In honor of National Tequila Day, we at the Leeds International Summer School thought it would be fun to look south of the border for inspiration for Wednesday's social. So we hosted our very own Taco Night! Anna and Kathryn declared themselves Social Assistants for the evening, and I must say, they did a fantastic job.
We all took a trip to the local supermarket and picked up supplies, then headed back to prepare our traditional Mexican meal. I have to admit, this was the most cooking I've done since I've been overseas. (I'd probably starve without frozen mini-pizzas...) The tacos were a hit, and we had a great time celebrating National Tequila Day on the other side of the Atlantic.
Love these Aussies and their fancy-dress
Here you go Alex, your very own picture on the blog!
One really cool thing happened at Taco Night that I definitely didn't expect but am so happy it did. My friends and I ended up discussing religion and Christianity for a solid couple of hours, and it couldn't have been a more interesting, non-confontational way of going about it. You see, back home in Texas, pretty much everyone is a Christian, or at least religious in some way. I've always been strong in my faith, and while I've been the outcast sometimes, I've never been in a group of people with such differing beliefs. And it's so cool that I get to experience this here! Because the thing is, we all care about each other a lot -- no one was attacking anybody, no one was being judgmental. It was purely a conversation sparked from curiosity. People constantly tell me that Study Abroad is the greatest because you are exposed to fellow young people at all walks in their spirituality, and I couldn't agree more. I am not a perfect Christian by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I explained my beliefs and those of the Christian Church well last night. I pray that God uses me in a way that impacted those around me; I can already see that I've grown so much throughout this entire trip and am so blessed by the friends I've made and the conversations we've had.
Yesterday after class, I took the train up to York by myself for a day trip in the city. My friends had all gone the Sunday I was in London and had a great time, so naturally I felt the need to explore York for myself. Plus, my family and I spent several days there when we went in 2004, leaving me nostalgically longing to go.
The Fisher Phone Booth
Upon my arrival into York, I called my Dad and asked him about a certain phone booth that needed to be tracked down. You see, this phone booth is very special to my family because we have, coincidentally, gotten our photo taken in front of it each time we've gone to York. My parents traveled to England and Scotland before my sisters and I were born and got a picture with it, then when we all went we stumbled upon this same phone booth and snapped a picture with it, so of course I needed to get my picture with it on this excursion. I made my way along the River Ouse and the ancient Roman wall barricading the city until I found the Fisher Phone Booth. It was tucked away on a quiet street corner, a bit dilapidated and in need of some TLC. I have to say, I was quite sad to see how poor of a state it is in, but I nonetheless was pleased with myself for reaching my destination. I looked a bit ridiculous snapping selfies in front of this phone booth, but frankly I didn't care. I know this is very cheesy, but I really hope this phone booth doesn't bite the dust. Who knows, maybe I'll return with friends or a spouse or my own family and will get the same picture that the Fishers continue to take. It's just a sweet reminder of times past, a familiar landmark sentimental to those I love.
You can even see Leeds from here!
I made my way along the wall and into the city center; York is very unique because it still upkeeps the narrow, ancient roads from the Tudor years, lined with quaint shops and museums. York Minster came into my line of vision, and I eagerly entered the magnificent cathedral. The day started very dreary, however the clouds cleared and the weather was sunny finally, shining light through the breathtaking stained-glass windows. I opted to climb to the top of York Minster, a feat that not everyone choses to conquer. Our time-slot for the ascent lined up and shuffled into the narrow turret containing the whopping 237 steps it would take to reach the top. As we began, I thought to myself, "This is nothing. I'm a (somewhat) fit individual. Heck, I'm 20 years old, I can do anything, basically." My confidence was a bit premature. The thing about the climb is not so much the act of walking up so many steps....it's the endless repetition of going round and round a dark circular stairway with no clue when the top has been reached. FINALLY, though, we made it, and the view of Yorkshire from the top was worth it! I was proud of myself and marveled in the sweeping sights seen from atop York Minster.
I made my way down the steps (not very fun) and got to look around the gothic church. I have to say, if you've never seen an ancient cathedral, you haven't seen true beauty. It almost makes me cry how breathtaking a building can be -- call me crazy, but York Minster is a marvel of masonry, physics and art. It is nothing less than sensational to stand in the nave and spin round and round, unable to catch your breath because your senses are so overwhelmed with the grandeur. It is a spiritual encounter, bringing those who experience this church's glory closer to God whether they realize it or not. I literally could not help but thank Him for this treasure of a church and for the fact that I, in 2013, get to witness this ancient beauty no longer found in the modern world. This is why studying abroad is so important. It puts things into perspective and makes you appreciate the world you live in. It's a gift.
I am one lucky girl because I got to spend the weekend in London with my best friend, Julie! She's currently studying abroad at KU Leuven in Belgium, so she hopped on a train and met me in jolly old England. We stayed at the University of London's College Hall, which is a dorm that is open to travelers during the summertime. I highly recommend these accommodations for people on a budget instead of staying in a hostel because 1) we got our own (very clean) room AND bathroom 2) it was an amazing location and 3) it was affordable.
Authentically English Fish & Chips!
On Friday, we walked to Leicester Square and went down to the crypt at St. Martin in the Fields to make our very own brass rubbings, which were masterpieces in their own right (just kidding, we're no artists...). We then checked out Duchess Kate's picture at the National Portrait Gallery and walked around Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. The highlight of the night was definitely taking Julie to Wagamama and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!!!!!!! Julie had never seen it before, so of course I had to share with her my favorite show of all time. It was amazing and wonderful and everything beautiful this world has to offer. I know I'm being a little dramatic (no pun intended), but Phantom moves me unlike anything else. This is the second time I've seen it in London and fifth time ever (once in New York, three times in Houston), and I can honestly say, I still get excited when Christine enters the mirror and awestruck when the Phantom serenades her with "Music of the Night". I could write a whole post (probably a novel) on just how much I love and respect this show, but I will restrain myself and simply say that I had a splendid time and was so grateful I got to share my greatest interest with Julie (who loved it, by the way!).
Tea time with Julie
We awoke bright and early to go shopping at Portobello Road, a fantastic London market where the streets are lined with antiquity and souvenir vendors (along with much more cool stuff!). Julie and I shopped A LOT -- especially buying gifts for back home. Naturally, I couldn't get the song "Portobello Road" from the Disney movie, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, out of my head..... Afterwards, we walked to Kensington Palace where we had a proper Cream Tea, which was lovely. We found out that Kate and William were back home here; unfortunately, we didn't see them, but we did stumble upon a very cool James Bond sign!
Fisher. Rachel Fisher.
We then hopped on the tube and traveled to the Tower of London, which I felt the need to show Julie because it is such a London staple. I was pleasantly surprised that, despite having only just been there two weeks prior, I was just as engaged and excited. Besides, seeing the Crown Jewels NEVER gets old ;) We got our picture snapped in front of the London Bridge and even boarded a traditional Double-Decker Bus, a first for me! It was loads of fun; after this weekend, I feel as though I've mastered traveling around London.
Julie and I got off at St. Paul's: unfortunately, the church was closed, but that didn't stop us gazing with amazement at the grandeur of this magnificent church. We were lucky to find the perfect red phone booth for our tourist picture, and we walked across the Millennium Footbridge for a great view of the Thames. I was very proud of us because we were ahead of schedule (I made a list of things to do), so we went ahead to Harrods where we took in the Food Halls and, yet again, bought souvenirs.
As two very weary travelers, we made our way back to the hotel and had a light, but nonetheless fun, night in our neighborhood, checking out a few pubs and making an ice cream stop.
The next morning, we got to the British Museum right when it opened, and I showed Julie all the highlights (the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon exhibit, the "Bog Man" and mummies, etc.). Because this was Julie's first time in London, we desperately needed to go see the London hotspots: Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Parliament. Although we didn't venture into any of these landmarks, it was fun getting to show off the iconic London area. We even caught the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, although we were slightly disappointed because we thought the crowds were there to catch a glimpse of the Queen, presuming she was coming/leaving. I had such a wondeful time with Julie this weekend and was very sad to see her go. She's having an amazing time in Belgium, and I cannot wait to hear about her other adventures abroad! I'm very grateful I got to take Julie around London; not to toot my own horn, but I'm quite proud of myself for playing the role of travel/tour guide quite well. It's reassuring to know I can manage on my own for future trips! We terribly missed Ashley and Haylie (our two other best friends), but this weekend made me that much more excited for our homecoming when we'll all get to live together at school next year! As for today, we started a new module for the Leeds International Summer School: I'm taking a course on Victorian English Literature, mainly focused on the Brontes. I'm very excited because our teacher seems absolutely lovely, and I'm very passionate about this era, especially in novels -- should be fun! Tonight, we went to play Laser Tag, which I had a BLAST participating in! Aaaaaaaand the big news.......THE ROYAL BABY WAS BORN!!!!!!!!!!! He's a bouncing baby boy who'll inherit the throne of the country that I'm currently living in.......it's so neat to be in England right now! I love this nation so much, and I'm so glad I get to celebrate this joyous occasion with them :)
