"Harry Potter and the Filming Locations"

This past weekend my friend Anneliese and I took the train into London for the day. It was my first time riding a train! It was so beautiful riding the train through the English countryside. Once we arrived at Paddington Station we met up with my friends Anna and Colton who are in the UK this summer as well. They are spending a couple of weeks here for a wedding. It was great to see friends from home and have new experiences together. The majority of our day was spent on a Harry Potter Tour! Anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge HP fan. People that don't know me have probably gathered that as well, what with my Hogwarts Alumni sweatshirt and a Facebook profile that's had HP cover photos for two years running. What follows is a photo diary of my Harry Potter excursions. Parts of the movies were filmed all over the UK, including right here at Oxford! Prior to the London trip my friend Megan and I spent time locating several Harry Potter scenes here on campus at Oxford. It is important to note that since there were several different directors throughout the Harry Potter series multiple locations were used to form the sets over the years. For example there are several locations of the Leaky Cauldron that have been used throughout the movies. I will include all Harry Potter related photos taken so far in this post, those from both London and Oxford. Enjoy!

Oxford Filming Locations

This is Divinity School located in the Central Bodleian Library facility. It took over 60 years to build and was the first building built specifically by the University instead of one of the colleges. It was built in 1488. It was the infirmary in many of the Harry Potter Movies. It can be seen very well in the Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets

This is the door that Harry and Hermione burst through during the Prisoner of Azakaban after they complete their time turner adventure. They are coming back into the Infirmary to see Ron.

This same room is also where Professor McGonagall taught Ron to dance in the Goblet of Fire.

There is so such thing as a plain, simple door here at Oxford.

The next set of photos are of the Duke Humphrey's Library, located directly above the Divinity School in the Central Bodleian Library. It is named after a collection of manuscripts that was donated by Duke Humphrey, a son of King Henry IV, in 1447. Over 250 manuscripts were donated, many of them a translation of classical works from Greek to Latin. Today only three of the original books remain in the library. However, this room contains some of the oldest books in the world. There are some books that date to the early 1600s!

The Duke Humphrey's Library is the Hogwarts Library. Due to the age of the books in the room, photography is not allowed. So I collected some photos from the internet for you to see. It was truly a magical place. I would always do my homework if I could be in a place this beautiful to study. No wonder Hermione always had such good grades. 

Just a casual Thursday afternoon studying Transfiguration.

Current students of Oxford can actually come and study in this room!
This makes UNCG's prison of a library seem even worse if that's possible.

No electricity or computers at Hogwarts. Wizards don't need such frivolous technology. #muggleprobs

Magical.

I've included some pictures of my good friends Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the library so you can see it in action.

Discussing Polyjuice Potion during the Chamber of Secrets.

London Filming Locations

Diagon Alley!

Diagon Alley!

The magical bookstore on Diagon Alley. It is also a magical bookstore in real life. It is described as an esoteric book shop. They sell books on reading tarot cards, the union of mind, body, and spirit, and other occult things.

That blue plaque states that Mozart lived above the book shop in the same building! I wonder if he ever knew of the wizards in his neighborhood.

Heading down toward the visitor entrance to the Ministry of Magic.

The far building in the picture serves as the visitors entrance to the Ministry of Magic. Harry and Mr. Weasley walk down this same street when they are heading to Harry's court trial in the Order of the Phoenix.

This is the actual spot where the visitor entrance is located. In the movie there is no door on the building and there is an abandoned red telephone booth which serves as the entrance. Visitors enter the phone booth and dial 62442 (MAGIC) on the keypad to be transported down into the Ministry of Magic.

In the books the Ministry of Magic was located directly beneath the muggle Ministry of Defense. In real life it is located directly below the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The guy in the picture was our tour guide, Tom. He is Australian. He was a fantastic guide! Funny, entertaining and very knowledgable! 

During filming Daniel Radcliffe attended this school for boys for a little while. However, he withdrew because he got picked on and made fun of quite a bit. Its reported that they yelled at him "WHERE'S YOUR BROOMSTICK NOW?!" HAHAHA. I'm dying. That's hilarious.

This isn't a great picture, but this leading down to the Millennium Bridge. This is the bridge that the Death Eaters destroy and the beginning of the Half Blood Prince

This is a view of the Globe Theatre from the Millennium Bridge. I interested this picture because you can see the railing that is so predominant in the view of the bridge from the movies. 

This strange shaped building is the building that the muggles are sitting in during that same opening scene of the Half Blood Prince. It shows them looking out the window into the bad weather with concerned and frightened looks on their faces. This is the building they were sitting in.

This is a pathway that leads into a great covered outdoor market in London known for its many different cultural foods. This stretch of alleyway was the inspiration for Knockturn Alley. You can see how dark, dim, and ominous it is compared to the alleyway they used for Diagon Alley. 

Knockturn Alley

This is where they filmed the Leaky Cauldron in the Prisoner of Azkaban. The Knight Bus zooms down the street and slams to a stop in front of the Leaky Cauldron. When it stops The Knight Bus hits the back of a BMW. The BMW is parked directly outside of this restaurant.

This modern restaurant called Shuck is where the Leaky Cauldron was during that same scene. They changed the outside to look more magical. Clearly. But it is in this area where that hunchbacked barkeep that offers Harry the pea soup comes out of  the bar to collect Harry and his belongings. "Right smart bird ya got there. Arrived just five minutes before yourself."

Another filming location of Diagon Alley.

The Leaky Cauldron!! This is the most famous version of the Leaky Cauldron. It is this door frame that they used as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in the Sorcerer's Stone and the Chamber of Secrets. During the movies the exterior of the bar was painted a dark brown instead of the modern bright blue. 

See the intricate window directly above the door? You can see that exact same window in the Leaky Cauldron door scenes in the Sorcerer's Stone.

Leaky Cauldron in all its glory

This area called Leadenhal Market is where they filmed Harry and Hagrid walking just after Harry has finished shopping, right before headed to Platform 9 and 3/4 for the first time in the Sorcerer's Stone. In that scene they used a 6'7" body double of Hagrid with additional height and width added to make Hagrid seem so much larger than little Harry.

Harry and Hagrid walked down these streets

Isn't is wonderful? They were setting up an event in my honor since I was going to be in the area. "Everyone come and admire this smart, funny, beautiful, Harry Potter obsessed American woman!"

This is St. Panceras Station. It is the train station they used for the exterior of King's Cross Station in the films. I am taking this picture from King's Cross Station just across the street. King's Cross has a much more modern look to it, so they chose to use the more visually please train station across the street. JK Rowling chose to use King's Cross Station as the location for Platform 9 and 3/4 because it was where her parents met. They were both taking a train to Scotland. 

St. Panceras Station again. Most notably this can be recognized for the scene where Harry and Ron fly off in Mr. Weasley's flying Ford Angelina. If you watch the movie you can very clearly see the building as they get in the car and take off. 

St. Panceras Station

There you have it! All the Harry Potter locations I've seen so far! I saw Platform 9 and 3/4 from a distance at King's Cross Station. They have a cart set up that's half way in the wall where you can have your picture taken pretending like you are heading off to Hogwarts. But the line (or queue as they call it here in the UK) was a mile long and I was starving, so I passed up the opportunity. I may be heading back to London next weekend if I finish all my school work, so perhaps I could take a visit to King's Cross then.

I have procrastinated just about all I can. I am currently in the Social Sciences Library with seven other girls from my program. Time to hit the books and quit dreaming of escaping to Hogwarts.

XOXO, Oxford Girl

Blogs and Bottles

Being in a sorority, I thought I knew all there was to know about organized social events. I was wrong. Here at Exeter College there is always something going on! Luckily my neighbor and the friends I've made like to be just as involved as I, so I've been to almost every event scheduled and then some. What has been most intriguing about the social aspect is that there is a lot of organized drinking with fellow students, professors, and college staff. Three out of five nights this week I've attended an event where I drink with my tutors. However, it is quite different from the American idea of drinking. At these events it's more like a "have one drink so I have something to do with my hands" event. I may be completely off base, but from what I've experienced in the week I've been here, the British drink less, more frequently. Whereas Americans drink more, less often. What I mean is the folks I've come into contact with so far have one or two drinks every day, whereas in America you would go out maybe once a week and have several drinks in succession.

On Monday my lecture was from 8-9:30pm instead of the usual 11am time. This is so we could be sworn into the library and get our reader card (more on that later!). After our lecture, which was on British politics in light of the Scottish Referendum, we had an after lecture drink in the college bar. I got a Guinness; figured I should play it safe and order something I know on night one. I played trivia pursuit with two other girls from my program. I won!! But then I took a snapchat about it and it had a grammar mistake so all my creditability went out the window.

Pre fatal grammar mistake

Each college has its own bar. Ours is located directly underneath the Hall. They have quick foods during lunch and serve drinks from 2pm until close I believe. I got a chicken tikka sub during lunch the other day. Chicken Tikka is similar to a chicken salad only it's made with curry. It is SO GOOD!!! If you can find chicken tikka in a restaurant or a recipe on Pinterest I highly suggest you try it. The bar closes at 10pm, so it's not like you could get wild there, but it's nice for small social gatherings. It's convenient that you can just walk down stairs (even though it is five flights of stairs) instead of going down the street.

On Tuesday evening before dinner I met with the program director and a few other students in my program for a drink. The purpose of this was for the director to get to know each of us a little better. I already knew him from where I had to speak with him to switch classes, so I had a leg up on the competition. My friend Megan and I arrived five minutes early and they were still setting up. The director himself walked in just as we did. I used this time to converse with him about social customs. I explained that when you are attending an event or are invited somewhere, it is customary in America to arrive early. I explained that I liked to be every where at least five minutes early, maybe earlier depending upon the context. He said this was not customary in Britain at all! He said that if he was invited to attend an event that began at 6:30 he would never arrive earlier than 6:35! My mind was blown. So Megan and I looked like the American nerds that showed up five minutes early for drinks. Regardless it was nice; I mingled with other students from my program. I also managed to sneak back and ask the server for a second glass of wine. Score! No one here drinks more than one glass at a time/sitting so I was afraid it might be perceived as rude, but it was fine. At least no one said otherwise to my face. Ha!

After dinner that same night one of the program assistants gave us a walking tour of the city center, the main streets through the town with all the pubs and shops. It lasted maybe 30-45 minutes. We all went to a pub together afterward, but it was too crowded for us to stay so we headed back to the college bar. This time I ordered an Exeter Beer. This beer is a microbrew created in honor of Exeter College's 700th anniversary last year. It is brewed with hops grown right here on campus in the Rector's Garden! I was so excited to try it, but honestly it was atrocious. I've developed a palate for beer for the past year (thanks Zach!). I favor beers amber or darker, but I'll drink anything (thanks Appalachian!).  I can drink pretty much anything, but this beer was not enjoyable whatsoever. It was a lighter beer but very heavy. I don't know enough technical terms to be able to describe the flavor or taste, but just take my word for it. Order a Guinness.

If only it tasted as good as it looks.

On Wednesday afternoon I went on a walking tour of Oxford. This time the tour focused on the school instead of the town. A popular historic phrase here is "Town and Gown." This refers to the combative atmosphere between the townspeople and the coleegeiates. This mutual distaste has persisted since the 14th century! (I attended a voluntary lecture on the history of Oxford this evening! I'll do more on that later.) The tour guide was an older white lady that had attended Oxford in her youth. She had so much knowledge and pride in Oxford. This place is so historical it almost has a magical quality about it. There has been organized education here since the 11th century. During the tour I saw many different colleges (Bill and Chelsea Clinton studied at University College) and learned many interesting facts. Here's two of the most interesting: The actor that plays Mr. Bean has a Master's in Engineering from Queen's College! School exams are oral and are extremely random: "If you were planning on participating in an orgy and the members arrived in Nazi uniforms would you still participate? Why or why not? Explain."

This is the home of JRR Tolkien after he was first married. 21 Merton St Oxford.
Tolkien was an alumnus of my college, Exeter!

On Wednesday evening I attended an optional mandatory political debate. It was optional but was lead by my economics tutor. During seminar on Wednesday he made it very clear that we should be at the debate. The topic of the debate was "Democracy: Vox populi vox dei, vox populi vox diaboli? Is the voice of the people the voice of God or the voice of the Devil?" Students sign up to debate one another and at the end of the session the audience votes for the winner. However, it is important to note that the audience does not vote for which side the agree with; they vote on which side better proved their point. It was extremely interesting. The PRO side (voice of the people, pro democracy) was one female from Australia. The CON side (voice of the devil, anti democracy) was two gentlemen, one from Singapore and one from Britain.  Theoretically I agreed with the CON side but the lady on the PRO side did such a better job in the debate. After she proved her initial point and rebuttal, the audience fired questions at her and she handled them with such grace and knowledge. I voted for the PRO side, as did most of the audience. She won!

After the debate on Thursday night I met a group of my friends at a pub. There is also an English literature program going on here and I have several friends from that program. They went early to the pub as they did not have an interest in the political debate. We met at the Turf Tavern, the pub we intended to go to after the town tour. The Turf tavern is one of the most historic pubs in Oxford. Its slogan is "an education in intoxication." You have to go through the long and winding alleyway to get there. I wish I would have taken pictures on the walk in. You go through a very tight alley way (single file) and it takes about three different 90 degree turns. Once you get to the tavern it opens up in to a small outdoor space and an indoor pub. One side of the tavern is built on the ancient city wall from Medieval times. 

The wall in the background is from Medieval Times.
It is the original wall still standing from the 13th century. 

Pimms -- The British version of Sangria

That same night we went to two other pubs, White Horse Tavern and the King's Arms. Both are within a two minute walk of my college. The White Horse Tavern was quaint, but I really enjoyed it. We sat around a small circle table adorned with Union Jack bunting. I ordered a glass of white wine. I was planning on ordering beer, but honestly I was scared after my Exeter College beer disaster a couple nights before. The King's Arms was much larger. It felt like a bar in Greensboro with the amount of people in such a small space. This time I ordered "a dark beer thats not Guinness." Branching out!!

Our group at King's Arms! from L to R: BerryHill, Caroline, Kim, Myself, Anneliese, Conor

Delicious.

My next door neighbor and I at King's Arms! Staircase 2 rooms 6 and 7.
Anneliese is from Australia and finishing up undergrad. 

Thursday Evening our college bar put on a beer tasting. The email stated it was so we "could sound sophisticated at the pubs." The beer tasting was put on by LuLu, the bar manager. Lulu is by far one of the best people I've met at Oxford so far. She is so friendly and down to earth. Even though she has one of the strongest British accents I've heard so far, she reminds me of an American in her hospitality and down to earth nature. She used to manage the gay bar in Oxford until it got closed down. We tried three different beers. The first two were from White Horse Brewery, a brewery here in Osfordshire. (Oxfordshire is where Oxford the town is located. I'm assuming Oxfordshire is the district, county, or the British equivalent.) The first was a light ale called "The Village Idiot." The second was a dark lager called "Oxford Dark Blue." It was created in honor of the University of Oxford Rowing Team. The color of Oxford is dark blue while it's rival Cambridge wears light blue. Thirdly, we tried the Exeter College beer (once again, I'm always ahead of the curve). My neighbor Anneliese doesn't like beer so she would take a sip and then give me hers, allowing me to essentially have two of each beer! Perfect!

Tonight, Friday, I attended a talk on the history of Oxford University. It was by far one of the most interesting sessions I've attended so far. It was completely voluntary, so only about fifteen students showed. Their loss!! I will post a more detailed post on the history of Oxford later. After dinner tonight I walked with my friends Anneliese, Megan, and Conor to Tesco, a grocery store. I bought some body butter. The water here is SO HARD. There's a ton of minerals in the water and lime scale on everything. So I am constantly peeling because my body isn't used to it. So I bought more lotion to hopefully alleviate the problem. Afterward, I came to the college bar to have a glass of wine while I type this post. I don't have a mini fridge in my room and I didn't realize how much I'd miss having wine or beer any time I please. So I came to the college bar so I could drink wine and type at the same time. As I went to order a final glass of white wine LuLu informed me that I had drank the entire bottle. Whoops. 

I'm signing off now. In the near future I hope to post on my dorm room, the Bodleain Library, and my London trip this weekend!!! XOXO, Oxford Girl

Transfiguration and Charms

I wish I was taking those classes. But alas, I will have to settle for Economics and Sociology. It has been quite a few days since I've had any spare time to post. I am much busier than I thought I would be! Each day there are academic activities, such as seminars and lectures, in addition to set meal times and social activities. I had no idea this program had such a big social focus. There is at least one social activity a day, which is right up my alley, but does not leave much time for blogging! Today I'll write about my classes. Then when I have some additional free time I'll write about the social activities we've been doing, my dorm room, new friends, and historic sites.

When I registered for classes I picked two courses: "Political Economy in a Globalized World" and "The Uncertain State of the European Union." The summer program I am enrolled in offers 8 different courses and students are allowed to enroll in two. I chose these two courses because they are directly related to what I teach. Also, these are two areas that I am not very confident in. Generally, I enjoy the history and domestic politics side of Civics and Economics as opposed to the international politics and Economics. So I figured by choosing these two courses I would have a better understanding of what I teach, and can in turn be of better service to my students. 

However, on the first day of class one of my friends told me she was enrolled in a sociology course! I had no idea there was a sociology course available! I minored in sociology while in college, taking courses at both App and UNCG. It was always my most favorite subject, even more so than history. The course offered at Oxford is called the "Changing Face of Britain," which I interpreted to be about British politics or government instead of the society. After reading over her syllabus I contacted the summer program director to see if I could switch into the sociology course even though I missed the first day. Thankfully both he and the tutor were very accommodating! I was able to switch courses, which I do not believe is a luxury offered to many students when we are only here for a month. Even though this course is not related to what I teach, I could not pass up an opportunity to study my favorite subject once again. I switched courses purely for my own enjoyment.

So now my course schedule is as follows

Monday: Economics 9-11, Lecture 11-12:45, Sociology 4-6

Tuesday: Lecture 11-12:45

Wednesday: Economics 9-11, Lecture 11-12:45, Sociology 4-6

Thursday: Lecture 11-12:45

Friday: Lecture 11-12:45

I have three days a week pretty much 'off,' other than lecture. Which will be of great benefit when it comes to my working/productivity habits and the work I must complete before finishing the program. I am an early bird and like to rise around 5am to work all through the morning and afternoon on a project. I am not productive after around 3pm and am not skilled at studying daily. I work better in long bursts of studying, specifically when I begin very early in the morning. Though it's not for everyone, I love being an early bird. There is something peaceful and calming about rising just before the sun. 

The educational system at Oxford is unlike that of most other university systems in the world, other than Cambridge. The program I am enrolled in is like a "mini" Oxford. It gives students exposure to the system of education here in a short period of time. I am enrolled in two seminar courses and one general lecture. The general lecture is given every day and the topics change for each day. There is a wide range of topics covered, as long as it is a part of the History, Politics, and Society program theme. For example on Tuesday I attended a lecture entitled "Warfare in the Modern World," and today I attended one entitled "Corruption and Transparency in International Business." This is designed to give all students in program exposure to the multiple topics throughout the summer school. It gives each student a general overview of a topic they may be studying or it could introduce them to a new subject. Everyone enrolled in the program must attend every lecture. Attendance is taken and students lose credit from their final credit if they are not present. For each lecture the presenter speaks for an hour and then there is a period of thirty minutes after for questions. Out of the four I've attended so far, most have been interesting. However, Wednesday's lecture on  research methods in international development was quite boring.

The two other courses I am taking are seminar courses. There is one tutor with a small group of students, ranging from 5 to 15 students. For my first course, Economics, there are 12 students and the tutor. We meet in a room from 9am-11am off staircase 5. The room is lined with photographs, tapestries, and documents. In the middle there is a long table. The tutor sits at one end of the table and the students fill in the rest of the spaces. It does not feel like a traditional college set up whatsoever. It is much more personal with only 13 people in a room, sitting in a circle for two hours. My economics professor is originally from Bavaria in Germany. He currently spends the school years teaching at a univeetsity in Switzerland and his summers teaching at Oxford. He is by far one of the most intelligent and intriguing men I have ever met. He's pretty good looking too! He hasn't shared the entitreity of his life with us, but from the little I do know about him he has a Doctorate degree. He's worked as a journalist in America (where he discovered his hatred for the American media -- I AGREE!), worked in the UK, advised some of the highest investors and bankers, backpacked through rural China for several months  toward Tibet, once had a girl friend that was Italian, worked in Singapore, and studies a particular strand of economics that focuses on how people and society influences the economy, allowing him to predict the crisis of 2008 and the current situation with Greece in the EU. 

While he lectures for the majority of the time, we do have multiple opportunities to speak. He poses questions to to the class frequently and at the beginning of each class a student must deliver a 5 minute presentation to introduce that day's topic. In my economics class there are 2 Chinese students, 2 Philippine, 1 Dutch, 1 Nigerian, 5 Americans and 1 British student. It gives us great diversity and allows us to have discussions with greatly varying view points. 

My second seminar on Sociology is much different from the first. In this class there are 6 students, two girls from Australia, two girls from America including myself, and two guys from America. Since there are so few of us the course operates in more of a discussion format. The tutor will ask us questions very often. Each student will then have the turn to offer his or her opinion. I do not know much about my tutor for this class yet. Since I missed the first day I missed his introduction of herself. This classroom is located in my staircase, number two. It is down a spiral staircase in the basement. The room has a similar set up with a large square table. The walls are lined with pictures of the rowing team for Exeter College from years past. It also has championship winning certificates, team rosters, and hand drawn rowing crests. 

The grading for each course depends upon a final research paper. For each separate course I must write a 5-6 page paper on a topic of my choice that relates to the course. It must be a scholarly research paper with multiple credible sources, footnotes, bibliography, appendix, the works. Luckily, thanks to my fantastic history degree from UNCG I already know how to research like the best of 'em! When my economics professor was explaining how to correctly format a footnote my classmates were scribbling their pens furiously. I just sat back, put my hands behind my head, crossed my legs, and cracked open a beer because I already knew it all. 

For Sociology the tutor developed research questions and allows us to chose from her list. The question I will be answering is "What are the main changes in coupledom over the past 50 years and what explains them?" For Economics we choose our own topic as long as it relates to the topics of globalization and economics. Luckily I ran into my economics tutor outside of the Hall this afternoon and I was able to discuss my research idea with him. I am not sure exactly what my questions or hypothesis will be, but I do want to write about the growing consumer nature of weddings in America. Today, weddings focus more on materialistic desires and putting on a show rather than the marital union itself. I want to trace the growth of consumerism with respect to American weddings from the years 1990-2015. He suggested finding a niche by selecting a time period (check) and potentially even a particular group of people, such a Southern woman. 

I am very excited about both of these research opportunities. I really enjoy studying about women, and the institution of marriage. I focused my undergraduate research at UNCG on the power and influence of women regarding their social and marital status in Norman England. 

I feel the need to apologize for the length of the post after each blog entry, but I shall refrain. If you know me you already know how long-winded I am. Telling a small story can turn into fifteen minutes where I recount every detail. So you know what you're getting yourself into. I don't have any pictures that directly relate to my courses, so I will leave you with a few quaint pics I've snapped. I'll upload lots more when I get to more specific blog posts.

This alley cuts in between my college and the college next door, Brasenose, of which Prime Minister David Cameron is an alumnus. The colleges are set up like castles or fortresses with small alleyways or streets in between.

This is staircase four, located directly across the quad from my staircase. It is a private staircase and the door is always closed.  I have seen members of the staff go in and out. The crest above the windows peaks my interest. 

Saw this poster hanging in the window at Blackwell's, a local bookshop and one of the largest booksellers in the world. It is a poster where you color in the pubs as you drink at them! Haven't bought this yet, but I'm hoping to be able to color them all by the end of the trip. I was able to cross three off the list last night!

Welcome to Hogwarts

Do you ever have one of those days where you just can't believe what is happening around you? Maybe you're the only sober person at a party, or maybe you're watching a really suspenseful TV show. Similarly, Sunday afternoon was one of those days for me. (Ha!) I first stepped foot onto Oxford's campus around 1:30pm on Sunday afternoon. Driving into the city itself was a magical experience. Everything is picturesque. Seriously, everything. Even the most mundane shops seem so extravagant and cultured.  Luckily we were having trouble finding parking, so I got to look out the car window in awe for a bit longer. After finding parking Jay, Kayla, Riley and I began walking in the general direction of my college, Exeter.

Within my first five minutes of walking I stumbled on a cobblestone and broke my black cat sandals. These sandals are one of my most favorite pairs of shoes. They are black patent leather sandals with an ornate gold and diamond encrusted leopard on them. I know they sound horribly tacky by that description, but I swear they're fabulous. These black cat sandals are the only pair of black sandals I brought with me on this trip and I would venture to say around 75% of the clothes I packed are either black or require black shoes... I tried to remain positive and not take it as an omen that I was doomed to fail.

We walked to Turl Street, where my college is located. The street wasn't that long and we were looking for a sign or building designated as Exeter College. We ended up having to walk the street up and down to find it, as it wasn't marked at all. The gate is a large ornate wooden door, but it has no description or markings upon it except for the school crest, which I did not know at the time. When opened this door lead into a small open air corridor. Inside there is a Porter's Lodge that has someone on site 24 hours a day. They answer questions, give you directions, take phone messages and postal packages for you, essentially a butler or secretary for all the students. Once inside the gates there is a courtyard and the college surrounds you.

Here's a map for reference

Oxford University is actually a federation of sorts. There are 36 different colleges. Each college operates independently from the others. You choose a school and spend all four years within the school. You live there, eat there, you may take some classes there, attend extra curricular activities, etc. Each college has it's own crest, traditions, style, and programs. You do not choose a school based upon your major, because schools offer multiple majors and often times several schools may offer the same degree. For example you may study history at Exeter College or at another college at Oxford. Both degrees are of equal weight and value. Initially this idea was so foreign to me I had trouble comprehending it. It is so different from university in America. The only things I believe could be comparable to it would be a sorority that has a house or hall together or the houses in Harry Potter. #HufflepuffPride (More on HP in a later post!!) So pictured above is my specific college. There are 36 other colleges just as large, if not more so. Exeter College is the fourth oldest school at Oxford. It was established in 1314 at it's present site! That means I am currently living in a building that is 701 years old! Thankfully modern conveniences, such as indoor plumbing, wifi, and a bed have been installed within the last 700 years.

Main Entrance Tower from the Front Quad. I took this picture today I swear. The camera has a mind of its own.

One of the entrances into Exeter College

Looking at the map above my room is in staircase 2, located just in front of the #2 on the map. I am room number 7, which is all the way on the top floor, up a steep spiral staircase of four flights of wooden stairs. Needless to say I will have buns of steel by the time I leave this place. The way my dorm room is positioned I have two windows. One faces out to Turl St and the other into the Front Quad. Since I am on the top floor I keep a nice breeze flowing through my room, which is nice because there is no air conditioning in most places in the United Kingdom. Interestingly, my dorm room is actually two rooms, a common area and a bedroom, both of which are privately my own. I do share a bathroom and a shower with other folks in the program. I will post pictures and more on my dorm room in a later post.

View from my living room window. Hall is on the right.

View from my living room window. Chapel is on the left.

After arriving around 1:30pm I spent the next several hours unpacking my suitcase and reading the necessary paperwork for my program. My first interaction with my tutors and other students in my program was at a orientation meeting at 6pm. Tutors are essentially professors. Tutor is the British term I suppose. The orientation was very brief. Directly afterward was a reception in the Fellows Garden (see map). The students, tutors, and administration staff mingled together meeting one another, similar to a cocktail hour. We were served champagne. It was quite an elegant experience. A student assistant, Richard, took us up a small path to a higher view point where we were able to see other colleges, libraries, and churches on campus.

In front of the Radcliffe Camera (a library) and the University Church of St Mary

After mingling at the reception for a while, we proceeded to the Hall for the formal opening dinner. Walking into the Hall was the most magical moment of my life to date. It is like stepping back into time into another world. There are long tables in the center for the students and a raised head table at the front of the room for the tutors and staff. The students entered first and sat to await the entrance of the tutors. When the doors opened we were required to stand as the tutors filed in the room. They were dressed in their black academic gowns. (Total Harry Potter!!) There are some visiting tutors from Cambridge and their robes look slightly different I've been told. I couldn't see a difference, perhaps the untrained eye needs a telescope. Cambridge is Oxford's rival school so the student assistant that told me about the differences in robes made a fuss about it.

Entrance to the Hall

Isn't it magical?! Only thing missing is the Enchanted Ceiling.

View down the center

A view of the side of the Hall

 It was an extremely formal dinner with each seat having a full place setting. I'm talking 8 different utensils, three different glasses, and four different plates. Thank God for cotillion. (Thanks Mom!) The above pictures were taken before lunch, so you can't see the formal place settings. I didn't want to be that American tourist that whipped out my camera at formal dinner instead of indulging in scholarly conversation. We're actually not allowed to have our phones out at dinner. It is extremely frowned upon and I haven't seen anyone do it yet. It is a admirable practice and I wish more people in America weren't as addicted to their phones, myself included.

Our first course was a soup, followed by a lime sorbet. With the first course came a glass of white wine. Also, we were only served sparkling water, no still water in sight. I believe this is a more common practice in Europe than in America. However, this sparkling water was not as terrible as those in America. It was only slightly carbonated. Next our main course was delivered. It was a dish of chicken, potatoes, and two vegetables that I couldn't identify. One had a very starchy or cellulose structure to it and the other was a leafy green. Regardless of what these vegetables are called, they were enjoyable along with the rest of the meal. With the main course we were served a glass of red wine. I'm not a fan of red wine, but honestly when taken with a meal, it wasn't as horrible as I remembered it to be. Of course, I drank the whole glass. Next a dessert of raspberry cake, ice cream, and raspberries was delivered.  Finally, coffee and mints were offered. The mints were wrapped in the crest of Exeter College. During coffee the program directors gave opening speeches formally welcoming us to the summer school and introducing the tutors. Dinner began at 7 and did not finish until 9:30pm. It was quite a formal experience and I really enjoyed it. I've been to elegant dinners before, but the atmosphere here was so different. It was formal yet relaxed all at the same time.

After dinner I retired to my room to read and prepare for my classes the next day. So far Oxford is everything I've dreamed it to be and more. I've made a few girl friends so far, including the girl that lives in the room next to mine. I miss my family and friends terribly, but I also never want these three weeks to end. Hope you've enjoyed this novel of a blog post. Tomorrow I will write on my first two days of class.