Row, row, row your boat

Arms, back, legs; legs, back, arms. Arms, back, legs; legs, back, arms...

First day of rowing today!  Yes it is called the "rowing club" and not crew.  We biked down to the boathouse, which is this gorgeous building on a really calm river (the Thames?) with these beautiful boats housed inside.  And then we all sat down on the rowing machines and learned the technique (see above).  It's like nothing I've ever done before, but I can tell I'm going to like the workout.  Hamstrings, quads, back, and arms all in one.  My short legs put me at a particular disadvantage, I think, since my stroke is shorter, but I will just compensate by having awesome back muscles.  Next outing is in a boat! On Friday... at 7 a.m. Welp, I knew what I was getting into when I signed up.  Should be fun for a term.

(Sidenote: my father's opinion: "Don't women who row get those huge arm muscles? How are you supposed to pick up a Duke that way?" I think he's kidding... maybe).

Anyways, and equally important I suppose, it was my first day of classes today!  I had been warned that UK universities had non-interactive lectures: the professor preaches, students listen. My classes do not fit this mold. At all. Lots of discussion. However, I do now understand the terminology of "reading for a degree" that is used at Oxford.  We have a lot less class time and a seemingly insurmountable amount of critical reading. I have to say, though, that my Political Science years prepared me perfectly for learning at Oxford, since I had to think critically about texts all the time, and it feels very natural to move back into it.

Plus, I had forgotten how much I do love having no other expectations on me than learning. Although I've been thinking about how education is very egocentric, in a way. It's focusing on one's own development exclusively for an entire year; it feels a bit selfish, sometimes, to not be applying one's talents for a greater purpose than merely developing oneself.  I suppose there is usually an end goal in mind, but still, in the short term, I'm not contributing much to society. Studying for the sake of studying is something I've witnessed a lot of lately, perhaps, and it's not what want to do. It's important, I think, to reflect on the end goal: how will your studying enable you to contribute to society? What purpose will it facilitate? An idealistic principle, I suppose, to grapple with as I start this year.

Dragging myself out of philosophical ramblings, what else is going on here...I start playing football tomorrow.  I found out the tree that inspired Tolkein's Ents is right down the street from me, how awesome is that.  I will go take a picture soon. I also taught the drinking game "Flip Cup" to some Brits on Friday and they loved it (a bit too much, perhaps).  I've just started a revolution in UK drinking games I'm fairly sure.

 Also, this weekend is Matriculation, get ready...



The official Sub fusc Lego.  Don't worry mine looks more ridiculous than that, because instead of sleeves it has these weird panels.  There. will. be. pictures.

Happy Wednesday! Lisa