Skip to main content

Stumble Upon

This weekend, Oxford had an Open Doors Day, which means that nearly everything in Oxford was open to the public for free. Colleges, gardens, museums, churches, etc. I took full advantage of the open doors and was overwhelmed by the incredible places, stories, and experiences I just happened to stumble upon...

Lovely gardens,

Open meadows,

Intricate ceilings,

Stained Glass windows,

and buildings that hold the memories of many, many, many years.

There is something so freeing about being able to simply let my feet lead me to my next destination. I never know where I'll end up. On Sunday, I entered the city hall and found myself looking at a flyer that read,
Country Dancing 1:30-3pm.
I took a look at my watch, 1:26. Country dancing? In England?
This was most definitely not the country dancing I had in mind, with cowboy hats, boots, banjos, and a "Yee Haw" every now and then.
Nope. This dancing was 17th century, English countryside dancing. So, picture the dancing scenes from the film Pride and Prejudice. Group circles, couple shuffles, slow waltzing, spinning rotations, and "flirting with your eyes." I had an absolute blast! My cheeks hurt at the end because I never stopped smiling. There I was, participating in an ancient tradition, learning dances that were part of the normal party experience, and meeting individuals who were committed to carrying on the tradition.

May you be inspired to learn about a tradition close to you. There is a true beauty in tradition. Take time to pause and acknowledge the historical tradition God inspired to bring you here today.

All my love,
Gennavieve

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hampton Court Palace

Today, I toured Hampton Court Palace, an official historic, royal palace. Following are some of the sights I saw, history I learned, and favorites I enjoyed. The guard chamber of King William III. The magnificent display of 2,871 items of armor and weapons displayed a message that William was a great soldier and peacemaker. William's Presence chamber. Only high-ranking individuals were permitted into this room. William would be distinguished by sitting on a Chair of Estate. Those who entered his presence were required to remove their hats and make three low bows to the King, or even his empty chair. I'm grateful to serve an accessible King, who is with me wherever I go. William's eating room. He was expected to dine here on occasions "in front of persons of good fashion and good appearance," in order to display the sumptuousness of his food and to reassure everyone he was in good health. He was served by three servants on bended knee. William's P

Oopsy Daisy

Today I learned a cultural lesson through my daisy chain making. I was just being typical Gennavieve, frolicking in the fields between the rose geranium and picking daisies. I decided to make a chain and, before long, I had quickly assembled a round daisy necklace. I held it for a bit and then one of the workers, Mikeal, came up to our group and I decided to give it to him, so I put the flower garland around his head and it plopped on his neck. Little did I know that my actions meant much more than I had intended. Mikeal's eyes lit up and he screamed in Zulu to his coworkers, proudly showing off his chain. I giggled at first and then after the eruption of laughter from the workers, I realized that I had done something unusual. I swiftly found Pendele, one of the women who I've grown to trust and love who also translates for us, and asked her to explain why the men had been laughing. She began to laugh herself when I told her and after she regained composure she sai

JCR Welcoming Dinner

As part of New College, I was cordially invited to a welcoming dinner in the JCR Private Dining Room at St. Catherine's College. This invitation is considered an incredible honor and, after talking to the presidents, many students never receive the privilege of a formal dining experience in a college hall. The evening called for black tie attire, which meant tuxes for the guys and formal dresses for the girls. Luckily, I packed my sister's pink cotton candy gown. The evening began in a welcoming chamber. We entered and, having been handed a glass of sherry, began making small conversation. After a social bit, we were lead to the dining hall, where we were seated at a table purposely designed higher than the other tables in the hall, symbolizing its importance. The plates had individual name cards, designating seats. I sat to the left of the special, middle head-chair which seated, Deepak Mukhi, our program director. I took one glance at my place setting, noting the multi