"Falling" in love with London

*Portobello Market

*Great Finds

*Sunshine

*Feta Cheese

*Borough Market

*Pumpkin Cupcakes

*Leaves Changing

*Friendship

*Pumpkin Carving

*Apple Cider

*Memories

...This is harvest.

Here’s to the simple joy a season can bring.

"Of course he was nice to you; he thought you were coming on to him!"

Here is a little story for those of you who miss my absurdity... Okay so let me set the scene. We all went to a play last night and the theatre was rather dark. During the first half of the play, there were moment when I would jump and grab the person next to me... okay no big deal right? The play breaks for intermission, and as we re-enter the theatre we are directed to a new location. The second location is even darker from the first, and somehow I get separated from the group... but, I see Rex (he’s kinda tall...) and walk in that direction. Someone is sitting in the seat right next to him, so I just assume it is someone in our group and sit next to him. Before the play begins, I turn to him and say:

 “Sorry if I do this (grab his upper thigh) during the play... I was really scared in the first half.”

To which I receive this lovely response, “Oh that is totally fine. I think they are going for the scared aspect.” All of this is in a British Accent... I strain my eyes and notice that it indeed is a complete stranger...

Humiliated. Yes.

I don’t even know how to recover from that aka I stumble over an, “I’m sorry... I thought I knew you...”

He kindly responded, “Oh no worries. If you still need to that is fine.”

Needless to say, I kept my hands in my lap (a safe distance away from his upper thigh) the whole time.

 Here’s  to absurd moments that become great stories!

Fall break stories soon... and don't worry they are absurd too!!!!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!

Fall break is here!! And what does that mean... Venice, Milan, and Nice!!! Is this real life?? I still can’t believe it, but I bet in five hours (oh that’s right we are leaving at 2:30… in the morning) reality will hit!! Get prepared for some pretty legit stories... let’s just say neither Rex nor I know Italian, we basically have no set plans, and well we are sharing a room with 14 of our closest friends... aka strangers. So, I feel pretty confident in the fact that some fantastic things will occur. Can’t wait to share em!! I have to go finish packing in super legit new European backpacker’s backpack...  that’s right, I’m hardcore... gotta do it like a boss!

Here’s to memories, exploring, and laughter!!

Catch ya in ohh ten days!

Paris: the dramatic conclusion to the door mystery.

Okay so where did we leave off? Oh the knock on the door... that’s right. Who was it? Why Jane Marie and Caroline of course... just checking to make sure I was awake. I was not.  Here is the exchange:

Me: “Oh, my gosh!!!”

Caroline: “It’s okay... let us in.”

I threw open the door and gasped, “Oh, my gosh!!!”

Clothes go flying everywhere and the only words I can manage to say are “Oh, my gosh!” Caroline shoves things in my backpack, and Jane Marie literally puts deodorant on me as I brush my teeth (true friendship eh?) Somehow I manage to make it downstairs (with a little help from my friends) dressed and ready in four minutes... not looking my best, but hey I made it. The entire tube ride to the train station I was in complete shock, and I had not even seen my hair yet. We arrived at the station with about an hour of time until boarding began, so what do I decide to do? Wash my hair in the sink. Now, most of you are probably thinking I am insane or being silly, but girls with the curls will feel me. There is nothing you can do when it reaches a certain point, except wash it. So, I threw my head over that bathroom sink and washed it.  A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. I finished washing my hair and joined the group to walk over to security. I am not sure if it was the soaking wet hair or maybe the frantic look from this morning had not left my face, but I was of course the one to get randomly searched. As they pulled every last item out of bag (and I mean every last item), the only thought going through my head was, “Of course this happening, at this rate why should I even be surprised.”

Needless to say as I walked away towards the rest of my group, I was little defeated. I was still in shock. I was tired, cold, and all around exhausted. But, I was determined to not let this get to me... I was spending the weekend in Paris... who gets to say that?! So I shook it off and boarded the train with a new attitude. Little did I know it had only just begun...

We arrived in Paris around lunchtime, so our tour guide pointed us all in the direction of Brassiere near the Eiffel Tower. I picked out a sandwich, and reached into my purse for my wallet... only to find a granola bar and some gum wrappers...What??? How was my wallet missing...where did it go? Was is pickpocketed? Wait, I haven’t been anywhere except the train station... I couldn’t have been pickpocket... or could I? My thoughts were going a million miles a second. I have this tendency to think that when I lose things they are gone forever, so I often times freak out. Well, until somehow my mom finds it... sidenote how do moms do that? Literally I can spend hours (probs ten minutes in reality) looking for something, and Tonj walks in and finds it in two seconds. How??? Anyways back to the story, the wallet was gone...

At this point, I literally could not believe my life... and the tears started. I could not help it; all the stress from the past 4 hours caught up with me, and they just began to fall. Jane Marie turned around gave me hug and responded “Christine, the devil is attacking you. Do not let him Win.” In this moment, I could not have been more appreciative of her words; they were exactly what I needed to hear.  I made the decision to not let him win, I am in Paris with some of my closet friends… I am choosing joy.

So, I told my house manager and professor in residence about my wallet and lack of funds. Oh man, were they wonderful!! Dr. Robinson quickly offered to lend me some money for the weekend, and Katie had a friend come check the Daniel House for my wallet (which was safe and sound on my dresser). What amazing blessings they both were!!

The rest of the trip went pretty smoothly... well except for the time we tried to eat a traditional French dinner, and oh wait that time we got denied at Club Rex (discrimination), and well maybe that time we missed a train to Versailles. But, hey... we were in Paris, and we were together! Things happen, choose joy.

Well, that is the dramatic conclusion to the door mystery... hope it lived up to all your expectations.

Here’s to choosing joy!

Let's Talk Class

Academic class, that is... I know it may seem like I am on a four month vacation, but really I am studying.  Promise. Most classes here in the Daniel House are not what anyone would call traditional; we meet in a parlor, sit on couches, and take fieldtrips almost every day. London is a city full of history... it would be a shame to sit in a room and listen to a lecture, when in all reality that history is right outside our front door. One of the classes, I am taking while in London focuses on the lives of exiles and expatriates in London (Bob Marley, Freud (Psych shout out!), and Van Gogh... just to name a few). Our most recent fieldtrip was to the well-known Highgate Cemetery, which is the burial ground for many famous expats and exiles. Karl Marx, Claudia Jones, and Alexander Litvinenko are all buried within Highgate’s walls.

Highgate Cemetery was opened due to a lack of space for the dead in London; the city was being overtaken by death. The dead had no place to rest, so Parliament decided to open five new cemeteries on the outskirts of London. Thus in 1839, Highgate Cemetery was opened, and 17 new acres of land were available for burials. The cemetery was split into two areas, 15 acres for Church of England burials and 2 acres for other denominations and faiths.[1]

I found Highgate to truly resemble London is so many ways. There were so many cultures and such a variety of people buried within the walls. That is London... the center for numerous people from such a vast background and history; it would only make sense that London would take some of their lives. It is here they came to live, and here they also died. For example, there are areas known as Egyptian Avenue, Circle of Lebanon, and Terrace Catacombs. Even in death, London’s ability to attract people from all walks of life can be seen. Actually seeing all of these different areas was absolutely breathtaking, but what intrigued me even more were the graves left unattended, covered with vines and years of neglect. The cemetery has so many graves, that it would be impossible to care for each and every one, so it is inevitable that some fall to the waist side. London is the place where many come to flourish and seek their dreams, but in reality many are left neglected by the city and overrun. Hence, Highgate also mirrors London in this manner.

Another aspect that intrigued me was the inscriptions; the way someone can capture a person by an inscription is truly remarkable. How weighty those words are that will remain on a stone for eternity... declaring who this person was, their passions, and those they left behind. It is such an intimate aspect of death, yet we fleetingly glance at them in passing instead of truly understanding the weight these words hold. As I was walking through Highgate, Claudia Jones’ gravestone caught my attention. It reads:

valiant fighter against racism and imperialism who dedicated her life to the progress of socialism and the liberation of her own black people.

I read it and reread it. Such powerful words. Jones can truly be admired for her persistent seeking of equality among races. She fought for Civil Rights in New York and became a member of the communist party, but she was eventually deported from the states.  Thus, she fled to London, but she continued her pursuit for equality. She did not let even exile come between her passions for the human race. She is to be truly admired for such unceasing efforts; her gravestone’s inscription perfectly captures the essence of who Claudia Jones was and what she believed in. [2]

However, it would be quite easy for someone to overlook her beautiful inscription due to the extremely large bust of Karl Marx prominently protruding from his grave just right of her own. Marx is obviously the founder of communist ideology, but you may be wondering why he is buried in London...  Marx found refuge in London, after being exiled from Paris. He had published a newspaper that received quite a bit of backlash, so he decided to settle in London as an exile. While in London, Marx continued to write political pamphlets, but the most well-known of his writing while in London was The Capital, a book outlining capitalist process of production and labor theory. Although Marx only published Volume I, both Volume II and III were published after his death.  Marx died in 1883, and was buried in Highgate Cemetery three days later. [3]

If someone had asked me a few weeks ago if I would enjoy visiting a cemetery for class, I probably would have responded with negative.  However after visiting Highgate Cemetery, I would most definitely have to retract that response. It was truly an enlightening and interesting visit. I was able to visually associate pictures, graves, and words with the exiles and expatriates I have been studying. Even without the class aspect, I enjoyed getting to see a part of London’s history that does not make it on the typical tourist itinerary. London is such a remarkable city that holds a vast amount of knowledge even in the lives of those it has claimed, and to see this first hand allowed for my visit to evolve from a class activity to a personal understanding of London and those who have called it home. 

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[1] Highgate Cemetery, “A History of Highgate Cemetery,” Highgate Cemetery, http://www.highgate-cemetery.org/index.php/history (accessed on 10 October 2011).

[2] Highgate Cemetery, “Inscriptions – the touching, poetic and bizarre,” Highgate Cemetery, http://www.highgate-cemetery.org/index.php/inscriptions (accessed on 10 October 2011).

[3] History Guide, “Karl Marx, 1818-1883,” History Guide, http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html (accessed on 10 October 2011).

Reunited

The laptop is here... aka let the blogging commence!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh, I am so excited to be reunited and share my stories with you all again. First, I must say I’m a little overwhelmed... so much has happened. I do not really think I could do it justice... I will try though, no worries. Second before I get into the past month, I have to write a blog for one of my classes. Just a heads up... it will be about Highgate Cemetery here in London. Okay, that is all for now; I have to go write the post for class. I leave you with a preview of what is to come...

It is 6:11 on a Friday morning; we are leaving the Daniel House at 6:15 for Paris... there is a knock on my door... hooked?

Hope so!

Cheers Mates.