Hi everyone! After my brief vacation — or as the Brits like to say, ‘holiday’ — the Oxford Comma is back!
As the spring semester starts up, so too approaches my next term at Oxford: the Hilary term. But before I say goodbye to the United States, I want to dedicate a column to what I’ve been up to during the winter break — more specifically, what I’ve been eating.
As Americans, I think we take for granted how amazing our caffeine scene is because iced lattes are few and far between in the U.K. I’m a Massachusetts native, so I’m used to drinking iced coffee all year round; however, this sentiment is not shared in the U.K.
I only found one place with iced vanilla lattes and it was in London, so it was not exactly accessible on a daily basis. I’ve been drinking a lot of hot lattes from a cafe near Pembroke College called The Paper Boat Cafe, but they just don’t hit like American iced coffees. I’m really going to miss the Blossom from the Sink, as well as the Iced Strawberries & Cream Latte from Blank Street (if you haven’t tried it, you totally should — there’s a Blank Street right across from the Boston Public Library).
Another thing I’m really going to miss — Chobani products. Chobani yogurts are nonexistent in the U.K., which is really devastating for people like me who eat their Flips every single day. (Note to Tufts Dining: If you’re reading this, please add Chobani Flips to Kindlevan and the Commons. Thank you!) For now, I’ll have to settle for the Sainsbury’s brand of Greek yogurt. I do love a good Meal Deal, but nothing can usurp Chobani’s place in my heart.
Of course, I am going to miss other things besides iced lattes and greek yogurt. I’ll be in the U.K. until the end of June, so I am going to miss the wonderful annual phenomenon of Tufts students soaking up the sun on President’s Lawn the instant it hits 60 degrees. The weather here has been consistently gray and mild, so I can’t fathom Oxford students picnicking on the quads. However, I’ve been told that the U.K. summers can get surprisingly hot and muggy, so maybe I’ll witness a temperature above 50 degrees before I leave.
Another weird fact about Pembroke: No one is allowed to walk on the quads. Isn’t that crazy? We all have to walk on the cobblestone; walking on the carefully curated grass is viewed as a cardinal sin. I’m not sure what the punishment is for walking across it, but I’m not exactly dying to find out. However, I’ve heard that they make exceptions for the sunniest spring days, so perhaps I’ll be able to get my sunbathing fix from across the pond.
For now, however, I should really worry about packing. Have a wonderful first week of classes, Jumbos!
xx
Grace
