Monday 25 October 2010
Today after classes I was working on homework when I suddenly got a heavy dose of cabin fever. I had to get out of this house! So, Mandy and I spent another few hours at the British Museum. That place is truly endless. There are an infinite amount of items there, and all of them so cool. We did the Enlightenment Gallery and the modern rooms.
Tonight we also watched Measure for Measure for Bible and Christianity Class. A very interesting Shakespeare play. The first one I've seen that is a comedy, but also more of a drama. It doesn't end in sad way, but it's not overly hilarious either. I really enjoyed it though. And all the biblical symbolism was very interesting. Plus, the main character (the Duke of Vienna) was played by an Officer in the Empire who has to tell Darth Vader they lost the Millennium Falcon. He's the only Imperial Officer who survives for more than a movie--appearing in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Extra points to anyone who can figure out the actor's name.
My kitchen crew is also back on duty this week--our final week for the whole semester. Luckily we are still just as amazing as we were at the beginning of the semester. Essentially, we rock!
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Classes and homework. That is my life forever and for always. But, I did get up at 5:30 this morning to do my laundry before reporting for kitchen crew. The earlier I wake up, the more chipper I am. I was singing and bouncing off the walls as we set up breakfast this morning. It's a good thing I'm Mormon; adding coffee to that early in the morning would be a bad idea in my case.
The evening has been spent cramming for the Religion Exam. Overload of Information. But, I hope to do reasonably well. In other news, I have been officially labeled the overachiever on the program. Everybody needs a hobby.
Wednesday 27 October 2010
So, I aced my religion test. No big deal. 148/150. Oh yeah. Dish crew also finished in record time under adverse conditions. Beno brought down his iPod and speakers to the kitchen and rock and roll made it all better. I think Beno, Andrew, and I make a good team.
Today after classes I headed to the Family History center in the basement of the Hyde Park Chapel. There I found four different ancestors all on various UK censuses. I chose from the Gould side: Joseph King Paramore, Eliza Schofield, Richard John Goold, and Elizabeth Lewis. They hail from England and Wales. I also did Albert Edward Rogers (England) just because his story is so funny--going to Utah before he was actually a Mormon. It was really exciting to see their names written on the census forms. I got super excited about the whole thing. Yay family history.
Well I think I'm going to bed early. Dish crew reports at 5am for breakfast tomorrow before the West Trip.
Thursday 28 October 2010
What a fabulous day. After an excruciatingly early breakfast we headed out for Wales! Our first stop was a drive-by of Tintern Abbey. Unfortunately we weren't able to stop, but it was wonderful nevertheless. We each received a copy of Wordsworth's poem.
We had to get on to our appointment at the Big Pit. The south of Wales is more industrialized than the north and up until a few years ago was heavily involved in coal mining. Therefore, we took a tour. Big Pit is a large mine that you can actually go down into. The whole deal. We wore the helmets, the lights on the helmets, a battery and a gas mask around our waists. Whoa. The mine was so cool, especially because our tour guide was a former mine worker (though at a different mine). We saw where they kept the horses, who did what jobs, why singing is so important to the Welsh. At one point we even all turned out our lights and saw that it is absolutely pitch black! I was literally unable to see my hand in front of my face.
After the Big Pit we went to St. Fagan's Museum of Welsh Life on the outskirts of Cardiff. It was really fun to walk around. We saw a Celtic village, houses from all ages (my favorite was the 1960s), even a fancy manor house (called a castle...dubious naming on that one) that reminded me of Thomas More's home in A Man for All Seasons.
That night in Cardiff Katy, Julie, Kaitlyn, Katie, and I wandered around and enjoyed the city. It felt so small, it's hard to believe it's the capital of Wales. We got a few pictures at the castle and then just wandered through the city center. The night was spent telling crazy college stories in a hotel room.
Friday 29 October 2010
This morning I was supposed to register for classes. Since I was in Wales at the time I had accepted that I would just have to end up watching classes after we got back to London. At the hotel my roommate was Andrea, and she also was supposed to register this morning. In fact, she brought her computer to be able to do the job and she paid for wi-fi in the hotel lobby. After she was done she offered it to me. So, I took it. And I registered for classes this morning in Cardiff, Wales. I defy anyone to top that.
After breakfast we drove back into England. The county of England just across the border from Wales is Herefordshire. Here, Wilford Woodruff experienced monumental missionary success, particularly among the United Brethren (a Methodist offshoot). So, today was all church history sites.
Our first visit was at the John and Jane Benbow farm. Here Wilford Woodruff preached and baptized many of the United Brethren. We walked down to the baptism pond. Beno may or may not have climbed the fence surrounding the pond in order to touch the water. We also saw the farmhouse where the Benbows lived before they emigrated to America. They gave their entire fortunes to the church and their story is inspiring to me.
Next we climbed Malvern Beacon. After arriving in Herefordshire, Wilford Woodruff climbed this hill to pray, be closer to God, and to dedicate the surrounding lands for the hearing of the gospel. It was so windy I could completely lean into the wind without falling down. It was also very special because of all the times Wilford Woodruff and others climbed that and the surrounding hills to meditate and be closer to God.
Finally, we visited Gadfield Elm Chapel. This chapel was built by the United Brethren as a meeting place, and when the entire congregation joined the Church they gave the chapel to the church. It is the church's first meetinghouse in this dispensation (not counting the Kirtland Temple). Here we had a program of music, singing the hymns and tunes they would have sung. I was able to play the organ--yes the organ, no piano--for "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" (sung to the tune of "Israel, Israel, God is Calling"). We even found some information on a relative that was a member of the United Brethren--John Enniss. All in all, it was a very very special day. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Saturday 30 October 2010
Banner day. Before we got started we walked down Queensway to Whitelys (a mall type thing) and had Belgian waffles for breakfast. I had chocolate with fresh strawberries. Woah, good.
Today, we did Greenwich. We had to do some careful coordinating on the tube but we arrived at the banks of the Thames directly across from Greenwich. Then, we walked through a tunnel under the Thames. Yes! A footpath under the Thames. That was very cool. When we came out on the south bank we were in Greenwich. While there we did the Queen's House, The National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. While there we saw the Prime Meridian! I straddled it and therefore have been in both hemispheres at the same time. Yes, I rock.
We spent all day here, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. To get home we took a boat ride on the Thames. The Thames River!
When we got back the Centre was having a halloween party. I went as a flapper girl. Very 1920s. Now, it's time to take care of all the homework I missed out on by being gone all day. But, it was so amazing.
Sunday 31 October 2010
Happy Birthday Hyrum!!! The big one six!
Today at church I had my primary lesson all ready and I had three kids by the end (although it was only one at first) and I was worried that I wouldn't have enough information or that it wouldn't be interesting to the kids. However, we were talking about being valiant (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego story) and listing descriptors of being valiant. Then we took the letters of each kid's name and put in valiant descriptors. They loved it! We ended up doing it for most of the class. This actually turned out really well because not only were the kids interested but we learned more about being valiant.
I also did well playing the piano in Sacrament Meeting...relatively...
After church Bethany and I did a tour of the Science Museum for a Jane Austen field study. We had to look at medical history from ancient Egypt to the present. The wax anatomy models from the 17th century were pretty gross. But, the preserved left arm with the skin peeled off was even more so. Someone explain what this has to do with Jane Austen? Actually, so so many people get sick in Emma. But, it was still gross.
Tonight our fireside was given by a professor from Oxford. Heavy (what is this obsession with gravity?). There didn't seem to be much direction to this presentation, but he gave a lot of information and I came to the conclusion that I know very little about the British University system. I was talking to a member of our ward after church today during our Munch and Mingle (this time I mingled as well as munched) who is currently studying at university to be an English teacher for Secondary school and since I'm planning on being a History teacher for high school I figured we could have a pretty good conversation about our similar areas of interest. Nope. Completely different. From what I can tell, you get the degree and then a few years later get a license to teach. But, truly, I have no idea. So complicated.
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