Oxford...and recently..
The Eye and Big Ben
So I went to Oxford! And surprise, surprise, I loved it. Oxford is such a gorgeous and historical city. Taking my summer courses at Oriel was such a cool experience. We ate breakfast in their dining hall everyday and a few days of the week, we ate dinner there. I will say that during summer, it was very busy. Oxford opens itself up to a variety of summer study abroad programs and the colleges in Oxford run college visit days for prospective undergraduates.
It's November and everyday there is something that I wish we had here that we had in Oxford. One thing I don't miss is during our first night, some white Brits shot me with gel pellets. Granted I was with three other people, but I was the only visually ethnic one present. And also, my response was unhinged. I mean, I yelled at them and called them pathetic micro-dick bitches. I mean, they shot at me. TWICE. Like they drove past us, shot, and then as soon as we got to our dorms' door, they had come back around and shot at us again. I've never been physically attacked for being asian, but this was such a downer after our welcome dinner to Oriel.
I also busted my knee at the beginning of the third or fourth week so I spent the remainder of the trip in my dorm room feeling stupid, sad, and homesick. Thankfully my knee wasn't broken but I still have some issues from it. I can't run (very well anyway), go up and down stairs for a long time (basically I can go up and down one flight of stairs before I feel any discomfort), and put too much weight on it. It's not a torn ligament or anything but I've been told it may just be a deep bone bruise. I had basically been riding an e-scooter to get to Oriel from our dorm (it's about a 17-20 minute walk from our dorm) and had taken a turn too fast and crashed into a street ballard. My knee took the brunt of the crash. Oh god. My knee was SO swollen. Like disgustingly swollen and I legit could not walk. My university's international health insurance people also didn't get back to me or the then program director until the middle of our last week so that was annoying. BUT I did get to have a wheelchair at Heathrow International and O'Hare International. My friend and I also didn't have to go through security or customs when we got back.
Now it's November and I recently found out that I will be able to graduate next Spring. I'll probably do a whole separate post but I'm feeling very anxious and sad.
Okay, here are some other photos from Oxford.
Taken inside Oriel College near the Dining Hall.
I think this was also Oriel.
Christ Church Meadow.
I wish I could remember what this was but the walk was beautiful.
More Oriel.
The alley we used to walk to get to Oriel. THE COBBLESTONES OMG.
Went to go see a production of "The Hobbit."
The production was put on by students from I think Magdalen Secondary School. I'm positive the boy who played Bilbo is going to be famous. POSITIVE.
Paul was a favorite while we were there. It was my favorite...I think about the coffee and sandwiches everyday ;_____;
Me with undergrads Alia and Molly and my friend Nicholas who is a PhD student. Taken in Shakespeare's house in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
A gorgeous pathway in the garden of Shakespeare's house.
The Royal Academy of Art in London.
A collection of exhibition posters in the RA's cafe.
Can't forget Wesminster Abbey. We missed the entrance time (the British Museum was insanely busy :( ).
Me at a pub that was literally next to our dorm called, The Star. I'm very happily consuming an aperol spritz lol.
That's it.