Today started out with a tour of the very small, very stuffy, very warm and very architecturally wonderful Trinity Library. The librarian vascilates between sternness and a sort of "I'm your buddy" attitude that's a bit conflicting. I think she just wants to help (and not get coffee spilled on the books) but her demeanor wasn't exactly welcoming. Get this: her explanation of the computerized card catalog confused even me. I'm not sure how the others in the tour faired, but it doesn't bode well! Fortunately, I don't have to use the library much unless I want a place to escape from my room to.
Happily, as Lauren grows increasing annoying, she finds her own people to hang out with. She's found some people to go do things with so I've only seen her for about ten minutes total today. I think this is probably the way roommates are supposed to work. You live together, you get along all right but you don't spend every waking moment together. We can talk about our days when we do see each other, even though she doesn't listen to me at all. That's one of the things I find most infuriating: she simply does not listen or process anything you say to her. She's too busy talking herself or thinking about something she wants to do. Additionally, she chomps. Considering my poor room/roommate karma, you will hardly find this surprising.
Anyway, I went into town again today to try and finish up the endless list of shopping that crops up. I am still in need of a three-to-two adapter so if you could pick one (or two) of those up for me at Radio Shack or something, I'd be giddy. They don't have them here since the place is full of British people who need adapters, not Americans who need adapters. I've looked in just about every shop that could possibly sell them including a sporting goods store. Anyway, I went to Boswell's today (an old department store that has all kinds of things) and picked up a spoon, a knife, a plate, a cup and some washcloths. It felt rather nice to just buy one of everything since normally I get at least two to accomodate someone else. It was quite pleasant just getting one of each item. I also splurged and bought myself a little, goofy
Short of the library tour and the excursion to Boswell's, I spent my entire day reading my law books. I don't think I've every worked this hard for anything. I read and read and read. I had to reread paragraphs because my mind would just wander off while my eyes continued reading. I took notes, I repeated passages I didn't quite understand until I did and I went to other textbooks if I really didn't grasp something. It was unbelievably difficult and I was feeling rather dull by 3 when I had a meeting with Jessie, my law study-buddy. But starting at three and going through until the end of our tutorial session, I was flying high. It might well have been the hardest I've ever worked, but it's probably also the most wonderful and competent I've ever felt. I read it all and I knew it all and it was a fantastic feeling to apply it in discussion with my tutor who (obviously) knows so much more about it than we do. The director of our program was telling us how he's gotten emails from students who have started in the five colleges and gone on to attend places like Harvard telling him that here at Oxford was their best academic experience of all time. It seemed plausible but more like a sort of advertising plug than anything but now I really understand it and it's 100% true. It's just such an amazing feeling to just know something so well after only 24 hours and be able to talk about it intelligently. And my tutor is wonderful! She wants your brain to work for it but she's equally happy to explain a complicated concept if we were all really confused. We went fifteen minutes over our allotted hour and I could have gone for another hour still. It was amazing. So wonderful, worth everything.
Tonight there are drinks in the garden at 7:15 (everyone is much excited by the concept of being legal a year early simply by crossing an ocean) and then formal dinner at
I'm very much off the hook after my 24 hours of intensive law readings. I don't have anything to read for class tomorrow and nothing due after that until Monday. Lauren and her friend Amanda want to go into
(You should know that I stopped here for about 15 minutes to plan going to
Anyway, I'm off back to town to try and scrouge up some bottled water to put in the fridge since I'm constantly thirsty here. I'm also in need of a keychain since my keys look pretty sad. I attached a paper clip to them to distinguish them, but that just perpuates the kind of hang-dog look of them. Anyway, to town again! You'll love it when you come (which, by the way, I can't wait for!). We might not be the prettiest campus of all the colleges, but we get to share
Love you both so much and I look forward to speaking with you tonight!
Hearts all over the place,
Corey
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