Homeward Bound--Day 71

Hello from the United States! I apologize that I didn't post this last night, but I had a pretty long and tiring day. It feels really good to be home again. I don't feel weird or out of place or anything. I started off my day by eating a quick breakfast, cleaning out my room, turning my key in to the front desk, and getting in a cab to Heathrow. I arrived at the airport close to 11 AM, and even though I had a good three hours until my flight, I was still freaking out. The cab driver had dropped us off at Terminal 1 because that was cheaper than going to both Terminal 1 and Terminal 4 (and I needed to be at Terminal 4). Heathrow has a great free train service that takes fliers from terminal to terminal. I got ride on the train to Terminal 4. When I arrived, I was ushered immediately to baggage drop, which went very quickly because I had already checked in online the night before (it pays to plan ahead). After I dropped off my suitcase, I went right to security. I think I ended up in the fast lane by mistake, but no one stopped me, so I sped right through. In total, I got through all of the painful stuff in less than 40 minutes. I had to wait almost an hour before I could even go to my gate! As such, I decided to fill up my water bottle, take a seat, and read. I got up a little bit before the gate opened to buy myself a sandwich and spend my last few pounds coins. I had 26p left, so I just put it into a large container marked as a collection point for cancer research donations. My gate was very centrally located in the airport, so I found it in just a few minutes. I read a little more before I was called to board.

The aircraft was a 767, which has two aisles with a 2-3-2 seat formation. I was in the middle section between the two aisles in row 27. When I got to my seat, I found that I was the only one in my little row of three. It was kind of nice, especially since I was on the end and right by the bathroom! I spent most of the flight drinking water, listening to music, reading the in-flight magazines, and watching movies (Singin' in the Rain, When Harry Met Sally, and Life as We Know It). I was pretty headachy and tired by the time we landed but very happy to be back home. Dad was waiting for me at the gate when I arrived, but we were separated by glass because I had to go through Customs before I could leave. The process went pretty quickly. I was delighted to see a bomb-sniffing dog come around and search our bags. She was a very cute beagle. I really love to see animals used for such important things. She really looked like she was enjoying her work.

Of course, Mom was very happy to see me and cried and hugged me like I had been away for five years. I got home, had a late dinner, and had some time to catch up with my family. I also introduced David to QI! He loved it, so I think it's safe to say that we will be watching many more episodes together when I have more time at home. Well, that should do it for this blog! Stay tuned for Confessions of a Pre-Vet Student, my new blog that I will be starting once I get back to school. The URL is aminnesotanataugie.blogspot.com.

The End Is Here--Day 70

Alas, today was my final day in London. Tomorrow I will get up, get ready, and head to Heathrow to fly home. I cannot express how amazing this has all been for me, and I cannot believe I am at the end of my incredible experience here in the UK. I could not have asked for a better time, and I am so glad and grateful that I was able to do it. I do not regret a single thing about this trip. As I expected, I have much unfinished business, but I'll be back. I'll have my new friends back at school, and we can reminisce together. Or I can look at all of my pictures anytime I feel like I miss London. I want to thank all of you who supported me leading up to or during the term. You made each and every adventure possible, and I only hope that I have done each of them justice. I will remain interested in British politics and current affairs when I go back, and I will also try to keep up with my favorite British television programs (namely, Prime Minister's Questions and QI). I have promised myself that I will never drink tea without cream and sugar again (unless it is some weird flavor like Lemon Zinger). I will probably also use British phrases without even thinking about it!

The lunch was pretty good. I think my favorite part was my starter, which was a quiche with spinach, cheese, and toasted almonds. My main was chicken with tarragon sauce, which was a little too tarragon-y and one-sided for my tastes. My dessert was bread pudding, and I kind of got tired of the taste after awhile. But it was really awesome getting lunch for one pound, and I was full enough not to need dinner. In addition, the interior was a nice, cute Italian-peasant-type style with barrels of wheat, wine bottles with candles in them, and peasant-type music.

Enjoying our final meal together as a family. Thanks for the smiles and the laughs, girls! :)

And finally, we had one last sightseeing visit to Westminster Abbey. It was so worth the 13 pounds, which comes with a free audio guide narrated by none other than Jeremy Irons! The Abbey (i.e. the current building) dates back to the 13th century, and it used to be a monastery before it was a cathedral. The very first building was constructed in 960. Of course, when King Henry VIII started the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1547, Westminster was one of the first to go. Like many cathedrals in the UK, it is still open for public worship, and every hour, there is one minute of silent prayer. I've really developed a love of cathedrals in my time here, and this was another splendid example. One of the best things we saw was the marble floor in front of the high altar where monarchs' coffins are laid at their deaths and where monarchs take communion upon their coronations. The floor, called the great pavement or Cosmati pavement, is as old as the Abbey.

Many, many famous people are buried in Westminster Abbey, including Edward the Confessor, Edward III, Edward VI, King Henry VIII, King Henry VII, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Sir Winston Churchill, Handel, Chaucer, D.H. Lawrence, Lord Byron, T.S. Eliot, Henry James, and more (the last six are buried in what is known as Poets' Corner).

There are also some really touching memorials to Britain's war heroes. One is located in King Henry VII's Lady Chapel (built in 1503), and it is called the Royal Air Force Chapel. It was dedicated to all of those who died in the air in the Battle of Britain during World War II. One of the chapel walls has a piece of glass in it that covers a hole made by a bomb in 1940, so it's kind of a cool location for a World War II memorial. Another memorial in the Nave of the Abbey commemorates all of the unknown soldiers who died in World War I (and in subsequent wars, of course). Outside the Abbey are crosses and wreaths decked in fake red poppies, and there is a stand where people can buy poppy pins to commemorate these unknown soldiers.

Another really cool thing was the Pyx Chamber, which was were the monastery counted its money. It was an interesting and very old vault with crumbling columns. Near the Pyx Chamber is the Chapter House, and leading up to the Chapter House is Britain's Oldest Door, which dates back to 1080. I couldn't get any pictures of the interior of the Abbey because photography is not allowed. :(

When we left the Abbey, we took a last look at the tower that houses Big Ben. The moon was absolutely beautiful tonight--I think it is a full moon, and we could see it over the Houses of Parliament. It was such a great sight!

This evening, we went to Snog for a last delicious taste of England. It was such a great way to spend my last few hours in London. Tomorrow I am taking a cab with a few of my friends to the airport because it will be a lot easier and more convenient than the Tube. We are leaving a little later because it will be faster, so I can have a little bit more sleep before the long and tiring day ahead of me.

Well, that's all for this blog! My next post will be Stateside, probably just a few details about my flight and making it home safe. However, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I will try to continue some sort of blog throughout the rest of the school year and the rest of my time at Augie (and maybe even through vet school or grad school). You can look for the link in your e-mail inbox as soon as I get that started. I can't guarantee that it will be a daily thing because I'll have quite a bit of work to do once I get back to Augie, but I will really try to make it at least a weekly thing so I can fill you in on everything that happened during the last seven days and such. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in America!!

Preparations--Day 69

This morning, I took my British Politics final. We had an hour-and-a-half to complete two essays. We were allowed to make outlines for our essays and use them on the exam. Even so, I found myself running out of time to write down everything that I wanted to say. I had to cut out bits here and there so that I spent about 45 minutes on each essay and got down the most important things before time ran out. Overall, I think I did a pretty good job. I'm hoping that our final grades for the term will be up soon because I don't like having those I's on my transcript (even though no one will notice but me).

I also started packing today, mainly focusing on the items that I really don't need today, tomorrow, or Thursday morning. It feels weird to be packing because it's still strange to be leaving. Much like how I couldn't believe I was going to London until I was at the airport, I can't really believe that I am going home until I head out the door with my suitcases and make my way to South Kensington to catch the train to Heathrow.

Today is my friend Kayla's birthday, and she is celebrating by taking a day trip to Warwick Castle, where they have sort of a Renaissance fair atmosphere (she is really into J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis). I really hope she has a good time. We are planning to celebrate with a cake later in the evening. :)

Tomorrow is our final lunch at a traditional British restaurant called Maggie Jones's. Afterward, we are going to finally see Westminster Cathedral from the inside. I will then need to finish packing, return my cell phone to T-Mobile, and print my boarding pass. My friends and I also want to go to Snog one last time before we leave. It should be a busy but productive last full day in London. I'm really going to miss this place, but there are so many good and exciting things waiting for me at home, too. I miss the open spaces and the room to move. I feel horrible for saying it, but I can't help it. The British have the tightest living spaces in Europe, and I can't undo 20 years of living in America in just 10 weeks. I'm also looking forward to lower prices and to being back at Augie again, where I am fortunate enough to be able to continue cooking for myself and saving money that way. Well, that's all for the second-to-last post from London. Have a great evening, and I can't wait to tell you about the grand finale tomorrow.

A Day of Lasts--Day 68

Alas, my time here is  coming to a close. I went to Tesco for the last time today to buy groceries for the next two-and-a-half days. I did laundry here for the last time. I went to Metrogate for the last time to print my seminar paper (which I have posted here for you to read!). Sarah and I were talking last night when we went for a walk so Sarah could buy dinner (we ended up at Caffe Nero, a nice little Italian cafe with great chai lattes), and we were talking about all of the things we are going to miss about London. There is not much I have missed about the States while I have been here (apart from all of the wonderful people and my science classes), but there is so, so much that I will miss about the UK: good tea with little snacks, krumpets, the lovely middle-class British accent (somewhere between Cockney and posh British) as well as the Scottish accent, Paul (that place with the fantastic hot chocolate), largely unprocessed food, Snog, the Stockpot, all of the wonderful museums, the Kensington/Chelsea area in general, and more. However, I was talking with my parents yesterday on Skype, and I came up with a few things that I know I want to do the next time I am here. For the most part, I want to spend more time in other parts of the UK: Scotland (more time in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Loch Lomond again, and Loch Ness), Wales, Bath, York, Cambridge, and the Lake District. Of course, then I started thinking about other places in Europe that I absolutely must visit before I die: Finland and Italy (Tuscany and Sicily). It would also be really cool to see Greece, France (the countryside, not Paris), Austria, Norway, and Ireland. On the home front, it would be great to visit Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, Chicago again, Kansas City, and Door County in Wisconsin. I better get cracking if I'm going to do all of this, huh? Oh, well. It's good to at least dream.

When a group of us went to turn in our seminar papers today, Josh gave us each a copy of the big group picture we took at Heythrop. Overall, it's a pretty good picture, I think (although I don't think I'm very photogenic; but I shouldn't concentrate on me: I should concentrate on the other lovely faces in the photograph). It will be great to have it in my room when I get back to Augie so I can relive all of the memories.

If you can't tell, I'm way at the far right in the very front row.

Today I also learned a new British slang term: "lemon" to them means "idiot" or "fool." A maintenance man came into our room today to fix this loop on our wall that they use to strap a rope into when they are cleaning the windows. He forgot his tools on Lauren's desk, and when she went to return them to him, he said, "Cheers. Thanks. I'm a lemon." It was delightful.

I ended my day with a trip to a sushi restaurant called Yo! Sushi near St. Paul's Cathedral. It was so incredibly delicious! I started with edamame (always a good choice), then I had a spicy chicken salad with lettuce, carrots, and green beans. My third dish was three pieces of sushi with three different types of fish on the rice: shrimp, tuna, and salmon. My fourth dish was a sushi roll of mixed fish: again, shrimp, tuna, and salmon. My fifth dish was battered and deep-fried pumpkin with a fruity, tangy sauce. My sixth dish was vegetables and soba noodles. Finally, I finished my meal with mochi (sweet rice balls with a bean paste) for dessert. It was really fun getting to pick any plate that I wanted off the belt. We had all the necessary accouterments of sushi-eating at the counter with us (chopsticks, napkins, water from a tap, and soy sauce with little ceramic dishes). It was definitely more expensive than I would have liked, but I have only a few days in London, so I figure I can splurge a little.

Always a great way to start a sushi meal!

You can't beat tradition.

Mmmm. Delicious and filling!

I'm happy that you enjoy reading my blog! (The green semi-circles are the mochi.)

In other news, Chelsea is prepping for Christmas, especially along the King's Road, where fake Christmas trees with lights adorn the lamp posts.

Tomorrow is my final exam for British Politics. I hope that the outlines I have created will help me remember what I need to write down so I do well on the essays. After 11:30 AM tomorrow, I will be completely done with all of my schoolwork for the term, so I can exhale a little bit and then jump right into packing for home. I also got my final grade for British Art History: A! I am extremely pleased because I was afraid that I wasn't doing my usual level of work (being distracted by London and such). But this bodes well for my other two classes, too. I hate how my transcript looks right now--two "Incompletes" because our final hasn't been graded yet for History of London, and I still have to take my British Politics final. I am glad that at least one of my professors was able to get the grades in on time (that sounds threatening, but I'm just stating the facts). It makes me feel a little better. If you haven't heard, my brother won the Victor C. Dunder award from his Nordic ski team, which means that he gets a full set of ski equipment. When he graduates, he will pass the equipment down to another skier. Hurray, David! He deserves it. :)

My seminar paper is here for you to read:

How Does Your Garden Grow?: Examining British and American Gardens

            It is often observed that pets resemble their owners. After spending ten weeks in London, I have noticed that the same is true of gardens. My journey to understanding British gardens took me to such places as the Roof Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the Chelsea Physic Garden, the gardens at Hampton Court Palace, and finally—the forebear of all of these gardens—Chiswick House and Grounds. I have discovered that the British and American characters are revealed as clearly through their respective gardens as if the people of each nation had been personally interviewed. British gardens evidence respect for nature, a love of tradition, reserve, practicality, authenticity, and a well-developed inferiority complex. Conversely, American gardens evidence a frivolous attitude toward nature, a love of novelty, boldness, impracticality, artifice, and keen egotism. Yet British and American gardens have at least two things in common: an imperialistic aspect (certainly contradictory for the British) and playfulness. These similarities are not immediately apparent upon comparison of the two types of garden. Rather, what is most apparent in any such comparison is a very strong difference in the British and American attitudes toward gardens in general.

British gardens exude a respect for nature that is not easily paralleled. The traditional British garden is quite large and includes such features as trees, neatly trimmed grass, a pond or other source of water, winding footpaths, and any other type of plant that the owner sees fit to grow, all of which are usually enclosed by a brick wall. Because space in London is tight, most homeowners do not have very large gardens, but those gardens usually take up every inch of available land. If there is one thing British people love, it’s their gardens. They give the name “garden” to many different places, including those that aren’t really gardens at all—parks, roads, and neighborhoods, for instance. On our first day in London, our tour guide Angie took us students to see the seldom-open Roof Gardens off Kensington High Street. From her conversation, I could tell that the British view such an experience as a real treat. Some native Londoners still have not seen the garden because it is so popular for receptions and parties. There is even a club in the garden that Prince Harry often frequents, so it is clear that a love of gardens and nature in general transcends British class boundaries. The proliferation of gardens throughout the city suggests that gardens are all but necessary to British life.

By contrast, Americans tend to view gardens somewhat frivolously. Gardening in the United States is a hobby, an outlet for the exercise of personal choice. Americans tend to view life with an as-you-like-it attitude, which is why it is so hard to describe an American garden. When I think of an American garden, I picture a boxed-in backyard plot in which vegetables, flowers, or both may grow. Some gardens have small ponds with koi fish or goldfish, but there is by no means a standard definition of a “garden” in the American lexicon. What is almost a guarantee, though, is that the garden will not envelop the whole backyard. Americans value the openness and freedom of a backyard too much for that. The common characteristic of all American gardens is that there is no common characteristic; they are whatever their owners decide to make them.

This careless American attitude must be appalling for the British, who are almost obsessed with their traditions (including the landscape garden). The British hold their gardens and other aspects of their lives to higher, stricter standards than Americans do because the British respect and care about such things too much to neglect them to mere opinion. In addition, the British people are more concerned than Americans are with preserving the precious history of their places and people. The British landscape garden dates back to around 1729, when Chiswick House was built in West London. Very little has changed since then, as can be seen by visiting any of the major gardens in the area. The same narrow, rectangular beds seen in the Chelsea Physic garden are also present in Kew Gardens and the gardens of Hampton Court Palace. Additionally, all of the gardens that I visited had the same general layout: a wide open space with trees, a wide variety of other plants, and one or more bodies of water. The British have found a gardening method that works for them, and they are not changing it anytime soon.

A couple of examples will suffice to demonstrate this love of tradition. One is the presence of follies (fake ruins) in many British gardens, including the Aeolis Temple at Kew Gardens. Such follies serve to remind the British of their ancient origins, in which they take a great amount of pride. Another example is the Wollemi pine (a “living fossil”), also at Kew Gardens. This prehistoric tree was thought to be extinct until a specimen was found in a secluded gully in an Australian forest. One such specimen now lives in the UK, and it seems to serve as a testament to the British ability to endure trials and come away from them stronger.

The American way, the way of progress and innovation, could not be more different. The sheer variety of gardens in the United States proves that Americans are never satisfied with just one method of doing things. Instead, Americans feel that they must constantly improve or risk becoming irrelevant. The fast pace of American life means fast change, so gardens must change as well and just as quickly. Gardens in the United States can be as diverse as rock gardens, Zen gardens, rose gardens, vegetable gardens, wild gardens (populated by native species of grass and flowers), or a hybrid of two or more of these styles (another American innovation). British people must be shocked when they learn that Americans have no single right way to construct a garden. The British are accustomed to a more concrete, immutable type of garden, whereas Americans are accustomed to a more undefined, variable type of garden.

Another trait that is very clearly expressed in British gardens is the reserve of their owners. The brick walls that surround most British gardens tend to make the gardens more subtle. As such, the gardens are not visually assaulting and reveal themselves by degrees, a very charming effect that reflects the British people themselves in interpersonal interactions. British people are reluctant to share personal information right from the get-go, and it is only through extended relationships and continued conversations with them that they reveal more intimate details. As it is with the British people, so it is with their gardens. Chelsea Physic Garden is perhaps the best example of this. Each new bend in the pathway brings a new section of the garden and a new treasure to behold, including a quaint spice garden, a garden designed to illustrate different kinds of seed dispersal, and a medical garden. It is simply delightful and completely British.

Like Americans themselves, American gardens tend to be bold and outgoing. Americans mostly keep them open and unfenced, as with my own vegetable garden at home and with front-yard landscaping (assuming the entire property is not fenced in). Americans love the idea of freedom, so it is no wonder that such an affinity would reveal itself in their gardens. It is much harder to downplay an American garden, as it is usually visually arresting. Americans are often scolded by their British cousins for being “too friendly” and too ready to share private information with near-strangers. Consequently, there is almost nothing “secret” about an American garden; it shows everything in one fell swoop and leaves nothing to the imagination or to discovery. As such, American gardens have less charm than their British counterparts.

To continue, a common stereotype of the British is that they are inexorably practical, and this characteristic is observable in their gardens as well as in their personalities. British gardens often have some element of symmetry, even if the garden as a whole is asymmetrical. The Tudor Garden at Hampton Court Palace is a great example because it has heraldic animal statues along its main path as well as equal numbers of identically-arranged and identically-sized boxes on either side of the path. Additionally, the British tend to favor useful plants in their gardens, which is abundantly clear in the many botanic gardens located in the UK. Once again, I think that Chelsea Physic Garden illustrates this point nicely. The garden was founded in 1673 as a study tool for apothecary students, and it still bears evidence of this use today in the medical garden, a collection of plants organized by the type of disease they treat. The maladies are as diverse as gastrointestinal ailments, cardiopulmonary conditions, and skin disorders. The large gingko tree on the premises is another example of a medical plant: it can be used to treat tuberculosis. A final group of practical plants on the premises are the wildflowers that grow on the side of Fortune’s Tank Pond; they serve as cover for young frogs.

By contrast, American gardens evidence the infamous American impracticality. There is very little rhyme or reason to American gardens, and they are often planted willy-nilly with a hodge-podge of plant varieties and styles. This is not to say that Americans do not plan their gardens, but the construction of an American garden is nowhere near as regimented and exact as the construction of a British garden. Whereas the British seem to have a certain regard for the tastes and sensibilities of other people, Americans do what they like to please themselves and often do not care how their words and actions might affect others. After all, it is a free country. The result is a collection of gardens that, though they may be loved by their owners, may be an eyesore to neighbors and friends. It is hard to imagine such a result with British gardens because they are held to such unwavering standards.

The British are nothing if not proud of being genuine, a feature of British life seen both in interpersonal interactions and gardens. The British love to make their gardens appear natural and authentic despite the fact that those gardens have been constructed to look that way. A common feature of British gardens is a wooded area or “wilderness” that looks as if it dates back to time immemorial. Both Chiswick House and Kew Gardens have this feature, whose desired effect is one of simply stumbling upon a picturesque patch of land with perfectly cut grass; green, leafy trees; and sparkling bodies of water. Interestingly enough, it is nearly impossible to achieve this idyllic scene without some kind of human intervention. I think that the British generally do a very good job of disguising the human hand in their garden work. Unfortunately, the same is not true of Americans.

Artifice seems as American as apple pie, so it is not surprising that it is found in American gardens. There is virtually no pretense of authenticity in an American garden. Americans intentionally create green spaces in their backyards, and they are not ashamed to reveal that those green spaces are contrived rather than natural. In fact, Americans seem to take pride in the fact that human hands have wrought what the eye sees in a garden, whereas the British seem keener to hide the fact that their gardens are created spaces. I think that this stems more from American egotism and the British inferiority complex than from American honesty and British falsehood. Americans want to receive credit where it is due, while the British are more content to let someone or something else take the credit for something they have created.

The British people are well-known for their extreme self-deprecation, and this intense form of modesty is very clear in their gardens. British gardens contain a lot more exotic plant and animal varieties than native species. I have seen numerous British homes with bamboo and palm trees growing on the premises. In addition, all of the gardens that I visited had non-native plant and animal species. The Rooftop Garden has flamingoes. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew have parrots and peacocks. The Chelsea Physic Garden has several hothouses with plants from different regions of the world, such as Asia, South America, and the Mediterranean. Finally, the grounds of Chiswick House contain two cedar trees from Lebanon and a conservatory housing dozens of camellias, flowers native to Southeast Asia.

Americans are just the opposite: they think that they live in the greatest country in the world, so patriotic pride is virtually guaranteed in their gardens. The overwhelming majority of plant varieties found in American gardens are native. Americans love to display the work that they have done and receive praise for their ingenuity. Rather than grow a plant from another country, Americans prefer to grow a plant variety that was developed “at home.” It is clear that they love their own varieties best.

Interestingly enough, all of these differences belie a couple of similarities between British and American gardens. First, both British and American gardens can be imperialistic. I have just discussed American egotism with reference to gardens, but the British—for all their modesty—also possess a sense of superiority. They seem to have just one “right” way to organize a garden, and owing to their strong sense of propriety, they tend to adhere to that way. The beds in their gardens are neat, orderly, perfectly angular, and surrounded by tidy patches of grass. It is as if the British feel the need to control nature, as seen in the topiary in London. Neatly-trimmed hedges proliferate in the city, and Hampton Court Palace outside the city has a large collection of trees with gumdrop-shaped crowns that are obviously the work of human hands. I would have a hard time believing that such forms were possible in nature. Even though the British tend to be meek and reserved in conversation, they seem to have no trouble boldly controlling the natural world around them.

Secondly, both British and American gardens can be playful. This trait is certainly surprising in the case of the British because they tend to be a bit stern and serious. Nevertheless, I have noted several occasions of the British having fun with their gardens. The corkscrew-shaped topiary outside the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square is just one example. I was walking past St. James’s Park one afternoon and noticed a lovely bunch of flowering bushes, each speckled with flowers of a different color. Such splashes of color are not uncommon in British gardens. The disorganized space of the “wilderness” in British gardens is another example of play.  It is one area where the British can let loose. It seems that a little mess for authenticity’s sake is okay once in awhile. A final example of play is the “goose’s foot,” a feature of certain British gardens in which a group of paths converges at a common point, such as a statue, building, or obelisk. I learned about the goose’s foot first at Chiswick House, but when I went back and looked at maps of other British gardens I had visited, I noticed similar shapes at Kew Gardens and Hampton Court. The goose’s foot at Kew Gardens leads to the Palm House, while the goose’s foot at Hampton Court leads to the palace itself. I don’t need to say much about playfulness in American gardens. The very spirit of American gardens is playful because they often feature a mash-up of styles and a whimsical (if undisciplined) arrangement of plants. In fact, Americans often have an overdeveloped sense of the necessity for play. It is often hard for them to be serious, and their gardens are just the same.

All in all, British and American gardens, like British and American people, are very different. British gardens tend to downplay their own beauty while emphasizing the old and authentic over the new and fake. The exact inverse is true of American gardens. Yet both types of gardens (and both types of people) know how to have fun and can lapse into self-congratulation at times. I think that there is beauty in both types of gardens, yet I cannot help but prefer the British garden because it is more in line with my personality. If there is one thing I have learned to appreciate about the British during this term, it is their ability to create beautiful works of nature in the most subtle, gentle, down-to-earth way imaginable.

Poetry Is Truth in Its Sunday Clothes*--Day 67

*based on a quotation by Joseph Roux.

Today was a good recovery day for all the partying I did yesterday. I reviewed my garden paper and also did more preparation for my British Politics final. I did not go to Tate Modern because I thought it was better to finish studying instead. The next three days are going to be pretty busy, so I thought I'd just take today to relax and prepare myself for the end.

Tomorrow, my friends and I are going to eat dinner at a sushi restaurant that Sarah and Lauren discovered a few weeks ago. The restaurant offers a deal on Mondays where each plate is just 2 pounds and 30 pence (normally, prices range from one pound and 70 pence to 5 pounds and 40 pence). It should be quite delicious. :)

Sure to Remember THIS Fifth of November--Day 66

"Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot..."

Happy Bonfire Night!


The beginning of the day was not too exciting. I did some necessary studying for my British Politics final on Tuesday (basically writing two essays), and all I can say now is that I am pretty sick of writing. I'm looking forward to less writing next term because I've been doing quite a lot of it this term. However, I was really happy to get it done because it meant that I could enjoy the rest of my afternoon and evening, which is always a good thing. :)


But, oh my gosh! What a night. It was easily one of my top five highlights of the trip. The coach picked us all up outside the flats at 6:15, and dressed to the nines, we made our way down to Westminster Pier. We had to wait for about an hour before boarding the dinner cruise ship, but it was so worth it! The boat was basically a set of three columns of tables and a dance floor with a viewing deck on top and big Plexiglas picture windows. We ate our appetizers, the first of our grand four-course meal, almost immediately upon arrival. Mine was roasted eggplant and summer squash with goat cheese and a garnish of arugula (which the Brits call "rocket") and walnuts. It was very delicious. It was a cold appetizer, and I think I would have preferred it warm, but it was still good all the same. Along with the appetizer, we ate delicious bread rolls and butter while being serenaded by our entertainer for the evening. He was quite the character and very likable. He pulled a few girls from our group (including Haley at one point!) onto the dance floor with him during a couple of his numbers. He sang mostly standards, but those are the good ones, so we didn't mind.

Haley was such a good sport...I would have been mortified!

The music stopped for a couple of hours while we ate the rest of our meal. The second course was a lovely butternut squash soup seasoned with curry spices and cinnamon or ginger (it was a little hard to tell). We went upstairs briefly after our soup to try to get a good view of our surroundings, but we were moored along a dock surrounded by mainly apartment buildings and such, so we took a quick look around and went back inside (spurred by the chilly air, the wind, and the light misting of rain).


Along our route, we saw many small groups of fireworks, which were really beautiful. We also got to see a lot of buildings lit up for the night, including the London Eye and the tower that houses Big Ben (Big Ben is the bell, not the tower). We also passed the O2 (AKA The Millennium Dome), where a lot of London's highest-profile concerts and shows take place.

The O2.

The London Eye (again).

I apologize for the poor quality of these photographs. I'm also a little disappointed with this picture because you can't see the intricate designs on the face of the clock, which is most of the reason why the picture is beautiful in the first place.

Our main course arrived shortly after we came back inside. I had roasted lamb with barley in a red wine and red currant sauce. The lamb was cooked perfectly; it was tender but not undercooked. We all ate our mains with a side of fresh vegetables, which were also cooked well and delicious (mini potatoes, pea pods, zucchini, carrots, and green beans). I was beginning to feel full and wasn't sure I could fit dessert in. However, I found room, which was a good thing because dessert was lava cakes with cream and a spoonful of mixed berries. It was absolutely fantastic. After dessert, the waiters and waitresses came around with tea and coffee. I can never say no to tea with cream and sugar, so I ended my meal in the most delightful manner possible.


Shortly after dessert and tea, our entertainer came back to sing more songs, this time from mostly from musicals. Mary Hall, an elderly British woman who has been organizing a lot of our activities, encouraged me and my friends to get on the dance floor, but we felt like it was the wrong song. We were so excited when the entertainer sang "Sway" and then even more excited when he announced that he was going to sing "a drinking song" and then proceeded to sing "That's Amore." Of course, the whole boat got into the song, and we were all singing along because it is such a fantastic song. It appeals to the Italian in me, which Sarah agreed with. It's funny because three other girls in our group are Italian, too (Sarah, Elizabeth, and Amanda), and two of them have French Canadian in them as well--Sarah and Amanda (so we are just a bunch of Fritaladians). Finally, Sarah said that enough was enough, and I headed to the dance floor with her, Haley, and Amanda. Well, that was the end of sitting down. We danced for almost an hour. The other Augie students slowly trickled in after us as the entertainer sang songs by ABBA and more. However, we really got the party going when he sat down. Then, the DJ started playing American dance music and turned on multicolored lights. That was all we American students needed to really start tearing up the dance floor. Needless to say, we jumped and swayed our hearts out. But we were far outshone by one of our professor's kids, Marcus.


Amanda told us about him a few weeks ago, saying he was a "hipster" because of his long hair and good fashion sense. Marcus is nine years old. I was expecting a surly kid who would sit at the table with his parents the whole night and not talk to anyone. Well, next thing I knew, he was dancing with a few of the girls in our group. It was the cutest darn thing I have ever seen. He was dressed in a dress shirt and vest and little dress pants. He has the most adorable face ever, and he has a British accent, to boot. We all wanted to take him home with us like a little puppy. When the American music started playing, he just got lost in his own little world and started breaking out the most amazing dance moves I have ever seen in a kid so young. We were all amazed and loved him even more after that. He seemed to love the attention as he shuffled and jumped and did the robot. We were all clapping and cheering for him as he did his thing. The funniest part was watching him after the music ended because he looked so tired. However, he was such a nice kid that he let a few girls take their pictures with him, even though he was about to pass out. I'm sure he was up past his bedtime.


We got off the boat close to 11 PM, and we were afraid that the Tube had already closed and that we would have to take a cab to get back. We got a coach there, but as always, we had to find our way back home. However, we did not realize that the Tube is open later on weekends, which is such a good idea on TFL's (Transport for London's) part. So, we got on a train and headed home, tired but completely satisfied with the incredible night we had.


Luckily, tomorrow is a low-key day. I have a couple of homework-type things to finish up and my parents to Skype, but other than that, I can just chill and start to organize my schedule for the week. I might go to the Tate Modern art gallery (it has contemporary art) with Elizabeth and Lauren, but other than that, I don't have much going on. Hopefully, my friends will start to post their pictures of last night soon so I can share them with you. I assure you, they are much more interesting than any of the pictures I took (aside from the picture of Haley; that was pretty special).

Merry Times at Windsor--Day 65

I had another lovely day trip today to Windsor. The journey was a very rapid 50 minutes or so, and our tour guide Britt gave us a running commentary the entire time, so it went by even quicker. As we were approaching Windsor, we drove through the famous fields of Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was drafted and signed between King John and the barons who paid him taxes. Very cool.

Not just any old field...

We got some great sights of the castle before we entered the coach park, and I was very pleased because I feel like this is the first real castle I have seen in England--complete with parapets, a moat (fake because the castle is too high), and those lovely Gothic pointed-arch windows. I really felt like I was stepping back into the 1500s. Actually, Windsor Castle has been inhabited since 1080. The oldest part of the complex is known as the Round Tower, and above it rises the flagpole with either the Royal Standard or the Union Jack (you can't seen the Union Jack in the picture because it had rained earlier in the day, causing the flag to cling to the pole).

A view of the castle complex from the train station.

Curfew Tower.

Notice the boxy smokestacks, Gothic windows, and parapets. Very medieval!

King Henry VIII's gateway, with his royal seal above it.

The Round Tower, the oldest building in the whole complex.

More towers in the complex.

The garden at the base of the Round Tower, with a tree planted in honor of the late Princess Diana (which you cannot see in the photograph).

The hills surrounding Windsor as seen from the Middle Ward near St. George's Chapel.

 Britt was a fantastic guide. She is actually married to Simon, another of our guides, and she and her sister used to babysit Josh. As Dr. Kivisto put it (approximately), "The world of tour guiding is a small one." She gave us a lot of information as we were walking around the grounds of the castle. Like Parliament, the security at Windsor is very tight. We had to go through airport-style metal detectors and put our coats and bags through the scanner. Then, we got free audio guides to use in the State Apartments because Britt was not allowed to talk to us there.

We started with a walk up to St. George's Chapel outside of which the Changing of the Guard occurs. The guards at Windsor are special because they are real soldiers, not just men with a ceremonial post. As such, they are a little less formal. You know how the guards at Buckingham aren't supposed to react at all to the crowd? Well, one of the guards smiled at Amanda as a small group of them was passing us when we were leaving. Anyway, the ceremony starts with a company leader calling the old guard to attention so he can check their gear and make sure everything is in order. Then, a band marches in playing music and escorting the new guard. We didn't watch much of the ceremony because we wanted time to see the Chapel and State Apartments, but we all enjoyed the parts we did see.

The old guard standing at attention. The red plume in the bearskin of the guy wearing the red sash means that he is a member of the Coldstream Guards, a company that originated in Scotland.

The marching band.

St. George's Chapel is dedicated to the Most Noble Order of the Garter, an order of knights established in 1348 by King Edward III. The story (surely apocryphal) says that a lady who was visiting the court of the King happened to lose her garter one day. Back then, that was akin to losing her skivvies. Well, the courtiers and knights present started to laugh as King Edward stooped to pick up the garter and hand it back to the lady. Appalled at his court's behavior, he scolded them with, "Honi soit qui mal y pense," French for, "Evil to him who thinks evil." Soon after, he established the Order of the Garter with the intent of upholding chivalry. All of the members of the royal family are also members of the Order along with lots of other men and women, mostly royals and foreign dignitaries. The Queen alone can grant admittance to the Order. Each year, there is a big ceremony to welcome new members. Formally, members are required to attend all services held in St. George's Chapel (named for the patron saint of the society), but since many of them have other duties that require their attention, about 180 retired military men are hired to live at Windsor and fulfill the obligations of the Knights in their absence. It is a big job because the men must visit the Chapel everyday and attend all services in addition to completing other ceremonial tasks.

 St. George's Chapel is a wonderful piece of architecture. It has much wider naves than other Gothic cathedrals of its age, and it has the most ornate fan vaulting I have seen yet. There is even a mirror in the aisle so that visitors can get a better look at the ceiling without hurting their necks. Many important people are buried in the Chapel, including King Henry VIII, Jane Seymour (his favorite wife because she was the only one who bore him a son), and King Charles I. While I was in the Chapel, I learned that this year is the 400th anniversary of the introduction of the King James Version of the Bible. I thought that was really neat, especially since the Bible that I own is a KJV.

St. George's Chapel.

After we walked through the Chapel, we made our way to the State Apartments, where the Queen sleeps, dines, and entertains her guests when she is in residence at Windsor (which is pretty often; it's a nice place to be). We walked through the North Terrace, which has absolutely fantastic views of the surrounding area (including the cathedral at Eton), up to the entrance to the State Apartments. Britt then instructed us to turn on our audio guides and begin our tour. I must say from the outset that audio guides are wonderful. You get running commentary of what you are seeing, and you don't have to stop with a whole big group and focus your attention on a talking person. You can look at your leisure and listen at the same time. Our first stop was Queen Mary's Dolls' House, which sounds silly until you see it. Everything in the Dolls' House is 1:12 scale, and many of the objects actually work--the cars, the light switches, the faucets. The dining table has real silver plates and miniature wine bottles filled with actual wine. The Dolls' House was more for displaying the modern inventions of the time than for playing. It was created for the wife of King George V in 1924.

The cathedral at Eton is located just to the left of the center of the photograph. We could see for miles from the North Terrace, and I just love the rusty fall colors here.

The next part of the tour took me to the Drawings Gallery, which had some lovely Da Vinci sketches as well as a display honoring Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, who is turning 90 this year. Amanda and I sort of stuck together through the tour, so we wandered through the gallery together before we entered this room full of amazing china sets. The most interesting to me was the set of Wedgwood vases, plates, and cups. It reminded me a lot of British Art History (the class) and the things that I learned in the class.

Our next stop was the actual apartments, which are prefaced by a small foyer full of foreign weapons, including loot plundered from the ruler of India before it became part of the British Empire. England even took a massive gold tiger head from the throne of this ruler, which is now displayed at Windsor. Probably my favorite part of the room was a statue of Queen Victoria the Empress of India with her favorite collie. A short walk from this foyer is the Waterloo Chamber, a massive room dedicated to the victory over the French at the Battle of Waterloo. The walls are lined with military men and churchmen who were influential in the victory, most notably the Duke of Wellington (whose real name was Arthur Wellesley), who was really the one who won the battle. All of the paintings, which are really magnificent, were done by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

After the Waterloo Chamber came a succession of sumptuous rooms, the details of which all start to run together in my head. Some of the most notable include the King's Bedchamber, the Crimson Drawing Room, St. George's Hall, and the State Dining Room.

The King's Bedchamber was not really where the King traditionally slept. Rather, it was where he received his guests, and it is notable because it is really the first private room that I came to.

The Crimson Drawing Room was redone after the fire on November 20th, 1992. It was a terrible day because it was the 45th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, but it was opened five years later on their 50th wedding anniversary, which I am sure was a nice treat. The redone rooms are really marvelous, and I think that they capture all of the former splendor very well. The Crimson Drawing Room was commissioned by King George IV (remember him from the Royal Pavilion), and it absolutely screams Regency. It is a lovely collection of rich reds, gleaming golds, and creamy whites. I would love to have a room just like it, if only for special occasions and such. I felt very special because the room is not always open to the public. As might be expected, the Queen likes to use the room to entertain her guests when they come to visit Windsor.

St. George's Hall was also redone after the fire, and it is very interesting because on the ceiling are hundreds of shields which depict the standards of each member of the Order of the Garter. Some of the shields are blank, and these shields represent Knights who have done something disgraceful in the Order and therefore do not have the right to display their standards.

The State Dining Room was actually quite intimate. It is where the Queen eats dinner with her guests during her famous "Dine and Sleep" events. The Queen invites certain people to Windsor for dinner, and it is then expected that she will offer to let them spend the night if they wish. The next morning, the guests are treated to a nice breakfast (without the Queen this time) before they depart Windsor.

I cannot remember the names of the rooms in which I saw them, but there were a few items that really caught my eye. One was a gilded nautilus cup, which is made of a real chambered nautilus shell attached to a silver gilt stem with more silver gilt decoration around the lip (silver gilt is sterling silver covered with a thin layer of gold; it is much more practical because it is lighter than real gold and much less susceptible to damage). Another couple of items was a solid silver mirror and a matching solid silver table. These items are rare indeed because most of the royalty turned their solid silver items into currency because the process was so easy. I also enjoyed seeing a beautifully decorated musical clock created in the mid-1700s. It has a glass case in which an old copy of the Bible rests, which I thought was quite nice.

After the tour, my friends and I all met up for lunch. We went to kind of a kooky place--the Crooked House, which got that way because its frame shifted. It's perfectly safe; it just looks a little funny. We snacked on tea and scones and then poked around some gift shops before it was time to head back to the coach. I stopped in a discount bookstore and bought myself a Charles Rennie Mackintosh calendar for 2012 (it's something I would never find in the US) because it was a pretty good price and because I really like Mackintosh's work.

The Leaning House of Tea. Woaahh...I think I feel a bit dizzy...

On our way back through the train station to the coach park, I stopped a took a photograph of this model train car. Queen Victoria loved taking the train to Windsor, but she was a little nervous because the train went up to speeds as high as 30 miles an hour. Not to be gross or anything, but a leading physician of the time claimed that traveling at those speeds would cause severe brain damage, which made many of the ladies fearful. I learned from QI that fences were built along transport corridors to spare people the sight of such affliction. Of course, we know that nothing could be further from the truth, but there's 19th century medicine for you.

Queen Victoria's favorite carriage.

On the coach heading back to London, Britt passed around some Terry's Chocolate Oranges for us to try. I know we have something similar in the United States, but it was still nice of her to buy them for us. The orange flavor is quite subtle, which is nice. It's like eating a Jaffa Cake in solid chocolate form. However, I think I had enough sugar for one day, so I won't be repeating the tea-then-chocolate thing again. The drive back went very smoothly. We had hardly any traffic. If anything, we got back to the flats in less time than it took us to drive to Windsor. I was very happy about this because the bus rides back can get pretty tedious and psychologically painful sometimes.

Tomorrow is our big farewell dinner and surprise event, which we know will involve fireworks because it is Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night, when all of London is basically required to burn effigies of Guy Fawkes (a law set down by Parliament). I expect to be back pretty late, so don't worry if you don't see a post until Sunday morning.

Finery and Fine Art--Day 64

A week from today, I will be leaving the IES Student Residence Hall and getting on the Tube to Heathrow. Needless to say, today begins a pretty busy last week, as I'll be trying to squeeze in all kinds of last-minute stuff. We did end up finding Lauren's key...in her copy of Cosmopolitan. I guess it wanted fashion advice. Don't we all.

I spent about an hour this morning wandering the floors of Harrods with Lauren, Amanda, and Kayla. I was awestruck upon first entering the store at its absolute vastness and glittery quality. The first items we passed were fine pieces of jewelry and watches as well as a collection of Dolce and Gabbana handbags and tights that cost almost 70 pounds. However, my main reason for going to Harrods was to see the puppies! They reside in a little enclosure in Pet Kingdom on the 4th floor. Harrods only sells chihuahua puppies, but they were still pretty cute. Actually, they didn't seem to care about us too much. They only wanted to run around their cages and play with each other and with the little toys and scraps of paper that littered their living spaces. Harrods also sells rats, hamsters, gerbils, and rabbits, which were also adorable. Pet Kingdom also has lots of dog and cat toys, pet clothing, and delicious treats for four-legged family members. I didn't really see anything that I thought would be appropriate for Emmie, but something tells me she won't mind if I come home without a souvenir. Harrods even has a Pet Spa, where dogs and cats can get trimmed and have a relaxing time. The Pet Spa is equipped with a little treadmill with a TV in front of it, so dogs can have something to watch while they exercise (today was Beethoven). While we were looking at the grooming tables in the Pet Spa, we saw a cute English Cocker spaniel, two chihuahuas, and a Westie come out from another room. They didn't seem to interested in us at first, but eventually, they climbed onto a cushioned bench by the window to watch the world pass them by. I especially liked the fish tanks in Pet Kingdom, which had all kinds of interesting species, including some coral and anemones as well as clown fish, bottom-feeders (those fish with the suckers), and a strange species with a really thin body that seemed to like swimming in place.

After the pet section, we went down to the third floor to see the Moroccan exhibit, a display of Middle Eastern home furnishings that look like they were taken straight from their rightful place and plopped down in a showroom in Harrods. The furnishings were beautiful and peaceful, and Lauren said it made her want to go to Morocco. I guess the travel bug is a chronic condition.

Our last stop was the food hall, which is composed of many different rooms, including a room full of bread, pastries, and meat as well as a chocolate room and a room full of fresh vegetables, biscuits and jam, and Christmas delicacies. Because the UK does not really celebrate Thanksgiving, London jumps straight from Halloween to Christmas, and it goes all out with its decorations and its merchandise. Personally, I don't want to hear a single Christmas tune or see a single piece of holly or evergreen with red bows on it until at least Black Friday. The first day of December would be even better. The leaves are still on the trees (in quite beautiful colors I might add), yet we start celebrating a time that is associated with snow and chilly weather. It's absolutely preposterous if you ask me.

After we left Harrods, I ventured to Sir John Soane's Museum. It is basically an old Victorian home filled with Greek and Roman carvings (including a statue of Apollo), 18th century paintings (like A View of St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge by Canaletto), beautiful furniture, and finely decorated china. The museum was a little more intense than I expected. A doorman made me turn my phone off, stow it in my bag, and put my bag in a bigger plastic bag so that it didn't scrape against any of the pieces. Another staff member ushered me into the foyer, asked me to sign a guest book, and told me to hang up my coat. He told me I could buy a house guide for two pounds, but I passed on that and made my way into the first room, which looked like an old library. I was amused to find that the old chairs in the house each have a spiky pine cone on the seat to discourage visitors from trying to sit on them! One of the coolest items in the room was an astronomical clock, which besides telling the time also charts the position of the moon at different times during the month and divides the year into months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. It also provides information about the time in other parts of the world. While this is nothing new to modern technology, it was very special during its time. It was made in France for the Prince Regent and acquired after the death of the Duke of York in 1827.

Next, I entered a room with magnificent painted glass windows set into the skylight and walked through the room to a hall full of Greek and Roman statues. I wandered down a set of stairs to view more statues as well as the burial place of Sir John Soane and his wife, who predeceased him and to whom he wrote a rather touching eulogy. I then went back upstairs to a room full of wonderful 18th and 19th century paintings, including that Italian painting I mentioned before. It is a splendid image of boats on a canal and of the daily lives of Italian people in Venice. While I was at the house, I really wanted to find the paintings by William Hogarth, but I couldn't seem to, even though I also went upstairs to see a drawing room and the gift shop. The drawing room was really cool because it had three bay windows with cushioned benches and shelves of books. I would love that set-up because I could reach for a book from the shelf, settle into the window, and read to my heart's content. It's the next best thing to one of those grand walk-in libraries where the shelves reach so high I need a ladder with wheels. My dream house would include one of those libraries (plus a gazebo situated in a big garden and a sunroom), and all of the rooms would be designed like a charming log cabin. In the drawing room, I saw a very familiar object--a decorated oval-shaped piece of canvas stuck on a long pole with legs. There was a similar object at the Royal Pavilion, and it was placed in front of the fireplace. These screens would be placed right next to the faces of people talking in front of the fire so that they did not get too hot (and so their makeup didn't run). I felt a little thrill of satisfaction at being able to correctly identify the object.

Back downstairs, I found another room with painted-glass windows as well as two private studies beautifully outfitted with carved wood walls and more paintings.

The museum also educates visitors about who Sir John Soane was and about his important contributions to art in London. One of the most fascinating things about him involves the Dulwich Picture Gallery. In 1790, the King of Poland decided that he wanted to start a royal collection, so he dispatched two men (Sir Francis Bourgeois and Noel Desenfans) to gather the finest pieces from Europe. However, Poland was partitioned in 1795 and ceased to exist as an independent kingdom, so the two men were left with all of these artworks and no one to buy them. Bourgeois decided to bequeath the pictures to Dulwich College in England, and a collection called the Dulwich Picture Gallery (designed by Sir John Soane, who was an architect and Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy at that!) was established upon the terms in his will. The Dulwich Picture Gallery turned 200 this year!

As you can probably gather, Sir John Soane was another one of those wealthy philanthropists who wanted to share his cultural bounty with the world. He gave his house to London upon his death in 1837 with the stipulation that it remain unchanged. The result is a truly lovely, charming, and oft-forgotten gem that I think was well worth the time to see. I only feel bad that photography was not allowed because some of the pieces, especially the furniture and the paintings, were absolutely fantastic. The museum has such a calm, quaint atmosphere.

Tomorrow is our day trip to Windsor, where we will see the castle, the oldest inhabited in the world. King Henry VIII (the trip would end with him, wouldn't it?) is buried in the chapel. I'm sure it will be another charming little place with cute shops, so I'm looking forward to an enjoyable day. In other news, it is supposed to rain every day until we leave. London is making sure we don't forget it; it's paying us back for all of the nice weather we've had so far and ensuring that we get a good soaking before we go. I'm thrilled.

One Down, Two to Go--Day 63

The completion of my history exam effectively ends that class for me. I think the test went pretty well, especially after talking to Amanda about it. I felt pretty prepared, and although I wasn't sure on a few of them, I double-checked my answers after I got back to my room, and I think that I was right on most of them! The essay portion went pretty well, too. Again, I'm not sure how sound they were, but I did quite a bit of preparation for them, so I should receive most of the credit. I'm just a tad worried because I'm sitting at an A- in that class right now. The final will determine whether I stay at an A-, go down to a B+, or get bumped up to an A. But worrying about it doesn't really get me anywhere at this point, so I think I'll stop now.

I have the art history final to complete (which is about 99% done, I just need to check it since it's a take-home final) and then a British Politics test to take on Tuesday, and I'll be all done with my schoolwork for six days before I start again on Monday the 14th.

Somewhere between last night and this morning, Lauren lost her key. We have turned the entire room upside down, but it is nowhere to be found. We think the little bugger escaped last night, so we've been creating silly excuses, like "It disappeared into a rip in the Universe," or "I ate it." I'm hoping it turns up when we stop looking for it because I don't want Lauren to have to pay the 10 pounds for a replacement.

Tomorrow I have decided to make a trip to Harrods, since I haven't been yet. I want to see the puppies, mostly. I also want to make a trip to Sir John Soane's Museum, a little relatively unknown gem near Holborn Tube station. They have the painting A Rake's Progress by William Hogarth, which is a pretty well-known piece (and artist). I can't believe I'm saying this, but after today, I have just one week left in London! I'd better make the most of it, or I'll regret it when I'm home. However, I can't wait to get back to my family and friends. Dad is going to try to meet me at the gate because he has special clearance and all that. It pays to have a family member working at the airport. :)

Say Cheese!--Day 62

I had a very fun British Politics class today. We got to watch The Queen starring Helen Mirren instead of listen to a lecture, so that was pretty awesome. I think the film is very well made, and I also think I enjoy it more having been in London for more than nine weeks than I would had I not come on this trip. In addition, I finally found out my grade on my paper for that class (I don't think I need to tell you; suffice it to say that I was very pleased). Then, our professor casually told about another very exciting connection he has. He knows a woman named Natasha, who is a professor at an American university in London. One afternoon, Natasha was invited to a party at Buckingham Palace for international educators, and she got to meet the Queen! This is another one of those Six Degrees of Separation things. I am just three degrees separated from the Queen of England! That makes me only four degrees separated by a whole host of other people and just five degrees separated from Queen Victoria! I am bowled over by the magnitude of that thought. I'm not really one to fawn over royal people, but I really admire Queen Victoria, so I think that the connection is way cool.

After class, we had our big group photo, which actually went a lot more smoothly than I thought it would go, considering there are almost 50 of us. And, you'll be happy to know, I was right in the front kneeling down next to and in front of my friends. I tend to end up in the back of photographs, much to my mother's chagrin. I hope I did ya proud this time, Mom! After the photo shoot, I decided that instead of going to Westminster Abbey, I would go back home and work on my assignments. I have three finals to study for and work on, so I think it's best if I just focus on that for now. That way, I'll feel better later when they are done (and I can still go to Westminster another day). However, I do have another picture to share with you to (kind of) make up for my not-very-exciting (but thankfully productive) afternoon and evening. 

It's Haley and I enjoying the soccer game at Fulham. I think more pictures have been taken of me during this nine week stretch than during any equivalent period of my life before...

Well, tomorrow is my big history exam. I hope that I know my stuff and that I can express myself adequately and correctly on the essay portions. Wish me luck! After tomorrow, I will have just two classes to work on, so it will feel really good to walk out of that classroom knowing that I put a good amount of effort into the test.

Pizza Party!--Day 61

~~~HAPPY HALLOWEEN!~~~

In honor of the holiday, this whole post will be written in orange type! Enjoy. :)

As you will remember, tonight was our little dinner party at Dr. Kivisto's flat. He is staying about 15 or 20 minutes from where we live. We had quite a large group for dinner--about 23 of us. We had delicious pizza and salad. Dr. Kivisto's flat is very nice, and he was very kind to feed all of us at this point in the term when I am sure that many of us are running pretty low on funds. After dinner, my friends and I decided to take a trip to Snog again. You can never go wrong with frozen yogurt! It was a delicious end to a darn good Halloween. I think I have to say it was one of the best ever (mostly because I got to celebrate in London).

Because today was a little thin on the photography side, I thought I'd share a few random photos I was saving for just such an occasion.

I just learned this on Friday, but actor Michael Caine lives in the witch's-hat part of that apartment building (its penthouse) that you can see in the center of the picture.

Sarah took this wonderful photograph of Amanda, Kayla, and me waiting for our snacks at the Red Lion in Salisbury.

The clock, bell, and flag above the old Chelsea Post Office. Admittedly, I'm kind of just showing off with this one, but I do really like the clock. The building is now used for everything from wedding ceremonies to antique shows to arts and crafts fairs.

Tomorrow we are having a big group photo taken at Heythrop after class. Each of us will receive a framed copy to take back to the States with us as a souvenir! I hope it turns out well...Also, my friends and I were talking at Dr. Kivisto's, and we realized that we haven't been to see Westminster Abbey (the inside, not just the outside) yet, so tomorrow after the photography session, we are going to head over there and hope that the lines won't be too long to see it! I will be glad to finally cross that off my list. I've heard it's absolutely beautiful, and there is an overwhelming amount of history there. Ticket prices are a little high, but I think I'm willing to spend it in order to see an undoubted London highlight.