Another Busy Week

Wow! I cannot believe it's nearing the end of my journey.  My last week here has been amazing, and included a weekend in London, a trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, and a sad goodbye to my students and fellow teachers at school. 

I'll begin with my weekend in London.  I went with Harriet, a friend from school, who got us tickets to see Singing in the Rain at the Palace Theatre.  I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy going to a musical, but the show was terrific and I enjoyed it immensely! (Plus, now I can say "I've been to the theatre in London," which sounds very posh.)

After the show, we grabbed dinner at a popular Italian restaurant near the theatre before heading back to Harriet's flat.  Then it was time to get ready to go to a proper London nightclub, where Harriet's friend was having a birthday party and had rented out the entire second floor.  It was pouring rain during our walk to the club, and we both got completely drenched and our hair and makeup got completely messed up.  In spite of those setbacks, we had an amazing time! Her friends were so nice, there was great music, and plenty of wine and fun to be had. 

Sunday morning, we woke up and went on a quick Fortnum and Mason run before heading back to Bognor.  It was only my second time shopping there, but I really, really love it.  They have so many lovely teas and coffees on the main floor, and some really nice things for the home upstairs.  I ended up buying some more tea to take home, as well as a large cup and saucer.  Looking back, I should have bought two sets, as the one is kind of funny on its own.  I guess that just gives me yet another excuse to make it back to London one day...

Monday I went on a field trip with the class to the Chichester Cathedral.  I have seen the cathedral many times during my shopping excursions in Chichester, but have refrained from going to see it because I knew I was going on the field trip.  I'm glad I waited, because we were given a guided tour of the cathedral, which I found really interesting.  It's over 900 years old (wow!) and was the subject of a massive blowout between Henry VIII and the bishop of Chichester during the time Henry began pulling away from the Catholic Church. 

On Tuesday, I took the day off from school to drive to London with Helena for a visit to the Harry Potter Studio Tour.  If you're a fan of the movies or the books, I would highly recommend going...it was wonderful! The tour is inside the studios where much of the movies were actually filmed. The sets were those from the movies, as well, and there were familiar props on display for everyone to see.  I saw the Great Hall, Dumbledor's office, the Gryffindor common room, the Potions classroom, Hagrid's hut, Number 4 Privet Drive, and the Weasley's kitchen.  They props they used in the movies were amazingly detailed, like the items from the Weasley Brothers' joke shop.  Some looked incredibly realistic, like the Triwizard Cup and the horcruxes.  It's amazing the amount of detail and planning that went into making the movies.  I was really impressed! The tour lasted about 4 hours (at our own pace) and concluded with a stop in the gift shop.  While I only ended up buying a t-shirt, I could have purchased an entire wizard outfit, complete with wand, for a mere 300 pounds.  A much more practical, but still expensive, souvenir would have been an original, signed painting from the movie storyboards; they were absolutely stunning. 

My ride on the Knight Bus

Finally, I ended my week on Friday, my last day of school.  I have been blessed to work at a wonderful school with wonderful kids, and it was extremely sad to say goodbye.  My class presented me with a signed class photo, as well as a bound hand-made book they made with individual self-portraits and messages to me from each student.  It was so sweet, and I have to admit - I got a little teary-eyed over the whole thing.  I managed to leave my email address and have already gotten a few emails from some of the class.  I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon, but it will be nice to keep in touch for a while. 

Now, I just have the weekend left before I head home on Monday.  Today I'm attending a 3-year-old's birthday party and will hit the chocolate shop in Chichester one last time.  Tomorrow is supposed to be rain-free, so we might manage to get a walk in around the South Downs before I begin packing and getting ready to go.  Again, I can't believe how incredibly fast the time has gone, but I am definitely ready to get home.  I've missed Aaron so much and it will be nice to get back to my "normal" life once again. 

Sorry...

I was just looking at the date of my last proper post, and it's been a few weeks.  Whoops! Now, here I am with only 10 days left and I'm just now getting around to writing about what I've done since Arundel.  Hmmm....that may be difficult.  I've done so much!

I suppose I'll start with Easter Sunday.  I went with my hosts' son, Marc, to an Arsenal football game.  They played a home game against Manchester City in London.  Now, I'm not really a huge fan of football/soccer, but I am always up for going to a live sporting event.  I am so glad I ended up going, because it truly was one of the highlights of my stay.  The atmosphere and the energy of the crowd was amazing! I loved all of the chants and the songs, which we do have in the States but it was just sung with so much more passion.  It's really difficult to describe, and I'll certainly never do the experience justice, so I'll stop trying and just say it was a blast!

 A few days later I went to London with my hostess.  We did the open-top bus tour around the city and saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey (which charges to get in...lame), the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London.  We also stopped at Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard.  I didn't realize what a huge spectacle it would be, with the guards marching in while a band plays.  It was quite entertaining and there were loads of people there watching.  The fountain across from the palace was full of people for that, so I can only imagine what it would have looked like on Kate and William's wedding day.  Amazing.

After our tour, we stopped at the famous Fortnum and Mason's, where the Queen gets her tea.  I guess the Queen and Kate were just there last month to sample some of the special Diamond Jubilee cakes, coffees, and teas they are selling.  Afterwards, we walked to Piccadilly Circus where I did a little souvenir shopping and then continued onto the British Museum.  The museum was huge and I literally could have spent an entire day there, but we only had a little while so I settled on finding the Rosetta Stone and wandering around the ground floor for a bit.  Once we finished, we walked across the street to the Museum Tavern and had a beer.  I had it on good authority that the pub, which opened in the early-to-mid 1700s, was a hangout of Karl Marx and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Not only does that make it cool, but the fact that it is older than the establishment of the United States of American makes it a pretty bad-ass place to have a drink!

 

That pretty much sums up my fantastic day in London.  My next big adventure was last weekend's trip to Paris.  I went with Marc's wife Helena, and we left early Saturday morning and came back late Sunday night. We had a short amount of time to spend in the city, but we managed to pack quite a bit into the time we had.  We went to the Louvre, where I saw the Mona Lisa.  I was quite surprised at its small size, because with it's larger-than-life reputation, it just feels like it should be enormous; it's not.  You may be surprised to know that my favorite part of the museum was actually not any of the thousands of art pieces on display.  It was actually the ceilings of each of the rooms.  Beautiful friezes covered every inch of the ceiling and while I'm sure I looked funny craning my neck to look at each one, I was completely awed. 

 After the Louvre, we walked forever and ever along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower.  We could see the top of the tower for most of our walk, but it more or less sprung out at us as we walked through an alley and were all of a sudden at its base.  It's just as impressive as I imagined it would be, and although I did not ride the elevator up to the top, I was overjoyed to finally be able to see this iconic tower in person. 

After the Eiffel Tower, we took the Metro back to our hotel and got ready for dinner.  We were told that we would find good restaurants, shops, and a beautiful view in Sacre Coeur so we took the Metro to the nearest stop and braved the hilly cobblestone streets in our heels.  Many curses and blisters later, we made it to the basilique at the top of the hill.  The view was worth the pain and the effort, as was the lovely restaurant we ended up in for dinner.  This small area ended up being my favorite part of Paris, with the tiny shops, quirky street vendors, and bustling streets.  It's the first place I'll head to when I return.

The next day, we got up and rode the RER into Versailles.  We took a tour of the palace and saw the Hall of Mirrors and Marie Antoinette's bedroom, which was indescribably beautiful.  It was incredibly crowded though, and I felt like I was part of a herd of cattle being pushed and shoved from one room to the next.  If I ever went back, it would be on a Tuesday or Thursday instead of the weekend.

 

So, that's what I've been up to over the last few weeks, or at least the big things anyway.  I've returned to school after our two week Easter holiday, and had a great week with the kids.  I spent some time in the 5th grade classrooms this week, as well, so that was interesting.  Next week we go on a field trip to Chichester Cathedral Monday and then on Tuesday I go with Helena to the Harry Potter studio tour.  Then, I only have a few days left until I'm homeward bound.  A large part of me is sad to have all of this come to an end, but I'm really excited at the thought of getting home to Aaron, my friends, and family.  The thought of getting back to my regular daily routine sounds nice, as well, though I don't relish the thought of the job hunt I'll need to go on once I return.  That's never fun!   

Oh, my!

It's been quite a while since I updated my blog.  It's not because I haven't been doing anything or because I'm too lazy (well, maybe a little bit).  It's really because I've been so busy seeing really cool things (i.e. football matches, London, and this weekend, Paris).  I'll be back next week to update, I promise!

Arundel Castle

I went to the most amazing place today! We drove to Arundel Castle this morning, a nearly thousand year-old castle just 20 minutes outside of Bognor Regis.  It's the home of the Duke of Norfolk and his family, who have private living quarters, though the rest of the castle is open to the public. 

This is the first look of the castle I got as we were walking up the lane to the entrance.  It was a breathtaking sight, and the rainclouds in the back make it look even more picturesque.  It was supposed to rain today, so we thought we'd head up to the Keep to start with so we could get a good look at the views from the top. 

Climbing the stairs to the Keep

Top of the Keep

One of the many magnificent views from the top

It was 137 steps to the top of the Keep, with some very narrow ones in turrets that were not made for tall people with large feet. 

The climb was very much worth it and we could see for miles and miles all around us.  It didn't rain after all, which was lucky, because we were able to enjoy the rest of the day both inside the castle and out in the gardens.  Although the garden was home to plenty of beautiful flowers (mainly tulips), it was also a working garden which grew kale, lettuces, peppers, leeks, fennel, and just about every other vegetable you can imagine. 

I had a wonderful time, as I always do, wandering around the grounds and inside the castle, listening and reading about the history and imagining all the people and events this place has a part of over the years.  It's still very much in use today, for private and public functions.  I was told by one of the guards that one of the dining rooms we toured is sometimes used for discos by some of the younger children of the Duke.  It's really amazing when you think about it, to go from seeing the rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots as she walked to her execution to a cluster of modern day family photos of the Duke on the front lawn. 

Brighton and Bognor Town Centre

Yesterday we drove to Brighton, a seaside town about an hour northeast of Bognor Regis.  I had heard there were some wonderful, quirky shops called The Lanes, as well as lots of contemporary shops in the centre of town.  The shops in The Lanes were indeed quirky, and there were all sorts of  places to have a look around.  I found a shop that was entirely devoted to Alice in Wonderland, more jewelry shops than I could count, and several small art galleries.  I've been looking for some unique egg cups to bring back with me, and I managed to find some hand-painted ones in an art gallery. 

We took a break from shopping to eat lunch at a Portuguese restaurant called Nando's.  I had a chicken sandwich with peri peri sauce, which I had never heard of before, but enjoyed thoroughly! It's a chile-based sauce and it is SPICY, which was perfect for me! I cooled off with a Portuguese beer and then we were ready to roll to the Royal Pavilion, former home to King George IV and later, Queen Victoria.  It was absolutely breathtaking, and we were able to spend a few hours walking around the palace and listening to our audio guide before stopping upstairs for afternoon tea.  It was my first experience with cream tea, and I adored it.  Cream tea, as I discovered, is a pot of tea (usually English breakfast or Earl Grey) served with a scone, clotted cream, and jam.  I thought the clotted cream wouldn't be something I would enjoy, but with the sweetness of whipped cream and a cream cheese consistency, it was difficult not to lick the bowl it came in! 

This morning I had what the English call a "lie in," which means I slept in.  My hostess and I spent the morning planning the rest of the week (tomorrow Arundel Castle, Thursday is her son's birthday, and Friday a possible walk in the South Downs).  We also talked about next week's London trips as well as our trip to Paris.  As it stands, it looks like we're going next Saturday and Sunday, which would be a fantastic way to end my Easter holiday!

After our planning, I decided to take advantage of the sunny weather and walk down to Bognor's town centre.  I needed to stop at the pharmacy and make a fun to Tesco, so I decided to make a day of it.  I started out by having lunch at Cardamom Bay, a popular Indian restaurant in town.  I had the chicken vindaloo, which was excellent, although not a hot and spicy as I had hoped.  It was close, but it could have been hotter.  I walked off my very large lunch for a couple of hours, wandering around High Street and poking my head into the shops.  Finally, I decided to run my errands and return home by way of the seafront.  It wasn't a terribly exciting day, but it was a relaxing one.

Stonehenge and Jane Austen's House

We got up early and drove to Stonehenge this morning.  The weather was chilly, but the sun was out and it was a perfect day to see such an amazing sight.  Seeing Stonehenge has always been on my Bucket List, ever since I was in elementary school and we studied it in AGP, along with the Bermuda Triangle and Atlantis.  I believe the topic was Unsolved Mysteries, or something of that nature, and it intrigued me even then.  All I can say is that pictures do not do it justice.  Stonehenge was truly awesome. 

As you walk around the site, you are able to listen to an audio tour which gives a little bit of history, as well as some theories behind how it was built, why it was built, and when it was built.  Common theory is that it was built as a sort of calendar, as many of the stones align perfectly with the sun during the winter and summer solstices and the fall and spring equinoxes.  Some say Merlin the Wizard had something to do with its building, while others say it was the Devil.  It's estimated to have been built between 3200 and 1600 BC. 

After we left Stonehenge, we made our way to Alton, home to Jane Austen from 1809-1817.  It was the place where she revised and edited Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility before submitting them for publication. 

It was so wonderful to explore the house, as well as the garden and learning center in the back.  The gardens were absolutely beautiful and were full of rosemary, sage, and lavender, which is grown all over the town.  It smelled heavenly.  I was also lucky enough to grab a keepsake from the garden...I just hope customs doesn't discover it on my way back to the states!

In short, it was another fabulous day in England! Only 29 days left...

First Day of Easter Break

And what did I do? Shopped and saw The Hunger Games, of course! I went down to Chichester again to look for some gifts and do a little shopping for myself.  I swear I looked at every shop there last weekend, but apparently I did not because I managed to find some stores I had not yet been into.  I have to admit, I love buying things that I know no one back home will have.  Cute dresses, scarves, jewelry...I can't help it!  There are so many gorgeous things!  But, in addition to what I bought myself, I found some really nice gifts for my sister and nephew today.  I'm still on the lookout for the rest of the people on my list, but I think I'm done with them until I go to Paris.  I was at a loss on what to get my nephew, because he doesn't really play with toys anymore.  I discovered buying for boys is pretty difficult, but when I found this little gem, I knew it was perfect!

It's an egg cup for soft boiled eggs! He's a very picky eater, but I know he likes eggs.

I don't want to spoil the surprise for any readers who may be getting gifts and trinkets from my travels, so I won't post anything else that I bought. I think I'll put off shopping again for a little while, though...at least until I see what some of the big cities have to offer.

After shopping, I headed over to Chichester's cinema.  It looked just like your typical American movie theater, except they a)charged ridiculously high prices for tickets, b)they had a bar IN the theater (I couldn't take a drink into the movie, but it came in handy while I waited for it to start), and c)they only offer two types of popcorn: salty or sweet, and neither comes with butter.  I thought (c) might have been a deal-breaker, but I actually didn't miss the butter and I probably saved a truckload of calories (that I made up for by having a beer).

"Stellaaaaaa!!!!" in a cheesy Sylvester Stallone voice, is what I hear in my head every time I drink one

Their "small" popcorn really is small

 So, I watched The Hunger Games.  Loved it (and no, I did not think it was too violent nor did I think Rue was "too black," as apparently some racist Tweeters do.  Assholes.)!  Would see it again, but don't really want to spend six pounds to do it.  Guess I'll wait on the Blu-Ray.

Well, my first day of Easter Break was pretty great and I still have a little over two weeks left.  I wonder what I'll see and do...

Ups and Downs...Such is Life

This week has been full of surprises, both good and bad.  Here they are, in no particular order:
 - I found out I get to go to an Arsenal football game (that's soccer for all you Americans who aren't in-the-know).  It's against Manchester City and it's in London on Easter Sunday.  It's supposed to be a big game and it  should be pretty awesome.
 - One of my hosts is incredibly sick.  Because of this, we had to cancel Stonehenge and the Jane Austen museum this weekend, as well as the Paris trip.  I'm really hoping we'll get to reschedule all of those things during the Easter break.  Fingers are crossed!
 - I have planned two trips in April, one to Brighton and the other to London with a lovely girl from school.  I can't wait!
 - The weather has been beautiful this week.  It's supposed to turn cold and rainy all next week.  Boo! Typical English weather, I suppose...
 - I officially have the use of a bicycle.  Not having a car really sucks, for lack of a better word.  A bike will help an awful lot (at least on the days it's not raining).

That's all for now.  I'm trying not to get too bummed out about Paris, although it's disheartening.  I just hope there's time to reschedule and that we're able to get tickets on the Eurostar without much notice.

For those wondering, my grandfather passed away Sunday night.  The past few days have been a difficult, but I'm trying to focus on what I'm here to do and enjoy the rest of my stay here.  I know he would have wanted that.  He will always be in my thoughts and my heart.

Unplanned Weekend

Plans got rearranged this weekend, so Stonehenge and the Jane Austin house and museum got moved to next weekend.  I ended up spending yesterday morning shopping in Chichester.  It's a beautiful little town, centered around the Chichester cathedral.  It's actually an old Roman city, and parts of the original Roman wall still stands. 

One part of the wall.  In other areas it is much taller and impressive.

Beautiful day to shop!

Lunch at The Fountain (fancy fish and chips - pretty good, but the best seem to be the ones they throw on newspaper and serve to you in a less stylish fashion).

 Today I helped my hosts set up their beach hut.  The weather is turning warmer, and since the beach is only 1 mile away, it's a nice place to go read, cook out, and relax on pretty days.  Not sure that the water will be warm enough to swim in before I leave, but it's still a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the day.  I think the rest of the afternoon I'll just catch up on some of my television programs I've missed and then read a little. 

All in all it was a pretty relaxing weekend, apart from receiving some upsetting news about my grandfather being in the hospital.  I wish there was more I could do, but from 5000 miles away it's difficult.  I'm trying not to think about it until I hear further news, but that's not very easy. 

Morning Run

I got up for a morning run today, even though I really, really, really wanted to stay in bed.  I'm glad I went, though.  Now I am ready to take on the day!

Part of my morning run route that ultimately leads to the sea.  There and back, it's only about 2 miles...I'll need to find a longer route, soon.  (P.S. I love the houses that have brick walls instead of wooden fences!)

A beautiful sunrise makes getting up early to run completely worth it.

I really, really, really want to stay here.  I'm only living a block away, but every time I pass this B & B, I am drawn to it.

So cute!

Mossy tree under which I chose to stretch.

Hump Day

I cannot believe this week is almost over.  It was another eventful day of Charity Week.  I thought I was done with baking, since we ran out of flour yesterday.  Turns out I was, but there were several kilograms of chocolate that needed melting and loads of fruit that needed to be cut for dipping, as well as children who needed supervision while doing the melting and the dipping.  There were also several chocolate birds' nests that needed to be made, and guess who volunteered to organize the students in doing that? This girl! While I love being in the classroom, I am really enjoying these nontraditional days I've been having for the last week.  It has made each day different and I've gotten to interact with several students, instead of those from just one classroom. 

During this time, I've become known as The American, and have delighted children each day with my accent.  I hear squeals of excitement as the students enter the kitchen and see that I'm in there, and then they all crowd around me and ask me to "say something".  As flattering as you may think this is, it has put me in the position
of "odd circus freak," which is somewhat unsettling.  You'd think I was from Mars, or something (which I'm not, because everyone knows women are from Venus).

It looks like tomorrow will see more fruit being chopped and chocolate being melted.  I think we're all done with the birds' nests and the baking completely, so I'll have to find something else to get into.  Another field trip, perhaps? Friday, the Fifth Years are having a walk for Sports Relief at 11, so I'll be doing that until lunch time.  Not sure what the rest of the day will bring, but at this point, I think everyone knows that I'm up for just about anything!

I've already mentioned my plans for the weekend (a date with a mysterious group of rocks and the birthplace of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy), but I realized I forgot to share what I did for the rest of last weekend.  Saturday was our day in Portsmouth and Chichester, but Sunday was Mothering Day (or Mother's Day, depending on who you ask), and we celebrated by going to Weald and Downland, the open air museum here in West Sussex.  Essentially, it's a small village recreated using original buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.  They were originally standing throughout West Sussex, but as the towns and villages grew, developers wanted to tear down these buildings that had stood for centuries and replace them with new housing developments and commercial buildings.  From what I understand, the property for the museum was purchased and its founder began purchasing these buildings that were in danger of being lost forever.  They took them apart, moved them, and then rebuilt them as they were.  Now, you can go and see live demonstrations and walk around the property, which is quite large.  For Mothering Day, they hand out daffodils to the mothers who visit, and hold more demonstrations than normal.  We went with my hosts' children and their families for the morning.

The Mill

The pond where baby Theo wanted to go for a swim

Sheep!

Black Sheep...I think its name was Heather...?

Old school house...can't imagine teaching here!

Geese and an old home (the outhouse was IN the house and was designed to empty right onto the street from the 2nd floor)

I would have taken more pictures, but with four children in the group, it became difficult to focus on much else! One was busy jumping into every puddle he came across, another wanted to get out of his stroller the entire time, one was fast asleep in his carrier, and the other wanted to climb trees the entire time.  It was very eventful, right up until the moment we had to leave because it started to rain.  I absolutely adore my hosts and their family, and I love that there's never a dull moment here.  It's definitely keeping me on my toes!

Oui, Chef

Yesterday and today I got roped into helping bake biscuits for Charity Week.  Both mornings I supervised 15 children as they made several dozen Easter Biscuits (lemon zest, sugar, butter, flour, currants, candied citrus peel, and spice powder).  The point was to sell those, along with Bird's Nests, raffle tickets, and Easter Eggs, to raise money for a local charity.  Both days went really well, although today went somewhat better than yesterday (no burnt biscuits! took an hour less than it did yesterday!).  Today they sold yesterday's biscuits and tomorrow they'll sell today's.  Hopefully, all the children's hard work will earn loads of money for their charity!

I'm not sure what the rest of my week looks like.  I can't say I've really had a single "normal" day at school, which I'm perfectly okay with.  In fact, the time is going quite quickly and it's hard to believe tomorrow is Wednesday already.  Next Friday is our last day before our two week Easter holiday, and then I'll only have two more weeks left.  The time is flying, really!  During my lunch hour today, I spent some time looking through some of the brochures my hosts picked up for me.  I'm trying to plan out my first trip to London, but it's really difficult because there is so much to do.  I think the first time I'm there, I really just want to take a ride on a double-decker, and just see most of the sights that way.  Then, I can go back and do some shopping in Notting Hill, go to the British Museum, see some of the Harry Potter landmarks, do a Jack the Ripper walk, etc.  It's only about an hour and a half away, and a two week holiday leaves me with loads of free time.  We'll also go to Paris during that time, so I'll have to decide what I want to see there, too. 

This weekend, it looks like I'll be able to visit Stonehenge and Jane Austin's house/museum.  They are both relatively near each other and will make for a nice day trip.  Hopefully the weather will be good.   

Observations Thus Far

Though not applicable to everyone who lives in England, here are some things I have noticed during my first week in England:

1.  It is acceptable to drive at 50 mph with only half a car-length separating you from the car in front of you.

2.  Gravy is served with nearly every cooked meal.  Mushroom gravy, onion gravy, turkey gravy, duck gravy, and chicken gravy...it all goes well with meat.

3.  English mustard is hot.  Like, wasabi-hot.  Mushy peas are not as disgusting as they sound, and are quite good, actually.  Steak and kidney pie is pretty good, and even better with that English mustard.

4.  Beer goes with everything and is appropriate just about any time of the day.  Room temperature is preferable.

5.  Well-dressed English children in their school uniforms are not necessarily better behaved than their American counterparts, although they look like they would be.

6.  Biscuits are NOT cookies, though they would like you to believe so.

7.  Potatoes are chips, chips are crisps, rubbers are erasers, and pants are underwear.  Do not confuse them.

8.  Hunter boots (or Wellies) are acceptable for any occasion.  Do not buy them because they are cute.  Buy them because they will prevent your feet from getting cold, wet, and muddy.  Be prepared to get said cute Hunter boots wet and muddy, and don't be sad because they are no longer in pristine condition.

9.  Smiling or making eye contact while passing someone on the sidewalk is not necessary, nor is it preferred.

10.  Kids will do funny imitations of Americans, that sound like a cross between a Southerner and a California surfer dude.  They will expect you to say a sentence or two in your best English accent, in return.

I worked for the weekend and it's finally here!

Friday at school was pretty chaotic.  I was busy all day and then after lunch, the afternoon consisted of what the school calls Shine Time.  Once a quarter, the students are given an afternoon to choose from several fun activities to participate in for the remainder of the school day.  Yesterday, there were groups of students baking; learning to draw cartoons; making Easter chicks; cleaning out the cages of and playing with the school's guinea pigs; making friendship bracelets; building birdhouses; learning how to care for and train dogs; participating in a contest for an Olympics poster; and making Mother's Day cards.  There were several more activities, but these were all the ones I roamed around the school to see.  It was a good afternoon.  As I walked around to the groups of students, I had several ask me if I was an American.  They wanted to hear me talk "American" and try to "speak" British.  It was highly amusing.

Today, I woke up rather early, because my host and I planned to go to do some shopping.  We left this morning and drove to Plymouth, where we went to some of the outlets so I could buy a few things for school.  Plymouth is a lovely little seaport, and they have a naval base there.  It was quite cloudy and rainy today, so the fog prevented us from seeing much, but from what I saw it looked lovely.  There were sail boats in the harbor and we watched some of the ferries coming in from other ports.  Then we had lunch at The Old Customs House, a traditional pub that was built in the 1700s.  It used to be...a customs house.

After lunch, I had to go to see one of the many things Portsmouth is famous for....the Charles Dickens museum.  Portsmouth is the birthplace of Dickens, and his old home (he only lived there for a few months) is now a museum.  You can explore the house, read about the history of his family, see the some of the original illustrations approved by Dickens himself for his novels, and see some things he owned, as well as the sofa he actually died upon and his death certificate.

After visiting Dickens' former home, we stopped in Chichester on the way back to Bognor for some more shopping.  The shopping is unbelievable, with traditional chains like Top Shop and Jigsaw, as well as a several quirky independent shops.  We walked around and did some shopping, and stopped in one of their many traditional tea rooms for afternoon tea and cake.  I could have spent all day there, and I actually plan to, in the upcoming weeks.  There is a beautiful cathedral in the center of town and a university as well, with a theater and lovely grounds to walk around.  I think the next weekend that isn't raining and is a little warmer I will have to spend in Chichester!

Tomorrow is Mothering Day (Mother's Day), so I believe we'll be spending it with my hosts' family.  If the weather is nice, we plan on going to an open air museum just outside of town.  If its raining, I'm not sure what we'll do.  I actually wouldn't mind just spending some time at home tomorrow, because I feel as though I've been running around nonstop since I arrived one week ago.