Settling in

So now that I have settled in it would seem the perfect time to reflect on what has thus happened.

I left from Newark airport. My parents drove me, my sister was away at some camp peer leadership event. My mother took the wrong turn and we ended up in Orange or Newark, not the most welcoming of neighborhoods, or so I thought. We got in time at the airport and sat with my parents talking about all the little things you do before you don't seem your parents for about 9 months. Told them that I am considering law school that I think the philosophy department at my school likes me etc. My dad was rather happy with the last part, not quite sure why... that's a lie.

I bought a cartoon of cigarets and a bottle of Scotch at the Duty-Free. Tried reading for a while, but never really managed, something about my nerves, I don't like having to deal with authority even in the form of airport security. Had a pint at a bar in the terminal, a Sam Adam's Octoberfest. It was a decent beer. This guy Paul disagreed. Paul was american of polish decent and he was going to Poland to mary his girlfriend which had lived in the States for three years but got tired of waiting for Paul to marry her, so she returned to Poland. If you aren't able to give a reason to stay they take flight, or so I am told...

The plane was rather uneventful, but its strange how all the flight attendants are pretty like polished silicone. I went to the UK through a program by the name of Butler, so they put us up in a hotel and oriented us on how to make the most of the little time we are studying here, so as to make the most of our time here. We they also mentioned how cold the and unfriendly the English are. Lies, all lies. I also liked the assumption that we were her for the culture. Maybe some are, I am here for the education.

Classes started off as soon as we got to the college. I am stuck in the least physically attractive college. It reminds me so much of my home institution that it almost feels like I never left. I am also stuck with a roommate, I say stuck lightly because I actually like my roommate. He is from Jersey like me, goes to Bates. Nice kid we aren't very similar in a lot of things, but I am happy to have know him. I just don't like the idea of spending so much time with someone, I would end up hating anyone after a month or two of their exclusive company.

The fist tutorial I have is currently on Hegel, it is an overview of his philosophical system. I like my tutor but there is a certain strangeness in him, he is slightly eccentric but in a reserved way. He wears strange socks. Hegel's system can be described briefly as an attempt to escape the problems of a foundational philosophy by not having any foundations to his philosophy. the philosophy comes about naturally fro indeterminacy and nothing providing us with the four categories of Kant and Aristotle. I am now suppose to be studding how Hegel establishes free will.

My other tutorial is on aesthetics in which I am reading about Kant my favorite philosopher. Hard to read though very hard to read.

All the architecture over here is beautiful in an overwhelming way (besides my college). It is everything I imagined it would be. I like walking around at night smoking, pr during the day just taking everything in. I am really happy that I am here. There is so much to do that at times it is overwhelming. I will only be at Oxford for a little over 25 weeks, time is so very short.

There are two term breaks In which I will be traveling through out Europe, I want to spend some time in France and Spain. I will be spending Christmas in either Austria or Romania. My tutor also recommended that I travel through out Britain and I think I will next week, go somewhere there is green and hike, by a bottle of some red wine and walk around a bit.

I do most of my own cooking which is somewhat cheaper. I make a lot of indian food because it is easy to make, a lot of spices and a lot of boiling. Made beef tikki masala last night, making hummus tonight which isn't really indian... I enjoy cooking it is relaxing. I found a lot of interesting shops with more exotic food, I have to ask my Pakistani friend what it all means. But I have discovered garlic and ginger paste which is nothing short of marvelous.

I bought a bottle of absinth... we'll see how that goes.