The City of Dreaming Spires

"And that sweet city with her dreaming spires,
She needs not June for beauty's heightening"
- Matthew Arnold, Thyrsis

Greetings from Oxford, home of the greatest university in the world, the most gifted poets, scholars, and intellectuals... And at least for a month, also my home. I'm taking summer tutorial classes wherein I have an hour and a half one-on-one session with my professor each week and present to him an essay I've been working on (somewhat like a dissertation).

Oxford is amazing. I love this city. I live in a huge near the city center, London is an hour and a half away, and I have a few friends who are also here. But living condition and social scene aside... the city is beautiful. My favorite time of day is around dinner time when the sun gives the buildings a gold shine when it hits them:

Thoughts and observations:

• I don't like English cuisine (fish 'n chips, bangers 'n mash, pie) - if you can even call it a cuisine
• BUT I like their English Breakfast, afternoon tea w/ scones and amazing clotted cream
• Kebab vans and stalls are widespread here, and they're seriously not too bad
• I thought British guys would be cuter
• They take their class systems seriously (i.e. being called a "Chav" is a huge insult because it means you're from the working class who wears sweatpants/hoodies, and live in council housing)
• The weather is crazy and summer never comes (it's supposed to be summer now but it rains almost everyday)
• English people go to tuck shops, get sandwiches/baguettes to go, and eat while they walk

More pictures:

This is the only aspect I hate, not being able to enjoy the lawn


A typical Ploughman's lunch. yum.


I saw Inspector Lewis! From the detective show, Inspector Morse

Peace, love, and Fish 'n chips,
Lady B
xx