We all fight for the same cause around the globe

Socialist workers gathered in front of Sheldonian Theatre

Last Thursday I encountered a group of Socialist Workers protesting on the street. I was listening to their speech when it struck me that the issues we have in America is also present anywhere else in the world.

I don't know much about government policy of the Great Britain, but one professor told me that his university's tuition is going to triple next year from 3000GBP to 9000GBP due to a cut in government funding. That is pretty outrageous! Imagine UW's tuition tripling just over a year? Our students would go nuts. 

Another form of British political culture I find interesting is Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) where the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament. Here's a clip of one example. (Thanks Brian!)

Standing up or stomping feet are the common scene of British Parliament. I couldn't help but compare this tradition to other common scenes of government meetings where when things get too heated....... well...

Slightly comical, almost.

remnants

Day 3 in Oxford

6/24 day 1 while waiting for the bus on  High St.

It's been 3 days since I arrived in Oxford. Everything here is so antique I feel overwhelmed with rich history of Oxford told by both buildings and the people here. Didn't take me much efforts to overcome the time zone! I've been busy settling in and exploring the town.

the famous red telephone box

People here are so well dressed. I loved seeing men dressed in suits riding on bikes. They were going by too fast for me to capture them :(

Because the three days have been around graduation time and the weekend, the downtown city of Oxford were packed with tourists.

You can tell how well the tradition is preserved in Oxford by the way people dress here. So much more formal than the U.S. ( I love it! )

For example, I saw dozens of men wearing full suits with white bow tie and tuxedo jackets with long tails. They probably were headed to a ball?

sneaky shot of typical Oxfordian's attire

Another thing I'm impressed with is how fresh and juicy the fruits here are! They are IN-CREDIBLE!

and they're relatively cheap too, compared to all the other outrageous things

Every Washingtonians would agree that coffee houses are the central place for hang-out spot. Well, for the British, they hang out at the pubs. Oxford also has some pubs rich in history. The one I've been to so far, called King's Arm located right in the center of the campus, has a photo of Queen Elizabeth enjoying a pint of beer. 

was she here?

outdoor seats of King's Arm, popular hang-out spot for Oxfordians

ordered half-pint of Young's Gold; very smooth but couldn't finish it : (

I was 'educated' that British beers are served about 5 degrees warmer than the U.S. to preserve the taste of beer. When chilled too cold, beer (same goes for wine) will lose its taste. Only bad beers are chilled! 

Kings Arms menu. Drinks and food are ordered separately at different counters

interior of Kings Arms

We went back again the next day to try out the famous fish and chips.

my first British fish and chips!

And it did not disappoint! The crispy coat and juicy fish inside was mouth-watering!

Gawon's roasted beef, Yorkshire pudding, baked potato and vegetables

 Here's another pub that my friend and I plan on visiting!

ale, ay?

Beautiful scene at Christ Church Meadow 

Oxford City Centre

Oh Potter - research ideas

Kristin wrote a wonderful research idea on her blog about the effects of England on Harry Potter series and effects of Harry Potter on British people. It seems pretty hard not to ponder the possibilities of researching something related to Harry Potter, as it happens to be that we are going to Oxford, especially spending a quality of time in Bodleian Library (which was shot as Hogwarts Sanatorium in Harry Potter film series), and the last movie of the HP series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows HAPPENS to be premiering in London in July and we will happily happen to be 2-hour away from the magical place. It seems crazy not to chase after Mr. Potter, right?

It is simply astounding and inspiring to know that one single mother, from mid to low class in England where class system still exist and is valued, has created an indestructible empire and is now richer than the queen.

bumpshack.com

 If American dream was all about getting out of one's social class to reach for a higher goal, and the British supposedly despised that, how has J.K. Rowling altered this British's view? Is she now truly 'respected' by British society, especially people from upper class? The House of Commons was first introduced to the British Parliaments because the British kings wanted monetary power from rich 'commoners' to fund their wars. So although it seems possible to move up the social ladder or be granted more power to one's self from lower class, why do British still value their social structure, including royalty, so much? In Harry Potter books, this social structure is portrayed as a 'conflict' between wizards and Muggles. Hermione, a Muggle-Borne, comes to Hogwarts and often is ridiculed and bullied by bad wizards. (Btw, she's famous enough to deserve a definition in Wikipedia!) Perhaps J.K. Rowling created Hermione character while dreaming a better situation for herself and her children. Do British people secretly dream of being successful and envying of American Dreams? It would be fascinating to look into Rowling and HP effects on British society and vice versa.

I need sunshine

my head is in london, my heart is in paris, and my body's trapped in seattle

Mrs. Begum's Son and the Private Tutor (1997)

by Zadie Smith

I was rather lost and worried after finishing reading Picnic, Lightening by Zadie Smith whether the rest of our class and the time in Oxford were going to be a "read assigned novels-moment of silence-WHAT?!-kind interpretation by Professor Reed" sequence. At least this time I have the characters and the story plot down. Zadie Smith's second short story, Mrs. Begum's Son and the Private Tutor, is thankfully less obscure than Picnic, Lightening. However, both have dramatic and rather  theatrical endings, which I wanted to say I understood when I learned that Zadie Smith was an aspiring musical theatre actress before her writing career.

I must say she's a very attractive lady!
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2009/03/zadie_smith_col.php

 Mrs. Begum's Son and the Private Tutor was more ethnically diverse and meaningful, may I say, than Picnic, Lightening, though. The first son of Bengali immigrant Mrs.Begums, Mark, is 17-year-old and rather violent. As the narrator puts it, "there was a revolution in him." (p.8). A Buddah-like 10-year-old boy Magid is a second son of Mrs.Begums, who also has typical high hopes for her child(s). The narrator's job becomes blurred as he doubles up as a baby-sitter for this 10 year old boy. Still, this Oxford graduate is impressed with the boy and rather feel close to him. However, Mrs. Begums and Mark both kept their distance between them and the narrator by discouraging/sneering at him."I don't expect (Alex) to know what (it) means (to be a Bengali)." (p.1) or "(he) has no idea what this is like." (p.11)

It was not difficult to relate to the characters in the story. It is typical to display angry behaviors as a minority teenager like Mark. Mrs. Begums having high hopes for her kid(s) seems all too familiar. Even Magid, the saint-like figure, grows up to be an ordinary man, where Alex wonders if Magid even remembers his insights and short-lived-fame back then. I couldn't help but feel a bit somber when Alex closes his recollection of Magid by saying "I think he became a lawyer." Is Zadie Smith portraying an inevitable fusion of identity into major stream of society in order to go on about life and succeed as a minority? Alex also mentions that Magid later changes his name to Mathew. Not coincidentally, the author also changed her name as a teenager when her parents divorced. I will never be able to fully step into Zadie Smith's, Magid's, or Mark's shoes. However, I am able to relate to them in terms of feeling like a foreigner and having a sense of responsibility to carry on my heritage. Am I forgetting my color though? Frightfully, I can't quite often recall the words I want to say in Korean, a language I spoke exclusively up to six years ago. One thing for sure though, is that I am forming my new color as Clara. I'm sure Magid, or Mathew did too.

trail of thought

   U.S. Forces Killed Osama bin Laden

Thousands gather outside White House after word of bin Laden's death.
CNN

It's sort of bizarre to see people celebrating over one's death. Certainly after a decade later  9/11, the death of bin Laden seems "justice done" as Obama puts it. The live video of people celebrating in front of White House made me wonder, what are they cheering for? The killing of the al Qaeda's leader may seem as a long-waited relief to the wound of 9/11, but it is not the fundamental solution to the constant terrorist threat. Embarrassing to admit, I'm pretty ignorant with politics and current world issues, but this event would certainly anger the rest of al Qaeda. Weird to be weirded out in the midst of celebration...

'-'





update:(5/9)
thought I might share this article:

Bin Laden's death a tough subject for the pulpit

Religious leaders find themselves in a quandary over what to say, how to react