http://www.centre.edu/news/2013/london_deanna.html
Ya know, just in case you didn't get enough of me blabbing about my experience... :)
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Wow! So much has happened since I last posted! It seems like everyday has been filled with short trips and plays, and honestly, this whole blog kinda just slipped my mind.
Since I last wrote, I've had some special visitors: My parents! It was so great to see them. We did a lot of the "touristy" things, including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Eye of London, and Greenwich. I think they had a really great time, especially at Camden Market. They probably would have had even more fun had it been a little warmer. Unfortunately though, they picked the coldest week in London to visit. The wind was so icy, we could see our breath all week long. We even had to stop and buy a 3 pack of woolen socks at one point, because our feet were so cold. A highlight of their week came on Thursday, when we went to see The Lion King! They used incredible puppets to represent each character and the set was really just a series of panels that they would light up differently during each scene (i.e., Circle of Life sunrise vs. Scar's Cave). I was so thankful to get to spend some time with them, however I don't really have any pictures to prove it. They took most of the pictures, which are on their camera...back home. Oh well! Perhaps I can post them when I get home in... 36 days. Woah.
We've also taken a lot of full class day trips these past few weeks. We visited Chatsworth and Haddon Hall, the locations used for Pride and Prejudice, Princess Bride, and Jane Eyre. We went on a snowy day, so after exploring these magical mansions, we all had a great snowball fight in front of this massive lake. It was picturesque! For anyone who has been to the Biltmore, that is what I would compare these houses too, particularly Chatsworth. I just couldn't believe that people still live there!
We took another great trip to Straford upon Avon, birthplace of this guy named William Shakespeare. Perhaps you've heard of him. Also, by this time, the sun was starting to make a few shy appearances! This place was the most overwhelmingly "English" place I have been. Its very well preserved and looks like something out of a story book. We saw a few famous landmarks, like the house Shakespeare was born in, his gardens, and his daughters home. A game of tag broke out at his gardens house, and a few children joined in with us, so I guess you could say we made friends. We were just so excited to see the sun! We also got some free time to walk around, where we were able to see his grave and pop in a few adorably quaint shops. They had one that was entirely dedicated to Peter Rabbit. That evening, we appropriately saw Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Co. However, this was Shakespeare's longest play so by the time it was over, and we made the drive back to London, we were all so drained and ready to collapse.
We took another class trip to Oxford. We had the whole day to ourselves, to explore in any way we wanted. We broke off into smaller groups, and my group decided to go punting. This is a very British tradition. Its basically canoeing, but instead of a paddle you get a very long pole. Someone stands on the back of the boat (kinda like a gondola) and pushes the pole all the way down to the bottom of the river, and pushes the boat forward. We elected to have a guide go with us on our tour, but he let me try it for a while. It was pretty fun! And it was so beautiful, definitely the highlight of the day. That evening we saw the play The Misanthrope. I had read this play for class before but didn't particularly enjoy it. However, this was a new adaptation, and it was hilarious! We laughed so hard...
Outside of our class organized trips, we have been able to take a few on our own. On Friday, myself and few other people ventured out into the countryside to go hiking. It was kinda a random compilation of people, but I like it that way. I got to spend some time with people I normally don't get to. Plus, Keffer paid for our train tickets...success! We ended up doing a nine mile Right to Roam path, which is essentially a public footpath through private land. It was just a series of magical events. We walked through a field of ponies, found a mansion in the middle of know where, a dog followed us for upwards of an hour, we found a dock, and got to swing on a tire swing. We fighting fickle weather, but the day was perfect. We stumbled onto "England's best kept Village," which had one little place open, where I got 3 cups of tea. We ate dinner at this spot that literally had the best fish and chips I've had so far, which was good because we had most certainly worked up our appetites.
Sunday was our latest big trip. A few of us organized a little trip to Brighton, which is at the southern tip of England. We got to sit on the beach, where we stayed for about three hours, walked along the pier, rode some rides, and ate some really fresh fish. I wore my chaco sandals too! Some of my friends even came home with sunburns... I guess summer really is on its way :)
Other highlights since my last post include:
Easter service at Hillsong- they had an awesome program planned!
Wrote a paper comparing poems and paintings from The National Gallery
Attended the world's largest Pillow Fight
Saw Once: the Musical
Got a visit some great friends who are studying in France right now
Two weeks from today I will be packing up my room and getting ready for our backpacking trip. Last night we booked the last thing on our list, and our train tickets came in the mail! Its weird to think about leaving London. It feels like we just got here, but at the same time, it feels like forever. Of course, there are things that I miss about home. Little things like driving with the windows down, and bread for the table at restaurants. And of course, the people. I promise too post again soon. Its a lot easier to condense a few days than a few weeks...haha.
Love from London,
Deanna
Since I last wrote, I've had some special visitors: My parents! It was so great to see them. We did a lot of the "touristy" things, including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Eye of London, and Greenwich. I think they had a really great time, especially at Camden Market. They probably would have had even more fun had it been a little warmer. Unfortunately though, they picked the coldest week in London to visit. The wind was so icy, we could see our breath all week long. We even had to stop and buy a 3 pack of woolen socks at one point, because our feet were so cold. A highlight of their week came on Thursday, when we went to see The Lion King! They used incredible puppets to represent each character and the set was really just a series of panels that they would light up differently during each scene (i.e., Circle of Life sunrise vs. Scar's Cave). I was so thankful to get to spend some time with them, however I don't really have any pictures to prove it. They took most of the pictures, which are on their camera...back home. Oh well! Perhaps I can post them when I get home in... 36 days. Woah.
 |
| Snow ball fight |
We took another great trip to Straford upon Avon, birthplace of this guy named William Shakespeare. Perhaps you've heard of him. Also, by this time, the sun was starting to make a few shy appearances! This place was the most overwhelmingly "English" place I have been. Its very well preserved and looks like something out of a story book. We saw a few famous landmarks, like the house Shakespeare was born in, his gardens, and his daughters home. A game of tag broke out at his gardens house, and a few children joined in with us, so I guess you could say we made friends. We were just so excited to see the sun! We also got some free time to walk around, where we were able to see his grave and pop in a few adorably quaint shops. They had one that was entirely dedicated to Peter Rabbit. That evening, we appropriately saw Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Co. However, this was Shakespeare's longest play so by the time it was over, and we made the drive back to London, we were all so drained and ready to collapse.
 |
| Putting a way! |
Outside of our class organized trips, we have been able to take a few on our own. On Friday, myself and few other people ventured out into the countryside to go hiking. It was kinda a random compilation of people, but I like it that way. I got to spend some time with people I normally don't get to. Plus, Keffer paid for our train tickets...success! We ended up doing a nine mile Right to Roam path, which is essentially a public footpath through private land. It was just a series of magical events. We walked through a field of ponies, found a mansion in the middle of know where, a dog followed us for upwards of an hour, we found a dock, and got to swing on a tire swing. We fighting fickle weather, but the day was perfect. We stumbled onto "England's best kept Village," which had one little place open, where I got 3 cups of tea. We ate dinner at this spot that literally had the best fish and chips I've had so far, which was good because we had most certainly worked up our appetites.
Sunday was our latest big trip. A few of us organized a little trip to Brighton, which is at the southern tip of England. We got to sit on the beach, where we stayed for about three hours, walked along the pier, rode some rides, and ate some really fresh fish. I wore my chaco sandals too! Some of my friends even came home with sunburns... I guess summer really is on its way :)
 |
| It was raining feathers at the pillow fight! |
Other highlights since my last post include:
Easter service at Hillsong- they had an awesome program planned!
Wrote a paper comparing poems and paintings from The National Gallery
Attended the world's largest Pillow Fight
Saw Once: the Musical
Got a visit some great friends who are studying in France right now
Two weeks from today I will be packing up my room and getting ready for our backpacking trip. Last night we booked the last thing on our list, and our train tickets came in the mail! Its weird to think about leaving London. It feels like we just got here, but at the same time, it feels like forever. Of course, there are things that I miss about home. Little things like driving with the windows down, and bread for the table at restaurants. And of course, the people. I promise too post again soon. Its a lot easier to condense a few days than a few weeks...haha.
Love from London,
Deanna
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