Wandering and Climbing

There is a live band playing at the Green Templeton Ball tonight. I have my window open to let the fresh night air in and I hear them pretty clearly. The sounds of the night offer a soft undercurrent to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." I wandered around town a bit today, read a book and did some thinking. Also, I watched the new Superman movie. It was replete with Saviour images, American-isms, and, my favourite, the most pro-Kansas movie since the Wizard of Oz. Or at least the most recent one. I felt very proud sitting in my seat, surrounded by British citizens, that Superman was from Kansas.

Recently, I've been thinking about the "Great Man" theory of history. Its the idea that Heroes move history or make history. The critics and advocates of this theory get very technical and academic but one of the questions they keep coming back to is what is the role of the individual in history? We long to make a difference, to have someone remember us, or to prove our worth in some way or another. It was interesting to watch Superman with some of those thoughts in mind.

(There was just a fireworks show outside my window. It felt like the 4th of July. They were only a few weeks off. Not too bad. The band is also playing Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" I do believe they are trying to make me feel at home.)

The other thing I got to do in the last week was climb several mountains. Yes, several, as in three. I climbed three mountains in about 36 hours. A group of Rotary students from around the UK gathered together in Edinburgh and, with two drivers, we proceeded to the Highlands of Scotland to climb Ben Nevis, to the Lake District of England for Scarfell Pike and we finished in Wales to climb Snowdon. My legs are still in pain. But, oh, it was a great adventure. Enjoy some pictures.

Its Moving Quickly

The Costume Designer and the Bassanio, the main male
character. 

In two weeks my parents and little brother are coming to visit. I'm counting down the minutes until I can give them a hug. My little brother is growing so fast he isn't going to be little for very much longer. Once I handed in my dissertation I thought I would have some time to stop and think but life has continued to come quickly. Decisions must be made, research is still to be done and there are always questions to be answered.

The Prince of Morroco, one of the suitors, and comedic relief. 

I took part in a production of The Merchant of Venice last week at Worcester College. There was a need for a percussionist and I was willing to help out. Meaning, I was absolutely overjoyed at the opportunity to take part in a Shakespeare production at Oxford University. It was incredible, I can't describe how amazing it was. The performance was amazing, great actors, a fantastic director. Since it was set in Venice, several of the entrances and exits took place on boats on the Worcester lake. Once the sun went down the lights on the boats took on a fairy-tale aspect.

Shylock and Antonio

Backstage we were immersed in conversations about philosophy and worldviews, discussing the ideal civilization and opinions about current events. I met young men and women who were really engaging with their world, who were interested in thinking and thinking well and who welcomed me to ask questions.

The musicians, playing the jig.

The Merchant of Venice is a very interesting play. In many ways it is a disturbing play, with a scene at the end that is highly anti-Semetic. At the same time, individual speeches in the play, the main character gives a lesson on mercy how it doubly blesses, both the giver and receiver, and the antagonist, Shylock the Jew, angrily and despairingly states "Hath not a Jew hands, organs, senses, passions, affections, dimensions?" Read the play sometime if you have a moment. It is beautiful in its emotions, delightful in its lessons and I walked away each time with a feeling of unease when Shylock was beaten.

I'm so sorry for my tardiness, I shall amend and give you several more snippets of fun for the next few weeks. Adieu mon amis.

The cast of The Merchant of Venice.

The Bodleian

One week from today I will have handed in my dissertation and I will have a few weeks left as a Master's student at Oxford. I have my alumni card already and several emails telling me what to do next. They are even helping me find a job if I would like. I'm still not sure what is going to happen after July. For now, I am very excited to get to go home and see my family. I'm also excited to go to sleep and not have my alarm set, get up and then take a nap.

Right now I'm in Duke Humphrey's library, my favorite spot inside spot in all of Oxford. (I have several favorite spots outside.) Above me is a portrait of Elizabeth I from 1571 and a beautiful bride in her wedding dress just walked by outside between the Divinity Schools and the Sheldonian. I think they rent the Divinity Schools out for wedding receptions. I have a pile of books on both sides of my computer, a hard copy of my paper with my notes tearing it up spread out in disarray and the huge books that make up part of the special collections are in front of me on shelves that remind me "Please do not touch these books." A friend of mine tried once and an alarm went off, libraries here don't joke.

So yesterday I went on a road trip, it was very random, but three friends from Keble and I went to Wales to see Caerphilly Castle. Its the largest castle in Wales and second largest in England. The funniest thing about the trip was trying to read the road signs once we were actually in Wales. You see, Welsh is a very strange language. It uses Roman letters but the pronunciation matches nothing in English at all. Welcome to Wales is Croeso i Gymru. Oh, if you've ever heard of or read the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander then you probably already knew this but Prydain is Britain in Welsh. Makes sense because of Alexander's love of Welsh legends and King Arthur. (Arthur was supposed to have come from Wales, the Welsh dragon and all.)

I need to get back to work. If I can work for another two hours then I get to go on a run. Exciting life is the life I lead. Oh, this is fun news, I'm on a girls basketball team here, closely associated with Magdalene College but with girls from a couple colleges. We played our first game last Thursday and we won, quite handily. There are a few more games and then we start in the finals for cuppers. I don't really know what that means, I think its Oxford speak for tournament. Anyway, I'll see ya soon.

May Has Arrived

I will post some pictures soon, the flowers here an indescribable. I walk outside and I'm greeted by waves of scents from the flowering trees nearby and the flowers planted near the front door of Acland. University Parks is covered with blossoms and unfurling leaves and riotous profusions of colour and petals. Oh its beautiful. I start running and I never make it terribly far before I stop and smell a flower or look at some of the petals.

Trinity term is well underway. This is already third week and I'm hard at work on my dissertation, immersed in books on literary patronage, translations and writing of history in Elizabethan England. The further I get into the work the more interesting it becomes. It is a view of communication and examining how and why authors would communicate in the way they did. At the same time its also a lesson in citing early printed books and the mechanics and details of writing academic papers. There is a lot more to it than just writing a good paper. Citations must be correct, abbreviations for the main texts need to be clear, primary sources, printed early material, secondary sources must all be correctly ordered in the bibliography. But it really is interesting. I'm also continuing with French and Latin and this is very interesting as well, I've been learning so much about communication in other languages and seeing the strengths and weaknesses of language.

Other than many hours in the library I've been running and I play basketball for Keble College. I've been reading Alexander Pushkin lately and enjoying Shakespeare alongside the Thames in Christ Church Meadow. The Rotary Club of Ascot invited the Oxfordshire Scholars to a day at the races last week and I had the opportunity to give my presentation on Kansas at their meeting later that day. The races were so amazing, the horses there are absolutely exquisite. We also had an absolutely beautiful day, blue skies and little wind, it was such a wonderful experience.

I can't believe I will be finishing up my degree within two months. Its been a crazy eight months, passing by so quickly, I've learned so much, academically and personally. It has been an honour to be a part of Rotary throughout this year.

One Week Left (Of break)

There is only one week of break left for me. Classes will start back up (language classes that is) undergraduates will come back, the library will be open til 10 p.m. and the last two months of my Master's program will commence. I've been pondering what I am going to do next year, I do not have any concrete plans, I know that I get to come home for at least a time. My brother is actually getting married right after my graduation in July so I have to be back for that very special event. I will get to have several weeks to sit and ponder my time here in England and to think about everything I have learned here and how I want to use those discoveries and realizations.

Its raining today, Spring is finally here and the trees are budding and the sky is gently misting the flowers and new growth. I've started running again this week and I'm very happy with the amount that I've actually gone, my high school track coach would be completely shocked. Yesterday I ran just after it rained and the smell was so fresh I felt like Mary Lennox and her cousin Colin trying to fill my lungs to capacity to grow "strong and healthy." The birds continue to sing even during the rain, their voices chirping and whistling back and forth with the sounds of Spring and new life.

In a few weeks I have the opportunity to attend an Ascot race with another Rotary club. I must say here how much I appreciate the Rotarians of the Oxford district. They have been so welcoming and generous to share their country with me and its been an honour to speak to them and to interact with the different clubs.

The experience is two thirds over already. It is so difficult to imagine that and to recognize that I have been here for months. Everyday I walk out my door and I feel my own inadequacy, I feel like I've learned so much and yet only scratched the surface. I interact with other graduate students here and try to recognize that we are adults and we have a responsibility to take what we learn here and apply them to problems we face in our homes.

This is just to prove that I do actually do a lot of work. 

Welcome Back

The title is more a reminder for me. I have been less than faithful to this blog in the past months. My excuse--school. Its been pretty challenging the last month or so especially but I got my paper handed in and I am currently on break. All that means is that I get to read all week without going to lectures or class. Which will be fun.

So this last week my cousin came up to visit me in England and oh wow was it fun. We drove up to Chatsworth House, where Pride and Prejudice was filmed. It is also the house of Bess of Hardwick who was one of the jailers of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary was actually kept in the upstairs rooms of the house. The house has seen several infamous characters over the years and its personality is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. That includes everything I've seen in Oxford so far. The house is in the middle of Devonshire and it has rolling hills and rocky outcroppings above the house. A cascades starts several hundred yards above the house, disappears underground for a moment to reappear as if its flowing from a small temple-like structure. There are mazes and boulders, stairs and streams, trees and gardens all over the grounds. Outside the house sheep graze over the very green grass, the fields spread to the hills where they disappear into the forest undergrowth. You approach the house through a series of twisting, winding roads that gently bring you into view of the yellow-gold of the front of the house. To the side there is a long pool with a fountain spraying high into the air. I could keep describing it and continue to bore you all but suffice it to say, it was beautiful and I am in love.

We also visited the white cliffs of Dover, and officially I have gone from the red hills of Kansas to the white cliffs of Dover. Then we went back to London and had several days of adventuring there. Now I am back in my own little room where I have spent several hours catching up with some friends and family through Skype and email and also trying to make sure I am caught up on reading. Tomorrow I shall spend some time going through a bibliography of secondary sources that would apply to my dissertation topic and then begin reading those. The work of a grad student, particularly (at least in my opinion) that of a history grad student, is never done. There is always another book, always another philosophy that needs to be read or understood. Its a great time though.

Beauty and Philosophy

One of the Earls of Warwick and his wife

Warwick Church

First, let me apologize, it has been almost a month since I have updated you on my adventures. School has got to me, the books are piling up and I feel like I'm trying to outrun an avalanche as I skim through one and check the index of another, write a few notes on that one there, and then return them all before I get charged for overdue fees. However, that said, I am learning so much, every day I make a new connection as far as my papers go, and in understanding what it means to be a historian and even, more philosophically, what it means to be part of humanity as it appears in history. The problems sixteenth century England faced were, at face value, very different. But the root problems, struggles between families, with politics, religion, finding meaning and the individual's place ins society, these things have not really changed very much. Its very interesting to see how we have changed and yet our core struggles have remained very similar.

The trebuchet that threw balls of fire

Ok, on to more fun things. In between books, I've made friends with some visiting students from the states. They are taking part in a worldview course with me as well, and we've had some really interesting discussions ranging from conservative politics to the meaning of truth and marriage and family. This last weekend we went to visit Warwick Castle, (pronounced War-ick) this castle is incredible, it dates back to the days of King Alfred the Great, who was before the Norman Conquest. It was the prison for Edward IV during the last years of the War of the Roses, hosted Elizabeth I, Charles I and several other kings and queens of England through the years. The views from the top of the towers are beautiful to the point of tears. Then, and this was amazing, the church in the town of Warwick is the final burial place of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and his second wife, Lettice Knowles. I've read about him for years and now I have stood before the final resting place of his mortal remains. A little ghoulish yes, but I think it is more interesting to see the grave of a person than the birth place because the birth place, usually a house or even the town, has changed so much, but the burial place has been kept as it was. It is a tangible link with that person, however long ago they died, that was the place where they were last seen on this earth.

The pictures in the blog are due to the work of Sam Frieden,
a friend who allowed me to borrow his work.

Now, leaving both the philosophical and slightly morbid, this weekend I have the opportunity with Rotary to visit Blenheim Palace and have tea with Lady Spencer-Churchill, the daughter of the current Duke of Marlborough. Next weekend is the Rotary district conference, and then the week after that is the last week of the term! Hilary has gone by like a flash, I've visited Stratford again to consult a thesis written in the 1960s, seen Shakespeare's grave, gone to Warwick Castle, seen Oxford under snow, had several snowball fights, made snow angels, played timpani for a Saint-Saen's piece and a Schubert piece, and read what feels like half the History Faculty Library. It has been a fantastic time and again, I apologize for not updating you better. I will try over the next weeks to write more, at least a line or two or some pictures. Thank you all, see you later.