Day Eight: You Are Ferry Photogenic Sir

Day 8
Thursday, May 19, 2011


Thursday morning brought little rest. The bus left the hotel at 7:30am (ughhh) for our drive to the  coast. We took a ferry from Dover to Calais, France. This was especially fun because I got to see the famed White Cliffs of Dover.  

 They are actually white and they are indeed cliffs.

I also got a chance to photo-stalk a French man on-board. From a distance anyways...As you can see from the photos below, this man was the epitomic picture of a Frenchman. How could I NOT take a picture...or two...or three...or *ahem* four...?  

Seriously...just look at the guy!

 Snoody-looking Frenchman. 

{Notice the buttoned up trench, popped collar, scarf, sunglasses, cigarette and non-chalante pose against the railing. Looking off into the distance behind us (the French have a distinct habit of looking backwards instead of forwards––figuratively speaking), the French flag waving proudly in the wind.}

{see? his Frenchness compelled me...clearly I had no choice but to stalker photograph him...}

The ferry was a quick jaunt of about 45 minutes to the coast of France where we reboarded the bus and drove through France and Belgium on to the Netherlands. We arrived in Amsterdam around 7 or 8 o’clock that night. It was a long travel day to say the least. Thankfully I prepared myself for this occasion and wore sweats and a t-shirt. Nothing is worse than a long bus ride in jeans, let me tell you. Since it was already pretty late when we arrived at the hotel I didn’t bother to go out exploring (we weren’t technically in the city anyways, so there wasn’t much to do). Instead I had a late dinner of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my room while using...wait for it...FREE WIFI...IN the hotel room! I love the Dutch. So accommodating. So practical. So great. Free wifi is so rare in Europe, and to have it in our rooms (and not just free in the lobby), well, that is just a luxury. And to think, this amazing service was provided at none other than a Best Western. Who knew?! This Best Western was pretty nice though. Better than a lot of the ones I’ve stayed at in the States. We had four twin beds in our room too. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a hotel room with that many beds before. Hannah, Michael and I were assigned together as roommates, which was fun. I love those girls. They’re some of my very favorites on this trip. And what did we do that whole night? Internet.


Funny story:

With this free internet I was able to connect with the world again, including Clinton from Preston. Hannah, Heather and I have been in touch with him since Preston, and it was funny talking to him on Facebook. Then he had me add him on skype and we tried to call, but it kept disconnecting us. Hannah and I tried to greet him with British accents because he attempted an American accent. He gave us a 6/10 for our efforts. Not too bad, I’d say, considering John told me my accent sounded rather Irish when I tried it in Preston. I’ll have to practice more.

Day Seven: On the streets of Londontown

Day 7

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

I was able to sleep in today (9am!). So brilliant. I got a delicious breakfast then went with Michael, Janelle, Hannah, Heather and Suzy to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. I had never seen it before so I was pretty excited...and so too, apparently, were all the other tourists in London. The square around the Palace was so crowded. Normally, I try to be polite and courteous about crowds. However, I have learned that one must be aggressive in these situations, so I boldly pioneered my way to the front lines of the action...sort of. Basically, I was able to see half of what was going on, and get several clear pictures. The crowd control there is crazy. I felt bad for the police officers who had to keep telling all the crazy tourists (including myself) to back up behind the ropes and to keep the pathways clear. This one Indian lady in front of me never seemed to get the memo. She kept moving forward into the exact spots that the officer was trying to clear, and she allowed her three year old daughter to roam freely about in between the barriers. The girl kept getting in the way I guess, because the officer had to tell the mother multiple times to get her under control. It seemed very irresponsible to me. But then again, I was only a foot behind her, so maybe I can’t judge. 

 

Now, I may burst a few peoples’ bubbles here, but unfortunately, Mary Kate and Ashley lied...there were no British guards available for me to try out some of my best jokes. I was really hoping to see one of them crack. Sadly though, all the guards on duty stand in boxes inside the Palace gates, beyond the reach of my witticisms. Too bad for them!

After the Changing of the Guard, which consisted of marching around the square, a military band, and a lot of standing around waiting for something interesting to happen, Michael (who is, btw, a girl, if I have not yet clarified this) and I decided to go visit the Victoria and Albert Museum while the others went to sites we’d seen on our previous visits to London. The Victoria and Albert Museum is pretty big, and there are quite a few different and semi-random exhibits there. Michael and I spent a good amount of time going through their jewelry exhibit that showcased some cool pieces from ancient periods through modern eras, including a very weird metal bra that looked highly uncomfortable and not at all practical {prelude to the chastity belt?}.  I even got to “try on” a rather ornate tiara. I was hoping to be discovered as the next princess of Genovia, but I guess they already have one of those :( Maybe I can talk to Queen Elizabeth...William may be taken, but Harry is still technically on the market.
I should have worked harder on this while at Buckingham Palace...

 

{Chastity bra} 

 

                                                             {Crowned princess}

We also saw an interesting photography gallery that presented a photographic commentary/record of the Apartheid in South Africa. One of the coolest things, in my opinion, that is housed in the museum are some enormous Raphael cartoons (depicting the Acts of the Apostles).

Cartoons = pre-sketches of larger paintings

Cartoons ≠ Calvin and Hobbes  

{although that would probably be the highlight of my museum experience}

I think its cool to see the original sketches of famous murals and paintings that are exhibited in other major galleries. The sheer size of these cartoons was overwhelming as well. The pictures were drawn on smaller squares of canvas that were then pieced together like a puzzle in order to make the large final sheet we see at the end. 

Raphael Cartoons Gallery

(This is a contraband photograph that I took before I realized no photos were allowed––a lesson I learned immediately after taking this picture when the nearby guard informed me. Oops!)

Around 2:20 we left the museum to go over to the British Museum where a bunch of people from class were meeting up at 3pm. Matt’s former freshman roommate Nils (from Denmark) is interning at the British Museum, working on his Masters in history. He wants to be a museum curator. He was nice enough to meet up with us and give us a short highlights tour of the museum. i.e. the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, the Egyptian gallery and a couple others. I was just glad he didn’t try to take us everywhere but kept it short and sweet, because my feet were killing me. And I’ve already been to the British Museum and it is MASSIVE.

 This statue's head was missing a nose...so I decided to help it out.

 {I'm walking the Queen's Walk}

 {Hannah and I}

I was not in the mood to go through it for three hours or more. Instead we only spent about an hour or so walking through, then Suzy, Hannah, Michael, Janelle and I found dinner at an Italian restaurant about a block away. The food was surprisingly delicious. Pretty sure they were a legit Italian establishment...at least, they spoke with Italian accents and acted foreign. Either way, I ordered some sort of tortelloni (not to be mistaken for tortellini) and it was amaaazing. I ate it so fast. Mmmmm. Only downside? We had to pay for our water. They serve water in bottles that you have to pay for, instead of from the tap. So we just split a bottle between us.

Translation: I got a small European-size glass of water for my entire meal.

{Our expensive bottle of water}

Further Translation: I was thirsty the whole time.

Once we finished our dinner, we split up again. Hannah, Michael and I took the tube to the Tower Bridge area because Hannah hadn’t seen it yet and we still had some free time left in our evening. Unfortunately it started raining as we ate our meal, but we all had umbrellas so it wasn’t a big deal. Just your typical London weather! We just meandered down the pier by the bridge and then walked down some back streets, exploring London. We walked too far though and ended up kind of out of the way from any tube stations. Problem: I had to use the bathroom so bad (even though I’d only had that small glass of water for dinner). Let’s just say the walk back to the tube and then to the hotel was a long one.

Plus side to the evening: Cool fountain pictures in front of the Thames and Tower Bridge and the rain stopped when we got to the bridge.

Day Six: I studied abroad at Hogwarts

Day 6

May 17, 2011

DISCLAIMER: 

{This post is extra long and I haven't been able to add pictures yet because the internet is too slow to upload the files. So just FYI, you made need to read in parts and/or skim/skip certain sections. 

Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll try to spruce this blog up with pictures soon!}

Breakfast at the Premier Inn was delish...even if their internet services were lacking. At least they  know how to provide a decent meal. After eating way too much from the buffet (the fresh fruit was a definite plus to our typically high carb diet of late), we walked a few blocks to the London Family History Center (near the Victoria and Albert Museum) for our London “business visit.” It was actually just a lecture from an LDS expat, Ron Judd, who has worked in London for the past eleven years. He was very excited and passionate about what he was talking about, which made it an interesting lecture. Basically, he used his own life story about business and life successes as a motivational speech for us. It was pretty convincing actually. By the end of it even I felt like becoming a cool CEO of an international company and taking on the world...then I remembered that I hate business and would never want to do his job. But he did make some important and pertinent points. 

WARNING: Tangential block of words. This is mostly for my benefit as I have to write a paper about my business trip experiences. However, I thought I would include my thoughts in case you're interested. If not, no worries, just ignore the text within the brackets and skip to the next section of this post. 

That is all.

{I especially appreciated his assertion that great business/work success can be balanced with personal/family life, although it will come at a high cost. Sacrifices have to be made on both sides, but in the end, if you work hard at it and make family and your personal values a priority, you can find ways to balance them with your work life and still be successful. I think its important to see an example of someone who has done just that. He is the president of a major international company (Maiden Global Holdings, Ltd.) and still able to actively participate in Church callings, attend family activities (e.g. his childrens’ sports games and school functions) while maintaining integrity and high standards in the workplace. I also found his perspective on the challenges and experiences of moving abroad for work to be especially interesting. Apparently, it was a difficult transition for his family to come to London. The culture, people, lifestyle and even the language (although English) were dramatically different. However, they worked through these challenges and eventually came to love London and England and stayed longer (eleven years now) than originally planned (3-5 years). 

One of the things I found especially applicable was Judd’s advice to “build your own brand.” Consciously and subconsciously we have a specific “brand” that people associate with us. He encouraged us to be self-aware and begin developing our personal “brands” now, because that is what people, including potential employers and clients, will think of when they see us. This means that we need to determine now what our aspirations, goals and objectives are, personally and professionally, so that we can work to make them align with our ultimate plans for the future. If our aspirations, goals and values are not compatible, then we will run into trouble either professionally or personally (likely both) in the future. I think as members of the Church this is especially important because we have certain values and standards that do not always align with the goals and typical functioning of a business. Sacrifices will almost have to be made and it is our job to determine now what we are willing to give and what we are not willing to give in seeking this balance between our personal and professional careers. 

Another important point he made was encouraging education, for both men and women. He used his wife as an example of a lifelong learner. “Education is important in and of itself,” he told us, and urged us to pursue as much learning as possible. I think this is true for everyone because education (both formal and informal) will open doors in life that would otherwise not be available, and enriches your life personally. As a woman, I know that I want to gain a good education so that I can be prepared to support myself and later on even a family, if necessary, and then be more qualified to teach my own children. 

The final point I took away from this lecture was the ability to receive constructive criticism. I know that personally I struggle with this talent. I don’t like criticism, constructive or otherwise. However, I appreciated the way Judd approached it. He explained that we should not only be willing to accept constructive criticism, but to actually seek it. Judd used the example of a colleague/employee he had a few years ago. This man was highly intelligent and a great worker and asset to the company. However, whenever his name was mentioned in meetings for possible promotions, the response across the board was negative and disgusted. Why? Because of his appearance. He was a poor dresser (grungy, cheap and unkempt) and his office space was a mess. Because of this, in spite of his impressive work ethic, all that his coworkers could see was a slob, and he was continually passed by for promotion. Judd decided to take initiative on his behalf and inform his friend of the situation. He explained to the man that he had potential to move far in the company, but that he would have to make some changes to his appearance if he ever wanted to progress. The man took this criticism to heart and the following Monday he came to work a new man. Sharp new suit, briefcase and haircut. Spotless desk and office. He was promoted soon after and enjoyed great success in the business. I liked this anecdote because it shows not only the importance of receiving criticism constructively, but also the importance of maintaining a good personal brand. This man was held from promotion multiple times over, not because he wasn’t performing, but because his brand was tarnished. Once he cleaned up his appearance, his brand received a makeover too. 

Obviously, criticism can be constructive and ultimately rewarding in business, and in any life situation. However, Judd asserts that it is necessary to not only accept this criticism, but to actively seek it out. He claims that much of his success derives from his desire and initiative to learn and develop himself. How did he accomplish this? By seeking constructive criticism and advice from his coworkers, employers and friends. This kind of attitude of humble learning not only helped him turn his weaknesses into strengths, but it was an attractive quality to his business colleagues, and was certainly a factor in his brand success. 

Even though I may not go into business per se, I think this kind of attitude and advice is pertinent in any situation. By seeking constructive criticism and looking for opportunities to learn and improve, I can progress much faster and more effectively than if I go along pretending I already know everything. I think this lecture was one of my favorites so far on the trip because his advice was applicable across the disciplines, both professionally and personally. }

Phew. Okay, sorry about the tangent. I am using this blog for several purposes, one of which is to help me write our final paper at the end of this study abroad. Don’t worry, I won’t be offended if you skimmed through that bit. It was mostly for me, although I think that there were some good points that you might find interesting too. 

 

{View of Trafalgar Square near National Gallery: One of my favorite shots of London}

Once the lecture was over we had free time for a couple hours so a few of us took the tube to Leicester Square where we bought discounted tickets to Phantom of the Opera (£23) for that night. Afterwards, we walked around the theater district and Picadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square where we went through the National Gallery. I have been there before but it was really fun. There are some really fantastic artists shown there. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Renoir

Gauguin

Degas

Leonardo da Vinci

                                           

                                   Paul Delaroche                             Monet

                                                                                                                       

         Manet

                 

                                                                         Cezanne

                           Van Gogh

                                                                                                       Alfred Sisley

                                                            Camille Pissarro

Favorite pieces:

“The Execution of Lady Jane Grey” Delaroche, 1833

“The Boulevard Monmartre at Night” Pissarro, 1897

---->this was Pissarro’s only night scene. I love it not only for its beauty, but also because it is a painting of one of my favorite places in Paris (the area of Monmartre by the Sacre Coeur basilica). I can’t help loving everything Parisian. AND it is cool to see an old painting of a place I can actually recognize. It is amazing to me how very little old cities like Paris have changed in a hundred years. That street in a painting from 1897 was familiar to me from 2010. Obviously I can’t help but love this picture. 

“The Cote des Boeufs at L’Hermitage” Pissarro, 1877

“Avenue at Chantilly” Cezanne

“The Umbrellas” Renoir                                                        “At the Theatre” Renoir

“Van Gogh’s Chair” Van Gogh

                                              “A Wheatfield with Cypresses” Van Gogh

                “Farms Near Auvers” Van Gogh

                                “Miss LaLa at the Cirque Fernando” Degas, 1879

“Three Dancers in Violet Tutus” Degas, 1896

                                                                        “Ballet Dancers” Degas

“Lake Keitele” Akseli Gallen-Kallela

--->a lake north of Helsinki

{Some of these paintings I first noticed from across the room and it’s amazing how clear nda pure the picture looks. Then you move closer and you can see the detailed strokes. The change in perspective is really quite fascinating. For example, Gallen-Kallela’s painting looked like clear glassy water––it appeared as though you could go touch the canvas and come out wet. Truly beautiful. I love art.} 

We only had about an hour to go through the galleries, so we couldn’t see everything. However, I really enjoyed it. I think the fact that I had been there before made me less anxious to move through it quickly, so I just went at my own pace trying to appreciate some of my favorites. The impressionist works in the National Gallery are some of my favorite pieces of impressionist art anywhere. I’m not obsessed with impressionism (I know it is a favorite for many), but there are certainly a few key pieces of artwork that I just love from that genre, so I particularly enjoyed going through that part of the exhibit. 

At the end, we waited on a bench for two other girls to come back from another part of the gallery. However, while we were waiting, Heather got up and said she was going to walk around for a bit. Well, right after she left, the other two came back and Heather was no where to be found. We looked through a couple of the nearest rooms but didn’t see her. We don’t have cell phones so we couldn’t call her, and our next business visit at the Bank of England was in fifteen minutes. We considered leaving her, hoping she’d be able to make her way there on her own, but we didn’t feel good about that. It would be like the line from the movie Elf: 

“Bye Heather!

Good luck finding the Bank!”

That wasn’t a good plan, so then we were going to have two people wait behind for her and the rest of us would go. Luckily though, she arrived a few minutes later and we all headed for the Bank together. Usually there aren’t any problems with getting lost or falling behind, but when it happens it is always a hassle. It is amazing how convenient cell phones are. Good thing this doesn’t happen a lot. 

I won’t bore you too much on the Bank of England visit. Mostly because I fell asleep during the movie presentation. And because I don’t know much about banks, fiscal policy or currency. However, I will say a couple things. The Bank of England is 300 years old (established in 1694) and was nationalized in 1946. The notes issued by the Bank of England are legal tender in the United Kingdom and it backs the Scottish and Irish banknotes. It acts as the central bank for the U.K., similar to the Fed in the U.S. In 1997 the Treasury was put in charge of determining interest rates, instead of the politicians. The Independent Monetary Policy Committee (nine members) assembles to set rates and try to meet inflation rates/goals. The minutes of these meetings are available to the public two weeks after each assembly. All the functioning of the Bank is very transparent. 

Okay. Enough of that. If I fell asleep in the presentation, then you certainly aren’t going to be interested by this. Probably. 

Now for the fun stuff. Took me long enough...sorry about that...

I wandered around the area a bit with Michael, Hannah and Heather, and found a snack at a chain called “EAT” to tide me over until dinner (we missed lunch). Then we decided to go to King’s Cross Station. 

Why?

Because I’m going to HOGWARTS of course!

We took the tube over to the station and walked down the platforms. However, the platform was blocked off by construction. We stopped in front of the ticket turnstiles and stood around in a confused manner. I guess we were talking rather loudly (stupid Americans) because one of the workers standing behind the turnstiles motioned for me to come over. I walked over to him and he told me that the platform had been moved around the corner during the construction, and that we could get there without needing a ticket. I guess a group of four young girls chattering and gesturing confusedly is a dead giveaway. Oh well. I’m just happy he was kind enough to direct me to my destiny! 

We hurried around the corner onto the train platform and walked down until we found 

Platform 9 3/4. 

Life goal: Completed. 

Happiness: Achieved.

We took pictures in front of the platform for a few minutes. A cute train worker walked past us to a back room. I asked him if he wanted to come to Hogwarts with us. He didn’t know I was talking to him at first, but then he smiled and said he’s already been several times, but thanks for the offer. In a British accent. Good times. 

Then? 

I went to Hogwarts. 

{That’s why I’ve taken so long to blog. The real reason. They don’t have free wifi in Hogwarts. Everything is by owl.  Go figure.}

However, as you may have guessed, I couldn’t stay at Hogwarts for long...hence this form of humdrum Muggle communication. Sad day. 

After a magical time at Platform 9 3/4, we walked (in Muggle fashion) to the tube and went back to the theater district for dinner. We had dinner at a place called Wagamama’s, an Asian food restaurant. Incidentally, it is the same restaurant I ate at in London last year with Meridith and Andrea! We ate there upon my recommendation. I’m not sure if I’ve seen them in the states, but they have good food, and a lot of it, for fairly cheap. I think my dish was about £8. So not terrible, considering. 

 

Once we finished our dinner, we walked around a bit. Heather’s foot was killing her, poor thing. She hasn’t been wearing good shoes on these cobblestones, so it has really messed up her feet. The same thing happened to me the first time I went to Paris while in high school. I was literally limping around I was in so much pain. So was Heather, by this point. Her feet ending up being in even worse shape than mine ever were. She could barely walk. Luckily, we were already in the theater district, so it didn’t take too long to find the theater. 

Phantom of the Opera.

Showtime: 7:30pm

Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre

Experience:

So good. Our seats were terrible (to be expected at a discount price I guess). The upper half of the stage was blocked from view by the ceiling. Not to mention the fact that a French couple was sitting directly in front of me. And they kept kissing every couple minutes, further blocking my already limiting viewing space. There was an Asian guy next to me who just sat up on the folded part of the seat. He was basically standing the whole time. 

Fortunately though, after the intermission, we moved up to the middle in some empty seats that had no viewing limitations. The show was exponentially improved by this. The music was fantastic. I loved it. Although, I feel like the production was a little hyped up. However, I would see it again. I’d like to see it on Broadway and compare them. I’m wondering if the production is better in New York than London. Either way, it was a great show. The music in that play is phenomenal. Way better than Wicked. That play is much too overrated. The rest of the class went  to see Les Mis that night, and the following night many went to see Wicked. Personally, I’m happy with my choice of Phantom. How can you beat Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London??

You can’t.

The "Essence" of Europe is Chocolate

Day 5
May 16, 2011


7:10am

Wake up call.

Shower and clean room for check out.

Quick breakfast of cereal and a waffle/crepe thing with jelly.

Before loading the bus I went with a few girls to take pictures in front of the Preston Temple (in the rain, of course). Preston seems a lot like Washington or Oregon. Rainy and cold. I guess their summer only lasts a couple weeks and we missed it by a few days. Oh well. 

After taking some pictures we boarded the bus and drove to Birmingham where we went to Cadbury World for one of our “business visits.” Not really a business visit, but a public tour of the factory. Worst part? Nasty tomato soup for lunch in the Cadbury Cafe. It is not really tomato soup. Instead I think they just put watered down Ragu sauce in a pot and called it lunch. Ick! Best part? Free chocolate samples all along the way. 

 

Bonus: Cadbury World ride (similar to Small World/Disney-type rides). 

We were probably twice the average height and age of the usual ride participants. We also watched a little “Essence” show which was a presentation of the history and making of Cadbury Chocolate. It was pretty good. You can tell the marketing was trying really hard to gear towards kids and make Cadbury a fun and memorable experience so people would associate positive feelings towards their product and brand. I think they did a pretty good job. (The free chocolate didn’t hurt my opinion either!) I bought a few small bars of chocolate in the gift shop at the end and then we rode the bus another few hours to London. I sat up front this time with Heather. We talked a little bit and then tried to sleep (very uncomfortably). I was pretty bored––the bus rides are not my favorite, I can get a little stir-crazy. 

However, the ride wasn’t terribly long, and we arrived in London around 5:30pm. We were assigned rooms and then unloaded. 

Side note: I didn’t have a roommate the first nights in Edinburgh so I was saying to Heather and Michael, ‘I really hope I have a roommate this time, I don’t want to be stuck alone again!’ when Professor Kimball calls out my name first, “Brittney! You’re alone...”  'Oh! Great...' Luckily April was sitting nearby and heard my rant and she offered to take the room and I got her roommate assignment with Michelle (who, ironically, was the other girl who was without a roommate in Edinburgh). So that was wicked nice of April, because I really didn’t want to be segregated from the group again. I like to be in the loop. 

Anyways, the sun stays up later here so we had plenty of daylight to go walk around the city a bit. I went around the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and the London Eye with Suzy, Hannah, Janelle and Michael. That was fun. 

I really like Michael, she’s nice and we are similar in a lot of ways. This was the first night that I really hung out with these girls, minus mealtimes in Preston, so it was good to go out with them. We grabbed a bite to eat at a Pizza Express that’s a little bit behind the main boardwalk along the Thames. We got a 20% discount from a hotel coupon, plus a student discount I think, so it was the cheapest option for us (especially in pricey London). The pizza was good, but we split it, and they were pretty small so I was still a little hungry afterwards, but it was fine. Dinner with the girls was good, but for me I thought it was a little awkward still since we didn’t all know each other that well. There were several lulls and silences in the conversation that made me wish we had a bigger group. But other than that it was fun. 

  

{Street Performer by the Thames}

 

{Seeing Through the Eye of London}

 

{Hannah, Suzanne, Janelle and I taking the Tube} 
 

After dinner we headed back to the hotel on the tube, where the British announcer lady instructed us constantly to “Mind the GAP” between the train and the platform (she was very concerned for our safety apparently). Unfortunately, the Premier Inn hotel does not provide free wifi (jerks...but typical in Europe) so I went with the girls to the McDonald’s down by the station and used their free wifi. Ahh, sweet relief to be connected to the world again! That was my first night of internet since my initial landing announcement the afternoon I arrived in Edinburgh. Weird. We stayed on too long though, and one of the workers told us to leave so that paying customers could use the seats (the McDonald’s was surprisingly busy at 11pm). Oops. 

Everything is better with an accent

Sleep. 

It’s a beautiful thing. 

That is why Sunday morning was so grand. I slept in until 9:45am. I could have slept all day, but even those extra two hours did wonders. I got up, got ready for church and then we all walked to the church building across the street. 

Church was fun, listening to the talks and lessons in a British accent. Sunday School was especially entertaining because our teacher had a great sense of humor and got really into his lesson. This helped me to stay awake (even with the extra sleep I was ready for a nap again). 

Funny moment: 

Our teacher asked us what came to mind when he said certain names (e.g. Moses, Jonah, Abraham etc.) Then he asked us “What about pizza?” and Ben shouted out, “Pepperoni!” and I said, “Yummmm...” No one heard me, but everyone definitely heard Ben. 

Well, with an accent “Peter” sounds very much like “Pizza” in British. But they are definitely not the same. That got a good laugh. 

After Sunday School we went to Relief Society, where I could not keep my eyes open. I felt really bad. I’m sure the older ladies behind me could see my head as it would bob up and down every few minutes as I tried to keep myself from sleeping. I do know that we had a lesson on talents though, so points to me for at least getting the gist of the discussion (which was your basic RS message of ‘Everyone is special and everyone has important talents to share’ yaddy yaddy yaddah). I’m sure it was good...but I was half-asleep for most of it. Oops.

When church ended we hung around for a few minutes––hoping that an attractive Brit in the ward would talk to us (nope)––and then walked back in the cold Preston rain to our accommodations. We had a short break (about an hour) and then we met on the bus for a tour of church history sites in Preston. Clinton, Edwin and Phil (guys in the Preston singles ward) came along to give the tour. Clinton did most of the tour. It was funny because Phil sat in back with us (and Clinton reiterated this later) and said, “He’s making this whole tour up...he doesn’t really know what he’s talking about.” I thought that was pretty funny. Although he was winging it, I’m pretty sure most of it really was legit. We saw the square where the first missionaries preached on soap boxes to the angry crowds, we went to President Hinckley’s mission home, and to the River Ribble where thousands of people were baptized late into the night and then to a park along the river where there are two memorial plaques to the members and the missionaries. 

The park itself was really pretty too designed as a Japanese-style garden. We had a little testimony bearing “meeting” for a few minutes there, then walked back to the bus where we drove to a village (I forget the name) where Heber C. Kimball had preached and converted the whole town. Apparently when it was time for him to leave and he was walking through the street, people came out and swarmed him and he had to wash his face in the stream because he was weeping so much. Ironically, when we were leaving, the bus almost backed into that very stream as we tried to turn around. Luckily, we did not get our bus stuck in the creek. That would have put a damper on our day. Haha, get it? Damper. And it was already raining anyways...

Our tour lasted alllll day long. We left at three thirty and didn’t get back until eight thirty. It was a good Sunday activity though and it was cool to see some of the church sites in Preston. When we got back we had a nice baked potato dinner with the Brits. That was fun. I sat with Hannah, Suzy, and Heather with Phil. He was so funny. He talked a lot, but it was interesting because he 1) had an accent, which makes everything enjoyable to hear, and 2) because it was cool to get a British perspective on things. We compared American and British cultures and attitudes a lot. 

For example, one of the things I thought was humorous was that, according to Phil (and I’m not sure if this is reflective of all Brits), the British loved George W. Bush because he was so easy to make fun of, and that they don’t like Obama as much because he’s so serious and put together. Apparently it’s the same for British politicians. They like the comedians and idiots better than the actual qualified leaders because they are more fun in the news...not sure if this is an accurate illustration of British political attitudes, but I thought it was funny. 

Memorable British quotes of the night:

Phil was describing the time he had visited America for General Conference and gone through Utah and Idaho and he exclaims, “What’s with Idaho!? It’s flippin’ ridiculous!” He couldn’t believe how empty and vacant the state was. Then he told us how they accidentally killed a cow and the guy just said to move it to the side of the road like it was no big deal. Phil was completely flabbergasted by how nonchalant Idahoans are about stuff like that. 

But my very favorite line?

“Bon Jovi–– 

best thing to come out of America 

since the Restoration.”-Phil

After chatting with Phil for a while we moved to the common area and talked with a few other people in the group with two other Brits, Clinton and John. These two are characters. 

Let me paint you a picture:

Two Brits. 

Loud. 

Boisterous. 

Accents. 

                            Both wearing onesie sweatsuits. 

What are onesie sweatesuits? Picture a hoodie sweatshirt. And baggie sweatpants. Now put them together with a zipper up the whole suit and add pockets. That is a OnePiece. AND, Clinton has offered to give me one of his (he has four) because they’re really expensive (i.e. $200). How did they both come to have these articles of clothing? They are sponsored by OnePiece. Why? Clinton and John are auditioning for Britain’s X-Factor this season! Haha. Apparently they are doing a rap, but John was too embarrassed to perform for us. Instead, they did a duo rendition of the Fresh Prince theme. 

Classic. 

A bunch of us all hung out until midnight. But then the security guy was closing up and kicked out the Brits so we all went to bed. 

Fun night.