Monday, June 26, 2006


I am eating nutella out of the plastic jar with my new plastic spoon. I have heartburn, and my theory is that I have it because I have gone two days without clotted cream and scones. I think the Nutella will help. Today was a busy day, and filled with practicalities. I got up and met Silvia (my new American friend from Mondova). We walked to the breakfast hall and chatted with some new people. We then went and had a two hour lecture with this super important guy here, and it was interesing, but I got all tired and my Lyrica kicked in and my vision got so blurry I couldn't focus on the notes I was taking to keep myself awake. There was no one in front of me, so I did everything I couldn to keep from looking like I was falling asleep. Then, after about 20 minutes my brain waves returned to normal and all was well. I think it was my first ever waking nap. Next we walked to this huge library and swore indivudual oaths that we would not bring fire into the library, or smoke there. Seriously. An oath. They gave us our ID's and sent us on our way without even showing us the part of the building where Harry Potter was filmed. This library is one of only two shared libraries at Oxford, and we're not allowd to use the one here at Magdelen because it only has room for the 13 law students that attend here full time. Weird. So anyway, this library is HUGE, and fills several buildings because the guy that built it arranged with the publishers back in 16-hundred and somthing to have them donate every book published in the UK from then on. ALL of them. They have over 8 million volumes! It also happens to be across the street from the biggest book store ever. It looks quite unassuming from the street, but it is 4 or five stories, several of which are underground. The bottom floor is like one floor of a B and N, but thn parts of it are sunk deeper to hold more books. There were more law books there than in the book store at McGeorge! I wanted to stay forever but I was tired and I had planned to meet up with Silvia after our tutorial meetings. The onl reason I abandoned her was because my professor scared me so bad I felt complled to buy books right then. I have a nutshell on the EU and my partner thinks I am
high strung and crazy. I don't feel stressed, but I can tell we have disappointed the professor, so I am trying to make up for it i guess. My partner is way into pubs and pints. I think he said today his goal was to find the cheapest pint in Oxford. How noble. So back to meeting up with Silvia. I got into m room, and about 20 seconds later she knocked at the door, so we headed of to find some things she needed. We went back to Blackwells Bookstore, but it, like so many stores here, closed at six. Alas. We also found a Blackwells Music and a Blackwells Videos. It seems to be the Tower Records of Oxford. Then we went and got sandwiches from the place that gave us directions to the grocery store earlier in the day. The guy at the counter was from Mongolia, and works there now because he ran out of money for school. He was adorable, but didn't look at all like he was from Mongolia (adorable like small and bubbly, not like a hotty). We took the sandwiches to Starbucks to get drinks and then ate in the back. It flt like home, only bigger. Then we walked home and I took my weary, blistered feet to my room where I planned to stay until a few minutes later someone knocked at the door. It was Rachne, who I had talked to for a few minutes earlier, and she wanted to go for a walk. So what the hell. I went for a walk. At least it had stopped drizzling. i wish it would just rain already. I fell like a dork under my umbrella, but fairly damp without it. Oxford has indecisive weather, and you know how I am about indecisive. Not OK. Tomorrow we have another library tour, and another lecture, and then we start working. I hope that I get to walk a little less until my body gets a chance to recover. I need to lay still for a few days I think. But everthing is so pretty and so close. My life is hard, I know. Mmmm. Nutella.

The Dining Hall

3 comments:

M said...

oooo mira has - - oh wait i am supposed to keep it clean... um... nevermind

Levi's Fan said...

What!? But yes, you shouldkeep it clean because I just gave this address to the lawyer that's been helping me at my dad's office. She things I am a nice young lady, so we ought to keep it that way.

Lilly K. said...

Dear Mira,
in the spirit of keeping it clean, i would just like to say that i am quite impressed with your fashion and choice of hotels...(it is hard not going down the gutter on a blog!)