Letters from Oxford
Letter # 1
I finally finished my first week of courses at Oxford, and here I am sitting in the hot and humid upper reading room of the Old Bodleian Library. My desk even has a number: U112.
It is 6:45pm and the library will close in 15 minutes. Now I hear a loud noise of bells, yes actual bells. I believe this is their signal to indicate to the readers that they have to return their books. Bodleian is not a lending library and every book taken out, well actually one cannot personally take out books, can only be read in the library premises. There is a reason for this rule, and it goes back to the 16th century with the burning of the Oxford Library by the anti-Catholics to dispose religious manuscripts. Suddenly near me, I hear the jingling of keys. A man approaches and orders me to pack up and leave! I look at the clock, and it is still 10 minutes to closing. But I politely obey and go to return my book, hoping that I have placed it in the right corner to get access to it again tomorrow. I wander around as I make my way to the exit, and pick up library leaflets on history collections and references. I notice someone following me. I turn back, and it is the monitor. She stops when I stop and walks when I walk, hinting that the library staff really needs me to be out of sight ASAP. Yikes!
As I open the door to exit the Old Bod, a group of tourists try to make their way inside the library. I indicate to them that the library is now closed. Tourists cannot get a visitor pass on their own unless they are with a library tour guide. And the library charges for these tours. But that does not deter them from trying to sneak in behind someone with a reader card — issued only to Oxford students. I will write more about my experiences with tourists at Oxford in another post :)
I also have noticed some strange figures in the library. Old men in sweaty shabby suits with oily hair, poring over their notes and old books. I wonder who they are? Are they are half mad Oxford alums, working on some never-ending research?
It seems as if the whole world is here at Oxford. The streets are infested with school groups of all ages and from all countries. Apparently loads of students come from abroad to study at Oxford colleges during the summer. After the government stopped or reduced the university’s funding, the colleges started to run their summer programs to make money. So in the summer, not only vacationers, but also high school and college students fill up Oxford. Each college is walled and the original purpose was to keep the Anglo Saxon population out of the then monasteries (now Oxford colleges). I feel the modern use of these walled colleges is to keep out the tourists. Some colleges are free to enter while some require advanced registration. And a few even have an entrance fee. At Exeter college, where I live, the front gate gets locked at 9 pm, and we need to swipe our access card to enter. We were warned to keep our room doors and windows always locked as the authorities had learned that the tourists have a way to not only sneak into the colleges but also into the student bedrooms!
The international student population of undergraduates at Oxford is 20% while the postgraduate international community is much larger, ranging at 65%. Majority of the international graduate students come from the US, with China, Germany, and India being the next largest. I wonder where the international students go during summer? It was surprising to learn that Oxford’s fall term does not begin until October!
An academic year at Oxford constitutes of three terms. Each term is 8 weeks long with 4 weeks of vacation in between each term. Summer break is 16 weeks long. Students take their final exams at the end of the year. They are required to wear a gown while taking their exams and the style of the gown depends on whether they are an undergraduate or postgraduate student. They also have to pin a specific colored flower on their robe to show whether they are at the beginning, the middle, or the end of their finals. Post final exams, a big celebration occurs with lots of graffiti and champaign thrown out on the streets. Oxford University conducts these final exams. There are also college exams that happen at the beginning of each term and are for revision purposes only, meaning they do not count towards the student’s final grades.
As I walked past the Old Bodleian out towards Broad Street, I had a sudden craving for an iced drink. It is challenging to find ice water anywhere. Water at cafes/restaurants is in open jugs and is at room temperature. People do not like to drink water straight from a water bottle. They always ask for a glass and then pour water from the bottle into their glass. I feel like I am the only one filling my water bottle and drinking straight from it. Well, at least my bottle is Bkr and is made of glass! I got an iced latte at a cafe across the street from Exeter called Turl Street Kitchen. I also learned that the British have a different term for the American phrase “For Here || To Go.” They say “In Here || Takeaway.” I was excited about my drink, but for some reason, the barista gave it to me in a cardboard cup which now has become soggy because of the ice content in the drink.
I am now sipping my latte from my soggy iced cup while sitting on my bed in my room. I have kept the windows open to let the breeze and the flies, yes flies, in. They are funny flies; they make their way in and out of my room on their own. They do not sit on me or bother me, very unlike Pakistani flies. I guess they have good British manners! Even my bathroom light has a mind of its own: it turns on and off randomly. Of all the other things that have been bothering me, I let this be. It is now 8pm, and my head feels heavy. I know I should sleep early, but it is still very bright outside. The Exeter Chapel from my window is basking in an orange glow. The sun does not set here until past 9:30 pm. Oddly the stores and especially the bookstores close relatively early: by 6 or 7 pm.
I never really thought I would say this, but I am terribly homesick. I blame the jetlag, missing my husband, the heat, and the distractions of the social events part of my program as reasons for my current distress. There is so much to do and hardly enough time. Although I would have to say that here at Oxford, I have had as many conversations with different people in five days as I probably have had in a year at home! This weekend, I want to clear my head and block time just for my work. And hopefully, in my second letter, I will be able to divulge more about my research.
