Merry Christmas!

Sorry for the long break between posts, but the end of term was incredibly busy. I am home now, enjoying 80 degree weather (about 27 degrees Celsius, I think) and SUN!! I'll take a few days off, but I still have work to do. Though it is much nicer reading by the pool in a bathing suit than in a parka in my room in Oxford :)

In the last few weeks in England, I had lots of exciting events, including Christmas dinners with my course mates and with my housemates, a basketball game with a fellow Rotary scholar, and performances by orchestras in the Sheldonian (the great venue of the university) and in the oldest structure in Oxford (a church on Cornmarket Street). Plus, John and Gyll took me to two great events! John and I attended an Oxford Union rugby match, one of the best he's seen in a while. It was incredibly high-scoring (like 50-33 or something), and I loved learning the rules! On the last night of term, all three of us went to "Christmas at Christ Church," a beautiful service in the breathtaking cathedral to benefit a cancer charity. It was truly one of the best ways to celebrate Christmas that I have ever experienced. Famous actors and authors performed the readings, some religious, some about Christmases past and present. My favorite was from the late 1700s, written by the wife of a farmer, who described the joy of family gatherings at the holidays with the same enthusiasm as anyone today (though she did a lot more cooking than us). A great end to the term! (Plus we ate at a great French restaurant with the best raspberry creme brulee :) )

I am only home until December 28th because I have lots of work to do in Oxford, as I present my research methodology at the beginning of Hilary term. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers! I have learned so much in the last ten weeks, and I look forward to keeping you all updated on the next seven months!

Merry Christmas!

Wow, Week 6

So, I officially have a cold...on the busiest week of the term, of course :) But my work is going well! Always more to do, but I do not feel panicked. We have two essays due this week plus I have lots of research to do for my dissertation. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers!

Several things to look forward to: reproductive health in Africa seminar on Tuesday, going to rugby game with John on Wednesday, dinner with my course mates AND drinks with the Rotary scholars on Friday.

This past week, I attended a lecture at the Pitt Rivers Museum with Liz, a Rotarian from Bicester and the club's website officer. The speaker was a zoologist, who related his adventures over the years as he searched for new insect species in caves, jungles, etc - places I would not even want to go. Incredible! Did you know bugs are attracted to the mixture of lager and blue cheeses? Or that the oldest existing bug pinned as a specimen is dated from 1702? It is here in Oxford, and the university threw it a 300th birthday party. Seriously, scholars from all over England came. It was so great to get outside of Africa for a bit!

We also had a great Rotary meeting with the Abingdon Vespers club at a local primary school in an area of Oxford called Blackbird Leys. People think of this city as being primarily affluent and highly educated, but the school actually draws from a population with only a 48% adult literacy rate. The headmaster (principal) related challenges and blessings in working with such disadvantaged children, and I found her passion to be completely inspiring! Plus, the school has links with a Ugandan school, so I enjoyed speaking with the staff about those connections.

Ok, I am going to finish up some work, read a fun book, and then go to sleep early! Love you family!

Election and American Night

Election Night: Literally 200 people from around the world crammed into our common room, watching CNN, and eating Haribo gummy bears. It was fantastic! Such a great memory for so historic a night! I felt very proud to be American (and a Floridian). It is definitely a moment that will make it into textbooks, and I will get to tell my grandchildren I watched it all from England.

Appropriately, American Night with the Rotary Scholars was held on Friday. I helped make fried chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans, and peach cobbler (yes I cooked!), and we listened to country music - quite southern because nearly all of us are from that region. John and Gyll attended too, so I enjoyed sharing a bit of my culture with them!!

Our Sunday trip into London was postponed, but I went to an outdoor, multi-faith service around the WWI and II Memorial in Oxford, just a bit down from the college, for Rememberance Day. It was a beautiful event with moving prayers for all those affected by conflict. It's quite humbling to think of how secure our lives are compared to most.

Now we are into Week 5 - ahhh! Lots of work to do, but I am enjoying almost all of it :) Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.

I ran a half-marathon yesterday!

Yes, I know I am crazy, but it seems like everything here is about leaping and never looking back, about learning to believe in your own thoughts, ideas, judgment, ambitions. And I finished! My friends and I did 13 miles in an hour and 44 minutes - pretty good for not training, and there were even hills. Miles 7-9 were rough mentally, but once I made it to 10, I felt like we were on the home stretch, and crossing the finish line was such a thrill! By the way, this all happened in Barns Green (http://www.barnsgreen.com/), a lovely little town about an hour south of Oxford. After the race, we went to a friend's home nearby to shower and eat food made by mom, and then enjoyed the ride home, reflecting on a great day.

I feel so much more relaxed about all of the work now - it was great to get out of Oxford for a bit. I am still super busy, but I think I am finding a balance. And I get closer to my classmates all the time! Plus, there is such an energy here surrounding the election!! Is it really tomorrow? I am nervous/excited! The whole college is going to stay up for the results, so Wednesday might be a coffee day for me :)

Lots to look forward to this weekend: American Night (John and Gyll are attending!) and also a Rotary trip into London on Sunday for Remembrance Day. Most people have poppies on their coats; I am going to get one tomorrow from our porters in the lodge.

Love you all!! Thanks for the emails, cards, and prayers.

Into Third Week

The term is moving so quickly! I am busy all the time, but classes are going incredibly well. The work is really starting now - my friend and housemate, Marbre, and I were just talking about how we are over the "Wow, we're at Oxford" phase and are now thinking "Wow, we actually need to do Oxford work." But everyone is in the same position, so the free time is that much sweeter. And we definitely still have fun! One of my favorite things about the collegiate system is the small community; someone is always around to talk or hang out.

And Friday night was absolutely fabulous! It was Rotary Italian Evening, so the three Italian students cooked a gorgeous meal for us (pasta has never tasted so good), plus they did a slide show and performed a monologue describing the Italian family. I love my fellow scholars!! They are just such great people, and I feel so connected to them because of the Rotary link. I am glad we have so many events planned for the year. Next is American night, but I am not sure how we can top the Italians....

And there is such excitement here about the election! It is ridiculous how much people know about American politics - puts me to shame sometimes. Everyone knows FL is a swing state, so it is great fun answering questions. Needless to say, if the world could vote, it would be a landslide for Obama.

The weather has gotten very cold in the last couple of days. I hear it is pretty cold in the panhandle too, but please send me warm mental vibes!

And I have a meeting with my dissertation supervisor this Friday, along with a presentation. Thank you all for your prayers! I feel like it is all falling into place, as much as it can at this point.

Also, family, you will be happy to know that my housemates and coursemates are very considerate of my allergies. It's actually quite endearing how concerned people are when I tell them! :)

In Birmingham by the canals with Margaret and Sandy

Punting - I was not terribly good