Halloween, Apple Strudel, and Bonfires

It seems weird that I’ve been here for less than two months. It feels like I’ve been here so much longer, and yet my trip is more than halfway over. It’s kind of disorienting and definitely sad. I’m trying to keep in mind that this is not permanent–I do miss New Paltz and Brooklyn and my family and friends, but you wouldn’t have to pay me to stay here a while longer.

So. This past week has been about Halloween, little work, lots of fun, and going to class now and again (not that we’re cutting, we just don’t have class very often!)

Halloween here is pretty similar to what it is at home: costumes, decorations, and partying. On Saturday night, Kirsty and I went as a zombie 50s prom couple. We went out to a bunch of bars and met up with Berit and Lauren for a while. Sunday, I went as Zombie the Riveter (like zombie Rosie the Riveter), and a few of us went to D-Bar, the bar at Storthes Hall. I guess I was really into the zombie theme this year, although I sort of realized that adding a zombie theme to any regular costume makes it awesome, kind of like adding “in bed” to the end of your fortune in a fortune cookie is always hilarious. It was lots of fun, although I must say, I miss New Paltz and Brooklyn Halloween.

Yesterday was Lucie’s birthday celebration, so Lauren, Berit, Marianne and I went to her house for apple strudel, which Lucie was quite excited about. Apparently, it’s the national food of the Czech Republic, and Lucie thinks there is no better food on earth! She made it for us, and it was indeed very good. We then went to the Cotton Factory for brick oven pizza, which is where we went the night we met, when it was Berit’s birthday. Fun was had by all!

Tomorrow, I’m going home with Kirsty for the weekend to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, better known as Bonfire Night. This is a celebration to commemorate the anniversary of Guy Fawkes attempting to kill the Queen, and not being successful. Yes, this is about as much information as I have about it, other than there being a huge bonfire and lots of partying. Good enough for me!

I’ve been stressing out a little about schoolwork. I don’t have much of it, but I have to do a summative essay for each class I’m taking. Three of them aren’t due until December, but one is due on the 16th of November (wow, I’m speaking like a Brit!) I know that’s a while from now, but I tend to get anxious about work long before I need to. I started the paper, but I really don’t know if I’m doing it properly. I hope I ask my professor the right questions about it tomorrow so I can get it sorted out (again, speaking like a Brit).

That’s about it for now!

Oh, Oxford!

Hello all!  Sorry its been awhile since I last posted; I have been busying myself for the last few weeks with some light traveling, schoolwork, going out with incredible new friends, and juggling staying in contact with friends and family!  It seems a whirlwind of how time has flown in the past few weeks.  It seems like just yesterday I landed in Heathrow airport and now it is November 2nd!!!  Nearly 2 months I’ve been abroad and I wish time would  S  L  O  W  down!

As I said before, I have been doing a little traveling around the lovely UK.  My most recent trip was with my British Life & Culture class and we went to the City of Oxford and visited the gorgeous university.  Oxford is most famously known for its prestigious medieval university, with a population of about 165,000.  Located in South East England, the astonishing architecture we got to see on our tour have been around since the Saxon period.  Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

Getting to spend the day among students that travel from all over the country and the world to study at Oxford was tremendously exciting!  We actually got to witness many of the the academics and professors dressed up in their gowns for their degree ceremonies.  I must say that if I was a academic scholar at Oxford I might easily be agitated by the hundreds of tourists that pass through.  Oxford is one of the most visited cities in the UK, not only for the university, but also for its amazing shops, theatres, famous pubs, and many of the historical buildings make this location popular for film and television!  The filming of the Harry Potter installations have been shot on location in various parts of Oxford, especially in the Christ Church College.  We actually got to enter the dining hall in this college that has been replicated as the dining hall they use in the film…you know the one with the floating candles!?  It also inspired the presence of Alice in Wonderland making Christ Church College a major Oxford tourist attraction!!! Our tour was also able to see a bridge that was designed after a bridge in Venice, Italy…apparently scenes for the film Brideshead Revisited were shot in this area…it was extremely cool!

I think that out of all the traveling I have done thus far, Oxford has been one of my favorite cities that I have gotten to visit.  There is so much history in this city and you would never believe that the university is consisted of 38 different colleges.  In each of these colleges there are about 300-500 students that study within them.  Its also fascinating to know that some of the worlds most famous leaders attended Oxford, for example former Prime Minister Tony Blair and also current Prime Minister David Cameron.  All in all, in one day I got to be among some of the most promising scholars, walk through the dining hall of one of the most famous films, stand outside a pub that Elizabeth Taylor used to drink at, and went into one of the most famous pubs in all of the UK; ‘The Eagle & Child’ pub which was in association with the ‘Inkling’s’ writers group which included famous authors J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis!  Yeah…Oxford was pretty AWESOME =]

A New View of Melbourne

On Sunday I went to Eureka Tower with Chris and saw some stunning views of Melbourne. I also went into the Edge: a glass box that extends three meters into free space over 80 stories above the city. Afterwards, Chris and I went to a tech sale event. I came close to buying a mic for my iPod but decided to get an extension cable for my Macbook because I didn’t have one with an Australian plug. Chris had to go to work afterwards so I went to the Melbourne City Library. I now have a Melbourne City Library card to check out items; I feel like such a local. I took at two audiobooks by John Marsden of books I didn’t have. I bought a sandwich at Subway and then went back to Eureka Tower (I had bought a two visits in one day pass) to look at the city at sunset/at night. It was a great day. Today I had my first interview with Apple. I feel that it went well. I don’t know if I got the job yet; I should know within a few days. Classes have finished and I only have exams left to complete. I’ll be studying for the rest of the week for two exams on Friday. The exams take place at the Melbourne Showgrounds. The same place the Royal Melbourne Show (a carnival) is held. It should be an interesting experience.