Paper, Pink Eye and Accident Prone

I know you are probably surprised at my speedy blog posting here!

You are having to pick up your pace in reading because I am posting so frequently now aren't you?!

The Paris post was so long already that I decided to take out some updates and put them in this one :)

This past Monday I woke up at 7am having to finish a politics paper due at 9am. I also woke up to a beautiful messy pink eye infection. Fab! I put that set back aside as I fervently typed up what ended up being a ten page paper. (DISCLAIMER: I did not type all 10 pages up that morning.) I handed my paper to a classmate to turn in since my top priority, obviously, was going to the doc. After making my doctor appointment in the downstairs office, I headed back upstairs to my apartment. Wait...I missed one part:

While walking up the steps, I missed the top step. My reflexes weren't as fast since I was holding a bag with my lap top in it and therefore, my whole face literally slammed into the wall. It's okay if you just had a chuckle. I laugh from time to time as I replay the moment in my head. I honestly wish someone had gotten it on tape so i could see it. Anyways, there are now two marks on the wall from where my nose and mouth hit. Good thing I was headed to the doctor...

After i got myself together, i headed to the doctor to find out that my face would be fine. Just some slight bruising and that yes, I did have pink eye in my left eye.

Overall, my day had been quite eventful and it wasn't even 10am yet.

As I went to bed that night, I opened up my Beth Moore daily prayer devotional. The quote for that day was

"Walking consistently does not mean walking perfectly. It means we may stumble, but we will not fall. "

How appropriate and needed to read at the end of my Monday. I may have fallen so to speak earlier that day, but in reality, I can not ever fall as long as I am holding God's hand along the way. Yes, there will be pebbles, rocks, even boulders along the way of life, but we will not fall as long as we are following the light and holding God's hand. 

If you feel yourself stumbling today, be comforted in knowing that you have a mighty God waiting to catch you. 

Paris-Oui, Oui!

Bonjour! Or should I say Bonne Soirée?!

I write to you tonight after my house finished a progressive Mexican dinner. Man, I love mexican food!

Last night, I saw my first musical here in London, Billy Elliot. It was fabulous! Really spectacular to see such young talent upon the stage. Incredible dancing from 12 and 13 year olds!





















This past weekend, our group traveled to the city of Paris! The trip was filled with all you would expect: crepes, French language, metro, poodles, etc.

Day one we visited the Musee de Orsay and the Louvre. It was such a privilege to be exposed to world renown paintings and to see artwork up close and personal. The Musee de Orsay used to be a train station and is considered a newer museum containing artwork from artists such as Monet, Manet, and Van Gough. The Louvre is the biggest art gallary in the world. One could spend hours upon hours in the Louvre just looking at different artwork. Oh wait...I did!                                                                

That night, a group of us went to the Arc de Triomphe and then the Eiffel Tower. I LOVED being at the Eiffel Tower all night. We soon went up the Eiffel Tower to the second level (unfortunately, the very top was closed.) The lights on the Eiffel were magical and the night seemed like a dream. 

I again, spent the next day lounging on the lawn near the Eiffel Tower. As we spent time taking pictures and relaxing, we met a few girls sitting next to us who are from Texas also studying abroad in Europe. They were so kind and gave us a whole baguette they had extra as well as grapes! There I was: eating a baguette and grapes laying down staring at the Eiffel Tower on a gorgeous, sunny, hot summer day. The night ended with strolling the Champs Elysee and seeing more of the Paris atmosphere. One thing that Paris has more than London I would say are beggars. Adults and children. While laying on the lawn that afternoon, three young children came up with notes waving them all in our faces asking in French for water. Many people held clip boards walking down the streets and near the Eiffel tapping, following, and asking us to sign petitions of some sort.
                                                                        

Our last day was pretty much free and so a couple friends and I went to Montmartre. This is a gorgeous overview of the whole city as well as many shops up and down the mountain. The day was extremely hot and perfect for exploring. When i was ten, my family and I went to Montmarte and i got a portrait drawn so i thought it was only necessary that i get a portrait done again of myself ten years later. It's so interesting to see the difference between the portrait of my 10 year old self and my 20 year old self. I also was able to eat my first sandwich baguette! Ya know...with jambon et fromage (ham and cheese).

CREPES!            

                                                                                                                 

Nutella

Nutella & Strawberries

Nutella & Banana (my favorite!)

After returning from Paris, it was the first time i felt as though London was home. I loved Paris, however, it did not steal my heart. London has such a clean, friendly, and fun feeling where as in Paris, i felt I had to be way more on guard, the environment wasn't very clean, and I just didn't feel as though i wanted to stay there for a long period of time. It was super fun whipping out my French i learned in high school even though it wasn't extensive. 

Au Revoir! 

Still With Me?

Hi Everyone!

Are you still with me?! I realize it has been a week since I posted last and I am so sorry about that!

I have been doing work for the past three hours today so I decided to take a break, eat some Oatmeal (walnuts and raisins included) and write to you all :)

I was away this past weekend with the group and with mid-term essays and presentations coming up, I have been feeling a bit under the weather! Sore throat, sinus pressure, low energy...all great together. Nothing a Benadryl and prayer can't fix, right? 

My weekend away was so great. Stratford, Oxford, Bath all in one weekend! So much.

**DISCLAIMER: It rains everywhere.. all the time.. at least once a day, so you will see me wearing my periwinkle rain jacket in almost all pictures. 

While in Stratford, we saw the play Macbeth. I have NEVER seen such a gory play. Granted...it IS Macbeth. If you don't know the plot of this play, then basically just think of Macbeth becoming king because he kills the current king, Macbeth killing loads more of people, Macbeth getting killed, plus a few creepy witches being played by children. I honestly had to turn my head a few times. (I've never been a fan of scary things/movies/plays). Let's just say...Macbeth is a tragedy. Afterwards, my theatre class got to speak with the actor who played Macbeth. John is his name and it was SO weird to see the man off stage who i just saw get killed 30 minutes before hand. I think it was a good time for incite in to an actor's life. He spoke on how he keeps his work life separate from his personal life which was something I sure wanted to know. "Easy", he said. Hm...alrighty. 

Morning after Macbeth, our group went and saw Shakespeare's birth place and well as the church he is buried. Afterwards, we went to Shakespeare's wife's, Anne Hathaway, house where it is said that Shakespeare courted Anne. Did you know that Shakespeare was only 18 when he married 26 year old Anne? T'was a "shot gun wedding" they said. 

Being back in Oxford was awesome! Although it came with a few raindrops, I really love being in Oxford. Since i had been in Oxford less than a week before, i recognized a lot i was seeing. I made sure to go back to the market to get some of "Ben's Cookies" I had seen the week before with Jimmie. Literally...divine tasting.

     Staying in Bath grew on me. At first, I was wary of the lack of people, but then i just realized the next day that the whole town must go to bed by seven each night. It's fine. Saturday afternoon, our whole group took a bus tour of Bath and then toured the famous Roman Baths. This is where the Romans would come to not only bath, but most importantly come to socialize and have community. 

bus tour

roman baths

From there on out, we had the whole day FREE. What ever shall we do? We went to Sally Lunn's-fantastic sandwich lunch place that prides itself on being the oldest house in Bath. Tea was had there most definitely. 

roasted vegetables and sun-dried tomato sandwich + House Tea 

We then ventured off to the Jane Austin Exhibition. I have never read any of Jane Austin's books, but after that exhibition, I went out and bought her book, Pride and Prejudice! Of course, i have seen that movie because my suite-mates played it about every week in our suit last year, but as anyone knows...the book is usually better. Can't wait to dive in. 

Sunday, we did a couple things. First, we toured the Wilton House where Pride and Prejudice was filmed. This house was like nothing i have ever seen before. It was so beautiful, big, crisp, and historical. The gardens lasted forever. I felt as though i could get lost in the rose gardens and run underneath the flower arches. Reminded me of the Secret Garden. 

Wilton House

Secondly, we went to Stonehenge. Another unique experience to check off the list! Here is our group picture :)

Throughout these unique travels, it can feel easy to get caught up in the bigness of the experiences (or houses, gardens, cities). However, through these experiences, I remind myself exactly where I really stand. I stand in the presence of God who is guiding me all along the way. We serve a big God! Every day I am reminded of how much he pursues me no matter where I am! I encourage you all to feel his pursuit today. 

An Eye For London

More friends met and made! 

Through a family friend back home, I was able to connect with a couple who go and work at a local church here in London. Ben and Hanelle are their names and they are absolutely adorable! 

Monday afternoon I went to the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum on a class outing. I have a few favorite quotes from Winston Churchill...

True. 

I conquer! 

I'm not sure what Churchill meant by this last quote. However, If I was a worm, then I'd definitely want to glow! This quote just made me think that no matter where we are or what we are doing, we can all glow with God's light shining through us. Somewhat cheesy, but true! 

Went to another gallery:

Boy did I did I have an eye for London last night! I went on the London Eye at sunset and saw the city from above. Beautiful. It takes about thirty minutes to go all the way around, but it went by so fast because of all the pictures I was snapping!  

See the Clock Tower behind me?!

I am feeling quite independent here in the city.  Navigating, using the tube system, and cooking most meals are all now part of my daily life. Today I went to the Natural History Museum. It incorporated more science than I was expecting. 

Here is my birthstone, Garnet. Legend says that Garnet warmed the heart :)

 

This was my favorite thing I saw in the whole museum. I loved reading and learning more about how scientists are acting on the water deprivation in the world. My passion is to directly help this world issue one day.

Hi all!

A lot has been happening :)

Can I first just tell you...I went into the COOLEST bathroom a few days ago. The picture can speak for itself. 

Tid-Bit: Here in England they have cookies called, Digestives. Hilarious right?! They are actually really good! They are called Digestives because they used to help do just that. However, as time went on, some chocolate was put on the bottom of the cookie and the point of the cookie was kind of lost. They're really popular. Milk Chocolate is my fav. 

I went back to Harrods. How could I not? There is no possible way to see all Harrods has to offer with out at least a couple visits. Due to this second visit, I am now guilty of buying a REALLY comfy pair of lounge paints. I don't know if that means anything to you, but if you have ever had a really nice/comfy pair of lounge paints you understand that this was a valuable find that had to be bought...by me. Kerri, Claire, Lyndsay, and I indulged ourselves in a some delicious ice-cream at the Ice-Cream Parlor. The spoons were appropriate size for the circumstance. Take a delicious look...

Me, Kerri, Claire

Also, I have a Barbie of myself. It's quite popular here in the U.K.  

"Princess Catherine Doll"

A few nights a go I was able to meet up with my cousin, Emily, who is also in London! We are less than a month a part in age so Emily and I have always been in each other's lives. It was so great to see a very familiar face in a not so familiar place. I had tons of fun meeting her new friends and introducing her to mine. T'WAS LOVELY! 

                                      

I was able to meet up with some new friends in Oxford. The sunshine made it a perfect day to go punting with a picnic to follow. Don't know what punting is? Oh, well, it's this:

Jimmie teaching Laura the technique.

I decided to give it a go.

Jimmie always got us back on the right path.

New friend + beautiful day= bliss 

                  

That night, I was blessed to be able to go to Hillsong's event called, Pentecost. Incredible night of worship. I can't even describe it in words. One arena, 1600 people, our one God being praised. The unity in the United Kingdom is happening! God is connecting his people all over the world. Salt and Light. Matthew 5:12-16. 

                                          

Loads of Fun!

Yesterday's adventure: HARRODS!  Two friends + dressing up = a fabulous day at Harrods. We shopped with our eyes and then ate some delicious pizza! 

Goat cheese, peppers, and basil.

Today, was another full day. I woke up with an urge to paint. I went to the art store right down the street and got some paint supplies. Despite the threatening rain cloud, I ventured out to the park. I have to admit...when I was painting, I did feel very European. After telling my friends I was on my way to paint in the park, they asked if I was an artist. I said, "Nope, not at all. I just really want to paint." 

beginning

finished product

We ended the day with going to Shakespeare's Globe to see the play, "Much Ado About Nothing." It was amazing! Very witty. We actually had tickets for the standing up section. We stood for three hours straight! It was well part of the experience!

Baskin in Britain

Ever wonder the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain? Well, the United Kingdom includes:  England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Great Britain includes: England, Scotland, and Wales. I'm learning things here! It's been so amazing to hear my professors lecture about how the media as well as pop culture influences English society, the political structure here in the U.K., and the art of theatre. 

Last Thursday night our theatre class saw the play, Betrayal. It was so different from any play I've ever seen. Long silences, truly engaging characters, and relationship struggles were all a part of this fantastic play. If you get the chance, I highly recommend seeing it. 

This past Sunday, my roommate Kerri and I spent 30 minutes walking up and down one street trying to find a recommended church. Due to my not so wonderful sense of direction, we never found the church. Whoops! :( HOWEVER, since Hillsong was right down the street, I decided to head over for their morning service. I met a new friend, Chi Chi (i love her name!), whom i went to lunch with afterwards and met loads more of lovely people! (I can feel my vocabulary being influenced by the British culture. Can you tell?) These new friends of mine are such an answer to prayer. God is truly providing fellowship for me here in London. LIGHT! 

Before I left home, I had a cup of my favorite ice-cream of ALL time, Gold Medal Ribbon, from Baskin Robbins. This is because I thought I would not see a Baskin Robbins or taste this divine ice-cream until my return home. Boy...was i wrong. Everyday on the way to class, I pass a Baskin Robbins. Yesterday was the day. The day where I ventured in and got my oh so wonderful ice-cream. It was a good day.

A couple tid-bits about London:

1.) The English call a line a "queue" [q]. If you are lining up, you may say, "We are queueing up." 

2. ) When getting someone's contact information, the English call it: "details." They say, "Lets exchange details." 

3.) Since people drive on the opposite side of the road, there are helpful instructions painted at crosswalks for foreigners like myself. However, they don't seem to be 100% effective for myself. I have almost been run over by vehicles, buses, and motorcycles ohh about 5-10 times. It's fine. 

Lastly, just wanted to apologize for any spelling mistakes. My mom was so kind to point out a few from past blog posts. What can I say?! I'm verbal communicator at heart. Not a writer. 

Make sure to look right, look left, and most importantly... look UP today! :)  

Original Tower Bridge Photo!

My ten-year old self. Cheers! 

Week One...Done!

A few days ago, some of the girls and I went to a popular clothing store here called, Top Shop. It was FABULOUS! Just think Forever 21 or H&M X10 and you've got Top Shop. While shopping there, we were able to be a part of their somewhat "photoshoot" and take pictures with fun accessories for free! Now, i know what you're thinking. "Free? Catherine is this safe?" I completely understand because those were my first thoughts, but just trust me...it was legit. NEXT, the girls and i went to the beautiful Kensington Garden. It was a sunny and breezy day! With the help of some friendly residents, we were able to find the Peter Pan statue. After about 30 minutes looking for this statue, we really felt like we had accomplished something. (Yes...the parks here are that big.) Success! 

The following day, we took a trip over to Greenwich as a group. Absolutely green and glorious looking place. I stood on the Prime Meridian, yes i did! We shopped at a few markets and then absolutely bought a cute cupcake to eat-it was divine. Later that night, my roommate and our friend Nicole went out to meet our new friends from Hillsong. I met some more people and made an awesome new friend, Vera. Only a year older than me, we were able to connect and get to know each other. This is really an answer to prayer as far as my fellowship here growing! After our bite to eat, we all went cosmic bowling! SO FUN. N'ough said.

Yesterday was packed with two very wonderful, yet long tours. First of the Tower of London and second on the West End of London. I of course, got a picture of myself in front of the Tower Bridge in order to recreate the picture of me in the exact same spot ten years ago. Unforfunately, I am unable to upload the picture from ten years ago. (Anyone know how to turn a PDF into JPG?)

 Who would have thought to put
asparagus as a center piece? I like it!

I have been making my own salads here in the flat. I put great care into them. My latest creation: Italian lettuce, carrots, apple, goat cheese, hummus, strawberries, and balsamic vinaigrette.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Bless you!