Dear friends,

I can make lattes now. After 11 days in Oxford, I have finally managed to attain coffee beans and milk. My life's dream has been to have an espresso machine in my home. Now is that time. I, in fact, have an espresso machine. Praise the Lord.

I went to London on Saturday. It was one of those "I'm in a group of 50 people walking really quickly and taking pictures of buildings even though I don't know what they are and I'm really thirsty and can you please speak up Mr. Tour Guide please?" trips. I don't regret going, but the trip allowed me to confirm what I have known for a while now. I don't particularly care for traveling. I know that makes me sound like a terrible person. Anyone that is in any sense cool or cultured loves traveling. Alas, traveling only makes me angsty. I don't care for big cities; I am doing better with being in Oxford, but that's because I now navigate the city on my own terms.

I had to use a map the other day. And dang if I didn't find out that doing so is actually really useful. Who would have thought? I'm even catching on to the art of turning the map in the proper direction as you turn on to a new street. I pulled out the map when I was on my way to my first meeting with my Greek tutor because I gradually realized that I had been given faulty directions. Pretty soon, I only had 15 minutes until I was supposed to meet him, and I had no idea where I was. Thus, I decided to try that newfangled map idea that everyone is so fond of and it seemed to work. It was a dang miracle that I arrived where I was supposed to arrive.

Today was day one of term one. That means that summer camp time is over, and it's time to get hard-core. I have been feeling not too stressed because my Greek tutor didn't assign me too much work, and the synoptic problem is a quite tangible essay project. However, I found out today that the lecture my Greek tutor suggested I go to is a NT Greek reading class. Thus, I think (but am not sure) that I might not be able to sit anonymously in the corner but might be expected to take a turn in translating. I emailed the guy that is facilitating, and he told me to prepare the first chapter of 2nd Peter. Maybe once I apply myself to this task, it won't be so daunting, but since I haven't seriously taken Greek in 2 years, the prospect of whipping out a chapter's worth of translation in 3 days is really stressing me out. Whatev. It will be outrageously good for me, especially come fall when I attempt to pass out of first year Greek at seminary.

Ha, fun story. I had my "GREEK: An Intensive Course" book sitting on the table next to me at dinner this evening. This prompted a discussion with a guy in the program who had taken Greek in the past and who informed me he planned to go to seminary. Our conversation went like this:

Sara: Do you know where you'd like to go?
Guy: Oh yeah. Westminster Theological School. I love that school. My dad went there.
Sara: Really? Is that affiliated with the Reformed tradition?
Guy: Yeah I think so. It's really, really academic. I mean, ya know how Princeton is really academic but really liberal? Well, Westminster is like Princeton but it's the conservative counterpart.
Sara: Oh that really interesting because I'm pretty sure I'll be attending Princeton in the fall.
Guy: Oh! I guess I was just kind of talking bad about it huh?
Sara: That's okay, you can be the conservative academic, and I'll be the liberal one.

I wore my "Embrace your inner liberal" shirt the other day. A few people commented, but most people just directed lingering glances at my chest. I can't wait to whip out my "WTFWJD" shirt.

On Sunday night, I attended evensong at University College, which is where my gospels tutor is a chaplain. I more or less went because I wanted to hear him preach so I could understand his context better in order to perhaps more adequately cater to his wishes. I am really quite good at manipulative little tricks like that. Nonetheless, I don't always reckon it to be manipulative as I tend to think that doing such things is just essential to success in academia. Although some continue to think that I'm besties with my profs for the sake of good grades, I'm really actually just besties for the sake of being besties. After the service, we went and drank a small glass of sherry while chatting with a kind student that also attends Wycliffe Hall (that's the college I'm at, btw). I was quite eager to sip the sherry and act like a grown-up, but I quickly realized that it was perhaps the worst thing I'd ever tasted. I thus proceeded to a different plan: 1.) open throat 2.) throw back liquid as if taking mini shots.

This worked.
Next time I will drink the orange juice.

Today was my first experience in one of the very important, prestigious libraries. Once I stepped through the door, I proceeded to look very foolish for about the first 20 minutes. Wow do I not know how to do things properly in there. Phew. Furthermore, it was the most distracting library in which I have ever spent time. This was unexpected. I had been prepared to timidly forge my way through stifling silence, but dude, it was so loud! It's not that anyone was talking, but people tend to walk very quickly over here, and they wear boots. Thus, there was a lot of foot-stomping and book-slamming. I read diligently for about 2.5 hours and then could not take it anymore. I had to get out of there for the sake of my sanity. At least in the Northwestern library, most of the people that were in there were my friends so I could say to them: "Excuse me, but you are being a huge douchebag. Would you please stop being a huge douchebag?" However, I thought that doing such might be rude in this context.

Instead, I went home and decided to grind my coffee beans--a task that seemed like it'd be a good, quick study break. I think it took me an hour and 15 minutes. Ridiculous! I kept thinking of the 30 seconds it would have taken me to do at the Hoek.

In other news, there is currently (or maybe not anymore) a 4 foot inflatable penguin in the back room at De Koffie Hoek that is named Sara Moser. Of this I am unspeakably happy.

Tomorrow morning has the potential to be absolutely grand. I plan to attend a lecture at 9.00 addressing Textual Criticism and a lecture at 10.00 addressing the Historical Jesus--two subjects of which I am most fond.

In other news, nothing is incredibly exciting right now, but I am so okay with that. I have had way too much excitement lately and am terribly excited to settle into the mundane.

On that note, happy inauguration day tomorrow.

Best,
Sara