Down the Rabbit-Hole

How funny it is to be back in the UK. While running errands today, I again found myself marveling at the streets of Oxford, the different pace of life here, and the fact that I've somehow wound up in this place for a second time abroad. It still feels surreal. Certain details -- some of them well-known, others new -- jumped out at me, especially in the areas in which Oxford, um... differs from America. This is a very different university than Stanford. Not better or worse in many ways, just so different as to be nearly incomparable in some aspects. Musings on that topic:

1. A rule that has applied thus far -- and that I suspect will continue to apply -- is that it almost invariably rains when I go outside. Then I find myself drying off indoors and, behold! sun! A small purse-size umbrella is a must. (I don't think I am going to find this pattern as amusing after a few more months.)

2. I was in the shopping center today and needed to, well, use the restroom. So I found a British lady and asked her, a little tentatively, "Where's the loo?" She raised one eyebrow. So I said, "I mean, where's the toilet? The water closet?" Ah, she got it that time. I must not have said "loo"quite like a British person.

3. The British really are experts in the art of queueing. Perfect straight little lines at all the bus stops. That's all I have to say.

5. Are the British afraid of fire? I mean, irrationally, excessively afraid of fire? Practically every door, everywhere, is marked, "Fire door; keep shut" (as anyone who has visited the UK knows). My building in my college also has a side stairwell marked, "Fire shelter area." And fire exits are ubiquitous. With all the rain here, really...?

6. What's with these British faucets? Hot out of one side, cold out of the other, so all you achieve are burnt or frozen hands. Fortunately, my room is a newer sort, so I can mix the two temperatures out of one faucet (what a concept).

7. Evensong at Christ Church College (which I didn't attend the last time I was here, for any of the colleges) is a rather beautiful tradition. It's an evening choral service that takes place in the big cathedral (or college chapel, for the smaller colleges), and with the flickering candles, ringing voices from the singers, and old stone Gothic arches I felt like I had stepped through a door into many centuries ago. I got to go with some other Rhodies and it was great fun.

8. I haven't yet made the mistake of answering "You all right?" with "Yes," but then again I also haven't yet been asked! I am sure I will end up looking like what I am, a silly American.

These observations, as mentioned, are not new or groundbreaking in terms of capturing the flavor and texture of Oxford and the UK. But they struck my American self today -- that's right, I've slipped down the rabbit-hole to a very different place. Though I haven't encountered the Jabberwocky yet, and certainly won't tonight, since I've just sipped a pint of cider with new Rhodes friends and am heading to bed.

Before then, one last side note. It's not just my observations that seem fresh, new, or different; it's also me. Of course I've grown, matured, gained more experience, and so forth. But the last time I was in Oxford was also right after the summer I got my cochlear implant. I was still overwhelmed by that experience at the time, and looking back I admit that I largely avoided talking to strangers (especially British/international strangers) since it was so difficult. Now, it's still a challenge, but I've noticed that the conversational flow comes so much more easily, even with people who have an accent. I've made friends with the college porters already (more about the structure and operations of the Oxford colleges later), and while out and about I'm much more at ease asking surrounding people for help. And it's much more fun to learn about people from different backgrounds and find what their lives and perspectives are like. That feels like a small victory in its own right!