Entry 2: July 13, 2008

The past two weeks in London have been great with the exception of a day or two!  Everyone has been very busy around here as we all scurry to see all we have time to see while we are in London. Since I wrote last I have been to many places including: the Imperial War Museum, Kensington Palace, the Science Museum, the Churchill Museum, the Cabinet War Rooms and the Tower of London. Other than going to museums and things of that type, I have been to three performances, “Major Barbara”, “The Lion King”, and “The Merry Wives of Windsor”. Also I have been to church services at St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey.

On Thursday a group of us journeyed to Oxford. In Oxford we discovered how Oxford University works and were able to see some of the colleges on the walking tour we went on. Oxford University is a school that is broken into thirty-nine colleges. I never was aware that Oxford University wasn’t a traditional University like back in the States. Though Oxford was never formally found, it is accepted that it was in existence in the 12th century. It was fascinating to be in a place where so many buildings were centuries old.

Of the museums I have been to the Churchill Museum and the Science Museum were probably my favorites, but I have enjoyed them all. I learned so much about Churchill that I never knew before. He apparently was a very witty, humorous person, as well as a trouble maker when he was younger. Churchill also liked to paint. During his lifetime he painted over five hundred pieces of art. He won a Nobel Prize for literature for his book “Great Contemporaries” and was married for 56 years. Beyond his life story is all of his contribution to the wars. I have been continuously amazed in any museum dealing with the wars because I have been given another country’s perspective on the topic which sheds new light on the subject.

The Science Museum was lots of fun. I actually traveled there alone that day, so I was able to spend lots of time in the “History of Mathematics” section. I was able to look at all sorts of old mathematical devices such as protractors, compasses, slide rulers, etc. There were old logarithm and sine tables to look at, as well as large machines that would integrate or work differential equation problems. It was lots of fun to look at things I knew about, as well as discover things that I never knew existed.

“The Lion King” was a musical and was just magical! Every component of the play was spectacular. “The Merry Wives of Windsor” was very merry, humorous and entertaining. There’s nothing like having the experience of being a groundling at the Globe Theatre! What can be better than having your nose right at the stage? 

Next weekend we’ll all be heading off to different destinations for our travel break!

Entry 1: July 2, 2008

Greetings from London! I feel like I have already done and accomplished so much in the few days that I have been out of the States. Thus far I have managed to take my first plane ride and my first taxi ride. The first day here was a bit tortuous since I slept for only an hour on the plane. Most of the day consisted of taking a bus tour and a boat tour of London. Shamefully I must admit that I fell asleep once or twice on the bus tour.

Day two classes began but before class I went on a walk with John Rose, Dr. Webb and Annelise. It was a beautiful morning. I enjoyed the cool air and the beautiful Kensington Gardens, which is a public park surrounding the Kensington Palace that I will be visiting soon. After classes that day Katie, Sally, Hillary and I decided to explore. So we journeyed down High Kensington Street to Boots, which is a British CVS, a charity shop, the post office, and the grocery store. We spoke with locals about what kinds of stamps we needed to send postcards to the U.S. and purchased bread to make our peanut butter sandwiches. Thank God for peanut butter! Thus far I have found the English food rather unappetizing.

The second day I went on another morning walk. That morning we journeyed to Holland Park, which was beautiful. It turns out there is much more vegetation in London than I expected there to be. We saw a male peacock, a rabbit, and squirrels while in the park. Along with animals, we saw beautiful flowers, a small pond, and a cute play area. After class I traveled with Annelise, Kelley and Sheryl to meet Katie, Hillary and Sally at the British Museum. The museum was enormous and a bit overwhelming, but it was a pleasant experience and was very educational. I had the opportunity to see and learn about the Rosetta stone, the Elgin Marbles, Egyptian mummies, among many, many other things.  

Today we took our morning walk to Gloucester Road and saw some very attractive homes along the way. So you are not mislead, most everything I have seen here is beautiful. After classes today Katie, Sally, Hillary, Kelley and I went to the National Gallery. There I saw works by Michelangelo, Bronzino, Da Vinci, Monet and Van Gogh to name a few. To see these works of art in person was an amazing experience. We had a wonderful tour guide named Rebecca. She was so passionate about the pieces that she truly made me love them and have a great appreciation for them.

Life in London has been great thus far. However, jet-lag and the train running by the window at night have been difficult and trying experiences. We seem to be adjusting to the transportation systems around London with ease, and maps are becoming our best friends. Oh yes, I failed to mention that we saw Richard Branson today in the underground. He’s the billionaire owner of Virgin Mobile. Hillary, Katie and Sally had a conversation with him while Kelley and I were a ways down from them. I suppose you never know who you could run into in London!

That’s all I have for now! More excitement will follow!