Get Stuck In

Here is it -- my first London blog post. I should definitely be reading for my History class right now, but I promised the facebook world (plus my lovely roommates) that I would blog. The title of this post is basically our theme for London. A bishop from one of the wards gave us a fireside tonight in which he explained some culture differences between the U.S. and the U.K. At the end, he encouraged us to make the most of our time here - don't do anything here that you could do in the States, in short, "get stuck in." So that's what I've been doing. Here are my three favorite things I've done so far (by the way, the Internet here is slow and I don't have a lot of time to think about my wording, so pictures and polishing will be added when I get back in seven weeks).

1. Hyde park.

The day after I got here, I went jogging in the park. It was chilly and drizzling in typical London fashion. In other words, the weather was perfect for jogging. We just wandered around the park, going where fancy took us - past the pond speckled with primping swans (all property of the queen by English law according to Natalie), around the majestic Prince Albert Memorial and concert hall, by the bird aviary and several gardens - all the while weaving in and out of Brits cycling, jogging, walking their dogs, or even cutting through the park on their way to work. These jogs are as much about seeing Hyde park as they are about exercise, so we stop to read plaques or take a closer look. For the first time, I felt like I was experiencing London in a real way, not as a tourist, but as a fellow Londoner enjoying the weather, the exercise, and the scenery. I've since walked around several other portions of Hyde park and have still only seen maybe a quarter of it. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Squirrels, blossoms, wildflowers, planted flowers, dead trees, live trees (lots of live trees), green grass, and the occasional statue or monument. Everything I would imagine a large park in a rainy city to be, but so much more beautiful than my Arizona and Utah conditioned mind could have fathomed.

2. Borough Market.

We don't really seem to have markets in the U.S. At least not quite like this one. Every Saturday (and I think one or two other days of the week as well) dozens of little businesses set up booths in a large, almost warehouse-like area. They have separate stands selling fruits, vegetables, breads, meat, preserves, cheese (so many types of cheese), baked goods, chocolate, candy, juice, cooked sausages, and lets not forget the toasted cheese sandwiches. Amazing. So much good food, so cheap, all in one place. It's really a beautiful thing. We plan on going back there at least every other weekend because you just can't experience it all in one trip.

3. Big and Small (Gross und Klein). With THE Cate Blanchett.

The play was abstract and very post-modern, but I loved it (aside from a couple parts). It focused on a character rather than having a central plot. Each scene demonstrated a certain vice of humanity and the main character's struggle to find a place in an world that's falling apart. Kate Blanchett was absolutely phenomenal, and the whole experience was just unforgettable. There were only four of us, which was a perfect-sized group, and we took our time getting home. We stopped by St. Paul's to see it lit up at night, got lost and saw some awesome old homes, talked about the play and its themes, and all in all had a lovely, cultural evening. I decided that this i really how I want to see London, going to shows, getting lost, getting to know my classmates in a more one-on-one setting. Simple and wonderful.

Have any London stories or suggestions? Have any questions about what I have experienced so far? Leave a comment.