Euro Trip Begins- London to Krakow

Our final days in Oxford quickly came to a close. The last month was extremely busy, spent trying to soak up each other and the city, finishing essays, and planning an exciting Europe trip with three friends who had come to mean a lot to me during those three months. On March 18th, the 15 APU students gathered together in the upper room of St. Mary's Church where each one would present a synapsis of his or her time and studies at Oxford. We were all in the same place, surrounded by the same people, yet each one of us studied something different and came out with completely different experiences. Each one unique, personal, special, and so important. After spending a good amount of the day there, Dani (my roommate from APU) and I all rushed home to begin moving out, cleaning, and packing for our trip which we would embark on the very next day.



That day went by quickly, and the next thing I knew, Dani and I were sitting on the Oxford Tube heading to London. An hour and a half later, we arrived in London where we were met by Pastor Tonye Holyde and made our way back to the warmth and love of the Holyde home. The Holyde's are a family who pastored a church back in California in the San Luis Obispo area and moved to London several years ago to start a church plant there. With a small, young, lively, and diverse church of nearly 15 cultures represented, the Holyde's truly embody what it means to be the body in a global context. They welcomed Dani and I into their home with loving arms, made us a delicious homemade dinner, and gave us a place to rest our heads for a few hours. We attempted to go to sleep around 8:00 pm (like that really happened), woke up at 1:15 am, got our things together, headed out the door, took three different busses around the outskirts of North London (the only ones we could get since it was so early in the morning), arrived at a bus stop which would then take us to London Stansted, and finally arrived at the airport where we waiting to board our flight that left at 6:00 am.

After a long night and a short hour or so flight, we landed in Krakow, Poland. We were exhausted but ready to begin our journey... that is until we got off the plane and had no idea what we were actually doing. The airport was small and hardly anyone spoke our language. We finally managed to get a 50 zlade note out (which roughly $ ) and make our way to the bus stop. The busses weren't like any we had seen in the UK; you didn't have to pay the bus driver or show some sort of ticket to board. You just got on, which left us curious as to how to get our tickets. We tried to purchase tickets from the machine on the bus, but it appeared to be broken. We quickly hopped off and tried to purchase tickets from the machine outside. After standing there confused because the machine wouldn't take such a large note (50 sladze), the younger man behind us offered to buy our ticket and mustered some English saying, "You get on now." So we did. We sat down with our large backpacks trying to ease our nerves. Meanwhile, two Scottish men and a woman hop on. They appeared perplexed as well, as they tried to use the broken machine with no avail. The man looked up and asked if we knew, but we simply told him we had no clue either. He went back to sit with his group. After a few minutes, I notice a large, Polish man dressed in normal clothes speaking with the Scots. The man says, "Oh... Not how we do in Polish country." I turned to Dani concerned whilst another Polish man (also not in a uniform) walks by. She stopped him and asked, "Excuse me sir. We bought these tickets... what were we supposed to do with them?" The Polish man turns to the other talking to the Scots, smirks, looks back at us, and says, "Problem... BIG problem." In his limited English, he asked us for our IDs, and so we handed him our Oxford University library cards. He looked confused by them, but the bus soon came to a stop. Both Polish men drag us and the Scots out of the bus and attempt to explain (harshly I might add) that we were supposed to validate our tickets and that because we didn't, we owe them a large fine. So they began to ask for our passports and negotiate various large sums of money for not putting our tickets into a machine, though we had bought it and clearly didn't know what we were doing. We tried talking our way out of it, but the Polish men only grew angrier. I told them we didn't have the money, and he proceed to demand my credit card information. Scared, shaking, and crying, the two of us walked around the center looking for someone to help. The men kept threatening to call the police, and we responded by saying, "Please do!" We found a young security guard, who seemed excited to help us at first but later said there was nothing he could do. Another young man who spoke English very well came over to translate but could also do nothing to help and tried to explain to us that these men were the "bus controllers" and that this was their job. After what seemed like at least half an hour of being scared out of our minds, the police showed up. They took account of the situation and tried to talk the bus controllers into letting us off since we did just arrive, did actually buy our tickets, and had a bad first experience in the country, but the men were not having it. The Scots finally decided to pay whatever fine they had negotiated but wouldn't leave until they let us go. After receiving pressure from the Scots and the policemen, the bus controllers begrudgingly let us go.

Whewwfff! What a relief. Still shaken up, we made our way to a coffee shop where we could gather ourselves and come up with a plan for the day. It was a rough start to our trip, but a good lesson that people, even those in authority in another country, will take advantage of you if you don't know what you're doing. We learned quickly. For the rest of the day, we walked around Krakow with our large backpacks, got lost a couple of times, but got to see some cool sites.

That night, we stayed at our first hostel, which was actually pretty nice. We ended up chatting with Polish girl that worked the front desk and her boyfriend for quick some time. They asked questions about America and we asked questions about Poland. They also explained to us that the bus controllers are legitimate but that since Poland's economy isn't doing very well they prey on tourists. This became a trend in our Euro trip. We would spend the day exploring a city, its culture, and its history, then head back to the hostel and have conversations with people from there. These moments were my favorite part of the trip... getting to meet different people in different cultures and being able to learn from them firsthand.

Nihao China!

Well, I am back at it, Ladies and Gentlemen. This time, however, my travels take on a very different flavor – one of fried rice, noodles, and lots of uncertainty. You guessed it, I have arrived in China. If you are wondering why or how, I have taken advantage of a really awesome opportunity that APU's School of Business offers. I am taking three courses here and interning at a non-profit for the next two and a half months. China is a beautiful country, rich in culture and history. From the cultural experiences to the company visits, this is one for the books. 

The first two weeks were spent with the entire study abroad group (about 20 students) at Zhejiang University in the city of Hangzhou. Hangzhou has one of the highest per capita incomes in China, and the university presence draws a lot of international students to the city. The first night, we went to an evening show, where we were marveled by the incredibly talented Chinese performers. 

Thursday, we went to a city called Yiwu. I went to the store the night before to get breakfast for everyone and woke up a bit earlier to have that set up for all 20 of us. We hopped on the bus and drove for about 3 hours. I practiced Mandarin for most of the drive. When we got there, we toured this huge whole sale mall. 200,000 vendors were located in this enormous complex. Agents or retailers will come to these stores in China from all across the world to buy retail items in bulk. This particular store deals mostly with countries in the Middle East, India, and many African countries. It was actually pretty cool and a lot of items you would see sold in many US stores. It is crazy to think about the life of a product and how many places it travels across the supply chain to get to the consumer. 

For lunch, we went into the city and we all got to explore. Most of the guys stopped at McDonalds to get food. But Rachel, Ashlynn, and I followed the Strothers to a Weeger restaurant. Weegers are an ethnic minority in China. They largely come from the North West and are ethnically more Turkish than Chinese and are also largely Muslim. Weeger food is similar to Turkish food and was pretty good. 

We then went to a few other malls and markets and got to see a Chinese Walmart. Walmart is franchised, so it has a strong local presence, which means it is very Chinese. Other than the Walmart sign and a few value price brands, you wouldn’t even recognize that it was Walmart. The low price signs were in red and yellow (which are very lucky colors) and the meat was crazy. Straight up just killed chicken just chilling there for sell as well as fish still in the tanks. In China, your pets and your food can easily be confused. 

Overall, this has been a great experience so far. I am blessed to be here. Though very different, China has so much to offer, and I have so much to learn whilst in this beautiful country. 

Essays, Questions, Wrestling, and a Changed World View

I only actually spent three months in Oxford, but those three months rocked my world. Never have I learned so much in such a short period of time. Over the course of those three months, I wrote 16 essays. Seven essays for my tutorial on Politics of the Developing World; five essays for my tutorial on Comparative Politics focusing on the political system and an influential ruler from Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany; three essays for my tutorial on the Imperial Crisis focusing on nationalism, liberalism, and on the shift in political thought throughout the 18th century; and one essay for my online theology course on St. Augustine's theology of free will. Because of the way the tutorial system works, I didn't have to go to classes every day, but it was vital that I spend each day in the library reading and doing research so that I could begin to write my essays. And from all of this came a lot of questions and a lot of wrestling. 

I chose to study Politics of the Developing World this semester as my primary tutorial because continuous poverty or rather the enormous gap in wealth is what I’m passionate about, because I love people, and because it breaks my heart to view the world in its current condition. I don’t know what I was expecting to get out of it, but I don’t think I was anticipating what I received- all the questions, all of the wrestling, and the conclusions that simply aren't available. The following is a taste of what I learned this semester and an accumulation of my studies primarily from my tutorial on Politics of the Developing World but also with bits from my tutorials on Comparative Politics and the Imperial Crisis. The following is a brief presentation of facts mixed with my own interpretation of what I learned, and therefore, open to debate. I very well could be wrong. Lord knows I still have so much more to learn and will probably look back on this post later disagreeing with some of it. I will also warn you that this post is not really a light hearted read like many of my others.



Two thirds of the world today still live in poverty, about half live on $2.50 a day. Our current global order remains the product of imperialism. Toward the end of the 18th century, Enlightenment thinkers such as Rousseau, Hobbes, Locke, Immanuel Kant, Adam Smith, and Jeremy Bentham expressed criticism of imperialism. Yet by the mid 19th century, liberalism advocates such as John Stuart Mill and Alexis Tocqueville came to believe that imperialism was justified because, though individuals should be sovereign over themselves, authoritarian rule was necessary for backwards peoples. Mill spent the majority of his life working for the British East India Company, governing Indian peoples and civilizing them. Yeah… that seems to have panned out well over the course of history. Later criticisms of imperialism came in the late 19th century during the Victorian era, a period in which the sun never set on the British empire, primarily from a philosopher known as Karl Marx. Imperialism didn’t actually fall until after WWII when Allied nations realized their own hypocrisy in criticizing Germany for Hitler’s inhume and growing empire. It took acts so inexplicably inhumane from the Nazis for other world power empires to grant sovereignty to their dependents. Yet, the problems of those newly independent nations were just beginning.

The Cold War, beginning in the 1950s, was essentially the result of territorial and ideological unsettlement between the Western Allies and the USSR over the division of Germany. This ideological unsettlement over modes of production soon spread globally. The Third World, or nations who had recently become independent from imperialism collectively band together in solidarity to displace the East-West conflict with the North-South conflict. The South is now another term to refer to these collective yet heterogeneous nations that were once termed the Third World. Afraid of the spread of ‘Communism’ to the Third World, Western nations began to take notice of the South again. After the Bretton Woods institutions, the IMF and World Bank, revitalized the European nations economically destroyed by WWII, the development of nations of the South became its new project. Through a series of economic choices made, the Third World became increasingly indebted to Western nations, leading to the implementation of structural adjustment programs, policies enforcing neo-liberalism (essentially promoting free trade), and continued hegemony of the North over the South.

Some philosophers say that history is progress, flowing in an upward momentum. Others say that it is cyclical; we progress to a certain point, only to revert back to where we were before. I would argue that history is like a spiral staircase. We progress upward as atrocious acts catapult us upward and force us to recognize a collectively heterogeneous world drawn together through our humanity. Yet self-interest, pride, power, and greed often bring us back to the same atrocious things we revolted against years ago, now in a different, less inhumane form. Colonialism has been defeated, but we still live in a world of neo-colonialism, an economic order of the North asserting its hegemony over the South and exploiting its resources. The paradox of liberalism, in which individual rights to liberty were upheld for civilized humans but denied to uncivilized peoples, has manifested itself recently in the paradox of neo-liberalism, in which economic policies are enforced promoting free market conditions for trade whilst maintaining the underdevelopment and dependency of the South.



What do you do when you suddenly learn that all you have profited from enslaves someone else? How do you respond when you discover that the values you have been taught in the comfort and privilege of the US don’t apply so nicely to all of humanity, to every nation, to every culture, and to every group of people.

Not only did my political and economic worldview proceed to be destroyed this term, my faith additionally came into question. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t surrounded by a community constantly asking how I was doing spiritually or ‘holding me accountable’ in my faith journey. Some of the injustices that have faced our world and continue to face our world that are done in the name of God anger me with every fiber in my being and ultimately became the root of my questioning.

Conclusions? Any? Not really. A changed world view maybe. I spent the majority of my time questioning God and questioning capitalism- me, the Christian business major. Sound like an identity crisis? Well, it kind of was. Concerning God- I don't know if what I believe is true, but I have found peace in learning that doubt is okay. In fact, doubt is good and the sign of a mature Christian. If I can't question what I believe then I must be afraid that it isn't true. Concerning capitalism- yeah, it sucks. It's not perfect. It's broken. But I'm not convinced that there is a better solution. Institutions such as capitalism and even governments are broken because they are comprised of broken people. If we want something to change, what better way to create that change than to work inside the institution, to train up individuals who recognize these flaws and short comings, and to work toward restoration. I suppose these conclusions are the only ones I can cling to now. But the exciting part is that my quest for knowledge and truth isn't over- it's only beginning.

Rowing On!

As life here in Oxford roles along, it has brought me from writing 10 essays to Union Ball to Rowing On! Heading into 7th week, tutorials are coming to an end and my time in Oxford is quickly fading before me. Yet despite the short time here, I've slightly managed to integrate into Oxford society.

The Oxford Union hosts a fancy Ball once a term. This term's theme was Cirque du Soleil. Here are a few pictures of my flatmate Eliza and I as we headed to the Oxford Union Ball.

My ticket to the Ball!

Eliza and I being... well... being Eliza and I before we left

Yep, it was basically like going to prom all over again.

Us in front of the Oxford Union

Yeah... this is a girl contorting (more formally known as a contortionist). Later, she contorted herself into that tiny clear box that you can barely see in front of the drums. Crazy! There were also fire jugglers and other exciting circus-style entertainment. It was a lot of fun and a pretty classy shindig. 

Rowing has definitely been one of the highlights of my time here. It's a tough sport and an intense work out. Your technique has to be flawless, and there are a million things to think about in addition to understanding all of the foreign terminology. Unfortunately, the river has been high for the last month due to the weather, which means it has been too dangerous for us to row. Practices have consisted of circuit work outs and erg training (ergs are machines upon which you practice your rowing technique).

Two Sundays ago, the Hertford Boat Club took us all to Eton Dorney to get some outings in. The bus left from Hertford (a 30 minute walking distance from where I live) at 6:30 am(!) and drove about an hour and a half away to get to Eton Dorney in London, where the 2012 Olympic rowing took place. That day it decided to rain however, which left us soaking wet and freezing cold after hours of rowing. Regardless of the rain and the cold, learning to row in such an epic place was probably one of the most surreal moments I've had here. It made me really appreciate having the opportunity to even be in England, let alone to learn a sport in the place where Olympians had just recently performed.

To give you an idea, this is Eton Dorny!

Torpids is Oxford's big race during this term, where all of the colleges row against one another for bragging rights. Since we're in the lower boat, we had to compete for a spot in Torpids, and since before this week, we only had two outings on the water, our novice crew didn't have a very good chance. Still, we hit the ergs hard all week, finally got on the water on Thursday, and had an early morning session on Friday. Here are few pictures of us coming in from our outings.

"Eeeaasssyyy there,"yells the cox as we pull along the side to listen to the coach.

Coming in from our outing Thursday afternoon

Rowing On! (I'm sitting #3 if you start from the back)

 Friday afternoon, it was our time to pull it together and to sprint down the Thames for a little over a five minute stretch. We were the Rowing On crew, and as such, we had to make a good time, or we wouldn't qualify for Torpids. This was either going to be the climax of my short-lived rowing career or just the beginning. We were ready to go. The nerves were running high, and before we knew it, we were off, building up speed, keeping time with one another, and focusing on good technique whilst applying heavy pressure through our legs. Once we were in a groove, it was the coolest feeling. Here is the video of end as we finished and began to slow down. (Pay no mind to the crew passing us, they are guys, so it doesn't actually count). I am sitting in position #3, from the back of the boat.

Unfortuntely, we didn't end up making it. But honestly, it doesn't even matter. We had gone from not being able to keep the boat steady to successfully pulling off a sprint down the river with very few problems. My rowing career may have been short-lived (though it's not quite over yet), but it has been one of making new friends, creating new memories, learning new terms and techniques, and pushing myself to new limits.

I only have about a month left here in Oxford, and then I am off to travel Europe for a few weeks. It feels like this time is a race in itself. So, as I finish up my next couple essays and take in as much of Oxford as I can, I'll keep practicing the lessons I've learned in our outings: apply light pressure when needed, keep in time, enjoy the company, and always remember to continue Rowing On!

A Season of Discovery

I can hardly believe I have been here for a month already. The time has gone by so quickly. My days are quickly filled with reading for hours, walking for miles (but actually), occasionally attending debates, lectures, and so forth, rowing practice and exploring the city. Since I've neglected my blog and have left you all in the dark for so long, I will show you some of the highlights of this month rather than explaining all the nitty, gritty details.

                                             My wonderful flat mates in front of our home.

St. Frideswide Church, where I attend Sunday mornings

     Oxford is a University that consists of several colleges. I am a part of Hertford College, where I have access to the library, can dine in college, and participate in social functions (including rowing). The three pictures above are from around the courtyard of Hertford College.

Hertford College Chapel

In case you haven't already picked up on it, I have joined the Hertford College rowing team. In this picture is the Thames, where all of the colleges row. It's about a ten minute walk down this beautiful path to get to the boathouse where we have practice every day.

A typical day in the Bodlian Library complete with my favorite seat and the book my primary tutorial is based around.

The Oxford Union hosts speakers throughout the week and debates every Thursday night. Last week, Sir Patrick Stewart (from Star Trek), UN Ambassador John Bolton, and Julian Assange via Skype (WikiLeaks founder) all spoke at the union. Weekly debates have centered around gay rights, the American dream, and tonight Israel being a force of good. Depicted is UN ambassador John Bolton.

Although it's beginning to warm up already, it snowed for a couple of days last week. Living in California all my life, I've never really experienced fresh snow and the joy of unique, intricate, little snowflakes falling on me as I walk into town. Definitely something I enjoy.

Yesterday, a friend and I had some time to kill, so we went up to St. Mary's tower, overlooking Oxford.  Above you can begin to get a sense of the exquisite view. Time and time again, I am blown away by all this city has to offer. This last month hasn't been easy by any means, but I am enjoying ever moment of it. I'm being stretched in ways I never would have imagined. My worldview is being broadened, and I'm wrestling with issues that I haven't quite figured out. Every day, my mind is challenged to the point of exhaustion, and the more I learn, the more I realize that I really don't know anything at all. It's in this season that I get to figure out for myself who I am, who God is, how the world works, and what my role in it might be. 

Let the Studying Begin

This week has been a whirlwind. When attempting to reflect on all that has happened, not much comes to mind, but I know as soon as I get going, I will be unable to stop. Regardless, here are some highlights.

To start off the week, we went to visit Oxford Castle. This castle is so old that by the 14th century, it had no military use because of its poor condition. After the Civil Wars around the 18th century, the remnants of this old, rustic tower were converted into a prison. In the earliest stages of the prison, hundreds of prisoners were enclosed in a tiny room amidst rampant disease, bodily waste, rats and insects, having to huddle together to keep warm during the cold seasons. The tour guide then took us through the periods of reform- where prisoners were allowed to carry buckets of water up a steep incline of unforgiving stairs (believe me, I felt like I was going to trip and fall down while walking up) in order that they might have a place to use the bathroom to individual cells consisting of only a metal bed, a small bucket of water, and a window unprotected of the cold. This might sound cheesy, but I couldn't help thinking of Jean Valjean in Les Mis. My heart ached for those throughout history who have lived only to suffer, who have been victims of poverty, who have been reduced to "stealing" a crumb of bread only to be treated as less than human, dying the most humiliating deaths either by disease or public hanging. Oh, the world we live in.

On Tuesday, I met with my tutor, followed shortly after by being given access to the Bodlian Library. Let me explain the tutorial system used here at Oxford University. There are no classes, and tutors are the equivalent of professors. On Monday, we met with our academic advisor, who looks over what we wish to study and arranges a tutor (a highly qualified doctorate scholar) to meet with you one on one either weekly (if it is your primary tutorial) or biweekly (if it is your secondary tutorial). The tutors typically structure their tutorial by giving you a prompt along with an intensive reading list each meeting. You then have to read aloud your 7-10 page essay upon the next meeting, where they thoroughly critique your analysis. For my comparative politics tutorial (my secondary tutorial), I have to analyze the validity of Michael Foley's "Rise of the British Presidency", which focuses on Margret Thatcher's seizing of the British premiership. My primary tutorial is on developing political systems. However, my tutor is currently in Canada, so we will not begin meeting until 3rd week (the last week of January). I have been e-mailing her though and have already received my reading assignment which I am really excited to start getting into- Society, State, and Market: A Guide to Competing Theories on Development.

Also on Tuesday, we had our welcome dinner at Jesus College (yes, this is a real college), a very formal and traditional event. The beginning consisted of brief mingling followed by a full course, extravagant dinner. One would think that the dessert was last... but not here. After the sherry trifle (I learned how to spell it), biscuits and cheese were served. When the food finally stopped coming, it was time for the toasts. Apparently, all of us had to make a little speech to something, in which we all echoed "to Oxford" (or whatever the person speaking toasted to). This went on until everyone had finished.

The rest has been less eventful but altogether thrilling. It takes about 20+ minutes to walk into the city center from my flat. My feet and legs ache by the end of the day only to be ready to be used more the next morning. I spent a couple of days walking around, finding myself thoroughly lost, and randomly discovering the coolest, little places. The Bodlian Libraries are a series of exquisite buildings housing at least one copy of every book published in England. It is not a lending library, so one must do all the reading in the facilities. When signing up for membership, one must repeat an oath promising to do no harm to the libraries and to not take any books out. They don't mess around. As my flatmate said, "It smells like knowledge when you walk in." I've spent several days there already and found that staying all day getting lost in a book (one that you were assigned to read) isn't the worst thing in the world.

Unfortunately, I have come down with an ugly cold, which has put a damper on the weekend. I briefly grew homesick, wanting to be cared for, but quickly realized where I was again. In spite of adjusting to the insanely cold weather and the intense academics, I am in England. And the adventure is just beginning.

Learning a New Language

This first weekend in Oxford has resulted in a plethora of new information. Friday was our orientation day, which consisted of all 53 OPUS (study abroad program name) students learning about Oxford academics, British politics and culture, how to survive in the city, important dates, as well as other odds and ends. Saturday was spent resting inside and bonding with roommates. Today, however, was a bit more eventful. Danni and I woke up this morning to attend St. Frideswide, a modern Anglo-Catholic church right around the corner from our flat. The inside of the church is absolutely exquisite. The service was liturgical in style and surprisingly quite enjoyable. Although we were not super familiar with the procedures, Danni and I did our best to follow along. The most interesting part of it all, however, was after the service when the church members proceeded to fellowship with one another over shots of cheri (I think that's how you spell it). Ha! Don't see that too often in the states. After church, we met the rest of the APU students and our APU contact for lunch, followed by a brief introduction meeting, and a tour of the city.

One of the most entertaining parts so far, besides seeing the beautiful buildings and such, has been attempting to learn a new language. The irony here of course is that this really isn't a new language at all. Here is a list of a few of the things I have learned this weekend.

1. Dodgy is the British equivalent of the American word for Sketchy.
2. Trolleys are shopping carts, not busses that you take to get between East and West campus.
3. Pavement is a sidewalk; a street is both the sidewalk and road.
4. A quid is slang for a pound just as a buck is slang for a dollar.
5. A free house is a pub; pubs are where people go to discuss current events, unlike American clubs.
6. Drop me a line basically means to send me an e-mail.
7. A pigeon hold is a mail box.
8. Biscuits are cookies or crackers.
9. "Are you happy with that?" is a question of comprehension rather than of mood status.
10. Something that is dear is used describe something that is expensive.
11. A hangover sale refers to the remnants of the season prior.
12. To look at actually means to study closely, not just to glance over.
13. "Not week" is the week before tutorials (classes) begin.
14. Plasters are bandaids.
15. The bathroom is either the toilet or the loo.

Also, jaywalking isn't a thing, and grocery stores are incredibly confusing.