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