Walking with the Sheep!

This past weekend I chaperoned a group of 11 students on an excursion led by a young Economics faculty don, Simon, from Tasmania (that little island off the coast of Australia). Simon loves to "walk" (in my world this term is synonymous to "hike") and he introduced us to a tiny little town, Longtown, in Herefordshire, a rural area on the England/Wales border. We stayed in a quintessential English pub, The Crown Inn, built in 1751. The lodging rooms were located on the second floor, which made for an easy walk (or stumble) after a night of tasting the locally-brewed cider. During the day we hiked the black mountains, up sheep-infused rolling hills, amid wildflowers, and surrounded by amazing vistas of the countryside.

Even though there was much eye-candy to be had, looking down became important as it was only too often that you might step in a steamy pile of sheep droppings.

We feasted on lamb by night and traditional English breakfasts (complete with baked beans, white toast, tomatoes, ham, bangers, and fried eggs) in the morning. Besides hiking, the other highlight for me was the unique little pub where we ate lunch on Sunday. The Bull's Head Craswall was the epitome of an old-style English pub: peeling wallpaper and exposed plaster on the walls, low ceilings, and the farmhouse ciders were drawn from the cast. Hanging on the wall, next to the bar, a sheet of paper displayed the local farms where all of the food and drinks came from. Now this is what I call...keepin' it local!

The Oxford Tutorial: A Pedagogical Gem!

Today I psyched myself up for another weekly tutorial with Dr. Ingrid Hunt, my faculty don. The famous Oxford tutorial is internationally known for being the premier model for teaching and learning, "a pedagogical gem, the jewel in Oxford’s crown" (Palfreyman). An Oxford tutorial is a small seminar (no more than 6 students) that meets weekly with a faculty don. Throughout the week students are expected to read anywhere from three to six books and write an essay on a certain topic. At the tutorial, the faculty don employs the socratic method to test the student's knowledge on the topic. This way of pedagogy is unique because it is simply not a feasible or cost-efficient way to educate the masses around the globe, yet Oxford continues to uphold the tutorial tradition. As a graduate student, I have the honor of experiencing a one-on-one tutorial where the socratic method comes to life. Yet, I am lucky because my faculty don is a lovely woman and today she said, "You are doing good work." A simple compliment that goes a long way. Dr. Lunt is working with me on two 20-page papers I am writing for a conference in Estonia in September.


Photos: Green Templeton College, the University of Oxford college that Dr. Lunt is affiliated with.

Another Trip to London!

After taking the train from Oxford to Paddington Station in London, we started our sunny day in Leicester Square. We waited in the tkts line, with 20 other ticket-hungry tourists, for half-price theatre tickets. It only took about 10 minutes to make our way to the front of the line and purchase two prime seats (12th row, middle) to the 5 p.m. Avenue Q show. A screamin' deal indeed...we ony paid 28 £/ticket (originally 56£). Woohoo, time to tour London! With our walking shoes on, Elizabeth used her previous knowledge of London to tour us around the big city...

Picadilly Circus: Even though I hate to see the golden arches in a foreign country, I have to give props to McDonalds for creating a clever (and fun) marketing campaign. The interactive billboard allows tourists to become posers (a.k.a. look like idiots). I never miss a chance to engage in an action photo (or look like an idiot)! Left: I am squeezing the frog in hopes that a prince will pop out. Right: Elizabeth flexes her "sturdy American" muscles as she lifts a 2-ton dumbbell.

Trafalger Square: we jumped, spit, and were entertained by a group of crazy Irish rugby players who were singing and waving their flag with pride. Why is it that when a group of Irish dudes get together...they always sing? I do not know...but I like it and I jumped in their honor.





















Buckingham Palace: Queen Elizabeth it is time to don your tackiest leopard skin print, crimped hair, jelly bracelets, and your neon legwarmers...apparently the 80's are back!

Big Ben! Need I say more?

Chinatown: A HOT Malaysian dinner (chicken laksa curry) resulted in sweaty brows and steam coming out of our ears.



Gielgud Theatre: Avenue Q show...hilarious and rogue. The Sesame Street gone South Park for adults. I learned that internet is for porn, everyone's a little racist, explicit puppet sex on stage is okay, and it sucks to be me. Overall, a brilliant show and a fantastic day!

Living the Oxford Dream!

Ever since I learned about the unique Oxford college residential system, I have dreamt about life in the City of Dreaming Spires. Now I am (somewhat) living the dream! As I stepped off the bus nearly three weeks ago I could smell the pursuit of academic knowledge permeate through the honey-colored buildings and the cobblestone streets. The University of Oxford is one of the oldest European higher education institutions dating back to the 11th century, which makes for many juicy tales. Thank goodness Henry II banished all foreign students from studying at the University of Paris in 1196...otherwise the University of Oxford may not exist today. Many of the ousted students settled in the small town of Oxford and created this educational academy. In 1209, after town-n-gown relations broke down and riots broke out, some scholars fled northeast to the town of Cambridge, where the rival university was created. During this tumultuous time in Oxford, those students and scholars who stayed were the first to bare witness to the beginning of a long-standing Oxford tradition--the residential colleges. Today there are 39 residential colleges, each with their own unique campus and gated residence. Students eat, sleep, and live in the guarded college communities and meet with residential faculty dons on a weekly basis. The UGA program is affiliated with the Trinity College and my faculty don is affiliated with the Green Templeton College, hence I spend a good amount of time at these two colleges. I am not living in the colleges (like a true Oxford student), but I do meet weekly with a faculty don and am surrounded by the beauty of spires, well-manicured gardens, and lively intellectual conversation.

A Day in London--Notting Hill!

Sunday was my first trip out of Oxford. I bought a (student discounted) roundtrip bus ticket to/from London for £13 ($21 U.S.) aboard the posh, double-decker, red Oxford Tube bus, complete with wifi. In the first 15 minutes of the 1.5 hour bus ride to Notting Hill, I was fast asleep. (There is something about a moving bus, train, or airplane that makes me narcoleptic.) I met my friend, Jorunn from Norway, who was stopping over in London before embarking on a BIG PhD adventure in Australia. She was awarded an international scholarship to study at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne. We caught up, re-lived our Eramsus Mundus experience and laughed about where life has taken us since those sweet memories in Portugal. The funky environs of Notting Hill and Embassy row at Kensington Park added to the fantastic day. Even though we did not spot Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant, the Portobello Market was bustling with tourists, antiques, vintage wear, and cool, funky little cafes. Good luck Jo!

Biking Oxford!

As a Graduate Resident, one of the many perks of living at the UGA house in Oxford is that I get the pick of left-behind bikes. Yes, left-behind bikes--by former students of the program. They bought the bike, used it during the program, and then "donated" it to the house. It is a pretty sweet deal for me, because I love touring cities and getting around by bike. Plus, it is the European way and the Oxford way (everyday I see men in business suits zipping by on their bikes!)

Check out my PHAT ride! Every morning, I unwrap the plastic grocery bag protecting the seat from rain, strap on a bike helmet, and jump on the black beach cruiser with basket and bell. The house is located on one of the main streets in town, Banbury Road, so it is a quick 5-minute straight shot to the center of town. However, when I jump on the bike, my mortality rate quickly sky-rockets! Oxford city planners were brilliant enough to add bike lanes, but feeble-minded enough to allow them to disappear into the bus lanes. In the last week, there have been a few occasions when my life flashed right before my eyes and I was left with a shallow breath and my heart racing outside of my raincoat. Nonetheless, I still make the adventurous ride (rain or shine) into Trinity College for our daily breakfast meeting at 8:30 a.m. Who needs a wake up call when you have an intrepid bike ride?

20th Anniversary of UGA at Oxford Program

The UGA at Oxford study abroad program celebrated 20 years of existence this week. Which means the last few days were busy with receptions, dinners, and visiting university dignitaries, including UGA President Adams, Senator John Wiles and the entourage. Monday night was the weekly high table dinner and what a fancy occasion that turned out to be. Ornate candelabras dressed the tables as we were served gazpacho with salmon, roast guinea fowl, elderberry summer pudding, and a never ending flow of wine. Delicious! With all of the speeches the last few days, I am convinced that the UGA upper-administration supports international education initiatives which can be further evidenced by the UGA ownership of three campuses in Costa Rica, Oxford, and Cortona, Italy. Not many flagship universities can boast of owning international study abroad properties or being among the top 10 U.S. universities sending students abroad.

"Stop Cock" and other British Jargon.

Elizabeth, a fellow Graduate Resident found this small "stop cock" grate as she walked to the dining hall at Trinity College. Definitely camera-worthy and loaded with jokes! "Stop Cock" is not what you might think it is; it is a valve used to restrict or isolate the flow of a liquid or gas through a pipe. This is just one of the many British idioms that makes an American go, "huh?"

Here are a few others:

Geezer: old man or mate

Peckish: hungry

Cheeky bugger: smarty pants

I've got to see a man about a dog: I've got better things to do.

Sod off/Faff off: Screw off!

Bollocks!: Nonsense, oh crap!

Photos: Humps for 50 yards (speed bumps), Pig & Whistle (a college staircase--hall--at Oxford), Fcuk (French Connection of U.K.--clothing store), Please mind the step (watch the step).

I Bought Laundry Detergent Today!

(I know...you are probably saying, 'WTF, why is she blogging about laundry detergent?') Well, I have a confession to make...I love buying everyday necessities at foreign supermarkets. Seriously! Buying laundry detergent today brought me back to the days when I lived in Oslo, Aveiro, and Tampere, and Pretoria. During my two years abroad, I always looked forward to trips to the supermarket, simply because it made me feel like I was really living (everyday) in a different country. Today, I stood in the laundry detergent aisle at Sainbury's for roughly 45 minutes. I touched every box/bottle of detergent, read all the labels, compared prices, smelled them, and finally made a decision (Non-Bio pouches). You may think I am crazy (maybe I am), but I just have a love affair for foreign supermarkets, foreign travel, and the ability to step outside my world and appreciate it. My father had something to do with this travel madness! About 18 years ago, when he took us on our first whirlwind tour of Europe, he stopped at the big European hypermarkets and encouraged us to discover the different products and to see ourselves outside of everyday American comforts. I cannot seem to shake that life lesson.

Along Came a Spider...

And sat down beside her,

And frightened Miss Leasa away.

The first day I stepped into my shower, I was not showering alone... A colossal spider staked claim to the tiny standing-room-only shower. Gingerly, I climbed out of the shower as to not disturb the tranquil monster (seriously, this bad boy's body was easily one inch long). I quickly jumped back into my clothes and went in search of an exterminator...yes, an undergrad! I found an undergrad right outside my door at the computer station and summoned him to become an assassin. We scorched the monster with steaming hot water and you would not believe it, after removing the killer spray of water, he popped back to life. After some deliberation, we came up with plan B...get a wad of TP, grab him, and hurl him into the toilet. After two tries, the monster was flushed deep into the bowels of the UGA English manor house. However, this did not prevent me from having nightmares of spiders popping back to life as I was sitting on the toilet. Oh my!

Oxford Fashion Gone Wrong!

As we walked down High Street in Oxford yesterday, I could not resist taking a photo of this HOT fashion faux pas. Attention children of the 80s: apparently NEON leg warmers are back in fashion! Sharing with friends is encouraged.

My First Day in Oxford!

After one year of trying to sort out life in the Southern region of the U.S., I find myself at total ease moving back to Europe. I have many fond memories of living in Europe and I anticipate that the next six months in Oxford will add to my adoration for the European quality of life. On Sunday, I arrived in Oxford, with about 33 undergraduate UGA students in tow. As we drove up to the medieval spires and meticulous green lawns of Trinity College, pure excitement (mixed with jet-lag) washed over me. I'M HERE!

Since the summer program is so large, the overflow of students live in Trinity College, where the rest of us live in the posh UGA-owned house, complete with a shiny red front door (SEE PHOTO above). After dropping off the 33 students, a cab--with the steering wheel on the right side of the car--dropped me off at my new diggs in the beautiful English manor house. I, along with another Graduate Resident (James), will live in the house with 20 UGA undergraduate business school students, as we both work on our own research. As I stepped into my quaint, sunlight bedroom (SEE PHOTO here), I could not wait to unpack and make myself at home. This is a good sign of things to come...

I'm OUTTA Here...!

My fabulous (and zany) international moving crew!

All of my materialistic goods (sans 140 pounds of goods that are all packed up for Oxford).

Gettin' ready for another stamp in my passport. Woohoo!!!

I leave for Oxford July 4, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. There is no better way to celebrate the independence of my motherland, than to leave the country!