ok, so I have become horrible about posting in the last couple of days and so have a lot to catch up on.
Monday I discovered the joys of Primark! Primark is a store in london that sells everything for ridiculously low prices! It had that most wonderful clothing and coats and I really wish that they had on in the states becuase I would go everyday and buy the whole store!!! anyway it was so much fun and I spent way to much money but it was worth it and I am going to come home dressed like a London girl!
So on Wednesday I officially learned how to play Poker. Elizabeth Davey and Elizabeth Stuart and I played for several hours and it was about 3 in the morning before I finally went to bed. It was so much fun though, we were eating popcorn all night and laughing. We didnt have anything ot bet with so we were using the butter and jam packages that were in the kithchen. Before we played I had made the mistake of eating a whole pint of Ben and Jerries half backed icecream and so I was really hyper. I had a scarf wrapped around my head like a turban and had made myself a paper cigerette! Needless to say that by the time that we stopped that I was winning... beginners luck!! It has definitly been one of the best nights by far.
Thursday night we went to Her Magesty's Theater and saw the Phantom of the Opera. It was the most amazing thing that I have ever seen in my entire life!!! The person that was playing the Phantom had the most amazing voice that I have ever heard in my entire life. He made the phantom from the movie look like he didnt know how to sing. He was so good that by the end of 'the point o fno return' I was crying!!! The girl that was playing Christine was not the most amazing though. We found out later that she was the understudy which explained things. It was still amazing though and I cna not get over it. I have been singing it all day and I bought a shirt while there and I slept in it because I just wanted to remember everything about it!
Today we went to Greenwich! It was really fun and I got ot stand on the the Prime Meridian, the beginning of time! It was really interesting and fun to walk around the muesums and learn about how clocks were invented, space and then vistit the marintin musuems. During this time we walked into and explored an astronomy area and I touched an asteroid that was about 4.5 billion years old!!! It was so cool. Later in the day we ran into Dr. Evans and he told us that we need to go visit the building that ahd some really cool painted ceilings. So after walking around for a while we walked over to go see these paintings. When we got there though we noticed that there were people everywhere in costumes and there was all sorts of stuff for lighting and then we saw a guy walk past with camera stuff. So we stopped and talked to a lady and she told us that they were using the building with the painted ceiling in the film of Gulivers Travels. Not only that but they were filming inside as we spoke and the star in the film was none other then Jack Black!!!! We didnt get to see him cause they wouldnt let us into the building and that was really say but we go to see everyone dressed up in their costumes and what not and it was so amazing. Fancy randomly wondering onto a film set where Jack Black was!!! Haha, it was the highlight of my day because it was just so random.
Tonight we are going to be playing some more poker and I am headed off to the store to go get starburst that we will be using for our money this time! Only a few more day in London and I am so very sad to think that this is going to be ending soon...
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Scotland + Lake District = Longest post EVER!!!
Ok so I have not blogged in a whole week because our group went to Scotland and I didn’t have access to the internet while we were traveling and so I have a lot to write about.
July 20
My day started at 4:30 in the morning because we had to be on the bus by 6am or you were going to get left behind. I was glad that we were traveling on a coach and not something else because by the end of the day my butt hurt so badly I wanted to cry.
We spent most of our day in York visiting places like the Jorvik Viking center, The Shambles, York minster abbey. The Jorvik Viking center is on top of this old Viking village that the English excavated in 1980's and over 13 million people have visited the village by now. It was really cool but it smelled so gross!
After the Viking center we toured through York minster Abbey. It was really pretty and the stain glass was so beautiful but we have visited so many abbeys and this one really reminded me of Westminster abbey. Oh, well... We did climb the tower though and from there you could see over all of York and that was really cool. I had a hard time with the winding staircases though and by the time I got to the top I was sick. Rebecca got scared at the top and so I went down early with her but it was so hard to walk down a bazillion year old stone staircase were the steps where not the same height and everything was really narrow, and trying really hard not to fall. Ugh, I was really glad to be out of the staircase when we got back down.
We then loaded onto the bus again and headed for Fountains Abbey. This abbey was a lot cooler because it was destroyed by Henry VIII and it’s all in ruins now and we could walk among the ruins and the landscape was amazing. Allison and I walked around as much of it as we could visit the water gardens and an old mill that was still there. It was really cool and so beautiful, especially because there was not a big city around it so it was a lot more peaceful and you could just relax and enjoy it.
After Fountains Abbey we then loaded on the bus again and traveled in to Durham England and stayed in an old Castle there that has been converted in to a college. It was really cool but unfortunately we were miss informed and it was not Harry Potters Castle :(. After we had settled into our rooms Ilarene, BJ, Allison, Elizabeth Stuart, Elizabeth Davey, Sammie and I went to a small Italian restraunt and it was really good and they were playing really fun music and I want to just get up and dance but I resisted! After that we headed back to the castle and what we thought would be a very unexciting night. It was really cool though and my room was in the Keep which is supposedly haunted. When it got dark a few of us went and explored the castle and an old student ran into us and took us up onto the terraces and it was so cool. You just can’t beat exploring a haunted castle in the dead of night!!!
July 21
This morning we headed for Edinburgh Scotland. Along the way we visited a section of Hadrian’s Wall.... except for the fact that none of us actually saw the wall. We saw the old barracks and the bath houses but there was no wall to be seen!!! It turned out to be ok though because as we were leaving we saw the wall from the bus. It was a sad day though because it rained all day and I didn’t have an umbrella cause mine had broke and I hadn’t yet purchased a replacement. So I spent all day pretty much soaked but it was all good.
After Hadrian’s Wall we went and visited Abbotsford which was the home of Sir Walter Scott. It was really cool and I learned a lot about Scott and the Scottish Enlightenment period. The grounds were really pretty but it was still raining so I didn’t go exploring much but it was still fun and a great learning experience.
We then finally made it to Edinburgh Scotland. Ilarene, Danny, Dillon, Allison, Both Elizabeth’s, Sammie and I went to dinner at this really good burger place. Can I say that I got the biggest burger and was the first one to finish, haha!! After dinner we went and explored a little and went to this place called Chocolate Soup. It was the greatest place that I have ever been to and I am totally in love. If they ever put one of those in Provo they would make a killing! We got the best chocolate drinks that I have ever had and some of the girls for this brownie ice cream sandwich that came with melted chocolate to dip the stuff in and it looked positively divine!
After that we headed up to go on a tour of the vaults which was supposedly really scary and I was so excited. We had to wait for a while during which time the heavens opened and dumped all of its rain on us plus some and by the time our tour guide got there I was soaked to the bones! Our tour guide was amazing and she was a really good story teller but I dint find myself scared at all on the tour and I was really disappointed. The best part of the whole thing was when Danny screamed in our tour guide's face and it scared the crap out of her and it was so funny that I just laughed for almost the whole tour.
After the tour we went back to the hostel and hung out for awhile and just talked. Our intention had been to do homework but that didn’t work out so well. I didn’t end up going to bed until almost 2 in the morning and then I didn’t sleep very well because we left the window open and the seagulls were being so noisy. I only got about 2 1/2 hours of sleep and so I was pretty much dying all day.
July 22
So on Wednesday we went to the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Lady Stair’s house and tons of Shopping!!!
The museum was cool and we concentrated mostly on the more modern history and stuff and it was all really interesting and Allison and I found a terrace on the top of the building that looked out at all of Edinburgh. It was really fun and we got really cool pictures of the castle from out on terrace.
After the museum we went and got lunch and saw the Elephant cafe while we were walking. For all of you who don’t know the Elephant cafe is where J. K. Rowling first writing Harry Potter. It was a fun little thing to see. We then headed up to the castle and as we were walking it began to rain again and I really just wanted to cry because I wanted to be dry! Oh well, the castle was amazing and I got to see the crown jewels of Scotland and were Mary Queen of Scotts was born and lots of other stuff. By the end though it was raining so hard that I put my foot down and said that I was not going any further until I had an umbrella. So on our way back down we stopped in a store and got umbrellas and other stuff. We then headed for Chocolate soup to dry out and drink hot chocolate. By the time that we were done it had stopped raining and we headed out to do some shopping. I got presents for a lot of the family and got myself the most amazing ring!!! I really wanted this cashmere purple sweater but it was 200 pounds and I was like heck no!!! Oh well it was a lot of fun and we all got some really nice stuff. Latter I went back to the hostel to try and blow dry my shoes dry and eat dinner. After dinner we went to an organ recital at St. Giles cathedral. It was really cool and the guy that was performing was one of the best in the world! Elizabeth Stuart, Becky, Jessica and I went on another tour of some different vaults because we really wanted to find something scary. It ended up being even less scary and I was so sad :(. after we headed back to the hostel but I only got 4 hours of sleep because someone's car alarm went off at 4 and it stayed on for almost 40 minutes before someone turned it off!!! By then I was really awake and I could sleep anymore. So pretty much I was dying and looked like crap the next morning.
July 23
We left Scotland and headed down into the Lake District on Thursday. We stopped in a town and went to Dove Cottage where William Wordsworth wrote most of his poetry and it was such a cute little place and the landscape was amazing. The Lake District is the most beautiful place that I have ever been and I wish that I had more pictures! After Dove cottage we headed in to Ambleside. We had the afternoon free to our selves while we were here so Ilarene, Allison, both Elizabeth’s and I went out on row boats onto the lake. It was so much fun and the lake was wonderful! We could see a castle and some really nice homes from the lake but we couldn’t get any good pictures of them because we could get close enough.
When we got back to shore we went and got ice-cream and were sitting there and watching some ducks and swans. Well the momma swan came in and while she was two babies and I decided that I was determined to touch the baby swans. The only problem was that the daddy swan was supper mean and we had seen it attack ducks that had gotten to close and when a dog had walked by it spread its wings stuck out its toung and started hissing!!! It was so weird. Well luckily some kids came and started feeding the ducks and so the daddy went off to go eat and turned its back long enough for me to touch the babies!! They were so soft and I have decided that I really want a swan baby to cuddle with!!!
Anyway we went back to the hostel after chilling in a park to eat dinner. Dinner was... well... disgusting!!! But it was food and kept me from starving so I guess that is a good thing. After that we sat around and had girl talk time and then played ERS for quite a while. We played with 8 people and one deck??? It was so much fun and of course I won only after Elizabeth’s Stuart's nail cut my hand open!!! After that everyone else went to go play another game but Stuart and I kept playing for quite a while during which time we collapsed several time into fits of giggles. At one point we went up stairs and I decided it would be fun to knock on Dillon’s door and run away but as I was running down that hall way I turned the corner and my socks slipped on the carpet and I did like a baseball slide down the hall way after which Elizabeth and I died laughing. We had such a wonderful time and I don’t think that I have laughed that much in a very long time!
July 24
On Friday I was so tired that frankly I didn’t care what I looked like and so didn’t even make it all of the way out of my PJ's. We left Ambleside and went to Preston to learn about the church and how it was introduced into England. We even went to the site where the first LDS members were baptized and then we headed over to the Preston temple. It was really cool it learns about the churches early days in England.
After the temple we got on the bus and headed for an old textile mill. I was so mad that we went to the mill because we were supposed to go visit places from Pride and Prejudice but instead we went to some crazy mill!! I was feeling so sick on the bus from being cooped up and from not being able to sleep. Sammie and I ended up leaving the mill early and we fell asleep on the bench for 40 minutes. It felt pretty good but then we got on the bus again and I thought I was going to die!
When we stopped at a rest stop to get dinner I was feeling so sick and I just wanted to lie down and sleep. But we got into the stop and the smell of food was so sickening that I promptly went to bathroom and tossed my cookies twice!!! I was miserable and Elizabeth Davey told me that I "looked like crap." haha, it was funny but I really wanted to cry.
Back on the bus we watch North and South which is an amazing movie and I loved it!! by the time that we got back to the center Ilarene told me that I looked like a ghost because I was so tired and sick and when I got to my room I fell in my bed and didn’t move. Ilarene ended up taking my shoes off for me and getting me medicine.
The week was wonderful and I don’t think that anything could ever beat all the fun and amusingness of this experience!
July 20
My day started at 4:30 in the morning because we had to be on the bus by 6am or you were going to get left behind. I was glad that we were traveling on a coach and not something else because by the end of the day my butt hurt so badly I wanted to cry.
We spent most of our day in York visiting places like the Jorvik Viking center, The Shambles, York minster abbey. The Jorvik Viking center is on top of this old Viking village that the English excavated in 1980's and over 13 million people have visited the village by now. It was really cool but it smelled so gross!
After the Viking center we toured through York minster Abbey. It was really pretty and the stain glass was so beautiful but we have visited so many abbeys and this one really reminded me of Westminster abbey. Oh, well... We did climb the tower though and from there you could see over all of York and that was really cool. I had a hard time with the winding staircases though and by the time I got to the top I was sick. Rebecca got scared at the top and so I went down early with her but it was so hard to walk down a bazillion year old stone staircase were the steps where not the same height and everything was really narrow, and trying really hard not to fall. Ugh, I was really glad to be out of the staircase when we got back down.
We then loaded onto the bus again and headed for Fountains Abbey. This abbey was a lot cooler because it was destroyed by Henry VIII and it’s all in ruins now and we could walk among the ruins and the landscape was amazing. Allison and I walked around as much of it as we could visit the water gardens and an old mill that was still there. It was really cool and so beautiful, especially because there was not a big city around it so it was a lot more peaceful and you could just relax and enjoy it.
After Fountains Abbey we then loaded on the bus again and traveled in to Durham England and stayed in an old Castle there that has been converted in to a college. It was really cool but unfortunately we were miss informed and it was not Harry Potters Castle :(. After we had settled into our rooms Ilarene, BJ, Allison, Elizabeth Stuart, Elizabeth Davey, Sammie and I went to a small Italian restraunt and it was really good and they were playing really fun music and I want to just get up and dance but I resisted! After that we headed back to the castle and what we thought would be a very unexciting night. It was really cool though and my room was in the Keep which is supposedly haunted. When it got dark a few of us went and explored the castle and an old student ran into us and took us up onto the terraces and it was so cool. You just can’t beat exploring a haunted castle in the dead of night!!!
July 21
This morning we headed for Edinburgh Scotland. Along the way we visited a section of Hadrian’s Wall.... except for the fact that none of us actually saw the wall. We saw the old barracks and the bath houses but there was no wall to be seen!!! It turned out to be ok though because as we were leaving we saw the wall from the bus. It was a sad day though because it rained all day and I didn’t have an umbrella cause mine had broke and I hadn’t yet purchased a replacement. So I spent all day pretty much soaked but it was all good.
After Hadrian’s Wall we went and visited Abbotsford which was the home of Sir Walter Scott. It was really cool and I learned a lot about Scott and the Scottish Enlightenment period. The grounds were really pretty but it was still raining so I didn’t go exploring much but it was still fun and a great learning experience.
We then finally made it to Edinburgh Scotland. Ilarene, Danny, Dillon, Allison, Both Elizabeth’s, Sammie and I went to dinner at this really good burger place. Can I say that I got the biggest burger and was the first one to finish, haha!! After dinner we went and explored a little and went to this place called Chocolate Soup. It was the greatest place that I have ever been to and I am totally in love. If they ever put one of those in Provo they would make a killing! We got the best chocolate drinks that I have ever had and some of the girls for this brownie ice cream sandwich that came with melted chocolate to dip the stuff in and it looked positively divine!
After that we headed up to go on a tour of the vaults which was supposedly really scary and I was so excited. We had to wait for a while during which time the heavens opened and dumped all of its rain on us plus some and by the time our tour guide got there I was soaked to the bones! Our tour guide was amazing and she was a really good story teller but I dint find myself scared at all on the tour and I was really disappointed. The best part of the whole thing was when Danny screamed in our tour guide's face and it scared the crap out of her and it was so funny that I just laughed for almost the whole tour.
After the tour we went back to the hostel and hung out for awhile and just talked. Our intention had been to do homework but that didn’t work out so well. I didn’t end up going to bed until almost 2 in the morning and then I didn’t sleep very well because we left the window open and the seagulls were being so noisy. I only got about 2 1/2 hours of sleep and so I was pretty much dying all day.
July 22
So on Wednesday we went to the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Lady Stair’s house and tons of Shopping!!!
The museum was cool and we concentrated mostly on the more modern history and stuff and it was all really interesting and Allison and I found a terrace on the top of the building that looked out at all of Edinburgh. It was really fun and we got really cool pictures of the castle from out on terrace.
After the museum we went and got lunch and saw the Elephant cafe while we were walking. For all of you who don’t know the Elephant cafe is where J. K. Rowling first writing Harry Potter. It was a fun little thing to see. We then headed up to the castle and as we were walking it began to rain again and I really just wanted to cry because I wanted to be dry! Oh well, the castle was amazing and I got to see the crown jewels of Scotland and were Mary Queen of Scotts was born and lots of other stuff. By the end though it was raining so hard that I put my foot down and said that I was not going any further until I had an umbrella. So on our way back down we stopped in a store and got umbrellas and other stuff. We then headed for Chocolate soup to dry out and drink hot chocolate. By the time that we were done it had stopped raining and we headed out to do some shopping. I got presents for a lot of the family and got myself the most amazing ring!!! I really wanted this cashmere purple sweater but it was 200 pounds and I was like heck no!!! Oh well it was a lot of fun and we all got some really nice stuff. Latter I went back to the hostel to try and blow dry my shoes dry and eat dinner. After dinner we went to an organ recital at St. Giles cathedral. It was really cool and the guy that was performing was one of the best in the world! Elizabeth Stuart, Becky, Jessica and I went on another tour of some different vaults because we really wanted to find something scary. It ended up being even less scary and I was so sad :(. after we headed back to the hostel but I only got 4 hours of sleep because someone's car alarm went off at 4 and it stayed on for almost 40 minutes before someone turned it off!!! By then I was really awake and I could sleep anymore. So pretty much I was dying and looked like crap the next morning.
July 23
We left Scotland and headed down into the Lake District on Thursday. We stopped in a town and went to Dove Cottage where William Wordsworth wrote most of his poetry and it was such a cute little place and the landscape was amazing. The Lake District is the most beautiful place that I have ever been and I wish that I had more pictures! After Dove cottage we headed in to Ambleside. We had the afternoon free to our selves while we were here so Ilarene, Allison, both Elizabeth’s and I went out on row boats onto the lake. It was so much fun and the lake was wonderful! We could see a castle and some really nice homes from the lake but we couldn’t get any good pictures of them because we could get close enough.
When we got back to shore we went and got ice-cream and were sitting there and watching some ducks and swans. Well the momma swan came in and while she was two babies and I decided that I was determined to touch the baby swans. The only problem was that the daddy swan was supper mean and we had seen it attack ducks that had gotten to close and when a dog had walked by it spread its wings stuck out its toung and started hissing!!! It was so weird. Well luckily some kids came and started feeding the ducks and so the daddy went off to go eat and turned its back long enough for me to touch the babies!! They were so soft and I have decided that I really want a swan baby to cuddle with!!!
Anyway we went back to the hostel after chilling in a park to eat dinner. Dinner was... well... disgusting!!! But it was food and kept me from starving so I guess that is a good thing. After that we sat around and had girl talk time and then played ERS for quite a while. We played with 8 people and one deck??? It was so much fun and of course I won only after Elizabeth’s Stuart's nail cut my hand open!!! After that everyone else went to go play another game but Stuart and I kept playing for quite a while during which time we collapsed several time into fits of giggles. At one point we went up stairs and I decided it would be fun to knock on Dillon’s door and run away but as I was running down that hall way I turned the corner and my socks slipped on the carpet and I did like a baseball slide down the hall way after which Elizabeth and I died laughing. We had such a wonderful time and I don’t think that I have laughed that much in a very long time!
July 24
On Friday I was so tired that frankly I didn’t care what I looked like and so didn’t even make it all of the way out of my PJ's. We left Ambleside and went to Preston to learn about the church and how it was introduced into England. We even went to the site where the first LDS members were baptized and then we headed over to the Preston temple. It was really cool it learns about the churches early days in England.
After the temple we got on the bus and headed for an old textile mill. I was so mad that we went to the mill because we were supposed to go visit places from Pride and Prejudice but instead we went to some crazy mill!! I was feeling so sick on the bus from being cooped up and from not being able to sleep. Sammie and I ended up leaving the mill early and we fell asleep on the bench for 40 minutes. It felt pretty good but then we got on the bus again and I thought I was going to die!
When we stopped at a rest stop to get dinner I was feeling so sick and I just wanted to lie down and sleep. But we got into the stop and the smell of food was so sickening that I promptly went to bathroom and tossed my cookies twice!!! I was miserable and Elizabeth Davey told me that I "looked like crap." haha, it was funny but I really wanted to cry.
Back on the bus we watch North and South which is an amazing movie and I loved it!! by the time that we got back to the center Ilarene told me that I looked like a ghost because I was so tired and sick and when I got to my room I fell in my bed and didn’t move. Ilarene ended up taking my shoes off for me and getting me medicine.
The week was wonderful and I don’t think that anything could ever beat all the fun and amusingness of this experience!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Look, Feel, Touch, Try, Love, Buy
Haha, the above it the Fringe logo around here and I thought it was so funny because just before we had been in a cashmere store and it totally exemplified what I was doing.
Anyway I am in Scotland and so I cant do any major updating of my blog because it costs me money to be on here. Anyway just to give you guys an idea of what I have been doing, I am currently in Edinbough Scotland and loving life!!! We have visited so many places and I have taken more pictures then ever before. Anyway Ill update this for real as soon as I can and pictures should appear soon!!
Anyway I am in Scotland and so I cant do any major updating of my blog because it costs me money to be on here. Anyway just to give you guys an idea of what I have been doing, I am currently in Edinbough Scotland and loving life!!! We have visited so many places and I have taken more pictures then ever before. Anyway Ill update this for real as soon as I can and pictures should appear soon!!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Black Lung
So I have officially been named Black Lung after this terrible cough that I have that just wont seem to go away. It is making my life very difficult seeing that I am trying to have fun but instead am spending a lot of my time feeling miserable and coughing all the time. I just wish that it would go away so that I can enjoy all of next week. Also we have a new addition to out dorm... his name is Fredrick of Freddie... and he is a mouse. He scared the crap out of me yesterday when I was talking to the girls and I saw this little black thing scurry across the floor. Professor evens came up and tried to catch him but Freddie got away and now we dont know where he is.
Yesterday and today were pretty good. I spent all of yesterday doing laundry and laying in bed coughing my lungs out. It wasnt so fun but I got stuff done and Ilarene went and got me Thai food for dinner and that was really good.
We didnt get lost on our way to church today!!!! I was so glad because if we had I probably would have died right there on the side of the road because I was so tired. But life went well until we got to church and found out that one of the girls in young women's has swine flu, she wasnt contagious anymore but still it freaked the other girls out, I really didnt care, I am already sick and so I felt bad for her. After that I came home, went to bed and resumed coughing my lungs up. Anyway, tomorrow I have to up at 4 to leave for Scotland. I am so excited!!! We are staying in Durham Castle, where they film most of Harry Potter and then we are traveling down into the Lake district. I cant wait and I hope that I am ok by then so I can enjoy myself!
Yesterday and today were pretty good. I spent all of yesterday doing laundry and laying in bed coughing my lungs out. It wasnt so fun but I got stuff done and Ilarene went and got me Thai food for dinner and that was really good.
We didnt get lost on our way to church today!!!! I was so glad because if we had I probably would have died right there on the side of the road because I was so tired. But life went well until we got to church and found out that one of the girls in young women's has swine flu, she wasnt contagious anymore but still it freaked the other girls out, I really didnt care, I am already sick and so I felt bad for her. After that I came home, went to bed and resumed coughing my lungs up. Anyway, tomorrow I have to up at 4 to leave for Scotland. I am so excited!!! We are staying in Durham Castle, where they film most of Harry Potter and then we are traveling down into the Lake district. I cant wait and I hope that I am ok by then so I can enjoy myself!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Harry Potter and Hampton Court
So yesterday and today have been absolutely amazing and probably the best days by far!
The beginning of yesterday was not so fun considering I had two midterms but I think that they both went pretty well but I guess we'll see when I get my grades. But after midterms yesterday Ilarene, Danny, Dillon, Robyn, both Elizabeth's and I went to the Tate Modern Art Museum. It was really interesting but some of the stuff in there was really quite bazaar. Like there was a wall that had dead birds all over it that were pinned there by arrows and stuff like that. It was really disturbing. Anyway it was fun and Danny and Ilarene were a riot!
After that we headed back to the center for dinner and a short break before heading out to go see Harry Potter. Can I say that there is something unreal about watching Harry Potter in London. In the beginning of the movie when the bridge was destroyed I had just walked across that bridge not 5 hours earlier. It was so cool to be able to watch it and see things and places where I have been. And we are going to Durham castle next week and spending the night there, and that is where they do most of the filming. I cant wait. The movie was so exciting and I loved it so much. The movies are getting better as we go and I cant wait for the next two movies.
After the movie got out we walked out side to find that it was pouring rain and I had conveniently taken my umbrella out of my bag before we had left. So we had to run like a half mile back to the house and I had to run barefoot because I had flip flops on and I didnt want to slip in them. After we got back we ended up dancing in the rain for a while and just running around and having fun. It was 11 at night and I am sure the neighbors were not to happy with us but is was fantastic and I was soaked from head to foot by the end of it.
Today everyone went to Hampton Court. It was so beautiful and I dont think that I have ever seen anything that has such amazing gardens. The place was huge and just seemed to go forever in every direction. It was so exciting to see where Henry VIII had spent a lot of his time and where Anne Boleyn was arrested at the tennis courts. Even after them, Elizabeth I and William and Mary lived there and the history was just so exciting. There were tapestries that were 500 years old and they were so cool and I cant believe that they have lasted so long. I was in a group with Ilarene, Danny and Dillon and they were so much fun to hang out with. I wish that I could live there. You have to walk so far to get anywhere that you could never get fat, haha! Anyway not sure what I am doing tomorrow but next week brings Scotland and the Lake District!!!
The beginning of yesterday was not so fun considering I had two midterms but I think that they both went pretty well but I guess we'll see when I get my grades. But after midterms yesterday Ilarene, Danny, Dillon, Robyn, both Elizabeth's and I went to the Tate Modern Art Museum. It was really interesting but some of the stuff in there was really quite bazaar. Like there was a wall that had dead birds all over it that were pinned there by arrows and stuff like that. It was really disturbing. Anyway it was fun and Danny and Ilarene were a riot!
After that we headed back to the center for dinner and a short break before heading out to go see Harry Potter. Can I say that there is something unreal about watching Harry Potter in London. In the beginning of the movie when the bridge was destroyed I had just walked across that bridge not 5 hours earlier. It was so cool to be able to watch it and see things and places where I have been. And we are going to Durham castle next week and spending the night there, and that is where they do most of the filming. I cant wait. The movie was so exciting and I loved it so much. The movies are getting better as we go and I cant wait for the next two movies.
After the movie got out we walked out side to find that it was pouring rain and I had conveniently taken my umbrella out of my bag before we had left. So we had to run like a half mile back to the house and I had to run barefoot because I had flip flops on and I didnt want to slip in them. After we got back we ended up dancing in the rain for a while and just running around and having fun. It was 11 at night and I am sure the neighbors were not to happy with us but is was fantastic and I was soaked from head to foot by the end of it.
Today everyone went to Hampton Court. It was so beautiful and I dont think that I have ever seen anything that has such amazing gardens. The place was huge and just seemed to go forever in every direction. It was so exciting to see where Henry VIII had spent a lot of his time and where Anne Boleyn was arrested at the tennis courts. Even after them, Elizabeth I and William and Mary lived there and the history was just so exciting. There were tapestries that were 500 years old and they were so cool and I cant believe that they have lasted so long. I was in a group with Ilarene, Danny and Dillon and they were so much fun to hang out with. I wish that I could live there. You have to walk so far to get anywhere that you could never get fat, haha! Anyway not sure what I am doing tomorrow but next week brings Scotland and the Lake District!!!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
In front of the Victory
Melissa, Sarah and I in PortsmouthSo today was another Wednesday trip and this time our destination was Portsmouth, Hampshire. It was so much fun and there was so much to see at Harbor, tons of history and neat things. We started our adventure at 8 this morning since it was a two hour bus ride and we needed to be there at ten. I didnt really like having to get up at 6am to get ready but it was all totally worth it. Melissa and I sat on the bus together and we both tried to be so good and do our homework on the way there but we just ended up sleeping most of the way.
Portsmouth was amazing! There is so much history packed in this Harbor and I really had a lot of fun! We started out by going to the Mary Rose Museum. The Mary Rose was Henry VIII favorite ship that sank exactly 498 years ago. In the 60's some people set out to find it and see if there was anything left to raise. They ended up finding the starboard side of the ship completely intact! It took them until the 80's and 90's to finally raise it because it was really hard to dig it our of 500 years of silt and mud, plus they had to be really careful. They think that between 500-700 people sank with the ship and died.
After that we stopped and ate lunch and then continued on into the Naval Museum. It was really interesting and I learned a little bit about women in the British Navy. After that we went to see the Victory.
The Victory was the ship that lead the British Navy in the Battle of Trafalgar. It is where Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson died. He was shot just 30 minutes after the Victory penetrated the combined French and Spanish fleet. The ship is really cool and we got to walk all over the upper and middle decks and got to go down into the hold. When you are close to the ship it looks just like the ship at the end of Pirates of the Caribbean.
After that we went into the preservation room where they are working to preserve the part of the Mary Rose that they rose. It was amazing. They have been spraying it with a preservation wax since 1994 and are not going to finish that until later this year. After that it has to go through a really intensive drying process that could last until 2016. Its crazy but I guess that after a ship has been sunk after 500 years that its kind of important to follow such measures.
After that we headed out to take the Harbor tour. It was a fun little boat ride where they show you alot of the boat that are currently residing in the Harbor. They have a lot of ships that have recently been decommissioned because they dont meet the current safely standard. One of the ships we say was an aircraft carrier that is currently for sell... anyone want a aircraft carrier from the UK???
After that we were kindly informed that there was a chocolate factory store near by and so we went and spent way too much money on wonderful chocolate. We then headed for the bus and a very long trip home.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth
So basically the line above it my favorite line from The Importance of Being Earnest. Yesterday was a pretty fantastic day and I loved it. We had class in the morning like usual and I actually really enjoyed it.
First off was English. We had an essay due and unfortunately Dr. Paxman thought it would be a grand idea for us all to get into little groups and we could all read each others fist page. Needless to say that was quite terrifying cause everyone else in my group was so much older and are much better writers. But I think that I did alright but will see if thats true when I get my grades back.
Next on the list was History. History was of course fun as usual and very fasted paced. I love learning in that class, there is so much that they dont teach you about in European History back home. I have a test in History and English this week, both of course on Thursday, but is should be adventurous and hopefully I will do good.
After class Elizabeth Davey, Elizabeth Stuart and I went to the national gallery. I needed to go do an assignment for English and neither of them had been there yet so it was a fun, but of course I forgot my camera and I was very sad about that. The national gallery was great and I really loved looking at the art by Reuben. I spent like an hour in his room alone because it was amazing. My assignment was pretty easy and I got it done soon but I could remember how many of the pictures on it we were supposed to analyse and right on so I did them all... all like 18 of them. Turns out I only needed to to 4 but its all good. After that I met back up with the Elizabeth's and we headed back home for dinner... but I am no longer on kitchen crew so that was exciting.
After dinner the new kitchen team seemed to be struggling because they needed to get done fast so I went and helped them do dished for 45 minutes. Sister Paxman was really confused when she saw me done there, but I just told her I was helping out so that the team could get on their feet. She said that my mom must have raised me very well (haha, yes she did! Way to go mom!!!) After that I ran up stairs to get read for the play!
The play was in an open air theater in Regents park. The park was beautiful and the landscaping was amazing! I was so excited for the play! The Importance of Being Earnest is my favorite play ever and Oscar Wilde is just amazing, I mean come on, who wouldn't want to go see his plays??? The play started at 8 and didnt end until 10:40 but it was the best 2 hours and 40 minutes of my life. The guy who played Algy was just amazing and I almost died of laughter more then once. But that was my day and today I am spending all day in class so that wont be to exciting.
First off was English. We had an essay due and unfortunately Dr. Paxman thought it would be a grand idea for us all to get into little groups and we could all read each others fist page. Needless to say that was quite terrifying cause everyone else in my group was so much older and are much better writers. But I think that I did alright but will see if thats true when I get my grades back.
Next on the list was History. History was of course fun as usual and very fasted paced. I love learning in that class, there is so much that they dont teach you about in European History back home. I have a test in History and English this week, both of course on Thursday, but is should be adventurous and hopefully I will do good.
After class Elizabeth Davey, Elizabeth Stuart and I went to the national gallery. I needed to go do an assignment for English and neither of them had been there yet so it was a fun, but of course I forgot my camera and I was very sad about that. The national gallery was great and I really loved looking at the art by Reuben. I spent like an hour in his room alone because it was amazing. My assignment was pretty easy and I got it done soon but I could remember how many of the pictures on it we were supposed to analyse and right on so I did them all... all like 18 of them. Turns out I only needed to to 4 but its all good. After that I met back up with the Elizabeth's and we headed back home for dinner... but I am no longer on kitchen crew so that was exciting.
After dinner the new kitchen team seemed to be struggling because they needed to get done fast so I went and helped them do dished for 45 minutes. Sister Paxman was really confused when she saw me done there, but I just told her I was helping out so that the team could get on their feet. She said that my mom must have raised me very well (haha, yes she did! Way to go mom!!!) After that I ran up stairs to get read for the play!
The play was in an open air theater in Regents park. The park was beautiful and the landscaping was amazing! I was so excited for the play! The Importance of Being Earnest is my favorite play ever and Oscar Wilde is just amazing, I mean come on, who wouldn't want to go see his plays??? The play started at 8 and didnt end until 10:40 but it was the best 2 hours and 40 minutes of my life. The guy who played Algy was just amazing and I almost died of laughter more then once. But that was my day and today I am spending all day in class so that wont be to exciting.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Yeah for another church adventure!
So I didnt post yesterday because I didnt have time, so sorry to deprive you all. But yesterday was yet another adventure for the books.
I am sad to say that I slept through my alarm and so was running late for church. We needed to leave promptly at 8:40 to be able to reach the train on time. Well we left just a few minutes after that but it proved to be the down fall of the trip. When we arrived that the Nottinghill Gate tube stop we ran down stairs hoping to catch the next tube to Victoria train station. Unfortunately we missed the tube and had to wait 7 minutes for the next one. Around this time we noticed that in the mad dash to the platform we lost Jordan and Meagan in the crowd of people. We didnt think much of it because they knew how to get to the station and we figured they would be ok but as we listened to the station announcements we realized that the only other way they could get to the station was closed half way through... meaning they were going to be very lost. We the tube finally reached us we hopped on and hoped there would be no further problems because we were running very late and could miss our train. But of course we got delayed at one of the stations and arrived at Victoria 2 minutes after our train departed. Sad Day!
As we looked at the board to find our train we realized something dreadful... our train stop was closed for construction and there was no service to it! We just about panicked, how were we going to get to church! Well as we looked at the board an announcement said that if we took another train there would be a bus that could take us to Mitchem. So we ran for our new train and made it with time to spare. We got off the train at the right stop and eventually found the bus and guess what!?!? It was a double decker, I was going to ride in my first double decker, so we went right up to the top and sat in the front. And as the bus got ready to leave we looked up to see Jordan running for the bus, but there was no Meagan!?! It turned out that Meagan and Jordan had gotten separated but Jordan was able to find the connection train but we had no idea were Meagan was. So the bus started off and can I say double deakers are terrifying!!! I thought we were going to kill someone or at least hit a car or two. But we didnt and as we reached our stop, Katie and I stood up, cause we were in the front, and began walking to the stairs to get off. Well just at that moment the driver slammed on his breaks and Katie flew into the window and I almost fell down the stairs. It was really startling and scary!!!
So we ran down to the tram had to wait 10 minutes for it and then walked the rest of the way to church. We only got thee 15 minutes late so we figured it wasnt that bad. But on looking at it closer we found that to get to church we had to walk... take the tube... take a train... ride the bus... take a tram and then walk again to get to church. What a fun adventure.
Church was great and I taught the young women's lesson. It was really intimidating cause I had never taught before and I am only a year older then most of the girls. But I got through it ok and kaitlin said afterward that I did really good. Random side note... Kaitlin and I found out that my mom and her mom know each other from high school... its such a small world!
Anyway getting home was much easier but we accidentally left Jordan at church and I felt so bad.
When we got home I took a very long nap and then went and helped with dinner. After we had a presentation by Brother Chidick, who lived through World War II in London. He came and taught us a lot about what it was like to live in London during that time and the things that they had to do to stay safe. It was great.
But now I need to go to dinner and the Importance of Being Earnest is our play for this evening and I am so excited.
I am sad to say that I slept through my alarm and so was running late for church. We needed to leave promptly at 8:40 to be able to reach the train on time. Well we left just a few minutes after that but it proved to be the down fall of the trip. When we arrived that the Nottinghill Gate tube stop we ran down stairs hoping to catch the next tube to Victoria train station. Unfortunately we missed the tube and had to wait 7 minutes for the next one. Around this time we noticed that in the mad dash to the platform we lost Jordan and Meagan in the crowd of people. We didnt think much of it because they knew how to get to the station and we figured they would be ok but as we listened to the station announcements we realized that the only other way they could get to the station was closed half way through... meaning they were going to be very lost. We the tube finally reached us we hopped on and hoped there would be no further problems because we were running very late and could miss our train. But of course we got delayed at one of the stations and arrived at Victoria 2 minutes after our train departed. Sad Day!
As we looked at the board to find our train we realized something dreadful... our train stop was closed for construction and there was no service to it! We just about panicked, how were we going to get to church! Well as we looked at the board an announcement said that if we took another train there would be a bus that could take us to Mitchem. So we ran for our new train and made it with time to spare. We got off the train at the right stop and eventually found the bus and guess what!?!? It was a double decker, I was going to ride in my first double decker, so we went right up to the top and sat in the front. And as the bus got ready to leave we looked up to see Jordan running for the bus, but there was no Meagan!?! It turned out that Meagan and Jordan had gotten separated but Jordan was able to find the connection train but we had no idea were Meagan was. So the bus started off and can I say double deakers are terrifying!!! I thought we were going to kill someone or at least hit a car or two. But we didnt and as we reached our stop, Katie and I stood up, cause we were in the front, and began walking to the stairs to get off. Well just at that moment the driver slammed on his breaks and Katie flew into the window and I almost fell down the stairs. It was really startling and scary!!!
So we ran down to the tram had to wait 10 minutes for it and then walked the rest of the way to church. We only got thee 15 minutes late so we figured it wasnt that bad. But on looking at it closer we found that to get to church we had to walk... take the tube... take a train... ride the bus... take a tram and then walk again to get to church. What a fun adventure.
Church was great and I taught the young women's lesson. It was really intimidating cause I had never taught before and I am only a year older then most of the girls. But I got through it ok and kaitlin said afterward that I did really good. Random side note... Kaitlin and I found out that my mom and her mom know each other from high school... its such a small world!
Anyway getting home was much easier but we accidentally left Jordan at church and I felt so bad.
When we got home I took a very long nap and then went and helped with dinner. After we had a presentation by Brother Chidick, who lived through World War II in London. He came and taught us a lot about what it was like to live in London during that time and the things that they had to do to stay safe. It was great.
But now I need to go to dinner and the Importance of Being Earnest is our play for this evening and I am so excited.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Brighton is the place to go and get husbands
So I must admit that my feet have never hurt so bad in my life but today was wonderful and I really enjoyed myself.
At promptly 4:30 this morning my alarm went off reminding me to get up and get ready for our big day in Brighton. Unfortunately I had stayed up very late 11:30 to 12ish doing laundry, reading and what not and so was suffering greatly from the lack of sleep. Anyway, I headed down stairs at 5:30 to meet everyone and only Garret and Rebecca were down there. Soon enough Melissa and Sarah were ready and then Kaitlin came running down the stairs and it seemed like everyone one started remembering that they had forgotten things and people where flying everywhere. So we didn't get out the door until like 5:50 and we were supposed to leave at 5:30! We we booked it to the underground only to find out it would be about 8 minutes before the tube we needed would arrive and time was ticking. We needed to be on the train before 7:30 and we still needed to print our tickets at a kiosk. So you know that seen in Home alone where they are running through the airport... well that was us except we were running through a train station and it was fantastic!
We made the train and when we sat down I became so tired that I think that I dosed the whole way to Brighton. When we got there we headed straight for the beach and as we were walking I noticed a horrible thing... I had forgotten my jacket and it was so cold because the wind was blowing! Well we got down to the beach and to my dismay it was a pebble beach... well actually that is an understatement it was a very extra rock beach with lots of broken sea shells! It was terrible to walk over and at one point I had to stop and pull sea shell pieces out of the bottom of my feet! Anyway, we got down to the water and it actually wasn't as cold as I thought it would be and it was great but I didn't get very far in because I didn't want to get wet and then we cold and miserable the rest of the day. The best part of the whole thing was that after we put our shoes back on we decided to try and take a jumping picture but we didn't have anyone to take our picture so we set the timer and tried to jump before the picture took. I think we must have taken about 20 photos and we could not get one where we were all in the air! But it was so much fun!
After that we walked along the board walk forever and ever and I thought I was going to die because I knew that we were just going to have to turn around and walk all the way back and then some. But it was fun because we kept a sharp look out for Officers because Brighton is the place to get husbands! haha, go tot love Pride and Prejudice! At about 9:50 we turned around and started walking back because we were meeting Adison, Rubie and Anna at the aquarium at 10:30. But just not any aquarium, the OLDEST working aquarium in the WORLD!!!! Just makes it that much cooler. It was built in the 1860's or something like that and it was amazing! There was this one part were we got to go into the amazon rain forest looking thing but the path was covered in mirrors and I could not figure out which way to go because everywhere that I turned I was looking at myself!!! I finally had to start reaching out and touching things to get through the forest!
After the Aquarium we headed out to a french market where I bought my mom a present but I can tell you what that is... sorry! Anyway it was fun and then we headed back to the Pier to look at the rides and just walk around. Well Melissa and I saw this ride called the Booster and it was the coolest thing I think that I have ever seen.. photos on facebook. It was this hug thing at least a hundred feet tall and just swings you around and you go upside down and out over the ocean and everything. It was fantastic and the best five pounds that I have spent since coming to England! After that we wondered around the pier for awhile and then headed out for lunch.
After Lunch we decided to go and find this market located on the North Lanes. Somewhere along the way we realized that we didnt have a map and had no idea where we were going so we stopped for directions and ran across the Royal Pavilion built by George IV. It was massive and fantastic and so cool, it reminded me of aladdin and I really wanted a flying carpet to take me around it. We didnt go inside though cause it would have cost more money so we set out in search of the markets.
We spent the remainder of our envening wondering through the markets and buying clothes. It was great because we would go in one store and Kaitlin would find something that she liked but would then decided not to buy it so we would continue on. But less then 10 minutes later she decided that she wanted to go back and get the whatever and so we had to hike all the way back and find the stores all over again. It was fun though. We stopped for food at this Italian pizza place because we were starving and our feet hurt so bad and it was cheap. The food was good though and then we sent off into the markets again. We didnt last long though because the shos were starting to close and we were so tired. So tired in fact that we went to the train station an hour and a half early so we could sit down and not move... plus we had run out of things to do becuase we didnt want to spend the money to go to a show.
The train ride back was better because the seats were more padded and my butt didnt hurt so bad but it just felt so good to be off my feet and relaxing! But that was my day and a fantastic one!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Cambridge and a Birthday Party!!!
Ok, I am giving up again!!! Why is that the Internet decides not to work whenever I try and upload photos! Its a conspiracy I swear!!
Well yesterday I know that I was horrible and didnt post anything but we didnt get back till almost 9 and I was so tired that I just fell into bed and didnt get up for another hour and a half to change into my PJ's! Haha, oh well, yesterday was amazing and one of the best days by far.
Wednesday July 8, started promptly at 6:30 in the morning :(. I am still on kitchen crew so I had to make sure that I was completely reading to go before I could head down to the kitchens. After breakfast I made myself a sack lunch and then headed out to the bus. Kaitlin, Rebecca and I remembered the dangers of sitting in the back so we promptly sat in the front/middle of the bus. The bus ride was about an hour and a half to Cambridge and can I just say that Cambridge boys are beautiful... Anyway after we got there we sat down at a park bench ate lunch and decided on our plan of attack during which we talked to Professor Paxman and he told us to try and get in to Kings college chapel. So we decided to head over to the chapel to check it out. Good thing that we did to because they stopped admitting people at noon and it was 11:40ish when we got there. It was so amazing! The church has the most wonderful stain glass windows and is also the largest college chapel in England... or is it the world. I cant remember but it was amazing. There are areas where the wood have the initials of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn carved in them! It was so cool!
After the chapel Kaitlin headed off to meet a friend of hers that is attending Cambridge and we set off to find the bathroom for Rebecca. The only public bathrooms where at a place called Lions something, hmmm cant remember. Well anyway we walked around forever and couldn't find the bathrooms so we stopped and as a store owner where we could find them and we was like "oh, just go up and they are to the right" so we walk up and turned right! still no luck, well as we wondered around more we realized that he had been mistaken and should have said to the left! I found them finally and it was a good think to because I think Rebecca was about to have an accident, haha ;).
Well we headed back to Kings College to find Kaitlin and can I say that I have never been asked so many times if I wanted to go Punting. (punting is a river tour where you are in the long boats and they push you along with those long sticks.) Anyway I guess that is how like half of Cambridge makes their money, but it was so bad! Well we sat around for a while and waited for Kaitlin and see her walk out with a boy so we walk over to go get her. Can I just say that she failed to mention that this boy (David) was beautiful, gorgeous, handsome, down right sexy or whatever you want to say. Well he offered to take us around the city later after his class and so we excepted. So we headed down to the Fitzwilliam Museum to go see the Darwin exhibit there and all the art. Well the Darwin Exhibit ended up being totally lame but the art was amazing and I really enjoyed looking at it all. After the Museum we headed to the market place cause there was a mall right next to it and we wanted to see if we could find any clothes that were on sale. I guess that what I think of as 'on sale' is not what the British think of as 'on sale.' I was quite disturbed by how expensive everything was. I guess that it was a good thing though cause I didnt spend any money, haha!!!
After that we headed back to Kings college to collect David for our tour of Cambridge. First he took us to this book store called Heffers. It is the oldest bookstore in England and maybe even the oldest bookstore in the world! He then took around to look at some old Norman churches. These were not just any old churches but churches that reformists like Martin Luther had preached at! We even saw am old round church that dated back to before the Normans when the Vatican had sent missionaries to England's to convert the savages, muahaha!!!!
Anyway, moving on we then set off in search of dinner but some of us were not hungry and others couldnt decided on where to eat so we ended up at subway... so original, bahaha! We sat and talked and listened to Kaitlin and David argue/flirt. We then headed over to Kings college and David took us inside and showed us around. Did you know that you cant walk on the grass in Cambridge unless you are a professor. A professor stopped and told us that they like to walk across the grass just to tick the students off! I have decided that one day I will be a professor at Cambridge and will walk across the grass... what a dream to aspire to.
Now onto Thursday July 9 which of course is my birthday! One Year older and Wiser too!!! Well the day started very slowly, I got up and helped with breakfast and then promptly went back to bed for another hour and a half! It felt great not to have to go to class. Anyway I finally got up and came down to write on my blog about Cambridge but the Internet was not working and so I went back to bed and read for a while. I finally got up for real when Rebecca asked if we wanted to go to the Hard Rock Cafe and since I have never been I decided why not.
So Rebecca, Kaitlin, Danny, Dillon and myself headed for the Cafe at around 12:45. We got off the tube and headed in the direction that Danny said it was... seeing that he has been there before we figured he knew where he was going.... Nope. We definitely got lost for about an hour! At one point we went to walk across the street and we were in this area were there are these blinking yellow globes. If you walk across in there areas people driving have to stop no matter what or they can get in trouble. Anyway there was a military supply truck barrelling down the street where we were crossing and I definitely thought they were not going to stop and we were going to die. But at the last second the guy driving slammed on his breaks and stopped. I looked up at him and he and the other officer were laughing like never before. Apparently they thought it would be funny to scare the crap out of some Americans.
Later, we were trying to find a map when I noticed military officers walking by all dressed up with their wives, who by the way were wearing those ridiculously large hats that you see in the movies. I wanted to stop some of them and ask if I could take a picture but I decided not to be rude. Well we finally found a map and we looking at this and I say this huge memorial with Queen Victoria on it and this big building behind it. And I was like 'oh, thats cool, it kind of looks like Buckingham Palace'. So I went to take pictures while the others figured out where we were. Well in turned out that it was Buckingham palace and I am an idiot, bahaha!
Anyway, after some more adventuring we finally got to the Hard Rock cafe and ate lunch around 2:30. We somewhere along the way the boys told the waitress that it was my birthday. So when they came out with the ice cream I thought they would sing and that would be the end of it. Nope Wrong Again! They made me stand on my chair and they whole restaurant sang happy birthday to me!!!! I think I turned the color of a very ripe tomato because I was so embarrassed. Anyway it was so fun and the food was great! After that we headed back because I had kitchen duty. At dinner, I dont think that I have ever been so dismayed to have to eat more food because I was still full from dinner and not only that. They sang me happy birthday again and there was carrot cake, my favorite!!! I was so excited but I felt so sick afterward.
But that is the extent of my day and it was wonderful and besides doing laundry I havent done anything else besides fight with the Internet. Tomorrow is Brighton and I am off to the place to get husbands!!!
Well yesterday I know that I was horrible and didnt post anything but we didnt get back till almost 9 and I was so tired that I just fell into bed and didnt get up for another hour and a half to change into my PJ's! Haha, oh well, yesterday was amazing and one of the best days by far.
Wednesday July 8, started promptly at 6:30 in the morning :(. I am still on kitchen crew so I had to make sure that I was completely reading to go before I could head down to the kitchens. After breakfast I made myself a sack lunch and then headed out to the bus. Kaitlin, Rebecca and I remembered the dangers of sitting in the back so we promptly sat in the front/middle of the bus. The bus ride was about an hour and a half to Cambridge and can I just say that Cambridge boys are beautiful... Anyway after we got there we sat down at a park bench ate lunch and decided on our plan of attack during which we talked to Professor Paxman and he told us to try and get in to Kings college chapel. So we decided to head over to the chapel to check it out. Good thing that we did to because they stopped admitting people at noon and it was 11:40ish when we got there. It was so amazing! The church has the most wonderful stain glass windows and is also the largest college chapel in England... or is it the world. I cant remember but it was amazing. There are areas where the wood have the initials of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn carved in them! It was so cool!
After the chapel Kaitlin headed off to meet a friend of hers that is attending Cambridge and we set off to find the bathroom for Rebecca. The only public bathrooms where at a place called Lions something, hmmm cant remember. Well anyway we walked around forever and couldn't find the bathrooms so we stopped and as a store owner where we could find them and we was like "oh, just go up and they are to the right" so we walk up and turned right! still no luck, well as we wondered around more we realized that he had been mistaken and should have said to the left! I found them finally and it was a good think to because I think Rebecca was about to have an accident, haha ;).
Well we headed back to Kings College to find Kaitlin and can I say that I have never been asked so many times if I wanted to go Punting. (punting is a river tour where you are in the long boats and they push you along with those long sticks.) Anyway I guess that is how like half of Cambridge makes their money, but it was so bad! Well we sat around for a while and waited for Kaitlin and see her walk out with a boy so we walk over to go get her. Can I just say that she failed to mention that this boy (David) was beautiful, gorgeous, handsome, down right sexy or whatever you want to say. Well he offered to take us around the city later after his class and so we excepted. So we headed down to the Fitzwilliam Museum to go see the Darwin exhibit there and all the art. Well the Darwin Exhibit ended up being totally lame but the art was amazing and I really enjoyed looking at it all. After the Museum we headed to the market place cause there was a mall right next to it and we wanted to see if we could find any clothes that were on sale. I guess that what I think of as 'on sale' is not what the British think of as 'on sale.' I was quite disturbed by how expensive everything was. I guess that it was a good thing though cause I didnt spend any money, haha!!!
After that we headed back to Kings college to collect David for our tour of Cambridge. First he took us to this book store called Heffers. It is the oldest bookstore in England and maybe even the oldest bookstore in the world! He then took around to look at some old Norman churches. These were not just any old churches but churches that reformists like Martin Luther had preached at! We even saw am old round church that dated back to before the Normans when the Vatican had sent missionaries to England's to convert the savages, muahaha!!!!
Anyway, moving on we then set off in search of dinner but some of us were not hungry and others couldnt decided on where to eat so we ended up at subway... so original, bahaha! We sat and talked and listened to Kaitlin and David argue/flirt. We then headed over to Kings college and David took us inside and showed us around. Did you know that you cant walk on the grass in Cambridge unless you are a professor. A professor stopped and told us that they like to walk across the grass just to tick the students off! I have decided that one day I will be a professor at Cambridge and will walk across the grass... what a dream to aspire to.
Now onto Thursday July 9 which of course is my birthday! One Year older and Wiser too!!! Well the day started very slowly, I got up and helped with breakfast and then promptly went back to bed for another hour and a half! It felt great not to have to go to class. Anyway I finally got up and came down to write on my blog about Cambridge but the Internet was not working and so I went back to bed and read for a while. I finally got up for real when Rebecca asked if we wanted to go to the Hard Rock Cafe and since I have never been I decided why not.
So Rebecca, Kaitlin, Danny, Dillon and myself headed for the Cafe at around 12:45. We got off the tube and headed in the direction that Danny said it was... seeing that he has been there before we figured he knew where he was going.... Nope. We definitely got lost for about an hour! At one point we went to walk across the street and we were in this area were there are these blinking yellow globes. If you walk across in there areas people driving have to stop no matter what or they can get in trouble. Anyway there was a military supply truck barrelling down the street where we were crossing and I definitely thought they were not going to stop and we were going to die. But at the last second the guy driving slammed on his breaks and stopped. I looked up at him and he and the other officer were laughing like never before. Apparently they thought it would be funny to scare the crap out of some Americans.
Later, we were trying to find a map when I noticed military officers walking by all dressed up with their wives, who by the way were wearing those ridiculously large hats that you see in the movies. I wanted to stop some of them and ask if I could take a picture but I decided not to be rude. Well we finally found a map and we looking at this and I say this huge memorial with Queen Victoria on it and this big building behind it. And I was like 'oh, thats cool, it kind of looks like Buckingham Palace'. So I went to take pictures while the others figured out where we were. Well in turned out that it was Buckingham palace and I am an idiot, bahaha!
Anyway, after some more adventuring we finally got to the Hard Rock cafe and ate lunch around 2:30. We somewhere along the way the boys told the waitress that it was my birthday. So when they came out with the ice cream I thought they would sing and that would be the end of it. Nope Wrong Again! They made me stand on my chair and they whole restaurant sang happy birthday to me!!!! I think I turned the color of a very ripe tomato because I was so embarrassed. Anyway it was so fun and the food was great! After that we headed back because I had kitchen duty. At dinner, I dont think that I have ever been so dismayed to have to eat more food because I was still full from dinner and not only that. They sang me happy birthday again and there was carrot cake, my favorite!!! I was so excited but I felt so sick afterward.
But that is the extent of my day and it was wonderful and besides doing laundry I havent done anything else besides fight with the Internet. Tomorrow is Brighton and I am off to the place to get husbands!!!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Ode to Homework
Oh, Homework how I love you
You monopolize my time and all my thoughts
and no matter how I try to stay ahead of you ,
you always catch up and swamp me.
I have been working on an essay for the last day or so and I thought that I was doing great. But I took my first draft to my teacher to discuss some ideas with him. And it went great but now I am sitting here working on it again and I have hit a wall and am dieing. Also I have officially decided that I hate the Internet here! I have been tyring to upload photos to my blog for the past hour and I have finally given up! I think that the computer/Internet is conspiring against me.
Anyway I spent forever in class today from 12-4:30. Ususally I would say that's not so bad but when you are in London no one should be forced to stay in class this long but I guess that its all in the pursuit of a good cause. This weekend that are giving us a four day weekend which means that they canceled class on my birthday! HECK YES!!!! but in order to compensate for the lost time we have to go to class longer. I don't think that my butt can take much more of these chairs!!!!
After class I went promptly down stairs to help with dinner. Oh, I forgot to tell you all but it is my privilege to serve on the kitchen crew this week! What fun! Actually it is fun but I have a weird obsession with how the table is set and how the dishes are washed and sometimes I get frustrated and want to tell everyone to get out of the kitchen and that I will do it all myself! Ha, that would take forever, but seriously everyone needs to know what side of the plate the fork goes on!!! And the first day everyone left early and I got stuck down in the kitchen washing dishes by myself for a half hour and I was furious! Oh well, I had fun talking to sister paxman while I was at it.
Tomorrow is the beginning of more grand adventures. We are traveling to Cambridge tomorrow and I am so excited to visit the university and the city with it. Thursday is my birthday and Friday brings Brighton! And you know what the best part of the whole thing is??? We are traveling to Brighton during gay pride week and Brighton is the gay and lesbian capital of the UK and while we are there, there is supposed to be a gay pride festival!!!! Bahaha, this should be interesting.
Oh and did I mention that in my ward I have been assigned to work with the young women and on Sunday I am going to be teaching. I am so excited but kind of scared! The girls don't have long attention spans and so its going to be interesting but I am really excited.
You monopolize my time and all my thoughts
and no matter how I try to stay ahead of you ,
you always catch up and swamp me.
I have been working on an essay for the last day or so and I thought that I was doing great. But I took my first draft to my teacher to discuss some ideas with him. And it went great but now I am sitting here working on it again and I have hit a wall and am dieing. Also I have officially decided that I hate the Internet here! I have been tyring to upload photos to my blog for the past hour and I have finally given up! I think that the computer/Internet is conspiring against me.
Anyway I spent forever in class today from 12-4:30. Ususally I would say that's not so bad but when you are in London no one should be forced to stay in class this long but I guess that its all in the pursuit of a good cause. This weekend that are giving us a four day weekend which means that they canceled class on my birthday! HECK YES!!!! but in order to compensate for the lost time we have to go to class longer. I don't think that my butt can take much more of these chairs!!!!
After class I went promptly down stairs to help with dinner. Oh, I forgot to tell you all but it is my privilege to serve on the kitchen crew this week! What fun! Actually it is fun but I have a weird obsession with how the table is set and how the dishes are washed and sometimes I get frustrated and want to tell everyone to get out of the kitchen and that I will do it all myself! Ha, that would take forever, but seriously everyone needs to know what side of the plate the fork goes on!!! And the first day everyone left early and I got stuck down in the kitchen washing dishes by myself for a half hour and I was furious! Oh well, I had fun talking to sister paxman while I was at it.
Tomorrow is the beginning of more grand adventures. We are traveling to Cambridge tomorrow and I am so excited to visit the university and the city with it. Thursday is my birthday and Friday brings Brighton! And you know what the best part of the whole thing is??? We are traveling to Brighton during gay pride week and Brighton is the gay and lesbian capital of the UK and while we are there, there is supposed to be a gay pride festival!!!! Bahaha, this should be interesting.
Oh and did I mention that in my ward I have been assigned to work with the young women and on Sunday I am going to be teaching. I am so excited but kind of scared! The girls don't have long attention spans and so its going to be interesting but I am really excited.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Second star to the right and straight on till morning
Well I would have updated my blog yesterday but when I tried to get on the Internet it wouldn't connect and then we started watching Casino Royal and forgot.
Yesterday was wonderful and was full of adventuring, sore feet, and runny noses. Kaitlin, Rebecca, Koryl, Diana, Robyn, Eric and Danny and I traveled to Westminster Abbey. Kaitlin, Rebecca and I got up around eight planning to leave around nine but we didn't get out of the door until 9:40ish. It was pretty bad and then there was weekend closers on the underground so we couldn't get to the tube stop that we needed. So we got off at Victoria train station and walked for forever to get there and of course because we went on a Saturday everybody and their mothers brother was there. It was absolutely amazing!
I thought that we had cool stuff back in the stated but I have decided that we just have nothing to compare. When it comes to cool old things the UK wins, hands down! I saw monuments to people like the Bronte Sisters, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Handel. I saw the tombs of kings and queens like Edward the confessor (who ruled almost 1000 years ago), Queen Elizabeth and people like Darwin, Isaac Newton and Jeffery Chaucer! There is a thousand years of history in this Abbey! 38 Kings and Queens were crowned there and 17 are buried there, you cant beat that!
After sending a few hours in the Abbey we ventured out into the city in that area. We say Big Ben, the House of Parliament, the London Eye and an art show called Living Art. It was all these people dressed up and painted standing stone still on these pedestals. In front of the pedestal there was a money box and if you put money in they would start moving and acting and it was so cool. We also say this group of acrobats and one of the guys folded himself in the most painful looking positions I have ever seen. I cant even do the splits and this guy was making the splits look like sissy stuff!
By this point I was dieing because I had made the mistake of wearing flip flops and my feet were killing me and poor Kaitlin's allergies were going to kill her! After we got home I fell on my bed to rest my feet and promptly fell asleep and it felt wonderful! I worked on homework for a while and was actually was very productive. I am becoming very good at balancing facebook and homework! After that a bunch of us, 11 to be exact, went to The Prince Edward pub to get dinner. The food was really good and my cocktail was great, JK! The food really was good though. We then went in search of a galatoo (sp) place because I have never had it before. We ended up not finding one so we went and got mcflurries at McDonald's to celebrate the four of July. After we came back to the house and hung out and then watched Casino Royal, not a very patriotic movie but fun none the less. Overall it was a wonderful Saturday and I am looking forward to many more like it!
Yesterday was wonderful and was full of adventuring, sore feet, and runny noses. Kaitlin, Rebecca, Koryl, Diana, Robyn, Eric and Danny and I traveled to Westminster Abbey. Kaitlin, Rebecca and I got up around eight planning to leave around nine but we didn't get out of the door until 9:40ish. It was pretty bad and then there was weekend closers on the underground so we couldn't get to the tube stop that we needed. So we got off at Victoria train station and walked for forever to get there and of course because we went on a Saturday everybody and their mothers brother was there. It was absolutely amazing!
I thought that we had cool stuff back in the stated but I have decided that we just have nothing to compare. When it comes to cool old things the UK wins, hands down! I saw monuments to people like the Bronte Sisters, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Handel. I saw the tombs of kings and queens like Edward the confessor (who ruled almost 1000 years ago), Queen Elizabeth and people like Darwin, Isaac Newton and Jeffery Chaucer! There is a thousand years of history in this Abbey! 38 Kings and Queens were crowned there and 17 are buried there, you cant beat that!
After sending a few hours in the Abbey we ventured out into the city in that area. We say Big Ben, the House of Parliament, the London Eye and an art show called Living Art. It was all these people dressed up and painted standing stone still on these pedestals. In front of the pedestal there was a money box and if you put money in they would start moving and acting and it was so cool. We also say this group of acrobats and one of the guys folded himself in the most painful looking positions I have ever seen. I cant even do the splits and this guy was making the splits look like sissy stuff!
By this point I was dieing because I had made the mistake of wearing flip flops and my feet were killing me and poor Kaitlin's allergies were going to kill her! After we got home I fell on my bed to rest my feet and promptly fell asleep and it felt wonderful! I worked on homework for a while and was actually was very productive. I am becoming very good at balancing facebook and homework! After that a bunch of us, 11 to be exact, went to The Prince Edward pub to get dinner. The food was really good and my cocktail was great, JK! The food really was good though. We then went in search of a galatoo (sp) place because I have never had it before. We ended up not finding one so we went and got mcflurries at McDonald's to celebrate the four of July. After we came back to the house and hung out and then watched Casino Royal, not a very patriotic movie but fun none the less. Overall it was a wonderful Saturday and I am looking forward to many more like it!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Southall
Can I just tell you that I love London. Today I have had one of the most amazing experiences ever! This week Brother Shuler, our director, arranged for us to visit the Sikh and Hindu temples in Southhall. Brother Shuler had studied the Sikhs and Hindu religions and cultures in India. He taught us a lot proper greetings and how Sikhs, Hindu and Muslims are different. I have to admit that I was so scared that I would say the wrong greeting to somebody and offend them but I did pretty good and actually talked to a lot of Hindu and Sikh women while I was walking through the market.
The day began rather dramatically. After visiting Bath and Stourhead I broke out into really bad hives and heat rashes. When I got up this morning the hives had spread all over my stomach and back. It really freaked me out because I dont ever remember having hives before and I didnt know what to do because I have been taking my allergie medicine. We the Shulers had me go over to their flat and take a freezing cold bath to try and stop the spreading and then I had to cover myself in cream to make them go away. By this point I only has ten minutes to be ready to go and I was no where close. Some how I got ready in time and made it down for the final lecture on how we need to behave and when we needed to cover our heads.
Our first stop was the Sikh temple. The temple we visited is the largest Sikh temple outside of India and it was amazing. When we got there we had to take out shoes off and cover our heads with scarfs. When we entered the hall we went and sat down on the left side because the boys sit on the right side. We sat for about 10 minutes and listened to them read out of 'The Book' that holds all the wisdom and teachings of the Guru's. There are 9 or 10 Guru's or prophets that they get all of there teachings from. After we left the hall we went down stairs and shared a meal with the people in the temple. It was my first encounter with Indian food and some of it was really good and other not so yummy. After we finished eating we went into the back of the kitchen and helped wash dished to show our respect. The people were really nice and were really grateful that we had come and helped them.
After that we had a few minutes before we had to be at the small Hindu temple. We walked around the market for a little while and I got some amazing earrings! They are huge, purple and silver earrings and I love them, but they are a little bit heavier then what I am used to and so I can only wear them for a few hours at a time. After that we headed to the first Hindu temple. I didnt get to sit up in the ceremony though because I had started to break out in hives again and needed to cool down, so I had to sit on a bench and drink a ton of water. We then went to a much bigger Hindu temple and a priest came and talked to us a lot about the what the Hindus believe. It was a great experience and we learned a lot.
The Shulers then had organized a dinner for us at a Pakistani Muslim restaurant. We had a few minutes and so we got to shop some more in the markets. It was great and when I was in looking at some shoes a lady and daughter approached me and Rebecca because they had noticed that my favorite color was purple and that was the daughters favorite color too. They were so nice and they told us where all the best shops were and were I could find more purple jewelry! We shopped around quite a bit but then we noticed that we were running late had to book it to the restaurant.
Because it is Friday we were going to a Muslim restaurant on their Sabbath. They had expressed concern about the fact that such a large group was coming and it was predominately American women. But we did a good job and were very respectful and kept our voives low. The food was the best stuff that I think that I have ever tasted. Naan bread is the greatest food that was ever invented.
After dinner I had to come back to the center with Ilarene because she was meeting her cousin and I didnt want her to come back by herself. I played chess for a while with Professor Hawkins son Nathan because he was bored. It was fun and I beat him the first time and then he killed me the second time. At this point I came out and noticed that Alison was looking very sad and I asked her what was up. She told me that she had bought an India suit and it had ended up not fitting her and she didnt know what to do! I was so excited though because I had wanted one so bad but couldn't shop for one cause I came home early with Ilarene. She let me try it on and it fit so she let me buy it from her and it is so cute!
That was the extent of my day but it was wonderful and the most educational by far in the local cultures!
The day began rather dramatically. After visiting Bath and Stourhead I broke out into really bad hives and heat rashes. When I got up this morning the hives had spread all over my stomach and back. It really freaked me out because I dont ever remember having hives before and I didnt know what to do because I have been taking my allergie medicine. We the Shulers had me go over to their flat and take a freezing cold bath to try and stop the spreading and then I had to cover myself in cream to make them go away. By this point I only has ten minutes to be ready to go and I was no where close. Some how I got ready in time and made it down for the final lecture on how we need to behave and when we needed to cover our heads.
Our first stop was the Sikh temple. The temple we visited is the largest Sikh temple outside of India and it was amazing. When we got there we had to take out shoes off and cover our heads with scarfs. When we entered the hall we went and sat down on the left side because the boys sit on the right side. We sat for about 10 minutes and listened to them read out of 'The Book' that holds all the wisdom and teachings of the Guru's. There are 9 or 10 Guru's or prophets that they get all of there teachings from. After we left the hall we went down stairs and shared a meal with the people in the temple. It was my first encounter with Indian food and some of it was really good and other not so yummy. After we finished eating we went into the back of the kitchen and helped wash dished to show our respect. The people were really nice and were really grateful that we had come and helped them.
After that we had a few minutes before we had to be at the small Hindu temple. We walked around the market for a little while and I got some amazing earrings! They are huge, purple and silver earrings and I love them, but they are a little bit heavier then what I am used to and so I can only wear them for a few hours at a time. After that we headed to the first Hindu temple. I didnt get to sit up in the ceremony though because I had started to break out in hives again and needed to cool down, so I had to sit on a bench and drink a ton of water. We then went to a much bigger Hindu temple and a priest came and talked to us a lot about the what the Hindus believe. It was a great experience and we learned a lot.
The Shulers then had organized a dinner for us at a Pakistani Muslim restaurant. We had a few minutes and so we got to shop some more in the markets. It was great and when I was in looking at some shoes a lady and daughter approached me and Rebecca because they had noticed that my favorite color was purple and that was the daughters favorite color too. They were so nice and they told us where all the best shops were and were I could find more purple jewelry! We shopped around quite a bit but then we noticed that we were running late had to book it to the restaurant.
Because it is Friday we were going to a Muslim restaurant on their Sabbath. They had expressed concern about the fact that such a large group was coming and it was predominately American women. But we did a good job and were very respectful and kept our voives low. The food was the best stuff that I think that I have ever tasted. Naan bread is the greatest food that was ever invented.
After dinner I had to come back to the center with Ilarene because she was meeting her cousin and I didnt want her to come back by herself. I played chess for a while with Professor Hawkins son Nathan because he was bored. It was fun and I beat him the first time and then he killed me the second time. At this point I came out and noticed that Alison was looking very sad and I asked her what was up. She told me that she had bought an India suit and it had ended up not fitting her and she didnt know what to do! I was so excited though because I had wanted one so bad but couldn't shop for one cause I came home early with Ilarene. She let me try it on and it fit so she let me buy it from her and it is so cute!
That was the extent of my day but it was wonderful and the most educational by far in the local cultures!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Bradford on Avon
Today was the most amazing day so far I think. We spent the day visiting stonehenge, Bath and Stourhead! You would think that is to much to do in one day but it was perfect and was a great adventure! Kaitlin, Rebecca and I were bus buddies and spent the whole day wondering around together and taking to many pictures!On our way to Stonehenge I saw a street named Brandford on Avon. Avon is the name of a river and we went over it like 14 different times in differnt places it was crazy! We began our day by stopping at Stonehenge. It was really anticlamatic (sp) but it was still cool to see. I did learn that about a third of all the statues have sunken underground and alot of the pillars were removed long ago, so it used to be a heck of a lot bigger. My favorite part about the whole thing was when our coach driver told us about the local barial monds and the Meagan looked and me and said very seriously, 'Where are all the Dead poeple?' It was the best thing I have enver been asked because I am looking at the huge monument and all she can think about are the dead people! Anyway I also learned that the stone that was used for stonehenge came from 240 miles away and they all way between 5 and 40 tons. Not only that but it was built over 5000 years ago, how it the world did they do that??? and who is they anyway?
After that we headed to the Baths of Bath! Along the way I say Jane Austens home in bath! It was really cool! While at bath we got to see Bath Abbey but we couldnt go inside because they were hosting a graduation. The baths were really cool but they were so gross that you couldnt even touch the water. Disgusting!!! But is was really interesting and I learned alot about the romans. Did you know that they had special tweesers made to pluck the hair out of your arm pits! OUCH!!!! Anyway after our audio tour we went around to the local shops and looked at stuff and all I could think was 'why is stuff so expensive here!'
We then headed to Stourhead. Stourhead is this really natural looking graden but was actually all planned and planted by Henry something. It was so cool! We got to walk across the bridge that is in Pride and Prejudice, the one that Elizabeth runs across in the rain! And then there was the Temple of Apollo. Its a gazebo and its the one that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy fight on! It was so cool. The picture at the top is from there and I stood on one of the things and posed as a statue. Rebecca and I were having a great time posing for people as they walked up the hill! It was the most beautiful place that I have ever seen in my life but the bugs were really bad. There was also this really cool grotto thing that had statues of greek gods in them and waterfalls!
Overall the day was great and full of adventure! Did I mention that I have only been here for a week and I have already lost 6 pounds from walking so much!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)