Monday: Went for a run and found a replacement for the prowler: Primrose Hill sprints. I tried to walk them off before running back, but I ended up flat on my back in the grass! I was very thankful that it was a sunny day so that I could bask in it while I recovered! You can get paid to participate in psychology research projects here, so I've signed up for some this week. I had a preliminary meeting this afternoon for one I'll do on Thursday.
Tuesday: Move in day!! I moved into my dorm this morning. Jamie and Meghan helped me. It was really weird when they left since we've been together like nonstop. Hawkridge House is for postgraduates and each floor appears to be divided into four flats. Each flat has six bedrooms, one kitchen, one bathroom with a tub and toilet and one bathroom with just a shower. Each person has a key to the flat and a separate key to their room. Apparently the cleaning staff has not made it to our flat yet since people moved out yesterday because the kitchen and bathrooms definitely need cleaning!!! I also scavenged pots, pans, and dishes from the common room that the previous residents left. There is a common room for the whole building that was piled with stuff people who moved out yesterday left. With a bit of soap, I'll be set!
I've met two of my flatmates, both from China! I wanted to chuckle at that one. It didn't even surprise me. God is always so purposeful. The weird thing is though that they are both guys and I've seen one other person that also appears to live in the flat and be a guy from China. Seems really strange how each flat is co-ed. I hope at least one of the other two mystery people in my flat is a girl!! I mean, we have our own rooms, but the bathroom thing is weird. I don't like having to bring all of my clothes with me to take a shower. It's so much easier to just wear a towel back to the room and change, but I guess I'll just have to deal. I also hope that they aren't okay with the current state of the bathroom and kitchen. I know not all guys are super gross in their cleaning habits, but since everything is dirty right now it's hard to tell where these people lie...
I went on an exploration walk to find the grocery store. Bought some food and cleaning supplies. Then I went on an exploration run and found my way to the canal from here. Finally, I met Van at the Covent Garden tube station to show her where Chipotle is!! I had found it a couple weeks ago in my wanderings and tagged her in a picture of it since she is so Chipotle obsessed. I knew she would want come lol. She was a teammate of mine at Longwood that graduated this year. Now she's playing hockey for a club in a suburb of London, staying with an aunt and uncle and looking for a job. She treated me to dinner and then we wandered around. I showed her UCL and some other places nearby. It was really great seeing her and hanging out!!
Wednesday: In the morning I participated in a psych experiment about emotional processing. I was hooked up to an EEG while being shown various pictures. Also had a very interesting conversation with Guilia (the researcher) about possible differences between how Americans and Europeans handle their emotions. Anyone have any comments on that? I personally think that Americans tend to put on a facade more than Europeans, especially the males. We are more likely to box ourselves up and not share negative emotions that may be in a turmoil within us, trying to ignore situations and not get emotionally involved lest we be seen as weak. Just some thoughts that came out of that conversation.
After that I got free lunch from the monks and headed over to International Student Orientation. (I still think it's weird that I'm a foreigner in an English speaking country!) After getting my welcome pack and a tour of the Student Union buildings, I headed over to the welcome speech. I love how I spotted a seat, headed towards it, and then realized when I got there that it was right next to Meghan! Haha out of all the people there ( and there were A LOT) I managed to end up sitting next to Meghan! It was a big auditorium. Hundreds of internationals!!
Afterwards, Meghan wanted to walk down to Bloomsbury Baptist Church to get some information, so I went with her. Then I continued wandering around. I ended up in Chinatown for awhile. It's still decorated for the Mid-Autumn Festival that was last week. It's the second biggest festival in China, second only to the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year). The best comparison we have would be Thanksgiving. Families are supposed to travel far and wide to be together around a table and eat, but instead of pie they eat mooncake! Cake is a misleading translation because they're definitely not anything like our flour-based cakes. Very hard to explain. Someday you'll just have to try one! The festival always coincides with the full-moon. It evolved out of the legend of Houyi and Chang'e. You can read about it in the link above.
They also carry around carved lanterns out of smaller gourds like plants (kind of like our Jack-o-lanterns but not exactly) and paper lanterns on wheels. There are also paper ones that are 'flown' by lighting a piece of flammable wax-like substance attached to the bottom of it. It lifts into the air like a hot air balloon. Two years ago I was in China during this festival and we flew some from the coffee house roof. It was really beautiful to see hundreds of them in the air above the city.
Eventually I had made it back to UCL, as I approached I was wondering about the Christian student population. I was like "God show me your people" and then someone hands me a flyer for a church saying they were having a free international dinner the next day. Very interesting. By this time there was no point in returning to Hawkridge if I was going to go to Bible study at CBC, so I went ahead and began walking in that direction, hopping on the tube at Piccadilly Circus and then wandering around Chiswick until the doors opened (Yes, a lot of wandering today). I got a small hot chocolate during this wandering since it was getting cold and I would like to say that I love how much less sweet hot chocolate is here!
In the Bible study we continued looking at Colossians. Quote for today: "If God keeps the whole universe together don't you think He's got your life under control?"
Thursday: Day two of orientation but first the follow-up to yesterday's psych experiment and participation in another one. Apparently I have a large posterior parietal cortex. Put THAT on your resume LOL. Free lunch from the monks again and then headed over to enroll, but found out the system was down for non-EU students so I couldn't do anything. The Institute of Archaeology (IOA) had an informal reception and I got to meet Dr. Tanner, my course coordinator. He had interviewed me by phone (I believe it was back in March) before I was accepted, so it was really nice to meet him in person! Only ten people were accepted to my program. I met one of them, Felipe from Chile. Dr. Tanner said that a Dutch guy was also there, but I didn't meet him. It's really nice that when I said my name he immediately recognized it and was like "Oh, from America!" He seems like a happy person. I've heard that he's tough, but that's not always a bad thing. I'm glad that although I'm at a large school my program seems like it will have a small school feel. I walked back to the dorm with a couple Chinese girls who are in a different program of the IOA.
Went to the international dinner at the church in Angel that was on the flyer I got yesterday. Found out that the Christian Union (seems to be the British version of a campus ministry) had been handing out flyers on the Main Quad that I had missed about a meet and greet type thing tomorrow night.
Friday: Spent the morning getting enrolled and got my UCL ID. Participated in another psych project. Registered with the National Health Service. Went to the IOA library tour with Meghan. UCL has sooooo many libraries!! Sat on a ledge in the sunshine on the Quad until the Christian Union people showed up to show the way to the reception. It was really great to meet other Christian students and I hope to get to know them better! There were some Chinese students there, too, and I walked back with two of them. I showed the girl where Argos is (a store) and we both got coat hangers. I can finally hang up my clothes!! The boy became a Christian while studying in Macau. I thought that was interesting. One not so good thing though was that there was absolutely nothing I could eat at the reception and I was starving by the time I got back to the dorm!
Saturday: Spent the morning and early afternoon reading then went for a run to Regent's Park and did a couple loops before running back. Skyped with Michelle L. who leaves for the Peace Corps in Peru on Tuesday. It was really great to get that chance since we're not sure if she'll be able to use the Internet where she's going. Then I went back out and walked around the Camden Town Market. Oh man the selection there is crazy! It's just stall after stall of stuff and food from literally every corner of the world! When I got back all but one of my flatmates and I talked in the kitchen for a while. This is the first time I had met two of them! In total there are four Chinese (three boys, one girl), one Japanese girl and me. The Chinese girl was the one who was not there. Two of the boys have never been outside of China before. The other one studied for a year as an exchange student in another part of England. The Japanese girl has been a bunch of places. It was really funny that she felt like she was the odd one out because I speak some Mandarin, making her the only non-Mandarin speaker! Yesterday I had seen one of the Chinese boys and he had told me the demographics of the flat. He said, "We have World War II in our flat!" Hahaha don't worry there doesn't seem to be any animosity!
Sunday: Went to CBC. It was "Friend Day." The church has been making a great push to invite people to come to Friend Day and practice inviting people to check out Jesus. Definitely a lot more people, including some people that just randomly walked by and decided to come without any idea it was Friend Day. The Wednesday night prayers the past few weeks are being seen at work! One of these people was Brazilian and there was also another American couple (AL and TX). I am still continually being amazed by the diversity here! Pastor spoke on the story of Noah as an illustration of the salvation story. Not a story of how God destroyed things but a story of how God loves and restores. I hadn't really thought about how Noah wasn't so far removed from Adam and could've heard stories of God directly from him. That's really cool. And also sad that all those other people had that opportunity, too, and chose to reject something right in front of them.
After the service there was a birthday lunch downstairs for Felicity (one of the pastor's kids). Then I got a coffee with Emily (the eldest pk) until choir practice and evening service. Renee gave the message on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, particularly on the verse 2 line of "A time to be born and a time to die." Basically that we are all born and then move on to dying. You can't escape it and you don't know when your end is so redeem the time God gives you. Don't waste it. I hope that we don't all have to go through loss to have that hit home.
Went to Pastor Steve's house with Joe and Judith for kabobs. Also played Mario Kart on the Wii with some of the kids and then after we ate some American football came on the TV to which we all said "NOW it's a Sunday!" haha great fellowship today. But the big game is tomorrow: Redskins vs Cowgirls. And unfortunately just like Pastor Todd I will have to forgive Pastor Steve for his poor choice in teams. Wish I could watch the game!!
Getting up early to head back to the church to meet Mallory and her mission team that is headed to Uganda at the tube station! They are being allowed to store their luggage at the church while they go to Ireland for orientation with their mission organization on a small plane that doesn't allow more than a carry-on. Such a blessing that they won't have to travel as far from the airport to drop off their stuff as they would if it were to all go in my dorm. And also a definitely blessing that I won't have a mountain of luggage filling up my room! Super excited to see her!!
And happy 21st to my brother Bobby today! It's times like these that I can't believe how time flies!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
London Adventures: Sep 12-18
Monday: Quote of the day (Meghan talking about the Accommodation Office): "I feel like the fires of Hell start licking at your ankles as soon as you walk in there!" Rubbish day (Yes, I said rubbish) but finally sorted out I believe. Ran on the canal to de-stress! It's getting pretty chilly outside in the evenings and night. My lungs were shocked by the cold air!
Tuesday: Got my first email reply ever from the Accommodation Office, finally confirming my early arrival. I can move into my dorm on the 20th. Praise God! Worked on job applications. Ran on the canal.
Wednesday: Walked around doing some errands with Jamie and Meghan but not before a "Dynamite" dance party to get us started. Absolutely exhausted for some reason. Laid down for a nap in the conservatory. Had a late lunch, read, and napped again. Chatted online with Jennie in Senegal for a good while, which was really nice. I definitely miss her. Went to CBC for Wednesday night Bible study. The topic was the preeminence of Christ (Col 1:15). Found out they like to sing Christmas carols all year long which is more than okay with me! Finished The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis on the tube ride there. I highly recommend it. I'll definitely be reading it again. Had a late dinner afterwards. Reread my post "Home." Funny how you can preach at yourself.
Thursday: Read and napped until lunch. Still felt exhausted. Got myself moving around, talked to Jennie in Senegal again, and corresponded with Laura as she left for Togo today. Also got to chat with Katie in TX. Eventually went out for a run. Ran to Regent's Park and crisscrossed Primrose Hill a few times. I think it's the first proper hill I've come across! Discovered an adult playground of sorts where I did upper body and core work, then ran back. Must have been a good workout because I felt like a noodle. Grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. Researched some PhD programs. Chilled with Jamie and Meghan. First video Skype call since I've gotten here belongs to Sarah M. in VA. Chatted a bit with Ashley T. and Kristyn, who are FL and CO respectively. Good day for talking to people! Man we're scattered all over the place!!
Friday: Limited on my options due to not wanting to be locked out of the house. Meghan picked up a German friend from the airport today and was out all day with her. Jamie had work and research things to do so she was also out, but was coming back sometime and leaving again by 4:30ish. So this left me with the option of walking around and coming back by like 4 so that I wouldn't be locked out until who knows when at night. I wandered back into Chinatown, drank some coconut juice, and continued around Piccadilly Circus, over to Holdborn, back through campus and to the flat. Also picked up peanut butter, bananas, and yogurt from the store. I had been a day without peanut butter and that's long enough. Second video Skype belongs to Ashley T. and the FSU XA office :)
Saturday: Jamie ran out the door this morning. Meghan and her friend had already left. So there I was with no idea of when anybody would be coming back, no key to a door that automatically locks behind you when you leave, and no phone to contact anyone. I was stuck and frustrated that I couldn't even go for a run. But that's when the post before this one ("Into Place") happened and as you can see it helped me sort a lot of what I've been feeling. So of course God had better plans for my time than me.
Sunday: Didn't feel so great when I woke up. I had gone to bed not feeling so well since about dinner time. Couldn't find my shoes, but eventually made it out the door to CBC. Almost turned back because I started feeling worse. Sat down in the service, praying that I would at least feel well enough to get some spiritual food. I had committed last week to eating at Battina's for lunch as well and I really didn't want to back out. By the end of service I felt much better than I had when I arrived and during Emily's birthday tea downstairs I gulped down some ginger tea I had brought from China in hopes that it would make me want to eat lunch. Battina had Norma, Agape, Joe, Esther and I over for some homemade French food. Praise God by the time we got to her flat I felt like eating and it was very good! We fellowshipped around the table for a while and then some returned to the church for choir practice. Yes, choir practice haha Esther had cornered me the week before. During the evening service we continued in our study of Philemon. We are equal in Christ, profitable and useful in Christ, and we have a purpose in Christ. The morning service had continued in 'dying to self.' "Live is not to live for tomorrow; Live is to live for God today." - Pastor Steve
Tuesday: Got my first email reply ever from the Accommodation Office, finally confirming my early arrival. I can move into my dorm on the 20th. Praise God! Worked on job applications. Ran on the canal.
Wednesday: Walked around doing some errands with Jamie and Meghan but not before a "Dynamite" dance party to get us started. Absolutely exhausted for some reason. Laid down for a nap in the conservatory. Had a late lunch, read, and napped again. Chatted online with Jennie in Senegal for a good while, which was really nice. I definitely miss her. Went to CBC for Wednesday night Bible study. The topic was the preeminence of Christ (Col 1:15). Found out they like to sing Christmas carols all year long which is more than okay with me! Finished The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis on the tube ride there. I highly recommend it. I'll definitely be reading it again. Had a late dinner afterwards. Reread my post "Home." Funny how you can preach at yourself.
Thursday: Read and napped until lunch. Still felt exhausted. Got myself moving around, talked to Jennie in Senegal again, and corresponded with Laura as she left for Togo today. Also got to chat with Katie in TX. Eventually went out for a run. Ran to Regent's Park and crisscrossed Primrose Hill a few times. I think it's the first proper hill I've come across! Discovered an adult playground of sorts where I did upper body and core work, then ran back. Must have been a good workout because I felt like a noodle. Grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. Researched some PhD programs. Chilled with Jamie and Meghan. First video Skype call since I've gotten here belongs to Sarah M. in VA. Chatted a bit with Ashley T. and Kristyn, who are FL and CO respectively. Good day for talking to people! Man we're scattered all over the place!!
Friday: Limited on my options due to not wanting to be locked out of the house. Meghan picked up a German friend from the airport today and was out all day with her. Jamie had work and research things to do so she was also out, but was coming back sometime and leaving again by 4:30ish. So this left me with the option of walking around and coming back by like 4 so that I wouldn't be locked out until who knows when at night. I wandered back into Chinatown, drank some coconut juice, and continued around Piccadilly Circus, over to Holdborn, back through campus and to the flat. Also picked up peanut butter, bananas, and yogurt from the store. I had been a day without peanut butter and that's long enough. Second video Skype belongs to Ashley T. and the FSU XA office :)
Saturday: Jamie ran out the door this morning. Meghan and her friend had already left. So there I was with no idea of when anybody would be coming back, no key to a door that automatically locks behind you when you leave, and no phone to contact anyone. I was stuck and frustrated that I couldn't even go for a run. But that's when the post before this one ("Into Place") happened and as you can see it helped me sort a lot of what I've been feeling. So of course God had better plans for my time than me.
Sunday: Didn't feel so great when I woke up. I had gone to bed not feeling so well since about dinner time. Couldn't find my shoes, but eventually made it out the door to CBC. Almost turned back because I started feeling worse. Sat down in the service, praying that I would at least feel well enough to get some spiritual food. I had committed last week to eating at Battina's for lunch as well and I really didn't want to back out. By the end of service I felt much better than I had when I arrived and during Emily's birthday tea downstairs I gulped down some ginger tea I had brought from China in hopes that it would make me want to eat lunch. Battina had Norma, Agape, Joe, Esther and I over for some homemade French food. Praise God by the time we got to her flat I felt like eating and it was very good! We fellowshipped around the table for a while and then some returned to the church for choir practice. Yes, choir practice haha Esther had cornered me the week before. During the evening service we continued in our study of Philemon. We are equal in Christ, profitable and useful in Christ, and we have a purpose in Christ. The morning service had continued in 'dying to self.' "Live is not to live for tomorrow; Live is to live for God today." - Pastor Steve
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Into Place
I cried out to the LORD,
"I have no purpose here!
My hands are idle
and my heart is all alone.
Why did you bring me here?
You couldn't possibly want me away
for this length of time
in tears of sorrow over what may.
I long for days yet to come.
And I cannot see how I got here.
Could Have Been and Could Be
seem to have better ideas."
But the problem is that
Could Have Been and Could Be
trap and haunt.
They are not my friends.
They say, "You made the wrong choice.
You're just running away.
Back out now.
Before it's too late."
Try as I might,
I couldn't make them leave.
So the LORD locked me in saying,
"SIT. READ."
So I read through Isaiah,
and my struggle began to cease.
My heart grew warm
as I renewed my friendship with Peace.
We spoke of many things,
for Peace is so patient.
For to Him time has one point,
everything has already and will happen.
Peace gave me fresh eyes,
the more I read His Word,
releasing me
from the fiend called Lies.
For Lies likes to visit
anytime he can.
Though he is unwanted,
he's good at finding a way in.
He likes to say,
"What are you doing here?
This can't be right!
You're not in the right place - just go hide.
In fact, you're never in the right place.
And you never will be,
so just give it up now
and settle for mediocrity.
Are you really actually worth something
in the LORD's sight?
Surely He made you,
but He doesn't truly care!
Others are more useful than you.
Others don't get afraid.
Others are more willing.
They know the LORD more than you ever could!
You see, others understand way more than you.
Others are more secure in who they should be.
They are important in God's plans -
way more than you could ever be."
But Peace socks Lies
right between the eyes
because Peace has many names,
and they include Truth.
Truth also brings tears,
but these are tears of joy
as He reassures me
and rebukes Lies.
He reminds me of secrets
He told me in the past
about my own special future
He so carefully planned.
Oh how amazing it is!
That He would care so much
as to give me special purpose
and to pick me up out of the dust!
That He would use these things
to help me deal with the unknowns
for with every answer
there is always more to know.
That He would hold me and guide me
changing my heart
For His other name Love
also does a part.
Love renews and restores
even the most troubled of hearts.
Love's reviving work
is some amazing stuff!
I hope you know them,
Peace, Truth and Love,
for They don't play favorites
or bring you down.
They give you courage
to step out in faith
and purpose
to live out your days.
For They are the LORD
and He is full of grace
with which to firmly yet gently
nudge us into place.
Monday, September 12, 2011
London Adventures: September 5-11
Monday: Went to the Natural History Museum with Meghan. If you like the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum then you would like this one, too. And I was obsessed with the Gothic architecture with gargoyles as you can tell if you've seen the pictures on Facebook. I also wanted to laugh as I imagined how John would be geeking over all the mounted/stuffed animal specimens and wanting to hunt every single one of them.
Tuesday: Totally worn out with all of the site-seeing, so Meghan and I both chose to be bums. Jamie's graduation was today, but you have to be registered to attend. We went out to eat with her and her parents and Flick (lives with Jamie and Meghan and showed up briefly this week) at Jamie's Italian (one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants). It was really good and the cook sent my leftovers out in a very oddly shaped tin-foil wrapping. It was like a foil ring or bag. Pictures of that and everything else going on are up on Facebook. I didn't end up being a bum the entire day though. I got stir crazy by the afternoon and housing hadn't responded to my email about not being able to log into their website to accept their accommodation offer, so I went for a run. I braved the gale force winds to run to campus and around campus once they made me go to their IT people. It had sprinkled some earlier in the day, but hadn't really rained. Then on the way back it POURED. Seriously. Like I haven't seen rain that hard in a long time. And my jacket that I've never had water penetrate was soaked through as well as there being oceans in my shoes. CRAZY. Kind of fun though once you get over the initial natural instinct of "nooooo..."
Wednesday: Walked 10-11 miles around London with Meghan. Checked out Covent Garden, Big Ben/Parliament area again except the bridge side, the London Eye, a long walk along the river front, the Tate Modern, and the Strand. Some things in the Tate Modern are really cool and some of it I'm not a fan of and reminded me of some interesting moments in Devine's History of Modern Art class to say the least. It was really cool to see a lot of the stuff in person though. Made a grilled cheese with tomato soup for dinner and boy did it hit the spot. I'm totally craving hot things so much more here than at home. There was a street performer in a kilt playing bagpipes on the bridge we crossed next to Big Ben. He played Amazing Grace and it so nice to hear.
Thursday: Toured Buckingham Palace with Meghan, Jamie and her mom. I really don't find the outside that impressive but inside it is amazing! Didn't sleep well last night so I felt pretty crappy and really just wanted to crawl back into bed, but I wanted to go with the others and I had to go out to go to housing again. And I was freezing even with a scarf on. When that was finally through I bummed out on the couch the rest of the day.
Friday: Meghan went with Jamie and her mom to see things that again I'm not paying for yet. I finally almost caught up on uploading pictures to Facebook. Then I went back to Borough Market to find that gluten free bakery vendor. I was there earlier than we had gotten there last week, so there were more vendors still out to look through. I had ridden the tube down, but I walked back to Camden from there, crossing the Thames on the London Bridge (which didn't fall down!). When I got back I went for a run on the canal, which I found to be a nice break from the street because of not having to deal with intersections every few hundred feet.
Unfortunately I got back and discovered that the key to the house was not in my pocket. There is a pouch in the lining of my running shorts where I keep my iPod, a little money, ID, and my key when I run. I've never had anything fall out of it before and everything else was there, so I'm still at a loss as to what happened because we didn't find it when I got back into the house.
It was 6:30pm when I got back and I had just received a Facebook message from Jamie saying Meghan would be back around 10:30pm right before I had left. So with four hours to kill I went for a walk. Fortunately, it was a warmer day and not rainy. Not only did I not want to sit on the stoop for four hours, I also was afraid that if I stopped moving I would get cold as the sun went down since I was in sweaty shorts and a T-shirt. I explored a bit more of Camden and saw my first gas station since I got here. Such a weird thing to make note of, but it was weird to me that I was surprised to see one! I got a gingerbeer there as I was pretty wiped out from my run and needed something in my system. Yes, the world ended. I drank a soda. The ginger beer is so much more yummy and spicy than our ginger ale. I had tasted Jamie's the other day.
At 8:30 I was on the stoop with two more hours to go. I was hoping either she would get back early or the mysterious Alice would show up. She's one of the four girls living there and was supposedly coming that day. One of our neighbors came outside and saw me. He asked if I was alright and he and his wife ended up having me come in until Meghan got back. They were really nice and, in true British fashion, served me tea and randomly had gluten free biscuits (cookies) in their cupboard!
Saturday: Played in my first British hockey game! We won 4-1. Those silly Brits drink tea first thing afterwards and complain that 70 degrees is hot LOL. They should come to preseason in Virginia. They most certainly won't be drinking something hot after that!!! This was the Surbiton hockey club. They were nice, but I'm not sure that's who I'm going to stick with due to their distance from me. I got some names of three clubs closer to my part of London to check out. I also need to see how the UCL team is. If anything, I can probably bank on the UCL team being much more convenient for my schedule but I haven't met them yet and I have no idea how well they play. We'll see what happens.
Sunday: Went back to Chiswick Baptist. Learned my lesson about checking if there's any maintenance going on, particularly on the weekend, on the underground because I discovered on the way that the normal line that stops there wasn't running past a certain station and had to hop around a bit. I'm glad I came back and it still amazes me how I found this church. Proof of God's provision. I was praying to find a good church home and bingo someone knows someone in London who recommends his church and I go and find that it isn't all crazy and postmodern. I was nervous that I would spend a long time church shopping to find a good, living church rather than one filled with ritual and no heart or twisted by postmodernism. So far so good at Chiswick!
I brought my computer and a book I'm reading with the intentions of finding some wifi, catching up on the blog, looking up the hockey clubs, and just getting some chill time. When I mentioned finding wifi Pastor Steve hooked me up with Internet at the church, so after spending some time in the sunshine (Yes, the sun came out!!) on a town green (sticking my toes into the grass and reveling at the almost nature) reading I headed back to the church and am now getting some things done with the choir practicing in the background and a cup of tea. Right now I'm overwhelmed with the atmosphere here. It's so refreshing to come into a place of God and just reflect and recharge after running around all week. Honestly I see no point in looking around for another church because I feel at peace here. So blessed to have found a good one right off the bat!
Now I'm back at the flat ready to go to bed and still feeling supercharged inside. I just received a message from Laura about her visit to Farmville this weekend and that people were asking about me and that I've become part of Dr. Coles' former student lore. I don't mean to sound conceited, but I mention it because it really made my day that much better and it was already a really good one! I think it really makes missing people easier when you know that they miss you, too. Pastor Steve talked about Philemon being a refresher of the saints at the evening service. I want to thank Chiswick and Laura for refreshing me today :)
Tuesday: Totally worn out with all of the site-seeing, so Meghan and I both chose to be bums. Jamie's graduation was today, but you have to be registered to attend. We went out to eat with her and her parents and Flick (lives with Jamie and Meghan and showed up briefly this week) at Jamie's Italian (one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants). It was really good and the cook sent my leftovers out in a very oddly shaped tin-foil wrapping. It was like a foil ring or bag. Pictures of that and everything else going on are up on Facebook. I didn't end up being a bum the entire day though. I got stir crazy by the afternoon and housing hadn't responded to my email about not being able to log into their website to accept their accommodation offer, so I went for a run. I braved the gale force winds to run to campus and around campus once they made me go to their IT people. It had sprinkled some earlier in the day, but hadn't really rained. Then on the way back it POURED. Seriously. Like I haven't seen rain that hard in a long time. And my jacket that I've never had water penetrate was soaked through as well as there being oceans in my shoes. CRAZY. Kind of fun though once you get over the initial natural instinct of "nooooo..."
Wednesday: Walked 10-11 miles around London with Meghan. Checked out Covent Garden, Big Ben/Parliament area again except the bridge side, the London Eye, a long walk along the river front, the Tate Modern, and the Strand. Some things in the Tate Modern are really cool and some of it I'm not a fan of and reminded me of some interesting moments in Devine's History of Modern Art class to say the least. It was really cool to see a lot of the stuff in person though. Made a grilled cheese with tomato soup for dinner and boy did it hit the spot. I'm totally craving hot things so much more here than at home. There was a street performer in a kilt playing bagpipes on the bridge we crossed next to Big Ben. He played Amazing Grace and it so nice to hear.
Thursday: Toured Buckingham Palace with Meghan, Jamie and her mom. I really don't find the outside that impressive but inside it is amazing! Didn't sleep well last night so I felt pretty crappy and really just wanted to crawl back into bed, but I wanted to go with the others and I had to go out to go to housing again. And I was freezing even with a scarf on. When that was finally through I bummed out on the couch the rest of the day.
Friday: Meghan went with Jamie and her mom to see things that again I'm not paying for yet. I finally almost caught up on uploading pictures to Facebook. Then I went back to Borough Market to find that gluten free bakery vendor. I was there earlier than we had gotten there last week, so there were more vendors still out to look through. I had ridden the tube down, but I walked back to Camden from there, crossing the Thames on the London Bridge (which didn't fall down!). When I got back I went for a run on the canal, which I found to be a nice break from the street because of not having to deal with intersections every few hundred feet.
Unfortunately I got back and discovered that the key to the house was not in my pocket. There is a pouch in the lining of my running shorts where I keep my iPod, a little money, ID, and my key when I run. I've never had anything fall out of it before and everything else was there, so I'm still at a loss as to what happened because we didn't find it when I got back into the house.
It was 6:30pm when I got back and I had just received a Facebook message from Jamie saying Meghan would be back around 10:30pm right before I had left. So with four hours to kill I went for a walk. Fortunately, it was a warmer day and not rainy. Not only did I not want to sit on the stoop for four hours, I also was afraid that if I stopped moving I would get cold as the sun went down since I was in sweaty shorts and a T-shirt. I explored a bit more of Camden and saw my first gas station since I got here. Such a weird thing to make note of, but it was weird to me that I was surprised to see one! I got a gingerbeer there as I was pretty wiped out from my run and needed something in my system. Yes, the world ended. I drank a soda. The ginger beer is so much more yummy and spicy than our ginger ale. I had tasted Jamie's the other day.
At 8:30 I was on the stoop with two more hours to go. I was hoping either she would get back early or the mysterious Alice would show up. She's one of the four girls living there and was supposedly coming that day. One of our neighbors came outside and saw me. He asked if I was alright and he and his wife ended up having me come in until Meghan got back. They were really nice and, in true British fashion, served me tea and randomly had gluten free biscuits (cookies) in their cupboard!
Saturday: Played in my first British hockey game! We won 4-1. Those silly Brits drink tea first thing afterwards and complain that 70 degrees is hot LOL. They should come to preseason in Virginia. They most certainly won't be drinking something hot after that!!! This was the Surbiton hockey club. They were nice, but I'm not sure that's who I'm going to stick with due to their distance from me. I got some names of three clubs closer to my part of London to check out. I also need to see how the UCL team is. If anything, I can probably bank on the UCL team being much more convenient for my schedule but I haven't met them yet and I have no idea how well they play. We'll see what happens.
Sunday: Went back to Chiswick Baptist. Learned my lesson about checking if there's any maintenance going on, particularly on the weekend, on the underground because I discovered on the way that the normal line that stops there wasn't running past a certain station and had to hop around a bit. I'm glad I came back and it still amazes me how I found this church. Proof of God's provision. I was praying to find a good church home and bingo someone knows someone in London who recommends his church and I go and find that it isn't all crazy and postmodern. I was nervous that I would spend a long time church shopping to find a good, living church rather than one filled with ritual and no heart or twisted by postmodernism. So far so good at Chiswick!
I brought my computer and a book I'm reading with the intentions of finding some wifi, catching up on the blog, looking up the hockey clubs, and just getting some chill time. When I mentioned finding wifi Pastor Steve hooked me up with Internet at the church, so after spending some time in the sunshine (Yes, the sun came out!!) on a town green (sticking my toes into the grass and reveling at the almost nature) reading I headed back to the church and am now getting some things done with the choir practicing in the background and a cup of tea. Right now I'm overwhelmed with the atmosphere here. It's so refreshing to come into a place of God and just reflect and recharge after running around all week. Honestly I see no point in looking around for another church because I feel at peace here. So blessed to have found a good one right off the bat!
Now I'm back at the flat ready to go to bed and still feeling supercharged inside. I just received a message from Laura about her visit to Farmville this weekend and that people were asking about me and that I've become part of Dr. Coles' former student lore. I don't mean to sound conceited, but I mention it because it really made my day that much better and it was already a really good one! I think it really makes missing people easier when you know that they miss you, too. Pastor Steve talked about Philemon being a refresher of the saints at the evening service. I want to thank Chiswick and Laura for refreshing me today :)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
London Adventures: Aug 30 - Sep 4
Tuesday: Flew out of Dulles for London Heathrow at 6:40pm. Met Meghan at the airport. She graduated from Longwood this year and is also doing her masters at UCL, but in bio-archaeology. As for luggage, I had one suitcase, a backpack, a purse, and... a field hockey goalie bag. I expected to have to pay for the goalie bag and had some serious thoughts of leaving it at home and becoming a field player. However, the chance to actually play for real again won over and I'm very glad I didn't leave it because guess what - Virgin Atlantic flies sporting equipment for free! Yes, FREE! Gratis! 不要钱！ I was so excited!!!!
Wednesday: At some point on the flight it turned into Wednesday. Tried to sleep since we were due to arrive at 7am local time (2am EST), but unfortunately it didn't work. Gave up and watched a couple movies, read, etc. Seven hour flights seem so short to me after so many Asia trips. We arrived 40 minutes ahead of schedule somehow, but then waited in a very long line at immigration. Once we cleared that and customs with no problems, we found the Underground and headed into the city. It was very good that we arrived early because we were supposed to meet Jamie outside the Camden Town tube stop at 9:30 and got there at 9:20. Jamie also studied at Longwood. She graduated with me in 2009, but went straight into her masters at UCL (Public Archaeology) and is now going into her second year as a PhD student at King's College London. I'm thinking the UCL Institute of Archaeology just needs to merge with Longwood lol. Meghan will be sharing a flat with Jamie and two British students Jamie knows. I'm staying with them until I get my housing assignment from UCL. Federal loans can only be used for university housing.
Jamie's parents are also visiting right now. Her UCL graduation is next week. It's held a year after you finish! Crazy! I wonder if I'll even be able to come to mine? I had been a little confused as to our end date. Classes technically end June 8, but the course is listed as being a full calendar year, going until September 25 of next year. Since graduations are held at the beginning of September, the masters students hold their graduation ceremony the following year. That's all thesis writing time. So I guess it just depends on how fast you write your thesis. I think I'm going to have to write fast if I were to apply to an American PhD program because US schools start at the end of August. Jamie said it can be done but to make sure you talk to your adviser about it at the very beginning. I'll definitely be doing that because right now I'm thinking that is my number one choice for next year. Or maybe I'll have to take a gap year and get a job or do a UK doctorate program (which only takes three years by the way) or maybe just stop at the masters and get a job... Right now my goal is to be a professor, which means I would definitely want that doctorate, but we'll just have to see how this year goes and where the Lord leads!
So Jamie and her mom met us and we took our stuff to the flat. Then we walked to UCL and found the finance people so I could sign my loan paperwork that I didn't get in the US. Then we went to housing to pester them about not knowing my assignment yet and to make sure I was getting one. They said that I should be getting one and know it by Friday.
Jamie gave us a bit of a tour around the campus and showed us where some monks hand out free lunch everyday on the University of London (UL) campus which is pretty much merged with our campus. We ate their lunch, which they apparently do to promote their vegetarianism. It was a vegetable curry and it was very delicious! I'm told that they tend to serve something with a lot of vegetables and potatoes or rice, meaning gluten free! I'm totally making a point of being there as much as possible!
The lunch perked me up a bit after not sleeping all night, walking all morning, and having not eaten since a PB&J when I got on the plane. Then we walked to the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons - totally up Meghan's alley! It was definitely interesting for me, too, after taking anatomy last year. The Science Museum was open for special late hours (no children allowed), so we went there as well. Both of these were free! Meghan and I ended up leaving before Jamie and her mom though to go crash for the night... We had be up waaaay too long!!!
All in all, my first impression of the city is that I can totally live here for the year no problem. It's got a good feel to it. I feel comfortable so far.
Thursday: Meghan got an email that her letter from UCL that is needed to open a bank account here was ready (I can't get mine until I have an address), so we went back to the Institute to pick it up, to the bank, back to the Institute when the bank wanted it addressed specifically to them and not 'To Whom it May Concern', back to the bank, and then to a different bank Jamie uses to exchange cash
From there we walked to Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. Jame's Park, Piccadilly Circus, and Chinatown. We didn't go into Westminster or the Palace because you have to pay and we don't have our school IDs for the student discount yet. So that's an adventure for later. Plus, you can only get into Buckingham Palace once a year!
We planned to have dinner in Chinatown at a restaurant Jamie claimed to be authentic. I was a bit skeptical at first because I've never had food I felt was truly authentic outside of China itself, but when she said that a Chinese student is the one who showed it to her and that Chinese people actually eat there my hopes rose. It turned out to be really good! The only thing that I can say wasn't authentic was that they had removed the bones from the meat and I was okay with that! They also had my favorite spicy green bean dish. I'll definitely be returning. From there we went to a gelato place called Scoop that Jamie said is the best around. Oh man it was sooooo good. We were going to walk around the riverfront, but Meghan and I were cold (I feel like I skipped a season and it's like the end of October or something) so we decided to head back and do that another day.
Friday: First order of business was to go back to the Accommodation Office because I hadn't received an email about my living assignment. We were told to come back at 3:30 because the guy in charge would be in by then. In the meantime we went to the British Museum, which is right next to campus and free! There we got to rant about how the Elgin Marbles were damaged when they were forcibly removed from the Parthenon and should be returned to Greece. It was really cool though because I felt like I was literally walking through my survey of art history book. So many of the standard artifacts are there. I thought it was particularly cool to see the Mesopotamian art.
Once back at the Accommodation Office, I was given the choice between an expensive single en suite on campus or a cheap single a 40 minute walk away from campus. I said I'd walk. It's ten minutes past Meghan and Jamie's place, so I'll be near them, getting exercise, and not paying an arm and a leg! It's also a building full of graduate students. Jamie lived her UCL year in a single on a hall full of freshmen (called freshers here as opposed to our term freshies). SO glad that didn't happen to me!
After that we went to Borough Market. It's an open air market full of various vendors selling things such as cheese, wine, baked goods, homemade jams, fresh fruit and vegetables, and meat pies. I found a gluten free bakery vendor! That was exciting. I got a chocolate ginger cake and it was delicious. She said next week she would have bread, so I plan on going back. We had a glass of wine and a cheese board at The George, a super old tavern, London's only surviving galleried coaching inn. Then we headed back to Camden Town.
Saturday: Meghan went to the races with Jamie and her family, so I was left on my own. Until my loan money comes in I'm only doing the free stuff! I enjoyed getting to explore by myself. I'm the kind of person that will just wander around everywhere until I figure the place out. I walked down to Trafalgar again, so that I could go in The National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. I definitely recommend both! Then I wandered around the area of Piccadilly Circus and Chinatown. I got to actually explore Chinatown this time. A couple days ago we ate dinner, but that was it. I was very pleased to find some authentic Chinese food marts! They have my favorite coconut juice!! Then I walked back to campus and explored it more before walking back to Camden.
I did a little grocery shopping and cooked for the first time since we got here. I also finally found a gluten free section in the store! It's really small, but at least it's something. I'm told that there are other places to go with more stuff but they're more expensive. There was one kind of gluten free cereal, so I bought it to try and thankfully it was good! It's like a cocopuff but made with quinoa so it's healthier! I think I'm going to be eating a lot of potatoes, eggs, and yogurt because they're cheap!
Sunday: A couple weeks ago at Mouth Ararat, Pastor Todd told me he has a friend named Mark in London and connected us on Facebook. Mark spoke very highly of Chiswick Baptist Church so I decided to pay it a visit. It's a small congregation. They were quite welcoming and the preaching was on point. They also sing traditional hymns. I have a feeling my mom would love it. Mark couldn't be there that morning because he was traveling back from another part of Britain, but he said he was going to tell the pastor I was coming. When the service ended and someone across the aisle shook my hand and asked my name and then responded "Oh, Erin from Virginia?" I realized he had told more than one person! Turns out this person, Joe, is from Kentucky and the pastor and his wife are from Maryland! I stayed for lunch (they eat lunch in the basement after Sunday morning service) and realized just how international the congregation is. I had Joe on my right, a French lady to my left, an Italian man across from me, and a bunch of Philippinos cooked the lunch! The fact that the Philippinos are the cooks is very good for me because it means rice!
They invited me back for the evening service at 6, but since it had taken me an hour on the tube to get there I was thinking I probably wouldn't make it back. Then on the tube I realized I was going to pass through South Kensington Station, which is where a ton of museums are (It's actually called Exhibition Road!) so I got off and went to the Victoria & Albert ("the world's greatest museum of art and design" as they call themselves). It was awesome!!! Definitely my favorite so far. And I'm such a nerd that I actually took notes. In my defense, there's a bunch of stuff there that I know will be part of my research!
Next I realized that I could go back to Chiswick for the evening service because I was still closer to there than to Camden. This would be good because I could get a further feel for the church, so I went. Mark was at the evening service and everyone there thought it was funny that I hadn't met him yet. Turns out he had met Pastor Todd when Todd came to GB on a mission trip several years ago and then Mark had spent time in the US staying at Todd's house, going to Mount Ararat and teaching (I think kind of like Longwood's partnership or practicum) at Garrisonville Elementary! This was in the spring of 2004, so it was my senior year of high school and was still around. I vaguely remember someone staying with Todd, but Mount Ararat is a very large church.
Again, the preaching was great and the people fun to be with. That night they didn't have set hymns to sing but asked people to choose them as they went. I only knew one of them (Come Thou Fount)!! So weird! Oh and I forgot to mention they preach from the King James Bible. Double weird!! But I still felt that I wanted to come again, so I expect I will. There is a genuineness there.
When I got back to the flat, Meghan was the only one there and said Jamie was staying with her parents, so we ate dinner and chilled. I had some leftover chicken roast Jamie's mom had left for me and I finished off my chocolate ginger cake!
Wednesday: At some point on the flight it turned into Wednesday. Tried to sleep since we were due to arrive at 7am local time (2am EST), but unfortunately it didn't work. Gave up and watched a couple movies, read, etc. Seven hour flights seem so short to me after so many Asia trips. We arrived 40 minutes ahead of schedule somehow, but then waited in a very long line at immigration. Once we cleared that and customs with no problems, we found the Underground and headed into the city. It was very good that we arrived early because we were supposed to meet Jamie outside the Camden Town tube stop at 9:30 and got there at 9:20. Jamie also studied at Longwood. She graduated with me in 2009, but went straight into her masters at UCL (Public Archaeology) and is now going into her second year as a PhD student at King's College London. I'm thinking the UCL Institute of Archaeology just needs to merge with Longwood lol. Meghan will be sharing a flat with Jamie and two British students Jamie knows. I'm staying with them until I get my housing assignment from UCL. Federal loans can only be used for university housing.
Jamie's parents are also visiting right now. Her UCL graduation is next week. It's held a year after you finish! Crazy! I wonder if I'll even be able to come to mine? I had been a little confused as to our end date. Classes technically end June 8, but the course is listed as being a full calendar year, going until September 25 of next year. Since graduations are held at the beginning of September, the masters students hold their graduation ceremony the following year. That's all thesis writing time. So I guess it just depends on how fast you write your thesis. I think I'm going to have to write fast if I were to apply to an American PhD program because US schools start at the end of August. Jamie said it can be done but to make sure you talk to your adviser about it at the very beginning. I'll definitely be doing that because right now I'm thinking that is my number one choice for next year. Or maybe I'll have to take a gap year and get a job or do a UK doctorate program (which only takes three years by the way) or maybe just stop at the masters and get a job... Right now my goal is to be a professor, which means I would definitely want that doctorate, but we'll just have to see how this year goes and where the Lord leads!
So Jamie and her mom met us and we took our stuff to the flat. Then we walked to UCL and found the finance people so I could sign my loan paperwork that I didn't get in the US. Then we went to housing to pester them about not knowing my assignment yet and to make sure I was getting one. They said that I should be getting one and know it by Friday.
Jamie gave us a bit of a tour around the campus and showed us where some monks hand out free lunch everyday on the University of London (UL) campus which is pretty much merged with our campus. We ate their lunch, which they apparently do to promote their vegetarianism. It was a vegetable curry and it was very delicious! I'm told that they tend to serve something with a lot of vegetables and potatoes or rice, meaning gluten free! I'm totally making a point of being there as much as possible!
Free lunch! (Jamie left, Meghan center)
The lunch perked me up a bit after not sleeping all night, walking all morning, and having not eaten since a PB&J when I got on the plane. Then we walked to the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons - totally up Meghan's alley! It was definitely interesting for me, too, after taking anatomy last year. The Science Museum was open for special late hours (no children allowed), so we went there as well. Both of these were free! Meghan and I ended up leaving before Jamie and her mom though to go crash for the night... We had be up waaaay too long!!!
Tours given at the Science Museum are done in cockroach costumes. Don't ask. I didn't.
Just outside the Camden Town tube station.
All in all, my first impression of the city is that I can totally live here for the year no problem. It's got a good feel to it. I feel comfortable so far.
Thursday: Meghan got an email that her letter from UCL that is needed to open a bank account here was ready (I can't get mine until I have an address), so we went back to the Institute to pick it up, to the bank, back to the Institute when the bank wanted it addressed specifically to them and not 'To Whom it May Concern', back to the bank, and then to a different bank Jamie uses to exchange cash
(Check out the upper right... hehe)
From there we walked to Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. Jame's Park, Piccadilly Circus, and Chinatown. We didn't go into Westminster or the Palace because you have to pay and we don't have our school IDs for the student discount yet. So that's an adventure for later. Plus, you can only get into Buckingham Palace once a year!
Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
We planned to have dinner in Chinatown at a restaurant Jamie claimed to be authentic. I was a bit skeptical at first because I've never had food I felt was truly authentic outside of China itself, but when she said that a Chinese student is the one who showed it to her and that Chinese people actually eat there my hopes rose. It turned out to be really good! The only thing that I can say wasn't authentic was that they had removed the bones from the meat and I was okay with that! They also had my favorite spicy green bean dish. I'll definitely be returning. From there we went to a gelato place called Scoop that Jamie said is the best around. Oh man it was sooooo good. We were going to walk around the riverfront, but Meghan and I were cold (I feel like I skipped a season and it's like the end of October or something) so we decided to head back and do that another day.
Friday: First order of business was to go back to the Accommodation Office because I hadn't received an email about my living assignment. We were told to come back at 3:30 because the guy in charge would be in by then. In the meantime we went to the British Museum, which is right next to campus and free! There we got to rant about how the Elgin Marbles were damaged when they were forcibly removed from the Parthenon and should be returned to Greece. It was really cool though because I felt like I was literally walking through my survey of art history book. So many of the standard artifacts are there. I thought it was particularly cool to see the Mesopotamian art.
Straight out of my first art history textbook.
Notice it has five legs. This was so it would look normal from both the side and the front!
Once back at the Accommodation Office, I was given the choice between an expensive single en suite on campus or a cheap single a 40 minute walk away from campus. I said I'd walk. It's ten minutes past Meghan and Jamie's place, so I'll be near them, getting exercise, and not paying an arm and a leg! It's also a building full of graduate students. Jamie lived her UCL year in a single on a hall full of freshmen (called freshers here as opposed to our term freshies). SO glad that didn't happen to me!
Just inside the UCL main gate.
After that we went to Borough Market. It's an open air market full of various vendors selling things such as cheese, wine, baked goods, homemade jams, fresh fruit and vegetables, and meat pies. I found a gluten free bakery vendor! That was exciting. I got a chocolate ginger cake and it was delicious. She said next week she would have bread, so I plan on going back. We had a glass of wine and a cheese board at The George, a super old tavern, London's only surviving galleried coaching inn. Then we headed back to Camden Town.
Hmm good thing I didn't have a horse... lol And it was rebuilt in 1676. I think there was something that said the original inn on the site was sometime back in the 12/1300s!
Saturday: Meghan went to the races with Jamie and her family, so I was left on my own. Until my loan money comes in I'm only doing the free stuff! I enjoyed getting to explore by myself. I'm the kind of person that will just wander around everywhere until I figure the place out. I walked down to Trafalgar again, so that I could go in The National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. I definitely recommend both! Then I wandered around the area of Piccadilly Circus and Chinatown. I got to actually explore Chinatown this time. A couple days ago we ate dinner, but that was it. I was very pleased to find some authentic Chinese food marts! They have my favorite coconut juice!! Then I walked back to campus and explored it more before walking back to Camden.
Trafalgar Square
Chinatown
You're not in Farmville anymore!
I did a little grocery shopping and cooked for the first time since we got here. I also finally found a gluten free section in the store! It's really small, but at least it's something. I'm told that there are other places to go with more stuff but they're more expensive. There was one kind of gluten free cereal, so I bought it to try and thankfully it was good! It's like a cocopuff but made with quinoa so it's healthier! I think I'm going to be eating a lot of potatoes, eggs, and yogurt because they're cheap!
Sunday: A couple weeks ago at Mouth Ararat, Pastor Todd told me he has a friend named Mark in London and connected us on Facebook. Mark spoke very highly of Chiswick Baptist Church so I decided to pay it a visit. It's a small congregation. They were quite welcoming and the preaching was on point. They also sing traditional hymns. I have a feeling my mom would love it. Mark couldn't be there that morning because he was traveling back from another part of Britain, but he said he was going to tell the pastor I was coming. When the service ended and someone across the aisle shook my hand and asked my name and then responded "Oh, Erin from Virginia?" I realized he had told more than one person! Turns out this person, Joe, is from Kentucky and the pastor and his wife are from Maryland! I stayed for lunch (they eat lunch in the basement after Sunday morning service) and realized just how international the congregation is. I had Joe on my right, a French lady to my left, an Italian man across from me, and a bunch of Philippinos cooked the lunch! The fact that the Philippinos are the cooks is very good for me because it means rice!
They invited me back for the evening service at 6, but since it had taken me an hour on the tube to get there I was thinking I probably wouldn't make it back. Then on the tube I realized I was going to pass through South Kensington Station, which is where a ton of museums are (It's actually called Exhibition Road!) so I got off and went to the Victoria & Albert ("the world's greatest museum of art and design" as they call themselves). It was awesome!!! Definitely my favorite so far. And I'm such a nerd that I actually took notes. In my defense, there's a bunch of stuff there that I know will be part of my research!
Next I realized that I could go back to Chiswick for the evening service because I was still closer to there than to Camden. This would be good because I could get a further feel for the church, so I went. Mark was at the evening service and everyone there thought it was funny that I hadn't met him yet. Turns out he had met Pastor Todd when Todd came to GB on a mission trip several years ago and then Mark had spent time in the US staying at Todd's house, going to Mount Ararat and teaching (I think kind of like Longwood's partnership or practicum) at Garrisonville Elementary! This was in the spring of 2004, so it was my senior year of high school and was still around. I vaguely remember someone staying with Todd, but Mount Ararat is a very large church.
Again, the preaching was great and the people fun to be with. That night they didn't have set hymns to sing but asked people to choose them as they went. I only knew one of them (Come Thou Fount)!! So weird! Oh and I forgot to mention they preach from the King James Bible. Double weird!! But I still felt that I wanted to come again, so I expect I will. There is a genuineness there.
When I got back to the flat, Meghan was the only one there and said Jamie was staying with her parents, so we ate dinner and chilled. I had some leftover chicken roast Jamie's mom had left for me and I finished off my chocolate ginger cake!
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