OK, I'm over it

Perdone mis silencios prolongados, linda gente. I'm sorry for leaving that depressing post up for so long. I am settled in the UK, and all is well now.

My students take their final exam on Monday. It might have been a good idea to do it as a Blackboard exam (where they take it right online), but instead I am having them access it online and then email it to me. The exam will be made available at 10 a.m., when the class begins, and must be submitted via by 12:30 p.m., when the class ends, no excuses whatsoever. I'm hoping this limited time prevents TOO much using the book, but I'm fully aware that they will be using it. And I'm fine with that.

This was my first time teaching this class. I'm not sure how it went. I really enjoyed it - it was my favorite class as an undergrad. But, I feel like I could have done more, or been more prepared. It's really hard to be well-prepared in Winterterm - I don't like setting things up way too far in advance, since you don't know what will happen. For example, my textbooks didn't arrive until three days into the class. Had I not been flexible, I don't know what I would have done. I just hope that my students don't take my flexibility for being disorganized or lazy.

On the academic side of things o'er here, it's all going well. I attended a literary theory seminar that I did attend last year, but now that I really have a reason to apply the topic, I think I paid a lot more attention this time around. I'm attending two more in this series, and I really think they will help my dissertation. I am also attending an undergrad seminar on Books and Readers in Golden Age Spain, which I think will be useful. Unfortunately, I overslept and missed the first lecture. Too bad - I really like the person who is teaching it. The schedule for the Spanish graduate seminars is also quite promising - the first seminar was well-attended and the discussion was quite good.

I'm not going to go crazy this term with the social schedule. I'm going to focus my efforts on doing a few things well, rather than trying to fill up every day of the calendar. We have some regular staples in our timetable - Friday guest dinner, Sunday movie night. I've also booked in three exchange dinners - we go to another college for dinner, and they come to us. Those are fun because it's always cool to see how another Oxford college lives. And finally, we will fill in the schedule with some fun things, like clubbing nights, bops (high school dance meets frat party meets costume party), and other stuff that doesn't come to mind at the moment.

Last night (Friday) was the first guest dinner of the term. I love the black-tie dinners - they remind me how surreal this place really is. (I never have an opportunity to go to posh black tie events at home - here I've been to at least 15 so far!) And tonight, I went to dinner with Elizabeth and Mark and then we went to a party at our friend Eleanor's house. Enrique joined us at about 11 p.m., and the four of us (well, three - Elizabeth took a cab once we hit the bus station) walked home together. While the party was lovely and great fun, I also love the chance to spend some time with smaller groups of friends just walking home after a party.

After last night and tonight, I am a bit conglomorated (*winks at Seth*). Time to sleep it off before a busy day tomorrow, with a trip to Headington in the afternoon.

Actually, I've been so busy, that I haven't bothered taking many photos. I am relying on the kindness of my friends, from whom I will steal photos over the next few days.

Hope all is well with you, and that you have a lovely weekend wherever you are - especially those of you about to begin the Spring semester!

Much love,
Kaitlin
xxx