Oxford has been great, and just like with York, I find myself wanting to stay, and I am. I've met even more Aussies here, and run into the Aussies from York as well. I'm staying in a hostel right on the river Thames, and walking distance to the city center. I even found a huge park, just outside of the city center, with massive fields and horses. it was the most breath taking thing to find just by talking 10 minutes outside of the city center. there are rivers that twist and turn and split and flow all over the town, with more by the park and these fields. they even have punting, or what i think to be a gondola.
I went out and saw some of oxford college which in itself is breath taking and incredibly old and majestic. if i couldn't stay in York, Oxford would definitely do. There are plenty historic buildings with cobblestone streets and bookstores, museums and art galleries galore.
I met a guy from England, Worcester, who was biking from England back to Worcester since had a week off from work. He explained to me what the shire on the end off all the English towns meant. Anything with a shire on it is a county, which includes multiple towns. The county town is the one that is in the name. So if someone says they are from oxfordshire, they are just saying a general area. If they say they are from Oxford, oxfordshire they are saying they are from the town Oxford in the county oxfordshire. If they just say they are from oxfordshire they could be from bisbon, it just depends.
I ran back into Nigel and Brad from York, and they introduced me to some amazing cookies, as well as meat pies. I've learned that Aussies don't mess around with meat pies, and it is a serious offense if it isn't done correctly.
My new friend Josh who is an Aussies is here applying to do his PHD at Oxford, and he took me to try a deep fried mars bar (like a Milky Way) at a fish and chip shop. It was the most fattening awful but delicious thing I've ever eaten, and very similar to a deep fried snickers bar.
Nigel and I also tried out a gaming lounge, where we paired £3 to play portal together on the PC and it made me miss being home, playing games with Jonathan.
I also met a guy from Austria, finishing his PHD in Law, and about to become a judge in Austria. He's currently living in Cardiff, but come the end of the month, he goes back to Austria. I also met a guy from England that is a teacher, and is fluent in 7 languages, and he came to oxford to teach, he's just in the hostel while looking for a place to live. While being in Oxford, I've met plenty of prestigious people, and its making me nervous about finishing my degree and deciding what the next step in my career is going to be for me.
I can't even begin to tell you everything about Oxford, but it has been a great week of my life that I've spent here, and this is another place I would come back in a heartbeat. While being in Oxford I've also realized that English people don't eat cheese on their sandwiches unless its a cheese sandwich, count that as something else I'm starting to miss. When I get home, I want big enchilada, or a nice hearty blburrito with lots of chile. I miss my normal diet with delicious food.
I've got lots of homework I have to do this weekend, mostly for the english class, but it shouldn't be too bad now since I have found the most perfect park. I'm starting to hit that mark, where I'm homesick, and missing my bed, and washing machine. I'm having to do some laundry tonight, the hostel has a wash and drier, but its just not that same as having your own. I miss my dogs too, I love traveling, and I wouldn't cut this trip short for anything, but it gets hard, I'm about at my 3 week mark, and its starting to become a lifestyle and no longer a vacation. I don't know how people do it for a whole year. If I was given the opportunity, I would do it for a year as well, but I can't imagine how hard a few months might get.
No comments:
Post a Comment