Oxford, July 4th 2010

At last, we have arrived in Oxford. This beautiful town is to be our home for three weeks, until we travel with Shelby and Jordan to London for two nights.

After a scrumptious breakfast in an English coffee shop, we took a brief walk around the St. Paul's area, with a primary objective of finding hangers for suits, which we had more or less ironed the night before. Also, Ben needed a little needle and thread to replace a button. We found the needle and thread, but the hangers remained elusive, because not many shops were opened. Maybe they were celebrating Independence Day?

After checking out of the hostel, it was time for our journey to Oxford. We undergrounded our way to Victoria coach station and got on the bus without a hitch. The passing English countryside was quite serene and pastoral. However, everyone drives on the wrong side of the road, which is often disconcerting. Still, we arrived in Oxford and took a short walk to the college.

Let me tell you about Exeter college. First, some dates. The newest, I repeat, newest building in Exeter is the chapel, dated about 1860. The oldest part is probably the underground room under the dining hall, now functioning as a hang-out/bar area, dating around 1100. The rest is in between. The dining hall is 1600s, as are many of the buildings. The entire (very small) campus is beautiful. Let me also give two names: J.R.R. Tolkien and Philip Pullman. These two graduated from Exeter. In fact, if you've read the Golden Compass by Pullman, Jordan College in Lyra's world is based on this college. I even got to see the door to the back room she sneaks into! (though obviously I wasn't allowed in.) If you've seen the movie, I apologize, but the college bits were filmed here. I'm really excited about it.

So, Oxford feels very old, because it is. This unfathomable sense of tradition is also oddly coupled with instances of bizarre modernity, especially as I type this in a computer lab.

Here are some more details about the classes and such:

I have guest lectures everyday at nine in the morning surveying English literature more or less chronologically. My impression is that I do not get a grade for that class, just an attendance certificate. Then, I have Critical Reading 4:15-6:15 every Monday and Wednesday and Shakespeare every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00-4. That's all very nice, but what I'm really excited about are the excursions. Excursions are the British way of saying field trip! I plan on going to Chawton on Friday to see Jane Austen Land, even though I'm not in the Jane Austen class. It's cheap, and sounds very interesting, actually. The third Saturday, 17th, I am definitely going to Stratford-upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare's birthplace and church, and see A Winter's Tale by the Royal Shakespeare Company. I'm very excited. I might go to Bath too, but it sounds kind of lame.

Classes start tomorrow, but I should be able to blog regularly, assuming I do anything interesting here. Keep in touch!