The first week...

After traveling for 48 hours, I finally arrived in Heathrow Airport @ 7am this past Sunday morning only to discover a heat wave had descended upon the UK. I was wearing a thin sweater since I expected it to be chillier than I was used to but even that was too much. It didn't occur to me that the UK doesn't have air conditioning until I asked someone in line at customs if the a/c was broken and they laughed out loud and explained the reality of the situation. Turns out, I was one of the very lucky ones. I didn't have to drag my luggage to the bus then up the streets. One of my very good, kind, and wonderful friends, Michael Crow, met me at the airport and drove me to the University. Once he made sure I was checked in, we went to lunch and then he showed me around Oxford, since he used to live there.

The adjustments to another country have been mild, compared to some people's travels but still there are some things that are very different. Lesson number one - they drive, ride their bike, and walk on the opposite side of the street that we do. I have had 2 very close calls with bikes already. The traffic doesn't stop for pedestrians here. Lesson number two is the cost of everything here is twice what it is in the US. That's tough for students like me that aren't living off my fathers credit card. The school provides us with breakfast and lunch Monday thru Friday and most of us just skip dinner. I am doing laundry right now as I write and it is $2 to wash a load and the same to dry one. I wasn't planning to do laundry just yet but it has been in the 80's here everyday and it feels like 100% humidity so I've been sweatingin everything I have worn and am now out of clothes so it's too the laundry room I go.

I am gonna write in more detail about the things we have been doing separately so I can post pictures but let me say this.... this is the prettiest city I have ever seen. Absolutely gorgeous. We found out in our history class today that Oxford is the only city that didn't get bombed by Hitler during World War II. Some of these buildings date back to the 1300's. I walk down the street in amazement and thank God He opened the door for me to be able to come here.

Cheers!

passport-check! plane ticket-check!

I finally booked my ticket and am so excited I can’t stand it! I fly out on June 27th. I am flying out of Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC then on to Heathrow Airport in London. I arrive the next day at 6:55 am. I am sure some of you that know me well are cringing, since I am kind of known for NOT being a morning person. J Hopefully, there’s a Starbucks close to customs in Heathrow Airport or somewhere close by. From there, I catch a bus to Gloucester Green in Oxford and we walk to the college from there. It is about a half a mile hike but I do that every day on campus just running to classes so no worries.

Let the packing begin!

The Latest News...

I finally got my laptop back and it runs better than ever. They had to replace the fans and the heat-sink fan. I start summer school Monday for 5 weeks, then head to the UK the end of June so I guess it is better that it happened now, rather than later. I want to thank my latest donor for the $100 he sent me. I am very grateful for all the help I have gotten so far. I still need to raise close to $2000 in a month so any help I get toward that goal is very much appreciated.

I found out the Shakespearean plays we will be studying at Oxford. They are The Winter’s Tale, King Lear, and Titus Andronicus. I intend to read these before I get over there. I got an email from Professor Barnhardt (our NCSU professor that is occupying us on the trip, that said, “Rather than a fourth whole play, we will look at a selection of various scenes from the English histories. I don't think the students need to look at any of them in advance, but it would be helpful if they could have some idea of how the kings link together (from Richard II through to Henry VIII). Think about: What makes a good king? Is a good king a virtuous one? Can it be right to depose a king? (Or, why might it not be?) What role do women play in the making and breaking of kings? Why might Shakespeare, writing in the 1590s have returned so often to the events of the 15th and early 16th century? Are these concerns about kingship and the religious status of kingship wholly irrelevant to us now or do they have connections to modern political questions?”

Prof. Barhardt also said we also need a passing knowledge of the Plantagenets in the 1100s (who used Oxford as their royal city; indeed, we’ll be hiking all over their deer parks and hunting lands) up through the Tudors in the 1500s. We will have Dr. Christine Kelly, historian, recreate the English Civil War (1600s) for us, which was all over our corner of Oxford, and we’ll go to St. John’s College and other places where the royalty held up when they had to get out of London.

If anyone has any input on these topics, feel free to leave a comment or email me at shelli_may@hotmail.com.

Best Friends

As I posted earlier, my laptop had a meltdown today and died on me. Turns out the fans have burned out and need to be replaced. Bad timing since I am right in the middle of final exam week. I figured it out this morning but I had a math final exam today, so I just worked on my notes, went to school, took the exam, and decided I would take the laptop back to Best Buys so they could give me an estimate on repairs. I was fretting all day about this because I am trying to raise money to go to Oxford and every penny counts. There are no pennies in the budget for a new laptop, trust me. While I was packing up the laptop, I decided to pull the receipt out in case they needed proof of purchase and I discovered that I had purchased a warranty when I bought the laptop 3 years ago. I had totally forgotten about that. So I carry it into Best Buy and tell them the problem. It was an interesting experience that I will write about later but long story short, they had to ship my laptop back to their company to be repaired and they said it could be 7 days or 6 weeks before I get it back. They can't give me a definite date. The repairs are covered but in the meantime, I am without a computer.

So for the first time in years, I stretched out on the couch and was under the blanket, cat curled up in my lap watching TV when I get a knock on my door. Since I wasn't expecting anyone, I was kinda startled so I looked out the peephole and this crazy woman says, " Laptop loaning service with a delivery" That crazy girl was my best friend Marilee. I called her after I left Best Buys and she took it upon herself to bring me her laptop since she knew I was gonna have to drive to campus every day to do my online school work. This means she will have to go without a computer for a few days and that is a big sacrifice for her since she is taking classes online too. When I asked her about that, she simply said she would would do other work. She is willing to inconvenience herself so I can have what I need. That is unconditional love. That is the one thing I have been blessed to experience that few people in this world ever know. That is the heart of my friend. This one is for her.

UGGHHH

I have a math final today and a psychology final and test (another day of 2 test in the same class during final exam day ..grrr) on Friday and I woke up today to a broke laptop. I tried to cut it on but I am getting a message that there is a problem with the fan. Could my frustration level be in higher? I had to come to school early to get my emails and am posting this from the library. After I take my test, I am gonna take the laptop back to Best Buys and see what it is gonna cost to repair it. My head hurts, my stomach hurts, and I am tired. I can't wait for this weekend.

Daydreaming

It is right in the middle of finals week and yet, this trip is all I can think about. I need to focus… lol. I’m trying to nail down the last minute details, such as getting a travel physical from the school, get registered for classes at Oxford, make travel arrangements, etc. I’ve started putting stuff on my spare bed that I think I might need. We were told to lay out everything we need to take, then cut it in half since we have to haul our luggage thru the streets of Oxford from the point were the bus drops us off to the university. Apparently, it is quite a hike. How it can be any worse than rushing across NC State campus hauling a backpack full off books trying to make it to class is beyond me but we shall see I suppose.

We went to a final orientation meeting at school to prepare us for the trip and to get some pointers from students that made the trip in past years. They told us things like the laundry facilities there are outrageously expensive so we should brace ourselves for that fact. They also said get a converter for electricity because the UK runs off 240 volts and we run off 100 volts. Oh...here’s another little fact I didn’t know. They provide a bottom sheet and a duvet for us at the school but no top sheet. When I asked why, they said it was because the British don’t use top sheets. That is considered an American way of making up a bed. I never knew that. I can sleep in a blanket rolled up on a mattress so I don’t care but I thought that was interesting.

Well, time to end this and get back to studying. Be sure to send the link to this site to anyone you think would be interested. I need to build my subscription list and word of mouth is the best way.

Step one....

Step one

I just got my passport for my trip so the preparations are well underway for my trip. My picture looks horrible of course, but I am told it is like this for everyone, a requirement almost. I have to raise some additional funds for things the grants and scholarships didn’t cover. It was suggested I build a website for fundraising but I am adding a link on here for donations. I keep meeting people from the UK and I flood them with questions regarding the differences in our countries and societies. They are all very gracious and most helpful. “Be prepared to drink a lot of tea” and “Carry an umbrella” have been the repeating themes so far. One guy tried to joke that the “It rains all the time” rumor is just a myth but his laughing out loud while he was trying to hand me that line of crap was a dead giveaway. I used near Seattle so it is all good. I am fully prepared to acclimate to that kind of weather. I know all about layering your clothes and wearing things with hoods. Besides, I’m a firm believer in dancing in the rain. It cleanses the soul.

The Oxford blogs begin...

The Oxford blogs begin...:

Thursday, March 26, 2009

I am going to Oxford University this summer to attend their study abroad program with about 30 other students from NC State. I went to the orientation meeting tonight for all study abroad students and then we went to a meeting for all the Oxford students only. It started raining on the way to the meeting and, of course, I didn't have an umbrella with me, so I got soaked. The irony of the situation hit me.. I was walking thru the rain to attend a meeting about going to spend my summer days in a country that is known for being rainy year round, instead of in my blessed sunshine. I had to laugh. At least it was warm outside.

We were told to keep a blog about our trip to keep everyone back home updated on our travels so I guess this is the first of many to come. I can't wait. Gonna have to start a countdown once I book my ticket. Watch out UKer's... here I come!
Posted by Shelli at 9:18 PM


1 comments:
Dwayne said...
So will you be able to watch the Sox play while you are there? LOL
April 14, 2009 8:27 PM"

My dream

The chance to travel abroad and pursue my education is a opportunity of a lifetime for me. I chose to wait until my children were grown to finish my college degree so I would have the freedom to give my studies the attention and time they deserved. I have found this decision to be a wise one, as I have accomplished much more than I ever thought possible. While I was a student in Georgia, I maintained a very high GPA and was inducted into the National Honor Society and placed on the National Deans List. This taught me I could accomplish anything I set my mind to with simple hard work and determination.

I chose Oxford as my Study Aboard destination for several reasons. First of all, it is a world renowned institution and I know my participation in this program would enhance my resume tremendously. As one of the top universities in the world, Oxford has been the choice for some of the greatest leaders in history, including Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, and our very own Sir Walter Raleigh. Bill Clinton even attended Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. The Oxford University website, http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/facts_and_figures/index.html, states, “Oxford boasts one of the most extensive global alumni networks in the world, with 160 branches in over 60 countries”. It would be the highest honor imaginable to be able to be associated with this caliber of students on an academic level. I am also interested in experiencing the teaching styles and academic excellence derived from a culture that is close enough to my own to make it comfortable but different enough to make it interesting. The experience of being taught by actual Fellows and Dons in the Oxford tradition of tutors spending one on one time with each student combined with classroom lectures is very appealing to me. As a CHASS major, I am required to take British Literature and European History. What better place is there to take these courses than in the very place they occurred?

Another reason I chose Oxford is its location. My mother’s family heritage has been traced back to the Royal Stewart Clan in Scotland and other family ties in Great Britain. The United Kingdom has always been a country of great interest to me and I would love to experience first hand the culture of my ancestor’s. I, like most Americans, tend to see my family as the people I associate with at reunions and gatherings. This opportunity will help me to see beyond those boundaries and to understand we are far more global then we comprehend.

I believe that studying abroad is something every Communications major should consider because in our careers we will be dealing with people from all over the world. If we limit ourselves to our own culture, we will not be able to truly understand others, were they came from, how they communicate, what their traditions are, what is important to them, and how we can bring all that together to accomplish our mutual goals. In this day and age of mass media and instant communication, we have to think beyond our borders and reach out globally. We are no longer restricted by our geographical boundaries in our personal lives or our business associations. Establishing connections and networks worldwide is vital to our success in any industry and can only serve to enhance our personal growth.