Take You Wonder by Wonder

Roman wall reconstruction & Norman
hill in a sunset filled evening
view of the Canterbury cityscape.

Whoops. I waited awhile, didn’t I? Good news, I moved out of the loud party flat (house) of freshers (freshmen) on Hamill Terrace and across the street into a smaller but cleaner flat at Rigby Court with only four housemates instead of six. Whew, what a breath of fresh air! Literally because the rubbish (trash) actually goes out and food doesn’t stay all over the counter for 4+ days, but also in the sense that it is a much better atmosphere and a relief to actually be able to fall asleep before 4:00 in the morning. I have cupboard space and fridge space, so I’ve been eating better this week! Can’t say I’ve branched out further than Ramen noodles, pasta and marinara sauce, jacket potatoes (those would be baked potatoes, you Americans!), an assortment of wraps, raisin bran cereal (a beloved daily staple!), and fresh fruit. Sounds good to me! No doubt, my family still worries about my potential development of malnutrition with my lack of cooking motivation. Notice: motivation, not skills. Don’t worry! I’m fine!

At the Bridge House right off the
Tower Bridge, lunch was a dish of
Tubulo Pasta in Creamy Pesto
Sauce & Parmesan. Yum!

Last Sunday, I went to Canterbury’s Vineyard Church. After an online Kent churches Google search, I trekked out a 40 minute walk and a couple moments of “I think I’m lost…” to get to the warehouse/church building in the middle of Cow’s Lane. No joke that is the street name in the directions. There was moving worship, funny speakers John & Eleanor Mumford who I can to find out were vital to the growth of Vineyard churches in the UK (their sons would be none other than of the Mumford & Sons), and with no shortage of friendly people I was invited to someone’s house for lunch. I feel like that was a pretty traditional English meal. It was here that I was introduced to many pleasant people who I mostly forget the names of and Brie cheese no complaints there. I went to a small Vineyard group this Thursday that was refreshing as well! It has been way too long since I’ve been in a regular bible study or small group. I foresee good things, more than likely more to come on this later!



Canterbury Cathedral Courtyard



Anyways, I received the rest of my class schedule this week. You have to be really adamant and a go-getter to get anyone to do anything for you here. Already, I am able to see a change in England’s laid-back and lax organizational system. I don’t know if that’s a European tendency, or just my interpretation as an American that comes from a very fast-paced and deadline-driven culture? It went from once you get here you’ll receive your schedule, to you should get it Wednesday, to wait until Thursday, to look for it online on Friday, to check your email over-the-weekend, to me barging into my academic advisor’s office the Monday morning of classes. Success! I am taking Contemporary Literature: Holocaust, Creative Writing, British Literature, and Modern Britain. My schedule comes out to be four classes over M-Tues-W. Yes, a four day weekend!

Wanna hear what I managed to do on Wednesday? Of course, you do! I got myself early onto campus in order to print my first assignment abroad and every single computer lab they showed me on my campus tour was full of classes! Urgggg! I finally gave up on the printing and headed to class late only to find my British Lit class was nowhere to be found. In the empty room that they left was a woman who told me another room number they went to for the day only that room was empty as well! I ran around campus for over an hour going up and down hallways, in and out buildings, and searching for my academic advisor for some advice on steps of action only to sit myself in as secluded area as possible to cry a moment or two. Yep, I did. Occasionally, I’m emotional and this week in particular.



I have an eye for detail - it's one of

the perks of my spidey sense.



I did find my lecturer (they don’t call them professors here) after class let out, and it turns out missing a seminar on Chaucer is no big deal. My lecturer was much more upset at the lack of organization for the college’s classroom booking than at me, which I am more than okay with! Tears for nothing - but it isn’t too hard to get worked up over nothing in week 2 of 12 abroad, just saying.



Inside view of the
Canterbury Cathedral's Chapel

I absolutely have loved my time spent wandering Canterbury taking photographs. I walk everywhere. The blisters on my feet can testify to my mileage! In my adventures, there haven’t been any English knight s spotted around here, but I promise to keep a look out. There was one chap (guy) that almost took my head off near the bus station with a football (soccer ball, Americans, come on keep up) that said, “Sorry love!” I don’t think I will ever tire of the men in this country who constantly refer to you as “Love” or “Dah-ling” It is ah-mazing, and there is no way humanly possible to overuse it. I mean the head employee at the security office always says: “Just stop by Dah-ling if you have any more questions or concerns, alrighty?” Although his niceness may have something to do with the fact that there were drug parties in my first flat and no one did anything about it right away (oh, you read right), I like to think it’s the British being too darn sweet!


Big Ben next to the Houses of
Parliament & the London Eye



I went on some London adventures yesterday. I managed to ride on a high-speed railway from Canterbury to London. I navigated my way underground London in the Tube system. I saw London Bridge, the Tower Bridge and actually went up into the Towers for a tour, and the Millennium Bridge. It was the day of the bridges! I took many pictures of the cityscapes including: an English pub for lunch, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Thames riverfronts, and a city park of monuments. I made it to Westminster Abbey, but it was closing for the day so I’m saving the inside tour for next time! Last but not least, I went to London’s Natural History Museum. It wasn’t on my original to-do-list, but it was free admission and it was actually pretty brilliant (my English substitute for fantastic – watch for it). I soon was obsessed with the Dinosaur exhibit, which with my movie quote background seems not too hard too do. All in all, these have been successful days in within the cities!

Thanks for sticking around to read my book!

Tower Bridge & River Thames

In the Natural History Museum

My Knight from the Tower Bridge