Somewhere Near Piccadilly

I gave up trying to finish my Israel post before uploading this one – it’s just too darn long and complicated. Still a work in progress.

Week One: London: August 30^th – September 5^th, 2011

I stumbled into Aaron Eaton, a fellow Oxonian from CLU, at the Bush Intercontinental Airport because we just happened to be in the same row and were among the last to board! It was quite the pleasant surprise. We then survived customs, which was speedy and efficient (absolutely nothing like El Al or LAX; this was probably the easiest flight I’ve ever had including security and passport control). Dr. Michael Brint, my CLU professor, faculty advisor, and mentor also leading the Oxford Program, met us after we took the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, just a few blocks away from our hotel. Another pleasant surprise – very rarely do memories hit you like a train, but the Paddington Bear was one of them. I ended up going back to the station the morning before we left for Oxford to pick up a pal for the rest of the trip. You will see his pictures all over Europe J

Rather than reproduce an itinerary of my trip on this blog, just check out my Facebook album instead haha there’s at least one picture of everything we did. I am going to try to discuss broader issues here instead. First and foremost – food! In addition to breakfast-in-bed room service every morning, we received an allotment of Sterling Pounds (pre-paid via the CLU Meal Plan) to visit fancy restaurants all week on the condition that we critique them for the next batch of students. We ate everything from Italian to Lebanese, French, and English Pub food. We didn’t get to make it to the Texas Embassy for some Tex-Mex, unfortunately. Needless to say I felt like I was in Turkey again eating massive meals and wobbling around town though. We certainly did not starve. I was almost to the point of thinking the “pounds” was how much weight I would gain, not how much the entrée would cost. But it was all delicious, and the only criticism I have is of the Pub food – a bit dry, but the company made up for it. One thing that is quite different than the States is that the waiters and waitresses never rush you to pay or leave – they will let you sit and talk for hours, even into the late evenings after the theatre. This is perhaps why most pubs close the kitchens before the theatres let out.

The theatre is a lovely experience – if you can find tickets at an affordable price. Dr. Brint took us to Leicester Square for discounted rates, but unfortunately some plays were sold out and others cost nearly £85. Nikki Mills and I, whom I travelled to Turkey with as well, ended up purchasing for the play entitled, “Yes, Prime Minister” to catch some witty British humor. We absolutely loved it – it was perfect for us political science nerds. The next night, rather than fight the crowds for a musical or drama, we went the opposite direction and saw the Budapest Festival Orchestra perform selections from Liszt and Mahler at Royal Albert Hall for only £5. Best experience yet. We had a wonderful time those two days being “cultured” in performance and food alike – so much that we popped into a piano bar before heading back to the hotel to celebrate, where we met some people absolutely obsessed with our teeth. It was quite entertaining.

Luckily with a small group of only 12 students and 1 professor, we are close-friends-enough to be able to split up with whomever and have a blast. On Friday we went to Buckingham Palace to bear the crowds and see the changing of the guards, visit with Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and Parliament. Kirsten Larsen and I bought a manuscript of Parliament debates from August 11th (unfortunately, they were in recess until the following Monday, so there were no debates that day to listen in on). What I had not realized in approaching Parliament was that it is an absolutely stunning building architecturally and historically! Big Ben is attached to one end of it right alongside the Thames River. I was completely dumbfounded. We will hopefully take a day trip back from Oxford to sit in on Parliament if possibly. Across the street was a series of tents and protesters concerning all kinds of issues literally camped out in front of Parliament. Kirsten and I walked the block speaking with a few of them and reading their signs. Many of which are in the Facebook album as well. We then scheduled another trip for Westminster Abbey to come for an Evensong Service the following Sunday, which included an organ prelude, hymns, scripture, and a theological sermon. We slept through most of the hymns and scripture readings (sorry, exhausted college kids), but the sermon was pleasantly attractive. The speaker discussed the month’s riots and how we should combat the insurgency with community outreach and mentorship. Her closing line was “we are our brothers’ brothers and our sisters’ sisters.”

One of my favorite events was having a drink with a former news producer of an Iranian World TV network, while discussing the Middle East and the role of new media in the Arab Spring. One of his main points is that the conflict is “not about faith, it’s about power.” I won’t bore you with the details on the blog, but contact me if you would like mynotes from his conversation with our group. You will read in my upcoming Israel blog more on this subject from my experiences and observational research, along with detailed explanations and analyses.

Of course London was not all fun and games – we did have some thought and plays, though, with the Politics and the Arts seminars. This included attending the British Museum’s Parthenon exhibit and taking a day trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon to analyze the difference between the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre’s MacBeth performance and the film to witness post-modernism at its finest. Real vs. the Unreal. How technology abridges and accentuates our experiences.

With that, I take my Paddington Bear, ram my suitcase through Platform 9 ¾, and venture to Oxford. Cheers!