In case anyone's interested...

I have posted a bunch of new pictures that I took around Oxford last week... it's such a beautiful old city. The photos are on my facebook page, so you can log on and see them there, or just follow this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=237960&id=534227816&l=5decf33689

Hope you're all doing well!

G.

Let's get this party started...

Well, I've been here almost two weeks now, and things are starting to get rollin' around the ole' Oxford... I will be visiting several seminars this week, and deciding which ones I will start attending regularly. I also have to start working on an overview of my research plan and develop my chapter outline, as well as start working on my reading. So, as they say, time for the rubber to meet the road.

On a completely different note, I bought some peanut butter at a grocery store in town today. That made me very happy -- peanut butter will be a staple food for me! :-) And I think I've found a decent church just down the road, so that's good too!

Grace and Peace,

Geoff

Whoa...

I need to give you all an update! So, I'm here at Oxford, settling in... things are fine, but I've hardly had a minute to write and my internet has been acting up. At any rate, here's the latest:

Flew over to the UK last Monday, Sept. 27. It was an overnight flight and I arrived around noon on Tuesday the 28th. After a glitch with my bus ticket, I finally was on my way to Oxford around 2 pm. Got to my lodging at 4 pm, showered and went to my first introductory meeting at 5 pm. Went out to dinner with some other new students, then came back and unpacked everything. Went to bed around 2 am.

On Wednesday the 29th, I woke up thinking that it was mid-morning. I was wrong - it was 2 in the afternoon! So, apparently, I was tired. :-P It's taken me several days to get used to the time difference, but I think I'm finally settling into it. My body just couldn't get the knack of going to bed at a different time. Anyway, a brief overview of what else I've done since arriving...

Went to a few meetings at Regent's Park College, my college at Oxford. Had dinner there last Thursday night. Went to a postgrad welcome dinner on Saturday night. Met up with some new friends for lunch on Sunday, and went to church Sun. night at an evangelical Anglican church up the street called St. Andrews. Seems like a good place. Met with my advisor on Sat. and had a good chat about what I should be focusing on as I begin. Monday I went to library orientation and walked around Oxford for quite a while, getting my bearings. Yesterday (Tuesday), more orientations and today I met with my college tutor about various details.

If that all seems like a blur, well, it feels that way too. It's hard to believe it's only been one week. It feels like I've been here a lot longer. And, there are things going on at the university pretty much non-stop, so I'm sure I've missed some things that I should have attended. Oh well. So far so good! Now I'm off to get some groceries...

From Oxford, UK, this is Geoff, signing off.