Most Tiring Week Ever? Yep.

I'm really bad at updating my blog... Like really bad.  So I decided to update it at least every Sunday, and give the highlights and include a few pictures :)

Sunday:
First day at church!  It's like an hour tube/train ride to church, which sounds bad, but really isn't too bad.  The train ride is really pretty.  The ward is super small, it only has about 75 members in it.  All three of us got called to be Primary teachers and I love it :)  They also wanted my help with piano/singing time... which is kinda funny because I really don't play piano well at all.  But.  I will try my best :)  The ward is about 80% Nigerian, so we really stick out.  But because the ward is so small, and mostly filled with new converts, they are very grateful for us and for the help we can provide.
Also on this day was my first day on the tube.  I quickly discovered that not only am I a stereotypical "loud American" but I am an extremely loud American.  I'll have to work on that. haha

Monday:
We went on a suuuupppppppppperrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr long walk for our walks class.  I seriously wanted to die.  It was so tiring.  We basically walked around all the walls of the old Roman city of Londinium.  So it was a long walk.  But I saw this cute little street:

Tuesday:
We went to the Tower of London- it was seriously so SO cool!  This was an old fortress built in 1066.  That's a long time ago.  Within the the Tower of London, they keep the crown jewels, they were so so huge and so beautiful- they actually looked kind of fake.  There is also the White Tower where they would keep prisoners and torture prisoners.  But I saw my very first guard here!  And no, he didn't smile or do anything.

Wednesday:

Ok.  This day was AMAZING.  We went to St. Paul's Cathedral and it was absolutely stunning.  The ceiling and dome was so beautiful.  There was an amazing painting of Christ at a door, knocking to come in.  We were there for about 3 hours and got the "super tour" it was great.  At the end I got to light a prayer candle- which was actually a really cool experience.  

Later that night we went to see Les Miserables.  This is my favorite show ever, I had seen it twice before: once on Broadway in New York, and then this past summer in LA.  But this was the best production by far.  Marius and Jean Valjean were both incredible as were the rest of the cast.  That play is so beautifully written and the music is amazing and inspiring- I'm not sure what it inspires me to do, but I just feel inspired. haha :)

This is the staircase in St. Pauls that was used in Harry Potter 3 :) When the go to Divination.

Thursday: 

OK.  FUNNY STORY TIME:

We had nothing to do this night, so we decided to go to Platform 9 3/4.  LOVE Harry Potter.  But anyway, after that, some people had heard about a Hip Hop karaoke night so we decided to go check it out for a bit.  So we walk through this semi-sketch area and find this club (and to create an image: about 10 girls and 2 boys, white kids, all wearing peacoats, scarves, sperrys, cute boots, etc).  So we round the corner to where it is and we see this massive group waiting to get in, with a bouncer standing there.  When we looked a little longer at the group, we see they are ALL black-- gangster.  And we're all white-- preppy-ish.  We obviously weren't getting in.  But we decide to just do a walk by to see what it looked like.  As we walk by, the whole crowd turns their heads and stares at us, and they all laugh among themselves.  After we round the corner we all burst out laughing and talking (apparently loudly) about how we didn't get in.  Then, I hear these super loud girls behind us.  I turn around and see three British girls waving their arms around like crazy and saying (in dumb fake American valley-girl accents): "AHHH! We didn't get into the club! I can't believe it!!  OH MY GOSH!  I'm from America!!!" They were obviously mimicking us!  It was so so dumb. hahaha but- really funny at the same time.  I was annoyed, but laughing to myself at the same time.  All the British just hate us I guess. haha But oh well, that's their own problem.

Going to Hogwarts!! :) 

Friday:

RUNNYMEDE AND WINDSOR!!

I loved it here.  In case you can't tell.  It was super super pretty and nice to get out of the city.  It was more in the countryside- Runnymede was in this huge open field- there is just this big monument where the Magna Carta was signed.  Also, I got to wear my new rainboots.  And I love them.  A lot.  It made the day even better :) Windsor is this charming little city which contains Windsor Castle and Eaton College (all boys school).  Windsor Castle was super cool- it is the official residence of the queen, but she is usually at Buckingham Palace.  Inside Windsor Castle is this HUGE Victorian doll house complete with running water and electricity!  It was the coolest thing I had ever seen! And, to top off this whole day I got a group together to watch Downton Abbey.  While I was in England.  Where the show takes place.   Best show ever.  I'm obsessed.  Oh!  And I ate in a pub for the first time ever!!  Hahah that was quite an experience... we (well, mainly Christi.... hahahaha) got hit on by 50 year old men. haha Good times:

Saturday:

It was cold.  We went to a market.  Nothing exciting... watched more Downton Abbey.... yeah, just pretty chill. :)

Anyway, I'm getting sick of writing this post, and you're probably sick of reading it... congratulations on making it this far! haha