Week 2

Hello Internet!

Hope all y'all had a nice Independence Day. It was a bit strange not to see any celebrations this year. Instead of colorful screaming explosions in the ether, a group of us travelled to Brighton to swim in the English Channel and layout on the beach to get our tan on. The only problem is: I don't tan! Like, at all! I got a nasty burn on the backside of my legs. I swear I used sunblock! I've been walking around like Frankenstein the past couple days because it hurts too much to bend my knees. That being said, Brighton was a lot of fun, even though it was a rocked beach. So uncomfortable! But pretty.

They had a fun little pier with some rides. I went on this small dark ride called "Haunted Hotel." It was the stupidest of all stupid rides. "The Terror Ride"at Lagoon is like The Shining in comparison. So of course I loved it! Their idea of scary was having an old woman in a rocking chair. There wasn't even anything wrong with her! She was just old. Is old people the new scary? The only part that legitimately scared me was during a section of complete darkness and a cloth brushed over my face. How many face germs have touched that cloth?! That was scary.

So much has happened this week. It's sort of overwhelming to write about it all because it would take forever, but I'll try and highlight a few things.

Last Sunday, in addition to going to an LDS ward, we had the privilege of attending Evensong at Westminster Abbey. It was surreal to be in that church that has so much history to it. It's impossible not to feel so small and humble in that place. The sermon, choir, and organ were all impressive.

This building was nearby and I thought I remember seeing it in one of the Harry Potter films. Don't some Death Eaters smash through this building? Can't remember. 

We went to The Towerrrrrr! My professor, Dean Duncan doesn't like The Tower of London all that much because of it's Disneyland-like approach to the site. It's very consumer-ish with crazy long lines but I really enjoyed it. And I like Disneyland, duh! It was a little weird to see this though.

Speaking of beheadings, I got to see to see where they imprisoned Sir Thomas More. This was neat after just watching A Man For All Seasons. Perfect timing with the birds flying into frame eh?

More Towery stuff.

I got to see the Crown Jewels which were, you know, sparkly. I was tempted to sneak my medic alert bracelet into one of the displays to leave my mark.

We went to the Victoria & Albert museum as well as the National Gallery. I had a really cool experience in both places. Some of my favorite experiences in London has been looking at Christian art. I've spent much of my museum time in these areas. While observing a sculpture of "The Lamentation Over the Dead Christ" (1510) by Andrea Della Robbia, a woman in her 30's walked passed me with 2 young girls no more than 6 years old. These two young girls were attracted to the sculpture which caused the woman to stop. One of the girls was this woman's daughter; the other was a relative or friend. One of the girls asked who Jesus was and asked "is he alive?" The woman struggled to find her wording, "To Christians he is but to us he's not. We're Jewish." The children looked at the sculpture a bit longer and one of the girls said, "I think he's alive." The woman then led the children on, presumably to the food court around the corner while saying, "Come on, let's go. This is a conversation you need to have with your mother."

Of course I didn't judge the Jewish woman for her uneasiness; that is her perspective, but it was a really nice moment to quietly observe the innocence and curiosity of little children. Even with a lack of knowledge and a different religious upbringing, children are full of faith and are so willing to believe. I found it interesting that in order to reach the cafeteria, they needed to walk through this Christian gallery. This situation made me think about how frequently we pass through life going from one busy destination to the next and how easy it is to bypass what is most important in life. These children taught me the importance of striving to look at the world with a fresh perspective, taking the time to ponder and be taught.

Oh look! It's me with a giant cat!

I saw two fantastic productions at the National Theatre: "The Silver Tassie" and "A Small Family Business." I don't have time to go into detail about them but every production I've attended so far has been of the most incredible quality. I have especially been enjoying the set and lighting designs.

I've purposely been trying to spend some time by myself this week. I love the London group and I've made some great friends already and I enjoy spending time with them. Occasionally, however, I'm finding it beneficial to spend time by myself to get the most out of my experience in London. This is especially true in visiting museums and parks. I am lucky to live literally across the street from Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. I do my homework there. It's a peaceful place that is beautiful and perfect for reflection. And check it out, I became buddies with this bird while reading in the park one day. I love how tame the birds are here. Dad would love it.

It was a bit of a Sherlock week as well. I got to visit 221b Baker Street as well as the exterior of 221b where they shoot Sherlock. This was a lot of fun. And we frequently pass the skating park that you see in "The Blind Banker" episode in season 1.

Well, I think that's all for this week folks.