I’m a native now… or at least one might think so by what I wore on Friday! =) My attire was completely purchased in the UK: shoes, jeans, shirt, jacket, and purse – and it was all on sale, too! I had decided my clothing had to be as authentic as the amazing accent I’ve developed. None of these pictures capture the full effect of the outfit, but I’ll take another one soon (I have to recycle clothes frequently because of the luggage restrictions I had flying over!)
Friday’s lecture was on Shakespeare and film – quite interesting. Did you know the first filmed version of Shakespeare was in 1899? A four minute clip still exists of the black & white silent film (it was a production of King John). The visual is the actor playing King John on his “death bed” and the music in the background is dramatic violins. It’s actually rather amusing, but it is supposed to be very serious – oh well. =) Following my lecture, I got to take an “insider’s tour” of Exeter College given by the college bursar (the name for the head administrator). I learned some incredibly interesting facts. Of course, one of the most interesting is that it was founded in 1314. It’s hard to believe I am learning in an institution that has been around since well before our country was even discovered. This picture is from the dining hall. The decoration at the back of the room comes from the Jacobean decoration that was in the chapel originally. The Victorians decided that they didn't like the Jacobean style, so they destroyed the original chapel and built a new one in their style (but they kept some of the artwork and decor)... those silly Victorians. Didn't they know that chapel could have been worth a lot someday?
Lane and Rex, two of my colleagues from KMHS, came to Oxford from London on the train and we met up after my tour of the college. They have been on a month-long tour of Europe and the UK is their last stop. I think they have seen it all! I took them to the Eagle and Child so they too could experience the pub with the best literary ambience in Oxford. =) We exchanged stories, and I enjoyed hearing tales from their trip so far. I gave them a shortened version of the tour of Exeter (since I am a native now!) and showed them around Oxford for a little while.
I couldn’t stay long with Lane and Rex because I had to meet Jason for our trip to the Lake District. We left at 2:30 on a trip that was supposed to take a little over 3 hours but it took almost 6 hours! Apparently, traffic around Birmingham, England is even worse than Atlanta or DC! I was ready to beat my head against the window – but I didn’t, mainly because I had to restrain Jason from driving into the bridge embankments out of frustration. Finally, we arrived – worn out and road-wearied – at the little B&B in Windermere, part of the Lake District.
Date: 6 July, 2007
Location: Oxford and the RO-AD to the Lake District
Highlights:
- Seeing friends from home in my “new home”
- Exploring the “behind-the-scenes” areas of Exeter
- Seeing Jason’s Jeep turn 100,000 miles (there was NOT much to do on the road, so we were looking for anything interesting)
Thought of the Day: When in doubt, take the toll road in England. It is bound to be quicker (anything would have been quicker than our trip!)
Friday’s lecture was on Shakespeare and film – quite interesting. Did you know the first filmed version of Shakespeare was in 1899? A four minute clip still exists of the black & white silent film (it was a production of King John). The visual is the actor playing King John on his “death bed” and the music in the background is dramatic violins. It’s actually rather amusing, but it is supposed to be very serious – oh well. =) Following my lecture, I got to take an “insider’s tour” of Exeter College given by the college bursar (the name for the head administrator). I learned some incredibly interesting facts. Of course, one of the most interesting is that it was founded in 1314. It’s hard to believe I am learning in an institution that has been around since well before our country was even discovered. This picture is from the dining hall. The decoration at the back of the room comes from the Jacobean decoration that was in the chapel originally. The Victorians decided that they didn't like the Jacobean style, so they destroyed the original chapel and built a new one in their style (but they kept some of the artwork and decor)... those silly Victorians. Didn't they know that chapel could have been worth a lot someday?
Lane and Rex, two of my colleagues from KMHS, came to Oxford from London on the train and we met up after my tour of the college. They have been on a month-long tour of Europe and the UK is their last stop. I think they have seen it all! I took them to the Eagle and Child so they too could experience the pub with the best literary ambience in Oxford. =) We exchanged stories, and I enjoyed hearing tales from their trip so far. I gave them a shortened version of the tour of Exeter (since I am a native now!) and showed them around Oxford for a little while.I couldn’t stay long with Lane and Rex because I had to meet Jason for our trip to the Lake District. We left at 2:30 on a trip that was supposed to take a little over 3 hours but it took almost 6 hours! Apparently, traffic around Birmingham, England is even worse than Atlanta or DC! I was ready to beat my head against the window – but I didn’t, mainly because I had to restrain Jason from driving into the bridge embankments out of frustration. Finally, we arrived – worn out and road-wearied – at the little B&B in Windermere, part of the Lake District.
Date: 6 July, 2007Location: Oxford and the RO-AD to the Lake District
Highlights:
- Seeing friends from home in my “new home”
- Exploring the “behind-the-scenes” areas of Exeter
- Seeing Jason’s Jeep turn 100,000 miles (there was NOT much to do on the road, so we were looking for anything interesting)
Thought of the Day: When in doubt, take the toll road in England. It is bound to be quicker (anything would have been quicker than our trip!)
