10.04.2004
freshers, take two.
Freshers is the term Oxonians use for Freshman. And it doesn't just refer to undergraduate freshmen either - I'm a fresher, and so are people who are just new to the college. Interestingly, there are a lot of different terms used by the Brits, and even more specialized terminology used by Oxonians. A friend of mine made an interesting faux pas: the hem on her jeans was wet, and it was driving her nuts: she said "I'm going home to change: my pants are wet." The response from a very frank MCR member was, "why? are you incontinent?" Evidently, in England, undershorts are always called pants, and what we might say are pants are, in fact, exclusively trousers. Speaking of MCR, MCR stands for Middle Common Room, which is the graduate student lounge, and also the graduate student population as a whole. The JCR (Junior Common Room) is the undergraduates, while the SCR (Senior Common Room) is the faculty. Also, I've got a college porter, which is the security guard, receptionist, and all-around-good-guy wrapped into one. In fact, we've got three or four of them, and they take shifts in the porter's lodge, which is just the entrance of the college. We also have college port, but that is entirely different.
I finally bought the rest of my bed a few days ago: on Wednesday I arrived and slept on a bare mattress. On Thursday, I bought sheets, but still had no blanket. Only on Friday did I go out and buy a duvet cover. This is possibly the world's most slowly materializing bed. But it's done now, and my room is cozy: spartan, perhaps, but cozy all the same. If only my ethernet connection worked.
I actually typed out a nice blog entry earlier today, but the computer in the MCR froze when uploading, and the entry never went live. So yeah, I'm really eager to get my ethernet connection working, and quick.
I start my department orientation tomorrow: I'm nervous as heck. I really hope that I'm able to hack it here. I had this kind of aprehension about Princeton, to be sure, but that I would graduate was, perhaps with a touch of hubris, never in doubt for me. But with Oxford, I'm here with these phenomenally brilliant people in this ancient city with buildings dating back before my country was even a country. And I'm supposed to flourish here? It's a bit much to uphold, I think, and I'm very nervous. Still, I am extremely excited.
Had our first meal in hall today: it's gorgeous. Evidently, they just spent some insane amount of money cleaning the ceiling, which gleams now. Food was surprisingly good: one could taste the chicken, carrots, and potatoes. Incredible!
OK, I'm out for the night. Congrats to the P. school quiz team, which came in second and third in their first face-to-face tournament yesterday. And of course, good luck to the Red Sox, who are on their way to Anaheim for the ALDS, and to the Patriots, who have extended their run to 18 individual wins tied together by nothing.
I finally bought the rest of my bed a few days ago: on Wednesday I arrived and slept on a bare mattress. On Thursday, I bought sheets, but still had no blanket. Only on Friday did I go out and buy a duvet cover. This is possibly the world's most slowly materializing bed. But it's done now, and my room is cozy: spartan, perhaps, but cozy all the same. If only my ethernet connection worked.
I actually typed out a nice blog entry earlier today, but the computer in the MCR froze when uploading, and the entry never went live. So yeah, I'm really eager to get my ethernet connection working, and quick.
I start my department orientation tomorrow: I'm nervous as heck. I really hope that I'm able to hack it here. I had this kind of aprehension about Princeton, to be sure, but that I would graduate was, perhaps with a touch of hubris, never in doubt for me. But with Oxford, I'm here with these phenomenally brilliant people in this ancient city with buildings dating back before my country was even a country. And I'm supposed to flourish here? It's a bit much to uphold, I think, and I'm very nervous. Still, I am extremely excited.
Had our first meal in hall today: it's gorgeous. Evidently, they just spent some insane amount of money cleaning the ceiling, which gleams now. Food was surprisingly good: one could taste the chicken, carrots, and potatoes. Incredible!
OK, I'm out for the night. Congrats to the P. school quiz team, which came in second and third in their first face-to-face tournament yesterday. And of course, good luck to the Red Sox, who are on their way to Anaheim for the ALDS, and to the Patriots, who have extended their run to 18 individual wins tied together by nothing.
