Big Ben and British Men

The Final Post

2010-04-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

So, remember when I said that I had a flight home on Friday? Well, I did. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that the London airports (including Heathrow—the airport I was flying out of) were going to be OPENING that night!! If anything has been an Easter miracle for me while in London, it’s been this. Finally, finally finally, I was set to go home, and it felt wonderful. Especially because my brilliant father got me a flight home on THURSDAY! The airports opened up tons of new flights, so I was able to change my flight and get home a whole day earlier! Fun fact is that I’m actually on the airplane right now writing all this out… So while you’re down there, I am up here, in an airplane, sitting approximately two feet away (I’m in the window and no one is sitting in the middle seat, hallelujah) from a strange Indian man that I’m pretty sure has been watching all of the episodes of Gossip Girl thus far. There is an hour and a half til we land and I have to pee really bad… but of course the fasten seat belt sign is on….so in order to distract my mind from the impending doom that will result if they don’t turn the fasten seat belt sign off soon, I will take you back to my final hours in my love, London.

Wednesday, I woke up around 1PM-ish and then Caitlin, Emma, and I went to Ben’s Cookie’s in Covent Garden, where Caitlin was, as usual, bombarded by a group of pigeons looking for a little love—one of which had a club foot. After Caitlin finally fed the handicapped pigeon some of her cookie, Emma and I went to Anthropologie to do some last minute London shopping. I got a bunch of really cute things on sale and then came back to get my final £5 for dinner. After devotional, we went to dinner at GBK where I got my usual BBQ burger, and then we went off to see Mamma Mia! We got great seats—4^th row—for about £27 when they were originally £67. Student discounts are just the greatest. The show was kind of weird—the singers weren’t the best, but it was a fun experience, and one of the dads was super hot. At the end, when the cast did their finales, the whole theater turned into a dance party, and Katie, Britin, and I stood up dancing like we were complete idiots, but I loved every second of it. After, we went to Cool Britannia to get candy and we attempted to go find a Karaoke Bar, but we soon gave up hope when we realized that we didn’t know where a Karaoke Bar was—and the only people to ask were the strange Arab men in Cool Britannia who were trying to make small talk with us by asking us what our “good names” were.

So, we came home and I started finishing up packing. Before I knew it, it was 4AM and Caitlin and I called a taxi that came to pick us up and take us to the airport. I parted ways with Caitlin as she left for Terminal 5, and then in due time I made my way with my cart holding my three suitcases, large carry on, and purse, to my gate.

Leaving London has been such a weird experience. Now that I’m gone, it honestly feels like it was all a dream. I’m sad that it’s all over, but I feel so excited for life again. I feel like I have so much potential right now, which is such a switch from when I first arrived in London. I learned so much about the world and myself, and I met people who have changed my life for the better. And when I mean people, I mostly mean these three:

Britin:

You are the nicest person that I know, and the best thing is is that your kindness is genuine. You’re not nice because it makes you look better, or because you’re trying to teach everyone around you a lesson. You are just a genuinely good and kind person, and you care about the people around you. You, of everyone I have met, have taught me what kindness really means. You make me laugh and you always make me happier when you’re around. And you always laugh at my jokes and put on little charades when I ask you to. I love you very much and I can’t wait to see you soon.

Emma:

You are such a beautiful person and you have made me feel the same way about myself. I’ve told you this before, but you are someone who really has true class, and I see you as someone who is very smart and supportive. Now that I’ve met you, I will probably continue to come to you with my problems looking for wisdom—or maybe a few good quotes ;) You are incredibly kind and have made me realize that I deserve so much more from life than what I’ve been settling for. You have made me want to be a better person, and you have proven to be something that I’ve been looking for for a long time at BYU—a true, genuine friend. You mean so much to me, and you have helped me in so many ways without even realizing it. You are one of the main reasons that I have been able to get back up on my feet, ready to start living again. I know that you are going to be one of those people in my life that I will never forget.

Caitlin:

Caitlin, Caits, life partner. Thanks for going camera shopping with me, even if it meant looking like my girlfriend, and thanks for letting me wear the same outfits as you. And, of course, thanks for taking prom pictures with me in front of the Eiffel tower and in our hotel room in York. You’re the best. But in all seriousness, I’ve told my family this before—I’m so happy that you entered my life. Maybe its because I feel like you and I are in similar situations in our lives or because you seem to be someone that truly cares about me. Either way, I am truly, truly so thankful that I met you. You have been such a good friend to me, and you have this way of lifting me up whenever I’m upset or whenever I’m having a crap day. You are such a strong person, and you make me want to emulate that strength. You, of all people, have helped me to know who I am, and know what I deserve. You have taught me to trust myself and to be strong in the face of opposition. You make me feel like a good person. Honestly, you do. And there are only a handful of people on this Earth who have been able to truly do that. You make me love being who I am and you have taught me to be unashamed of being different. You have changed my life for the better, and I love and thank you so much for that.

Now, I’m back in the U.S. (yes I’m finishing this post at a different time then when I started it), and I feel like London happened years ago. They say that you don’t know what you really have til its gone. Well, that’s true. I forgot how mundane Provo can be compared to the exciting city of London. Now that I’m here I cant help reflecting upon my favorite things in London—things that I’m starting to miss so much:

the tube

being minutes away from Big Ben

Borough Market

The Waffle Man at Whiteley’s

My Dorm 4 Divas

being able to walk downstairs in my pajamas to my classes

Terri’s cooking

Monday Movie Nights

Seeing a broadway show whenever I want

Cath Kidston

Red Velvet and Black Bottom cupcakes from Hummingbird bakery

Red Phonebooths

The Home, or rather the library

watching Caitlin get annoyed with Daniel Cooper

Hyde Park

Kellen

taking a taxi when I’m feeling lazy

Caitlin and Emma

Nando’s and GBK

eating 3000 plus calories a day

Food and Wine

Oxford Street

My cave

When getting an email felt like Christmas

Susan and Roger

going crazy and belting out Celine Dion

waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out and Punk me

eating Subway on every day trip

sitting next to Macy on every bus trip, and her always getting mad at me for having my pillow touch her

Tony—HA JUST KIDDING!

Dave’s obsession with ethnic peoples

Kit Kat Chunks, when they’re actually called Kit Kat Chunkys

Camden Market

Queensway and Bayswater

Having my snuggie be my constant companion

Eating food in my bed every night despite everyones commands not to

British accents

Harrods and all of its magic

Primark and TopShop

disrupting the social order of the London Centre

Portabello Road

Britin singing In the Dark of the Night

dressing Euro chic because I can

eating Ben and Jerry’s like it was nobody’s business

living with a few of the greatest people you’ll ever find

being incandescently happy

In conclusion to this final blog post, let me just say that London was the experience of a lifetime, and I will never, never forget it. I will never truly be able to express in words what it was like to live there for a semester, and what it was like to go through all of the experiences that I did. I can accurately state though, that I have grown as a person, and I have taken one more step (a big one at that) in taking my life where I want it to go. This was the story of my life in London—an account of the places, the events, the stories, and the people. And now, it is finished. However, greatness doesn’t end here. This is only the diving board. I’ve only just begun.

Catch Up

2010-04-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we're still in re-cap mode. Where did I leave off? Ah yes...after Ireland, we came back and resumed classes. It was great to finish off these classes... cause I'm telling you, waking up to walk downstairs and listen to lectures for hours has not been the highlight of my experience here. Tuesday, we were able to go to the London Temple to do baptisms for the dead and it was a fabulous experience. I felt so happy and at peace, and for the first time I was able to escape the stress of the Centre and finals. I loved it... even if I did trip in front of the Temple and scrape up my knees.

Wednesday, we were able to tour through the houses of Parliament. I had already been able to sit in a session of the house of Commons with my family when we were in London, so this was my second time going and I really enjoyed it because it was more in depth and I was able to see what specific rooms are used for what, and what paintings and furniture have particular significance, etc. Our tour guide was a man named Andy (you'd think he was American with a name like that), and the entire time Daniel Cooper was running around making a ruckus, but then again, what else is new?

Friday, we woke up and went on a boat tour across the Thames. It was fun, and it made me kind of sad that I was going to be leaving London (little did I know, I would be staying here for another week). We ended up in Greenwich and the weather was absolutely beautiful... it was the first day that I was able to wear short sleeves and a skirt! We went to an outdoor market where I got an adorable pillow case set for my bed in my new apartment and then we went to the Queen's house there. After, we went up to see the Meridian Line that separates the Western and Eastern hemispheres and when we got there there was a MASSIVE line. Now, if there's anything that my momma taught me, it's that there is always a way around a line. Since Emma was just as anti-queue as I was, we both decided to skip out on the line and instead sneak behind the mass that people were taking pictures in front of and snap a shot there. It was great... I got a fabulous picture and I got to skip out on the 30 minute wait!

see?

So, since Emma and I skipped out on the line, we went to go look around in the Astronomy exhibit while the rest of our party (Cailtin, Britin, and Katie) waited in the line. Unfortunately, this resulted in our friends losing us and abandoning us in Greenwich. So, it was Emma and I for the rest of the day, and we made the best of it by going to Borough Market! We got Bratwurst and they were delicious! I love that place, if you hadn't guessed by now.

on the boat

That night, I moved into the library to start studying for finals. It was the beginning of a very very long week.... In time, Emma, Britin, and Kellen moved into the library, and together, in our slow, mental degradation, we formed what we now refer to as The Home. In the Home, no one showered, no one changed their clothes, and no one averaged more than three hours of sleep a night. Red bulls were always present for Emma, Candy bars reigned over Kellen, and I drank at least 2 liters of Diet Coke a day. Excedrin may or may not have always been present as well. In the Home, the library window seat doubled as a great bed and we never left our chairs for reasons other than Nutella sandwiches or the toilet. Despite all the madness, we bonded together as a great family and everyone left us in peace.

Saturday, however, I took a break from studying and went and had lunch in Hyde Park. Turns out the Hyde Park police charge you a pound fifty to sit in their chairs--so I highly recommend that if ever in Hyde Park, you avoid the temptation of the lush green and white lawn chairs unless you want a creepy man to bombard you and your friends during lunch.

After lunch, Caitlin and I went to Platform 9 3/4 because we were sick of staying at the BYU London Centre. We figured Hogwarts would be a better place for us amidst all of the madness resultant from finals. So, we took the tube to King's Cross Station, where I asked a man working there where I might find Platform 9 3/4. He pointed me in the right direction and I got through easily (I'm a witch, obviously). Unfortunately, Roger called us that night and told us we'd fail our classes and have no future if we didnt come back to London. So, we did and it was sad. But at least I got to get away for a few hours.

I went through the first time^^but then I forgot my jacket, so I had to go through again...waving goodbye to the muggle world around me...

Back in the Home, we were able to get hours and hours of studying done, and before we knew it, it was Wednesday--the first day of Finals. At 11AM we had our religion final until 1PM, then from 2-4 I had my PoliSci final, and then there was Engl300 from 7-9pm. When I finished this final, I was kind of shocked that my fingers were still attached to my hand--I had written soo much that day, it was ridiculous. That night, some of the students got ice cream and we were all supposed to eat it at 9pm. However, they started eating it before 9pm, and since Emma and I were the last ones taking the English final, we didn't get any ice cream. Left out and forgotten--then again, what else is new? Absolutely absurd, I tell you. That night was torture since I hadn't studied for my Shakespeare final since I had been so preoccupied with my other finals. Thursday came though, and at 2pm I took the Shakespeare final. At 4:30 I finished off Finals with a ridiculous Culture final. Our culture teacher, Dave, seems to think that his 1-credit Culture class is equally important as all of the other 3-credit classes and that his final needed to be just as hard. So dumb. After our finals, Roger sang us a lovely song (see below) and we celebrated and had pizza and Ben's Cookies!

the Home, in a very very clean state might I add

^this is what you look like when you get no sleep and suffer from unbridled stress

Friday, our supposed last day in London, we woke up and went to Abbey Road to cover the original Beatles photo there. After a very long time and some very unclear directions, we made it to the zebra and after many, many attempts, got a decent picture.

On Abbey road, there is a wall where graffiti is allowed. So, we all signed it!

After Abbey Road, we came home and received the Mother of all bad news--volcano Eyjafjallajoekull was still erupting and had caused all of our flights on Saturday to be cancelled.

Now, everyone has been saying "You're in London and you're complaining? You're stranded in London, honestly, how bad could it really be?" To all of you people who think I'm ridiculous for being upset about having to stay here longer, here are the following reasons why staying here is so far from an ideal situation:

1. I have been in a house for 4 months with 36 teenage girls who all feel the need to compete with each other. I live in a dorm room with 12 other girls. And we have administration here that tries to control our lives. Privacy doesn't exist, and alone time has no meaning here. Go ahead and try to tell me you wouldn't start to go a little crazy.

2. I start Spring semester at BYU on Tuesday, April 27th. I was supposed to fly home April 17th and be able to have 7 days in lovely, sunny California where I would be able to enjoy my home before going back to Provo and moving into my new apartment. Now, I will have at most two days before I have to get back on another plane and start school again. Not exactly what I had in mind.

3. The number of students living here has been matched, if not doubled, by the number of mice.

4. My cat is my life, and I need her. Seriously.

5. I don't have a cell phone here and thus I literally haven't been able to talk to my family or my friends from home in 4 months. Email and Facebook are a means of communcation, yes. But that can only go so far--especially when you're busy 24/7 and can never really keep up with online messages anyways.

6. Not that I don't love eating out all the time--but my body will love me more the sooner that I get back and start eating healthy again. I really love cupcakes, but when it comes down to it, I love feeling good so much more.

7. I need to go to the dentist, dermatologist, and doctor when I get home. And I need to get my hair done. All of these things can not be accomplished in two days.

8. The stereotype that Brits are pale is true--I need to go to the beach and get a nice summer glow before I go back to Utah: a state that borders dry land on all of its sides.

9. Everyone smokes here. Everyone. I miss fresh air. My lungs need a break!

10. I love London and all that it has to offer. But I have been enjoying it for four months. I have seen everything that I've wanted to see, and I feel like I have gained enough fuel and inspiration to last me for this next year. I'm ready to come home and I'm ready for another change of scenery. I'm ready to go back to my normal life now that I've lived my dream. I'm excited to start living in reality again and I'm excited for all that I've got ahead of myself. I'm excited to go back home.

Hopefully this gives you a bit more of an insight to my complaining.

So with that being said, in our despair and homesickness, Friday night we decided to go somewhere very American--Planet Hollywood! It was really fun and we sang our hearts out to tons of American classics as we ate. Sunday, we were going to go see Mamma Mia, but it was closed, so instead we opted for another American favorite--T.G.I. Friday's! There, I got chicken fingers with french fries and felt very close to my motherland. We went to Harrod's and did some retail therapy and then went to see the movie Dear John. It was a terrible movie and I do not recommend it to ANYONE. Monday, we went to Primark where I bought suitcase #3 and then watched Romeo and Juliet. After Romeo and Juliet, we were feeling particularly distraught--especially since my second flight on Tuesday had been cancelled. So, we went to Food and Wine, bought pints of Ben and Jerry's, turned mine and Katie's beds into a couch, and watched 500 Days of Summer---LOVE that movie.

Today, I slept in til 1pm (I'm telling you, I'm catching up on the sleep I've missed throughout the semester, alright?) and then went on a run through Hyde Park. It was refreshing and I really needed those endorphins! Plus, it was a beautiful day. Since its spring and everything is so pretty, I took my camera with me to take pictures of the sights I always see on my runs:

I came back and finished my workout, and then went with Caitlin and Katie to the nail salon! There, I got a manicure and pedicure and it was MUCH needed! I haven't been that relaxed in a long time. We came back for devotional and then went out to dinner at Zizzi's. For dessert we visited our beloved waffle man and then settled back home. I got a really bad headache and so I layed down for a while and then hung out with my roommates and watched Britin sing and dance to Enchanted in her Easter dress. It's been a fun night and I'm so excited that I have a flight set for Friday thanks to my lovely father who was able to get me a flight so soon. I swear, my dad is seriously the best. As of right now, Heathrow airport is open for flights, so lets keep our fingers crossed I'll be getting out of here on Friday! Who knows what I'll do tomorrow, but as for right now I'm going to finish the night off with a little Boston Legal (thanks Brandon). Here's to the longest post in the history of my blog... but hey, at least I'm finally all caught up and from now on all posts will be consistent with the current time and day. So congratulations to me, and good night.

Shutter Island... Or should I say 27 Palace Court?

2010-04-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

So a while ago my friends and I saw the movie Shutter Island. Leonarda DiCaprio is in it, and basically it's this movie about how this guy is stuck on this island with people who are trying to do surgery on his brain and he has no escape. Little did I know that a few weeks later that movie would turn into my life. Alright, so maybe the UK is a bit bigger and more civilized than your stereotypical island, and maybe there aren't really people here trying to do surgery on my brain. However, I am stuck in London with no immediate means of escape, and I am stuck in a house with 40 stressed teenage girls and an abundance of Satan's mice. When you really think about it, 27 Palace Court isn't all that different from Shutter Island.

As many may have heard, the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano (yes, that's seriously it's name) erupted in Iceland on Thursday and has been shooting ash into the air ever since. Volcanoes in Iceland--who knew? Now, as a result, my flight for today was cancelled since air conditions are not safe for flying and I'm going to be stuck in Europe for an indefinite amount of time. I have a flight scheduled for Tuesday at 10AM and chances are that that flight will be cancelled too. But hey, miracles happen, right? With that being said, if everyone could keep the BYU London Study Abroad students and our means of getting home in their prayers, it would be greatly appreciated.

Well, since I have lots of time now that finals are over (yay! No school!) I might as well take a moment (or five) to recap the events of the past few days. Let's see, where do I even begin? Ah yes, Ireland... the lan' of me granda'...

So we went on the North trip. And then after the North trip, Britin, Emma, Caitlin, and I caught a plane from Liverpool to Dublin. It was the shortest plane of my life--we're talking like 40 minutes. After we got into Ireland, (which is really just as green as they say it is...) we got a taxi that took us to our hotel! Well, not really. He took us to our hotel's sister hotel, thereby leaving us to walk to our right hotel after we had realized where we really were. When we got to our real hotel (which was lovely), we went out walking through the city and arrived in a little restaurant for dinner. At the restaurant, the waiter decided to give me a free Coke, which was hilarious since Caitlin and I had both been wanting one, yet he didnt present one to her. Caitlin says that its only because I have blonde hair--which honestly is probably what it really was. Nonetheless, it was hilarious and I got a free drink which was nice since a Diet Coke was like 4 euros otherwise. After dinner we walked around some more but because it was Good Friday everything was closed. In time we made it to an internet cafe to figure out details for our flight home (we booked the trip really spur of the moment and had a few last minute details to sort out...) and then got dessert at this little Italian place and eventually went to bed exhausted.

The next morning, we woke up super early to go see if we could bum onto a bus tour through some of the Irish countryside. Unfortunately, they were ALL booked, except for one--the North Coast and Malahide Castle tour, so we instantly took it! Before the tour, we had breakfast at this absolutely adorable and delicious cafe called the Queen of Tarts where I got a blueberry scone and hot chocolate. Then, we headed onto our tour which ended up being really fun--especially since our driver was this funny and authentic Irish man. His name was Michael Kelly and he reminded me of Mr. Kirby from Hart. After the tour, we had lunch at Burger King like the true Americans that we are, and then went shopping and visited Trinity College.

Malahide Castle--oh scaffolding, how I love you...

the coast was GORGEOUS

We started walking on Grafton street, but it started POURING raining!! It was terrible, so we found refuge in some stores, and then eventually headed back to our hotel since we were cold and wet. There, we took a two hour power nap and then went out and went to GBK for dinner. After, we went walking around some more and settled in an Irish pub where I got bread pudding! It was really fun, but Emma put it best when she said "I don't belong here." It's so true--Irish culture is really based on drinking, so when you're someone who doesn't believe in alcohol, you tend to feel a little out of place. Regardless, we still had a lot of fun. After, we went back to our hotel where there was an Irish dancing show! It was so much fun and very Irish. After, we went out to a pub where live music was playing and it was then that I really felt like I was in Ireland. There was a young guy playing songs, and Tom--the guy from our hotel's Irish dancing show--was even playing some drum/tambourine instrument, haha. He's the red head in the video below. At the pub, we sang along and laughed, and then we walked back and went to bed.

Sunday was EASTER! We woke up and checked out of our hotel and got ready to go to breakfast at the Queen of Tarts again, but it was closed cause of Easter, so we went to Starbucks. Good ole Starbucks, always so reliable. In my PoliSci170 class I had brought up the point that American culture really does dominate the world. A girl tried to argue that and say that the whole world actually isn't obsessed with American music, movies, food, etc. So foolish. Everywhere I go, American food chains are always the ones that are open and are the places that will never charge you to use their toilet. Good ole America. I love my country. Anyways, getting off topic... so we had breakfast, then caught a taxi, and flew home and made it back to our home at Palace Court. We had just missed the Easter brunch/program that went on, but luckily there was a plethora of treats in the fridge left for us to pig out on! It was great! And, to top it off, I had an Easter package from my family waiting for me filled with Easter treats inside. It was a great home-coming and a great Easter. After our brunch/lunch, I took a nap and then watched the last session of General Conference.

Ireland was so much fun, but I definitely need to go back and spend some more time there. I would continue explaining the events that occurred after Easter passed, however, its 3 in the morning here and I need to go to bed. Tomorrow, since I'll still be in London (and for the next day after that, and the next day after that...) I'll be able to take aside some time and finish these lovely thoughts. Until then, down with Satan's volcano, down with Satan's mice, and good night.

And So It Begins

2010-04-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

Finals season has officially begun. Today, I mapped out how I'm going to be handling these last 11 days academically. I cant say I'm dying of stress, but I'm definitely getting there. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that my GPA will somehow be miraculously salvaged amidst the end-of-London celebrations and farewells.

The countdown has officially begun. The weekend is over and we're back in our regular routine of classes and such... if you could even call that a regular routine. There are 11 days left. It's so bittersweet. I love London with all my heart, but lately I can't help thinking about how much I miss the people back home who don't judge me and who genuinely care about me and love me. 11 more days.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”-Dr. Seuss

Tony: King of the Garden Eels.

2010-04-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

If there is anything that my friends and I hate the most, it is Garden Eels. We first saw them in the London Aquarium and have been disgusted by the mere thought of them ever since. So, when things go wrong--there is obviously only one culprit to blame--the Garden Eels.

This past week, the Garden Eels reigned supreme. We traveled up to the North and as beautiful as it all really was, I have had better weeks. A large part of it had to do with being on a coach with the entire faculty and their families, as well as all of the lovely girls here. Another part was having to deal with exhaustion and motion sickness. Another major factor was our bus driver: Tony. He enjoys speaking over the loud speaker while everyone is trying to sleep (and he KNOWS we're all trying to sleep but does it anyways) and he is EXTREMELY rude... especially to individuals like Emma and myself. I hope to never see Tony again.

Anyways, my trip to the North. Here we go...

Monday--we went to Chatsworth (Pemberly from Pride and Prejudice), the Bronte Parsonage at Haworth, and York.

...and it was raining.

When I think of the North trip, this is what comes to mind:

Tuesday, we visited York Minster (a cathedral! woohoo!) where an old woman got mad at me "for not being interested" in the Cathedral. This woman was not even apart of our tour group, so I don't see why she thought she had any business judging me on how interested I was in the Cathedral... even if my mind was wandering elsewhere... I swear, because I'm the tallest of my friends, I stick out the most... and therefore I'm always the target when it comes to angry people looking for a victim... but that's nothing new. Stuff like this happens to me everywhere in the UK, and especially in the London Centre. Fortunately, I have become very good friends with the two girls here who always think that I am funny--and they keep me sane. Which is really a good thing, because these days, no one seems to be very stable anymore.

there she is.

After the Cathedral, we walked around York and got lunch at our beloved Subway, and then hopped back on the bus and headed to Fountains Abbey. It was raining and there were MILLIONS of little gnats everywhere---and if there is one thing I hate other than garden eels, its bugs of all kinds. Humidity + rain + gnats = not a good combo. I took a half hour walk around the abbey and then found sanctuary in the gift shop and the cafe with Emma and Caitlin.

We then went to Durham Castle which was actually very cool to stay in. It was just like Hogwarts. We went to Evensong at the neighboring Cathedral and then had dinner at Nando's. After a shop at the local Tesco, Caitlin, Britin, and I headed back to my room to watch P.S. I love you in preparation for our trip to Ireland.

at the Tesco, we found our most favorite cereal in the UK--Crunchy Nut Nutty. This stuff is the best.

Wednesday was Hadrian's Wall, and it was snowing. Emma and I stayed behind at the cafe while the rest of the group hiked up the path to the wall---where a majority of the people slipped and came back dripping wet. Emma and I remained nice and toasty. It was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life.

We also went to Dove Cottage and Grasmere--William Wordsworth's properties and then arrived at a hostel in Hawkshead where we had our English class and where I was bit by a large spider in my sleep. I never want to stay in a hostel again in my life.

this would be a shot of my very disgusting and painful spider bite. Isn't it lovely?

^Dove Cottage^

Thursday we woke up and walked up to Hilltop Farm--Beatrix Potter's farm. I liked this part--I had a great view of the Lake District and it was all really pretty. And I found a new love for lambs... so so cute.

After the farm, we drove to Preston and had a tour of the city by our church history guide, Peter. After, we finished off our visit by taking a trip to the Preston temple. I may hate Cathedrals... but I will always, always love temples.

We then went to Liverpool where I had dinner at GBK (Gourmet Burger Kitchen--one of my favs) and then we came back to the hotel and watched A Walk to Remember. It was fun, I love movie nights.

Friday, we woke up and explored Liverpool and I felt like I was in the Across the Universe movie the entire time. Unfortunately, I did not see Jim Sturgess. I did however, see the a Titanic exhibit, the Slave Trade museum, and the Beatles Gift Shop. Lunch was at Wagamama's and before we knew it we were off on a taxi and then on a plane over to Dublin.

Fortunately, my week was salvaged by my weekend in Ireland. But that's another set of stories for another post. As for now, my pillow is desperately calling my name.

P.S. Happy Easter

"Huh-erbs"

2010-03-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

This week, we ventured off to two locations: Cambridge and Hampton Court.

WEDNESDAY: CAMBRIDGE

I absolutely loved it here. Maybe even more than Oxford. We arrived via coach and went to the chapel at King's College, and then Macy, Emma, Caitlin and I went punting! It was so relaxing and we were sprawled out on our boat while Greg, our punter, rowed us along the river that bordered all of the various colleges in Cambridge. The weather was beautiful and I was truly at peace. It was so lovely.

After punting, and having some of the locals make fun of our accents (we got into an "erbs" vs. "HERBS" pronunciation battle), we went off to this little Market where we got lunch. I got a baked potato and an acai smoothie and they were delicious. We walked around and looked at all of the shops and then went back to the bus.

We made a couple stops on the way to Cambridge, of course, that I can't forget to mention. First, we went to the Cathedral at St. Albans and the museum of Roman Life??? Yeah, dont ask me why we went there. I'm still puzzled by it. Fortunately, the experience got a little more exciting when Emma, Macy, and I were walking back from the Cathedral and ducks ran out of the pond and LITERALLY started going at it right in front of us... and yes, you know what I mean by "going at it." It was so funny, especially when Macy tried to protect the female duck because she thought that she was getting raped. I fed some swans, who were VERY hungry, got mud all over my Uggs, and went straight back to sleep when I got on the bus.

After, we went to the American Memorial Cemetery. I really liked this place... it brought me back to America, if just for an hour. I love London with all my heart... but there really is nothing quite like being an American. I love my country so much and I am so grateful for all of the people there that have risked and are currently risking their lives so that I can enjoy the freedoms and privileges that I have in my life. God bless the USA.

(picture taken from the wall of missing)

FRIDAY: HAMPTON COURT

Today, Friday, I woke up at 7:30AM and got ready to go to Hampton Court, where Henry VIII lived. Initially, the weather was pretty nice, but that definitely changed as the day went on. First, we explored through Henry's kitchens and then went to go to one of the central courts to take part in the celebrations for King Henry and Catherine Parr's wedding that was "taking place that day." Everyone was dressed up and I even got to see King Henry VIII himself! Can you imagine!?

After watching a mock-argument between our host--Catherine's sister--and King Henry, we walked around the grounds, saw the world's oldest grape vine (wow!) and lots of pretty daffodils (spring is here!), and Britin and I went through the maze there! It was so much fun. We ran to catch the train back to London, however Katie and Emma didnt make it and got separated from us, so from thereon it was just Britin, Caitlin and I. Once back in London, us three went to Borough Market where I tried a very delicious "cheese toastie" and where I re-stocked my usual stash of chocolate covered cinnamon dusted hazelnuts and almonds.

(Britin and I holding the Triwizard Cup)

mmm cheese toastie!

After Borough, we went to Carnaby Street, which is the center of Soho in London. It was such a cute area and I loved it! We walked around and took a few pictures and then we went to Anthropologie. Now, before arriving at BYU I had honestly never heard of this store. Apparently, its really popular for girls my age...anyways, this was my first experience entering the store. It was a big deal. I didn't buy anything today, but I will probably very likely be returning there sometime soon to make a few purchases.

After Carnaby and Regent Street, we came back home and I wasnt hungry for dinner so I took a nice long nap. I've just been so tired this week, so it was very much needed. I woke up and caught up on journaling and Grey's Anatomy, and now here I am listening to music down in the library. It's so nice to get personal space every so often.

Today was a great day and I hate thinking that my London experience is coming to a close.

But hey, as they say...

the best is yet to come.

FRUSTRATION.

2010-03-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

I am very very frustrated right now.

1. I lost my tube pass today. I hate wasting money, especially when its a gift from my parents. I dont take my parent's money for granted and I try to value every dollar that I have. Therefore, the loss of my tube pass really made me upset, simply because I cant believe how incredibly stupid of me it was to accidentally drop it.

2. School. The classes here seem so much harder than they normally are at BYU. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I can never find any quiet space and that I'm in one of the most exciting cities in the world. Regardless, I'm used to being at the top of my game and here I feel like I just dont have as much control over my academics as I would like. I'm not going to end up getting the GPA I had planned to get for this semester, and that stresses me out.

3. Sleep. I dont get any. End of story.

4. The girls. Everyone here is getting very nasty with each other--recently in the past few days I have received a LOT of attitude from individual girls and sassy rude comments. A lot of the girls here are extremely insecure and feel like they need to prove themselves and compete with individuals--they want to be the smartest, or the prettiest, or the funniest, etc. and it just causes a lot of unneeded tension. Also, I get comments from a lot of girls telling me what I can and can not say, and I do not appreciate self-righteous and hypocritical people trying to tell me how to live my life.

And then there are the comments about gaining weight. Every day, I hear the same girls complain about their weight over and over again. "I'm not exercising enough!" "I'm not eating healthy enough!" "I've gained weight!" "I'M FAT!" It's ridiculous and it's VERY annoying. I'm sick of hearing girls complaining about their insecurities. Oh, and then there's the comments about homesickness... Honestly, to all of you who are saying these comments--you knew you were coming to a country where there would be European food. You knew you would be taken out of your regular lifestyle and that there was a good chance you would be gaining weight. So, if you can't handle what you knew would inevitably happen, WHY DID YOU COME?? And even more so, if you're going to sit in your spot of privilege in London and just complain about wanting to be back home, why are you still here? And why did you apply in the first place? Your complaining is doing nothing but ruin other peoples experiences. Tons of people would die to be able to be given the opportunity that you have been given, and instead of making the most of this time, you are complaining. I'm sorry, but to all of you insecure, ungrateful twits--shut up.

Luckily, I have been blessed to have gotten close with a GREAT group of friends who are comfortable with themselves and who make my experience in London here better every single day. I love them and they bless my life more than they will ever realize.

To the original dorm 4 divas--I love you all.

Sorry, for the negativity, but my anxiety is mounting up and the best way for me to release it sometimes is through complaining. Tomorrow I'll be more upbeat.... pinky promise! Also, I talked to this girl today:

no one on this planet can make me laugh harder than Brittney. She is the funniest person I know and when I was talking to her today everyone kept on asking me what I was laughing at. I can seriously always count on her to make my day better.

And with that, I'd like to conclude this post on one final note:

"Gotta blast!"

Dancing Feet and Scrumptious Treats

2010-03-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Oh today, what a day. This morning started off not-so great, with classes being stressful and teachers being self-righteous. However, everything improved once we were let out of the centre, and I had a great day.

I started off with a delicious lunch from here:

I stumbled upon some of these down on Portabello Road:

I looked at shoes and fashion through the ages here:

(victoria and albert museum)

And I completely fell in love with this musical:

I laughed, I cried, and I had an amazing night. Since I danced for over 12 years, Billy Elliot really brought me back to my childhood and really made me miss tap dancing. Ahh it was so good, I loved it! I want to see it again and again and again. Definitely one of my top picks.

Life is amazing here, and I decided today that I am not ready to go back to the states. Especially after what Obama is doing back over there. So, in these last few weeks I am going to do everything to live each moment to the fullest and enjoy every last second I have left before I return to the mundaneness of Provo and the regularity of life as a typical college student.

But let's focus on the present, shall we?

Conclusion of the night:

I love my life :)

La BAGUETTE

2010-03-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

Normally, BYU students are the few students across the nation who are deprived of a spring break. Fortunately, however, study abroad students get special treatment and DO get a spring break! Well, sorta. This past week everyone in the BYU Centre was able to travel to Paris! We did so much and I'm still exhausted from the trip. My feet are definitely still throbbing...

Lets start with Monday. I went to bed at approximately 4AM after staying up late packing and figuring out arrangements for my apartment for next semester. Bad thing is that we had to wake up at 6AM to leave for Paris, so to say that I was a little tired is definitely an understatement. After traveling to St. Pancras (St. Pancreas) station we hopped on the Eurostar, and I headed back to Paris for my second time. Once we arrived, we hopped on a coach to Chartres to go see the Cathedral there. On our way to the Cathedral, we stopped and got some crepes, and got hit on by a creepy man who wanted to keep in touch with us via facebook. We said no thanks--shocker. We got to the Cathedral and went on a tour, however it was absolutely freezing inside and so it was a little difficult to pay attention. I got some good journaling in though. After the cathedral, we went back to Paris---all in all we were on a coach for about four hours there and back when we spent only about 2 hours in Chartres. It seemed like a waste of time to me. When we got back in Paris, we checked into our hotel and then a group of us went to dinner at a little Italian restaurant and then went to the Eiffel Tower. We took some pictures, did a little can-can, met some more French men, went on a carousel, and then came back home and called it a night.

Tuesday, we woke up really early, had breakfast in the hotel, and then left for Versailles. We got to tour the whole palace (which was massive), and I got to see the hall of mirrors which was really cool. After, we went to this street called the Rue de Mouffetard, which was this really cute little street that had tons of little shops along the way. We got chocolate from a store called Nicolsen's, which was the best chocolate I've ever had in my life, and ice cream from this store called Amorino. The ice cream there was the best stuff ever--not only was it absolutely delicious, but they shaped your ice cream into a flower! It was so cute! I got chocolate and amarena (cherry). I loved it. After the Mouffetard, we went to the Champs-Elysees and we walked up the Arc du Triomphe. It was an absolutely gorgeous view. After, we went and ate at George V, which was the restaurant I had eaten at with my family in Paris, and then we went back home. It was a really really fun day. I loved it! Oh, and the weather was absolutely beautiful... so much more pleasant than my first experience in Paris.

hall of mirrors

Wednesday, I woke up very unexpectedly.... because, I actually didn't wake up. Macy and I slept in until 9 o clock. Unfortunately, our group was leaving the hotel at 9 oclock, so we got left behind. Luckily, Macy and I both had our laptops, and Emma had her blackberry, so we were able to email her and figure out where everyone was and what was going on. Eventually, we made it to Notre Dame and found Emma who was so kind as to wait up for us. We climbed to the top where I found my inner gargoyle (and Quasimodo), and then after we went off to Montmarte.

We found the city pretty easily, and on the way there we had to climb a huge staircase. Well, we were walking up the stairs and this black man is walking next to us and he's on his cell phone. When he gets off the phone, he sees Macy's butt--which is parallel to his eye level since she's walking in front of him up the stairs--and he starts freaking out. Now, keep in mind Macy refuses to wear pants these days so she can always be found wearing a pair of leggings. The black man really liked these leggings and started freaking out and constantly was asking Macy if she was "Africana." He kept on asking me if Macy was African and kept on pointing to the color of his skin, because apparently he thought that Macy had a black woman's butt. It was one of the funniest things I've ever experienced in my life, and that man DEFINITELY got Macy to run up those stairs quickly.

Once we got to the top, we got ham and cheese crepes and some gelato, and then looked around at all of the art work. I loved it all, and I bought a painting for my new apartment, as well as a painting for my mom since my family didnt get to go to Montmarte when we were in Paris and I know they would have loved it. After, we walked down and found the Moulin Rouge and took some pictures in front of it. I loved this part of our little excursion because Moulin Rouge is my favorite movie of all time! It was so cool... even if it was in the red-light district of town. After, we went to the Musee de Orangerie where we saw some massive paintings of Monet's water lillies, and then went over to the Louvre where we ran into Caitlin (our long lost friend), Calvin, Cam, Katie and Brit. We all went to dinner together at an Italian restaurant, and then the guys went one way while the girls went on a night cruise on the Seine. It was really fun, I was exhausted, and even got to finish the night off by getting a donut...or two.

on top of Notre Dame! see what building is pointing out behind Emma's head?

Some call me Quasimodo, you can call me Friend.

Montmarte

crepes at Montmarte

in front of the Sacre Coer/the top of Montmarte---it had am amazing view from up there

oh, by the way, Wednesday was... ST. PATRICKS DAY! The only thing festive about the day was my green skirt... other than that, since we all know that the French think the whole world is French, we didnt really do anything too Irish or celebratory.

the Musee de Orangerie

Thursday, Emma, Caitlin, Macy and I woke up and left at around 8:45 for Disneyland Paris! It was so much fun. We got there right when it opened and we were instantly in the best moods ever. Disney things just always make me so happy. We first went on Space Mountain, and then hit up every other single ride we wanted to go on. And, because we were students and had discounts in our maps of Paris, we got park hopper tickets at a discounted price. So, were also able to go on over to Walt Disney studios after Disneyland and go on the Hollywood Tower of Terror, the Aladdin ride, and the Aerosmith Rocking Rollercoast ride. I loved every second of it. I was with the greatest girls in the greatest place. Thursday was definitely magical.

Disneyland always has great food--especially hot dogs. The buns were heavenly.

My second time in Paris was definitely more enjoyable than my first time. The weather was absolutely beautiful and I found myself carrying my jacket half the time and the people were so nice and helpful. The first time the people were very rude and it was absolutely freezing, so this time around provided a lovely contrast. However, when I was in Paris I found myself missing my family a lot--especially my sisters. When we were walking around Disneyland, past jokes would pop into my head and I'd want to laugh about them until I realized that the twits weren't there in Paris with me. As sad as I am to be going home in the next month, it'll be good to see my family again... especially my cat.

In the time since being in Paris, I've done some shopping, gone out to eat at my new favorite place--the Gourmet Burger Kitchen--went to the Tate Modern (art museum), Camden (I finally found the donut man! my sprinkle donut was delicious--and no I'm not gaining weight here, why do you ask?), and I went and saw Legally Blonde the Musical and loved every second of it! Being here is still so much fun and I'm finding that I'm caring less and less about school every day... which probably isn't a good thing since if I am going to make it into any decent law school I'm going to need to keep my focus. Ahhh if only homework didn't exist. But it does, which means I should probably get to bed so that I can do my English reading in the morning. Good night from London! :)

The Strangest Play Known To Man

2010-03-11T03:46:00.000-08:00

I love my cat. She is the most adorable thing int he world--but when it comes to human-animal relationships, there are definitely boundaries. The play War Horse, however, would disagree. Monday night, as a group we went to go see this production, and I'm not going to lie--it was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen in my entire life. It's a story about a boy named Albert and his horse, Joey. Joey however, gets drafted into the war as a war horse and its up to Albert to reunite with his beloved horse once again. The entire time Caitlin and I honestly could not figure out if Albert was supposed to be mentally challenged, or if it was just the horrible way in which the actor who played Albert spoke. Either way, it was the cheesiest and strangest play I've ever seen and that play really made me question where our money is going in this program. But, I must admit that the puppeteering in the play was really cool and sometimes I even forgot that the people were there (all of the animals in the play were puppets--including the horses).

All in all, definitely a strange night.

Tuesday, we woke up and got ready to go on our hike with George

--this adorable old man who is in the Wansworth Stake Presidency here in London. Well, being an honorary member of dorm 4, I ran a little late, and Caitlin, Emma, Macy, Jenny and I BARELY made it onto the train on time to get to the lovely English countryside. Well, actually, most of us barely made it--Macy got lost on the way there and didnt make it onto the bus and it was so so sad. but kind of funny. Anyways, we eventually got to our destination and embarked out onto the hike with George and his two brothers as our guides. Despite the cold weather, the scenery was gorgeous and I loved every second of our excursion--minus the hike up the extremely steep hill---I almost slipped because it was so steep. I wouldnt have been surprised if the hill itself turned into a 90 degree angle. After a picnic by a little stream and some buffalo, stops at a few random places and a food shop, we eventually made it back to the train station after hiking 9.6 miles. My calves definitely felt the aftermath of that hike for the next few days.

In this picture, I highly resemble your classic BYU student...tennis shoes and all. So attractive.

(our tour guides--the three brothers Chittock)

That night, we came home and had a very delicious dinner--spaghetti, broccoli and salad--and then Terri made us the best cookies I've ever had in my life! After dinner, I took a nap and then some of us went and saw the new Alice in Wonderland. I loved it! It was such a good movie and I highly recommend it to everyone. Have I mentioned that I love Johnny Depp's movies? He's such a great actor.

Sad story: on our way home from the movie, I spilled Diet Coke in my purse and it got all over my camera. I didnt realize it had spilled until I got home, so I took out my camera, cleaned it off, turned it on, and--nothing. It's completely dead. I tried putting it in a bowl of rice to sick out the water, but it was no good. I'm so sad about my little camera.... Time to go shopping!

Wednesday, we woke up at 6AM to have breakfast and get ready for our day trip. I got to sit in the back of the bus and my experience was tarnished by our bus driver Tony, who doubled as a tour guide and felt the need to narrate our entire drive through the already very familiar London while we all tried to sleep. Luckily, I had earplugs so I was able to peacefully slumber until we arrived at our first destination--Stourhead. Here we saw the temples of Hercules and Apollo. The Temple of Apollo was very well known amongst our group because its the setting for the famous scene between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice where Darcy confesses his love. This picture may ring a few bells to P&P fans:

unfortunately, however, when I was there, the temple looked like this:

not quite as romantic... stupid scaffolding.

Fortunately, however, the sun was out so we were able to enjoy really great views of the rest of the garden, the lake, and the temple of Hercules.

After Stourhead, we made our way on over to Jane Austen's house! Given that I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, I really enjoyed this part of our trip and I even got an old copy of Pride and Prejudice that apparently was a gift to a woman named Betty. After Jane Austen's House, we drove over to Winchester. Now, in Winchester the highlight of our trip was supposed to be the Cathedral, however I'm not going to lie--I'm completely sick of cathedrals. They're all the same to me now. Luckily Winchester Cathedral had Jane Austen's grave so that made it semi-interesting, however after taking pictures of Jane's memorial and headstone, we left to go to Subway since we were all hungry. There, we were served by a very friendly British young man who had a great time making fun of our accents. We were thrilled when we heard that our time in Winchester was going to be cut by half an hour (they always give us far more time than we actually need in each of our destinations) and that we were going to be back home earlier that night. Before we knew it, we were all back home at the centre and I spent the night hanging out with my roommates before hitting my pillow.

(us in front of Jane Austen's house--even though it looks like a brick wall, I promise, it's really a house.)

Thursday, we woke up and had our Shakespeare class and afterwards we all did a little bit of homework for the afternoon....I tried to finish reading Wuthering Heights, but due to my lack of sleep this week, I ended up falling asleep and taking a little nap before dinner. We had chicken with mango salsa, rice with pine nut, this salad with mandarin oranges, kiwis, pecans and some sort of mango dressing, and green beans and it was a really delicious and healthy meal. After dinner, Emma, Caitlin, Macy and I all left to go see Les Miserables! We got to the theater and got some good tickets and candy from Cool Britannia. I really loved the show, but I must admit that it didn't change my life like everyone had told me it would. My favorite part was definitely Maurice or Marion or whatever the main guy's name was--he was very attractive. As was the colored vest man who leads the student's riot. My least favorite part was the general cop man who looked like a rat. I hated that man...but despite his presence I had a really good night.

Funny story: on our way home on the tube, I asked Caitlin if she had finished her entire bag of candy like she predicted she would. After she said no, the British guy sitting next to me says, "you know you shouldn't eat candy... it's bad for your teeth. The sugars get all caught up in between them." I, shocked that a Brit was giving me advice on how to take care of my teeth, said, "yeah, I think I'll be alright.... I floss a lot." He says in reply, "Flossing?? Yeah, we don't do that over here... that must be an American thing." Yeah, I can TELL!

This is WAR, peacock!

2010-03-06T03:32:00.001-08:00

Religion class is always exciting. It's also always a great opportunity to blog. So, here I am, not listening to Dave... reminiscing back upon the last few days...

Wednesday was yet another day trip. I was on kitchen crew, so everything was extra stressful, but lo and behold we eventually made our way to our first destination, Warwick Castle. Warwick Castle was basically a medieval disneyland because they had tons of attractions surrounding the castle. There were people dressed up, a moderate haunted house type of thing called the London Dungeon, the Princess Tower (dont get too excited about this unless you're 8 or younger), a peacock garden, etc. I definitely did not dress warm enough so I was pretty much freezing the entire time...however, I had a good enough time regardless.

at the very very top of a tower at the Castle

Peacocks!!!

After Warwick Castle, we drove to Anne Hathaway's house--not the actress, Shakespeare's wife. We took a tour through the house and I got an adorable mug there that I'm really excited about. After we hopped back on the bus, we arrived in Stratford-Upon-Avon, which is where Shakespeare was born, and took a tour around Shakespeare's actual house. It was pretty interesting, however, once again my experience was plagued by the freezing weather. Nonetheless, it was a really cute little town and we looked around some of the shops before making our way over to the Nash House. After hearing an incredibly exciting dictation of information from an old man there, Emma, Caitlin and I settled down with some hot chocolate in Starbucks to pass the time before seeing King Lear. At 7:15 we arrived in the theater in Stratford-Upon-Avon and settled down into our seats for the production. I was happily surprised with the play--we had seen Twelfth Night the week before and I hated it, however, King Lear was a really great and capturing experience. The acting was great, but the set was really what impressed me the most--everything was really realistic; they had real rain and when Gloucester got his eyes stabbed out, it was so believable that I was cringing the entire time. After the play, we drove back home (where I completely passed out sleeping) and went to bed.

Anne Hathaway's house

Calvin and I in front of the house Shakespeare was born in!

Thursday was a class day, and after classes we decided to get some homework done and go to Samuel Johnson's house for our English literature class. However, I had no desire to do my hair that day, so my friends and I dressed Euro-Chic. For everyone who doesn't live in London, Euro-Chic is a style adopted by every young female in the city ages 16-25, where you mix and match all sorts of strange combinations of clothing (this mixture almost always includes a chunky scarf, flats, leggings, and some sort of sparkly or sequin accessory) with extremely messy hair. Think grungy/high fashion. If you still can't picture it in your head, here are some pictures to illustrate this peculiar style:

Yesterday, (Friday), we woke up early, had breakfast, and then had a meeting with this important guy from the Kennedy Center, and then left to go to John Keat's house in Hampstead and then Kenwood house after treading through the heath. My shoes weren't happy about this experience. After, we went to Camden Market where I got really good chinese food and a donut, and a really cute vest. We came back that night and I watched a movie for my Shakespeare class and then spent the rest of the night hanging out with people from the centre. It was a really fun day.

the gorgeous view from Kenwood House

this picture is an excellent representation of the amount of sleep that I get here in London...

**note, I didnt actually finish blogging during religion, so I'm picking up from where I left off. It's now 1 AM.**

Today after class, Emma, Caitlin, Macy and I went to get tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. Well, by the time I got there I wasn't really feeling like tea (herbal, of course), so I ordered a lemonade (which was as natural and tart as lemonade can get) and a slice of carrot cake, and then we all shared some cute finger sandwiches.

After, we walked over to Cool Britannia in Picadilly Circus to get some candy for friends/family (and maybe we ate some of it, maybe we didn't), and then we went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum! I wasn't really excited because I've already been to the one in New York, but let me say that I was absolutely not disappointed! It was so much fun! There were so many celebrity figurines that I hadn't seen before, plus this one had a little Disneyland type of ride that took you through the history of London AND it had a haunted house in it! We didnt quite realize the haunted house part was an actual haunted house with people who pop out and scare the crap out of you, so we were unpleasantly surprised when we realized that we had to go through the thing with no way of escape. Despite how terrified I was, it ended up being really fun and it was actually nice to relieve some tension via screaming. After the museum we went to TopShop and then got dinner at Tortilla and then came home! Tonight I started Wuthering Heights, watched the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy, and finished a paper for my English class. It was a really fabulous day!

Daniel Radcliffe! Ahh I was so excited when I saw him

J Lo

Johnny Depp--this picture was mainly for my sister Brittney

Audrey & Audrey!

Hello, Sherlock.

That's all for now! Church in the morning! Good night followers! (if you even exist...)

You Can't Stop the Beat

2010-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight Emma, Caitlin, Macy and I went and saw Hairspray! At first I didn't think it was going to be anything particularly special... but oh was I wrong. I LOVED it! It was probably my favorite show that I've seen in London! It was such a fun and cute show... the actors were really having fun when they were acting and they did an excellent job at pumping up and inspiring the audience. At the end everyone was standing up and singing and dancing with the cast in their final song. Plus, we had amazing seats which really contributed to the experience... it was just such a great show. I love Hairspray! I'm even listening to the soundtrack right now on my computer and I bought a really cool t-shirt. I'm very excited to wear it tomorrow and be twins with Caitlin.

After the show we went to the stage door in hopes of seeing the guy who played Link since he was so incredibly attractive. Unfortunately, he never showed... BUT we did get pictures with a few of the other cast members!

the man who played tracy's mom haha

tracy's dad

Tracy! She was amazing.

Last night we saw the movie Leap Year because it just came out in theaters over here. I absolutely loved it, its probably my favorite movie that I've seen this year. This week has just been full of great theater experiences! Sunday was church and I stayed up til 5AM studying for my polisci midterm. I think I did pretty well, but who knows. Hopefully I pulled off a decent grade... I got my paper back for my Shakespeare class and I got a 97 and I'm so happy about it! So school is going pretty well... Saturday we woke up and went to Borough Market where I got a bratwurst and carrot cake and it was absolutely delicious. I also got some of my favorite jam that they sell there that I plan to take home with me and enjoy back in Provo. After Borough Market, we made our way on over to the London Aquarium, which was an extreme disappointment. It was much smaller and with much less impressive fish than the aquariums that I've been to back home. We still had a lot of fun though.

SO delicious.

so, this picture has a story. In the aquarium we passed by a woman at a stand doing face painting. Caitlin became infatuated with the idea of getting her face painted, but didn't want to do it alone. I had no desire to get a sea creature painted on my face... especially if it costed me money. However, when Caitlin offered to pay for my painted dolphin, I really couldn't resist. The above picture is the result.

On Thursday we woke up at 5AM and got ready to leave to go on our trip to Wales. It was about a four hour coach ride and I pretty much slept the entire way. We first went to Tintern Abbey (see "Tintern Abbey" by William Wordsworth), and I was freezing and tired the entire time. After, we went to Big Pit, which is a coal mine. So we strapped up on our gear--a helmet with a really cool light on it, and a belt with spare oxygen and a battery for our lights on it. I also had my Snuggie with me. It protected me from not only cold air, but also the danger down in the depths of the coal mine. It was really weird and random, but at the same time its kinda cool that I can say I've been in a coal mine. After Big Pit, we went to the Museum of Welsh Life where I bought Welsh Cakes which are delicious. They are also made primarily of butter and sugar. We arrived in Cardiff and checked into our hotel, which was very nice. While everyone went out to eat, Emma, Caitlin and I ordered our own pizzas from Papa Johns and ate them while watching the Alice in Wonderland premiere (that we were very sad to be missing) and the Olympics. It was a fun night and in my very own queen sized bed, I had one of the best nights sleep I've had in a long time.

Tintern Abbey:

Emma, Me and Caitlin all wore our wellies that day. When we got out of the lift that took us out of the coal mine, the man working it was completely amazed by our wellies. He exclaimed very enthusiastically (and with a tad bit of shock), "GRAPE WELLIES! PINK WELLIES! SPOTTY WELLIES!" as we each walked off the lift one by one. Haha it was really funny.

Thanks to my snuggie I was a walking fashion statement.

The next day, we woke up and had breakfast in the hotel and then made our way off the Caerphilly Castle. It was gorgeous and reminded me of a castle you'd see in a movie like Tristan and Isolde. It was very medieval yet very romantic at the same time. I loved it. After the castle we drove a while, stopped for lunch where I got a delicious Subway, and then started our excursion to various church history sites. First, we went to John Benbow's farm. John Benbow was a very important and influential convert and we got to see the pond where many people were baptized. After the farm we went to the chapel that the Benbows attended and then made our way over to a large hill (dont know the name... I'll find out and put it in later) that we hiked up. Now when I say large, I'm not making an overstatement. The incline was about 70 degrees the entire way up. Needless to say by the time I got to the top I was not only completely winded, but my calves were killing me! It was a gorgeous hike though... the view was breath taking and everything was so green. Wales is very pretty. I can't imagine what Ireland must be like. Anyways, this hill was where Wilford Woodruff and some others came to pray and where they preached. After the hike, we went to the Gadfield Elm Chapel aka the first LDS chapel. There, we all sang "The Spirit of God" and it was a beautiful and very spiritual moment. It was a great way to end our day. Before we knew it we were back in the bus, on the way to London, and it was one of the best feelings ever driving up to Palace Court and snuggling into my bed in the place I call my home. I loved Wales, but really, nothing tops London.

my view of Wales from the top of our hike:

Gadfield Elm Chapel:

P.S. Emma took some glamour shots of me at Caerphilly Castle. Here are some of my favorites for you to enjoy at your own viewing pleasure.

On a side note, certain personal belongings of mine seem to be disappearing right before my eyes. And yes, I have looked everywhere and anywhere for them and I remember where I put them last. I am certain that they have been stolen. So, a reward will be offered for the following items:

1. My new Natural Eye eyeshadow palette

What ever pair of hands now holds this beloved eyeshadow of mine, please return it. My eyeshadow misses my eyes and my eyes miss it in return.

2. My grey leggings

Alright, while it's true these weren't valuable in any way shape or form and that they are easily replaceable, I still do not want to make the effort to go to H&M and spend £5 on new leggings. Please, whoever owns these now... save me some time and energy. Give my legs back their skin.

3. My top and most dear retainer.

To the individual who likes to try on and or wear other people's retainers for fun--you are indeed very strange. Now please, give it back. Now. As much as I'd like to assimilate into British culture, I'd like my teeth to stay strictly American.

That's all for now. I will be getting approximately four hours of sleep tonight thanks to my lovely duties on kitchen crew, which continues to ruin my life. Tomorrow should be a thrill, we're going to Stratford Upon Avon and a few other sites. Until then...cheers!

A Step Inside the Brain

2010-02-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

Before I start an analytical rant concerning the occurrences of Sunday and Monday, let me briefly describe my Saturday adventures. Saturday was a great day. The sun was shining and Emma, Jenny and I went to the Wallace Collection to have breakfast, or rather, brunch. It was a very regal building and the cafe was in a greenhouse looking type of building and it was so cute! I got an omelette and pear juice and it was delicious. After, we looked around at the art, and because it was Louis XV's 300th birthday, there were all sorts of little activities going on...one of them being 18th century music and dancing! We all got to learn a dance like the one you see in Pride and Prejudice and it was so much fun and I laughed my heart out. They even had live musicians dressed up in costume and it just made you feel like you were in a Jane Austen novel. I loved it! After, we went to Portabello Road and got cupcakes at Hummingbird bakery and then Emma and I ventured off to find a Mexican place called "Tortilla" and to meet up with Caitlin. It was a laid back type of place, so it wasnt a full on restaurant--more like Baja Fresh atmosphere, but it was absolutely delicious and I loved the chicken burrito I got! After dinner, Emma Caitlin and I tried to go see Legally Blonde the Musical, but Elle was being played by the understudy so we postponed seeing the show until the notably excellent main cast member would be acting. Instead, we got Frog and then came home, where I was able to get some homework done and get to bed at a reasonable hour. Like I said, great day.

While Saturday was a great day, these past few days have been days which have truly made me think.

Sunday we had a fireside by my Stake President, President Phillips. I was conducting the meeting and I was horrified when I got up to introduce President Phillips and totally blanked on his name. I'm usually pretty good with crowds and public speaking, but I absolutely forgot his last name! I was so embarrassed. Luckily, President Phillips message totally compensated for my failed introduction. He spoke about really coming to terms with knowing oneself, knowing Christ, and knowing God. It was really uplifting and I felt the spirit so strongly. Maybe it's because this past year I have gone through experiences which have caused me to really question who I am and what I believe in and where I have often at times tried to be someone that I'm not. However, through my ups and downs I feel like I am coming to not only know who I am, but to truly love the person that I am coming to be.

For example:

1. I have come to know and accept that I am not the traditional girl that people will ever refer to as "sweet." While I always try to be nice to everyone I come into contact with, I do not want to be remembered for being nice. I will stand up for what I believe in--no matter if its my religion or if its that Harry Potter is a valuable piece of literature or if its simply that cats are a thousand times better than dogs--I will speak my beliefs and stand behind them, even if it means potentially offending people or if it means completely going against the status quo. I don't want to be remembered as the girl who was nice--I want to be remembered as the one girl who defied convention and was passionate. I want to be remembered as the girl who was strong.

2. I like being alone. I need only a handful of people in my life at one time, because I enjoy simply being alone. Part of this comes from the realization I've had that the only person you can truly depend on is yourself, and that if you want happiness you can't wait for others to bring it to you--you have to go get it for yourself. The other half stems from the fact that I'm very independent and on the weekends there will more than often be days where I would much rather stay at home and work on a project or just get take out and watch a movie by myself than go hang out with a bunch of people or go to a party. Sometimes people find this sad or think it makes me sad, but the world should know it makes me incredibly happy and brings me peace. And I'm finally confident enough to admit that and accept it.

3. I believe that love exists. Despite all odds, I really do. And I am the type of person who picks a few individuals (the remaining population I'm very likely to always be irritated with) and loves them with all my heart. When I love--in any form of love, I put everything in it and expect the same in return.

In one of our English classes, Susan was telling us to truly figure out who we are, and then to find someone who will not try to change you, but who will accept you the way that you are and love you for that. I loved that because it's so true. There are certain things you should change about yourself (in terms of improving yourself) and then there are certain things you shouldn't. I love being so cut off from the world back home here because it's helping me to find my faults and to help me accept and embrace my strengths. As President Phillips said, as you come to know Christ and God, you will come to know yourself--this is something I'm trying never to forget.

Monday, Caitlin and I went back to Tortilla for lunch and then went to TopShop to do some shopping. It was very fun except for the whole part where Caitlin left me at the store because she couldnt find me and I stayed in the store looking for her for an hour before I figured she left me and then went back to the center. I got some very cute things though which I'm extremely excited about. That night, we went to go see the movie Valentine's Day and on the way there I may or may not have eaten two waffles for dinner. The movie was really funny, but it really made me think.

1. In the movie, there was a VERY forced gay relationship between two blatantly straight actors, and little comments were made everywhere about being gay, one of which was Jamie Foxx saying to the gay character, "I support you all the way." Totally a political statement, which I found funny. The movie was very liberal in stuff like that, and I was just thinking how interesting society is coming to be. If prop 8 had never gone down, there wouldn't have been as many gay relationships in the media as there now are. Liberals are totally trying to use the media--especially popular media aimed at teenagers like chick flicks and Grey's Anatomy--to send a message. A very strong one at that. Also, there was a little comment by Anne Hathaway about not being able to afford health care, which made me roll my eyes because the comment about health care was so forced. Basically, it was a very liberal movie.

2. I think as a whole, the movie presented marriage as very pessimistic. There are three marriages in the film. One is Patrick Dempsey and his wife and he is cheating on her with another woman. The second marriage is between an old couple, and its revealed later that at one point in the marriage, the wife had cheated on her husband. The third marriage is George Lopez's marriage, however, you never meet his wife or really see him interacting in his marriage like the other characters and their significant others. George Lopez's character is simply the main character's best friend who provides comic relief. His well working marriage is more like background information. I just found this portrayal of marriage to be interesting... I know that marriage must be difficult, but I think it would be nice of society to believe in the idea of a marriage and love where neither individual is cheating on the other. In a world where the divorce rate goes higher and higher, it would be nice to have a little optimism for a change.

3. Anne Hathaway is a "phone adult entertainer" and her and her boyfriend have a dispute about it where in the end he does the whole "I'll-love-you-no-matter-what-you-do-with-your-life" type of charade. Again, here was the movie blatantly endorsing an issue--namely, exchanging sex for money. According to Valentine's Day, we live in hard times and therefore any means to get money is OK, even if it means selling your morals and in certain cases--your body! Come on society, where are your values and what are you telling your inhabitants to believe?

Good part of the movie however: an abundance of attractive, attractive men.

While I did really enjoy the movie (it successfully made me laugh multiple times) I was just definitely noticing the subtle change in film that is occurring and where movies like Valentine's Day are taking the film industry. Slowly, as a society, we indeed are falling farther and farther downward. It's very upsetting at times, and I'm concerned for the future world that my youngest sister and that eventually my children will be growing up in. So many people I know are falling for the pranks of society and are drastically falling from the people they once were and abandoning what they once believed in. In modern times, strength has never been such an important quality to possess. As Arthur Weasley said in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, "Times like these, dark times, they do funny things to people. They can tear them apart. "

And people wonder why I'm obsessed with Harry Potter...

The Boy Who Lived

2010-02-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

I'm far too exhausted for my own good. This whole week seems like its just been homework, sickness, and a lack of sleep. Today I turned in two essays for my political science class, a major paper for my shakespeare class, and then in my english literature class we finished our unit on Northanger Abbey and had a quiz on it. I miraculously pulled everything off and now just have to wait for my grades... Today I woke up and was incredibly thrilled to discover that Terri had made my new favorite breakfast in the world--Amish Oatmeal! I had so much of it, it was amazing. I could eat that stuff every day. After breakfast, we had classes and then immediately following classes we went off to observe a Muslim Mosk. I'm not going to lie--I was incredibly bored the whole time. I couldn't hear our guide half the time and I was tired and incredibly incredibly hungry since I hadn't really had time to eat since breakfast. We were there for 2 and a half hours, and I would have been pleased if we had stayed for an hour, max. I did get to observe one of the prayers, which was interesting, but all in all I really did not enjoy my experience. Plus, I felt as if our guide censored some of his answers when we asked him particular questions--especially about Islamic marriage. Thankfully, however, we were able to finish off our outing today with a trip to Giraffe, where I got a delicious bowl of soup and a hamburger. I'm going to have great left overs on Sunday! Of course, we followed dinner with a Ben's Cookie, which never fails to disappoint me, and then on our way back, I got separated from our group, but nevertheless made my way safely back to Palace Court.

Yesterday, we traveled to Middle Temple which was built by the Knights Templar and is about 500 years old. Our tour guide was a very frail woman who spoke with very little fluctuation in her tone and who was very hard to hear, so I can't say I learned too much about Middle Temple. I do plan to look it up online though, since we had a fantastic lunch there. Apparently, lunch at Middle Temple is where all the lawyers in the area swarm to, so I did feel kind of cool being able to eat with all of these prestigous people around me--especially since I'm an aspiring lawyer myself. Our meal was very fancy and we had some weird mushroom and tomato tart for an appetizer which I didnt like, (however we had really delicious rolls just prior to the tart being served), and then for our main course we had really good pork, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Dessert was an apple crisp and then we had some lovely herbal tea to finish it off with. It was a really fun experience and it made me want to re-read the DaVinci Code, since that book deals a lot with the Knights Templar. After Middle Temple, we had to make our way over to Charles Dickens's house, however, since we made a quick trip to Starbucks, we had little time to arrive promptly for our "tour," so instead of walking (which would have caused us to be probably half an hour late), we took a taxi! It was really really fun and if I could I would travel by taxi everywhere... I love them. And, since there were five of us and the fare was about 5 pounds, it only cost us about a pound each! It was great! So we got to Charles Dickens's house on time, however our "tour" was just us walking around the house and watching a little video. I really enjoyed seeing the house though because I really love Charles Dickens. I even bought a copy of A Tale of Two Cities there that I plan to start reading on the plane or when I get home! After seeing the house, we took a few pictures, and then headed back home for the night to work on homework.

Middle Temple:

me in front of Charles Dickens's door!

Wednesday was one of my top three favorite days here so far. We had a day trip and first we traveled to Blenheim Palace--which is where the Duke stays. It was a gorgeous setting, especially because it was kind of misty outside as we arrived. After we got a tour of the palace, Caitlin, Emma, Macy and I caught a golf cart to "Pleasure Gardens," which was this cute little garden type of thing that had a butterfly house, a maze, a little playground, and a cafe in it. I did NOT go into the butterfly house because I went into one when I was like 14 and have been traumatized ever since (I do not like any type of bug), however, I did go into a little bit of the maze. After Blenheim, we got back onto the bus and had our lunches, and not before long we arrived in Oxford! Oxford is one of new favorite cities in England--there were so many young attractive college boys EVERYWHERE. It had a very young vibe about it and it was the type of city where the streets are cobblestone roads and pedestrians walk on the street just as often as they walk on the sidewalk. We went into the covered market there where we went to the original Ben's Cookies and got Moo Moo's shakes (I got a raspberry white chocolate cheesecake and it was so yummy!). After getting some nice Oxford apparel, I went and experienced one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my entire life experience. I VISITED THE SITE WHERE THE HARRY POTTER MOVIES WERE FILMED--CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE AKA THE REAL LIFE HOGWARTS! As an avid Harry Potter fan and someone who knows the movies by heart, saying that I was excited is an extreme understatement. We got to walk around and see the grounds and it was so thrilling to be able to recognize scenes from the movies! The best part of the entire experience was entering the Great Hall from the movies and being able to have high tea (or rather, high hot chocolate) in the actual room where the Hogwarts students eat in the movies. It. was. amazing. I couldnt believe that I had sat in the actual room where the entire cast had been and that Daniel Radcliffe could very easily have sat in the same exact chair I had sat in. Amazing! We had delicious hot chocolate and little finger sandwiches, I recreated scenes from the movies and casted spells, and I loved every second of it. After leaving the Great Hall, we got back onto the bus and I slept the entire way home. Wednesday was one of those days that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Hogwarts :)

luckily I had my wand with me so I could practice Wigardium Leviosa on my saucer...

this is where Dumbledore gives his start of term speech, as displayed by my recreation of the scene

this is where Malfoy tells Harry to join him and his friends and to not go making friends with the "wrong sort of wizards."thanks to Kellen for helping me recreate the scene.

Since Valentine's Day was on Sunday and everyone was distracted with tests to study for and exhaustion from getting home from our day trips, we celebrated Valentine's Day on Monday! That night, we all got all dolled up in pink and red and everyone in the Centre had a party! It was so much fun, we all played the game where you have a name on your back and you have to ask your peers yes or no questions to try to figure out who you are, and then find your match. I ended up being Dr. Macfarlane, one of the professors here, and Susan ended up being Sister Macfarlane! Haha it was so funny. After the game we went down into the servery and decorated sugar cookies! They were home made cookies and they were sooo delicious! It was definitely a great Valentine's Day and I felt a lot of love for the great people I have met here.

below is me and all of my roommates! Dorm 4 is the best!

I really do live at Hogwarts--this place is magical.

Ciao Bella!

2010-02-15T10:20:00.000-08:00

I'm back from Rome! (And yes, doing whatever I can to put off the immense pile of homework I have lurking on my to-do list...) How was Rome, you ask? Well, let me take you from the beginning...

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY---THE TWO DAYS THAT WERE ONE

It was 10 o clock and we had just gotten back from getting kebabs. And no, I don't mean shishkebabs... just regular old lebanese kebabs and we all thought they were delicious. Our stomachs were full, we were all clean and showered, and so before we knew it the time had come to leave for the airport. Given that our flight departed at 6AM that next morning, we weren't planning on leaving for the airport until about 2:30 AM, however, one of our professors informed us that Stansted airport can be extremely unreliable and that it would be best to get there as early as possible. Plus, the tube closes at midnight. So, we left at 10pm and got all settled in at the airport by midnight. We sang the Harry Potter puppet pals song on the Stansted Express and all got a little delirious in the airport with no sleep whatsoever (this may come as a shock, but its not the easiest to fall asleep on freezing hard tile in the middle of an airport without a pillow), but lo and behold we finally made it onto our airplane to Rome. I have to be honest, the flight over to Rome was one of the worst flying experiences I've had and I don't think I'll be flying via RyanAir again. I was so exhausted and so excited to sleep on the plane... so when I got all settled in my window seat and they turned the lights off, it felt like heaven. Unfortunately, this lasted for about five minutes before I was dropped down to hell. They turned all of the lights on and RyanAir does this loud intercom system with recordings advertising all sorts of food and giveaway prizes. At one point I remember hearing a really loud telephone ringing in one of the recordings that was extremely obnoxious. It felt like a cruise line where they had to try to keep us entertained and fed! In short, it was horrible, and the seats didnt recline and my legs were cramped into a very small space. I am very grateful for the wonderful planes I ride in back home now... Delta, I miss and love you.

leaving Queensway tube station!

Hogwarts---er, I mean Stansted--Express

Caitlin and I on the plane before taking off for Rome!

Luckily, our flight landed about 2 and a half hours later in Rome! After getting off the plane and purchasing our 3 day metro passes, we caught a bus that took us to the Trevi Fountain and our hotel. Our hotel was called the Hotel Trevi and it was literally right next to the Trevi Fountain. I loved it. We made wishes in the Trevi Fountain and then we went to our first Italian restaurant. I got the classic spaghetti and it was so delicious! It was definitely the best spaghetti sauce I had ever had... so much flavor! Mmm delicious! Afterwards, we got gelato and did a little bit of shopping at the Via Del Corso which is basically the Oxford Street of Rome. It took us up to the Piazza del Popolo where there was some really big horse show going on. It was kinda weird... So we took pictures, got bombarded by tons of little men trying to sell roses, I climbed on top of a statue, and then we headed on to the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps were really pretty cause everything was lit up because it was night time. At the bottom, there were carnival street performers (which we had actually been seeing everywhere) providing entertainment for the people. It was such a great atmosphere and it really made you want to "be Italian!" which is probably why we spoke in Italian accents half the time. At the top of the steps we made our way into the massive chapel at the top which was some sort of French Catholic sect. I walked in for a little bit to listen to the service and the songs being sung in Latin. It was cool, but I preferred being outside and looking out on the beautiful city. Here in Europe, I have been able to see tons of different religions and cathedrals, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to do so--not only because it has helped me widen my horizons in terms of world religions, but because it has helped me to become even more grateful for my own religion and it has really strengthened my testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church on the face of the earth.

Even though these men may look really cool, do not be a dumb tourist like me and take pictures with them. They will be scary and demand three euros from you.

Spanish Steps

When it got a little later, we followed Caitlin's directions and found this cute little Italian restaurant called, "La Bruschetta." It was so delicious! I got a Margherita pizza and I loved it! Our waiter there was a man named Bonafacce and he was so friendly and he absolutely LOVED us... he kept on saying how women are so amazing and how they are smart while men are just simply stupid. From the moment I heard him say all that, I knew I would love him... and I did, even though he charged us for each slice of bread that we ate. But hey, that's Italia. After dinner we made our way back to the hotel since we were absolutely exhausted (I can say thank you to Diet Coke for keeping me awake for as long as I was) and on the way we got some more gelato and it was so so so yummy and helped me sleep that much better...not that falling asleep that night was difficult in any way shape or form... I knocked out, eager to be energized for the next day.

FRIDAY--ENTRANCE TO THE CITY OF THE HOLY SEE

The next morning we woke up at 7AM to get ready and have breakfast. Our hotel provided breakfast for us which was wonderful and it was on the top floor with a nice window to look out through. Unfortunately, however, what we saw when we looked out the window was rain (we thought Rome would have been a nice escape from the classic London rain). But, we dealt with it and headed off to Vatican City. We walked out into St. Peter's Square and then made our way to St. Peter's Basilica. It took me a while to realize that the St. Peter that the Catholics exalted was Peter the Apostle. I felt so dumb for not realizing this instantly, but when I found out who it was I was so happy that I had taken my New Testament class last semester so that I was able to know some of the background for why the Catholics stress such importance on Peter. The basilica was very beautiful and there were statues of popes everywhere. The most interesting thing to me was the golden throne at the far end of the basilica, which Emma told me is where the Catholics believe Christ will return to sit at the Second Coming. After the basilica we went to the Sistine Chapel, and unfortunately on our walk there it started pouring snowing!! Now, this wasn't any regular snow, it was coming down at the speed that pouring rain comes down at. As we were in line for the museum that leads into the Sistine Chapel, I had to shake off my umbrella every so often because it would get so heavy from the snow that piled on top of it! Luckily, Jenny stayed positive and entertained me by playing 20 questions and after we all developed completely frozen feet, we arrived into the warmth of the museum. We got to see loads of paintings and tapestries, but the highlight was the Sistine Chapel. I loved seeing Michaelangelo's famous painting of God and Adam reaching towards each other. Definitely very cool. Well, since we had lost some members of our group, we decided to wait in the Sistine Chapel on a bench for them to catch up to us... which, inevitably caused us to fall asleep. After what was probably a half hour or so, we woke up, headed to the exit, and found Jenny. We never found Jake... we looked for a while, but we eventually got hungry so we left and got the most amazing pizza sandwiches I have ever had in my life! (By pizza sandwiches I mean a large square piece of pizza that they fold in half.)

Breakfast at the hotel

St. Peter's Square

awkward picture of me in the Basilica

stupid stupid snow.

pizza sandwiches! yum!

After lunch, we traveled on over to the Pantheon which was amazing. It was massive and it was just so cool to see a building that had been standing for such a long time. We went inside and I saw the tomb of the artist Raphael and from the circle at the top of the Pantheon rain fell inside! We had all been wondering what happens when it rains... if the Pantheon floods or not, and we were able to find out for ourselves that the rain does indeed fall down inside the Pantheon, however, there is a roped off section for the water to fall onto, and people brush the water away every so often. After the Pantheon, we got some delicious gelato and then freezing, we made our way back to the hotel to meet up with the lost Jake. After warming up, we went back out for dinner at this restaurant that was supposed to be truly authentic Roman food. It took us about an hour to get there due to some confusion with the map, however, before long we made it to the restaurant after randomly running into Circus Maximus (where the Roman's had chariot races and such... kind of a sports track). The restaurant we ate at had a very Italian atmosphere, however, the food selection was limited and our waiter was very unfriendly. Regardless, I really enjoyed the pasta I ordered and afterwards I got the best gelato I had eaten in my entire experience in Rome. Exhausted, we walked back to the Hotel Trevi and fell asleep in preparation for our final day in Rome.

SATURDAY--THE ROMAN SUN

Saturday we woke up and checked out of our hotel. We had a much more relaxed day with less on our itinerary, so we were able to look at a lot of shops and take more time to see everything around us. We went to the Colloseum first and took a tour so that we would be able to know the significance of the place we were visiting. Did you know...

1. The Colloseum is simply a nickname. It's really called Amphitheater Flavium.

2. The entertainment provided at the Colloseum was largely comprised of killing. In the morning they did animal killings, in the mid-afternoon they showed human executions, and then in the late afternoon the gladiators came out and fought (where death also occasionally occurred--1/6 gladiators died).

3. The Romans came up with what we now refer to as stadium seating. The Colloseum is where our modern seating and exit system in sports arenas comes from.

4. Animals from different countries and even continents crossed paths in the Colloseum. The Romans would combine all sorts of different animals--for example, there are records in the Colloseum showing evidence of a fight between a bear and an elephant.

Pretty interesting, eh? I really enjoyed the Colloseum, but mostly because at the top we were able to enjoy the gorgeous sun which had been hiding from us for so long. Standing at the top of the grand Colloseum with the sun shining down on my face was such a surreal moment. Everything was gorgeous and I felt beauty, wonder, and gratitude. I loved it--and my skin loved it too! It had been a while since I had gotten a substantial amount of Vitamin D. After the Colloseum we got more pizza sandwiches and gelato (my 2nd favorite), and then Caitlin, Jake, and I walked around and took pictures of the Forum. Before long, we had to make our way over to the metro station which would take us to a bus that would in turn return us to the airport. After a two hour flight where I slept the whole time, we arrived back in London. While I loved Rome, it was so good to be home. London is truly where my heart is.

General things I learned from Rome:

1. Do not assume that any strangers you meet are ever on your side. Most people are out to make money in some way shape or form. Always ask questions before diving in to take a picture with someone, or before eating a piece of bread from a basket. You can never ask too many questions.

2. Always come prepared. Thanks to the lovely Caitlin, our itinerary and directions were all completely planned out and it really reduced a lot of stress and we were able to accomplish more things than I think we would have been able to had Cailtin not prepared everything for us ahead of time.

3. I am exactly like my Mom. I found myself doing so many things that she normally does in Rome (including ordering the same types of foods and buying the same types of souvenirs) and have learned so many practical things from her, like smuggling extra food into my purse from breakfast (or even from breakfasts here in the Center--I have a tendency to take extra food and put it in my food box in the cupboard, and everyone jokes about how I have a food storage. But hey, I'm the one who never goes hungry or runs out of anything!). And, I have thoroughly developed her identical obsession with tourist shops and gift shops. Every time we go anywhere, my friends will get annoyed at the end because they'll know that we will have to spend time going into the gift shop so that I can scope everything out. But hey, I say it's all part of the experience.

4. I wish I was more like my dad. My dad has the amazing capability of having everyone like him no matter where he goes. He is just the friendliest guy and can speak with foreign people and find out information from them so easily. When I try to ask people questions, I just end up annoying them or making them angry.

5. Life is so much easier when you have blue eyes. If I couldn't rely on my rhetoric to get the price of a bracelet down a few euros, I could definitely count on the foreign color of my eyes to get the job done.

Rome, you did me well. I hope to cross paths again with you again some day.

A Prelude to One of the Greatest Weeks Ever

2010-02-07T09:56:00.001-08:00

The sun decided to come out of hibernation these past couple days (with an emphasis on yesterday in particular). Friday, we got up and made our way on over to the Banqueting Halls where the royals used to have their banquets (shocker) and where Charles II was beheaded. Now, let me first say that this day was pretty disorganized. First, we get to the banqueting halls and turns out that because of a military ball the night before, the halls werent going to be available for viewing for another hour. SO, we sat in McDonalds and talked until it was time for us to go on inside. It was basically a large room with a painted ceiling... pretty to look at for like 15 minutes maybe? Well they gave us an hour, so we basically sat and chatted the whole time. Afterwards, we had an hour to get lunch and then headed off to the British Museum. We didn't really know where anyone was or what we were supposed to be doing--the group kind of dissolved. So Emma, Macy, Caitlin and I stood independent and carried on. The British Museum was by far my favorite museum that I may have ever been to. It's full of all of these amazing Egyptian and Roman artifacts and I found them to be all so cool! I definitely want to go back some time soon.

ceiling in the Banqueting Hall

the British Museum

After the British museum, we ventured off to Primark to see if we could find a new outfit for the dance that night. It didn't take long for us to get overwhelmed by the store and leave without any purchases. After a very delicious meatloaf dinner, I took a nap and then got ready for the Hyde Park YSA stake dance! It was actually really fun... it was dress to impress so I had fun getting all dolled up with my friends. The dance itself was TINY! There were probably 80 people there tops, half of which were our people. It was really fun nonetheless, and I even got to meet a few young British men ;)

Saturday we woke up and then Jenny, Macy, Emma, Caitlin and I went off to Picadilly Circus to get tickets for Phantom of the Opera on Monday! It was a gorgeous day because the sun was out, so we didn't even mind getting lost--especially because our lack of direction led us to Candy Cakes! (a fondant-ed muffin store that tricks its customers into thinking it sells cupcakes.) So Jenny and I each got a Candy Cake to try and I got a lemon poppyseed one and it was absolutely delicious! The food here never ceases to disappoint me.

Anyways, so we finally made it to Her Royal Majesty's Theater (Caitlin mentioned how cool it feels asking people, "excuse me do you know where her royal majesty's theater is?") and got great tickets for Phantom and we're all so excited to see it! After, we looked around in a really awesome British souvenir shop and these two Italian men ran up to us on the streets and asked us all to take a picture with them! haha it was really weird but kind of funny (if my sisters were here it would have very much been an "umm!!??" moment). Soon enough, we hopped onto the tube and made our way over to the London Eye! Right when we were arriving the sun was just beginning to go down and everything was so gorgeous. I thought I was going to be terrified of the London Eye cause I HATE ferris wheels, but I loved it! It was one of my favorite things that I've done here so far--and the fact that we were on it during sunset made the experience just that much better. When we were at the top Jenny and I talked about how amazing it is that we're here. It was one of those moments where I looked around at the gorgeous city that I'm living in and just felt absolutely breathless. For a moment, I shed my cynical and sarcastic shell and felt such a great love for the world and for everything in it. The experience was just so surreal. I have completely fallen in love with this place and I never want to leave!

us outside of Cool Britannia with one of the traditional British Men that worked there!

this would be me on the London eye.

After the eye, we made our way over to a restaurant called Pizza on the Park, a restaurant that my London Top 10 book (thanks Lauren) had recommended. It was a cute little restaurant and we all got really yummy Italian food and had a great time! Afterwards, I went to go meet up with my second cousins who live here in London and Caitlin was so kind as to not leave me alone and came with me. So, we waited for a little bit and then figured they weren't gonna make it and so we went into Harrod's and explored and then as they were closing we quickly ran into the chocolate hall and bought ourselves some pre-Valentines day chocolates. I have never gotten chocolate at Harrod's yet and I am yet to eat mine. I'm going to see if I can wait til Valentine's Day to eat them, but in all reality, I give myself two days.

Today I had a great Fast Sunday and came home and was very productive and did NOT take a nap--which is a first! I finished my Oliver paper, had a great dinner, got a great compliment by my most favorite Susan, and am now hanging out with my roommates! This next week is going to be amazing... Phantom on Monday and then Rome early Thursday morning! I'm so excited! I can't wait to be in Italy for the first time in my life...but I can't get ahead of myself! I have a quiz and a test before I leave so I've got to keep myself focused for just a few more days, and then I'm free! Can't wait :)

Who will buy [me] sweet red roses?

2010-02-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Here I am, wrapped up in my cheetah snuggie, neon blue leggings, american eagle boy boxers, and BYU sweatshirt in the entry way to no. 29 Palace Court. We just got back from our third day trip and it has been impossible to find any peace and quiet anywhere. Luckily, one of the girls told me about this spot, and as cold as it is, I am in utter silence...so lovely :) I'm reading Measure for Measure for my Shakespeare class tomorrow, and as a brain-break, I figured it'd be fitting to blog about recent events.

Monday was absolutely wonderful! I woke up in the morning for breakfast and had one of my favorite cereals that I have found here in the center. I don't know what it is, but cereal seems to taste better here in London. Jenny and I are utterly obsessed with the breakfast. You'd think it was magic or something... Anyways, we had classes, did homework, had dinner, and then our whole group went to go see Oliver! (don't forget the exclamation point). Since we read Oliver Twist for our English Literature class, we were all super excited to see the play, and it didn't let us down. I thought it was so good! I loved the music, I loved the set, and I loved all of the actors. I laughed, I cried (well, not really...it just sounded fitting), and I even got to enjoy a dark chocolate chip Ben's Cookie before the show started--which, might I add, was the best cookie I have ever had in my entire life. Everyone here (particularly Caitlin) has been singing the songs from Oliver nonstop since the show, and I have been wearing my new Oliver shirt every single night to bed. The novel had already left its mark upon my heart, and now there's a second spot in reserve for the musical. In short, it was simply wonderful.

Tuesday Jenny and I woke up extra early and then went on a run before breakfast. Then, we came back and had breakfast and classes. I'm really enjoying my political science class a lot more than I imagined I would and I always love the discussions that we have in class. After classes, we had lunch and then Macy, Jenny, and I went to the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. I really enjoyed going to the National Gallery for the first time and my favorite pieces to look at were those by Van Gough. After the National Gallery, we came back for dinner and then I was so tired that I was asleep by 8 PM. I woke up at midnight hungry, so Macy and I went down and hung out in the kitchen for a while and then I came back up and went to bed! It was great to get almost 10 hours of sleep!

Trafalgar Square

This morning I woke up at around 6:45 AM and got ready for our third day trip. We all packed onto the bus and then drove on over to Dover Castle! It was really beautiful and such an amazing castle...I will have a castle someday. We started off by walking through the Secret Tunnels where military personnel hid and where medical aid was provided. This was also where Operation Dynamo was concocted--the plan which saved tons of Allied WWII soldiers from Dunkirk. One of the highlights of the tour was our tour guide who was extremely melodramatic in her descriptions of the tunnels. After the tour, we hiked up to Dover Castle much to the dismay of my calf muscles, and after extreme exhaustion we all finally made it to the top. We walked around and took pictures--the castle was beautiful--and climbed all the way to the top of one of the towers. When we saw that our time was running short, we rushed down the steps from the tower and got onto the bus and had our lunches while waiting for one of the other girls to get on the bus. Now, mind you, the directors told us that if we were one minute late the bus would leave without us. Last day trip, my friends and I were FOUR minutes late, and got singled out at a devotional for being late and got very rude treatment by the director. The girl who got lost today was EIGHTEEN minutes late yet received no harsh treatment whatsoever. I say that if it was us who were late again, the bus would have left. I'm sensing a little discrimination.

On top of the tower at Dover Castle

the gorgeous view

Anyways, so we finally made our way on over to Canterbury. It was another quaint British town, and our first sight there was St. Augustine's Abbey. It was basically a bunch of ruins, but it was very pretty and we had a fun time taking pictures there. After, we went to the Canterbury Cathedral where St. Thomas Beckett was murdered (as described in T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral). It was a very intricate cathedral and was extremely ornate, except I thought it smelled like kitty litter, and I got to see the exact spot where St. Thomas was killed. Afterwards, we went to Starbucks and got hot chocolates and had some very good conversation on nice, warm, cozy couches :) Then we did a little browsing through the shops and I FINALLY got a new pair of jeans at Top Shop! I had only packed two pairs of jeans, and upon arriving in Europe, one of my jeans completely ripped---like, the hole extended into two holes, which has resulted in my jeans slowly but surely transforming from a pair of pants to a pair of shorts. Needless to say, when I finally found a decent pair of jeans that fit me well, I was more than thrilled. Unfortunately, this caused me to be late on the bus, but I didnt even care since I was so thrilled about my purchase. Once we got back into London, Caitlin, Macy, Jenny and I all got waffles at Whiteley's (so much more delicious than the ones at the Waffle House) and then got Subway. Who really even said having dessert before dinner is bad for you, anyways? Then, we came home and here I am back in the center. It's been a lovely day with lovely people and given that Thursdays are always my favorite day of the week, I can't wait for what excitement tomorrow has in store.

Oh, one more thing. Given that Valentine's Day is a little over a week away and that we are all far far away from members of the opposite sex who would ever give us presents, we decided to draw names for Valentines! I'm very excited about who my valentine is and I can't wait to see who has me! We all decided to get each other a flower and a candy, so this next week I'm going to have to do a little shopping. Don't you just love the holidays? ;)

I have beautiful eyes.

2010-01-31T16:23:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday, and as I was walking home from church today, I realized that so much of the happiness I am experiencing right now is very much dependent upon my eyes. Walking through Hyde Park is always an amazing experience simply because of the beauty that I breathe in. Today, since I decided to walk back alone, I took particular notice of my surroundings: the beautiful swans in the lake and the sun shining down on them and the water, the trees lining the pathways, all of the little British dogs running everywhere (they made me REALLY miss my cat), a little asian girl probably 2 years old all bundled up with her loving parents and their camera, a young teenage boy holding a young teenage girl by the lake, swept away in the bliss of naive love, an independent woman smiling with her dog, a group of smoking adults who, to my excitement, had accents like Jim Sturgess's on Across the Universe, a loving father teaching his son to ride a bike with training wheels while his wife and daughter waited together ahead for them to catch up, and a slow, shaking, solitary elderly man, walking alone with a cane. Seeing all of these people really brings so many thoughts to my mind--its such a rush of thought and emotion and I loved the time I had to simply think and be at peace and reflect. Hyde Park is so gorgeous and when I'm there I feel elegant and regal and beautiful. It makes me want to run, it makes me want to stand with good posture for once in my life, it makes me want to smile, and when I walk through Hyde Park I walk with the confidence of knowing who I am and how much more I am coming to be by being here. My eyes are the foundation for this realization... they allow me to see the nature in Hyde Park which, since I have been here, has simply inspired me. I have beautiful eyes.

Saturday my eyes showed my the life and experience of a Sikh woman. Our whole group traveled to Southall, an Indian Community, for our culture and community class and there we went to a Sikh Gurduara (temple) to have a hands on experience with the Sikh culture. We arrived at the temple and had to take off our shoes, cover our head with our scarves, and wash our hands once inside. We had a man that one of our teachers knows give us a discourse about the Sikh religion, which was very interesting--unfortunately, his Indian accent was thick enough where I could only comprehend about 3/4 of what he was saying, and the volume of his voice was low enough where I could only hear about 1/2 of what he was saying. You do the math. From what I think I did hear though, the Sikh people are simply very tolerant--they believe that everyone is equal, no matter what religion, class, sex, race, etc. If I heard correctly, they actually have a couple beliefs that parallel LDS doctrine which I found very interesting. Also, I was very surprised to hear that the Sikhs really truly exalt the women and believe that they are the superior gender--for from women, our guide said, we have everything. We had the opportunity to witness the Sikh worship service and we even bowed in front of their "Holy Scriptures" to engage ourselves in their customs (I have a bruised knee so I halfed it and just bend over and touched the ground.) Everywhere we walked we had to hold our hands clasped together close to our chest, and I learned that a typical Sikh greeting is to bow to someone while saying "Sat Sri Akal (ji)" and lowering your eyes. After the service we heard some more about Sikhism, and then left to go to the cafeteria. On our way out, we received some sort of Indian snack from a man sitting with a large pot. I bowed low before him, with my right palm folded on top of my left hand, held out my hand, and received this tan, warm lump in my hands to eat. After I received confirmation from others that this snack was actually very tasty, I ate it. It tasted kind of like brown sugar and flour and its texture reminded me a lot of Pflaumen Zuppa (a German treat that my mom makes). The texture really reflected exactly what it was-- wheat, water, butter, and sugar. All in all, it wasn't bad. After our mystery treat, we went to the cafeteria, which serves up Indian food for thousands of people all year for free. We were served three different types of curry dishes, naan bread, sweet rice, and fried vegetables. I tried a little bit of each and they weren't bad, but I mostly ate the bread and the rice. After the Sikh temple, we visited a Hindu temple and an additional Sikh temple. It was a very eye-opening experience and I think I will be a lot less judgmental of people in turbans when I see them walking on the streets now. I'm glad we went.

After the temples we were given time to look around and shop around in the little Indian shops on the streets. It was very cold and it honestly felt like we were in the ghetto of town..it was a little scary, not gonna lie. But, I got some pretty Indian bangles for a pound and my friends and I all got gorgeous henna tattoos at a beauty parlor for only two pounds! I should probably add that when I was walking up TWO steps, I tripped and fell. I had tripped so many times at this point (see story at TopStop down below for further tripping information) that my friends were partly laughing, yet partly in disbelief at my clumsiness. I really don't know what it is! I just have a hard time controlling my limbs I guess! After getting hennas, we walked around for a while and then, out of no where, we saw the beautiful gold arches of McDonalds and it was like we had finally reached civilization. So we rushed over and ran inside where I got a hot chocolate and then sat back down and socialized with everyone until it came time for dinner. What can I say? I'm a true American at heart. We ate at an indian restaurant and let me just say that it was SPICY!! I have no tolerance for spice whatsoever, so my mouth was on fire for the majority of the time. I had to pour on this yogurt stuff into almost every curry side dish to cool it down so that I would be able to eat just a little bit of it....yet at the end of the dinner my stomach was full of mostly rice and naan bread. Nonetheless, it was so much fun to go out to dinner together as a full group...we only eat together in the Centre, so it was fun to be at a restaurant with everyone...even if the food reminded me of what Ben Stiller ate in Along Came Polly.

(please note that yes, we are wearing bindis on our foreheads!)

My experience at Southall was truly one of a kind and very interesting. While I can't say that I will ever go back, or go to India for that matter, I will say that I'm very happy that I went. The whole time we were singing "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire and I kept on hearing my dad's voice in my head saying "become another person" from The Master of Disguise the entire time. Haha, I really wish my family could have been there with me to see it all.

That night, we came back and celebrated Jenny's 20th birthday. Happy Birthday again Jenny! Jenny was my first friend at BYU and she is one of the few that has stuck with me thus far. She's one of the sweetest girls I know and something about her just always makes me laugh. I love that she's here in London with me cause she has been such a great support system for me and I love her to death! I hope she had a great birthday!

Can you find me???

Friday was a free day and so Emma, Caitlin, Macy and I all went to Portabello Road in the morning! Unfortunately it was raining, so our time was limited since cold weather and rain don't make the ideal combo for a day out on a road filled with outdoor markets. It was very much like Camden Market, except for one thing---The Hummingbird Bakery. This delicious little bit of heaven is a cupcake shop very similar to Sprinkles in LA, except better. It was small and pink and so so so adorable. I got a red velvet cupcake and I was very pleased--so much that the night after I dreamt of cupcakes....no joke.

After Portabello Road, we took the tube (very nervously might I add...) and went on a very long search for this supposedly delicious restaurant called "Giraffe." Well, I had looked up the street beforehand and so right when we got off the tube at High Street Kensington, I asked tons of people where Kensington Court was to find Giraffe. Long story short, instead of walking maybe two blocks, we made a massive square around some residential housing and finally ended up at Giraffe. Bloody directions. I could say that it was horrible and exhausting, but really, it made going to Giraffe that much better. It was a really cool place with a very relaxed mood...it was kind of jungle-themed, which shouldn't be too shocking given its name. Giraffe's motto is "Live, Eat, Love" which really should be the motto of my life. Or at least, one of my mottos. I like eating a lot, and I've realized that a good part of my blog is simply me talking about food... but then again, I wouldn't have it any other way :) After having a delicious quesadilla at Giraffe, I went with my comrades back out into London with HAIL falling from the sky! We didn't have enough time to get to the museum we wanted to see, so to take shelter from the weather and to make most of our time, we went shopping! We went into Urban Outfitters where I acted frugally and didn't get anything, and then into TopShop which has a line by Kate Moss where I got an adorable pair of flats that I simply couldn't resist buying (and TopShop has student discounts... that must have been a sign that I was supposed to make a purchase there.) And of course, in TopShop, I was walking up the steps to the second floor and completely tripped on the stairs and fell forward on my hands while banging my left knee really hard. It was very funny in the moment, but unfortunately I was left with a very painful, swollen, and bruised left knee which confined me to my bed with an ice pack and a new Grey's Anatomy episode for the remainder of the night.

In about 5 hours I have to wake up at 7AM to register for classes for Spring term back in Provo so that I can get the classes that I want before they fill up! I had a really good talk with Calvin, one of the boys here, who is also an English major and he gave me some really great advice about teachers and classes to take, which was something I really needed and am very grateful for. As of right now, I have the rest of college completely planned out which is very comforting. I am so excited for my future.... however, that doesn't mean I want it to begin quite yet.... London and I still have A LOT of bonding to do. My eyes are getting pretty sleepy at this point, so I better head off to bed... tomorrow is a new day, with tons of new sights, images, and people for my captors of magnificence to pull in and treasure. Good night :)

The Sun is Shining BRIGHTON Me

2010-01-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

Today was very much homework oriented. I have a project due on Monday for Shakespeare and thus I want to try to get as much done before Sunday so that I can spend my usual procrastination on one task rather than five. I woke up and had my usual bowl of cereal, debated about going on a run, but then fell back asleep. Then I went to classes--today I had religion (which I did NOT sleep through thanks to the lovely Laura), polisci170, and Engl300. After classes were over, we were going to go see Phantom of the Opera, but decided to postpone our trip so that more people could join in with us and thereby give us a group student discount. So I went on a run through Hyde Park and then ran some errands and came back home. At dinner, I tried curry for my very first time! Well, in a meal that is... I had always had little bites of it before but never really liked it that much, but tonight I actually really enjoyed it! I'm converting to Thai food, which is something I thought I would NEVER do.

Yesterday was our second day trip and I absolutely fell in love with England more because of it. We woke up at 6:30 to have breakfast and to pack lunches and then boarded onto our "coach" (not bus) and headed on to Brighton. For any Jane Austen enthusiasts, you might recall that Brighton is the town in Pride and Prejudice where Lydia goes to pick up soldiers, and where she meets up with Mr. Wickham....and let me just say that I do not blame Lydia for running off to Brighton--I would run off there every weekend if I could. Well, that's not true. I would run off there every weekend in summer if I could. It's on the coast so it's a beautiful beachside with a massive pier with rides and little shops. Honestly, Brighton is just the perfect little beach town where you want to wear flip flops and a summer dress and run around with an ice cream cone. It was a little unfortunate that we saw it in the winter time, but nonetheless Brighton still seemed to encompass something truly magical in the frosty air.

Once we arrived in Brighton, we went to the Royal Pavilion, which was basically King George IV's palace that he designed for when he went on holiday. It was lavish and ridiculously grand and Queen Victoria stayed there at one point with Prince Albert and their kids. The coolest thing about it was that it was all very oriental and Chinese-themed....there were dragons and asian decor everywhere which was very unique. I loved it! So, we went on a tour throughout the palace and then had lunch and walked around on the beach and on the pier. Then it was bye to Brighton and back to the bus.

After we drove on over to Battle Abbey, which is where the Battle of Hastings took place. It was a massive beautiful countryside with fortress-like castles and walls everywhere. It was so gorgeous... most of the other students looked at all of the battle plaques, however, my friends and I took the opportunity to take very America's Next Top Model-esque pictures all over the place. It was so incredibly gorgeous and I have decided that I will be taking my engagement pictures there when I am engaged. Here are few of some of the best shots:

haha Macy and I had fun posing on these really cool looking stairs at the end

After exploring Battle Abbey we got back on the bus and went to a small city called Rye.... I'm still not quite sure what the point of traveling to that city was because we were only there for an hour and there didn't seem to be any great historical significance. Nonetheless, it was a good experience because Macy, Emma, Caitlin and I went to this really cute little bed and breakfast where I got sweet pepper and tomato soup with a cheese scone. It was the perfect combo for a cold day.... cold enough where I wore my cheetah snuggie wrapped around me on our walk around the town... I was a walking fashion statement.

Tuesday we had class and then that night Emma, Macy, Jenny, Caitlin and I made our third attempt to go see The Woman in Black, which turned out to be.... SUCCESSFUL!! I really enjoyed the play.... it was about these two men, one of which was haunted by an experience in his life which he felt obliged to share with the rest of the world. So, he wrote a play about it. He gives it to a man, and then the whole play is them doing a sort of dress rehearsal of this play. It's your traditional ghost story, where the man goes to this creepy old house where he sees this woman dressed in black. Long story short, whenever you see the woman in black, a child is supposed to die. So the whole play the woman in black is randomly popping out and noises are randomly sounding and it was all very jumpy and scary.... at least for me. I get scared very easily and therefore I was always jumping and screaming throughout the whole play. One time, one of the two main characters simply came on stage to move a chair or something and I screamed...causing everyone in the theater to start laughing. Whoops. All in all, it was a fun night.

Tomorrow, Tony Blair is coming to London to make a speech, and it just so happens that two opposing Muslim groups are going to be having some sort of meeting or gathering or something along those lines. Thus, the terrorist threat has been raised to "severe" for tomorrow and so we're all thinking of laying low tomorrow.... avoiding the tube and such. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully everything and everyone will be safe in London... I would hate it if anyone touched my city.

To Market, To Market

2010-01-24T17:58:00.000-08:00

I have JUST set down my copy of Oliver Twist, which is now FINISHED, and am now finally able to write about the excursions of the past few days (and yes, I did enjoy Oliver very much.... even if he did consume a good amount of my free time)... it's a great feeling!

So, how's London you ask? Absolutely fabulous. I have simply adored this week and I honestly fall more in love with this place and it's people more and more every day (minus the food service people--the waiters here could learn a few tips from the Americans on how to be hospitable and friendly hosts.) Wednesday we woke up super early and got on a bus and drove to Stonehenge! Let me say that as cool as it was, it was so much smaller than I thought it would be. Nonetheless, I had a fabulous time taking pictures with everyone in the snow/slush that was falling from the sky and which proceeded to ruin my then-straightened hair. Good news though--I got a really awesome Stonehenge ring which I love and wear almost every day. New obsession forming in London: rings.

After seeing Stonehenge, we hopped back onto the bus and drove on over to Salisbury Cathedral and took a tour through it. The architecture was very beautiful and I got to see one of the original four existing copies of the Magna Carta. After our tour, we had lunch with Susan (Dr. Howe--she's our English professor and she's one of the most awesome people in the world and we all are apart of her fan club), and then headed back on over to the bus, headed to the city of Bath.

Once we arrived in Bath (or as the British say, "baaahhhth") we headed straight to the Abbey which had the baths which the Romans used to bathe in. It was so gorgeous and I am determined to have a natural hot spring that looks exactly like the one in Bath in the courtyard of my future home. After going through the Abbey we went around and walked through the city, which is very European... cobblestone roads, little shops and alleyways, beautiful architecture in random places...I loved it so much and would love to go back there... especially since you can find free samples of delicious fudge in Bath. We went to this place called the "Fudge Kitchen" where two very attractive British men worked there and fed us free fudge. Could life have gotten any better? I think not. We eventually met up back with our group and went to the halls which hold the setting for Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, which was very neat to see considering I started the novel over Christmas break and got to the part where the characters go to such rooms in Bath. After looking around, we walked around some more and I tried my very first cookie from Ben's Cookies (a famous cookie chain in Europe) and let me say that it was simply DIVINE and that when it comes to saturated fats from Ben's Cookies, I will always completely surrender.

That night since we didn't have dinner at the Centre, everyone went out to dinner, and so Macy, Caitlin and I ate at this popular Italian place called "Zizzi" and it was so great! I absolutely loved it--they had the best tomatoes I have tasted in a while. Thursday was a pretty relaxing day for homework, and Jenny and I watched the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy and it was fun, for an hour, to feel like I was home again. Then I realized I'm in London, which is ten million times better than Provo.... Friday we took a group trip to Westminster Abbey where I got to see some more beautiful architecture, as well as the tombs of individuals such as Isaac Newton and Mary Queen of Scots. It was a good experience, but it would have been much better had we stayed in Westminster Abbey for an hour less than we did--I mean you can only be in a cold church surrounded by dead people for so long. Afterwards, Caitlin was so kind as to let me bum under her umbrella as we all walked to Trafalgar Square together. There, we all split up and instead of going to the National Gallery, Emma, Jenny, Caitlin, Macy, Calvin and I all went back to Borough Market for Ostrich burgers (again... they're seriously my new favorite hamburger) and goodies. Afterwards, we went to Oxford street where I finally bought an (super cute) umbrella, and may or may not have browsed around some more at Primark..... ahem.... after we got back to the Centre and had dinner, Macy and I pulled mattresses from our room down into the classroom (beginning with Jerry's) and we watched Young Victoria with a bunch of other people. It was a really good movie and it actually made me cry, which in all reality was probably the result of a number of different things, but STILL, a movie that can bring out tears in me is always a movie worth watching.

On Saturday, Macy, Cailtin and I woke up and went to Camden Market, which we started thinking was merely Hot Topic's site of origin, however, we soon found out that Camden Market is our new favorite place to go! It's basically this massive street with tons of little vendors everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. There's tons of food and treats, vintage shops, jewlery stands, scarfs, mirrors, useless things you'll never use but want anyways, etc. They literally have everything! It was so much fun to go and see everything, and I got a couple things (a scarf, necklace, and fake Chanel earrings) which I ended up buying for a few pounds less than the marketed price, thanks to my oh-so-wonderful bartering skills. On our way back, of course all of the tube stations that we needed to get on or off at were closed, so we had to try to make our way back via bus. Having to resort to travel by bus for the second time has made me very grateful for the tube....especially considering that I'm finally really figuring out how to work it. After a long journey, we finally made it home, with Macy laughing the entire way because I had tripped down a couple stairs at Camden Market and had thus ended up laying on the ground amongst tons of merchandise and accented "are you OK?"'s. After getting home, we tried to go see the Woman in Black AGAIN but when we got there there were only three tickets when we needed five, so thus again our goal to see the play was postponed. So, while we couldn't see a play, we went to the next best thing--a restaurant! We went to this place called Wagamama's and while I was less than impressed with their classier imitation of Top Ramen, I really enjoyed the atmosphere (hint hint..) and may actually go back to try a new dish and allow Wagamama to redeem herself.

This would be me, at a pub in Camden, before eating what is probably my 100th crepe since I've been in Europe. Nutella + banana+ coconut.... mmmmm :)

Today was a pretty usual day... I went to church where Jen, Reesa, Calvin and I were all asked to bear our testimonies in sacrament meeting, which I enjoyed, and then I taught my first lesson in Primary. My class was composed of three kids ages 8, 9, and 10, who were pretty much the most well-behaved children I've ever met in my life--the boy is Ammon (sp?), and then the two girls are Sophie and Arena. Ammon is from Brazil and Arena is from Portugal, and while they all speak English, Portuguese is clearly their first language. But it was a good experience and I think I'm going to enjoy teaching--I lucked out and got some really great students. After my class I went to Relief Society since Primary didn't need me and sat next to one of the sister missionaries who translated the whole thing for me, which was really nice since Sacrament meeting was in Portuguese and well, let's be honest, my lesson in Primary consisted of Arena telling me all about the school systems in Portugal... as well as her allergies to nuts, eggs, and fish. I really am enjoying my ward so far and I think that it's going to be a good experience... and I think I actually might pick up on some Portuguese which I'm sure my dad will be glad to hear!

Also, today I had an amazing and much needed Sunday nap, and worked on homework for the majority of the day. We had a ridiculously delicious dinner which consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, salad, butternut squash and bacon, and rolls....but the salad was so delicious (lettuce, strawberries, kiwis, candied cashews, and some sort of raspberry dressing) that I basically just ate a massive helping of it with some turkey and then gobbled down my slice of the amazing chocolate cake that was served. It's been a great week and I think we have some fun things planned for next week! I have a plan to try to get more sleep and ration my time better, but it's so hard because when you're here, you don't want to do homework--you just want to go out and be in London!! So hopefully my attempts at responsibility will be successful, and if not, oh well, I am making memories here that will last me a lifetime....oh how cliched London is making me... haha gotta love it.

Death by chocolate...and ostrich burgers...and waffles...

2010-01-19T08:36:00.000-08:00

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.

The German Boy, The Gelato, And The Girls...

2010-01-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

This week has seriously just been blowing by... I have been so so so busy! Sunday we had our first day of church here in London and it was really fun to go to the Hyde Park Stake. We walked to church and as cold as it was, the park in the snow was absolutely gorgeous! At Church, each of us received individual ward assignments, and I have been assigned to the South Kensington Ward, which happens to be a Portuguese ward! I'm pretty nervous about this considering that I don't really speak Portuguese... so we'll see how that goes. I'm just happy that it's the closest ward and it starts at 11 :)

On Monday we took a group trip to the London Museum. It was pretty interesting, but we had to do a dumb worksheet on it, so that limited my enjoyment of the experience. After the museum a smaller group of us went to the closest pub and got real authentic fish n chips! Jenny and I split a massive platter and it was soooo delicious!

I love pubs, they're so cool! After lunch we went to St. Paul's Cathedral and it was absolutely gorgeous. We didn't get to climb the 500 steps up to the dome, but we did walk up 300 something steps to the Whispering Gallery and we were soooo tired when we got to the top! haha. I really loved the visit though and we want to go back when the dome is open so that we can make our way up to the top and see the supposed gorgeous view of London.

After St. Paul's, Jenny, Macy, Emma and I went to this little cafe to get some herbal tea and then we headed back home so that Jenny and I could get back for lovely kitchen crew for dinner. Tuesday we had our very first day of classes and it went pretty well! In the morning before my first class I decided to go on a jog through Hyde Park and it was soooo gorgeous! Everyone may say that it sucks to be in London when it's snowing, but I'm so grateful that I'm here and able to see Hyde Park in the snow. I absolutely fell in love with running through Hyde Park and I plan on doing it more frequently as soon as I get medical tape for my bad knees so that I'm not in extreme pain after I run :) Anyways, back to classes...I'm probably the most excited for my two English classes, however, after much controversy and debate, I really think I'm going to enjoy my political science class as well. Tuesday night a group of us decided to randomly try to go see The Lady in Black which is a play that is supposed to be really scary--like, scary enough where people in the theater are screaming and all that jazz--however, we got to the theater TWO MINUTES late and missed it! We were all a little bummed, but we had a very entertaining tube ride on the way there and we were able to do some shopping at the little souveneir shops and get some delicious gelato. Oh, and we saw Big Ben lit up at night and it was absolutely beautiful! It was such a fun night!

Last night we had another school day and at night we made a considerable effort to make it Ben's Cookies, however, again, we got there and they had closed! So we went to McDonald's for goodies... haha. Today was a very busy day of classes and I am absolutely exhausted! But good news: I'm officially off kitchen duty for a LONG time! Hallelujah!!

Me loving London and my home here on Palace Court :)

Official Day One

2010-01-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

I'm finally here at the London Centre! After traveling around with my family for two weeks, I've officially begun my study abroad program and so far it has been so much fun! Yesterday we did a basic day where we all moved in, received instruction, and had our first delicious dinner. Today, we woke up and I still have been feeling a little sick, which is a bummer, but thanks to modern medicine my current state of health hasn't really held me up too much. Anyways, we all got ready for the day and then a group of 8 of us went off on what seemed like a very long tube ride to the O2 center to get tickets to see Peter Pan! I've noticed that I have become the designated tube navigator haha. Every time we take the tube, I ask someone how to get where we're going and then the group trails behind me like my little ducklings! I am thoroughly enjoying my new duty :) haha, Laura calls me the "mom" of our group. Luckily, we looked up tickets online and found out that Peter Pan closes tomorrow, so back at the London Centre we were able to quickly decide that tonight Peter Pan was going to occupy our time. So, once we got to the O2 center we got our tickets, and then since we were all starving, we went and got food at a place called Nando's. Unfortunately for me, I'm not a fan of spicy food and all of the chicken there was spicy (even though Jake insists that my mango and lime chicken, which was the least spicy of all of the levels of spiciness--is that even a word?--wasn't spicy at ALL) but regardless I still pretty much enjoyed my food and the atmosphere with my new friends! Afterwards, we all went to Starbucks and got hot chocolate.... I got some really great herbal tea that felt amazing on my throat, and then i got a mini raspberry coconut cake that satisfied my sweet tooth :)

After socializing and getting to know each other more at Starbucks, we went on over to Peter Pan! It was seriously such a great show! I sat next to Jenny, Macy, and Emma and we had amazing seats! Oh, and what was so cool was that Jonathan Hyde played Hook in the play!! For everyone who doesn't recognize him by name (I for sure didn't know his name when I recognized who he was), he was the man in Titanic who built the ship, the scary hunter guy in Jumanji, and the dad in Richie Rich! Here's a picture of him for reference:

All in all it was a great experience and the play was super cute and funny... there were definitely some parts where I wish I had my sisters Amber and Brittney there with me to laugh about weird stuff that we happen to find funny. Even though we ran into some snow along the way and witnessed a drunk creepy man fall asleep on Laura on the tube, I had so much fun on my first day real day out in London with the new girls I've met here (and guy haha)!

Jenny and I outside in the freezing snow! As cold as it was, it was actually really pretty

Our whole group at Nando's!

Christina, Tori, Me, and Macy at Starbucks! I seriously love the atmosphere at Starbucks... and there was a huge group of British people next to us and I absolutely loved listening to their accents!

Us after Peter Pan! Or as Jenny would say, "Peter in the Pan".... you know, where Peter just goes around and flies around in a pan....

After we got back, Jenny, Macy, Laura and I snacked on PB&Js, bread and nutella, and fruit in the kitchen and now we're all up in our rooms getting ready for bed. I have to get up at 630 tomorrow for church!! Ahhh! As early as that is, I'm excited for another day tomorrow in London :) Night everyone!