Welcome to My World

Hello again! I wanted to write and share with you all just some little pieces of culture that I've been experiencing the past couple of weeks, and give you a little bit of a taste of what it's like to live in Cambridge.

Last week, just about everyone left for Germany and France for our first long break, so I pretty much had the house to myself. While they were gone, the few of us that were left ventured into London for a day. My favorite things that we visited were the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Hyde Park. The Victoria and Albert Museum was fantastic and I wish I had gotten to spend more time there, because it's so big with so many things to see. My favorite exhibit was the jewelry exhibit, with necklaces, earrings, pins, tiaras, you name it, all decked out in the largest and most expensive gems around. I know that there's a lot of responsibility that comes with wearing a crown and being royalty, but wouldn't it be fun to get all dressed up and wear a tiara for a day?

I also wish we spent more time in Hyde Park. It was rainy when we got into London, but when we walked around the park, the sun broke through the clouds and we could see the blue sky. Blue sky in London is not something  you see every day, and we definitely took advantage of it. I loved the quiet setting in the middle of the big city, and it was a nice, peaceful way to spend an hour or two.

Now everyone's back for a week and a half before we all go off to Spain and Italy. This will be my first big trip with the rest of the group, and I am very excited to get to Europe again. I am especially excited for Barcelona, Spain, where I can hopefully use my minimal Spanish language skills and drink sangrias while dancing the flamenco through the streets.

Yesterday, our group took a twenty minute train ride to Ely to visit the Ely Cathedral. One of the most interesting things I found about this trip was not about the cathedral, but about Ely itself. It used to be called the Isle of Ely because it was, in fact, an island way back in the day. It's a town located in the Fenlands, which is very wet and marshy, and before the marshes were drained, the town was actually an island, which I think is pretty cool.

Many parts of the Cathedral were built by the Normans and date back to the 1100s. It has a beautifully painted ceiling depicting different images of the genealogy of Christ. The painter who painted each section died halfway through, and he was replaced by someone else to finish up the mural. You can tell where one artist's work stopped and the other's began--the color blue used by the second artist was a little more vibrant than the first. Below is a picture of the painted ceiling reflected in a mirror.

As for the rest of the cathedral, it was very plain and not nearly as colorful as the ceiling. This is because the walls were whitewashed during the reign of Henry VIII when he decided that he was going to be the head of the Church of England and went around plundering the wealth of the church. The walls of the cathedral were whitewashed, and the statues either had their heads removed or defaced, or they were completely destroyed. In some places, you can still see faded outlines of fleur-de-lis on the walls where decorations used to be.

I find that when I talk to people about living in Cambridge, they want to know what things are similar between the U.S. and England, what things are different, and if I miss anything. In light of this, also included in this blog post is a section called "Do They or Don't They?" in which I address any questions about similarities and differences between the U.S. and England that I think are profound and important.

1. Since they drive on the left side of the road in England, do people walk on the left side of the sidewalk too, or do they walk on the right? Yes. On the left, on the right, in the middle. Whatever gets them there the fastest, that's where they walk. Jaywalking is also not really a crime here either. You cross a street whenever you can get across without being hit, and you've got to be aggressive about it because cars and bikes WILL NOT stop for you. Pedestrians don't really have the right of way. 

2. Is "Harry Potter" as big of a deal in England as it is in the U.S.? Yes. Anglia Ruskin has a Harry Potter Club, there are chocolate frogs with wizard trading cards at the candy store, and I've seen several people with Deathly Hallows tattoos. (If you don't know what the Deathly Hallows are, it's okay. You're just not a true wizard.)

3. Do they have a different sense of style here? Yes and no. I don't stand out in what I wear around town, but in a lot of their stores, their trends are reminiscent of the 90's in America. I've seen high-waisted jeans, scrunchies, jellies shoes, and plastic chokers on some shelves. It's like I've gone back in time. 

4. Is bacon the same in England? NO. This may not seem like an important thing, but it is VERY IMPORTANT to me. My future home will have to be in a place where I can get good bacon. Bacon here is like Candadian bacon, which is not bacon at all. It is ham masquerading as bacon, and NOT the same. 

5. Is it hard to find some of the same foods that we have at home? Not really (except for REAL BACON). There are some things--like Pop-tarts and specialty items, like special brand names--that they just don't have. It's okay though, because what they don't have, I don't miss. Also, they don't refrigerate their eggs, and  Snickers bars are not called Snickers here--they're called "More Nuts."  

6. Does it rain all the time? No. For the first month or so, we had really great weather. It was sunny and in the 60s, and we didn't need coats or umbrellas because there was not a cloud in the sky. It's rainy now, but that's pretty seasonal. 

7. Do you miss anything about the U.S.? Yes, one thing: I miss being able to drive a car. 

Of course, these are just a few of the different things that I've found in Cambridge. In a lot of respects, because the language is the same and because the U.S. was once a colony of England, the way of life here is not all that different from the U.S. Sometimes I even forget that I'm across the ocean.

As always, if there are any questions, especially those pertaining to "Do They or Don't They?", let me know and I'll do my best to explain.

Until next time,

Stephanie

Wandering in Wales

Hello everyone! The last few weeks have been very busy with all kinds of events, and then our weekend in Wales. For anyone who visits the UK, I definitely recommend visiting Wales. The rolling hills, stone walls, and sheep roaming everywhere were so pretty and rustic, and it felt a little like I was going back in time. Everything was a lot less developed than it is in the US, and I really like that. I like how simplistic and beautiful everything is.

Our first stop in Wales was Caernarfon Castle. It dates back to Edward I, and sits right on the edge of the water. I love castles and pretty much anything to do with royalty, so seeing a castle was awesome. It gives more of a concrete image to the things that I read, and I'm better able to imagine what life would have been like for royalty back then when I see the small rooms, little passageways, and narrow staircases.

One of my favorite things that we did was ride horses on the beach our first afternoon in Wales. My horse's name was Tommy, and he was black with a little nub of a tail. This is only the second time that I've been riding, but I wasn't nervous at all. Tommy was a good horse who listened to me really well, and that allowed me to enjoy the ride and look around at the scenery. He kind of had a mind of his own though, because we started off sixth in line of the group, and ended the trip in second. He wasn't about riding behind all the slow people, which was fine with me.

I realize that I post pictures, but never any with me in them. So just to prove that I'm actually in England and doing these things myself, there's a picture with Tommy and me on the beach below.

On Saturday, we took a hike. It was really more of a walk, because it was flat pretty much the entire way. The path started just down the hill from our hostel, and ended when we crossed a REALLY long bridge into the town of Barmouth. It was cloudy and rained a little bit that day, but for the most part, it was a nice, cool day for a walk. The mountains (all of my Colorado friends and family would scoff at my use of the word mountain; they were little baby hills) were veiled in a low layer of clouds and fog, and it made everything seem very mystical and eerie. The opening song from Brigadoon kept running through my head.

I think the best part of this hike was that we didn't all have to stick together. We all went on the same trail together, but at different paces, so that people who wanted to stop and take pictures could, and people who wanted to walk on ahead could do that too. That meant that I got to walk all by myself! When I'm out in nature, I tend to like to separate myself from everyone else so that I can take it all in by myself. I can't hear anyone else speaking, and everything is quiet and peaceful, exactly the way it should be. 

The last day of the trip was spent in Liverpool. We visited the childhood homes of John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney. In John Lennon's house, we all piled into the entryway and sang a Beatles song. Paul McCartney used to love practicing in there because he said that his voice sounded better in there. And it was true that it made everyone's voices sound so much richer in there. We can now all say that we've sung where the Beatles sang! 

Tomorrow marks the start of Anglia Ruskin classes for three of us, and honestly, I'd have to say that it's a bit of a relief that we're starting class. I've had a lot of free time having only three classes at the Study Center this semester, so it'll be nice to have a little bit more to do. 

As always, if anyone has any questions for me, please let me know and I will be happy to clarify something or answer anything.

Until next time,

Stephanie 

Exploring Cambridge

Hello again! I've been in Cambridge for a couple of weeks now, but I feel like I've been here for much, much longer than that. My days have been filled with a few classes, but mostly going out and getting to know the city that is my home for the next eight months.

I keep myself busy during the days by walking around the small little streets of Cambridge. I don't have any classes on Wednesdays, so I usually take that day to explore. I go out by myself and take my time going down whatever road I want to just to see what's there. I love wandering around and exploring and even getting a little lost. It's been a great way to get to know the city. I love the smaller shops and local businesses. You never really know what kind of shop you're going to walk into, and I think that's awesome.

Yesterday, the entire group went punting. For those of who who don't know what that is, a punt is a wooden boat with a flat area on one end. Someone stands on that and uses a long pole to push the boat through the water. Anyway, it was another unusually gorgeous day outside with clear skies and the sun shining, and I had a blast.

The group split up into two punts, and our two tour guides had us go side by side so they could both talk about the things we were seeing at the same time. We passed St. John's College, Trinity College, King's College, and Magdalene College on the River Cam. Both of our guides were very knowledgeable and had a lot of interesting stories to share about the colleges and things that happen in Cambridge. It was nice to sit and relax for an hour and be outside in the sunshine and see Cambridge without having to walk anywhere.

The back of the Chapel at King's College

Today I climbed the the highest spot in Cambridge. Granted, I live in Colorado, so this "high spot" was a little baby hill. But nevertheless, it still offered the best views of Cambridge. I could see the entire city, and I realized that it was much bigger than I thought it was. Because I can walk to anywhere I need to go so easily and relatively quickly, I always assumed the Cambridge was smaller than it was.

The hill that I climbed was actually built by the Romans in the early A.D.'s. It was a point where four different roads met to cross the river Cam into the city, and, being the highest point in Cambridge, it was easy to defend. Like I've said before, and will probably continue to keep saying, it is fascinating to be in a place where the history extends over a thousand years.

For those of you who don't know, tomorrow, September 18, Scotland votes on whether or not they will stay as a part of the UK or become independent for the UK. There will be another blog post to come once the vote comes out, because this is a fascinating and historic occurrence, and I'm very excited that I get to be here and experience it.

Until then,

Stephanie

A Weekend Away in London

I just got back from a weekend in London, and I can't believe how much we packed into three days. Granted, we didn't see that many things but when you include travel time on the Tube (with lots of construction and line closures), I really didn't have all that much down time. And that was okay. I got to see revisit things I had already seen, as well as see a bunch of new things.

 I was struck once again by how many years of history were around me as I was walking through Westminster Abbey. There were kings from the Middle Ages buried there alongside pictures of the royal wedding from just a few years ago. The wide span of history represented in that church is fascinating. Queen Elizabeth I is probably my favorite English monarch, so it was exciting to finally see her final resting place in Westminster Abbey.

I also really enjoyed the Houses of Parliament. I had never been inside Westminster Palace before Saturday. That was a new experience I thoroughly enjoyed, so thoroughly, in fact, that there were times when I felt that everything else was gone and I had been completely transported into the past. As I stood in Westminster Hall, I could imagine big banquet tables and a huge throne where Henry VIII sat as he watched his court dance. I could see large groups of judges assembled on a more somber occasion, and Guy Fawkes and the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot being tried for treason. In the hall where Parliament used to meet before the two houses were built, I could imagine William Wilberforce standing up and delivering a speech, arguing to abolish slavery in England. Like I've said before, it's a very powerful experience to be able to stand in a place where so much history has taken place.

I would have to say that my favorite thing that we did was nothing historical. That's pretty shocking for me, since I love history so much. My favorite thing was when we went as a group to see the play Matilda performed at the Cambridge Theatre. It was based on the children's book by Roald Dahl, and I have to say it was so much better than what I remember of the movie. The sets were fantastic. The desks for the classrooms would raise right out of the stage, and things would fall from the ceiling. My favorite song was called "When I Grow Up," because all of the children were featured in this song, swinging on swings that dropped down from the rafters. However, I think what impressed me the most was the emphasis on learning, knowledge, and storytelling. I loved that it was such a big deal that Matilda knew how to read and expand her mind, and that she was able to come up with fantastic stories to entertain other people. Creativity is a wonderful thing, and I love that you can find it in books.

We're all back in Cambridge now, and I'm happy to say that I don't have to travel anywhere for awhile. While I like traveling and seeing new places, it's really nice to take it easy for awhile and settle into a routine. I'm excited to spend some time exploring Cambridge for awhile.

Until next time,

Stephanie

Jump Right In

I have safely arrived in Cambridge and settled into the house! I can't believe that it's already the beginning of the week and that classes have started. It seems like I was just at home, and at the same time, so much has happened that I feel like I've been gone for at least a few weeks. 

The trip didn't start off so well because the night before I left, I got a very bad cold (that I'm still recovering from). I am not one to get homesick and want to go home, but that very first day I did, because there's no place like home when you're sick. 

I got over that really fast when we started walking around the town. Cambridge is such a pretty place. I am so lucky to be able to spend the next nine months here. They have an outdoor market in the city center that's there nearly every day, selling all kinds of fruits, vegetables, breads, cheeses, souvenirs, you name it. The few pubs I've been two are very cozy and friendly, and their crepe cart is fantastic. 

One of the things that has amazed me (and will continue to amaze me, I'm sure) is how much history there is in this little town. In America, our history is not very long. Wildly interesting, but short. In Europe, that's not the case. Their history spans over a thousand years. Different people over the centuries return to the same spots, and do amazing things here. 

For example, on our walking tour of Cambridge on Thursday morning, our lovely tour guide Mary took us to her favorite pub in Cambridge called the Eagle. She had many cool stories to tell about this pub (which I can share with you later if you're interested) and the people that had been there. Shakespeare's company probably performed there, Charles Dickens went there, Watson and Crick went there to tell everyone about their discovery of DNA, and American pilots went there during World War II when they were in England for pilot's training. 

What's even more amazing is that all of these historic things coexist with modern day things. People here think nothing of walking by a hill that's nearly a thousand years old, or by chapels on college campuses that have been there since 1250 and later. But that astounds me. It is so cool to live in a place that has so much history wherever you turn. 

No signs of homesickness yet (I'm not surprised) and no culture shock yet (although our history professor had quite a lot to say about us "stereotypical" Americans). I just take each day a step at a time, and hope for something interesting to happen. 

Until next time,

Stephanie 

Only the Beginning of the Adventure

Tomorrow starts the biggest adventure I have ever taken to date. Tomorrow, I will leave for Cambridge, England, where I will spend the next nine months studying and traveling and experiencing life in another country. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I've been waiting for this day for the past year and a half. And now it's finally here.

I've had my bags packed for over a week (which, for those of you who know me, is astonishing). I've had my passport and visa ready for a month, and I've got my classes all picked out and ready to go. And I still can't believe that I'm leaving the country tomorrow. I guess it won't seem real until I set foot in England.

People have asked why I would want to spend an entire year abroad as opposed to a semester. "Won't you get homesick?" and "Wow, you're so brave!" are the common comments I've received. For some people, I guess it would be natural to get homesick, and that staying away from home for so long is a huge step. For me, there was no question about the choice between four months and nine months. I choose to stay in England so long because there is so much I want to see and experience that could not be compressed into just four months. I want the complete experience of living somewhere else where I can make my own life.

I will split my time between the Valparaiso University Study Center in Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University. The Study Center offers some of the classes I need to fulfill some general education requirements, and Anglia Ruskin offers classes to fulfill requirements for my English major. I am excited (and nervous) to see what the education system is like and how that compares to Valpo.

I'll post as often as I can to let you all know how I'm doing and what I've experienced. I would appreciate any travel suggestions and insights anyone has to share about their favorite places in the United Kingdom and Europe. Thank you in advance for your prayers!

Stephanie