Welcome to the Ward

Yesterday we were able to received our ward assignments.  I was assigned to the most ligit ward!  I attended the best fast and testimony meeting that i have heard in years, the best Sundayschool lesson, and saw one of the coolest teachers quorums that i have ever seen!  It was totally wicked!!  Well, if you haven't guessed, i'm in the teachers quorum as an assistant.  I have been asked to put together a small tour of London and teach a few lessons.  The teachers quorum is small, about 5 members (Gem, Johnny, Chasum, Enoch, Matt, and Duke).  I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.


After church Katie and I took off across the City.  We followed an old path through countless churches and ancient building.  I was neat to see how England is so riddled with the past, and how ancient Roman markets are modern markets today.  Almost every corner you turn holds a new building and a new ancient sight.

Dinner found us home and working.  It is now my teams turn to carry out and do dishes and set up.  I was fun to be able to work with and get to know a few new people.

Brighton and Canterbury

On the road again! We the hit the coach for the second time and headed to Brighton and Canterbury.

The morning was a little earlier that we usually make it out, which meant being Saturday breakfast was really on our own, i got up early in order to head to a local bakery extra, but upon striving to write my blog i crashed my computer.  With a quick blessing i had it running an hour latter, but say goodbye to breakfast--that was fun.

Upon finishing my blog we raced to the coach and within a few hour arrived in Brighton.  Brighton is a famous fashion and beach town and has been since the time of George the IV.  George came to Brighton and built the Brighton Pavilion.  The is the most unique of the mansions that i have seen thus far.  This mansion is completely decorated in an oriental style with the most ornate decorations from Asia, especially china.  One example is a several hundred pound chandelier that hangs from a dragons mouth--the dragon being the size of small car minus his appendages.  As i went through i could only think of how this was over the top!  It is no wonder that this was his party house.

While in Brighton i froze my butt off!! It was so cold!--So glad it was a beach town ;)  But while there we found the coolest little shop that was literally a nice hold in the wall.  I had a full English breakfast, which was amazing, not sure i would have it again but i can say i had a full English breakfast in Briton on the beach.

Finishing lunch found us on the bus again and heading to Canterbury, but i must first say the country of Briton is out of this world!  It is some of the most beautiful country i have ever seen.  Glorious rolling hills carved by countless rivers and stream, not an ounce of land that is not green, with each rolling hill framed in trees, with the occasional field of glorious gold.  The view from the coach was worth the ride itself.  But our driver played music during the trip, not my favorite.

Arriving in Canterbury found the weather warmer but still mindnumbingly cold!  We traveled through the most outrageous mall, i actually wish i would have had time to shop!  We arrived and Canterbury cathedral which is the martyr place of St. Thomas Becket and center for the church of England. Many people still pilgrimage to Canterbury church because of Thomas Becket (just a note his death was a rallying point for favoring the church's powers over the kings).  While visiting the Westminster like cathedral, we had the privilege of attending evening song.  It was amazing to hear the unique voice a young male voice echoing through an ancient cathedral.






The day finished with a small group of us going out to Masala world.  This Indian restaurant was recommended to us by an Indian woman that we met on the tube a few days ago.  She was correct in her recommendation of the Thai!  It was just a great time.  

Day In

Yesterday turned out to be a work day!

Got up in the morning and had a few minutes to write in my blog before breakfast.  After breakfast it was another three hour class in a hard chair, i tell you what i want to avoid three hour classes at all cost, those are hard to swallow. 

After class we headed out to Nandos for lunch; it is at Nandos that i discovered their fire sauce.  There is nothing better that their chicken burger with garlic bread, chips, and fire sauce.  I totally agree with Brian there needs to be one in the states!

After lunch my times was spent in the library finishing up my news papers and then writing my media paper.  I finished the rough draft of my paper and then read 12 Night.  One of the most interesting parts of 12 night for me was the word play on gloves and the English language.  He refers to sentences as children's gloves that can be easily turned inside out.  He then says he wishes his sister didn't have a name, implying that because a person is named they can change just as fast as a sentence from good to bad.

The Museum of London

Yesterday was a blast from the past...and who ever says stealing doesn't pay?  The London museum is located in a Greek mansion, the building is as cool as everything that is inside.  This museum is home to everything that Briton stole while they were an empire.  Artifacts from Asia, Africa, Egypt, Europe, all over the world.  This place is huge!  For me one of the coolest displays was the Rosetta Stone.



After visiting the museum in fly by mode we raced off through London to complete one of our London walks, which took me past Charles Darwin College, Charles Dickens stomping ground, the London Library and the oldest looking hotel that i have ever seen.  One of the most interesting sites was the college, it was an interesting though to study in a building that at one time was home to the greatest thinkers that ever lived.

The walked ended at the underground that took us back home, we ate dinner, and then raced off to Matilda.  This was an amazing performance! It was not as meaningful as all the other plays that i have seen.  It was played for laughs and entertainment, they did a great job.  The trunchble was played by a man with a femmy, Despicable Me twist.  Overall it was amazing, everything in the play was about extremes...as extreme as you can get.

The play lead me home and to finish some home work...what a wonderful crazy schedule!

West Minster Abby

Well just in case you didn't know, the difference between an Abby and a Cathedral is that a Cathedral is tied to a bishop or had been at one time.  Yesterday, we went and toured West Minster Abby.  Our tour was given by a blue badge, in which to earn our guide has had to have years of study and experience.  Therefore, she was absolutely amazing!

The Abby was extremely old and grand, this was the Abby the over 20 of the previous king and queen have been coronation in.  It is also the church that William and Kate were married in.  It has served the rule of King Henry the VIII because of all the members of his family that were buried there, it is riddled from top to bottom with shrine and monuments.  The ceilings are huge and grand in the ancient Gothic style.




After visiting west minster we came back for class and dinner. I must admin on our crazy schedule a three hour class at one was almost unbearable! Whooa!  From there however, we went to Le 
Miserables it was absolutely breath taking!  The voices were out of this world, the stage revolved on a center weal, which constantly turning showing up the front and back of every scene and allowing the characters to literally walk on stage.  The grand numbers of Bring Him Home and Can You Hear the People Singing left no one unmoved.

The night finished with a frantic sprint to finish today's homework.  We've all come to one conclusion--there will be no sleep in London! ;)

Hampton Court

We yesterday was crazy!

The day began with my first train ride!  It was amazing!

O what it would be like to live like a king!  We spent the whole day yesterday visiting Hampton Court, which is most famous for being the express mansion of Henry the VIII.  Everything in this palace was made for its grandeur.  Everything from the kitchen to the great halls and the pomp and circumstance, and finally to the grounds which and ten times as massive.  Everything is grand rich and beautiful.  They had an amazing audio tour of the palace, however even with the whole day we were not able to see absolutely everything.  It was so much fun, so interesting, and so grand.

After touring the mansion we ate dinner and then went to Disney's The Lion King.  That play was out of this world!  The entire stage floor was animated, the voices divine, the costumes surreal, and the music exalting.  That is one of the all time best plays i have ever seen!

Shakespeare

You could call yesterday a day of Shakespeare!  The day began with class, which i must admit is completely different when you are living in the city you are learning about.  It was altogether amazing!  We ended slightly early so that would could head out and get on the coach.

Upon getting outside however, we were informed that the coach was going to be a few minutes late.  So what do foreign students do on a nice day in London, sit on the porch of course.  So we sat a read and had a good time on the porch of the London center.  When the coach arrived we headed off toward Stratford-upon-Avon.





As we traveled we stopped at a little town Chipping-norton, this was a tinny little town with amazing little shops.  We stopped at a local backer and ate, the food was amazing!







We then go back on the bus and made it to Ann Hathaway house, Shakespeare birth place, and then the trinity church were he is buried.  It was an altogether amazing day.  One of the most impressing sights was the church for it was extremely ancient.









After a small break we headed off to the Royal Shakespeare theater.  We stop alone the river and ate at an amazing little Italian restruant.  It was the best food.











Trinity Church Burial Place

Birth Place











The night ended with viewing Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night. I must admit that this was my favorite play so far.  The acting was amazing and the stage was out of this world.