The One Where Alex Attended Evensong With the Queen

MONDAY

After a spicy evening of salsa dancing for family home evening, I walked all over London with Stacey, Eliot, and Ben. The city is magical, as it is already all lit up for Christmas. My heart was so happy, I didn't know what to do with myself! As glorious as the display was, it doesn't compare to Temple Square. Especially when there's no snow.

TUESDAY

Bek and I packed in a lot today! After classes, we set out on our adventures. First off, we traveled to Hampton Heath, a quaint park. Next, we hit up The British Library, followed by a quick stop at a special platform at King's Cross Station. After obtaining some delicious baked goods from a street market outside of the station, we traveled across town to St. Paul's for Evensong. It happened to be a special Evensong, as it was the eve of Remembrance Day, attended by the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. For those of you who do not know, that means the Queen. Following the beautiful service, I tubed over to Chinatown for the new tradition of steamed buns before Institute.

Long live Voldemort.

St. Paul's

 

WEDNESDAY

Day Trip! We started off the day in Portsmouth by visiting the HMS Victory. The ship itself was cool (I had Disneyland-esque vibes the entire time, as I felt like I was a part of Pirates of the Caribbean), but we had an experience most people don't get to have: this was Remembrance Day. We had the opportunity to participate in the two minutes of silence at 11 a.m., in remembrance of those who have given their time, service, and lives in the effort to preserve freedom and our basic God given rights, down in the hull of a ship that fought several hundred years ago to preserve freedom.  

We may or may not have found a Cadbury outlet store...

 

Our next stop was Jane Austen's home, Chawton Cottage.

Channeling our inner Austen's.

I had the opportunity to play the piano-forte in Jane Austen's home, which was pretty cool.

I find it funny that when we go to these historic and meaningful sites as a group, that most of the time, we end up at some form of playground. We live in London and have the chance of a lifetime to go to these amazing places, and we play on the playgrounds like we have never been down a slide or swung on a swing before in our lives. And I love that about us.

I was beginning to slip off the back of the swing right as I
took the picture...priceless.

FRIDAY

Churchill War Rooms, followed by steamed buns from Chinatown and Miss Saigon with Austin and Jordan. 

After the show, we left the theatre, hopped on the tube, then walked the short 5 minutes back to the centre. Everything was normal, not a care in the world, excited to go to sleep, etc. And then we found out from our colleagues what had happened in Paris. People had been spending their evenings in a similar fashion to ours, and they had the most basic human right violated. It left me with a pit in my stomach. 

Saturday was to be a day of celebration, with the Lord Mayor of London parade and fireworks. But all of the sudden, many were terrified to leave their homes, to venture out to enjoy the festivities, because they were scared of losing their lives. The firework show was cancelled for security purposes. And I have to admit, I was wary of the dangers that could be lurking in the city. Don't get me wrong, I was not upset that the fireworks were cancelled, that didn't bother me. And I understood their reasoning. But I made up my mind not to live in fear; living in fear is a whole other level of victory reached by those abusers of freedom, a victory that I am not willing to give. I won't put myself in unnecessary dangers, of course, but I will go out in the city and enjoy it. I will go to the markets, to the crowded squares for the vigil, I will use pubic transportation. And if something happens, then something happens. I have no control over the actions of another. But I do of myself. My heart and prayers go out to the circles facing this great loss.

Camden Market

 

    

Vive la France. Vive la Liberte.