Home Sweet Home.

The family has been asking for pictures of my dwelling for quite some time. Okay, so for the past ten weeks. So here it is! Better late than never. A grande tour of The BYU London Centre!

First off we have the entrance. It usually is a little cleaner, but the mail just came- explaining the stacked large boxes. Just excuse the messes, sorry about that.

 Here is the lovely dorm 1. My bed is the top bunk with the bright orange towel, it's hard to miss. There are 8 of us in this room. Bethany, Emily, Mandy, Julie, Jani, Jenna, Kaitlyn and  me! 

This is just another view of my room. You are able to see the two bunks and lockers to the left. Did I mention we have the best room in the centre? We are on the first, and don't have to hike up 4 floors to dorm 4 or 5 floors to dorm 4. Those poor girls. 

 Library. Ah, the beloved library. It is supposedly a  "quiet only zone". That defiantly never happens, except on the eve of a test. Then it turns into a "don't even drop a pencil" zone. Did I mention that too is on the first floor? Yep, dorm one wins. :)

Sitting Room This is where we meet before dinner- it is one of my favorite rooms in the centre. It is cozy and just so victorian, I always feel like I am in a fairy tale when I sit in this room. Silly I know.

Dinning Room I guess this room doesn't need much explanation. This is wear we eat dinner. It's our formal eating area. 

Servery This is pretty much where the hang out spot seems to be outside of the dorm rooms. We are big late night eaters here and so you can pretty much always find people in the servery just chatting away and snacking. It's pretty much a party. All the time.

So there are other rooms in the house but they aren't all that thrilling. In the basement is the kitchen, laundry room, and the pantry. On the second floor is the faculty office and classroom. Floors three through five are just more dorm rooms. Well, there you have it. I hope that satisfied your need to see my home for the past 10 weeks and the next 4 weeks! I love it. Home sweet home.

Put On Your Yamaka, We're Gonna Have Some Funuka

Once again, I have had a once in a life time, unique opportunity. Everyday I can't believe how blessed I am! Dr. Seely has connections with the oldest synagogue here in London and set up a private tour with the  "bug" of the synagogue.

  I have never been in a mosque, and I learned so much about Judaism and Orthodox Judaism.  He opened up the the Holy Ark and took out the Torah for us to look at, and talked to us for quite a while. All the men had to put on Yamaka's, and I think they rather enjoyed it. The whole time there was the constant hum of Adam Sandlers Chaunakka song running through the majority of our heads.

The New West End Synagogue 

Later on that evening we had a group outing to the Royal Festival Hall to see the London Philharmonic. It was so good! Yes, it may have been a three hour concert, and my bum may have gotten a little sore, but it was very much worth it. It was the memorial concert for a man that I should probably know- but don't.  

Jani, Lauren & I at the Royal Festival Hall

After we got home, around 11 or so, it was yet another crash study session for the whole centre. We had our second Humanities exam this morning- and since I live in a house full of 36 intelligent BYU students, it was a very- lets say stressed atmosphere.  Some of us up later than others, and naturally, me being me, I was up till 3:30 studying. Oh the joys of the "study" part of study abroad.

After the test this morning we had the day to go to Westminster Abbey (where the coronations take place). I loved the Abbey! Yes, I think it was cathedral number 106 in the last two months- but, their grandeur never cease to amaze me. This was probably on my list of top 5 favorite churches we have been to so far. Along with St. Pauls, St. Martins, Amiens and Canterbury.

After we headed over to Old Spitalfields Market. It was like a mix of Portabello and Camden, but indoors and a little classier. I loved it. We ate at this unique cafe place called Leon. It was like a mix of Whole Foods and Middle Eastern cuisine. I had hummus. It was the happiest day of my life. mmmm humus. Over all, it was another successful day in London! 

The Place to Get Husbands is Oxford, Not Brighton

What a day! We headed over to Oxford for the day, and what a day it was! On our way we first stopped at the parish church CS Lewis attended, also the place he happened to be buried. 

Our next stop was to the church Winston Churchill attended as well as the cemetery he was buried. For those of you who don't know, Anglican churches always are set in a cemetery, which can be creepy, but also uniquely pretty at the same time. Definitely different than what I am used to, but cool, really cool.

Blenheim Palace was incredible. Yet, another beautiful English country home. I really need to start looking for English perspectives that have a nice title attached to their name, such as Duke, or Lord. One can always wish, or hope. But- Blenheim Palace: birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill (which was actually an accident). His cousin was the Duke of Marlborough. His father was brothers with the duke, making his father Lord Churchill of Marlborough. He was visiting his brother with his pregnant wife when Winston decided to come a little prematurely. 

Blenheim Palace- Birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill

OXFORD: Yes, most amazing experience of my life. To explain a little, University of Oxford is made up of 36 colleges. When you apply, you apply to a certain college. When you are admitted into said college that is where you live, study, and eat. So each college has a church, library, dorms, president, board, etc.

Many of the courtyards and college entrances said "closed to visitors, perspective students always welcome". Done. Perspective students we were! 

My favorite college courtyard- Hertford College

 For those of you who don't know, the Great Hall in Harry Potter was filmed at Christ Church College at Oxford. 

The Great Hall staircase

The Great Hall

We may have strategically stumbled upon a University of Oxford football game. As Jani said "Jane Austen was soooo wrong, Oxford is the place to find husbands, not Brighton". Well said Jani, well said. This was one of the highlights of my day! It was so fun to see soccer again, let alone, MEN playing soccer. It has been too long since we have seen males. 

Oh yeah-that is just my future husband.

Las stop of the day- Tea with the Dr. Waller, the President of Harris Manchester College of the University of Oxford? Oh, yep. That happened. He was such a brilliant man! He really wants to establish a connection with BYU and have kids come over and do programs with the University. He also took us on a tour of his college. It was such an experience. I feel like the most blessed girl in all of the UK!

Tea

Our BFF- Dr. Waller. AKA- Richard Gilmore

Library at HMC. I look like I'm in my element. Next study abroad Dad? :)

If I Was in Hell, This is What it Would Be Like

The last week has been an absolute blast. Each week just keep topping the next. First off, my blog title. On the elevator, on our way down to the mine in Wales Dr. Seely said very loudly "If I was in Hell, This is what it's like, Really." It was classic. Maybe it was just one of those moments you needed to be there. 

WALES

We made our first stop at the BIG PIT. It was a working mine up until the 1970's when they turned it into a museum. At the start of the tour I thought it was a little bit sketch, but then again I was just reading about the miners in Chile the night before. That may or may not have been a contributing factor to secretly wanting to shed a little tear as the big metal cage creaked as it moved slowly under the mountain 2 miles. 

We had to wear the whole giddup. The hard hat, 20 lb belt and head lamp. I pretty much felt really fashion savvy. 

After the Mine, we went to Welsh World. Um. I really just said Welsh World. I will just leave it at that. Welsh World for LIFE!

Our next day we traveled to different LDS sites in Wales and Western England. Out last stop was the oldest LDS chapel in the world- Gatfield Elm. We had a musical program and sang hymns that the saints would have sung while attending church there. It was a very deeply moving experience, and it reassured me how grateful I am to be a member of the church, and even more so that I have the opportunity to have gone to the places where the early saints sacrificed their whole lives to come to America to strengthen the church. Even if I don't have any ancestors that joined the church in the UK, I still had sense of a connection with all the members who had been there and helped strengthen the church. They truly had a miraculous story. 

Gatfield Elm Chapel

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Saturday I spent all day studying for my religion exam. By 5 o'clock I was done and Brianna came with me to treat myself to some good ole' American food. Chipotle! It was heavenly, although it did make me a little bit homesick for America. But then I just told my self, it's okay, I may be depressed, but at least I am depressed in London! (quote-Dr. Seely)

Our Halloween festivities consisted of a costume contest, a cookie decorating contest, donut eating, and of course a round of MAFIA (in character, naturally). 

Sara Palin & Mary Poppins

I was so impressed with our creativity here! EVERY SINGLE person dressed up. Not many people bought things, but if they did, it was a quick, cheap run to PRIMARK. We had Sara Palin, Mary Poppins, Mt. Rushmore, Santa Clause, Pregnant Bella, Where's Waldo, T. Swift, Michael Jackson, BIG BEN, A Desperate Housewife, A paper bag Princess (she made it ALL by herself), Brittany Spears, and many, many others. Most definitely a successful night. 

 This beginning of this week has been rather slow, just paper writing and test studying. Although- tomorrow is our trip to Oxford. The president of HMS College at Oxford invited our group for tea. (herbal of course). It should be, lets say, an EPIC day.