The miserables, fruit kebabs and art!

This week has been busy busy busy. We’ve been getting back into the routine of classes after spring break and that’s been going well. Everyone has also been trying to avoid looking at a calendar because we realize how little time we have left! There’s so much to do and so little time so we’re trying to pack a lot into our last few weeks and use our time efficiently.

Monday we had practicum, seminar and a play so my major accomplishment was surviving. Practicum was really fun because my kids were working on their rainforest photostories that they are sending to Barack Obama and Gordon Brown. It was fun to see how hard they had worked and the videos are all really cute. In the afternoon they made posters for a cake sale that they were having on Thursday. They are trying to raise 100 £ to buy 2 acres of rainforest, and again they were really excited and I loved watching them being creative. Tuesday was really boring just class all day.

Wednesday was a really good day. I got up early and went for a run, just for fun. I didn’t realize how close we were to Regent’s Park and it was so great to jog through this beautiful park on such a beautiful day. On the way back I took a turn too early and got kind of lost, but I found a bus map that helped me find my way home, and I got more exercise! Then I spent the afternoon hanging out in the flat, venturing out for some errands and doing some work. Then we went to see Les Miserables! I read the book in 10th grade and remembered enjoying it, but I also could remember really enjoying listening to the music back then and so I figured if something left that much of an impression it would be fun. I was blown away. The music was incredible, the staging was so cool, and the singing was the best I’ve ever heard. The Jean Val Jean character was my favorite, but anytime the whole chorus was on stage I was on the edge of my seat they were so captivating.

Today has been another adventure. We had class this morning and it was fine; we came back to the flats and had lunch and attempted to do some work. Then a group of us went to my practicum school for the cake sale! On Monday I was talking about how proud I was of my students and how it would be cool to go out and support them. Someone asked what they would be selling and I told them about the smoothies, cakes and fruit kebabs (pronounced kebaaabs, British accents are so cute). The fruit kebabs intrigued some people and since they weren’t doing anything else Natalie, Jordan, Kinsey and Sam came out with me to enjoy some great treats and support the rainforest! It was so fun to show them my school and I surprised my teacher and kids and I think they were really proud to show off their final product. And the kebabs were quite delicious. Afterwards I had randomly decided that I wanted to go to the National Portrait Gallery. I’m not exactly sure why, but I thought it sounded cool whenever the lady on the tube would announce it on the tube (they sometimes tell you what attractions are near each stop). Natalie and Kinsey, who are way more artsy than me came along and I am so glad they did. We wandered around the gallery, getting really excited about some portraits (William Shakespeare!), standing in awe at most of them and then joking around a bit. Going to an art gallery is usually not something I would do voluntarily in my free time, but it was a really fun and interesting experience.

This weekend is going to be another full one with lots of outings and adventures and I’m so excited! More to come next week.