Sunday, January 8 STUDENT JOURNALS

by Megan Gibson, senior alto

It was refreshing to awaken in a home today (that is, instead of a hotel room). And the families who hosted us made their homes seem as if they were our own. I think that some of the nicest people in the whole world live in the Docklands area of London and attend Christ Church (Church of England). We joined the congregation for their morning worship today, as a way of saying thanks for their hospitality. This makes three unique and meaningful experiences we have had in Anglican services. The small parish worshipped with such spirit (celebrating birthdays and an engagement, as well as the feast of the day) that one could not help but feel moved. I've noticed that things here are not as frantic and rushed as our lives at home and Sunday's worship was a fine example. Church started a little late and ran longer than an hour and no one seemed to mind a bit. In fact, I'm not sure they even noticed. Following church, they pulled out the food left over from the night before and treated us to lunch and fellowship. (Have I mentioned how nice these people are?) My last sight of Christ Church and one that will stay with me for a very long time was as we pulled away in our coach. The host families and congregation members gathered on the front steps of the building to wave good-bye. Never have I felt so at home so far away from home.
One might presume that from here the day would have declined but that is not true. From the Docklands we made our way to the heart of London itself, The Tower of London. All faces were aglow as we entered the city and began to pass by such well-known monuments as the Tower Bridge, Westminster Cathedral, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Not even the weather (rainy and very cold) could dampen our spirits. Following a general overview of the Towers provided by our own tour guide, Phillip Baker, we were free to explore the history ourselves. Nearly 1000 years of English history is housed in the Tower of London, which is actually a complex of many towers. Of course we could not see it all but I made certain to visit the Crown Jewels. (Jon, my engagement ring is definitely not big enough!) and the White Tower, the oldest part of the complex, built by William the Conquerer.
At the conclusion of our visit of the towers we were off to our final hotel. We're in a very smart part of the city - right in the middle of the action. No one stayed here very long, though. There's far too mucht to do to squander one's time in a hotel room. I went off with a couple of others in search of dinner. We came upon an Indian restaurant (very prevalent here) and I ate my first Indian food. Thanks to some good suggestions from several people, I really enjoyed it!
It was still rainy and cold after dinner but that didin't slow us a bit. We bundled up, turned up our collars to the wind and took off. We weren't sure for where, but we were going nonetheless. We took the Tube to Piccadilly Circus (no animals or trapeze - Circus is from the Roman designation of a circular area) and walked from there. We didn't quite get where we intended but we found some great things on the way. We saw Trafalgar Square with its looming statue of Lord Nelson, the National Gallery, and the home of the English National Opera. We took the Underground again, this time to Westminster. Exiting the Underground, we looked up and were staring directly at the face of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. They are imposing structures and look like something from a dream when they are all lit up at night. We hung around for another fifteen minutes to hear the clock strike 10:00. Even the sound of the bells is imposing. The low growl of the hour bell feels as though it could shake the earth. By this time were were sufficiently cold and wet and decided to return to the hotel. During the ride back we were much quieter than before. Perhaps there's just not much to say that can compare to the shared experience of discovery and adventure.



by Jonathan Martin, junior tenor

We started off the morning with a breakfast with our host families in the Docklands area, which for me was a particularly special experience because of the family with whom I had the opportunity to stay. We had talked long hours into the night about subjects like Bush, gas prices, and young people, and we discovered that we tended to have a lot of the same opinions on many levels. I managed to obtain a business card with all of my host's contact information and she extended the offer to stay with her any time I'm in London, an offer I may just need to take. A short coach ride took us to the the Tower of London, a site with a rich history of everything from torture to worship. We had the opportunity to go into the White Tower, used as a royal apartment, artillery housing, record keeping, battlement, etc. It really helped me understand the English struggle to maintain both a monarchy and an empire throughout their very long history and it made me respect the country even more. I was amazed at the politeness of the people in general and the welcoming attitudes of the city. The rest of the night was free to do with what we wished and I, along with four other choir members, managed to make it to a jazz club, one of the most famous in the world. We stayed there until the wee hours, talking and listening to amazing music. Overall it was an experience that made me respect London as one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.