First off, I know the title of this blog is very cliche, but...I think it is funny so...oh well. I am going to tell this week's adventures in reverse because I though it would be fun to mix it up a little! I finally got to see Stonehenge this weekend! It was amazing and beautiful, everything I expected it to be. It still amazes me how the rocks, some weighing up to 75 tons (that's around 11 elephants!) were carried over a 100 miles! It is crazy, absolutely crazy. Then, some of the stones were lifted up and laid flat across the stones that were set upright, it makes sense that some of the stones have fallen after all this time! I think it is even more amazing that some of the rocks are still standing upright in original position. Seeing the huge pile of fulfilled one of my dreams about coming to England and seeing the monument. To some it may just be a pile of rocks and not worth paying the entry fee to see it up close...the tour only takes about 45 minutes, but I am so happy I did the tour and I personally think it was money well spent. The sun was shining and the roped off section around the henge allows people to take pictures without getting other tourists in them...a very big plus. The best part of the trip was being able to hold up Stonehenge with one hand...yes I am that strong (view facebook pictures for a clearer explanation), it was the closest I got to actually touching the stones! I also tried lemon curd at the Stonehenge gift shop and it was so delicious I went to the store the next day and brought myself a jar...a very good decision.
On my weekend trip, I also got to see Salisbury Cathedral, which surprisingly surpasses my expectations. I originally decided to wait to see Stonehenge to go on the school sponsored trip because it seemed like I would get the most for my money, I never really thought about seeing the cathedral one way or another. To say the least, the building was magnificent! The gothic architecture is amazing, the sculptors are so detailed, and my favorite part was the pristine courtyard in the middle of the compound. It was so lush and green, with a large tree in it...looked like the perfect place for a picnic. Inside was beautiful as well and the various aches gave the church a very unique appearance. There was a still fountain or pool of water, not sure how to accurately describe it, which reflected off the ceiling and provided an excellent photo! The cathedral has the largest spire in all of Britain...it is huge and during the tour I learned that the originally structure was not build to support an extra tower and spire, especially not as large as the current ones. The additional of the spire warped the main pillars it rests on and the spire leans...it sits about 1.5 feet from the original placement. All this information made me feel really safe when I was standing under the spire...fyi there is sarcasm in this statement! The town of Salisbury is very quaint and I enjoyed walking around town aimlessly looking at all of the open markets. Many of the markets were selling huge bowls of vegetables for only a pound, but then I realized the bowl didn't come with the offered and it just didn't seem as good as a deal anymore. Plus lugging around fresh veggies didn't seem like an ideal plan. The trip was great and the moment I boarded the bus to come home, it started raining...perfect timing.
This past Wednesday I attended a lab tour of the Johnson Matthey Sonning Technology Centre, it is a chemical company specializing in platinum catalysts among other things. The tour was interesting and provided me with a yummy and free lunch with delicious cake...that was the deal breaker! The labs were very homely and small, not what I expected a chemical plant to be, this view may have been swayed because the labs had beautiful gardens surrounding the compound. I think the tour was worth while and at one point one of the researchers was discussing coupling reactions and the recent Nobel Prize recipient...yup that was all Purdue...it made me happy!
I also got my first graded essay back this week...I didn't do as well as I expected mainly because I can't type or spell! Since the grading system is very different and a 70% equals a first...similar to the American 'A' I was shocked at the score because at first glance I viewed the percentage with the American grading perspective! I spoke with the teacher and she confirmed that the grade wasn't bad at all, but I am planning on completing the optional second essay to see if my score improves. I think if I just proofread it more and write the essay in one sitting, it should turn out better...I hope! I really dislike writing essays, hence why I am a chemistry major... technical writing is much more enjoyable and makes more sense, at least to me.
I think that is about it of this week's adventures...oh I tried a Mars bar finally...similar to the US version of the Milky Way bar (not to be confused with the non-US Milky Way bar which is more like a US 3 Musketeers bar...yes I know its all confusing!), except I could taste the caramel in the Mars bar much more than in a MIlky Way...I might just have to bring some back home with me! I am going to be in Barcelona this coming weekend...time is going by so fast, I can't believe it has been nearly two months since leaving the US. It feels like forever ago I bought my ticket for Spain. I am so excited for the warm weather, the paella, and of course the sangria!!!!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
An English St. Patrick's Day
This week began by learning all about the National Health Service in one of my classes. The service is interesting and I would like to speak with more people to find out if people in the UK like it or not. On one hand, the fact that all prescriptions are cheap and the same price is nice. Although, the various requirements make it rather hard for people to see the doctor at their own leisure, at least this is what I got out of the lecture. Sadly, I am not able to use the NHS because I am not living in England for longer than six months.
The week continued with a lovely visit from some friends from home. We had a fantastic lunch at Sally Lunn's Restaurant. Sally Lunn's is the oldest house in Bath and I had been meaning to eat there and try a famous Bath bun, a must do on a trip to Bath. Lunch was light and very british, the bun itself was also very light and fluffy. I expected a more dense bun, but it was still very yummy. I really want to go back and try cream tea (scones with clotted cream...yummy) in the near future! After lunch, we toured around the area for a bit and wondered around the shops. It was really great seeing them and discussing all the difference between England and the US.
I had my second week of lab and it went much smoother than the first week. Twelve hours in the lab still creates very long days, but I feel on top of it and I am enjoying my lab partner and all his random questions. I can't believe I only have one more week of lab...very weird feeling. It is also weird that I am half-way done with my semester, it feels likes it just began. I think the semester in Bath is 10-12 weeks or something like that compared to an 18 week semester at Purdue. I am finding that once I got settled into a routine, all my classes are switching time slots! I currently have no clue when my classes meet this coming week, but I'm sure it will all work out...it is very confusing when the professors change, thus affecting the time the class meets. I desperately miss M-W-F or T-R classes...they make my calender look much prettier!
I was able to sneak in a small St. Patrick's celebration on Thursday, but since I had an 8:15 class the next morning...the celebration consisted of consuming a Guinness and finding a Chinese take-away place on the opposite side of town and eating yummy chow mien! I think Chinese take-away is the cheapest meal option in Bath and it's so delicious! At first it surprised me that the English don't really celebrate St. Paddy's Day, at least not like it is celebrated in the US. Someone I was discussing this with made a good point: since Ireland is their neighbor, why would they celebrate Ireland's national holiday? It's not like they would ever celebrate France's national holiday! I think it is more acceptable to celebrate in the US because there is more diversity of cultures.
This weekend I stayed in the Bath area...no big trip. On Friday night I attended a program for exchange students. The event was at a local pub/bar and it was advertised as having free food, so of course why wouldn't I go! They served fried mushrooms and they were so good! There was so much extra food, but the servers wouldn't let us take it home :( I finally got to sleep in on a Saturday. When I naturally woke up, I worked out, took a shower, had breakfast and then spent the day in Bristol (which really doesn't count as going anywhere) shopping!!! It was a very relaxing Saturday. I was slightly disappointed in the shopping experience, but my wallet is probably happy. I managed to only buy some accessories and some necessary basics.
Saturday night became an adventure by riding the bus all around Bath for about two hours. I was trying to make it to a friend's house who lived on the outskirts of town and ended up on a bus that never got there or if it did, I didn't know the area well enough to explore in the dark and I really didn't want to get stranded on the other side of the city on a Saturday night. Finally, after two very long bus rides, I arrived at my friend's place. We made dinner...yummy fajitas...I miss mexican food so much, the first thing I want to eat when I get back in the states is mexican food! Overall, it turned out to be a really fun evening! At least I got to see a whole other section of Bath that I probably would had never seen if I didn't take the first bus.
This coming week, I am going on a lab tour of Johnson Matthey Sonning Technology Center. It should be an interesting tour and give me further insight of the chemical industry, plus I get a free lunch! This coming weekend I am going to finally see Stonehenge!!! I will also get to spend some time in Salisbury and maybe even see the chalk horse on the hill....it is over in that area, but I missed it on the way to Portsmouth. The count down to Barcelona is two weeks and I'm so excited! Well this was a shorted post, but I guess that is because it was a low key weekend...that also means there aren't any new pictures (sorry mom!). On a side note, it is sad I can't watch any of the NCAA Tournament...it's the only part of the basketball season I follow...anyway I am still cheering for Purdue, BOILER UP!!!
The week continued with a lovely visit from some friends from home. We had a fantastic lunch at Sally Lunn's Restaurant. Sally Lunn's is the oldest house in Bath and I had been meaning to eat there and try a famous Bath bun, a must do on a trip to Bath. Lunch was light and very british, the bun itself was also very light and fluffy. I expected a more dense bun, but it was still very yummy. I really want to go back and try cream tea (scones with clotted cream...yummy) in the near future! After lunch, we toured around the area for a bit and wondered around the shops. It was really great seeing them and discussing all the difference between England and the US.
I had my second week of lab and it went much smoother than the first week. Twelve hours in the lab still creates very long days, but I feel on top of it and I am enjoying my lab partner and all his random questions. I can't believe I only have one more week of lab...very weird feeling. It is also weird that I am half-way done with my semester, it feels likes it just began. I think the semester in Bath is 10-12 weeks or something like that compared to an 18 week semester at Purdue. I am finding that once I got settled into a routine, all my classes are switching time slots! I currently have no clue when my classes meet this coming week, but I'm sure it will all work out...it is very confusing when the professors change, thus affecting the time the class meets. I desperately miss M-W-F or T-R classes...they make my calender look much prettier!
I was able to sneak in a small St. Patrick's celebration on Thursday, but since I had an 8:15 class the next morning...the celebration consisted of consuming a Guinness and finding a Chinese take-away place on the opposite side of town and eating yummy chow mien! I think Chinese take-away is the cheapest meal option in Bath and it's so delicious! At first it surprised me that the English don't really celebrate St. Paddy's Day, at least not like it is celebrated in the US. Someone I was discussing this with made a good point: since Ireland is their neighbor, why would they celebrate Ireland's national holiday? It's not like they would ever celebrate France's national holiday! I think it is more acceptable to celebrate in the US because there is more diversity of cultures.
This weekend I stayed in the Bath area...no big trip. On Friday night I attended a program for exchange students. The event was at a local pub/bar and it was advertised as having free food, so of course why wouldn't I go! They served fried mushrooms and they were so good! There was so much extra food, but the servers wouldn't let us take it home :( I finally got to sleep in on a Saturday. When I naturally woke up, I worked out, took a shower, had breakfast and then spent the day in Bristol (which really doesn't count as going anywhere) shopping!!! It was a very relaxing Saturday. I was slightly disappointed in the shopping experience, but my wallet is probably happy. I managed to only buy some accessories and some necessary basics.
Saturday night became an adventure by riding the bus all around Bath for about two hours. I was trying to make it to a friend's house who lived on the outskirts of town and ended up on a bus that never got there or if it did, I didn't know the area well enough to explore in the dark and I really didn't want to get stranded on the other side of the city on a Saturday night. Finally, after two very long bus rides, I arrived at my friend's place. We made dinner...yummy fajitas...I miss mexican food so much, the first thing I want to eat when I get back in the states is mexican food! Overall, it turned out to be a really fun evening! At least I got to see a whole other section of Bath that I probably would had never seen if I didn't take the first bus.
This coming week, I am going on a lab tour of Johnson Matthey Sonning Technology Center. It should be an interesting tour and give me further insight of the chemical industry, plus I get a free lunch! This coming weekend I am going to finally see Stonehenge!!! I will also get to spend some time in Salisbury and maybe even see the chalk horse on the hill....it is over in that area, but I missed it on the way to Portsmouth. The count down to Barcelona is two weeks and I'm so excited! Well this was a shorted post, but I guess that is because it was a low key weekend...that also means there aren't any new pictures (sorry mom!). On a side note, it is sad I can't watch any of the NCAA Tournament...it's the only part of the basketball season I follow...anyway I am still cheering for Purdue, BOILER UP!!!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Pancakes, Portsmouth, and Party Duck!
This week was full of fun times and celebrations! This past Tuesday was Mardi Gras and I celebrated by making pancakes. Although, the pancakes here are more like crepes and not like the pancakes Americans enjoy as breakfast. I ate way too much and fulfilled the requirements of Fat Tuesday! Some of the scrumptious foods included nachos, jelly filled doughnuts, and I can't remember, but I am assuming I probably ate chocolate too. Oh and of course pancakes! The traditional English way to each them is to filled them with sugar and lemon juice. The combination was surprisingly delicious. We (Helen and myself) also used cherry pie filling in some of the pancakes...yummy! The experience was fun and I can't wait to celebrate next year...maybe in New Orleans...that would be really fun.
On Wednesday I tried (attempt number two) to go on the tower tour of Bath Abbey. Unfortunately, the tour was sold out, but I met some really nice old English ladies and they suggested I wait till April when tours are more frequent and the weather is nicer. So, I ended up going to the Jane Austen Center. It was a smaller museum, but still had some nice exhibits. My only complaint is that between the actor giving the welcome presentation/introduction, the movie displayed in the exhibit, and the exhibit itself you basically heard the same information three times. I learned that Jane Austen actually disliked Bath and did not write any of her novels while staying in the city, even though a large portion of her stories have settings based in Bath. Later that evening I met up with some friends and went out to eat at a place that solely served rice and noodle dishes. I was like a fast food Asian restaurant and it was amazing...I plan on going back there!
On Thursday, I begin my first laboratory. I really like that you wear a lab coat and safety specs (instead of goggles, much more comfortable). I feel more official wearing a lab coat! The labs are setup quite different than the teaching labs I have taken at Purdue. There were nine experiments setup in the room and each set of four people rotate through them for the three week physical lab session. Another odd thing is that each lab subject lasts only three weeks, but students are in lab for 12 hours each week...so I haven't decided which system I prefer. I do have to say while I understand the concepts and the reports are easy (almost no existent) lab days are very long and tiring. Thankfully, I have a very fun and enjoyable lab partner! After two long days of lab, I decided I earned a night out. I met up with some of my new chemistry friends and went to a club in town. It was a lot of fun, except I don't think I recognized one song the entire night (not sure that surprises anyone).
Saturday was filled with an adventure to Portsmouth, a coastal town in southern England. A few of us ended up driving down there instead of taking the train. This was my first experience in car since I have been abroad. Since, the car was European and not British the driver's seat/steering wheel was still on the left-hand side of the car, so that wasn't too weird. I would assume it would be difficult to sit on what I consider the normal side, but then have to drive on what I consider to be the wrong side! It would just go against your every intuition. The drive was gorgeous and I am really happy I finally got to see some of the English countryside. On our way, we took a pit-stop at Stonehenge, which is literally right on the side of the road. I had heard people telling me it's on the side of the road and I always thought it was probably some what close, but it really is...maybe 50 feet from the road. It was pretty and I am glad I got to glance at it quickly. I think I am going to head back down to the area in two weeks to actually go inside the gates and get slightly closer to the stones.
Our drive continued pretty eventless until we finally reached Portsmouth. Our intention was to find the Park and Ride and then take the bus into the city and the harbor. After probably 30 minutes to maybe even an hour of looping around the 'Other City Center' we decided just to park in a mall parking lot...it was advertised as the cheapest full day parking in Portsmouth and it might have actually been. We walked around the city center for a little and then made our hike to the harbor. Once we got to the harbor and finally found an information center, got a map (not a very clear map...but it was free), we then decided to chose a place for lunch! I think at that point everyone was hungry and food was needed. We ate at a Latin American chain and I had a burrito, unfortunately I thought my meal was overpriced for what it was, but oh well...the atmosphere of the restaurant was really neat. Later we discovered a slew of other restaurants, we just happened to walk the wrong way. After lunch, we decided we needed to make our way to actually seeing Portsmouth. Stop one was the Spinnaker Tower, stop two was the Cadbury factory store (yummy!), stop three was the old seaport. At the old port, we claimed the stone wall and walked around the Circle Tower. The view was magnificent (a bit cloudy..but still really pretty). The sun started to set and the wind picked up speed, so we leisurely head back to where the car was parked. Of course we detoured to some of my favorite/cheap stores along the way...Primark and Poundland! We loaded up on some snacks and headed back to Bath for another night on the town! The next day I got my first visit from a friend from home. It was really nice catching up with someone from home :) Plus, it is always fun seeing people you know in other countries...at least I think it is fun almost surreal!
This week is St. Patrick's Day and the majority of people I know are headed to or already in Dublin for the festivities. Unfortunately, I am stuck in Bath because I have my lab on Thursday and Friday...I'm still a bit bitter about it. Out of the whole semester, I only have three weeks of lab and of course it had to be on St. Patrick's Day!! Oh well, I guess spending my last few day of my spring break in Dublin will have to do. It turns out the holiday isn't that big in England...I just keep telling people "I'm American, of course I celebrate St. Paddy's Day!" This weekend I plan on drinking a Guinness in honor of the Irish and it will be one of my first full weekends in Bath, so it should be relaxing...I am think of possibly sleeping in on Saturday! I just booked my hostel for Barcelona...three weeks and counting...I'm so excited!!!
On Wednesday I tried (attempt number two) to go on the tower tour of Bath Abbey. Unfortunately, the tour was sold out, but I met some really nice old English ladies and they suggested I wait till April when tours are more frequent and the weather is nicer. So, I ended up going to the Jane Austen Center. It was a smaller museum, but still had some nice exhibits. My only complaint is that between the actor giving the welcome presentation/introduction, the movie displayed in the exhibit, and the exhibit itself you basically heard the same information three times. I learned that Jane Austen actually disliked Bath and did not write any of her novels while staying in the city, even though a large portion of her stories have settings based in Bath. Later that evening I met up with some friends and went out to eat at a place that solely served rice and noodle dishes. I was like a fast food Asian restaurant and it was amazing...I plan on going back there!
On Thursday, I begin my first laboratory. I really like that you wear a lab coat and safety specs (instead of goggles, much more comfortable). I feel more official wearing a lab coat! The labs are setup quite different than the teaching labs I have taken at Purdue. There were nine experiments setup in the room and each set of four people rotate through them for the three week physical lab session. Another odd thing is that each lab subject lasts only three weeks, but students are in lab for 12 hours each week...so I haven't decided which system I prefer. I do have to say while I understand the concepts and the reports are easy (almost no existent) lab days are very long and tiring. Thankfully, I have a very fun and enjoyable lab partner! After two long days of lab, I decided I earned a night out. I met up with some of my new chemistry friends and went to a club in town. It was a lot of fun, except I don't think I recognized one song the entire night (not sure that surprises anyone).
Saturday was filled with an adventure to Portsmouth, a coastal town in southern England. A few of us ended up driving down there instead of taking the train. This was my first experience in car since I have been abroad. Since, the car was European and not British the driver's seat/steering wheel was still on the left-hand side of the car, so that wasn't too weird. I would assume it would be difficult to sit on what I consider the normal side, but then have to drive on what I consider to be the wrong side! It would just go against your every intuition. The drive was gorgeous and I am really happy I finally got to see some of the English countryside. On our way, we took a pit-stop at Stonehenge, which is literally right on the side of the road. I had heard people telling me it's on the side of the road and I always thought it was probably some what close, but it really is...maybe 50 feet from the road. It was pretty and I am glad I got to glance at it quickly. I think I am going to head back down to the area in two weeks to actually go inside the gates and get slightly closer to the stones.
Our drive continued pretty eventless until we finally reached Portsmouth. Our intention was to find the Park and Ride and then take the bus into the city and the harbor. After probably 30 minutes to maybe even an hour of looping around the 'Other City Center' we decided just to park in a mall parking lot...it was advertised as the cheapest full day parking in Portsmouth and it might have actually been. We walked around the city center for a little and then made our hike to the harbor. Once we got to the harbor and finally found an information center, got a map (not a very clear map...but it was free), we then decided to chose a place for lunch! I think at that point everyone was hungry and food was needed. We ate at a Latin American chain and I had a burrito, unfortunately I thought my meal was overpriced for what it was, but oh well...the atmosphere of the restaurant was really neat. Later we discovered a slew of other restaurants, we just happened to walk the wrong way. After lunch, we decided we needed to make our way to actually seeing Portsmouth. Stop one was the Spinnaker Tower, stop two was the Cadbury factory store (yummy!), stop three was the old seaport. At the old port, we claimed the stone wall and walked around the Circle Tower. The view was magnificent (a bit cloudy..but still really pretty). The sun started to set and the wind picked up speed, so we leisurely head back to where the car was parked. Of course we detoured to some of my favorite/cheap stores along the way...Primark and Poundland! We loaded up on some snacks and headed back to Bath for another night on the town! The next day I got my first visit from a friend from home. It was really nice catching up with someone from home :) Plus, it is always fun seeing people you know in other countries...at least I think it is fun almost surreal!
This week is St. Patrick's Day and the majority of people I know are headed to or already in Dublin for the festivities. Unfortunately, I am stuck in Bath because I have my lab on Thursday and Friday...I'm still a bit bitter about it. Out of the whole semester, I only have three weeks of lab and of course it had to be on St. Patrick's Day!! Oh well, I guess spending my last few day of my spring break in Dublin will have to do. It turns out the holiday isn't that big in England...I just keep telling people "I'm American, of course I celebrate St. Paddy's Day!" This weekend I plan on drinking a Guinness in honor of the Irish and it will be one of my first full weekends in Bath, so it should be relaxing...I am think of possibly sleeping in on Saturday! I just booked my hostel for Barcelona...three weeks and counting...I'm so excited!!!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Exploring the Colleges of Oxford
As the semester progresses further I am actually required to do work and study! It finally feels like I am in England to go to school rather than travel and enjoy myself. I have so much work to do, if feels like I'm back at Purdue. I spent somewhere between six to seven hours this afternoon preparing for my lab this coming week! Although I am busy with school work, I am still devoted to seeing the rest of England, even if has turned into touring around just on Saturdays.
This week, my mission was to conquer Oxford! I had heard good things and I really wanted to see it, so I decided to go! But, before I get to that story here is how the first part of my week went...it was a boring Thursday afternoon, I had just gotten off the phone with my parents and I was craving some food. I went to the kitchen and made myself some tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I brought my lunch back to my room so I could continue doing some work before I had to venture to campus for class (and ideally get some errands done while on campus). Everything was fine, until I got an unexpected email. Curiosity struck, so I reached over to open it up....suddenly my whole bowl of soup flipped over and landed on me, my desk, and my computer. It was dreadfully hot and I was in total shock, still not completely understand what had just occurred! The though of my computer breaking while I was studying abroad (or really ever) would have been the end of me. Luckily I was able to semi clean it up before I had to run to campus to make it to class barely on time. When I returned home I decided to remove each individual key to clean under it, so the keys weren't so sticky. I managed to break only the 'y' key while tediously removing every key. Still, my laptop was stained an awful orange color and it reeked of tomato soup, but everything still worked. The next day after classes, I went to the Apple store (one of the largest Apple stores I have ever been to) and explained what happened. I asked if I could somehow buy one key or if they had a spare laying around. I proceeded to find out there were six possible models of keys, so I had to quickly run home grab my computer and bring it back to the store before they closed. My broken key got replaced and I asked if they could suggest any other cleaning methods to get rid of the stains. I then found out they could remove the entire top casing of the keyboard to check to see if any soup reached the hardware. I was also pleasantly surprised when Apple said they would replace my keyboard, track pad, and casing unit for free!!!! This made my day, I don't know why they replaced it or even had a stateside model of the keyboard in stock, but luck was with me. My computer no longer smells and is a beautiful glimmering white, looks brand new!
Now for the Oxford adventure...I highly recommend visiting this town if you are ever in the UK. It has so much character to it. I think it truly encompasses the idealistic British university. The group of us that went decided to go on a walking tour of the city. The tour was fairly cheap...if anything was actually cheap in this country...and the guide knew tons of interesting information. I found it really interesting learning about the set-up of Oxford. The university is composed of 38 colleges. The colleges care about the student's well-being and tutorials, while the university gives out degrees and arranges lectures. Each college is fairly small with the largest college having about 800 students. It happened to be degree day at Oxford, the day students come back to graduate from their respective colleges and earn a degree from Oxford University, so we got to see a bunch of students in their full out gowns. A little fun fact I learned: the students have to wear full gown attire to sit for exams, I am uncomfortable wearing full out sweats for a two hour exam, I can't even imagine wearing a tux, bow-tie, cap, and gown to take a test! I think one of my favorite parts of the tour was seeing the great hall inside New College (not a new/modern college as the name suggests). It looked very similar to the hall shown in the Harry Potter films. It amazes me that the room is used three times a day to serve meals, it is just too attractive and elaborate for everyday use. Much more impressive than any of the dinning courts at Purdue. We were told students had to dress for dinner, which is a slight turn off, much easier to eat dinner in comfier clothes. The hall was set for a special dinner, so the menu appeared delicious, but an actual Oxford student confirmed that meals served in the college halls were yummy.
Back to the Harry Potter reference....I always thought that some of the scenes from Harry Potter were filmed in Oxford and some of them actually were, but it is a myth that the great hall in Christ Church College was used for filming. Instead, the great hall was used as a model for the film, the film was actually filmed in a studio. The difference between the model and the actual hall is the number of tables; in Christ Church there are only three tables, while the HP films show four tables. We were able to see a courtyard with a distinctive tree that was used in the films, but I don't recall the exact scene it was used for. Walking around Oxford was really neat it had a very college-town feeling about it and it was absolutely gorgeous! Other highlights included seeing a preserved blackboard Einstein wrote onwhen he gave a lecture at Oxford explaining the age of the universe. We also saw the Turf Tavern, but unfortunately it was overcrowded when we arrived (probably because it was a Saturday evening and the popular thing to do is to go to the pub for a beverage or two), but at least we got to see it. I loved the town and I think it would have been really fun to be an exchange student at Oxford, not that I don't love Bath...it's just very different. It would have been really neat living in the student accommodations, they remind me of castles (kind of like Windsor at Purdue, but more realistic). Another thing I found interesting was the numerous demonstrations and protests occurring on the main street, this added to the university/college feeling.
I almost forgot the best part. We managed to find the British version of Chipotle. It was not as good as the American chain, but it filled my craving for Mexican food. This whole post is a bit out of order and random tidbits are added here and there, I blame it on the fact that I have been working on chemistry for the majority of my day and my mind is officially boggled. Oh well...it is crazy to think I have been here for a month. Next week, I plan on traveling to the southern coast, I have heard it is beautiful and I can't wait to see the water :) I also may have to have more fish and chips...it really is amazing over here. I pretty much have every weekend till my exams booked, which is a scary thought, the time is flying by so fast. My first weekend trip out of the UK has been booked for the first weekend in April...I am going to Barcelona....I can't wait...sangria on the beach...it's going to be fun! I think the most interesting part will be experiencing a RyanAir flight, I'm a little scared, but it will be good practice for my spring break travels throughout western Europe!
This week, my mission was to conquer Oxford! I had heard good things and I really wanted to see it, so I decided to go! But, before I get to that story here is how the first part of my week went...it was a boring Thursday afternoon, I had just gotten off the phone with my parents and I was craving some food. I went to the kitchen and made myself some tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I brought my lunch back to my room so I could continue doing some work before I had to venture to campus for class (and ideally get some errands done while on campus). Everything was fine, until I got an unexpected email. Curiosity struck, so I reached over to open it up....suddenly my whole bowl of soup flipped over and landed on me, my desk, and my computer. It was dreadfully hot and I was in total shock, still not completely understand what had just occurred! The though of my computer breaking while I was studying abroad (or really ever) would have been the end of me. Luckily I was able to semi clean it up before I had to run to campus to make it to class barely on time. When I returned home I decided to remove each individual key to clean under it, so the keys weren't so sticky. I managed to break only the 'y' key while tediously removing every key. Still, my laptop was stained an awful orange color and it reeked of tomato soup, but everything still worked. The next day after classes, I went to the Apple store (one of the largest Apple stores I have ever been to) and explained what happened. I asked if I could somehow buy one key or if they had a spare laying around. I proceeded to find out there were six possible models of keys, so I had to quickly run home grab my computer and bring it back to the store before they closed. My broken key got replaced and I asked if they could suggest any other cleaning methods to get rid of the stains. I then found out they could remove the entire top casing of the keyboard to check to see if any soup reached the hardware. I was also pleasantly surprised when Apple said they would replace my keyboard, track pad, and casing unit for free!!!! This made my day, I don't know why they replaced it or even had a stateside model of the keyboard in stock, but luck was with me. My computer no longer smells and is a beautiful glimmering white, looks brand new!
Now for the Oxford adventure...I highly recommend visiting this town if you are ever in the UK. It has so much character to it. I think it truly encompasses the idealistic British university. The group of us that went decided to go on a walking tour of the city. The tour was fairly cheap...if anything was actually cheap in this country...and the guide knew tons of interesting information. I found it really interesting learning about the set-up of Oxford. The university is composed of 38 colleges. The colleges care about the student's well-being and tutorials, while the university gives out degrees and arranges lectures. Each college is fairly small with the largest college having about 800 students. It happened to be degree day at Oxford, the day students come back to graduate from their respective colleges and earn a degree from Oxford University, so we got to see a bunch of students in their full out gowns. A little fun fact I learned: the students have to wear full gown attire to sit for exams, I am uncomfortable wearing full out sweats for a two hour exam, I can't even imagine wearing a tux, bow-tie, cap, and gown to take a test! I think one of my favorite parts of the tour was seeing the great hall inside New College (not a new/modern college as the name suggests). It looked very similar to the hall shown in the Harry Potter films. It amazes me that the room is used three times a day to serve meals, it is just too attractive and elaborate for everyday use. Much more impressive than any of the dinning courts at Purdue. We were told students had to dress for dinner, which is a slight turn off, much easier to eat dinner in comfier clothes. The hall was set for a special dinner, so the menu appeared delicious, but an actual Oxford student confirmed that meals served in the college halls were yummy.
Back to the Harry Potter reference....I always thought that some of the scenes from Harry Potter were filmed in Oxford and some of them actually were, but it is a myth that the great hall in Christ Church College was used for filming. Instead, the great hall was used as a model for the film, the film was actually filmed in a studio. The difference between the model and the actual hall is the number of tables; in Christ Church there are only three tables, while the HP films show four tables. We were able to see a courtyard with a distinctive tree that was used in the films, but I don't recall the exact scene it was used for. Walking around Oxford was really neat it had a very college-town feeling about it and it was absolutely gorgeous! Other highlights included seeing a preserved blackboard Einstein wrote onwhen he gave a lecture at Oxford explaining the age of the universe. We also saw the Turf Tavern, but unfortunately it was overcrowded when we arrived (probably because it was a Saturday evening and the popular thing to do is to go to the pub for a beverage or two), but at least we got to see it. I loved the town and I think it would have been really fun to be an exchange student at Oxford, not that I don't love Bath...it's just very different. It would have been really neat living in the student accommodations, they remind me of castles (kind of like Windsor at Purdue, but more realistic). Another thing I found interesting was the numerous demonstrations and protests occurring on the main street, this added to the university/college feeling.
I almost forgot the best part. We managed to find the British version of Chipotle. It was not as good as the American chain, but it filled my craving for Mexican food. This whole post is a bit out of order and random tidbits are added here and there, I blame it on the fact that I have been working on chemistry for the majority of my day and my mind is officially boggled. Oh well...it is crazy to think I have been here for a month. Next week, I plan on traveling to the southern coast, I have heard it is beautiful and I can't wait to see the water :) I also may have to have more fish and chips...it really is amazing over here. I pretty much have every weekend till my exams booked, which is a scary thought, the time is flying by so fast. My first weekend trip out of the UK has been booked for the first weekend in April...I am going to Barcelona....I can't wait...sangria on the beach...it's going to be fun! I think the most interesting part will be experiencing a RyanAir flight, I'm a little scared, but it will be good practice for my spring break travels throughout western Europe!
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