[HPFGU-London] I'm here... and...

[Neil Ward]

I'm glad you're having such a good time already, Ebony!  A mad pub crawl
barely hours into the visit..?  Looks like you're blending in very well
indeed ;-)  Oxford is idyllic, I guess, compared to London.  I'm looking
forward to relaxing at the weekend...

Looks like we have quite a turnout on Sunday.  Maybe a dozen people?

I'm going to post a list later... to check.

Neil



----- Original Message -----
From: "Ebony AKA AngieJ" <ebonyink at ...>
To: <HPFGU-London at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 11:48 PM
Subject: [HPFGU-London] I'm here... and...


> I LOVE THIS PLACE!
>
> Okay, okay... I'm calm now.  :)
>
> (BTW, why do all the pubs here close at 11?  Three of my friends and
> I were having the most FASCINATING conversation with three British
> guys and two Italians.  So different than an American bar...)
>
> (Scott--I got your message... look for me in private e-mail, but
> let's try to meet up on Thursday afternoon if you're available.  ;-))
>
> Honestly, I've been in the UK for less than 48 hours and I haven't
> got a single complaint.  I can only speak in superlatives.
>
> FOOD--I've invariably heard horrible things about British food in
> America.  Since arriving, I've been to four pubs and eaten here at
> college 5 times, and everything has been quite good.  I also love the
> 5-meal-a-day plan... smaller portions, eating more often.  Perhaps we
> Americans ought to adopt a similar plan.  It seems to curtail the
> excessive overeating we do at our dinnertimes, and you definitely
> don't alternate between starvation and gorging like we do in America.
>
> DRINK--Never have I imbibed so much caffeine and alcohol in a 24-hour
> period in my life.  Haven't had a soft drink since I left the US...
> no one's really offered anything like that, and I refuse to enter an
> American fast food chain... didn't come 4000 miles to eat McDonald's.
>
> JET LAG--After a two-hour nap and three brisk walks around central
> Oxford yesterday (and three today), I recovered fully.  People in my
> exchange program were giving me dirty looks over my bright and
> cheerful demeanor in the morning.  I think I was the quickest to
> adjust to the time difference.  ;-)
>
> HARRY POTTER--A lot of people in the program are *huge* fans!  It's
> so cool to sit in the hall at Corpus and overhear comments
> like, "Wow!  Doesn't it feel like you're in the Great Hall at
> Hogwarts!" or "We're actually having tea in our common room... how
> neat!"  I've also received compliments on my HP keychain from Brits
> and Americans already, and an American professor who was touring
> Corpus raved over my Gryffindor robe.
>
> FIRST IMPRESSION OF OXFORD--The part of it I've seen definitely can't
> be the real world.  Far too idyllic.  My accomodations are out of
> this world--large room with a private bath, full DSL connection, maid
> service, a sitting area, and a fully modernized bath... but you can
> tell it was built long before anything in my natal city was even
> conceived of!
>
> COURSEWORK--I'm glad I'm taking the education course first session
> (drama second), for we'll be visiting a good number of British
> schools in various areas of Oxfordshire... according to our tutor,
> some less than ideal.  His specialization is special needs
> education... and after our overview of the British system, I'm
> starting to understand how JKR conceived Hogwarts.  It could *not*
> have come from an American writer's pen... we think of education
> quite differently.  I cannot wait to begin my research... this
> afternoon I spent my first hour in the campus library.
>
> THE PUBS--I'm addicted.  I've enjoyed great food and drink at four,
> and visited twice that many... and I got here at 7 a.m. yesterday!
>
> GENERAL FIRST IMPRESSION--Okay, at this point I'm ready to revoke my
> citizenship and stay here forever.  (j/k)  Only problem is, I hear
> teachers here only make 150 pounds a week--which, after converting to
> dollars, sounds ridiculous to me.
>
> Question--I have one friend from the program who is definitely
> interested in meeting on Sunday, and perhaps several more will want
> to join us.  Is this all right with everyone?  Please let me know...
>
> Sorry to ramble on so... but what an experience!  I'm fully connected
> here in my room, so I'll be checking messages on at least a daily
> basis.
>
> Take care--cannot wait until Sunday!
>
> --Ebony
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> HPFGU-London-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>