wait in line at the Porter's Lodgings. It seems to be about that time when students are starting to arrive (we were given about a 3 weeks time frame for move-in. I seemed to be in the minority by choosing to come the earliest I was allowed!) I waited as the Porter directed each student one by one to the college office to get their ID cards, the same thing I had done the week before. When it was my turn for the porter's attention, he told me the welcoming packages were in the college office as well. I made my way across the quad (not on the grass though) and found all the students the porter had directed to the college office standing outside a locked door with no idea where to go or what to do. I used my key, opened the door, and led the flock in the right direction. It seemed crazy to me that I was actually the one pointing people in the right direction, when only a week earlier I had just stepped foot in this country for the first time!


After I got my welcome package (which only consisted of some documents... no free tee shirts like you get in the States when you even so much as look or walk past a college), I hit the streets. Walking for the sake of walking in Oxford is truly a beautiful thing. I happen to run into one of the students I helped to find Mansfield's college office. She is studying for a PHD in history and had lived in Oxford for over 40 years. We exchanged stories and she warned me, "Whatever you do, don't get a bike!" Apparently 1 in 5 bikes get stolen everyday in Oxford, not to mention it is terrifying to ride them on the street. BUT, getting a bike was my mission on day 3, and I always complete my missions!

Here she is! I got my basket, my lights - front and back (because it's illegal not to have them) and most importantly, my lock! 

It's not that I necessarily need a bike, but some of the streets and little alleyways in Oxford are just too gorgeous not to bike down. I also think it will come in handy when that UK rain starts, although so far the weather has been gorgeous! Hasn't rained yet!

I did take it out for a spin the first day I got it and I learned very quickly that it's safer to ride on the road than on the sidewalk. I don't have a problem riding on the left side of the road (probably because I am so spacially challenged to begin with, my brain never got too attached to the whole drive on the right side of the road thing), it's the hand signalling I need to get used to (and the big buses everywhere)! I can't exactly ride a bike without 2 hands on the handlebars at all times, which makes signalling difficult (okay, it makes signalling impossible...) But there are people riding bikes here without any hands... Okay, stop showing off and go get a unicycle already! With practice, who knows, maybe I can ride with no handlebars in a year's time (just in time to sell the bike back...)

After my chats with the senior tutor and the grad student, I just got so excited about being at Oxford (as if I wasn't excited before) and ran out and bought my academic dress robes (stay tuned for pictures)!

Tomorrow I am headed to London for three days. I am meeting a fellow Dickinsonian who is studying in Germany, staying at a hostel (my first hostel experience), and on Thursday, I'll be meeting with a magistrate to discuss possible law related internship / job opportunities over the breaks and the summer. I am very anxious about the whole trip, mostly because I am not entirely sure how the whole transportation thing is going to work. I have a vague idea of where I need to be and how to get there, but the key word there is vague. But I am also ridiculously excited! Wish me luck!

Museums, Libraries, and Colleges, Oh My! (Part 3/3)

The next day, Grace was arriving! She's a History student from Boston College I met through one of the many, many, many Oxford Facebook groups. She is literally in the exact same boat as me - second year her college has sent students to Mansfield and never met the other student from her college coming. Although her year abroad counts toward her GPA and she already got a reading list from one of her tutors - 34 books!

You remember this photo of my bed from day one, right?

Well it turns out, it's actually supposed to look like this...

Grace pointed out that what I had been using as a sheet for the past 5 days is actually a duvet cover. My lack of common sense scares me sometimes...

Anyway, I showed Grace around Oxford and took her too Boswells, Sainsbury, Christ Church meadow, introduced her to Ben's cookies (I had a triple chocolate... definitely a contender for my favorite). I did pretty good with getting around, but the minute I felt like I was finally getting the hang of it, I needed the map! I took her to the French Panini place my Dickinson adviser told me I absolutely must go to. We both got the special - artichoke, basil, pesto, tomato, and some kind of cheese I had never heard of before on ciabatta - easily the best meal I have had yet!

I told Grace about my adventure into the colleges and we decided to try Magdalen College. The Porters at the door were really nice, but not the one who caught us in an area we probably shouldn't have been in (okay, we definitely shouldn't have been there). Grace likes to check and see if doors are locked too! I absolutely LOVE the black and white stain glass windows in Magdalen's chapel (of course this would be the day that my camera died... I'll just have to go back and get pictures at a later date!) Magdalen is also famous for its deer park. What's a deer park, you ask. It's a piece of land with deer and reindeer (no, like many areas of Oxford, you are not allowed on this grass either... just the deer). There was one who had a stick stuck on his antlers and couldn't get it off! Took him 5 minutes, but he got it! Just before he got his antlers stuck in another tree... poor guy.

We also took a detour to Mansfield and got the porter to show us the dining hall (which is currently in the chapel, yes, we eat in the chapel because of construction on the old dining hall), because it hasn't been open.

Afterwords we tried to find the Renault house, which was the other option for housing (where both Dickinson students lived last year and where the other Dickinson student this year is living). We walked for hours, but i'm not quite sure we ever found it. Perhaps it's because we didn't know the address, or even what street it was on. All we had to go off of was that it was about 15 minutes from where we live at Ablethorpe, also known as Dale. I am starting to really get attached to Ablethorpe, (minus the drunken chanting at 4am). It's a great location - easy access to the city and the ethnic food on Cowley Road. Earlier Katherine showed me around the building a bit more. It's basically like a maze. It's funny I did all this exploring in Oxford but not in the building I live in. Turns out my staircase is the only one that doesn't spiral! Who knew?


The next day, Grace and I started with the Pitt Museum - The strangest Museum I have been too! The set up inside seemed like a display in and of itself. The lighting seemed to be more for aesthetics than for function. I thoroughly enjoyed that Museum, it definitely had character. One of the highlights was in the gift shop when a little British girl, about 7, got so excited about the Egyptian cat earrings When her friend reminded her she didn't have her ears pieced she said, "Damn!" swiftly put down the earrings , and with equal enthusiasm, ran over to the next trinket the shop was selling that caught her eye.

The artifacts were either tagged with writing you needed a microscope to read or the writing was written directly on it! I couldn't believe it! 

I started taking pictures of the empty cases there because it seemed like such a rare anomaly!

There were even drawers under the main displays that you could open and see more things. SO MANY THINGS!

Outside the Pitt Rivers Museum, but in the same building, was the temporary location for some of the displays from the University Museum of Natural History. I believe the sign said there are 12 or 13 different locations spread across Oxford.

In the gift shop, next to the robot that sweeps your floor...

Then we headed to Christ Church. On the way, we saw the making of some kind of film production. There was food for the crew laid out and people in costumes everywhere.

Finally we made it to Christ Church College, and it was open! I had tried 3 other times to see the place where Harry Potter was filmed and it was closed each time!

The line in the picture above is where they make you pay. Luckily, if you have a Uni ID, you are free! And you also get to take one guest in for free as well. Any takers?

Inside the doors

Look familiar?

Inscribed with "The leaves are for the healing of all nations."

This look familiar?

How about now?

I love the ceilings! 

Harry Potter dining hall!

More Harry Potter dining hall!

Did I show you a picture of Harry Potter's dining hall?

Can't walk on this grass either...

After we explored the College and the Church, we came back later for the evening song at 6pm held in Christ Church Chapel. We had seats right next to the choir. I wasn't expecting little kids to be in the choir, but it was fantastic and in such a beautiful setting. I am planning on seeing New College and Magdalen College's Evening Songs at some point at well.

Where we sat during the Evening Song.

Again, I love the ceilings! 

Still part of the College

this too...

and this...

and this... it's where the students live

Still all part of the College... it's huge! 

This is where the porter sits.

We also got into Christ Church picture gallery for free with our Uni IDs!

I got this picture before I realized we weren't allowed to take photos!

Afterwards, we bopped over to Oxford's Modern Art Museum. I didn't understand anything in there (and I'm supposed to be an artist... I just don't get modern art). I still liked the first gallery. The artist was clearly very talented; I just didn't understand the concept. Not a fan of the second gallery... it was a green light and a blue light on opposite corners in a room. That's it.

Again, another illegal picture before I realized I couldn't take pics. The green on the floor is part of the art, for the record.

And this is just a picture because I love the little alleys in Oxford! 

Museums, Libraries, and Colleges, Oh My! (Part 2/3)

I started my day off with had tea (my first tea in England) and scones at The Rose, which was suggested by Dickinson's President, Nancy Roseman. 

Delicious! 

My mission for the day was to explore the inside of other colleges. Queens College was the first one I approached. Now I wasn't exactly sure what my status as a student at Oxford University allowed me to see at other colleges, so I put on my brave face and went up to the porter, but all that came out was... "I have a card," as I handed him my Uni ID... Awkwarrrddd... He jokingly mocked me a bit and said in his British accent "Oh you have a card now, do you?" and then smiled and let me in. 

Then I got really nervous, because I had NO clue where I could and could not go, and I may as well have had a sign on that said "I am not a student here and I don't know where I am going," and of course I had my camera glued to my hand which didn't help my case. But the college was gorgeous! The more and more of it I saw, the more and more courageous I got with trying to open doors I may or may not have been allowed in. 

I saw the dining hall...

I saw the secret passageways to tunnels underground where they store bikes...

I saw the JCR...

Obviously my favorite part of the JCR. Fun Fact:  Legend has it that hundreds and hundreds of years ago, a Queen's student was attacked by a wild boar.  He defended himself by jamming a copy of a big book by Aristotle into the boar's mouth, which allowed him to get away.  The college now has an annual feast and party to celebrate the value of his classical education.

 I saw a lecture room...

I saw through the little window into the college bar because the door was locked...

I saw the gardens...

I saw the creepy passageway to the laundry rooms...

I saw the gorgeous chapel...

And then I walked into a guy's bedroom... oops. He took it surprisingly well though! I also walked into an office with a receptionist staring me down (there are no windows on these doors! It's risky opening them!) I just said, "I'm new to the University this year and I'm just looking around. Do you know where the library is?" She thought I went to THAT college. But she was really nice and pointed out where the library was but there was construction (there is ALWAYS construction!) so I couldn't go in. 

When I say construction, I mean serious construction! 

So after that, I was feeling courageous and went to the next college porter I came across (All Souls College) and asked if I could look around... turns out there was a bunch of exams going on, so most of the colleges were closed to all visitors, even Uni students. Strike one...

At some point in the day, I had a Moo Moos milkshake in the covered Market. It seemed like the right thing to do because EVERYONE was carrying a cup from there and the line was so long, seemed worth trying. After it took me about 20 minutes to scan the flavors (SO MANY!) I decided on caramel shortbread. SO GOOD! A lot better than I expected from a place that served "Smoothies, milkshakes, and hot soup." What a combination...

Next I tried University College... the porter was SO nice! I told him I was from Mansfield and he was like, "Have a look around. Many doors you need access codes for, but just go as far as ya can. Make sure you check out the Percy Memorial!" Thanks sir, I think I will. I didn't walk in anyone's bedroom that time, but I was a bit more cautious with my door handling. 

Percy Bysshe Shelley Memorial

Percy Bysshe Shelley Memorial

Dinning Hall

Where the students live

Exeter was next. This one was open to the public, so I didn't even need to deal with porters. I was walking along and an American woman came up to me and asked if I was a student there. Me? No, but thank you for thinking so. We had a nice little chat. She and her husband were from New Jersey and arrived in England 10 days ago... been here longer than me! After that, I looked around a bit more, and ignored the signs that said no visitors past this point (I am still unclear as to whether a Uni student is a visitor by definition, so that was my excuse if I needed one). Then I came across the dining hall. There was a woman in there setting up places for the next meal. I just popped my head in to get a peak and she welcomed me in. Her name is Loulou and she was so incredibly sweet. She told me to stop by their college bar when it's open because she is the only one at the colleges who serves pizza (and at a reasonable price, which is a plus. Food is so expensive because Hall isn't open yet! I asked a British fresher where cheap places to eat are and he ironically said McDonald, Burger King, and KFC... I did not come all the way to the UK for bad american food!). Then LouLou asked if I'd seen the fellows garden and pointed me in the right direction and informed me where to find the best view of the Radcliffe Camera from the Exeter Grounds. Some of the college was blocked off because there was a wedding going on the following day - can you imagine getting married there! In the Chapel, I sort of joined a tour that was going through. It got a little awkward when the guide did a head count. It was clear I was the odd one out, as the average age in the group was probably around 65. 

The tour I made myself an honorary member of

Dining Hall

Can you imagine having to set all those places... 3 times a day!

The beautiful view of the Radcliffe Camera Loulou pointed out 

This was the picture I took as I almost died tripping down flight of stone stairs 

Then I hit the Museum of the History of Science and saw Einstein's blackboard with the equation for the expansion, density, radius, and age of the universe... I didn't quite follow it, but I get the feeling I'm not the only one. 

Next on my list for the day was Christ church meadow. BEAUTIFUL! And the sun was setting which only added a little something extra to the ambiance! There was a man who looked to be homeless cheering on the runners as they passed him. He saw me laughing and started a conversation. He said, "This is Oxford, we are a different kind of people!" As I reached the River,  all the sudden I heard a flock of geese. I turned around and saw probably about 50 geese all flying and honking flying down to land on the river and when they landed, they basically water skiied for a good 30 seconds... all of them... at the same time... as the sun was setting! It was crazy! A great day, but then again, every day I have had thus far has been great!