I write now as one who has reluctantly returned to her abode in the USA. I was so sad to leave London with her wrought iron fences and overflowing flower boxes and orderly streets with zig-zagging white lines. I sincerely love the city and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to live and learn there. This summer has been one of the most influential and defining periods of my life (although granted my life is not particularly long so that's not really saying that much.) But seriously, I could see myself living long-term in London. I feel like I really connected with the city and the people there even if I was living in a semi-bubble in the BYU Center. So I will always remember London fondly, and hopefully some day in the not-to-distant future I will be able to brave the skies and the horrible flights and once more make my way across the sea. Till then, here are my last fond memories and loves of London:
* Lion King performed at Lyceum Theater. It was incredible! Rafiki and Zazoo were my favorites just because they were such good actors. Seriously, Zazoo was the best puppeteer I have ever seen. And the grown-up Nala was also really good. She had the most beautiful voice. And all the costumes were amazing. It was really just a fun production to see and it only cost like 12 pounds! Pure quality!
* Taking a break from studying for finals to run through the rain with E. Almost biffing it about 12 times but never actually falling and coming back soaked to the bone but exhilarated.
* Getting to tour Parliament and stand where William Wilberforce once stood! Yay! And laughing at how for all its opulence, the House of Lords smells like Ramen.
* Mama Mia!! Best. Musical. Ever! I am so in love! It was seriously so fun to see! Ah I just loved all the voices! There wasn't one of them that I didn't like. So much better than the movie! It was just one of those shows that makes you feel good.
* Going to the London Temple. Totally worth the time and money it took to get down there. I love going to the Temple and feeling the Spirit there and feeling closer to God. Being in the Temple refocuses my life on whats important and helps me to remember who I am and what I need to be doing in my life. Singing hymns of praise to God in the Temple was one of the most spiritually uplifting experiences of my life and I am so grateful that I was given that opportunity.
* Seeing the treasures of the British library! Every time I turned around I saw something else that made me go: "Wow!" They have so many cool things there, like original manuscripts of Alice in Wonderland, and novels by Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. And they had some original handwritten copies of poems by Wordsworth and Plath which was way cool because you could see how they were revised as they were written and what the author's handwriting looked like. And they had the Magna Carta (of course) and the log book of the HMS Victory and the journal of Captain Cook and some of Leonardo DeVinci's sketchbooks! They also had some really sweet musical stuff like original scores by Mozart and the first copy of Handel's Messiah. And my personal favorite: Beatle's lyrics in Lenon's own handwriting scribbled out on the back of a child's birthday card! Ah it was amazing!
* Finally buying some "tube" socks. Hehehe.
* And lastly, just all the great times I had laughing, joking around with, singing and bonding with all of my amazing peers at the BYU Center. They are such good examples to me of generosity, adventuresome spirit, dedication, kindness, curiosity, and charity. And they're fun. :) I'll so miss living with them and seeing them every day.
So that, my friends, is the end of my Loving London List! I am so sad to have to close this blog but I know that I need to move on to another chapter in my life. However I also know that wherever life takes me, I will always remember and be grateful for this incredible summer I have spent studying in London and all that I learned and loved there. Peace friends and family, I love you all!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
So it's been a while since I've posted anything. I've been running around like a crazy person trying to do everything I want to do before I have to leave (less than a week left!) and also getting things done for my classes (finals on friday, ack!). So I've had a hard time finding a moment to post anything. But even though I haven't been writing, I still have been enjoying England immensly and as such have a plethora of additions for my Loving London list:
* The old WWII posters promoting discretion that say things like, "Be like dad, keep mum." I do so approve of wittiness! The world could do with more of it!
* The way that pigeons puff up when it rains so that they look almost entirely round. Just a tiny little marble of a head on top of a bowling ball of feathers. Round Robin does not just apply to robins anymore!
* Babies' laughter in the park. Quite possibly my favorite sound ever. Well, that and train whistles in the distance and the sound of walking on gravel and the buzz of a lot of women talking.
* The beauty of St. Paul's cathedral. It's incredible.
* The Somerset House! It's a small collection and I think a lot less well-known than some of the others but it's such a gem. They have some amazing Gauguin paintings that are just so emotional and some beautiful pieces by Monet and Degas. And they have pretty much my favorite painting of all time which is Manet's "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere." I spent a good ten minutes just sitting there taking it in, It seems like the more I look at it, the more I see. I love the girl's expression, the marble of the countertop, the ambiguities... It's brilliant. The collection also had some exquisite Renoir paintings and a really cool piano that looked kind of like a patchwork quilt made of wood and ivory and stone and stuff. Probably the most interesting-looking instrument ever. Too bad they probably would have freaked out if I had tried to play it. But yeah, so Somerset House is a must-see if you go to London!
* Playing poker with T. and E. late at night. Our currency: jam and butter packets. So, so fun!
* The Phantom's voice and acting in Phantom of the Opera. They did a really excellent job of actually making him seem crazy. In the movie production you just kind of relate to him and feel sorry for him, but when we went to see this production of it, he was actually creepy. I really liked it this way. And the man had an incredible voice too!.
* Standing on the Prime Meridian! That's just cool even if it is just a line we arbitrarily drew a couple hundered years ago.
* Going to the Royal Observatory and Astronomy center and getting to touch the 4 billion year old meteor. I can now say with pride that I have touched one of the oldest things on this planet.
* Seeing General Nelson's uniform that he wore at the Battle of Trafalgar. I know it's just cotten but Nelson is so talked up here you can't help but get excited to see it.
* Sitting under a tree in the park during a rainstorm with the sun breaking through the clouds and illuminating each raindrop like a little star of light hurtling toward the ground.
* Chun Yi. I think possibly my favorite show I've seen in London so far! Think uber graceful ballet meets sweet kung-fu skills merged with some crazy acrobatics. It was all energy and artistry and it was awesome.
* Primark: every girl here's favorite store ever! Oh man, best prices for the cutest clothes. Only you have to go really early in the morning if you want to get through without battle wounds from the super-thick crowds of materialistic girls!
* Making "cultural observations" with E., I., and T. on the train :)
* Getting postcards and letters from friends. Ok so I love that anytime but it gets to go on the list anyway.
* The insult mug we found at Stratford on Avon. One of my favorites: Flap-ear'd Knave! They're so quality!
* A Winter's Tale performed by the Royal Shakespeare company. It was probably the most talented acting I have ever seen! It was great. And the play itself is so fun! One minute its a tragedy and the next its a romantic comedy! You go from a super intense monologue with the king doubting his wife's faithfulness to just a little while later seeing the most random dance of sheep-men ever!
* The aromas of the produce stalls at Portabello market. I would so shop there every saturday if I lived here.
* The Imperial War Museum, especially the exhibit about children during WWII. There's just so much there and its really moving. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to send your children away for their safety and not really knowing when you would see them again. I almost started crying when I learned about this one "Kindertransport" ship carrying refugee children from Germany that sank. The parents just got this letter that said, "Your child/children were not among the survivors from the sinking of the ship --. No more rescue attempts are likely." Its incredible what women lost during the war and what they sacrificed for their families and their countries.
So that's my list tonight. I hope I get to add a lot to it with these last few days I have here! I love every moment (well except maybe the ones spent wrestling with my cell bio homework) and I'm so grateful as always that I could come to London! Peace till next time folks!
* The old WWII posters promoting discretion that say things like, "Be like dad, keep mum." I do so approve of wittiness! The world could do with more of it!
* The way that pigeons puff up when it rains so that they look almost entirely round. Just a tiny little marble of a head on top of a bowling ball of feathers. Round Robin does not just apply to robins anymore!
* Babies' laughter in the park. Quite possibly my favorite sound ever. Well, that and train whistles in the distance and the sound of walking on gravel and the buzz of a lot of women talking.
* The beauty of St. Paul's cathedral. It's incredible.
* The Somerset House! It's a small collection and I think a lot less well-known than some of the others but it's such a gem. They have some amazing Gauguin paintings that are just so emotional and some beautiful pieces by Monet and Degas. And they have pretty much my favorite painting of all time which is Manet's "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere." I spent a good ten minutes just sitting there taking it in, It seems like the more I look at it, the more I see. I love the girl's expression, the marble of the countertop, the ambiguities... It's brilliant. The collection also had some exquisite Renoir paintings and a really cool piano that looked kind of like a patchwork quilt made of wood and ivory and stone and stuff. Probably the most interesting-looking instrument ever. Too bad they probably would have freaked out if I had tried to play it. But yeah, so Somerset House is a must-see if you go to London!
* Playing poker with T. and E. late at night. Our currency: jam and butter packets. So, so fun!
* The Phantom's voice and acting in Phantom of the Opera. They did a really excellent job of actually making him seem crazy. In the movie production you just kind of relate to him and feel sorry for him, but when we went to see this production of it, he was actually creepy. I really liked it this way. And the man had an incredible voice too!.
* Standing on the Prime Meridian! That's just cool even if it is just a line we arbitrarily drew a couple hundered years ago.
* Going to the Royal Observatory and Astronomy center and getting to touch the 4 billion year old meteor. I can now say with pride that I have touched one of the oldest things on this planet.
* Seeing General Nelson's uniform that he wore at the Battle of Trafalgar. I know it's just cotten but Nelson is so talked up here you can't help but get excited to see it.
* Sitting under a tree in the park during a rainstorm with the sun breaking through the clouds and illuminating each raindrop like a little star of light hurtling toward the ground.
* Chun Yi. I think possibly my favorite show I've seen in London so far! Think uber graceful ballet meets sweet kung-fu skills merged with some crazy acrobatics. It was all energy and artistry and it was awesome.
* Primark: every girl here's favorite store ever! Oh man, best prices for the cutest clothes. Only you have to go really early in the morning if you want to get through without battle wounds from the super-thick crowds of materialistic girls!
* Making "cultural observations" with E., I., and T. on the train :)
* Getting postcards and letters from friends. Ok so I love that anytime but it gets to go on the list anyway.
* The insult mug we found at Stratford on Avon. One of my favorites: Flap-ear'd Knave! They're so quality!
* A Winter's Tale performed by the Royal Shakespeare company. It was probably the most talented acting I have ever seen! It was great. And the play itself is so fun! One minute its a tragedy and the next its a romantic comedy! You go from a super intense monologue with the king doubting his wife's faithfulness to just a little while later seeing the most random dance of sheep-men ever!
* The aromas of the produce stalls at Portabello market. I would so shop there every saturday if I lived here.
* The Imperial War Museum, especially the exhibit about children during WWII. There's just so much there and its really moving. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to send your children away for their safety and not really knowing when you would see them again. I almost started crying when I learned about this one "Kindertransport" ship carrying refugee children from Germany that sank. The parents just got this letter that said, "Your child/children were not among the survivors from the sinking of the ship --. No more rescue attempts are likely." Its incredible what women lost during the war and what they sacrificed for their families and their countries.
So that's my list tonight. I hope I get to add a lot to it with these last few days I have here! I love every moment (well except maybe the ones spent wrestling with my cell bio homework) and I'm so grateful as always that I could come to London! Peace till next time folks!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Wow I can't believe how quickly the time is passing! I only have two weeks left to do everything else I still want to do! And this week was pretty crazy. We left Monday morning super early for our journey to Scotland and the lake district. It was kind of like camping... with a lot of time on a coach (ew) but really cool stops in between... like castles... and sir Walter Scott's house. Anyway I don't know how to make paragraphs cohesive and interesting (I am a biology major after all) so I will simply continue my loving london list only this week it will be Savoring Scotland and Loving theLake District! But first, from last Saturday I still have a few more gems from london:
So, Saturday:
* The antiques shops on Portabello road with all their old sports equipment! I especially love the little kid "football" shoes from the 1930s. Soccer + leather + something associated with little kids + antiques = utterly amazing!
* The dresses and purses of Portabello! If I was a rich girl....
* Going to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace with E. and speculating at the flag bearer's unusual twitch. Did the guy have a bee in his hat? Water in his ear? Whatever it was it was a serious hazard to both his insecurely attached hat and his serious reputation.
* Mantovera's pizza: cheap, close to the tube, delicious. What more could a girl want?
* Going to watch a real football game! Perching precariously on the fence to be able to see amidst a crowd of drunk but amiable fans singing enthusiastically (if off tune) close enough to see the sweat on the player's brows is the best ever!
* Getting together with an old friend in London and getting to hear about all his adventures in Rome and showing him around and laughing at how excited he was to see the London Eye
Scotland etc.:
Monday:
* Jorvik Viking Museum in York! It was way cool! Ok so the wax people and the taxidermy animals were a little creepy and the smell simulation was definitely unnecessary but learning about how they were able to recreate the faces from the skulls was awesome!
* Finally eating a vanilla icecream cone with a chocolate flake in it! A+
* Seeing the sign for "kinky donuts" Am I immature? Yes. Do I care? Not enough to not get a kick out that!
* Climbing the billions of stairs all the way to the top of Yorkminster cathedral and being able to see the whole city laid out below me all gorgeous with its little winding streets and old buildings that have seen so much life,
* Cobbled streets so narrow that the houses almost touch across from them. It's so whimsical!
* The incredible beauty of Fountains Abbey. I used to think that the poets who romanticize ruins were sadly ridiculous but now I have to admit they're right. They invite so much imagination!
* I know I've said this before but I love the sky here! It's such a gradient of colors: light, bright, deep and gentle. I think I will have some serious withdrawals when I have to return to the depressing gray sheet of the P-town sky.
* Late night, totally unauthorized tour of Durham castle by an opera singing, Shakespeare quoting former student who lived there. This gem of a man happened to have keys to all sorts of interesting places and also happened to know good stories about them. He was so priceless! My favorite was when he took a couple of my friends and I down into this ancient little old chapel in the depths of the castle. It was very small and intimate (unlike all the cathedrals we keep going to) and it had the most beautiful sandstone pillars I have ever seen in my life. And he told us it might even predate the Normans because of the unusual animal carvings on top of the pillars! How cool is that?!
* Me and E. sneaking into A.'s room late at night while she was in the shower and hiding in her closet and then scaring the living daylights out of her when she came out! So, so priceless!
Tuesday:
* White sheep with little black faces and curled horns! they are so cute from afar! Thank goodness I didn't have to get close to them and be jerked back to reality :)
* Horses running through the rain! What could be more beautiful?
* Roses climbing up stone walls! They just make me want to sit in a fancy dress and drink lemonade... and play poker. haha
* The wonders of Sir Walter Scott's house Abbotsford: the chair made from wood taken from the house where William Wallace was killed (ah Braveheart, how I love thee!), the clock that belonged to Marie Antoinette, and the armor Scott stole from dead soldiers on the field of Waterloo and brought home with him (so cool to see and so disturbing that he somehow that that was an ok thing to do!)
* Hamburgers from Wannaburger in Edinburgh
* I.'s face when she found chocolate at the bottom of her immense mug of hot chocolate in the best shop ever: Chocolate Soup!
* Underground ghost tour of Edinburgh! Not as scary as I was hoping but amazing storytelling! Best moment: D. scaring the guide! Who knew he could scream like a damsel in distress?
Wednesday:
* Due to my newly developed ring fetish I am now in love with rings and subsequently bought two in Edinburgh. They are so beautiful!
* The Scottish Alloa and Aberdon pottery! It is so unique and beautiful in a much different way than the simple blue and white china you see all the time. This pottery is all green and brown and earthy and marvelous!
* Going to Edinburgh castle and seeing those funny reenactor men who taught us about how musketeers had 13 canisters of powder and each was called an apostle except the one big on was called Christ the Lord. Gotta love them holy wars eh?
* Organ recital in Giles Cathedral by the man who won the international organ competition last year! It was absolutely amazing! The depth and range of the instrument is incredible! It can be playful and light as a piper whistling through the woods and then the next moment a deep and powerful presence that fills the mighty cathedral and reverberates through your whole body. Ant the cathedral itself was amazing too! You'd think that such a vast stone building would feel cold and empty but it doesn't at all! It feels almost... cozy. Which is so unnatural!
Thursday:
* Thunder and Lightning icecream is quite possibly the best ever! And the wonderful people of Ambleside actually believe in giving you a full scoop of it too! None of those dinky little ping-pong ball sized scoops vendors use in London to rip people off.
* Wishing Wells!
* Rowing on the lake near Ambleside for only 4 pounds!
* Ducklings! And the hissing swan! Probably the most memorable moment of the whole trip!
* Learning K.'s dance in the park and laughing at D. and D. shaking their hips like girls.
* Watching a few of my more insane comrades jump in the freezing cold lake. And A. pull A. in fully clothed!
* Playing the most intense game of Egyptian ratscrew ever! Those who are attached to the flesh of their palms beware!
* The beauty of the lake district all emerald and amethyst and sapphire with silver clouds!
* The bread. Everywhere I have been in the whole Great Britain has had amazing bread! The sole non-repugnant aspect of a certain hostel's dinner.
Friday:
* The Preston Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the wonderful peace and reassurance I felt there. The spirit is undeniable.
* Going to an old cotton mill and learning really awesome things like how silk actually comes out of a silk worm's head! So they like have a whale blowhole.. only for silk! Silly me I always thought it was the other end.
* Also at the mill there was this painting of the family that had owned the mill that I was completely fascinated by. The family has 13 children and 1 child is missing in the painting today although she appears in earlier copies of the painting. Also they haven't identified which child is which in the painting because their ages appear to be arbitrary. I looked at it so long just wondering.
Saturday (back in London):
* Rugby game! Rugby is my new fav. The men are beast and the game is so fast-paced! It's like hockey but not as cold!
* Stomp! The. Most. Amazing. Show. Ever! There are no words for how much I loved it!
And that is my life. I am quite satisfied. If only homework ceased to exist and everyone I love were here too it would be paradise. But even with the homework and missing people, this is still the best summer of my life! Peace folks :)
So, Saturday:
* The antiques shops on Portabello road with all their old sports equipment! I especially love the little kid "football" shoes from the 1930s. Soccer + leather + something associated with little kids + antiques = utterly amazing!
* The dresses and purses of Portabello! If I was a rich girl....
* Going to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace with E. and speculating at the flag bearer's unusual twitch. Did the guy have a bee in his hat? Water in his ear? Whatever it was it was a serious hazard to both his insecurely attached hat and his serious reputation.
* Mantovera's pizza: cheap, close to the tube, delicious. What more could a girl want?
* Going to watch a real football game! Perching precariously on the fence to be able to see amidst a crowd of drunk but amiable fans singing enthusiastically (if off tune) close enough to see the sweat on the player's brows is the best ever!
* Getting together with an old friend in London and getting to hear about all his adventures in Rome and showing him around and laughing at how excited he was to see the London Eye
Scotland etc.:
Monday:
* Jorvik Viking Museum in York! It was way cool! Ok so the wax people and the taxidermy animals were a little creepy and the smell simulation was definitely unnecessary but learning about how they were able to recreate the faces from the skulls was awesome!
* Finally eating a vanilla icecream cone with a chocolate flake in it! A+
* Seeing the sign for "kinky donuts" Am I immature? Yes. Do I care? Not enough to not get a kick out that!
* Climbing the billions of stairs all the way to the top of Yorkminster cathedral and being able to see the whole city laid out below me all gorgeous with its little winding streets and old buildings that have seen so much life,
* Cobbled streets so narrow that the houses almost touch across from them. It's so whimsical!
* The incredible beauty of Fountains Abbey. I used to think that the poets who romanticize ruins were sadly ridiculous but now I have to admit they're right. They invite so much imagination!
* I know I've said this before but I love the sky here! It's such a gradient of colors: light, bright, deep and gentle. I think I will have some serious withdrawals when I have to return to the depressing gray sheet of the P-town sky.
* Late night, totally unauthorized tour of Durham castle by an opera singing, Shakespeare quoting former student who lived there. This gem of a man happened to have keys to all sorts of interesting places and also happened to know good stories about them. He was so priceless! My favorite was when he took a couple of my friends and I down into this ancient little old chapel in the depths of the castle. It was very small and intimate (unlike all the cathedrals we keep going to) and it had the most beautiful sandstone pillars I have ever seen in my life. And he told us it might even predate the Normans because of the unusual animal carvings on top of the pillars! How cool is that?!
* Me and E. sneaking into A.'s room late at night while she was in the shower and hiding in her closet and then scaring the living daylights out of her when she came out! So, so priceless!
Tuesday:
* White sheep with little black faces and curled horns! they are so cute from afar! Thank goodness I didn't have to get close to them and be jerked back to reality :)
* Horses running through the rain! What could be more beautiful?
* Roses climbing up stone walls! They just make me want to sit in a fancy dress and drink lemonade... and play poker. haha
* The wonders of Sir Walter Scott's house Abbotsford: the chair made from wood taken from the house where William Wallace was killed (ah Braveheart, how I love thee!), the clock that belonged to Marie Antoinette, and the armor Scott stole from dead soldiers on the field of Waterloo and brought home with him (so cool to see and so disturbing that he somehow that that was an ok thing to do!)
* Hamburgers from Wannaburger in Edinburgh
* I.'s face when she found chocolate at the bottom of her immense mug of hot chocolate in the best shop ever: Chocolate Soup!
* Underground ghost tour of Edinburgh! Not as scary as I was hoping but amazing storytelling! Best moment: D. scaring the guide! Who knew he could scream like a damsel in distress?
Wednesday:
* Due to my newly developed ring fetish I am now in love with rings and subsequently bought two in Edinburgh. They are so beautiful!
* The Scottish Alloa and Aberdon pottery! It is so unique and beautiful in a much different way than the simple blue and white china you see all the time. This pottery is all green and brown and earthy and marvelous!
* Going to Edinburgh castle and seeing those funny reenactor men who taught us about how musketeers had 13 canisters of powder and each was called an apostle except the one big on was called Christ the Lord. Gotta love them holy wars eh?
* Organ recital in Giles Cathedral by the man who won the international organ competition last year! It was absolutely amazing! The depth and range of the instrument is incredible! It can be playful and light as a piper whistling through the woods and then the next moment a deep and powerful presence that fills the mighty cathedral and reverberates through your whole body. Ant the cathedral itself was amazing too! You'd think that such a vast stone building would feel cold and empty but it doesn't at all! It feels almost... cozy. Which is so unnatural!
Thursday:
* Thunder and Lightning icecream is quite possibly the best ever! And the wonderful people of Ambleside actually believe in giving you a full scoop of it too! None of those dinky little ping-pong ball sized scoops vendors use in London to rip people off.
* Wishing Wells!
* Rowing on the lake near Ambleside for only 4 pounds!
* Ducklings! And the hissing swan! Probably the most memorable moment of the whole trip!
* Learning K.'s dance in the park and laughing at D. and D. shaking their hips like girls.
* Watching a few of my more insane comrades jump in the freezing cold lake. And A. pull A. in fully clothed!
* Playing the most intense game of Egyptian ratscrew ever! Those who are attached to the flesh of their palms beware!
* The beauty of the lake district all emerald and amethyst and sapphire with silver clouds!
* The bread. Everywhere I have been in the whole Great Britain has had amazing bread! The sole non-repugnant aspect of a certain hostel's dinner.
Friday:
* The Preston Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the wonderful peace and reassurance I felt there. The spirit is undeniable.
* Going to an old cotton mill and learning really awesome things like how silk actually comes out of a silk worm's head! So they like have a whale blowhole.. only for silk! Silly me I always thought it was the other end.
* Also at the mill there was this painting of the family that had owned the mill that I was completely fascinated by. The family has 13 children and 1 child is missing in the painting today although she appears in earlier copies of the painting. Also they haven't identified which child is which in the painting because their ages appear to be arbitrary. I looked at it so long just wondering.
Saturday (back in London):
* Rugby game! Rugby is my new fav. The men are beast and the game is so fast-paced! It's like hockey but not as cold!
* Stomp! The. Most. Amazing. Show. Ever! There are no words for how much I loved it!
And that is my life. I am quite satisfied. If only homework ceased to exist and everyone I love were here too it would be paradise. But even with the homework and missing people, this is still the best summer of my life! Peace folks :)
Friday, July 17, 2009
I am in a pensive mood this afternoon, possibly facilitated by the overcast skies and soothing piano music drifting up to me from my classmate’s gentle fingers that are coaxing the keys in the corner. Nevermind that the piano is just a tad out of tune, its comforting anyway. So my apologies if my loving London list for today waxes a tad more philosophical than usual. But here goes:
* Sitting in the window seat of our "classroom" with the evening light hitting the windows across the street just right and making them glint gold and the white curtains playing in the breeze to the tune of I's beautiful voice accompanied by A's playing. The sky the bluest blue imaginable.
* Walking down the street and hearing at least thirty languages spoken every day!
* How the British government buildings are all so grand and impressive. They actually are an incredible monument to British might.
* The sign we saw while driving to Portsmouth: "Flash your vits" Yes for some reason that is an acceptable Vitamin Water advertisement...
* Touring the Victory in Portsmouth! It was amazing to be on that ship and see everything like it was during the time of Trafalgar! I learned some really neat things like how after Nelson died they put his body in French brandy to preserve it so that he could be buried in England. Kind of ironic don't you think? Also, I learned how captains and admirals brought their own furniture with them which they took off the ship and towed behind them during battle to protect it. Apparently there's an old navy saying that goes: "You can sink my ship, you can kill my men, but you can't take my furniture!" Hahaha
* Learning about how navy surgeons could amputate a limb in 1 1/2 minutes! That is so amazing! And during Trafalgar 12 limb amputations were performed. That surgeon is pretty much my new hero. Seriously that would be so difficult, he must have been way skillful!
* Racing D. up the moving climbing wall in Portsmouth! So, so fun! I totally dominated. Haha
* How little kids here always seem to be holding hands or have their arms around each other as they walk down the street. I wish American kids were more like that.
* The Stoddard family motto: "After clouds, light"
* The magnet I saw in a little shop that said: "Fridge pickers wear big knickers" haha
* The depth of the English sky, it is so common to see dark thunderheads right next to sunny blue skies
* The way everyone always falls asleep on the bus, flopped all over the place with their mouths hanging open. It's kind of a hilarious sight
* Looking out the bus window and seeing horses silhouetted against the skyline on the top of a nearby hill, nothing behind them but wide open sky. It was amazing.
* Seeing genuine Picasso, Monet, Chagall and Pollock paintings in the Tate Modern! I was kind of in awe of seeing the real things. I love them! Also, the piece called Thirty Pieces of Silver was really cool. The artist took all these random silver objects like plates and trombones and such and had them run over with a steamroller and then hung them from the ceiling with gold wires. It was kind of like being in a really clean, metallic field of seaweed. Haha
* Going to see Harry Potter and our group being so big we took up almost half the theater. Laughing at all the parts that weren't supposed to be funny but that E and I found hilarious!
* The great hall at Hampton Court. A tapestry in the hall cost Henry more money to commission than a warship! And they were seriously so beautiful! Totally worth it.
* How in the privy chamber near the king's receiving room, you must "make water" or "cast annoyance" alone or else disguise the sound by coughing! Yeah that'll make it all fine, just cough so no one can hear you... right.
* The roof of the chapel at Hampton Court. Possible the most gorgeous ceiling I have ever seen!
* That in Queen Anne's bedchamber, there was a wire running from the door to the bed so that you could lock the door from the bed. How awesome is that? Yay laziness! haha
* Playing hearts and the bidding game on the train.
* Watching the Importance of Being Earnest in the open air theater. Such a quality play! It was so witty I love it.
* Similarly, the wittiness of Notting Hill. That movie is hilarious.
So in a nutshell I still love London. And now I'm off to try to scrounge up any play tickets for tonight! Cheerio folks!
* Sitting in the window seat of our "classroom" with the evening light hitting the windows across the street just right and making them glint gold and the white curtains playing in the breeze to the tune of I's beautiful voice accompanied by A's playing. The sky the bluest blue imaginable.
* Walking down the street and hearing at least thirty languages spoken every day!
* How the British government buildings are all so grand and impressive. They actually are an incredible monument to British might.
* The sign we saw while driving to Portsmouth: "Flash your vits" Yes for some reason that is an acceptable Vitamin Water advertisement...
* Touring the Victory in Portsmouth! It was amazing to be on that ship and see everything like it was during the time of Trafalgar! I learned some really neat things like how after Nelson died they put his body in French brandy to preserve it so that he could be buried in England. Kind of ironic don't you think? Also, I learned how captains and admirals brought their own furniture with them which they took off the ship and towed behind them during battle to protect it. Apparently there's an old navy saying that goes: "You can sink my ship, you can kill my men, but you can't take my furniture!" Hahaha
* Learning about how navy surgeons could amputate a limb in 1 1/2 minutes! That is so amazing! And during Trafalgar 12 limb amputations were performed. That surgeon is pretty much my new hero. Seriously that would be so difficult, he must have been way skillful!
* Racing D. up the moving climbing wall in Portsmouth! So, so fun! I totally dominated. Haha
* How little kids here always seem to be holding hands or have their arms around each other as they walk down the street. I wish American kids were more like that.
* The Stoddard family motto: "After clouds, light"
* The magnet I saw in a little shop that said: "Fridge pickers wear big knickers" haha
* The depth of the English sky, it is so common to see dark thunderheads right next to sunny blue skies
* The way everyone always falls asleep on the bus, flopped all over the place with their mouths hanging open. It's kind of a hilarious sight
* Looking out the bus window and seeing horses silhouetted against the skyline on the top of a nearby hill, nothing behind them but wide open sky. It was amazing.
* Seeing genuine Picasso, Monet, Chagall and Pollock paintings in the Tate Modern! I was kind of in awe of seeing the real things. I love them! Also, the piece called Thirty Pieces of Silver was really cool. The artist took all these random silver objects like plates and trombones and such and had them run over with a steamroller and then hung them from the ceiling with gold wires. It was kind of like being in a really clean, metallic field of seaweed. Haha
* Going to see Harry Potter and our group being so big we took up almost half the theater. Laughing at all the parts that weren't supposed to be funny but that E and I found hilarious!
* The great hall at Hampton Court. A tapestry in the hall cost Henry more money to commission than a warship! And they were seriously so beautiful! Totally worth it.
* How in the privy chamber near the king's receiving room, you must "make water" or "cast annoyance" alone or else disguise the sound by coughing! Yeah that'll make it all fine, just cough so no one can hear you... right.
* The roof of the chapel at Hampton Court. Possible the most gorgeous ceiling I have ever seen!
* That in Queen Anne's bedchamber, there was a wire running from the door to the bed so that you could lock the door from the bed. How awesome is that? Yay laziness! haha
* Playing hearts and the bidding game on the train.
* Watching the Importance of Being Earnest in the open air theater. Such a quality play! It was so witty I love it.
* Similarly, the wittiness of Notting Hill. That movie is hilarious.
So in a nutshell I still love London. And now I'm off to try to scrounge up any play tickets for tonight! Cheerio folks!
Monday, July 13, 2009
So this past week I have actually spent very little time in London. We went to Cambridge on Wednesday and then Thursday nine of us headed off to Wales. It was "fabastic!" So green and beautiful and spontaneous I just loved it. But a word of warning to anyone who goes there: bring your own map, the ones they sell there are seriously lacking and for some reason the Welsh are incapable of giving good directions! Also, prepare yourself to be wet for the duration of your trip. But the sweets are amazing so its all good. Haha. And now for the additions to my loving London list! This week featuring: Enjoying England and Wanderings in Wales:
* Old fashioned bicycles with baskets on the front of them. And I don't mean those sick metal baskets like they sell now. I mean those nice old wicker ones that look like they should always have a bouquet of flowers in them or a jar of honey or something. Those were all over Cambridge.
* The Darwin exhibit in the Fitzwilliam museum where I learned gems like that gigantic guinea pigs used to roam South America and that when the great apes were first brought to zoos people would dress them up in human clothes! Just a little creepy I think.
* Hugs!! In the anthropology museum in Cambridge they have these weird sculpture things called Hugs. They're about the size of a pillow and the artist makes the molds from them by hugging them so that they pick up the contours of her body. The best is the sign that says, "we encourage you to physically interact with the hugs" and then seeing G. attempt to do so and look ridiculous! So funny!
* The roses in the botanical gardens in Cambridge! They are gorgeous and smell sooo good.
* The Greek-looking house in my neighborhood. It's white and blue and has the prettiest garden and it just makes me want to go to Greece so bad!
* Hearing church bells ringing as I walk down the street in the mornings
* Moo moos! And horses that look like moo moos! They're all over Wales.
* The chocolate cake in Wetherby's pub in Cardiff. Seriously the most amazing dessert I have ever eaten. It revolutionized my life.
* Mint sauce. This is not a love. This is a warning. Do Not Eat It. I think its a trap for curious people like me. The woman said people eat it on lamb but I don't know what happened to those poor people that they think that this gooey green stuff is somehow edible.
* The Welsh nationalist I met in the hostel in Manorbier (or Maenorbyr as it is spelled in Welsh). He was hilarious! Apparently the Britons are to be blamed for all things unfortunate in Wales.
* Strawberry marshmellow sundaes at Joe's in Swansea.
* The way that all the beaches we went to in Wales were covered in seashells! And a lot of them were still whole too and so pretty.
* Pizza with an egg on it. It sounds weird but its really so good!
* The Welsh language. I think "y" is their favorite letter because it was in about 90 percent of all the words I saw. Also, vowels are apparently optional in Welsh. Who knew? Haha.
* Reliving my childhood by playing MASH on the train! Haha pure quality. I laughed so hard.
* Us girls hanging out of the windows of old castle towers and taking pictures pretending to be Rapunzel. Thank goodness for conditioner for our lovely locks. I wouldn't want to see what hair actually would have looked like back in the 1400's or whatever! Haha
So yeah that's my life right now. Every day I am more blessed. And now I am off to see The Importance of Being Ernest in an open air theater! I am so excited! Until next time, I love you all, peace.
* Old fashioned bicycles with baskets on the front of them. And I don't mean those sick metal baskets like they sell now. I mean those nice old wicker ones that look like they should always have a bouquet of flowers in them or a jar of honey or something. Those were all over Cambridge.
* The Darwin exhibit in the Fitzwilliam museum where I learned gems like that gigantic guinea pigs used to roam South America and that when the great apes were first brought to zoos people would dress them up in human clothes! Just a little creepy I think.
* Hugs!! In the anthropology museum in Cambridge they have these weird sculpture things called Hugs. They're about the size of a pillow and the artist makes the molds from them by hugging them so that they pick up the contours of her body. The best is the sign that says, "we encourage you to physically interact with the hugs" and then seeing G. attempt to do so and look ridiculous! So funny!
* The roses in the botanical gardens in Cambridge! They are gorgeous and smell sooo good.
* The Greek-looking house in my neighborhood. It's white and blue and has the prettiest garden and it just makes me want to go to Greece so bad!
* Hearing church bells ringing as I walk down the street in the mornings
* Moo moos! And horses that look like moo moos! They're all over Wales.
* The chocolate cake in Wetherby's pub in Cardiff. Seriously the most amazing dessert I have ever eaten. It revolutionized my life.
* Mint sauce. This is not a love. This is a warning. Do Not Eat It. I think its a trap for curious people like me. The woman said people eat it on lamb but I don't know what happened to those poor people that they think that this gooey green stuff is somehow edible.
* The Welsh nationalist I met in the hostel in Manorbier (or Maenorbyr as it is spelled in Welsh). He was hilarious! Apparently the Britons are to be blamed for all things unfortunate in Wales.
* Strawberry marshmellow sundaes at Joe's in Swansea.
* The way that all the beaches we went to in Wales were covered in seashells! And a lot of them were still whole too and so pretty.
* Pizza with an egg on it. It sounds weird but its really so good!
* The Welsh language. I think "y" is their favorite letter because it was in about 90 percent of all the words I saw. Also, vowels are apparently optional in Welsh. Who knew? Haha.
* Reliving my childhood by playing MASH on the train! Haha pure quality. I laughed so hard.
* Us girls hanging out of the windows of old castle towers and taking pictures pretending to be Rapunzel. Thank goodness for conditioner for our lovely locks. I wouldn't want to see what hair actually would have looked like back in the 1400's or whatever! Haha
So yeah that's my life right now. Every day I am more blessed. And now I am off to see The Importance of Being Ernest in an open air theater! I am so excited! Until next time, I love you all, peace.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
It's still surreal to me that I'm really here in London. I'll be walking down the street chatting with friends and suddenly it will just hit me: Hey I'm in London! I'm just so grateful for this opportunity. As I brush my teeth at night I like to stand by the open window and look out at our beautiful street and up at the stars and I am amazed at how blessed I have been. In the spirit of this joy here are some more additions to my loving London list:
* Playing "football" in Hyde park with the rain pouring down and all of us slipping all over the place and watching our professors duke it out over the ball and falling down and getting all muddy and soaked and just thinking I would be happy doing that forever!
* Harrods. It's like a Disneyland for shoppers! They have everything and it's all so sophisticated it makes me feel like I should be wearing Gucci shoes and that amazing white suit in Maid in Manhattan. We found a goliath sized bottle of wine for 1300 pounds and a necklace for 57000 pounds! And the chocolate brioche (probably the only thing I could afford in the whole store) was muy delicioso!
* Hearing someone on the street use the words "smorgasbord" and "doodad" in normal conversation.
* Body Worlds! I loved it! Especially the giraffe and the dancers and the tai chi man. I just think muscles are so beautiful... wow I am such a biology nerd. Haha.
* The way the light shines through the trees in Kensington Gardens in the evening.
* McDonalds is posh here! There are flowers in vases on the tables and black leather chairs! Boy that threw me through a loop when I walked in. Oh and Pizza Hut is really expensive here too. Lame! Haha.
* Snappy Snaps. I can't remember if I mentioned it before but it's this store near us and I just think it has the funniest name! It makes me happy every time I walk by it.
Anyway tomorrow we're off to Cambridge and Thursday Wales! I'm very much looking forward to it. :) Till next time, farewell.
* Playing "football" in Hyde park with the rain pouring down and all of us slipping all over the place and watching our professors duke it out over the ball and falling down and getting all muddy and soaked and just thinking I would be happy doing that forever!
* Harrods. It's like a Disneyland for shoppers! They have everything and it's all so sophisticated it makes me feel like I should be wearing Gucci shoes and that amazing white suit in Maid in Manhattan. We found a goliath sized bottle of wine for 1300 pounds and a necklace for 57000 pounds! And the chocolate brioche (probably the only thing I could afford in the whole store) was muy delicioso!
* Hearing someone on the street use the words "smorgasbord" and "doodad" in normal conversation.
* Body Worlds! I loved it! Especially the giraffe and the dancers and the tai chi man. I just think muscles are so beautiful... wow I am such a biology nerd. Haha.
* The way the light shines through the trees in Kensington Gardens in the evening.
* McDonalds is posh here! There are flowers in vases on the tables and black leather chairs! Boy that threw me through a loop when I walked in. Oh and Pizza Hut is really expensive here too. Lame! Haha.
* Snappy Snaps. I can't remember if I mentioned it before but it's this store near us and I just think it has the funniest name! It makes me happy every time I walk by it.
Anyway tomorrow we're off to Cambridge and Thursday Wales! I'm very much looking forward to it. :) Till next time, farewell.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Well week two in London has been pretty much AMAZING so far! We went to Stonehenge and Bath and Stourhead on Wednesday and I have decided that I am in love with the city of Bath and want to live there someday. Seriously, so gorgeous! And then yesterday I went to Westminster Abbey which was so impressive and beautiful and saw the tomb of Queen Elizabeth and Chaucer and all sorts of other important people. Then we went and saw Wicked last night which was honestly the most amazing and wonderful show I have ever seen in my entire life. I was giddy afterwards. The woman who played Elphaba could do the most incredible things with her voice! And the set and special effects were seriously top notch. I didn't even mind that I had to pay an arm and a leg for icecream during intermission because I was so in love with the show! So that was fabulous, and then today we went down to Southall and went to a Sikh Gurdwara and two Hindu Mandirs and that was really cool. It was so interesting to be able to worship with them and get to know their cultures better. Both Sikhs and Hindus are incredibly generous and good-hearted people and I loved being able to spend the day with them. And we walked around Southall which means we got to see all sorts of awesome little shops and stuff. I bought a pair of deeply fabulous earrings (of course) and tried a variety of Indian sweets that were nothing like what I expected but were not half bad at all. Anyway, I could go on and on about it but for the sake of those reading this I will just add to my loving London list and leave it at that :) So here are more quirky little things I love about London (and Great Britain in general):
* Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye all lit up at night. It is so pretty. The lights reflecting in the water just make me want to jump right in it to be part of it because its so gorgeous! Unfortunately my practical side prevails and reminds me that not only is the water probably close to freezing, it also is the River Thames and therefore infested with all sorts of unpleasantness. Oh and I'd get a beast fine for swimming in a prohibited area.
* How so many people here don't use dryers but instead hang their laundry out on lines so as you walk down the neighborhood streets you can see the clothes flap in the breeze like many-colored banners.
* Delicious Thai food for only 3.40 pounds a plate!
* A lot of houses here have real curtains instead of those disgusting plastic fake venetian blinds that Americans are so fond of.
* Stonehenge. Technically its just a collection of huge rocks in the middle of a field, but when you see it, it is so captivating.
* The street musicians here have serious talent. There was this boy playing the violen in Bath and it was amazing. And there's a woman who sings down by the river at night and she has the most beautiful soulful voice! It makes me want to dance in the moonlight so much!
* In Bath the little boy running down the street holding his toy airplane aloft and the little girl who stuck her tongue out at us as she walked by.
* Also in Bath the two memorable phrases: "gut gazers" and "dating the baths"
* The little frogs that were absolutely everywhere in Stourhead that look gold if you manage to catch one and hold it up in the light.
* The bright colors and exotically wonderful smells of the outdoor markets in Southall. You wouldn't think that the smell of mangos, tomatos, onions, bananas and ginger would mix well but for some reason its amazing.
* Pakistani food that makes your lips buzz its so spicy :)
* Gelato.
* Watching Bride and Prejudice with a roomfull of awesome girls and all of us just getting a kick out of how hysterical it is and being able to say: hey I've been there! And: I ate that stuff today!
Anyway, so that's my life right now and I love it! And tomorrow I will probably go shopping at Harrods because everyone tells me one should go there when one visits London, and go to Evensong at Westminster and hopefully eat a pita from this little place called Taza's that is aparently life-changing... so the future looks good. And next weekend: Wales! I'm psyched. So ta-ta till next time dear friends and family afar! I love you all! Peace.
* Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye all lit up at night. It is so pretty. The lights reflecting in the water just make me want to jump right in it to be part of it because its so gorgeous! Unfortunately my practical side prevails and reminds me that not only is the water probably close to freezing, it also is the River Thames and therefore infested with all sorts of unpleasantness. Oh and I'd get a beast fine for swimming in a prohibited area.
* How so many people here don't use dryers but instead hang their laundry out on lines so as you walk down the neighborhood streets you can see the clothes flap in the breeze like many-colored banners.
* Delicious Thai food for only 3.40 pounds a plate!
* A lot of houses here have real curtains instead of those disgusting plastic fake venetian blinds that Americans are so fond of.
* Stonehenge. Technically its just a collection of huge rocks in the middle of a field, but when you see it, it is so captivating.
* The street musicians here have serious talent. There was this boy playing the violen in Bath and it was amazing. And there's a woman who sings down by the river at night and she has the most beautiful soulful voice! It makes me want to dance in the moonlight so much!
* In Bath the little boy running down the street holding his toy airplane aloft and the little girl who stuck her tongue out at us as she walked by.
* Also in Bath the two memorable phrases: "gut gazers" and "dating the baths"
* The little frogs that were absolutely everywhere in Stourhead that look gold if you manage to catch one and hold it up in the light.
* The bright colors and exotically wonderful smells of the outdoor markets in Southall. You wouldn't think that the smell of mangos, tomatos, onions, bananas and ginger would mix well but for some reason its amazing.
* Pakistani food that makes your lips buzz its so spicy :)
* Gelato.
* Watching Bride and Prejudice with a roomfull of awesome girls and all of us just getting a kick out of how hysterical it is and being able to say: hey I've been there! And: I ate that stuff today!
Anyway, so that's my life right now and I love it! And tomorrow I will probably go shopping at Harrods because everyone tells me one should go there when one visits London, and go to Evensong at Westminster and hopefully eat a pita from this little place called Taza's that is aparently life-changing... so the future looks good. And next weekend: Wales! I'm psyched. So ta-ta till next time dear friends and family afar! I love you all! Peace.
Monday, June 29, 2009
So my first week in London was absolutely fabulous! So far since my last post I have been to several historical sites, an insanely large store full of overpriced, ridiculous apparel and stuffed with overdressed shoppers, a park with some shady Italians who tried to kiss my friend, Wimbledon (sort of), more than one museum, a wonderful Mormon ward that meets in a church converted from a fire station, and an Indian restaurant to rival the one I love back home. Basically I'm killing my feet with walking, getting excellent at maneuvering the Underground and just generally having a blast. So I thought I should continue my list of quirky little things I love about London:
* The way how when it started to rain yesterday, the rain fell in huge drops like clear paintballs hitting the sidewalk.
* How Britons think beans on toast is somehow an ok breakfast food.
*The way all the chimneys are different shapes and lined up on the rooftops like terra cotta soldiers or chess pieces.
*Khans Indian Restaurant: They seat you immediately but then they wait an eternity to take your order. And then two eternities to bring you your food after that. What's up with that? Oh and they give you moist towelettes wrapped in silver after dinner and the girls I was with totally thought it was some sort of dessert and squealed excitedly until I burst their bubbles with: "um those are to wash your hands with" Haha
* Meat pastries. They sound so iffy but in reality are delicious.
* How everyone on the street calls everyone else dearie or love. I even got a darling the other day. I think that's an extra two points. :P
* The doors in our townhouse are real wooden doors. Not those flimsy, hollow cardboardish contraptions BYU housing likes to put in their doorframes.
* Tottenham Court Station. My favorite tube stop. It's all decked out with tile designs that look Aztec and pretty much just make me happy.
* In British ads and billboards almost no one is smiling! They all have weird expressions on their faces. Like in this deodorant one on the tube the girl looks like she's trying to look chic but instead just looks bored. Yeah, that makes me want to buy the product. And the airlines have ones that have nothing to do with airlines. For example, they will be advertising cheap rates to Paris and have a picture of a girl taking a bite of icecream while her hair is blowing awkwardly in her face. I mean, seriously?
* The Victoria and Albert Museum. Amazing! I've been twice and could go again. Friday night they had a big bonanza with a draw-off. Basically two teams of illustrators competed to fill a big white canvas in an hour with no sketches or prior planning. It was soo cool!
* Also in the V&A, the jewelry room. It's all dark inside and the jewelry glows. It's kind of like being underwater surrounded by necklace-shaped glittering jellyfish. Or maybe outerspace with rings for stars.
* How much Britons take advantage of their parks. It's excellent when it's adorable little five-year-olds kicking around soccer balls almost as big as they are. Not so hot when its old men wearing nothing but speedos out tanning (that actually happens with distressing frequency).
* Playing tackle frisbee in Hyde park. Grass-stains and banshee yells. Pure quality.
* The little British boy in Wimbledon who was walking with his grandma and suddenly stopped dead, stared at a garden and said, "Look! It's like an explosion of life!"
* The crown jewels.With diamonds the size of tangerines, who wouldn't be awestruck!?
* How in Beauchamp Tower where they held all those famous traitors of the state, like Anne Boleyn, the prisoners "graffitied" by carving things like scriptures or their family crest into the wall. Clincher: a lot of times they didn't even carve it themselves. They hired engravers to come and do it!
* How the Shogun of Japan sent a suit of armor to James I back in 1616. 1616! I mean honestly, who knew that Britain even was aware Japan existed back then! News to me! And the armor is pretty sweet. The face mask is all black and making an expression like something out of Where the Wild Things Are.
* The clouds here aren't just dull gray or whitish sky cover. They seem to have a million shades of blue and silver and white and usually are really interestingly shaped, like gigantic scoops of cottage cheese spilling across the sky.
So yeah, that's what I'm loving right now about London! I put pictures up on facebook for anyone who wants to check those out. Till next time, cheerio!
* The way how when it started to rain yesterday, the rain fell in huge drops like clear paintballs hitting the sidewalk.
* How Britons think beans on toast is somehow an ok breakfast food.
*The way all the chimneys are different shapes and lined up on the rooftops like terra cotta soldiers or chess pieces.
*Khans Indian Restaurant: They seat you immediately but then they wait an eternity to take your order. And then two eternities to bring you your food after that. What's up with that? Oh and they give you moist towelettes wrapped in silver after dinner and the girls I was with totally thought it was some sort of dessert and squealed excitedly until I burst their bubbles with: "um those are to wash your hands with" Haha
* Meat pastries. They sound so iffy but in reality are delicious.
* How everyone on the street calls everyone else dearie or love. I even got a darling the other day. I think that's an extra two points. :P
* The doors in our townhouse are real wooden doors. Not those flimsy, hollow cardboardish contraptions BYU housing likes to put in their doorframes.
* Tottenham Court Station. My favorite tube stop. It's all decked out with tile designs that look Aztec and pretty much just make me happy.
* In British ads and billboards almost no one is smiling! They all have weird expressions on their faces. Like in this deodorant one on the tube the girl looks like she's trying to look chic but instead just looks bored. Yeah, that makes me want to buy the product. And the airlines have ones that have nothing to do with airlines. For example, they will be advertising cheap rates to Paris and have a picture of a girl taking a bite of icecream while her hair is blowing awkwardly in her face. I mean, seriously?
* The Victoria and Albert Museum. Amazing! I've been twice and could go again. Friday night they had a big bonanza with a draw-off. Basically two teams of illustrators competed to fill a big white canvas in an hour with no sketches or prior planning. It was soo cool!
* Also in the V&A, the jewelry room. It's all dark inside and the jewelry glows. It's kind of like being underwater surrounded by necklace-shaped glittering jellyfish. Or maybe outerspace with rings for stars.
* How much Britons take advantage of their parks. It's excellent when it's adorable little five-year-olds kicking around soccer balls almost as big as they are. Not so hot when its old men wearing nothing but speedos out tanning (that actually happens with distressing frequency).
* Playing tackle frisbee in Hyde park. Grass-stains and banshee yells. Pure quality.
* The little British boy in Wimbledon who was walking with his grandma and suddenly stopped dead, stared at a garden and said, "Look! It's like an explosion of life!"
* The crown jewels.With diamonds the size of tangerines, who wouldn't be awestruck!?
* How in Beauchamp Tower where they held all those famous traitors of the state, like Anne Boleyn, the prisoners "graffitied" by carving things like scriptures or their family crest into the wall. Clincher: a lot of times they didn't even carve it themselves. They hired engravers to come and do it!
* How the Shogun of Japan sent a suit of armor to James I back in 1616. 1616! I mean honestly, who knew that Britain even was aware Japan existed back then! News to me! And the armor is pretty sweet. The face mask is all black and making an expression like something out of Where the Wild Things Are.
* The clouds here aren't just dull gray or whitish sky cover. They seem to have a million shades of blue and silver and white and usually are really interestingly shaped, like gigantic scoops of cottage cheese spilling across the sky.
So yeah, that's what I'm loving right now about London! I put pictures up on facebook for anyone who wants to check those out. Till next time, cheerio!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
So I have finally arrived in London! My journey was rather unremarkable; first I flew from Oakland to Phoenix, from 60 degree weather to 100 in just an hour and a half. It was so cute when I got off the plane the little boy in front of me asked his mother, "Mommy, what planet are we on now?" haha. To me it certainly felt like a different world. I had finally discovered a place I found as unattractive as Utah! But thankfully I only had to spend a couple of hours in Phoenix and then it was off to London! So now I am here and it is marvelous and I am already over any jet lag I might have had. Here are a few of the things I have noticed that are quirky or that I love about London already:
* On our way from the airport to the London Center our shuttle driver kind of gave us an informal tour of London. He was so funny and really said things like "cheerio mates!" We drove by Buckingham Palace and I can report that the guards really do wear those funny hats. I love it!
* The bathrooms are called Toilets. Way to be frank Britons. And the stalls all go pretty much all the way to the ground. They're like the choir dress to the American mini skirt
* The architecture is all old and gorgeous! The townhouse I am living in is ancient and complete with fabulous moulding on the walls and the ceiling that makes me feel like I should be dressed up all the time. Downside: the plumbing sucks and the electricity blew out in our room this morning after it ate my hair dryer even though I used an adaptor!
* School kids have to wear uniforms and they walk in two straight lines just like in Madalyne!
* They don't sell peanut butter here, which is just weird.
* They do however sell this awesome candy called Randoms. Its basically like gummy bears but lots of different random shapes like sunglasses or icecream cones or turtles. My kind of candy :)And they're really yummy.
* The telephone booths. They're just cool looking.
* Free public museums! I went to the British museum today and the National Gallery. At the British museum I found out that certain sea salts can turn glass green (who knew!) haha. The National Gallery was awesome. It had paintings by all my favorite artists: Renoir, Marisot, Fragonard, Vermeer, etc. Outside there was a man doing these amazing chalk drawings and it was really funny because he drew himself a collection bowl.
* Some front door handles are in the middle of the door. What's that about?
* I love the tube! So, so helpful! We all got Oyester cards (Which is the really random name for the Underground passes) and I've used mine a lot already.
* Exit signs don't say "exit" they say "way out" which is way cooler sounding. And if it's an emergency exit it has a picture of a man running which I just think is funny.
Anyway that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure I will add to the list frequently. I already have a million things I want to do, like go see Peter Pan the play performing outside in Kensington Gardens. I think this weekend some of us are going to try to go see part of Wimbledon... and the Transformers movie. Whatever we do I'm sure it will be awesome! I'll keep posting every few days or so, so stay tuned. Anyway I have to run but I will try to get some pictures up soon! Toodles!
* On our way from the airport to the London Center our shuttle driver kind of gave us an informal tour of London. He was so funny and really said things like "cheerio mates!" We drove by Buckingham Palace and I can report that the guards really do wear those funny hats. I love it!
* The bathrooms are called Toilets. Way to be frank Britons. And the stalls all go pretty much all the way to the ground. They're like the choir dress to the American mini skirt
* The architecture is all old and gorgeous! The townhouse I am living in is ancient and complete with fabulous moulding on the walls and the ceiling that makes me feel like I should be dressed up all the time. Downside: the plumbing sucks and the electricity blew out in our room this morning after it ate my hair dryer even though I used an adaptor!
* School kids have to wear uniforms and they walk in two straight lines just like in Madalyne!
* They don't sell peanut butter here, which is just weird.
* They do however sell this awesome candy called Randoms. Its basically like gummy bears but lots of different random shapes like sunglasses or icecream cones or turtles. My kind of candy :)And they're really yummy.
* The telephone booths. They're just cool looking.
* Free public museums! I went to the British museum today and the National Gallery. At the British museum I found out that certain sea salts can turn glass green (who knew!) haha. The National Gallery was awesome. It had paintings by all my favorite artists: Renoir, Marisot, Fragonard, Vermeer, etc. Outside there was a man doing these amazing chalk drawings and it was really funny because he drew himself a collection bowl.
* Some front door handles are in the middle of the door. What's that about?
* I love the tube! So, so helpful! We all got Oyester cards (Which is the really random name for the Underground passes) and I've used mine a lot already.
* Exit signs don't say "exit" they say "way out" which is way cooler sounding. And if it's an emergency exit it has a picture of a man running which I just think is funny.
Anyway that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure I will add to the list frequently. I already have a million things I want to do, like go see Peter Pan the play performing outside in Kensington Gardens. I think this weekend some of us are going to try to go see part of Wimbledon... and the Transformers movie. Whatever we do I'm sure it will be awesome! I'll keep posting every few days or so, so stay tuned. Anyway I have to run but I will try to get some pictures up soon! Toodles!
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