Once More, With Feeling

Having spent about five months here, I can confirm that Oxford is an odd sort of place. It's full of opposites - the old and the new, the international and the local, the student vs. the tourist... The whole place can easily seem like a walking contradiction, making you question what's really, truly "Oxfordian." For me the lowest common denominator, if one can be found, is passion. Oxford is a place where people from all over the world gather to be passionate about things, and we're talking passion to a degree which couldn't exist outside the Oxford bubble. There are English academics who devote entire chunks of their scholarly careers to studying not a single piece of work, but the footnotes of a single piece of work. What seems pressing and intriguing here can easily feel semantic outside Oxford.

My friend HF and I were lamenting the other day that when we went back to our home institutions, we wouldn't have anyone with whom we could casually strike up a conversation about literature. On my campus at least, English majors are a bit thin on the ground, and if you really wanted to talk to someone about something you'd read, you'd have to join a special club (none of which are particularly successful) or talk to someone not your age, i.e. go to office hours. Of course, it's conversations like these that make me feel like I'm becoming the drinking-tea-with-pinky-out-using-the-word-postmodern-every-other-sentence-and-debating-which-edition-of-a-book-should-be-considered-the-authoritative-edition kind of academic I used to make fun of incessantly. But I think the magic of Oxford is more akin to a convention than an exclusive wine-and-cheese party. It gives you a space to geek out about the things you're passionate about in a location with a high density of other passionate people whose interests may line up with yours. If you're really lucky, you might meet someone passionate enough about something to get you passionate about it too, and that's what I'm calling the theme of this week/week-and-a-half. Behold, from the last week and a half of my life, seven people with whom I got to experience things they're really passionate about!



1. the 2014 OUSU International Festival
Passionate Party: T, and the International Students Campaign Committee

In a bizarre turn of events, I was asked halfway through last term to run the International Students Campaign Facebook page by T, my fellow KPOP concert-goer. Since then, I've become even more involved with the ISC committee, and last Sunday represented a huge organization feat for all of us: the 2014 OUSU International Festival at the historic Oxford Town Hall. Aside from some electrical difficulties related to the Belgian Society's waffle makers, the day went off without a hitch. We had about 20 Oxford cultural societies there selling traditional food and souvenirs, plus live dance and musical performances running all day long. Over a thousand people passed through the festival doors in the space of five hours - a huge success, and something I was really honored to be a part of. Not bad for six weeks' work!

2. Politically Incorrect Shakespeare
Passionate Party: Professor Maguire

Othello and Desdemona share a kiss in Patrick Stewart's 1997 "photo negative" production of Othello.

Though it has nothing to do with what I'm currently studying in my tutorials, and I'm not even signed up to study Shakespeare in Trinity Term, my favorite lecture this term has definitely been Professor Maguire's "Politically Incorrect Shakespeare" series on Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and my all-time favorite, Othello. As the title suggests, the talks specifically targeted Shakespeare plays which are awkward to stage today because they contain potentially uncomfortable messages espousing sexism, antisemitism, and racism respectively. I of course found intriguing the discussions of the extent to which the plays should be considered controversial, taking into account their historical context and reading history. But my absolute favorite part of each lecture was the moment about thirty minutes in when our lecturer would descend into recounting the performance history of each play, noting unusual or creative performances significant in their tackling of the uncomfortable plays. It's those kind of little anecdotes which keeps literature from being just words on a page for me - fun facts like that in 1997, Patrick Stewart played the traditionally black Othello on the condition that the production be "photo-negative" - i.e. that all the "white" parts be played by actors of color, leaving only Othello as white. It' the oddest thing to imagine, especially when you think through all the light and dark imagery built right into the dialogue of the play. At any rate, a passionate lecture series which reminded me once more why I love Shakespeare so much.

3. Wicked
Passionate Party: J, old school friend and theater tech major

The lobby was very, VERY green.

After having him show me around London a few weekends ago, I was eager to repay my fellow study abroad-er J somehow, and got the chance almost immediately when IFSA offered a cheap ticket night to Wicked at the Victoria Apollo. Despite being a really committed theater tech major (i.e. lights, sound, props, set-building, etc.) and having already seen a dozen plus shows in London alone this semester, J has never seen Wicked. As a matter of professional integrity, I helped him rectify that situation last Monday night with a pretty stunning performance. I have seen a few shows in New York City over the years, but it's been awhile since I've gotten to see professional musical theater. I spent most of the interval interrogating J about all the effects in the show, and some of his tech projects from shows back home - a kind of continuation of our thorough perusing of the V&A theater exhibit. Plus, now I know the words and the context to "Defying Gravity!"

The set looked like this, so needless to say we had a lot to talk about. The fully-functioning mechanical dragon at the top would move and snort smoke occasionally!

4. Oxford v. Cambridge football match
Passionate Party: C, a fellow visiting student

On Saturday, I had the privilege of witnessing the latest entry in one of the longest-running and fiercest collegiate rivalries in history - Oxford versus Cambridge. Oxfordians ubiquitously refer to Cambridge as "The Other School." To liken this practice to calling Voldemort "You-Know-Who" would imply fear, and there is none. Oxfordians know they're the best. Just amidst a lot of bitterness and competition.

The post-game huddles - Oxford Furies on the left, Cambridge Eagles on the right.

Anyway, somehow my uber-talented visiting student friend, C, managed to entangle herself in this centuries-long fray by making the Oxford Varsity Seconds football team. While it's not the Varsity First team (which generally visiting students don't play on), these footballers are still on the front lines of the Oxford/Cambridge conflict, and their grudge match was a pretty brutal affair. Unfortunately, the Oxford Furies lost it 0-5 to the Cambridge Eagles, but it was a hard-fought game with some odd conditions, and C played like an absolute beast - not to be missed!

5. Getting back in touch with nature in University Parks
Passionate Party: HF, who regularly needs fresh air to function

Arguably, HF's greatest passion is dance, and she has successfully convinced me to go to a hip hop dance class in the past, but the combined lack of photo evidence of this event, plus the semi-chronological nature of this post requires me instead to show you our Sunday jaunt through University Parks, on a mission to do work, but mostly have a picnic and enjoy the random 65 degree weather we were suddenly graced with. In general, I don't use the University Parks as much as I should, especially considering that they're free and right across the street from St. Anne's, so I was easily persuaded to take my reading and essay writing outside for an afternoon.

A quiet spot by the river where we spent most of our time - probably HF's favorite Uni Parks place.

Picturesque little bridge. It was so nice to break out of the college bubble and see some non-student entities out and about - newlyweds and children and puppies...

HF trying to look scholarly for photo purposes.

Fun fact: for most of our stay, there was a group of LARPers doing their thing about 15 feet away from us.
I snapped some covert photos of their shenanigans.

6. Hilary Concert ("A Night at the Movies" and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony)
Passionate Party: E & T, our conductors, and the Oxford Open Orchestra

Post-concert victory pose!

This term largely instead of archery I decided to pick up the flute again (after a 2-year post-high-school hiatus) and play along with the Oxford Open Orchestra - Oxford's coolest and chillest, university-wide, non-audition orchestra. Our conductors, E and T, each picked a piece near and dear to their heart for us to tackle. E arranged a fun little medley of movie theme tunes which included Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and even Game of Thrones. Being an almost unbelievably devoted fan of Beethoven (and even bearing a decent resemblance to him when donning a tailcoat), T pulled out the big guns and has us attempt the Fifth Symphony.

It's been an education - literally, I have learned entire new notes and tricks and bits of music theory, largely thanks to my very talented and knowledgeable stand-mate and fellow flute, HS. But most of all, this term has taught me how much I missed having music in my life, and how much of a cathartic and stabilizing activity it can be. Wednesday night rehearsals came immediately after or during an essay crisis for my Friday tutorial, and there was no better way to blow off some steam than to go hammer away at some of Beethoven's Fifth. I also had my first in-concert solo ever, which was pretty neat, especially because it was a bit from "Lord of the Rings" in our movie tunes piece and I'm a massive fan. I never thought I would be playing Beethoven in an orchestra anywhere, let alone at Oxford, and tonight's concert was probably a much-needed reminder that the kind of things I'm doing every day here are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

Surrounded by my all my dear supporters!

7. Vienna, Austria (forthcoming)
Passionate Party: HF, who has lived there

In the true spirit of adventure, I've added Vienna, Austria to my travel plans this Spring Break. I'll be spending a few days there with my fellow St. A's visiting student, HF, who lived in the city for a while when she was younger. What better way to spend my break than to go somewhere a little unexpected with someone who's an expert? With any luck, we'll be able to catch something at the world-renowned Vienna Opera House while we're there - "Schwanesse," anyone?

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As term draws to a close, my life is descending into a concentrated madness, but I promise I'll be keeping you updated with envy-worthy photos and reports of my Spring Break travels. But for now, so long, Hilary Term, and thanks for all the fish.