This week has been probably the most low key week I’ve had since I’ve been here. I am getting really great at navigating myself around this city! I am even getting so good at the tube system that I don’t always have to look at the map to know where I want to go. I can just get on and get myself there! I’m even getting the traffic rules figured out. In Paris it was easy as a pedestrian you had one job. Don’t die. If there is a motorized vehicle of any kind coming in your direction MOVE (green light or not and sometimes on the sidewalk even!). Here it is a bit more organized, so it makes it more necessary to figure out the rules. Now that I’m getting it all figured out it’s kind of depressing that I’m going to be leaving so soon.
Wednesday I really just did things around my flat. I came back from class and just ended up staying around here because I was so exhausted from running constantly and it was so cold! The beginning of the week was really freezing and rainy so it was pretty miserable going out and doing things. I got things together on the computer and I took a nap. That’s pretty well all I did.
Thursday I went to the British museum. It is fantastic! I love it and I am most definitely going back because I got kicked out before I finished looking at everything I wanted to look at. I really loved the Egyptian area (you’re all stunned, I know) and the European art area. It was fantastic! Because it closed earlier than I expected but not really early enough for me to go do anything else before I had to meet my class for our show that night, I decided to go find platform 9 ¾ (from Harry Potter) at Kings Cross station. I found the platform without much difficulty, but when I went to go back I took the wrong way out and I ended up walking all the way around the station (which is quite large) and walking through a somewhat dodgy area of town. I was really glad when there was another lady walking my way and asked me for directions. I didn’t know where it was she was going, but we helped each other find our destinations. It was really nice! That night we went to a Midsummer Nights Dream. I was very impressed! I really liked how they cast and costumed it! I would be more than happy to tell anyone who wants to know more about it how it was done, but for the rest of you just know that it was beautifully done!
Friday I had a massive homework date. I had let my big papers build up and I needed to get caught up on those. I felt really accomplished by the end of it though because I got it all done! That night was a blast though. I went to a pub with some of the other girls and we watched the football (American Soccer) game between England and Brazil. It was so amazing! The game itself was really great. Both teams played really well and the crowd was so much fun! Some of them were really drunk, but mostly they were in control of themselves. It was so cool when England scored the first goal! The whole pub burst out in one mass cheer! It was so amazing to be a part of that! It was really intense for the last little bit because Brazil was coming back strongly then in the last minute they scored as well! It was ok though, because it was not one of the in season games. After that we went to a church dance for the young single adults. That was so much fun as well!
Saturday I went to Portobello market. It was fun even though I got myself sort of lost at some points. I went all up and down the street and found that if I went back up the side streets as well it was so much bigger than I though it would be. I tried to get some sun while I was out there, but alas, in London it is nearly impossible to get a tan even on a sunny day. After my shopping adventures, I went back and rested a while before we went to The Merchant of Venice. I think it was performed well, I just don’t really like the show itself. The costumes really didn’t do it for me either. They were not really my thing. I don’t know why though.
Sunday was amazing. We had Stake conference and Elder Eyring and President Hinckley were the featured speakers. They spoke by broadcast to all of the church members in the UK and Ireland. It was amazing because 1) I could understand all of what was being said because it was in English and 2) It was so sweet to hear President Hinckley speak to the British and Irish church members. You could totally tell that he loves them so much! It was very touching. After church a group of us went with the singles ward and had a picnic. Then some of us went on a walk around by Big Ben and Westminster up toward St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a nice Sunday walk. I left the group early and came back to finish up some things before I went to bed and the crazy thing is that on my way back I think I saw Orlando Bloom. It was strange and it all happened so fast that I’m not totally sure, but it is completely possible. I saw this random guy in my peripheral vision and I smiled just a ‘hi how are you’ smile, then as I was looking at him I realized that I was pretty sure I knew him from somewhere and I saw a Pirates of the Caribbean poster just up the street and looked back at him. By this time I’m pretty sure I was giving him one of the strangest looks ever and as I passed him I just kind of looked back at him in a daze. Not as glamorous as I had hoped that our first meeting would be, but that’s just how life goes I guess.
Monday we had class and I went with a couple of my friends to a pampering session and photo shoot. It was part of a package we bought a while ago and it was way fun! We had our hair and makeup done and then our nails done. After that we had a massive photo shoot! It was way fun getting all dressed up and having people fuss over you. It was a very, very long day though. We were there from 1.30 to 8.30. We got Turkish food on the way home and it was wonderful! On my way home I went grocery shopping. I really needed food, but more importantly I was out of chocolate, so it was necessary to get that taken care of.
Tuesday I went to the British Library and saw the Magna Carta, the original folio of Shakespeare’s plays, various illuminated manuscripts, journals of da Vinci, Darwin, etc, and a Beatles display of original papers that they put their lyrics and such on which was totally cool! I really liked that display because they had things you don’t ever see! A napkin with lyrics sketched out on it, records of theirs, pictures, etc. It was awesome! I spent a couple of hours that afternoon looking for the Fashion and Textiles museum and wandering around aimlessly. It was on a random back road so it was somewhat difficult to find anyway, and it was closed for refurbishing. I was sad, but none the less I asked an older lady with hot pink hair and teal eye shadow for directions to the underground. Crazy enough pink hair got me there too! We went to Cymbeline that night. It was probably my favorite of the Shakespearean plays we have seen on this trip. It was very well performed and it was designed impeccably! It was done in a 1950s style and it was done beautifully!
Well, that’s about all for the week. I am getting ready to come home so I’m getting in all the last minute things I haven’t done yet. It is amazing and I still love it here! I hope that all is well in all of your lives at home. By way of interest, I was asked to do the costume design for Julius Caesar this summer when I get home. I am very excited for it and I will keep you all updated on that as it comes along! I love you all tons and I can’t wait to see you all soon!
Wednesday I really just did things around my flat. I came back from class and just ended up staying around here because I was so exhausted from running constantly and it was so cold! The beginning of the week was really freezing and rainy so it was pretty miserable going out and doing things. I got things together on the computer and I took a nap. That’s pretty well all I did.
Thursday I went to the British museum. It is fantastic! I love it and I am most definitely going back because I got kicked out before I finished looking at everything I wanted to look at. I really loved the Egyptian area (you’re all stunned, I know) and the European art area. It was fantastic! Because it closed earlier than I expected but not really early enough for me to go do anything else before I had to meet my class for our show that night, I decided to go find platform 9 ¾ (from Harry Potter) at Kings Cross station. I found the platform without much difficulty, but when I went to go back I took the wrong way out and I ended up walking all the way around the station (which is quite large) and walking through a somewhat dodgy area of town. I was really glad when there was another lady walking my way and asked me for directions. I didn’t know where it was she was going, but we helped each other find our destinations. It was really nice! That night we went to a Midsummer Nights Dream. I was very impressed! I really liked how they cast and costumed it! I would be more than happy to tell anyone who wants to know more about it how it was done, but for the rest of you just know that it was beautifully done!
Friday I had a massive homework date. I had let my big papers build up and I needed to get caught up on those. I felt really accomplished by the end of it though because I got it all done! That night was a blast though. I went to a pub with some of the other girls and we watched the football (American Soccer) game between England and Brazil. It was so amazing! The game itself was really great. Both teams played really well and the crowd was so much fun! Some of them were really drunk, but mostly they were in control of themselves. It was so cool when England scored the first goal! The whole pub burst out in one mass cheer! It was so amazing to be a part of that! It was really intense for the last little bit because Brazil was coming back strongly then in the last minute they scored as well! It was ok though, because it was not one of the in season games. After that we went to a church dance for the young single adults. That was so much fun as well!
Saturday I went to Portobello market. It was fun even though I got myself sort of lost at some points. I went all up and down the street and found that if I went back up the side streets as well it was so much bigger than I though it would be. I tried to get some sun while I was out there, but alas, in London it is nearly impossible to get a tan even on a sunny day. After my shopping adventures, I went back and rested a while before we went to The Merchant of Venice. I think it was performed well, I just don’t really like the show itself. The costumes really didn’t do it for me either. They were not really my thing. I don’t know why though.
Sunday was amazing. We had Stake conference and Elder Eyring and President Hinckley were the featured speakers. They spoke by broadcast to all of the church members in the UK and Ireland. It was amazing because 1) I could understand all of what was being said because it was in English and 2) It was so sweet to hear President Hinckley speak to the British and Irish church members. You could totally tell that he loves them so much! It was very touching. After church a group of us went with the singles ward and had a picnic. Then some of us went on a walk around by Big Ben and Westminster up toward St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a nice Sunday walk. I left the group early and came back to finish up some things before I went to bed and the crazy thing is that on my way back I think I saw Orlando Bloom. It was strange and it all happened so fast that I’m not totally sure, but it is completely possible. I saw this random guy in my peripheral vision and I smiled just a ‘hi how are you’ smile, then as I was looking at him I realized that I was pretty sure I knew him from somewhere and I saw a Pirates of the Caribbean poster just up the street and looked back at him. By this time I’m pretty sure I was giving him one of the strangest looks ever and as I passed him I just kind of looked back at him in a daze. Not as glamorous as I had hoped that our first meeting would be, but that’s just how life goes I guess.
Monday we had class and I went with a couple of my friends to a pampering session and photo shoot. It was part of a package we bought a while ago and it was way fun! We had our hair and makeup done and then our nails done. After that we had a massive photo shoot! It was way fun getting all dressed up and having people fuss over you. It was a very, very long day though. We were there from 1.30 to 8.30. We got Turkish food on the way home and it was wonderful! On my way home I went grocery shopping. I really needed food, but more importantly I was out of chocolate, so it was necessary to get that taken care of.
Tuesday I went to the British Library and saw the Magna Carta, the original folio of Shakespeare’s plays, various illuminated manuscripts, journals of da Vinci, Darwin, etc, and a Beatles display of original papers that they put their lyrics and such on which was totally cool! I really liked that display because they had things you don’t ever see! A napkin with lyrics sketched out on it, records of theirs, pictures, etc. It was awesome! I spent a couple of hours that afternoon looking for the Fashion and Textiles museum and wandering around aimlessly. It was on a random back road so it was somewhat difficult to find anyway, and it was closed for refurbishing. I was sad, but none the less I asked an older lady with hot pink hair and teal eye shadow for directions to the underground. Crazy enough pink hair got me there too! We went to Cymbeline that night. It was probably my favorite of the Shakespearean plays we have seen on this trip. It was very well performed and it was designed impeccably! It was done in a 1950s style and it was done beautifully!
Well, that’s about all for the week. I am getting ready to come home so I’m getting in all the last minute things I haven’t done yet. It is amazing and I still love it here! I hope that all is well in all of your lives at home. By way of interest, I was asked to do the costume design for Julius Caesar this summer when I get home. I am very excited for it and I will keep you all updated on that as it comes along! I love you all tons and I can’t wait to see you all soon!
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