Why hello there!

Today's been a busy day as was yesterday. I spent Sunday afternoon wandering around the city centre looking for where all of my meetings for today were supposed to be and I found Jesus College!

I had my second grocery store experience well it's more of a Walmart than a Giant or Safeway, just not as gigantic. The place was packed, it was Sunday afternoon, so it was my own fault that I went in, but alas I went inside and wove my way through the crowd.

Today, I met up with another Mason student after her academic advisor meeting because I didn't want to sit in my house all day. She was with two other girls from the program. We went into Blackwell's looking for proper Oxford Diaries. The first Blackwell's did not carry them and the second was out of stock. We wandered down Broad street and the people leading the group realized they didn't know where they were going so I took charge and led us over to the Westgate Centre to find the program office and Primark, which is kind of like Target, a non-grocery Target. I ventured into Primark, just going along for entertainment. We found some rather cute clothes and tights then headed up to find shoes. We have a formal welcome dinner tomorrow night and my friends needed shoes. I looked at the crazy heels then looked for slippers. I just needed some warm and soft houseshoes. After some far too frilly and fluffy ones I found some loafer type slippers that met my needs. I held on to them, not sure if I would get them or not while I walked around with my companions who needed a few other items. I hemmed and hawed about the slippers because they were 4 BPS (can't seem to make the BPS symbol work), which is roughly $6, not bad, but I wasn't sure about them. As my friends went to check out they said, "just get them!" I thought about how I'd been using my ankle socks as slippers and that was rather annoying so slippers would be a good investment. I get to the register thinking that it will be 4 BPS and the cashier says "two pounds" I didn't think I'd heard her right, "two pounds?" she replied "yes" so I happily forked over the two pounds and headed on my way, feeling like I'd just gotten quite the deal and glad that I'd listened to my friend. Once we were through Primark our little group split up and I headed off to my college appointment to see if anyone I knew was waiting there. There were two other students so I talked with them until they went back for their meetings. I was an hour early so I just   hung out. After my academic advisor met with the other students he went out for a lunch break since he'd been in meetings sine 9:45. He saw me waiting and suggested I go out for coffee. I figured, why not i'd just be sitting there listening to the poor woman who was struggling as the Porter on Duty.

I ventured off for hot chocolate then came back to wait for a minute until he returned from lunch.

He was a lovely chap, very welcoming and wanting things to go well this term. I'm taking my top two choices for tutorials - British Women's History of the Twentieth Century and feminist theory.

After our quick meeting, I remembered that I had to "top off" my phone - put more minutes on it or put more money on it. Fun little phrase, isn't it? I had no clue where to go since the director said we could go anywhere, but didn't clarify what anywhere meant. I figured the best plan of action would be to hit the Virgin Media store since I have a Virgin Mobile even though I called it Verizon to the Virgin media guy, it is actually a Virgin Mobile. The store's internet was down so I was sent "across the way" to another store to buy a card to top off my mobile. I get into the store where there are massive magazine racks left and right. The convenience store continues back until I pass some self service check-outs, I think well that's lovely, but I need another human to figure this thing out. At last I happen upon the cashier check outs. There appears to be a woman in line looking at the items on the shelves near the checkout. After a few minutes she snaps "I'm not in line!" As if I was just supposed to know. I step up to the cashier and ask the cashier about the cards to top off a phone. "We don't have those. All I can do is a voucher." I said that was just fine and headed back to the virgin media store because the guy said he would help me "top off." The guy that had said he would help was busy, but the other guy, a very tall fellow offered to help as I must have looked totally perplexed trying to figure it out myself. It worked and I headed home giving up on trying to work out things at Jesus College - I'll save that for tomorrow.

As I was walking down to Botley and I hear my name. I was shocked - who would be calling for me? I know maybe 20 people in all of Oxford so far. It was one of my flatmates, she was trying to find St. Peter's College which is a bit tucked away. She also happens to be a flatmate that I  hadn't had the easiest time with so far, adding to my surprise when she asked me for help. I gladly pointed her in the right direction and headed back home.

Tonight's been relaxing and tomorrow night we have a formal welcome dinner with the program director.