One of the many things I have learned here is that keeping up with a blog is really harder than it looks. I seriously feel like I have no time here... I either need more energy, or there needs to be more hours in a day!
Well, well, well let's see what has happened in the past few couple days. Friday was incredibly fun... our whole group woke up and traveled to see the Tower of London! It was really cool, as I was walking around I felt like I was walking around Fantasyland in Disneyland, except instead of rides there were ancient towers everywhere that kept prisoners and people who got their heads chopped off. I was able to see the Crown Jewels, the Henry VIII exhibit (I've decided I really don't like that man), the White Tower, the Beauchamp Tower, Traitor's Gate, and the Tower Bridge which was so gorgeous!
A Yeoman at the London Tower!
After the London Tower, we went to Borough Market, which was one of the coolest things I've done here so far. I'm utterly obsessed with that place. It's basically this big Farmer's market-type of thing where they have tons of little stands selling food, fruits and veggies, cheeses, juices, and baked goods and you can try EVERYTHING! I got an Ostrich burger and it was probably one of the best burgers I've ever had. It was so delicious and I'm definitely going back to Borough Market to get another one as soon as I can. Also, all of us fell in love with chocolate covered cinnamon dusted hazelnuts... they are one word--amazing.
After Borough market, some of us came back and got ready, and then went out to see Chicago! It was a good play (you know... despite the raunchiness), but I'd definitely recommend the movie more. We all loved walking around London all dressed up and we had a great night....even though I lost one of my constantly-dropped gloves.
Saturday was much more relaxed than Friday. I woke up and went on a run and read a lot of Oliver Twist for my English Literature class. I'm actually really loving the book, and I have decided that if Charles Dickens were alive today, he and I would be great friends. That night, a group of us went shopping at Primark, which is basically the Forever 21 of London and probably my new favorite store of all time. After Primark, we went to Harrod's and got some desserts and then went out to dinner at a sushi bar. I had my dessert from Harrod's after dinner... it was this thing called a "whoopie" which is basically two cookies with frosting in the middle and chocolate and sprinkles and stuff on top. It was gingerbread flavor, and it was pretty mediocre. After dinner, half our group ditched Macy, Caitlin, and I and so we were left to get back to the Center by ourselves. However, we got sooo lost and took about two hours to get home... turns out there are a hand full of locals who know directions in London just about as well as I do. After the tube, three buses, a strange, drunk and desperate man, and three charming young British fellows, we finally made it back to the Center completely exhausted.
Sunday we had our first day of church in our separate wards. Three other students and I walked to our ward in the morning, which consisted of a half hour walk through Hyde Park, which was absolutely GORGEOUS. I think Hyde Park is honestly one of my favorite places in the world. I can't get over how beautiful it is. Maybe instead of going back home to the states after this is all over I'll just stay here and be a bum in Hyde Park. I wouldn't mind making friends with the swans.
Anyways, so we got to the South Kensington Ward and the entire meeting was in Portuguese... I didn't understand a word except for a talk given in English by a member of the High Council. Our Bishop is really nice though, he's half Spanish and half Japanese (weird combo, eh?), and I was assigned to be a Primary Teacher! I'm actually not excited at all about this calling considering that I'm probably the last person that should ever teach Primary and I'm the only girl in the Center who doesn't have an oh-my-gosh-so-cute attack every time a British child walks by. Haha, so we'll see how this goes....
Yesterday we woke up and I went to Shakespeare, and then after class we all went to the Globe Theater! It was really fun and really cool to see. It totally reminded me of all the movies I had seen that had Shakespearean-type of settings, so being there in real life was really awesome. We took a tour of the theater and we had this hilarious short tour guide who, to me, was the epitome of the stereotypical young British man.
I forgot to mention that on the way to the Globe, we went across the Millennium Bridge! For all those who aren't aware of this bridge, it's the bridge from Harry Potter 6 that totally gets destroyed when the Death Eaters attack. So for me, being there was so incredibly AWESOME. Also, last night a group of us went to go see Nine and it was kinda weird, but all in all pretty good.
Me in front of the bridge.... and then facing a Death Eater attack while crossing it....
Today I woke up and went on a run through Hyde Park (which is SO much less painful now that my parents mailed me medical tape for my knees), had classes, and then Caitlin and I went to go get these chocolate covered waffle things from Whitley's that we had been eyeing for a while. They were sooo delicious! The one I got was chocolate strawberry and banana. But unfortunately, Whitely's didnt have like anywhere to sit (we had sat down at a little table by this bakery but it was for customers ONLY) so we walked around forever and finally sat down on the ground by a photo booth. haha, it was great. Now, I'm about to watch Henry VI part 2 with everyone for Shakespeare and then hopefully get to bed early since tomorrow we're leaving at 7:30 am to go to Stonehenge! I'm excited! Until then, I'm out!
If I come back home ten pounds heavier, I will be able to happily say that it's been SO worth it.
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