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
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