The Secret of Successful Sauntering

Twenty-three Days

2010-03-28T22:57:00.000+01:00

That's how many days until I come home. Needless to say, I'm excited to go home, but it also feels like there's still a lot here I want to do. And I will have time; it's just that I need to be aware of how I'm spending my time. I do have two very exciting trips coming up. Tess and I are going to Cornwall (southwest coast of England) over Easter break (Friday to Monday) and we're going to be hiking from town to town, starting in Penzance and staying in a different B&B each night. It should be lot of fun. It's a coastal path with about 12 miles between each town. A test of endurance, certainly, but I'm really looking forward to it. And then, we're going to Cardiff (capital of Wales) at the end of the semester for 3 days. There are a bunch of castles and and national park nearby that I hope we get to spend a lot of time in.

Also, yesterday, we went to Stonehenge. It was a really incredible and I think it was built 1) as a gathering point, which it is still doing, and 2) as a testament of humanity's spirit. It was built to last, which it has, and to impress people, which it does. I think it was built to say, "We were here and we are leaving our mark and our mark does not end after we die." I was inspired by it and wrote a little about it about how I think that's what the soul is: vaguely our impressions and memories and our impact. I still need to work on that definition a little, but it involve a metaphor with a vine as well, with roots and flowers and rain and wilting.

Overall, Stonehenge was worth the journey. I got some really cool pictures and I was very impressed by it.

What I did today

2010-03-17T21:03:00.000Z

Getting over feeling sick and now planning trips.

Tess and I have planned out a trip to Cornwall (the south west coast of England) where we'll start in Penzance and hike each day along the coast to the next town! We'll be going over Easter break, leaving Thursday evening (arriving Friday morning) and getting back to Oxford early, early Tuesday morning. It's going to be a lot of hiking, maybe 10 miles a day, but we've got our bus tickets and now we need to get our hostel for each night. And then at the end of term we're planning on going to Wales to Snowdonia (snowdonia!?!) which is a huge park in Northern Wales where there's lots of places to go hiking (no hostel or travel reservations yet, but foggy plans that will get cleared up). We'll probably be flying out of Heathrow after our Wales trip.

Also, now that tutorials are over, we have more time to get to know each other and go to museums and explore Oxford. Looking forward to that.

It's been a while

2010-03-15T19:57:00.001Z

Home stretch. Last paper for Shakespeare seminar done tonight. Last class for Russian tomorrow.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while.

Since I last did I:
Walked to the other side of Port Meadow
Went to London with Tess and met up with her au pair
Finished with my magic class
Got a job offer for a Civic Justice Corps job with the Maryland DNR
Watched a really cheesy movie- Decoys
Created a Roman Gladiator costume out of cardboard
Went to the Tower of London

I'll try and put up pictures soon as well. I've got a lot.

Venice Part 2: Pigeons, Parishes, Pizza

2010-02-25T19:32:00.000Z

Today has been another long day, but I'm still really enjoying wandering with only a general sense of location and the knowledge that there are pizza places everywhere.

This morning we went out to a bakery and bought a huge loaf of bread to nom upon, bought a big ball of fresh mozzarella cheese and ate at the Piazzo de San Marco. It was kind of foggy all day and we got hassled by pigeons while we were eating, but we managed to keep them at bay. They have an incredible sense of knowing when a crumb is accidentally dropped. It will draw at least 8 per crumb.

We then explored the Basilica de San Marco, which was huge and detailed and wonderfully enormous. I could just imagine the priests walking through with candles, their vestments billowing behind them as they walked.

Then we went to an art museum, which was the collection of Peggy Guggenheim. Saw some works by Dali, Picasso and Jackson Pollock, among others. Going to the museum was a nice break from walking out in the cold and I did see a couple of pieces of art I really liked, such as Paduan Landscape by Umberto Boccioni and Solidity of Fog by Luigi Russolo.

Then we travelled to a another church, Santa Maria Della Salute, which was built in honor of the Virgin Mary because it was believed she saved Venice from the plague in 1630. We just saw the huge domes of it in the distance and decided we wanted to go there. I really like that about this city; that you can see something, say 'I want to see that,' and then just go. It's wonderfully easy to walk and explore here.

For dinner we went to a nice, cheap italian restauant, with checkered red tablecloths, dark wooden bar, candles on the table and wine lining the walls. We got two pizzas. Went to the grocery store for some snacks for tomorrow and came back to the hostel.

We have plans again to go out and walk around again, but some people have fallen asleep again. Last night we didn't end up going out, but instead watched an episode and a half of Rome, which was on HBO a couple years ago.

No solid plans yet for tomorrow and we just met a couple German guys staying in the hostel.

Venice: The Beginning

2010-02-24T18:41:00.000Z

Today, we arrived in Venice! It's been a pretty busy day so far and Ally and Tess are napping right now, but I think we will go out a little later after Napfest to see Venice at night.

We woke up at 3AM, caught the bus at 4 and got to the airport around 5:30 and our flight left at 8:30. A very busy morning. I did get a little sleep last night and on the plane. On the plane I woke up close to the end of the flight to see us flying over the Alps and then over the Mediterranean. The Alps were so expansive and the whole range looked like a giant piece of paper that someone tried to reflatten, but didn't do a very good job.

We caught a bus from the airport and it brought us into Venice on what I think is the only road in the city. It's very strange to be a city without any traditional roads, just canals, which by the way are beautiful. I really like the idea of waterways instead of asphalt.

Our hostel is a little sparse but comfortable and the host seems very nice. We get breakfast every morning and we have our own set of keys to open the 4 different doors in order to get into the hostel. Not too many worries about security. The place, Sweet Dreams, seems pretty quiet. It's off the main street, about 3 stories up a building that has a very intriguing inner courtyard full of hanging plants and narrow stone stairwells.

After we dropped off our bags, we walked about without any real destination and walked though the Piazzo de San Marco and along the Mediterranean. We stopped at a little "snack shop" for lunch/ dinner and got pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach and a pizza.

I think Venice is and will be a very easy city to mosey about in and explore. There are nooks and crannies and back allies everywhere. Very easy to get lost in. I think we are going to try to limit our destinations so it doesn't turn out like London did; rushing from one place to the next without every really enjoying anything fully.

Some words I have learned from using them today.
Uscuti - exit
Prego - you're welcome
Aspetta - wait!
Vattene, bestia immonda! - Begone, foul beast!

I will keep you all updated on any new Italian words I learn and my continuing adventures in this ever sinking city.

London Long Review Part 3

2010-02-24T18:21:00.000Z

Ally went off on her own while the rest of us went to British Museum. A thoroughly impressive building with a mindboggling amount of stolen stuff. I was reminded of my day in the Egyptian Museum and just the sheer number of items in that building. By the end of the day there I was barely even taking in what I was seeing simply because I had seen so much. That didn't happen in the British Museum, but it easily could have. Instead we spent about 30 minutes looking at mainly the Elgin Marbles (which used to be on the Parthenon) and seeing a couple other items from Greece and the Rosetta Stone.

It was really cool to see the Rosetta Stone. I think that was my favorite part because I had seen a copy in Egypt and read about it and just to see the very thing that helped us understand hieroglyphics and because it was just so old was very awe-inspiring. Thinking of what would have been if it had not been discovered or understood: for example, my trip to Egypt would have meant a lot less to me if I didn't understand the history and significance of the ancient Egyptian artifacts and locations.

After this, Tess and I rushed off to meet Ally at the London Eye to ride it. When we got there, Ally wasn't, so we decided not to go on. Instead I took a picture of it.

Then (quite tired by now) we met Ally at Covent Gardens, which was nice collection of outdoor shops and restaurants with street performers (your standard robots and jugglers and musicians, etc). We ate dinner at little Italian restaurant where we were tucked into a table in the basement. Felt a little like the Cask of Amontialldo.

Finally, at the end of the day we caught the Subway back to Paddington, took the train home and fell promptly asleep.

London was...a lot. I really enjoyed my trip, but we did a lot of walking and, in retrospect, not enough resting. We were a little too ambitious in the number of things we wanted to see which meant we didn't get to see any of them in really good detail. But I do think I got a good feel for London as bustling, busy city that the visitor needs to adjust to; it doesn't work the other way around. And depite the problems I sometimes have with big cities: anxiety about crowds, feeling lost, stressed, etc., I think I did okay with London because I knew where we were going, and how we were getting there.

It illuminates, I think, the type and amount of control I feel that I need to be comfortable and fully functional. I really would like to go back and see the Globe and more of the British museum. Maybe soon. But it'll have to be after Venice!

London Long Review Part 2

2010-02-24T18:02:00.000Z

Next we decided we wanted to go see Harrods andBuckingham Palace. On the way to Harrods, which was first, we walked through Hyde Park, which was a nice break from cars, but still full of people (probably because it was a nice day). Especially prevalent were the runners. Crowds of them just going down the path. We were just going to go straight to the famed luxury store, but realized Kensington Palace was right next to Hyde Park/ in it, so we stopped there.

But in actuality, we couldn't really see much. The gardens were laid out nicely but nothing much was growing and we couldn't see much of the "palace" or what I expected to see, so we moved on instead turning to watching small children get almost attacked by geese.

Which is what happened/ will happen if you give a baby bread near a pond full of giant swans. Seriously, they were probably 4 feet tall and not scared of people at all.

Moving on so as not to killed Birds-style, we found a memorial and concert hall dedicated to Prince Albert, which were a gilded golden statue and a giant collesium-esque building.

We found Harrads and then found Harrods completely overwheleming. We didn't get past the second floor. There was just too many rooms, and I felt the whole place was very contrived. Not fancy, just tacky; like the store was trying too hard to be high class and just putting in too many costumes, too much gold, too much polish. So we left, and it was relief to get back out onto the street, where we took the subway close to Buckingham palace.

Buckingham Palace was super crowed and though we missed the changing of the guard I still really enjoyed seeing it, even though once again, it wasn't quite what I was expecting from a palace. I guess I was envisioning more of a castle rather than just a really big stone house...

We walked more. We walked a lot and by this point I was getting kind of tired and hungry. But we saw Big Ben and Parliament and Westminster Abbey (all from the outside) before we went to get sandwiches and rest at a Costa near Trafalgar Square. Big Ben, etc. were all very impressive in their size and how they imposed their presence over the city, as well as the incredible amount of detail in all the stonework. I wish I had been a little less tired, so that I could appreciate them a little more, but I do plan on going back to London.

Next, the end of the day at the British Museum, London Eye and Covent Gardens.

London Long Review Part 1

2010-02-24T17:44:00.000Z

Now for the long overview.

We woke up at 6, showered and were out by 6:30 to catch the train by 7. The train ride was only about an hour long. There were some beautiful, open countrysides that were covered in frost. The whole trip (there and back) no one ever checked to see if we had tickets...and so we arrived in Paddington Station, already hungry and cold and tired, but ready to start our day.

We had considered buying an Oyster Card (like a SmarTrip card) but instead just bought day passes for the tube, only 5.60. They were definitely worth the price we paid and riding the Tube was really, really easy. Other cities take note. Also, we were at first panicked for a minute because the lines to where we wanted to go were closed all day (as well as a couple other lines), but we were easily able to get on another line and transfer.

We rode the subway to Notting Hill, where the Portobello Market. On the way, walking through the streets, several members of our party doubted my ability to read a map despite my impeccable track record with directions and maps (no sarcasm, here), but once we found our destination I was unspokingly deemed the Map Master and Direction Dictator.

Portobello Market did have mushrooms, yes, along with hundreds of others of fruits and vegetables, clothes, knick-knacks, paintings, junk, antiques. Two strange things: the convenience store-esque carts with toothpaste and the egregious number of antique cameras.

Overall, I really liked the Market; it was busy and diverse and full of lots of different people and really cool stuff. We didn't buy much but it was a good first experience in London getting used to the large crowds and reading the map and keeping everyone together.

Whirlwind Tour: London, Short Review

2010-02-24T17:41:00.000Z

Got my paper on alchemy finished Friday. Want to get started on Necromancy before Wednesday, because Venice!

But yesterday, we (me, Tess, Ally, Julia, and Julia's boyfriend who was visiting: Gerard) went to London for the day.

Brief overview: the weather was fine (clear all day, a little chilly), we saw a lot of famous stuff (Portobello Market, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, London Eye, Trafalgar Square, British Museum), we were there for 12 hours (8-8), we rode the Tube a lot, and were very tired by the end of the day. Pictures are up, just click the ones to the right and find the London album for February 20th.

Bees

2010-02-16T17:27:00.000Z

Busy, busy, busy.

No more papers "due" this week. But I do want to finish my Elixir of Life by Thursday (maybe Friday). And then get started on my summoning of spirits, get most of that done by Monday.

Lots of time in the library. Maybe going to Port Meadow tomorrow morning. Feeling a little worn out.

More music by Okkervil River, though!

Thoughts and Music

2010-02-15T13:21:00.000Z

I've been thinking about what I'm going to be doing: this semester, this summer, next year, after college?

I'm feeling a little lost also. I found a couple programs related to woodworking internships, but they are all long programs or you have to pay to participate. Or do I want to apply to be a Ranger again to the Park service. Or VYCC? How about something like this group? I don't know.

I feel somewhat confused and stressed out about it. This statement however, does not adequately describe the turmoilishness I'm feeling, but I'm not sure how to say it better.

On a separate note, I found a new song I like.

Bristol+Banksy

2010-02-15T13:08:00.000Z

This past Saturday Tess, Ally and I went to Bristol to go see some of Banksy's work and to check out what Bristol had to offer.

We were almost late for the bus, waking up 20 minutes before it was supposed to leave, but got there on time and dozed on and off for the 2.5 hour bus ride.

Bristol was a pretty urban city, I mean that it was much more urban than Oxford, a little gritter, more modern, much larger buildings. We went and got some pasties for lunch and found a map online of where some of Banksy's pieces were and went off to find them.

Oh, by the way, if you would like to read a little more on Banksy, HERE is a link to some more information about him. If you don't feel like reading it, he is basically a graffiti artist who travels all over the world making political statements through graffiti and different types of art installations. Here are the Banksy pieces we saw in Bristol (supposedly where he is from).

While these were really awesome, they were only a small part of all the awesome street art we saw. There were people actively painting, we added our names to a public art building that anyone could add to.

Then we saw a parade coming down the street with protesters from the community gathered together against the creation of a new Tesco (a wal-mart-esque corporation) because there were already two very close and they took away from small businesses. There was music and dancing and pictures being taken. It was really awesome to see people of all ages gathered together for this common cause.

Following this great hullabaloo we hurried off to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge (hurrying because we only had about an hour left of our three hours there). After swiftly walking, following signs, asking at least 5 different people for directions we turned a corner and found it.

It was pretty incredible. It spanned over this beautiful gorge, into which there was a path which we unfortunately did not have time to traverse.

After the bridge we had to hustle on back to the bus station. We made it with 15 minutes to spare and got on the bus to nurse our sore feet and doze on and off again back to Oxford.

Getting back, we decided we needed to rest, upload pictures and watch the Olympics. Which we did.

Since the 9th, Pt. 2

2010-02-15T10:51:00.000Z

Thursday morning Tess and I tried to walk around and see some colleges, but they were closed to visitors/ we couldn't find some of the front doors. So, we decided to walk around University Parks, which we had been trying to do for a while, but we always seemed to end up there right as it closed. So we walked around for a while, saw a lot of ducks and geese and cyclists. It was a really pretty and extensive park. I really like that there are parks like this in Oxford that are not just tidy little patches of grass. There was an extensive path that was comfortably overgrown and meandered by the river. So although we didn't visit any colleges we did find a really nice path/ walking area/ park/ geese.

On Friday evening, Tess and I went to a lecture at Wadham college, which was a really big school. It's very easy see how one could get secluded in these colleges with their high stone walls and and pretty much everything you might conceivably need within.

We went to go see Zoe Margolis speak. She was a blogger who wrote about sexuality and feminism and changing views on sexuality through examples in her sex life anonymously until a newspaper felt it necessary to figure out who she was and ruin her career. She talked a lot about providing sexual health information and about the way that women are viewed in media and her experience as a woman going against the social norm of embracing her sexuality and being a subject in sexuality rather than an object of another's desire. She was a really funny and engaging speaker and I think she did a really good job of showing how her blog was not just a chronicle of sexual experiences, but actually related to a broader, more tenable desire for change within sexual education and the perceptions of women who want to/do embrace their sexuality.

Since the 9th, Pt. 1 (I saw David Bowie)

2010-02-14T18:04:00.000Z

In order to make this a little more manageable for me and you am going to break up the past week-ish (still not updating more regularly) into a couple sections.

Because of our upcoming trip to Venice, I have needed to get my papers, for Magic especially, done earlier so that I'm not rushing after we get back. So I read a lot. I was in the library and doing research for much of the time. I got to read in Duke Humphrey's library again and discovered a courtyard next to the library (but only through a window). It was very meta-Duke Humphrey, because I was reading about him and his relation to astrology inside his library. Pretty cool.

We (Tess, Ally, and I) watched Labyrinth, which is where I saw David Bowie, ha ha. I really enjoyed watching it; it was delightfully cheesy and pretty funny. I really liked all the different creatures and the characters were over-the-top enough for them all to fit together.

I finished that paper on Astrology today, which is good. Next post will be about mine and Tess' walk in University parks (of which there are pictures) and the lecture on sex blogging we attended on Friday evening.

Turf, Homework

2010-02-09T11:41:00.000Z

Since my last post I have gone out to the Turf Tavern, traipsed with ponies and gotten stressed out about getting homework done.

On Thursday night, we went out to O'Neill's to hear the band (because they have live music every Thursday and Saturday). I'm pretty sure they only have cover bands come to play which is okay, but I would still like to go out and see some original music by local bands. The band had a bass (think cello-esque) which was a pretty cool addition to the music, especially during their Led Zeppelin covers.

Friday night, I had made plans to go out to meet Tom Dugan at the Turf Tavern. For those of you who don't know, I went to high school with Tom, we were in some of the same classes, but I was never really close friends with him. At home he goes to Notre Dame, but here he is attending New College. We met up at the Turf; to find the pub we had to travel through this narrow alley and a tiny archway which opened up into an area between a bunch of buildings that was basically several seating areas around a small, squat central building where the bar was. Tom and I sat and talked for about an hour and a half. It was weirdly coincidental that we went to schools so close to each other, but it wasn't too weird hanging out with him. He also gave me a tour of New College, which was anything but new because it was built in the 1300s-ish. It was really impressive, much more so than St. Peters. Old dark medieval corridors, high stone walls which were connected to the medieval city walls. It was kind of what I was imagining all the schools in Oxford would look like, so I'm glad I got to go. After that I met up with some friends from CMRS, we hung out at the Turf, explored more of the alleys that were kind of like secret entrances to the pub, and then went and played some Jenga.

Then, Saturday, I went with Ally, Tess, and Julia to Port Meadow and the Perch (pictures are up from that). Another beautiful day on Port Meadow and going to the Perch (a B&B/ restaurant) we walked through some countryside-ish landscape, with large hills and gray, empty fields along the path and in the distance. It was a long walk, but quite beautiful.

That night, I stayed in and watch West Side story with a bunch of people and worked on some homework.

Sunday rolled around, felt pretty lethargic all day, found out the books I needed to read for my next magic paper weren't going to be coming in, did a little reading, worked a little on my paper. In the evening, for our friend Anna's birthday we went to a little Thai restaurant called Angrid Thai (which we affectionately renamed Angry Thai), had some delicious pad thai for dinner (also got it again last night as a post-dinner take out snack) and then came back and worked on homework late into the night, missing the Superbowl.

Yesterday (I'm really sorry this is so long. I need to either post more often or cut out some detail) went to the library in the basement of the Radcliffe Camera. Medieval dungeony kind of library with huge stone pillars and arches.

I've also been thinking a little more about what I want to do this summer. I've been looking at internships/ jobs related to woodworking and I am still interested in the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. But this post is long enough already, so more on that later.

And if you've sent me a message recently, I will respond soon, I promise.

Dancing, Ponies

2010-02-05T11:00:00.000Z

I been busy the past couple days. Not so busy that I was literally unable to keep you all updated, but busy (I do have some more pictures up, by the way).

I've been steadily working on homework, which is generally what I spend a lot of time Thursdays through Sundays doing, while Mondays through Wednesdays are classes. My general schedule is:

Monday: Integral (Renaissance to Enlightenment) Lecture/ Colloquium (alternates every week)
Tuesday: Russian Tutorial at 1, Shakespeare Seminar at 3
Wednesday: Magic at 2
Thursday: Homework
Friday: Homework
Saturday: Homework
Sunday: Homework (usually writing my paper for Magic)

Of course, this is only my work schedule. Usually one of the homework days (though not Sunday), I don't spend doing work and just hang out/ go for a long walk/ read more for pleasure.

On, Tuesday, however, I tried a new thing and went out Scottish dancing with Tess and another girl in the program, Anna. It was right down the street in a church gym, there was about 25 people there and we danced for about 2 hours, but we had to leave to get work done and we tired, but it would have gone on until for another hour after we left. I had never been dancing like this, but it was lot of fun (but not at all like the picture on the right).

It was more like what I assume square dancing is kind of like; everyone has a partner, dancing in lines spinning around, following different steps. No jumping or kilts. Most of the people there were all pretty young friendly, though there were some serious dancers who I could see were getting frustrated with me tripping over myself and not knowing what to do in the more complicated dances.

But I'm pretty sure I'd go back.

Also, went to jujitsu again and there were a bunch of new people, so I wasn't the least experienced one in the group and I got picked to do demonstrations and I actually felt a little like I had been learning something. We practiced more strangle defense, punch and kick defense and breaking free from wrist grabs.

And then, yesterday, Tess and I went out after lunch to the Farmer's Market (Tess got some vegetables), we bought tickets to go see Medea tomorrow and I delivered some postcards. Then we decided to go on a short walk along the canal, which turned into a long walk, but it was totally worth it. We managed to stumble upon Port Meadow!

It was kind of an overcast, rainy-ish day, but it didn't even matter. In fact, it probably helped make Port Meadow even more beautiful. And there were ponies! Not tiny ones, but lots of big ponies. And of course, I didn't have my camera, but I think we might be going back tomorrow.

It was really unexpected to find it and the conversation leading up to the discovery went something like this:
"Do you want to go up these stairs?"
"Sure."
"Let's go right."
"No, I want to go see what's over here."
"Ok."
"Hey, look over there."
"PONIES!!!!!"

Port Meadow is this vast open field, with very gentle rolls in it and water that I think comes from the Thames, which run nearby and spills into the meadow. There were geese and ponies running around and the wind was blowing off the water and it was quiet (except for the geese and occasional train whistle). If you didn't look too far left or right, the place felt very anachronistic; just an empty wind-swept meadow in the English countryside.

Homework now, pictures soon, and updates less regularly than I always plan.

Tower and Plan

2010-02-01T22:09:00.000Z

I have plans to climb the tower of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin and to become and carpenter (or at least do some woodworking).

Sick and Beautiful

2010-01-29T19:58:00.001Z

I've been feeling a little sick these past couple days. That waking up achy feeling and the going to sleep stuffy feeling and the runny nose all day. But I've been able to get up and get work done and go the library (more on that). And I've been eating and getting lots of liquids.

Not debilitating, just uncomfortable.

Yesterday, Tess and I walked down to the Botanic Gardens. Unfortunately, a lot of construction workers with their machines also decided to go at the same time, so it was a lot more rumbly-er than I had expected and all the greenhouses were closed, but we walked around for about 10 minutes. It was nice, but would have been nicer if it had been a quiet escape.

Also! I bought a hat! It was only 3 pounds.

Classes are still going well. I did much better on my Magic paper comparing magic and science and my tutor, Rory, said so. We had a really good conversation during class and we went through my paper and discussed all the points and the reasons behind the argument that I made. I really liked that. It was pretty laid back in terms of environment, but rigorous in terms of discussion.

I also went to the library today, the Radcliffe Camera, and read for most of the afternoon about medieval medicine for my next paper for Magic.

I wish I could take pictures inside the library, because it is beautiful in there. There are busts on top of almost all the bookcases, small curved staircases. I was on the upper floor and the ceiling opened up into the dome. There were intricate marble carvings all over the archways and ceiling and balcony railings.

I am really glad that I went to study there, but I still want to see more of the other parts of the other libraries as well.

And then I came back, took a small rest. Then I looked out the window and saw this as dusk settled in.

One thing I had heard about Oxford was about it's "dreaming spires." I knew it referred to the towers that rose above most of the other buildings.

But I don't think I had really seen them until tonight.

P.S.- More pictures are up from the past week.

Venice?!

2010-01-25T14:01:00.000Z

I'm going to Venice! The last week in February, the 24th through the 27th, Tess, Ally and I are going to Venice. Here's what it's going to look like, I hope.

We bought our tickets the other day. I had a little trouble trying to use my credit card, it got denied, but we still got our tickets.

We are planning on staying at a hostel there called Sweet Dreams which cost about 22 pounds night. We also checked several websites; they have consistently good reviews, no word about bed bugs, and its also very close to the center of the city.

I am super excited! I have wanted to go to Venice for a long time. The canals instead of streets, the architecture, just the thrill of exploring a new place. I am really looking forward to it and I will be sure to take lots of pictures.

More recently in Oxford, I've been doing homework. I'm still working on that balance between doing reading and finding time to go out and explore the city. I did go the Bodleian on Saturday to read. What a cool place! There's all sorts of portraits on the walls and there are paintings all over the wall and books everywhere (well, it is a library). Along with that the small, dark wooden stairwells, the stone courtyards. I really liked it there.

Also, recently found out about a place/ pub/ venue for live music really close to St. Michael's Hall called The Cellar. Apparently there's live music most nights there. Something I would definitely like to check out because I love live shows.

The weather's been pretty nice, it's been pretty clear today, about 4 degrees all day.

Nesting

2010-01-21T11:54:00.001Z

Last night I went to jujutsu, got there on time and was there for 2 hours. The class cost 2.50 and everyone there was very friendly and helpful. They were also very helpful and thankfully I wasn't the only beginner in the class. The only real problem I had was understanding sometimes when other people were talking (because of their accent), but I think it was mutual.

The class started with about 25 minutes of stretching, followed by practicing (learning for me) falls and rolls. Then we did warm-ups of attack and defence stances, foot movements with snake wrist grabs which were then combined with punches and kicks.

Then, the teacher, David, probably in his late 40s, worked with the 4 new students, teaching us wrist crushes, arms locks, and strangle defenses.

It was really nice to be outside of CMRS and meeting new people. And to be getting some physical activity. I think I will definitely go back next week.

Also, today I noticed a pair of birds building a nest in the tree right outside my window. I took a picture of one of them. Does anyone know what kind it is? I also notice that is had kind of a bluish streak on its tail and I thought I noticed a streak/ spots of green (just 2 spots potentially near its wings), maybe.

I feel a little like these birds, collecting things from all around, slowly making myself a home here, even though it won't be there for long and I'll be somewhere else next spring. In the meantime though, to continue the metaphor, what's going to hatch?

I definitely need to do more reading and I have postcards to write. My tutor yesterday for Magic class told me that my paper could have been much better and that I need to read more, so I will. I'm glad he was up front about it and I got that immediate feedback. That was really helpful.

Off to lunch now!

Pictures from Ambling

2010-01-19T11:52:00.003Z

Also, more pictures are up!

http://picasaweb.google.com/pfsparklin

Houseboats and Tea

2010-01-19T11:15:00.002Z

I had my first experience of going out and having tea the other day. Not drinking tea, but going to a place with the specific intention of drinking tea around the middle of the day. We went to a small tea drinking establishment called "The Grand Cafe" around 2:30 in the afternoon. It was a group of 8 of us, but it was very crowded inside, so we couldn't all sit together.

It was however very cozy inside and not too expensive. Only 2.50 for a small pot of tea (I got a kind called ceylon) which was about 4 cups of tea. I discovered that I like both milk and sugar in my tea and I very much enjoyed the sugar cubes.

It was very nice to sit in this warm, cream colored cafe with copper chandeliers and get to know each other better.

I can see how this could easily could become a tradition. It did very nicely in tiding me over until dinner and it was an excellent break from work. Well, it would have been an excellent break from work if I had been doing some earlier, but instead Tess and I had gone to see the houseboats.

In reality, we only saw the houseboats accidentally. We had gone out to see if we could find Port Meadow, a large field west of the city centre. In searching, we wandered along a canal path, the Oxford Canal, thinking it might lead us there. It didn't.

We walked only part of the path and then turned back but later saw if we had stayed on it we might have gotten there. It was a little confusing. But anyways: houseboats.

Along the side of the canal, tied to the bank were a row of houseboats. I had never really seen anything like this before and at first I thought they were just moored because they were for tours and it was icy and winter. In fact, they were residences. I knew because they had mailboxes and there were people inside of them cooking and cleaning. Here's a picture. Unfortunately the pictures on this post aren't mine (I really should take my camera more places and not be so shy about using it).

I really wander if the houseboatpeople have their own separate community and what that's like. Do they visit each other? How many people can a houseboat hold? What are interactions like? Do they mind being tied up along a pedestrian footpath (but I guess they could move very easily)?

It was also very strange because this houseboatcommunitycollective was only about two minutes away from the city centre. Oxford, I am finding, has many different parts that seem very mashed together, but yet somehow it seems to work.

After the houseboats, Tess and I continued to try to find Port Meadow, since it was a nice sunny, warmish day. We walked down a main road, didn't really find it, so we turned around. Upon later reviewing our journey on a map we found that right where we turned around, if we had gone up that street, would have taken us directly to Port Meadow. Oh well, maybe another day. But we will go, because when I searched for pictures of Port Meadow, this came up.

I hope there are tiny ponies everywhere.

In recent days...

2010-01-17T01:08:00.001Z

Went for a walk at Christ Church Meadow. It was about a mile long walk, and Tess and I saw the Thames, and the the cathedral (from the meadow). It was very quiet and soft and pleasantly away from the city center. We could still hear the street and and people talking and children shouting at a nearby school, but muffled. It was really quite beautiful hearing the sounds of all that life contrasted with the sight of the imposing, gothic towers of the school. That juxtaposition, I feel is very indicative of how I see Oxford (except sometimes not quite so muffled). The street outside almost always has people walking, shopping, talking with the buses rumbling, screeching, bumping with the new buildings leaning and becoming a little like the old buildings, watching, waiting, blending.

I also now have all of my classes set up. I have not met my Russian tutor yet, but I will be having an assessment of my Russian skills next week...we'll see how that goes (I have been reviewing). Also, I have my first assignment for my Occult Sciences in the Middle Ages (hereafter most likely referred to magic class) due on Tuesday, where I have to write a 1000 word essay on what things were "new" in the occult learning during the middle ages. I think most of it was taken from older works, but there was just an increased interest/ use of occult sciences because of changing political climate, religious views, etc.

Also, I will try to go to Ju Jitsu this week. At 8 this time.

And today Tess and I went to the Barracks Lane Community Garden. It was about a 45 minute walk away and through a much different part of Oxford than the City Centre. It was much less touristy, less focused on the university it seemed, and also a little more run-down. Is this because it's not focused on the visitors or the tourists? Maybe it's what Oxford would have been like without the University. It was on Cowley Road (if you wanted to find it on a map).

The garden we visited was a little small and not much was growing because, well, it's cold, but there were some people there. One woman who was visiting with her son and a couple 'trustees,' who helped organize and create the garden. We sat with them and drank tea in their yurt and talked about the garden and the community events they have there and how they created the garden.

It was, I think, a really good experience to get away from Oxford and see something that wasn't focused on the University, to see, at least a little bit, of how the "ordinary" people of Oxford live/ what they do.

In the common room tonight, we played an intense game of Cranium and talked. It's nice and a little easier to spend time with other people here I don't know as well and I will continue to do that.

I have been feeling a little homesick and tired and missing people from home, but I got a bunch of postcards and would like to write to people and will be Skype others soon, so that will help.

Sorry about this, but I am ending on a more tragic note: I am almost out of Cheez-its. And they are not sold in the UK.

Christ Church Meadow Pictures

2010-01-14T14:50:00.004Z

New pictures! We visited Christ Church meadow today.

First Seminar, More Potatoes

2010-01-12T20:00:00.001Z

Today, I woke up a little late (11 ish) and went to lunch where they had mashed potatoes (I think I'm going to eat a lot of potatoes). We had mashed potatoes and vegetable casserole with dumplings (the casserole was not too good).

I then walked to a community center about a mile away (about 25 minutes) where I might be joining a ju jitsu club that they have once a week. I think it will be a good way to meet British people and to see more than just the city centre. The walk was along a well lit and very populated main road with a police station on it (in case you were worried about my safety). I found it very easily and I think I will be going tomorrow.

After that I came back and puttered around a little bit until 3 when I had my first real class, my Shakespeare seminar. The tutor is a man from Texas, professor Hanna, and there are 9 students in the class, Ally, Tess, and Julia included. The tutor mainly talked about Shakespeare's life and his works in general. He said in later classes he won't talk as much and we will be discussing Twelfth Night next class and we have to write a 15-16 page research paper for the end of the semester. We only meet once a week every Tuesday at 3.

Then hung out in Ally's room for a little while with her and Tess. We did some logic puzzles and looked for places to see live music. Then we went to dinner, Indian dishes tonight with potatoes and rice and spinach and vegetables.

I think later tonight we will either be going out (where, I don't know) or staying in and reading Twelfth Night together.

Some people are going to Portugal this weekend and I am invited to go, but I'm not sure if I will. I think I might instead go with Tess with a group that does wilderness and park conservation outside of Oxford. We will see.

The Bodleisdfgernen and St. Peter's

2010-01-12T19:44:00.002Z

So yesterday, I went to The Bodleian, the library, which I will supposedly be using for most of my research while I'm here. The main building has these huge pointed gothic, spiky spires and all the doorways are enormous stone arches. Unfortunately I did not have my camera, but I will go back and take pictures because I thought it was beautiful. All the CMRS folks went together because we were going to get our "reader cards" (basically library cards, but much more so). After leaving St. Michael's Hall, we went through several snow covered alleys and courtyards, finally coming to a large wooden door in an archway, which was maybe 15 feet tall. The senior tutor, Mark Philpott, knocked solidly on the wooden door three times, and we waited as the sound echoed about the silent courtyard.

Then from behind us, came a woman walking quickly, telling us to go on in and apologizing for being late and not being inside to open to door. So it was a little anti-climatic, but we went in and got our Bodleian ID cards which allow us to go into the library. We can't check out books, no one can, but we can actually go upstairs to look at books, which you can't do if you don't have a card.

Also, it is a little confusing because most of the books aren't on shelves, they have over 8 million books, so you have to request them and then go pick them up in the reading room, where you can look at them. I'm not quite sure how to request them yet though.

Then we went to St. Peter's college where we got a tour of their library and common room (where they have dances) and chapel and bar. Oh, the Bodlien is the library for all of Oxford University. I still didn't have my camera here either, but I can go back and take some because I have to go there everyday to eat.

Speaking of eating, yesterday was our first time in the cafeteria. They have a small selection of food, most of which is served by the workers there. The line is separate from the eating area. For breakfast there were hash browns, eggs, baked beans and fruit and yogurt. Lunch was bread and salad and tomato soup and vegetables and potatoes. Dinner was potatoes and vegetables and mushroom ravioli. They do have meat options like chicken and beef, and they serve a lot of potatoes. We swipe our library cards after we get food to pay. There are three long tables the length of room and on the width of the room (this is at the end of the room, looking out over the room). That table is for tutors only and they have fancy bread and fruits on the table as well as their water pitchers. There are two tables for students and the St. Peter's College kids eat there as well, but I haven't talked to any of them. They also don't wear robes. The only Oxford affiliated person I've seen in robes has been the woman giving us the library cards at the Bodleien.

Then in the evening we went to lecture by one of CMRS' tutors, Dr. Crowe, who talked about the Renaissance and the ideas about art and the changing feelings of the people and the ideas that were present. We got a list of reading to do prepare for future lectures, but I have not started on that. I'm going to have to do a lot of reading here I think.

After all that I was pretty tired, so I hung out in my room read a little and just relaxed.

A Brief Overview of the Past Few Days

2010-01-10T22:55:00.001Z

Which will be Updated and Expanded and Explained in Greater Detail (one day)

1/6-1/7
Plane
Airport(s)
Bus
St. Michael's
Oxford
Orientation
Dinner

1/8
Woke up very early
Went for a walk
Fire Drill
Pita things for lunch
Orientation stuff
Shopping
Walking tour
Made dinner (pasta and spinach)
Eagle and Child
Tried to find others
Came back to St. Michael's
Played Camp/ Kims/ Kimps
Bed

1/9
Lecture
-trips for integral
-tower of london
-kennilworth castle
-statford upon avon
-bath
-hampton palace
ate soup and leftovers for lunch with julia
took nap/ laid around
walked around with ally, joanna, anna
eviscerated animals
blackwells poster store
o'neill's
kings arms
attempted thirst
bed

1/10
woke up late
food at sainsbury's with alexis and julia and tess
went to museum of history of science
bought knife, sandwiches
looked at trips with ally
watched love actually in common room

Children of Snowmen

2009-12-19T07:00:00.002Z

I babysat Lucas tonight and was pretty amazed at how well he was learning to read and write. After writing my final paper on it last year for Cognitive Psych, I was pretty interested in how he read words that he was unfamiliar with; his reading style supported the indirect access hypothesis where he broke the word down into phonemes before applying meaning to it.

Now, knowing this, being able to apply a label to his style of reading; what good does that do? I guess it does facilitate being able to describe to others what I recognized. So why is that important? Maybe so we can discuss how he reads, how the school system teaches reading, etc. Why (I don't know if I will have much involvement in the school system or teaching children how to read)? Simply the conversation itself could have a impact on improving my social relationship with this hypothetical other individual. Why should we have social relationships? Instinctively I answered in my head, "Because being alone is bad."

But is it? I don't think so. Being alone sometimes, as Tess addressed recently in her blog helps us think, reflect, understand ourselves better. But being alone, without support, without knowing you have potential support, I think can make us feel very overwhelmed. Which can be very hard to live with.

Well, that branched off a little. In summary: Lucas reads well and I really like that I'm able to see and appreciate and maybe in my own small way, be a part of that.

Before turning to the snow issue, I would like to address one thing I really like about being home: listening to radio. It's something that is, for me, very particular to being home and driving. I could listen at school but it's not the same as flipping through the stations on cold mornings and hearing new songs that I enjoy.

The Snow Issue. I have heard rumors that this storm will be "historic." And that people are going crazy about it. Maybe because I'm not a homeowner or because I haven't really had any bad experiences with snow, but I don't see what all the fuss is about. I understand that people need to make sure they have food in case the roads don't get cleared, but it's not like we're going to have to resort to cannibalism or something if the roads don't get salted.

I'm not actually annoyed by people getting worked up about it, just observing, trying to figure it out.

Here's a picture. Yay snow!

Home

2009-12-17T14:46:00.000Z

Here is home.

I have unpacked, but will have to repack in 20 days.

20 days.

That's pretty surreal. Not that I'm not excited, but it hasn't really sunk in. Will it? Maybe not until I'm on the plane.

I've noticed this has happened before. Like going to Egypt; I kind of just accepted that it was happening and I went. Am I just too adaptable to get nervous?

But I am excited I want to get a big old map of Oxford to hang on my wall. I really love maps.

Maybe a focus?

2009-11-30T05:32:00.000Z

I think I may want to focus my psychology studies or start to focus them on something: Human Sexuality.

I'm not sure where exactly, but thinking this is definitely a step forward from where I was before (not knowing what I wanted to study in Psychology at all).

I've come to this conclusion because of some reading I did over break. While doing research for my lab report for developmental, I came across an article about human sexuality, I don't remember what one, but I remember reading it and being really interested in it. Even though this article was exactly the same structure and format of all the other articles I have been reading for 3 years, I felt really engaged by it. I wanted to understand their methods and their results and I put a lot more time into understanding the article than I felt I really had for other psych articles.

I read a bunch of articles this past week, ranging from masturbation to gender identity to non-consensual sex to sex within relationships. I feel like there is so much here I would like to study and that I can see potential paths to follow: sex therapist, educator, psychiatrist. For the first time in a while I feel much more engaged by psychology.

This is also more than just a lustful, immature desire to talk and read about sex. Seriously, I was reading journal articles about it; if I wanted to see explicit sex, I could have easily perused rest of the Internet.

And sexuality is something I've thought about before. Last year Megan and I talked about her human sexuality class and I felt like she was learning a lot of interesting things.

And I've also thought about how sexuality is such a major influencing factor in our culture, yet it seems to be taught in a very puritanical way. People are embarrassed about sex even though it's all around them. And I feel that almost everyone has some sexual aspect about them, so it's not like this topic is impractical to study or irrelevant.

I like this, this feeling of knowing something, of figuring something out.

A Slow Process

2009-11-29T00:45:00.000Z

I'm feeling a little more mature today. I've been able to have intelligent and meaningful (to me) conversations about current events (terrorism), my future (going to grad school?), relationships (family, having a family, what it is to start a family), and responsibilities (what to think about about for and after school, getting a job, etc.). And it was without feeling talked at or down to.

I felt kind of like an adult. Weird.

Thanksgiving...Break?

2009-11-27T08:42:00.000Z

I've had a wonderful time here at home, seeing my family, sleeping in my bed etc., but yet here I am, at 3:20 in the morning, still doing homework. I guess could do it during the day if I didn't sleep in, but I don't know, I didn't and this work still needs to get done.

Soon, all this work will be done, I'll be off to England with my wonderful girlfriend, my excellent roommate, and my wonderful girlfriend's excellent roommate.

And what do I want from studying abroad? I want to know what it's like to be so far away from home for an extended period of time. Not that I won't miss my family or all my friend here in the US, but I just want to experience that sense of distance. I want to study something I haven't been studying here. History and literature are two subjects I really like, but I've just been really focused on all my psych classes, I haven't really done much else. It will be good to have a change of focus to reevaluate everything else I've been learning. I want to live in another country, just to say I have. I want to meet people from another culture. I think this trip will be a good experience to better help me realize how I define myself in relation to people I've never met before and how I define myself in terms of my culture, etc.

And today is a day (or yesterday was, almost 3:30 now) that we are supposed to focus on what we are thankful for. I think that's a good idea, but I wish I did it more often, because I do have so many beautiful things in my life that I should never forget. That I am healthy, that I can spend time with people I love, that my family and friends support me, that I have the abilities and the power to do so much, that I have a vibrant and fulfilling relationship with Tess, and that I have close ties with my brothers and my friends.

Well, time to move the dog off my pillow, brush off all the fur that she's shed and go to sleep.

Also, just because it's pretty funny...

Falling Behind, Getting Ahead

2009-11-23T23:52:00.000Z

Well, I haven't been doing as well as I would have liked in keeping this blog updated on what's been happening.

So, quick overview of the past couple weeks.

Oxford forms all turned in.
UK Visa applied for.
Many long papers.
Many long papers finished after many late nights.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Children of Men. Inglorious Basterds.
Cleaning up cat poop at the animal shelter.
Getting a caffiene pill for a biological psych lab study.
Getting involved in creating a mission statement for the planning and development of a campus run farm.
Vegan thanksgiving.
Warm covers on cold nights.

A small break, two weeks of school, then winter break, then Oxford.

I'm noticing that right now many things seem to be counting down to going to Oxford or culminating in going there. Will it be all that it's being built up to be? What exactly am I expecting when I study abroad?

I will think about this. And hopefully remember to share it with you, loyal reader.

Oxford Forms, Homework, Other Business

2009-11-05T20:49:00.004Z

So, I'm slowly turning in all the forms to go to Oxford, one by one putting down my name, address and other contact information.
Going from office to office getting signatures.
Making copies of my passport from surreptitiously obtained copier passcodes (seriously, who needs to put a password on a copier? Has this school had a problem with Soviet propaganda being copied and distributed?)
I found out that the ISIC is not required but recommended. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is it going to be useful in the UK?
But I still have to do my visa application, something long and tedious. I emailed the coordinator at St. Peter's College, who said she would send me the proper form to fill out for a student visitor visa.

All that's left to do is fill out my medical form, turn in one form that needs to be signed by my parents (due Monday...) and get passport photos.

In other school related news:

I am almost finished preparation for my presentation/ leading the class in discussion for Developmental Psych. My partner Jessi and I found two articles for the class to read about interview techniques in qualitative research. We came up with a bunch of questions and are meeting Tuesday before class and the discussion to talk more.
I am working on my Powerpoint for Abnormal Psych due next Wednesday. It's not difficult and I have all my resources; I just need to get the information down on slides. It's about Isaac Asimov and whether or not he had aspergers. Current diagnosis: maybe, he seems to exhibit many of the symptoms
Still need to do my literature review for Abnormal and my research paper (which I have done some research for) in Terrorism. The lit review is about treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Cognitive Behavior Therapy and the other paper is about whether Guantanamo is a threat to the U.S. Both due Nov. 20
Debate in Terrorism on Nov. 30 about the KKK, have most books, need to build argument.

This Saturday I am going to the Animal Rescue Center (ARC) in Loveville (<3) to help take care of the cats there. There's 20-some cats there who need water and food and litter cleaned. I'm going with 3 other people from the Community Animal Welfare League (CAWL) here at school. I went last weekend and it wasn't too much work and most of the cats liked the attention and liked being petted and played with lasers. Another song:

Jolly Old England

2009-11-04T04:25:00.002Z

So, I been accepted to go to Oxford! I am very excited to hear this and I hope that Tess, Alex, and Julia all hear back soon that they got accepted as well. I would be very, very upset if one of them didn't go.

However, with this there are lots of forms to fill out, paper to read, bills to pay, papers to mail, etc. I know I will be able to get all of it done, but it's still a lot. I've gotten a couple things done already, but there's still a lot to do, and that's stressful.

Coupled with that, I was looking at the Portal today and I happened upon forms for SMPs. I'm not sure if I want to do one. I actually just started thinking more seriously about doing an SMP as I've been typing this. I think I would like to do something related to counseling, as that has been by far, my favorite psychology class (why in a minute). So, I think I will go talk to Professor Kosarych-Coy tomorrow morning about this. I think that would be a good start and I can tell her about going to Oxford.

Okay, why I liked counseling.

I felt I understood it really well.
I am really drawn to helping people and listening to them and trying to understand them.
Other classes (with lots of stats and brain functioning, etc) are interesting, but I would rather learn about people by hearing them tell it. No machine any authority can explain what's going on better than the individual who is experiencing it. We are all our own best judges.

If I do a SMP, I would want it to be related to counseling (I think).

Yipe.

Well, I do feel a little more organized and less stressed after writing this. That's good.

Also, a song I really like that I discovered recently.

A trip down to the river

2009-10-28T21:25:00.004Z

Today I went for a walk with Tess and we went down to Daffodil Valley, a quiet, peaceful beach where I hardly ever see anyone else. And I was wondering, what is it about going to the beach or being outside like that that makes me so happy?

It's quiet and calm
It's a break from doing homework
It's quite beautiful
It's not like being on campus
It's always with someone I love to spend to spend time with

Okay those are some reasons. But then I began to wonder, if this is such a nice place, why aren't there people here all the time? Possible reasons:

They don't know about it
They don't like going to beach
They are scared of giant crickets (there was one on the beach)
It's too far away (but really it's only like a 10 minute walk from campus)

Maybe everyone else is just completely satisfied with being on campus and they don't need to get away every once in a while. Or maybe they get away differently.

Regardless, this afternoon was quite wonderful. Full of sand, water, and prickly pear cacti (why not catuses, like octopuses, both are a little dangerous and resilient and I think kind of difficult to eat).

Well, here goes...

2009-10-26T21:53:00.005Z

"Some, however would derive the word from sans terre, without land or a home, which, therefore, in the good sense, will mean, having no particular home, but equally at home everywhere. For this is the secret of successful sauntering. He who sits in a house all the time may be the greatest vagrant of all; but the saunterer, in the good sense, in no more a vagrant than the meandering river..."

Thoreau wrote this in his essay "Walking." I feel drawn to this because sometimes I feel like I am wandering, but not necessarily sauntering. Walking, but without destination. I want to learn that secret.

Writing sometimes helps me figure things out. Maybe this will help and seeing it all will bring my thoughts together.