Harry Potter in Oxford!

Today was my very last day of exploring Oxford! I sadly have to leave this wonderful city tomorrow, and I’m about to cry just thinking about that. Oxford has been so wonderful and this OSC program I’ve attended has given me so many opportunities. I’ve met people and made lifelong friends from all around the world. It’s sad to say good-bye to all of my new friends, but it’s time to go. I miss my family and my home, but I don’t want to leave just yet. I wish I had another week left.

For our final day, my friends and I walked all around Oxford and visited many of the colleges. We stopped by Trinity College and took a bunch of pictures. The place was amazing with its gorgeous garden and its old, rustic buildings. Sadly, we weren’t given access to the Hall, which was where they filmed Harry Potter! Yes, the famous dinning hall from Harry Potter was in Trinity College. What a dream come true.

From left: Sandra, me, Tamila, and Raysha

Selfieeeeeeeee

We also stopped by some other places, finding bookstores and museums. I really wanted to go in the Bodleian Library, but we arrived exactly 3 minutes before they closed. So, we instead went exploring inside a bookstore. It didn’t really seem that big at first. On the first floor, the books were nicely organized and there was even a section on the wall where the books were wrapped up! A sign hanging above it read, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Gosh, that it like the coolest thing ever!

Downstairs was a different story. We were walking down the flight of stairs, not knowing what to expect, when all of a sudden the whole room just opened up right in front of us. It was so huge and filled with thousands of books. There were also some cool souvenirs of pens designed as needle and pill markers.

But, what first caught my eye were the old books on display. There was a book by Shakespeare and it must’ve been from the 16 hundreds. There were Jane Austen books and even an Isaac Newton book. The really cool thing was that you could BUY those books! I was so surprised and fascinated.

After that, we went on the other side of the street and saw a building also labeled as the Bodleian Library, so we were confused. We were allowed to go outside in the courtyard, but the gates were closed to go inside the buildings.

Sandra and me

Soon after that, we went to the famous St. Mary’s College. The building was so magnificent and one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen. My dream had finally come true. I’ve always dreamed of seeing Oxford in person. I not only went to the main campus, but also went to the college where they filmed Harry Potter! This was probably one of the best days of my life. I will always remember this.

Fabulous Food

Another day in Oxford! Today was a day of exploring and searching for restaurants. It took my friends and I over half an hour just to find a restaurant that was open as late as 8 pm. We were starving for some real food (not chocolate like we’ve been snacking on like crazy). We found a perfect restaurant with deliciously cooked food. I choose to have a pulled pork burger with fries and coleslaw. I know it’s not the healthiest meal ever, but it sure tasted good.

It was so beautiful wandering through the streets. The sky was beautiful with colorful clouds and the sidewalks were open with not as many people. The buildings awed me yet again with their unique architecture and ancient facade.

Now, it’s 12:45 am, and I still haven’t finished my chemistry homework! Even though it’s super fun staying in Oxford, there’s still a lot of work to finish. 🙂

Exploring Oxford

Today’s been a busy, busy day! I kicked off the morning with some amazing English breakfast, whilst conversing with new, delightful people. It’s so diverse here with people coming all the way from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, etc. I feel like I didn’t come far at all. With only a two hour flight away, I can’t say that it’s that impressive coming from Norway. England and Norway are basically neighbours.

Right after my delicious morning meal, everyone was gathered into a huge auditorium (huge in Norwegian standards). We were updated on what was going on and what OSC really does. The speaker was so excited, but strict, telling the boys in the back to sit upright and constantly asking us to quiet down.

After that hour long session, everyone gathered around the office wall to see what classes they were going to have. Yes, we have classes, and yes we’re assigned homework. My first class was TOK (Theory of Knowledge) and I was beyond excited. I love being analytical and critical about the world and how we as individuals perceive things. The whole TOK lesson was basically about our 5 main senses and how we perceive the world. How do humans see the world compared to dogs? Fun fact: dogs see less color (scientifically proven) and can hear higher-pitched sounds than humans. Other fun facts: Pigeons can see 340 degrees (so basically everything around them without moving their heads), moles have more sensors in their nose than in an entire human hand, bees can taste with their legs! Imagine that! Tasting something with your legs. I’m glad I can’t do that, just image what it would taste like wearing jeans everyday. 🙂

We also learned about optical illusions and how they can trick the mind. We saw how our brains eliminate words that don’t make sense, and interpret it in a different way. For example, if a card flashes by very fast with this written on it: Once in a a lifetime, we wouldn’t even notice the extra “a” in the sentence. Why? Because it doesn’t make sense with that “a”.

We discovered later in the lesson that the teacher hid some interesting objects in the room. It took the class almost halfway through the lesson to notice that the teacher’s tie was wooden. Yes, it was literally made out of wood! Then, we noticed that his clock was ticking anti-clockwise! That’s even stranger. Imagine looking at a clock going the opposite way. It just makes you feel uncomfortable, because it just isn’t natural. Anyway, I thought his class was really fascinating.

Next class was math, and it was super fun (if you enjoy math). I learned what this is: ! Which is so cool. I also met some really nice people. Soon after that, was lunch. Out of the three choices, I chose a chicken breast that was nicely marinated and cooked just perfectly. The vegetables on the side were spectacular.

Not long after that, we had another meeting in the auditorium. This time about the IB diploma and it’s benefits. We also saw a very interesting movie that’s most likely worth your time to watch: Shift Happens

Next was our last class of the day, mine being English. Wahoo! The English teacher was very nice and enthusiastic and I just learned so much in that one lesson. First off, we analyzed the famous painting “The Scream”, by the famous Norwegian Edvard Munch. It’s one of the most popular paintings in the whole world.

From the website: http://totallyhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/The_Scream.jpg

Yes, it’s very horrifying. The painting just carries so much emotion.

Later in the lesson, we did some analyzing of literary texts. Nothing out of the ordinary.

After that amazing lesson, our photo hunt began. We had 6 stops to go to (in groups) and take pictures of ourselves proving that we were actually there. We walked all around the city of Oxford, and explored the “new” area. There were so many university buildings: colleges, research centers, halls, etc. Most of them being a part of the University of Oxford. The buildings were just spectacular with their rustic, ancient facade. They must’ve been hundreds of years old.

University Park

So green

Town

University building

Amazing university buildings…

I had the time of my life exploring Oxford. The buildings were so ancient and reminded me of Hogwarts. I was so filled with curiosity that I wanted to go look in all of the colleges and buildings to see what it was like inside. I had my chance when we passed by a research center. We peered through the glass windows and saw that the scientists were experimenting with gloves covering they’re hands and white suits draping over their bodies. It was so fascinating and just plain cool.

After a long day of walking, it was finally time to do my homework. Most of it was thinking outside-the-box and being both critical and analytical. It was tough at times, but all it really was, was to state what we thought about different things.

Soon, I went to grab some delicious Domino’s pizza with my new, awesome friends. We had to walk for like 15 min to get to the restaurant, but it was totally worth it. Domino’s makes such great pizza. We hailed a taxi and were driven all the way back to the college (thankfully). The pizza was spectacular and it was so fun being with my new friends.

So, that’s a wrap. Tomorrow’s going to be another busy, but very interesting and exciting day.

The Louvre

Another day of waking up at 7:30 a.m. and leaving the hotel early in the morning. We’ve been doing this basically every single day of our trip because there’s just so much to do. When we were staying in Austria, we could’ve stayed there for a couple of more days because it was so nice and beautiful. We could’ve also taken a gondola up a mountain or taken a long walk along the turquoise river near our hotel. We could’ve stayed another night in Colmar to shop for more clothes. And Paris… that could take a whole week, and we’re only staying for three days. In just the first two days, we’ve experienced a lot. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to celebrate Bastille Day, see the Eiffel Tower (from a distance), walk on the Parisian streets, and eat weird, but delicious French food. Today, was another exciting and inspiring day.

We called a taxi early this morning to take us to the Louvre, the museum I’ve been dreaming to visit my whole life. Instead of walking the extra 45 minutes from our hotel to the museum, we took the cab and enjoyed the ride. As the cab neared the Arc de Triomphe, I gasped and pointed it out to everyone. The monument looked so beautiful, especially when the sun was shining on it from an angle. It was so big and tall, and beautifully decorated.

As we passed the widely known monument, I glimpsed out the window and saw dozens of brand stores lined up beside each other. Louis Vuitton, Lacoste, Abercrombie & Fitch, etc. Too bad you have to be rich to actually buy something in some of those brand stores. It would be nice to own a Louis Vuitton bag or a pair of Louboutin heels.

As the distance between us and the museum were becoming closer, the buildings and monuments around us were becoming bigger and more majestic. Decorative gold leaf and beautifully carved marble were added to them. One after another, the buildings became more majestic until we finally reached the Louvre, the most majestic of them all. Saying that the museum was huge is an understatement. The museum must’ve been spread out over hundreds of thousands of square feet of area. It kind of had the shape of a half rectangle with its opening facing the road we just came from.

The Louvre Museum

The opening was also filled with an enormous glass pyramid where hundreds of tourists were waiting in line to buy tickets. My mouth gaped open when I realized how long these people actually have to wait until they finally can go in the museum. After hours of waiting and standing around, they would finally be able to walk around the museum. Though, there backs and feet would already be hurting from all of that waiting.

Thankfully, I have a very smart dad who thought ahead. He bought front of the line passes for everyone in the family, which really did make a big difference. We walked passed all of those waiting, tired people. I felt special, unique, and almost important. It was a very great feeling to know that I didn’t have to wait for hours to buy tickets, but I felt bad for everyone else.

Once we passed the security guards and metal detectors, we went through the doors and into the glass pyramid. We followed the flow of people and took the escalator down to the ground floor. I soon saw the entrance of the Louvre open up before my eyes. Hundreds of people were walking around the floor, deciding where to go first. My family and I decided to take the whole 1st floor first, which had the Mona Lisa and other very famous paintings.

I was first struck by the very high ceilings and the polished marble walls. The hallways were also spacious and helped to avoid crowding. The first very popular statue we saw was “The Winged Victory of Samothrace”. There were so many people gathering around it taking pictures and admiring it. I was soon squeezed in between people I’ve never seen before, while I was trying take at least one good picture. It was so warm and the air was so stuffy that I soon had a headache. There was also an awful stench that hit my nose. It was the terrible smell of hundreds of sweaty people crowding around just one statue, taking pictures. When I think back to that moment, I couldn’t believe how that one statue could attract so many people at one time. There were hundreds of thousands of different statues, paintings, sculptures, and art pieces that were also beautiful in their own unique way. Many paintings and sculptures held the same amount of splendidness. Each piece had its own story to tell, each story different from one person to another.

After escaping from that crowded room, we walked into many different rooms. The rooms were gigantic and spacious, most with beautifully painted ceilings that expressed a different feeling. The first couple of rooms were bright, inspiring, and optimistic. One of the rooms I remember the most, was a very long, rectangular room with its ceiling and walls covered in paintings and gold leaf carvings. Paintings of kings and leaders, painters and politicians hung from the walls. Gold frames were placed around the pictures, matching the rest of the room’s coloring. The whole room was basically covered in gold. It was just so beautiful, I can’t even explain it in words. It was even difficult capturing its true beauty in one shot. I tried taking pictures with different setting and techniques, but nothing could compare with what I saw with my eyes. Glass cases filled with rubies and emeralds stretched along the center of the room. Rings, necklaces, and crowns of royalty were placed before me with only a glass casing separating me and it. That room was one of the nicest rooms of the whole museum.

Once we were finished marveling the golden room, we walked further along the 1st floor. We entered an Egyptology themed part of the floor with tablets of hieroglyphics on display. There were also statues (both big and small), tools, and scarabs behind glass incasing. This was also on of my favorite parts of the museum because I’ve always been a big fan of Egyptology and archaeology. Even just hearing the words opens a whole world of imagination for me. I love discovering how people used to live hundreds of thousands of years ago. Different religions, languages, and life-styles interest me and compel me to discover more about them. The Louvre is really the perfect place for me.

A sphinx

We went through some more rooms and saw some 18th century room designs and furniture. We just skimmed through everything, because we knew that there was so much more to see. We can’t read about everything behind every artwork or sculpture.

Then came the time to see the Mona Lisa. We followed the signs that pointe to “La Joconde”, which is the French name for the Mona Lisa. People started to pile up as an art gallery opened up before me. Huge art pieces hung on the walls, each one very powerful in their meanings. Some where sad and depressing to see, others were very vibrant and brought joy to me. I then turned a corner and saw a huge crowd around something. I couldn’t see what it was, but I knew it was the Mona Lisa. There were so many people, it was almost sick, but everyone wanted to take a picture. I went along with my sister to go take some, too. I was immediately squished, and it was difficult to move. Thankfully, it wasn’t warm in there and I didn’t notice any foul stench. After waiting and sometimes pushing my way through, I made it to the very front of the group. The painting was safely secure behind thick glass and security guards were continually controlling the crowd. Everyone says that they are disappointed when they see the Mona Lisa because it’s so small. But really, it isn’t. In my opinion, it’s an ok size. What I focus on is the feeling I get when I see it. Since there was so much going on around me, it was hard to just enjoy the moment. I couldn’t actually just stand there and stare at it. The guards were telling us to move right after we were done taking pictures. I wish I could’ve acknowledged the beautiful, steady brush strokes and disproportionate shape of her head. Even though I couldn’t enjoy the moment, I’m beyond glad to say that I’ve seen the Mona Lisa in real-life.

Mona Lisa

We looked at many more paintings in the gallery, depicting different stages of life. We saw paintings of naked babies, young women, strong men, and elderly people. All of them were impressively in great shape and they didn’t even look like they were hundreds of years old.

After grabbing a bite for lunch, we went to go see some Greek and Roman sculptures, which was also a highlight for my day. I’m a huge fan of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series. I basically grew up with those books and it was very fascinating to see some of the gods and goddesses come to life. As I passed by some statues, I saw some young people drawing the statues. I suddenly had the desire to just sit down and start drawing. Sadly, I have a whole family to think about. None of them would like standing around, waiting for me to finish drawing. I guess I will just add that to my bucket list: Go to the Louvre and draw off of sculptures.

Hercules fighting Achelous in the form of a snake

My sister wanted to go see “Venus de Milo”, otherwise known as the statue of no arms. Many people also crowded around this beautiful statue, but it wasn’t so bad. I thought the statue was beautiful.

Venus de Milo

After a whole 6 hours spent at the museum, we hailed a cab and went to the hotel. We were all exhausted after all of that walking, we just needed to have a rest. Later in the day, we had some dinner at Frog XVI, which is a bar restaurant. The food tasted so good, but everything was fried and covered with sauce. Even though it was unhealthy, it was delicious. It made my day. 🙂

The Old City of Colmar

I woke up this morning with heavy blankets over me, paintings depicting France hanging on the walls, and flower-painted cabinets beside me. I really did feel like I was in an ancient place, in a good way. The hotel is hundreds of years old, dating back to 1381. The hotel’s exterior is just gorgeous with its very rustic wooden shutters, painted walls, and hanging old signs.

After admiring my hotel room for the hundredth time, I got ready to have my first French breakfast. My family and I with some friends went to a nice restaurant around the corner. Once we found our seats, we greeted our waiter and ordered. Most of us had an order of the “standard” French breakfast: a croissant and baguette with complimentaries such as butter and honey. We also received a hot drink and orange juice. The breakfast was very good, even though it was a lot of bread. The croissant was just amazing. It was my favorite part of the meal.

We soon went exploring in the city, Colmar, which is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve never been in a city like Colmar, ever. All the buildings were so old, ranging from the 1300s and up. I was amazed that these old buildings still exist. They were most likely restored, but the history this city holds is so fascinating. I absolutely love history, since I’m an archaeology freak 🙂 haha. So this is the perfect town for me. It’s almost like I can feel the history. In a way, I picture how people used to live here and how this city looked like so long ago.

I admired the city as we walked around everywhere, basically getting lost. We finally found a shopping center and found a little tour train next to it. We decided that that would be a great way to see the whole city and learn its history. After waiting five minutes, we hopped on and got our selves comfy.

We passed by some very old buildings, many archaeology museums, and a very old church. The church’s roof is made out of copper tiles, which have rusted from its exposure to the oxygen in the air. Because of this, the tiles were a very bright green and it was just amazing to look at. It was so beautiful and in a way exotic.

Taking the small train was cool, but also a little frightening. It weaved through some very narrow streets, where people were walking. All of a sudden, the train stopped. We waited a couple of minutes until we found out that there was a car blocking the street in front of us. While we were waiting, groups of people slid in between the train and the wall. I was shocked when a woman was pushing a stroller in front of her through that tiny little gap. Surprisingly, she was able to fit the stroller, but the train started moving. I thought the train would drive right into her or the stroller, but she made it out safely.

We walked around for a couple of hours, looking around and doing some window shopping. We saw some people taking a boat through a narrow river, just like in Venice. People actually call that part of town Little Venice. We sat down and had lunch  right next to where the boats were riding. We ordered some light food, fish and salads. We thought the quality of the food would be like yesterday’s dinner, since the prices were about the same. But, no. It was like we were on a whole other planet. The fish I ordered was perfectly cooked and the salad was nicely plated. The food was basically decorated on the plates and it  looked very appetizing. It was my first time ever eating a whole fish with bones and head still attached. Even though it looked a little frightening at first, I cut into it and ate it up like a pig, It was just very delicious.

Fried trout with a salad

For dessert, we had a delicious crème brülée with a perfectly hardened top and soft cream below. I recommend this restaurant for anyone who’s going to Colmar, France. The restaurant is called Les Bateliers. It really is a great restaurant and definitely worth a visit.

Crème brülée

I was literally sitting right over the river,

My sister and I went on a shopping spree when we were finished eating. We tried to find the shopping center we found earlier, but it was tougher than we thought it would be. We basically walked a full circle and had to start all over again. We finally found the place after a while of looking around, not know where the heck we were. Once we found the place, all we did was look around. Further down the street, we went into a French book store, and I finally bought what I wished for: the first Harry Potter book in French. I really don’t want to lose my French, so I thought it would be a good idea to start reading French books. Though, Harry Potter is going to be a little bit difficult to read in French. Oh well, I have to live with it. 🙂

My sister and I met with the adults later and we all went to go on the boat ride. Once I jumped into the boat, I got my camera all set up to take pictures. Then, all of a sudden, the whole boat swayed to the left and then to the right. I swore, it could’ve tipped over. I turned behind me and my dad was the one moving the whole boat! Gosh, it scared me so bad. I was sure we were going to tip over at some point in the trip.

Once we pushed off the wall, we glided on top of the water and I took a ton of pictures. Then, suddenly, my camera stopped working. I looked at the camera to see what was wrong, and I saw that the memory card was full… My 64GB memory card was full! Wow, I was not expecting that. I must’ve taken like thousands of pictures for it to already be full. When the tour was over, we walked all the way back to the mall and bought a new memory card. This time 32 GB.

When I went to go pay for the card, the lady behind the desk started speaking in French. I just looked at her, and didn’t say a thing. I was really concentrating on what she was saying. I then figured out that she said I had to go to another cash register and get the card out of the box.  I replied with a couple of “oui ” and a “merci”. I think she thought I spoke French, but she kind of gave me a weird look. Probably because I looked kind of lost and confused. Anyway, I understood her and I was proud of myself for pretending to speak great French.

Well, that was my day today. It was amazing to finally get into my hotel room and just rest. My feet are literally killing me, and it was about time to get some rest.