Rachellowry’s Weblog

Happy Guy Fox day!! Such a good movie…

Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine- the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration, thereby those important events of the past usually associated with someone’s death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, a celebration of a nice holiday, I thought we could mark this November the 5th, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat. There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now, orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Last night I sought to end that silence. Last night I destroyed the Old Bailey, to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words, they are perspectives. So if you’ve seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament, and together we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever be forgot.

Classes for 8 hours.

We saw a real castle today! The english landscape was beautiful! The castle was built mainly for defense, which, for that reason, was ancient and held up really well.

We then drove a mile or two down to the white cliffs of Dover, the very cliffs from which Arnold’s famous Dover Beach was inspired!

Canterbury Field Trip
The field trip to Canterbury was profoundly enlightening, as well as intellectually stimulating. As the location of Thomas Beckett’s murder, this holy site would become a major destination for pilgrims seeking miracles in the 12th century.


Canterbury Cathedral is the very setting which provided a framework for Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which we read a little bit of upon arriving at the site. As an English major, I was intrigued by the complexity and detail of the characters, in addition to the distance from overt, moral judgment of the characters, which allows the reader to form his/her own opinion and reading of the text. As a student, Dr. Paxman asked us to consider our visit to Canterbury as a repetition and extension of such a pilgrimage.

While I understood the significance of our trip to Canterbury, I was not prepared for such a rich experience. As I stumbled into the Cathedral, relieved to be out of the bustle of the crowd outside the doors, I stopped in my tracks when I opened my eyes to the majesty of the structure. It was breath taking. You look up, and stumble backward, as the ceiling is so high, it seems to converge with the heavens.

We walked into a crypt of an ancient monastery that dates back to the twelfth century. There is an air of grace and surety in the stone structure. I can almost hear the echo of distant believers from the past, and feel their faith. In it, my own is strengthened and renewed. While it is amazing what atrocities can be caused in the name of religion, it is also amazing what good can come from so many different religions.

We saw ancient medieval paintings that date back to the medieval era. I realized that a man prayed to the same God I pray to right where I stand. I was amazed at the dedication for such permanence.


I was surprised at all of the religious symbolism incorporated into the cathedral. The Archbishop’s grave had a man adorned in rich cloths and linen, and then below him, a statue of a mere corpse. I felt that the symbolism of the grave alludes to the notion that it doesn’t matter how famous and how rich you were when you lived, you end up as a corpse like everyone else in the end. It is more important to focus on how you live. The room slightly leans to the right. They say this is symbolic of Christ’s death on the cross, as he was said to have been leaning slightly to the right. I was in awe at the layers of history embedded in such a structure. The architecture so carefully and precisely conjured. So much of the people who inhabited and built it was put into this place.

Dr. Evans took us to the Victorian Museum. It was my favorite museum so far. It was filled with

We then took a city walk along the London Bridge for our cultural studies class. Overall, the City Walk was delightful. As we arrived at Cheapside, we were reminded of a scene in Knight’s Tale, where the main character rides through the area, with thatched roofs, and medieval jousting tournaments. It was cool to be able to project ourselves into medieval times as we strolled down the modern, industrialized Cheapside.

Designed by Christopher Wren himself, St. Mary Le Bow was a sight worth stopping in our tracks to observe. The architecture was breath taking, even while it remains modestly nestled behind major buildings on both sides. I found it fascinating that, as our booklet points out, the Crypt in this church dates back to Norman times, making it among the oldest ecclesiastical structures still surviving in London.

The Mansion House and the Bank of England were fascinating structures. We were interested in the building’s ability to perform functionally, as well as aesthetically. The message on the building, reading “he Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof” seemed fitting, and appropriate. The steps of the Mansion house and the neighboring bank are the filming spot for the famous “feed the birds scene” and bank scene in Mary Poppins!



Everywhere you look, the city is so picturesque. Even the most mundane things offer possible insights.

As I am sure was the reaction of many of those who took this walk, our group was overjoyed to see our first real castle, as we walked along the Thames river. It had a real moat! The Tower of London was majestic!

We had church today. It was so different! I loved it! My bishop is from Ghana. His testimony was so humble and powerful. The bishop asked me where I wanted to serve, and I told him I would love to be with the children. I was called as the primary pianist and conductor in sacrament meeting! Yay! The children are just so adorable!

There are four of us who attend the ward, three of us being from Utah. Let’s just say the ward is so diverse that we constitute the majority. Members are from Brazil, the Philippines, Italy, Ireland, Africa, and various parts of London. They are such lovable people! We have already been invited to a wedding this Tuesday.

This morning, we walked the famous Portabello road.

We later stumbled upon the lights and the craziness of Oxford Circus. The place reminded me of the hustle-and-bustle of New York. We saw a sign for Les Miserables on Broadway, and spontaneously decided to try for student discount tickets. We were successful, and got in for a cheap price! The talent was matchless, and the story timeless. It was so appropriate in London.

The museum of Natural History was so neat. The building itself was a large part of the exhibit. We were on a schedule, but I would have loved to spend many more hours there, and intend to return.

The national gallery carried the original works of Da Vinci, Raphael, Monet, Durer, Michaelangelo, and many others. Upon Dr. Soper’s prompt for Humanities 440, we went to the National Gallery to peruse the “open air painting” exhibit, Corot to Monet, a unique show which charts the development of 19th century French Landscape painting with examples almost entirely from the permanent collection. I remain speechless at the profound insight and perception, coupled with extraordinary talent that these artists had.

I also loved Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz de la Pena’s Stormy Sky painting.

This morning I took a lovely jog in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. We were greeted by so many friendly British chaps. We had class orientation, which actually excited me. We will be studying such interesting material, which is an excellent backdrop to our stay here in the UK. While it is a dramatically lighter load than what I am used to, it’s going to be difficult to remain caught up, with London just outside my doorstep.

Today we visited the British museum, where all the wonders of the world, both ancient and modern, are housed. Trafalgar Square was exciting. I found the London Lamborghini store! Woot! Woot! My friends and I saw Big Ben and the London Eye in the rain. It was glorious! We danced through puddles, as we snapped a couple thousand series of pictures. Isn’t it funny how you can hear so much about something, and see dozens of pictures and depictions of it, but it is never quite the same as standing in front of it, close enough to touch something that towers above you with such grace. Having slept just seven hours in the past forty height hours, with adrenaline pumping through my veins, I am about to collapse. Good night!