Day one of adventures in Olympia:
Four of us (Chris, Erin, Sarah, and me) got to sit in the luxury boxes at the morning session, thanks to the generosity of Indiana Swimming, and so we were really close to the start of the races. At this meet they have what is called a clean deck, where no swimmers, coaches, or any other people but the officials can be on the deck of the pool during the races. Because of this, they march all of the swimmers in just before their heat, so it is REALLY cool.
Jenny swam the 100 meter butterfly today and was seeded 76th. She got a best time today and finished 53rd, so that is awesome!
Dad, Chris, Erin, and I went to the finals tonight, and for the first time, I saw world records get broken. Michael Phelps broke his in the 400 IM and Katie Hoff broke hers in the 400 IM. I also saw probably the best race ever in the 400 Free where three guys battled it out for the top two places, and all three went under the American record. It was soooooooo cool!
Jenny update: she is feeling really good. She's really excited for tomorrow and can't wait to get going. She really feels like she can do her best here, which makes us feel good too!
We're so proud of her and know that whatever she does tomorrow or Tuesday, assuming she makes the finals, will be her best, and she has represent her family, her team, and the Church in an amazing way. Thanks for all of your support!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tales of a Very Long Car Trip
After 9 hours in a 2005 Ford Taurus with my parents, I have arrived in Omaha, Nebraska, having felt enriched and a better American. After all, I had never been through Iowa, and never set foot in Nebraska, and now I have. Illinois and Indiana were nice, as well, and I am amazed at the differences in color between here and in the UK. The landscape is not SO different--a bit more hills and trees--but the color of said landscape is vastly different. The UK manages to have more vibrancy, and our colors of pastures and wildflowers and such is more pale. I don't mean to degrade our beloved States by any means, but the colors are litterally not as bright. The green here has more yellow in it, and the flowers have mroe white in them. Pure colors in the UK, blended colors here. Very interesting.
Also, people are strange here. We saw someone almost get crushed by a semi, and then at Subway there was an old woman who had her hair in curlers and in pins. I would have taken a picture, but discretion is not one of my strong points.
But, Jenny just called, and she has just landed. We are so excited for next week. She swims on Sunday, Monday, and, assuming she makes the finals of the 100m back, Tuesday night. She feels great, we feel nervous, and everything is going to be new and exciting. Man, I love the Olympics!
Also, people are strange here. We saw someone almost get crushed by a semi, and then at Subway there was an old woman who had her hair in curlers and in pins. I would have taken a picture, but discretion is not one of my strong points.
But, Jenny just called, and she has just landed. We are so excited for next week. She swims on Sunday, Monday, and, assuming she makes the finals of the 100m back, Tuesday night. She feels great, we feel nervous, and everything is going to be new and exciting. Man, I love the Olympics!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Jenny
When I woke up this morning and went to the kitchen for breakfast, I picked up the Sports section, and was a little startled to see my baby sister on the front page. Not too startled, mind, as she is the most famous athlete in Lafayette (a real privilege, that) and who else are they going to talk about this week? There was the beginning of a nice article about her and how the Olympic Trials are next week and how she's been training for years for this, etc, etc, etc. My mom sees my crazy grin, and says, "Wait til you look inside." I flip the page---and nothing. I looked up at her in confusion. She said, "Next page." So I shrugged and turned one more---and I screamed. Full page spread, color photos, Jenny Connolly Prepares For Olympic Trials. Captions under each pic, and on the other side there was the rest of the article about her. Then the listed "Other Olympic Hopefuls" that were in various other sports. But HOLY COW!!!! What a way to begin the Sabbath, eh? If you want to read the article/see the pics, go to www.jconline.com, and you can't miss it. But Jenny is amazing. She's not nervous; just really excited. She's seeded 7th right now, but we all know that Jenny is amazing on a taper, and she is so ready for this. Whether she makes the team or not, I'm already proud of her. We leave on Thursday for Omaha, and I am so excited!!!!
Here are some of the pics from the paper today:
She makes it look so easy, doesn't she?
I told her I was making this a poster, and she rolled her eyes at me.
I LOVE this one. Looks like something that should be in SI, huh?
Here are some of the pics from the paper today:
She makes it look so easy, doesn't she?
I told her I was making this a poster, and she rolled her eyes at me.
I LOVE this one. Looks like something that should be in SI, huh?Home Sweet Home
Yes, I am here. And the jetlag is amazing, and the unpacking has commenced. It is quite frightening, actually. There were more bags in my room than in the basement or my parent's closest combined. I have already filled three 18 gallon bins, and have scoured three different closets for the right number of hangers. This is what happens when you lose your room to a younger sibling and then move home after four years of independance. THEY STEAL YOUR STUFF AND YOU HAVE TO FEND FOR YOURSELF! But, on the upside, my mom has already paid for a new haircut (at Jenny's insistence--the haircut itself, not that Mom pay for it), two bins, a movie, refurbishing hygeine products, and photo printing. My gratitude knows no bounds...I just hope it lasts for the clothing restitution......
This is AFTER the unpacking. And the bed hides a multitude of sins. And don't forget the stuff in the hallway.....but the hair is cute, is it not?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Day 50. The End.
“So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good bye.” Well, gang, my time in London has come to an end. In 24 hours I will be at Heathrow Airport checking my bags, praying that they are not overweight, and then going through security and then waiting, waiting, waiting.
London has been amazing. I have seen things I never dreamed I would see. I have enjoyed every moment of it. There have been high times and hard times, but that’s the way it goes. I found this in one of my notebooks from a particularly bad day:
“I am living my dream and finding that my dream is not what I thought it would be. London is an experience, it is true, but not the one I would have chosen. I am continually disappointed, wishing for the London that I held on a pedestal. The London of Austen, of Radcliffe, of Bronte, of Dickens, of Shakespeare. The London of the Regent, of Waterloo, of Elizabeth, and Victoria. But that London is gone. The buildings are shells of what used to be, and if you keep your eyes looking up, you can almost imagine it. But you cannot look up forever, and then your reality sets in. The buildings you imagined fine lords and ladies inhabiting are now apartments above shops like RadioShack or Marks and Spencer or Anne’s Antiques. There are cars along the street and trucks humming along, nearly knocking you from your construction worked-over uneven walkway. People bustle by, not in their fine clothes or with their fine manners, but with their crass language and cigarettes, talking on cell phones and hardly noticing where they are walking. ‘This is not right,’ I think. ‘This is all wrong.’ It is too loud, too crowded, too dirty. Where are the carriages and footmen, the horses and stable hands? Where are propriety and manners and honor and chivalry? It is all too much, this London I am living in. Too much of what I have long hated all thrown into the sludge of shattered illusions and broken expectations. When did prices reach so high that you wince over a baguette? When did a lack of oxygen become commonplace in favor of smoke and exhaust and alcohol? When did mouths begin to venture where no respectable ear should endure?
This man used to live here, but now it is a car park. This writer wrote here, but now it houses an adult store. This artist is buried near here, but we can’t remember where. This church was once purely from the 10th century, but then it was a stable, but is now restored.
Used to be. But now. Near here. Once was. Don’t they realize what a legacy was to be had? “Have [they] no perception of what [they] have lost?” What is preserved and what is not? Where will tourists go and how much money can we make from them?
But what about the rest of us? We who are merely pilgrims seeking for what our imaginations had conjured up and treasured? “All that glitters is not gold.” Tarnish glitters, too. A feeble attempt, but a glitter all the same. My treasure is nothing more than that of a Cracker Jack box—a trite imitation, cheap and crude and not worth as much as the packaging it came in. Potential is everywhere, but it is left untapped.
Perhaps it is my fault. I should not expect so much from a place that must change with the times and alter as necessity dictates. Did I expect my imaginations to exist in reality, that what I wanted actually mattered to this place? My pedestal was too much, too high, too lofty, and there was nothing for it but to topple over and clatter upon the marble floor of the vault of my mind. My pilgrimage has changed me, though how I still cannot quite tell. There is still magic here, I am still drawn, but I also look back, more frequently with each day. Back to where I could dream and wonder and pretend that what I wanted existed and where my pedestals were of a respectable height of no great consequence. But Frodo was right: “There is no going back”. My imaginations have been eroded by reality. “Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.”
“Yet hope remains”! For in the wild not-so-hallowed halls of my mind, the imagination still roams free and reigns supreme. I can cast off this dirty, smelly, dingy shroud of this place and change it to a delicate, clean, innocent veil of something else. For what have we, if we cannot have dreams? “What would be the point of living if we could not dream? Life would be dull!” And though I am many things, dull is not one of them. So onward, ye daydreamers, ye artists and inventors and writers and wishers! “Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me.” Tallyho!”
But let us remember what has been done:
Shows seen: 7
Universities visited: 3
Trips taken: 15
Chocolate consumed: No comment
Tubes rides: A whole lot
Friends made: 42
Lives changed: 1
London, thank you for housing me, sheltering me, enriching me, and showing me a part of the world that I never knew existed. Thanks for the waffles, the Indian food, the charity shops, the souvenir shops with scary foreign men, the sights, the sounds, not the smells, the accents, the palaces, and seeing random celebrities like Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Sean Connery, the woman who plays Caroline Bingley in the A&E Pride and Prejudice, the woman who plays Mrs. Elton in the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma, and the woman who plays Jane in the A&E Pride and Prejudice.Thank you, London. I’ll never forget.
London has been amazing. I have seen things I never dreamed I would see. I have enjoyed every moment of it. There have been high times and hard times, but that’s the way it goes. I found this in one of my notebooks from a particularly bad day:
“I am living my dream and finding that my dream is not what I thought it would be. London is an experience, it is true, but not the one I would have chosen. I am continually disappointed, wishing for the London that I held on a pedestal. The London of Austen, of Radcliffe, of Bronte, of Dickens, of Shakespeare. The London of the Regent, of Waterloo, of Elizabeth, and Victoria. But that London is gone. The buildings are shells of what used to be, and if you keep your eyes looking up, you can almost imagine it. But you cannot look up forever, and then your reality sets in. The buildings you imagined fine lords and ladies inhabiting are now apartments above shops like RadioShack or Marks and Spencer or Anne’s Antiques. There are cars along the street and trucks humming along, nearly knocking you from your construction worked-over uneven walkway. People bustle by, not in their fine clothes or with their fine manners, but with their crass language and cigarettes, talking on cell phones and hardly noticing where they are walking. ‘This is not right,’ I think. ‘This is all wrong.’ It is too loud, too crowded, too dirty. Where are the carriages and footmen, the horses and stable hands? Where are propriety and manners and honor and chivalry? It is all too much, this London I am living in. Too much of what I have long hated all thrown into the sludge of shattered illusions and broken expectations. When did prices reach so high that you wince over a baguette? When did a lack of oxygen become commonplace in favor of smoke and exhaust and alcohol? When did mouths begin to venture where no respectable ear should endure?
This man used to live here, but now it is a car park. This writer wrote here, but now it houses an adult store. This artist is buried near here, but we can’t remember where. This church was once purely from the 10th century, but then it was a stable, but is now restored.
Used to be. But now. Near here. Once was. Don’t they realize what a legacy was to be had? “Have [they] no perception of what [they] have lost?” What is preserved and what is not? Where will tourists go and how much money can we make from them?
But what about the rest of us? We who are merely pilgrims seeking for what our imaginations had conjured up and treasured? “All that glitters is not gold.” Tarnish glitters, too. A feeble attempt, but a glitter all the same. My treasure is nothing more than that of a Cracker Jack box—a trite imitation, cheap and crude and not worth as much as the packaging it came in. Potential is everywhere, but it is left untapped.
Perhaps it is my fault. I should not expect so much from a place that must change with the times and alter as necessity dictates. Did I expect my imaginations to exist in reality, that what I wanted actually mattered to this place? My pedestal was too much, too high, too lofty, and there was nothing for it but to topple over and clatter upon the marble floor of the vault of my mind. My pilgrimage has changed me, though how I still cannot quite tell. There is still magic here, I am still drawn, but I also look back, more frequently with each day. Back to where I could dream and wonder and pretend that what I wanted existed and where my pedestals were of a respectable height of no great consequence. But Frodo was right: “There is no going back”. My imaginations have been eroded by reality. “Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.”
“Yet hope remains”! For in the wild not-so-hallowed halls of my mind, the imagination still roams free and reigns supreme. I can cast off this dirty, smelly, dingy shroud of this place and change it to a delicate, clean, innocent veil of something else. For what have we, if we cannot have dreams? “What would be the point of living if we could not dream? Life would be dull!” And though I am many things, dull is not one of them. So onward, ye daydreamers, ye artists and inventors and writers and wishers! “Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me.” Tallyho!”
But let us remember what has been done:
Shows seen: 7
Universities visited: 3
Trips taken: 15
Chocolate consumed: No comment
Tubes rides: A whole lot
Friends made: 42
Lives changed: 1
London, thank you for housing me, sheltering me, enriching me, and showing me a part of the world that I never knew existed. Thanks for the waffles, the Indian food, the charity shops, the souvenir shops with scary foreign men, the sights, the sounds, not the smells, the accents, the palaces, and seeing random celebrities like Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Sean Connery, the woman who plays Caroline Bingley in the A&E Pride and Prejudice, the woman who plays Mrs. Elton in the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma, and the woman who plays Jane in the A&E Pride and Prejudice.Thank you, London. I’ll never forget.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Days 42-49
Well, it has been a few days.....ok, let's face it, it's been forever. I know you guys have been just crying your eyes out with anticipation over this, wondering where I was and what I was doing, and you weren't entirely sure if I were dead or alive or run away with a dashing British soldier. Alas to that last, I have not. Though I would not hesitate to do so if given the opportunity. Ok, so I am a little more picky than that, but still.....
Let me see if I can sum up what I have done. Last week we went to Oxford and Blenheim. Blenheim is the home of the 11th Earl of Marlborough, and was where Winston Churchill was born. Literally, I saw the room he was born in. I want to live in Blenheim. It is that cool. I love it.
Oxford University was awesome. So pretty and so old! We saw a couple of places where Harry Potter was filmed at Christ's Church College [basically, Oxford is the main univeristy with a bunch of college divisions, like our Schools of Technology and Family Sciences at home]. We saw the pub where J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis and their pals used to go. It was so great!
Thursday we went on a Jack the Ripper Tour of London. CREEPY!!! Seriously, he was such a sick psycho! We got all of the gory details about the murders and walked where the bodies were found and learned about the victims and.....ech! Halloween ain't gonna be the same anymore! But it was SOOOOOO cool!!!! Especially when we found the exact door where one of the pieces of evidence were found....
Then on Friday we went on a 9 mile country walk (HAH!) in Kent. It was BEAUTIFUL! There was so much to see and I loved every minute. Mom and Lori, there was a place we went in called the Hop Shop where they sold a bunch of country things, kinda like a Cracker Barrel store, only cooler. But there was a lot of lavender stuff, mostly because they GROW THEIR OWN! We saw fields and fields of lavender. Amazing. I also got to try lavender ice cream, which is not as disgusting as it sounds. It was actually pretty good and rather refreshing!
Saturday I went to see "Gone With The Wind" the musical, which was closing that night because of poor ticket sales. I was surprised and saddened at the end that it was closing, because it was actually really good! The man who played Rhett Butler was amazing.....and really attractive to boot. And I LOVED the girl who played Scarlett. So much better than stinky ol' Vivian Leigh. I actually liked Scarlett a little in this production. I hope you guys know what I am talking about, or else I am just rambling on and on, and you'll get really bored.
ANYWAY, after that we've just been getting ready to come home and studying (yes, I did, thank you very much) for finals. But now, as of this morning, my finals are OVER!!!! I am officially done with Brigham Young University. It's been a fun ride, but this was the highlight.
I'll post one more time before I head back to the States, and then my blog will be far less exciting, but I hope to not lose any of my audience. I think I can make my life at least SOUND exciting....ok, maybe not. But Jenny's Olympic Trials are coming in a week and a half, so watch for updates and pics on that! If you want to send messages of encouragement, write my parents at bagafans@juno.com.
Cheerio, mates!
The View of Blenheim from the park. See why I want to live there? Too bad the oldest single member to inherit is 14.....
Yeah.....I'm a dork. BUT these are the stairs from Harry Potter. Tell me you wouldn't be a dork, too. They really do lead to the Dining Hall, too!
THE GREAT HALL! No, really, it's the dining hall at Christ's Church College at Oxford, but it really is the Great Hall from the first two Harry Potter movies!
At the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford in the Rabbit Room, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien ate and drank with their literary friends. Channelling greatness, here.
This was our Jack the Ripper Tour Guide named Adam. He was really funny!
One of the creepiest part of our Jack tour. East End of London, aka Hell of the 19th century. Not even kidding. Adam took us there and goes, "Let's all go to hell!" And it was a true statement!
Lovely little pasture we walked through in Kent.
So the guys who took us on the walk were really old, and they were brothers named Ron and George (not joking) and Ron asked me if I was brave enough to take my shoes and socks off and walk up the stream. Well, I couldn't let him think me a coward, so of course I took off my shoes and socks and did it. It was really cold and there were lots of rocks, but I did it! He was so proud.
Pretty...this was just like the rest of the walk. I love Kent!
Let me see if I can sum up what I have done. Last week we went to Oxford and Blenheim. Blenheim is the home of the 11th Earl of Marlborough, and was where Winston Churchill was born. Literally, I saw the room he was born in. I want to live in Blenheim. It is that cool. I love it.
Oxford University was awesome. So pretty and so old! We saw a couple of places where Harry Potter was filmed at Christ's Church College [basically, Oxford is the main univeristy with a bunch of college divisions, like our Schools of Technology and Family Sciences at home]. We saw the pub where J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis and their pals used to go. It was so great!
Thursday we went on a Jack the Ripper Tour of London. CREEPY!!! Seriously, he was such a sick psycho! We got all of the gory details about the murders and walked where the bodies were found and learned about the victims and.....ech! Halloween ain't gonna be the same anymore! But it was SOOOOOO cool!!!! Especially when we found the exact door where one of the pieces of evidence were found....
Then on Friday we went on a 9 mile country walk (HAH!) in Kent. It was BEAUTIFUL! There was so much to see and I loved every minute. Mom and Lori, there was a place we went in called the Hop Shop where they sold a bunch of country things, kinda like a Cracker Barrel store, only cooler. But there was a lot of lavender stuff, mostly because they GROW THEIR OWN! We saw fields and fields of lavender. Amazing. I also got to try lavender ice cream, which is not as disgusting as it sounds. It was actually pretty good and rather refreshing!
Saturday I went to see "Gone With The Wind" the musical, which was closing that night because of poor ticket sales. I was surprised and saddened at the end that it was closing, because it was actually really good! The man who played Rhett Butler was amazing.....and really attractive to boot. And I LOVED the girl who played Scarlett. So much better than stinky ol' Vivian Leigh. I actually liked Scarlett a little in this production. I hope you guys know what I am talking about, or else I am just rambling on and on, and you'll get really bored.
ANYWAY, after that we've just been getting ready to come home and studying (yes, I did, thank you very much) for finals. But now, as of this morning, my finals are OVER!!!! I am officially done with Brigham Young University. It's been a fun ride, but this was the highlight.
I'll post one more time before I head back to the States, and then my blog will be far less exciting, but I hope to not lose any of my audience. I think I can make my life at least SOUND exciting....ok, maybe not. But Jenny's Olympic Trials are coming in a week and a half, so watch for updates and pics on that! If you want to send messages of encouragement, write my parents at bagafans@juno.com.
Cheerio, mates!
The View of Blenheim from the park. See why I want to live there? Too bad the oldest single member to inherit is 14.....
Yeah.....I'm a dork. BUT these are the stairs from Harry Potter. Tell me you wouldn't be a dork, too. They really do lead to the Dining Hall, too!
THE GREAT HALL! No, really, it's the dining hall at Christ's Church College at Oxford, but it really is the Great Hall from the first two Harry Potter movies!
At the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford in the Rabbit Room, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien ate and drank with their literary friends. Channelling greatness, here.
This was our Jack the Ripper Tour Guide named Adam. He was really funny! Lovely little pasture we walked through in Kent.So the guys who took us on the walk were really old, and they were brothers named Ron and George (not joking) and Ron asked me if I was brave enough to take my shoes and socks off and walk up the stream. Well, I couldn't let him think me a coward, so of course I took off my shoes and socks and did it. It was really cold and there were lots of rocks, but I did it! He was so proud. Pretty...this was just like the rest of the walk. I love Kent!Sigh, that was a really great show. I hope it comes to New York, cuz I want to go again!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Today. Day 46.
I'll write a real blog with pictures tomorrow, but I thought I should do this while I had a moment.
Firstly, a girl from the BYU track team, one that I worked closely with daily, was killed in a car accident on the 6th, and I just found out last night. Chelsi was one of the happiest people I have ever met, and she always had the biggest smile for me. I was the trainer that did her physical when she walked on, and I worked on her various injuries every week. It's strange, I knew that I wouldn't see her again, cuz I graduated, but it is so different knowing that she is not there anymore. But I know that she is in a better place, and that all things happen for a reason. My thoughts and prayers are with her parents, her teammates, and her boyfriend James, who is on his misison overseas.
Secondly, and far more happily, I wanted to document some things that I will miss very much from England.
1) Fanta Fruit Twist. Heaven carbonated and bottled.
2) Mint Magnum Ice Cream Bars....... heaven in ice cream form on a stick
3) Lilt. It's like Fresca, only there is PINEAPPLE in it too! Refreshing, exhilirating, and yes, heaven.
4) Ginger beer. NOT ale. Beer. It has this fantastic kick at the end that just shocks you every time. Not sure if this is heaven or not, but it is dang good!
5) PASTRIES! Nobody, but nobody, does pastries like the Brits. Krispy Kreme ain't got nothin on the amazing not-so-good-for-you-but-so-good-for-you breaded wonders of the world. HEAVEN!
6) Chocolate that is rich and warm and lovely and sweet and.....not American. Again, heaven.
7) Starbucks. Yes, I KNOW we have Starbucks all over the place at home, but it is SOOOO not the same. One thing: Flavored hot chocolate. Heaven.
8) McDonalds. Don't freak out, I haven't lost my mind. But the McDonalds here are more like cafes than anything else. They are clean, they are nicely furnished and painted, and they are fun to just sit in. Probably not heaven, but next time you are sitting in those crappy plasticky chairs in a McDonalds in Hometown, U.S.A, remember how it could be.
9) Nutella. Ok, ok, I can get that at home, too, but still. It was something special to me here, and at home it will just be another guilty pleasure. But those peanut butter/nutella sandwiches at 8:30..... mmmmm, heaven.
10) Jelly Babies. They are these little gummy things with some sugary dusting on them, and they are kinda like marshmellow-y but not, and.......you know what? I can't describe them. But they are amazing. Like heaven.
Right, so I only mentioned food. What do you want, it's me. Naturally I'll miss more, but the food was the most important, and I will write a really sappy goodbye message next week when I am leaving. And don't think I am biased about all of these foods either. The rating of 'heaven' is a great honor that is rarely bestowed.........ok, maybe not. But you don't know any better, so there!
Firstly, a girl from the BYU track team, one that I worked closely with daily, was killed in a car accident on the 6th, and I just found out last night. Chelsi was one of the happiest people I have ever met, and she always had the biggest smile for me. I was the trainer that did her physical when she walked on, and I worked on her various injuries every week. It's strange, I knew that I wouldn't see her again, cuz I graduated, but it is so different knowing that she is not there anymore. But I know that she is in a better place, and that all things happen for a reason. My thoughts and prayers are with her parents, her teammates, and her boyfriend James, who is on his misison overseas.
Secondly, and far more happily, I wanted to document some things that I will miss very much from England.
1) Fanta Fruit Twist. Heaven carbonated and bottled.
2) Mint Magnum Ice Cream Bars....... heaven in ice cream form on a stick
3) Lilt. It's like Fresca, only there is PINEAPPLE in it too! Refreshing, exhilirating, and yes, heaven.
4) Ginger beer. NOT ale. Beer. It has this fantastic kick at the end that just shocks you every time. Not sure if this is heaven or not, but it is dang good!
5) PASTRIES! Nobody, but nobody, does pastries like the Brits. Krispy Kreme ain't got nothin on the amazing not-so-good-for-you-but-so-good-for-you breaded wonders of the world. HEAVEN!
6) Chocolate that is rich and warm and lovely and sweet and.....not American. Again, heaven.
7) Starbucks. Yes, I KNOW we have Starbucks all over the place at home, but it is SOOOO not the same. One thing: Flavored hot chocolate. Heaven.
8) McDonalds. Don't freak out, I haven't lost my mind. But the McDonalds here are more like cafes than anything else. They are clean, they are nicely furnished and painted, and they are fun to just sit in. Probably not heaven, but next time you are sitting in those crappy plasticky chairs in a McDonalds in Hometown, U.S.A, remember how it could be.
9) Nutella. Ok, ok, I can get that at home, too, but still. It was something special to me here, and at home it will just be another guilty pleasure. But those peanut butter/nutella sandwiches at 8:30..... mmmmm, heaven.
10) Jelly Babies. They are these little gummy things with some sugary dusting on them, and they are kinda like marshmellow-y but not, and.......you know what? I can't describe them. But they are amazing. Like heaven.
Right, so I only mentioned food. What do you want, it's me. Naturally I'll miss more, but the food was the most important, and I will write a really sappy goodbye message next week when I am leaving. And don't think I am biased about all of these foods either. The rating of 'heaven' is a great honor that is rarely bestowed.........ok, maybe not. But you don't know any better, so there!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Days 38, 39, 40, and 41
Well, kids, we are winding down here in the London Centre. I had my last English class today (YAY!) and the days left are fast approaching single digits. But there are still some adventures going on.
Thursday we spent all day at the Victoria and Albert Museum working on our sketches for drawing class, and I want you all to know that I have improved enough that my people look like people, thank you very much.
Friday we left in the morning for Bath. I was really excited to go as I had been there before when I came to England four years ago. It was just as great as I remembered. Our hostel was an old house that had been redone, but it had the original dining room, living room, and drawing rooms. It was so cool! Bath is so pretty! Mom and Lori, go there! The entire time I was just waiting for a man in Regency-clothing to come riding up on his horse. Sadaly, that did not happen. But we had fun anyway. Lots of souveniers there!
Saturday we went to Stourhead, a REALLY cool preserved Georgian house with world famous gardens. They filmed part of the new Pride and Predjudice at the Stourhead Gardens, so it was cool to go there. The scenery was amazing, and if I had money, I would live in a cottage there. After that we went to Stonehenge. I suppose I should have been impressed, but the entire time I was just thinking, "But it's a rock!" Oh well. Maybe I'm not very cultured.
Sunday was a regular Sunday with a nap and a fireside, only this time it was a musical one, which is always fun. I ot to sing "Come Thou Fount" with a bunch of other girls, and it was really pretty.
Today was a really long English class in the afternoon. I spent the morning lounging about and writing, which I have decided is my life's dream. I want to lounge about and write all the time. Sigh......maybe someday.
We go traipsing off to Oxford this week, and also to Blenheim! I am looking forward to that one. I hope the Duke of Marlborough is actually there, as I am going to try and snag his oldest grandson so I can inherit......
Tallyho!
Our Hostel in Bath. Isn't it cute?
At the Fashion Museum in Bath. Dream fulfilled, mark it off. That is cinched really tight! Don't I look wonderful? I'm bringing those back into fashion.
The River Avon in Bath. So pretty!
The pasture we walked through to get to the city. Insert man on horse, please.
Haha, dressing up in Georgian clothes at Samuel Johnson's house.
Stourhead House. No pictures inside, but I got to play the piano in the drawing room. SOOOOO cool!
Lounging on the back lawn of Stourhead.
The view from some point in Stourhead Gardens.
Recognize this pillar? This is where Keira Knightly and Matthew McFadyen ALMOST kiss in the new Pride and Prejudice. Not joking.
Stonehenge. The most famous rocks ever. Lucky.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Days 35, 36, and 37
Hey everybody! It's been a jam packed couple of days, and it is only going to get worse.
Tuesday was going to be just another day in London, when some girls approached me and asked if I wanted to go and see the matinee show of "Phantom of the Opera" with stall seats that normally cost 50 quid for only 23. Well, I am no fool. I jumped up and screamed "YEAH!" and we were off a few hours later. All I can say is "OH MY GOSH!" It was the best thing that I have ever spent $50 on (I bought the program, too....of course.) I never ever felt bad for the phantom until this show. I was crying as it ended. The music was phenominal, Christine was fabulous, and Raoul and the Phantom are going to be at an eternal tug of war in my head for the most attractive singing man in existence. It may be the phantom just because he was really tall and ripped, but he's the bad guy, so I dunno. All that matters is that a dream came true.
Wednesday we got up at 3:30 and got on a bus and went to the train station, where we took a train to Paris! We were only there for 12 hours, but here's what I did: Notre Dame cathedral and belltower to look for Quasimodo, crepe stand(duh), walked along the Seine River, saw the Louvre and danced in front of it, walked through the Place de la Concorde and took a picture of a really cute French couple, saw the Arc de Triomphe and ooohed, walked up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower and wrote our names on the stone railings and ate a croissant, went to the National Opera House and pretended we were in Phantom of the Opera, walked through the Cimeterie du Pere-Lachaise and saw Chopin's grave, ate at another crepe joint near the Pompedu and watched my friend get her portrait drawn, walked up some more stairs to the Sacre Coeur and enjoyed the war memorial there, and then raced back to the train station where we had to go through some rigorous customs stuff, and then jumped on the train and got back here at 11:00. EXHAUSTING! And I am very sore today. No more stairs EVER!!!
Today wasn't going to be very exciting, but I went to the Houses of Parliament with two girls, and it was SO cool! I am not a government person, but watching the debating and things was really cool! And we met people from Winamac, Indiana and South Bend, Indiana. Crazy as my friend was from Zionsville, Indiana.... The security guy thought it was hilarious that we all met up in London. I also learned about Malta from one the guards, and had another warn me about tall, dark strangers. He then added, "Unless they're rich, o'course." Of course.
Tomorrow we're off to Bath, and I am so excited about it! Time is winding down!
Cheers!
Rachel and I at Phantom. We sat next to each other and squealed as soon as we got in. Couldn't help it; we were in the 9th row, for crying out loud!
Notre Dame. Really cool.
Tuesday was going to be just another day in London, when some girls approached me and asked if I wanted to go and see the matinee show of "Phantom of the Opera" with stall seats that normally cost 50 quid for only 23. Well, I am no fool. I jumped up and screamed "YEAH!" and we were off a few hours later. All I can say is "OH MY GOSH!" It was the best thing that I have ever spent $50 on (I bought the program, too....of course.) I never ever felt bad for the phantom until this show. I was crying as it ended. The music was phenominal, Christine was fabulous, and Raoul and the Phantom are going to be at an eternal tug of war in my head for the most attractive singing man in existence. It may be the phantom just because he was really tall and ripped, but he's the bad guy, so I dunno. All that matters is that a dream came true.
Wednesday we got up at 3:30 and got on a bus and went to the train station, where we took a train to Paris! We were only there for 12 hours, but here's what I did: Notre Dame cathedral and belltower to look for Quasimodo, crepe stand(duh), walked along the Seine River, saw the Louvre and danced in front of it, walked through the Place de la Concorde and took a picture of a really cute French couple, saw the Arc de Triomphe and ooohed, walked up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower and wrote our names on the stone railings and ate a croissant, went to the National Opera House and pretended we were in Phantom of the Opera, walked through the Cimeterie du Pere-Lachaise and saw Chopin's grave, ate at another crepe joint near the Pompedu and watched my friend get her portrait drawn, walked up some more stairs to the Sacre Coeur and enjoyed the war memorial there, and then raced back to the train station where we had to go through some rigorous customs stuff, and then jumped on the train and got back here at 11:00. EXHAUSTING! And I am very sore today. No more stairs EVER!!!
Today wasn't going to be very exciting, but I went to the Houses of Parliament with two girls, and it was SO cool! I am not a government person, but watching the debating and things was really cool! And we met people from Winamac, Indiana and South Bend, Indiana. Crazy as my friend was from Zionsville, Indiana.... The security guy thought it was hilarious that we all met up in London. I also learned about Malta from one the guards, and had another warn me about tall, dark strangers. He then added, "Unless they're rich, o'course." Of course.
Tomorrow we're off to Bath, and I am so excited about it! Time is winding down!
Cheers!
Rachel and I at Phantom. We sat next to each other and squealed as soon as we got in. Couldn't help it; we were in the 9th row, for crying out loud!
The elevator, yes, elevator, that took us up to the street from the metro.
Notre Dame. Really cool.
I made friends with the gargoyle at the top of Notre Dame.
My first crepe of the day. Nutella......mmmmmm.
In front of the Louvre. Didn't go in, it was too expensive.
The Arc de Triomphe.
A very pretty view of the Seine.
The accordian guy by the Eiffel Tower. Can you GET more French???
The Eiffel Tower, obviously.
Directly underneath the tower.
The view off one side of the second level of the tower.
Those great stairs at the Opera. MASQUERADE!
Typical French street.
Sacre Coeur, which is French for Sacred Heart.
Monday, June 2, 2008
What I've Noticed...
I had a little bit of extra time tonight, so I started to think about the things that I have seen in London that have struck me. These are in no particular order.
1)There are no drinking fountains. Anywhere. The only one that I have seen was in the Temple.
2)There are very few public toilets. Some restaraunts have them, but in most cases you have to be a paying customer to use them.
3)There are these little crosswalk zones with zig-zag lines and big black and white striped poles with a yellow light on top that indicate that it is a "Zebra Zone", which means thatthe pedestrians have right-of-way. But it is a very very scary thing because you never know if those drivers are actually going to stop for you.
4)EVERYBODY smokes. If you don't smoke, you've either quit smoking, are on your way to buy more cigarettes because you've just finished your last one, or you are Mormon. Or 10 years old or younger.
5)They go for the natural hair out here. I am not talking about the color, because obviously, they don't care about that. But with all of the public transportation and unpredicatable weather, the hair is not as perfectly coiffed as it is in the States.
6)The Brits are SO QUIET! I have to strain my ears to do any sort of eavesdropping. Unless, of course, they are drunk. Then I have to cover my ears.
7)They read a lot. Novels, newspapers, magazines, work stuff, it doesn't matter. When they are travelling, they are reading.
8)They aren't so fond of loud American tourists. If looks could kill...
9)There are almost more other cultures in London than there are Brits. Not joking.
10)They have a very strange form of Fanta that is actually quite fabulous. You can't get it in the States, but it is quite popular here. I wonder if I could import it.....
Anyway, London is still fun. I go to Phantom of the Opera tomorrow, and then PARIS (YAY!!!) on Wednesday, so I won't write again till I get back from those adventures. Til then!
Cheers!
1)There are no drinking fountains. Anywhere. The only one that I have seen was in the Temple.
2)There are very few public toilets. Some restaraunts have them, but in most cases you have to be a paying customer to use them.
3)There are these little crosswalk zones with zig-zag lines and big black and white striped poles with a yellow light on top that indicate that it is a "Zebra Zone", which means thatthe pedestrians have right-of-way. But it is a very very scary thing because you never know if those drivers are actually going to stop for you.
4)EVERYBODY smokes. If you don't smoke, you've either quit smoking, are on your way to buy more cigarettes because you've just finished your last one, or you are Mormon. Or 10 years old or younger.
5)They go for the natural hair out here. I am not talking about the color, because obviously, they don't care about that. But with all of the public transportation and unpredicatable weather, the hair is not as perfectly coiffed as it is in the States.
6)The Brits are SO QUIET! I have to strain my ears to do any sort of eavesdropping. Unless, of course, they are drunk. Then I have to cover my ears.
7)They read a lot. Novels, newspapers, magazines, work stuff, it doesn't matter. When they are travelling, they are reading.
8)They aren't so fond of loud American tourists. If looks could kill...
9)There are almost more other cultures in London than there are Brits. Not joking.
10)They have a very strange form of Fanta that is actually quite fabulous. You can't get it in the States, but it is quite popular here. I wonder if I could import it.....
Anyway, London is still fun. I go to Phantom of the Opera tomorrow, and then PARIS (YAY!!!) on Wednesday, so I won't write again till I get back from those adventures. Til then!
Cheers!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Days 30, 31, 32, and 33
Having just returned from adventures on the emerald shores of the homeland of my ancestors, I have many experiences to share, and a lot less money than I had before I left....but that can't be helped. I mean, it IS the home of Guiness.....haha, you know me better than that!!! Eh.......don't you?
Oh well. So, Thursday I had art class again, and I think I am getting better, but when you are surrounded by a lot of really talented artistic people, it is hard to determine. But we left for the airport before dinner and had to take two tubes and a train to get there. And then we had to PAY to check in there! 4 quid! Seriously, if I had to pay $8 to check in in the States, I would walk everywhere or travel by boat. If you travel to London, don't use Gatwick. Anyway, we landed in Ireland at 10:00 and the sun was JUST SETTING!!! So weird! And Ryanair unloaded us from the front AND the back! I have always thought that the back of the plane should be used for unloading, and somebody listened to me! Our hostel was just like any other hostel...a little dirty, a little scary, and, of course, in a darkened alley. But they had toilets, showers (sort of), and beds, so we didn't complain.
Friday we took a bus tour to the Wicklow mountains, lakes, and valleys, and Lori Rahlf, I have to contest with you on your "Montana has the best air in the world" theory, because, having experienced both, I would have to say that Irish countryside air is the best in the world. Sorry. What I saw on that tour was the epitome of what we all consider Ireland. It was AMAZING! We got back to Dublin that evening and walked around, ate some cheap food, and generally avoided crowds as Celine Dion was in town and we didn't want to get trapped with a bunch of drunk Celine fans, though it might have made for some great pics. We did get to see a cricket match at Trinity College, which was fun, if a little confusing.
Saturday we spent in Dublin, shopping around, going to St. Patrick's cathedral, and finding a whole lot of really cool family name memorabilia. Then we had to come back to London, which was the scariest adventure of my life. See, they decided that starting on June 1st, they would no longer allow alcohol or drunk people on the Underground. So what did everybody decide to do on May 31st from 9-midnight? Why, get shnockered up and ride the tube for hours and hours until they were forced off! This, of course, led to the closure of the underground rail that my companions and I needed to return to the Centre, and so we were forced outside, smack INTO the brouhaha of drunken, high, and moral decrepit Brits fighting with the police, blocking traffic, singing horribly off key, and approaching innocent pedestrians with truly abomianble breath and utterly unacceptable invitations. The four of us EVENTUALLY caught a taxi, mostly because he was stopped at a red light and we walked into traffic to talk to him. We paid 20 quid to get home, but when you are fearing for your life and your chastity and your wallet, who cares? We FINALLY got home around 11:45, and we were all shaking when we walked in. I thought that Rice-Eccles staduim on BYU-Utah game day was hell, but this one might take the cake. Close call, though. I'll have to think about that.
Today was nice, just going to church and then napping for a few hours. We have a fireside in a few minutes, and then dessert--huzzah! More adventures this week, but I'll talk about those as they come.
Today was nice, just going to church and then napping for a few hours. We have a fireside in a few minutes, and then dessert--huzzah! More adventures this week, but I'll talk about those as they come.
Cheers!
A slice of Irish countryside....
At the Wicklow Gap. Best air in the world, Lori. I swear.
Still at Wicklow Gap. That's granite, right there. No clue why I am leaning....
At Glendalough, such a cute little sight of some very Medieval ruins.
St. Stephens Park in the middle of Dublin. So beautiful!
We have a bookstore, family. I knew it!
At the door of Christ's Church Cathedral. Cool, huh?
St. Patrick's Cathedral. For you, Pops. It was so cool!
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