i am still alive

There's been a request for a bit more blogging on my part. Sorry, my avid readers, to leave you in such suspense. I just know that all of you have been checking my blog at every free moment hoping to know: where is Katie? and what is she doing now?

Well, I am settled into St. Peter's College at Oxford:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/St_Peter
The mass of a web address above will take you to a decent picture of the main entrance to the college, but I'll have to take a picture of the inner court (it's much prettier). We're staying in a new dorm area called Paradise somethingorother (we just call it paradise - haha). It's really nice and only a year old (i have mixed feelings about that actually). Everyone has their own room complete with bathroom and shower...fancy, huh?! I kind of miss having a roommate...ok so i just miss having Kerrie as my roommate, but she said she'd come visit me - so that's fine (that's all a lie, Kerrie isn't coming, although not because I didn't ask her... I did).

What have I been doing, you ask? Well, there's been a lot of pub/bar/club exploration from the very beginning... I could detail my experiences to you in depth, but I'm sure that would just bore all of you. You're dying to hear about the academic work, right? Of course right! In that case we'll start at the very beginning (meaning my first day at Oxford). We arrived at the college mid-afternoon and I received my first reading assignment that evening. Talk about jumping right into things. Of course, we were supposed to have read all the plays before we got here, but the syllabus online was outdated (and I didn't even finish all of those). And like an idiot I went out with the people I'd just met that night. Needless to say there was quite a lot of scrambling the next morning to prepare for discussion of Henry the fifth (but I was fine). Then we had our first presentation to give (our assignments consist of essays and presentations that are prepared to be given in class before we discuss the works - that makes the topics more open ended and requires a bit more work on my part). Thrilling, I know. The point I'm trying to make is that this is one of the first opportunities I've had to update you, my avid reader (aka Amanda), on my current activities and foreign intrigues.

The foreign part doesn't apply too much to my program (I know...it's sad, but it's England guys). And all the students in my class are Americans. So far I have plans to visit London (to see King Lear at the Globe), Stratford-upon-Avon (where we'll see The Taming of the Shrew ), and Bath. Otherwise, I'm not sure where else I'll end up. I want to visit Gina in Scotland and there's been some talk amongst friends of Dublin and Brighton... I haven't actually looked into those, but ok.

I do know my mailing address now (Brendan)...but I left it in my room. I think this is it:

New Inn Hall St
Oxford, OX1 2DL
01865 278900

...but I'm not positive. So hold off on all the things you want to mail me (since I know that's exactly what so many people have been dying to do) and if I don't correct it in 24 hours, it's correct.

This is quite the blog. I feel like I've been typing for hours. If there are any requests... like: what kind of food have you been eating? Just ask. I aim to please my curious public.
:)
I know, I am terribly, terribly thrilling to listen to.
I hope everyone's well. Post, email, facebook... I miss you all (except any creepy random person who may have somehow found my site... i don't know you, why should I miss you). Enjoy the summer and the sun (for me).

That's all...