Day #19 & 20: "How happy some o'er..." about sunshine in London! :)

Day #19: "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East...and HOLY CRUMPETS! Is that the SUN?!" = My thoughts when I woke up on Saturday morning! It's been raining all week, so I was begging for a chance at Vitamin D. I totally get why so many British poets talk about the Sun... its a flippin' novelty here! Not wanting to waste this beautiful opportunity, we spent the day at Regent's Park, along with hundreds of other Londoners. (...yes, I'm a Londoner too. I now accept all perks and responsibilities to such title!). I now quote Prince Albert from The Young Victoria... "There's nothing to rival an English garden..." Amen, brother!

I should've lived in the Victorian Era! Forget air conditioning (hot? in London? HA!), cars (I'll miss you Honda Fit!), cell phones (no more instagrams and picstiches?!),  and TV (NBC is canceling SMASH anyways! I cry if I dwell on it...WHY?!), and bring on the teatime, carriages, high society, corsets and balls! Woohoo! Wait... no movies?! Ok, I cave! Don't think I could handle it...but maybe for a day! I'll just dream about it instead...(yup! That's a field of flowers, NOT snow!)

We swung by Portobello Road on the way home to pick up some trinkets we had our eyes for our family (Ciera, you're going to LOVE it!), and after successfully denying all the tempting treats, we made dinner (we were FAMISHED! A long day in the sun = eat everything at home! Go thing we walked about 10+ miles before! ) and headed once more to The Globe for A Midsummer Night's Dream. I was SO excited! This is my favorite comedy by Shakespeare ( #2 is As You Like It #3 Twelfth Night #4 Taming of the Shrew), so I made sure to elbow my way to the edge of the stage again! If you're not familiar with the play, its basically about four lovers getting lost in the woods and the chaos that ensues after fairies intervene. It's much more witty than that pitiful summary. Lysander was by far the most handsome *cough,cough* I mean most talented actor, and it was the best Shakespeare performance I've seen yet!

Oh! On the way to the show, we saw a film crew outside of St. Paul's! We freaked out and tried to get a closer look, but the cameramen didn't see the potential stars behind them... their lose! I can cross that off my bucket list next week ;)

Day #20: Happy Sunday :) My favorite day of the week! It only took us 2 hours to get to North London for Church... Progress, people! I was grateful for it because it gave me precious time to stop and think on all the blessings my Heavenly Father has given me, and what I want to improve on this following week. Being miles away from what you are used to and the normal routines that make up you daily life is the perfect chance to discover who you are! I am a silly and hopeful girl trying my best to be what Heavenly Father needs me to be for others. If its the roommate who goes on an hour excursion through South Kensington to find a doughnut with you or the crazy flatmate across the hall who keeps you laughing at being terrified of The Woman in Black, I'll be that! He has given me everything and the least I can do is pay it forward by making people's days a little more comical or happy.

Day # 16, 17, 18: How to Dance, March, & Survive 627 steps before Tea Time!

You know what I forgot about this Study Abroad in the midst of my adventures? The STUDYING part! Oops! Blogging has been harder to do lately with all the papers and reviews due in class...BUT! At least its not math or science homework... I would die. Give me a paper analyzing the similarities between putting on a play and marriage ANY DAY over Calculus :) Next to alliteration, metaphors are my favorite literary device (GEEK!) and there are quite a few in that prompt! See!...

"A marriage then becomes a live performance of the play. You must be aware of many technical elements in high stress situations and press on regardless of missed cues. There must be collaboration and communication between each other (whether actor and technician or husband and wife) for a lengthy run to be possible."

I was half awake writing this, and have never been married ( still waiting on Prince Harry though! Finding him and his sister-in-law has proven to be harder than I thought-DANG IT!), so hopefully I get an A! As a reward for stellar analyzing, we saw Billy Elliot Wednesday night and OH MY CRAZY! I got chills from that little boy's dancing- it was flawless! This song is my favorite...:)

Bah! No big deal, he's only like...12! He must have come out of the womb doing pirouettes, because I definitely did not, and I'm stuck between envy and awe! This wasn't the "Billy" we saw, but he's still just as amazing! I want to DANCE now! My friends and I have a "dance" for every adventure we've had since being in London, so at the end of our happy study abroad (NOOOOO! Won't. LEAVE!) be prepared for an epic music video ;) Maybe we can call up Billy Elliot to endow us with his magical dancing powers...nah!...I'll get a poster instead!

Day #17: Thursday morning in London...what do you do? (Mom will be happy now!) Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard *trumpet fanfare* and a hopeful glimpse of  the Queen! No such luck on seeing her though, BUT when we first arrived, her crest was flying on top of the palace for ten minutes before it was switch to the Union Jack! When the Queen is at the palace, her crest flies and when she is gone, the Union Jack flies. The first time the flag was ever flown at half mass was when Princess Diana died= Random fact of the day! A bit morbid :/ Anyways... it was so crowded! I didn't know what to expect, so we got there an hour and a half early and scored some awesome spots!...

Best time to be crammed together in a group of random people= when its COLD! Spring in London = Winter in Dallas.(That's 2 = signs 2 many...WHAT'S MATH?!?) They helped block the wind! Just when I thought it would never happen...the Guards came marching in! (I wanted to start singing "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In", but seeing as that's an American folk song, not so smart! But who knows! Half our hymns/ folk songs go back to the Motherland of England, so it could have worked! Probably would've gotten confused looks or maybe have even distracted the Guards! Oh! Or made them smile! Blast! Why didn't I do it!) It was quite the fanfare, and I bet they get tired swinging their arms like that...

We got the famous grilled cheese from Borough Market on the way back home...it was a delicious detour :) Later our group met up to see One Man, Two Guvnors which basically is the British Servant of Two Masters set in 1963, so hilarious, but some of the references blew over my head! Lots of improv too! They had a girl from the audience come on stage and get covered when the actors had a food fight! I WISH IT WAS ME! How fun :) That's on my bucket list...FOOD FIGHT! I wonder if I can check that one off in London ;)

Day # 18: Next to rainy days, London has A LOT of stairs... and St. Paul's takes the cake on stairs! 627 to the very top! It started off very pleasant with beautiful archways and lots of leg room, but the further up you got, the tinier and more claustrophobic we all felt. It's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights or I would've cried!

My Shakespeare professor almost did- bless his heart! Imagine this face on him! We made it back down alright- FEEEW! I had a video with the epic view from on top, but all you can hear is the roaring wind and see my mouth moving like a fool! So as here is a video from the highlight of my week...Tea Time at The Orangery at Kensington Palace! We went right after and it couldn't have been more perfectly prim and proper!...

The actor in me wanted to step back in time and talk about the latest news of high society..."Did you hear that Lord Grantley is betrothed to so-in-so?" Every girly whim was satisfied today after 10 cups of tea! Yup! I literally soaked it all up! (Well, it was raining, so not everything.) With the tea house being next to Kensington Palace, we had to meander through the Gardens to fully complete the nostalgic afternoon...I survived it all (including a lot of rain!) and was very much satisfied!

Day #14 & 15 What the Crepe?! Helen Mirren, Victoria & Albert, Sherlock, & Churchill?!

Day #14: Ok, for starters...OH MY FANTASTIC!!! I MET HELEN MIRREN TODAY :D Does this make me fabulously famous by association?? (That's a lot of "F" adjectives- my love for alliteration has yet to diminish...I feel no shame!) More on that later, I was just too excited to keep it in! So we pretty much have the best professors ever because they make us peanut butter & lemon curd sandwiches for no other reason then "Your life will never be the same!" Turns out he was right! Look at that man go!

Some girls in our group initiated "Crepe Mondays" when we first got here, so we happily joined after class and were NOT disappointed with the results! How have I not gotten these angelic creations until now?! I must keep my distance and be satisfied with PB & LC as shown above! But who am I kidding?!

Not wanting to waste the vast cultural experience London has to offer, we made our way to The National Portrait Gallery (suffering from a TOTAL sugar overdose! Who'd have thought that 16th century busts could be so hilarious! Museum workers we not amused surprisingly- hehe! But karma had us crash by the Victorian Era paintings...that's #47 Stupid American moment!) that has the only surviving picture of Shakespeare drawn in his lifetime! COOL! Did you know that Princess Kate Middleton is the Patron of this gallery? I kept hoping she'd pop out from behind a painting or something, but she's probably busy trying not to pop right now! Later in the evening, our group went to see The Audience starring Helen Mirren as  Queen Elizabeth II and she was PERFECTION! Its about how the Queen has a private audience with the Prime Ministers behind that famous "10" door in Buckingham Place. Sounds boring, right? (For the "Joe Cool" American guys we sat next to, who were trying to invite us for a night out it was! They left right at intermission after we rejected their offer. They could barely stay awake the 1st half! And we don't do that, yo! BYU study abroad keeps it classy! ) It was witty and mesmerizing...so we waited to see Helen Mirren, AND....VOILA!

FINALLY! A successful encounter with a star! I even gave her the right ticket stub to sign, unlike my chance encounter with Luke Treadaway :/ WOOOHOOO! I have overcome my foot in mouth moment (though I'm sure there will be more to come!) and actually spoke coherent words with her. She said, " Oh I love seeing young girls at the theatre!" and I said, "YOU WERE AMAZING! *Insert nervous giggling*"... so we're getting somewhere!

Day #15: Who else is obsessed with Queen Victoria & Prince Albert after seeing The Young Victoria (starring Emily Blunt, also won best costuming in 2009- SEE IT!)...? Well, I am a HUGE fan and was practically giddy to see the V&A today for class.WOW...it is giant and we only saw a third of it! It houses some of the most historic pieces and artwork ever because Prince Albert loved the arts! Queen Victoria wanted to originally call it just Prince Albert's Museum, but they HAD to be together! Hopeless romantic tearing up, right here! Anyways...The main entrance housed mythological statues by Rodin and Miranda & I just about died because Rodin is a favorite... Geeking Out! Sorry! But it is my blog, so ha! I'll step off my soap box on priceless sculptors!...But look at this one! (Poseidon, watch it!)

We especially had fun in the theatre history exhibit with the costumes before heading to 221b Baker's Street where Sherlock Holmes lived! More costume role play! I could pass off as his secretary, right?

I'm pretty sure the guy dressed up as the Inspector behind me was "Kent" in the King Lear we saw on Saturday! That was in Greenwich... What was he doing here? Oh the life of an actor, I suppose! Still, talk about a small world... he recognized me from being on the front row and screaming in fright at a scary scene. I'm a wimp who couldn't handle a bloody Lear popping out, sue me! Go back to your post! Our next adventure was seeing the Churchill War Rooms from WWII in honor of my dad and Grandpa who love him! It's so crazy, because the rooms were forgotten after WWII and within the last few years were found in the exact same state as if they just left. I was so moved by the blood, sweat, and tears the men put in to keep the war rooms function. It wouldn't have been easy without a vivacious leader like Churchill, that's for sure! This one's for you, Dad and Papa! "Never was so much owed by so many to so few...Never, never, never give up!"- Winston Churchill

(Days #11, 12, 13) My Whimsical Weekend with Dukes, Towers... & Tennis?? OH MY!

What are your first thoughts when you hear (wait for it) ... BA-BADA BAH!...TOWER OF LONDON?! Gloom and doom, right? Most people think of the chopping blocks, crown jewels (NO GLOOM THERE! Holy Sparkles! There were so many gold and shiny things! I felt like a dog in a park full of squirrels...Diamond! Ruby! Pearls! AH!) and Anne Boleyn, right? Well so did I! But that was all before I bumped into a duke...;) It all started as a simple group excursion to another London landmark...but ended with a romantic rendezvous (not really not I like alliteration if you haven't noticed!) It was a cloudy (with no chance of meatballs) morning and adventure was just around (the river bend! ...ok, I'll stop!) the next looming corridor. Guess whats right next to it!

It's the TOWER Bridge, NOT the London Bridge... the locals are touchy about that- Oops! (My finger will now LIFT the bridge :D) Apparently the London Bridge is in San Francisco! Confusing much? I was! I need to pay more attention in class instead of daydreaming about HBs though, because this was clarified in class...hah! Here begins our journey...

First, we went through the Royal Armoury where I thought a knight in shining amour could be my love...

But sadly, I offended his honor when I said he suit wasn't that shiny...which resulted in this!

Needless to say, our relationship ended and I was left lonely... AGAIN searching for my Knight...or Duke! As we were walking out of the Crown Jewels exhibit, I noticed a group of people taking pictures with a man dressed in a regal red coat, so naturally I went over to inspect! It turned out being a young man dressed for the Costume reenactment, but being an actress I played along ;) He was James Scott the Duke of Monmouth and I was his Lady Wentworth...

You still don't believe that he loved me? Well here's proof in the first few seconds!...("You, Madame, cannot come close enough!")

It was a lovely afternoon in the Tower of London afterwards! Not even the block, shackles, or ghosts got me down! A little role play made my day :) (I rhymed!) We then walked across the Tower Bridge and got purposefully lost in Southwark for the rest of the day!

Day #12: On Saturday, we decided to take a step off the beaten track by going up to Wimbledon! Home of the Lawn Tennis Court Championship! I have always said that if I could pick a sport to be a pro at it would be tennis. Its one of the random facts I keep in my pocket when you're on an awkward date and the guy's like, "So tell me something random about yourself!" Can't you see a champion in that form?!

The Centre Court is further out from the actual town of Wimbledon which was adorable! We happened upon an art exhibit at the public library and found the best kept secret in local artists. I could live there eating crumpets for the rest of my life! And then stop my the Cafe at the tennis courts that is famous for its strawberries and cream :P

Later that night our group made the long trek to Greenwich (Prime Meridian, what!?) to see a production for King Lear. It was...interesting to say the least. I've never seen so much fog in my life! *Gasping for real air!* King Lear was actually QUEEN Lear, there was a blow horn between each scene, and Edmund was parallel gesturing (a BIG no-no in acting!). I have a feeling our class discussion on the production will be quite heated tomorrow! The real tragedy happened when we missed our train back home...I. Was. THIS! Close....

Day # 13: It was Stake Conference today for the London wards, and I was amazed by the dedication of the members who came from all over! Did you know that there are 3 other BYU study abroad groups here right now? A general, business, and accounting one! BYU takes London! The conference was broadcast from Salt Lake with Elder Richard G. Scott and President Henry B. Eyring addressing us. I was so touched by the love they expressed to the members, and then looking around and seeing the same love being completely reciprocated back in their eyes. SO humbling to be here... I took a walk in Hyde Park by myself today and it was the first time I've been alone in I dont know how long! Doesn't it look like I walked straight out of a BBC film?!

All in all, I rather enjoyed my weekend of Dukes, Towers, (stupid trains) & Tennis! Thank you, London for making everyday quite whimsical (if you're looking for adventure at least!)

Day # 10: "All the world's a stage..." When you're at SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE

Today was the pinnacle of my London theatre experience for I went to...*cue fireworks*... SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE!!! I wanted to put on a doublet and speak in iambic pentameter the whole day! (That wouldn't have worked since women didn't act in the English Renaissance...they were missing out!) We were allowed to see the exhibit before our group tour in the late morning and the theatre's history alone was fascinating! My favorite part was the costumes...I could totes be a merchant of venice, eh?

They also had this booth where you could hear past renditions of classic Shakespeare monologues... I had a little too much fun, especially when I saw that my favorite Shakespearean Actor Kenneth Branagh was up there...GEEKING OUT WITHOUT SHAME!

Took me long enough to notice I had an audience...Oops! Finally our tour guide took us into the Globe and I had a fit of theatrical nostalgia. (This quickly dissipated my frustration two minutes earlier while trying to master Temple Run 2 as a way to curb my impatience for the tour! Curse my slow reflexes! In 7th grade, we timed our hand eye coordination and I was the slowest...I got better! (name that movie!)) Although the original theatre burnt down and this present one was recreated in 1997, it still was magical to behold. It shows how valuable Shakespeare is to the British culture when you see how many donations were given to complete it (one lady noticed they were lacking wood and gave her very on oak tree from her backyard now seen in the benches of the balconies! Tender!) and research worked on to make sure every detail was as close to the real thing. Here is the inside :)...

There's more but not all are lovers of The Bard (crazy!) and I don't want to bore you...only show you how cool the inside is! We had a break before seeing The Tempest, and crossed off a big bucket list item = FISH & CHIPS! For the life of me, I cant remember what the pub was called where we got them! It's right by St. Paul's Cathedral though! Yum... its basically the American equivalent of getting a well done burger. It hits the spot :P

Rushing back over the Thames, we scored a "seat" right against the stage in the peasant standing section of the theatre! Guess who was going to be acting inches from my face...ROGER ALLAM (Original Javert in Les Mis) and Colin Morgan from Merlin! Score 2 & 3 for celebrity encounters!

The play was witty and whimsical! There is something so surreal about it being outside, and having the actors interact with you! Remember how I once thought I was impervious to rain? Well its still true! I didn't want to lug a jacket on what appeared to be a warm day, but ironically the weather wished to appeased the title of the play quite literally... it POURED throughout Act 2! I was soaked from the rain bouncing back off the stage too on top of the heavens raining down. The actors went on without a slip (literally!) and Allam had some epic moments when the rain seemed to bend to the will of his lines...ah! Live theatre! Do you see the puddles on the ground? Yeah, we definitely saw The Tempest!

By the time the show ended, the day was coming to a close and we were exhausted, wet, and on cloud 9 from the stellar performance! I've decided that if I could go back in time, I'd spend a day in the English Renaissance during the performance for the Queen of "The Twelfth Night" and see how Shakespeare's words revolutionized the literary world! How corny, but what do you expect from a romantic dreamer like me!

Day # 8,9: Charming Museums & Foot in Mouth Moments!

Day #8: I survived my 1st week in London! Well... survived makes it sound like a struggle when its been the COMPLETE opposite! (Minus the whole shower hating me...seriously though, it took 15 minutes to turn the dang thing on today! And the stakes where high (acting reference...wow this is a thought within a thought...INCEPTION!) because I had to be to the Museum of London in an hour and had just finished running in Hyde Park (pinch me!) on a surprisingly warm morning! What a tease, European Plumbing!) If you haven't realized already, I love it here. Even as a little girl, when people asked me "If you could go ANYWHERE in the world...where would it be?" I would answer with a resounding "LONDON!" This city is the setting for so many classic stories, so how can I stop myself from daydreaming! (By seeing a "Hot Buns" walk by! I think its a Wednesday thing, because yet again, we saw an increased amount of attractive British men today!

Ok, so the bottom left was too adorable.Talk about the picturesque Englishman! Do you see the matching green socks? PRICELESS! I could be entertained for hours on the Tube just people watching! Oh, which reminds me... two of the girls from our group were on the same Tube cart as Stanley Tucci yesterday...and talked to him! The cruel irony is that I was in the next cart! Bah! (He's from Devil Wears Prada, Hunger Games, and Easy A to name a few!) I WILL have a celebrity encounter (foreshadow for Day #9!) before I leave London... We spent a good chunk of the day at the Museum of London and it was a blast! I love museums (geeking out :P) and this one was unique in how it incorporated the old with the new elements of London's history. Shout out to my dad! You would have loved the WWII exhibit so much... the guns, memorabilia, and video would make you cry! I personally liked the Victorian Garden Party Exhibit where they had authentic gowns, and an interactive movie like Pride & Prejudice covering the walls! But the city's history is truly remarkable for how small the land is! London continues to fascinate me!

Oh, and they also had the ORIGINAL PETER PAN COSTUME from it 1st performance! Kind of spazzed out then...just a little. And if that bike was for sale, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! Later that night, our group went to see the "smashing" new musical Matilda based off of Roald Dahl's children's book. It was spectacular, hilarious, witty, and heartwarming! You really can't go wrong with any show on West End, but this try stands out because the little kids in the show are even better than the adults! Like they were hard core belting and dancing hip hop/ jazz with NO mistakes! Who are there's children and how are they so talented already?!

I know I'm abusing the picstich in this post, but they're effective you got to admit! That's "Ms. Trunchbull" the evil headmistress who was crazy... and also played by a man! Oh theatre and its tricks!

Day #9: Today was the first day I felt like things were starting to move faster...OH NO! By all means, move at a glacial pace! (name that movie! Hint...Stanley Tucci is in it!) Class sped by in the morning, leaving the afternoon open for thrift store grazing at the Camden Markets. Miranda totally scored, but I couldn't get over the beauty and classiness of this wonder...yes, the bottom is velvet.

After wandering around, we bummed into The Camden Eye Pub, which"The Best Pizza in Camden Town", and with our bellies grumbling, we dove in. Apparently Angelina Jolie went there and said it was the best pizza see had ever had, so naturally Miranda and I split the "How To Impress Angelina Jolie" pizza...it was divine!

I highly encourage going off the beaten track to find great hunts like these because they are the "diamonds in the rough" of fine foods! YUM! Well once we realized we were running out of clothes to wear, laundry time became necessary... where's my fairy godmother when I need her! On the plus side, I got to Skype my fabulous sister, Ciera, and baby Jax! Love you, travel agent! I'm bringing back the best chocolate as compensation! Then on a whim, we decided to try and to score tickets to the Tony Award Winning musical Once...here's our adventure in the tube!

WE GOT TICKETS!!!! We be lucking out! The show was based off the 2008 movie, featuring  music by Glen Hansard like "Falling Slowly" (top 10 favorite songs ever for me!) and left me in tears by its moving, yet simply realistic love story...I'm such a sucker!

Oh! Remember my vow to see a celebrity? It happened!!! After Once, we went to the Apollo Theatre were Siera lost her phone to double check, when out waltzes Luke Treadaway!!! He was "Christopher" in our favorite play The Curious Incident from Saturday afternoon! Miranda and I just stared with gapping mouths all while Siera talked to the stage manager...ermergeshchristopherimgonnapeethisisreallyhappening! Like the silly flustered girl that I am, I stumbled in front of him and stupidly gave him the 1st scratch piece of paper I could find = my receipt from Once! He looked at it then laughed at me! Did I care? Nope! Not one bit! Did I take the gold for stupid American moment champion...OH YEAH! This is what he looks like by the way (he won an Olivier award for best actor! The equivalent of a Tony in England! Booyah!

Birthday Weekend! (So Day # 5,6,7)...Geeking Out and Being 20!

What truly could be better than living in London for two months? Maybe having your 20th BIRTHDAY IN LONDON! I completely lucked out, and did a little happy/ victory dance ( I do them a lot) when I found out that for once, luck was one my side! (unlike the runny nose in class thing-Boo! Ok, I'm officially over it.) Wanting to milk this occasion for all its worth, we spread out the things I really wanted to do over the weekend (with my actual b-day being on Sunday, May 12th) and let me tell you, it was epic ;) Saturday morning started with a run (HA! NOT my 1st choice, but I'm committed to running while I'm here! Don't want to look like a Professor Umbridge by the time I go back!) through Hyde Park with my new friends Charlotte and Jenna! It was gorgeous with the sun having just come up. No picture for that though! I was too busy huffing and puffing to document nature's beauties at the moment (One more kilometer left!). None of us had been completely full since being here (seems theatre students will buy tickets before food! Psssh! Oh wait...my stomach is making noises again- shh!), so a birthday lunch was in order at Med Kitchen two blocks away. It made us happy :P

Later that afternoon, the study abroad group got together at West End for a show called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time based on a book by Mark Haddon. I know I'm prone to exaggerate quite often for dramatic effect (but to clarify- I'M not dramatic...I'm THEATRICAL :D) but this was the best play I have ever seen. I was in the VERY back row which in this theatre meant I had a bird's eye view with how steep the seating was. Vertigo much? Good thing I'm not afraid of heights or I'd have thrown up all over the actors a mile below!

 READ. THE. BOOK. I'm going to geek out...the set was so intricate in bringing to life of the inner workings of the main character's mind! Acting was perfectly honest, vulnerable, and engaging. LOVED IT! We were losing steam from what we coined as "the longest/ most exciting weeks of our lives"and decided to take a chill night inside...but not before getting a substitute b-day cupcake from the renowned "Hummingbird Bakery" in...wait for it... Notting Hill on Portobello Road! Told you we'd go back! NEXT DAY! 

And for nostalgia sake, we watched Notting Hill in our flat's common room! A big rainstorm had blown in so a big chunk of girls stayed in for the night and joined us too. 1st Saturday night in London? On a couch watching a chick flick, y'all! But hey! The week made up for it. Strike #1 for geeking out! 

Day #6: Sunday is my favorite day of the week because I can go to church! It's a day to rest from the other cares of the world and be remained of eternal truths and God's love for you..what could be better? The Hyde Park Stake (local church leaders) decided to spread us across different wards in London, so I went to the London North Ward @ 10am...and we were gone from 9-4:30pm. It seems some outside force did not want my church group to get there but dang it all-we did! And boy was it the best! The ward had maybe 100 people from all over the world and they were quick to welcome and love us BYU girls :) The picture perfect "jolly old english lady" came and patted/ kissed our cheeks right away, saying we were such lovely angels sent to help. It was so humbling and made my birthday even sweeter with having too look forward to Shakespeare homework once we finally made it back (Tube station and buses were all messed up, but we survived!). Our ward was giving out ice cream too after church! I think this is going to be a very happy thing for all involved!

Sunday was Mother's Day too, so I got to skype the family and wish the best mom ever a happy day!(btw- that's my mom aka Mama B/ Stephanie Boyd I'm talking about, not your mom!) I miss you family! We need to come to London as a family someday because I already have a list of where to take each one of you (wont tell y'all where! This is my diabolical plan to get you to iMessage me back! *cough,cough* JENNA! Thank you Ciera, Steele, Dad, and Mom for commenting! I'll let Spenc slide because he's Spider man and I'm his White Tiger- love ya buddy!) Overall a very happy birthday! 

Day # 7: WHOA! I've been in London for a week! Seems like a month! (so that means it will feel like I'll have been here for 7 months! "Cool...cool cool cool." name that tv show! ) Today was so jam-packed will adventure, and it all started when the shower hated me. Like for real. It sees I'm coming and refuses to do its job of having water come down. Probably should tell a maintenance person soon! Can't be smelling if I plan on snatching a HOT BUN! All in all, we were running late to class, and while rushing past a construction worker, I bumped into him and being the proper English gentlemen, he kindly whispered "My apologies, mum!" Such a tiny moment, but it made my day :) My geeking out radar will explode if I go into detail about how awesome class discussions were, so we'll fast forward to  seeing the British Library this afternoon. Original manuscripts from Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, The Beatles...enough said!

But wait...There is MORE geekiness! I've a never ending supply of it that couldn't be contain today because do you know which train station you get off of for the British Library?? King's Cross Station! Are you a Harry Potter fan? Because it was my childhood (shout out to Ellie, Kate, and Renee! "42 is not a punk! Scars and glasses, what a hunk!")! Miranda and I were on the verge of tears...its finally happening! The owls may have forgotten our Hogwarts letter. but that can't stop us now from stowing away on the Hogwarts Express after entering *drum roll*...Platform 9 & 3/4! Strike #3 for geeking out!

Yes, I did buy that "Authentic Hogwarts Express" train ticket for 2 pounds, thank you very much! Our adventures were only half way done by this point at it was only 4pm! We hopped over to the the infamous Harrod's upmarket department storeand dreamily walked through the evening wear section that basically is Kate Middleton closet for fancy shin-digs with the Queen! Blast it all, they wouldn't let us take pictures of the stuff, but let me paint the picture for you, if you will. Imagine the most beautiful, classy, elegant evening gowns full of shimmer and sleek line...and times that by 1,000,000! I felt unworthy to even touch the gowns that were worth more than my life at 15,000 pounds easily! And they were modest too- double points! Don't even get me started on the epic English hats and fascinators! You would have died, Jenna! I did! Imagine Nordstroms times a zillion! I could only get the packaging of this lovely store, but its a must see before you die!

After wondering wide-eyed through Harrod's, we rushed home and prepared ourselves for the final installment of Brianna's 20th Birthday adventures. What do you think I did? For those of you who really know me, I dare you to guess before reading on! I'm in London...studying theatre... and its my birthday. Final guess? I SAW PHANTOM OF THE OPERA IN WEST END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Duh! It's only the show that inspired me to do theatre and I have to complete nostalgic circle, especially in my own life! Needless to say, I was SPAZZING OUT...

AND THIS IS INSIDE HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE...WHERE PHANTOM IS!!! ANNA O'BRYAN WAS CHRISTINE...PINCH ME!!!!

Although many theatre critics don't chose Phantom as the top pick for a deep musical, I have such a deep love for the show because its beauty and passion lit the fire in me to perform and live a life full of theatre. My love for PHANTOM will never die! Strike # 3 and HOMERUN for geeking out! No shame :)

Day #4: Love vs. Ghost Stories...Notting Hill & Woman in Black!

Being in London is amazing, but to additionally study theater (my major!) , is icing on the *tea* cake (do they even have frosting? I'll have to check that soon!) In class today, we discussed the 3 essentials for theater, which are: 1. Space to perform 2. Actors 3. Audience...which we definitely put to the test today! After the grocery man finally took pity on my lack of understanding British coins, we barely caught the bus back home for lunch. My roommate Miranda eagerly mentioned us going to Notting Hill for our afternoon adventure, wanting to find the iconic Travel Book Co, Store seen in the 1999 film Notting Hill featuring Julia Roberts & Hugh Grant. I loved that movie and cleverly thought, "Oh my gosh! Let's re-create the epic "I'm just a girl...standing in front of a boy asking him to love her" scene IN THE STORE!" Digging through my suitcase, I threw on a similar blue cardigan and skirt like Julia wore and we sent off for Portobello Road! Our quest begins!...

I had no idea Portobello Market was along the way, and quickly remembered the old classic song from Bed Knobs & Broom Sticks "Portobello Road! Portobello Road! Streets where the riches of ages are stowed!" (Remember, Ciera?! Was a favorite of ours along with Hocus Pocus! "NOOOO, Ciera! Not the scary witch movie again!" Love ya, sis!) It was amazing how many antiques covered the sidewalk stands! 

But you know what we couldn't find?! The danged Travel Book Co. Store! Just when all hope was lost (I even rushed into a random cafe asking where the bookstore from Notting Hill from innocent coffee baristas! IT NEEDED TO BE FOUND!), a blue store down a road off of Portobello caught our eye. Without a second though to the other girls now looking in a boutique, Miranda and I raced to what we hoped was our destiny!...

SUCCESS!!! I stupidly sprang through the door all fist pumps and giggling only to remember..duh! This is a bookstore, so be quiet! That #27 for Brianna's loud American moments! Ironically, the front display of books consisted of "How To Behave Properly English" & "The Queen's Manners for Young Girls". Probably should take a note or two :P If the bookstore owner hadn't been so busy, I would've asked him to be my Hugh Grant (very close look-a-like too! A distinct decision no doubt from the boss! He bought out the Travel Book Co. and re-named it The Notting Hill Bookstore...so much less confusing!) for the re-enactment of such a classic love scene...but alas (more Shakespearean words!), Miranda will have to do...

Later in the day, we heard awesome reviews about the staged thriller Woman in Black, so to stick to my cheesy theme here in London, we all wore black! Get it?! We were womEn in black! So witty, I kill myself sometimes! I haven't seen the recent movie version with Daniel Radcliffe, but I still wanted to test my wimpiness and see it anyways! We put our brave faces on!...I ain't afraid of no ghost!

Ok, LIES! I was pretty freaked out too see this, but so was everyone else in our little group! Brianna don't do scary movies or haunted house, yo! I pee my pants! The 1st scary movie I saw was when I was 15! Disturbia! I barely made it through but love it now. Here is us preparing ourselves in the Fortune Theatre near Covent Gardens...Eeep!

If you think live theatre can't be scary... THINK AGAIN MISTER! All of us were squealing, jumping, and clinging to each other as the plot thickened and twists got even more intense...and all with just 3 actors! Props for making us pee our pants, Woman in Black!

Wish me luck as I try dreaming romantic tales of British book boys loving me, instead of having a nightmare of psycho ghosts seeking revenge!

DAY #3: Heavenly Grilled Cheeses & HOT BUNS :)

With every new corner I turn, or Tube line I take, or Double-Decker bus I ride, I'm even more convince that I can NEVER get enough of this beautiful city! Even when it rains (like A LOT!) for the first time and you completely forget a coat and umbrella (yup, this girl right here! Pompously thought I was impervious to the weather today but was quickly humbled...), a "Foggy Day in London Town" can be breath-taking.
Don't believe me? Well here's my 1st successful artsy picture! *Drum roll*.... Southwark Chapel, everyone!

We started the day with our first tour...Middle Temple! Don't worry... I had NO idea what it was either, but definitely worth seeing because not only does the main hall look like the Great Hall in Hogwarts, but Prince William was there! Missed him by 2 stinkin' days! I guess the closest I'll get is sitting in the chair he sat in looking just as princely...

Taking the scenic route past St. Paul's Cathedral, over the Thames, past the Tate Modern Museum, then THE GLOBE THEATRE (part of me died when we simply passed by it... the other (eviler) part of me wanted to rush in and scream "FIRE!" Hahaha *cough, cough*... but that's a cruel joke seeing that it actually burned down centuries earlier. Shame on me! These villains we're studying in Shakespeare are rubbing off I guess ;), our group finally reached the infamous Borough Market! Professor Threlfall said he'd flunk us if we didn't try the "best grilled cheese ever...it will change your life." A good student never disobeys her teacher and you don't have to tell me to eat twice! He was right...MY LIFE HAS CHANGED! NEVER HAVE MY TASTED BUDS BEEN SO SATISFIED! If Heaven were a grilled cheese sandwich, this one was purely celestial :P (see! We're so overwhelmed, we don't even know what to do with our faces!)

I will for sure go back to Borough Market again! Shout out to my little sis, Jenna! She would've killed to be there since she has a fondness for fancy cheeses, breads, and treats. Think Central Market times a million, Bo! Miss ya ;) While riding the Tube back to our flat to catch up on homework and much needed sleep (Surprisingly, I can only be so slap happy for so long!), we kept seeing a bunch of attractive British men! Like, I normally wouldn't mention it, but they were literally EVERYWHERE! My friends and I cleverly came up with a code word for it: Hot Brits= Hot Buns! (Get it?? H & B?? Not too clever but we needed to think fast!) So if one of us would see an HB, we would confirm that we saw them by stating "Cheers!" Ok, yeah, I know! Obnoxious! But what do you expect from silly college girls! We are simply "window shopping" :) Later in the evening we rushed to the northern side of London to see a small production of Shakespeare's "Othello" as a group. It was held in a black box theatre above The Lion & Unicorn Pub and WOW. The cast was right up in you face with only 70 people in the audience (Othello was def a HB! And Cassio!) making the already tragic story of jealousy even more bittersweet...I LOVED IT! 

I get teased for having a weird soft spot for tragic things. For example (name that movie!...especially you, Ellie Sloan!)! Ask me what my favorite movies are, and I'll tell you: Phantom of the Opera, Count of Monte Cristo, Ever After, West Side Story, Titanic, Man in the Iron Mask, etc...catching the pattern here? I can't help my passionate/ theatrical self! Speaking of which, I must finish The Tempest before the morning...yay to more Shakespeare! Cheers! ;)