Wanderings and Ramblings

It's quarter past seven, and I seem to have missed dinner. For those of you who don't know (which should everyone on the other side of the Atlantic, actually), at the last minute, I pulled out of the Stonehenge trip scheduled for today. I did so for a couple of reasons - we were overbooked, another girl wanted to go much more than I did, and I didn't want to miss the absolutely gorgeous weather here in Oxford! So, I think I made the right choice.

I spent the morning sleeping in, and then wandering the streets. Each day, I feel less like a tourist and more like a semi-permanate Oxfordian. (Is that the right word?) And, I think today I've spent the least amount of money in the past week, which is fantastic. Wait. I lied. I paid for my copy of the final Harry Potter book in advance, so I'm wrong. Oh, well.

After wandering, I came back to Brasenose and worked on my growing pile of homework. That's the bad thing about being in Oxford in the summer - it's so nice here, that homework is impossible! Still, I finished a good chunk of it. If I work for another hour or so, I might be caught up enough to read something other than Shakespeare! Or, I could just go to the pub.

Nightlife in Oxford is kind of lame, compared to Michigan. I'm used to getting ready at 10pm and going out at 11pm or midnight, and then not falling into bed until 3 or 4 at times. Instead, people start the festivities here around 8 or 9pm, and by midnight the streets are only inhabited by drunken teenagers and obnoxiously loud American tourists who are experiencing the same surprise that I am. What's there to do in Oxford?! Jessica and I wandered around after being booted out of BNC's pub at 11pm. We ran into some of the BNC staff, and they pointed us toward the only open place where we could get in free and not spend money. I guess everyone else had the same idea, because there was a massive, unmoving line of people outside of the Purple Turtle. I was back at BNC and in bed within 15 minutes.

Other than the lack of nightlife, Oxford is delightful. The weather was so nice today, that I was a bit disoriented. I actually like the rain, which surprises locals a lot. Today, I think it was in the 80s, and I only saw a few grey clouds. However, I think from now on I'll stay away from the city centre on Saturdays. There were mobs of tourists all over, blocking every sidewalk, crosswalk, and doorway. Drove me crazy. Cornmarket was awful, but I still walked back and forth for a bit. A street performer who ate balloons and played with razors pulled me into his skit, where I was the designated paper-holder. I snuck away when his back was turned - the ultimate trick.

Hypothetically, if someone were to send me a care package, I think the things I'd want the most are M&Ms, Extra pink bubble gum, and those nifty wool socks like Sean has. I looked for them in the shops - no luck. However, the shopping in Oxford is AMAZING. Really. If I had unlimited money (like some of the girls on this trip), I'd come back with a dozen new outfits a day. There are shops where you can get a French Connection skirt for 5 pounds. I got a few shirts for 2 pounds each (and they're nice, cute shirts!). Shoes are pricey, but there are jackets and jeans for about 10 pounds. It's amazing! I've died and gone to cheap fashion heaven. Even jewelry is cheap and adorable.

Another way to save money is to turn on the American-ness. Pubs love Americans (for the most part), and I don't think I've paid full price yet for a pint. Plus, Americans never get carded or charged cover at clubs. If I actually like dancing and clubbing, I'd be much more excited about this, too.

Alright, back to work. Gotta get this homework all done so that it's not hovering over my head all day tomorrow as well! Oh - sounds like everyone else is back from dinner. Gotta work fast before we go out in our big, obnoxious American group again. At least we're not the most stereotypical ones here. A group from Texas got here today, and it makes me cringe to see them wandering around in their Texas t-shirts, baseball hats (which no one here wears), and cameras yelling to eachother about how cute the red phone boxes are.