Oxford!

From Sittingbourne, Kyle and I got onto the train, crossed over to London, and got onto a bus headed to Oxford.  The overall journey takes about 2 1/2 hours-3 hours, depending on traffic.  Mind you, we were lugging around 4 huge suitcases around London...definitely was not a good idea.  

So, Oxford.  Oxford is an amazingly beautiful campus.  We live in Magdalen College (pronounced Maud-lin), and we are literally housed right on school grounds.  The college is kinda built like a fort, with high walls on all four sides.  For more info: http://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/.  Our room is on the bottom floor.  We have a double because we are a couple (of course), and that means we have a sitting room AND a bedroom, whereas everyone else gets a bedroom.  Our bedroom comes with a sink, but we have to share a shower and the toilet.  Our room overlooks the college library and a huge lawn.  It is a beautiful sight, especially because the desks face the windows, and it is a good view to inspire intellectual writing/reading.  That being said, the rest of the college looks like something out of Harry Potter.  Oscar Wilde's room is still preserved, and tourists pay about 4-6 pounds to come in and tour the college.  Imagine that!  And we get to live here! 

Of course, Kyle and I are here for school.  Our tutorials are fairly hard.  I will have to say that it has been my hardest class so far that I have ever taken, and I've taken a LOT of classes.  There is a lot of reading, but the Oxford tutorial style is very unique in that it is essentially a one-on-one meeting with the professor.  In that meeting, the student has prepared a 6-8 page essay that is read aloud.  The professor will interrupt with questions throughout the essay, thus stimulating intellectual conversation.  It is a good way to learn the material first hand, know the professor, and to actually proofread the paper before it is read aloud!  

The dismal corner of the library where Kyle and I toil away the hours...literally, from 9am to 7pm.

A Kung-Fu panda double decker bus...thought it was pretty cool

Bodlein Library- second largest library in Britain...we had to get "initiated" into the library system and swear an oath that we will not eat, drink, or set fire to the library.

A part of our college.
Walking down one of the narrow English streets.

We went to Oxford Castle, which was actually not a castle, but a prison...in fact, it was still used as a prison until 1996.  Anyway, they had this neat feature where you can place yourself in the convicts book.  Kyle fits in pretty well, I think!
The side door to our dorm.
   Our sink and two twin beds that we push together.
The sitting room.
The view from our window.
Other side of the view.
The bottom window is all us!
Room where we got initiated into the Bodlein Library.  It was used by the King, back in the day, to hold Parliament when London wasn't a safe place.
Magdalen's 550th Anniversary garden party--- the choir singing.
The all-important conductor in the Cloisters.
More of our sitting room and door leading to bedroom.
Chairs and fireplace!