Can I just say right now how grateful I am for my situation? I want to remember how I'm feeling right now.
There are stressors, there is sadness, there are fears and anxieties but overwhelming them all there is happiness and gratitude. Every day is so wonderful!
I get to see some of the most amazing things in the world.
I get to learn details about great literature and about history and its effects today.
I get to be entertained and have so much fun.
I get to make new friendships.
I can already feel myself changing in my actions, ideals, and attitudes... and I like the changes.
Thanks for letting me share my feelings for a moment. Now let me tell you about my day. After English this morning, our group rode a giant, red double decker bus through the city. Kayley and I sat on the front row. It was basically really scary because every 10 seconds we felt like the bus was going to run people over and/or crash into a building. But it was an iconic thing to do and it was fun!
(first double decker bus ride- crazy!)
The bus dropped us off at one of the places I have been dying to see- the British Museum! Now something that put a kink in my plans was that the bus ride takes a lot longer than the tube. That meant we got to the museum at 2pm and we had to leave a little after 4pm for dinner and devotional at the Centre. It's not 80 minutes (a pun on Jules Verne's book) but it is still a very short time to see thousands and thousands years worth of history. I think even an entire day in the museum would not be enough time. I felt somewhat rushed and I'd like to spend more time there some day to be able to really enjoy it. After seeing everything from Ancient Greece and Rome (my favorite), to a room full of mummies from Ancient Egypt, from part of the famous Sphinx's beard, to a giant collection of Chinese porcelain, to Assyrian Lion Hunt wall carvings, to the Rosetta Stone... everything made me feel like I had literally traveled around the world. It's hard to describe the questions and feelings I had while viewing these amazing things! I especially enjoyed it because I saw MANY things that I studied and memorized in my Humanities class Fall semester. It was rewarding to go to the museum and know about a few of the major things I saw. I'm thinking they should make a Night at the Museum III at the British Museum. What do you think? Here's a few of the pictures I took of the beautiful and amazing things inside the museum:
(outside of the museum)
(From Easter Island)
(Buddha)
(THE Rosetta Stone)
(GIANT head to the statue of Ramses II from Egypt)
(What are these? Oh ya know... just a tiny part of the huge collection that the museum has of the PARTHENON! They are ginormous. My FAVORITE part of the exhibit.)
(Caryatid from the Porch of the Maidens)
(Greek Column)
(The official poster for the Olympics that were held in 1948 in London)
(Me inside the museum! Isn't it beautiful?)
Want to know something cool? Thousands of years worth of history (I saw items from near 2000 BC! WHAT?!) is free for everyone to see. The British has this concept of the "Great Society" that essentially means that everyone should have access to the arts, education, health care, etc. This is somewhat controversial in the areas of health care but it seems to be overwhelmingly positive. For many years (it's not the same now) a good high school student was able to get into Cambridge or Oxford (the equivalent or superior version of Ivy League schools) for FREE! And all these great museums are FREE! And a lot of performances are sponsored by the government, which brings down the cost of going to see them. That's why I was able to see the amazing London Philharmonic for only £4. And that's why I'm able to pay only about £20 (or near $30ish dollars) to see an unbelievable West End Theatre production where I would pay near $100 for the equivalent on Broadway in New York. I like the idea of this Great Society because it gives everyone these marvelous opportunities.
Alright, moving on... I should mention that I have now seen four plays in four days! Half of me is burnt out and exhausted but the other half wants to keep moving along at this same crazy pace. I've been staying up until one or two to get homework done but I love it because I know that I'm "getting stuck in." Life is good!
The play that I saw tonight far exceeded my expectations. It was Matilda!
(Paige, Amanda, and myself in front on the balcony above the stage. Awesome, bright and beautiful scenery!)
I know what you might be thinking... the Roald Dahl book? The movie? That would make a weird musical. I sort of thought that too before I saw it. And with seeing Les Mis last night, I kind of forgot we were also seeing Matilda. But let me just tell you... I LOVED IT! I'm going back to see it no matter what! Half of the actors were children and they were so talented! They choreography was amazing, the set was so well thought out, the songs were well directed and performed, and the story line was light, surprising, and entertaining! I can not give this play enough good reviews. I literally had a smile on my face the entire time. There were many, many times I laughed out loud. There were moments when the audience audibly sighed. There was one part where I wanted to stand on my feet and dance.
The young girl playing Matilda was talented in acting, singing, and dancing for being so young. The little pudgy boy who ate the chocolate cake was a hoot. My favorite, however, was Ms. Trunchbull... or should I say Mr. Trunchbull? The scary, large woman was played by a man and he stole the show! He was so theatrical, amusing, and entertaining. Mom- Griffin would LOVE it! It was truly a play for everyone. Young kids would connect to it so well. Teenagers would laugh. Parents would connect to it and laugh. I would highly, highly recommend seeing it if you ever get the chance!
What I liked about it too was that it inspired me as a future educator. While I was watching it, I was thinking about differentiation tactics I learned in my instructional design and assessment course, I was thinking about the Ethic of Care I learned in my foundations of education class when I watched Miss Honey with her students, I thought about the power of reading a good book and the effect it can have on everyone. I felt a very special connection to it because of this. This play was added to my list of new, all time favorites!
I should probably stop talking now and do as Nacho Libre would say... "Go! Read some books!" ;)
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