Week 2 -- Formal Induction, Freshers Fair and Family time!

Here we are again. Its been 3 full weeks now that I have been in Oxford.

This week as expected was loads of fun and not too much serious work. It was a roller coaster allright. As they say around here, let there not be a lull before the storm i.e. the classes which get kicked off tomorrow.

The highlight of the week without a doubt was my inducation and the formal dinner at my college -- ChristChurch. The induction was a semi formal event. All the freshers (juniors and graduates) assembled in 'The Hall' -- yes of the harry potter fame. We were given the Oxford rules and regulations bible -- a big, bulky multi purpose tool that could be used as weapon of mass destruction and sleep inducer. Each one of us was then called upon to shake hands with the Dean, collect our college ID and then head off to the Medical Registration. The NHS covers all students free of charge for medical purposes. The doctor assigned to you is from the college you belong too. The evening dinner was a grand spetacle! A full blown formal affair, we were required to be in a formal black tie full suit with the gown (which everyone then removed after the first couple of minutes). After meeting our advisor (each college assigns its students a college advisor who is there to monintor general and academic well being of his/her students) over a few drinks, all proceeded to 'The Hall' for dinner. Boy was it pretty!! It was as if Hogwarts had come to life. Hordes of students with their formal suits and black gowns, assembled in the huge hall with 1000 year old paintings of the likes of Lewis Caroll(author of Alice in Wonderland) staring down at you and a 3 course meal being served by equally well attired steward/stewardess! There were 4 glasses for -- a pre-dinner white wine, red house wine with dinner, desert wine and liquor -- just to give an indication of the elaborate setting! Fish for appetizer, partridge in curry sauce for main course and strawberry cheese cake for the desert (true to tradition, ChristChurch food S****d). There was some decent company at my table too. A couple of my SBS batchmates, a delightful coversation with a local Brit miss who was there for some graduate teaching course and some spiritual discourse with a chaplain.

I learnt some things about ChristChurch too. Lewis Caroll was good friends with Alice who was the daughter of the dean of ChristChurch. He was inspired to write 'Alice in Wonderland' based off Alice's antics.
The dean of ChristChurch is someone elected directly by the Queen of England.
ChristChurch was the first and the oldest cathederal and hence it is called ChristChurch and never ChristChurch college.

Onto other events during the week. I attended the Freshers Fair. A 3 day event with all the varied societies and organizations in Oxford showing up in booths and stalls at the Examination hall trying to pitch to the freshers. There were some really funky and innnovative ones besides the usual suspects like rowing club, cricket, ethinic clubs, drama societies etc. The one that really took the top honours in out of the box concept was a club called 'The Oxford Guild of Assasssins'. What it is is a society whose members play a real time game wherein each one of them is a assassin out to kill the others. The goal is to survive all attempts at your life which maybe in the form of paper bombs in your mail box, water spray guns and a whole slew of very innovative killing techniques!

There were the official Said Business School information sessions for the first two days of the week for various things as Career Services, Library services, IT facilities, General safety and Group building excercises.

We were also divided into 3 sections this week. Had some of my good friends get seperated to different sections though quite a few of whom I know well are still with me. Also means a great opportunity to get to know others as well. I also got introduced to my group of 6 -- i.e. study group. Each such study team has to submit their group assigments over the next 8 weeks and 6 courses together. We had our first team meeting also and it seems like a bunch of great people. A couple of Americans, couple of Indians (including me), a Taiwaneese and a local Brit. All with diverse interesting background and great personalities! It should be fun working and getting to know them better.

Ended the week by another visit to Birginham. My bua (paternal aunt) was visiting from INdia and knowing that things were going to get very hectic starting tomorrow, I figured this was the best chance to meet up with her and also have some chill time with family before the shit hits the ceiling. Was a chillax weekend -- lots of talking, good food, movie and couple of games of pool (tho my bro-in-law kicked ass on both the games!).

So here we are friends. The journey truly on its way. Not enjoying the fact that classes start tomorrow and the library today had people studying preparing for class tomorrow. Friends I have seen partying, chilling and socializing are actually getting prepared for their academic odyssey about to commence. The game about to begin. Let it be a good one!