A Mini Holiday

Well, since my last post I have gone to a few very exciting places in the United Kingdom! I had a particularly rough weekend here in Oxford. I was feeling quite bored/lonely/homesick and was in search of a cure, since my last week here was looking like it would be very quiet as everyone would be wrapping up tutorials and I had just one left at the very end of the week. So, what does a girl do to cure boredom when she's spending six months in England? Catch a flight to Scotland!

It was actually perfect timing for a getaway, as some of my best friends from Mercer go to school in Scotland and even more friends from Mercer were in Scotland for the week for Spring Break missions work. I was able to get a reasonable flight to Glascow out of a London airport but since it was short notice I had to take a 1 a.m. bus. This put me at the airport at 4 a.m. for an 8:40 flight... you can imagine how enjoyable that was. I can now say that I have slept on the floor of an airport, as I did find a group of people who seemed pretty cozy and like it was pretty normal to just lay down, so I hugged my backpack and wrapped up in my coat for 2.5 hours of strange slumber. Luckily, my flight got off the ground alright and I arrived in Glascow just at 10 a.m. to meet Matt who then took me back to the campus where he and Aaron attend school for the semester. I was immediately struck by how beautiful the surroundings are! Scotland is famous for its landscape, but I had really not even thought about it before my trip. I went for the people who would be there, but after having been, half the pleasure of the trip was the gorgeous countryside and soothing views.

Once in Paisley (the town where the college is) Matt headed to class and I met up with Aaron. Aaron is a friend of mine also, but he is also my roommate from Mercer, Deborah's, boyfriend. He took me through Glascow (such a beautiful city!) on the way to meet up with the group from Mercer. I really enjoyed Glascow because it was much less crowded than London and the people were all nicer and life overall seemed at a slower pace. I think my midwestern roots are starting to show... city people stress me out!

Aaron and I met up with the group from Mercer in the early evening and I was so overjoyed! It was incredible to hug Meredith, Lanta, and Whitney (three of my sorority sisters and good friends - Meredith and Lanta lived with me in the house in the fall and Whit is just wonderful). The whole group was also a joy to be around, as I know almost all of them from Mercer and they are just such encouraging and kind people. Some of you know that I have had a few challenges with the people in my program so it was just so nice to be around such wonderful, caring people for a couple of days. Right away, the group welcomed me in and we went to climb the bell tower at the church where they were working for the week. The views were gorgeous and it was such a neat experience! Here are a few pictures, the first is with Meredith, the second with Aaron, and the third is of the majestic view.




That night, the girls from the group led a "Rainbows" meeting with the 5-7 year old girls of the church. It's almost identical to the American "Brownies" groups and it was so fun! I have missed volunteering and working with children, so it was just what I needed. We played and sang and made some crafts and I can assure you that the Scottish kids are the cutest! Then, the church men made us hot dogs for dinner (these were actually so good!) and Aaron and Matt and I headed back to their campus for the night. I met their very international roomies and rested up a little bit for the next day.

The next morning came early, as I made the journey alone to meet up with the Mercer group since Matt and Aaron had class. I awoke to a gorgeous morning of sunshine and just a little hint of moisture. It was like a much chillier morning at Mercer in springtime. Here is a picture of the view from the bus stop:


After riding a bus and two trains, I met up with the group to catch a train to the town called Stirling. Here we visited Stirling Castle, which is a very old and famous castle that has seen a great deal of bloodshed and power over its years. I won't go into too much detail but WOW, it was an interesting place. Here are a few photos, but please visit my photo site for more pictures.




Later that day we trekked through the picturesque town and took a bus to the William Wallace monument. Yes, Braveheart. It was SO COOL! I hadn't realized how revered Wallace really is in Scotland; he is truly their most prized national hero. I enjoyed listening to his history and seeing the important artifacts collected from 800 years ago. My favorite thing to see was his 6 ft. sword... I cannot imagine who could possibly wield such a formidable object. The man must have been a beast! Here are a few pictures from there.





We then took the train home and I hugged everyone goodbye as I stayed on the train to the airport. Aaron met me on the platform in Paisley to hand me my backpack and then I was off. The ride to the airport was tranquil, with the full moon rising over the gorgeous lands of Scotland. I saw golf courses, sheep, and a few lakes. It's a magical place, and I felt renewed after my visit. I know that I get lonely, but I also know that that is normal and I'm really not as alone as I think. It was worth it to make the quick trip up North to figure a few things out.

After arriving home at 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning, I got up six hours later for the program's excursion to Broughton Castle and Syon House. Broughton is a beautiful castle fairly nearby that has been the site of MANY movies including Shakespeare in Love and even Made of Honor. Syon House is the castle/house of the Duke of Northumberland and is in London. It is lavish and extravagant and completely saturated with artwork. Almost too much artwork. Haha, and I'm sorry, I won't post pictures because this thing is getting so long, but there are many in my Oxford March album on my Picasa page. I'll attach the link at the bottom of this post.

The rest of the week went well and I finished my tutorial on Friday. I am so thankful for the end of term, as it has been a long 9 weeks. I have learned so much about my tutorials, the world, others, myself etc. and it's time for a break. For those of you interested, I will start tomorrow morning in Belgium, then on to Spain for a week, then a week in MALTA! Malta is a tiny island south of Italy and we got incredible airfare... so exciting. I will end with a week in Italy and then fly back here to have Easter with my best friend Deborah and her boyfriend Aaron. She is in Hong Kong this semester and will have a break at that time and is visiting us! I am so blessed for all of these opportunities, and am learning that more and more each day. I will be checking my email almost daily, and will try to keep up with my blog.

My picasa site is :http://picasaweb.google.com/suz.bottorff

Please keep me updated on your lives!

Love,
Suz

A week of the arts.

So, this week went by mercifully quickly here in Oxfordshire. Many of you know that I am anxiously counting the days until the end of term so that I can get out of Oxford for some time to travel Europe. I am definitely in need of a little change, and hopeful that by the time I return the weather will be a little more cheerful here. I'm soon to impose a restriction on myself when it comes to checking the weather in Macon, as it doesn't help when I see that it is 80 degrees and sunny, while here it is 45 and raining. Oh well, it's all part of the experience.

I did have some pretty interesting experiences throughout this week. We've been making efforts to fill our days and get the most out of being here in Oxford, as it can be all too easy to waste the days away inside when the weather is unpleasant and we don't usually have many (or any) time commitments with these types of schedules. If you know me, you know that this is driving me insane. I just want to attend an organizational meeting or a mandatory lecture! Maybe go into work for a few hours a day, too? Since these are not options for me, I'm actively searching for enjoyable diversions. One of the plans is to embark on an Evensong tour of Oxford. I'll explain: Evensong is the evening prayer service at churches. It is a choral service, meaning that the choir sings most of the service, though there is some spoken worship by the pastor and congregation. The tricky thing is that every college at Oxford (there are 39) has their own chapel and accompanying choir. I attend Christ Church each Sunday, but my tutor informed me that they are only about the 3rd best choir here. This got me interested in seeking out the top 2 (Magdalen and New) and also in visiting the other chapels in the city. So, Monday night Grey and I headed to the Evensong at New College and it did not disappoint. It began at 6:15 and we were running late, but once we found the chapel we were welcomed into a side chamber of the chapel (I'm assuming this is b/c the service is usually much smaller than a Sunday service) that was eerily lit by candelabras. The choristers (all men) then entered and began the service. It was so beautiful that the singing of the Magnificat literally brought us to tears. Even when they sang in Latin, it was a beautiful and spiritual experience. After the magical service, we then looked around the college and saw the willow tree from the Harry Potter movies at the center of the college. I'll make sure to go back for pictures because it is unbelievably beautiful.

Wednesday of the week brought us a mini-excursion with the program - a night at the Oxford Playhouse to see "The Recruiting Officer". It was a funny play set in the 17th or 18th century about two couples that belong together, but have to go through many ridiculous scenarios before they are able to unite. It was very light and funny and even involved a little cross dressing. Penelope informed me the next morning that the actress in the lead role of Sylvia is actually J.R.R. Tolkien's grandaughter. She attends college here at Tolkien's old university and is not only beautiful and a wonderful actress, but she is very smart too. Life is not fair sometimes! Haha.

Carrying on with the our desire to take in shows and fine arts, Grey and I bought tickets to see Swan Lake at the theatre here in Oxford on Thursday night. I've never been to a ballet and it was certainly a wonderful experience. It's incredible to see how characters and a complicated plot can develop based entirely on movement without any words. It was just beautiful. The ballerinas make it look so easy! As much as I enjoyed the dance, I also was awed by the impressive costumes. All were so intricate and beautiful and it really made me wish I was one of the light ballerinas flitting around in their glittering tutus.

Finally, the exciting finish to my week was Howard Dean's visit to the Oxford Union yesterday (Friday). As the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and the 6-term governor of Vermont, he apparently rates pretty high over here. I was surprised to hear that he was invited, but excited to be in the presence of an American politician (my favorite kind). The attendance was high for this lecture, and it wasn't just Americans who were excited. The first two benches were filled with British students in suits and ties who all looked like they were about to meet a rock star. Dean strutted in and gave a very interesting lecture about his thoughts on Obama and the financial crisis. During the Q & A many students did give him a hard time about the stimulus package, but he stood his ground in his support of it as the best option for recovery. I did want to meet him following the debate, but he was swarmed by the doting Oxford males and after waiting for 15 minutes, it didn't seem worth it for a handshake. I'm not sure why they are so excited about Howard Dean, but I do attribute it to the obvious importance of American politics abroad. It's exciting to anyone, and the Labour party is the burgeoning liberal party here so many of the students seemed to want to talk to a strong Democratic politician.

After an eventful week, this weekend has been quiet. I have been having a bit of a hard time sometimes and today was especially difficult. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers if you will! I am so anxious for all the things ahead of me, and it's hard to slow down my mind and just think about each day as it comes. There are many changes that I am going through here, and I think that stronger patience will certainly be in my future. I pray for greater courage and strength as well, and appreciate your thoughts. Just one more week and then I'll be headed to Brussels, Belgium and nearer to seeing my mom. So, I'll update you before the end of this week, and I sure do miss all of you!

Love,
Suz

MARCH!

It's a new month here in Oxford and I couldn't be more pleased. It's nice to finally say goodbye to the winter months and have a little more hope for Spring's arrival! I haven't improved on my frequency of blogging despite how convenient that would be for me, but I do have lots of stories from the past week to share.

Last Tuesday was Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday/PANCAKE DAY as many of you know. We decided to celebrate Pancake Day, as the Union was hosting a pancake dinner and we are really trying to attend as many events there as we can so that we can branch out a little. Also, pancakes sounded really, really delicious. As you might imagine, pancakes are a little different here in England. The pancakes were more like crepes and maple syrup is not a staple. They do love toffee here so I threw some of that and a little chocolate on top and it was heavenly. The party had TONS of candy and ice cream and other indulgences too. By the end, I had had WAY too much sugar but I was pleased to have celebrated "Fat Tuesday" and Pancake Day all at once. Here is a picture of my first helping at the pancake fiesta:


The next day I attended Ash Wednesday service at Christ Church, the cathedral where I usually attend service on Sundays. It was a beautiful service and the choir actually circled through during the imposition of the ashes which was incredibly beautiful and sort of mystical. Following this, we ran up to the Union because there were two celebrity speakers coming on the same night. First up was Jane Goodall. Now, I thought this was almost comical because Jane Goodall is someone I've always heard about and learned about but why would our paths ever cross?! Haha, needless to say, it was wonderful to have the opportunity to sit and listen to her talk about her life. My favorite thing that she said was in response to a question asked about how she came to love animals so much, she responded with "A long time ago a friend of mine taught me that animals are capable of some of the most pure, unconditional love and support that I would ever find. And his name was Rusty and he was my first dog". It sounded really sweet with her British accent and I knew that many of the animal lovers in my family would find truth in that.

Following Jane Goodall's heartwarming lecture was a contrasting lecture, as it was given by Larry Flynt. For those of you who may not know, Flynt is the founder of Hustler Magazine. He is a champion of free speech but not in a positive way, in my opinion. I can truly say that I have never been so disgusted by someone that I have ever heard speak! If you want to better understand why he is so awful, you should type his name in Wikipedia, I don't even want to write about the things he has done, but augh, his magazine and the things that he has done in his life are just shameful and he refuses to acknowledge it. He gave his story and spoke about his many successes but then the floor was opened for questions. Something that I was so glad to see was that the Oxford students were not about to let him get away easy from the Union. They gave him difficult questions, many asking how he could possibly legitimize the degrading and horrible things that he does through his publications. He told us that he would love if his daughter would pose for his magazine and also that "The only thing the feminist movement has achieved is getting ugly women to march". I could rant about it for hours, but in all I am glad to have gone because it was controversial in a way that really made me think about free speech and our culture.

Thursday was another exciting day, as Grey and I decided it was about time that we took a day trip to London to see a show. I haven't been in London during the daylight yet, so it was wonderful to do some exploring. We stumbled upon Buckingham Palace during the changing of the guard and watched the swarm of tourists run around the gates. It was actually very cool, though. Here is a photo of me in front:

I searched for someone in the royal family, but I guess I'll just have to wait for another day to chase after William and Harry.

While in London we took the famous Underground (subway), got lost in the shopping district, almost got hit by many speeding cars and buses (right of way for pedestrians does not exist here), took a trek through beautiful Hyde Park, and saw Billy Elliott! Billy Elliott was a movie a few years back about a boy who loves to dance, but his father wants him to do manly things like boxing and football. It's a very sweet story about family, class issues, and of course, children pursuing their dreams, and I even cried a few times. We found half-priced matinee tickets and I think we really got an incredible deal. The dancing, singing, and set were just incredible. It was a great way to spend my first day in London and I am really looking forward to my next excursion to the city.

The weekend here was pretty quiet. Friday was absolutely beautiful with clear skies and sunshine, so I spent an hour running around the trails in Christ Church Meadow, which wind along the Thames. It is a picture perfect postcard of a place to run or walk, and many people can be found sitting along the river feeding the many ducks and swans. I also enjoy it because crew is very big here, so there are always boats full of students practicing their rowing. It's thrilling to watch.

I finished up my minor tutorial on Sunday, which means I will never again have to trek out the shed to see Dr. Fletcher. I am glad to have wrapped that up, but I really enjoyed the political modern thought course as well as Dr. Fletcher. I will miss him and our conversations, but not the long bus ride and cold walks to his house. I have two more weeks left before break, which means two more papers to write for Christian. I am very anxious for this term to end, but I still have a few things to look forward to that are keeping me going. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers in these last weeks of Hilary Term!

I hope all is well, and I will really try this week to post more frequently, because this is probably painfully long:)

Love,
Suz