Rowing camp was terrific! Each day we did two outings in the morning and had another erg session in the evening. Although there was still a lot of snow on the ground, I never noticed the cold after we had a few minutes to warm up. This is a picture Becca took of us clearing off the raft using the blades (again, no shovels…). My British friends couldn’t believe I was wearing shorts, but most of them haven’t been to Michigan.
The beauty of rowing on the morning river was almost surreal (just look at the background of the picture!). Each morning started the same way. Illuminated by the diffuse twilight, we pushed off from the dock onto the glassy water. The boat cut a narrow wake as the gentle ripples from our measured strokes slipped into the veil of fog, the vestiges of which were still shrouding the river in their hopeless struggle against the suns’ persistent rays. The rhythmic splashing of the blades alternating with the tempered groan of the oars straining against their locks were the only sounds on the Isis. It was mesmerizing… Those moments, though they would inevitably succumb to the sun and wind, are certainly among the many that I will cherish from my time in Oxford.
Hilary term began last Monday. My schedule is slightly busier than the previous term, but I really like my schedule. I am particularly looking forward to my course in quantitative research methods since I have a strong background in math and am familiar with most of the analytical software we will be using. In addition to the two courses that carry over from Michaelmas term, Diplomatic Practice and International Diplomacy, I also have NGO Politics. What makes this course especially interesting is that there are only three people in our seminars: the professor, a student from Macedonia, and me. We had a great discussion last week and I am looking forward to the conversations we will have the rest of the term.
Last week, we also had our first rugby match of the season. We won handedly, 29-0, and I scored my first try! The downside is that our performance, coming after a long break with little exercise and much inebriation for most of the team, was easily one of our best of the year. Many players have been prompted to reconsider physical exercise as a means of preparation, favoring this recently validated training regimen.
This picture is from a presentation at Cookham Bridge Rotary Club last Wednesday. The other scholar is Giulia, from Italy. Among many interesting questions posed by the attending Rotarians, one observation stood out. While Giulia, who studies philosophy, described a number of Italian and European stereotypes (of academics and women, among others) she has experienced, my presentation was characterized by a lack of similar societal biases and a wealth of unique opportunities. The Rotarian credited much of this to America’s youth and I would be inclined to agree. I think even among Americans I have been exceptionally fortunate, but the differences in social structure and opportunity between Europe and the US have been evident during the last several months.
A friend of mine studying as an Ambassadorial Scholar in Spain is coming to Oxford in a few hours and we are both excited to share our experiences. I need to do some cleaning before she gets here though!
Until next time.
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