Oxford

Is a happening city, from what we saw the college district is packed with amazing historic buildings (the first of which, Bodlein Library, built in 1488, pictured in the indoor pic with the conductor-looking guy) and yet sandwiched with a Robsonesque shopping district. Either way its packed with young, college, and old and lots of tourists. The coat of arms and initials on the ceiling are to note benefactors of the college, initially taught was Greek and Latin translations of the classics... this was before English was fully developed - often taught by monks although not for religious purposes.

Checked out Blackwater, one of the biggest and most wellknown bookstores around, its 3 floors plus a basement and quite huge. Picked up some Sartre there for just in case my narcilepsy ever fails. Then we checked out the Covered Market and had some traditional meat pie things that managed to triple my cholesterol, the market was pretty similar to Granville Island. Later drove by the suburb of Henley on the way back to Reading and drove by the manor of the Hound of the Baskervilles (for you Holmes fans), pretty cool for a literary geek.

Backpacking is hard.

Flight was an uneventful 9.5 hr, sat beside this cool Norwegian lady, Carrie, who grew up during the Nazi occupation. Now hanging out with Trev's family, the Kielys, in Reading (200,000 pop) which is just 40 minute coach ride from London Heathrow. Outside of the towns, the farms are so green and flat it looks a lot of like Cloverdale or Tsawassen. There's a lot of churches everywhere.

On the bus met a Vancouver couple, the husband Nathan was a former CBC documentary maker so he gave me a couple tips on camera work. Namely, how to get that ugly ass spot off my lens.

A bottle of Concho y Toro Del Diablo Shiraz (yay familiarity) is only 7 pounds ($14 Cdn) here, what does Earls charge like $28? Talk about markup, especially since the spending power of the pound here is about equal to the dollar. My coach ride cost 15 pounds, for 40 min.

The Kielys have been amazing hosts.. we leave for London on Saturday night to get to Luton airport though which is another hour from there, to fly to Amsterdam at 7am Sunday morning. Trev and I walked around Reading for a few hours, there's really not much craziness here.. and its easy to get lost. The lots are very small and houses are all brick, but we're in a nice neighbourhood if you go by the number of Benzes, Mercs and Land Rovers seen. The Caversham district of Reading is laid out strangely, as opposed to grids its more circular bunches of mini-burbs, with food stores randomly intermingled and every Asian 'restaraunt' or take-out place is deserted.

Went 10 pin bowling with Trev's cousin Nikki, her bf Martin and crew and put down some beers, the bouncers (?) wouldn't let us into the alley with hoodies on, because of recent hooliganism from ... hoods. And my favorite black hat was also a no-go inside because it covers the face. Other than that strangeness its about the same... 4pack of redbull is 2.50 => 5bucks no tax, less than half what you normally pay at home.


That and the liquor.. strange considering everything else is really expensive. had some fishnchips for dinner that were actually pretty good, but the 3-inch armor of batter on it leaves the Lululemon in me wanting to run a marathon or reach for the handle of a toothbrush. Reading actually reminds me of London, Ontario, except instead of $80,000 lots they are supposedly £300,000. And the slimmies could all do less 5kg on avg.





We'll probably take it easy today and check London tm night, then to Holland for a week and make our way towards Belgrade where we'll be staying with Dillon.

Just call me B.A. Baracus

words cannot express. the last couple of nights in van plus gramps stoic as ever. im blowin this popsicle stand.

next stop, heathrow.

10 hours prior to

So its almost time to go, last minute cramming before the last exam ever. To say I have butterflies is understating the obvious, I feel like Chuck Norris is engaging M.Bison in a UFC deathmatch in my bowels. It'll come back when I get to the exam room, and go on for a good 10 minutes. Then it'll be ok, resignation or contentment or the endorphins will kick in. 2.5 hours seems like an eternity even now, I aim to be out within 40 minutes.

These being my last credits and all, the grade isn't so relevant as much as a 'COMPLETE' - so Manny figured out that if I'm getting 65% currently (it could be 80%, I have no idea, when in doubt underestimate... my attendance record is sub-par) that on this final worth 35% of the total grade, I'll need about 35% just to get through.

I'm not sure that's good news, especially with the structure of this test being 2 essay questions... yknow where you either get 20% or 100%

Anyways I digress, because I'm avoiding final preparations. This is more of just of a first blog as my flight leaves for London on Wednesday evening. Just wanted to take the opportunity to post in the dying hours of my undergradness... and recollect some moments from the last year before I format the camera. Sorry Arash.