Meaning - drenched Oxford

Do you often travel to the same place? Why do you choose that place? What does it mean to you?
I often find that I have to remind others why I travel to the UK each year (or as often as I can), and specifically why I keep returning to Oxford.

If you know me, you know that I am always thinking (sometimes I am in my head too much, but that's another musing.) I am always seeking to know more by reading or listening to engaging talks. When I go on a long holiday somewhere, I am not one who lounges by a pool or beach. That might be some people's ideal, but I want to learn, think, and grow and that doesn't stop on a break. I realize that is not what everyone wants when they take a holiday somewhere. I've always been different, going against the grain, and I am okay with that. It can be a challenge, though, as I explain to others.

For me, it is important to do things that are meaningful and thoughtful. So when I go somewhere, if it's within my ability, I want to seek out the places of meaning. In Oxford, much of that stems from history - literary, religious, scientific, architecture, etc. My interest in these categories is deep, which means that when I go, I want to spend time in the places that inspired my favourite authors, I want to learn about the discoveries made in Oxford that propelled art, astronomy, book publishing, music, science. I want to learn about the historic buildings and spend time in them, I want to worship in the ancient spaces that have been there for many centuries, and I want to encounter the stories of religious changes and leadership that took place right there. Every spot has a story to tell.

While Oxford itself has become so familiar to me, it still summons awe in me every time I walk the streets, every time I listen to a classical concert, every time I sit in on a lecture, and every time I get to talk with a local for a little bit. I am not only learning more about a place, a history, and a culture, I am expanding my own horizons and experience as I hear other viewpoints. Through all of that, I am becoming more aware of who I am and what I believe in the context of the world. 

Oxford always has a way of making you think - whether you browse in a museum, listen to locals talk in a pub, or attend an evensong service. Your mind will be engaged to think. In a truly Oxford way, to think more truly for yourself. Not just adopting a cultural norm because it's there and it's easy, but thinking and digging into your own view to develop your own opinion.

If you are a student at Oxford, it is obviously hugely important to develop and be adept at expressing your opinions and then arguing them fully with critical thinking and research. Students spend hours and hours every day sitting in the medieval libraries of Oxford with stacks of books on a topic they are writing about. They have to think about how they are going to write about that topic.

When I tread in the footsteps of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, John Wesley, John Ruskin, etc I imagine them walking down the same lane on the way to give a lecture, or meet with students, or have a cup of tea with friends. I think about how they produced amazing writings that I have read and re-read, perhaps working out an idea in their head as they walked down the serene path such as Addison's walk in woods along the river, taken a punt down the river, a walk through St. Mary's Passage to get somewhere, or a peaceful stroll through the Botanic Garden. And my soul is filled with inspiration.

Perhaps that is part of why I love Oxford. I love to think, and I love to make people think. Oxford does the same. 

Poems of Oxford 111

Dreaming Spires

Dreaming spires set high above
my dreaming head.
My longing imagination planted
here at the Bodleian.
A library 400 years old, ancient
books next to modern readers
sat at desks, warm glow of lamps
seen through tall windows.
From the outside looking in
my hearts skips in joy.
The presence of books does 
that to me, every time.
One night, so cold and still,
I rested my head so close to these
dreaming spires, just feet away.
The library filled my dreams and
filtered through the walls,
a deep wholesome sleep.
Did books fill my dreams?

Poems of Oxford 11

Turl Street Grey

Grey sky comfort in a cappuccino
Sitting on an old wooden chair
on creaking wooden floors.
Tall windows let in the 
fresh morning light, perfectly
cast for reading.
Foamy coffee enlightening my
morning fog, waking up my
imagination to Oxford.
Sandy coloured colleges
line the street, which look
more beautiful under a grey sky.
Keeping warm in the front room,
looking out to the cold Turl Street.
I smile, and write, sip and sigh.
This kind of day is perfectly
Oxford, you know.

Oxford Morn

Cold, brisk Oxford morn.
My thick, wooly jumper
keeps me warm.
As well as frequent cappuccinos
I sit at wooden tables
wide wooden floorboards underneath.
Students tap away on laptops
I dash words on these pages
I embrace all the old - 
books, libraries, history
Here in Spring so cold to me, 
it all warms me up.
My heart flutters in thanks
for all the love that sinks
deeply into Oxford

Poems of Oxford 1

Radcliffe Camera

A cold wind wrapping around
classical architecture, holding
thousands of volumes comprised
of thoughts, lessons, stories - 
within the bookbindings.
Kept safe and warm, a calm
place no matter the storm.
Thoughts encouraged within
these walls, within pages.
Brisk walks, chats, 
and photo spots
outside on the cobbles.
All involved desire 
a cup of tea -
one side to escape the cold,
the other to escape the mental labour.

Turl Street Bright

In the sunshine, Turl Street glows.
Ancient sandstone buildings
and narrow walks.
A lull of quiet leads to a bustle 
of people, a tour group
passing by, dazzled by beauty.
I feel the tingle of beauty 
each time I walk
down this street.
It joins history, and a pathway
to the Bodleian.
And on a grey day it holds all
the charm of a cosy street 
with warm coffee shops and
bookshop in which to stop.
Come inside, they beckon,
warm your hands with a cuppa.

A Welsh Adventure

Cardiff, Wales. It seems like a place so mysterious, right? Probably because it is often forgotten in that little western corner of the British Isle, but only a two hour train ride from Oxford. The country is rather small, but it holds a grand landscape of wild, windswept beaches, cliffs, and mountains. The land is rugged, and beautiful. Sheep outnumber people, so I am told. The Welsh language is spoken, and on every sign (Welsh first, English second).

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, and it is full of things to explore. We took a train from Oxford, changed at Didcot Parkway and had to wait for our delayed connection there, but still arrived in Cardiff Central only a little behind schedule. We were able to walk with our luggage from the train station to our hotel. The train station is so central. The central area with shops and restaurants and pedestrianized streets is bustling. We dropped luggage off, and headed out for exploring and a sandwich. We wandered into the arcades of Cardiff. It is known as the city of arcades, which if you don't know, are pretty covered hallways lined with shops and cafes, that offer a short cut through to a neighboring street. The arcades have lovely glass, rounded ceilings, large lanterns hanging, beautiful signs and windows in the shops. The arcades have been around for hundreds of years and are lovely to walk through. We found a sandwich in Barker's Tea House (gluten free bread!) and then browsed in a bookshop, Troutmark, popped into the Cardiff library, found a tiny local spot that makes Welshcakes (including gluten free), met up with a family friend from Florida living in Cardiff, had coffee with her, and went to dinner at a Mexican place she recommended to us. 

Next day we started with coffee of course, at Coffee Barker, and spent several hours exploring Cardiff Castle, which was very enjoyable. I climbed to the top of the castle keep, which offered amazing views of the city and parks surrounding, but Mum stayed below when she saw the tiny steps got more narrow, and then I same to the spirally stone steps to the very top. My eye was met with the flag of Wales quite often, emblazon with the dragon. We toured the castle apartments, and I greatly admired the beautiful library that was well stocked with classic literature.

The weather was perfect. Chilly and mix of sun and some clouds. Spring was blooming everywhere.
Cardiff was a quick two day visit, but we got to see most of the central city. Next time, I really want to get out of the city, and into the wild landscapes of the country. I caught glimpses of it from the train and now I long to see it.

A Certain Slant of Light

There’s a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons – 
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes – 

Heavenly Hurt, it gives us – 
We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are –

(Emily Dickinson)

To me, if felt like Winter in Oxford, even though it is Spring. The beauty of colour was emerging in all cherry blossom trees and magnolia trees. Daffodils sprinkled the ground all over the parks and gardens. A breath of sweet air enveloped Oxford.

I walked around Oxford each day, slower than in the past, more in tune with the presence of God in everything. When we rush we tend to miss. I never want to miss anything, especially when my time is limited in a place. So I listened to the bells as they chimed from most of the colleges, I noticed the glow of the stone buildings and spires, I heard the click of my oxford shoes on the stone as I walk through the Bodleian Library, and I reach the end of the passage to approach that certain slant of light leading out to Radcliffe Square and sigh with utter astonishment that a city can be so beautiful. And in fact that these are library buildings. For hundreds of years (417 years, actually) this has been a place of studying, learning, growing. Readers come to the library to spend hours in study. No books can be taken away (it's not a lending library), so you must be there, present in the library, absorbing it all into your being.

In my daily life, no matter where I am, I try to make it my practice of noticing the presence of God in everything. Beauty is part of creation and it's all around us. From the steaming cup of tea at home to the beautiful way the light slants into the passage in Oxford, there is always something to notice and pay attention to. Sleeper, awake! Notice the world around you and be thankful for the little things, for they are only possible because of God. They are there for blessing you. But if you don't pay attention, you miss it, which is like leaving a gift unwrapped right in front of you. 

Book Musing - The Brothers Karamazov

I have been wanting to read this book for a long time! The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a book written in 1879, about human nature and choices we make that affect our future, perhaps unforeseen. The impact of decisions made everyday changes us, sometimes in tragic ways, but there is always hope in dire times.

I love how this book raises questions you must ask yourself as the reader peering into the drama, which lingers with you for days. How to respond, you the reader are set to ponder. The depths of human souls are complex, seeking truth in love, but what if we follow our momentary passions twisted in selfishness, driving us to make decisions that affect the future in ways we could not foresee? Our character could thus be determined by such acts. 

Thank God for His mercy, and that everyone can be redeemed, even those we judge to be wrong, guilty, different, or mad.

I finished reading it and I would want the tale to continue, and yet sometimes it’s best left to the imagination, as the story does continue with us and how we choose to live.

Books that make you think are soul food, to me. This 775 page book is about relationships, words, and deeds. Following three brothers, or is it four, we observe their choices and begin to ask ourselves - would my own actions or words work to destroy something previous, or offer good? Dimitri is impulsive and full of anger, but passionate. He makes rash choices, not realizing how they will change his future. Ivan is cold and harsh. He is highly intelligent, but doesn't believe in God. Alyosha is devout, religious, and thoughtful. He looks at the world and ways to love others.

This book has many complexities and twists. Characters who we have pinned down do something that will change your opinion later. There are debates about God, church, judging others, character development, and relationships. While you learn about the Russian culture at the time, there is very little atmosphere and environment described. It's all about the dialogue. Each character has pages of sharing his/her own viewpoints, developing into something for the reader to ponder. 

This book left me with much to ponder, and I have been doing that for several days. I really like how Dostoevsky reaches toward hope, even in the darkest moments. While something grips us from an outcome, I read into the story how every soul can be redeemed. We don't get to decide who deserves it or not, it's just our duty to love.

There are souls that in their narrowness blame the whole world. But overwhelm such a soul with mercy, give it love, and it will curse what it has done, for there are so many germs of good in it. The soul will expand and behold how merciful God is, and how beautiful and just people are.
- The Brothers Karamazov

Bookshops of London

South Kensington Books

Luytens & Rubinstein 

John Sandoe

St. Pancra's (Hatchard's small shop)

Foyle's

Just as the neighbourhoods of London are so different and each have their own style and personality, each bookshop also has a mood and vibe of its own, and I love to explore all the different shops. On this trip, I managed to visit 5 different London bookshops. Every shop organizes their books differently, lays out the shop differently, has a vibe in the shop where some might be cosy and messy, while others might be clean and very structured (organized). It's really fun to step into a bookshop and figure it out. Wander the shelves to discover what topics they carry the most, and what focus they might have in the shop. Conversations can be overheard as I browse. The world of bookshops is a wide open world, and the strangest questions come along that sometimes make me grin as I listen and browse at the same time. I bought at least one book in each of these shops. 

Here are the London bookshops I visited on this recent trip:
1. South Kensington Books
A small, but varied shop with plenty to browse. Within steps of the South Kensington Underground Station, it has easy access to come and go, and I might have come out of there with a solid 4 books under my arm.

2. Lutyens & Rubinstein 
In Notting Hill, this was the most organized, clean, and beautifully designed shop. The flying books, dangling from the ceiling takes your eyes up and away into the imaginative realm of books. It's the smallest of all the shops, I think, but with plenty to browse. Besides a book, I bought the shop's tote bag, because it was beautifully designed, and a thick well-made tote.

3. John Sandoe Books
In Chelsea, this is a beautiful shop, but be warned, it is organized by genre, in general, but not really alphabetized, so it's a bit of a treasure hunt. If you are looking for something particular, best of luck to you. Many of the books are in stacks on tables, too, so you need to dig. But oh how I loved the old creaky wooden floors, cosy rugs, and the narrow, worn wooden stairs going up to more books. I didn't have any difficulty in finding a few books to take home with me.

4. Hatchard's (small shop in St. Pancra's Train Station)
I didn't get a shot of the shop itself, but it was a small one inside the St. Pancra's Train Station. We just stumbled upon the shop as we explored the train station, which is well worth a visit, even if you are not taking the Eurostar train into France. 

5. Foyle's
On Charing Cross Road, a very busy area of London with theatres, restaurants, and tourists, this is a massive bookshop, spanning 5 floors. I just had to go to each floor and check out the sections that interested me. I limited myself in this shop, because it was still the beginning of the trip, and there were so many more shops to go. It was delightful to just wander and browse.