I've updated my photos from the month:
http://picasaweb.google.com/suz.bottorff/OxfordFebruary?authkey=K172Pnuwnko#
Love,
Suz
Sunday, February 22, 2009
6 Weeks and I still haven't found Harry Potter or Chris Martin.
Despite my failed attempts at seeking out my favorite British celebrities, my sixth week anniversary feels pretty triumphant. I am realizing how much I have already learned and changed in this period of time and it's really cool to look back on. I still cringe when I think about not coming home and seeing my favorite faces until the end of June but... I'm getting better about it. It helps that I get a five week vacation in Europe:)
I have realized it's been a bit since I've blogged last, so I will try to be better about it in these three weeks before I begin traveling. This way, they won't be so long and I won't forgot all the good stories that I would like to share.
One thing that you must know is that I attended my first real tea party! Penelope hosted a party for high tea at her house last Sunday. It was absolutely wonderful, and involved an incredible array of homemade treats. Of course we had cucumber sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream, but she also made four different layered cakes. It was college student heaven! We drank tea out of beautiful tea cups and all of us went back for at least three rounds of food. Here's a picture of Grey and me with the adorable tea cups:
A few days later, we went to London on the much anticipated excursion to see Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" at the Wyndham Theatre. It was so incredible, the famed actor, Derek Jakobi played Malvolio and did a fabulous job. I was not very familiar with the play before seeing it, but it was just hilarious and so wonderful to watch in such a beautiful theatre. Here is a photo of me outside of the theatre:
We also enjoyed a good meal in Leicester Square that night before the play... Mexican food! We were very excited to try this out, as Mexican food is pretty rare in England, and it wasn't bad. It was actually very good, but it was not at all spicy. The English aren't really big into flavor and especially are not into spice.
Something that I haven't talked about as far as I can remember is the debate chamber at the Oxford Union. Every Thursday night, there is a formal debate held, usually with a controversial topic. The President of the Union presides, and he is most often a student who will go on to be a member of Parliament or even the Prime Minister. I believe 13 of Britain's prime ministers were Union President's earlier on in life. So, it is really a very important society to be a member of and aside from the President, many of the students who show up for debates will go on to be members in Parliament. I have heard some incredible speakers while being here but also some that are very mediocre, or even not at all good. This makes us feel a little better. This week's debate was the topic "This house believes that promiscuity is a virtue, not a vice". The format is that the house (the Union) takes a position, and then there are four debaters that form the proposition that supports this, and then there are four debaters that form the opposition. There are alternating opportunities for each argument to be given, the debates starting with Oxford students and then going on to professionals regarding the week's topic. For example, this week there were world renowned scholars on this topic, as well as one of England's most important bishops. The bishop was my favorite debater, by far. The debates can get very heated and are wonderful to watch, and then at the end all in attendance walk out of the door, but one side is marked "Noe" and the other "Yea" and you must decide which side you will vote for. I'm not sure how the debate turned out, but since the United Kingdom was recently found to be the #1 most promiscuous nation in the world, I imagine that despite the poorly performing proposition, the "yea"s may have won.
The rest of my week was spent working on papers, since I had one due on Friday and the other on Saturday. My tutorials are going well, and I will actually be done with my minor on Sunday of this coming week because my tutorial will be leaving town for a while to go the United Nations. That must be nice. Haha. So, I have just three more weeks and four more papers standing between a week in Belgium, a week in Spain, a week in Italy, a week in Austria/Czech Republic and then Scotland. Those are the plans for now at least.
I have some great things to look forward to in the coming week, which I will make better attempts at sharing with you more frequently and in a more timely manner. I hope all is well with you, wherever you may be:)
I have realized it's been a bit since I've blogged last, so I will try to be better about it in these three weeks before I begin traveling. This way, they won't be so long and I won't forgot all the good stories that I would like to share.
One thing that you must know is that I attended my first real tea party! Penelope hosted a party for high tea at her house last Sunday. It was absolutely wonderful, and involved an incredible array of homemade treats. Of course we had cucumber sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream, but she also made four different layered cakes. It was college student heaven! We drank tea out of beautiful tea cups and all of us went back for at least three rounds of food. Here's a picture of Grey and me with the adorable tea cups:
A few days later, we went to London on the much anticipated excursion to see Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" at the Wyndham Theatre. It was so incredible, the famed actor, Derek Jakobi played Malvolio and did a fabulous job. I was not very familiar with the play before seeing it, but it was just hilarious and so wonderful to watch in such a beautiful theatre. Here is a photo of me outside of the theatre:
We also enjoyed a good meal in Leicester Square that night before the play... Mexican food! We were very excited to try this out, as Mexican food is pretty rare in England, and it wasn't bad. It was actually very good, but it was not at all spicy. The English aren't really big into flavor and especially are not into spice.
Something that I haven't talked about as far as I can remember is the debate chamber at the Oxford Union. Every Thursday night, there is a formal debate held, usually with a controversial topic. The President of the Union presides, and he is most often a student who will go on to be a member of Parliament or even the Prime Minister. I believe 13 of Britain's prime ministers were Union President's earlier on in life. So, it is really a very important society to be a member of and aside from the President, many of the students who show up for debates will go on to be members in Parliament. I have heard some incredible speakers while being here but also some that are very mediocre, or even not at all good. This makes us feel a little better. This week's debate was the topic "This house believes that promiscuity is a virtue, not a vice". The format is that the house (the Union) takes a position, and then there are four debaters that form the proposition that supports this, and then there are four debaters that form the opposition. There are alternating opportunities for each argument to be given, the debates starting with Oxford students and then going on to professionals regarding the week's topic. For example, this week there were world renowned scholars on this topic, as well as one of England's most important bishops. The bishop was my favorite debater, by far. The debates can get very heated and are wonderful to watch, and then at the end all in attendance walk out of the door, but one side is marked "Noe" and the other "Yea" and you must decide which side you will vote for. I'm not sure how the debate turned out, but since the United Kingdom was recently found to be the #1 most promiscuous nation in the world, I imagine that despite the poorly performing proposition, the "yea"s may have won.
The rest of my week was spent working on papers, since I had one due on Friday and the other on Saturday. My tutorials are going well, and I will actually be done with my minor on Sunday of this coming week because my tutorial will be leaving town for a while to go the United Nations. That must be nice. Haha. So, I have just three more weeks and four more papers standing between a week in Belgium, a week in Spain, a week in Italy, a week in Austria/Czech Republic and then Scotland. Those are the plans for now at least.
I have some great things to look forward to in the coming week, which I will make better attempts at sharing with you more frequently and in a more timely manner. I hope all is well with you, wherever you may be:)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Could someone ship me a Zaxby's Zalad?
This week has been pretty quiet in Oxfordshire, England. I had two tutorials last week, which made for a much more eventful week than this one. Also, my tutorial topic for my one paper that is due this Friday is "To what extent does the proposed European Constitution help to overcome Europe's democratic deficit?". If you can imagine, this subject matter has lulled me into several small naps a day since I began my research. Needless to say, I've been reading a few books on the side and downloading episodes of the new "90210" online to pass my idle moments (I can't study all time!), and I've been compiling a list of a few things that I love about England and miss about America, with various contributions from others. So, as I procrastinate finishing my paper today (one page left!) I thought I would share some of these things with you so that you can enjoy my favorite things in my memory or stew in jealousy over the things that I am able to enjoy.
One thing that I think many of us talk about the most when we discuss things that we miss is food. This is a little pathetic, but the truth is that food is much more expensive here, and we pay so much but we experience a great deal of disappointment. For example, today Grey and I went to Penelope's and Francis' to return books and then decided to celebrate the beautiful day with breakfast at a "diner" on St. Giles. We walked in and I was in heaven. It looked just like every Greek-owned diner or family restaurant found in Chicago and the suburbs. It smelled like grease, cooked eggs, and sausage and promised to serve breakfast all day long, and its plastic covered booths were occupied by an impressive number of construction workers. These were all good signs. So, Grey and I ordered sausage and egg baguettes, which I imagined would be like a sausage and egg biscuit on a baguette. YUM! Unfortunately, we received our order and it was actually a long baguette cut in two with halved sausages (like, shaped sausages) placed in the baguette and one egg over easy thrown on top in the middle. I should have taken a picture of the food and of Grey's crestfallen face. It was not quite the sausage patty and scrambled egg concoction we had hoped for, but it did taste alright. So, this being just one experience out of many that has yielded unexpected and slightly disappointing results, here are some things I miss the most in the food department: Zaxby's Buffalo Zalad (eat one for me, Alyson); Bear's Den (all of it); sausage that doesn't come in long, sausage-cased form; spaghetti sauce that has a taste; Velveeta; Ranch dressing (it doesn't exist here); and all forms of beef that aren't filled with strange bits and gratuitous grease.
Now, this is not to say that the Brits don't have some things right. I'll give them some credit - specifically regarding Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie. DELICIOUS. As a Midwesterner, I think I'm drawn to this mashed potato, veggie, and meat casserole, but I will say that I have never had a better one than I have had over here. Also, biscuits have become a fast favorite. For those of you who are not familiar, British people use the word biscuit for what we would call cookies. They prefer biscuits that are not soft like we like, but are more along the lines of shortbread. The beautiful thing is that most often the biscuits are completely covered in chocolate, and the chocolate here is very impressive. Similarly, I have enjoyed many delicious soups and breads while over here. I think the trend is that British people are good at comfort foods and casseroles, so I will try to give up my dreams of cheeseburgers and grilled chicken salads.
Aside from food, I also really miss girls who know that leggings are not a good idea when they are worn as pants. The fashion is pretty impressive over here; you can find Grey and me salivating over many of the store windows on any given day, but some of the styles here are a little strange to me, this one in particular. Girls will wear a shirt that is moderately long (but by no means a dress), leggings, and boots. No pants. It's a little disconcerting and not something I'm ready to subscribe to.
Another major difference that one may not expect would be dancing. I miss people who dance like I dance. We have gone out dancing a few times since coming here, and it is comical to look around our group of girls and see us dancing, and then to compare it to the rest of the people in the club. There is a lot of bouncing and flailing of arms here in Europe, and it just looks odd. This is not to say that our dancing is superior, but that it makes it pretty easy to guess that we're not from around here.
There are plenty of other things that I am missing and that I love about being here, but I have plenty of time left to share those. I will tell you that the most fun and educational event I have experienced since my last entry was speed dating at the Oxford Union. The five of us Mercer girls thought it would be worth the entertainment value and it sure was! We met about 40 boys in 2 minute increments, the vast majority of which were 18 and 19 years old. I didn't ask to see anyone again, but I do have a good amount of funny moments and memories from the event. It leads me to believe that speed dating is a great idea if you're over 25, serious, and not in a foreign country.
I'll leave you with that. I'm in my fifth week here and things are really going well. Plans for our five week travel term are in the making, and it looks like we'll start in Brussels, move on to the German/French border for a few days, and then head to Spain for a full week where I'll meet up with my mom. The rest is undecided as of yet, but let me know if you have any good tips on traveling in Europe, whether it be a cool destination, hotel, or just a tip.
Cheers!
One thing that I think many of us talk about the most when we discuss things that we miss is food. This is a little pathetic, but the truth is that food is much more expensive here, and we pay so much but we experience a great deal of disappointment. For example, today Grey and I went to Penelope's and Francis' to return books and then decided to celebrate the beautiful day with breakfast at a "diner" on St. Giles. We walked in and I was in heaven. It looked just like every Greek-owned diner or family restaurant found in Chicago and the suburbs. It smelled like grease, cooked eggs, and sausage and promised to serve breakfast all day long, and its plastic covered booths were occupied by an impressive number of construction workers. These were all good signs. So, Grey and I ordered sausage and egg baguettes, which I imagined would be like a sausage and egg biscuit on a baguette. YUM! Unfortunately, we received our order and it was actually a long baguette cut in two with halved sausages (like, shaped sausages) placed in the baguette and one egg over easy thrown on top in the middle. I should have taken a picture of the food and of Grey's crestfallen face. It was not quite the sausage patty and scrambled egg concoction we had hoped for, but it did taste alright. So, this being just one experience out of many that has yielded unexpected and slightly disappointing results, here are some things I miss the most in the food department: Zaxby's Buffalo Zalad (eat one for me, Alyson); Bear's Den (all of it); sausage that doesn't come in long, sausage-cased form; spaghetti sauce that has a taste; Velveeta; Ranch dressing (it doesn't exist here); and all forms of beef that aren't filled with strange bits and gratuitous grease.
Now, this is not to say that the Brits don't have some things right. I'll give them some credit - specifically regarding Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie. DELICIOUS. As a Midwesterner, I think I'm drawn to this mashed potato, veggie, and meat casserole, but I will say that I have never had a better one than I have had over here. Also, biscuits have become a fast favorite. For those of you who are not familiar, British people use the word biscuit for what we would call cookies. They prefer biscuits that are not soft like we like, but are more along the lines of shortbread. The beautiful thing is that most often the biscuits are completely covered in chocolate, and the chocolate here is very impressive. Similarly, I have enjoyed many delicious soups and breads while over here. I think the trend is that British people are good at comfort foods and casseroles, so I will try to give up my dreams of cheeseburgers and grilled chicken salads.
Aside from food, I also really miss girls who know that leggings are not a good idea when they are worn as pants. The fashion is pretty impressive over here; you can find Grey and me salivating over many of the store windows on any given day, but some of the styles here are a little strange to me, this one in particular. Girls will wear a shirt that is moderately long (but by no means a dress), leggings, and boots. No pants. It's a little disconcerting and not something I'm ready to subscribe to.
Another major difference that one may not expect would be dancing. I miss people who dance like I dance. We have gone out dancing a few times since coming here, and it is comical to look around our group of girls and see us dancing, and then to compare it to the rest of the people in the club. There is a lot of bouncing and flailing of arms here in Europe, and it just looks odd. This is not to say that our dancing is superior, but that it makes it pretty easy to guess that we're not from around here.
There are plenty of other things that I am missing and that I love about being here, but I have plenty of time left to share those. I will tell you that the most fun and educational event I have experienced since my last entry was speed dating at the Oxford Union. The five of us Mercer girls thought it would be worth the entertainment value and it sure was! We met about 40 boys in 2 minute increments, the vast majority of which were 18 and 19 years old. I didn't ask to see anyone again, but I do have a good amount of funny moments and memories from the event. It leads me to believe that speed dating is a great idea if you're over 25, serious, and not in a foreign country.
I'll leave you with that. I'm in my fifth week here and things are really going well. Plans for our five week travel term are in the making, and it looks like we'll start in Brussels, move on to the German/French border for a few days, and then head to Spain for a full week where I'll meet up with my mom. The rest is undecided as of yet, but let me know if you have any good tips on traveling in Europe, whether it be a cool destination, hotel, or just a tip.
Cheers!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
An Oxford Winter Wonderland
If any of you have been watching much of the Weather Channel or keep up with international news, then you must already have heard about the "blizzard" and terrible weather that is sweeping the UK this week. I'll admit, I was not expecting snow during my stay. It was in the forecast but I figured it would be a few snowflakes, much like the snow that we had every now and then when I was little in Virginia. Well, the first day it was much like that, a glorified powder that was just enough to cancel the local schools (but not my lecture) on Monday. It was actually just beautiful and I spent the afternoon sliding around the cobblestone streets taking pictures of the beautiful buildings with the light snow covering them. Here are a few photos:
So, as you can see, this is real snowfall but it's not the serious business that I'm accustomed to in Illinois. Well, just a few days later, (this morning) I woke up to a much more dramatic scene! We had a full two inches or more at ten a.m. and it was still coming down!
This is the scene outside of my apartment this morning. It was beautiful, but I had a few things to do in the city today and no practical footwear or hats to deal with this sort of snowfall. Needless to say, I spent the morning being chatted up by strangers who were making fun of my awkward tip toeing and slipping around the streets of Oxford. I should have seen this coming.
Aside from the snow (which is said to continue through the weekend) other interesting events of the week include my new residence. I have actually moved from 25 Faulkner to 29 Faulkner in efforts to make myself and another boy more comfortable. So, now I live with two lovely girls and the boy lives with my two lovely former roomies. I think our community is all the more happy for it, and my new room is much smaller but much cozier. I'll have to take some pictures sometime. The carpet is hideous but it most certainly has character!
Also, one of my favorite musical artists spoke at the Oxford Union earlier today. His name is Rufus Wainwright and his appearance was much more meaningful for me than any other might be. It's actually sort of strange, but last year at this time I was corresponding often with my friend Sarah, who was doing her semester abroad here. Talking with her led me to daydream about Oxford and begin to consider coming here, and for some reason I was on a big Rufus Wainwright kick at the time. For some time now, I have vividly associated his music with my far away conceptions of life at Oxford. When I heard that he would be one of the Union's guests, I was just so struck by it. Many of you know that I had a bit of a rough start here, but it is these small things that have really led me to be so sure that this is where I am meant to be. It's nice to have these small validations and comforting to know that God is sending these things my way. And, aside from it's meaning, hearing Rufus Wainwright speak was AWESOME! He told a few ridiculous stories and shared some great insight to his work. He is obviously a genius but equally nonsensical a lot of the time, so it was nice to get some perspective. I was even interviewed by the BBC afterwards! It was truly a great afternoon.
Since then, I've been consuming an unnatural amount of tea and working to finish my second paper of the week, this time on Rousseau. I really enjoyed reading his work, especially because there are some glaringly obvious political philosophies that set off the American Revolution. You all know how much I love the States, so reading things like this and thinking of our history is always nice.
I've got two tutorials tomorrow, although the weather could change that. The fairweather Brits are not so good at being inconvenienced by the weather.
I hope all is well in America, which I hear is warming up. Enjoy the weather and let me know how you are doing!
Cheers!
So, as you can see, this is real snowfall but it's not the serious business that I'm accustomed to in Illinois. Well, just a few days later, (this morning) I woke up to a much more dramatic scene! We had a full two inches or more at ten a.m. and it was still coming down!
This is the scene outside of my apartment this morning. It was beautiful, but I had a few things to do in the city today and no practical footwear or hats to deal with this sort of snowfall. Needless to say, I spent the morning being chatted up by strangers who were making fun of my awkward tip toeing and slipping around the streets of Oxford. I should have seen this coming.
Aside from the snow (which is said to continue through the weekend) other interesting events of the week include my new residence. I have actually moved from 25 Faulkner to 29 Faulkner in efforts to make myself and another boy more comfortable. So, now I live with two lovely girls and the boy lives with my two lovely former roomies. I think our community is all the more happy for it, and my new room is much smaller but much cozier. I'll have to take some pictures sometime. The carpet is hideous but it most certainly has character!
Also, one of my favorite musical artists spoke at the Oxford Union earlier today. His name is Rufus Wainwright and his appearance was much more meaningful for me than any other might be. It's actually sort of strange, but last year at this time I was corresponding often with my friend Sarah, who was doing her semester abroad here. Talking with her led me to daydream about Oxford and begin to consider coming here, and for some reason I was on a big Rufus Wainwright kick at the time. For some time now, I have vividly associated his music with my far away conceptions of life at Oxford. When I heard that he would be one of the Union's guests, I was just so struck by it. Many of you know that I had a bit of a rough start here, but it is these small things that have really led me to be so sure that this is where I am meant to be. It's nice to have these small validations and comforting to know that God is sending these things my way. And, aside from it's meaning, hearing Rufus Wainwright speak was AWESOME! He told a few ridiculous stories and shared some great insight to his work. He is obviously a genius but equally nonsensical a lot of the time, so it was nice to get some perspective. I was even interviewed by the BBC afterwards! It was truly a great afternoon.
Since then, I've been consuming an unnatural amount of tea and working to finish my second paper of the week, this time on Rousseau. I really enjoyed reading his work, especially because there are some glaringly obvious political philosophies that set off the American Revolution. You all know how much I love the States, so reading things like this and thinking of our history is always nice.
I've got two tutorials tomorrow, although the weather could change that. The fairweather Brits are not so good at being inconvenienced by the weather.
I hope all is well in America, which I hear is warming up. Enjoy the weather and let me know how you are doing!
Cheers!
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