But anyway, about fifteen minutes late, our tour guide shows up without having bought our tickets for the train already. So it makes perfect sense to have about 20 college students up early in the morning to catch a train run through the train station only to miss the train and to blame it on the students. Am I missing something? We had to find a new platform for the new train and of course it was basically packed so we couldn't sit by anyone we knew or like. Becky ended up across the aisle from me sitting next to her twin. Same coat, same purse, enough said.
After a fairly quick train ride, we arrived in Oxford at the train station. I wasn't impressed because there were no buildings that remotely resembled the ones I saw in pictures. Thankfully, my qualms were squashed when we took a short walk to the main street. I think it was the main street. Looking back, I'm not to sure. All I know is that the beautiful buildings were there and very few cars were on the street. We saw the cross that was made from brick in the street a martyr was killed. We made our way down the street and around the different colleges in Oxford University. Random fact: there are 39 colleges in Oxford. Each offer the same educational opportunities. Needless to say while we explored their different "campuses" (I'm not sure how else to describe them) I found my new home. Tuition is 3,000 pounds a year and housing is 4,000 which includes food, a maid service, a single room, ... need I go on? I'm serious about the new school. Mom, if you're reading this, I may actually decided to go to grad school.
Throughout the colleges we saw everything that was brought into Hogwarts. I was in Harry Potter nerd heaven. We saw/walked up the stair case from the first movie where the first years walked up to meet Professor McGonagall. It was awesome. There was so much history with the University and the colleges and so many famous people went there to study. It was pretty inspiring.
14/06/10 - Half day at the internship! Lots of fun still and I'm learning a lot. Today in class we presented out projects that we made about Camden. It was interesting to see what everyone decided to take pictures of.
15/06/10 - Today I was up at 2:00 a.m. to go to the BBC to watch the morning show newscast. I wasn't tired when I got up, probably because it was so early in the morning, but I didn't stay that way. I went with two people from my group and my professor, which was really fun to experience. It was pretty intimidating. The newsroom itself could have fit all of Mizzou's different newsrooms in it. The anchor (my professor compared him to Matt Lauer... the BBC anchor was much better) was so great. He took us around, answered our questions and introduced us to a lot of different people working there. The whole thing was pretty indescribable. I learned so much about journalism and the BBC in general while there, and everyone was really nice! Work was a little difficult because I had already been up for about eight hours. It wasn't as bad as I anticipated, I was probably a little more on edge than normal, but I never felt sleepy!
16/06/10 - Internship was great, once again. It has never failed to impress me with the different stories that come through the wire and what I learn on a daily basis.
17/06/10 - Horse racing never looked so good. Today, my roommate Becky and I went to the Royal Ascot. Some compare it to the Kentucky Derby. I would hardly say it equals anything like that because I don't think the attendance of the Kentucky Derby includes royals. It was a beautiful day to spend relaxing by the race track, and I couldn't wait, even though I know nothing about horse racing. Is it really that hard to understand? It didn't matter, because I just wanted to experience it all. The tradition at such an event is to wear a fabulous hat, even if you are in the cheap seats (like us). I borrowed the biggest flower headband that my friend owned and Becky had a fantastic hat that she got from Harrods. We were flying high. Making our way to the train was half the fun. We got looks, who wouldn't at 8:00 in the morning wearing big hats and nice dresses, but we also got, "are you going to the Ascot?" Yes, yes we are.
Sunny and beautiful, the day couldn't have been more perfect. Deciding to really get into the racing spirit, we tried our hands at a little betting. Our strategy? The coolest name of the horse, from the US, or coolest jockey uniform. Amazingly enough, our strategy proved sound and we made it out just ahead of what we put in! It was fun being able to cheer for something so you weren't just staring at the horses going by. Needless to say, winning bets or not, it was a brilliant day. Being surrounded by people in crazy hats that come from all over the world was a cultural experience in itself. Becky and I ran into two Aussies and we hung out for most of the day. It was fun talking to them and getting to know their culture while experiencing the British and their finest. The British definitely know how to party, and when they're drunk and sunburned, it can get a little crazy. Lets just say the stiff upper lip is long gone.
Returning to the florescent lighting of the tube station, Becky and I realized that we came home with a little more then we bargained for. As my other roommate put it, "I left a human and came back a crustacean." We were burnt to a crisp. It was painful and we had some seriously awkward burn/ hopefully will turn into a tan lines. But, we couldn't focus on that. We were still riding high at our amazing time at the Royal Ascot. We got looks on the way back as well, but it could have easily been from our burns. But because of the stares and questions, we met a guy who went to school in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. Small world. All in all, a great day.
18/06/10 - Today I got to sleep in a bit, but I had some work to do. The game was on at 3:00 p.m. so I needed to be home by then, but I had to prepare to go to Brighton for the weekend. Brighton is a coastal town with beaches and is apparently like the San Fran of England. Except the beach is a rock beach. I'm not sure I'm going to understand it, but we shall see! Our bus left at 5:00, so the seven of us met at a pub near the station to watch the game. We met another American who was on a European tour and just got off of a 22 hour bus ride from Germany. Ew. He was nice, so he joined us watching the game. Frustration wouldn't properly describe how I felt about that game, but I was focused on getting everyone to the bus on time. Thankfully, after tearing people away from the television, we made it. And the bus was a half an hour late. We could have watched the end of the game. Oh well.
We made our way on the coach to Brighton and just talked the entire way. It was pretty gloomy out, but when we got there, we had to explore. We found our hostel first and put on proper clothing for the night and headed out. Brighton is a really cool city and it was going to be a great weekend.
19/06/10 - In an attempt to try and use the beach, Michelle, Lauren and I headed to the beach with a blanket and ready to soak up the sun. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of sun to be had, and we basically froze. We slept, but when we woke up, we were freezing. It wasn't the greatest plan in the world, but eventually a storm was coming in so we decided to walk and get a sweatshirt or something to keep us warm on the pier. After, we went into town. There wasn't much to see, a lot of shops and some cool architecture, but it was nice to keep warm by walking around. The guys were finding places where they wanted to go, so we got ready and met up with them for the night.
Until next week.
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