Oxford Union Debates

On Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited to a Oxford Union Debate as the guest of one of the speakers.  It was my first time in Oxford and it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.  The debates have been taking place since 1823 and, honestly, it was just what you would expect.  There were lots of men in black tie (all male members of the Union and all the debaters -- five on each side of the proposition --  are required to wear them).  We ate dinner at a massive table in an ancient room (although you should know that rubber chicken diners are common on both sides of the Atlantic). At the end of the meal everyone stood and made a toast to the Queen and then they passed a large decanter of port.  The debate took place in another ancient room that was specifically built to host debates like this.  After it was all said and done the audience voted for the winning side by walking out of the "aye" or "no" door.  My side lost, although since it was arguing in favor of higher tuition fees that was hardly a surprise.  It's a good thing that the Oxford Union lets both the winners and loser retire to the library for an after debate drink!

Happy 2011 friends!  I know it is a little late to be saying that, but we just started back to class this week, so this has been the first week I have been organized enough to get on the blog.  I have new classes this term and I think I am going to like them much more than the classes I had last term.  I am taking my core class in Politics and Society (the same as last term) and then I am taking a course on Partisanship in Europe and one on Political Behaviour in Europe (note the spelling...I have been getting endless grief for spelling like an American).  The entire grade in the Political Behaviour class is based on a 5,000 word essay that I am going to write on Margaret Thatcher.  It's going to be awesome.  I also had to decide on a topic for my dissertation.  I am going to compare and contrast the politics of literacy policy in the U.S. and the U.K.  Alright, that is all for now folks!  Talk soon!

Christmas in England 2010

Here are some photos from Christmas 2010.  I spent the holiday with my lovely friend Roxanne (that's her in the second photo with me) and her family in a village called Woodhouse Eaves (how cute it that!!) which is in the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire, England.  They were fabulous hosts!  We went for the traditional British walk in the woods on Christmas morning and then went to the pub on Boxing Day.  It was lovely, and as you will see, very snowy!!

Christmas at Westminster

Here are a couple of photos of the Christmas tree at Westminster, with Westminster Tower (aka Big Ben) in the background.  It is a very simple tree, but I think that is why I like it so much.  These pictures will also give you a sense of how dark it is in London in the winter.  I took these at around 3:30 this afternoon.

London's First Snow of the Season

It has been horribly cold in London for the past few weeks, and this week, before December had even arrived, we got our first snow.  Here are some pictures that I took in my neighborhood and while I was out and about.  However cold it may look, please know that it is so much colder than that!

Thanksgiving in London

While I did have to work on Thanksgiving, I also managed to get some of my new British friends to come out and enjoy their first Thanksgiving meal.  We went to the Texas Embassy Cantina in Trafalgar Square, where we had one of the worst Thanksgiving meals I have every had.  They loved it!!  Here are some pictures of our Turkeyday celebration.  While the food was bad, the drinks were strong and the company was excellent!  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Remembrance Sunday

Last Sunday was Remembrance Sunday in the UK, which honors those killed in combat since World War I.  As many of the know the Brits wear poppies to honor the holiday.  I was a proud poppy wearing American for several weeks!  Here are some photos I took at Westminister Cathedral (incidentally this location is the odds on favorite for the royal wedding).