Oxford - "Week -2!"
I have recently discovered that Oxford has many idiosyncrasies, one of which is that the terms are not called by numbers or seasons but rather Michaelmas (term one), Hilary (term 2) and Trinity (term 3). To help guide our way through these terms we have been informed that there are 8 week terms starting, yet officially term starts in "nought" week and doesn't end until exams are completed (circa Wk 10)!
As this is the naming convention of my new home, I thought it might make sense to label my posts as such to help navigate my way through term. As the weeks progress, you can expect to read less and less of our exploits over here and that which you do read is likely to be tired, emotional or simply unintelligible.
Back to business.
I officially arrived in Oxford on Friday 22/9. Claud joined me for the weekend as we were to meet some new classmates over the weekend in addition to meeting our UK midwife team for the first time that same afternoon. After the housing issues of my last post, we have fortunately found somewhere to stay until we can move in. Fortuitously it is only a few more minutes from the town centre in the same area that we will live so it is a nice opportunity to get to know the area.
The meet & greet with the midwife went well - though they were, to our surprise, advocates of home birthing. After politely declining that route, they were very accommodating and helped provide the sort of information you're looking for when you're preparing to have a baby in a new country. Heart beat is very good and we're informed that there is a strong chance that the baby will be a boy based on the speed of the heartbeat (slow)!
That evening we journeyed to the Head of the River pub to meet with a range of new classmates - gabe and katie, barry and laura, john, pawan, andrew, daniel and juergen, ean & reba etc etc. Over the coming week I start to get to know them (and the pubs of Oxford) much better.
There is much to be made of arriving early as it allows you to settle in and find time to get to know classmates before the ensuing overload of information and opportunity that follows in nought and first week.
As the week progresses, different people jump on the incoming student forum and suggest various nights out, which are fun to attend as each night more and more people arrive. Our list of pubs to visit takes a sharp decline as we call on the likes of the bear, copa, haha, living room, kings arms, the purple turtle etc
Based on the initial impressions of my classmates, I can tell that we are going to have a great year and that I am bound to make some more great friends throughout the next 12 months.
As this is the naming convention of my new home, I thought it might make sense to label my posts as such to help navigate my way through term. As the weeks progress, you can expect to read less and less of our exploits over here and that which you do read is likely to be tired, emotional or simply unintelligible.
Back to business.
I officially arrived in Oxford on Friday 22/9. Claud joined me for the weekend as we were to meet some new classmates over the weekend in addition to meeting our UK midwife team for the first time that same afternoon. After the housing issues of my last post, we have fortunately found somewhere to stay until we can move in. Fortuitously it is only a few more minutes from the town centre in the same area that we will live so it is a nice opportunity to get to know the area.
The meet & greet with the midwife went well - though they were, to our surprise, advocates of home birthing. After politely declining that route, they were very accommodating and helped provide the sort of information you're looking for when you're preparing to have a baby in a new country. Heart beat is very good and we're informed that there is a strong chance that the baby will be a boy based on the speed of the heartbeat (slow)!
That evening we journeyed to the Head of the River pub to meet with a range of new classmates - gabe and katie, barry and laura, john, pawan, andrew, daniel and juergen, ean & reba etc etc. Over the coming week I start to get to know them (and the pubs of Oxford) much better.
There is much to be made of arriving early as it allows you to settle in and find time to get to know classmates before the ensuing overload of information and opportunity that follows in nought and first week.
As the week progresses, different people jump on the incoming student forum and suggest various nights out, which are fun to attend as each night more and more people arrive. Our list of pubs to visit takes a sharp decline as we call on the likes of the bear, copa, haha, living room, kings arms, the purple turtle etc
Based on the initial impressions of my classmates, I can tell that we are going to have a great year and that I am bound to make some more great friends throughout the next 12 months.
posted by Andrew at
8:58 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home