Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas
My parents are here for Christmas so I haven't been updating this blog. We had a wonderful Christmas with my sister before she flew up to Canada for a friend's wedding. I got a new pair of boots! Hurrah!
I'll write more later when I have more time. Right now I'm going to drink in the peaceful moments with my family. :)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
First glimpse part 3
So when Summer camp was over, my sister and I decided that we would try a new college and go to Walla Walla college. We had both been to PUC, and both loved it. But we wanted to try something new. We were looking for housing, the college offered us a house, but it had room for 3 people and there were only two of us. We didn't really know anyone at Walla Walla so we didn't know what to do. Then I got a call from Britney, she heard we had a place and she needed a place so could she move in? We both liked her so we agreed, I was really excited about the prospect of getting to know her better.
Near the beginning of the year after we got all moved in, we noticed that there was a really nice guy named Matt hanging around quite a lot. Especially before school started and on the weekends Matt would come over briefly, hang around for awhile, then he and Britney would leave for the day and he would drop her off in the evenings. Erin and I both liked Matt, but we were troubled because we also both liked Jimmy, although neither of us knew him very well.
I can't remember whether Britney or I brought it up, but I do remember talking to her about it. I remember urging her to do the right thing, which was either stop seeing Matt or break up with Jimmy. She eventually chose the latter and broke up with Jimmy, who was going to school in Canada at the time. I found her in her room crying... it must have been hard for her to break up with him, even though she had Matt waiting in the wings. He was her first boyfriend and they dated for about two years before the relationship finally ended. We talked about it for awhile. She gave me some reasons for their break-up (which I thought were pretty lame) and cried some more. I comforted her the best I could, although I still didn't know her all that well... but I remember thinking privately to myself, "If I ever dated Jimmy Painter I would never break up with him!" Of course, I still believed that Jimmy Painter would want to date me the day pigs learned to fly, so it was an abstract thought at best.
Britney and I turned out to be better friends then we were roommates, so she moved out not too long after that, and our friendship improved quite a bit when she had her own place. During that school year I got involved in a tumultuous relationship myself. It lasted about 6 months and we broke up in the Spring.
Early on in my new relationship I got a call from my dad. He told me that my church in California was hiring a youth pastor and they were considering someone that I knew... Jimmy Painter. I gave my heartiest recommendation. I had nothing but the highest respect for Jimmy and I remembered how gently and patiently he treated the kids at summer camp. I told my dad that the church would be foolish to pass up an opportunity to hire Jimmy Painter. So my dad took my recommendation to the church committee and that, along with Jimmy's favorable interview, landed him the job.
Hmmmm... this post is getting pretty long and I have some knitting to do... :) We'll pick up the next time with my return home from college in the summer... for the first time in our lives, both Jimmy and I were single, and we were both living in the same town.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
My first glimpse continued...
So since I can, I'll tell the detailed version of Jimmy's and my story. This post will be devoted to my other memories of Jimmy (and conversely, Britney) at summer camp.
Since they worked at Cowboy camp and I worked at Base camp they remained somewhat of a mystery to me. They were both Wranglers and so their day off was always Sunday. That meant that the only days I really ever saw them were Friday night and Saturday because they were off at their outpost for the rest of the week. I also watched them ride at the weekly rodeo... my favorite event of every week. I was surprised to find out, though, that Britney is one of those rare people who is both shockingly beautiful and open and friendly. She was always nice to me and, though I continued to be intimidated by her beauty and her confidence, we formed the beginnings of a friendship.
One day on my day off, my friend Raymond and I wanted to ride the horses. We arranged with the wranglers to get a couple of extra horses and take us for a ride. Ray and I showed up at the Base Camp barn a little early and saw our horses already waiting for us there, but no sign of the wranglers. So we sat down to wait. A few minutes later I would see a sight that made such an impression on me I would never forget it. Jimmy and Britney, riding side by side, came cantering over the hill toward us. Behind them were open fields and trees and there they were, as if in slow motion, riding together towards us. I sighed inwardly... maybe one day I would be able to find someone who would ride side by side with me through life, carefree and beautiful.
As camp continued, I began to reflect on whether I would return the next summer. I loved the family-like camraderie between the staff at that camp, plus the staff was a little larger to accommodate more campers and it also had all the wranglers. It seemed like they had an overabundance of fun at Cowboy camp and I was very interested in returning to that camp.
So near the end of camp I asked if I could sub at Cowboy camp for a week to become more familiar with it. After a couple weeks of pleading I was granted my request. I learned that week that Jimmy was considered an expert in wilderness survival and that he liked to make things with his hands. That week there was a camper who was diagnosed with ADHD, but his parents refused to medicate him. He got on everyone's nerves, except, apparently Jimmy's. Maybe he was attracted to Jimmy's inner calmness, or the way Jimmy tended to sit for long periods by himself carving something with his knife, but this kid treated Jimmy with worshipful adoration. He wanted to be just like Jimmy and spent any free moment around him. Jimmy responded by patiently trying to teach the poor child how to survive in the wild, or how to understand nature. One day I overheard Jimmy tell the kid to sit still for 10 minutes and study the ground in the woods, then come back and share what he saw. I went and sat down near him and watched him whittle. Feeling like a complete idiot I said, "What are you making?" To my surprise, he was making a Native American flute. He told me how he made flutes for all of Britney's nieces and nephews and how much they loved them. We talked for a few minutes, then the kid came back, much sooner then 10 minutes, to ask what the point of this exercise was. Once again, I marveled at Jimmy's overabundance of patience.
Too soon, camp was over. We had our staff bonding day at the end which culminated in a banquet that we were supposed to dress up for. I was mortified... I didn't bring one thing that would be considered dressy. I confided my shame in Britney who offered to share her clothes with me. I was surprised to hear that she had more then one outfit with her that would work for this occasion. To my even greater surprise, she pulled out at least 4 complete outfits, skirts and matching tops, and even, if you can believe it, coordinating shoes. And those were just the extras that she wasn't wearing herself! I stared at them in disbelief thinking to myself that I didn't even have that many nice outfits to wear in my closet at home. I gratefully picked one and was delighted to see that it fit.
When I got home my parents asked if there was anyone interesting at camp. I told them about all my friends at base camp and the good times we had, then I said, there's two people that I have a deep respect for. Ben Carson (he was the Indian camp director) and Jimmy Painter.
Sorry Harmony, Jimmy and Britney are still together at the end of this story... but I'll put another one up soon.
Friday, December 5, 2008
The Tower Bridge
Me inside one of those famous red phone booths
Mmmmm real English tea!
Stonehenge
Me inside one of those famous red phone booths
Mmmmm real English tea!
Stonehenge
my first glimpse...
So I was reading Harmony’s blog about her first sight of her husband and I was remembering when I had my first sight of Jimmy. It was very different from her experience, but I thought I would share it anyway.
I was a brand new employee at Leoni Meadows summer camp, freshly returned from my year teaching high-school in the Micronesian Islands. It seemed to me that everyone except my sister and me had been employed for several summers and they all knew each other. We were feeling a little left out, but we had made some new friends among the other employees and were starting to get to know each other during the orientation week. Near the end of the week a beautiful couple walked into the cafeteria, they looked like they had just stepped out of a magazine and into our humble little group. She had flowing blonde locks that curled just perfectly at the ends, she was wearing a pair of expensive looking jeans that hugged her perfect curves and flowed down to her cute petite cowboy boots. He was obviously working at cowboy camp, as evidenced not only by his association with the other cowboy staff, but also by his fashionably rugged and dusty jeans. But unlike the other cowboy staff he didn’t feel the need to overdo the cowboy gear and, foregoing the cowboy hat and obviously western shirt and boots, he wore an American-eagle-ish t-shirt and sneakers. But he looked all the more authentic for his lack of cowboy gear. He looked self-confident, like he belonged there, and made the others around him look like slightly silly and foolish.
I leaned over to the person next to me and asked in a hushed, slightly awed voice, “Who are they?” I was absolutely sure I had never seen them before and I knew that all the staff were supposed to be there for the whole staff week. “Oh, that’s Jimmy and Britney” the person said (I honestly can’t even remember if it was a guy or a girl I was talking to!) “Jimmy’s been working here for 6 summers, they’ve been dating for almost 2 years. They weren’t here earlier this week because they’ve been here so long they got special permission.”
I felt immediately threatened. Two gorgeous people who were above the rules of camp (and thus above the rest of us) just walked in here like they own the place… and really, it seemed like they did.
And that was my first glimpse of my future husband, although at the time he seemed so out of my league that if someone had told me that I would one day be married to him I would have laughed for a week! Not only was he perfect, but he was dating Britney… and I knew there was no way I could compete with that! But fortune smiled on me and I ended up with him anyway. :) Hurray for me!
I was a brand new employee at Leoni Meadows summer camp, freshly returned from my year teaching high-school in the Micronesian Islands. It seemed to me that everyone except my sister and me had been employed for several summers and they all knew each other. We were feeling a little left out, but we had made some new friends among the other employees and were starting to get to know each other during the orientation week. Near the end of the week a beautiful couple walked into the cafeteria, they looked like they had just stepped out of a magazine and into our humble little group. She had flowing blonde locks that curled just perfectly at the ends, she was wearing a pair of expensive looking jeans that hugged her perfect curves and flowed down to her cute petite cowboy boots. He was obviously working at cowboy camp, as evidenced not only by his association with the other cowboy staff, but also by his fashionably rugged and dusty jeans. But unlike the other cowboy staff he didn’t feel the need to overdo the cowboy gear and, foregoing the cowboy hat and obviously western shirt and boots, he wore an American-eagle-ish t-shirt and sneakers. But he looked all the more authentic for his lack of cowboy gear. He looked self-confident, like he belonged there, and made the others around him look like slightly silly and foolish.
I leaned over to the person next to me and asked in a hushed, slightly awed voice, “Who are they?” I was absolutely sure I had never seen them before and I knew that all the staff were supposed to be there for the whole staff week. “Oh, that’s Jimmy and Britney” the person said (I honestly can’t even remember if it was a guy or a girl I was talking to!) “Jimmy’s been working here for 6 summers, they’ve been dating for almost 2 years. They weren’t here earlier this week because they’ve been here so long they got special permission.”
I felt immediately threatened. Two gorgeous people who were above the rules of camp (and thus above the rest of us) just walked in here like they own the place… and really, it seemed like they did.
And that was my first glimpse of my future husband, although at the time he seemed so out of my league that if someone had told me that I would one day be married to him I would have laughed for a week! Not only was he perfect, but he was dating Britney… and I knew there was no way I could compete with that! But fortune smiled on me and I ended up with him anyway. :) Hurray for me!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
baby girl
So last night I was in charge of the PT Christmas party, which went quite well by the way. But my little baby girl decided that it was a good night to shift positions and ended up with… something, a foot or a shoulder or hand or something, shoving right up against my navel. When I stood up to facilitate the games I discovered, to my surprise, that I couldn’t stand up straight without a little pain, like she was shoving me from inside… no not LIKE she was shoving me from inside… she WAS shoving me from inside. It was a curious feeling. And I’m glad no one had a video camera because I must have looked kind of ridiculous standing there facilitating the games with one hand on my belly button shoving back. J What a curious feeling!
Just walk across the room
I’m breaking with my usually standard rule of never reading religious books. I don’t like books that tell me how to be a better Christian… usually I don’t feel that they relate to me, that their target reader is someone who is at a different spiritual place then me. Others are too hard to slog through, I start them and feel inspired, but never get very far and give up. I’m just not motivated to push my way through books like that. Thus my resolution…
But like I said, I’m breaking my own rule for a book that a co-worker lent to me and told me I just HAD to read. It sat brooding at me for weeks before I even would pick it up, and then I only started reading it because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. But this book is having a profound impact on me!
It’s called “Just Walk Across the Room” by Bill Hybels. It’s about following the Holy Spirit’s prompting to “walk across the room” leave your zone of comfortable friends and approach someone about Christ. And the two feelings that I get in equal intensity are conviction and absolute terror. Conviction that “friendship evangelism” or having an impact for Christ one person at a time instead of in big tent meetings is the right way to go in our society. But also personal conviction that God wants me to take that kind of risk with my own life. That I’m far too comfortable and not willing to risk myself like that… and God wants me to stretch and grow… and risk.
But with this conviction comes a feeling of absolute terror. There is no other word for it. The thought of broaching the subject of Christ with someone who doesn’t believe strikes a fear inside me so deep that it makes me tremble just thinking about it. Approaching the subject of personal belief with another person who believes differently from me is an absolute Post-Modern no-no. And I have lived in this Post-Modern world long enough to become comfortable with accepting others for what they believe and never challenging their beliefs. Because telling them that Jesus is the way to live is implying that the way they live is “not the way.” Telling them that Having Jesus in their life would make their life better is implying that their life is not good enough the way it is. I believe this is true, but the thought of actually verbalizing it to someone else makes me want to run back to my safe little Adventist circle.
The book challenges my faith. “If you are going to walk across the room toward someone you have to have the kind of faith that believes that everyone in this world would be better if they had it.” Well of course I have that kind of faith! I want everyone to share the joy in Christ that I have! But do I want it enough to risk myself… to really and truly share it with someone else?
But like I said, I’m breaking my own rule for a book that a co-worker lent to me and told me I just HAD to read. It sat brooding at me for weeks before I even would pick it up, and then I only started reading it because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. But this book is having a profound impact on me!
It’s called “Just Walk Across the Room” by Bill Hybels. It’s about following the Holy Spirit’s prompting to “walk across the room” leave your zone of comfortable friends and approach someone about Christ. And the two feelings that I get in equal intensity are conviction and absolute terror. Conviction that “friendship evangelism” or having an impact for Christ one person at a time instead of in big tent meetings is the right way to go in our society. But also personal conviction that God wants me to take that kind of risk with my own life. That I’m far too comfortable and not willing to risk myself like that… and God wants me to stretch and grow… and risk.
But with this conviction comes a feeling of absolute terror. There is no other word for it. The thought of broaching the subject of Christ with someone who doesn’t believe strikes a fear inside me so deep that it makes me tremble just thinking about it. Approaching the subject of personal belief with another person who believes differently from me is an absolute Post-Modern no-no. And I have lived in this Post-Modern world long enough to become comfortable with accepting others for what they believe and never challenging their beliefs. Because telling them that Jesus is the way to live is implying that the way they live is “not the way.” Telling them that Having Jesus in their life would make their life better is implying that their life is not good enough the way it is. I believe this is true, but the thought of actually verbalizing it to someone else makes me want to run back to my safe little Adventist circle.
The book challenges my faith. “If you are going to walk across the room toward someone you have to have the kind of faith that believes that everyone in this world would be better if they had it.” Well of course I have that kind of faith! I want everyone to share the joy in Christ that I have! But do I want it enough to risk myself… to really and truly share it with someone else?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
London the second!
Hi family and friends! We decided to spend a few minutes writing to you today because it’s Thanksgiving and we miss you. I hope you are all having a good Thanksgiving!
Let me get back to what we’ve been up to! We went to Notting Hill on Tuesday and spent most of the day on Portobello Road. I was thinking the whole time of that little Travel Book Shop that Hugh Grant owned in the movie “Notting Hill” and all the markets that he walks past every season of the year in that movie. And sure enough! The markets are all there. It was fun to see them all… they had the most amazing variety of fresh fruits and vegetables… I wished I was home so I could buy them and incorporate them into my cooking. Of course, lots of touristy stuff, which Jimmy and I almost completely ignored. There were some really pretty cityscapes of London that we thought we might enjoy but we left hurridly when we found out that they were 35 pounds each.
Then, to my amazement, there was the little Travel Bookshop! I couldn’t believe it! We walked in the front door and sure enough… it was the SAME travel bookshop as in the movie. They must have filmed it there… or made a set exactly like it! And to confirm my suspicions, there were several newspaper clippings on a wall nearby with pictures of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and articles related to the travel book shop… including one rather interesting one about how many people come to the travel book shop looking for love, as if there’s something magical about it because Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts pretended to fall in love there. hehe. And there was also one about how the owner has handled the sudden rise to fame of his little bookshop. As we were walking out a group of American girls walked in behind us and we giggled when we heard them breathe, “It’s the same!” haha! Without us even asking one of the locals asked if we wanted our picture in front of the famous shop, and of course we did. ☺ We had dinner in this cute little Italian place. The guy who owned the place was the exact stereotype of a middle aged Italian man. He was short and balding and a little bit fat. He had a strong Italian accent and he was so jovial that he would break into song in between sentences such as, “Table for two? Da da de dum da da da de… Ok follow me!” There was a very fat Italian chef making pasta from scratch in the “kitchen” which was really just an extension of the dining room. There was a wood burning oven too and Jimmy regretted ordering something that wouldn’t be cooked in it because we had a perfect view from where we were sitting. The little Italian waiter was so funny. He looked like he was about 19, he was a good waiter, but when he wasn’t waiting on us he would joke around with the cook and dance to the music. And they all talked loudly to each other in Italian when they weren’t speaking directly to us. It was delightful! And the food was magnificent! Jimmy and I joked that this was the secret all along… avoid British food and just eat at Italian and French places. Unfortunately we haven’t had much luck with British food. Even expensive British food isn’t always a safe bet. And the cheap stuff is almost guaranteed to be barely digestible. Maybe that’s why they have their “digestive biscuits” haha!
Yesterday we had a “Magic of London” tour of the city. We had a good time although we were disappointed with some of it. For example, the tour boasted a “Thames river cruise.” And its true that we got on a boat and sat there for about 5 minutes while it scooted along the river through downtown London. Then the boat tour guide asked us to pay him. Hmmm… The tour also declared that it included the “Changing of the Guard” but our tour guide told us that there was no changing of the guard that day, it’s only every other day. So that was that. But the rest of the tour was pretty good. We started out just driving around London looking at the sights with our tour guide pointing stuff out. Then we went to the Tower of London. The tower of London is so cool! I got a picture in front of the spot where the three queens of England were executed, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Gray. We also visited the crown jewels which are so fabulous that it defies the mind. The first star of Africa is set in a scepter and it’s over 500 Karats. It was so huge that it looked fake! They had golden spoons and plates and serving dishes etc… diamonds and jewels everywhere. The wealth stored in that room is immense!
I love the history of England. America hasn’t been around long enough to have such a rich history. Though I love American history, it doesn’t hold a candle to English history. Our tour guide repeatedly threw out such phrases as, well she was around about 5,000 years ago, and that battle happened roughly 3,000 years ago, etc… it’s just too long, after awhile the dates get too far back and I can’t even comprehend it!
Then we did our “Thames River Cruise” which I’ve already told you about. Next we went to Buckingham Palace. It was as cool as ever, the Queen was in attendance which was very cool. Our tour guide joked that when he spoke to her this morning she assured him that she would make every effort to be there. ☺ There was no changing of the guard, but we saw the mounted soldiers marching past which was also very cool.
Then we had lunch at a little pub in London. They had vegetarian Lasagna which had spinach and all the regular fixings, but instead of tomatoes it had sweet potatoes. It was weird but I like sweet potatoes so I enjoyed it. Jimmy avoided the sweet potatoes and still managed a lunch that wasn’t too bad.
Next we went to St Paul’s Cathedral. St. Pauls was really a highlight of the trip. It was the church where Diana and Charles were married. And standing there, I could just see her walking through the huge wooden doors in her famous wedding dress, a tiny blushing 20 year old girl marrying into the Royal family. Charles and Camilla, by the way, are extremely unpopular in England. Our tour guide spent the whole time making fun of them and hoping that the queen would live as long or longer than her mother who died at the age of 101. He also said that if Charles is old enough when it’s time for him to become king he might just hand the throne directly to William, although it’s unlikely. The tour guide says that he’s written Charles several letters urging him to do just that but so far it hasn’t had much effect. ☺ St. Paul’s is really spectacular and it also has a rich history. The original St. Paul’s cathedral was destroyed in the London fire and then rebuilt. During World War 2, Winston Churchill urged the people of London to protect St. Pauls because “If St Paul’s falls then we all fall.” So not only did the soldiers and firemen keep constant watch, but the citizens of London took turns in shifts to bring in buckets of sand and water to put out the fires from the bombs. Many lost their lives, but St. Paul’s was saved.
Jimmy’s favorite part was a memorial paid for by the British people for the American soldiers who died in England during the war. It was touching that the people paid for it, and not the government. It somehow meant more. My favorite part was the statue of John Donne which I’ve seen in pictures but there it was in real life, the only part of the original St. Pauls to have survived the London fire. I was shocked and a little insulted when the tour guide said, “This is a statue of John Donne. You probably haven’t heard of him but he’s quite a famous poet here in England.” I wanted to gush at him, “Heard of him? He’s probably my favorite poet of all time! I could recite for you famous lines from at least 5 of his poems off the top of my head!” But by then he had already moved on. And I was severely disappointed that they don’t allow and pictures to be taken inside St Paul’s.
After we left there we went and had tea at Harrods. It was nice but not what I expected. For example, they used tea bags instead of the “real English tea” I was expecting with the floating leaves. They gave us one scone each and when we were done with that, we were done! Oh well… it was fun anyway. Then the tour was over but Jimmy and I decided that we wanted to go on the London eye. So we took the tube over to Westminster and tried to buy a ticket for the eye. Unfortunately the fire alarm went off just as we were buying our ticket so we couldn’t get on it! We waited for about 20 minutes till they started letting people buy tickets again and bought our ticket. The view of London at night from the top of the eye is spectacular! And since it’s getting closer to Christmas there were some Christmas lights as well to add to the grandeur. I felt like Peter Pan flying over London when I looked down on Big Ben. It looked just the same!
They were having another fire drill, if you can believe that, when we got off the eye so we were rushed off. By then I was extremely tired and hungry which is not a good combination for me when I’m pregnant. The trains and busses were so crowded on the way back to the hotel and there were several delays so it took about two hours to get back. I ate wearily at the local pub and then came back to the hotel just long enough to take a quick bath and crash into bed. When I woke up to use the bathroom at 5:30 in the morning I realized that I hadn’t moved a muscle since I went to bed!
Today we’re going to the Globe Theater and then to some museums in London. Tomorrow we plan to do anything else we want to do in London before we go… guess we’ll decide that later. Then Sabbath we’re going to visit Hyde Park and Westminster Abbey. Then on Sunday it’s off back home!
A couple of observations… being pregnant and on vacation has its drawbacks. My feet get tired very quickly, and I have to eat all the time. I also have to use the bathroom all the time which is annoying when you have to pay to use public toilets most of the time. But I am always touched when someone offers me their seat on the bus or the train. Although there are signs everywhere telling people to give up their seats to pregnant women and handicapped people, its not like there’s police there ensuring that this happens. And if the train/bus is crowded enough that there aren’t enough seats and people have to stand then it’s too crowded anyway and everyone’s nerves are stretched. And yet it is in this environment that you get a little glimpse into the unselfishness and kindness of strangers. People ignore each other or glare at each other when they are so crowded, but I have never gotten on a crowded train or bus and not been offered a seat almost right away. Usually if I’m not offered a seat right away it’s because the train is so crowded that the only people who can see that I’m pregnant are the people standing around me. And even then those people will scout out vacant seats at every stop and direct me to them. It restores my faith in human kindness.
Another observation… there is not the same tension here between blacks and whites that there is in America. It is clear from the way they intermingle and the way there is no reference to color at all, anywhere, either positive or negative. However, something that I found very interesting is that there is tension between Catholics and Protestants here that does not exist in America. Both our Irish Guide from Sunday and our English guide from yesterday felt the need to assure us that England is a religiously tolerant nation and that “we accept both protestants and catholics in this country.” An assertion which is so obvious that it doesn’t need to be stated in America. Also, our tour guide from yesterday as he was pointing out various churches identified them as catholic or protestant and he was a little too enthusiastic about how beautiful the Catholic church is in Westminster, as if he needed to prove that he found it just as attractive as it’s protestant counterpart, Westminster Abbey. He also stated several times that St. Paul’s is a protestant, not a Catholic church and he was able to tell us exactly was percentage of England is Catholic (apparently it’s 10%). After visiting St. Paul’s we discovered that really the only difference between the Catholic faith and the English Protestant faith is their belief about the Pope and their belief about communion. Everything else is the same, they have nuns and bishops and there were confessionals and saints and everything! Which leads me to the conclusion that prejudice is all in our heads. What seems like a big difference to me may seem like nothing at all to someone else. The fact that protestants and catholics seem virtually the same to me, at least the way it’s practiced in some protestant high-churches here, may seem like a horrible difference to someone here. And the fact that in my country the color of your skin changes the way I think of you may seem strange to someone who sees that we are all just people, the same people, all Americans. What’s the big deal?
Ok this email is really long now and Jimmy is making fun of me for spending so much time on the computer. I love you all and I’ll see you soon!I hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful and we’ll talk to you on Sunday!
Let me get back to what we’ve been up to! We went to Notting Hill on Tuesday and spent most of the day on Portobello Road. I was thinking the whole time of that little Travel Book Shop that Hugh Grant owned in the movie “Notting Hill” and all the markets that he walks past every season of the year in that movie. And sure enough! The markets are all there. It was fun to see them all… they had the most amazing variety of fresh fruits and vegetables… I wished I was home so I could buy them and incorporate them into my cooking. Of course, lots of touristy stuff, which Jimmy and I almost completely ignored. There were some really pretty cityscapes of London that we thought we might enjoy but we left hurridly when we found out that they were 35 pounds each.
Then, to my amazement, there was the little Travel Bookshop! I couldn’t believe it! We walked in the front door and sure enough… it was the SAME travel bookshop as in the movie. They must have filmed it there… or made a set exactly like it! And to confirm my suspicions, there were several newspaper clippings on a wall nearby with pictures of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and articles related to the travel book shop… including one rather interesting one about how many people come to the travel book shop looking for love, as if there’s something magical about it because Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts pretended to fall in love there. hehe. And there was also one about how the owner has handled the sudden rise to fame of his little bookshop. As we were walking out a group of American girls walked in behind us and we giggled when we heard them breathe, “It’s the same!” haha! Without us even asking one of the locals asked if we wanted our picture in front of the famous shop, and of course we did. ☺ We had dinner in this cute little Italian place. The guy who owned the place was the exact stereotype of a middle aged Italian man. He was short and balding and a little bit fat. He had a strong Italian accent and he was so jovial that he would break into song in between sentences such as, “Table for two? Da da de dum da da da de… Ok follow me!” There was a very fat Italian chef making pasta from scratch in the “kitchen” which was really just an extension of the dining room. There was a wood burning oven too and Jimmy regretted ordering something that wouldn’t be cooked in it because we had a perfect view from where we were sitting. The little Italian waiter was so funny. He looked like he was about 19, he was a good waiter, but when he wasn’t waiting on us he would joke around with the cook and dance to the music. And they all talked loudly to each other in Italian when they weren’t speaking directly to us. It was delightful! And the food was magnificent! Jimmy and I joked that this was the secret all along… avoid British food and just eat at Italian and French places. Unfortunately we haven’t had much luck with British food. Even expensive British food isn’t always a safe bet. And the cheap stuff is almost guaranteed to be barely digestible. Maybe that’s why they have their “digestive biscuits” haha!
Yesterday we had a “Magic of London” tour of the city. We had a good time although we were disappointed with some of it. For example, the tour boasted a “Thames river cruise.” And its true that we got on a boat and sat there for about 5 minutes while it scooted along the river through downtown London. Then the boat tour guide asked us to pay him. Hmmm… The tour also declared that it included the “Changing of the Guard” but our tour guide told us that there was no changing of the guard that day, it’s only every other day. So that was that. But the rest of the tour was pretty good. We started out just driving around London looking at the sights with our tour guide pointing stuff out. Then we went to the Tower of London. The tower of London is so cool! I got a picture in front of the spot where the three queens of England were executed, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Gray. We also visited the crown jewels which are so fabulous that it defies the mind. The first star of Africa is set in a scepter and it’s over 500 Karats. It was so huge that it looked fake! They had golden spoons and plates and serving dishes etc… diamonds and jewels everywhere. The wealth stored in that room is immense!
I love the history of England. America hasn’t been around long enough to have such a rich history. Though I love American history, it doesn’t hold a candle to English history. Our tour guide repeatedly threw out such phrases as, well she was around about 5,000 years ago, and that battle happened roughly 3,000 years ago, etc… it’s just too long, after awhile the dates get too far back and I can’t even comprehend it!
Then we did our “Thames River Cruise” which I’ve already told you about. Next we went to Buckingham Palace. It was as cool as ever, the Queen was in attendance which was very cool. Our tour guide joked that when he spoke to her this morning she assured him that she would make every effort to be there. ☺ There was no changing of the guard, but we saw the mounted soldiers marching past which was also very cool.
Then we had lunch at a little pub in London. They had vegetarian Lasagna which had spinach and all the regular fixings, but instead of tomatoes it had sweet potatoes. It was weird but I like sweet potatoes so I enjoyed it. Jimmy avoided the sweet potatoes and still managed a lunch that wasn’t too bad.
Next we went to St Paul’s Cathedral. St. Pauls was really a highlight of the trip. It was the church where Diana and Charles were married. And standing there, I could just see her walking through the huge wooden doors in her famous wedding dress, a tiny blushing 20 year old girl marrying into the Royal family. Charles and Camilla, by the way, are extremely unpopular in England. Our tour guide spent the whole time making fun of them and hoping that the queen would live as long or longer than her mother who died at the age of 101. He also said that if Charles is old enough when it’s time for him to become king he might just hand the throne directly to William, although it’s unlikely. The tour guide says that he’s written Charles several letters urging him to do just that but so far it hasn’t had much effect. ☺ St. Paul’s is really spectacular and it also has a rich history. The original St. Paul’s cathedral was destroyed in the London fire and then rebuilt. During World War 2, Winston Churchill urged the people of London to protect St. Pauls because “If St Paul’s falls then we all fall.” So not only did the soldiers and firemen keep constant watch, but the citizens of London took turns in shifts to bring in buckets of sand and water to put out the fires from the bombs. Many lost their lives, but St. Paul’s was saved.
Jimmy’s favorite part was a memorial paid for by the British people for the American soldiers who died in England during the war. It was touching that the people paid for it, and not the government. It somehow meant more. My favorite part was the statue of John Donne which I’ve seen in pictures but there it was in real life, the only part of the original St. Pauls to have survived the London fire. I was shocked and a little insulted when the tour guide said, “This is a statue of John Donne. You probably haven’t heard of him but he’s quite a famous poet here in England.” I wanted to gush at him, “Heard of him? He’s probably my favorite poet of all time! I could recite for you famous lines from at least 5 of his poems off the top of my head!” But by then he had already moved on. And I was severely disappointed that they don’t allow and pictures to be taken inside St Paul’s.
After we left there we went and had tea at Harrods. It was nice but not what I expected. For example, they used tea bags instead of the “real English tea” I was expecting with the floating leaves. They gave us one scone each and when we were done with that, we were done! Oh well… it was fun anyway. Then the tour was over but Jimmy and I decided that we wanted to go on the London eye. So we took the tube over to Westminster and tried to buy a ticket for the eye. Unfortunately the fire alarm went off just as we were buying our ticket so we couldn’t get on it! We waited for about 20 minutes till they started letting people buy tickets again and bought our ticket. The view of London at night from the top of the eye is spectacular! And since it’s getting closer to Christmas there were some Christmas lights as well to add to the grandeur. I felt like Peter Pan flying over London when I looked down on Big Ben. It looked just the same!
They were having another fire drill, if you can believe that, when we got off the eye so we were rushed off. By then I was extremely tired and hungry which is not a good combination for me when I’m pregnant. The trains and busses were so crowded on the way back to the hotel and there were several delays so it took about two hours to get back. I ate wearily at the local pub and then came back to the hotel just long enough to take a quick bath and crash into bed. When I woke up to use the bathroom at 5:30 in the morning I realized that I hadn’t moved a muscle since I went to bed!
Today we’re going to the Globe Theater and then to some museums in London. Tomorrow we plan to do anything else we want to do in London before we go… guess we’ll decide that later. Then Sabbath we’re going to visit Hyde Park and Westminster Abbey. Then on Sunday it’s off back home!
A couple of observations… being pregnant and on vacation has its drawbacks. My feet get tired very quickly, and I have to eat all the time. I also have to use the bathroom all the time which is annoying when you have to pay to use public toilets most of the time. But I am always touched when someone offers me their seat on the bus or the train. Although there are signs everywhere telling people to give up their seats to pregnant women and handicapped people, its not like there’s police there ensuring that this happens. And if the train/bus is crowded enough that there aren’t enough seats and people have to stand then it’s too crowded anyway and everyone’s nerves are stretched. And yet it is in this environment that you get a little glimpse into the unselfishness and kindness of strangers. People ignore each other or glare at each other when they are so crowded, but I have never gotten on a crowded train or bus and not been offered a seat almost right away. Usually if I’m not offered a seat right away it’s because the train is so crowded that the only people who can see that I’m pregnant are the people standing around me. And even then those people will scout out vacant seats at every stop and direct me to them. It restores my faith in human kindness.
Another observation… there is not the same tension here between blacks and whites that there is in America. It is clear from the way they intermingle and the way there is no reference to color at all, anywhere, either positive or negative. However, something that I found very interesting is that there is tension between Catholics and Protestants here that does not exist in America. Both our Irish Guide from Sunday and our English guide from yesterday felt the need to assure us that England is a religiously tolerant nation and that “we accept both protestants and catholics in this country.” An assertion which is so obvious that it doesn’t need to be stated in America. Also, our tour guide from yesterday as he was pointing out various churches identified them as catholic or protestant and he was a little too enthusiastic about how beautiful the Catholic church is in Westminster, as if he needed to prove that he found it just as attractive as it’s protestant counterpart, Westminster Abbey. He also stated several times that St. Paul’s is a protestant, not a Catholic church and he was able to tell us exactly was percentage of England is Catholic (apparently it’s 10%). After visiting St. Paul’s we discovered that really the only difference between the Catholic faith and the English Protestant faith is their belief about the Pope and their belief about communion. Everything else is the same, they have nuns and bishops and there were confessionals and saints and everything! Which leads me to the conclusion that prejudice is all in our heads. What seems like a big difference to me may seem like nothing at all to someone else. The fact that protestants and catholics seem virtually the same to me, at least the way it’s practiced in some protestant high-churches here, may seem like a horrible difference to someone here. And the fact that in my country the color of your skin changes the way I think of you may seem strange to someone who sees that we are all just people, the same people, all Americans. What’s the big deal?
Ok this email is really long now and Jimmy is making fun of me for spending so much time on the computer. I love you all and I’ll see you soon!I hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful and we’ll talk to you on Sunday!
London
Ok so I wrote these two longish emails to my family when I was in London. I figured that instead of rehashing the whole trip again, you could just read these emails... good luck... they are lengthy!
The first day we were here, Friday, we basically jus crashed and slept after having not slept all night (well I didn’t sleep anyway). That evening we went to a local pub near our hotel. It’s a nice little pub and the food isn’t bad… for British food that is.
We didn’t realize that Heathrow is actually quite a ways away from central London. So our hotel, which is conveniently located quite close to the airport… is actually very far from London itself. About an hour and a half commute… to this side of central London. We walk to the bus station, then take the number 22 bus to Hounslow West. Then from there we get on the “tube” and take the Picadilly line to central London where we can hook up with any of the other lines to get where we need to go. Then of course, when we get to the tube station nearest our destination then we have to figure out where to go from there! Londoners aren’t quite as dedicated about street signs as we tend to be in America. ☺ Anyway, on Sabbath morning we set out to try to get to central London. It took us almost the whole day. But we had a good day anyway… it was like trying to figure out a puzzle. Two of the main tube lines were closed so we had to figure out how to get where we were going by bus. It was insanely crowded! At one point I sat next to this guy on the bus who was on his cell phone. He was apparently so upset at his bank that he was loudly cussing and freaking out about what he was going to do about it to the amusement of everyone on the bus. And he was so animated that he kept hitting me in the confined space as he guestured violently in his agitation.
It gets dark really early here… it was dark by the time we got to Parliament square. We took some pictures in front of Big Ben and the houses of parliament. And we walked around a little enjoying our first taste of London. On the tube on the way home, it was so crowded that we had to wait for four trains in a row before one came by that we could even fit on. People were crowding in and smooshing themselves so the doors couldn’t even close! I cheated a little because my feet hurt. So I unbuttoned my coat and put my hands in a protective posture around my tummy. As soon as I got on the tube someone got up and offered me their seat. At least there’s some privileges to being pregnant and traveling! Haha!
On Sunday we had a tour. We got up at 5:00 in the morning and left the hotel at 6:00. We barely made it to Victoria Coach station by 8:00… whew! We had a funny Irish tour guide who spent most of the trip making fun of the British. But in all fairness he also made fun of Americans, Scots, French, and even the Irish! He was hilarious… we had a great time. When we got to Stonehenge it was raining and windy and cold. We stood stoutly in the rain and listened to our pre-recorded tour. I had a good time, Stonehenge is fascinating, but I was glad to get back on the bus. Then we went to Bath. It was so awesome to walk on the same streets that Jane Austin and Charles Dickens walked. We really enjoyed ourselves. We had real English tea in a tea house that Dickens himself used to eat at. It was the tea with the tea leaves in it and the strainer and everything. They even gave us biscuits and jam and clotted cream… MMMmmmmmmm!
Thirdly we went to Stratford. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Nearly the entire town of Stratford is dedicated to Shakespeare! All the cafes and the shops are brimming with Shakespeare stuff. Jimmy had to hold me back from spending our entire London budget there. We toured Shakespeare’s house where he was born and it was really cool! I finally settled on a Shakespeare book by Bill Bryson (one of my favorite authors!) and some yummy English truffles.
Then yesterday we went to Harrods. Harrods is the most amazing store! You can get anything there! Clothes of any kind, casual, designer, sportswear, etc… you can get books, electronics, you can even buy ski-jets or diving equipment, you can buy saddles and tackle for your horse, or you can buy a puppy or a hamster! The store takes up several city blocks and it’s 7 stories high. It’s bigger then most malls I’ve been in! We stopped for a minute at the fountain dedicated to Princess Diana and her boyfriend who died in the crash, the boyfriend was the son of the owner of Harrods. I finally bought a bra that fits me… thank heavens, and we picked up a couple of books there.
Then last night we had dinner and a show that we paid for in advance. The dinner was at a really fancy French restaurant called L’escargot. They had a girl who’s only job was to go around and ask if you wanted more bread… that’s all she did! It was a really nice place. They brought me my water in a glass bottle and poured it for me and fretted and fawned over us. It was delightful! I suppose we shouldn’t have been surprised to see that the main course was on a huge plate with lots of garnish and a tiny mound of highly-decorated food in the middle that was our main course. Jimmy joked that we would go to McDonalds on our way home. ☺ but luckily that with the appetizer and the bread girl left us plenty full to head to Les Miserables.
The performance was spectacular, of course. Jimmy and I cried all the way through it. Even the baby was moving around throughout. I’m not sure whether she was reacting to the immensity of the sound or my emotional response, but I like to think she enjoyed it too. I’ve seen it twice before in the states, so it was kind of funny to hear it with the British accents. ☺ Today we plan to go to Notting Hill and Portobello Road. Tomorrow we have another tour of the sights of London. It includes the changing of the guard and a private tour of the tower of London, which I’m particularly looking forward to, and a private viewing of the crown jewels, among other things. Then on Thanksgiving we plan to go visit some of the British museums. Then on Friday and Sabbath… who knows!I hope you’re all having a fabulous Thanksgiving break!
The first day we were here, Friday, we basically jus crashed and slept after having not slept all night (well I didn’t sleep anyway). That evening we went to a local pub near our hotel. It’s a nice little pub and the food isn’t bad… for British food that is.
We didn’t realize that Heathrow is actually quite a ways away from central London. So our hotel, which is conveniently located quite close to the airport… is actually very far from London itself. About an hour and a half commute… to this side of central London. We walk to the bus station, then take the number 22 bus to Hounslow West. Then from there we get on the “tube” and take the Picadilly line to central London where we can hook up with any of the other lines to get where we need to go. Then of course, when we get to the tube station nearest our destination then we have to figure out where to go from there! Londoners aren’t quite as dedicated about street signs as we tend to be in America. ☺ Anyway, on Sabbath morning we set out to try to get to central London. It took us almost the whole day. But we had a good day anyway… it was like trying to figure out a puzzle. Two of the main tube lines were closed so we had to figure out how to get where we were going by bus. It was insanely crowded! At one point I sat next to this guy on the bus who was on his cell phone. He was apparently so upset at his bank that he was loudly cussing and freaking out about what he was going to do about it to the amusement of everyone on the bus. And he was so animated that he kept hitting me in the confined space as he guestured violently in his agitation.
It gets dark really early here… it was dark by the time we got to Parliament square. We took some pictures in front of Big Ben and the houses of parliament. And we walked around a little enjoying our first taste of London. On the tube on the way home, it was so crowded that we had to wait for four trains in a row before one came by that we could even fit on. People were crowding in and smooshing themselves so the doors couldn’t even close! I cheated a little because my feet hurt. So I unbuttoned my coat and put my hands in a protective posture around my tummy. As soon as I got on the tube someone got up and offered me their seat. At least there’s some privileges to being pregnant and traveling! Haha!
On Sunday we had a tour. We got up at 5:00 in the morning and left the hotel at 6:00. We barely made it to Victoria Coach station by 8:00… whew! We had a funny Irish tour guide who spent most of the trip making fun of the British. But in all fairness he also made fun of Americans, Scots, French, and even the Irish! He was hilarious… we had a great time. When we got to Stonehenge it was raining and windy and cold. We stood stoutly in the rain and listened to our pre-recorded tour. I had a good time, Stonehenge is fascinating, but I was glad to get back on the bus. Then we went to Bath. It was so awesome to walk on the same streets that Jane Austin and Charles Dickens walked. We really enjoyed ourselves. We had real English tea in a tea house that Dickens himself used to eat at. It was the tea with the tea leaves in it and the strainer and everything. They even gave us biscuits and jam and clotted cream… MMMmmmmmmm!
Thirdly we went to Stratford. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Nearly the entire town of Stratford is dedicated to Shakespeare! All the cafes and the shops are brimming with Shakespeare stuff. Jimmy had to hold me back from spending our entire London budget there. We toured Shakespeare’s house where he was born and it was really cool! I finally settled on a Shakespeare book by Bill Bryson (one of my favorite authors!) and some yummy English truffles.
Then yesterday we went to Harrods. Harrods is the most amazing store! You can get anything there! Clothes of any kind, casual, designer, sportswear, etc… you can get books, electronics, you can even buy ski-jets or diving equipment, you can buy saddles and tackle for your horse, or you can buy a puppy or a hamster! The store takes up several city blocks and it’s 7 stories high. It’s bigger then most malls I’ve been in! We stopped for a minute at the fountain dedicated to Princess Diana and her boyfriend who died in the crash, the boyfriend was the son of the owner of Harrods. I finally bought a bra that fits me… thank heavens, and we picked up a couple of books there.
Then last night we had dinner and a show that we paid for in advance. The dinner was at a really fancy French restaurant called L’escargot. They had a girl who’s only job was to go around and ask if you wanted more bread… that’s all she did! It was a really nice place. They brought me my water in a glass bottle and poured it for me and fretted and fawned over us. It was delightful! I suppose we shouldn’t have been surprised to see that the main course was on a huge plate with lots of garnish and a tiny mound of highly-decorated food in the middle that was our main course. Jimmy joked that we would go to McDonalds on our way home. ☺ but luckily that with the appetizer and the bread girl left us plenty full to head to Les Miserables.
The performance was spectacular, of course. Jimmy and I cried all the way through it. Even the baby was moving around throughout. I’m not sure whether she was reacting to the immensity of the sound or my emotional response, but I like to think she enjoyed it too. I’ve seen it twice before in the states, so it was kind of funny to hear it with the British accents. ☺ Today we plan to go to Notting Hill and Portobello Road. Tomorrow we have another tour of the sights of London. It includes the changing of the guard and a private tour of the tower of London, which I’m particularly looking forward to, and a private viewing of the crown jewels, among other things. Then on Thanksgiving we plan to go visit some of the British museums. Then on Friday and Sabbath… who knows!I hope you’re all having a fabulous Thanksgiving break!
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