the oxford spa is not a spa. in fact, when i came home from my visit, and remembering the other "spa" i had been to earlier in the week, i looked up the word "spa" online, on the dawning suspicion that spa meant "a food joint" in cambridge, massachusetts, however unlikely the idea was to me. sure enough i turn up that in eastern new england dialect, a spa is "a counter equipped for preparing and serving soft drinks, ice-cream dishes, or sandwiches." so: the oxford spa is a small deli on oxford street, two blocks down from our dorm. i had frequently walked past it before but only today went in with two other english first years in my building who had decided on a study break. it was coming to closing time, so we spent just 20 minutes eating our chocolate croissants and drinking tea before we trotted home again. i think i might go there in future to read. it is small but with wide windows and tables and is quite cozy and has a fair bit to eat. i'm not sure though, that i really want sandwiches called the dissertation or the thesis. afterall, i'm there to get away from school. now why don't they call them the sabbatical or the stipend cheque?