More Stratford Pictures

This is the garden behind the foundations of the house where Shakespeare died. I went to the Shakespeare houses on Monday morning, not tourist season. Basically I had a VIP tour wherever I went. I ate my sandwich in this quiet garden, and smelled the roses, which were named "sweet Juliet."

So many clubs!

There's a research center here that will pay $3,330 to infect me with malaria. Isn't that exciting?They'd also happily infect me with Tuberculosis and Hepatitis C. But hey, what's a life-threatening illness compared with making a crucial contribution to vaccine research? At any rate, they gave me a pen, so I got something.

Freshers Fair is what I'm talking about. It's this big event where about 400 of the Oxford clubs and various other things set up booths and try to get you to join. They give freebies, so I got candy and fruit and pens, and vouchers for a free mug and paperback book. That's where I met the people who want to see me ill so they can test me. It sounded great, until I found out there were like twelve pages of risks involved.

I signed up for the mailing lists of the Jewish club and the Indian club (for the culture, food, dancing, and over-all experience), the walking club (for the sights), the poetry club and the literary journal club (for obvious reasons), and a few more that I can't even remember. Signing up doesn't mean I have to join--I just get a friendly e-mail inviting me to stuff.

So, this is the end of 0 week or "not week." Term here is eight weeks, and they creatively name the weeks by number. Since our program started four weeks ago, we creatively called those weeks -4,-3,-2, and -1. Next week I have my first tutorial meetings and my first university lectures. That means I get to mingle with British students from this point on. And I get to listen to the rock stars of the academic world come lecture.

I don't know if I will actually join a club. I'd have to really be interested in it. I knew I didn't want to do theater or music (I'm in need of a change). Time to branch out into new things.

I'm ill. Actually everyone is sick. It's comical. Our first seminar together after break was a musical chorus of coughing and sniffling. We all had pretty fantastic trips to our various destinations, and then basically all of us caught a cold just in time for term to start.

So, how was Stratford? I had a great time. The plays were, as you might expect, fantastic. I loved it---partly because I sneaked into the front row. Here's my confession: there were open seats, and I took them. From one perspective, swapping seats is kind of rude, but from another perspective the act is in keeping with the spirit of some of Shakespeare's greatest characters: the ones who usurped a better position through cunning and determination (the Iagos, the Richard IIIs). Putting it that way makes me sound classier.

Also in Stratford I visited the houses where Shakespeare was born and died. The nice people at my B&B had passes so I got in free. The most interesting part about Shakespeare's house was looking at the list of people who have visited it over the years: poets, presidents, actors. I wrapped up my time in Stratford by taking a boat ride on the Avon.

My little London trip was crazy. That was Sunday, when I woke up at 5:30 again to catch an early bus after walking through the ghostly empty middle of the city. Three and half hours to London and three and half back to Stratford in one day. That's a long time on public transit, but I am happy to say it was worth every minute. Love's Labors Lost at the Globe was the highlight of my weekend.

I had a yard ticket, which means you stand for the whole play. I was early enough to be right next to the stage---I was able to rest my chin on the stage actually. Best place to watch from---the female actors walk past and almost hit you with their dresses. The lead guy sat in front of me at one point so close I could feel his voice booming from his ribs. I also got a piece of cheese and a grape. I love audience interaction. During intermission, the actress playing the princess came over to my side of the stage with a plate of goodies and got people to try to catch grapes. Because the audience is in a big crowd around the stage (a lot of them standing) it's a very active play. There's a lot of energy, and a lot of moments where you feel like you are participating. I'd love to see more shows there, but the Globe closes tomorrow for the season, just like it did when Shakespeare was around.

Statue

Shakespeare looks out on the city.

School

This is where Shakespeare went to school. They still use it for a school too.

Getting Tickets

I stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in Stratford, but I wasn't there for breakfast until Monday when I finally got to sleep til seven. It is really fascinating walking around a city before sunrise. Streets that were kinetic in daylight now had no motion, not even wind to blow leaves around. It was a 40 minute walk to get to the Royal Shakespeare Company box office, and I was panicking the whole time imagining that there would already be a line of eager attendees before I'd get there. They reserve 10 student tickets to go on sale the morning of the show. So, after a long walk with chronic doubts about getting a ticket, this is the sight which met me:

Needless to say, I got my tickets to As you Like it and The Winter's Tale. I just had to wait for a few hours for the box office to open. But, I had the good fortune of having someone to wait with. A really lovely soon-to-be actress living in Stratford showed up a little while after I did, and we hit it off. I loved her enthusiasm as she told me about the actors and the previous shows she had been to. We didn't get to sit together at the play, but after The Winter's Tale we went to The Dirty Duck pub together, which is where the actors go. So, while we were sitting at our table, some of the players walked past us to order. The best part was having someone to respond to the play with. We had a great chat.

Weekend Holiday

My midterm break was a series of English sunrises. At 5:30am, I looked out on the amber lighting of street lamps, and by 6:00 I was already outside walking under the intense liquid blue before dawn. It doesn't sound like an ideally restful vacation, but I did see some amazing things.

I went to Stratford!

So, why the early hours?

Day 1: I woke up to finish and print my papers which were due at nine (then caught the 11:00 bus from Oxford to Stratford).

Day 2: I woke up to get in line for $7 tickets at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Day 3: I woke up to catch a bus to London to attend the Globe Theatre