Oxford Flashback

6.28.08


Oh, how Andalucía has charmed me! And yet even after leaving southern Spain only two days ago, it feels like it may have been a dream. When Jooj and I would find ourselves on a bus somewhere between Granada and Madrid at the end of a long day, all of a sudden she would turn to me and say, “do you realize that we were at the Alhambra this morning? It feels like it was yesterday. And we’ve only been in Spain for three days… doesn’t it feel like we got here last week?”

So I’m convinced that I must’ve transcended space and time. With seven flights and at least that many bus rides over the past 10 days, I don’t know what time zone my head thinks it’s in. My circadian rhythm is all out of whack—hopefully it won’t take long to recover. Lest you think I’m complaining, it was all worth it. But I’m getting way ahead of myself. As I write this post mid-transatlantic flight, transcending time and space again (how else is it possible to fly for nine hours, through the afternoon, only to land and get to restart the afternoon, spending it in an entirely new place?), I think it must be appropriate now as ever to rewind and fill you in on some past adventures… starting with England, before even arriving in Uganda.

......

On our way over to Uganda, Lauren, Stephanie and I spent a few days in Oxford, which despite the rain, was wonderful! Our friend Jooj was completing her masters there, and used her connections to secure us some extremely cheep accommodation—in a convent! We stayed in the “Magnolia Room”, named for it's view of a magnolia tree in the garden. We also had access to some other rooms, including a sunroom, a sitting room, a library, and a kitchen too, had we wanted to use it. I even had a calligraphy lesson one morning with one of the nuns, Mary. (I got a little frustrated sometimes, but she was very encouraging and said I was catching on rather quickly. She started calligraphy when she was 60, and has been doing it for 15 years! Hooray for picking up new hobbies in all stages of life!)

I was lucky to talk with Mary a few times throughout my stay at the Sacred Heart—she was such a delight to talk to. She has a joy for life that is tough to match. On our way out to London one day, Lauren and I happened to catch her in the library, and she asked us what we imagined the best book in the library to be. Lauren and I looked at eachother, wondering if this was a trick question; we were in a convent afterall.
“…The Bible?”
Mary smiled. “No, it’s the Oxford English dictionary!” of which, by the way, there are separate volumes for each letter.

So in addition to my newfound curiosity for calligraphy, I've also discovered a new habit. I can’t help myself from mimicking English accents whenever I open my mouth to speak to a Brit. It’s really quite unfortunate. It’s a completely helpless and embarrassing situation, and my travel buddies Lauren and Stephanie mock me incessantly for it. They think it’s hilarious, and just when I think I’ve finally shirked the habit, they say, “You did it again,”
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah, just now when you spoke with the bus driver.”
“Dang it. Oh, geez, I hope he couldn’t tell—I hope he doesn’t think I’m making fun of him…”
Whatever, I think I'll just embrace it; mimicry is the most sincere form of flattery, right? That's what Steph says.

And now for some snapshots:







1. Lauren in the sunroom
2. Mary and me, looking up 'iconography’ in the 'I' volume of the OED.
3. tulips in London
4. Steph and me enjoying a walk around Oxford
5. View from our room in the convent-- notice the statue of Christ in the background. What a convent!