On Snow and Digestives

For those of you wondering about Digestives, I am here to inform you that they are the most delicious British cookie you could possibly imagine. It is a possibility that great quantities of these have been consumed in Room 11. But just a possibility.

In other news, Oxford is covered in snow! Here is the view from my favorite nook of the house:

British snow is very wet, and the first day of the snow, I had forgotten my umbrella. After walking around in the wet for an hour or two, it had made a strong enough impression so that I have remembered to put my umbrella in my backpack before leaving every day since. I haven't taken any pictures while walking around Oxford, but seeing it snow-covered is like living in a postcard. The buildings are all so interesting and full of character that the snow makes it feel as if I had stepped into another era.

I wondered before I left the States if I would miss my car. (For those of you who don't know, that little blue Ford is probably the best car I can imagine myself driving, in spite of the overly loud engine and speakers that barely work. Really. I love that car.) However, walking around Oxford has been one of my favorite parts of being here. I love having time to think as I walk, and being able to pay closer attention to what's happening around me. The people-watching is amazing!

On Thursday, I had my first Shakespeare tutorial. I was nervous going into it, as I wasn't sure how to prepare properly, and I spent the morning anxiously revising my essay before walking down to Norham Gardens. However, as soon as I walked into the seminar room and sat down, I changed my mind about the need to be anxious, as the Shakespeare tutor is very personable and reachable. We started off chatting about my transition to Oxford, and then he seamlessly switched the topic into discussing Macbeth. During the hour long tutorial, we split who did the talking:  he would ask an open-ended question, and I would answer with what I found most interesting or relevant related to that topic, and he would follow that rabbit trail wherever it would lead. I appreciated how much the tutorial was centered around hammering out the ideas I had found while reading, and he gave positive and constructive criticism of the essay I had prepared. So encouraging! At the end of the session, he asked, "What would you like to read next week?" I've never had a professor ask me to choose any topic I wanted before, and I hadn't even thought about an answer, so we talked through different options, and when we decided on Julius Caesar, he gave me a question for my next essay based on a topic he thought would specifically interest me. Needless to say, I am beyond excited for next week's tutorial! Spending a week reading and processing, and having an hour long session of open-ended discussion to discuss whatever I've found or the questions I have... This seems like one of the best ways of stimulating learning to me!

As I ponder over what I have been experiencing this last week to write down, I am overwhelmed again by how blessed I am. Having this opportunity to study in Oxford and explore a different part of the world surprises me every time that I realize that this is happening in real life. I am living with lovely people, studying with amazingly intelligent professors who care deeply about learning, and am in ENGLAND for goodness sakes!

Cheers!