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!

Museums, Libraries, and Colleges, Oh My! (Part 1/3)

The first of many Museums I went to was the The Ashmolean. It was incredible and incredibly overwhelming. It was HUGE and I never quite figured out the numbering system they had going on for the exhibits. Now that I am looking through the floor plan in the pamphlet, I guess there was some kind of pattern or method to the madness, but when I was there, everything just seemed out of order. Every time I thought I had seen all there was to see in an exhibit, I turned the corner and found more! It was absolutely amazing. And there were students everywhere drawing different displays and artwork, which made me really want draw everything so badly! But there is simply to much too see for that right now (I am just making sure I load up on pictures for references in the future)! 

This Box - The Camera Obscura - was outside. When you go inside, it is pitch black, but it you open the little hole coverings on each side the box (see above) then the image of the outside is reflected upside down on the wall in the box (like an upside down movie of what's going on outside)

SO many plates!

SO many heads!

SO many sculptures!

SO many floors! 

So many security guards and paintings!

Then I explored the Bodleian Library. Like the Radcliffe Camera, the computers are so outdated, but I've accepted this as a trade off to having access to the other amazing resources Oxford has to offer (diversity, brilliant tutors, other students, practically endless book supply, etc.). I read the library oath on a bag in the gift shop before I actually went into the library and mistook it for a line from Harry Potter. That's a reasonable mistake, right?

Library Oath

Inside the Bodleian Library Gift Shop

The Gladstone link is an underground chain that holds more books and links the Radcliffe Camera to the Bodleian Library. I didn't even know it existed until I stumbled upon it. It is pretty spectacular! Going from the historical Bodleian to the modern Gladstone link is like entering a different world! I find much of Oxford has that same juxtaposition of the old and the new. A Brit who started up a conversation with me said, "If you squint your eyes, Oxford sort of still looks like a historical city!" I understand where he's coming from, although I don't really need to squint much!

Bodliean Library

Inside Bodleian Library

I love it! 

Gladstone Link Tunnel

More books in the Gladstone Link - The lights work on a motion sensor, so the shelving is totally dark until you walk between them! 

That same night I had my first pub experience! I went with Katherine and 4 of her friends who are also 3rd year students. The decor of the pub was very strange - not so lively looking flowers lining the ceiling and purple walls and a live jazz band that played an encore of the 2001 space odyssey theme song. And a British man at the bar asked me if I was from Canada because my accent led him to believe I was. It was definitely interesting!

"I Like the Night Life Baby..."

On my third day at Oxford, I was feeling adventurous and decided the creepy door that opens by itself probably wasn't the best reason not to go inside my College. So I went back after dark to do a bit of surveillance and poking around, because night time is obviously the best time to explore an old building with creepy doors that open by themselves. Inside, I found the JCR (Junior Common Room), and the 3 libraries (the Theology Library, the Law Library and the Main library). Thank God it was at night with no one there because I couldn't figure out the door to the Theology Library. I thought I was locked inside for a solid 3 minutes!

Inside Creepy Door

Stairs to Libraries

Theology Library that I almost had to spend the night in

Main Library (It's actually gorgeous, this picture doesn't do it justice)

Main Library Ceiling 

JCR

Unfortunately, the Council Room was locked and I couldn't get to the Chapel or dining hall due to construction that was going on. Nonetheless, I took my exploration to the unfamiliar streets of Oxford.

Everything is just as amazing at night, but in a different way. 

When it came time for dinner, I waited too long trying to figure out the cheapest way to eat that everything was closed by the time I finally made any decisions. So, I tried a mixed kebab from one of the infamous trucks that come out at night to sell all sorts of food. I have no idea what was in it, but it was decent, in small amounts. I still have half of it in the fridge... It was huge! I don't quite know what their idea of a kebab is, but there was no stick involved. It was a bunch of random meat (ironically the most tasty was the kind I couldn't identify) and veggies on pita bread.

I also made a friend! I think he just wanted some of the kebab though...

On the way home, I discovered a rather popular and somewhat sketchy club located one street down from where I live. My hypothesis was that this was the source of the drunken chanting I have heard every night at around 4am.

The graffiti covered building is the culprit! 

However, the day after I took the above photo, the graffiti was covered with solid cream paint. I am not quite sure what this means for the life expectancy of the club, but the drunken chanting did not disappear with the graffiti. Perhaps it won't be so bad when I finally am able to get to sleep at a decent hour, but that time has yet to come. I don't know whether it's because of the jet lag, or the exhilaration of being in such an amazing place!