Ali'sWorld

I've Moved

2012-01-04T01:19:00.002-07:00

Yes, I have moved...to a new blog!

Follow me at my new site:

alisorensen.tumblr.com

The Countdown has Begun...

2012-01-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

April 19, 2012...

...I graduate...

...and it only took me 5 years ;)

Families are Forever

2011-12-26T23:46:00.000-07:00

For Christmas this year I decided to make my mom and dad a movie of a bunch of family pictures from when they got married until now. It turned out to be quite a project, but I think it turned out pretty good.

Here is it, but fair warning: it's a good 20 minutes long!

It's that time again...

2011-11-30T21:11:00.001-07:00

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,

Was singing, without any presents at all!

He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming, it came!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his Grinch feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling,

"How could it be so?

It came without ribbons, it came without tags,

It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled and puzzled, til his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store,

Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more."

-Dr. Seuss

Can time please just pause for a moment?

2011-11-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

Live had just been whizzing by over the past few years!

I am only one month away from finishing my student teaching,

and 4 months away from graduating from college.

Where has the time gone? I remember being in elementary school thinking the jr. high kids were sooo old,

then being in jr. high thinking high school kids were sooo old,

then being in high school thinking college kids were sooo old,

then being a freshman in college thinking college grads were sooo old,

then realizing I am going to soon be one of those college grads and am getting sooo old!

I was in provo on Monday, and had some time to kill before meeting some friends for dinner,

so I went on a quick drive down memory lane...

Freshman Year at King Henry

Sophomore Year at Belmont

Junior Year at Campus Lane

Senior Year at The Avenues

and Now...

looking forward to what life brings next!

Let Your Freak Flag Fly, My Friend

2011-10-11T19:58:00.001-07:00

I love Lady Gaga. I know she's crazy, but I love belting out her songs in the car! I love this commercial of hers with my favorite song!

I Love to See the Temple...

2011-10-02T21:14:00.004-07:00

My testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, and of the divinity of temples has grown so much over the past few weeks. As many of my close friends and family know, I have been on quite the roller coaster ride recently. I am writing this because I feel a need to share what I have learned, and express my thanks to my Father in Heaven for the support and love I have been blessed with. I hope I don't come off as preachy or anything, I just feel a great need to share this with whoever may read it.

I was dating a wonderful man. I honestly cannot say a bad thing about this guy. He is the kind of guy every girls would love to be with. We decided that we wanted to get married in December, and began the plans of all that go into that. We were both so excited, and loved each other a lot. I was aware that this boy had some concerns with the church and things it teaches, but nothing had ever been said or come up to make me really worry. One day, he confessed to me that he did not have a desire to marry in the temple, and wasn't sure if he could go on being a part of this church that I love dearly. We had already called the temple and set a date and time to be married in it. Getting married in the temple has been something that I have wanted my entire life, and I have never pictured myself getting married anywhere else. I believe it to be the house of God, and although I have never been through the entire temple yet, I have a strong testimony that it is a place that brings people to God. I was shocked and devastated to say the least upon hearing this news, but I didn't want to give up on this boy so quick. I spent hours talking to people I trust, reading scriptures, finding talks, pondering and praying about what I really believe. I asked him to do the same as I was doing, and I had hope that he would regain that testimony he once had. I thought hard about whether or not I really believed in the things I have been claiming to believe. I on more than one occasion contemplated giving up my dream and goal of getting married in the temple, but knew that if I did, it would never leave my mind and would only cause a rift in our marriage. I have never had so many witnesses and confirmations of my faith in this gospel and in temples as I have had these past few weeks. In my scripture study, in my prayers, in my Book of Mormon class, in my conversations with others, during General Conference, and so on. Everything testified to me that this gospel is true, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that temples are the house of God, and above all, that Jesus Christ is the head of this church. It all came crashing down this weekend as we both realized our beliefs are too different. That neither of us are going to budge, and our relationship had to be over. I was devastated. But in the midst of my devastation, a strange comfort and feeling of peace has been with me. I know God wishes for me to be happy, and I know he wishes for me to be married in the temple. That is something I know now that I will not compromise on, because I cannot deny the overwhelming confirmation I have been given of the truth of the gospel. I know God loves me, and that He has a plan for me. And I know He will take care of my every need, and keep the promises He has given me.

So the phone calls have been made, and the dress sent back. But the last think I want is for anyone to feel pity on me. I am sad, yes. But I am not alone. The Lord will not leave me comfortless, and I have a peace in my soul that has given me so much strength to carry on. I will always love this boy, but I love the gospel and Jesus Christ more. I know that someday I will go through the temple and be married there. And I know now that my faith is unshakable. We are told that we are here to prove to God that we will do whatsoever things the Lord has commanded of us. I have proved to myself, and hopefully to the Lord that I want Him to be first in my life, and that nothing will come in between me and Him. He is my Savior and Redeemer, and He has a plan for my life that I know is so much more than I could ever plan for myself.

A couple scripture that have stuck out to me in my study recently are these:

D&C 121:7-9
My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment. And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all they foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

2 Nephi 2:24
But behold, all things have been done in the wisdome of him who knoweth all things.

Londoner's Reunion in Cali! Laura Clayton's Wedding

2011-08-18T18:56:00.002-07:00

This last week was so much fun! I went with two of my roommates from London, Niki Huntsman and Brittany Austin for our other roommate, Laura Clayton's wedding in Newport Beach. It was such a gorgeous wedding. We ate lots of yummy food, danced and laughed all night long! Congrats to Laura and Austin Pulsipher, they are absolutely perfect for each other and I couldn't imagine any two people more perfect for one another!

Since we were in California for the wedding, thought we might as well make a whole trip out of it! We went to Laguna Beach, out to eat, Balboa Island, visited the Newport Beach Temple, and of course went to DiSnEyLaNd!

It was such a fun trip! I love my London girls so much!!! We always have such a blast together!

The "Up" House

2011-08-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is to go to the Parade of Homes. I went with my mom to the one in Davis County, and just went to part of the Salt Lake County one. One of the highlights of this years Parade of Homes was the "Up" house! They made a house that looked exactly like the one in the movie Up, and it was actually very cute! The outside kind of looked like an Easter egg, but the inside was adorable!

One Year Ago...

2011-07-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

I was sitting on the grass by the Eiffel Tower...

watching the fireworks...

on Bastille Day...

in Paris.

Princess Ivy

2011-06-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet little niece, Ivy. She loves princesses and had a fabulous princess party in which she changed her outfit about 35 times, switching in between different princess dress ups! When I showed up this is what she was wearing...

swimsuit, princess crown, and high heels - perfect bday party attire!

Summa is Here! (Finally!)

2011-06-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

So if anyone remembers, summer didn't appear last year until about the end of June. I remember, because it was still freezing when I left for London, and it was never very warm in London, so I basically had no summer last year! (I know, you all feel soooo bad for me that I had to spend the summer abroad) So basically, I am super excited to have summer this year, and it has finally come!

So here is what I have been up to recently...

BBQ at Mueller Park

Oh Tomas...

The friends are back together again!!!

Oh yes, and my dear friend just got engaged to her boy! Congrats Tony and Elora!

Aren't they cute...

Gotta Love 'Em

2011-05-28T23:41:00.000-07:00

So this is one of those cheesy posts, but I just gotta do it! I have just felt so lucky lately to have such a great family and such great friends! I have always taken those two blessings for granted in my life, and I have made it a goal not to do that anymore. Seriously, I don't think families get any better than mine. They are all so supportive and loving, and I know they have always got my back no matter what. And they are always there to cheer me on when I succeed and we have such a fun time when we are together. I love each and everyone of my parents and siblings and in-laws, and I don't think I could every thank Heavenly Father enough for putting me in the perfect family. Things don't always go perfect for us, but we always stick together and help each other out, and that is what makes a great family like mine!

New Loves

2011-05-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

I am taking children's literature this summer, and it has gotten me totally pumped about reading more! I have started using goodreads.com to keep track of books and share books with friends. It is so great! Anyone who wants should totally become my friends and we can share books on it! My current book I am reading is...

Three Cups of Tea

My other new love is the soundtrack from P.S. I Love You. This is one of my all time favorite movies, it tugs at my heart strings every time I watch it! And I love the music! It makes me want to go to Ireland and fall in love with an Irish man!

My New Car!

2011-05-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

So last friday was a great day. I bought my first car! It's a 2011 Jetta and I just love it!

I also got 2 free ipads with my purchase, and I'm ashamed to say I feel almost a little more excited about the ipad than the car!

What I've Been Up To...

2011-05-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

Finished up school for the year...now I just have summer school and student teaching left until that blessed day called GRADUATION! This was some girls in my cohort and I at the humanitarian center for a final....

...went to see Tim Gunn...

...and celebrated Brooke and Louie dog's birthdays

Bridal Shower for a Dear Friend!

2011-04-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends and London roommate is getting married in August! She is such a lucky girl and her husband to be is sure one lucky guy! I went to her bridal shower and our little London room had a reunion! I love these girls dearly! Can't wait for our Paris trip 2020!!!

Love this...

2011-04-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

This was done by a guy and some dancers at BYU. I love it. I love the Weepies, and the dancing. So good!

Still Love London...

2011-04-02T14:36:00.001-07:00

So over the past couple weeks I have FINALLY begun working on my blog book from my study abroad in London last summer. Man, I really did do a lot of blogging over those few months! I am a little over half way done, and I have hit the limit of pages I'm allowed by the website I'm using - 100 pages! So, now I at work on part two.

I have gone on a trip through memory lane as I look back on all my pictures and posts and comments. I miss London so much! If it wasn't so expensive to travel, I would be back in a heartbeat!

If you wanna check it out, here it is!

hello london.

by ali sorensen

It's that time of the semester again...

2011-03-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

That's right! It feels like about a day ago I was just doing my first practicum at Nibley Park Elementary, and here I am getting ready to start practicum no. 2!

This semester I will be at Washington Elementary School in downtown Salt Lake. I'll be with 5th graders, and not gonna lie....I'm kind of nervous! I loved my 2nd graders at Nibley Park, and I am so nervous that the 5th graders won't like me! Haha, it's like I'm right back in 5th grade myself!

WISH ME LUCK!

This is Washington - where I'll be spending my days for the next month!

Maycie Jane Turns 1!

2011-01-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend my mom, sister, dad, and I went to Las Vegas to celebrate my niece, Maycie's first birthday! It was so much fun! My sister-in-law, Nichole's parents were so nice to let us stay in their beautiful home in Mountain Edge, or as it is know, "Mormon Edge" because of all the Mormons! It was great to be with my family and get to see my adorable niece and nephew! I did not take enough pictures!

We mostly stayed at home and went out to eat, and on Saturday we got reservations at Mon Ami Gabi. It was a de-li-cious French steakhouse in the Paris hotel. Mmmmm.....my mouth waters just thinking about it!

Lately...

2010-12-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last blog, and a lot has been happening!

I completed my first practicum teaching experience at Nibley Park Elementary in Salt Lake. In my Elementary Ed program we have an entire month each semester in which we do not have any classes, but are assigned a classroom in a school that we go to everyday. It was such a great experience and I am so sad to be gone and having to go to regular classes again! I got to do so many things and I learned so much about teaching. My class was in the 2nd grade, and it really is a great grade to teach!

Here is a picture of all of us girls at Nibley Park Elementary!

During my practicum, I was living at home in Centerville to save a bunch of time on my commute, and so I got to spend a lot of time with these little cuties:

Then on Thanksgiving break my parents and I flew down to Mississippi to visit my brother, Travis, and sister-in-law, Nichole. It was such a fun visit! We went shopping a little on Black Friday, went out to dinner, saw movies, played scrabble, and most importantly I got to play with my niece and nephew, Maycie and Ross!

Me slaving away over a hot stove on Thanksgiving!

Dad with the Turkey...mmmmm

Travis with his mashed potatoes!

Here is what I made: green bean casserole! Doesn't it look delicious?

A little shopping never hurt anyone!

If you are in need of a good laugh...

2010-10-22T10:38:00.001-07:00

A girl in my major told me about this website. Seriously, you gotta take a look, it is so funny!

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

Here's a little sneak peak of what's in store...

I Can't Wait!

2010-09-14T19:57:00.001-07:00

This is gonna be great. Here is a little preview of my new all-time favorite show...

GLEE!

Jane, Brooke, & Ali

2010-09-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

You know, there is really no other relationship like the one a person has with their mom and with their sister. I remember growing up and fighting all the time with my sister and my mom would say something to the effect that friends come and go, but my sister will always be there. And I remember at the time thinking that was the dumbest thing ever. But it is so true!

On Labor Day my mom, sister and I went to lunch and went shopping at the outlets in Park City. It was such a fun day just hanging out with the girls, talking, trying on clothes together, and having fun. I love all of my friends so much, and I think they are just great. But there is no way I could function if I didn't have those girl days with my mom and sister! They have always been there, and will always be there!

So I just wanted to say how lucky I am to have them! Love you Mom and Brooke!

No Place Like Home

2010-08-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am back. I am glad to be home, but miss all my friends and fun of London. It is so bittersweet!

I have started class again. I am in my first Cohort of my El Ed program. They split our class of 200 up into smaller groups depending on where we do our practicums (a month out of each semester we don't go to class but work in a school). I am in the Urban Cohort, which is downtown Salt Lake in the Rose Park area and a little in Sugar House. My cohort is the smallest, only 13 people! So we have all of our classes together, and get to be real close! I am loving it so far, and I can't wait until I get to do my practicum!

So I am back to real life again! It feels so weird to be back in normal school again...I'll just have to adjust again!

Last Bit in London

2010-08-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

My mom and I spent about 8 days in London after my program ended. It was such a fun experience to be able to show her around all the places I went and some of my favorite things about where I lived for 2 months. As she says, the roles have changed since last time we were in London. This time I was holding her hand and dragging her around London to keep up with me instead of the other way around!

Sights of Suffolk

2010-08-19T02:03:00.000-07:00

Norwich
Beautiful city. We visited the castle, shopped around, ate sushi, had a fabulous time.

Edith Cavell Pub - we went there

Orford

Another beautiful city. Went to the castle. Ate at a pub. Walked along the coast. Saw the beautiful town.

Tiny door!

This is the pub we ate at.

Norfolk and Suffolk - My Heritage

2010-08-16T13:35:00.002-07:00

So it has been a couple days since my last post. On the 14th my mother arrived in London. She came met me at the centre, got the grand tour, and then we set off to catch our train to Diss to visit with my family.

When we arrived my uncle, Mike, and two cousins, Sophie and Dylan, were there to greet us. They have been so kind to take us around and show us how beautiful this area is. We first were taken to our bed and breakfast, The Chameleon House. It is sooo nice, especially compared to the rooms I have been living in for the past couple months!

We then went to dinner at JD Young Pub. It was soo delicious. I got the Tuscan Chicken and raspberry cheesecake. The next morning we had a traditional English breakfast delivered to our room. Now THIS is how traveling should be!

Our second day we then went horseback riding with a friend of my aunt and uncle's family. She was very kind to take us on a long walk through the country. It was lovely. There were big wheat fields everywhere, and parsley fields, rolling hills, and so forth. It was great!

Dylan, Sofia, Ali

Our third day, today, we went to Framlingham Castle. This was where Mary Tudor was crowned Queen of England, and where she gave her first orders as queen. It was so fun, and SOO cold! We were all bundled up drinking hot chocolate! We had a picnic to eat, but we ended up eating in the car because we were so cold! Following Framlingham, we went to Southwold to see the coast. It was warmer there, but still cold! It was such a cute town with beach huts lining the entire beach! I was shocked that there were actually people out in their swimsuits swimming in the water! That's the English for ya! If they didn't swim in the cold they would never swim!

You can see the tide has been getting so high there is no beach in between the wall and the ocean!

My mom and I by the lighthouse at Southwold

L to R: Dylan, Mike, Sofia

Our Last Day.

2010-08-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of our 2 month London program! *Tear* We started out our day by going to the Tate Modern, then we went to Harrod's, then went on a tour of Parliament! We finished our day looking in some shops we love, and eating at one of our favorite restaurants, Wagamama's. This trip has been so fabulous, and I already miss my new friends so much! It will be a whole 2 weeks until we can play again!

Tate Modern

Me walking across the Wobbley Bridge to Tate Modern

Niki and I with Monet

Harrod's Christmas World!!!

The best dollhouse EVER at the Harrod's Toy Shop.

Harrod's man made out of legos!

All the London black cabs lined up outside Harrod's

Going into Parliament!

We had to have special security badges to go inside Parliament

The only Parliament room we were allowed to take photos in. It's the oldest...and the least pretty.

Now begins part 2 of my London Journey: 2 weeks with my Mommy!

The Temple and Ballet

2010-08-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today started very early for me. My roommates and I had an excellent idea to go to the London Temple and do baptisms...and of course it took us until our second to last day to make it there! And oh what a journey it was!

We started out leaving the center at 6:30 AM!!! We had to take the tube to Victoria Station, then buy a train ticket to Lingford, then get a cab to take us to the temple. So we were doing pretty well on time, we made it to Victoria, bought tickets that were 17 POUNDS EACH (ouch!), and got on the train. We sat on the train for about 5 minutes, and it left! We sat there on the train talking about how great we are, and what a great thing we are doing, and how great we were on time, when I realized that the stop this train is headed for is LONGfield, not LINGfield!

We got up, looked at the map for a few minutes trying to figure out what to do, when an nice man handed us a piece of paper with the directions for what we need to do to get to Lingfield! How nice was that? So we had to get off at the next stop, go back to Victoria, and find the RIGHT train. When we got back, the next train to Lingfield was at 8:10. We had been awake for almost 2 hours and we hadn't even left Victoria yet!

We finally got on the right train, got a cab, and made it there! It was a great experience, and I am so happy we made the journey. The London Temple is beautiful, and has about 40 acres of land that the church owns with beautiful paths and ponds with ducks and flowers...I loved it!

After we finished at the temple, we went to grab lunch for the last time together at one of our favorite spots by our house, Nandos!

Tonight we got tickets for English National Ballet's performance of Cinderella at the London Coliseum. It was sooo fabulous! The dancers were incredible, and so graceful! I loved every second of it!

After we left the ballet, we were on our way home on the tube, when a lady stopped and started talking to us. Come to find out, her family are from Nevada and are LDS! She said she saw us and said to herself that she knew we were BYU students. It was so funny! Not only that, her son is roommates with a girl we live with's brother! Small world! It was a fun little incident that made us all happy that someone noticed us and thought we stood out in a good way!

High Tea at Kensington Palace

2010-08-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today our whole group went to high tea at Kensington Palace! We live just across the street so it was a quick little fun break from studying for finals. It was super yummy, and we all had such a fun time!

By the way...this is a picture of me in front of my house in London! We live right across the street from Kensington Gardens and right by Notting Hill.

Finals. Yucky.

2010-08-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

Even in London, we have finals! Can you believe it? So I literally stayed inside ALL day writing essays for my WWI and Modernism class. By the end of the night we were all so fried and everything was suddenly really funny. Oh the joy of finals week!

Our Last Saturday Celebration

2010-08-07T14:56:00.001-07:00

Today was our last Saturday together in London before everyone heads home. So of course we had to go big! But not too big because our bank accounts can't handle too much these days!

We started out the morning by going to Portobello Market. This is the market that is in the movie Notting Hill, and it is VERY popular. So if you are planning on going, go right at 9 AM when it opens so that you can beat some of the crowds. They have a lot of fun antiques, food, music, and more!

We got some yummy fresh bruschetta to share on Portobello

Then we came back to the centre, dropped off our purchases, and headed out to do a walk we had assigned from a class. We walked the path that Virginia Woolf described in her book, Mrs. Dalloway, which goes from Picadilly Circus down Bond Street. This street rocks my socks! Sooo many amazing stores! We first stopped at Hatchard's Bookstore. This is a very famous store and has been there since 1797!

Next, we went to Fortnum & Mason, which is a big time grocery store, and is where the Queen likes to shop! It was really pretty and had red carpet all throughout the whole thing! And this has been there since 1707! (about 70 years older than my entire country...)

Wanna eat some mice?

We then walked up and down the rest of the street, stopped in Tiffany's, Cartier, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuiton, Burberry - you know, just my regular shopping spots!

Later tonight, we went to dinner at an Indian restaurant called Masala Zone. It was sooo delicious. We ordered a dish for each of us where we got to pick a meat (chicken, lamb, veggie, etc) and then pick the curry to go with it, and then it came with some nan-type break, veggies, and different little sauces and things. It tasted divine!

Then we walked around our little neighborhood for a while, and went and got gelato at a yummy place called Gelato Mio. I got mint chocolate chip, which was flavored with real mint leaves!
But on our way there, I slipped while stepping over a puddle and ended up stepping INTO the puddle and got my yellow Toms all muddy!

Lastly, we came back home to the centre, and I wrote this blog! London is such a fabulous city, and I am going to miss these fun Saturdays I have to go out and be in the city with my great friends I have made!

Random Shots

2010-08-05T10:59:00.001-07:00

So today was a fabulous day. I GOT MY NEW CAMERA IN THE MAIL!!! In case I haven't mentioned it, my camera broke about 5 days before I went to Paris. Since then, I have been bumming off of other people to take pictures of me! But today, my new camera finally came in the mail! I'm not sure who's more happy, me or my roommates who no longer have to take my picture with their cameras?

Also, here are some random shots that I wanted to put up but didn't have until today:

My roommate, Laura, and I on the London Bridge

At Chatsworth. I caught a little frog!

At Fountains Abbey. We had A LOT of fun with these column things.

Portsmouth, Brighton, and Monk's House

2010-08-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

So, today was our very last day trip with our whole group! *tear* Our time together is quickly winding down. We only have about a week and a half left! Everyone will be leaving, but I will be staying here for a couple weeks with my mom!

For our day trip, we began at Portsmouth. This is a harbor on the coast of England that houses a ship named Victory. The Victory is a ship built in the 18th century that you can tour! It was really neat, and really crazy to see how these sailors lived.

After leaving the ship, we went and looked through some cute little outlets near by. My favorite one: the Cadbury chocolate factory. That's right. A whole store of discounted Cadbury chocolate. It was fabulous.

Now that is what I call a bar of chocolate!

We then left Portsmouth and went for a very short stop at Brighton while we were on our way to Monk's House. We literally had just enough time to stop and look at the pier a little, take some pictures, and use the restroom of course!

We then went to Monk's House, which has no relation to monks whatsoever. It is house owned by Virginia Woolf, and is a place were the Bloomsbury group would get together. We have been studying the Bloomsbury group in my WWI and Modernism class, so it was really neat to be able to go and visit the places where they were. Virginia Woolf committed suicide in this place, and her ashes were scattered here as well. It was a neat house with beautiful gardens, as all English houses seem to have!

When we got off of our coach we had to take a picture with our great coach driver, Tony, who always had plenty of information about everywhere we drove to fill many books!

This is not about London

2010-08-01T15:38:00.002-07:00

Today I was feeling sick. So I have been lying in bed, not eating, watching Pride & Prejudice then Becoming Jane (I was in a sort of Jane Austen mood I guess). I also wandered the internet and found this:

This is how I felt when I heard that CLOGS are coming back in. I refuse!

My Royal Day Out

2010-07-31T15:18:00.003-07:00

Today was marvelous. I got to sleep in, and shower in my own shower! That was very exciting for me.

We got tickets today to go through Buckingham Palace! The inside! I never knew you could go inside. It's only for a few weeks each year, and those few weeks are now. We went through about 10 rooms or so, and they were sooo pretty! Not to mention, they have the best gift shop ever! I bought a necklace...

No pictures were allowed inside the palace or gift shop, so we snapped a few outside the back of Buckingham Palace because it's a view not often seen.

Afterwards, the only thing fitting would be to go get tea! So we went to the Haymarket Hotel's restaurant, Brumus, and got tea for 4. It was sooo good! It came with yummy sandwiches, scones, treats, and of course, tea!

This is for my sister, Brooke, who will find it quite funny.

We then came back to reality. Later tonight, we were on the tube and we found this sign:

Good thing they have this! Otherwise I might have chosen to fall down the stairs instead of walk!

The Lake District and York Trip

2010-07-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

This week was our trip to the north of England. We went up to the Ambleside in the Lake District then made our way down to York, and then back to London! We of course made some pit stops on the way to see some other things.

First we stopped at Chatsworth. This is the house where the Duke and Dutchess live, but more importantly, it is where they filmed the scenes for Pemberly in the new Pride and Prejudice!

We also went and visited the Preston England Temple for a little bit.

Finally we arrived in Ableside! We were staying in a hostel that was right on a lake. It had a beautiful view, but the rooms themselves...not quite as beautiful. The day after arriving we went on a 4 mile hike to Dove Cottage. It was an excellent and gorgeous hike. Dove Cottage is where Wordsworth lived while writing some of his most famous poems. We then went and got lunch at a cute cafe called the Giggling Goose. Afterwards, we went and looked at shops - my favs: the Beatrix Potter shops (Peter Rabbit) and the wool shops (from Scotland). When we came back from the town, we went on a fun boat cruise around the lake, went on a little walk on the other side of the lake, and came back for dinner! It was a fantastic day!

Our Hostel. It's deceivingly cute.

The Giggling Goose Cafe - how cute!

The next day, we travelled to York. On our way, we stopped at Bede's World. What is Bede's World you may ask? Well, my professor looooooves this guy named Bede. Granted, Bede was pretty cool and important in history in Britain. However, I don't really think they needed to make a whole WORLD for him! This place had a medieval farm, a museum, a cafe, and an old church. I'm not too sure why we thought it so necessary to take our time and go see a big medieval pig in the middle of no where and eat gross food, but we did! I will definitely not be forgetting my stay at Bede's World.

If you can't tell, we are all super stoked to be at Bede's World!

We also stopped in Durham to see the cathedral there. This stop really was cool. The cathedral was awesome! Unfortunately, we didn't happen to get any pictures! Sorry Mom and Dad!

We arrived in York, and if you can believe it, our hostel was even more gross than the last one! I went to the local Marks & Spencer (kind of a European Super Target) and bought a pillow so I didn't have to use the one from the hostel! York, however, was a really cute city. They had some really fun shopping areas, a beautiful Minster, good food, street performers, markets and more!

The city of York. The sunset made the Minster look gorgeous!

On our day in York, we went to Fountains Abbey. This is a place that has, along with many many other places, fallen victim to the Dissolution from King Henry VIII. I explained what that exactly was in previous blogs. The old Abbey was giant, and in incredibly beautiful country side. We went and saw the ruins, then went on a little hike up to see the grounds they have made. They have a lot of rivers and moats and great views from the top of the hills.

And finally, we ended up back in home sweet London! I loved my trip up north, but am so happy to be back home in London!

My Primary Class

2010-07-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

Not everyone was here, but aren't they cute!?!

Markets, Walking, and 39 Steps

2010-07-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Started out the day going to Camden Market. We had been there before, but apparently we didn't do it right because we missed all the good stuff! Everyone here at the centre had been talking about these donuts they have, so we started out the day getting one of course! Then all of us (literally ALL of the girls here) have been getting these charm necklaces at a booth at the market. So I went and got one today. The lady who owns that booth loves us so much from all the business we've given her!

Next we went to Burough Market. This market was way cool. It is all food! They had tons of fresh fruit stands, fish, meats, cheese, jams, breads, and so much more! We ate lunch there by taste testing basically! I bought a little thing of delicious pesto to bring home. It was a delicious place to be!

We then have an assignment to go on a walk though the City part of London. The City is the old area where the Roman wall surrounded London. We walked over the London Bridge, and past some important sights that I am ashamed to say I have forgotten what they were! But here are some photos of us trying to find where we are supposed to go and getting lost!

Oh yeah! We found where they filmed Diagon Alley for Harry Potter! Now I just need to find Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station and my Harry Potter sights will be complete!

Later tonight we went and saw the show 39 Steps. It is a comedy that is a parody of a bunch of Alfred Hitchcock films. The theatre was right in Picadilly Circus, which was cool. I can't lie, it wasn't my favorite show I have seen. It was a little bizarre and over the top for me. But a ton of other girls who went liked it a lot! So maybe I'm just weird!

Westminster Abbey

2010-07-23T15:49:00.001-07:00

Westminster Abbey was incredible!

This is the Abbey where they have the Coronation Ceremonies for the new Queens and Kings, and they have been doing it there for centuries and centuries!

They have so many tombs of famous people that they are literally shoved into every nook and cranny available.

Poets Corner was one of my favorite places in the Abbey. This is a place where many famous poets, writers, musicians, etc are buried or have memorials.

Some famous names I saw: Chaucer, Handel, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Caedmon, T.S. Elliot, Rupert Brooke, and many many more.

They also have the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Abbey surrounded by red Poppies.

The Coronation Chair is there. This has been used since medieval times! (1308 to be exact)

Here are some photos from Westminster!

After visiting Westminster, we walked around to see some memorials outside, and walked past Big Ben and Parliment. We then went to the Tate Britain to see some paintings for my Bible and Christianity class, then meandered along the Thames and found our way to a tube stop to take us to High Street Kensington (one of my favorite streets for shops) and ate at the Whole Foods there. After that, we came home and I finished working on a paper for my WWI class!

More Photos!

When we went to Whole Foods for lunch we found this place where they make taco salads. It is the closest thing to Cafe Rio we can find out here! And that is one place we are all missing!

War Horse

2010-07-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight our whole group went to go see the play War Horse at the New London Theatre. I had no clue what to expect when I went into this play other than it was about a horse during World War I. It was absolutely wonderful! They used puppets for the horses and a lot of other animals. That sounds way lame, I know, but these were AMAZING! You pretty much forget that they aren't real! It was a very moving play and I really enjoyed it!

Sandham Memorial Chapel, Chawton, Salisbury, Stonehenge

2010-07-21T15:01:00.002-07:00

Day trip Wednesday was today! It was quite a fun little trip! We started out going to the Sandham Memorial Chapel. It's not anything particularly pretty on the outside. However, it has one of the most famous WWI artworks made inside of it.

By Stanley Spencer. The big one with all the crosses is called "Resurrection." It is showing all the soldiers resurrecting and going toward Christ in the center.

Here's some more pictures we took outside the church...

After Sandham Memorial Chapel, we went to the town of Chawton to see Jane Austen's house. This is the house she lived in when she wrote most of her greatest novels, and where she eventually died when she was in her 40s. They had a lot of really cool artifacts from her and her family.

Jane Austen's House

Jane's Writing Desk - teeny tiny!

Me at the Austen's house

When we left Chawton, we headed over to Salisbury to see the Cathedral there. It has the tallest spire in England on their Cathedral.

Lastly, we went to the infamous Stonehenge. I had been here before a looong time ago when I was about 8 years old. It was about the same as I remember! The rocks are still all there! It is very interesting though, I really enjoyed going there again. It is something that really makes you think about who has been there and what has happened so long ago.

Wicked Baby.

2010-07-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today was a day like any other. Except I got to go see Wicked for the first time! It was greeeat! And with our student cards we have here we can get a killer deal! Our tickets were normally 60 pounds and we got them for 25 pounds! It was such a fun night!

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

2010-07-19T15:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight was one of my most fun nights in London yet! We all went to a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre. This is a theatre they have rebuilt to be exactly like the one that Shakespeare's plays would have been originally performed at. It was so cool. There are three levels of seats and then an open area by the stage for people to just go and stand. The seats were where the higher classes would sit, and the ground was where the peasants could come and stand. We were standing on concrete, but I'm guessing back then they were standing on something more along the lines of dirt...

We saw Comedy of Errors. It was h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s! It starts out with a man who is going to be executed because he can't pay off a debt. He is telling the judge his story about how he was married and had two sons. The two sons were completely identical looking. Also, he told the judge that he had bought twin boys, also identical, to serve the sons. The sons were separated, each with one of the twin boys. The story is about what happens when the two sons along with their servants happen to be in the same town at the same time. It was so funny! The actors were excellent! My favorite aspect of it was that they didn't hide that it was a play. One actor would play multiple parts, and they would have to switch between them while on stage, and it was so funny. Shakespeare has never been better for me!

Walking across the Thames to go to the show

Outside of the Globe

Yes, I stood for the entire show. It wasn't that bad, I think that's because I built it up to be so bad in my mind before.

An American in Paris

2010-07-17T04:02:00.009-07:00

WOW! What a week! I did so much that so many people only dream of. I unfortunately did not have access to my blog while I was in Paris, so I am going to update my entire week in one big gnarly frickin' post (Those two words are very important to my roommates and I).

On Monday we left the centre bright and early and rode our coach to Dover to catch a ferry to take us across the English Channel. We got to see the famous white cliffs of Dover, and they were beautiful. After we got off the ferry, we were in France! On our way to Paris, we stopped at a couple WWI sites. The first one was the Vimy Memorial. It was beautiful. They have actual trenches from WWI preserved that you can walk through. They have cemented over the sandbags on the side to protect them, but that is all. The two sides were so close here. When one person stands on the British side, and another on the German side, you can hear one another talking.

The Vimy Memorial

DAY ONE OF PARIS

We arrived at our hotel that evening, dumped our stuff, and went out to see the city. I was so lucky because one of my good friends here did a study abroad in Paris before, so she can speak pretty good French and knows her way around! On our first night, we got crepes on the street and then took a boat tour down the Seine. It was so fun to sit back and see all the major sights in Paris on our first night. After that, it was pretty late and we were exhausted so we went back and slept.

Laura Clayton and I on the Seine

Laura, Ali, Brittany, and Niki on the boat tour

DAY TWO OF PARIS

On day two, we woke up bright and early and went together as a group to the Chartres Cathedral. It was absolutely beautiful, as most cathedrals are here. This cathedral is one of the oldest forms of gothic style cathedrals, and I believe it's bigger than Notre Dame in Paris. We had a little time to wander around the city as well. We got a sandwich for lunch, and I learned how much fun it is to say Bonjour and Merci and any other French words I might know! I always got so excited when I could say something in French.

After leaving Chartres, we went over to see the palace at Versailles. It was soo unbelievable. It was insanely massive, and so ornately decorated, and had acres and acres of incredible gardens. This palace is where Marie Antoinette lived. You can go in her room she slept in and see where she had to escape through during the French Revolution. The quilt is the original one she had! It was so much fun to see how beautiful it was. And I loved the Hall of Mirrors. It was gorgeous!

Ali, Lizzie, Brittany, Laura, Lauren, Maryann at Versailles

The Hall of Mirrors - I think they needed some Windex back then...

After we left Versailles, we went and met up with some friends who went somewhere else, and went walking down the Champs Elysees, to the famouse Lafayette shopping center, and then to eat at the AMAZING French restaurant called Cafe Constant. Seriously, I cannot explain in words how delicious it was. I got a rib-eye that was so tender I could cut it with a butter knife. Unfortunately, we didn't take pictures. We wanted to blend in with the locals (if that's even possible). Afterwards, we went and hung out beneath the Arc de Triomphe. We talked for a long time, and then went home when they kicked us out! I was a great day!

DAY THREE OF PARIS

On our third day, we woke up, ate breakfast at the hotel, and went off to see the Louvre! This day was Bastille Day, however, which is the French Independence Day, so it was CRAZY! Here are some pictures from the Louvre:

Me fighting the crowds to see the Mona Lisa

Laura explaining the painting to us. Love it!

It started pouring rain all at once, and everyone ran under the little arch by the Louvre, it was so funny! So I took a picture of me in the rain in the empty courtyard of the Louvre.

After the Louvre, it was POURING still, so we went to this cafe named Angelina's to get some of their hot chocolate and pastries. OMG, they were so good! My family will be happy to know that I got some of the hot chocolate to take home. It's amazing.

After Angelina's, we went to Musee D'Orsay. This museum was so cool. It is in an old train station and has loads of Impressionist art. I loved it! I saw a lot of Monet, van Gogh, and others that were all so beautiful. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed!

We then went to Musee Rodin. This was really neat as well. They had a bunch of Rodin's sculptures outside in this beautiful garden area. They were so neat, he had so much detail in what he made.

After this museum, we went to grab more food (we basically ate our way through Paris), and went to the Arc de Triomphe to climb to the top! It was an incredible view from the top, and so neat!

After climbing the arc, we went to grab dinner, and then went to stake out our spots for the Bastille Day fireworks that go off behind the Eiffel Tower. They were sooooo amazing! Really, could there be a more picturesque thing than fireworks, the Eiffel Tower, and good friends? I think not!

Niki and I saving seats within the insane crowds!

DAY FOUR IN PARIS

On our last day of Paris, we only had a half a day before we left to go to Aimens, France. We woke up, packed, ate breakfast, and headed out. We started out going to Notre Dame Cathedral. It was beautiful, and it is so iconic. I loved it!

We then went to the Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore. This place is famous because it is where tons of famous poets have lived before they got famous, and there is still poets who live there today. They have a lot of old antique books that are worth a whole lot, and they also have normal books as well. It was a cool shop! Also, while Niki and I were waiting outside for some other people, a woman came up and took pictures of us for a travel magazine! Cool!

We then went to get one last crepe, and went back to our Hotel to catch our coach to Aimens.

In Aimens we went and saw the Cathedral there, and kind of took it easy. Nothing much to report about that!

DAY FIVE IN FRANCE

The next day, we drove back to London. On the way we stopped at a few WWI sites and memorials. They were all really neat.

This was a really neat memorial. It had a bunch of names written all over who died in WWI. I found about 3 Mead's, and a couple Warner's, which are my family names from England.

We got to put a memorial cross at a grave we chose. I put it on one that was "Known Unto God" meaning that they are unknown.

Me standing out in the French countryside!

At last I have come back home to London, and am exhausted! It was an excellent trip, and I enjoyed it all!

Picture credit to Laura Clayton, Niki Huntsman, and Brittany Austen

And We're Off...

2010-07-11T14:40:00.003-07:00

Went to church today.

Taught Primary. Cutest kids ever!

Got a calling to speak in church on 8 August about the 9th Article of Faith.

Took a most excellent nap.

Ate dinner.

And tomorrow.....

Leaving for Paris!!!

Oxford & a Pricey Show

2010-07-10T14:26:00.001-07:00

Today was our free day, so my friends Brittany and Laura and I travelled to Oxford to see the university. There is a coach that travels from right around our corner straight to Oxford called the Oxford Tube. It took a little over an hour to get there, and we didn't leave until about noon so we didn't have a whole lot of time to be there. We went and saw the Ashmolean Museum, the Cathedral, the library, and wandered around the streets. It was very fun, but soooo crowded! I don't know if it's always like that or if something special was going on, but it was crazy!

Question: How much would you pay to see Eclipse on a screen as big (not!) as this???

Me in the tiny theatre with no stadium seating!

Later that night, we got back home and went to get some Italian food at this place called Zizzi's. It was quite tastey. Then we were planning on going to see Eclipse. In Leicester Square there are a bunch of movie theatres and that is where they theatre was that they did the UK red carpet premier, so we thought it would be fun to see it there. I bought tickets online before we left so we wouldn't have to worry about seats. When we got to the Odeon theatre at Leicester Square, they told us it wasn't showing there, but it was at the Vue theatre around the corner. A little confused, we go over there (we are late by this point) and ask them to look up our tickets for us. They say they have no record of us purchasing tickets. A little frustrated we are trying to explain that we DID purchase tickets. Then, a lady at the desk asked us if we purchased them for Leicester, and I said yes. Apparently there is a town called Leicester about 3 hours away! Who names a town Leicester AND has a place 3 hours away called Leicester Square??? So in the end we ended up buying another ticket to see it there.

Ticket price number 1: 8 pounds (about $12)

Ticket price number 2: 10.50 pounds (about $15)

Grand Total Spent to see Eclipse: 18.50 pounds (about $27)

$27 for one movie! It was entertaining, but I'm not sure it was $27 good!

Tower of London

2010-07-09T15:37:00.002-07:00

This morning we got up bright and early to go to the Tower of London. One of the main attractions there: The Crown Jewels. Oh my goodness, they were fabulous! I could definitely find some use for those to be in my wardrobe!

This scepter below contains the largest diamond in the world. And all that was separating me from it was a piece of plastic. Well, that and the whole British guard.

Don't you think that outfit would look great on me?

After leaving the Tower of London, we went on a little stroll and got something at a local Starbucks. We then made our way over to Portobello Market in Notting Hill. If you don't know what that is, watch the movie Notting Hill and it is the market he talks about at the beginning. It's quite famous. I bought myself a watch. I've been wanting one! There were a lot of antiques there, which was fun to look at, but not so much fun to buy! But I am very happy with my watch!

Then we came back to the centre. We have a lot of stuff due tomorrow, so everyone here has kind of been pushing themselves to get everything done! It's a little crazy! I wrote a paper analyzing a war poem for my World War I class. I love poetry. I know VERY little about it, but I love it. The poem I analyzed is by Siegfried Sassoon called "They." It's about how people at home have completely different perspectives about the war than soldiers on the front. And it's about how the war changed people. Very good. Here is the poem:

'They'

The Bishop tells us: 'When the boys come back
'They will not be the same; for they'll have fought
'In a just cause: they lead the last attack
'On Anti-Christ; their comrades' blood has bought
'New right to breed an honourable race,
'They have challenged Death and dared him face to face.'

'We're none of us the same!' the boys reply.
'For George lost both his legs; and Bill's stone blind;
'Poor Jim's shot through the lungs and like to die;
'And Bert's gone syphilitic: you'll not find
'A chap who's served that hasn't found some change.
' And the Bishop said: 'The ways of God are strange!'
Siegfried Sassoon

Toms, the official sponsor of BYU London Study Abroad 2010

We are so cool with our green stickers.

Brittany!

Let's be honets, I look great.

Checkin out some cute teapots at Portobello Market

Cute stuff at Portobello

This place has the best cupcakes ever!

I got the black bottom cupcake

Beethoven's 9th Symphony

2010-07-08T15:02:00.007-07:00

Today I have been trying to finish up with homework before we go to Paris next week, so I spent a lot of my day in the dining room writing essays. While we were studying, President Samuelson came by just out of the blue! He and his wife and brother were in London doing business of some sort and he decided to stop by! I'm sure all my professors were thrilled that there was a big group of students there being studious and all. He was very nice and came and talked to each of us to ask about what we were doing, and how we were liking it.

Then tonight, as a group we got tickets to go see the London Symphony Orchestra perform Beethoven's 9th Symphony in St. Paul's Cathedral! It was so neat to hear the Ode to Joy in this giant cathedral with the amazing acoustics and amazing setting. It was definitely something to remember! I am not allowed to take pictures inside the cathedral, but we got a few outside before the show.

Glastonbury, Stourhead, and Bath

2010-07-07T15:33:00.013-07:00

Today we went on a day trip to Glastonbury, Stourhead, and Bath. They were all really cool and beautiful places. First, in Glastonbury, we went to the ruins of an old Cathedral. When it was standing, it was longer than St. Peter's in Rome, and larger overall that St. Paul's in London!

Jumpin' around the ruins

This guy's face was so cute, I wanted to look just like him

After the ruins, we went to climb alllll the way up to the Glastonbury Tor. This was a what people call a "thin place." A thin place is somewhere where people believe the veil between heaven and earth to be particularly thin. The building is called the Tor. It is up on a big hill that gives a beautiful view of all of Glastonbury. It was quite the little trek up there, but it was worth it!

This is the flat 5 girls with the Tor!

I love this picture. What a beautiful view! And this doesn't even do it justice at all!

Niki and I making up after our first fight about Cadbury chocolate. Love that girl!

After leaving Glastonbury, we went to the Stourhead gardens. They were UNBELIEVABLE! Soo beautiful I can't explain. I could have spend an entire day there wandering around. They filmed the scene in Keira Knightly's Pride and Prejudice here where Darcy proposes for the first time. It was insanely pretty, and I want to go back so bad!

Stourhead Gardens

Ali, Hillary, Laura, Niki, and Brittany

This is where they filmed the scene. It had a beautiful view of the lake below.

Oh, and there was an inn there too. Umm...who was in charge of choosing the name?

Then, to end the day we went to Bath. It was such a beautiful city. I will be going back with my mom for a day thank goodness! We went and saw the Abbey, but we couldn't go in because of a graduation. We also saw the Roman Baths there. They were way cool. When the Romans occupied this land they built some of their community baths, and they are still there. Very cool!

The Bath Abbey

The Roman Baths with the Abbey in the background. So much history in one sight!

Oh yeah, we got some cookies too. Yummy!

The Suit.

2010-07-06T15:41:00.003-07:00

Today was very uneventful. So I wasn't going to post anything today. So this is me not posting something.

One thing special happened today. I went to Hobbs London and tried on these dress pants. Not gonna lie, I looked pretty darn good in them. Then they gave me some shoes to try on. They looked pretty darn good too! THEN they threw a suit jacket at me, and that looked amazing! I was just loving them dressing me up! I stared at myself in this wonderful suit for a long time. I looked good.

Then I broke the hearts of all the sales ladies because the suit costs a total of $500. Sigh, my own little Pretty Woman moment...without the money.

War. And Gelato.

2010-07-05T15:35:00.006-07:00

So this week I am one of the chosen few who have the privilege of being on the kitchen crew. Everyone does it for one week while we are here, and I am assigned this week! It's not bad. Just bringing food out for breakfast and dinner and helping clean up afterwards. The bad part is that I have to be there at 4:30 for dinner and stay until about 7:00 cleaning up! That doesn't leave much time for play when I don't get out of class until 1:00 PM! However, I usually find something to do, thanks to my roomie, Laura, who is great at planning our days!

Today we went to the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth. It was very interesting. One of the classes I am taking is a World War I class, so this was interseting to witness. Also, my great grandfather on my mother's side fought in WWI in France, living in the trenches and fighting with bayonetts! If you know anything about WWI, it doesn't get more risky than that. I have felt such respect for him as I have learned about what they went through. They had display about what it was like in the trenches. It even smelled awful. But I could only imagine what it was really like adding on the mud and even worse smells of B.O., death, rats, and all the other awful things they went through.

I have three papers due by Saturday, so I haven't been going on great day long adventures like I wish I could. So when we came home we all went into the library to work on homework. Later, we went to this cute gelato place around the corner and chatted. I am so lucky I have the best roommates ever! I cry everyday...from laughter! It is so much fun being here!

Catford Ward, Wandsworth Stake

2010-07-04T14:01:00.003-07:00

Today was my first day at my ward I will be attending for the rest of my stay here in London. I am going to the Catford Ward in the Wandsworth London Stake. I go to church in the cutest town ever; it's called Blackheath. Apparently the houses are reeeally expesive (about 4 to 5 million pounds!) It was the kind of community a person could only dream of living in!

The ward is wonderful. They were all so happy to see us there, and everyone greeted us saying, "Oh! Are you the BYU students!?!" It made me feel so welcome! I have a calling in the primary as a primary assistant. For anyone who has ever complained about working in primary, you will be grateful when I tell you about our primary. There is one lady in charge of pretty much ALL of the primary. She taught the lesson, then did sharing time, and singing time! Not only that, she has a 2 week old baby! She took one week off and is already back! AND not only that, her husband is the bishop! I was so impressed, and so happy that I can be there to help out in anyway I can, even if it's just keeping kids quiet and holding the baby. Next week my friend Maegan and I will be teaching the younger kids their lesson. I also will be assigned a time to speak in Sacrament meeting as well.

The people there amazed me so much. There were people from all over the world and all walks of life in this one ward, and I could just tell how much they love and depend upon one another. I somewhat feel that since I am from Salt Lake where the church is centered, they look up to me. But it really is the complete opposite. These people were so strong and had some much love and I look up to them so much!

Other than going to church, I came home and napped, then helped make dinner (lasagna, bread, salad), conducted the fireside, and chatted with friends. Our fireside was about sacred spaces throughout Christian history and was really interesting! We learned about finding the different parts of a cathedral and learning what they were for!

Sorry no pictures today! Don't worry, I will be sure to take some one Sunday, and be sure to take some of the centre where I live too!

Love Never Dies.

2010-07-03T15:20:00.009-07:00

Today, like most days in London, was awesome!

First of all, I slept in. Is there a better way to begin a day than that? It was marvelous. Then we cleaned up around the room. PS - here is our room! We call it, "the penthouse" because it is up on the top floor (83 steps to be exact).

My roommates are so happy I put this up, I'm sure.

Next we went off to Leicester Square to figure out what show we wanted to see today. I will tell you what we ended up doing in a minute. After that, we wandered over to Camden Market. Apparently there is some good stuff there...but we didn't really find it. As my roommate, Niki, says, "I felt like I was in Tiajuana!"

Then, after leaving Camden Market, we headed over to the British Museum to see the Parthenon Frieze for a class. It is so cool to see all these things, and it makes me wonder what has happened to them to damage them.

Also, in the British Museum was the Rosetta Stone! How cool is that!?! We found it was nearby where we were, so we went to find it. We couldn't find it after searching and searching. Come to find out we had been passing right by it! I have no clue how we missed it right in the center of the room surrounded by people! It was way cool to see too. The picture isn't so good, because the glass glared.

After the British Museum, we went over to the British Library to see some old Bible manuscripts for another class I am taking. We didn't have much time to spend there, but I will for sure be going back! It was so crazy all the things I saw. I saw original manuscripts and other things from...

Jane Eyre manuscript

Jane Austen manuscripts

Jane Austen's writing desk

Wordsworth Poetry manuscripts

Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway manuscripts

Handel's Messiah manuscripts

Oscar Wilde's manuscript

Beethoven's music

Beethoven's tuning fork

Gutenburg Bibles

Eadui Salter from Canterbury (from the 11th century!)

After we left the British Library we met up with a bunch of girls for dinner before we all went to our shows. Then I went and saw the brand new Phantom sequel by Andrew Lloyd Weber called, "Love Never Dies." It just barely opened a few months ago, and is only showing in London. It was seriously amazing. I started crying at the end of it. If you know me at all, you know that I do not cry in movies/plays. And this made me cry. It was so good. I wish I could say what happens, but I can't. It would ruin it, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you!

Canterbury & Cambridge

2010-07-02T14:07:00.001-07:00

Today was our first day trip. We first went to the town of Canterbury. This was such a cute town and had soo much history. First we went to the ruins of St. Augustine. There was a big cathedral here, but when King Henry VII came into power he organized the Church of England and decided to get rid of all the cathedrals that might be considered Roman Catholic. This was called dissolution. It is so sad to think of all the things that have been destroyed from this. Jane Austen wrote of this saying, "King Henry VIII is going to beautify England with many great ruins." She was being ironic of course, and I'm not sure if that is the exact quote, but it's close enough!

Next in Canterbury we went to the Cathedral that is there now. It was so incredible. The ceilings are so amazing. There is a story in this cathedral about a man named Thomas Becket. He was the arch bishop there hundreds of years ago, and he got on the bad side of the King at the time. It was over whether the king had power over the church or if the church was independent. So long story short, the king sends 4 knights to Canterbury to kill Thomas Becket. They find him in the cathedral and kill him in his own cathedral. Then people would pilgrimage here from all over to come see then now St. Thomas's remains and in hope of miracles.

This is the monument to St. Thomas Becket

Next, after leaving Canterbury, we went off to the town of Cambridge, home of Cambridge University. It was a way cool town. It felt like an old time town and was surrounded by this moat. The college has been there for 800 years! How crazy is that?? When we got there we wanted to go see King's College or Trinity College, which are the most famous, but they were closed! So we went to their museum and went into another smaller college, and looked in shops in the town. Then our professor found us and told us that there is a service done in King's College Cathedral with the boy's choir so we went to that. It was so amazing! They sounded so perfect, and in the cathedral with all the acoustics, it was incredible! These boys were about 8 years to teenagers and live at the college. They do these services two time a day! It was so great. My favorite song they sang was "Santa Maria," it was absolutely beautiful.

Kings College L to R: Laura, Laura, Me, Lauren, Hilary

The moat around Cambridge. You can rent those little boats and go "punting"

The Cathedral at King's College

Us in front of King's College...when it was closed.

And finally, we got back home and went to eat at Nando's. It was delish'.

T.L.C.

2010-07-01T14:24:00.005-07:00

So today I gave myself some much needed tlc. I woke up and had to go do kitchen duty (bleh) at 7:45, so then I went to class after and got out at 1:00 pm. and went up to my room to figure out what to do! I ended up deciding to catch up on my reading for my classes. That happened for about a half hour and I fell asleep. 3 hours later...I woke up, and went to kitchen duty (bleh again) for dinner! I felt somewhat guilty doing that...but it felt great! I needed to rest!

After dinner, we went to the red carpet premier of Eclipse in London at Leicester Square. However, Edward, Jacob and Bella were not there, so we didn't really care much. The people there were INSANE! They were giving away these giant banner things and people were mauling the security to get them! After that, we wandered around toward Trafalgar Square, and happened to stumble upon a free concert for Canada Day! How great is that!? So we wandered around there for a while, and then made our way home.

I had a very slow and relaxing day...but it was just what the doctor ordered!

How awesome is London? I was just walking along the street and ran into a free concert for Canada Day!

This was at the UK red carpet premier for Twiling...after everything was over. What a mess!

Cathedrals, Museums, & Queen Victoria

2010-06-30T15:09:00.001-07:00

CATHEDRALS. Today was an excellent day! We woke up and all went as a group on the "Super Tour" of St. Paul's Cathedral. It was spectacular! Soo beautiful inside and out! It is the second biggest cathedral in the world next to St. Peter's in Vatican City. Wow!

My favorite things about it were the ceilings. They were all mosaics and were absolutely incredible. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, so unfortunately, if you would like to see them you will have to make the trip for yourself. There were also so many infamous and influential people buried in the crypt of St. Paul's, and it's so interesting to see their monuments.

The most memorable thing about St. Paul's was the stairs. Not because they were ornate, or historical, or anything like that. They are memorable because there are simply so many! We climbed the 500 or so stairs all the way to the top of the dome. But it was well worth it! You can see all of London from the top of that dome, and it's beautiful!

In case you haven't ever been to St. Paul's and experienced the stairs first hand, let me paint a little picture for you. At first, the stairs aren't bad, they are wide and low to the ground. You think, "Huh, I could do 500 of these no problem!" But then, they suddenly change to steep, narrow cement stairs that wind and wind up and up and up. Here you are thinking, "Phew! I'm starting to get a little tired...and claustrophobic!" But you keep on going. Then, the stairs change again. Now they are not only steep and narrow, but they are those wirey type stairs and just have a hand rail between you and death. These stairs go up and up and up even more! By now you are thinking, "Man, I hope I get there alive!" Then finally, you go through a little narrow tunnel about 2 ft wide and 4 and a half feet tall and you have made it!

These stairs actually are famous. They are used in lots of films such as Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes!

See! Narrow!

This is while we were climbing up the stairs, there is this tiny window where you can see the cathedral right below you...we are reeeeally high up!

MUSEUMS. After the visit to St. Paul's, we went over to the Museum of London. This was a way cool museum. It had basically the entire history of London since prehistoric dates. Some of my favorite things here were the more modern stuff from the 18th and 19th centuries. They had period clothing and hats and stuff that were really cool to look at. They also had a really neat video about the Blitz during WWII. It had displays all the way up until today!

QUEEN VICTORIA. So tonight we had a movie night. It started out as wanting to watch Sherlock Holmes, because ever since I have got here I have had such a craving for it! We were going to do it before, but it just hasn't worked out. So I asked one of the professors if we could watch it tonight on the screen in the classroom and I was told to ask the director. So we asked him (and by this time somehow everyone knew me as the girl who wanted to watch Sherlock Holmes really bad because I had asked a couple times!). He said yes, so he came to help figure out how to hook it up. Well, my Mac wouldn't hook up just right so I needed a certain cord. i found the cord from another Professor and thought I was set. We invited everyone and when I went to hook it up the cord didn't fit my style of Mac!

So we ended up watching Young Victoria instead. But it was still a great movie experience!

The Championships at Wimbledon 2010

2010-06-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

So have you ever had one of those days were you woke up and were like, "Hmm...maybe today I should go to Wimbledon!" Me too. It happened today. AND IT WAS AWESOME!

We rode the tube which goes straight to the little town of Wimbledon. Then we got off and asked the cute little man how we get there, so we had to take a cab (only 2.50!) alllll the way around to the other side. We went through the queue and purchased tickets to get onto the grounds for 17 pounds. With that we got to wander all around the courts except Court 1 and Centre Court.

Then there is a line you can get in to buy people's tickets who have left their seats for 5 pounds! We got in to excellent seats in Court 1 watching the match between Petra Kvitova and Kaia Kanepi. It was an excellent match! Kvitova won. She lost the first set, won the 2nd in a tie break, and won the 3rd 8 to 6!

So next time you wake up and think, "Hmm...maybe today I should go to Wimbledon," I would highly recommend it!

Me by the lawn where you can sit and watch the large screen

On the Grounds!

Here is the chart they track everything with!

My roommate, Niki, and I on the tube to go to Wimbledon!

The town of Wimbledon

Court No. 1

These are the names of players on June 29, 2010

Classes.

2010-06-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today we started our classes. *Sigh* A little bit of reality has struck! I am taking a Great War and Modernism class and a Christianity in early England class. Both sound interesting, and the readings are interesting, but there is much more work than any of us here anticipated for them! Hopefully it will calm down.

We also had Simon Gibson come and speak to us today. He did a wonderful job. He is a big CEO from Wales who is involved in a lot of politics and investments around the world. He is a very important man, and also a member of the Church. He came and talked about the pioneer and missionary heritage in England. It was amazing.

He has especially invested in this LDS chapel in Wales that is the first chapel ever owned by the Church! It was completely destroyed when they bought it, and then they fixed it up and it was dedicated by President Hinckley a few years ago. Here is it now:

There was one thing that he said that I wanted to remember. I asked if being a member of the church had any positive or negative affect on his career and dealings with other people. He said that sometimes he gets asked the question, "What does your church believe?" That is a very daunting question, especially when people have certain ideas about Mormons. He said he always replies with 3 points:

1. Jesus Christ came to the earth and established His church.

2. Man changed it over time.

3. It has been restored today through a living prophet.

We only had a couple hours really to get out of the centre and explore, so we went to this cafe we had heard was good called Giraffe. It was quite tastey. I got a sandwich on a baguette with grilled chicken, brie cheese, lettuce, the kinda mayo-like dressing, and tomatoes with fries. It sure hit the spot!

My First Sunday.

2010-06-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day I went to church in London. Next week we will each be assigned a ward throughout the London area to go to in small groups, but today we went to the Hyde Park Ward.

I love being able to go thousands of miles away from home but still feeling at home when I see those 9 words on the side of a building, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints." It makes me feel so at peace and comforted.

...all the way to...

I love that there is the same Hymns sung

I love that everyone has big smiles as they welcome you in as a visitor

I love how there is always the same old lady who loooves family history

But most of all, I love that there is always a picture of the Savior to remind me what everything is really about

I'm Pooped.

2010-06-26T13:11:00.001-07:00

Today:

Breakfast 8:30 am

Left house to catch the tube at Notting Hill at 9:00 am

Found our way to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard

Went to Harrod's Food Hall - bought a little salad and water; ate it on a stoop outside of Harrod's.

Walked to the National Gallery at Trafalgar's Square (one of the most gorgeous areas yet) and saw the likes of Monet, Manet, van Gogh, Turner, Cezanne, Picasso, Constable,Degas....that was just one wing.

Went to a pub to watch the England vs. Germany game...yeah, it's not until tomorrow.

Went to Covent Gardens to watch street performers - the guy was kinda lame we saw.

Wandered around Jubilee Market and tasted lots of yummy samples of food sold by street vendors - bought some fudge.

Walked to Big Ben, then over the Thames, past the London Eye to eat at Wagamama's. I got Yaki Soba and it was delish'.

Walked to Picadilly Circus to catch the bus which took us though the Regent's St.andOxford St. shopping district (will def be going back there!)

and then finally came home!

Like I said...I'M POOPED!

My roommate/flatmate Nikki and I getting our Oyster Passes for the tube

(L to R) Me, Nikki, and Brittany at Buckingham Palace

Me looking at the yummy bread in the Covent Gardens market

My First Three Days

2010-06-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Yes. It is true. The countdowns can now stop, my talking to everyone about what I'm going to do can stop, EVERYTHING can now stop. Because I am in London!

That's right, I am finally here! I left out of Salt Lake...

Then landed in London! (I would get a picture from the plane in London...but I was in the MIDDLE of the MIDDLE on that flight....yeah, i know.)

I got here a couple of days before everyone else because that was it was cheaper, so I stayed by myself for a couple nights in the Grand Royale London Hyde Park Hotel. Here's a picture of the street where my hotel was....

Mine was Number 1, so It was down the street a little, but was still equally as cute!

I will now take you on a guided photographic tour of my first few days...

Here is my walk through Notting Hill...

Here are my sights through Kensington Gardens...

Here are a couple views I have from the rooftop of our house...

And, of course, the first of many phonebooth pictures to come...

the countdown...

2010-06-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

what a difference right?

welcome to the new and improved blog of ali sorensen.

this blog will be coming to you from the UK, in a little ol' town called london.

that's right! we are down to the final 12 days people!

i will be now reporting from my room at 27 palace court (my new address) and i will have great experiences and insights and plenty of embarrassing stories to entertain visitors to this blog for the next 2 months.

my plane takes off june 22, so look forward to that date! i know i am!

My New Outfit

2010-05-31T21:40:00.001-07:00

Trashy Diva dress (this brand makes you look FABULOUS!) I got from my favorite store called Lucille Elaine

Steve Madden's from. where else, Nordstrom!

Dramatic Readings: By Ali & Elora

2010-05-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Soo...My friend and I had a great Friday night! We recorded ourselves performing dramatic readings and songs. I think we are hilarious, personally! But I will not put the songs on, I have a little more dignity than that!

This was our first attempt at the reading...

Here's attempt number 2...

Finally, we did it! Well, almost....