Friday, November 30, 2007
Meeting the Teachers
Conferences were scheduled at Woking College last night, so we were finally able to sit down with teachers from each of Chris' subject areas - English, computing, physics, and maths. We are happy to report that his A and B levels of work from the States continue here in the British system!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Oxford
I "graduated" from Oxford Elementary in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. (Dave was across town at Canterbury, so we didn't meet until high school.) But this was the real thing. Dave gave a talk in Oxford University's Computer Science Department on Tuesday, and that evening we were guests of Magdalen College. Here is a view of the quadrangle from our room.
The Chapel is to the right of the tower, and the Hall is to the left. The window directly below the tower looks into the head table, which is where we ate dinner on Tuesday night. But first we had to process across the lower roof and into the Hall via the small door to the left of that window!
This picture looks towards the head table in the Hall after breakfast on Wednesday morning - a much less formal meal....
We did some walking on our own after breakfast. Never did I expect to pass an "Obama '08" sign in the window of a stone house on a cobblestone street in England. But then again, about 1300 students from the US attend Oxford.
The guided walking tour gave us an excellent overview of Oxford's past and present, including sacred and secular activities of both town and gown. We of course had to eat lunch afterwards at The Eagle and Child, a favorite haunt of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. There was even a small table available in the Rabbit Room!
We finished our day with a tower view of the city, and then headed back home by train.
The Chapel is to the right of the tower, and the Hall is to the left. The window directly below the tower looks into the head table, which is where we ate dinner on Tuesday night. But first we had to process across the lower roof and into the Hall via the small door to the left of that window!
This picture looks towards the head table in the Hall after breakfast on Wednesday morning - a much less formal meal....
We did some walking on our own after breakfast. Never did I expect to pass an "Obama '08" sign in the window of a stone house on a cobblestone street in England. But then again, about 1300 students from the US attend Oxford.
The guided walking tour gave us an excellent overview of Oxford's past and present, including sacred and secular activities of both town and gown. We of course had to eat lunch afterwards at The Eagle and Child, a favorite haunt of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. There was even a small table available in the Rabbit Room!
We finished our day with a tower view of the city, and then headed back home by train.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Old Enough to Drive...
...on the left side of the road! The driving age here is 17, and that is the age Chris turned today. He was born on Friday, November 23, 1990 at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. His time of birth was 12:17 pm, he weighed a mere 9 lbs 12 oz, and he was 21 1/2 inches long. Considering all that I had eaten the day before on Thanksgiving (his due date), no wonder he wanted to get out!
In case you're wondering, I proposed that each blue candle be worth 5 years, and each white candle be worth 1 year. (It's a Binkley thing, especially given the odd assortment of candles we usually have sitting around.) Dave came up with an alternative in binary, and Chris was ready to expand our options beyond just integers. The cake box said "serves 8." Our response? British servings, maybe, but definitely not Binkley servings!
In case you're wondering, I proposed that each blue candle be worth 5 years, and each white candle be worth 1 year. (It's a Binkley thing, especially given the odd assortment of candles we usually have sitting around.) Dave came up with an alternative in binary, and Chris was ready to expand our options beyond just integers. The cake box said "serves 8." Our response? British servings, maybe, but definitely not Binkley servings!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving
Happy Birthday Jenny!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! No big plans around here. Chris headed off to school as usual, Dave is working from home today, and I've been fighting a fever and more since earlier this week, so I haven't been very productive as of late. We of course have much for which to be thankful. Dave seems to thrive on his nonstop schedule, I've seen more sights in England than I ever thought I would, Erin is having a good semester (despite her ongoing battle with mono), and Chris really enjoys his learning environment here. Plus...we now have friends on both sides of the pond!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! No big plans around here. Chris headed off to school as usual, Dave is working from home today, and I've been fighting a fever and more since earlier this week, so I haven't been very productive as of late. We of course have much for which to be thankful. Dave seems to thrive on his nonstop schedule, I've seen more sights in England than I ever thought I would, Erin is having a good semester (despite her ongoing battle with mono), and Chris really enjoys his learning environment here. Plus...we now have friends on both sides of the pond!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Salisbury and the Bomb Squad
Last Thursday Dave and I rode the train to Salisbury to take the Cathedral's guided tower tour. Salisbury is home to England's tallest spire, and we would be climbing over 300 steps to get to the base of it. The day was cold and windy, but obviously very sunny.
We got our first above ground view while still inside the nave. See the flowers by some of the pillars? The arrangements took shape that morning in preparation for the Golden Jubilee service of the Army Air Corps (AAC) the following day.
On the first tower landing we were amazed at how much modern reinforcement kept it all in place.
Our stop on the second landing coincided with the 3:00 ringing of the bells...and they were loud!
At last we were looking up into the octagonal spire, and that was as high as we were allowed to climb.
The tower base is square, so we were able to get great views of the surrounding area from all 4 sides. To the right of the cloisters there is a police car in full view, and a partially blocked van (the bomb unit) closer to the wall. No, we weren't surprised, or even worried. Before the climb we knew that Prince Charles, as Colonel-in-Chief of the AAC, was scheduled to attend the service the next day. Thus, the usual precautions were being taken. And we even passed a number of police officers and sniffing dogs in the tower during our descent!
We got our first above ground view while still inside the nave. See the flowers by some of the pillars? The arrangements took shape that morning in preparation for the Golden Jubilee service of the Army Air Corps (AAC) the following day.
On the first tower landing we were amazed at how much modern reinforcement kept it all in place.
Our stop on the second landing coincided with the 3:00 ringing of the bells...and they were loud!
At last we were looking up into the octagonal spire, and that was as high as we were allowed to climb.
The tower base is square, so we were able to get great views of the surrounding area from all 4 sides. To the right of the cloisters there is a police car in full view, and a partially blocked van (the bomb unit) closer to the wall. No, we weren't surprised, or even worried. Before the climb we knew that Prince Charles, as Colonel-in-Chief of the AAC, was scheduled to attend the service the next day. Thus, the usual precautions were being taken. And we even passed a number of police officers and sniffing dogs in the tower during our descent!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Lord Mayor's Show
Not to be confused with the Mayor of London (Ken Livingstone), the Lord Mayor of the City of London (David Lewis) began his one year term last Saturday. Here's the start of the parade.
It included 2000 servicemen and women, 200 vehicles, 66 floats, 24 marching bands, and 21 carriages. There has been a Lord Mayor since 1189, and a Show since 1215. The procession used to take place on the River Thames, so that is how the term "float" came about. New to us were the City's guardians - Gog and Magog.
At last the Lord Mayor Elect passed by in the State Coach. He was on his way to the Royal Courts of Justice (in the background) to take his oath of allegiance to the Sovereign.
Once the parade was over we walked the streets before they reopened to traffic. Chris had no trouble keeping pace with the police officer on horseback! We visited the Museum of London that afternoon, and then grabbed a bite to eat before the fireworks display on the Thames that evening. Always the optimist (Ha!), I discovered one advantage to these short days. Fireworks began at 5 pm!
It included 2000 servicemen and women, 200 vehicles, 66 floats, 24 marching bands, and 21 carriages. There has been a Lord Mayor since 1189, and a Show since 1215. The procession used to take place on the River Thames, so that is how the term "float" came about. New to us were the City's guardians - Gog and Magog.
At last the Lord Mayor Elect passed by in the State Coach. He was on his way to the Royal Courts of Justice (in the background) to take his oath of allegiance to the Sovereign.
Once the parade was over we walked the streets before they reopened to traffic. Chris had no trouble keeping pace with the police officer on horseback! We visited the Museum of London that afternoon, and then grabbed a bite to eat before the fireworks display on the Thames that evening. Always the optimist (Ha!), I discovered one advantage to these short days. Fireworks began at 5 pm!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Remembrance Day
Even though it shares the date with our Veterans Day, it's more like our Memorial Day. At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, 2 minutes of silence are observed in memory of those who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces. Most of the special services take place on Remembrance Sunday, which is the one closest to the 11th, so this year they are one and the same. Almost all of the people in church this morning were wearing the small paper poppies that had been available from The Royal British Legion all month. (See www.poppy.org.) Flower arrangements only appear on special occasions, and today there were real poppies up front. The hymns, prayers, and sermon all had a common theme: Remember the past with sadness, but look to the future with hope because of the power of God. It was definitely an emotional morning.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Woking Beer Festival
Now in its 14th year, it's a very popular event. We purchased our tickets back in August for last night. (There were also 2 sessions today.) With a commemorative pint glass in one hand, and a programme in the other, we were ready. The Main Room contained over 50 different real ales (see www.camra.org.uk), plus cider (made with apples), perry (made with pears), and a live band. The much smaller Wurlitzer Room contained almost 25 more real ales, plus...a Wurlitzer! Len Rawle played at the top of every hour for about 20 minutes.
Dave and I enjoyed scouring our programmes and then purchasing half pints based on their written descriptions. (Banana beer, anyone? How about "an authentic 100% malt brewed mild with a fine aroma of crystal malt and fuggles and challenger hops?") But the highlight of the evening was the end of session sing-a-long. Len and the Wurlitzer are at the far end of the room. Along the right wall are 2 rows of casks. Do you see the man wearing a gold chain across his shoulders? That's the Mayor of Woking! Try to imagine every person in this room singing at the top of his or her lungs. From "Roll Out the Barrel" and "Dancing Queen" to "I Vow to Thee My Country" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic," it was very impressive.
Dave and I enjoyed scouring our programmes and then purchasing half pints based on their written descriptions. (Banana beer, anyone? How about "an authentic 100% malt brewed mild with a fine aroma of crystal malt and fuggles and challenger hops?") But the highlight of the evening was the end of session sing-a-long. Len and the Wurlitzer are at the far end of the room. Along the right wall are 2 rows of casks. Do you see the man wearing a gold chain across his shoulders? That's the Mayor of Woking! Try to imagine every person in this room singing at the top of his or her lungs. From "Roll Out the Barrel" and "Dancing Queen" to "I Vow to Thee My Country" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic," it was very impressive.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Guy Fawkes Day
On November 5, 1605, Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators planned to blow up King James I and Parliament. The Gunpowder Plot was foiled, and to this day the English still celebrate with fireworks and bonfires. Official parties are usually held the Saturday closest to the 5th, so Chris witnessed the Woking fireworks, while the rest of us passed by various celebrations on the train ride home from Dover. Unofficial parties continued all weekend, and it has been a rather noisy evening around here, given that today is actually the 5th. I wonder when the festivities will finally end?
Dover
Shelly, Dave, and I were up pretty early on Saturday morning for the 3 hour journey to Dover by train. We spent most of the day exploring the grounds of Dover Castle. In addition to the castle itself, we visited the medieval tunnels, the Saxon church (left), and the Roman lighthouse (right), which dates from AD 50 and may be the oldest standing building in Britain.
The guided tour of the secret wartime tunnels was very interesting, and we wished that Chris had come along to learn about this very important aspect of World War II. We followed the path of a wounded pilot through the underground hospital, and on the next level down we walked through ordinary living spaces (kitchen, dormitory...) as well as the command centre. In these very tunnels Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay planned Operation Dynamo (the "miracle of Dunkirk"), which rescued 338,000 soldiers instead of the originally expected 45,000.
We got to see the White Cliffs of Dover, but the boat tours that gave the best views were done for the season, and we did not have time to really explore them on our own.
However, Shelly did achieve her goal of sticking her foot in the English Channel...and it was cold!
The guided tour of the secret wartime tunnels was very interesting, and we wished that Chris had come along to learn about this very important aspect of World War II. We followed the path of a wounded pilot through the underground hospital, and on the next level down we walked through ordinary living spaces (kitchen, dormitory...) as well as the command centre. In these very tunnels Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay planned Operation Dynamo (the "miracle of Dunkirk"), which rescued 338,000 soldiers instead of the originally expected 45,000.
We got to see the White Cliffs of Dover, but the boat tours that gave the best views were done for the season, and we did not have time to really explore them on our own.
However, Shelly did achieve her goal of sticking her foot in the English Channel...and it was cold!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Shelly's Visit
Shelly arrived on Monday morning. On Tuesday we headed into London to ride those hop-on, hop-off buses around the city all day. It was a good way to see lots of the major sights, but traffic was worse than usual because of King Abdullah's State Visit to Buckingham Palace. That night we joined Dave and some others from King's College at the Bavarian Beerhouse to celebrate the waning days of Octoberfest. (They even serve red wine...but a bit grudgingly.)
We also had a full schedule on Thursday for our second day in London. We spent hours at the National Gallery (and may even go back on Sunday), moved on to Kensington Palace (which was not as good as we had expected), and finished our day with Les Mis at the Queen's Theatre (fabulous!). Tomorrow we visit Dover to see the English Channel and the White Cliffs.
We also had a full schedule on Thursday for our second day in London. We spent hours at the National Gallery (and may even go back on Sunday), moved on to Kensington Palace (which was not as good as we had expected), and finished our day with Les Mis at the Queen's Theatre (fabulous!). Tomorrow we visit Dover to see the English Channel and the White Cliffs.
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