It's been a great week across the pond! Saturday morning my boyfriend Kyle landed in London and after a few rainy, touristy days, we set off for Cork, Ireland!

After he arrived, we checked out Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and then met up with Olivia and Mary. Olivia hadn't seen Kyle since May, so they were so happy to be reunited! We ran into a Russian Festival in Trafalgar Square and threw coins in the fountain, and then we were off to Buckingham Palace! I hadn't been there yet, but it was so cool. But, because it was so late, we couldn't see a changing of the guard. By this point, we were all hungry, so we went to a pub and Kyle got his first plate of Fish and Chips.

Sunday we went to HIllsong, did a little shopping (I got new shoes!) and I took Kyle to Leicester Square and Soho. Monday was St. Patricks day, and we celebrated by visiting Borough Market (yummy Mediterranean food and eclairs!) and riding The Eye of London, which was lit up green for the occasion. It was a cool experience. From the top you can see the whole skyline all a glow. One thing that I noticed is that when you do the toursity things, you run into a lot more Americans. I heard more American accents over these few days than I'd heard since I've been here. Tuesday we went to the Tower of London, which served as a prison for much of London's history. This is also the home to the Crown Jewels and hundreds of years of British amor. Kyle loved getting to see things like the armor  of Charles the I, and the evolution of the weaponry. They also had a lot of history concerning the British army, which he also liked. Without the exhibits, the building itself was drenched in history. That night we met up with Olivia and got dinner at The Rocket, a local pub.

Wednesday morning, myself, Olivia, Kyle, and Mary met very early to catch the train to the airport. Once we got there, there were 99 gates and they wouldn't tell us which was ours until 20 mins before boarding. This lead to a lot of sitting and waiting, so Kyle and I knocked out some Sudoku puzzles. The plane ride was only an hour and half and it was a beautiful flight. We flew in over the Irish cliffs and the country side, spotted with sheep and cows. It made me nostalgic for the country, and made me realize how much I have missed home. The quite rolling hills are simply not a thing in London. After landing, we all got bus passes and rode into the City Centre of Cork. From there, our Bed and Breakfast was only a short walk. The couple that owned it were sooooooo sweet. There names were Danny and Annette and they were so very Irish. Thy only wanted to help us. They gave us so many ideas on what to do, and our trip really was so much better because of them. The first day we just walked around and explored the quaint city. We loved to look at all the pastel colored buildings, and the cute shops. We ended up stopping for dinner at an Indian place and then came home and watched a movie.

I didn't feel too guilty about watching a movie on our first night in Ireland, just because I knew that from then on out, it would be non stop. We woke up around 7:00/7:30 each day and kicked off the morning right with a full Irish breakfast! The first day, we caught a bus to Blarney Castle. It was a rainy mess, but we had so much fun. It was almost like a big playground with never ending rooms and staircases. We explored it up and down, and even got to kiss the Blarney Stone, bestowing us all with the gift of gab! The Castle grounds were covered in gardens (including a poison garden-complete with poisonous plants) and lake walks. We got back and stopped in an old time candy shop, filled up a bag each, and then dried off just enough to venture out again. This time, we went to the Cork City Gaol (Jail). This was an old jail used in the 1800s, and you can pay to go in and see what it was like. They let you go in the cells and hear the stories of various prisoners. We really didn't know what to expect going in, but it was fun! That night we had italian for dinner, and then headed to a pub to listen to live music!

Friday we went on a Paddywagon day tour to the Cliffs of Moher. We made a few other stops along the way, plus our tour guide was great! He knew so much about Irish history and he was able to explain so much to us about the current state of the country. We stopped all along the way at various places, which I honestly don't remember the names of.

Seeing the ocean was breathtaking! We had so much fun climbing on the rocks and taking pictures. When we got to the Cliffs, the rain clouds had rolled in and the wind was ridiculous. Our hair was flying in our faces, and there were times that the wind was stronger than we were, literally paralyzing us mid step. It probably could have mad for a damper on the day, but we felt like such adventures, braving the elements! There were times that you just couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Oddly enough, we ran into some other Centre students while we were there. Small world, huh? As we boarded the bus to head back to Cork, the clouds parted and the sun came out. Oh the irony... I'll admit, I slept most of the way home. But once we got there, we were greeted by a beautiful sunset over the river, making for a great end to the tour. We decided to spend our last night right, and all dressed up to the best of our abilities (keep in mind, we are living out of backpacks...). We got dolled up and headed out to a fancier-ish restaurant. I got to try out some of this famously acclaimed Irish seafood and then we pub hopped a bit sampling the different live music selections.

On Saturday we took a walking tour of the city, taking us to the bells of Shandon. It was a bit warmer and drier, lifting our spirits! Unfortunately we had to check out by 11, so we went back to our bed and breakfast, packed up our stuff, and gave huge a huge thank you to our hosts. From there, we strolled through the English Market and boarded our bus to the airport. More security and sudoku. Our flight went smoothly, and we took the train back to where we live. Very Harry Potter-esque. Kyle and I went out for our last dinner at O'Neils, my favorite pub.

The next morning, Kyle and I had to head out to the airport at about 5am....It was a bit early, and a bit stressful because the buses weren't arriving quite on schedule, but we got there in plenty of time! Plus, this nice airport lady let him go straight to the front of the check-in line, saving lots of time. From here, we said our reluctant goodbyes and he went on his way. I was so thankful for his visit, and we were blessed with a wonderful week! After sending him off, I made a pilgrimage through the airport, looking for my parent's terminal who would soon be arriving! After a little bit of confusion and back tracking, I found them and we were able to spend the hour tube ride back to London together. They're in Edinburgh at the moment, but they'll be coming back to London soon for a real visit.

Today was back to class and some major studying for my government mid term tomorrow. Wish me Luck!

Love from London,

Deanna

This week has been crazy!! I feel like I have done so much! I'll do my best to hit all the highlights...here we go!

Last Friday night we took an "ethnic tour" of London. Basically this means we restaurant hopped, filling up on sushi and india food. I had my first nan (indian bread), very yummy.

Saturday was a day of work work work work. I won't tell you about my papers and projects.... that probably wouldn't be exciting to read.

Sunday was church and Brick Lane Market! It's not quite as nice as some of the main stream, touristy markets, but they had a lot of selection, especially concerning food. Some of the food stall workers dressed up in like, 1700 clothes, and I have yet to come up with a reason as to why...

Monday after class, a friend and I decided to go explore Harrod's Department Store. It was ridiculous! They sold the most obscure things for insane prices. Everything was brand names, things I had only ever heard of on Devil Wears Prada. My favorite thing that I saw was a hovercraft, which sold for thirty thousand pounds. They also had a life sized stuffed giraffe, squid ink spaghetti, and spy gear. Every floor was a new adventure! I did buy something small (it was like eight pounds...), and as soon as I had a Harrod's bag in my hand, everyone started treating me differently. It was all "hello ma'am" and "can I be of any assistance?" They started seeing me as a potential customer, not just a tourist that was there to explore, which is what I was. haha. I went and saw the play "Port" at the national theatre. It was incredible. They had a scenery pieces that would just pop out of the floor and a remote control car that would drive on stage. Crazy! Also, it was very cold that day.

Tuesday, we went on an "adventure class" and walked to St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard (tallest building in London) and the Tate Modern Museum, filled with British Art. We couldn't go in the Cathedral without paying, so I'm going to try to catch a service soon. Those are free :) We got lots of great pictures, and some roasted almonds. Tuesday was also mine and Olivia's day to cook so we practically ran to the grocery, were in and out in a matter of minutes, and got home in time to fix taco salad. We had to eat really fast though, as half of our group had tickets to see "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime." This play was based off a book that some of you may have read. The adaptation was incredible! It's my favorite show that I've seen since I've been here, by far. The set was this black box, chalkboard, math quadrant and the actors used in such a cool way. Plus, there was a puppy at the end, which basically made it a winner in my book. After the show, we stopped at McDonalds for Cadbury McFlurries to celebrate Olivia, and our friend Monica, finding out they were selected as RAs for Centre next year.

Wednesday was a day out to the country for our whole group. We rented a charter bus and all slept the hour or so out to our first stop: Salisbury Cathedral. I had no idea what to expect but it was lovely! I really enjoyed being out in the country, for one. I had forgotten what quiet was like. London never sleep or slows down, so being able to sit in the grass and hear nothing was a treat. After the Cathedral, we headed off to the infamous Stonehenge! It was a bizarre thing to just drive up to. You don't exactly expect to see one the world's greatest wonders out your car window, but there it was. I never thought about the fact that Stonehenge was an "exhibit" though. You have to pay to see it, and then it closes after a certain time. I don't really see how a field can close....but I guess so!. After that, we headed over to Avebury, where there are actually stone monuments older than Stonehenge, just not as famous. Because there were less people, however, we kind of had free range and had an absolute blast! The sun was setting over the hill, making for some great fun and spectacular photos.

Today, Olivia and Mary and I gave a presentation on the evacuation of British children during WW2, then we headed to the grocery to get what we didn't have time to get on Tuesday. After cooking the left over meat from the taco salad into delicious hamburgers, we cleaned. Like hard core cleaned. Then Mary and I finished another project, and emailed it into our professor (see, I told you work was building! haha). Pretty soon things calmed down though and I hit the town to see "Spamalot." This is basically the musical version of Monty Python and The Holy Grail. We had a nice surprise when we arrived, finding out that our tickets had been upgraded! The show was simple, but it was very cute/cheesy and had a lot of really funny bits. It seems that here, the thing to do during intermission (or interval as they call it), is to eat ice cream. I have not been to a show yet that didn't have ushers selling ice cream in the aisles between acts. Well, Olivia and I thought it was an experience to be had, so we finally got some tonight.

Now, I just watched the season finale of The Bachelor (late but worth it), and I'm heading off to bed. I'm so excited though, because day after tomorrow Kyle gets here!!!! WOOO!!! If you want the exact count its 31 hours. Not that I'm counting...

Also, sorry that this is rushed and brief. I know each post seems to be more hurried then the last, but I promise I'm doing my best! :)

Love from London,

Deanna

P.S., I wrote this very quickly, so I apologize in advance for any and all typos.

Choirs, Councils, and Comedy.

     I am so sorry! I know I haven't been posting as regularly as I had been. Unfortunately, as we get deeper into our semester the projects/papers have started to build and I haven't had the motivation to stay up an extra fourty-five minutes to write a post. But tonight I caved (mostly because I have a good story to tell), so we'll just pretend like its not 2:10am here...haha.

   Sunday was pretty laid back, complete with an awesome day of worship at Hillsong. Monday, after class, my friend Mary and I had to do some research for our government project. For our project, we have to create a Profile for a few of the constituencies in London. In order to do this, we had to visit one of them so we could report on it better. This constituency was the poorest of the ones that we were assigned, so we thought a Monday afternoon would be a safe time to go. It was admittedly very bizarre to be in an area that I visibly did not belong in. We walked up and down a few of the streets, ate lunch, and then headed home. I have to say though, It was a very interesting experience. The area is mostly Muslim, and we were able to find this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant with Middle Eastern food. They had fun Arabic music playing and Mary and I loved our meal! Later that night, as promised...we returned to our pub for TRIVIA NIGHT. Unfortunately, most of our teammates were busy. So we went alone, with half the brain power. And as expected, we did not bring home the victory. We got....maybe half? Haha. But, before you judge my trivia abilities, keep in mind that I am missing a lifetime of British cultural references. Regardless, we made some friends at the table next to us and had a really great time. I'd say it was worth it!

before the concert!

     Tuesday was another "adventure walk" for class! We have been reading Great Expectations in that class, and so after walking to Charles Dickens house and what not, my professor (Keffer) decided that we really needed to read exerpts from the book in the streets of London...so we just went with it. So here we are, all sitting on the sidewalk standing up one by one to read out sections. People just walked by staring at us, very aware that we were tourists. haha. THEN, Keffer realized that this would be much more educational if we could hear the words in a British accent. Here began his hunt. We all just sat in a mob on the sidewalk watching him walk up and down the streets, flagging down strangers, asking "Do you like Charles Dickens?", "Could you read us part of this book?", or my favorite....."Charles Dickens?" I'm fairly sure that when he asked the latter, people thought he was asking them if they were Charles Dickens, to which most people just shook their head in confusion....It was quite the sight. Finally, an eight grader agreed to read for us. I think he was just curious as to what we were doing, so he played along. He was so adorable, it made for the perfect ending to an otherwise bizarre afternoon. That day was mine and Olivia's turn to cook, so we settled on Chili! We found an easy recipe that would be fast and accommodate our vegetarians. The problem was, however, these British groceries stores don't exactly stock up on southern comfort food. We had to practically rewrite the recipe in the store, with all substituted ingredients, but hey, the pan was scraped clean so I'd take that as a sign that people liked it? We had to eat/ clean up super fast, put on our fancy clothes, and make it to this beautiful church for a boy's choir concert. At the intermission, or as they call it "interval," they had tea and pastries in the crypt. Yep...the crypt. Sounds weird right? Thats what I thought. Actually, there was a full scale restaurant down there, along with a fancy book shop. Who would have known? Sadly, that night, I got pretty sick. All sinus infection-y and what not. My head just had a lot of pressure in it, and it felt like it might explode...But it didn't! Good news! I just skyped Kyle, which made me feel better, and then fell fast fast asleep.

     Wednesday we didn't have class, which was good. I just needed to sleep off what ever bug I had. And boy, did I....I woke up at 2:30pm. But, feeling much much better. Yay! That night, our government professor had arranged for us to sit on a council budget meeting. It was so interesting! We got to sit up in the balcony and look down on all of the Counselors sitting at their benches. They mayor got to set up in a judge's booth with this big medallion necklace and a scepter (So British...). My favorite part of the meeting was not necessarily the content of the budget or the party divisions but the heckling. The Counselors would get into it with one another, calling each other names and booing when the others would stand up. It was ridiculous...they were like children on the playground! Then end vote was exactly how our professor said it would go, so I guess in the end, all that heckling was for not. On the way home, a few of us stopped into McDonald's for their easter time speciality....Cadbury Egg McFlurries! They have Carmel and Chocolate all swirled in together, and it is very very yummy. I'm thinkin' the US could adopt this.

    Today, after class, we took a tour of the National Theatre. It was so cool! The technology that they had for the stages and all the space backstage was incredible. They had 85,000 costumes in storage as well as props from every show from the last 30+ years. Plus our tour guide was Irish and super spunky. She was great! Then tonight... (this was the good story I had), Olivia and I went see "One Man, Two Gov'enors." It's a comedy about this man who accidentally gets hired by two rivals and he has to try to not get the two jobs confused, even though the often overlap. I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt!! There was a lot of audience participation that showed how truly witty the actors were. However, halfway through the second act, the lead actress was climbing down off of a bridge and instead of being caught by one the male characters, they both fell and landed on the ground. We thought this was just part of the play...normal comedy. However, he said something to the effect of "are you alright my darling" and she replied with something like "no actually, I am not" and he was able to help her to a nearby bench. Basically, she broke her ankle and they had to carry her off stage. The curtains closed, the house lights came on, and the Male lead came out and told us all that the show was going to have to pause while her understudy got into costume and we'd all have to sit tight until then. Now keep in mind, this is not a small show. This is a West End show, equivalent to Broadway back home. Picture going to see Wicked or Phantom of the Opera and the play just stopping halfway through. It was quite bizarre. However, instead of just going back into the wings, the actor stayed out on the stage with us all and tried to entertain us. He told jokes, did magic trips, and led us all in an audience-wide sing along. During the sing along, I was laughing so hard I couldn't take it seriously. I just kept thinking, "Is this real life?" He was up there doing improve for about twenty minutes, then the curtains opened, the understudy went out, and the show went on! It was a great time! I have a video that I will try to put on facebook soon.

Now, things i've learned...
1. They call jumping jacks "star jumps"
2. If you eat in at a restaurant, they charge you more than for carry out.
3. It doesn't rain all that much here...
4. Play programs cost money
5. There are always street performers in the Leicester Square Tube Station
6. I say "cool" a lot. It's a very American phrase, and I never hear anyone saying it here. Its made me very aware of my "slang"...

Also, on a much more serious note, keep my family in your thoughts. My Mammaw passed away this week. Her funeral is today (friday) and I know that we could all use the prayers.

Love from London,
Deanna

Walking, Churchill, and New Foods

Well, I broke my "posting every three days" streak. Whoops! Today marks day six since my last one, but I've been really busy...I guess I'll get to that:

Street Performer playing the
Didgeridoo in the tube station 

     Since I'm going to try to fit several days into one post, I'm not going to give you every moment of every day like I usually try to do...haha. I'll just hit the highlights! Monday I had to work on a paper that was due the next day. Olivia had the same one, and lots of time when we do homework together we listen to music. Lately, our big thing has been the Pitch Perfect Soundtrack. We listen to it at least once a day... My favorite song on the album is the cup song. If you haven't heard it, here it is: Cup Song. I always practice along with the recording, and I'm getting really close to getting it! But, the only cup that I had to practice with was the glass cup that came with our apartment. I thought, "well this will work just fine!" (wrong.) The problem with glass is if you mess up while you are doing it and tip the glass over, it shatters. Whoops. I took the broken glass down to the front desk and told them that I broke it (...I didn't volunteer the story on how) and then my friend Connor was able to get the pieces of glass out of my hand with tweezers. haha. Not my shining moment. But after the distraction, I was able to finish my paper and have it turned in by seven or so. Around this time, a few people were going out to a pub for dessert, and since I finished my hw, I thought "why not?". We went to a place down the road, and were all just sitting and chatting when all of the sudden this guy comes over the loud speakers announcing that it was time for trivia night. Thats right! Trivia Night! Woo! It was sooooo fun. (we didn't pay to play, just because we were afraid it would be a lot of British references that we wouldn't understand, but after the MC saw us trying to scribble down answers on a napkin, he took pity on us and brought us a legit answer sheet.) We actually held our own pretty well against the other teams, so next Monday night we will be back ready to take the victory!

An outdoor gym that we
found on the walk to the
Tony's. We played like
we were children...

     Tuesday I had Government in the morning and my Philosophy class in the afternoon. For our philosophy class, our teacher (Dr. Keffer) took us on a "pilgrimage to visit a wise old siege." Before I get to far into the story, I think you need a little background information on Dr. Keffer. He is probably the most eccentric men you will ever meet (i.e., bringing an easel to a soccer game so that he could paint it). Sometimes, he is just plain bizarre (i.e., talking to inanimate objects). But, he is also on another plain when it comes to intelligence. He is just so smart, that his brain moves so fast, and often we are left without seeing any connections between his thoughts and can only stare blankly at him, amused and confused. Lots of times for class, he takes on what could arguably be considered random walks. Tuesday, he wanted us to meet the father of Dr. Haigh (that just feels weird to type; he goes by Tony). Tony is British, but has worked at Centre for the last several years. His dad is 98 years old and was a professional soccer player, an engineer, and in the air force during WW2. Spending the afternoon talking with him has been one of the highlights of my trip so far. We walked to the flat Tony and his wife are living in. They had prepared a table full of delicious finger sandwiches, scones, fruit, and tea for us. It was so good to have a home cooked meal! Then, Mr. Haigh came down stairs and we all sat on the floor in front of him, munching away on our classically British meal, listening to his incredible stories. He said that when he was young, he would walk as many as 28 miles in one day. He was instrumental in creating a policy that England still has that allows anyone to walk on privately owned fields. He also gave us all the secret of longevity: Enjoy life and go with the flow. He also told us to listen to our bodies, and they will always tell us what is good for us. For example, his body told him that bacon and butter were good for him, and he has been going for strong for 98 years. (I'm not sold on this logic, but hey, if it worked for him...?). That night, Olivia and I were on dinner duty so we had to stop off at the grocery store. We made individual pizzas for everyone on pita bread, and it seemed to be a success!

A few of us before the play began

     Wednesday was another day filled with walking! We walked from our apartment all the way to the Thames and beyond. All together, it was about five miles. We stopped for lunch in Trafalgar Square and had a picnic in front on the National Gallery, sitting on the edge of a huge monument, facing Parliament. It was truly picturesque. Unfortunately, I was eating and we were in a hurry, so I don't have a photo to prove it... After walking, we all headed back to our apartments to freshen up and then we went to our second play of the trip: "Privates on Parade." I didn't like it quite as well as "Our Country's Good," but I suppose it was at least entertaining? haha. On the way home from the theatre, a few of stopped to get some Kababs (pronounced Ka-bobs). They are a fairly classic English meal, and it really isn't anything like what we call "Shishkababs" in the states. Its a lot more comparable to a greek gyro. Never the less it was yummy!

     The biggest highlight of Thursday was visiting the Churchill War Rooms. It is basically an underground lair of offices and living spaces used by Winston Churchill and his cabinet during WW2. A lot of it had been incredibly well preserved, plus there was a museum dedicated to WW2 and the life of Churchill that was attached. Walking down the halls of the War Rooms was totally surreal. We saw the map rooms, the kitchen, where they slept, where they made the BBC speeches, etc. As I wandered up and down the halls, I couldn't help but think of all the important people that had walked where I was, and all the important conversations/decisions that were made there.

      In comparison to Thursday's lesson in history and culture, this may seem trivial, but Friday....I bought a hair dryer! I had been convincing myself since I got here that I did not need one, but I finally cracked and bought a cheap one at the pharmacy. It works and was worth the 7 pounds! (plus, there was a plate of cookies in the pharmacy! USA: take notes!) Later, I went to Covent Gardens with some friends and got gelato. It was very yummy. However, all of the flavors were in Italian so I had to sample a lot before I could know what to get. We want to go back to this place soon so we can try their crepes.

Pakistani food!

Rings Olivia and I bought at
the market

      Saturday (today) was a totally free day. Olivia and I considered really making the most of it by taking a day trip up to Whales or Bath, but we realized if you are booking the night before, It can be a lot pricier than booking in advance. We just decided to hold off. Instead, we went to Camden Town Markets. IT WAS SO COOL. There were street vendors as far as you could see, and people from all over the world. We were there for over four hours and we barely made it a block. I had so much fun looking at all of the handmade jewelry and clothes, and I really love haggling! We ended up getting some really great deals.  The market was also a perfect place to eat. Once we found our way to the food section, there was no turning back. They had food from Peru, Turkey, India, Poland, Hong Kong, etc. Anywhere that you could think of! The vendors also love to hand out samples! We decided to order something from the Pakistani booth. They were these grilled wrap-like things with chicken and cheese, "salad" and hot sauce in them. They were very good! This evening, Olivia and I went to Leicester Square with Martha-Grace and Anna and attempted to see a movie. What we wanted was sold out though, so we just found a pub, ordered an appetizer, and sat and chilled for a while.

Sorry for having to cram so much into one post! Thanks for being patient with me as I try to work out a good schedule for posting. Also, if anyone has any questions or knows of any special places I should check out while I am here, let me know! Missing everyone!

Love from London,

Deanna