so i'm not taking the bible and christianity class, but from what I understand from chery, there are some places that are thought in many christian religions to be 'thin places' where the wall between this life and heaven is as thin as a piece of paper. or something like that? anyway, today we went to GLASTONBURY, which is a thin place because of the legends that Christ grew up there or something?? I don't know, I must have missed that primary lesson... but it was amazing! so, so, so beautiful!!! and i'm totally buying the whole thin place thing.. heaven can't be much better than standing at the top of that hill at the tor overlooking england. so amazing! it literaly took my breath away. I wished i knew poetry to recite in that moment because I couldn't think of any words (and obviously still can't) that do it any sort of justice. it was cloudy and gray and the green stretched forever with little red roofs peeking up. I wish we could have stayed there all day. Or forever. I was so perfectly content. One day, I'm going back there.
After that, the bar had been raised pretty high, but also on the docket today: Stourhead and Bath!! Stourhead is where they filmed the newest pride and prejudice with kiera knightly in that scene where she's at that temple and darcy proposes in the rain! so beautiful!!! it was this incredible garden. huge! lots of ruins and buildings and water etc. We ran the whole time. well just jacqui and i, we ended up going kind of to the wrong place (also beautiful, but not the P&P place..) so we ran around everywhere! my face is so red and sweaty in our pictures there... haha but we made it. we only had an hour there... yeah. I'll be coming back here one day too!
Bath was great too. we did the audio guide around the actual roman baths which are pretty cool. The water is still boinling and steaming and I drank the water that I think gives you youth or health or something? i'm not sure, all i konw is i drank it. the architecture in that city is just amazing. we danced at the ballroom in the assembly hall and had some kind of pastry sausage roll thing for dinner and wandered the streets of bath. definitely 3 of the most amazing places of all time.
oh i forgot to mention the ruins there that we saw! as jane austen said: henry viii did england a great service by providing all of these beautiful ruins on the landscapes. thanks for the disillusionment henry. i guess.
So Jacqui and i had a great idea today - we're going to open a Bed and Breakfast one day together! she can give history tours, and our husbands will have real jobs to support this place. Maybe we'll start it right in Glastobury, but we are going to sample more places first, you know all around the world, just to make sure we find the most beautiful place on earth. But I really honesty think that glastonbury might be it...
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
day 12? really?!?!
homework is so much better when it involves going to awesome museums and looking at the coolest stuff ever!!! today my assignment was to go to the national gallery and compare turner and constable and corot and other landscape paintings in terms of the picturesque movement. such a fun assignment!!!
then we wen to the national transport museum to do an assignment for jane austen, but it turned it out didn't really have the exhibit she thought it did... so instead we just learned about the tube etc. I think every city in the world needs a great transportation system. do away with personal cars. GO GREEN! what would lauren say? london is turning me into eco-friendly hippie! i hope she still talks to me when i come home... not like she talks to me now :(
HOMEOWRK tonight. LOTS OF IT! hopefully. this needs to be a productive night, cause i have three essays due this weekend and a test on friday.
then we wen to the national transport museum to do an assignment for jane austen, but it turned it out didn't really have the exhibit she thought it did... so instead we just learned about the tube etc. I think every city in the world needs a great transportation system. do away with personal cars. GO GREEN! what would lauren say? london is turning me into eco-friendly hippie! i hope she still talks to me when i come home... not like she talks to me now :(
HOMEOWRK tonight. LOTS OF IT! hopefully. this needs to be a productive night, cause i have three essays due this weekend and a test on friday.
The Day I Broke My Hand:
HENRY VIII -
I still cannot really tell you what this play is about even though I just saw it tonight at the globe. It was great! and a really fun experience, and I understood the main plot, but there were some characters that I have no idea what their role was or what the side stories were etc. And standing for three hours just about did me in! cj and the twins and I went and we didn't have tickets but we got some through returns and were happy that our running away from homework once again paid off :) we thought if it didn't work out, it was a sign we should start studying more. but, as it did, I guess it was a sign that we don't really need to worry about it ;)
I fell when I was running on a cobble stone road and not looking and i think i might have broken a bone in my hand. or at least sprained something or gotten some deep tissue bruising most likely. but it really really really hurts!
Also today, we went to the British Museum again and this time i checked out a media guide and went through the museum listening to all the good information available that made everything very interesting and I felt like I actually learned some really interesting things! Like about the rhinoceros by Durer, or the bogg man and all the great egyption stuff. it was really fun! So much history!!
my hand hurts. and typing is difficult. so this is all you get, but just know that I did a lot of other cool stuff today too :)
I still cannot really tell you what this play is about even though I just saw it tonight at the globe. It was great! and a really fun experience, and I understood the main plot, but there were some characters that I have no idea what their role was or what the side stories were etc. And standing for three hours just about did me in! cj and the twins and I went and we didn't have tickets but we got some through returns and were happy that our running away from homework once again paid off :) we thought if it didn't work out, it was a sign we should start studying more. but, as it did, I guess it was a sign that we don't really need to worry about it ;)
I fell when I was running on a cobble stone road and not looking and i think i might have broken a bone in my hand. or at least sprained something or gotten some deep tissue bruising most likely. but it really really really hurts!
Also today, we went to the British Museum again and this time i checked out a media guide and went through the museum listening to all the good information available that made everything very interesting and I felt like I actually learned some really interesting things! Like about the rhinoceros by Durer, or the bogg man and all the great egyption stuff. it was really fun! So much history!!
my hand hurts. and typing is difficult. so this is all you get, but just know that I did a lot of other cool stuff today too :)
Sunday, July 4, 2010
happy independance day
We left bright and early to get to church this morning! we went a complicated way with the tube and a train and the tram and walking, that took about an hour and forty five minutes, and we were still 45 minutes early, so next week we'll go the easy way and hopefully leave a LOT later than today! but church was so so much fun! I'm going to be a yw teacher - there are about 8 girls, 16 -18 mostly. One girl, Mary, just got baptized yesterday and was confirmed today! these girls are so cool and are going to teach me more than vice versa. they are mostly all converts and so they found out for themselves that the church is true and their testimonies are so sweet and sincere. jessica and I are team teaching next sunday about sacrifice. we're going to bring cookies so they like us.
everyone is so so nice though! they yw leader is young and so cool! she said she would take us to the temple sometime, and everyone chatted with us, they were so great! what an awesome ward that opened their arms to a couple american girls. i love that gospel connects everyone! the bishop called us up to bear our testimonies (fast sunday) right when i had maybe dozed off a little bit... ha so that woke me up!
after church it was just a lazy day where i read teh ensign on the fire escape mostly. dinner was soo good cause i was soo hungry. bro seeley gave us a fireside tonight about sacrad space which was cool because we are going to churches of all religions and it was interesting to see how they follow the old testament etc. I can't wait to go the temple!!
then c (clark) j (jacqui) chery and I went to the park to do homeork, except the sun set (duh) and so we couldn't read for more than about 10 minutes. but then we saw some fireworks - just the tips peeking out over the trees - HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO MY FAVORITE COUNTRY ACROSS THE SEA!! I almost forgot that was today! they don't exactly celebrate it here... i almost wish that I was home for the driveway of fire tonight instead. so weird to be in a different country today. no flags. no sparklers.
ps check out 3brocksyoursocks.blogspot.com :)
I love my roommates!
everyone is so so nice though! they yw leader is young and so cool! she said she would take us to the temple sometime, and everyone chatted with us, they were so great! what an awesome ward that opened their arms to a couple american girls. i love that gospel connects everyone! the bishop called us up to bear our testimonies (fast sunday) right when i had maybe dozed off a little bit... ha so that woke me up!
after church it was just a lazy day where i read teh ensign on the fire escape mostly. dinner was soo good cause i was soo hungry. bro seeley gave us a fireside tonight about sacrad space which was cool because we are going to churches of all religions and it was interesting to see how they follow the old testament etc. I can't wait to go the temple!!
then c (clark) j (jacqui) chery and I went to the park to do homeork, except the sun set (duh) and so we couldn't read for more than about 10 minutes. but then we saw some fireworks - just the tips peeking out over the trees - HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO MY FAVORITE COUNTRY ACROSS THE SEA!! I almost forgot that was today! they don't exactly celebrate it here... i almost wish that I was home for the driveway of fire tonight instead. so weird to be in a different country today. no flags. no sparklers.
ps check out 3brocksyoursocks.blogspot.com :)
I love my roommates!
so i found my true love...
forget prince harry - I'm in LOVE.
.
.
.
.
.
.
with NICK JONAS!!
...I'm a little embarrassed to admit that, but it's true! He was Marius in Les Mis which we saw today and though I was really anti going while he's in it, he was great. and way better looking than I gave him credit for.
But 4realz, the show as a whole was incredible. the Eponine stole the show for me, but Jean Valjean was also amazing. I forgot that that is my favorite musical ever. better than wicked for sure. the music! so good. We got totally ripped off on the tickets - probably because nick is only in it for one more week (or that's why they said it was so expensive - 28 pounds) and our seats were like, the very back row of the top balcony pretty much. But for nick, i say it was worth it ;)
Other than les mis, today was a pretty eventful day! jacqui, chery, sarah and I were AT primark when it opened because we wanted to beat the crazy rush, which kind of worked. I only had to wait in the dressing room line for 15 min. But that store was awesome! everything was so cheap and cute. I bought 5things! for only 18pounds. still a lot, but i'm over stressing out so much about money. i'm here! might as well enjoy everything I can, right?
Then Jacqui wanted to meet up with her cousin, and even though they hadn't really very successfully set up a meeting spot (though of no fault of jacquis. her 17 year old cousin is just a 17 year old boy.) but we still some how thought we could make the meeting work out... so we wandered all around london looking for him. ha we didn't find him at the places he said he would be, so after we felt sufficiently hopeless, we went to portabello road! it was really fun, we bought some fruit for a healthy lunch but then we saw the crepes and caved! Jacqui ordered in french and they were talking about how we're going to paris next week, and I threw in the only french I can remember that dani taught me which was "un baguette" and she laughed and told me to keep my mouth completely shut in france or they will hate me :) good thing i have jacqui! she'll translate!
Then we happened upon clark who was there with some other girls but he came home with us instead and directed us on some off street, and I was sure we would be lost for sure, but he only pulled out the map once and we were going the right way after all. so that as a first that I thought I should documet.
our matinee show took up the whole afternoon pretty much (I went with my roommates jessica lauren hannah and lindsay and clark) and so that night was just chill, we got subway and took it to the park and had a picnic. which was pretty uneventful except for the part where i was actually legit choking and clark almost gave me the himlich. I really haven't ever choked before - turns out you really cant even cough or think clearly. glad i didn't die. anyway then everyone else went home and jacqui clark and i went to our pub and watched the world cup. germany beat argentina and spain beat portugal. finals this week. who knew i was such a soccer fan? It was a really fun night - again! came home and watched a movie that was kinda dumb and meant that I'll only get a couple hours of sleep, cause we're leaving for church tomorrow at 730...
SO - goodnight my nick. wherever you are :)
.
.
.
.
.
.
with NICK JONAS!!
...I'm a little embarrassed to admit that, but it's true! He was Marius in Les Mis which we saw today and though I was really anti going while he's in it, he was great. and way better looking than I gave him credit for.
But 4realz, the show as a whole was incredible. the Eponine stole the show for me, but Jean Valjean was also amazing. I forgot that that is my favorite musical ever. better than wicked for sure. the music! so good. We got totally ripped off on the tickets - probably because nick is only in it for one more week (or that's why they said it was so expensive - 28 pounds) and our seats were like, the very back row of the top balcony pretty much. But for nick, i say it was worth it ;)
Other than les mis, today was a pretty eventful day! jacqui, chery, sarah and I were AT primark when it opened because we wanted to beat the crazy rush, which kind of worked. I only had to wait in the dressing room line for 15 min. But that store was awesome! everything was so cheap and cute. I bought 5things! for only 18pounds. still a lot, but i'm over stressing out so much about money. i'm here! might as well enjoy everything I can, right?
Then Jacqui wanted to meet up with her cousin, and even though they hadn't really very successfully set up a meeting spot (though of no fault of jacquis. her 17 year old cousin is just a 17 year old boy.) but we still some how thought we could make the meeting work out... so we wandered all around london looking for him. ha we didn't find him at the places he said he would be, so after we felt sufficiently hopeless, we went to portabello road! it was really fun, we bought some fruit for a healthy lunch but then we saw the crepes and caved! Jacqui ordered in french and they were talking about how we're going to paris next week, and I threw in the only french I can remember that dani taught me which was "un baguette" and she laughed and told me to keep my mouth completely shut in france or they will hate me :) good thing i have jacqui! she'll translate!
Then we happened upon clark who was there with some other girls but he came home with us instead and directed us on some off street, and I was sure we would be lost for sure, but he only pulled out the map once and we were going the right way after all. so that as a first that I thought I should documet.
our matinee show took up the whole afternoon pretty much (I went with my roommates jessica lauren hannah and lindsay and clark) and so that night was just chill, we got subway and took it to the park and had a picnic. which was pretty uneventful except for the part where i was actually legit choking and clark almost gave me the himlich. I really haven't ever choked before - turns out you really cant even cough or think clearly. glad i didn't die. anyway then everyone else went home and jacqui clark and i went to our pub and watched the world cup. germany beat argentina and spain beat portugal. finals this week. who knew i was such a soccer fan? It was a really fun night - again! came home and watched a movie that was kinda dumb and meant that I'll only get a couple hours of sleep, cause we're leaving for church tomorrow at 730...
SO - goodnight my nick. wherever you are :)
Friday, July 2, 2010
lessons i learned in london today
1. I would like to submit that nothing is more beautiful than church boy choirs. they are darling. and one of them reminded me exactly of the little boy in le choristes. the sound bounced off the [amazing] ceiling at kings college and it was all echoey. amazing.
2. Coaches are the same exact thing as buses - they just call them by a different name. but that doesn't really make them any more exciting.
3. aero chocolate is the best. and sharing a bar with jacqui is dangerous because it will probably be devoured in 10 minutes. unless we carefully ration it and put it away in the fridge. but that might lead to her coming and getting you at 1 in the morning to have some more :)
4. sir arthur is the best pub in london. that is where we watched the usa versus ghana game, and we went there tonight again for dinner and it felt like our pub. like our own little corner in this big huge city. and the game was on again! ghana versus uruguay. we were rooting ghana - it came down to a penalty kick off - so intense - and ghana lost. but it was so much fun! that pub delivers!
5. when you get behind, it is basically impossible to catch up on your journal writing. like seriously. i'm still on sunday in my journal and it's friday night now. and I'm forgetting all the details....
6. fish and chips are good! i hate all fish... but of course i still got the famous london fish and chips. but I actually really liked it! the fish was in a beer batter - jacqui assured me that all the alcohol boils out? - but that might have something to do with why it tasted good....
7. sometimes my hunches aren't right, and I should actually look at a map.
8. punting on the cam is waaay harder than they make it look. and I felt like I was living out mary poppins. and it's really fun.
9. clark isn't always right. ha.
10. don't sleep on long coach rides because you'll miss the amazingly beautiful english countryside out the windows. all the stereotypes are totally true. this is a beautiful country.
ps, as i'm writing this on my favorite fire escape spot, i JUST FELT MY FIRST RAIN DROP IN LONDON! While I'm excited, I'll admit, I've LOOOVED the sunshiney week!!
2. Coaches are the same exact thing as buses - they just call them by a different name. but that doesn't really make them any more exciting.
3. aero chocolate is the best. and sharing a bar with jacqui is dangerous because it will probably be devoured in 10 minutes. unless we carefully ration it and put it away in the fridge. but that might lead to her coming and getting you at 1 in the morning to have some more :)
4. sir arthur is the best pub in london. that is where we watched the usa versus ghana game, and we went there tonight again for dinner and it felt like our pub. like our own little corner in this big huge city. and the game was on again! ghana versus uruguay. we were rooting ghana - it came down to a penalty kick off - so intense - and ghana lost. but it was so much fun! that pub delivers!
5. when you get behind, it is basically impossible to catch up on your journal writing. like seriously. i'm still on sunday in my journal and it's friday night now. and I'm forgetting all the details....
6. fish and chips are good! i hate all fish... but of course i still got the famous london fish and chips. but I actually really liked it! the fish was in a beer batter - jacqui assured me that all the alcohol boils out? - but that might have something to do with why it tasted good....
7. sometimes my hunches aren't right, and I should actually look at a map.
8. punting on the cam is waaay harder than they make it look. and I felt like I was living out mary poppins. and it's really fun.
9. clark isn't always right. ha.
10. don't sleep on long coach rides because you'll miss the amazingly beautiful english countryside out the windows. all the stereotypes are totally true. this is a beautiful country.
ps, as i'm writing this on my favorite fire escape spot, i JUST FELT MY FIRST RAIN DROP IN LONDON! While I'm excited, I'll admit, I've LOOOVED the sunshiney week!!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
check mate.
classes this morning, hadn't done much of the readings, stayed up way too late last night with my roommates (this is all starting to sound too familiar eh?) who were writing a love poem to poor clark - just because he's the only boy in our group. ha but it was very funny so i stayed up. after class then clark, sarah, jacqui, emily, and i went and got indian food at Khan. it was a buffet, so i thought it would be good to sample a bit of everything, but really... it turned out, that most of it wasn't really all that good... maybe i'm just meant to be a utah, green jello and casserole kind of girl after all. I liked the meat curry though that was really spicy. and the flat bread. went to tescos, bought batteries. came home and did some homework for a while. dinner, even though i obviously wasn't hungry...
everyone was tired today, or at least that's how it seemed from my tired point of view. so after dinner we decided to go to institue! to meet the local singles that actually live in this city. but after being very lost and trying to get there, we finally arrived to discover there is no institue for all summer. great. but there was a volleyball game going on with some ward, so we jumped in and played for a while and stayed for a couple of hours, eating ice cream and talking to the members and playing ping pong, which, along with volleyball, i am apparetnly terrible at. Ha clark said he wished he was on a study abroad with all boys who knew how to play sports. he also called me fat today. kind of. but he reminds me of a cross between john and andrew so i really like him. and jacuqi is a cross between katie and mary. so when we're all hanging out i love it and I feel like I'm with mi familia! I wish I could talk to Katie.
home early and finished my chess match with cherry. she killed me - even with clark kind of coaching me from the side lines.
tomorrow we're leaving on a day trip early so i'm going to bed. can't be this tired and function again tomorrow.
my blog is boring - this as no reflection of london, which is actually awesome.
everyone was tired today, or at least that's how it seemed from my tired point of view. so after dinner we decided to go to institue! to meet the local singles that actually live in this city. but after being very lost and trying to get there, we finally arrived to discover there is no institue for all summer. great. but there was a volleyball game going on with some ward, so we jumped in and played for a while and stayed for a couple of hours, eating ice cream and talking to the members and playing ping pong, which, along with volleyball, i am apparetnly terrible at. Ha clark said he wished he was on a study abroad with all boys who knew how to play sports. he also called me fat today. kind of. but he reminds me of a cross between john and andrew so i really like him. and jacuqi is a cross between katie and mary. so when we're all hanging out i love it and I feel like I'm with mi familia! I wish I could talk to Katie.
home early and finished my chess match with cherry. she killed me - even with clark kind of coaching me from the side lines.
tomorrow we're leaving on a day trip early so i'm going to bed. can't be this tired and function again tomorrow.
my blog is boring - this as no reflection of london, which is actually awesome.
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