With the second week of my semester abroad in London coming to an end, I am noticing the ability of everyone to fall into a daily routine. Classes and internships are in full swing now, and people are doing what it takes to meet their assigned responsibilities.
For example, when we go to London Friends Meeting House, we have to get on the London Underground and then make a changeover at another station. I am not saying that this is particularly hard, but it’s a lot more different than rolling out of your bed in Milner at 9:50 a.m. to make a 9:55 a.m. class in Bauman.
I know that while I am in London I need to take advantage of everything it has to offer, and that if I did not I would only be cheating myself. One of the benefits of taking classes in London is that they allow you to learn and see new things. This past week the Art and Architecture class went to St. Bartholomew’s Church, which is a beautifully ornate Anglican Church dating back over 600 years.
Our entire group, along with the History of England class, went to Hampton Court, which was one of the castles of King Henry VIII. The size of this castle defies description, for it is absolutely gargantuan. One of the most striking aspects of Hampton Court is its exceptional display of artwork that is extremely valuable. One display was the “Triumph of Caesar,” and this series of nine paintings was worth approximately $100 million.
But of course, classes are not the only responsibility we have in London – all of us have different internships that we attend two days a week. We are all working off in our own different areas of interest that range from television and teaching to business and politics. I am working for Brian White, a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons, and that has been going well so far. My day is filled with doing research. I consider myself lucky. I have yet to be asked to get the mail or make a photocopy; let’s hope that trend continues.
Outside of that, London is called the “theater of the world,” and from what I have seen so far, that would be correct. By the time you will read this, some people on this trip might have seen several plays, which include (but are not limited to) The Taming of the Shrew, Richard II, Edward II, Edmund, Noises Off, and The Jerry Springer Opera.
I myself have seen The Jerry Springer Opera and the best way to describe it would be just to list of what one will see in this opera. So here goes (this list is not by any mean comprehensive): lesbians, fecal fetishes, Satan, Jesus, God, a Ku Klux Klan tap dancing troupe, a burning cross, rednecks, mullets, people in diapers and lots and lots of cursing. This was certainly the funniest opera I have ever seen, but what made it very entertaining were the wonderful talents of all the singers. Without the talent, none of the jokes would have been funny at all.
Finally, this week has unfortunately been marked by death and the remembrance of death. Musicians Johnny Cash and Warren Zevon and actor John Ritter all have passed away within a span of a few days. The second anniversary of Sept. 11th came and went without incident, except for the jarring memories of that horrible day two years ago.