This Is Home

Time is different when you're on a study abroad with the Film Program in London. It goes by really fast because it's so jam-packed with stuff. At the same time, though, we do so much that it feels like I've been here a very long time. Days blur together. Nights don't exist. I feel like I've known some of these people all my life, even though it's only been two-ish weeks.

I'm not trying to sound insensitive, but I haven't been homesick at all. It's sort of unexpected, actually. I feel like I belong here.

I love it.

(Have I mentioned how fate put me with flatmates that love Supernatural? It's...I...this is...happy.)

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Thursday morning was class, where I proudly turned in my homework that I so nobly finished the night before. Dean gave a lecture about the Red Shoes that I wish I would have recorded. We had discussions about how, as artists, we can never be truly successful at our craft unless we devote ourselves completely to it. We talked about how this is an important and worthy endeavor, but in it we find the dilemma that faces each and every artist. One cannot devote themselves completely to their art and still put the all-important time into their family/religion/friends. So where do we compromise? Where are our priorities? I think this sums it all up very nicely:

"The best thing you have is your temple recommend and your library card put together." -Dean Duncan

After class, I went with a group to the Prince Charles Theater to see Miyazaki's "The Wind Rises" which was beautiful. It was a very, very sweet story. Each and every frame of the film was absolutely gorgeous.

Then I went grocery shopping. Yay!

Then I sat on the couch and watched terrible rom-coms on Netflix for 5 hours.
Sometimes this is a necessary thing.


Friday

On Friday morning we went to Kew Gardens. Man oh man, this place was gorgeous and so amazingly taken care of. Maybe it's because I'm from the desert, but it seems to me that America needs better gardens.

I was in a weird, high-energy mood where I kept cartwheeling and kicking stuff. Perfect for a garden adventure.

In the greenhouse!

It looks like Neeko and I are holding hands, but I can assure you...we're not.

Malori, Kari, Amanda, Tree, Alexis, Me, Neeko

Walking in the treetops.

Alexis, Neeko, Me, Tree, Amanda, Malori, Kari, Jeff

I did not realize this picture was being taken.

Me, Kari, Amanda

Neeko and I looking hardcore in the Temple of Aeolus, the Sun God

Kari, Me, Neeko, Malori

Kari and I with ginormous chocolate coins.

So candid.

Malori, Amanda, Neeko, Me, Kari, Tree

A slightly differenter picture

Neeko go-proing the heck out of a peacock.

Taking pictures of peacocks.

Neeko, Scott, Amanda

Another slightly differenter picture

The airplanes were so close!

And they looked really cool flying through the low English clouds.

Then I got gelato with my flatmates (notice how I've started saying "flatmates" instead of "roommates" because I'm slowly becoming British). It was delicious.

Then I went shopping with Alexis and Malori because there had been talk of going clubbing at some point, and we didn't have clubbing clothes. Being Mormon and also not know what clubbing clothes are, we failed. But I got a pair of shoes and a skirt and some sweatpants.

That night, we saw Top Hat (1935) at the BFI, which was cool because they showed it in a larger theater and they had somebody introduce it. Mistaken identities! Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers killed it. I love these movies so much. I have a weakness.

Saturday

On Saturday I slept in. A lot.

Then I went shopping (again) with Kari and Alexis and we were determined to get clubbing clothes. I ended up with a dress that only cost 4 pounds and gosh darn we better go clubbing. (If we don't, it's ok, I can use the dress for other things.)

Then I took a nap. Woops. And then I made myself a frozen pizza.

THEN, we had tickets to see Titus Andronicus at The Globe Theater! THE GLOBE THEATER. You know, the theater where Shakespeare himself put on his plays.

I have learned about this theater my whole life, and I never expected to actually see a Shakespeare play inside of it. We had groundling tickets, so we got to stand and interact. I was right up next to the stage. At one point, it started raining and we felt it through the open roof. It was...magical.

I didn't actually care for the play. It was gratuitously graphic and hopeless. People were passing out left and right from the heat and the crowd and the standing and...the blood. So much blood. Too much blood.

I wouldn't see the play again, but I would go back to The Globe in a heart beat.

At The Globe Theater!

This is a picture that I love very much.

Neeko, Melissa, Me, Alexis, Malori

Sunday

On Sunday we went to church again. We have to take a train and a bus to get there, but it's exciting because it's a double-decker bus and that's very British-y.

I taught the 4-7 year old primary class at a moment's notice. It was very fun.

We were trying to decide on a game to play before the lesson, and James, a 7 year old British trouble-maker said the following words to me:

"Just because you speak English doesn't mean we have to play your American games."

We played hangman.

During the lesson I said the words "God loves everyone." A little girl looked surprised and said, "Even people in other countries??"

Yes, even people in other countries.

Then I went to a smallish Bastille Festival where they had French food and street music and stuff. I couldn't find the street music, and I wasn't hungry, but it was fun to walk around anyway! So many smells.

I found this there.

I lied a little bit, because I actually bought a brownie.

Then...we were late to FHE. Woops. FHE was great, though, because we had a big long discussion about our experience at the Globe. Different people had different reactions, naturally. It kind of turned into a big long venting session about people's anxieties regarding the play. That sounded negative, but I don't mean it to be. I think it was important that we all got our feelings out in the open so we can move on.

Then my flatmates and I took turns stalking each other on Facebook. It brought us closer together. Then we stalked Neeko and realized that he was still logged in on Alexis' computer, so we changed his profile picture. He stormed into our flat, attacked Alexis, stole her computer, and disappeared.

We then endured a long negotiation process, trying to get it back.

This was the highlight:

We're hilarious.