Part 1: Jaunt to Cambridge

I am currently sitting in the comfy 2nd floor room in the VU Overseas House in Cambridge, looking out onto the street that winds its way through the heart of this old college town and which tomorrow will take me to the bus station bright and early in the morning to embark on more adventures.

However, for the past few days, I've had the opportunity to spend time in lovely Cambridge with my dear friends from VU, Claire and Libbi which has been rejuvenating and refreshing and has been a lovely piece of home filled with hugs, laughter, familiar faces, and tea! :-)

I got in on Saturday after flying with friends from AUI from Fez to London Luton and then taking a bus to Cambridge. Claire and Libbi met me and stuffed me with tea and scones before we spent a lovely evening cooking dinner and catching up. Yesterday, we woke up and went to church; the VU Overseas Center is right next to Westfield House, an LCMS seminary where they take a couple classes and a little church. So, we didn't have to walk far. Then we had a lazy Sunday afternoon while Libbi worked away at her honors thesis and Claire and I went for coffee. Who knows how much I would miss Starbucks!

Last night was our girls night and what a night it was! We had wonderful italian food at a little place called ASK and then went to a little pub called the Elm Tree and met up with one of Claire and Libbi's friends, toasted Libbi's productivity and listened to some great live jazz. Very fun. Then went to a little kabob place before having a fun walk back home.

Today, the girls showed me Cambridge...which for those who haven't been is basically a town built around the gorgeous old buildings housing the various colleges within the University of Cambridge. These majestic buildings are all around with their high gates, gorgeous stone walls, and a very lovely academic-sort of pretentiousness that comes with having prestige and good reputations. We had a lovely time sneaking around through some of the private gardens and trying to see what we could see as its not quite tourist season and the end of term for the students here. The colleges and their grounds are really beautiful and was fun to hear a bit of the history and myths that hang around these parts.

Also amusing to see Christ College, which CC at VU is modeled after...though not quite living up to the coolness or the majesty. Although, some might say that we do often achieve the pretentiousness...but I think until we have a private garden that only the Lily Fellows can sit and read in or only CC students can be in with necessary CC ID we're still safe. ;-) Although, I do agree with Nicole that getting some sweet academic-wear...scarves and shirts and such...with a Christ College crest and it being a faux pas for any non CCer to wear them. Ha ha.

Anyway, so we had a lovely day of going around Cambridge and also walking in all of the fun shops with amazingly wonderful looking clothes and laughing at the awful prices. Things are SO expensive here! But I think Claire, Libbi and I each had picked out a dress or two that we would buy if we suddenly won the lottery or something. Mine was green and fairy-like as Libbi put it.

We had wonderful sandwiches at Tatties and had a good time dancing to various random songs that came on over the speakers and that dashed out back into the weather that by this time had gotten very chilly. England weather, not unlike Indiana weather. Who knew?

Explored Borders (I heart bookstores. Especially ones with English books. I miss English bookstores) and then went and had wonderful dessert at a place called Slug and Lettuce which was divine. Came on back for more girls night and tea and now its time for sleep before I leave!

Basically I'm very thankful for a couple days of friends and getting to see a little bit of this place called Cambridge. The more I travel the more I enjoy getting to sample little bits of the places in this world. The accents, the street signs, the different styles of houses and though we all wear simliar clothes these days, it's with a different air, a nuanced sense of priority and sense of beauty. And of course, I can't lie and say that its not refreshing to see the GAP, Starbucks, and various packaged foods and familiar consumeristic products...I know that globalization has many downfalls and that the free market system isn't all good (sorry to my Republican readers) but sometimes on a very basic level its nice to see something from home.

And now for Egypt...