BVW, Continued (Even When the Government Shuts Down)

Interesting times to be in Washington, DC, indeed... The government shutdown is on everyone's lips, and much of the conversation yesterday involved speculations about whether Congress would actually manage to pass a budget resolution by midnight.

Alas, it did not, and because of the shutdown the group of us Rhodies couldn't make our breakfast at the U.S. Capitol this morning (nor our lecture at the Library of Congress). Instead, a group of current and former senators came to talk to us at our hotel at Dupont Circle, and we stuck around that area of town for much of the morning. Getting to talk to some senators, all of them Rhodes scholars, about the current fiscal crisis and political gridlock in Congress was a fascinating experience, especially in light of the immediate political atmosphere. Sen. David Vitter, before rushing back to the Capitol to participate in the latest budget measure vote, said that he "did not have a crystal ball" and didn't know how long the shutdown would last, but pointed out that he would be shocked if it dragged on and affected the average citizen beyond what appears on the news. Former Sens. Richard Lugar and Paul Sarbanes were less concerned with downplaying the situation and defusing alarm, on the other hand, and engaged in some very candid discussion of the increasingly dysfunctional mode of American government and the need for strong leadership, wherever those talents come from. "Not all of us can be brilliant writers, so some of us become senators..." That line made me smile.

The week thus far has been full of similarly thoughtful conversations, from our visit to the White House Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the World Bank yesterday, to our many receptions with Rhodes alumni at various locations throughout Washington. Engaging in serious, intellectually-driven conversations, whether those take place at receptions or informal gatherings or formal events, seems to be at the core of this Oxford experience and Rhodes community. And, following that thought, I am finding myself enjoying such constant conversation more than I expected myself to. One of the board members of the American Association of Rhodes Scholars chatted with me the other day about the pleasure of cultivating that vanishing art of deep conversation, rather than small talk or pointless discussions. I know I can still do more to improve those skills, and am looking forward to fostering them in myself over the next few years. Plus, I was very, very excited to meet Nicholas Kristof in person on Sunday (!!), and a new Rhodes friend of mine saw Walter Isaacson (author of several well-known biographies, on Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein and others) at the reception at the British deputy ambassador's house last night. We also think we saw Karl Rove on the street in Washington today.

Tomorrow is our last day in Washington (and stateside) before we fly to Heathrow and journey out to Oxford. I'm headed to one last group dinner at a local Rhodes alum's home tonight, and then will attend a send-off luncheon with the other scholars tomorrow en route to our travels abroad. It's been a whirlwind week, and will be strange to leave America to begin this new adventure -- particularly in the middle of such confounding political drama. We walked through the National Mall this afternoon to do some sightseeing, and saw several protesters out on the streets. Once we reached the National Mall itself and walked out to the Lincoln Memorial, we found this:

Thanks, Congress. At least I made it out for my own visit earlier this week. And (as hard as it is to say this), at least I'm taking a little break from America for a while. I love my country, but I am looking forward to exploring other places in the world and reflecting on the purpose and the values of the United States from another perspective. Stay sane, America, please. Or try to. See you in December.

And It Begins! Step One: D.C.

Here's to you, Mr. Lincoln!

Buy last-minute things. Take care of miscellaneous tasks before traveling overseas. Pack. Board a plane. Arrive in D.C. And it all begins!

This sums up my activities during the last week or so. After such a long, leisurely summer, I was startled to find Oxford staring me in the face, startled by the length of my to-do list -- and, yes, startled by how difficult it was to fit my life for the next two years into just a few bags headed across the pond. (A demonstration of my degree of surprise: I expected to be able to pack one large suitcase and one carry-on and just take the rest of my stuff at Christmas. Within only a few minutes of packing, however, these illusions vanished. Two fifty-pound suitcases it was, plus carry-ons that were so heavy and so close to bursting that I broke a decent sweat hauling them on and off my two planes to D.C.) Whoever invented the vacuum bag deserves an award. And my mom deserves an award, too, for putting up with me and helping me distribute the weight among my various suitcases.

Here I am in the nation's capital, for my last few days before I depart for Oxford. I had the good fortune to be able to visit with several wonderful friends from New Mexico and California before the Rhodes Bon Voyage Weekend started last night. Friday and Saturday also involved a bit of sightseeing with and without friends, including a walk out to revisit some D.C. monuments and a hike up and down the Potomac River at Great Falls, Virginia. (The falls were beautiful in their own way, even if I maintain that Virginia landscape -- and Eastern landscape in general -- lacks the stunning sublimity, scale, color, and sheer energy of the West.)

Currents pounding down the Potomac at Great Falls, Virginia -- a nice outing from the city!

Anyway, as of yesterday evening, the Rhodes class of 2013 hit the ground running. I cannot believe I am here, and I already cannot believe how amazing these people are. I've had several great conversations during the last few days, ranging from theological philosophy and Middle Eastern politics to neuroscience and prosthetic limbs, to the oddities of British weather and culture that we all anticipate. Several more days await in D.C., filled with many more receptions and outings to various offices and institutions around the city. More on that later, but this is going to be quite the adventure!

The End of Summer Approacheth

Oxford marches closer! I've finished my summer internships, enjoyed a great camping trip through the national parks of Utah with my father, and am now staring at the reality that I'll be leaving home in a little over ten days' time.

I won't actually arrive in the UK until October 3; the American Association of Rhodes Scholars hosts a Bon Voyage Weekend in Washington, DC for all American Rhodies (and some of their international peers who happen to be stateside) over the last weekend/last few days before departing to Oxford in September and October. The American Rhodes scholars used to head over to the UK via boat, actually, when the Queen Elizabeth II (or Queen Mary, I can't remember which) would transport everyone over the open seas of the Atlantic Ocean to England. I admit I wish this tradition were still in place, simply because it sounds so neat to make a transatlantic voyage, but it stopped after the oil crises of the 1970s collided with some major renovation to the ship. Around a decade ago, the AARS instilled this Bon Voyage Weekend on the pre-Oxford agenda to try to recreate that sense of unity, bonding, and community among the American Rhodes class before they share in many overseas experiences together. I haven't seen this year's exact schedule yet, but it sounds like we will be paying a visit to the White House, the Capitol, the British Embassy, and a few private homes around the DC area over the course of the five days. This truly exceeds any experience I've ever had, and I'm so very excited to get started!

Next on my to-do list is accumulating more "weather appropriate" clothes for Oxford, being sure I have everything together and organized, bidding goodbye to my family and some friends in New Mexico, and doing some pre-Oxford reading. This experience has hovered on the horizon for so long now, I can't believe I'm about to make it a reality. Here's to making the most of every second, from Bon Voyage Weekend to the experiences beyond.

Decisions, Decisions

At the very end of last week, I got the official English MSt course details booklet for 2013-14. That means, once again, it's time to pick my classes. Here's a quick overview of the structure of the MSt program:

Oxford has three terms: Michaelmas (fall), Hilary (winter), and Trinity (spring). Yes, I still get those names mixed up, and catch myself saying fall quarter, winter quarter, spring quarter. What the heck. Each term is eight weeks long, followed by a six-week break. (However, the reading for the courses is so extensive that it's virtually a must to keep reading, if at a lighter pace, during the "holidays." I'm visualizing myself reading on the beach in Spain somewhere!) Summer runs from late June through mid-October.

For the English MSt, Michaelmas and Hilary terms consist of taking classes, most of which are related to your period "strand." Trinity is entirely dedicated toward writing an 11,000 word dissertation. The courses include: the A course (the core course on literature, backgrounds, critical approaches for each period strand), the B course (research skills; optional but highly recommended for those continuing to a DPhil or advanced study), and the C course (special options and specific topics within English lit; can select from a lengthy list). My strand focuses on the period from 1900-present, but others break up literary history into different temporal segments: pre-1550, 1550-1700, 1700-1830, 1830-1914, etc.

I'm currently debating whether or not to take the B course on research methods -- the post-1800 section of that course does look juicy, with class sessions on illustrated editions and textual bibliography and the history of the book... but I'm still not definite about plans to continue to a DPhil or not, and the C course options look pretty juicy too. Current course options range from Philip Roth and Joseph Conrad and Henry James, to life writing and contemporary fiction and modernist poetry. And, since for the C course I'm allowed to stray from my period strand, I could even take courses on "The Anglo-Saxon Riddle Tradition" or "Religious Satire" or "Ancient Rome and Shakespearean Drama" if I wanted. The list goes on... it truly is like wandering through a candy store and being told I can only pick one of the chocolates.

One last thing: I keep seeing names of former Stanford professors arising in the secondary reading/critical background lists. Shout-out to Stanford English!

"Your UK visa has been issued..."

This email, beginning with this subject line, exactly a week after I sent off my visa application. Total processing time: about half a week. It'll probably get back to me less than two weeks after I mailed it.

Whoohooooo! One more hurdle down. I guess they will let me into their country now? Let the games begin.

Visa: Submitted!

This past Friday, I felt probably the greatest amount of relief I have since I finished and turned in my last paper of my Stanford education two months ago: I completed and submitted my UK visa application! This was a necessary logistical and bureaucratic hoop to jump through, but I felt particularly gratified to have sifted through the mountainous and mind-numbing requirements on the UKBA (UK Border Agency) website without missing any details or fudging any paperwork, or so I hope. Besides, judging from some of the close-call experiences of friends and even members of my family who have studied or traveled abroad, the visa application package wasn't something I wanted to mess up. Even if a mumbling, indecipherable U.S. Post Office employee made the last stage before submission a difficult one (why are USPS employees always impossible to lipread?), I'm once again that much closer to commencing my time in the UK! And am looking forward to meeting my fellow "Rhodies" and Oxford people very much indeed... this is almost like the summer before freshman year all over again. Luckily, the key word being "almost."

In Celebration of English Horticulture

"Do spend some time in Oxford and the UK over the summer. Then you'll see why people actually live there." That's what another Rhodes scholar told me earlier this summer. An email from the registrar of Rhodes House lauded the gloriousness of the gardens this time of year. A good friend of mine currently studying in the UK wrote to me of the various flowers and plants in bloom. Curious, I disembarked from my flight in Heathrow last week, wondering -- what is with this English summer?

The last time I'd been in the UK, three years ago, my travels culminated with cold, fog, and ice. We had a few rare sunny days, but jackets and umbrellas were more of the norm. In celebration of the unusually warm, sunshine-filled summer the UK is having this year, I present a few photos of perhaps my favorite  element of this milder time of year, the incredible flowers from the English gardens: