London August 8th and 9th

August 8^th

After a spot of coffee, Ana, Charles and I walked to the museum of National History where we saw skeletons (or replicas) of many species of dinosaurs. Many bones and teeth can be touched by the public. Then we saw mammals including cats, elephants, deer, dolphins, whales and even the skin and/or bones of a couple of extinct species. The mammoth bones and the skeleton of a giant sloth found in Brazil were the most interesting to me.

We had lunch at Carlucho’s, a Mediterranean restaurant walking distance from the National History Museum. Then, we took the tube to Russell Square Station to the British Museum where we saw ancient ruins from Egypt, Greece, Syria and Iran. The museum was founded in 1753 and contains “collections that span over two millions years of human history, enabling visitors to enjoy a unique comparison of world cultures under one roof”. In addition to a piece of the Parthenon and a series of wall plaques that decorated the inside of this building, the museum features the Rosetta Stone and an ancient mummy with skin preserved by the dessert sand.

In the evening we had a pint at Scarsdale, two bottles of wine with John and sake at the Lotus Garden, owned by Tian (aka Hubert). John ordered a combination of Chinese starters and entries which Charles accompanied with two Chinese liquors, in addition to the beer, wine, and sake.

August 9th

Ana, Charles and I walked around South Kensington. We had lunch at a private part with two of Ana's friends (Carmen and Ana) and their kids. Then Charles and I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum which contains cast-copies of architectural and artistic works from all over the world.

Then we went to the Museum of Science where we saw three floors of exhibitions on planes, ships, the beginning of medicine, the development of plastic, etc. Our last activity was an IMAX movie based on Sharks, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in wildlife.

In the evening, Charles and I packed our suitcases, as we were leaving for Paris at 7:30am. We had a quiet diner which consisted of a roast with vegetables, salad, potatoes and vegetables and a bottle of wine with John and Ana.

Introducing Charles Edward III

On the 7^th of August, Ana and I woke up early, took the tube and waited about two hours in the airport for (her brother and my boyfriend) Charles to arrive. We were both so excited to see him we made a poster, which we colored in into the wee hours of the night… well, maybe just until twelve! We made it extra corny to see if he would come greet us of walk straight through! Thankfully, for his sake, he came right over to us. I think he was so tired he didn’t even care.

After dropping off the bags, we had lunch at Masala Zone, visited a flat in South Kensington and came back to the apartment. Around 7:30pm we decided to have a couple of pints at a local pub called Scarsdale and grab a bite at a Thai restaurant called Blue Lagoon, where John joined us directly after work.

Before we went to bed, Ana and I got to see the next episode of Last Man Standing.

Commencement 2007

The commencement ceremony began at 4:30pm in the Chapel of Lincoln College. Because there were only 17 seniors, they entered individually. The key speakers were Jeff Brown, Emma Smith, Helen Wintle and Peter McCullough. There was a cocktail at the Rector’s quad before we were asked to proceed to high table.

Bridget (on the left) is a graduating senior who lives in the Bahamas. I have spent two summer with her... Alaska and Oxford.

Commencement dinner was even more elegant than previous high tables.

The menu consisted of:

Fried brie salad,

Potato and beet soup,

Chicken with mushroom sauce,

Carrots, snap peas and potatoes

Chocolate mousse.

The first two courses were served with white wine and the last two with red. We also had a sweet sherry for an after dinner drink.

After dinner all the graduates, their families and friends congregated in Deep Hall, where we drank, talked and even played a bit of darts. Then people dispersed in small groups and hit a couple of nightspots around Oxford. I hung out with Chelsey, Maura, Pete and Mike and stopped by the kebab cart before going to bed and shared a “Special Burger”.

Here I am with Maura, in Deep Hall) before we headed out for the night!

The Last Tours of Oxford

Friday… last day for some Bread Loaf students and the perfect day to walk around. Nichole and I started at Christ Church Meadows, where we stared (for the last time this year) at her favorite gargoyles until the bell of the church chimed ten times. We cut leisurely through the park, chit-chatting about the highlights of the summer and what each one of us learned.

Nichole was a person I had instant chemistry with and who, upon knowing her better, stirred within me feelings of adventure, risk-taking, passion, strength and (last but not least) an appreciation of the transitory moments in life (that if properly noted) can make for a hardy chuckle. She chuckled through the six weeks… at my accent, her imitation of my accent, things too small to remember now but that seemed immensely beautiful when she pointed them out. I wanted her to know how I felt before she went away, how much respect and value I have for our friendship. She reminds me of a mischievous cat that enjoys the brief patches of sunshine on a cloudy day and rubs against a stranger’s shin sneaking past his/her surprise directly into their heart. Just like cats, Nichole has that way of jumping off of high places and always landing on her feet.

We met Mike Mayo, a colleague, at the entrance of Lincoln College and continued on our personal tour of Oxford. Nichole took us to New College where we climbed the “mound” and walked through the chapel, noting the numerous statues and carvings on the cold cement floor. Then we visited St. Edmund’s Hall (one of the oldest and smallest colleges) that not only boasts a good rugby team but also a crypt within its college grounds. The tour ended at lunch time, when we met the rest of the Bread Loaf stragglers for one of the last meals. In the afternoon I walked to University Parks where lay in the grass, reading and just thinking) for a couple of hours. My reverie ended with a short game of Frisbee with Matt, Amelie, Marlene and Sophie after which I returned to my room and got ready for dinner.

Dinner was followed by another tour around town, this time lead by Augustan (the Monk) and focusing on the local ghost stories of the city. About twenty of us congregated on the entrance of Lincoln College and followed the Monk for the next hour and a half through the dark streets of Oxford, listening to the tales of the ghosts that haunt each cemetery, street corner and (yes!) college. Our own campus is haunted by a troop of parliamentary soldiers that were imprisoned in the wine cellar during the civil war, all of which suffocated because they jammed so many of them in such a small place. Augustan (in conjunction with Mike White, our computer specialist) wrote a small book about ghosts last summer, which will be available to the public next year! The tour made for a great ending to a very interesting summer!

Quiz Night: Viva La Oposicion!

Quiz Night was on Wednesdays at Deep Hall, the Lincoln College pub and organized by Simon (our local bartender). Our team was called La Oposición and it consisted of Peter, Nichole, Augustan (the Monk), Molly and I. The name of our team is the result of a joke that began the moment people in the program became comfortable with me… and started calling me the Mexican. Our slogan was: Viva la Oposición! What these people did not know is that that is the perfect cheer for a Venezuela like me.

We shared a booth with The Office, a team consisting of Joan, Eileen, Peter and a guest. I found out that professors, too, can be VERY competitive when it comes to trivia. It was just a side of Joan, Eileen and Peter I had never seen before. Other teams were: DAMM, Standing Room Only (who won), Specter, etc.

Although we did not win, we were not half bad! Molly, the last person who joined, turned out to be our secret weapon. Augustan, although good too, was just sooo excited to do something different, he was out of control, taking pictures of himself (with my camera as you will see) and making fun of the Office when they got one wrong… also a side of the Monk we had not seen. Augustan (whose name is originally Jason) belongs to the Benedictine Order and lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where he teaches English at a boy school.