Adventures in Oxford

So long, old friend.

2007-01-18T00:45:00.000-05:00

Some Oxford memories. Sorry I'm just getting around to posting these - I actually just figured out that I could make these albums from Facebook public today.

Enjoy.

Oxford 1: She went down to Oxford town.

Italy: La Vita e Bella

Oxford 2: Oh Oxford, it's the place for me.

Love to all,
Rachel

6 Dec 2006, 22:38:42

2006-12-06T18:08:00.000-05:00

Oxforia: [ox-for-ee-uh]
n. "a feeling of happiness, confidence, or well-being brought on by having successfully completed one's essays at Oxford sometimes exaggerated in pathological states as mania"

Tribute to Thomas Neilson Paulin

2006-12-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

Turns out one of my lecturers is famous.

His name is Tom Paulin, and Megan & I had the dubious honor of sitting through several of his lectures on "How to Read a Poem."

Biographical photo from wikipedia.com article.
Don't let this pensive gaze fool you.

This is more like it.
His unruly hair has been conveniently cropped from this picture.
This is also typical attire for a lecture - dress shirt with no undershirt, unbuttoned to reveal a slight glimpse of pathetic sprouts of hair protruding from his chest.

This is another look with which we are familiar.
The piercing, steely blue eyes seem to bore [holes through] you.

And occasionally this beaut.
Most notably when Megan had the audacity to point out that Californians pronounce "San Joaquin" as "San Wa-keen," not "San Joe-cane." This after he had just completed his detailed explanation of the rhyme scheme surrounding "San Joe-cane."
Paulin's response to Megan's hesitant and respectful, yet tenacious assertion?
"Well, you've stumped me there."

We knew that Paulin was a published author, but we had no clue that his circle of prestige encompassed the almighty Wikipedia! This discovery was made when I was in the midst of completing research for my long essay, searching for a quote about creation on brainyquote.com, and noticed that one of the generated responses was by "Tom Paulin." I started at the name, paused Beethoven's violin concerto, removed my headphones and turned slowly to Megan.
"Megan," I began, my voice shaking slightly, "what is Paulin's first name?"
"Tom," Megan replied, looking at my bewildered expression quizzically.
"He's quoted on brainyquote.com," I breathed in amazement, as I quickly entered "Tom Paulin" into the Google bar. "I wonder if he's made it to Wikipedia yet."
At the same moment these words were spoken into existence, their suspicions were confirmed.

According to Wikipedia, Thomas Neilson Paulin was born January 25, 1949. He is a "Northern Irish poet and critic, well-known for his strong political views." However, what Megan & I were most interested (yet least surprised) to discover was under the heading "Controversy." However, I've written enough and will leave you with that element of suspense. Simply visit the link above if you'd like to complete your own research.

Break out the Christmas music!

2006-11-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

Some important countdowns:
2 more tutorials.
3 more papers to write.
16 days until I am back home!
29 days until Christmas!
36 days until 2007!

So, Doug got here on the 16th & left yesterday. 9 whole days together in England! I am so glad he was able to experience a taste of my life here in England. And now he believes me when I tell him that we walk about 5 miles a day! ;) Here is a little sample from his time here:

Our Thanksgiving walk around Oxford...

Momentarily interrupted when Doug was almost eaten.

Love,
the future Partons :)

Watching The Christmas Story on Thanksgiving.

Yesterday was the SCIO Thanksgiving celebration. The festivities began around 1:00 with an American game of football in the back yard. Then around 3:30, we were treated to pre-dinner entertainment, courtesy of the Baigent Boys, as well as our tutor for student affairs, Simon, & his wife, Coral.

The youngest, Harry Baigent.

The middle child, Charlie Baigent.

The oldest (and dare I say, my favorite!), Bertie Baigent.

Simon & Coral Lancaster, Cello Extraordinaires!

The dinner itself was a wonderful excuse for everyone to get a little dressy AND indulge in our long-forsaken high heels!!

The Tripartite Cord!

Electric heels, ala Megan & Rachel.

After dinner & dessert, Megan & I quickly ran upstairs to escape the throng below - 90 people in one house can become quite suffocating. We decided that the best way to end the evening would be to watch that timeless Christmas classic - Home Alone. "Look whatcha did, ya little jerk!" As ashamed as I am to admit it, the moment of reunion between Kevin & his mom made me a little teary-eyed. I attribute that to the fact that I miss my own family, although I'm sure the stellar acting also contributed.

Well, that brings us to today, Sunday, the 26th day of the month of November in the year of our Lord 2006. Today's forecast: 52 degrees, partly cloudy, with a chance of writing papers.

My love to all,
Rachel

it's just the nearness of you

2006-11-21T11:52:00.000-05:00

Look who's here!

I love my new study buddy!

Sunday, bloody Sunday...

2006-11-12T15:02:00.000-05:00

Ah, taking a break from 18th-century literature to update everyone on the homefront on the where- and what-abouts of yours truly!

Just to clarify: there was some concern after my previous post as to my well-being, and I apologize for the unnecessary concern - I am just fine. The only injury was to my pride, which could probably take a knock or two anyway!

I know I talk about this far too often, but I cannot get over the beautiful weather! It has been an absolutely gorgeous autumn over here!

Let's see, some fun things to update about...
Well, we think the fireworks for Guy Fawkes Day have finally ended. They started about a week before Guy Fawkes Day (Remember, remember, the 5th of November...), but I think they're finally done. Here is my account of Guy Fawkes Day from my livejournal (posted Nov. 5):

For anyone who doesn't know (or hasn't seen V for Vendetta), this is the day when England celebrates the thwarted plot of G.F. to blow up Parliament. It's sort of their equivalent to our 4th of July... the exception being that we don't burn effigies of any historical figures. At least not to my knowledge. So, the locals have been getting antsy with the fireworks for about a week now. Every evening around 6 or 7, we'd start hearing the ole crackers - I suppose practicing for the big night. Yesterday, the tension was really building as I heard the first firework at 3:14pm. Anyway, last night we went to a carnival (which was kind of pathetic, definitely not all it was hyped up to be!) and watched fireworks (excellent - can't imagine the cost), and then stayed around to see G.F. burned in effigy, atop a 10-meter high pile of wooden skids. No one went nuts or anything, but still a little bizarre. The fireworks are at it again tonight, though much patience was exercised, as the first one didn't go off until 3:23pm.

So that was definitely a little taste of English culture...

Last night Susan, Megan & I went to Craft Night at the St. Ebbe's (the church we have been attending). It was such a great break from the usual routine! We had each paid £5 for a ticket, but it was well worth it! There were tables of various crafts, including (but not limited to) card-making, sewing little ornaments, decorating picture frames, etc etc! We enjoyed ourselves immensely, and we took pictures, but I can't post them, as I am holding someone's Christmas present! Ah, suspense...

Well, not much else to write about. I've just been reading and writing and walking a lot. To spice up this otherwise dull entry, I shall add some pictures!

Walking to the library...

On the way to City Centre

One of our favorite regulars. This guy LOVES his bagpipes!

Well, that's all for now!

Love to all,
Rachel

2006-11-04T16:07:00.000-05:00

A Fall One Autumn, Rachel Bannister (b. 1985)

They say that “pride cometh before a fall,” but in some cases, a fall cometh unprovoked. Such was the event of our protagonist, whose fate came so quickly, with no warning. No, Rachel was not of noble birth, but critics and literary scholars throughout the ages have nevertheless dubbed this unfortunate soul a tragic hero. This is her story.

Rachel was born, lived for a while, and then went to Oxford, where she met and quickly befriended two upstanding citizens, Megan and Susan. The three had been conveniently placed in the same room, thereby solidifying their friendship. Nary a moment went by when these comrades were not engaged in fellowship with one another. It was true, however, that their rigorous academic schedules sometimes posed an interference in such pleasantries. During these times of separation, their minds raced ahead in anticipation of further time spent together in gales of laughter, perhaps whilst enjoying a confectionary treat from one of their frequented dining locales.

The walks to and from the multiple libraries strewn throughout the quaint town of Oxford were often the highlight of the day. The girls would amble through the idyllic meadows, rapturously admiring the English landscape, chatting merrily on a variety of topics.

One morning Susan was unable to accompany Megan and Rachel, and though the two were wary of journeying without one of the tripartite, they set off, bemoaning the absence of their third cohort. However, recognizing the necessities imposed upon their dear friend by her arduous workload, the two were consoled and again took up cheerful discourse. It was a glorious autumn morning – the air was brisk, and in a backdrop of bright blue sky, the sun streamed its loving rays upon the ruddy cheeks below.

Suddenly, disaster struck. Some wicked, unseen foe grabbed Rachel’s foot, and with no warning, she found herself plummeting toward the sidewalk beneath, in what seemed to her a perpetual nosedive. In actuality, the devastating fall took only a split second. When later questioned, an observer commented, “It just happened so fast.” Megan never even had time to begin reaching out a helping hand. Rachel’s demise was inevitable.

Fortunately for Rachel, her animal instincts took over, and, like a cat, she was unexplainably able to break the tumble with her hands and, amazingly, only one knee. Still, the harm was done – she was now a fallen woman, her once graceful reputation forever tarnished. An elderly woman had witnessed the whole scene, undoubtedly remembering the days before her initial descent, and remarked knowingly, “I do that all the time.”

Megan, being a faithful friend, stayed by Rachel’s side as the two walked somberly toward Oxford. Though Megan attempted to lighten the mood, they were both well aware that Rachel’s return to society would not be one of joy. The two would never discover why or how the whole event had transpired, but they had both learned an important lesson that day: a threefold cord is not easily broken.

2006-10-28T05:36:00.000-04:00

Well, I begin this post with a heavy heart, as my beloved Tigers fell short in the World Series last night. However, I'm refusing to lose sight of the year we just had, as it is a far cry from years previous. In that vein, I figured this quiet Saturday morning would be a good time for reflection – on the Tigers, on time in Oxford, on life in general…

Unfortunately, it being a Saturday morning in Oxford, I don’t have time for reflections. I’ve got plans with a man and a courtesan. Ha! Before everyone freaks out, I’m only reading Defoe’s Roxana. But good way to grab everyone’s attention!

Anyway, I feel like since Italy, there hasn’t been too much to update about that will keep my audience captivated. I haven’t taken any pictures of the scenery lately, and there just hasn’t been much happening, aside from reading & writing essays.

We did, however, have a Harvest Party here at the Vines last Friday evening. Desserts, dancing, and disguises! Sounds almost like the Restoration comedies I’ve been reading lately, but I promise much less bawdy. Megan & I dressed up as the World Cup winning Italy soccer team! Mostly because we didn’t want to spend money on costumes, and we had both purchased cute little jerseys while in Italia.

Yeah, we’re pretty much the best looking players to grace the team.

Our house is currently being taken over by wasps. I’m not really sure what’s going on, but every morning there are at least half a dozen in the bathroom. This morning I walked in, and someone had killed all but one – and left the little dead carcasses lying everywhere! Gross.

Well, as warned, not the most riveting update, but I figured that since we only have around 40 days left, I’d better get the updates in while I still can.

Hope everyone is doing well back home, or wherever you may be!

Love to all,
Rachel

Take Anything You Want

2006-10-19T15:07:00.000-04:00

Let me begin this short entry by stating: I promise I really do schoolwork while I'm here.

That said, I'd like to encourage everyone to visit this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W1VY4b9IQQ

Quite possibly one of the most hilarious/disturbing? things I've seen in awhile.

Enjoy!

2006-10-12T17:14:00.000-04:00

Overall, the weather in Oxford has been beautiful. However, sometimes it rains. Sometimes it even pours. Yesterday... it poured. Thankfully, in the late afternoon when Megan & I were walking back to the Vines from city centre, the rain had lessened drastically. The walk back takes approximately half an hour, and we had been walking for about 20 minutes, painstakingly avoiding puddles and mud and the like. As we were laughing and stepping gingerly around a fairly deep puddle at the bottom of a bridge, a gentleman on a bike rode by and called out a warning. We didn't hear him very clearly, but we thought he said something about water being so deep that it wasn't worth it to try to avoid. However, we managed to stay relatively dry, except for Megan's cute little flats, which were sufficiently wet. Luckily, she was wearing a skirt, so she didn't need to worry about wet cuffs or pantlegs. I, however, was using a little more caution, as I was wearing my suede (it's true) Puma sneakers and jeans. We successfully made our way around the puddle and laughed about the man who had ridden past...

But then we came to the flooded street. Think: Venice. One of the streets that we needed to take to get back was completely flooded - the street, the sidewalk - there was no getting through. Megan, being a sport (and having already completely soaked shoes), decided to simply wade on through. I, however, was not about to submit myself to such atrocity. I had devised a brilliant plan of shimmying along a fence in the front yard of an unsuspecting house. The water was just barely over the bottom rung of the fence, so I rolled up my cuffs and began executing my ingenious scheme. Meanwhile, Megan and I were in hysterics because of how ridiculous we looked & how preposterous the whole situation was. I caught my breath and said to her, "I hope this family doesn't mind that I am using their fence as a bridge!"

I had spoken too soon.

Not 10 seconds after this hasty comment, a face appeared at the open window of the house, and a woman called out, "Excuse me... excuse me - please, could you get off the fence? It will break."

I glanced at the woman, stared in horror at the lake surrounding me, glanced back at the woman and sighed. "Okay... sorry," I replied. I gazed forlornly at the fence, then begrudgingly resigned myself to my aquatic demise. Megan and I slogged through the urban lagoon for about half a block, until it finally receded and dumped us out onto the street - tattered, drenched & a little more worldwise, but still in good spirits.

I only wish that I had pictures so everyone could have enjoyed pictures of the fiasco, but the mere tale must suffice, as a camera was not at hand.

My love to all,
Rachel

2006-10-03T16:23:00.000-04:00

Ciao Family & Friends!

The last time I left you, I looked something like this, having just completed my papers:

And now, a short 5 days later, I greet you jubilantly, having returned safely from a glorious vacation in Bella Italia! Italy is all they say and more. What an amazingly beautiful country...

Our journey began with a SCIO field trip to London, in which we visited the Imperial War Museum. Trying to get out the door that morning was a little hectic, and in my haste to send a last email to my sweet fiance, on my way out I stubbed my toe on the stair, and I'm pretty sure I broke it, as I heard the pop, it has been swollen and black and blue and has a weird bump on the side, and... well, see for yourselves. (Enlarge for further hideous detail, if you dare.)

Not the best timing in the world, as we had a lot of walking in our very near future, but thankfully the pain hasn't been terrible.

After a long day, we arrived safe & sound in Italy, and our bus driver even deposited us directly across the street from our hotel! Venice was my favorite part of the trip. Actually, I think it was everyone's favorite part. It was beautiful, relaxed, friendly - and the streets are canals!

Also, we went on a gondola ride! Our driver (well, what would you call him?) was named Igor - despite the name, definitely Italian. Igor let me help him row! In all actuality, I held on to the paddle-thing while he did the work.

He told us that the best local place for food was his house - his wife would gladly make us dinner. Generous offer, but we had to decline. We had more city to see!

Florence... we unfortunately were not there very long, as the morning train was sold out. However, we were able to see THE David ("in all his gwowious manhood," as Sister Wendy would say).

Censored for younger audience (and Grandma).

I don't even know what this building is, but it's awesome & huge.

Florence had the best gelato out of the 3 cities. And believe me, we sufficiently sampled the gelato in all three cities, so I feel authorized to make that judgement.

Rome... Pax Romana. Where do I begin? All those years of high school Latin... almost felt like I was visiting an old friend. A rather beautifully ruinous, historical mammoth of a friend.

A leisurely stroll through Circus Maximus (i.e. Ben Hur's race track)

Various aspects of the Roman Forum

Colosseum.

Again.

We definitely lucked out with the Colosseum viewing - there was a long line, but one of the guys who worked there was calling out for a group of 6 for the last English guided tour of the day - bingo!

Day 2 of Rome, we got up early to go to sightseeing! When we arrived at our first goal, we were seriously debating whether or not we should even bother waiting in this:

But it was well worth it for this:

The Vatican Museum!!!

Our group got a little separated in the Vatican, but we had previously decided to meet at the exit afterward. Well, turns out there are 2 exits. Leilani, Megan & I were waiting at one exit, while Jill, Laura & Lauren were waiting at the other exit. After almost 2 hours, we simultaneously decided to carry on with our days and hope the others would be back at our apartment that evening. Long story short - it worked! Apparently both groups were also at the Pantheon around the same time, but missed each other.

Leilani, Megs & me outside the Pantheon

All in all - Italy is gorgeous and I definitely hope I am able to return someday. Thanks so much to everyone for your prayers... our trip was so much fun, and everything (for the most part) went smoothly & safely! I loved it!!

So, now we are getting back to business as usual. Next week our lectures and tutorials start. Today I found out about my tutorials:
Primary Tutorial: English Literature 1642-1740 with Dr. Emma Plaskitt
Secondary Tutorial: History, Use & Theory of English Language with Dr. Santha Bhattacharji

I don't know Dr. Plaskitt yet but have heard that she is "lovely!" Dr. B is my seminar tutor, so I already know her and really like her.

ALSO! Got my first case study back! We don't have an official "mark" yet, but very encouraging remark at the end of the paper. :)

Shoutouts for today:
Happy birthday to my wonderful cousin BECCA!!!
Happy birthday to my future sister-in-law MICHELE!!!
I love you both & hope you are both enjoying your day of birth!

Not much else to update about. I miss & love everyone! I'll end with a quote from an Italian shopkeeper that Megan & I chatted with while we were making a purchase. After finding out that we were from California and New York, he raised his eyebrows, smiled and said (with an Italian accent, of course),

"And you study in Oxford and vacation in Italy? Not too bad, babies. Not too bad."

2006-09-23T14:01:00.000-04:00

Greetings, friends & family!
I realize this is a rather unexpected post, after my last, promising that I would remain buried under a stack of books - but alas! I have surfaced! Today is a day of joy & celebration, as I have finished my first paper at Oxford!! 10 glorious pages (A4, mind you! Bigger than your standard American sheet!), dedicated to Jane Austen & Mary Wollstonecraft. I realized - after I started researching - that I am not at all passionate about the feminist movement. I do enjoy some of the benefits that have been reaped by women as a result, but overall... not my scene, I guess. Anyway, I decided to celebrate by updating everyone on my existence. That and indulging in a much-needed ice cream sundae this evening. We'll see how long the celebration lasts after the paper is returned to me in all it's red-marked horror...

Well, since I last updated, a LOT has happened. Actually, not really. We've still been watching the Simon Schama "History of Britain" video series, and Simon has yet to let us down with his creative & humorous genius. Last weekend, Megan & I took on London again - and we were more than victorious. We navigated the streets as though we'd spent our whole lives there. We visited: Westminster Abbey, The Cabinet War Rooms, The National Gallery, Shakespeare's Globe, and the Imperial War Museum - all on foot. We didn't succumb to the Underground even once! Here are some photo momentos for your enjoyment... (as a sidenote, in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, you can click on the pictures & they will be enlarged!)

Westminster

In the Cabinet War Rooms, I found true love! My advances were sadly spurned.
(Just kidding, Doug! He's made of wax ... and creepy.)

Propaganda a la Allies

Some sepia-toned London loving

This past Thursday, the 21st, we went to Bath, where they have (surprise) Roman baths! It was pretty awesome AND it was Megan's 21st birthday! 21 on the 21st - a golden birthday!
Here are some pictures from Bath:

Bath Cathedral, and the entrance to the Roman Baths (enlarge to view)

A Roman bath - still bubbling!

No dipping of feet or goofy smiles! (Enlarge for full effect!)

Messages for peace.

Well, tomorrow I will be jumping right in to my second paper, so probably the next time I update it will be with an Italian accent & pictures of the Pope! We leave in 5 days! Now THAT's amoooooore.......

My love to all,
Rachel

2006-09-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went on another field trip - this time to the city of Winchester. This was, by far, my favorite tour of a cathedral, as we were able to take a "Roof Tour!" Yes indeed, we slowly wound our way upward on what is truly the "narrow path" - not only were the stairs inexplicably slender, but the walls were close & the ceiling low. However, the trek was well worth it for the vast panorama awaiting as we emerged, blinking onto the roof of the Winchester Cathedral:

Here is a picture of Megan & me outside the cathedral:

And another little random picture, one of my favorites so far:

Another fascinating feature of Winchester is (Mom, you'll love this!) the last home of THE Jane Austen. I wasn't able to get a very good angle of her house, but nevertheless, here it is:

Also, Jane is buried in Winchester Cathedral, but I figured I'd rather post a picture of her home than her tomb.

Speaking of burials & death...

As Haydn had his Farewell Symphony, so I too have my Farewell Blog Post.
I regret to inform you that I will not be posting any more updates, at least for almost 2 weeks. You see, up until Wednesday, we had not received our Oxford University student ID cards, and once we had received them, we still had not been given the letter instructing us as to how we might register. Without these keys to the kingdom, if you will, we were unable to penetrate the depths of the heralded Bodleian Library - nor any other library of the Oxford colleges. Well, as one might imagine, having no access to libraries quite limited our abilities to write essays. Long story short - today was the first day we were able to venture into the libraries, and we have two 9-12 pg. essays due in a week and a half.

All that to say, I bid you adieu until these papers are successfully conquered!

Love to all,
Rachel

2006-09-11T13:42:00.000-04:00

Oh my word!
I realized after re-reading my last post that I completely forgot the best part about the Queen Victoria story!! If you haven't read that yet then STOP READING NOW AND READ THE PREVIOUS POST. Seriously, you're only ruining things for yourself.

~

Anyway, to those of you who read the post before this... in continuing the Queen Victoria & St. Paul story... AFTER St. Paul was remodeled & beautified & what not, Queen Victoria was scheduled to come back to St. Paul for a second visit. They were obviously pretty pumped, since they knew she would love the new, gorgeous, sparkling interior. So Queen Victoria arrives at the Cathedral, takes a look at the stairs to the front entry and announces that she is too tired to enter the cathedral & thus, the service is held outside. Ah, the power of the monarch...

Today we went to Christ Church for a tour. For those of you who don't know, Christ Church is the location where a bulk of the Harry Potter series have been filmed. I myself am not really a follower of Harry Potter, but I guess that's cool. Anyway, better than that, today while we were there, apparently Nicole Kidman was also there, shooting an upcoming movie. We saw the location where they were recording, and even had to wait in one area, while we watched [fake] smoke pour out an open window, then a woman ran out and said, "Cut! They can walk through again!" Much to our chagrin, Nicole was no where to be seen the whole afternoon. If her little movie crew was going to hold up our tour, they could have at least had the decency to let us watch the filming! But I digress...

OKAY - so I have some good news & some bad news!!!!

The GOOD news.......

Over fall break (Sept. 28 - Oct. 3), this lovely sextet:

Leilani, Laura, Laruen, myself, Jill & Megan

are all going here:

... Italy.

YES! We are flying from London to Venice, where we will spend two days. Then we are going down to Florence for a day, and then we are going down to Rome for 2 days and flying back to London from there! We are all very excited & looking forward to great adventures. And yes, we will be careful. Thank you for your concern, prayers & shared excitement!!

And for the BAD news..... actually, I guess I lied, because I really just don't have any bad news!

Hope all is well on the home front! It is sunny & beautiful in Oxford, UK! :)

Love to all,
Rachel

2006-09-10T16:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning our group of 57 American students embarked on the journey of a lifetime! Well, in all actuality, we spent the day trekking around London. In the course of 10 hours, we managed to see many of the usual tourist attractions.

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben

The Tower of London

Led by the fearless duo of Simon & Jonathan (SCIO staff members), we navigated the London Underground, wove through several alleys (don't worry, Mom, cute alleys, not scary ones - think: cobblestone), and ascended the 311 swirling steps of "The Monument," with as much gumption as we could muster.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Evensong service at St. Paul's Cathedral. The story goes that Queen Victoria attended St. Paul's back in the day, and when asked how she enjoyed the service, replied that she found it "rather drab." Well, long story short, they decided to compensate for the lack in decor. And by compensate, I mean...

What a gorgeous cathedral. AND the men/boys' choir with the organ - divine! Probably one of the top 10 events that I have attended in my life. Not entirely able to put the whole experience into words...

After the Evensong, we walked to London's very own Chinatown for a much needed meal of delectable Chinese cuisine. The walk on the way there was delightful:

My best pal here, Megan & me

All in all, the day was a blast, albeit exhausting.

Today was a wonderful Sabbath day - very relaxing to follow up such a busy, packed day of walking. This evening we (my friends Megan, Nealson & I) attended a charismatic Anglican service (I didn't really know such a thing existed, but alas, it did!) at St. Aldates, which we followed up by homemade ice cream at a little shop. It was the perfect way to end an evening, as Nealson said, with "spiritual AND sugary nourishment."
I couldn't agree more.

Goodnight & love to all,
Rachel

2006-09-07T14:08:00.000-04:00

Swing dancing last night was so much fun and also allowed several of us American ladies to dance with some of the UK's sweatiest residents! Apparently when attending dance lessons, you're supposed to bring your partner with you. Our group consisted of 5 or 6 guys... and about 25 girls. So, they arranged for us to "rotate" partners every few minutes, so all the girls would be able to have a partner at one point or another. All in all, it was a productive session - pretty sure I'll be ready to try out for that "So You Think You Can Dance?" show when I get back. Unfortunately, there was so much swinging & dancing that no one had time to take pictures!

Today we went on our first field trip, to St. Albans. It's named after St. Alban (surprise!), who was the first Christian martyr in Britain. In St. Albans we visited a huge cathedral, a museum, remains of a Roman theatre, and several mosaics.

Also, I found cute flowers & some sheep.

Whoops, I guess you can't see the sheep very well. That picture was mostly for Mom.

My friend Megan & I figured out that we walk probably an average of 6 miles per day. Maybe I'll run a marathon when I get back to the States, but probably not.

Well, not much else to add except - just when you thought I forgot........

Difficult to read, but the overall message is clearly seen.

OH! Before I forget - a few of you have been asking for my mailing address, so here it is:

Rachel Bannister
2 Frewin Court
Oxford, OX13HZ
United Kingdom

That being said, I expect lots of mail. :)

Love to all,
Rachel

2006-09-05T15:01:00.000-04:00

Orientation is over! We have started our "British Landscape Programme", which is essentially an overview in British history, society, etc. Pretty interesting so far, aside from the Simon Shama videos which, I am afraid to admit, have me slightly less than captivated. I am trying not to be freaked out by the oncoming workload, but today I caved in a drew a cartoon which involved: me, drowning in the perilous waves of Oxford, a shark labeled "long essay," about to devour me, whilst the USS SCIO (Scholarship & Christianity In Oxford - the name of our program) sails on by... I'm really hoping to find a scanner so I can put that picture in the blog.

Last night a group of friends and I went gallivanting around downtown Oxford:

We had many glorious adventures, involving getting locked inside a gated campus! Thankfully, we put our brilliant minds together and found the way out... incidentally, the same way we had entered.

Tomorrow night I am going to take swing dance lessons! £4 for an hour & a half lesson, plus a free voucher for the 2nd lesson! What a deal!

About the link to the pictures I was posting online... let's talk again about the ridiculous internet here. I simply am not patient enough to wait for everything to upload, so you will all need to be pacified with what I put on the blog for now. My sincerest apologies.

I am absolutely loving the experience so far (yes, all 4 days of it!), and despite my worries about the academic demands, I am very excited about the next 3 months! It still seems surreal, every time I walk to Wycliffe Hall through the parks & down the narrow streets, marveling at the colossal stone structures towering above...

I am so blessed to be here!

Love to all,
Rachel

2006-09-02T18:15:00.000-04:00

I am here!

Thanks for all your prayers - I arrived safely yesterday, around noon.
The flight wasn't too bad, although I had difficulty falling asleep. And by difficult, I mean that the most I slept was probably five minutes. But overall, not a bad flight.
Yesterday's activities consisted of a dinner at 4pm and a brief meeting. We don't begin real orientation until Monday - I think the purpose for that is to allow everyone to get over the jet lag.

My favorite comfort from home is a wonderful gift that my darling fiance made for me - a journal with a little verse, memory, picture or other form of encouragement for every day I will be in England!

The other American students I have met are great. This afternoon we had a BBQ here, and the students living over at Crick House (about 45 min. walk away) came, so I got to meet even more people. Settings like this always amuse me, because you end up telling so many people your abbreviated life story so many times! Nevertheless, it's been great meeting so many new, friendly faces.

A fun story: Tonight a group of us (10 girls & 1 guy!) went to a pub for dinner, only to discover that it was karaoke night! AND an elderly gentleman (introduced as "Smooth Joe") sang Elvis's "Only Fools Rush In," and he dedicated it "to all the girls at the corner table." Precious!

More pictures to come - I will probably put them in an online album for everyone to enjoy!

Love to all,
Rachel

Still in the USA

2006-08-08T17:26:00.000-04:00

Family & friends,
Welcome to my Oxford blog...
I am leaving for England in 23 days!
I will be staying here:

The Vines

I will be rooming with three lovely ladies - Jenni, Megan & Susan.
Jenni & Megan both attend Biola, and Susan goes to Olivet Nazarene.

I'm getting really excited, although I haven't the foggiest idea how to begin packing.
I'm also a little nervous - we are responsible for getting to Oxford ourselves, although they have given us sufficient instructions as to how to get there.

Well, 2 more weeks at work, 1 week at home, and I'm off!

Your prayers & money will be greatly appreciated!
Just kidding about the money - unless you're serious! :)

Love,
Rachel