A Taste of Life

This past week or so has been a taste of life will be like the next couple of months. My days are full, and even those that I don't spend exploring someplace new are exciting. Just the pace of living here is refreshing and the people I've met are lovely.


Last Tuesday, I embarked on another bookshop hunt in the Charing Cross area. I walked from Hatchard's on Piccadilly Road on down to Charing Cross, where I spent the afternoon browsing through some great used bookshops. My favorite was Henry Pordes Booksellers, which is lined floor to ceiling on two floors with used books of all genres. The older man working there was just what a bookseller should be: he was sitting at the counter chatting about Tolstoy when I came in and looked somewhat disgruntled when I interrupted his reading when I approached the counter to pay. He then lovingly wrapped the book I purchased in brown paper, folding the edges perfectly without crinkling the paper. Just the look of the brown paper package in my arms the rest of the day made me smile. I ended my little jaunt with coffee and chocolate cake at the Foyles cafe (I'm so weak, I know. I couldn't resist the cafe or the cake).


Tuesday nights I attend a small group from Tower Hamlets Community Church with some amazing people who love God. The older members have pretty much adopted us QM students as younger siblings, which is really neat. We gather for a couple of hours each week to eat dessert, drink coffee and tea, and study the book of Mark.


Wednesday afternoons, another bible study - this time with just fellow Christians at QM and only meeting for an hour to pray and learn together.


Gosh, this really was a quiet week compared to the others I've had. I did go out to eat last Thursday night after Christian Union. A group of us went to Nando's, "home of the legendary, Portuguese flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken." Nando's is THE place to go out to eat here in East London, and apparently it's big all over the UK. The food is delicious.


Friday afternoon, I went to the cinema to see "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." I had read the book shortly after arriving in London as was excited to see the film version that just recently came out. Gary Oldman and Colin Firth were absolutely perfect for the parts they played.


Saturday morning I attended a training session with members of 7 different churches in the Tower Hamlets area for a night shelter that the churches collectively run from December through February. The project, called growTH, is really special and very much needed in this area - homelessness is a problem, and for Christians to show hospitality to those without a place to go is so important. I've been praying for the shelter as everything gets organized and I hope to be a part of it. After the meeting, my friend Shana and I headed to Kensington to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The V and A is HUGE and has some really unique exhibits on jewelry, glass, architecture, and silver. The furniture exhibit - what I think the V and A is famous for - is unfortunately closed for another year, so we didn't get to see it.

The V and A - Reproduction of the Trojan Column

The glass fixture over the lobby of the V and A

The V and A courtyard

We then headed to the Natural History Museum just to see the main lobby of the building. We were pretty museum-ed out by this point, so we just stepped inside.

Museum of Natural History

We then, I'm afraid to say, did the typical tourist-y thing of going to Harrod's. I thought I've been in big stores before - I've even been to the Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly - but even that could not compare to  the size of this place. We made it through the food section before we just had to give up. It was sensory overload - so many delicious smells and beautiful decorations and so many people! We walked past the bakery, the cheese counter, the florist, the vegetable and fruit counters, the coffee and tea area, and.... the CHOCOLATE. We managed to get a free sample of Harrod's chocolate and I think my life is pretty much complete now (well at least it felt like it for those two glorious minutes).

One of the food departments at Harrod's. Stunning.

After deciding we could not afford to eat at Harrod's, Shana and I headed to Chinatown for some Chinese food (duh!). We ate at a small cafe there, splitting dishes of vegetable lo mein, sweet and sour chicken, egg-fried rice, cooked veggies, and wan ton soup. The area was pretty crowded that night because the London Film Festival is taking place in nearby Leicester Square.

Chinatown

Sunday morning I helped set up at THCC for service, then spent the afternoon catching up on reading and actually doing some homework. Monday was an errand day, which included a trip to Barclays Bank to sort out my account, opening a membership at the Idea Store (aka the library) near by in order to get 1GBP tickets to the Tower of London, and a major shopping run to Sainsbury's. At night I attended a screening of 'Jane Eyre' in the chapel on campus.

Since then, it's been a pretty quiet week - seminars, small groups, yogalates, some laundry, some homework. It's been quite nice to be just a student for a few days instead of a world traveler.

Speaking of being a student, I thought I'd share this - I've been eating pretty well, making meals for myself and all that. This was one of my dinners last week, however, and it's pretty creative (if I do say so myself):

Scrambled eggs with chopped up turkey slices, gouda cheese, and cucumbers.

I have discovered that anything can be tossed into scrambled eggs and still taste good, haha. I do not eat like this all the time, just so you know: this was just before I got a chance to go shopping and I needed to use up some of the lunch meat and veggies in my fridge.

Anyways, that's all for now. This weekend's a busy one so there'll be more to tell next time.

Blessings, Classes, and Plans

Thus far, my posts about London have been from the point of view of a tourist. The shining eyes, flashing camera, etc. You are perhaps wondering what life in London has really been like - what a normal day is (if there even is such a thing) - for a young American who has, for the first time in her existence, lived along in a big city.


God certainly watches out for me and never ceases to wrap His arm around my shoulders. During orientation days last week, I visited St. Benet's - our little campus chapel - to 1. learn about what exactly goes on there and 2. obtain some free coffee. The chaplain here, an funny Australian lady named Jenny, was extremely kind and shared not only what Queen Mary has to offer but also what is going on in London (including a series of free debates at St. Paul's Cathedral this fall). And she made me some coffee, the physical blessing. She made sure that I understood to come see her - just to chat anytime, but especially if I ever feel homesick or just worn out.


And here's where God far exceeds my expectations and brings me into a great community with such ease. Thursday night, I attended the first gathering of the Christian Union on campus. Approximately 40 or so students attend, and we worship and pray and learn together for an hour or so each week. After CU, a group of us went to Nando's for a bite to eat (bottomless fro-yo for me!) and returning members of CU got to know us newbies. The company - second-year students from QM, another American here for the year, and a composed fresher - was such a welcome change from the party-hardy freshers that seem to have invaded QMUL early last week. From Thursday night onward, God has been at work making sure His hand is firmly rooted in mine as I face this year. 


Sunday brought the first "Church Search" organized by CU. I attend Tower Hamlets Community Church. Holding services in a local primary school, the church (about 50 or so members) was thrilled to have a group of students join them. The "old-timers" led worship, church members shared various announcements about events and projects going on, and a speaker began this fall's series on Ephesians. The church family was wonderfully welcoming as we chatted after the service and I felt more and more at home. After the service, Christa, Emma, and I (the Americans who came with CU) were invited to lunch at the home of the Day family, where we were served Shepherd's Pie, spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, ice cream (God knows me so well), and coffee. To put this in perspective - church service was from 10:30am to 12:30pm. We were driven back to campus at 4:00pm. I have never been welcomed into anyone's home like that before - so unquestioningly, being received so generously. It was really meaningful to be around a family committed to God, to their church, and to loving others - even strangers from another country who have nothing to offer them. Needless to say, I will be going back to Tower Hamlets Community Church.


Other CU events of the week... Sunday night - "gig" with a band from Sheffield called "The Gentlemen" (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnkhBJ9JrL0). "The Gentlemen" do tours of homes in the UK and have played at Christian festivals around Europe. They put on a great show and it was a good end to the weekend. Tuesday night - small group meeting at the home of THCC members Tim and Bex. We'll be studying the Book of Mark, eating dessert (yummy shortbread with caramel and chocolate this week), and just having fellowship each week.


All of the above have really helped make the adjustment to life here easier. Despite my overwhelming enthusiasm for London and travel, it is hard to be away from loved ones and from the familiar at first. To have God plop me in the middle of this flourishing community of faith has been the biggest blessing.


Now on to other, less significant things. Classes. I have lectures and seminars Monday thru Thursday for two hours each day. My current schedule:


Monday - Society and the State in Britain 1450-1720 - Lecture 10am-11am, Seminar 12pm-1pm
Tuesday - Thomas Hardy and the Victorian Modern - Seminar 11am-1pm
Wednesday - Writing and Vision in the Romantic Period - Seminar 10am-12pm
Thursday - Representing London: Eighteenth Century Literature - Lecture 10am-11am, Seminar 11am-12pm
Friday - FREEEEEEE. :)


I have not yet had my Representing London class, but the following impressions are what the first three days of class have produced.


1. Level 4 (introductory) level class (in my case, Society and the State) - not taken seriously. My first-year classes at Ashland challenged me most of the time, I felt I learned something, etc. Here, my professor notified us the first day that presentations are just us "gibbering" and are not assessed, essays need only be readable to attain good marks, and reading for the course is optional. While this would in most circumstances annoy me (wasting time is the silliest), it will be nice for once to have a class that need not hold my attention all the time. The English courses I have will be quite a challenge and have loads of reading PLUS I have big plans for travel, so perhaps something of a cake-walk on Monday mornings is not the end of the world.


2. Having only 2 hours of in-class time per week has the potential to be unsatisfying, especially in regards to my Hardy class. I realize, having not been in classes for way too many months, that I like meeting with faculty and students to talk about what I've been reading. Not sure if this will overpower the joy of not having classes five days a week though...


3. Reading lists. HAHAHA. They seem to pick all the books that aren't available for really cheap on amazon or half.com. So I bought the novels and will rent the rest from the library. I suppose I'll have to refrain from highlighting, but apparently almost everybody does this "renting" thing for books (if, in fact, they actually pick up the books and are not told by their profs that reading is "optional").


4. The big university is complicated and greedy. Printing will be an ordeal and costs 10p a page, so I shall be forced to read articles on my computer. I am not pleased by this. (Don't get me started on laundry. It's 2.50GBP to wash, 1GBP to dry and the laundry facilities are in another building down the way. I shall be buying a bucket and detergent, and using a clothesline. Just call me Mama Ingalls - I'll be saving 5 GBP a week as well as my time.)


5. Non-Ashbrook students are quiet. Refreshing right now, could be frustrating later. And when I talk in class, I try to hide my American accent but it still slips through and I then get asked "Where are you from?", I answer "Michigan," and I get the blank stare that says "Oh, that's not California or New York."


I shall add to this list as I make further observations.


Lastly, I thought I should give a quick preview of what's coming up on my calendar (besides the weekly class, church, and yoga sessions).


Friday, Sept. 30 - Day trip via bus to Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Bath with fellow Americans.


Saturday, Oct. 1 - Volunteering at College Day USA. Have to be across London at 7:30am on a Saturday. Not thrilled.


Tuesday, Oct. 4 - Debate about Eve at St. Paul's. Free. :)


Friday, Oct. 7 to Sunday, Oct. 9 - Train to Dorchester for the Thomas Hardy Harvest Weekend. And to visit T.E. Lawrence's cottage and walk along the south coast.


Thursday, Oct. 13 to Sunday, Oct. 16 - Possibly weekend trip to Dublin with other Americans.


Thursday, Oct. 27 to Sunday Oct. 30 - Coach to Swansea, Wales for the Dylan Thomas Festival. And more beautiful beach.


Friday, Nov. 4 to Sunday, Nov. 13 - No classes (Reading Week), so hopefully a trip up to Manchester and then on to Edinburgh.


Friday, Nov. 25 to Sunday, Nov. 27 - Hopefully Stratford-upon-Avon to see "The Heart of Robin Hood" by the Royal Shakespeare Company.


That's what I've got for now. More to come soon about living in the East End... the side of London you don't know.... da da dum.