As of right now I am sitting in the lounge at Hostel Backpackers Sonnehof in Interlaken Switzerland and it is amazing. I don't really have much energy right now, we started traveling at 5am this morning from Aix-en-provence and got into interlaken at 5pm - good ole 12 hours of traveling.
Just now I realized that half of the story to get to Interlaken is a result of circumstances from the beginning of the trip. But I will have to explain that some other time because it would make this post about two times longer than necessary... so, anyways.
We started in Aix-en-provence and once we got to the TGV station we realized the train we made reservations for does not exist... So we contacted help and received information enough to rebuild our travel plans. Our original reservations started in Aix then to Lyon Part-Dieu then Bern then to Interlake all by train. However we took the train from Aix to Lyon and from Lyon to Annemasse by bus then Annemasse to Geneve local, then the from the local Geneve station to Geneve SFF station then train from Geneve to Bern then a local train from Bern to Interlaken.
Now Ryan Nakao and I are planning out our day tomorrow. We starting with breakfast then paragliding over the Swiss Alps. Then lunch. In the afternoon we will go up to Jungfrau although I will probably just kick it around Grindewald because the ticket up to Jungfrau is a bit to steep for my budget. The next day we are going to go snowboarding in the Swiss Alps for the day and hopefully the day after I will get some time to myself to bike around Interlaken and just chill.
I will update tomorrow about how everything goes! Love you all!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Extraordinary Events
Ok, warning... this will be long but hopefully very entertaining.
-Exiting the TGV from Aix en Provence a lady allowed her miniature poodle to fall through the crack between the train and the platform. The scene was hilarious. The French are notorious for their love of dogs and the obscene pampering they allow with their precious pooches. I thought it was rather hilarious, but as the crowd behind me passed the situation, I heard mainly gasps and Oh-la-la’s. I wish I were joking. Wait, no I don’t, it’s freaking hilarious. As I passed by I noticed the lady and a TGV worker squatting down next to the train. I thought it odd; maybe she lost a bag in the crack, a wallet, her phone, something trivial but worth getting at. Then I noticed the leash. I stopped as the lady and the TGV worker hoisted the dog out from the crevasse and the look on the dogs face said it all. I mean I don’t blame it! If I was its size and dropped into a crack that small I would FLIP. Plus, just thinking about what that poor lady was thinking makes it even funnier. ‘What if the train starts! Or shifts! Or Slides. Oh no! Mon pouvre chien!!’ I know it’s kind of jacked up making fun of the situation but when you are traveling by yourself in a nation completely void of any English (written or spoken), you take advantage of every possibility for entertainment.
-The thing about all of these stories is they happened in one day: my LAST day in France, which makes it even funnier.
However, Humor and Panic were companions on this day. After I acquired a sandwich at the Gare de Lyon I wandered around the Gare for a few minutes, chewing and swallowing, the whole eating deal. Then I realized that my train wasn’t on the departures board. Mistake number one. I had misread my ticket. All of the times I looked at it I had only checked to make sure of my departure and arrival times. Even though I have been to Paris several times before, I completely forgot that there are about three or four train stations in Centre Ville. My train arrived at Paris Gare de Lyon and departed at Paris Gare Nord with about an hour and half between. “No problem,” I thought to myself. “I can totally do this. I’m pro at the whole metro thing.”
So I inquired at the information counter for directions with my signature phrase ‘Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais?’, because my French is so horrible, descended into the Paris underground and encountered the first complication to mistake number one. I have no clue which ticket to buy. The English translation isn’t working on the billet automatique and I don’t have a large enough vocabulary to ask someone how to work the infernal thing. So I do what any even keeled traveler does: I stare at the screen for 15 minutes making up my mind. At this point I have about an hour until departure so I am still pretty calm. I get the ticket, which I still don’t know if it was right one, and descend to the correct voie (track); I then doubt that I chose the correct voie, go back up, then back down to the same one and stare at the metro map for the third time. I am working off of pure genius and intuition at this point. I thought to myself, “So what if I let a few trains go by, they probably were the wrong ones anyways. I am totally good.” Honestly, the tough part of the whole situation was knowing whether or not the trains stop at every stop. The signs didn’t specify, so like I said, my only choice was to rely on intuition. I got on the next train going in the direction that my stop was and held my breath. I was correct. Thank God they don’t make metro’s difficult or else I would have been late, even might have missed my train.
But wait! There’s more!!
I get to Paris Gare Nord and settle down, I still have about forty-five minutes left and looking good. My train is on the departures list and it is not early. Great. So, I wander around for some time and end up leaning against a pole to take the weight off of my shoulders (I have your standard hiking backpack, holding about 35 pounds worth of clothes and my Chrome bag with computer and a multitude of accessories). After a few moments a pretty girl came up to me and said, “Excuse me, do you speak English,” with her gold fillings twinkling from her mouth. Excited to speak English to anybody, I said yes and she proceeded to place a card out in front of me. Badly spelled and incoherent, this girl was supposedly from Bosnia, with a mother who was dead and a brother with “luchymea” (I read it as leukemia). She wanted money to have something to eat.
The thing with people who do this is you never know why they need the money or what they are going to do with it. Most likely this girl was just trying to make a living illegally, but there are a multitude of other possibilities. I try to be as generous as my budget will allow me. I have been convicted in the past that the compassionate but not ignorant trust that it requires to give money to people who ask for it reflects the character of Christ.
So, I reach into my pocket. I have a few 2 Euro coins lying around and grapple with one of them, as a French policemen walks up behind this girl, wagging his finger at me like a does mom with a bad child. I immediately laughed to myself and looked the girl in the eyes and said, “sorry.” She tried to mutter a response but it was broken off short by the cop who spoke something into her ear and she whipped around. From that point I was strictly an observer.
They pulled her and her friend who was on the other side of the station over to the side and began an in depth discussion. I watched until the ordeal was over and then started walking around again. Half an hour, sweet I’ll be home soon. Next thing I know it’s thirteen minutes until departure and they still have displayed the voie for my train… Mistake number two: I completely forgot that you have to go through customs when you enter into a different country… Derrrrrrrrrrr.
So I go ask the nearest person where the Eurostar departure area is, run up, tear through customs, throw in my bags to the X-ray machine, walk through the metal detector and BEEP BEEP. Oh my God. I walk back through and take out my keys. Ok good to go. BEEP BEEP. Grrrrrrr. Take off my watch. Ok, NOW I am good to go. BEEP BEEP. GAAAAH!!! I check both pockets and completely forgot about my ipod, so I pull it out, walk through completely beep free and run to the departure area. I made it. Sweaty and freaked out, but barely on-time.
I know someone is praying for travel grace for me, so thank you.
-Exiting the TGV from Aix en Provence a lady allowed her miniature poodle to fall through the crack between the train and the platform. The scene was hilarious. The French are notorious for their love of dogs and the obscene pampering they allow with their precious pooches. I thought it was rather hilarious, but as the crowd behind me passed the situation, I heard mainly gasps and Oh-la-la’s. I wish I were joking. Wait, no I don’t, it’s freaking hilarious. As I passed by I noticed the lady and a TGV worker squatting down next to the train. I thought it odd; maybe she lost a bag in the crack, a wallet, her phone, something trivial but worth getting at. Then I noticed the leash. I stopped as the lady and the TGV worker hoisted the dog out from the crevasse and the look on the dogs face said it all. I mean I don’t blame it! If I was its size and dropped into a crack that small I would FLIP. Plus, just thinking about what that poor lady was thinking makes it even funnier. ‘What if the train starts! Or shifts! Or Slides. Oh no! Mon pouvre chien!!’ I know it’s kind of jacked up making fun of the situation but when you are traveling by yourself in a nation completely void of any English (written or spoken), you take advantage of every possibility for entertainment.
-The thing about all of these stories is they happened in one day: my LAST day in France, which makes it even funnier.
However, Humor and Panic were companions on this day. After I acquired a sandwich at the Gare de Lyon I wandered around the Gare for a few minutes, chewing and swallowing, the whole eating deal. Then I realized that my train wasn’t on the departures board. Mistake number one. I had misread my ticket. All of the times I looked at it I had only checked to make sure of my departure and arrival times. Even though I have been to Paris several times before, I completely forgot that there are about three or four train stations in Centre Ville. My train arrived at Paris Gare de Lyon and departed at Paris Gare Nord with about an hour and half between. “No problem,” I thought to myself. “I can totally do this. I’m pro at the whole metro thing.”
So I inquired at the information counter for directions with my signature phrase ‘Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais?’, because my French is so horrible, descended into the Paris underground and encountered the first complication to mistake number one. I have no clue which ticket to buy. The English translation isn’t working on the billet automatique and I don’t have a large enough vocabulary to ask someone how to work the infernal thing. So I do what any even keeled traveler does: I stare at the screen for 15 minutes making up my mind. At this point I have about an hour until departure so I am still pretty calm. I get the ticket, which I still don’t know if it was right one, and descend to the correct voie (track); I then doubt that I chose the correct voie, go back up, then back down to the same one and stare at the metro map for the third time. I am working off of pure genius and intuition at this point. I thought to myself, “So what if I let a few trains go by, they probably were the wrong ones anyways. I am totally good.” Honestly, the tough part of the whole situation was knowing whether or not the trains stop at every stop. The signs didn’t specify, so like I said, my only choice was to rely on intuition. I got on the next train going in the direction that my stop was and held my breath. I was correct. Thank God they don’t make metro’s difficult or else I would have been late, even might have missed my train.
But wait! There’s more!!
I get to Paris Gare Nord and settle down, I still have about forty-five minutes left and looking good. My train is on the departures list and it is not early. Great. So, I wander around for some time and end up leaning against a pole to take the weight off of my shoulders (I have your standard hiking backpack, holding about 35 pounds worth of clothes and my Chrome bag with computer and a multitude of accessories). After a few moments a pretty girl came up to me and said, “Excuse me, do you speak English,” with her gold fillings twinkling from her mouth. Excited to speak English to anybody, I said yes and she proceeded to place a card out in front of me. Badly spelled and incoherent, this girl was supposedly from Bosnia, with a mother who was dead and a brother with “luchymea” (I read it as leukemia). She wanted money to have something to eat.
The thing with people who do this is you never know why they need the money or what they are going to do with it. Most likely this girl was just trying to make a living illegally, but there are a multitude of other possibilities. I try to be as generous as my budget will allow me. I have been convicted in the past that the compassionate but not ignorant trust that it requires to give money to people who ask for it reflects the character of Christ.
So, I reach into my pocket. I have a few 2 Euro coins lying around and grapple with one of them, as a French policemen walks up behind this girl, wagging his finger at me like a does mom with a bad child. I immediately laughed to myself and looked the girl in the eyes and said, “sorry.” She tried to mutter a response but it was broken off short by the cop who spoke something into her ear and she whipped around. From that point I was strictly an observer.
They pulled her and her friend who was on the other side of the station over to the side and began an in depth discussion. I watched until the ordeal was over and then started walking around again. Half an hour, sweet I’ll be home soon. Next thing I know it’s thirteen minutes until departure and they still have displayed the voie for my train… Mistake number two: I completely forgot that you have to go through customs when you enter into a different country… Derrrrrrrrrrr.
So I go ask the nearest person where the Eurostar departure area is, run up, tear through customs, throw in my bags to the X-ray machine, walk through the metal detector and BEEP BEEP. Oh my God. I walk back through and take out my keys. Ok good to go. BEEP BEEP. Grrrrrrr. Take off my watch. Ok, NOW I am good to go. BEEP BEEP. GAAAAH!!! I check both pockets and completely forgot about my ipod, so I pull it out, walk through completely beep free and run to the departure area. I made it. Sweaty and freaked out, but barely on-time.
I know someone is praying for travel grace for me, so thank you.
Friday, March 19, 2010
France - Aix en Provence
Aix en Provence... Oh why does it have to be so far from what is familiar? Why does it have to be so far from home?
I love it here. I love how foreign it is. I love the adrenaline rush of being embarrassed by not knowing enough french to know what I did wrong. I love learning french and i love watching people here.
Aix en Provence has been amazing. I promised to blog later, after I got back to Oxford, but I figured why not give a mini version of what is to come.
I am staying in the very center of centre ville (the center of the center of the city lol). Every morning I wake up to a colorful open market being set up with the most gorgeous fruit and veggies straight from the country-side of rural France. Am I dreaming? pinch me, please.
I have been doing work around the office of ICCP (international community church of provence) where I am staying. Small things, like fixing door knobs, glueing linoleum down, building shelving units, fixing doors etc... That has been fun, it is nice to do something productive with my body after a rigorous semester.
In my free time I have been writing more of my novel. My goal has been to get to chapter ten and I am somewhat there...
I have outlined (read planned) half of it and started on most of them, however I haven't fully flushed out all of my ideas but I am very close.
I have one day left in Aix and I am sad, but will probably return for Easters (I just watched Nacho Libre again) lol, "Do you realize I have had diarrhea since Easters!" lol
My stay here has been very very pleasant, and J'espère revenir pendant LONGTEMPS (I hope to come back for a long time).
That is all for now, soon I will post pictures of my stay and a more detailed description of what I have done during my stay.
Until then, stay well and enjoy whatever you are doing.
Ciao
I love it here. I love how foreign it is. I love the adrenaline rush of being embarrassed by not knowing enough french to know what I did wrong. I love learning french and i love watching people here.
Aix en Provence has been amazing. I promised to blog later, after I got back to Oxford, but I figured why not give a mini version of what is to come.
I am staying in the very center of centre ville (the center of the center of the city lol). Every morning I wake up to a colorful open market being set up with the most gorgeous fruit and veggies straight from the country-side of rural France. Am I dreaming? pinch me, please.
I have been doing work around the office of ICCP (international community church of provence) where I am staying. Small things, like fixing door knobs, glueing linoleum down, building shelving units, fixing doors etc... That has been fun, it is nice to do something productive with my body after a rigorous semester.
In my free time I have been writing more of my novel. My goal has been to get to chapter ten and I am somewhat there...
I have outlined (read planned) half of it and started on most of them, however I haven't fully flushed out all of my ideas but I am very close.
I have one day left in Aix and I am sad, but will probably return for Easters (I just watched Nacho Libre again) lol, "Do you realize I have had diarrhea since Easters!" lol
My stay here has been very very pleasant, and J'espère revenir pendant LONGTEMPS (I hope to come back for a long time).
That is all for now, soon I will post pictures of my stay and a more detailed description of what I have done during my stay.
Until then, stay well and enjoy whatever you are doing.
Ciao
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Last day of term
Today I woke up late... much later than anticipated. But, I got to work soon after and had a semi-productive day. I was informed today that I won 50 quid (around 75 bucks) through being a subject in an experiment for the department of experimental psychology at Oxford. That definitely made my day!!
I just got back from dinner with one of my housemates, her boyfriend, and two other friends (all brits). I have gotten quite close to all of them and it was nice to sit down to a very nice late supper at Jamie Oliver's Italian before we all part for the term. At the moment I am just about to start and finish the outline for my essay due tomorrow (the last one!!!).
Countdown to France - T-minus 1 day!!!!
I just got back from dinner with one of my housemates, her boyfriend, and two other friends (all brits). I have gotten quite close to all of them and it was nice to sit down to a very nice late supper at Jamie Oliver's Italian before we all part for the term. At the moment I am just about to start and finish the outline for my essay due tomorrow (the last one!!!).
Countdown to France - T-minus 1 day!!!!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
New Post... New Question
Hello all!
The last few days have been pretty uneventful. Today I woke up late, met a mate of mine that I met in college and we grabbed some food and chatted for a while. Now I am studying for an exam tomorrow and reading for my Arthurian Legend tute on Friday.
Through studying for my Theology exam I have found I have a couple of questions - the likes of which you may have some thoughts on.
The most pressing question I have is on the consistency of religion:
Must religion be consistent?
I understand and agree that it must be reliable, but there is so much debate in the church over theological matters, in fact very vital aspects of Christian faith, and they can't seem to be answered.
For example, election and eternal security. There seems to be much on both sides to say that you can BOTH gain and lose your salvation depending on the circumstances. But it seems like that is far too inconsistent. I want to know whether or not I need to guard myself in order to maintain salvation instead of being surprised when I see God face-to-face with him saying "you know, I know you tried your best, but it just wasn't good enough. Those habitual sins that continually crept into your life cost you."
The bible says that salvation is founded on God not on the works of man (Jude 1:24). But it also says that a lifetime of on-going unrepentant sin may lead to a loss of salvation (Heb. 10:26-31). Which is it? Is it both? If it is both how do they work together?
Ultimately my question is, Does religion need to be consistent and for those who follows Christ, does Christianity need to be consistent?
I know how I will remain until my questioning is appeased - in the grace of God, training myself to be like Christ so that God will transform me into his likeness - but the question still remains.
What do you think?
Anyways, love you all. Only four more days and I will be in France!! So excited, I will be sure to actually post pictures, I know i've been slacking off a lot so I will make much more of an effort that you will be able to share the experience with me.
May the peace of God be with you.
Alex
The last few days have been pretty uneventful. Today I woke up late, met a mate of mine that I met in college and we grabbed some food and chatted for a while. Now I am studying for an exam tomorrow and reading for my Arthurian Legend tute on Friday.
Through studying for my Theology exam I have found I have a couple of questions - the likes of which you may have some thoughts on.
The most pressing question I have is on the consistency of religion:
Must religion be consistent?
I understand and agree that it must be reliable, but there is so much debate in the church over theological matters, in fact very vital aspects of Christian faith, and they can't seem to be answered.
For example, election and eternal security. There seems to be much on both sides to say that you can BOTH gain and lose your salvation depending on the circumstances. But it seems like that is far too inconsistent. I want to know whether or not I need to guard myself in order to maintain salvation instead of being surprised when I see God face-to-face with him saying "you know, I know you tried your best, but it just wasn't good enough. Those habitual sins that continually crept into your life cost you."
The bible says that salvation is founded on God not on the works of man (Jude 1:24). But it also says that a lifetime of on-going unrepentant sin may lead to a loss of salvation (Heb. 10:26-31). Which is it? Is it both? If it is both how do they work together?
Ultimately my question is, Does religion need to be consistent and for those who follows Christ, does Christianity need to be consistent?
I know how I will remain until my questioning is appeased - in the grace of God, training myself to be like Christ so that God will transform me into his likeness - but the question still remains.
What do you think?
Anyways, love you all. Only four more days and I will be in France!! So excited, I will be sure to actually post pictures, I know i've been slacking off a lot so I will make much more of an effort that you will be able to share the experience with me.
May the peace of God be with you.
Alex
Friday, March 5, 2010
Another new day!
Herro!
So I have just woken up at 12 pm :) gotta love sleeping in.
The reading this morning for me was on the crucifixion of the cross. My prayer is "Father, I fear I have become so used to my seen that it doesn't bother me much, Change me!!" Amen
Today I have to finish a response to a prompt on the salvation of those who aren't Christian or who are pre-Christian. I am excited about this concept and what the fore-fathers of the church have to say about it, for I have always wondered and supposed how salvation extends to those who did not know Christ or those who know Christ but not by his given name. It will be cool.
Here is a question for you:
Is it possible for someone who has never heard the name of Jesus to be saved? On the other hand... Do you think it's possible for a non-christian to be saved (mormon, muslim, buddhist, hindu) if they believe that a Christ existed but they haven't heard His name?
I'm curious to hear your responses.
As for the next week and what it has to offer. I have a Final exam for my online Theo course and my final Arthurian legend tutorial next week. After travel week is over, I have a three meeting course on British History 1900- and then I'm done :)
I hope all is well with you :)
Love,
Alex
So I have just woken up at 12 pm :) gotta love sleeping in.
The reading this morning for me was on the crucifixion of the cross. My prayer is "Father, I fear I have become so used to my seen that it doesn't bother me much, Change me!!" Amen
Today I have to finish a response to a prompt on the salvation of those who aren't Christian or who are pre-Christian. I am excited about this concept and what the fore-fathers of the church have to say about it, for I have always wondered and supposed how salvation extends to those who did not know Christ or those who know Christ but not by his given name. It will be cool.
Here is a question for you:
Is it possible for someone who has never heard the name of Jesus to be saved? On the other hand... Do you think it's possible for a non-christian to be saved (mormon, muslim, buddhist, hindu) if they believe that a Christ existed but they haven't heard His name?
I'm curious to hear your responses.
As for the next week and what it has to offer. I have a Final exam for my online Theo course and my final Arthurian legend tutorial next week. After travel week is over, I have a three meeting course on British History 1900- and then I'm done :)
I hope all is well with you :)
Love,
Alex
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Entry March 4, 2010... enter something creative here--> __________
Herro,
Long time no talk - 24 hours can feel like forever... <---- sarcasm
Today I had my third Arthurian legend tutorial, it went... well. I did not feel as strong about my paper as I had in the last two, but she said I am improving so I will take her at her word and leave it at that. Last night I went to the oxford union and was two rows away from a performance by Brandon Boyd (singer) and Mike Einziger (lead guitar) of Incubus. It was sweet, both of them are very very nice people. I asked a question in the Q&A time directed to Brandon and he was impartial with his attention and the answer was exactly what I wanted to hear (you'll have to ask me what I asked him to find out ;)
After the concert, we weaseled our way into the after party and talked to them a bit more, it was pretty sweet also.
I just got done with a one-on-one with a british dude I met at St. Ebbe's, the Anglican church I am attending. We shared stories of our background, talked about science, music and about witnessing to non-believers. It was most encouraging to reconnect with a fellow believer and encourage each other.
Only one more week until Aix En Provence!!!
love all of you :)
Long time no talk - 24 hours can feel like forever... <---- sarcasm
Today I had my third Arthurian legend tutorial, it went... well. I did not feel as strong about my paper as I had in the last two, but she said I am improving so I will take her at her word and leave it at that. Last night I went to the oxford union and was two rows away from a performance by Brandon Boyd (singer) and Mike Einziger (lead guitar) of Incubus. It was sweet, both of them are very very nice people. I asked a question in the Q&A time directed to Brandon and he was impartial with his attention and the answer was exactly what I wanted to hear (you'll have to ask me what I asked him to find out ;)
After the concert, we weaseled our way into the after party and talked to them a bit more, it was pretty sweet also.
I just got done with a one-on-one with a british dude I met at St. Ebbe's, the Anglican church I am attending. We shared stories of our background, talked about science, music and about witnessing to non-believers. It was most encouraging to reconnect with a fellow believer and encourage each other.
Only one more week until Aix En Provence!!!
love all of you :)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
It's been a long time...
Hello!
So I'll begin by acknowledging that I have been very lazy in updating this blog. Sorry. If this excuse brings any consolation, for I am sure you are heartbroken, I did not know blogging was for the purpose of cataloguing my day. I reserved it for interesting things that happen, and since nothing interesting has happened I haven't posted anything!! But, now I know the true purpose of blogging and i'll try my best to post my daily activities.
Today I got up around 11am. I am able to sleep in fairly often since I don't have too many activities throughout the day. After rising I did a bit of food shopping, read some for my Arthurian legend tute and hung out until four, when I had my CS Lewis tute. It was my last one *sniff* and it was pretty good. My paper, of course, was not as good as it could have been. Since I am used to writing scientific papers it is hard for me to write english papers. I always hit on good points from the text I am reading, but never expound to their full extent. It takes some getting used to. While I am not writing to my fullest ability I did make several steps in the right direction. I now am able to write in first person, something I haven't done for a long time in an academic setting. I am also able to write in the present tense, which, if you are from a science background, is a weird experience since all writing is done in past tense. I am also able to express my own opinions in my writing. Not that I don't have opinions or thoughts from analyzing the text, but opinion has no place in scientific writing and so I never had the license to express myself in an academic setting. My CS Lewis tutor did say that I am making large improvements in my writing, but she is too merciful to be completely honest, for I know that I have a long way to go.
After my tute, I came back home and didn't do much worth noting. I talked to my dad on skype, and hung out with jake (my next room neighbor).
Oh! Here is something cool. One of my good friends Zach, who is from APU also, ran into the guitarist of Incubus at the library today. The guitarist (we'll call him jim) is my friends favorite guitarist and wanted to say hi but was shy. So his friend went straight up to him and was like "hey, you play guitar in Incubus right?", Jim said, "Yeah!" she said, "sweet, well my friend over there loves your stuff and wanted to say hi, but didn't have the balls to do it." (I'm paraphrasing by the way). What resulted was a two hour hang out session with my friend and Jim, who apparently, was a super chill dude and really really really nice. Zach came back home beaming and told me the story, which in turn made my day.
Now, I am sitting in my room, as I mostly do, and am waiting for the kitchen to be free so that I can make dinner.
Dinner tonight will be, chicken and potato roast with rosemary garlic and pancetta. I'm super stoked, as I am extremely hungry :)
Here is what I have to look forward to in the future:
I received an email from the tutor for my British History from 1900- containing the prompt and reading list for my first paper. The list itself is a book. It's going to be a tough paper.
Also I have bought my tickets and figured out my lodging and purpose for the travel week we have from March 13th until the 20th. I am going to Aix En Provence to hang out and see the city. For housing, I worked out a deal with a family friend where I will do work at his house and at his office in exchange for free housing :). Its going to be an amazing week :)
Also, I am traveling to France, again, and Switzerland with a friend from APU. On the itinerary is snowboarding in the alps(for two days), paragliding, and mad chilling for a few days. I am sooooo excited :).
Other than that, I have two weeks, four essays and one exam before I go to Aix. Almost done with the term!!
love you all.
Here is some scripture to chew on. The Holy Spirit is powerful!
1 Kings 17-18
So I'll begin by acknowledging that I have been very lazy in updating this blog. Sorry. If this excuse brings any consolation, for I am sure you are heartbroken, I did not know blogging was for the purpose of cataloguing my day. I reserved it for interesting things that happen, and since nothing interesting has happened I haven't posted anything!! But, now I know the true purpose of blogging and i'll try my best to post my daily activities.
Today I got up around 11am. I am able to sleep in fairly often since I don't have too many activities throughout the day. After rising I did a bit of food shopping, read some for my Arthurian legend tute and hung out until four, when I had my CS Lewis tute. It was my last one *sniff* and it was pretty good. My paper, of course, was not as good as it could have been. Since I am used to writing scientific papers it is hard for me to write english papers. I always hit on good points from the text I am reading, but never expound to their full extent. It takes some getting used to. While I am not writing to my fullest ability I did make several steps in the right direction. I now am able to write in first person, something I haven't done for a long time in an academic setting. I am also able to write in the present tense, which, if you are from a science background, is a weird experience since all writing is done in past tense. I am also able to express my own opinions in my writing. Not that I don't have opinions or thoughts from analyzing the text, but opinion has no place in scientific writing and so I never had the license to express myself in an academic setting. My CS Lewis tutor did say that I am making large improvements in my writing, but she is too merciful to be completely honest, for I know that I have a long way to go.
After my tute, I came back home and didn't do much worth noting. I talked to my dad on skype, and hung out with jake (my next room neighbor).
Oh! Here is something cool. One of my good friends Zach, who is from APU also, ran into the guitarist of Incubus at the library today. The guitarist (we'll call him jim) is my friends favorite guitarist and wanted to say hi but was shy. So his friend went straight up to him and was like "hey, you play guitar in Incubus right?", Jim said, "Yeah!" she said, "sweet, well my friend over there loves your stuff and wanted to say hi, but didn't have the balls to do it." (I'm paraphrasing by the way). What resulted was a two hour hang out session with my friend and Jim, who apparently, was a super chill dude and really really really nice. Zach came back home beaming and told me the story, which in turn made my day.
Now, I am sitting in my room, as I mostly do, and am waiting for the kitchen to be free so that I can make dinner.
Dinner tonight will be, chicken and potato roast with rosemary garlic and pancetta. I'm super stoked, as I am extremely hungry :)
Here is what I have to look forward to in the future:
I received an email from the tutor for my British History from 1900- containing the prompt and reading list for my first paper. The list itself is a book. It's going to be a tough paper.
Also I have bought my tickets and figured out my lodging and purpose for the travel week we have from March 13th until the 20th. I am going to Aix En Provence to hang out and see the city. For housing, I worked out a deal with a family friend where I will do work at his house and at his office in exchange for free housing :). Its going to be an amazing week :)
Also, I am traveling to France, again, and Switzerland with a friend from APU. On the itinerary is snowboarding in the alps(for two days), paragliding, and mad chilling for a few days. I am sooooo excited :).
Other than that, I have two weeks, four essays and one exam before I go to Aix. Almost done with the term!!
love you all.
Here is some scripture to chew on. The Holy Spirit is powerful!
1 Kings 17-18
Monday, February 1, 2010
Belated Post
It has been quite a while since I last wrote, almost two weeks to be exact. I have settled in rather nicely. I have had one meeting with my primary tutor for creative writing and presented the first chapter of my novel. I did not know what to expect and so was surprised to find my paper torn up with editors notes, which is exactly what I wanted. We had plenty to talk about, and over all he said that the chapter was a good start and had a lot of good things in it. I just turned in my first paper for my secondary tutorial which was on whether the Chronicles of Narnia are myth or allegory and how best to read them. In short I said that the chronicles are to be read as myth substantiated with Christian truth. I do not think I did too well on it because I have been feeling out of sorts lately, getting random stomach aches throughout the day. It has been about three days since it first started, hopefully it doesn't turn into anything full blown.
I have been going to a church near the center of town called St. Ebbes. I believe it is of Anglican origin but I am not sure. I have met some very nice people there and am excited for how our friendships will grow. The first time I attended, I met two dudes, who invited me to go to a rugby game with them in Bath. It was really nice to hang out with brits on my own and get a feel for how they are and the whole outing turned out to be great fun. The teaching at St. Ebbes is also really good.
I can't think of much else to write and at the moment all I really want to do is sleep so I think I will. Until next time...
I have been going to a church near the center of town called St. Ebbes. I believe it is of Anglican origin but I am not sure. I have met some very nice people there and am excited for how our friendships will grow. The first time I attended, I met two dudes, who invited me to go to a rugby game with them in Bath. It was really nice to hang out with brits on my own and get a feel for how they are and the whole outing turned out to be great fun. The teaching at St. Ebbes is also really good.
I can't think of much else to write and at the moment all I really want to do is sleep so I think I will. Until next time...
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Tutorials
I have come to conclusion that despite my need to meet requirements for my major I have a very distinct privilege to pursue deep passions of mine here at Oxford. I am fulfilling three requirements, Theology, Upper division writing, and upper division general education, but I am not sure if all will be accepted by the university. As it stands right now, I have permission to take my tutorials in the direction I presented before the term started but I had to split up my primary into two chunks with two different tutors. Also instead of taking "Advanced Composition", as APU calls it, my tutorial is Creative Writing now - plain and simple. It won't be accepted towards the intended academic requirement but I have been dying to have direction in my writing so I couldn't imagine it any other way. For those who don't know, I am starting to write a novel. I will have to post it up on this blog, or possibly my other blog so that the progression of it can be seen.
As for my tutorials in general, I am thoroughly excited for what is to come. My primary tutor for Creative Writing is a highly sought after tutor who is well qualified in the area having published several novels himself. He is very approachable and passionate about his work and showed genuine interest to my novel idea, which was a pleasant surprise and very encouraging. The tutor for my secondary is a very young (probably around 25+), beautiful New Zealander who specializes in Children's Lit. and C.S. Lewis. The direction she has prescribed is very fitting and I am very much looking forward to working with her.
That is all for now. Have a great day!
As for my tutorials in general, I am thoroughly excited for what is to come. My primary tutor for Creative Writing is a highly sought after tutor who is well qualified in the area having published several novels himself. He is very approachable and passionate about his work and showed genuine interest to my novel idea, which was a pleasant surprise and very encouraging. The tutor for my secondary is a very young (probably around 25+), beautiful New Zealander who specializes in Children's Lit. and C.S. Lewis. The direction she has prescribed is very fitting and I am very much looking forward to working with her.
That is all for now. Have a great day!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Formal Dinner at Catz
-I tend to write exclusively in a strict narration without much character. But I assure you that as I continue to write my style and vocabulary will expand and I will learn how to incorporate much more than description into my blogs.-
Well where to start...
We arrived at St. Catz at 7.20 p.m. by taxi and proceeded to chat and snack before dinner was served. We then ascended to High Table (in the words of our Director, Deepak Mukhi) and sat at our designated spots. The first course was chickpea, chilli, and coriander soup, dinner rolls and fresh butter. The soup was delicious, having a refreshing profile given by the coriander with a near perfect consistency. The soup finished with a nice bite due to the chilli. Next, the main course consisted of Mistral's Chicken and garlic (recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/dining/311frex.html), assorted roasted vegetables (leek, onion, squash, and mushrooms) and crusty, caramelized potatoes. The vegetarian option was a mushroom and butter bean lasagna which, I am sure, does not sound appetizing to many but let me tell you, I have never had a more delicious lasagna before. The ricotta was creamy and sweet, the beans melted in your mouth and there were spices that distinctly reminded me of some of my favorite meals while I could not put my finger on what they were. Next came the desert which was a Lemon tart with Creme Fraiche (excuse the lack of accents). After the desert we sampled assorted cheeses and fruits (including dragon fruit, lychee, dried figs and apricots as well as many other more common fruits). We finished the meal with coffee and then the toasting commenced.
The toasting was probably the most festive experience of the night. While not a common practice among students at Oxford, Deepak expressed his opinion on the importance of including the tradition of toasting. I too felt it worthwhile by the end of the night. All of the toasts given were heartfelt and some were even profound. They ranged from the mundane repetitions of sentimentalities towards our future at Oxford, to the eloquent and challenging rhetoric of future diplomats and politicians. Regardless of the oratory skills of my associates I walked away with a deep sense of gratitude to be counted worthy to be surrounded by so many intelligent and appreciative students.
The night was magical, poetic even. It was filled with laughter and discussion. We all shared something in common, the aspiration to be great. I only hope that our dreams are common in one matter, that they would be for the furtherance of good in the world. Good towards man. But I do not mean this in a bland, broad sense so as to not offend. I desire for intelligence to be used to further the goodness of my Lord. I believe that all good things come from God and if good is done on earth towards His creation, it honors Him. Let us not waste our gifts on foolish aspirations.
I have written quite a bit and still have so much more to write so I will wait to include my other experiences after I meet my tutors for the first time, tomorrow.
Alex
Monday, January 11, 2010
1/11/10
Well, today marks the first class of the term. While the class isn't at Oxford I suppose it is as official as it will ever be. For those of you reading who I haven't explained what my semester at Oxford will entail here is a short description.
The University of Oxford is one of two institutions in the UK that has maintained the tutorial system of learning (the other being the one and only Cambridge University). Most students matriculated in the University will have anywhere from 3-4 tutorials per term as well as optional lectures they can attend to supplement their tutorials, most don't go though. I am taking two tutorials, a primary and a secondary, and I will also be taking a course online through APU in Theology as well as a class offered on British Culture and History. My primary is on Arthurian Legend and advanced composition and my secondary is on the fiction of C.S. Lewis. As far as I am concerned I couldn't be studying subjects more interesting, however that is because they suit my personal taste.
Today, we toured the Oxford Union which is the oldest student organization at Oxford. It was founded 90 years after the foundation of the University making it several hundred years old!!! Crazy, I know. As an OPUS student we are allowed the exclusive membership to the Union allowing us access to any and all of the facilities. There are several libraries and one is two stories containing vast amounts of antiquated books that smell amazing (that's for you danielle ;) ). The Union is filled with dark wood paneled staircases leading to various meeting rooms each with a hefty allotment of books. There is one particular room that is used for the weekly meetings of the Union government which we as Union members are allowed to sit in on and submit inquiries. Every week the Union holds debates hosted by many famous diplomats, political leaders and socialites. Past debates have included Mother Teresa, Reverend Desmond TuTu, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, British Prime Ministers, as well as various Nobel Peace Prize recipients. As a Union member we are allowed access to these debates as well as the black tie dinners afterwards to eat with, meet and talk to the speakers. It is a great honor to be allowed these privileges and I will have to post several blogs to share my experiences at the Union.
Tomorrow afternoon I meet with my academic advisor to set my tutorials in stone so I will have to blog about that. Until then, goodnight!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Orientation
Herro everybody,
Today was the first official meeting for the term. I have never enjoyed an orientation before, but this one was rather nice. It was very productive and all the information was necessary to my stay here. The most enjoyable aspect was of course being with friends that I hadn't seen in a while and meeting new friends as well. The past few days were really interesting, many new faces and new places, so to have familiar people around is comforting. The head of OPUS (the Oxford Program for Undergraduate Studies) is great. A very warm and inviting guy, Deepak has quite a sense of humor. Speaking of which, I really love the British sense of humor (or should I say humour). Though it is often extremely dry, full of wit and grammatically eloquent my favorite aspect is how quick they are poking fun at very serious issues. For example, today a guest lecturer by the name of Martin Holmes was introduced with fairly impressive accolades in British society and politics then bounced onto the stage with brilliant energy and began to make fun of the Monarchy. I loved the irony of it all. Anyways, I am tired it is around 1130pm England time and I am gonna do something a bit more productive. Not that this isn't worthwhile though ;)
Chances are if you are reading this I care deeply about you, so... Love you, Goodnight :)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Day Four
After about four days milling around Oxford I am a few days away from starting classes. It seems that my primary tutorial is a bit too vague and so I am working on a rewrite. However it is very difficult seeing as I am combining advanced composition and medieval literature together into one tutorial. Pray that I find a way for both to work so that I can get credit for both classes. Besides just hanging about I haven't been up to much. It is way too easy to stay up late and sleep in late and as a result I have been doing both. I need to get an alarm clock. However! Today I woke up on my own at 1 in the afternoon which means I have time to get groceries and toiletries. Shops close around 5-6 in Oxford and since I have been sleeping in late, by the time I get around to shopping they are beginning to close. So today is the day that I finish what needs to be done. Now on to descriptions. The hostel I have been staying at is, well, funky. That is its claim to fame and it is indeed very funky. But I like it. The manager and staff are really nice; all of them are kiwis (new zealand) and aussies. The bathrooms are clean and the beds are warm and that is all that matters. There are several australians staying there, two south africans, several asian-types (china? Japan?), three spaniards, one awesome Argentinean woman who reminds me of home for some reason, a canadian and two italians that don't speak any english (they are sooooo italian, it's awesome). The area around where I am staying is the city center so I have walked quite a bit to see everything, but I haven't found too many places to sit and chill/read. So the hunt continues. School starts in about three days so here is to the last bit of my christmas break!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Initiation
Oxford is lovely. After a good 11 hours in flight and 3 in layover I am sitting in a cafe in the Jericho district drinking an amazing Americano and eating a panini. Crazy. I don't really know what to do at the moment. I am more or less wandering aimlessly - talking to random people and searching for cool areas around town. I can already tell that this will be an amazing experience, one that I will not soon forget, but I have the "just arrived" feeling lingering above my head which I hope will ease into a familiarity with my surroundings. I do not have many expectations for the next few days. Until the 6th I am more or less in a limbo, waiting for everyone else to come. I suppose I should determine what I would like to do with my free time. So I will leave with that in mind. If you have any suggestions, feel free to offer them!
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