Middletemple Princess Lunch--Islamic Mosque--Lovely Bones--Hairspray--Twelfth Night (In one week!!)

THURSDAY
This week was a little mixed up. We had our London Study Day today instead of Friday. This visit was to Middletemple, where the Inns of Court gathered. The Inns of Court is governed by the Master of Court, which could be the Queen or some other royalty figure head. This was one of the only things that I have genuinely been bored about, to tell you the truth. Not to sound ungrateful, but, eh, you can’t love everything. The best part, though, was the chance to eat in the Great Hall (another Great Hall) where the royalty used to eat. Today, it a very posh place to eat and so it was dubbed my princess lunch. I think this was one of the nicest meals I’ve ever had in my life. The waiters put my napkin on my lap, we had sparkling water, the menu was already drawn up for us, and it took a couple of hours since they had to bring out the progressive courses.
We went to the church associated with the Inn, where the Knights Templar gathered. It was made to look like Jerusalem, so one would feel like they were in the Holy Land. It was really pretty.
The tour guide was good-looking, to make it even better.
Then we went to the Dickens house, where (you guessed it!) Charles Dickens grew up. I thought it was cool because we had just read Oliver Twist and so we got to see where he sat and wrote it and what inspired his writing during that time.
FRIDAY
Since we had day trip day on Thursday, we had class today. After class, the group went to an Islamic Mosque for our cultures class. I took a world religion class last semester where Islam was included, so it was cool to actually see the people practice their religion first hand. Like I discovered at the Sikh temple, they are just as devout in their practice. Our tour guide was very informative and smart, so I learned lots.
For dinner, we tried out Nando’s. It’s this Spanish chicken spicy place and it was REALLY good.
That night I felt like crap thanks to the cold that graced me with its presence that week. Early bedtime and no fun.
SATURDAY
London reminds me a lot of home because of the rain and the trees. It has trees because it rains all of the time. But this Saturday was a sunny Saturday and so we HAD to be outside and take advantage of the sun. After breakfast at Café Diana’s, Annie and I walked all of the way to Buckingham Palace and St. James’ Park (tubes are nightmares on weekends, anyways). We completed an assigned walk and got some hot chocolate while we strolled. It was such a wonderful day.
That night was Sarah Shepherd’s birthday dinner at Zizzi’s with fifteen Americans total. We got the whole restaurant to sing for her and the food was great.
SUNDAY
Ward Conference at church. That night we had a fireside done by President Phillips about Christ’s life and how He had to grow and discover His divine right. We shouldn’t freak out when it comes to finding ourselves because it’ll come to us and He will love us no matter what. President Phillips is a great man and it was great hearing from him.
MONDAY
After dinner a few of us went to see “Lovely Bones”. I read the book by Alice Seybold when I was younger and was exposed to what was in the book that I hadn’t really heard about before. Throughout my life, I’ve been told not to talk to strangers and to be alert and smart. This movie, though, made me think: “Would I do what she did if I was in her situation?” The movie was good, but freaky and nerve-wracking. I already knew what was going to happen so I wasn’t freaked out, but it sent a few of the girls into panic mode, for sure.
TUESDAY
So far on this trip I have seen: Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Oliver!, and Les Miserables. To see: The Lion King. I had heard that Hairspray was good from my high school peers who had seen it when it came out, but I wasn’t really dying to see it. Wow wow wow wow wow I can’t get over how AMAZING it is!! Anna Hayes and I had a chickdate because everyone else had seen it already and it ended up being us, the stage four rows in front of us, and Link and Seaweed. I was just laughing and cheering and clapping the whole time; it was such a fun time. At the curtain calls, they told everyone to stand up and dance with them. Of course, Anna and I did and we started waving at Link who was winking at us throughout the show, but he didn’t wave. BUT Seaweed totally waved back and kept smiling at us. My heart melted!!!! We were squeal-y and girly and giddy the whole way home.
WEDNESDAY
It was such a full week. The group went to see Twelfth Night. It was my first play while here in London and, even though my seats weren’t that great, it was really good.
I LOVE LONDON!

strolling the corridors of Hogwarts

I felt that this day deserves its own post because it’s jammed pack with amazing experiences and it was one of my favorite days so far.
WEDNESDAY
DAY TRIP DAYYYY. It was super super awesome. We went to Blenheim Palace, which is where the Dukes and Duchesses of Marlborough have lived and still live. Sir Winston Churchill was born and raised here for a bit, also. And if you’ve seen the Kenneth Branagh version of “Hamlet”, this is where it was filmed. The palace was pretty but the gardens were BEAUTIFUL. I can only imagine how it looks in the spring and summer.

.:Blenheim Palace:.

.:gardens at Blenheim Palace:.
Next was Oxford and the University of Oxford. It felt good to be in a college town, again. Annie and I ventured away from the group and headed towards the Ashmolean Museum. At first, I looked the map and thought: “Meh, just another museum, I’m not excited about this anymore”. But then Annie found the Pissarro room. Yes, a room devoted to Pissarro. What a delectable surprise for me.
Next on the agenda: get Oxford attire. Check.
Then: wander around Oxford and take as much in as you possibly can. Check. This included going to the library where the Gringott’s scene was filmed in Harry Potter and checking out the Radcliff Camera, this really cool building that I’m not sure what the purpose is for (misnomer). We also got a Ben’s Cookie from the ORIGINAL Ben’s Cookies.
The group got back together at Christ’s Church College. This is not a misnomer, it still has the church, but the rest of the buildings are for the school. On these grounds stands the tree that inspired Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire cat tree (along with where the cat used to roam). There’s also the door where the dean’s little girl wasn’t allowed to go through, so she peeked through the key hole (also an inspiration for Carroll).
The coolest thing about Christ’s Church College is the fact that I got to take a step into Hogwarts. I can’t even begin to describe how many dreams were fulfilled because of this day. You know the steps where Harry meets Draco for the first time? Been there. Also, walked down some corridors where Harry walked. You know the Great Hall? Done that. Wellll I THOUGHT I had done that, but apparently it’s not THE Great Hall, just The Great Hall (inspired JK Rowling for the movie). Either way, we had the special privilege of having tea time there. Man, I couldn’t stop smiling.

.:tea time at Hogwarts:.

Too bad Jude Law's In America while I'm living in his neighborhood...

Catchin' up...
SUNDAY
Usually, I’m anti-Valentine’s Day. For all 19 of the Valentine’s Days that I’ve lived through, I’ve been single. More recently, because of this, I have celebrated with lots of chocolate and chick flicks with my other single girl friends. Could be fun, but mostly depressing. I’m pretty sure that this Valentine’s was the best EVER. Girls’ weekend in Ireland, then Valentine’s Day spent in London with my friends.
There a missionary couple in our ward from Farmington, Utah and today was their second to last week before returning home to the states. In my ward, this translates to feast time in primary. And since I’m in primary, I got to help with making Valentines and eating the food.
For dinner, the Shulers gave us sweets and cards. Also, for each dorm there were cute bags to put valentines in. Top that off with a package from my family, and Valentines was good to me.
MONDAY
After class, Dr. McF took us on a little field trip to St. Bartholomew the Great Church. This church was important for a few reasons.
Number one: the architecture. A good amount of the church is missing due to good ole King Henry VII and his Dissolution idea. Parts of it have been re-built over the years and so it has different design styles for the different time period. The original was Romanesque, with curved arches/windows and, in contrast, baroque later was added with pointed arches/windows.
Number two: important people used to worship here. I forget who, but there you have it.
Number three (my favorite): lots of movies have been filmed here, including but not restricted to: 4 Weddings and a Funeral, The Other Boleyn Girl, Elizabeth I, aaaannnndddd SHERLOCK HOLMES. The tour guide showed me pictures of Jude Law and Robert Downy Jr. on the very spot where I stood. I almost couldn’t handle that.
The social committee (yes, we have committees) planned a V-day party for the group and we made sugar cookies and played games. Annie and I watched “500 Days of Summer” in honor of the day of love. (the soundtrack makes that movie—look it up, listen, savor it, enjoy)
Music video’s weird, but good song: “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxKjOOR9sPU
TUESDAY
Post-class actividades consisted of me taking a trip to the National Gallery for some Michelle time. I’m thinking that that was my last trip, so I decided to stop by and visit some old friends: Pissarro, Monet, etc etc etc.
Pissarro is one of my favorite painters, as I have mentioned before. This one, in particular, I think you should check out. Oh, and while you’re at it, you should look up your favorite…more chances than none, they’ll have one.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/camille-pissarro-the-boulevard-montmartre-at-night
It was Shar’s birthday AND Anna discovered that she got into her major (Broadcast Journalism! You go girl!), so how do we celebrate? You got it: Gelato Mio.

PS I Love You, Dublin

.:Liffey River:.
WEDNESDAY
Today was the beginning of our extended weekend trips!! People in the program went to: Spain, Denmark, Athens, Rome, Scotland, and Ireland. I wanted to go with everyone since every trip sounded so fun!! But Annie, Sarah Shepherd and I had our hearts set on Dublin, Ireland. Annie has a knack for finding hostels because we stayed in one that was central to everything in the city, right on the River Liffey and by O’Connell Street.
By the time we got there, we were so hungry and everything was closed, so we gave in and ate Burger King for dinner. I promised myself no fast food (especially American fast food) while in London, but travelling called for desperate measures.
I love how on all of the signs the first language is Irish Gaelic and the second is English. They teach Irish in schools, but our driver said that no one really uses it, that’s it more of a culture identity thing. Fun Fact #1: Primary language=English, Secondary Language=Polish, Third most popular=Chinese Mandarin.
THURSDAY
We were up at the crack of dawn in order to get to our tour bus on time. Sarah scheduled this awesome day tour out to the country outside of Dublin with our tour guide/driver Martin. First stop was Dun Laoghaire on the coast. Yes, this is the same place as on the movie “PS I Love You”, where she says: “I’m staying in a little town called ‘Dun-Low-guh-hairy’” and he says: “you mean Done Leary”. At a pit stop, we found the coolest bathrooms EVER: blue, dark, instant dance party material. I touched the ocean. Fun Fact #2: Dun Laoghaire can also be pronounced “Doon Learuh”, which means Fort (of) Laoghaire, an ancient king of the area.
Second stop was in Wicklow National Park at “Guiness” Lake, called because of its dark, creamy Guinness look PLUS the guy who’s the heir of Guinness or his cousin or something like that owns the property. On the same road was the scene in “PS I Love You” when they first meet. It had snowed and the roads were slick so we couldn’t see it. The park was just as beautiful in the winter as it was in the spring and I felt like I actually was in Ireland.
Video of IRELAND!!

On the way up, we passed the house of the manager of U2 and the area where Bono, The Edge, Enya and lots of other famous people live.
Next stop: Glendalogh (“glen-duh-lock”, like Loch Ness), which means “glen of two lakes”. We were given two hours here, so us girls took a bit of a hike around this beautiful area. We got lucky because it had been snowing earlier that week, but this day was clear skies and not very cold. Martin, tour guide/driver, took us to see the famous monastery ruins with the original archway that was used as a refuge and sanctuary. In the same graveyard was the Round Tower and the monk house. We tried to hug the Irish Cross backwards, which was supposed to give us a wish, and my wish was to have longer arms so that I could actually make a wish. During the hike, we saw the two lakes and the Poulanass waterfall. The bus drove up the road to a small little town, where we ate lunch in a little café where people say hi to you and were almost shocked at our accents.

.:making a wish:.

.:Round Tower and monastery:.
The tour took the long way back, so we saw more of the countryside along with lots of deer and peat bogs and sheep. We stopped by a field where the driver let us off to take pictures of the sheep. I think they thought that we were there to feed them because they practically sprinted to the fence towards us. Don’t worry, I told them “Bahh-Ram-Ewe” and they understood. In addition, Martin drove by the Blessington Lake, where the girls lose their oars and get stranded in “PS”.
I added a movie so hopefully you can see a bit of the park AND get to hear Martin’s Irish voice.

Let’s just say, girls’ weekend in Dublin means good eatin’. We ate at Great Boxty House on Temple Bar for dinner, where I got a corn beef and cabbage boxty (pancake). After dinner was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. We went to a musical pub crawl, which means we travel to 3-4 different pubs in Dublin and learn about the history of Irish music from the musicians/guides. They introduce a song or instrument and tell a bit about its history, then play a song or two. Nothing like Johnny Cash, REAL Irish music. Don’t worry, Mom and Dad, we didn’t have a pint or two of Guinness at every pub, like the other American group. After we said that we went to school in Utah and they noticed that we weren’t drinking, they put the pieces together, if you know what I mean. It was a fun night even without the beer.

.:Musical Pub Crawl:.
Funny story that’s kind of juvenile, but I feel like I have to tell it. Since we were in a six girl room and there were only three of us, we had roommates. Thursday night included a Korean girl and German friends, who just whispered the whole evening to each other (not like we couldn’t understand them or anything). They went to bed before us, so we were awake to hear the girl above me, well, pass gas in her sleep. Hahaha.
FRIDAY
Us girls took advantage of a Hop-On/Hop-Off Tour that takes us around the city of Dublin. We could “hop-off” at one of the main stops, look around, then hop back on the next bus. We first hopped-off at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (yes, I’m pretty sure it’s the same as the one celebrated on March 17th). It costs money to get in, so we looked around the grounds, instead. The next point of interest was the Guinness Storehouse. That costs money, too, plus we weren’t interested in touring the place that makes beer, so we hopped back on. We didn’t get off for awhile, just sat back on the top deck and enjoyed the tour. We saw the National Museum of Ireland, the old hospital, and Phoenix Park (which holds SIX Hyde Parks—we drove through that for awhile…). We also saw the Christ’s Church Cathedral, which apparently really famous.

.:St. Patrick's Cathedral:.
For lunch, we ate at Hard Rock Café, which was literally right next to our hostel. This one had a guitar from the Foo Fighters’ bass player and a bunch of U2 records.
We went shopping down O’Connell Street and stored up on some souvenirs. We found this place that’s owned by the same company as Primark called Penny’s. We definitely spent some time in there.
For dinner, we were recommended a place called Flannagan’s and we got some fish n chips. There was also this really amazing chocolate place called Butler’s Chocolate Café. I stocked up there before we went to go see “Valentine’s Day”.
SATURDAY
After sleeping in for a bit, we packed up and checked-out. This means that we had to carry our big, fat backpacks around all day long. What I loved about this trip was how we just went along without any set plans. We knew what we wanted to see and do, and then we just did it. That’s what the Saturday was like. We wanted to see Trinity College and the Book of Kells. So we did. The Book of Kells is an illustrated and elaborate Latin version of the four Gospels. The Long Room was my favorite—an old library with old books and the oldest Irish harp.

.:Trinity College:.
A quick turn about the campus followed and then we walked over to Dublin Castle. En route to the castle, I spotted a sign that said “Relics of St. Valentine’s” and we decided to check it out. At the beginning of the trip we were saying how cool it would be if we saw something pertaining to St. Valentine since, well, St. Valentine’s Day was that same weekend. But we didn’t actually think that we would see anything. Finding the remains of St. Valentine himself in a little church on the side of a random road was a great surprise.
Next, we actually made our way over to the castle, but it was all closed and not very eventful…kinda a let-down. We checked out the Telling Images of China exhibit on loan from China in the Chester Beatty Museum. Sir Beatty is an English-born American who died in Ireland and was really rich so he had lots of cool collections that was put in a museum. Bor-ing.
Temple Bar was our destination for lunch. We happened upon a place called Bad Ass Cafe, where we had good pizza and banana milkshakes.

.:Temple Bar:.
The National Museum of Ireland was next on the list. Lots of cool paintings and there was a John Yeats gallery. Follow this link to one of my favorites by him (For the Road): http://www.freshworship.org/zine/lent05/fortheroad.jpg
The very last thing we did in Ireland was checking out St. Stephen’s Green, where the Oliver Wilde statue is lounging on a rock. We also saw this triangle war memorial thing.
The city and the country were so beautiful and it was the perfect Irish experience. I would definitely go back someday. The people are so nice and laid back. The city is fresh and lively, but not crowded like London. And just a few minutes outside the city are miles and miles of picturesque country.
As they say in Ireland, Sláinte!

Sing To Me, Angel of Music

SATURDAY
Kira, Brittany and I turned Saturday morning into Saturday market morning. We trekked out to Camden, hearing that it was worth the trip. Well, it kinda wasn’t. After going to Portobello Market and Borough Market, I think Camden was a disappointment (a first here in London). Highlight: Nutella, banana and strawberry crepe. Mmmm.
In the afternoon, Annie and I tried the whole tube thing on a Saturday. That turned into a disaster. All we wanted was to go to the National History Museum but due to closures and re-routing our trip, I got turned around and so it ended up taking us an hour to travel both ways using complex bus and tube sand walking systems. Blah. The museum was kinda cool, though, and we got Ben’s Cookies so that eased the pain. There was a dinosaur exhibit that I thought would be cool to check out. The bones were cool, but then I spotted the animated dinosaurs. After seeing the T-rex, I was out of there faster than you can say Stegosaurus.
Annie and I then tried out the yummy hole-in-the wall kebabs place on Queensway that my roommates raved about. It was really good.
SUNDAY
Church at Walthamstow, again. Sarah and I walked into primary and a sister started announcements and relaying the agenda for the day. She announced that after the talk, the BYU students would be doing singing time. News to us. Haha well good thing both Sarah and I have plenty of musical background to help us out. Thanks for the piano lessons, Mom and Dad, it’s gotten me through a lot of surprises. I also got to teach the older primary class. They are rowdy, to say the least, and so I wasn’t sure how I was going to get through to them while trying to maintain a happy environment. So I brought pictures on my laptop to show to them throughout the lesson. They sort of were quiet for those and so I think the lesson went well. On our way out the door, a sister took us to the kitchen and said that she had food for us. We were like, “Whaa? We didn’t ask for this. This is too much.” But she wouldn’t have it and informed us that they always have provided food every month for the BYU students and missionaries. I couldn’t get over it! I consider this a tender mercy. To top it off, it was cooked by African women, so it was delicious.
There’s a program, you could call it, here in the centre called kitchen crew. Pretty self-explanatory, we help prepare and clean-up meals. We do it for a week twice while we’re here. This week is my week and, let’s just say, we’re the best kitchen crew yet.
This evening, Sarah, Annie and I prepared for Dublin!! Fun fun things planned.
MONDAY
Today was the typical class and take a run in Hyde Park day. Except that evening wasn’t a typical evening. It was a PHANTOM OF THE OPERA evening. From the minute the auctioneer walked onstage, I was at the edge of my seat, waiting for the music to start and the chandelier to emerge. Instant goosebumps that didn’t leave for the whole show. We were only a row from the very top of the top balcony, but that means that we could see the whole production. Probably my favorite musical, now.

.:Phantom of the Opera:.
TUESDAY, Gromit. Porridge!
DAY TRIP DAYYYYY. Yes, they’re usually on Wednesdays, but everyone is leaving for their extended weekend this Wednesday, so we did the trip a day early. Today, we went to Runnymeade, the birthplace of Democracy. This field was where the Magna Carta was signed on 15 June 1215 and King John voluntarily let his powers be checked by the law.

.:Runnymeade (Magna Carta):.
The next stop was Windsor Castle, smack dab in the middle of this cute little shopping area. I’m not sure who of my readers has been to Windsor, but I’ll give an overview. It’s the longest-running castle in use (it’s still in use today but the Queen, but since she’s at her OTHER palace in Buckingham, it’s open to tourists). We got to see Princess Mary’s dollhouse, this mansion of a dollhouse decorated to scale. We also saw the State Apartments, where the royalty live and socialize. My favorite room was the hall where the Queen meets with important guests. The ceilings are gold, the chandeliers are dazzling and the wall décor was impressive. On display during this time were some paintings from the Royal Collection, paintings that royalty have commissioned or collected over the years.

.:some tourists at Windsor Castle:.
On the castle grounds was St. George’s Cathedral, the cathedral that houses the Order of the Garter. The Order is an elite group consisting of men who are only picked by the King or Queen to be in it. It started when a knight stooped down to pick up a young lady’s garter when it slipped down her leg. To those around who judged him, he stated: “Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense”, meaning “Shamed be the person who thinks evil of it”. Today, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and 24 other men are a part of it. I’m not quite sure what they do, but you can Wikipedia that. Anyways, these knight’s coat of arms are on their seats in the choir, so I got to see that. Another important thing about this cathedral is the people who are buried here: King Henry VIII and Queen Jane , King Charles I (I don’t know if his head’s with him), King George V and Queen Mary, King George VI and the Queen Mother Elisabeth, King Edward VII, and King Henry VI and Queen Alexandra.

.:St. George's right as the sun came out:.
Last stop for the day was Stokey Poges, a little town with a little church where Thomas Gray is buried beside his mother. Gray wrote “Elegy Written in a Church Courtyard”, and we went to that church courtyard and saw the memorial. The church has in its possession the surrounding acres of land, so it was turned into a beautiful memorial park. Hollywood tidbit: across the lake from this memorial was a golf house that has been in a few films, including as a casino in James Bond’s “Goldfinger”.

.:yes, it really is called that:.

.:the church memorial park (ignore the cone haha):.

.:Roomies at the memorial park (Leslie included!!):.
-->Arrin, me, Laura M., Anna, Annie, Brittany, Leslie, Kira <3
Good day, great pictures.

Artsy Fartsy

Friday, the sun decided to come out for an afternoon, so I took a walk through Hyde Park and take pictures! I'm not sure if my pictures can fully prove just how beautiful I think this park is. It's a favorite place of mine, for sure.
Here are some for your enjoyment.


crazy water fowl





Plus a few others not from the Park...

Dover Castle


British Museum


British Museum

Keep Calm and Carry On

WEDNESDAY
ONE WEEK UNTIL DUBLIN!!
Wednesday Weekly Wondrous (W)Day-Trip. Today we went to Dover (cue Eric Johnson’s “Cliffs of Dover”…yes, I had it stuck in my head allll dayyy). We went to the Dover Military Base on the white cliffs of Dover. Fun fact#1: the white cliffs of Dover are white because of the skeletal remains of plankton algae. We went to the four miles of secret underground tunnels where the Brits were stationed during WWII. They acted as underground hospital grounds, barracks, mess halls, and communication bases. This was also where D-Day was planned and executed. When the war was over, it acted as headquarters for preparation in case there was a nuclear attack on England. Fun Fact #2: Dover is the closest distance between England and France across the channel (~20 miles). Yes, I could see France from where we were. The coast was beautiful.

.:Anna & I @ Dover:.

.:Dover Castle with Sarah:.
Right next door was Dover Castle and I don’t know the significance of it haha. But at the top of the tall tower you could see all around the countryside.
We then went to Canterbury to see the cathedral and St. Augustine’s. Built mainly to be a burial place for royalty and the Archbishops of Canterbury, St. Augustine’s was a church that was destroyed in the dissolution of the monasteries.

.:Roomies @ St. Augustine Abbey:.
According to Dr. Cooper, Canterbury Cathedral is about equivalent to our Temple Square in SLC. In BritLit, we read “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, which was about pilgrims making a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. Way back when, St. Thomas, the Archbishop of Canterbury and of England, was murdered in the cathedral because of a “misunderstanding” between himself and his friend the King. He was buried there in the cathedral and people would take pilgrimages out to his grave to be healed or to ask for specific things. Supposedly St. Thomas could perform miracles during his lifetime, so pilgrims wanted to take advantage of this power. St. Thomas isn’t buried there anymore, but a memorial stands where he was murdered.

.:Canterbury Cathedral:.
We had a few hours until the bus left for home, so Annie, Laura and I walked around the cute little shopping area by the cathedral.
When we got home, we watched “Phantom of the Opera” to prepare us for the musical. I’m really really really excited to see it.
I love Wednesdays in London.
THURSDAY
Post-class time, me and a few girls went to try to get tickets for “Phantom” for the same night, but there were only bad seats left, so we’re going Monday. AHH!!
After dinner, Annie and I braved Primark. Practically everyone has gone to Primark in our program and I needed a party dress, so we had to check it out. Primark is scary. It’s like Forever 21 on steroids with about twice the amount of shoppers. I got some cute stuff and it was all cheap, so that’s an advantage.
FRIDAY
Lovely London Day-Trip Day at The Banqueting House on Whitehall. We had an hour before they let us in, so Annie, Kira, Brittany and I took a walk through St. James’ Park. We got some peanuts from an old guy and we fed a squirrel. The animals in this park are a bit nicer than the ones in Hyde Park. At the end of the park is Buckingham Palace. The flag was up, which I think means that the queen is at home. I’ve never been so close to royalty in my life. What happens if you run into one and you’re not a UK citizen? Are you supposed to curtsy or bow or shake hands or smile and not make eye contact? I honestly don’t know what to do if I run into royalty. It’s weird to think about.

.:Buckingham Palace:.
The Banqueting House was where poor King Charles I was executed because Oliver Cromwell wanted no more royalty reign. It’s the first building in England built in the Renaissance style. The ceiling in the great hall was the focal point of the building, with elaborate paintings influenced by mythology done by Reubens.
Then it was time for another trip to the awesome British Museum. May favorite thing from this time around was the ancient Egyptian stuff. I also got to touch a really old coin in the money room and old Roman tablets used to pay taxes.
Friday night was SO MUCH FUN. There was a YSA (young single adults) dance. When we got there, it was pretty much just the Americans, but gradually other people started showing up. Even if it had just been us, it would still have been really fun. It was hilarious when “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus came on because the Americans just started freaking out and rocking out. We definitely didn’t try to blend in haha. The people in the program with me are so fun.

"If a double decker bus, crashed into us, to die by your side is such a heav-en-ly way to die"

Here's a leftover from last post:

.:Southall get-up:.

SUNDAY
The kids were a little rambunctious today, but church was good anyways.
Highlight of my day was eating that delectable ice cream cake at dinner. I have never been disappointed with any of the meals here. Good thing Hyde Park is nearby so that I can avoid the weight gain foretold by everyone’s bunk beds. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m walking around everywhere so that I’m starving by the time that dinner comes around or what it is, but I love the food here. I think it was my mom who told me that the food was really bland and gross, but I think things have changed since then.
Here are some favorites that I’ve had so far (notice that it’s mostly chocolate):
-Cadbury Milk Chocolate Bars
-gelato at Gelato Mio (cookies and cream and milk chocolate)
-Gifto’s Indian food
-DIGESTIVES (seriously, I could eat a whole pack in a day if I wanted)
-greek wrap at Borough Market
-dark chocolate chip and cherry muffin from Borough Market
-fresh-squeezed OJ and bacon from Café Diana’s
-Frog’s frozen yogurt
-McVite’s muffins
-Hob Nobs
-yogurt flavors: banana and chocolate chunk, strawberry, strawberry shortcake, vanilla, cocoa/vanilla crunch
-BEN’S COOKIES
-sweet corn from Southall
-anything with Nutella on it
-Rigaleto con Pollo from Zizzi’s
MONDAY
After class (everything happens after class…) since those of us in BritLit had read Oliver Twist, all of the group went to “Oliver!”, the musical version of the book. I thought it was light-hearted and fun, but it wasn’t my favorite. I liked most of the parts in the book and the musical followed it pretty well, but it wasn’t like, let’s say, Les Mis.
TUESDAY
Class. Then Annie and I finished an assigned walk through the not-as-nice area of London. Not much to discuss on that point. But when we were walking back to the tube, we found this cute little shopping area. A common goal of Annie and mine since we got to London has been to find cute boots. Annie tried on some cute boots that I was thinking were cute, but I wasn’t so sure about them. She thought they were too big and so she told me to try them on. It was love at first step. Mission accomplished.
After a bit of homework, a few of us took a break to try out Patesserie Valerie, a cute little dessert place. I got a chocolate mousse thing that was SO good. Add that to the list.