Bronte House & York Minster

     Today we left for our trip to the North at 7AM.  I was tired considering I went to bed at 4:30AM and then woke up at 5:50AM to shower, pack a lunch, and eat breakfast.  However, Kacey, Abby, Annie, and I had the big back seat of the bus so I laid down in the aisle and slept the entire 5 hour coach ride.  We arrived in Hawesworth around 10AM and went on a tour of the Bronte House.  This was the house where the famous Bronte Sisters wrote many famous books including Jayne Eyre and Wuthering Heights.  The house was very charming and it was cool to see original pieces of furniture, clothing, books, and letters.  

Outside the Bronte House

     After Hawesworth we loaded the coach and headed to Yorkshire.  We then went on a tour of York Minster.  I came to York Minster on my ’08 Europe trip, but I learned so much more this time around.  It was interesting to learn that the minster was a political building rather than a ministry.  The Chapter room was probably my favorite part of the Minster.  It is one of the largest free standing rooms supported by oak beams with no central pillar.  After our tour, we got to climb to the top of the Tower.  This offered a great view of the town.  We then had the opportunity to attend Evensong.  It was interesting to observe another religion’s service and I loved hearing the children’s choir because the acoustics were amazing.  

The Chapter Room Windows and Ceiling 

On Top of York Minster

     We then left the Minster and were on our own for dinner.  A group of us went to McDonalds and got Happy Meals.  We asked a guy there named Pete to take a picture of us, and it turns out he is some huge celebrity over here and we saw him on about 5 different magazines but had no idea when we asked him.  After dinner we loaded the coach and went to our hostel.  I roomed with Jennifer, Abby, and Kristen.  There was a big common room so we all gathered in there and watched a few episodes of Friends and then headed to bed.  

To The Tower

     Today we woke up and went to The Tower of London.  We got there first thing which was nice because it wasn’t too crowded.  I went and saw the Crown Jewels first.  They were stunning.  I saw the biggest diamond in the world (530.2 carats) and couldn’t believe it.  It was fun to read all of the information about the jewels and the traditions and ceremonies in which they are used.  My other favorite thing at the Tower was the White Tower.  It is the central part of the castle, is so pretty, and full of cool armor that belonged to King Henry VIII.  In addition to exploring the Tower, we went on a guided tour of the grounds that was really interesting.  I also went to the top of Bloody Tower and Beachaum Tower.  It was fun to learn that the saying “laughing my head off” came from when the final person to be beheaded at the Tower, Simon Fraser, watched 10 people that had come to watch him be killed were crushed to death by scaffolding. 

In the seat of Charles II

(also the planned name of my first son)

The White Tower

Outside the Jewels

Outside the Tower of London

Tower Bridge

     After exploring the Tower for a few hours, a group of us headed back to the center.  On the way back we got off of the tube at Kings Cross Station and went to Platform 9 ¾.  Kacey loved it and I myself thought it was pretty fun.  We had some yummy lunch when we got back, then got a few things done before dinner.  

     After dinner we headed to The National Theater to see All Is Well That Ends Well.  The tube was running slow and a group of 10 of us had to race across a bridge and up the riverbank so that we wouldn’t be late.  Luckily we made it on time and the play was good, but a little long (3hours).  I’m now home, tired, and ready for bed so goodnight!

A Day @ the Museum and A Night of Queen

     Today was different from most Wednesdays because it wasn’t a travel day so we had a free day instead.  Abby, Annie, Kacey, and I woke up at the crack of noon to go get tickets for a show just to discover that they wouldn’t be on sale until 10AM.  We then decided to walk/run back, but got a little lost.  We ended up getting back on the Tube and then running home from the far end of Hyde Park.  We then came home, showered, and went back to get tickets slash a crazy old guy told Kacey congrats for looking 15.  After getting tickets Abby, Kacey, and I went to the Tate Modern Museum.  There was a lot of cool stuff there including some Picasso paintings and Andy Warhol pieces.  There was also a really cool exhibit that just opened called “Authority to Remove” featuring the “secrets” discovered about the Dutch Secret Service by an artist named Jill Magid.  There were some pretty cool quotes in the exhibit.  My three favorite were, “keep my secret beautiful by keeping it secret”, “secrecy is a 9 to 5 job”, and “the secret itself is much more beautiful than its revelation.”  After the museum we wandered across Millennium Bridge, past St. Paul’s, and then stopped for some yummy Spoon Me type yogurt.  After yogurt we headed back for a short afternoon nap before having dinner.  

I saw this and it totally reminded me of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!

ANDY WARHOL

     After dinner Kacey and I finally talked to Sadi via Skype (she just got to Hawaii for the semester).  Then Abby, Kacey, and I headed out to go see We Will Rock You.  I saw it when I was here in 8^th grade, but was so glad I saw it again.  The cast was amazing and it felt more like a rock concert than a musical.  One old guy got up during “We Are the Champions” and started clapping his hands together over his head.  He was alone in doing this for about a minute and then suddenly the whole crowd had joined.  I was so glad to finally get to a show and would highly recommend it to anyone.  

A Rainy Tuesday

     Today started with big plans, but things changed as the day progressed.  Kacey, Annie, and I ran to the other side of the park and back (this was progress for us) and then came back and had breakfast.  After breakfast was Biology which was great today because Dr. Evans let us out when the Internet guy came (this meant finishing an hour early).  A group of us had planned to go for afternoon tea in Kensington Gardens, but considering that it poured down rain, we decided to reschedule.  Instead we had some yummy leftovers (the leftovers here really are good because we have homemade meals here every night), popped some popcorn, and decided to turn our room into a cinema.  To do this we closed the curtains to our big window to make it dark, set up a computer to watch the movie on, and made a big couch out of mattresses in the middle of the floor.  We then popped in The Proposal and life was good.  Nothing beats an afternoon movie on a rainy day.  

The Monday Movie Crew

     After the movie/nap it was already time for dinner.  We had a delicious Italian dinner and then I went with to Tesco with Mary-Celeste.  She was singing the whole way there and I was quite entertained as she has quite the opera voice.  The remainder of the night consisted homework, kitchen snacks, and filming our dance videos on Photo Booth.  

A Night @ The Globe

     Today started with a long run through Hyde Parker with Kacey.  Believe it or not, I have been running more here then I ever have at home because it's so fun to be out and in the park.  After running I ate a quick breakfast and then went to class from 9AM to about 2:15PM with about an hour break around noon.  After class I had to meet with my Hamlet group, which was quite interesting.  We have an assignment to rewrite and act an assigned act.  It just so happens that everyone in my group, with the exception of Kacey and me, was in drama club in high school and loves this kind of stuff.  What is supposed to be a simple and short assignment is turning into a dramatic and elaborate mini play including singing and extreme costumes/props.  Wow do I hate group assignments and with such kind of people and procedures.

     After our meeting it was time for dinner, which was actually served earlier than usual so we could be on time for As You Like It at the Globe Theatre.  Getting to the Globe was fun because we walked right past St. Paul's as well as over Millennium Bridge (apparently this is the bridge in Harry Potter 6, but I wouldn't know because I still haven't seen it) both of which were beautiful and offer a great view of London Bridge.  The play was really entertaining, funny, and well done.  It was fun to be in the Globe and have a feel for how it must have been back in the days of Shakespeare.  Our seats were to the side, but we also had the option of going down with the "groundlings" (Sicong and Brooke with her headband took full advantage of this).  My favorite line from the play would have to be: "How bitter it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes."  The play last a good 2.5 hours and then we headed home.  On the way home Abs and I stopped at Tesco to restock on DC and popcorn.  We then came home and has some slash talked forever.

From Curry to Camden

      So the past few says have been busy, but fun.  There has also been very limited Internet because our wireless has been up and down, so I have a lot to catch up on.  Thursday was basically a school day all day long.  My first class was a 9AM and my last class was out at 4:30PM.  However, once done with class we had a yummy dinner.  After dinner Abby, Kristen, and I walked to Primark/the grocery store and back.  When I got back I made a DC for Kacey because she didn't feel well.  Then a bunch of us watched "What A Girl Wants" and Abs had a sleepover in my bed.  

     Friday was an interesting day.  We got to sleep in a little as we weren't leaving for Southall until 11AM.  We went to Southall for both our Religion and Culture class.  Let's just say I might as well have gone to India.  It felt so foreign.  We went to a Sikh Temple where we were to observe their holy scripture for 20 minutes while sitting cross legged on the floor and wearing scarves around our heads.  The observing was actually very interesting, but on the way out we had to eat a clump of  this brown goo stuff (made of flour, water, butter, and sugar) that was so gross, yet it would be considered rude not to eat.  The texture was awful and I struggled to choke it down while being reverent at the same time.  We then went into their dining area where a free set meal is served all day long to anyone.  The idea of this is cool considering it is a universal practice and many are fed by it, but lets just say I might rather starve.  The pictures should tell quite enough, but I will add that any food not eaten is dumped right back into the serving dish and re-served.  All of the Sikhs were very nice though and it was interesting to observe their culture and religion.  We then left the Sikh Temple and went to two other Hindu Temples.  These were both as interesting, but hard to take seriously.  I kind of felt like I was at Disneyland India with the bright colors, dolls, and music.  Once we were done observing the temples, we had free time to roam Southall.  A group of us got Henna, I got some sweet glasses, and then we killed time by doing Henna inside Mcdonalds (which even served Indian styles of food aka curry).  We then had dinner with everyone at an Indian Restaurant that was actually pretty good.  Mary-Celeste added to the night by wearing her traditional Hindu Robe and Head Sash.  I actually found it a little ironic to be in Southall on September 11th.  However, I figured it was probably one of the safer places to be until I remembered that every Sikh wears a knife on them at all times. 

     We safely left from dinner to go straight to see Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.  I knew this would be fun, but it was even better than I expected.  It was a theater-in-the -round setup and the scenery was projected on the walls of the tent.  The coolest part was when the cast flew over London because with the projections, it was like a virtual flight over the story.  The cast was very good and Captain Hook was played by Jonathan Hyde (also in Titanic and the hunter in Jumanji).  We walked back (considering it was just in the park), and then Kacey and I had a sleepover in my bed.
     Saturday was a beautiful sunny day in London.  Kace and I went running all the way across Hyde Park and past the lake.  We came home had did our laundry/showered before going to Camden Market with Abby, Kristen, Annie, and Mandi.   Camden was really fun and I was happy to replace my Rayban Sunglasses.  We came back and took afternoon naps before going to Whitley's for dinner/groceries.  Worn out and not wanting to face the craziness of the weekend combined with the closure of most tube lines, we just hung out at the Center and even did a little homework. 

     Sundays here are great because I get to sleep in until about 9AM and then leave for church around 9:30.  My ward is about an hour away in a small town called Clapham.  All of the people there are really nice and I had fun being with the Young Women.  Their imitations of American girl voices and handwriting are very entertaining.  After church I came home and wrote letters to David, Max, and Jeff, then did a little homework before dinner.  I'm now about to go walk in the park (a favorite past time of mine) and then probably do some more homework.  I must say...London is treating me well. 

I See London, I See France!

     Today was our first travel day.  We boarded the coach at 8AM and went to our first stop, Dover Castle.  We got to spend about 2 hours there exploring and doing what we wanted.  I really loved seeing the views of the English Channel as well as climbing to the top of the Castle.
After the castle we went down to the beach and pier.  The "sand" was made of rocks, but the water was really pretty.  The temperature outside was pretty nice, but it was very windy as one can probably tell from the pictures.  It was cool to be standing in England, yet looking at France.
We then drove for another half hour or so to have a look at Canterbury and the Canterbury Cathedral.  Canterbury is a darling little place.  We got to spend some free time while there and happened to find the cutest/best little candy shop.  We then split into groups of about 120 and went on guided tours of the cathedral.  We had a cute old man as our tour guide.  He knew so much and it was so interesting to learn all about Thomas Becket as well as Roman and Gothic architecture.  After the tour Kacey and I grabbed a DC at McDonalds and loaded the coach to head back to London.  The ride home was a bit long, but I managed to sleep for most of it.  A group of us went to Cafe Diana for dinner and then came home and did some homework.  I still can't believe I actually live here and I seem to love it more and more!