Day 6: A Budding Relationship with C.S. Lewis

Not the best photograph I've take. But 3 guesses to my my new purchases ;]

            Let it be known that the course of action I decided to take to prevent my foreseeable trouble with focusing is to treat each day as if it’s an 8 hour work day that I am getting paid for. I will get up at 7, leave the house at 8 and work, may it be errands (groceries, going to the OPUS office, borrowing something from the library, etc) or on my essays for my tutorials.

My first essay is due on Friday and a bulk of today was spent in the Central Library (by Westgate) and the OPUS office library looking for books in order to write the essay. I also got my dongle today, which allows me to access the internet from our humble abode. It’s a bit of an inconvenience but I’m glad that we have internet, nonetheless. (I’m not very happy with how it is, economically speaking because it costs £ 15 for 3 GB of surfing, which is roughly 3 hours a day of normal surfing for 30 days, which is when it expires. It’s looking like the free wifi in cafes will be cheaper although it lacks the convenience of the dongle so it’s really a catch 20-20) I was also able to have a decent conversation with my mom via Gchat phone call. I’m glad it worked out free! I can’t use my magic jack because my laptop only had 2 USB ports and the magic jack USB is pretty massive.

I began reading C.S. Lewis today and it looks like he and I are going to have an intimate relationship in the end. I don’t know if that’s going to be good or bad, but I know it’s going to be intimate (hence the books that are only part of my reading list photographed). I have never read Lewis before this so I’m completely getting a crash course on getting to know him. I get to read my essay out loud on Friday and I haven’t started an essay just yet. I need to remind myself that an essay is an attempt and that I really shouldn’t be this hard on myself (especially since I haven’t even began).

Day 5: Greens Café, Homework Escapades and the Oxford Grind

            Suzanna and I left for mass at St. Aloysius at 8:20 in the morning. We thought the mass was at 9 but it ended up being 9:30. It was a gorgeous church, definitely worth the 40 minute walk. After mass, Lieren saw us and we ended up passing by her flat (which is absolutely gorgeous). It drizzled for a bit and under it, the three of us walked to Greens Café and there we spent the morning (or afternoon for both Lieren and Suzanna) doing work.

All the ladies in the CUA group (sans Helen) ended up congregating at the 2^nd floor of the café (which is where the picture above was taken, clearly when people aren’t around yet) at around 11:30/12:00. This was definitely unplanned. We were all taking advantage of the unlimited free wifi and their fair priced food and coffee. I personally prefer the atmosphere at Coffee Republic. However, Greens Café is much more conducive to the power of my purse. Greens Café felt like a cottage while Coffee Republic feels like a café.

I left Greens at around 1:30 and headed to Blackwell. Blackwell is basically like Borders or Barnes and Noble in the US, only it’s bigger and I like it more because of the extensive selection and reading space. It served as my library for the day although I only found one of the books I needed to read for class. I spent about 1.5 hours in there, looking for books and reading the work I needed for my essay, and then I went to Waterstone (another version of Borders) and to The Works (which is also a bookstore). I eventually headed home at around 3:30 to grab a REALLY REALLY late lunch and an early dinner. I went back to the city at around 5 and headed to Greens, got a Chai, used the wifi and saw that Suzanna and Lieren still there. We left at around 6, which is the time that Greens closed and this marked the end of the day.

The work has definitely begun and paper writing has commenced. It’s slightly nerve wrecking to see our free time diminish so fast. And focusing is one of the hardest things to do here, at least for me. I’m trying not to get in to what they call an “Essay Crisis” (having an essay due soon and not having done it yet), It helped that it drizzled a lot today, the first time I experienced the true England weather since I got here. I am definitely getting into the Oxford grind.

Day 4: And it Begins

The day began with me going over to Coffee Republic and getting wi-fi. I went alone as Suzanna has decided to do her laundry. The only schedule I really had was my 3:30pm appointment with my C.S. Lewis tutor at St. Peter’s College. I was at Coffee Republic for an hour or so and then I proceeded to walk around. I lugged my bag with my laptop in it, walking in circles, literally. (I passed through Westgate about 4 times in 30 minutes) But I didn’t mind. That was the only way I’d get used to being here.

I ended up sitting at the bench in the plaza in front of Westgate shopping center in order to rest. And there, I met a man who I nicknamed, “Friendly Man”. He and I chatted for about 45 minutes and talked about Oxford, the weather, the colleges, Oxford, shopping, Scotland, China, the Philippines, food and more Oxford. He was a porter and it didn’t register to me until I met up with Jeffrey and Suzanna that I was talking to a porter, meaning someone who was guarding the college entrances.

The three of us headed to the library and there I got my library card, checked out a couple of books and talked with Mike who found me as I sat down to go through the online catalogue. We all separated as I headed to St. Peter’s College and waited for Debra and Helen. It ended up that our tutor was running late and instructed the porter to let us in St. Peter’s Chapel. The photo above is the backside of St. Peter’s College Chapel which is what can be seen from the outside. The entrance is inside the college itself.

The chapel was simple yet beautiful. It was an Anglican chapel and yet it felt calming. It was definitely a moment wherein I felt like it was the calm before the storm. Dr. Ward walked in at around 10 to 4 and then we headed to his office for a meeting.

He is going to be in the US after next week until the end of September. Our tutorials ended up one being on Week -4(which is next week) and the other two on Naught Week (Week before term officially starts). We are going to focus on Myth and Christianity, Narnia and The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity. This means I have 3 weeks of having no meetings (I can’t quite say that I have nothing because I’m sure that we will have much to do) I’m debating that it might be possible to travel for most of the 3 weeks and stay on top of my work. I need to talk to OPUS about this and I’m hoping that the answer will be to my favor.

I am slightly overwhelmed. But I’m trying to keep my Zen and sanity. I do hope I succeed or else the world is over. (A slight exaggeration, I must admit)

Day 3: The Art of Doing Nothing

*I apologize for the late entries. We don’t have internet in the house yet so my posts are all late. It’s a pity too since I’m been fairly good with writing and taking a picture every single day thus far*

            I personally think I’m still a bit jetlagged. I woke up at 6:58am after going to bed at around 1:30am last night. Nonetheless, today was spent with a lot of walking and sight seeing and going round and round and round Oxford.

            After breakfast and doing inventory in the house, Suzanna and I headed to Coffee Republic to take advantage of the wi-fi. I thought that we can just walk in, sit in there and access the internet. It turns out, we needed to buy a drink in order to take advantage of this amenity. I ended up getting a Chai Latte (Mind you, this is £2.99) which came with 45 minutes of free wi-fi. I had breakfast and tea at home. As much as I loved Chai, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be having another cup of tea so close to my breakfast. Nonetheless, I used the internet and was able to email and call mom through the wonderful invention of a Magic Jack even if the connection made it impossible to have a coherent conversation. Jeffrey met with the both of us and we ended up walking around aimlessly which is basically what we have decided was our version of doing absolutely nothing.

            Term hasn’t begun yet and our schedules were basically open. It was pretty difficult to have all the free time in our hands and be in this beautiful city when our lives back home would have been back in the full swing of things. All three of us walked here, there, and everywhere, trying to discover nooks and crannies of the city whilst doing errands that we realize we have to do. We didn’t go far from the center of everything but we did go around it more than people usually do. It was a thrill to be able to see that this street leads to here and that leads to there, etc.    

We ended up visiting each of our houses and upgraded housing really is upgraded. Putting our humble abode that is starred by the porcelain goddess Fredericka, Fred for short, (it’s our toilet and she’s a character; yes, it’s she) against Jeffrey’s 3 or 4 storey flat with 2 and a half baths is a humbling experience. Nonetheless, if this standard housing is close to what typical student flats are, then I can truly say I lived the Oxford life. Besides, our flat has character. And yes, I do truly believe that. I can’t wait for stories that emerge from this house throughout the term. I bet they’ll be worth telling.

Day 2: The Nitty-Gritty

Today was basically orientation. For most of the day, I was in the Baring room in Hertford College with other OPUS students listening to the nitty-gritty details of our life here in Oxford. I found out I got the C.S. Lewis tutorial (which was my first choice) for my small group tutorial which was great. Also, I got my phone which is what I really wanted to show in the picture up there. Now, it feels real, being here. There is something about a phone, a means of access to communication that makes me feel more grounded to the world. Yesterday, Oxford felt like such a dream and yet today, it felt real, true and solid.

To add to this, I went grocery shopping for food and some supplies at Tesco’s and some school supplies at Staples. (I found out that Tesco’s carries Cruchie bars and Maltesers which are two chocolates I grew up with as a kid in the Philippines. They are simply amazing and wonderful and yummy that if ever you find them, you should have some and indulge) I’m starting to build up my life in here and I’m beginning to fully realize that I am going to be here for 105 days.

Suzanna and I went to Fire & Stone for dinner because they had £4 pizzas on Thursdays. I truly recommend taking advantage of this because their usual fare is about £8.50 for a pizza. Mind you, the pizza’s not a slice; it’s a pizza as big as a dinner plate. If you translate all this to dollars, £4 is equivalent to $6.40 which is about 2 slices of pizza. And mind you, these pizzas are not just cheese or pepperoni. They’re actually pizzas that have more toppings on them and are definitely better quality. Suzanna and I are planning on coming back again eventually on another Thursday.

Day 1: Arrival (And this is how I know I’ll fall in love)

*This post is more than 500 words. However, with how much has happened this day, it truly deserved it*          

I made arrangements to meet up with a fellow CUA OPUS student for the commute towards Oxford. Her flight arrived an hour and some minutes later than mine but I didn’t mind waiting if it meant going on the commute with one other person and splitting the cab fare. I told her I’d wait for her at the baggage claim which is basically what I had done. I got into Heathrow at 6:05 in the morning (United was efficient with time. We weren’t supposed to arrive until 6:20 am.) and I got through immigration by 7:10 am (after freshening up in the toilet, walking the long walk to immigration and waiting in line for about 45 minutes) and got my baggage by 7:30. I sat at the baggage claim until 7:50 until I realized that there were no Delta flights (Lieren’s flight) coming to Terminal 1 which was where I was. I decided to go through Customs (which was a breeze because I had nothing to declare) and look around. I asked Airport Information and they told me that Delta was at Terminal 4 and suggested that even if Terminal 1 is how you get to Central Bus Station, I should just go to Terminal 4 and wait for my friend. I took the advice, hopped on the lift to -1^st floor (yes, it is negative) and rode the free train to Terminal 4. I waited outside the Arrivals sign and thank God I found her! She and I headed to Central Bus Station together and by that point I was starting to crash (I barely slept on the 6 hour flight. I got about 3-4 naps in and out) Thank God for Lieren, we got on the bus, got to Gloucester Green and got on a cab with a girl for Azusa Pacific who was also on her way to Hertford College.

At Hertford, we got our packets and headed to our flats. After the cab had dropped off Lieren and Sondra on their street (the Azusa Pacific student), the cabbie and I had a conversation in which he asked what I was doing in Oxford, told me a little about the city and discussed with me the economy in the country. He dropped me off and I found out I was living with Suzanna, Joanne and Deborah who are all Catholic University Students. Our house is quaint and is obviously filled with character but it’s definitely enough. We have 2 floors with a kitchen, a bathroom, a washer and 4 bedrooms plus a living space and a backyard. It’s enough, really. Somewhere between 3 and 4:30, I crashed and fell asleep on my bed after talking with my flat mates, unpacking and tidying up my room.

At 4:45, my flat mates and I headed out to Westgate. We weren’t supposed to be there until 6 but we decided we wanted to walk around and see the city for a bit. At 6, we met with the rest of the CUA group and had a walking tour of Oxford. When we got to Broad Street, which is by far my favorite place in the city (and where the picture about was taken. This picture is a view of the Bodleian library and the Sheldonian Theater), I knew I was going to fall in love. At that exact moment and time, I was simply in awe of this new city that I am in and completely falling in love with it, fast. The architecture and the atmosphere were simply breathtaking. It was unbelievable and I can’t believe how lucky I was to be standing at that place looking at that view.

We had dinner at King’s Arms and walked over to one of the most obscure places in the city. (I won’t reveal it in this blog. I feel like it’s one of Oxford’s little surprises that only those who go here should discover.) I am going to bed completely content and happy with where I am.

Prequel 2: My Whole life in 1 suitcase and 1 carry-on (and a purse)

This is what has become of the mess that I cleaned up. Once it was over at 1:00 in the morning, I was ready to leave. I was ready for the adventure. I got up at 4:30 in the morning for my 7:30 flight (Remember: 2 hours before for international flights) and got ready, said goodbye to my sisters and headed to the airport with my parents. My luggage ended up to be 51 ½ lbs but the nice United porter didn’t charge me for it. My parents gave me their blessings and I was off to security check and ultimately to the gates where I waited for 1 ½ hour before boarding. (United Airlines wasn’t bad. Even if I wasn’t used to flying in it, they were very good with arriving on time. Our plane arrived about 10 minutes earlier than it was scheduled and the service wasn’t too bad either.)

My layover in Dulles airport was three hours long. At first, I was fine. I was bored but I was relaxed. I was like this until about one hour before boarding and I heard the British accents around me. I was amused, but then it dawned to me: I was going to be hearing this for 105 days and I’m going to be away from what I have been used to for the past 6 years that my family and I have lived in the United States. I needed to calm down. I regulated my breathing because I felt like I was slightly hyperventilating. I was starting to doubt again. And then I crumbled trying to keep Zen myself and called a friend and I eased up (Crystal, thank you so much for relaxing me, for making me see why I did this again.) After this conversation, I met this lady who was en route to London but ultimately going to Scotland for a hiking trip. She had a slight British accent and she asked me about my trip. I told her I was studying in Oxford and explained the program to her. We ended up being in the same seating group so we boarded together. However, I sat further away from her and she wished me luck just in case we didn’t see each other again. When I got to my seat and settled myself, I took a deep breath and looked around. I told myself, “This is it. This is really it. I can do this. I’m a trooper.” Calmed me for a bit but it was not enough.

Somewhere between Dulles and London, I said a prayer and asked God to make me stronger. I know he won’t leave me alone but I need more strength in order to calm myself down. I needed to believe in myself, to not wallow in the doubt, the fear, the what-ifs. With that, I was able to ease up and took the first of many 30 minute to hour long naps I took in the flight.