High Street, Oxford
George Street Restaurant 
Bringing in the hayChrist Church Meadow
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Photo Gallery Part 2
We are off to London for the day, so not much time to blog, but we thought we'd put up some more of our favorite photos.
High Street, Oxford
George Street Restaurant
Bringing in the hay
Christ Church Meadow
High Street, OxfordGeorge Street Restaurant Bringing in the hayChrist Church Meadow
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Exotic of the Everyday
(Phil writing). I don’t really like to travel. We were reflecting today on how many different places we have been, both on this trip and on others, and I realize what a rich set of experiences it has been. Yet I don’t like to travel.
I enjoy seeing the sights, and we have seen a lot since we have been here—colleges, churches, gardens, towers, paintings, and so on. That is what we do when we go on vacation. But for me the most interesting part of our time is what goes on everyday—going to work with everyone else, shopping at the same grocery store, reading a newspaper, watching TV. With the internet and the dominance of American culture, most of our normal daily activities from home can also occur here. We can watch reruns of Law & Order or CSI, we can read the Philadelphia and Seattle newspapers, I can follow baseball games live, we can have coffee at Starbucks, and we can listen to the same podcasts and radio stations. Using Skype, we have probably talked to Alison and Andy more since we have been here than we do from home.
So here are a few everyday things that are different—the exotic of the everyday. Being a good Meneely, I will concentrate on food. The grocery stores (Tesco and Marks & Spencer) carry many of some items that we have at home, and even most of same brands, although usually at a much higher price. We try to look for those things that we can’t get at home. We mentioned earlier the range of different cheeses, and they are used in different ways. We don’t usually put brie on our sandwiches (or baquettes), but it is quite common here, and it tastes good. It is hard to find pretzels, but there is a very wide selection of crisps (what we would call chips) with flavors like Thai chicken or scampi. We have been trying some different soft drinks as well. A few days ago I brought home a bottle of soda pop labeled Dandelion and Burdock.
I had no idea what it tasted like or what burdock was, but it was worth a try. (For the record, Deb knew that burdock is related to the thistle.) So this is made from two weeds. I can’t describe the taste, but is actually pretty good. It is dark colored, like a cola. It has a floral aroma, and a sweet and somewhat fruity taste. According to Wikipedia, it is somewhat related to sarsaparilla—which we only remember from Old Westerns—but, if you get a chance, have a taste.
Another curiosity of grocery shopping is the pricing policy. Imagine buying liquid dish soap. It comes in a range of scents and colors but as long as it comes from the same manufacturer, the prices for different scents and varieties are the same. Not so here—the lemon scented soap costs less than any other variety. Similarly with soft drinks, hand soap, candy bars, and many other small items. It makes a certain amount of sense, but I had never thought about the fact that a cola drink and a lemon-lime drink probably do not cost exactly the same to make, even if we pay the same for Coke and Sprite. But limeade, lemonade, cherry, and orange are all different prices—not a lot different, only a few pence, but slightly different.
So even if I don’t like to travel, I am finding some exotic experiences in our everyday living.
I enjoy seeing the sights, and we have seen a lot since we have been here—colleges, churches, gardens, towers, paintings, and so on. That is what we do when we go on vacation. But for me the most interesting part of our time is what goes on everyday—going to work with everyone else, shopping at the same grocery store, reading a newspaper, watching TV. With the internet and the dominance of American culture, most of our normal daily activities from home can also occur here. We can watch reruns of Law & Order or CSI, we can read the Philadelphia and Seattle newspapers, I can follow baseball games live, we can have coffee at Starbucks, and we can listen to the same podcasts and radio stations. Using Skype, we have probably talked to Alison and Andy more since we have been here than we do from home.
So here are a few everyday things that are different—the exotic of the everyday. Being a good Meneely, I will concentrate on food. The grocery stores (Tesco and Marks & Spencer) carry many of some items that we have at home, and even most of same brands, although usually at a much higher price. We try to look for those things that we can’t get at home. We mentioned earlier the range of different cheeses, and they are used in different ways. We don’t usually put brie on our sandwiches (or baquettes), but it is quite common here, and it tastes good. It is hard to find pretzels, but there is a very wide selection of crisps (what we would call chips) with flavors like Thai chicken or scampi. We have been trying some different soft drinks as well. A few days ago I brought home a bottle of soda pop labeled Dandelion and Burdock.
I had no idea what it tasted like or what burdock was, but it was worth a try. (For the record, Deb knew that burdock is related to the thistle.) So this is made from two weeds. I can’t describe the taste, but is actually pretty good. It is dark colored, like a cola. It has a floral aroma, and a sweet and somewhat fruity taste. According to Wikipedia, it is somewhat related to sarsaparilla—which we only remember from Old Westerns—but, if you get a chance, have a taste.
Another curiosity of grocery shopping is the pricing policy. Imagine buying liquid dish soap. It comes in a range of scents and colors but as long as it comes from the same manufacturer, the prices for different scents and varieties are the same. Not so here—the lemon scented soap costs less than any other variety. Similarly with soft drinks, hand soap, candy bars, and many other small items. It makes a certain amount of sense, but I had never thought about the fact that a cola drink and a lemon-lime drink probably do not cost exactly the same to make, even if we pay the same for Coke and Sprite. But limeade, lemonade, cherry, and orange are all different prices—not a lot different, only a few pence, but slightly different.
So even if I don’t like to travel, I am finding some exotic experiences in our everyday living.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
978-0-19-921982-7
How many of you know what this number is referring to? Deb's librarian friends have a real advantage on this one. It is an ISBN-- that is, International Standard Book Number. And not just any ISBN-- it is the number for Philip's textbook-- Advanced Genetic Analysis:Genes, Genomes, and Networks in Eukaryotes.
Yes, his book has been assigned an ISBN and is now available for pre-order. Click here to order your very own copy from Amazon or if you want to order it directly from OUP-- click here. Philip will get 10% of the cover price for each book sold and we plan to retire on this income, so order your copies for holiday giving now! With the book now being offered for sale on the web, it means the book really does need to be finished. (Technically, it is all finished but is still with the typesetter. Any day now, they will turn back the proofs for a final reading.)
For those who are curious, here's a little lesson in ISBN syntax: From 1970 until 2007, all ISBN numbers were 10 digits long. But then they ran out of numbers, so they added 3 digits to the front end. Currently, all ISBN-13 codes begin with "978". The next digit indicates the language in which the book is published, with "0" denoting English. The next two digits identify the publisher, in this case, Oxford University Press. The last group of digits uniquely identify the published item worldwide.
Yes, his book has been assigned an ISBN and is now available for pre-order. Click here to order your very own copy from Amazon or if you want to order it directly from OUP-- click here. Philip will get 10% of the cover price for each book sold and we plan to retire on this income, so order your copies for holiday giving now! With the book now being offered for sale on the web, it means the book really does need to be finished. (Technically, it is all finished but is still with the typesetter. Any day now, they will turn back the proofs for a final reading.)
For those who are curious, here's a little lesson in ISBN syntax: From 1970 until 2007, all ISBN numbers were 10 digits long. But then they ran out of numbers, so they added 3 digits to the front end. Currently, all ISBN-13 codes begin with "978". The next digit indicates the language in which the book is published, with "0" denoting English. The next two digits identify the publisher, in this case, Oxford University Press. The last group of digits uniquely identify the published item worldwide.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Tea "on the High"
Yesterday, our friend Dave Greenhalgh, dropped in for tea. Dave is a professor at Eastern University in St. David's, PA and had been in England this week visiting some cousins. They were kind enough to bring him into Oxford for a quick visit. We met at The Mitre, a restaurant "on the High" (which is the way locals refer to High Street) for what is called "cream tea".
Teatime
Here's a little lesson on tea terminology. Cream tea is a snack usually served in the late afternoon --about 4:00pm-- and usually consists of tea served in individual teapots, and scones with jam and clotted cream. (This is where the cream comes in.) The best clotted cream comes from Devonshire. High Tea is served later in the day, about 6:00pm, and is considered more of a meal, with sandwiches and fruit served in addition to pastries. The High come from the fact you eat it at a main dinner table, rather than at a small tea table. We understand that High Tea in recent years has been reserved for special, more formal occasions in British life. However, it is very common to meet friends for cream tea in the afternoon at a restaurant or tea shop.
Back to Dave. It was fun to hear about his week up in England's Lake Country and particularly about his opportunity to attend the British Open at Southport one day. As Dave reminded us, the tourneyment is referred to here as "The Open", as if there is no other.... We enjoyed getting to know his cousin and her husband as well.
--Deb
TeatimeHere's a little lesson on tea terminology. Cream tea is a snack usually served in the late afternoon --about 4:00pm-- and usually consists of tea served in individual teapots, and scones with jam and clotted cream. (This is where the cream comes in.) The best clotted cream comes from Devonshire. High Tea is served later in the day, about 6:00pm, and is considered more of a meal, with sandwiches and fruit served in addition to pastries. The High come from the fact you eat it at a main dinner table, rather than at a small tea table. We understand that High Tea in recent years has been reserved for special, more formal occasions in British life. However, it is very common to meet friends for cream tea in the afternoon at a restaurant or tea shop.
Back to Dave. It was fun to hear about his week up in England's Lake Country and particularly about his opportunity to attend the British Open at Southport one day. As Dave reminded us, the tourneyment is referred to here as "The Open", as if there is no other.... We enjoyed getting to know his cousin and her husband as well.
--Deb
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Keble College
Our time here is passing quickly, and we will be back in Ardmore in less than five weeks. Every day here has made some new memories, the little pieces of life that we can’t capture in pictures or in our blog. We don’t have a sound track, for example, so we can’t pass on the wide mix of languages that we hear every day on the street—Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, eastern European languages that we can’t identify, and of course Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Through the open window of our flat this evening, we can hear African drumming and the sound of field day games at the nearby meadow and park. Last Saturday during our walk, there was some type of graduation ceremony, and we were treated to the ringing of the bells at Magdalen College. (There are many graduation ceremonies—this city gives more degrees than a thermometer.)
We keep adding different colleges to our collection. (see July 12 post) Yesterday's was Keble College. This is officially the one that Phil is associated with, although he is physically working at the nearby science park and we had not actually been to the college grounds before.
Keble College Quad
Architecturally, Keble is very different from all of others. The walls are brick rather than stone, and have a complex mosaic of different colors—a red background with a crisscrossing yellow pattern, and a mixture of darker ones that appear black or dark blue, depending on the light. In addition, the quads are sunken, so that the buildings seem even taller.
Keble College Chapel
The chapel was being used for a wedding so we did not get inside to see its most famous (or hideous, according to some) art work, a painting called The Light of the World by the British artist William Holman Hunt. So we can save that for another day.
We keep adding different colleges to our collection. (see July 12 post) Yesterday's was Keble College. This is officially the one that Phil is associated with, although he is physically working at the nearby science park and we had not actually been to the college grounds before.
Keble College QuadArchitecturally, Keble is very different from all of others. The walls are brick rather than stone, and have a complex mosaic of different colors—a red background with a crisscrossing yellow pattern, and a mixture of darker ones that appear black or dark blue, depending on the light. In addition, the quads are sunken, so that the buildings seem even taller.
Keble College ChapelThe chapel was being used for a wedding so we did not get inside to see its most famous (or hideous, according to some) art work, a painting called The Light of the World by the British artist William Holman Hunt. So we can save that for another day.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Library Card
If you're looking for exciting,riveting news from Oxford today, we're afraid you will be sadly disappointed. Today's post is of the everyday routine of life.
Running dangerously low on reading material, it occurred to Deb a few days ago that maybe--just maybe-- she could qualify for a library card. She was prepared to throw herself at the mercy of the Oxford Public Librarian and ask for some professional courtesy (no librarian worth her salt would abscond with another library's materials), but it didn't come to that. An easy online membership form produced a temporary card she could print out and use-- which we promptly did by renting a DVD of the British television series Inspector Morse, which is set in Oxford. Then, the very next day her official card arrived in the mail-- a sharp card with a photo of Oxford's stately Sheldonian Theater on it.
Before she was able to put her new minted card to use, we turned on the Oxford BBC radio station in time to hear that the Oxfordshire libraries were closed for the next two days. The librarians had gone on strike! They are hoping for 50 pence more per hour (equal to $1.00). Wanting to show solidarity with her comrades, Deb hasn't crossed the picket lines. But if she does, you'll hear it here.....
Running dangerously low on reading material, it occurred to Deb a few days ago that maybe--just maybe-- she could qualify for a library card. She was prepared to throw herself at the mercy of the Oxford Public Librarian and ask for some professional courtesy (no librarian worth her salt would abscond with another library's materials), but it didn't come to that. An easy online membership form produced a temporary card she could print out and use-- which we promptly did by renting a DVD of the British television series Inspector Morse, which is set in Oxford. Then, the very next day her official card arrived in the mail-- a sharp card with a photo of Oxford's stately Sheldonian Theater on it.
Before she was able to put her new minted card to use, we turned on the Oxford BBC radio station in time to hear that the Oxfordshire libraries were closed for the next two days. The librarians had gone on strike! They are hoping for 50 pence more per hour (equal to $1.00). Wanting to show solidarity with her comrades, Deb hasn't crossed the picket lines. But if she does, you'll hear it here.....
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sandford Lock
Sunday dawned virtually cloudless, so after church we decided to continue our exploration of the Thames footpath. (Click link for satellite map view)
We picked it up from the Donnington Bridge and headed south past Iffley, in search of the Sandford Lock. We noticed that the water level of the river had definitely increased from last week-- we were not surprised! Once we passed under the bridge of the ring road, the vistas were decidedly more rural. It appears that fishing season opened this week, however, because there were quite a few fishermen out, and we had never seen any before. Part of the path leads you away from the riverside and into a cow pasture, so it made for some interesting walking (dodging the cowpies). For the most part the walk was quite serene.
Thames River Footpath
About a mile and a half along, we began to see more activity along the river and realized that we were approaching the Sandford Lock. This lock is larger than the one at Iffley and the area was quite lively since there was a pub called The Kings Arms that was doing a lot of business (Everyone decided they needed to "dry out" in the sun).
Kings Arms Pub at Sandford-on-Thames
After staying to watch a few steamers full of tourists make their way through the lock, we headed back. Sustaining us on our Sunday hike was the knowledge that the Isis Tavern was up ahead, with promise of coffee and dessert. Last Sunday was drizzly so just a few tables were filled when we stopped for lunch with Ray, Linda & Claire, but this week every single picnic table in their huge yard was filled with folks enjoying time with friends and family. And yes, they still had that piece of chocolate cake I had been dreaming about.
--Deb
We picked it up from the Donnington Bridge and headed south past Iffley, in search of the Sandford Lock. We noticed that the water level of the river had definitely increased from last week-- we were not surprised! Once we passed under the bridge of the ring road, the vistas were decidedly more rural. It appears that fishing season opened this week, however, because there were quite a few fishermen out, and we had never seen any before. Part of the path leads you away from the riverside and into a cow pasture, so it made for some interesting walking (dodging the cowpies). For the most part the walk was quite serene.
Thames River FootpathAbout a mile and a half along, we began to see more activity along the river and realized that we were approaching the Sandford Lock. This lock is larger than the one at Iffley and the area was quite lively since there was a pub called The Kings Arms that was doing a lot of business (Everyone decided they needed to "dry out" in the sun).
Kings Arms Pub at Sandford-on-ThamesAfter staying to watch a few steamers full of tourists make their way through the lock, we headed back. Sustaining us on our Sunday hike was the knowledge that the Isis Tavern was up ahead, with promise of coffee and dessert. Last Sunday was drizzly so just a few tables were filled when we stopped for lunch with Ray, Linda & Claire, but this week every single picnic table in their huge yard was filled with folks enjoying time with friends and family. And yes, they still had that piece of chocolate cake I had been dreaming about.
--Deb
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