We had our last Gala Dinner tonight. I'm glad that's over, but I know I will miss it. We talked about fate, free will, religion, science, Tess, Bridesville, and I don't remember what else. These long dinners take a lot out of you!
When I think back on the past three weeks, I wonder how this trip will affect me in the future. I hope it is massively positive, but I can see that it might potentially have a small affect, too. I feel like I've had a lot of eye opening experiences, but I feel that that can only be tested with time and going back home.
I can't name all the ways I feel like this trip has shaped some part of me, but a few things stick out...
1) I enjoy and understand poetry on a much higher level than I did before I came here.
2) I have a greater desire to learn about other cultures, people, and especially their languages. It can be really frustrating to be in a country where you feel like you hear more Italian, French, German, and Spanish than English. And with an accent, even the English can be tricky sometimes. This is especially true for a strong Liverpool accent.
3) I should have learned the more of the art of social conduct, so I'll see how that goes back in the States.
4) Some debonair taste in apparel.
5) And a whole lot more.
What have you learned about social conduct?
ReplyDeleteYou've always had a debonair taste in apparel, Kevin.
Some things that I had in the back of my mind when I mentioned that (some that I mention are really trivial):
ReplyDelete-Proper dinner etiquette (at least here in England). One gala dinner, I was using my fork and knife backwards, and our guest Oxford professor complimented me. I am still not sure how if I can imitate what I was doing.
-When we spent last week in a Best Western Hotel eating four course dinners, we were all strained to make conversation for over three hours. Dr. Conner said that it was an art we had to learn. By the third day, we were all burn out and sat in a lot of awkward silence.
-You need not tip when eating in England. Some waiters laugh at you.
-If a person is sitting alone at a table, it is perfectly acceptable to join them. They will under most circumstances not consider it any invasion of privacy.
-I learned how to interact frequently with strangers. I picked this up while in London, riding the tube, and getting lost.
-Dr. Lamb defined appropriate male behavior for us at dinner last night.
-Say "cheers" instead of thank yous or welcomes.
-I've learned a lot about professor/student relationships and how to really make the most of those. At Oxford, they implement what is called the Oxford Tutorial Method. If you were a student here, you would be assigned a don who would personally tutor you and push you beyond all of your previous work. From what I've heard, it's a very pressuring method. We imitated it as much as possible here.
-Americans are generally loud and boisterous.
Well, I hope that's an okay answer. I'm not sure if all of it counts as social conduct, but I think that's a fair way to summarize it.
And thank you, Gina.