It's a Sunday and I'm in this frantic push to feel on top of my readings. I've been reading almost all day. I've read about educational neuroscience, about international education policy trends, about gender differences in perceptions of video games in Taiwan, about sampling methods, about ICT in Chilean socio-economic classes...
And I'm still. not. on. top. of. my. readings! Welcome to Hilary term!
Background on Oxford terms: So, Oxford operates under the trimester system much like my lovely alma mater. Terms are 8 weeks long, with usually papers for graduates due in 9th week. We are currently in Hilary term, casually referred to as Hellary Term. I'm not exactly sure why it's so distinctly busier than Michaelmas Term (in the fall). Possibly because of the whole dissertation looming over our graduate heads. Possibly because, for most Oxford graduates, it's the last term with classes, before we start Trinity Term which is entirely devoted to our dissertations. And our professors are trying to stuff everything possible into 8 weeks while they still have us.
Possibly because it's like graduating from Kalamazoo College all over again. There's a huge paper to write, I need to job shop, I've already involved myself in two extra classes (bonjour!) and the usual sports. Plus our MCR (middle common room; the group of graduates at our college) is quite literally over-active. We've had events every day for the past five days or so.
On the bright side, I love being frantically busy, so who can complain?
We had a lovely international pot luck on Friday where we were supposed to bring an authentic dish from our respective country. I found this quite challenging in the U.S., where we generally steal other food from other countries and then Americanize it (cough TexMex cough). But I did indeed succeed. Puppy chow! No one outside the Americans knew what it was; all of the Americans definitely knew what it was. And plus it emblemized (why is this not a verb? fine. exemplified) American food so well. Sugar, chocolate, fat, starch. Check check check. On a side note, many non-US Oxonians suggested we should deep fry something already deep fried, which would emblemize what they thought US food was like. Ouch. Thank you McDonalds.
I really don't think the Brits can talk though. Quirks of being in Britain: Second Desserts.
Oh hey, your stomach is about to burst because you've just finished this three course meal including dessert at formal dinner? Let's all go eat some more at Second Desserts. Fine cheese, crackers, and this awful, awful drink called Port, which I found is thus named because it is from Portugal, and is a super concentrated sweet red wine that is not delicious but is part of Second Desserts so you must drink it. We had a formal exchange dinner with Mansfield College (one of the other colleges at Oxford) on Wednesday, had Second Desserts. Happens every time. I'm not sure why.
I am still playing Ultimate Frisbee here and I played for the first time ever in shorts in January. I keep forgetting that it's not really winter here (it's chilly, but not COLD) and over-dressing in warm clothes whenever I leave the house. This is particularly problematic when I go running in my full winter gear and begrudgingly realize when I'm sweating through my clothes halfway through that really, I could be wearing a t-shirt. Actually, that's awesome. I love non-Michigan places.
Other things I did in the past two weeks: went to the British Education Technology show in London, which was massive and really illustrated the commercialization of education (resisting. urge. for. tangent.) Went to the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone and a bunch of other amazing (read: stolen) treasures from around the world. And then studied, studied, studied. I am hoping to get out of Oxford a bit more this term and sight see more often, but it's going to take a bunch of planning.
And last, but not least, I met another Michigander! In the middle of the Mansfield exchange dinner. We stopped, held up our hands, and happily pointed out on our palms where we were from. Everyone eyed us like we were doing our Vulcan greeting from another planet. It was magic.
Sorry for the all-over-the-place nature of this post, but on the other hand it really exemplifies my mind these days, doesn't it. Next up: similarities and differences between UK and US education! I've been meaning to write about that! Until next time!
Sending my love across the pond, Lisa
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