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.

Hogwarts

Today was truly an adventure. We had a free day from school and it was our day to go explore the world outside. Many of the students took the bus to London, but my friends and I decided to stay and finally sightsee in Oxford. There are so many museums and shops and monuments we have yet to see.

We started our day with a proper English breakfast, which was served at our school. It was very filling and tasted great. We soon left the college with shorts on and our bags full of money. Our first stop was the Ashmolean Museum, a very nice museum. Its exterior almost resembled an ancient Greek building with its white pillars. It was beautiful.

  
The museum was filled with archaeological items dating back 100s and even more than 1000s of years ago.

   
    
    
   
Even though this museum was nice and had a lot of cool finds, it wasno thing  compared to the Louvre. One thing that really made it different though, was the Stadivarius on display.

  
Next, we walked around town and stopped to shop and eat. We had delicious pizza in an almost hidden restaurant. We also ordered desserts, which were superb. Th gelato was like heaven.

We walked further down the street, not knowing where we were going, but then we saw an amazing building: Christ Church, the Oxford college that’s had endless numbers of movies filmed there. It was so beauitful and elegant. It really did remind me of Harry Potter.

  
We sadly didn’t go inside and look at the gardens. That’ll be another day when our legs won’t be so tired.

We ended the day with a movie: Mission Impossible. We also had to run like crazy to get back to our collegr on time. They wete about the close the gates once we came. My legs are still burning and my lungs are heaving.

Well, I had a great and fun day with my friends. It’s a day I’ll always remember.

Tacos

Another day of classes, but it was really exciting. The weather was actually beautiful today and probably the only warmth we’ve had so far. I was so happy when I woke up with the sun shining through my windows. I couldn’t wait for a day like this to come, and now it’s here!

I made tacos for my friends, which seems pretty normal, right? Well, they’ve never had a taco in their life! I was so surprised and shocked. So, we bought the ingredients and started cooking. Once it was time to put the spices into the meat, my friend started freaking out because it was so spicy. She just wasn’t used to that “extra kick”. It was so fun seeing their reactions when they opened their mouths and took their first bite. They loved them and probably can’t wait to have them again. We’ve already started planning for tonight’s meal: Mac ‘n Cheese. They’re going to love it. 🙂

I finally took some pictures of the campus. It really is a nice place with both modern and old buildings.

My awesome new friend! 🙂

The beautiful Tamila

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.

Traveling, Wandering, and Exploring

I’ll have to admit that my plane ride today was the first I’ve taken by myself, and I didn’t get lost! I’m very proud of myself. Everything was straightforward and easy to find. There were even some OSC people waiting for me. With the help of a very nice lady (Cathy?), my new Swedish friend and I made it to the university. We did hit a few bumps on the road (we couldn’t find an OSC instructor, but once we found him we waited for like half an hour for a taxi), but everything went fine. We registered ourselves and got our room keys. Then, all of a sudden, I found myself in my new room. An actual Oxford Uni room. I have the best view in the world (the backside of a building), and I’m happily enjoying my nice, quiet room.

After settling in, I went to go meet with other curious students. We were guided to a room with tables and sheets of paper lying everywhere. After a few handshakes here and there, we sat down. The instructors said we were having a math placement test, and in my head I’m like, No, I didn’t get to study for this! Haha, but it went fine. It’s just to place us in the right classes.

When the teachers were collecting the papers, they were also calling out everyone’s names. All I could here coming out of the instructor’s mouth was a bunch of chzrs, and ghts, and ghfoskjgbksg. I didn’t understand a thing! There were so many different names and nationalities, it was insane.

Soon, it was time for some delicious food. There were three different choices of courses, but once I saw the salmon, I went for it. It looked so good, and it really was delicious. It was perfectly cooked with a nice sauce to top it off. With some vegetables added to my plate, I was as happy as I could be.

Once we were finished, we had a tour of the college we’re staying in (St. Antony’s). It’s not that big, it’s actually quite small. There are some very nice, old buildings, but I’m living in one of the modern buildings. I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any pictures yet, but I’ll be adding some later in the week.

OSC is truly fun with so much going on. There are so many activities to be a part of and so much to see. There are many more colleges within Oxford that I have yet to explore. I can’t wait to do that soon, but right now it’s ten at night and I can already feel my eyelids slowly sinking. Luckily, I won’t be suffering from some serious jet-lag!

Well, that’s it ladies and gentlemen. I’ll keep you guys updated in the days to come.

Relaxing…

Yesterday, all I did for the day was relax. I sat on the sofa and literally watched TV for the whole day. Yeah, I know it’s not healthy, but I sometimes need days like that. The only other thing I did yesterday was pick up my pets, and I’ve sure missed them. My cat seemed thrilled to be home. Once we stepped foot in our house, she purred for the rest of the day. Though, we kind of have a problem with the dog. He seems like he’s changed. He’s way calmer now, and sadly too skinny. His bones are sticking out of him, and I’m just worried he didn’t eat anything at the “pet hotel” we sent him to. Maybe he didn’t like the food, but all I know is that he’s way too skinny and he just isn’t full of energy like he used to be.

Anyway, I redecorated my room today. I hung some maps up on my walls and a poster of the Eiffel Tower. Now I only have to buy pins to mark everywhere I’ve been to in the world. I’ve also been busy coloring with my oil pastels.

It’s only a few more days until I leave for Oxford! I’m so excited! I’ll be taking my first plane trip by myself and I’ll be going to the university of my dreams. I’ll basically live the life of an Oxford student by staying in the undergraduate dormitory and meeting other inspiring students from around the world. I can’t wait to start packing my suitcase. To only think that my journey is only two weeks away, makes it so much more exciting (and nerve-wracking).

CrossFit

So, yesterday was the first time I’ve ever tried CrossFit, and it really was a pain in the butt. We focused mainly on perfecting our squats while throwing a medicine ball at a wall. After doing a ton of those, we had to do lunges, sit-ups, and run laps. My legs are burning and they’re so sore that I can barely walk, but it was so worth it.

Anyway, I finally booked my flight to London! I’m so excited. I’m already thinking about what I should take with me. Of course, I’m going to bring my awesome Canon 60D camera. It takes the best pictures ever. I’m going to literally take pictures of everything once I get there.

My Summer So Far

Wow, time flies by so fast when you’re busy. In just a couple of days, our friends all the way from California will be visiting. My family and I literally spent the whole day cleaning everything. We were busy cleaning up our ruined backyard (blame my dog… he just won’t stop digging up the lawn), organizing our outdoor storage rooms, sweeping the garage clean, wiping down the windows, and cleaning everything inside the house. Now we’re finally ready to have some guests.

There’s also so much to think about and prepare for during the next few weeks. I need to start deciding what I want to bring on our summer trip. The whole family is going on a road trip across Europe. We’ll be heading to countries like France, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, etc. It’s going to be a journey of a life time! I can’t wait to finally be on top of the Eiffel Tower and see the gorgeous view of Paris. When I’m there, I can actually use the French I’ve been learning for the past 4 years at school. I also can’t wait to see the Disney inspired castle Neuschwanstein. Though, it’s going to be tiring living out of a suitcase for the whole trip.

I also just received an e-mail from OSC (Oxford Study Courses). I now have access to the Students’ Area on their website, and I found the checklist of what I need to bring. It’s not much, just the essentials like clothes, laptop, alarm clocks. I can’t wait to start packing. I’m seriously so excited! I just can’t stop thinking about it. I’m actually going to be visiting Oxford for the first time and I’ll be living there as a student! I’m just bursting with happiness and excitement 🙂

My Journey Begins

Hello everyone! My Oxford journey has finally begun. I recently received an order confirmation from Oxford Study Courses, otherwise known as OSC, which means that I’ll be spending my summer at Oxford University! I’ll live the life of an Oxford student by living on campus, attending classes at two of Oxford’s colleges, and meeting other aspiring students from all over the world.

I’ll be attending a course for students that are going to attend an IB (International Baccalaureate) school this coming school year. It’s a course to help prepare students for the next two years of IB, which will be both arduous and demanding. You can read more about the IB diploma in my blog here or on the IB official website here.

I can’t wait to finally visit and live at the university of my dreams. Oxford University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Times Higher Eduction has ranked the university as 3rd best in the world and the best in the UK. Even though the course is only for two weeks, it will be a life-changing experience that I will never forget.