Week 4 - Finals and SUNSHINE!

London Trip (Round Two)

Big Ben!

Kirsten and I decided to break from the group on our London Trip (which was included in the tuition of PKP). We were dropped off by Big Ben and decided to make our way around the side of London that we didn't cover on our first journey. We started at Big Ben and Westminster Abbey where we walked around and took pictures. Because it was a Sunday (July 22) we were unable to go into the Abbey because of services, but it is always spectacular to look at from the outside. We made our way over by the London Eye and the Aquarium before starting on our journey to see all the bridges and make sure we knew our way well enough to get to the Globe Theatre. 

We followed the Jubilee path down the River Thames. Here we saw food festivals and museums as well as Olympic activities for families to participate in. We passed the Millennium Bridge, London Bridge and Tower Bridge. Following the path was a lot of fun because you were able to see many hidden treasures of London such as a Pirate ship and great restaurants...even a hidden castle! Or at least what's left of one. Haha. There were lots of really cool statues of the Olympic mascots scattered along the path and in fact all over London. Each mascot is painted differently to represent British landmarks and culture. 

Tower Bridge

After walking around the bridges we headed across the way to see the Tower of London. Sadly I did not want to pay to go in again so we decided not to go in this time. I would suggest that you go in if you have the time or come in on a weekend and do one of the night tours. The Tower is one of my favorite places in London out of the tourist attractions. It has such great history! We also walked to the Monument which was an incredible statue. It's so out of place with all the tall modern building surrounding it. I imagine that when it was first put up it was taller than everything around it. Now it is dwarfed in comparison! 

Covent Garden

We continued our walk to Convent Garden where we had lunch. I absolutely adore Convent Garden. We walked by the shops so I could see if the Fred Perry store was still where I remember it being and sure enough it was! FACT: If you want to do some cool shopping and grab some great food, GO HERE! We ate some lovely pub food before continuing our wandering. 

We finished our walk at St. Paul's Cathedral, which sadly we were not able to enter for the same reasons as Westminster Abbey. From the outside it is daunting and resembles what one might imagine to be a government building. There were many people seeking shade in its gardens. I would love to come back and take a tour of the cathedral.

The Globe Theatre

Finally we walked back to the Globe to see Richard III. Kirsten and I were there quite early so we stood in line to get towards the front of the stage as groundlings. I have seen one other play at the Globe, "As You Like It" but I had seats that year. There's something magical about seeing a play in Shakespeare's theatre. FACT: The companies that perform here are always all men! No matter how serious the play is, seeing men play women is always entertaining. The actor who played Richard III was very good and made the history enthralling rather than boring. One of the actors on stage was also an actor in Harry Potter (I believe he played Barty Crouch). I always find British actors to be very versatile in their ability to go from film to television to stage.

All in all we had a great adventure in London.

Classes

Finals always tend to scare me, but in all honesty they weren't bad at all. I finished one of my papers early so that I wouldn't need to worry about it while studying and working on my group project. The group project ended up being a little stressful. I volunteered to work on the powerpoint which proved to take me six hours. But once my group gave the presentation, I was all smiles and delighted at a job well done. I love doing presentations because it actually involves people. Something I have enjoyed from my experience in Cambridge is truly working with people and getting to know them, a trait that you hardly see in many American classes. HINT: As to the finals, I'd say to any potential student that they aren't as bad as you'd imagine. Just relax and be confident that you've studied and know the material. The library will become your best friend for a week, but it will be worth it. Hopefully I get my grades back with high marks. :)

Plenary Lecture, Formal Hall, and Afternoon Tea

Gardens of Pembroke

I absolutely adored the Olympic Ideal Plenary Lecture! It was excellent. There were three speakers who talked about various aspects of the games. The first speaker talked about the history of the games and the different values that are associated with it. The second speaker discussed how the Olympics have become commercialized in order to keep them going because of the fees. He pointed out how he felt this was a bad development and that it took away the value from the sports. The final speaker was a former Olympic rower from Pembroke. She had won silver and attended three Olympics. She talked about the different aspects of being an Olympian. It was interesting to hear how hard it was for her being in a sport that you have to fund yourself until you get more recognition for it or get better. She talked about how every aspect of your life is run by your sport and your desire to continue doing your sport at a high level. The dieting, exercising, lack of social life, and amount of time dedicated solely to your sport. It makes me think of my cousin, Shea, who has worked so hard to make our Men's Water Polo team. I can't imagine giving everything up in pursuit of your Olympic dreams. She also talked about how returning to your country as an Olympian comes with a certain respect from your fellow citizens. It's because you are now a role model. What a joy, but also what a responsibility. This was my favorite plenary lecture to attend. It really struck a cord with me.

Julie and I at formal at Pembroke College

I attended afternoon tea at Pembroke College. I love afternoon tea because it is so formal and really tasty. It has a lot of tradition behind it. We ate scones, cakes, and sandwiches. It was all delicious and it was fun meeting new people (as there was no one I knew signed up for this particular tea). I also attended the Formal Hall at Pembroke with Julie. The gardens at Pembroke are really pretty and are great for taking pictures haha. We sat by some people I had never met and had a great time. After the dinner was over we took a photo shoot around Pembroke and explored.