today I became a Sikh.

well it was actually yesterday. we went on one of our day trips out to Southall. Its about a twenty minute train ride but still inside London. Southall is an Indian/Pakistanni community. We went as part of our  "culture in community" class. Our day started out with walking through the streets of town from the train station to the Southall Gudwara, or Sikh Temple. We went inside as a group and was met by one of the gurus to be out tour guide. We entered, took off our shoes and covered our heads. 

[ they informed us to bring scarves ]

Once inside the best part was going into the main hall. The hall is a big empty room with one central aisle that lead up to a gold canopy like structure that covers the scriptures. We sat as a group there on the floor, on our knees and our hands to our chest out of respect. And then in small groups we walked up the main aisle and one by one when bowed down, our foreheads to the ground in front of the canopy, with the sound of a guru reading the scriptures amplified through the whole room. The best part of the experience was going back and sitting on the floor and watching the people and their worship. Sikhs go to the temple everyday for whatever time they can and yet it doesn't seem like anyone there feels it is an obligation. Everyone I saw appeared to be completely passionate in their worship and what they believed in. 

[ Southall Gudwara side view ]

The rest of the afternoon we were on our own. We were asked to attend one more Sikh temple and a Hindu temple in town. The next Sikh temple we came upon was much smaller. It had a more intimate feel, more like a family of people inside. We were just sitting and observing and the most adorable little Indian boy, probably around 1 or 2 walked up the main aisle and bowed down at the canopy with his forehead to the ground. Even though he was so young, I still think he knew exactly what he was doing and why. The Sikhs are super friendly and accepting people. They believe that all people are Sikhs. Sikhs are learners and students of faith, so I became a Sikh yesterday. 

After we went to the temples we explored the rest of town. We went through the markets, I bought some bangles [ childrens size of course because my wrists are tiny, they are kinda painful to put on though ] and me and the girls got some traditional henna. 

[ my hand is right in front ]

The whole street smelled delicious and was exciting with flashy colors and sparkling saris. At the end of the night the entire group met up again at a Pakistani restaurant where we were fed a four course meal. It was deliciously spicy. I loved it. 

Overall Southall was really enjoyable. It makes me both really want to go to India and really scared to ever go to India at the same time. The culture is so different but it is so interesting. 

 

[ so do think we would fit in? ]

i found a map of london.

I live in the red part. 

the coolest place thus far.

So I am taking a Classic Civilization class, super easy, but still really interesting. Today we had an optional field trip to a tiny little museum. It's the house of an architect and professor of architecture from the late eighteen hundreds. John Soane, the prof, started collecting random artifacts, paintings and elements of architecture and displayed them in his home. When he died he left his entire collection and home to the city stating that it was to be a musuem open to the public with one stipulation, nothing was to be moved or changed. Meaning it is not only exactly the same as it was the day he died but also that none of the artifacts can be sold or donated to museums. I'm sure the British Museum would love to get there hands on half the stuff in there, but they can't.

So the museum is still housed in his flat. Its a three story townhouse and all the rooms are just covered floor to ceiling with old stuff. My professor called it a knick knack shack. There  is no real order or organization to it and its super informal unlike any other museum I've been in. You just wander through the house looking at all his stuff.

[ Inside Soane's house on the ground floor ]

There were two parts that I really enjoyed. First of all, him and his wife lived in this house and his wife a lapdog named Fanny. One room has about half a dozen portraits of him, and every painting of Mrs. Soane, has fanny on her lap. So in one of the little tiny courtyards of the house (which Soane designed himself) is a huge monument, like almost Roman memorial big, that merely states, "Alas, poor Fanny." That dog was clearly family.

The second part of the house that i really enjoyed was in the basement there is a huge white limestone Egyptian sarcophagus. Every inch of it is carved with hieroglyphs, its beautiful. The entire basement was designed to feel like an ancient Roman crypt, which it does.

[ part of the basement that opens up the the ground. The case on the left has the sarcophagus inside it ]

The basement has tiny rooms with narrow winding halls between them. The only light comes from little skylights or areas that open up to the ground floor, so its quite dark. But every inch is covered with marble Roman statues, columns and capitals, pieces of friezes and all sorts of other architectural details that have been taken from ancient temples. It was really astounding. I would love to live there surrounded by all that all the time. Maybe I'll make a knick knack shack of my own someday.

Check it out Soane for yourself.

museums museums musuems

As an art history major {camille I feel dumb using the phrase in real conversation now} you know museums are my thing. This week I have already gone to three major sites: Tate Modern, National Gallery, and the British Museum. I think the National Gallery was my favorite but it's a pretty close three way tie and I have dozens of more museums to go to.

The National Gallery.

[ from the main entrance in Trafalgar square ]

Here is housed just a little bit of everything. I went with some friends who were there to work on a assignment so I grabbed a map and went off on my own. Being this my first trip to the National Gallery I wanted to go see all the canonical works of art and then, when I come back a thousand more times, I can go from room to room. I only knew of a famous pieces that I definitely needed to see. Every art history major knows that they have to be at the top of your list. I saw Rembrandt's Self Portrait, Reubens' Samson and Delilah and the ever studied van Eyck's the Arnolfini.

After seeing those I started to walk through the more contemporary rooms. There I met Monet's lilies, Seurat's bathers, Cezanne's landscapes, and Degas' ballerinas. All more gorgeous in person than the last. And then it happened, the best feeling in the world. I glanced up as I walked into the next room and there was

[ Van Gogh's Sunflowers 1888 ]

I've always had some sort of connection to this piece, I remember trying to recreate it at a Brownies activity in the second grade. Walking into that room and seeing the Sunflowers unexpectedly made my heart race and chills run up my spine leaving me starring at it with a cheesy smirk on my face. I sat on the bench directly across from the painting for nearly forty five minutes gazing upon it as asian tourists come and go. I wonder how many millions it would cost to have that hang in my house....

the Tate Modern.

[ the Tate Modern as I crossed millennial bridge over the Thames ]

I am very much a fan of modern art. In fact the time period I love the most {1870s-1930s}is considered modern art. This museum houses two galleries of art that range from the late nineteenth century to about the 1960s. Which I most thoroughly enjoyed. The other galleries however were contemporary installations and film pieces. While some of these were rather interesting, only those select few did I really stop to look at. One entire exhibit was on a man's computer generated anime character, not my cup of tea.

We were being installation pieces.There's this really cool timeline on the wall of art periods from 1900-2000. I want to do that in a room myself one day. Luckily we went to the gift shop and of course I bought a miniature copy for myself. 

I had a few favorites there of course, there was a lot of cubism by Braque and Picasso. There were also some classics such as Rodin's {ps I want to name one of my kids after him, August that is} such as the Kiss, which was left out of the BYU exibit back in the day. There were some contemporaries I liked, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Jeff Koon's pop art is always fun. But there was a whole room dedicated to artist I didn't know. Most of his works are pretty classically themed paintings but than have block letter phrases painted over top. I really liked this one

[ Ed Ruscha's Hollywood ]

I like it no so much for the content, but then again who doesn't like hollywood? Its more because it was a modern pointillism, it was really cool to see up close all the tiny little dots. 

the British Museum.

[ sun shining on this temple of learning ]

I went to the British Museum today with my classic civ class. We went to see the Bassae Temple frieze, the Elgin marbles and a few other Greek pieces. I must say my professor MJ really prepared me for this. You know you are an art history major when your heart starts pounding when you enter the Parthenon gallery, come on the west pediment sculptures? How could it not?

[ Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon ]

I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time here today, but I will be back.

Top 3 experiences in the week ending today.

I have now been in england for one week precisely. It feels like a thousand times longer, one because everything is pretty new and two because I have been so busy. Every day thus far I have gone out and done something or seen something. I've picked three of my favorites things that I havn't already talked about to tell you.

1.

St. Paul's

As an art history major, especially within the last year, I have learned a lot about archiecture. One of the most prominent buildings discussed in England is St. Paul's Cathedral. So to see it in person was to realize why it is so important. The sheer size of the building is the first thing to overwhelm you. The giant neo classical columns and pediment takes your eye further and further upward.

 The interior was just as impressive. Pictures weren't allowed so I guess you just have to see it yourself. I sat craning my neck back and stared at the underneath of the dome just to take it all in.

The most fascinating thing about this church is that it is England's National Church. Any major event that affects the entire nation takes place there. Princess Diana and

Charles were married there, Winston Churchill's funeral was there and the night after 9/11 England held a memorial for America there. The whole nation feels as one in this space.

 2.

going to really old shops

shopping is not only a skill I have honed but its a genetic trait, thanks mom. I am really good at it. Take that however you like. But while here, I have decided to get things I can only buy here. I've done good thus far, but it has only been a week :) My favorite is going into really old stores. I already mentioned I went to Harrods, that place is old but its full of things that will break my bank. Yesterday my friend Brit and I found this bookstore:

Hatchards. Its been there since 1797. It's five floors of books. With little tiny staircases and mazes of rooms and bookelves. I loved it. I really like books. I won't disclose how much money I spent there because my mother reads this but I'll tell you of my two favorites that I got. The first was an architecture book. It's kinda like an encylcopedia of architectural elements with hand drawn pictures and diagrams. The other is a book by one of my favorite artists, Mark Rothko. Its of his hidden/lost manuscripts on art. I am excited to actually get a chance to read them after the semester, I have way too much reading to do for my classes.

3.

adventuring with new friends

so I think the best part is just playing around with all my new friends. It doesn't really matter where we end up on our adventures because it always ends up being a fun time, even though most the time we do go to relaly cool places. For exapmle, last night a few of us made plans to go on the Jack the Ripper walking tour and then to this free concert in the back of a restaurant. BUT the tube was delaynd we were ten minutes late for the tour and when we made it over to the venue for the concert it was really some weird british comedian. SO instead we walked around goofing off

[ some big statue ]

[ tower bridge ]

[ we could have easily fit atleast two more in there. ]

and then went and ate at the Waffle house by our place.

london mates.

A lot of the girls here seem to have already known each other before coming which generally winds up splitting up the group. Mini cliques have sort have already been formed, but that was going to happen eventually, we can't have forty girls all walking around together. Just by random happenstance I have done pretty much everything with the same two girls, so I suppose we are our own little clique.

[ mary, me and brit after our successful navigation of the tube on day one ]

Brit is in my room, the bunkbed right next to me and Mary is in room one. They are both from Utah and are pretty chill girls. At home all three of us have predominantly guy friends and I think that's why we get along so well. We shy away from girlish drama. We pretty much just keep it real.

[ very cold england ]

Plus the three of us like to go on adventures and not just shopping....

[ harry potter nerds at kings cross, yes mary brought her wand ]

pictures.

So instead of posting all my pictures in two places, I figure I'll post the important or most pertinent to the stories I'm telling on here and then just put all the rest on facebook. If some of you don't have facebook, this is the link to the album I've started there,

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2311719&id=17827200&l=ec6df1ab16

my first show.

I went and saw my first play in london. A friend of mine's older sister came to the london center a couple years ago and she recommended it. so our first real night here, saturday night we hopped at the chance. Its called The Woman in Black. Its said to be the most frightening live stage show in the UK and as far as I can say, it is. It is performed at the Fortune Theater in Covent Garden.

The show itself was rather simplistic. It only have two actors, and then the woman in black. It was simple set with very few props. But it was still remarkable. The actors did an amazing job and the whole story was really convincing.

[its not the same actors or props but its very similar to what i saw.]

The plotline, in a nut shell, is that it's a play within a play where one man is telling of the experience he had with the woman in black who haunts a house in northern england fifty years previous. the story is quite chilling and I honestly screamed.... the woman in black comes out of nowhere! After the show I got a totebag from the giftshop that has the outline of a woman's screaming face and it says " I came. I saw. I screamed." It was really fun, next time you're in London, hit it up.

[these were the actors I saw, this guy was amazing]

British people say the darndest things

I think I'm going to keep this an on-going post. Today's quotes may be hard to top though.

To Kellen just after we asked her and her friends where Ben's Cookies was:

"You got nice teeth."

On the tube with a gaggle of clubbing twenty-somethings:

"Not nobody on this damn train can say i'm not sexy."

PS

If you feel so inclined.... send me something,

27 Palace Court
London W2 4LP
England

London Calling

so I made it.

 after traveling seventeen hours with my friend reesa here,

and we're exhausted.

one ten hour flight

one series of line waiting at world's most unorganized airport in amsterdam

one 45 minute flight next to screaming baby

one wait through customs

one train ride to paddington

one cab right to 27 Palace Court

and we're here.

on our first day they requried us to go on a neighborhood walk.

this is my street. I live in one of those townhouses.

that's some of us walking. we live right where notting hill and westminister meet, two pretty ritzy towns.

lots of shopping and lots of food all around us. there is literally every cuisine you can think of. lebanese food here i come.

 this is me being a tourist. I was walking around with some of the girls and they kept pointing out all the blantanly british things. Oh my gosh that says mum! or The clock says 23:00 and not 11:00! tadge bit annoying but I figure it won't last forever.

The rest of the evening was full of trying to say awake but that eventually failed at around 7 pm. I slept great for the first five hours of sleep but after that it was tossing and turning and frustration. Now i'm gonna take a shower and actually do something exciting today.

SAM

In my previous post I forgot to mention one other valued experience while in america due to a lack of photographic evidence. I went to the Seattle Art Museum and it was amazing. Its right downtown and had a lot more to offer than I expected. Most of the galleries are filled with contemporary pieces mostly from Seattle based artists. one of my favorites was:

Man and Mouse

Katherine Fristch

I know this is a horrible picture of it but its the only one I could find. In this sculpture the bed is lifesize, if not bigger, so you can imagine how big the mouse is. I liked it for its simplicity. Plus it reminds me of one of my guilty pleasure favorites, The Nightmare.

There was another piece, which at first glance didn't seem too significant, that I really liked. It's sculpture of a bust with the head covered in a scarf that appears to be blowing in the wind. After doing a double take I realized it was carved out of a single block of wood. It was so detailed and smooth. All the grain matched so you knew it was one piece. It was remarkable, I wish I could have found a picture of it.

I was also astonished to find some pretty well known pieces. I like modern art, I know it is an acquired taste but I have acquired it. I have some favorites of the modern art world and two of them just happened to have a piece or two in Seattle.

I have a print by Mark Rothko that has hung in every apartment I have lived in, and nearly all who have seen it claim "I could have painted that." But did you, no.

no. 10

Mark Rothko

This is in Seattle. My first face to face experience with Rothko.

None of my roommates could have painted it.

I have dreamed of seeing a Jackson Pollock in person.

Textbooks just don't do him justice. I found one:

Sea Change

Jackson Pollock

This pretty much made my night.

To cap the night off, in SAM's traveling galleries were two main exhibitions. First was of Alexander Calder's sculptures.

Enseign de Lunettes

Alexander Calder

I enjoy Calder's work but once you've seen one of his mobiles, you've kinda have seen it all so an entire exhibit of mobiles was not my cup of tea. One day it would be awesome to hang one in my house from the ceiling of the great room, that is when I'm rich of course. 

The second exhibit was of Michelangelo's prep drawings for the Sistine Chapel.

I thought this was remarkable.

Study for Libyan Sibyl

Michelangelo

I was three inches away, yeah I pressed my face right up in there, from lines drawn from a pencil held by Michelangelo, the Master. I guess I am an art history nerd but it was pretty miraculous to see.

lengthy post, but I heart art.

last two weeks in america.

So I actually have five days left, but all my friends and out of town family have left so most of my adventures in america have subsided. Here's what I've done,

family time.

christmas eve nativity.

christmas morning.

baby watching.

wrangling nephews.

church ball.

ping pong with buddies.

hanging with trevor.

pretend family pictures.

new years.

its been a wicked fun time. now all that is left is packing and preparation for jolly ole england.