I'm really bad at writing every night. And I don't have any pictures.

One thing. This week HAS been good good. thought I would clear that up.

On thursday, Cate and I went to class, then went shopping!! I got some ked-ish shoes for £2. Yay. Then Cate and I went to TK Max (which is the british version of TJ max) I was walking around the store while I was waiting. And I found a beautiful orange coat. for £30. So I bought it. oops. Then we went to a department store where they have a whole section of American Food! So we bought some cornbread mix! and reeses. I miss American food. Rush's Cheeseburgers and Chickfila the most. Random.

So that night, Cate and I went to a school production of "Dead Man Walking". It is important to note that this is a southern american show. Put on by british people. The accents were not good....there was something intense and emotional about it though. I pulled some emotion out of me so...

All in all it was an American day.

Yesterday, I slept nice and late, washed some clothes. Then Cate, Raquel, Dan and I went to the London Wetland Conservation thing. It apparently is a hidden gem of London. It was actually pretty cool. We got to see ton's of different birds and it was nice to just hang out. I honestly feel like I am doing alot in London. Like I feel like I am really getting the experience. Its very cool. I don't have pictures because my camera died. Sadness. Then we went back to their place in Clapham and hung out and had chicken parm and watched the office. It was so nice to see it actually on a TV (we plugged the computer into the TV) and not on a baby screen.

Today, I haven't done much. We are planning to go on a Jack the Ripper tour of london, hoping its not full, and then go and watch scary movies at Raquel's. We'll see what happens, and I'll take pictures.

This week marks the half way point. Its very weird.

Happy Happy Happy Happy

Tom said I should do this. I love that kid.

So this week hasn't been good good good good.

On Sunday, I went to the grocery store with Cate, then Kim and I went to church. We turned the clocks back, so it was dark when I got there. It was weird.

On Monday, I had class until 6 then Cate and I had dinner and didn't do much, then I went to bed at like 1 which is something big for me. I'm usually up until 3.

On Tuesday, I went to class, then after, our class planned to go see a play. So, after the second class, we all met at a pub and had drinks with each other and our professor. It was really fun. Then we saw Miss Julie, which contained actual cooking on stage and a super awkward sex scene.

Today, I slept in and worked a little on my script, then went to class, where my tues prof was our guest lecturer. We talked about theatre, and the ignorant and loud people in my class were extra frustrating. Then Kim and I went to a Chelsea Game!!! It was so much fun! I seriously loved it. I got a sweet scarf AND Chelsea won 4-0. GOOOD DAY!

Now I'm talking to Tom. I love him very much.

Second Half of the Week, and alot more pictures.

Yeah, I'm not really improving.

So here's my week from Thurs.

On Thurs I had my script writing class, which was good. Then Kim came over, and she, Cate, and I booked a tour in Paris!! We are going the first weekend in December! I am excited!! (!)

Then Cate and I took the train to Clapham and had dinner with Raquel and Megan and others. We made some awesome stir fry, and watched this thing called question time. This one was really controversial because the guy who was on it is completely racist, and they have 2 seats on the European Parliament. Then we went home, and the creepy bus driver dropped us off at our door.

On Friday, I didn't have class, so I slept in, then met Cate in Kingston and took the train into London. We went to the National Theater's Bookshop, and spent too much money on scripts, but it was awesome!

Then we met Dan and Raquel and two of their friends from home

and went to the Tate Modern museum. It was very inspiring, and I saw some incredible photography.

After we were tired of being inspired, we walked around in borough market, and had some food in this cool Catherdral next to it.

Then we went back to Raquel's house and had some homemade burgers and fries and hung out. It was a really great day.

Then, today, Dan came over(he is a friend of Raquel from back home, and is living with them this semester) because Raquel and her friends from home went to Cambridge. We went to the park and walked around and looked at deer and climbed trees and played disc golf.

Then we came home and made some yummy dinner and hung out.

It was a wonderful last few days. I love it here.

Only minimally improving.

I didn't post yesterday, mostly because nothing worthy of a post really happened. All I did was go to class, which was really great because I am starting to feel like I am fitting in to their little club of year 2 students. It was nice. Then I came home for a while, and then went to Raquel's in Clapham to write my paper. Not very much paper writing actually went down, but I did get some new music, and discover my harddrive on my computer is full. I am in need of an external, which I refuse to buy while I'm here, considering everything is so much more expensive. If anyone would like to donate to this fund, please make queries in a comment, email, twitter post, or on facebook.

Today was a day of culture. Cate and I got up and left for London at about 11. We headed to the London Film Festival, with tickets to 2 movies, and 6 hours in between to kill.

The first movie was called Bright Star

It was about the love affair between the British Poet Keats and another girl he knew. It was absolutely beautiful. The costumes were stunning, the shots were amazing, and the acting, especially that of Keat's lover, was amazing. The plot lacked a little character development, but that was made up for in its artful use of the authors actual poems. My favorite part was actually the credits, where Keat's poem Bright Star was read over stringed music. Everyone in the theatre stayed for all of them.

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art---

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night

And watching, with eternal lids apart,

Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,

The moving waters at their priestlike task

Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,

Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask

Of snow upon the mountains and the moors---

No---yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,

Pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

And so live ever---or else swoon in death.

Then Cate and I decided to head to the national gallery, since it was relatively close to the second showing on the southbank. We sat outside and ate and talked about politics for a while, then went in and spent about 3 hours there. It might have been less. There were tons of amazing works there. Lots of Monet and Manet and Renior and ect ect ect. There is something about standing in front of a 100, 200 year old painting by one of these masters that makes you feel so small in the grand scheme of life. It was completely humbling. I'm pretty sure we also scared a security guard. He walked around us suspiciously. Because we look totally menacing and sketchy. I feel like I am constantly a target for things like that. especially at the airport. Its very weird, because I don't think that I look in any way threatening....

Then we went and had something to eat and drink while we continued to wait for the movie, which wasn't until 9.

It was called The Ape.

This movie was so weird. It is about a guy who wakes up with blood all over him, and tries to go about his daily life and pretend like nothing is happening, when clearly it is. **spoiler** We eventually fined out that he has some issues with rage, and that he has killed his wife, and badly injured his child, whom he takes to the hospital when he realizes he is still alive. He also kills his mom in the film. He tried to commit suicide, but can't go through with it. In the end he is arrested. The thing is, there is no music in the film except when he goes into a church and the choir is singing, and rarely does anyone speak. Its mostly just him walking around, trying to be normal, and freaking out. The acting is stunning. It is amazing how the actor can say nothing, and still affect an audience so much. I feel like it was a good movie, but it was so intense and creepy, I will not say that I, in any way, liked it.

Then we came home, and I am very sleepy.

Day full of culture while skipping my culture class-success.

addendum

I now longer have dreads. it was too yucky for me to deal with. looked really cool, but alas I am not hardcore enough to live with them. It made me appreciate my curls.

My life in Arms

I don't know why thats the title.

So I know its been a few days...sorry:-)...

So since the 15...thursday...

So on Thursday. I had my playwriting class, which was good, and my teacher enjoyed some of the stuff me and another girl wrote, which was encouraging.

I went home and worked on my script that may turn into my final. It is turning out better that I expected, so hopefully it will make me famous. heh

On Friday, I didn't really do anything during the day. I slept till 12, then had some lunch. Then Cate and I went to the park, and (I feel like) I got some pretty awesome shots:

Then Kim and I went to our very first rugby game. It was a fundraiser for Hillsong. It was between the Unders(under 27) and the Overs(over 27), and for the first time the unders won! We met some girls from our small group, who are really awesome, and just hung out and enjoyed each other. I found out that I really like Rugby. It goes much faster and smoother than football, and is much more actually physical.

On Saturday, my British class went to Oxford. It was so weird to be a uni student visiting there. It made me feel not as smart. heh. Also it was their version of Convocation, called Metriculation. It was so picturesque. The students have to wear these strange robe things, and go and bow before the head master and promise to be good students. We took a walking tour around the town, which is so old and beautiful. We had lunch at this Moes type place, which made me miss home a little, then I bought a scarf from this little street vendor(surprisingly my first while I've been here). Then we took a tour of Christ Church College, which is a part of Oxford. It was stunning. I cannot imagine being a student there.

Then we came home and spent 6 hours putting dreadlocks in my hair.

On Sunday, we went to Hillsong. Trains were not running from the station we usually use, and we missed our train. We decided to take a bus/tube to get in, which ended up taking like 2 hours, so we missed the service we usually go to. We met some friends and had a meeting/lunch, then went to the next service. It was so meant for me to be there. The message was on prayer, and trusting God to use you to make a difference. He had us each stand as he called out things we were doing (i.e. teachers, politicians, artist, family, ect) and prayed for us. I am so sure that God is going to use me as a teacher and artist, and this just helped to confirm it. God is also calling my to trust Him and His timing in other parts of my life. It was very cool

Today, again, I didn't do much. I had Devising, which was ok, a little frustrating because i couldn't get my creative brain working, but still fine. I then to the grocery store, and then came home and had crock madams and cheese cake and white wine for dinner. very good.

Sorry that was so long, I'm going to be better this week!

1 Month In

So I've been here a month. Its so crazy to think that. I can't believe I'm almost half way done with this experience. It been so slow, yet so fast. I don't even know what to think about it.

I do know that I've learned some stuff though, so, another list could be interesting.

What I've learned thus far:

1. Pasta gets really boring after a while.

2. Cooking isn't that hard. Doing it well might be, but making edible food is totally possible

3. Climbing trees is funny, and a little scary. There's no ropes to catch you if you fall.

4. I can stand up for 4 hours straight, and have an awesome time!

5. Public Transportation is pretty simple if you just pay attention.

6. London is expensive

7. I am capable of saving money

8. I am redeemed. I am forgiven, and my sins are as far away as the east is from the west.

9. I was not given a spirit of timidity (these 2 are still a work in progress, and I feel that may never change)

10. I can take good pictures sometimes.

11. I can make friends and meet new people and not be afraid.

12. I can keep in touch with people.

13. Sometimes, I write plays. and it actually works

14. The fact that I enjoy hardcore is surprising.

15. I like red wine more than other alcohol

16. An ipod is something precious, but I can survive without it

17. USPS sometime ruins things. FYI

18.I have an amazing boyfriend (not that I didn't know this before. This semester is just solidifying the fact in my mind)

19. I am American, and sometimes I have to be okay with that, because its the truth

20. I don't know if I could live in a city like London. The number of people overwhelm me. I always thought I was a big city type person. I'm not so sure thats true.

2 more months, and I'll be home. So weird, but this is turning out to be exactly what I needed.

A day in the life

So today was normal. Its weird to say that, considering the fact that i'm in a foreign country. Got up around 11 after a really odd dream involving 5th grade and a large rock. it was so weird. had pre-made "fresh" chicken curry from asda (walmart in England), then went to class. I am doing a scene from A Doll's House with a girl named Jessica. I'm kinda bummed because the scene I wanted to do from the play is with a guy, but because I don't know anyone, and there are more girls than guys, I'm doing a scene with a girl. I'm sure it will be fine though, and good.

Then I came home and chatted with ANNA! and the cate and I made dinner! Homemade Burgers and Homemade fries. SO GOOD. well, I've had better burgers, but they were not bad for the first time ever making them!

Then Cate and I watched a movie called Sunshine Cleaning, at which I cried. alot. But it was REALLY good. Funny too. worth renting and watching. I'll probably buy it when I get home.

Then I sorta talked to Tom. technical difficulties made it a little hard. And now I am totally exhausted and going to bed.

End of a normal day abroad.

video Blog 2

I am so excited this worked. Blogger is becoming more efficient. thank you.

The ecclesiastical purple and the pagan orange symbolizing the mystical symbiosis in marriage between the heathen and Christian traditions

So its been a while since my last post. I've actually been busy! Classes went well this week, starting to get a work load. On Wed, I went shopping! Then Kim and I went to London, and served with Hillsong at their Europe Conference. It was an awesome experience, and I am starting to fee like that is my church. It was totally exhausting, standing up for 4 hours patroling the line and pointing people in the right direction, but so much fun! And I got a cool teeshirt. This is Kim and me on the tube.

So that was basically the end of my week. Today, we had a field trip to Stonehenge and Bath. It was very fun. I was exhausted. It was fun. Stonehenge was cool. I've seen 2 wonders of the world now. only 6 more.

Then we went to a place called Bath (pronounced Both...if you say if wrong people correct you. it's quite funny) We had pizza for lunch. Pretty center pieces.

While waiting for our walking tour, we found a big floor map that you could take off your shoes and walk around on. So basically I went to America today.

but I had to come back. sorry guys, I love it too much!

Then we took a walking tour of the city. Everything i required to be built of this sandstone so the city maintains its coherance. The stone is mined just outside the city. During WWII, paintings and priceless furniture from the palace and national galleries and museum were taken to those rock quaries to protect them. Alot of Bath was bombed during the war. Acording to our tour guide, this was because it was one of the most beautiful cities in the country, so Hilter chose it in retaliation for the allies(?) bombing his beautiful cities. Its rebuilt now obviously. These are private town-homes. Nicholas Cage just sold his here for something like £4 mil. He bought a castle outside the city instead.

The city is called Bath because its built around an ancient (like 45bc) roman bath that made use of the only natural hot spring in Britian. So these are from inside it. Its really amazing. Too bad my camera died before I could actually take some good pictures of it.

You can see the spring coming up in the top right corner of the water. It looks like its boiling, but actually, its from the pressure of the water rising to the surface of the earth. the hot springs "pump" something like 1 mil liters of hot water a day out and into these baths. Very cool...well hot(120 f) I thought.

On the way home we watched 4 weddings and a funeral. very funny. thats where the title of this post comes from. The speaker is talking about a dress. i found it appropriate.

Tomorrow Hillsong, then back to class for another week! I can't believe I've been here for a month. Its so strange. 1/3 of my time here is over. I don't quite know how to feel about that.

Continue to pray for boldness and that I love people. Some days with some people its hard, and I don't want to be that person.

Cheers!

Mexican, Essays, and Rain

This past weekend was great fun, but also really relaxing. I hung out at home all day saturday, in hopes of getting my reading done for the next week. This was successful on the most part, which was nice. I also got started a little on a paper that's due tomorrow, which I just finished.

Saturday night, Kim and Cate and I went out for dinner, just to have something nice to do. We went to this tiny mexican place by the river. In American, Mexican food is awesome and cheap. Not so much here. It cost about £15 for dinner, plus we got drinks, so it was about £20 for all of us. So much money, but it was fun. The food was not so good, it made my tummy hurt, but I still had a great time.

this is the thames river at night in Kingston

Sunday, Kim and Adria and I went to Hillsong, and it was fantastic. I'm starting to get to know people and see familiar faces and such, which is quite cool. The sermon was on what it means to be forgiven. I have been struggling with guilt of just being a sinful person for a while now, and not realizing it I guess. I thought it was my fault, and good to be guilty. It was my punishment. But actually, I am redeemed. I am free of my sin. I am clean. My guilt has not place because Christ died to cover them. Its heartbreaking to know that it was my sin that put him there, but comforting to know that all is forgiven. I am his. Its funny how that fact is tattooed on my wrist, yet I still have trouble grasping it. This all fit into the fact that building community is about over looking sin and loving past it, just like Christ does for us. here's the link to the podcasts. Its from October 4

http://www.hillsongmychurch.co.uk/index.php/podcasts-and-media/

Then a group of us went to lunch at this great little pub, then Kim and I headed home. Cate and I watched Hotel Rwanda, which is SO intense, but amazing. watch it.

Yesterday was the first rainy day I've experienced since being here. It was fine though. Went shopping for food then to class. Then Cate and Lauren and Megan and I went to a pub down by the river and shot some pool. I'm not as bad at English Pool as I thought. I was the favorite teammate thanks to my skills heh.

Today, it rained again. I had class, and Kim came over tonight cause her power was out.

Thats all. Hillsong Conferance Europe starts tomorrow. I'm on team, so it should be awesome fun! I'm sure I'll have tons to say about it.

picture from the end of the week

this is my class. the only boring one.

this is my small group. it was really good!!

these are the buns I made, don't they look professional??

Before the party last night, Kim and I walked around in Knotting Hill. There's alot of Cool vintage shope (some are REALLY expensive) and these outlet stores where everything is £5. It was fun, but we got there as soon as they were all closing, so we didn't get to see much.

Then we went to a party with Hillsong young adults in this really trendy bar. It was so nice to be there and not have to worry about getting hit on by drunk guys, and to just hang out. We met some girls from the US who were here for grad school (one was even from NC), some other uni students from singapore, and two people from Latvia. Also some sweet brits. It was a really fun night, and not super crazy which was nice. I had a really great red wine (well I thought it was great) and we just hung out and met some new people.

As to my tweet last night:

So then we came home from the party. It was about 11, and the buses that late only run about every 30 min, so I was hurrying to the bus stop to try and catch one in less than 30 min. Well I did, only it was going the wrong way. I wasn't too worried at first, because I thought I was already close to the end of the route and I could just stay while it turned around. I wasn't. I rode it for like 20 min in the wrong direction till it got to the end of the route, then had to wait like 20 min for it to get back on schedule, then finally got back on going in the right direction and had to ride for like 45 min to the complete other end. The whole time I'm waiting it was sketchy and there were drunk people walking around, and I had no idea where I was, and it was all very stressful. But I did get home safely, and got to see another part of the area that I hadn't yet. It also took me like an hour and a half to get home. I realized this morning that I made it sound like I was totally wasted and met some strange man and almost got killed or something on my tweet last night. no, I was just lost and a little dumb.

Perhaps Catching Up.

This is also really long, however, the part about wed is sorta funny, mostly because I got lost.

Currently, I am sitting in my kitchen, drinking Earl Grey, eating freshly made apple buns, and watching "Sideways". It is 55 degrees outside and 1:30. This is a beautiful day.

This week has been fantastic. Well, most of it. I did have on fantastically boring class. British culture is intersting, however, I'd rather learn about it by watching then listening to a lecture.

So, Wed

I had British Life and Culture, the aforementioned class. It was SO bad. Literally 2 hours of lecture on the national identity of Britain. Pretty much all of which I knew already. Then, however, the night got good. Haha. We took the train to Clapham, where a friend of our's is staying with her boyfriend for the semester. We had wonderfully cooked chicken parm, and some whine. I felt european. although everyone there was american. heh.

Then Kim and I headed out to go to a small group meeting with Hillsong. We had to go about 2 stops on the train. Well, what should have been like 30 min for a trip to the leader, Venessa's, house turned into like an hour trip. We got off at the right stop (small victories!) and started looking for a bus stop. Well, we were walking the wrong way, but the bus stop was closed (JESUS!) and so we called venessa and asked her what to do. She gave us directions to the bus stop, so we caught the right bus, going the right way (SMALL!). Sometimes, however, the bus doesn't have the sign that let's you know what stop it is. So Kim was awesome and asked the bus driver to turn it on (crisis averted.) then we got off at the right stop! But we were coming from the oppisite direction, because our directions were from kingston. So we walked the wrong way. for a long time. Once we realized this, we crossed the street, and found the road, but were on the wrong side again. We did, however, finally find the house. heh.

Small group ended up being fantastic. We had some dinner and met some new people, then talked about purity of heart, and how it comes before purity of the "hands". A pure heart is reflected in everything that is done. it was really great. then we prayed. (by the way, people either here, or just at hillsong, pray in such a worshipful way. its the most beautiful thing I've ever been a part of.) We headed home, and I planned to stay up and talk to Tom, well more wake up and talk to him. So i set my alarm, but didn't turn it on. whoops. So I woke up around 4:30am here (which is 11:30 in SC) and we talked. It was a sort of worthless conversation though, because I was so tired....yeah.

yesterday.

I had my early class. it started at 12. It was wonderful though. Its playwriting, and we talked for a bit about what the class was about and such, then we did some creative writing. I've never taken a creative writing class before, and it was fantastic. Like it was SO good. We did some exercises and talked about what makes a good scene, and how to make it interesting. And also what sells as far as a play goes. I loved it.

Then I went to the store for a bit then came home and had lunch, then Kim and Adria and I went to volunteer training for Hillsong Conferane Europe, which is next week. It was really great to be around people who love Jesus here. I know I keep saying that, but I don't yet have a core group of Jesus friends, so its SO refreshing to be around that. We talked overall about conference, then broke up into groups. I didn't know exactly where I was supposed to be, so I ended up talking to one of the leaders and asking him, and somehow I mentioned that I do some lighting, and he was like (suprised)"You do Lighting? You need to meet some people! Here's my email." So that was really cool. Then we had our smaller meeting (i'm on one of the welcome groups) and then headed home.

This morning.

I don't have class on friday, so I slept in a little then decided to try and make some muffins. heh. I didn't have close to all the ingredients, so I improvised a little, and ended up with some dry, but not bad, apple buns. the end.

I'll post some pictures tonight.

Falling Behind Again

Sorry It's been so long. I will do an overview of awesome classes and God's provision for my spiritual life tomorrow. And perhaps take some artsy shots of Central London. We'll see if I have the guts to go alone.

Cheers