Oxford

[IWilKikU]

I just went to Oxford to visit, and I fell in love. This city is so cool. And all the Colleges are beautiful (well, most of them anyways). I'm going to apply there for my MA/Mst. Its a greatish place. Have any of you been there? What do you think about it?

[Koa]

I think I've been there on a trip when I went to London ages ago... now it's stupid, I can't remember if it was Oxford or Cambridge... maybe it was Cambridge :D *hates people who go to places just to not remember them afterwards* :D

As for the uni...well apparently it has lots of rules and takes a lot of effort, but you're probably used to a decent educational system so you wouldnt find it as shocking as I do from the land of anarchy... Dunno, there are moments when I'd kill to have the possibility to study in such a place... (but then I remember how the concept of education seems to differ from here and I think I'll keep my classical-oriented education). Then anyway there's the fascination that just the name 'Oxford' gives... go there (and send me a postcard! ;))!

[kilted exile]

I have been to Oxford once, went to visit a mate who was studying down there. From what I saw it seemed a decent enough place. This is the link to the student paper: http://www.oxfordstudent.com/

[atiguhya padma]

The WWI poet and essayist Edward Thomas wrote a very good book all about Oxford (its published by OUP and is simply called Oxford). I don't think it is as good as his The South Country, but it's definitely still worth looking at.

I have known a few people who studied there. The general impression I got was that you have to be in a kind of 'in-crowd' to enjoy life in Oxford Uni. That was a decade or two ago, mind you. Still, I doubt if much has changed.

[emily655321]

I just took a walk through the town and around the gardens at the U. Really pretty, willow trees and stuff. Really touristy town though, predictably. Didn't have a reason to check out the school though, so all I know is about the outside of the buildings. :p

[amuse]

oh, go kik. it's hallowed ground (thinks of tolkien, realizes am drooling :D)

[IWilKikU]

One of my profs. studies at All Souls College. He said he'd write me a recomendation.

[emily655321]

That's really really awesome. Savor the moment, Kik -- you might be going to Oxford! *yay!**good luck hugs*

[Blade]

i feel so young, all this talk of travel and uni's n whatnot, i just got my license for petes sake

[amuse]

some of us here are twice your age. i haven't decided yet if that makes me old. :D probaby not.

[emily655321]

Blade, I'm almost 19 and I still don't have my license. I can't even pull out of the driveway. LOL

[Sancho]

I think you need a special license for Boston. A friend of mine from up there once told me, "In Boston, using a blinker is a sign of weakness."

[emily655321]

Haha. Oh God, no, don't attempt it. When I go to Boston we park under the common and take the T, no matter what.

[Koa]

In Italy drivers are crazy. And you get the licence at 18 anyway, not 16 :P

[emily655321]

Eek! Don't mention Italian drivers, Koa, I almost had a panic attack :D I visited my Uncle Charlie when he was stationed in Naples, and I'm sure that trip took years off of my life. The number of lanes was constantly changing, and if he would have obeyed the speed limit or stopped at a red light there would have been a pile-up!

[fayefaye]

:D Best of luck, kik. ;)

I don't have my licence either.... but just you wait,.... come my eighteenth.... mwahahaha....:D Australia's crazy about keeping people like me off the road.... :(

[Koa]

Originally posted by emily655321
Eek! Don't mention Italian drivers, Koa, I almost had a panic attack :D I visited my Uncle Charlie when he was stationed in Naples, and I'm sure that trip took years off of my life. The number of lanes was constantly changing, and if he would have obeyed the speed limit or stopped at a red light there would have been a pile-up!

Yeah Naples is famous for that.... I've never been there but everybody knows that they have that special rule of not stopping at traffic lights :D:D:D In the north they're a bit more disciplined, but still it's crazy... I recently found out that I dont hate driving as I thought I did, I just hate having to drive among morons who overtake me fuiriously cos I'm the only one under the age of 70 who respects the speed limit, or among idiots who just think they can do whatever they want in the middle of the road... and I could go on and on... *rant over for now*

[simon]

The Italian guy I know got a 600 dollar ticket and the cop car chasing him had to call for backup becuase he couldn't keep up. Those Italians are crazy in love with cars and speed and fast turns that gouge huge red welts into your neck with the seatbelt.

[amuse]

you just made me seasick :( :p

[simon]

Beware of the italian driver, they lack consideration and though they are good at driving everyone else around them isn't and sooner or later accidents happen, usually with more people in the car than seatbelts.

[Koa]

There's just no respect of rules...

You know, in Italy after midnight the traffic lights don't work...they just have blinking orange light. Only the main ones at big crossroads work regularly. I suppose it's because the average Italiahn driver in a quiet empty road at night wouldnt stop at the red light, thinking there's noone around... I've enver seen this in any other country. Also, wherever else I've been, the orange light of traffic lights appears before the green light... In Italy it doesn't, it just gets from red to green...and I suppose it's because the average Italian driver again would just start moving before the light is actually green...
I've been involved in a car crash, it was 5 am and of course the lights were just blinking...the moron coming from the road on the left should have stopped, instead he passed at 80km per hour (in the city!), or that's what seemed to me, anyway really fast... And got on the front of my car. Noone got hurt, but really it was a question of 1 metre (sorry I only know the metrical system ;))... I was driving and there were other 4 people in my car...(and I was the oldest one, age 19!) It feels like a miracle now... and all just because too many people think it's stupid to respect the speed limits, and some people don't care even of the other rules...

[amuse]

so happy the cretin didn't hurt you guys! btw, i've never heard of orange lights - we have green, yellow, red. is orange like yellow - drive slower, prepare to stop? technically, that is - lots of people speed up/run through the red light that follows.

[Koa]

yes yellow is like orange... some people call it orange, some call it yellow, I call it orange cos it looks more orange than yellow to me, but it's just a question of which word you prefer to use :D