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Published: October 12th 2010
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Anna
Magdalen College Week in Review
Well another weekend has gone by in Bristol and I believe that I have almost fully adjusted to the time difference. I must say that if the pub and club culture weren’t such a big part of the University lifestyle I would have adjusted much more rapidly. University classes are starting and I have started to compose a list of differences between American and British classes. First of all you can tell that you are in a British classroom if the lecturer mentions tea at least three times. Following that if you spend absolutely no time in lecture and all of your time in the library doing secondary readings then you are in Britain. Thirdly, if you are required to wear a lab coat to protect your clothing when handling acids and bases but nothing is said about protective eyewear that would be a Biochemistry class here. Really the small changes to my life while here have been the most illuminating as well as at times the most frustrating.
I am picking up the local slang here, besides “cheers,” “darlin,” which can be combined into “cheers then darlin,” “ideal,” “pre-lash,” “lash,” “my dear,” “twated,” “kind regards,”
Quintessential
Magdalen College “lovely,” “quite,” “rubbish,” and “rendered” there are many more. Furthermore, I have taken to telling my flatmates that I am American and I can do what ever I want with their language, in an attempt to get them to stop correcting my pronunciation of words. Currently we are arguing about the proper way to pronounce Nutella and aluminum, we have very dense discussions.
Oxford
This past Saturday I had the pleasure of accompanying Andrea, AJ and Clare to Oxford (the town and the University). All of the pictures in this album are from that trip. Oxford was absolutely lovely! The town is equally enchanting as it is buzzing with vibrancy. Actually it reminded me of Madison. The students and residents’ main mode of transportation is bicycles, and High Street has the same bustle and hustle of State Street. As I was sitting in the White Horse pub having a cup of coffee, I could have quite easily been in the Old Fashioned if not for the low ceilings and the fact that it is a Grade Two Historical building. Although the attitude and feeling of the city was similar to Madison, there was an air of history and grandeur that
I don’t believe I have encountered thus far in my life. Standing in the middle of Bodleian Library which houses every book ever published in the United Kingdom, where else can I find that?
If you didn’t know Oxford University is divided up into many small colleges, each of which has there own campus, faculty and students within the greater University. I don’t believe that students often take classes outside of their college. The first one that we were able to visit was Christ College, which has an absolutely fantastic grounds and walk surrounding the college. I actually saw my first rugby match being played by a bunch of very cute 8 year olds. We then glanced into the College where Tolkien worked, (and where he wrote Lord of the Rings). However, instead of venturing in we went to a indoor market and I saw the biggest dead rabbits ever. I also had my first bit of truly British food a Steak and Ale pie!
Magdalen College (not pronounced how you think it is), is very old. The College is constructed around a cloister that was first built in 1180. Standing in the halls, I was
Dead Animals
It seemed so English, that I had to take a picture struck by an understanding of my own insignificance. Magdalen has housed such greats as C.S. Lewis and Oscar Wilde and I was walking in the same corridors. It was seriously cool, and seriously awe inspiring. An interesting feature of the College grounds is the deer park that abuts the main grounds. It is said that as C.S. Lewis overlooked the park he came up with the concept of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. The thing that was astonishing to me was the lack of white-tailed deer in the deer park. With so many similarities between British and American culture I sometimes forget that I am on a different continent.
Our final destination of the day was The Eagle and the Child, nicknamed the Bird and the Babe, which is the pub that The Inklings got together in every Tuesday morning to discuss their work over a few pints. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien founded the Inklings to be a group of literary minds that could discuss ideas and works. I had Scottish Salmon and a Coca-Cola, not very English of me.
Please feel free to peruse my pictures, and remember that Facebook always hosts more
pictures than this.
Kind Regards,
Anna Grilley
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Marshelle
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Nostalgia
Aaahh! Your Oxford photos make me so happy/sad! I've stood in the vast majority of those places....very lovely. Am teaching upper-level Shakespeare at the moment. Wish I could have you in class. :-) Protect your eyes.