Sometimes you get help when you least expect it. The first night I was here, I found myself lost in the suburbs of Florence, at night, with no phone and only a few words of Italian. The architecture of Florence, tall, medieval buildings with oversized doors, is imposing during the day. It is positively gothic by night. I had arrived in Florence to study for a semester, but the longer I wandered around the increasingly deserted streets, the more I wondered if it would turn into a semester of learning how to be a homeless person. Eventually, I became desperate enough to try using the few words of Italian that I knew, and stopped the next person I saw to awkwardly ask for directions. He was a man unloading his car, a Volkswagen Beetle with its hazards on, into his apartment, its door wide open to the street. I stole a quick glance inside and saw an invitingly warm interior, one that looked lived in and well-loved. I wondered the same thing that I always do when I catch an unintended glimpse into someone’s private life: “Who are you, and what has your life been like up to this point?” But that is not a question you can ask someone you’ve never met, so instead I just said “Dov’è Pia Pancrazi?” while gesturing apprehensively towards my map.
The other week I visited Oxford, England. It is a town rich in history and prestige. By walking through the gates of one if its 39 colleges, you are transported to a timeless land. The buildings are primarily of a gothic architecture, but do not aim to overwhelm as some the gothic cathedrals do. Instead, the buildings are mostly 2 or 3 stories tall, but retain the authority and majesty of castles that seem to be their source of architectural inspiration. With its air of mystery and history, Oxford is strikingly similar to the fictional school Hogwarts. Behind the gates of each college (think: the houses in Harry Potter) lies a unique group of students and professors (tutors) who seem to take on the attributes that have historically been present in that specific college. Christ Church College, for example, is likened to the House of Slytherin at Hogwarts. Their campus is the nicest and most ornate of all the colleges at Oxford, and is featured along the main thoroughfare. Christ Church students are well known for their reputation of being posh, snobby kids with a sense of entitlement and an air of arrogance. Evil brats aside, Oxford is quite an inspiring place to be. Founded over 850 years ago, Oxford is the second oldest college in the entire world. Strolling around the city, it is stimulating to consider all the famous and wonderful minds that have walked this road before you. Going out to the pubs is all good fun; no one seems interested in discussing schoolwork, as you might guess. Instead, the students are quite refreshing and equally carefree as my peers back home. This was the case so much so that every once in a while I’d have to remind myself that the people slamming down drinks around me were in fact some of the world’s best and brightest.
Sometimes you get help when you least expect it. The first night I was here, I found myself lost in the suburbs of Florence, at night, with no phone and only a few words of Italian. The architecture of Florence, tall, medieval buildings with oversized doors, is imposing during the day. It is positively gothic by night. I had arrived in Florence to study for a semester, but the longer I wandered around the increasingly deserted streets, the more I wondered if it would turn into a semester of learning how to be a homeless person. Eventually, I became desperate enough to try using the few words of Italian that I knew, and stopped the next person I saw to awkwardly ask for directions. He was a man unloading his car, a Volkswagen Beetle with its hazards on, into his apartment, its door wide open to the street. I stole a quick glance inside and saw an invitingly warm interior, one that looked lived in and well-loved. I wondered the same thing that I always do when I catch an unintended glimpse into someone’s private life: “Who are you, and what has your life been like up to this point?” But that is not a question you can ask someone you’ve never met, so instead I just said “Dov’è Pia Pancrazi?” while gesturing apprehensively towards my map.
RispondiEliminaAndrew Young
The other week I visited Oxford, England. It is a town rich in history and prestige. By walking through the gates of one if its 39 colleges, you are transported to a timeless land. The buildings are primarily of a gothic architecture, but do not aim to overwhelm as some the gothic cathedrals do. Instead, the buildings are mostly 2 or 3 stories tall, but retain the authority and majesty of castles that seem to be their source of architectural inspiration.
RispondiEliminaWith its air of mystery and history, Oxford is strikingly similar to the fictional school Hogwarts. Behind the gates of each college (think: the houses in Harry Potter) lies a unique group of students and professors (tutors) who seem to take on the attributes that have historically been present in that specific college. Christ Church College, for example, is likened to the House of Slytherin at Hogwarts. Their campus is the nicest and most ornate of all the colleges at Oxford, and is featured along the main thoroughfare. Christ Church students are well known for their reputation of being posh, snobby kids with a sense of entitlement and an air of arrogance.
Evil brats aside, Oxford is quite an inspiring place to be. Founded over 850 years ago, Oxford is the second oldest college in the entire world. Strolling around the city, it is stimulating to consider all the famous and wonderful minds that have walked this road before you.
Going out to the pubs is all good fun; no one seems interested in discussing schoolwork, as you might guess. Instead, the students are quite refreshing and equally carefree as my peers back home. This was the case so much so that every once in a while I’d have to remind myself that the people slamming down drinks around me were in fact some of the world’s best and brightest.
Jack Behrens