Here We Go Again: A Reference Point

And so it seems that on whim, and much to my own chagrin, I've decided to start another blog - but Joanna's right, it may be much easier to update my friends and loved ones about my life in Oxford via a blog. Pictures would be much easier to share and upload - and I guess, there's room for musings.

Oh yes, and derivations of all sorts! But perhaps I should take that to http://wulidancing.blogspot.com/ and spare you all the agony of ploughing through the endless mathematics and philosophical poetry.

On a more serious note, I'm really hoping that this one year spent in UK will really enlarge the vision that God has given me in my teaching career no matter how short-lived it may be and well, have me grow more as a person who, like Christ, can love others unconditionally.

I wonder if the splendour of creation will be clearer there, as it was in Tibet.

I typed something really difficult, and then I deleted it - because it's not time yet. God, let me go there and see for myself what You have prepared there, and when my heart is prepared I will ask again. Prepare my heart in the process.

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Alright, orientation starts on 30 September 2010, and apparently there's going to be a 'Walking Tour' of Oxford! So here's a few teaser photos of what Oxford is like:



River Thames, Oxford



I wonder if I'll get a ride down the river - I remember I had a nice ride in Venice, Italy 3 years back! But it wasn't on one of those Gondolas, haha... I've always wanted to have a nice sandwich while floating down some random river, haha!

Jesus College Entrance (at Ship Street)

Oh yes, I'll be living along 4 Ship Street in about 3 days' time - and this is one of the entrances into Jesus College! Exeter College is on the left in the picture above, but I guess you can't really see anything for now. And actually, you can compare the age-old Jesus College with the more modern houses people live in nowadays in the picture below:

Ship Street View, Jesus College on left

I guess Jesus College does look a little different from the houses people live in along Ship Street. The address of Jesus College however, reads Turl Street, OX1 3DW. So where exactly is Jesus College? It turns out that I'm surrounded by four streets, as you'll see in the map below:



Map of Jesus College



If you enlarge the map, you'll see that I'm surrounded by 4 streets: Turl Street, Market Street, Cornmarket Street and Ship Street! I've located Jesus College for your convenience already, haha! So what exactly does the College look like? After all, I'll be staying there for a year!

I must say it really looks awesome and quaint, very much like a typical English garden and everything I've imagined it to be:

Jesus College, Interior

I mean if there're really flowers everywhere, won't they all die in winter? Oh well, I guess maybe they're hardier than I think they'd be. But Jesus College acquired a lease in 2008 on a Victorian warehouse in Ship Street, giving it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand their historic site! And one tourist attraction that's available is the University Parks:

University Parks, North of City Centre

Apparently this is a really good place for dates and the like! So what do people do in their free time? Well, they actually go running:

Town and Gown Fun Run 2008

Well, I guess these are some of the things to look forward to in Jesus College! It's within walking distance from Oxford University, so I guess I won't die trying to get to the PTCL (Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory).

And that's it for now! We'll see how Oxford really turns out - and whether the photos above do Jesus College injustice or justice, heh.

I'm really going to miss you all.