I can't believe it's already been another week. Days are certainly starting to fly by. This week turned out to be garden themed and so it may have been my favorite week yet. As a group we spent a day at Hampton Court which was unbelievable. After watching A Man for All Seasons, it was cool to see parts of Hampton Court that were used in the opening credits. The parks and gardens have been my favorite areas of London. I've never seen anything quite like it back home.
I spent the day at Hampton following my professor, Jeff Parkin, along with his wife and son. I enjoy spending time with my London group but I've noticed a correlation between group size and receiving meaningful experiences: the larger the group, the easier it is to socialize and be distracted. I loved the one-on-one time I had with Jeff as he taught me things I wouldn't have learned otherwise. I also took the opportunity to discuss career options with him along with concerns and reservations I've always had about the film business. He offered me a lot of insight and counsel that helped me a great deal. It's interesting that I've known Jeff for a few years now, but this was the first time we had actually talked in detail about our personal lives. I have even greater respect for Jeff and his family after spending the day with them getting to know them personally. I love that study abroad offers this kind of opportunity. A lot of my anxieties about a film career have diminished after my day in Hampton Court.
Later in the week we also traveled to Kew Gardens, which is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. You would love it Mom. I kept thinking about you and how much you would love it here. There was a light rain throughout the day which made for a perfect breeze and made the whole place smell yummy. Yummy? Eh, I'm sticking with it. Kew Gardens like all the other gardens/parks is massive. We spent several hours there and still didn't get to see everything. That's been one of my biggest frustrations here, from museums to parks: there's so much to see and do and not enough time to absorb everything you want to. I guess that's incentive for me to return someday, right?
I tried fish 'n' chips for the first time this week. I know it's a staple British food but I've been postponing it because me and the sea don't get along you see. I was feeling good about myself until I see the skin of the fish, which gave me the heebie jeebies. Not cool England. Not cool.
In the middle of the week we didn't have much planned so I wanted to get some good reading in while exploring Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, which are literally across the street from my flat. I've been spending a lot of time by myself in these parks enjoying the scenery and reading. Seriously, I don't think I'll be able to read any more books when I get home. I'm convinced that reading in London parks and gardens is the only acceptable method.
Oh, that's just me with the TARDIS.
I fulfilled my nerdy impulse and geeked out over the official Doctor Who shop.
We saw some really great old movies at the British Film Institute (BFI). We frequent this theater which is right next to the National Theatre on Southbank. I love this theater. They have the coolest little book/movie shop with film treasures and rarities. I've clocked in a good amount of time here. The theaters are the best I've been in. They are fairly small, with excellent projection and sound and the most comfortable chairs you'll ever sit in. Seriously. I will miss this theater a lot.
This week we watched "The Red Shoes", "A Hard Days Night", and "Top Hat." I love all three of these films. "Top Hat" was a pure joy; classic Fred and Ginger. "A Hard Days Night" is one of the greatest things ever. "The Red Shoes" made the most lasting impression. The cinematography is some of the best I've ever seen. The best way I can describe it is if films are moving pictures, this movie looked like a moving painting. It's hard to describe, you just have to see it. Apart from the aesthetics, it's caused me to reflect on its themes of choosing between art and family. The film suggests that in order to be the very best at art, you must sacrifice a life with family. The time required to achieve greatness is too great that anything else in your life is merely a distraction.
This was a really important film for me because I have been thinking about this concept for quite some time, especially on the verge of graduation. I love film. I feel there are few things more powerful to influence human behavior than movies. Though I love film, it is not my life. It is certainly a part of my life that I care a great deal about but it does not consume my life; nor do I want it to. I've witnessed so many who have made their pursuit of art possess all their time and effort. I am not judging people who make these choices. Clearly, that choice is important to them and I hope they find fulfillment. When so much time is dedicated to one purpose, it is likely they will succeed in creating meaningful and rewarding art. I don't feel like I could personally make that choice however. Succeeding in one area brings about failure in others, namely family and church life, which is most important to me. That isn't to say it's impossible to work in film and have a healthy family and church life. Of course it's possible, but in order to be "the best" it's not possible. I don't know if any of this makes sense. What I'm really trying to get at is I feel comfortable not being the best. I want to work hard and always be learning and improving but not at the cost of family and church life/responsibilities. Make sense? Hopefully a little. This film and my conversation with Jeff Parkin have caused me to reflect on these things a lot this week. It's been good for me.
Well, you're probably bored so I'll stop here. I did see Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" at the famous Globe Theatre with our group which was quite the amazing/disturbing/unique/thought provoking/cool/regretful experiences I've ever had. Ask me about it when I get home. I'll just say this: about 10 audience members fainted because of the violence and blood. I caught 2 of them.
Cheers!
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