Today I arrived at Cambridge University and was overwhelmed by the number of different colleges as well as the sheer beauty of its architecture. The college I'm at, Caius (pronounced Keys), is actually in the center of town, away from the hustle and bustle of tourist life. Upon immediately entering Caius, there are no longer throngs of asian tourists or random Brits walking the streets, but it is limited only to the participants in this summer program, about 50 students. There is only one rule inside the college--NO WALKING ON THE GRASS!!! If you do, they call in the SWAT team and the pack of rottweilers. Just kidding, they don't do all that...but they do get very upset and you get severely reprimanded.
I had a chance to unpack and settle into my room, on the very top floor (about 5 flights up--no lifts). It is oddly shaped, but with a large picture window and my very own sink, which is convenient. Every day, a maid comes in in the morning to get this--make my bed and straighten up my dresser. Do they think American college students are incapable of such a thing?
Classes begin tomorrow, but I am anxious to explore the parks and the gardens surrounding the colleges. One of the parks is actually called "Christ's pieces"---only the Brits would come up with a name like that. Tomorrow afternoon, there is a performance by King's College Choir, one of the most beautiful choral ensembles in the world. http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/ I also plan to check out the open air market around here, where you can buy fresh and inexpensive fruit...a bit like haymarket!
My favorite British expressions so far would be "cheers", which is said as a goodbye, and "love", which is a bit like"dear" (ex. how can I help you, love?). I also discovered a wonderful discount grocery/store called Tesco, where all the prices are very low and you can make sandwiches with fresh items--it is like the Superwalmart of the UK!
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