First two days-Sunday and Monday

Has it only been two days? This has already been a wild and incredibly rewarding and exciting experience and I'm having the time of my life. Let me catch you up on what has been happening.

While I left with considerable apprehension--I had to leave in the midst of some fairly serious and stressful times for my family--I am so happy that I swallowed my fears and worries and got on those planes and flew to London! 

The long flight across the Atlantic was sort of awful. I didn't start off on s good note when I upset the man sitting next to me as soon as I got on the plane.  In trying to get my carryon case stowed I attempted to move his leather jacket in an overhead bin. He told me in no uncertain terms to put his coat back where I found it--It didn't bother him at all that it was taking up half of a large bin! I told him I would rather have my carryon suitcase in a bin than sitting it on his lap (not really, but I wanted to!).  What really put the icing on the cake was that all through the seven hour flight he slept and flailed his arms wildly in the air hitting me in the head about four times. Twice he tried to sleep with his head on my shoulder. NUTS!  I was constantly on edge wondering what was going to happen next. I, of course, got no sleep and arrived feeling really wiped out.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

After arriving bleary eyed at Heathrow, I was a cheapskate and took the Tube to Central London instead of the Heathrow Express. It was sort of a miserable process with my two suitcases. Transfers were interesting! I eventually found my tube stop, and negotiated my way to the surface and found my dorm.  It is not the best place I've ever stayed! It is a dorm of University College of London and it looks like it has not had a remodel or serious cleaning since the 1960s.  I unpacked and tried to rest for awhile until I met my group Sunday night.  

I met my group-14 high school, one middle school, and one elementary teacher.  Most of us are history or social studies teachers.  We've got an art teacher too.  Professor Gerard Koot is great, as is his wife, Sheila.

We walked a few blocks to eat at the Queen's Head & Artichoke pub.  We had a room to ourselves upstairs and got to choose from a reserved menu.  I had

roasted Romano pepper filled with goat's cheese & honey, hazelnut dressing

roast organic block mountain beef, roast potatoes, honey glazed carrots, spring greens, 

Yorkshire pudding, horseradish, gravy

blueberry trifle

Here is a picture of the main course. I have to admit something. I want to share the pretty and great tasting food with you to assuage my guilt of having too nice of a time here in London, but I alwaysI forget to take a picture until after I've taken a couple of bites! I know, I'm just impatient, but I apologize that you have to look at partsially eaten food!

I didn't get a picture of the stuffed pepper or the trifle, but boy were they good!  I got to know a small group of women, most of whom are the five in my dorm suite.  We had a great time talking and I especially hit it off with a very funny woman from Idaho Falls whose name is Emily.

I don't remember what happened that night.  I think I just went to bed.

Monday, July 1st, 2013

On Monday we met in the dorm lobby and walked to this building.

It's the University of London Senate Building and we have the use of a seminar room for the week that we are here. The building's exterior looks like it is a poster child for fascist state. It's pretty off-putting but the inside isn't so bad. 

We spent the first day introducing ourselves. Professor Koot also outlined what we will be doing in our groups. I'm in the first group that presents on Wednesday.  We'll see how it goes. I don't have high hopes.

In the afternoon Emily and I hung out. We made a grand tour of the shopping sites of the city.  We started at Harrods, stopped at a sporting goods store (I made a special purchase!) and then went on to see two more stores that we heard a lot about--the toy store Hamley's and Liberty's. I was in awe of the William Morris fabrics at Liberty's. I'm just going to post a few pictures now and maybe will update this with more info later as I've got to go to bed.  

Ellen goes into the MTC tomorrow (Wednesday) and I got to talk with her tonight.  Good luck and safe travels, Ellen.  We love you and are proud of you!

This picture is at my first meal out. It was a little sandwich and salad place by the university.

This is Emily from Idaho Falls. We became buddies for the first few days.

Here is my falafel and tasty salad.

That first afternoon we checked out central London and the shopping scene. Here I am in the food court at Harrods.

This is the Lego display at Hamley's.  It is several stores of sheer toy madness.

 

I posted this one for Travis.

This is an old store called Liberty's.  They are known for their eclectic mix of items from the British empire and trade from their colonies, especially textiles.  They've got a lot of William Morris prints. I was thempted by much here, but the prices were pretty fantastic.