You Know You're Sort of British When...

On the three week and one day anniversary of anything, it is always good to take stock, right? So here it goes:

You know you're sort of British when...

• You don't have to soak your feet at night anymore to reduce the swelling from walking everywhere.
• You stop responding to "Cheers" with "Cheers for what?"
• Your life stops flashing before your eyes when the bus passes inches from your face.
• You don't have to spend 10 minutes looking at the coins before giving the cashier your money. 
• You realistically reach for your rainboots in the morning instead of your flip flops. Even if its sunny and bright out. You know better by now. 
• You start saying "Wot" instead of "What?"
• Someone buys into you faking that you actually know where you are going by stopping to ask you for directions.
• You stop converting everything in your head to dollars. 
• Your loud voice has become a whisper

You know you're still an American when....

• You still reach for a Diet Coke instead of tea.
• You consider bringing the British the good news of the invention of chocolate chips, to which they should certainly subscribe. 
• You miss one-dollar bills. Coins are way too jingly. 
• You can't bring yourself to ask where the "toilet" is. "Bathroom" seems so much more...well, less obvious!
• You keep calling your pants pants, not trousers. 
• You randomly start singing the American national anthem.

You know you go to Oxford when your school looks like this:

Go Christ Church!

And you especially know that you are in for a once-in-a-lifetime semester when your weekend travels consist of this! 

Ciao Italia!

A Day in the Life of a King

Ha, I wish!

Step 1: Travel to Hampton Court Palace, just outside of London, home of Henry VIII and William III.

Step 2: Ignore the awkward picture of Megan on the side. (I didn't realize she was taking the picture quite yet otherwise I wouldn't have looked like a servant at attention...)

Step 3: Look with awe and wonder at the palace behind.

Step 4: Look again, with more awe and wonder, remembering that this was one guy's house. One guy! (He might have had a few extra friends occasionally...)

Step 5: Observe the awe and wonder diminish as it takes ten minutes to walk up the driveway and be thankful for snowplows and short driveways at home.

Step 6: Enter through the servant's entrance (C'mon, seriously?!) and walk through the kitchens where they are pretending to still cook food. Observe how beef stew does not smell so good when its been sitting there for years. 

Step 7: Put on a ridiculous- looking 16th century cape and feel foolish for a moment. Then think Lord of the Rings status and feel cool once again. Also note how warm the cape is and how cold it suddenly feels outside. Have a brief moment of remembrance for warm Michigan summers... and then move on. 

.  

Step 8: Tour the incredible buildings, noting that wallpaper must be out and golden tapestries and paintings of rather naked people must be in. Make a note for future home design projects. 

Step 9: Get lost. Look desperately around for signs or a map. Realize that cool people don't need those and so try to get unlost.

Step 10: Note that the beds look rather claustrophobic and are probably a fire hazard. Feel very smart when you hear that one actually did start on fire. 

Step 11: Admire the guys rooms'. Note their rather unique decorating techniques and be thankful that it hasn't made its way to the States yet and that the chances of your brother reading this blog are slim to none. 

(If you can't tell, those are rifles in the middle and swords in the corners)

Step 12: Get lost again. Feel slightly annoyed with how big it is and how every room looks the same. Didn't you just see that tapestry?

Step 13: Feel happy when your wanderings lead you past the fountain that once flowed with wine. Feel sad when you realize its not working. Make a note to tell Dad to fix it the next time he comes to England. 

Step 14: Sit down, because its already been fourteen steps!

Step 15: Go to the gardens and get a dreamy smile on your face at how very Princess-ish it all looks. Look for the Secret Garden. Fail in your efforts, but still act a bit giddy. 

Step 16: Look for and find delicious British scones. 

Step 17: Walk through the courtyard one last time and think if only you had been born 500 years before... though hopefully not as a window-cleaner.

Step 18: Turn in your cool LOTR robe.

Step 19: Walk back down the driveway wondering if you'll make it to the end.

Step 20: Go home

And have your friends take mean pictures of you sleeping...

Be thankful for a day in the life of a king, but also that your taxes back home are used for something other than this...

The Big City Over the Pond...(You know, the one with the big old clock?)

Let me pause in my introduction of Oxford for a brief interruption of our most recent adventure: London!

Truly, it was an adventure! I think I have already gotten so used to Oxford and generally being able to walk everywhere (within a reasonable amount of time, of course....) that the absolute hugeness of London was a bit shocking. Thankfully, we had passes for any type of public transit, so we could maneuver around any way we wished: double-decker bus, then Underground, then walk, then another bus, then another train, and another, and finally....we would get there(:
    London is a myriad of tensions (good tensions, don't worry!). There is this rich oldness to it- grand cathedrals, ancient castles, historical monuments galore. But across the street from a beautiful old abbey is a Pizza Hut, and among the skyline dominated by St. Paul's Cathedral are tall modern skyscrapers and cranes building a weird, torpedo-shaped building. Stylishly dressed teenagers saunter past older couples holding hands and scarlet-clad soldiers with big poofy hats stand at attention nearby (and they never smile! Trust me, I tried...) And while one street is cobblestone and quiet, the next has an abundance of pavement and whizzing cars. You can just feel it as you step off the bus- the pull of history yet the tug of  the modern present.  A delicious tension(:
    Our first stop was to the hostel, which was an education in itself. I had never been to a hostel, which is to be my primary mode of residence while traveling, so I was a bit (just a bit...) curious. It turned out to be in this awesome old historically-preserved building with a basement/bar/clubbish- area and big rooms that would fit tons of people (16 girls, to be exact; which, let me tell you, started to smell like tired feet after about day 1). They served a great breakfast (as much toast and nutella as you could pile on your plate at one time) and it was neat to see all the different travelers. Most were teenagers (hhm, I wonder why?) but from all over! There were other Americans (we all could spot each other from across a crowded room) and plenty of Europeans. Lets just say that none of us cared too much for the Italians- If you thought Americans were loud and/or rude, we have nothing on the Italians. But I shouldn't stereotype...
     Now I'm not much of a Shakespeare person- it took two different teachers and a commentary to help me finally understand what Romeo was saying to Juliet- but Shakespeare on the Globe stage?! Fabulous.  I had forgotten that he wrote his plays specifically for that stage; they tend to be a bit more stiff when read in 8th grade English class(: We saw the Merry Wives of Windsor, and they were definitely merry! (Shakespeare must have been too, while writing it...) After a long day of walking, it was a bit disheartening to be handed a groundling ticket (aka standing in the pit), but afterwards it felt like we had gotten the real experience being able to lean up against the stage. I'm so thankful that it didn't rain that night!

    The next day was see-everything-possible-in-one-day scramble across London(: Here are some of the highlights. Are you ready? K, go.

 Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station

If only it could be so...

Trafalgar Square. Absolutely beautiful. Tons of annoying pigeons trying to eat your rather expensive McDonalds (yes, we caved). Takes about 10 crosswalks to get to, but worth it. The funny thing is, I have no idea why its called Trafalgar... 

More of the square, and my friend Margarita. We were...being American.

Westminster Abbey: Very majestic and very, very big. If I went here and came late to church (as I usually do, sorry!!) I don't think I would be able to hear anything the bishop said because I would be about a mile away from him...

Buckingham Palace! The official residence of Queen Elizabeth II. The flag was flying, so she was in, but we had to decline her invitation for tea since we had places to be and other people to see(:

The Tower of London.

It was a bit intimidating when the first thing our tour guide told us was how many hundreds of people had gotten their heads cut off here. Apparently the Tudors especially were a bit...short-tempered. 

Famous be-headed included: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard (two of Henry VIII's many many many wives) Apparently Catherine Howard called out as she was heading to the scaffold the name of the man she had truly loved more than the king. She might have warned the poor man- he was standing right in the crowd. He didn't keep his head long either.

Queen Mary of Scots

Thomas More

and last but not least, the Duke of Monmouth, which is actually the name of the pub next to our house. We were a bit shocked to hear that apparently the executioner was as fond of his ale as he was at keeping a job because he missed the Duke's head several times and ended up hitting his shoulder and arms instead. Yes. We are so happy that pub is near us. 

Anyways, after our gruesome curiosity was satisfied, we got to see the Crown Jewels (the multiple crowns, scepters, golden plates, etc that are basically made completely of jewels).  The gentlemen going in with their ladies were a bit shocked walking out at what they had to live up too. 

The original Scotland Yard headquarters! It was tucked way way back in a dim old alley. 

Sherlock Holmes fans...take a deep breath.

A nap in St. James Park, which was right outside Buckingham Palace. We strolled along were young kings past had grown up playing. It still felt like a park though! And it had a lot more stupid pigeons (which, actually, are probably the most hated animal here- everyone pays a huge amount of money to have all these little spikes installed on their roofs and eves so that the pigeons can't land. Yet the pigeons go on. )

#10 Downing St

Residence of the Prime Minister, who currently is...? 

David Cameron. I didn't know that one either. The British, who love to be on the up and up of current affairs, would not be impressed with me, but lets keep that secret to ourselves, shall we?

Anyways, this was about as close as we could get, which I think is about 10 yards closer than the White House? Someone should call the Obamas and complain(:

The inside of the famous St. Paul's Cathedral, where Winston Churchill's funeral was held and where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married. It was exquisite, and apparently costs 7 million pounds to maintain. Yeah.

Outside the Cathedral. We were a bit confused, because we thought this happened in Rome somewhere... Anyone a biblical scholar?

A visit to the Churchill War bunker and home of the War Committee during the duration of World War II, which was kept top secret until only a few years ago. It had a massive, 3-foot thick metal and concrete ceiling secretly placed on top. How they were able to do that in secret is beyond me... Its right under the Department of Defense and is in the middle of a busy square. 

And finally, Big Ben, which actually refers to the bell inside the tower, which is called the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster. One can see why they shortened it. 

Anyways, that was the scramble through London. Don't ask us how many times we got lost, but it was an amazing adventure. Hopefully another visit will be in line shortly!

Oh, and this was perfect. We found it on the back of a street sign. 

So watch out(:

Welcome to 224 Abingdon Rd!

Well, I've officially been at Oxford for one week and one day! It feels as though we have been here forever; at the same time it feels like we've just begun.

This first week was a crash course in fitting in with the Brits, and I should probably add that most of the time I earned an epic "F". Despite the fact that we apparently speak the same language, I can't tell you how many times I asked "Uhm, can you repeat that again?" or just had a general look of blank "I-don't-understand." Nevertheless, each day brings more understanding so that now I only have to ask them to repeat themselves once(:

Obviously there are more differences than just the language. The British drive on what they call the "right" side of the road, which means looking the opposite direction when you want to cross the street! Oh, and crossing the street... that's a whole other ballpark. The cardinal rule of crossing streets is not to get hit by anything. Otherwise cross whenever! (American policemen would have fits.) And if you want to pick out who is a tourist and who isn't, just look for the person abiding by the cross-walk signals(:

But I think I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.  I have all term to delve into the nuances of British society(:
To begin from, well, the beginning:
     I arrived last week Wednesday, with two hours of sleep, rumpled clothes, and minus one suitcase (it came a few days later thankfully!) to the quaint, bustling city of Oxford in Oxfordshire county, England. My first question to the taxi driver was "Is it always this busy?" to which he replied "Actually, this is rather quiet for Oxford- Wait until the students come." (Term doesn't officially start until October, so students are still on Long Break). And truly, while Oxford is technically a "university town" it is full of the broad spectrum of people, from adorable children to hassled businessmen to frail old ladies crossing the street at a snail's pace. I've enjoyed the aspect immensely; its nice to see into the lives of more than just British students.

My flat (apartment) is not flat at all(: It has four stories, and guess who lives on the very top one? Yours truly. But its actually quite lovely (there, that sounded British, didn't it?) to be up so high, tucked in under the roof. The multiple staircases aren't so fun, especially when you've just come down and realize you forgot something up top; but the view from my window is wonderful:

(I'm actually right off a busy street, so you have to look beyond it to see the great view)

This is my house, 224 Abingdon Rd. That open window, waaaayy at the top, is mine(:

I have four wonderful flatmates, and three reserved rooms for British students when they officially come in October. We have a very well-supplied kitchen, but the one thing we all lament is the lack of a common room. We've taken to having our meetings on the various staircases, yelling up or down at each other...

My official address is:

    224 Abingdon Rd

   Oxford OX1 4SP

   United Kingdom

Unfortunately, homework beckons to me, but I will try to catch up with my updates very soon! 

With much love,

        Meg

A Dangerous Business

"It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." 

~Bilbo Baggins

A dangerous business, going out your door. Indeed it is. You might look up and suddenly find yourself down a path you've never traveled, a passageway only dreamed about, a corridor not yet discovered. You might pause. Step back. Should you go on? Perhaps it would be more comfortable to turn around and go back. Safer, yes, that would be good. 

But you don't turn around. Instead, you look down and put one foot forward, then another. And before you know it, you are walking forward, still one step at a time, but forward nonetheless. This is the moment, the one where you are swept down the road, the moment your life charts a new course. You will never be the same. You can never go back to that exact spot at that exact time and turn back around. But would you even want to? 

And so it begins...Oxford, England!