KK’s Blog

I woke up this morning thinking it was Saturday and kept thinking that frequently throughout the morning. I guess because I didn’t have my tutorial looming over me. But I had to remember it was Friday because I had to bring my nice clothes with me to Regent’s for Formal Hall so I wouldn’t have to walk back to get them. I wrote a bunch of e-mails this morning when I should have been starting on reading some articles for my tutorial but I allowed myself the break.

Somewhere in there I spilled water on my bed-table thing and got a few things wet with water. But it has all dried out now. I left for lunch a little early so I could stop and get some money out, which I did. I stopped by Sainsbury’s too and got some crackers to make change so that I could print my papers out.

Lunch was something special because a lot of people were there, so I sat near some people who weren’t actually from Regent’s I think. After lunch, I went up to Regent’s library and the printer had paper, so I printed all my application papers out for much cheaper. Then I realized I was supposed to have some self-addressed labels, so I went to a school supply place (WH, not Ryman’s) and got some labels and some postcards.

When I got back, I met Dr. Taul and he walked me over to the Oxford admissions office. I turned in my envelope full of application stuff and now I am done with it. After this I walked over to the social sciences library and finished the UCAS application, which is the sort of clearinghouse application for going to school anywhere in the UK and is an online application. I clicked submit, paid the fee, and was done with that too. So now I’m relieved to have those things done, no more thinking about it for now.

After this I read the poverty book until I headed back to Regent’s around 5:30. I changed for dinner and then read Hitchhiker until dinner. While we were waiting outside the dining hall to go in, I was standing with some girls and Kyle. One girl commented on his tie making her eyes go all funny, and the other girls agreed. At one point, they asked him jokingly if he just wore it so they would stare at his chest all night. Then one of the girls said now she knew what it felt like to be a guy. Maybe you had to be there, but it was quite funny and we all laughed quite a bit.

In dinner, I sat across from a girl named Ruth. I’ve sat near her before but we’ve never really talked. I also sat in between Dan and Kim. Ruth and I talked quite a bit during dinner after Dan and this girl Edith (who is a third year I think and took care of us a lot during fresher’s week) had a theological debate. I think if I were living at Regent’s, Ruth and I would probably hang out some. She seems to have some of the same habits as me, getting up early and studying a lot, etc. The dinner was really good - stuffed eggplant and some other assorted vegetables and then some fruit for dessert.

I started to head out and Kyle asked me if I was going to the JCR. I said no and he asked why. I said I just wasn’t really a night person and if I stayed they wouldn’t be leaving until at the earliest 11, which he said I was right there. So I said I might stay another time. This time they were doing their own version of the Weakest Link I think, which I’ve never been a big fan of the Weakest Link, so maybe when something more interesting comes along, I’ll stay a little later.

I got back and stretched, which I forgot to do yesterday, and then sat at my computer for a while. Then I talked to Kyle, wrote this, called my mom, and went to bed.

Well, I did it again. I decided to lie down for just a few minutes before posting and calling my mom. I woke up at 12:30 and did call my mom but decided to wait to post my blog, so here it is today.

Yesterday started out not too good. I got up early and walked to Regent’s to print out 2 copies of my essay for my tutorial so I could walk it over to my tutor’s college and get it to him by 9, since my meeting with him was at 11. Regent’s has printing for 1 penny a page while my library has it for 5 pence a page, so Regent’s is quite a bit cheaper when you add it up. However, Regent’s had no paper, so I had to walk the 15 minutes to my library, buy my common copying card (another card) for a pound, put money on it (so now I have about 6 pence to my name, have to go get some money today), and figure out how to print there. At first it wouldn’t print, so then I decided to look at what printer it was using. Turns out the default printer is not the one that students can use so I had to change the printer and then finally printed out my two copies of my paper.

Then I walked them the five minutes to Harris Manchester, my tutor’s college, and finally put one paper in his pigeon hole around 9:45 and kept the other for myself. Then I went back to my library and took notes on the discussion questions and reviewed things until it was time to go for my tutorial. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be but still a little nervous.

When I got there, it was actually really good. Mark, my tutor, seems really nice. It was actually quite a bit like my independent study setting with Dr. Cooper at G-town. I asked him a few questions and then we talked economics. He didn’t have me read my paper to him, which he hadn’t gotten from his mail. Though I had looked to see if it was gone and it was, so I don’t know where it went. Luckily I had my extra copy that I had printed for myself, so I gave him that one and he said he would have it marked for me next week. So I may not be as happy with how things went next week.

But anyway, I ended up knowing quite a few answers to his questions, and then he helped me when I got stuck. He said he would evaluate me on my papers but also on how I am in class, how hard I try, and how much I seem to learn. He also asked me what else I was doing besides this “unit” and I said nothing. He was really surprised, said most visiting students took at least one and a half or two units so I said that Georgeotown doesn’t do that I guess, so he asked if it was okay if he gave me some extra work so of course I said yes. So on top of my other readings and questions for next week he wants me to read “The Economist” magazine and a 368 page book, called “The End of Poverty” by Jeffrey Sachs, which I’m actually looking forward to the book, so lots to keep me busy this week. Time went by fast in the meeting, so when I left I went back to the library and then to Regent’s.

I went up to the JCR to check my mail and I got my transcript from G-town so I can finally turn in my application once I get my papers printed out, hopefully on the cheaper Regent’s printer. Marshelle and Dan were up in the JCR so I talked to them until lunch. Marshelle hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. At lunch I sat with Marshelle and met a guy, whose name I’ve forgotten, but who is doing history.

After lunch I showed Marshelle a shorter way to get to her library that she didn’t know about (her library is actually pretty much right next door to mine). Then I went to my library and read 90 pages in the poverty book (it’s confined to the library so I can only read it there and can’t borrow it). Then I checked my e-mail and looked for the current issue of The Economist, which I couldn’t find. Then I went to Regent’s for dinner. I sat with some guys who are first years who I had met before but we hadn’t really talked much. We talked about tutorials and they talked about other things while I listened. Then I headed back to Stanley Rd. They asked if I was going out but I said no, just taking the long walk back. I just don’t think I would want to walk 2 miles back to the house at 11 even if I had other people with me. I think I would be too tired, so I’m just not going to have much of a night life, which is fine with me.

I got back and talked to Kyle and then Amanda on-line. I didn’t walk as much today because I made myself stay in town, which I’m going to try to keep doing so I won’t be getting as much exercise so hopefully I won’t lose much more weight, if any. Then I fell asleep like I said before. I love sleep.

Sorry, I fell asleep last night before I got to post and this has been the first chance today that I’ve had to update. Yesterday, I worked all day on my paper. I woke up and talked to Kyle for a little while because he couldn’t sleep, though it was around 3 am for him. From 9 to 12:30, I wrote most of my paper. I had done my introduction the night before. I got most of it finished in my room, but still had to explain a couple of economic models.

So I took my laptop with me to Regent’s and went to lunch. I sat near no one I knew, so I just listened to other people’s conversations and thought about what I was going to do the rest of the day. I went up to the library and finished writing my paper’s first draft, which was a relief to just get it down on paper, though I knew I would read over it a few times before printing it. However, Jon stopped by and said I just needed to write it and read over it once and then be done with it when I told him I still had to revise. I didn’t take his advice. Then I read some of my mystery that I have been reading to relax a little. Then I read over my application papers for the last time, planning on printing them out today. I read some more of my mystery, and then decided I needed paper clips or a stapler or something to hold my papers together.

I went over to the Faculty Flat and asked Dr. Taul if I could leave my backpack there because it was quite heavy with my computer and my books in it. Then I went out to go to Ryman’s, the school supply place. It was raining, for the first time really since I have been here. Not too bad but enough to use my umbrella, so I did, though it did make moving around the crowded streets a bit more complicated. I got a white-out pen that came with a free ink pen and some gold paper clips because they were cheaper than the stapler. They were having a 10% discount for students too, so it ended up being 2 pounds.

After this, I headed to the library because I thought I might finish my book that night, which I did. I, at first, couldn’t find any novels and then realized I was in the research section, which takes up one whole side and about half the other side and all of the middle of the library. I found things that said literature but they were all critiques, so I was afraid I was going to have to read a critique on Harry Potter’s World, even though I haven’t read Harry Potter and have only seen the first movie, a very long time ago. However, I finally found the novels. I almost got another British mystery and this other book, but then I went to look at what they had in terms of Classics (turned out nothing that I recognized), but I did come across Douglas Adams, so I decided to get Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, since I have seen that movie and my brothers and Kyle all love the book.

After this, I headed back to Regent’s and went up to get my stuff. I ended up reading some more in the Faculty Flat, almost finishing my book after I read through my paper again. I went to dinner and sat across from the guy whose name I haven’t caught twice, so I finally asked him and he said he was about to ask me. His name is Matt. I mainly listened to the conversation of another guy across from me, Jodi I think, who had two Back to the Future key chains and a Kentucky Kingdom key chain, actually more key chains than keys. He was quite a character, though I can’t really remember much what he said, but it made me laugh at the time.

I walked back to Stanley Rd. and it was raining, so I had to use my umbrella again, but again, it wasn’t too hard. Marshelle came down to my room to say hi. She’s had a cold and hadn’t started her paper. Her tutorial is tomorrow also at 11 am. We talked a bit about the long walk from the house, being the only girls in the house, and she told me about a birthday thing on Saturday in the JCR for a girl who she said was really nice and I would like. She said I was invited so I think I’ll go. After this, I called my mom and finished my mystery and started Hitchhiker. Then I fell asleep because I had a bit of a headache and my neck somewhat hurt. I woke up a couple times during the night, but other than that I slept pretty much after I got back.

This actually happened last night before I went to dinner, but I forgot to mention it. It was in the bottom of my backpack. Yay, that makes me happy!

I got up this morning and called my mom, waking her up around 4 am for her, but she had insisted that that was okay. She left for a conference trip to Austin today and she was afraid she was going to forget something so she said she needed to get up early. I had asked her to send in some pictures for a photo contest that Georgetown was having for travel pictures, that I hadn’t done before I left, so I had to give her some information on the pictures she chose.

After I let her go, I stayed in my room and read until 12:30, when I left to walk to Regent’s for lunch at 1. I got there just in time and had my salad bar and baked potato. I sat next to Jon (the one who liked the Little Mermaid, etc in the Disney discussion). He apparently did Economics and Politics in their A-Levels, which is sort of like our high school except they have majors and stuff so it’s sort of like college too. He is doing Theology now, but we discussed some economics. They had chocolate ice cream for dessert and this is the first time I wished I had signed up for dessert. Usually it’s not something I find too appetizing, just because of the sweet factor.

After lunch, I headed to the Social Sciences library to finish my reading and start my paper. I talked to a girl named Alex a little before I left and she made me feel a little better about my first essay, saying that they usually don’t expect it to be very good the first time, which after today, I’m pretty sure mine won’t be anything wonderful. After typing up my bibliography and my introductory paragraph at the library, I decided I couldn’t concentrate, so I headed back to Stanley Rd. where I could spread all my stuff out and have some music playing.

I didn’t get much done, but I think I’m going to try to stay up late tonight and work on it until I get at least most of it done. I usually can concentrate better at night for some reason, either that or early in the morning, so I may get up early also. I called Kim and Lee and talked to them a bit. Kim told me I need to eat more because I think I am losing weight because I walk so much and eat around the same amount, but I really eat until I’m full, so we’ll see what I can do about that. I may just have to eat lots and stop exercising once I get home. But don’t worry about me, mom, I know you’ll tell me I’m too skinny no matter what. I’ll try to plump up once I get back.

I walked back to Regent’s for dinner and though the food was horrible, the conversation was good. I had the vegetarian and I have no idea what it was. Another girl who had it described it as tasting like paper towel with a bit of curry seasoning. I couldn’t disagree. The vegetables were good and I managed to show of how I am a klutz tonight.

There were new potatoes, so I cut one in half, put it on my fork, and brought it up to my mouth to eat it. Only it was hot, so I tried to take a smalled bite instead and in the process somehow knocked the potato off the fork, though it was still attached by the skin so it was hanging from my mouth. I also brought my fork down on my plate and knocked my plate against my glass to make a bit of noise. I tried quickly to grab the potato so the part that wasn’t in my mouth dropped to my plate, but it was too late.

Dan, who was sitting next to me, said, “I’m not going to lie to you. A lot of people saw that.” The guy who was sitting across from me (the guy from last night whose name I didn’t catch and still didn’t catch tonight), asked if the potato had jumped off my fork. I said yes it did and I’m surprised I hadn’t done something like this before now. I admitted to being quite a klutz. So now I’ve got that for this week and nerd for week one. I’m building a great reputation.

However, it did make me feel better a few minutes later when Dan made a sound with his mouth closed. I asked him if he was alright and he didn’t really answer. After a bit, he swallowed and said he knew what had happened to me now. He had put a half potato in his mouth and it was very hot so he had let it set until the steam went out a little before he swallowed.

Dan and I talked quite a bit. He’s very interested in last names (or surnames as they say here) and where they come from so he was asking me where my family from and stuff. He already has his undergrad and Master’s degree in Physics and now he is studying Theology. And he’s 22. Crazy. He also has been to the US quite a bit I think. His brother goes to school there or something. We discussed the goodness of A1 sauce on steak and why I have been ordering the vegetarian dishes even though I’m not really vegetarian.

I’ve been asked a lot if I’m vegetarian, so I always say I’m picky about my meat, and I love vegetables so I figure I’ll have better luck with the vegetarian dishes. Dan also signed up for an “Anglo-American” group at the Fresher’s Fair. He said they’re having a Thanksgiving dinner thing and once he got the details, he would tell me about it so I could go. That makes me happy because I was just thinking about missing Thanksgiving today. Everybody can freeze leftovers for me if you want.

After dinner I walked quickly back to Stanley Rd because it was starting to rain, really only sprinkling, but now the rain is supposed to start. The forecast for the next few days is rain. Which will make my walk all the more enjoyable. Actually the walk is somewhat enjoyable with my iPod, which I love and would be very sad without. Now I’m going to work on my paper, enough procrastinating, until Kyle gets back and calls me after he sees Wallace and Grommit. I don’t think that’s out here yet even though it is a British movie. So weird how we get movies way before everyone else. Okay, hope my klutziness made you laugh.

A place called “Cafe Opium” - I read a mystery series set in Victorian England about the Opium trade so this interested me. I’m sure it’s a cozy little restaurant.

A parking lot devoted entirely to bikes, filled completely, at the train station - this is why the British can afford higher gas prices and why they are thinner than us.

A girl wearing a long-sleeve sweater that ended just below her chest - if you had cut off the sleeves it would have looked like a sports bra. Granted it was warm and she had good abs, but I still think it’s a little weird.

A girl walking on the streets barefoot - when it was cold and I was wearing my layers.

A guy walking around the Social Sciences Library in his socks - I guess he wanted to be comfortable.

Girls riding bikes in high heels and/or skirts - I can’t ride a bike in the traffic here much less wearing those things.

Just thought I would share these sights. I kept forgetting to put them into my entries when I actually saw them, but thought they might offer some amusement, if you can imagine it.

Well, this morning I woke up around 8 and took a shower, checked my e-mail and got ready to head to the Social Sciences Library. Marshelle stopped by my room to borrow a comb and to apologize for not going to London. I told her that I hadn’t gone either and I think she felt really bad, but we might make some other weekend trips together.

I packed up my books and walked to my library. Today was absolutely gorgeous: sunny, blue sky, little breeze, perfect jeans and t-shirt/hoodie weather. Unfortunately, I spent most of it inside, but my walks were nice. First I read from a little before 10 to around noon. Then I walked to Regent’s and went to the Bursar’s (David Harper, who I think is like the nicest person on earth) office, to get a check for my application fee for Oxford since I left my checkbook at home. I gave him 10 pounds and he gave me check and asked me how things were going. Pretty simple.

I still had a little time before lunch so I went up to the Regent’s Library and read a little more and checked my e-mail. I got a reply from my tutor on when to turn in my paper. Then I went down to lunch. I apparently wasn’t the only one who didn’t sign up for lunch (but I tried) because they didn’t have enough salad bar or enough seats set up. They passed around the sign-up sheets to have everyone there sign up, for billing purposes, so I was able to sign up for dinner also. I sat next to Kyle, Marshelle, and David Harper, and we talked so lunch was good.

Then I read some more and walked to the Oxford public library to finally get my temporary card for there. I got that and then went back to the Social Sciences Library and read until around 6. I almost got done, but not quite. I had to check out one more book on Keynes’ General Theory, one which I got to choose, which I don’t like. I like being told exactly what to read. I decided to go for Keynes’ own book, “General Theory.” Since the question is about him, I might as well see what he has to say.

I went back to Regent’s and read until dinner at 7. I had sweet and sour vegetables with rice and they would have been fine if they hadn’t had the sweet and sour sauce on them. A little too sweet. But the starter was really good - grapefruit and oranges in their juices. I met a guy named Pete, a guy who is not a first year, and he and this other guy, whose name I didn’t catch, told me how the cook before this one, a couple years ago, was absolutely awful, so the food has apparently gotten better, which it’s still not wonderful, but not bad. Glad I didn’t come a couple of years ago.

Then I got up and realized that the ring I wear on my ring finger (which by the way, I got asked if I was engaged today - it’s just the fattest finger that the ring fits on) had fallen off. It was a quarter machine ring that Kyle got me, so nothing expensive or anything, but I liked it and it didn’t turn my finger green. I retraced my steps briefly, but it probably rolled somewhere. This is the second time it’s fallen off, but the first time I noticed it and it hit a wall so it couldn’t roll too far. My fingers are too skinny. That’ll teach me to try to wear jewelry on a regular basis. I’ve been wearing another ring too, but I’ll probably stop because it’s big too.

Oh well. That made me sad, but other than that it was a good, productive day. I’m brain dead, but after a good night’s rest, I’ll be ready to finish my reading and hopefully get a draft of my paper done. Getting into the swing of things and it’s getting much better.

So today didn’t consist of much more than shopping and church, and I think my days are going to get progressively more boring for people to read about because I will be studying all day. But once November comes, I will be traveling on the weekends so those will be fun entries.

I tried to sleep in this morning, didn’t set my alarm clock or anything, but ended up waking up around 7:55, so I stayed in bed until around 10:55 when I finally got up and took a shower. I looked up some stuff on the Britrail website trying to figure out how I am going to get from place to place. Then I read some economics before having some lunch.

After lunch I set up my Oxford e-mail, but I’ll just use that for school things here, so no need for anyone else to know it really. Then I headed out into Oxford to do my shopping. I went into a place called Bonnie’s where I got a skirt on sale, then the Oxford Campus Store where I got all my Oxford and Regents clothes, lots of which I may be layering on for the plane ride so my suitcases won’t be too heavy on the way back. I also went into Boswell’s, sort of like a department store, to look around and got some gloves that were on sale because all I had brought were mittens. Finally I stopped in the grocery, Sainsbury’s, and found a necklace that I liked, no food yet. And like I said that is all my shopping for myself.

I stopped by Regent’s and forgot to look and see if I could sign up for meals next week, but I remembered to do that on the way to church, but there were no sheets so I may be eating at least lunch for free again. I looked up some more books and read in the library. I was going to stay there until church, but I had so many bags that I decided I should go back to Stanley Rd. to drop them off. So when I got there I took pictures of myself, using my remote on my camera. I apparently look crazy/scary in one of the pictures, the one I put on facebook, but Brendan likes it so I am going to keep it up there for a while at least.

Kyle helped me figure out how to put my pics on the web and put one in my blog. Then I walked to church, which is fairly close to Regent’s but still far away from Stanley Rd. I have a different route that I think is quicker to the college, but it is less crowded. I’ll use it during the day and the more populated path at night.

Church was nice, no music, but other than that pretty much similar to church at home. They said “Hail Mary” after the intercessary prayers and we had to kneel for communion, and sort of line up kneeling, so that was different. But it was a nice service and the priest had a good homily. I’ll probably keep going to that church when I am in Oxford, either Saturday or Sunday evening. I felt like a dork changing shoes outside of church, but I wore my tennis shoes to walk there and didn’t want to wear them with my black pants into church, so I just felt like a dork and changed shoes before and after church. Then I walked quickly back to Stanley Rd., stretched when I got there because I am a bit sore, and made some vegetable soup for dinner.

Then I talked to Kyle, my mom, and my uncle Jeff. I am going to get up early tomorrow morning to start my 9-5 “job” of reading and writing my tutorial things. I almost forgot about my blog, but now I am writing this and going to bed.

Okay here’s a link to a page where my pictures are. Hopefully it’ll let you see it.

http://flickr.com/photos/cathead26

I went shopping today and probably bought way too much stuff, but I was told now was the time to buy things because they are cheaper, so this is probably pretty much all I will buy for myself. But I took pictures, so if I can figure out how to put them up, I will so everyone can see my stuff and I took pictures of my room too, so you can see that. Yay!