Month: September 2012

I grew up with this notion that “small talk” meant that you couldn’t say anything deep. Chat about insignificant topics with people you don’t really know in order to keep the conversation light. Don’t talk about politics or religion—talk about everyone’s health and the weather. So naturally, I’ve grown up not wanting to talk about…

Inductions into university libraries are usually fairly simple. There is one building, one online catalog system, and you can find and check out the books you need. Not at Oxford University. First, there are three different library systems. Oxford is comprised of 44 different colleges, and each one has its own library. But you can’t…

Before coming to Oxford, one of my goals for the semester was to study British speech patterns. I wanted to become so good at imitating a British accent that I could fool the English themselves. It would be fun to walk into a pub or cafe—someplace I wouldn’t be recognized—and be taken for a native…

Almost everyone who knows me would agree that I love tea. Black tea, herbal tea, fruit tea, white tea. Tea with lavender or mango or apple or blueberry. Sugar is a must, of course. But I am an all-around tea lover. I should have been born in England. I have only lived here, studying abroad,…