Day 10

Today was an absolutely amazing day. We went as a class to Oxford today, but we didn’t travel as a class. We had tickets to ride the Oxford tube there, and we just had to find our own way. By the way, do not be deceived. The Oxford tube is actually a bus. Why did they name it that? I haven’t the foggiest. Most likely to confuse tourists. So we rode the tube from Gloucester to Victoria, and then we got off and tried to find the bus. This took us about 20 minutes as Victoria station is huge and the busses are far away. We finally got on and began our journey to the magical land of Oxford.

Once we finally got to Oxford, we realized the bus had about 8 stops, and we had no idea which one to get off on. So we got off pretty early and then realized it had been really early. We then walked to the city center which took quite a while. But it was fun because we got to really see the city, not just look at it from a bus. Once we got into town we decided we were starving, so we went to lunch. There was a funny moment at one point when Robyn was paying for her lunch and she tried to give the lady a 2 pence coin instead of a 2 pound coin- that made me laugh a lot. We also got milkshakes that were made from gelato and they were really good, not so thick like the normal ice cream ones we are used to. We then walked over to our appointment- at the Oxford University Press!

So probably you reading this will think I am a freak of nature for being so excited. But it was so cool! We first went in and got these cute little visitor badges that made me feel really special and important. Then we were taken up to a conference room where one of the archivists for the Oxford English Dictionary talked to us for a while. She told us all about the history of the dictionary and its editors and stuff like that. Then we watched a video about some of the people that work on the dictionary and what they do. Then we got to look at some actual archival materials from the dictionary! There was a first edition, actual slips from the first edition when people would send in word slips, an entry J.R. Tolkein wrote for the dictionary, and tons of other amazingly cool stuff. Another funny thing there was a letter from J.K. Rowling to the dictionary thanking them for the information but she had in fact had no idea that muggle was a drug term when she wrote Harry Potter. Haha! After we looked at the stuff for a while one of the actual editors of the dictionary came and talked to us and answered our questions. I was basically mesmerized the whole time and I want to work for the OED. At one point I leaned over to Robyn and said "Wouldn't it be so cool to do and internship or something here?!!!" Robyn responded with a "it would be cool for you..."

After we did all that with the group, a few of us went to go find a shop somewhere to buy souvenirs. We went into the official Oxford University Press story which was mainly all books and they were freak expensive. Then we tried to go next door to a shop that sold clothes and stuff, but of course they were closing right then. And all the other shops. At 5:30! What is that all about? So I didn’t get my Oxford sweatshirt which I really wanted and I was upset about that. But I will get one somehow, don’t you worry. We then went back to London on the Oxford Tube (it is still stupid that it was a bus). Robyn and I decided to stay close to the chapel and eat since we were going there at 9 to get our ward assignments, so we went to a Chinese restaurant near the South Kensington station. Then we went to the chapel, where the stake president met us to give our assignments. It was kind of sad/funny because he started reading our names off his list and then we all realized he had been given the wrong list. So he had to just randomly assign us wards on the spot. Robyn, the cute little Spanish speaker that she is, volunteered to be in the Spanish/Portuguese ward. It is called the South Kensington branch and they meet at the Hyde Park chapel at 12:30. As for me, I was assigned to the Lea Valley ward. It is in the borough of Waltham Forest, and to get there I have to take the tube for a while. So we shall see how those go, I am personally really excited.