This week..

This week has been absolutely incredible, and it continues to blow my mind how fast it flies by. Before I know it, I'll be shipped back off to the States...what a strange experience that'll be.
But alas, the here and the now are what matters. Reflecting is also good too. =)
So, the week in review:
A group of us went to the Chinese New Year celebration - apparently the second largest celebration in the world, aside from China (obviously). I went directly from Hillsong while others went directly from the house, so it was impossible to meet up; I was in the streets of Chinatown while the others were in the square to watch performances. The streets were insanely crowded, and there were several street drummers and elaborate dragon performances. Mobs with digital cameras in the air filled the streets, and when I realized that I wouldn't be able to get decent photos of the performance, I turned to the people instead. A few are below..

After the craziness, we headed back to the house, then back out to the square for the fireworks. Now, these weren't the fireworks of traditional American celebrations...it was LOUD and BRIGHT. We were really close, and the smoke got really intense; we even had what we think was ash fall into our eyes...strange, but the entire display was awesome.

Monday we headed out to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square with the Art History class. We are so blessed to have that class and a professor who is truly passionate about the subject. She really knows what she's talking about, and it's so interesting to learn about the symbolism employed in British paintings, as well as the techniques used by painters to describe a person's social class.. So cool.

Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of his two daughters
chasing a butterfly - notice how the girls themselves
form the shape of a butterfly.

Tuesday was also incredible. It's my day off, so my project for the day was going to the Victoria and Albert (V&A) to see some of the exhibits. One of the COOLEST exhibits I have EVER seen is called Decode. The basic idea of the exhibit is to make the intangible/invisible aspects of technology - algorithms, mathematical programs, data - tangible and visible. It's a series of many different artists and scientists getting together to display pieces that make awesome use of technology. Almost all of the pieces were interactive, whether through sound, touch, or motion. There were interactive 3D music videos, graphical representations of flights, Twitter subjects, and general data, an interactive digital tree that responds to wind outside the museum with leaves that shuffle when a viewer walks over them...SO many incredible pieces.

Flight Patterns by Aaron Koblin (a digital map of US flights
traced over a 24-hour period)

Last night, we saw the play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, featuring James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa), Phylicia Rashad, Adrian Lester, and Sanaa Lathan. To be honest, the play was only so-so. The first act was difficult to get through due to Sanaa's acting..she was talking to - no, at - the audience, and it just reminded me too much of high school drama productions. I'm not sure why it seemed so off, but compared to last week's piece, Jerusalem, it was very difficult to be engaged. However, the rest of the cast seemed to do very well, especially James Earl Jones. His portfolio of work is busting at the seams, and it showed through his performance. A few girls and I waited at the stage door to meet the cast and get autographs and photos. I can now say that I met Darth Vader AND his son. No joke. After the excitement of autographs, there was a guy that came out to ask if anyone had taken a photo of James Earl Jones..he said that he wasn't going to make us delete it or anything; he just needed it for an article. It turns out that this guy was his son, Flynn, and we all talked for a while. It was pretty cool. =)

Photo credits to Production Photographer Nobby Clarke

Today was pretty amazing as well. After coffee, we headed out fairly early to the Westminster Pier for a ferry to Greenwich. It was really great to be on the Thames and learn more about the area we're living in. Once we got into Greenwich, we toured the Royal Naval College before stopping in a small market for lunch. We then trekked up the hill to the Royal Observatory and Prime Meridian! We all experienced the feeling of being in two places at once, and there was a time museum there as well. It was a pretty good day, all in all. Tonight has been spent just relaxing at the house, so it's been a chill time.

The Eye from the ferry

Lizzy and Andrea floating over the Prime Meridian

Most of the group

More later!

So much for simple...

Things have been crazy here, but I've absolutely loved every second of the festivities. =)
SO...
Thursday the 11th, we took a class trip to the British Museum. Oh man, is that place overwhelming. We only looked at a few of the galleries (49-51), which covered the early part of British history (from 4000 BC to 43 AD and Roman Britain). It took me about two hours for just those three galleries...it looks like there are close to 80 galleries. This place definitely deserves a second, third, or tenth visit.

Friday the 12th, our media class took a tour of the BBC. The tour guides were entertaining, and you could tell they had their coffee beforehand. We went through most of the BBC complex (it looks like a giant question mark from above), from the newsroom (where close to 2,000 reporters/journalists work at any one time), to the overhead stage viewing of So You Think You Can Dance rehearsals, on to the in-house production stages, to our own newsroom and game show stage. I got to strut my stuff as a news anchor while three of my classmates played a game show and won prizes. All in all, it was a great experience, and I can now say that I wouldn't mind working or interning for BBC. It's a great place for all types of media, from print news/magazines to radio, local and global news, TV series, and websites.

In front of the famous Police Call Box from Dr. Who

Saturday was pretty great as well. My friends and I went to Camden Market, a colorful gathering of Britain's punks. There are several shops with their doors thrown open, many selling the same items, hoping to out-compete the others. There's also an indoor area where the retailers each have a stall of sorts - those items seemed to be more unique to each company. One thing I would suggest: Camden market is CRAZY on Saturdays - try a different day to avoid the Black Friday effect.
Sunday was Valentine's Day, and I can honestly say that it was the best V-Day I've had in a long time. I went to Hillsong again -what an incredible experience. I love the music and the worship..the message is only so-so; I've been streaming my FL Pastor's sermons instead. Afterward the service, a bunch of my friends from church went out to lunch at Wagamama's - you can get a fairly good meal for about 8 pounds. A bit expensive for a student's taste, but I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun to learn more about the people that I go to church with; some are locals, but more often than not, the students are international - one girl is from FSU, so that's pretty close to Eckerd. Others were from Holland, Russia, Australia, Capetown Africa, Korea...all over the place. It's amazing how God brings us all together. After lunch, we all headed out to a pub to catch the latest football game (soccer). It was a lot of fun, and I'm glad to have had this opportunity through the church.

The worship experience


Lindsey and I (Lindsey's from FSU)


And the boys

On Monday, we headed off to the Wallace collection, an art museum filled with portraits, landscapes, conversation pieces, and religious depictions. It was incredible, and I honestly wasn't expecting to be interested in that sort of art. Once the professor began to explain the symbolism behind certain trends in the paintings, I realized that so much thought is put into these pieces. If I would only take the time to appreciate the artist, something amazing could happen.
Tuesday was an individual day for me - I took advantage of not having class and headed out to Tate Modern. Again, I've been surprised by the newfound appreciation for the arts. Really, modern artists are actually philosophers who use paint, photography, or sculpture to convey their ideas. Through this, I've understood the importance of the artist statement. You really have to stop and read to take in exactly what the artist is intending. It was a beautiful day of understanding and thought-provoking pieces.
Wednesday was a full day - media class, theatre class, and the show Jerusalem, written by Jez Butterworth. The piece was inspired by poet William Blake's piece by the same name. Co-starring Mackenzie Crook (from Pirates of the Caribbean - the pirate with the wooden eye that always pops out), Jerusalem was an incredibly moving piece. The set featured an on-stage trailer in an extremely realistic woodsy area. The floor of the stage was built up with several layers of dirt and mud, tree stumps sat at varying intervals, and patchy grass dotting the stage. The actors were all extremely talented, and there was a point in the play when I became legitimately concerned for the character's safety. He had just been beaten up by several men and emerged from the trailer with blood streaming down his face. Of course, this was all stage makeup, and it was all part of the plot, but that sort of acting engages you in a way that a movie or film can't. The realism of the set helped to push the emotions further, and it was so incredibly moving. If you ever get the opportunity to see Jerusalem, do it!

The incredibly realistic set - photo taken from Wikipedia

Thursday was pretty incredible as well - we took a trip to the British Library, home of the Magna Carta, old Beatles music/lyrics, and classic Shakespeare pieces. None of that seemed to phase me after I heard about a photography exhibit - I spent all of my time there instead. The exhibit explained the beginning of the British photographic movement onward to today's technology. It was a great to learn more about certain darkroom/printing/negative making techniques including calotypes and daguerreotypes. I need to go back to the Brit Library to see the classics, so I'll hopefully do that this coming week.
Friday, my roommates and I went to the Cartoon Museum, located just south of the British Museum. They had lots of cartoons and political comics ranging from the 1700s onward to the present time. A few comic book pages were displayed, but it was mainly comic strips written for various British newspapers.
Today, a bunch of us got together to head to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards. In all honesty, it was a little bland; we waited for a good ten minutes before the parade of horses came through the square, then another twenty to thirty for the guards to march in formation. Then again, maybe it's not meant to be a show - it's just the guards coming on- and off-duty, nothing too terribly exciting...

We're all back at the house now, and I expect that I'll be staying in for the night, working on homework. Tomorrow's looking exciting. A few girls want to go with me to Hillsong, and then we'll be spending the rest of the day in Chinatown for the Chinese New Year Celebration. Definitely looking forward to it!

Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday was pretty simple - breakfast, British Media, lunch, British Theatre, dinner, then tons of homework. One of the simplest days here thus far. =)
Today was pretty awesome, I do have to say. Woke up in time for breakfast and coffee, then had class and a pretty major reading quiz. Afterwards we headed to the British Museum. I have to admit, I hadn't been there yet, but it's insanely overwhelming. You really have to break it down into chunks because you can't do everything in one day. The best part: it's free. And of course, we live right down the street from it, so I will definitely be heading back.
Today we concentrated on Rooms 49-51, which doesn't sound like much, but we were there for a good two hours or so. It ran through the history late BC to about 800 AD. Tons of artifacts and a LOT of hoards (basically loot that people buried during the time). Photos to come soon!
My roommates went out to a quiz night at a local bar, so I'm taking advantage of the quiet night (as the sirens from an ambulance pass by)...Tonight's a pajama, listen to music, watch a movie night. I'm excited. It's good to be still for once - I feel like we haven't stopped going since we got to this city, and it's important to just take the time to relax. =)

11 and 12

For the most part, today was filled with homework, but I ended up being fairly productive - it was a good day. We had Shepherd's Pie for dinner, another traditional British meal.
After dinner, the theatre class got together to head off to see 11 and 12, written by Amadou Hampate Estienne, directed by Peter Brook. What an incredible show.

(Photo credit to Pascal Victor/ArtComArt)

"11 and 12 transports the audience back to a time before the Second World War and to a complex debate about a form of Islamic prayer. The setting is Mali, specifically a small town called Bandiagara, where Tierno Bokar becomes mired in controversy over the question of whether a special prayer should be recited 11 or 12 times. This tiniest of internal doctrinal disagreements eventually leads to civil strife, massacres and confrontation with the occupying French authorities."
--In conversation with Peter Brook By James Woodall
The general color scheme is of warm neutrals; red, orange, and yellow are highly present throughout the entire production. Blue also makes an appearance, spotted here and there in characters' clothing and lighting of the stage. This juxtaposition of orange to blue generates much conflict to the human eye, and it's interesting to note that much of the theme of the production centers around this tension.

(Photo credit to Pascal Victor/ArtComArt)

The stage setup itself is very simplistic. Thick fabric is laid on a portion of the stage to serve as the ground. For texture, dust/sand is spread over the cloth and bare stage floor. There were very few stage pieces - just a few movable trees and logs. In this case, it seems that simplicity produces purity: purity in design, purity in message. The actors are left un-miked, which further purifies the production.

(Photo credit to Pascal Victor/ArtComArt)

The actors themselves were all extremely talented, as well as extremely multicultural, their ties leading back to Israel, Paris, Nigeria, Spain, and Connecticut (yes!). They all seemed to work very well together, and it showed in the production. It was also awesome to see a production where the characters were all cast for their correct ages. Most of the plays that I see are from school, where all the actors are my age.
All in all, it was an INCREDIBLE production. It's so good to be back in the theatre realm. I have a feeling that it's going to be a large part of my life, whether I'm working backstage, in the box office, publicity, or photography...
=)

Sunday and Monday

Sunday was pretty amazing - I woke up early (at least for me) to head out to Hillsong Church. The service was AMAZING; it was like being at a concert, and it was hard for me to believe that I was there. The sermon was pretty good too. It was "Vision Sunday" where Hillsong states their goals for the year, and the global churches of Hillsong (Australia, Paris, Cape Town, etc.) made a documentary of sorts to show to their congregations. It was an amazing time, and I'm definitely looking forward to next Sunday. After the service, I met with Jay and a few of her friends for lunch. It was an amazing time, and we ended up just talking for a long time. I headed back to the house to start on some homework, consisting of mainly reading.
I headed out to Tesco for some dinner, then came back to the house for the Superbowl! It was pretty exciting, even though most of the house had gone out to a local pub for drinks (it's a dry house). We watched the game until a little bit after half-time, but it was already close to 2 AM (we're on a 5-hour time difference, so things like this are difficult...), so we ended up heading to bed.
Today was pretty amazing as well; I got up for class - British art history. The first half of class was a little long..I hadn't had coffee yet, and now I know that I need some sort of caffeine in the morning...
Other than that, it was pretty interesting. We went through an overview of the pieces that we'd be seeing and what we'd be studying. I'm particularly partial to the photo-realistic paintings; it takes SO much skill to paint like that, and I can definitely respect the artists.
After class, a few of us went out to get some lunch at a local sushi/Chinese restaurant. They offer a giant container of rice and curry/stir fry for about five pounds. It's a really great deal, and you can definitely get two meals out of one serving.
Most of the afternoon was devoted to homework, even though a few episodes of The Office slipped in there somewhere. We had a traditional British dinner - fish and chips. Awesome. I'm pretty satisfied. And now it's just more homework...
I have tomorrow off, and I'm hoping to not fill it completely with homework, but at the pace I'm at right now...
Tomorrow should be good though - we're seeing our first play that night. "11 and 12" off the Barbican tube station. I'm definitely looking forward to it. =)

Diverted

At the beginning of the day, I really didn't know what I was going to do - a trip to the Camdentown Market had been postponed, and my roommates were out for the day. I decided to check out the Eye up close; I found the Eye's nearest tube station and headed that way. I walked for a ways, unsure where I was going. I knew that I had to walk away from the River, and I figured that I'd be able to see this giant ferris wheel. Not so...I eventually stopped in the Art Cafe to get something for lunch (and of course, some coffee). I asked how to get to the Eye, and the woman working there wasn't sure...This is a common occurrence. London is so large and crazy that even the locals aren't sure where everything is, let alone how to get there. I decided to walk back to the station and head to Leicester Square - I hadn't been there yet. On the way, I noticed a small church tucked away; I made a left and began photographing. It turned out that I happened upon St. George's Cathedral, and the doors were open! Photography was permitted, so of course, I went crazy. =)

This was one of three larger stained glass panels, and the sun was shining in just the right spot. It was gorgeous.

There were a few side rooms off the main sanctuary dedicated to prayer; there were statues in each, so I'm thinking that these were saints.

It was beautiful in there, and I took advantage of the silence after getting some key shots. One of the most memorable parts of the cathedral is a life-size statue of Jesus and Mary; Jesus had just been taken off the cross, and Mary was cradling her Son. I had never seen anything like it, and it moved me in ways that I can't explain. My camera dropped to my side as I stood in awe of our incredible Savior.
Needless to say, I didn't make it to Leicester Square. The cathedral took up most of the afternoon, and now I'm back at the house, getting ready to start some work...
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's Hillsong service! I cannot wait. =)

Breathe

Today was a really great day. My plans were to go out to Westminster and St. Paul's, hopefully to get inside to take photos. Unfortunately, upon further research, it costs 12 pounds to get into each, and no photos/filming were allowed. I can, however, go for worship for free, as far as I can tell. I'm definitely taking advantage of that.
I decided to go back to St. Paul's/Millennium Bridge anyway to be sure to cover them from every angle; I was lucky - the weather was AMAZING today. As I started shooting, I realized why yesterday's experience had been so different: I had to hold my breath while in the museum. The lighting was really low there, so I had to use a slower shutter speed, about 1/10 or 1/5; shaking was a huge issue, so I had to learn to hold my breath for extended periods of time before finally getting a clear shot. Today was great - I could breathe freely, knowing that there was enough light to have a faster shutter speed.
This one is perhaps my favorite shot of the day; the sky was so incredibly blue, and the clouds stood out in sharp contrast. These are the front columns of St. Paul's.

I also played a lot with opposites/paradoxes, as you'll see in the next few shots.

Another one of my favorite styles of shooting involves the exact science of lining everything up (I don't do it very much because I either don't have the time or I don't have the patience.) I've never really been one to stop and think specifically about composition before I take the shot, but the more that I shoot, I'm seeing myself waiting for that one last cloud to pass by before catching a clear, perfectly aligned composition.

Another thing I'm having fun with is the exposure of the sky; by extremely underexposing the sky, you make it look so stormy, but the sun will always be perfectly exposed.

And finally, a unique look at the Millennium Bridge from the sandy shore of the Thames.

As I was walking back, I noticed some people on the beach underneath the Millennium. The staircase is hidden to the common passerby, and after missing it the first time, I doubled back; after finding it, I climbed down. I had the unquenchable desire to dip my hand in the River Thames, so I immediately went to the water's edge, carefully dodging the waves and bending down to touch the cool water. I walked back up the shore to find a sandy area to sit; and that's all I did: I sat. It was amazing. I took in everything around me, from the gentle water's sound to the light traffic noise. Maybe, finally, it was beginning to sink in that I'm not at home; I'm not in Florida; I'm not even in the US (Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" doesn't apply anymore). So strange...
After my quiet time on the shore, I headed back towards the staircase to find the first step covered in water. Note to self: the Thames has tides too.
It was a gorgeous day, and I'm sure that there's more where that came from. =)
Tomorrow's plans? I'm not sure yet. It's always an adventure.

And off we go!

Today was pretty amazing. We had our first class of British Seminar, and we talked about all of the things we'll be doing in London. I'm super excited to be here, and Eckerd has structured this program in a really awesome way. The courses offer a lot of time for us to explore the city while still supplying a heavy education about this area and its cultural and historical backgrounds.
After Brit Sem, we took a field trip to the Museum of London; it's basically a huge history lesson from the earliest records to the Great Fire of 1666. The second floor was being renovated, so we were unable to see some of the more modern exhibits. It was interesting though, and I got plenty of photos. This is a yew tree from 2500 to 1200 BC! So crazy - the age of the different artifacts blows my mind!

Another thing that struck me was the sheer intricacy of many of the art pieces, from paintings to coins to amulets and badges. Some photos are shown below.

This was a model of Westminster Abbey - it was about 100 years old.

"Londoners visited the shrines of foreign saints and brought back pewter badges like these from France, from the shrines of St Eloi, patron saint of blacksmiths, at Noyon."

An illuminated manuscript of the Canterbury Tales!

Afterwards, we left the museum for Chinatown. It was a great experience - such a rich cultural centre just down the road. We ate at a small Chinese restaurant that was offering lunch specials for 5.50 pounds, which wasn't bad at all. We wandered a bit more around Chinatown before splitting up - I found an awesome music/DVD store selling media for super cheap; it was pretty awesome. I also found a couple of music stores and played guitar for a while. Boy do I miss it..I'll be back soon enough, I suppose.
I got back to the house for dinner, and we've been hanging out since. I'm pretty tired, so the plans for tomorrow might be pushed back until the afternoon so I can sleep in. I'm hoping to get to Westminster Abbey to take some more photos, really concentrating on getting some great shots. I'll be shooting in both digital and film (a medium that I haven't used in far too long...even though it's only been a few months...).
It'll be a good day!

First day of classes

Today was my first day of classes - I started with British Media and Society. We talked a lot about the differences between media and culture, as well as how they influence each other. It was interesting to learn that the BBC is government funded - therefore, they rarely have any sort of advertising; this cuts back on commercials, so advertisers look for different ways to get their names out there. We also talked about the shift from scripted TV series to reality TV; scripted TV shows like Friends can make up to $1 million per episode, where as a show like Jersey Shore can make $10,000 per episode (and that's considered a lot to the cast). Reality TV is so much cheaper; you don't need to hire actors, writers, editors, makeup/costume artists, etc. The content is the same drama, same "make me famous" attitude, and for some reason, we as Americans (and Britains) are enthralled by this sort of entertainment. As for me? I'll stick to the Travel Channel. =)
My second class was British Theatre; we got our list of shows that we'll be seeing.
11 and 12 - Directed by Peter Brook (we'll have a lecture with him after the show)
Jerusalem - based on the works of William Blake
Cat on A Hot Tin Roof
The Misanthrope - starring KEIRA KNIGHTLEY!
Measure for Measure
Waiting For Godot - starring GANDOLF!
Macbeth
Magia De La Danza
London Assurance
Posh
Women Beware Women
We're seeing a play just about every week we're here. That's CRAZY amazing. =D I'm super excited.
Some other shows that are playing in the area that are worth checking out include:
War Horse (tons of amazing puppetry)
Blood Brothers (featuring one of the Spice Girls)
Enron
Le Mis
Oliver
Jersey Boys
Some shows the professor didn't recommend seeing; she said that a lot of them are more touristy, and they've been running for such a long time. When you've had almost 13 casts, the production often looses creative intimacy with the audience. The actors are often miked rather than allowing their voices to carry and are certainly not as talented as the original cast; it becomes stale and it's a mere novelty rather than an original, fresh, and exciting piece...even still, it would be great to see some of the classics because the technical side of the theatre is AMAZING - I saw Lion King on Broadway several years ago, and the set, puppetry, and masks blew my mind. Some of these technically interesting, acting-lacking productions include:
Lion King
Wicked
Beauty and the Beast
Phantom of the Opera
Grease
We'll see what happens; hopefully I'll get to see everything I want to - tickets can be pretty pricey, so I'm not sure how far down the list I'll get. You can get half-priced tickets in Leicester Square; I'll have to check that out. =)
We had some awesome lasagna for dinner, then my friend Madison and I went to one of Hillsong's Connect Groups down by Oxford Circus; it was a great experience to meet with a bunch of people from around the area. Most were international students - one was from Singapore, another from Korea, another from Australia. It was amazing just to talk and hang out; they held the group in the coolest Starbucks I had ever seen - it had an underground hangout spot, and it was super chill. It was a good time. =D
Tomorrow we have our first Brit Seminar, and we'll be visiting a museum (I can't remember which one..), but it'll be really fun.
Sorry, no photos today. I was stuck inside; not so tomorrow.

A London Day...

The streets were wet when we woke this morning, signaling the beginning of actual London weather. I suppose we lucked out the first few days with great sun and blue skies. I meant to wake up in time for breakfast, but instead Skyped with my friend Ben - it was 3AM where he was. Oh the time change.
So what did I do with my day off? Certainly wander. My friends Andrea, Brianna, and I went for a walk to look for Oxford Street, a great shopping area. Of course we got lost - that's all part of the fun. =) We ended up just walking through London, passing by SO many coffee shops, cafes, sushi restaurants, etc, etc. It was pretty amazing, and some of the coffee shops would work really well as a study spot outside the house. We eventually found our way back to the house, and I settled in for lunch (leftovers from last night's dinner). Tired from the walk and food, I took a quick nap, then headed back out to Goodge street to get some notebooks and pens for class tomorrow.

We had dinner, then watched a movie in the living room: good ole' Johnny Depp in Chocolate. =)
Lizzy, Andrea, and I went out afterwards to take some night photos. Below are the results.

We went back through the tubes to St. Paul's and the Millennium Bridge.

I've got class tomorrow (Brit Media and Brit Theatre), so I'm not sure how many photos I'll be able to get...we'll see!

If my shoes weren't broken in before...

...they sure are now. Today was incredibly full of the fastest sweep through London. The day started with a small breakfast, instant coffee (...), and a house meeting/orientation. Then we were assigned a scavenger hunt of sorts. Our first stop was to the Goodge Street tube station to load our Oyster cards. If you're ever in London for an extended period of time, an Oyster card is a great investment - unlimited tube and bus fare for a low monthly price. And you of course get a fair student discount.

.

After we filled our cards, we headed towards St. Paul's Cathedral on the Northern Line to the Tottenham Court Road station to connect with Central.

A little bit down the road we found the Millennium Bridge. You know, that bridge that was destroyed by the Death Eaters in Harry Potter 6. =D

St. Paul's is in the distance here.
We passed over the Millennium and headed over to the Tate Modern and Shakespeare Museums. It was pretty awesome. There was a faint rainbow in front of the Tate. =)

Somehow (I can't remember how..) we made it over to Big Ben, Parliament, and the Eye!

We eventually made it to Buckingham Palace (after walking all the way around it...). We had a great day; full, yes, but great. We basically saw all of London in just under five hours. Pretty crazy, huh? Of course we didn't have time to actually go in these places, but we'll definitely be doing more exploring as part of the classes. Once we got back to the house, we had a classic London dinner - lamb and mint jelly, Yorkshire pudding (basically like cream puffs minus the cream), carrots and green beans, potatoes, gravy...It was all very good.
I don't have class tomorrow, which is super awesome. My plans? Wander. I'm super excited to be able to spend more time in my photography; it was all very rushed today, and it was difficult to get all the shots I wanted. I'll probably wander around the area at first, find the Hillsong Theatre, then go back out to St. Paul's? Maybe I can go inside this time. =)