Fulbright, Friends and Furballs

Last weekend, a former Fulbrighter living in London organized a Jack the Ripper walking tour for any past or current Fulbrighters in the area, and I hosted Jessica and Rebecca at the flat while they were in town for the big meet up. As always, we had a great time catching up with each other.

Saturday morning, we decided to be a bit lazy and have a mini lie-in (aka we slept in and all lounged around). In the afternoon, we popped down to the British Council to talk to a group of candidates applying for Fulbright next year. We sat in a panel with a few Fulbright alumni, and the potential Fulbrighters asked us all sorts of questions about everything from what life is like living in another country to the main differences between the US and UK school systems. It was fun to have the opportunity to share some of our experiences with a whole new crop of Fulbrighters. I felt excited for them all, hoping and wondering who would be chosen, who would be placed and where they might end up. I really do hope a Fulbrighter is placed in the Seattle area next year--I'd love to befriend him or her!

In the afternoon, Rebecca and Jessica and I had a wander through St. James park. We stopped and watched all the furballs running around--the dogs, the ducks, the birds and my favorite...the squirrels. It was a nice sunny afternoon, and it seemed like all God's creatures were out having a playdate in the park. Here's some of my favorite new friends!

Rebecca, Jessica and I 

Despite all the signs warning them not to, lots of crazy people were feeding the animals. 

Burying his nut!

He's having a good winter...

No tail! 

Look at that beady eye! 

The geese were funny and walked right up to you because they thought we all had food.

This crazy guy was letting the bird sit on him...gross!

After the park wander and a tasty hot cocoa, we meandered around some more before heading back up to Trafalgar Square for some photos and to check out the National Gallery.

We stopped to say "Hi-ya" to the Queen 

Trafalgar Square 

The National Gallery

We decided to make some wishes. And we figured our wishes were more likely to come true for two pence!  

Here goes nothing!

A kiss for good luck!

Hmm, what to wish for...?

Lovely Tragalgar Square, quite literally the center of London.

When we left the museum, it was time to hop on the tube and head out to east London for our Jack the Ripper walking tour. But first, a couple more photos in the blue twilight.

We met up with our Fulbright friends for the tour, which was really interesting, very gory, and a little bit spooky, too. After the tour, we all went to a nearby pub for a drink and a good chat. It was so fun to meet a few Fulbright alumni who could share their stories and experiences with us! A fabulous way to round out an excellent afternoon!

Cindy, Karl, myself, Yasmin, Jessica, Rebecca, Matt and Anna.

Doing our best scared faces after the tour

Some Like It Hot

There's only one place to go to escape the cold winter nights in London--to a hot yoga studio. Well, I suppose you could also go lie in a tanning bed, but who wants cancer? So off I went this afternoon to have a go at my first ever Bikram yoga class. Back home last year, I tried out hot yoga with my friends Ashley and Marissa after we got a wild hair to buy a Groupon together. And although those 60-minute classes we went to were really intense, I found myself actually enjoying it. I like a good sweat, and I also like a good chance to turn my mind off for a while. Hot yoga is the perfect combination. After classes, I felt more energized, more calm, and I even lost a little weight. In class, you have to concentrate so carefully on your body and your breathing...there's just no time (or energy!) left for worrying about anything else. Since I've been having a hard time turning my brain off lately, I decided to give hot yoga another try.

There's a Bikram Yoga studio in Balham, which is just a ten minute walk from my school, so it was a good choice for me. However, Bikram follows a universal series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises, and because Bikram is the same everywhere you practice, it's always the same length of time--a stifling 90 minutes. No big deal, I thought. I can totally do 90 minutes, I told myself. After all, I quite enjoyed those 60 minute-classes, I rationalized to myself.

Oh boy, had I underestimated how long 90-minutes in 105 degree heat could feel like! Woo, doggie!

Honestly, I barely survived my first Bikram class tonight, but even though it was more than a wee bit painful, I'm already so glad I signed up for the classes. Sure, I felt pretty ill most of the class, but I know that will get better as I get reacquainted to the heat. And since I've signed up for three-months of classes, I know I'll see growth in my performance. I'm already excited to see how much I can improve! Plus, I also really enjoyed tapping into my community a bit more. Even though nobody talks during hot yoga, there's still a sense of community and common purpose, just like in any other group exercise class. I like that feeling. It didn't matter who was doing what or how we compared to each other. Although I shared occasional smiles with some classmates (usually after one of us lost our balance and broke posture), we were just all there quietly pushing ourselves. Independent, yet together.

And an added bonus was my second celebrity sighting. Actor Toby Jones was right there in the class with the rest of us. Totally anonymous (until I just spilled the beans on my blog! oops!), like it was no big deal, like he was just a regular person trying to make it through all 26 postures. Because he is. Because we all are.

Snow Globe

It's every English teacher's dream to visit Shakespeare's London, and one of the best ways to really step back into Elizabethan time is to visit the reconstructed Globe Theatre along the Thames riverbank. Christy and I popped down last Sunday for a snowy visit to the Globe. Southbank is really lovely in the snow, and even though my face felt a bit frozen, I was excited to see London in this weather.

This is my block of flats, all snowy and lovely

The gulls were still out even in the snow. The Thames looks rather pretty in the grey, doesn't it?

St. Paul's Cathedral is still peeking out of the skyline.

A very Bridget Jones moment! :)

Love Southbank!

Our tickets included a neat tour by a very enthusiastic guide, and she make the experience even more memorable. Even though it's a reconstruction, the Globe was authentically rebuilt and decorated, so you really do feel like you've stepped back in time. In case you're unfamiliar with the Globe's basic structure, it's spherical and open in the center, so that means the weather pours right down on you. Cold on a snowy day, perhaps, but oh so special to be standing in the middle of the Globe with the snow falling down around us! Love, love, love! Of course, I took a zillion photos to bring back to show my students here in London and at home. And since I can never decide which to post and which to leave out, here's quite a sampling for you:

Our lovely tour guide

Where to next?

About to enter the theatre.

Christy at the Globe

I look a little shocked here, but I was actually just excited! 

What the view would be like watch a show from the lower seats. 

Look at that lovely snow coming down! And check out the
awesome paintings that decorate the boxes!

Stage view. The backstage part is just one open room. While beautifully painted, the stage is simple to
accommodate all types of settings. Shakespeare's writing is what brought the scene to life,
not the stage decorations.

Looking up from right in front of the stage.

The heavens painted above the stage.

From the upper level seats.

Loving life right about now!

You can almost tell the "roof" is thatched...if only the snow weren't covering it.

One of the dramatic paintings that decorates the box seats.

Side stage view.

A better look at the thatched "roof"

Looking down on the stage. Can you see the trap door?

The whole experience of seeing the Globe (in the snow!!!) and learning more about its history was just amazing. I really enjoyed the tour. I also really enjoyed the amazing gift shop and even managed to pick up some surprises for my fabulous English department back home!!!

After the Globe tour, Christy and I decided we were too chilly and thought the best way to warm up would be a nice sit down in a pub. So we popped into the Founders Arms, where we were happy to learn they were still serving mulled wine, a Christmas favorite around here. After a nice warm, spicy vino we thought a pub Sunday roast lunch was in order. Our feast was the perfect way to round out a fun weekend of touring. Another well played, fabulous weekend in London!