Yes, Please

Ready for the great story behind my title?  Well first, you'll have to hear what I did this weekend:)

Friday began with another session of Inside London.  Here's how this class works: for three Fridays, we explore London as different "centres" (note the British spelling!)- London as a legal centre, theater centre, music centre, etc.  We have to find our own way there, so we normally leave our flat around 9, only to return around 5.  Needless to say, it's kind of a pain, but in the end we're thankful we went because we've explored amazing parts of the city we never would have otherwise.  Friday was no exception.  We spent the majority of the day at the Victoria and Albert Museum marveling at totally random yet amazing collections of art.  For lunch we fled to a local pub and divulged in comfort food: CHEESEBURGERS.

If you think we look happy in this pic, just wait until after we got our cheeseburgers.

After lunch, we spent more time at the V&A looking at original costumes and set designs from famous plays such as Hamlet or A Midsummer Night's Dream.  We hit the tube for a ride home because it was snowing again!! (We learned later that some of the Inside London sessions were actually outside, so we were thankful and stopped complaining)

On Saturday we woke early for a day trip to Oxford.  The rector here at Conway attended Oxford for his undergraduate studies, so we had quite the knowledgeable tour guide!  The group of 70 wandered the streets for a few hours before breaking off into smaller groups for lunch, shopping and sightseeing.  The coolest part was crashing King's College, a residential community for students only. *Key word: students...meaning we pretended like we actually attended this institution in order to sneak into the buildings haha.  My huge camera bag wasn't quite that conspicuous, but thankfully I have a killer British accent, so we were all good.

Oxford was spectacular.  We look like we go here...right?

SATURDAY NIGHT IS THE BIG KAHUNA.  We arrived safely back to London and immediately started prepping for a fun night out!  One of our roommates' sisters were in town, and she graciously volunteered to take our flat (12 girls) out to dinner at the gorgeous Bar Boulud restaurant.  When we arrived at the restaurant, we were floored…this place was insanely gorgeous!  The food was nuts (read: the meat melted in my mouth) and the free wine wasn't too bad either!  It was so amazing to have a night with the girls.  It makes me so grateful for the great status of my living situation:)

With two of my beautiful roommates at dinner!

CAN YOU BELIEVE I ATE THIS? WAHHHH

And finally, I began today by going to mass at Westminster Cathedral, about a 30 minute walk from Conway.  Now this is not the church where Will and Kate wed last April-- that's an Anglican church located near Parliament and Big Ben.  Westminster Cathedral is Roman Catholic but unfortunately it was a much longer walk.  We were virtually freezing when we arrived at the cathedral only to find the building wasn't headed.  Oh.  BUT everything ended up worth it because we were chosen to bring the Eucharist up to the altar during Offertory.  Approaching the grand altar with the famed Westminster Boys' choir providing background tunes was an experience I will never forget.  

The rest of today has been anticlimactic in comparison.  I did laundry, read some textbooks, went grocery shopping, worked out (I'm starting Insanity! GONNA GET RIPPED) and have of course written this fine entry!  Not a bad way to start another amazing week:)

Cheers,

C

PS "Yes please" was my roommate's response when the waiter asked her if she preferred white or red wine.  And although that's a little goofy, I think it's a great metaphor for how we're responding to London.  Every opportunity that comes by we seize!  Can't wait to continue saying "yes please" to all that comes my way during this magnificent semester.